Karaoke Forums

In karaoke bars, I've often heard people praising singers that sound 'just like' the original singer of the song. What do you think of that kind of singing? I personally prefer singers who try to add their own style to the song. Sometimes I even like 'bad singers' better than good singers, because the former don't even try to follow the original style of the song, but they add something new to it (I don't mean the drunken moaners here).

Oh No....you went and got me started. I am way too opinionated on this subjet.

IMHO

I also enjoy listening to singers who take a song and redo it in their own style. I'm in awe of this ability and I struggle with it on each song I sing.
I think that's the difference between being a singer and a vocalist. (myself being a humble singer) We all have our own style and if all we do is imitate what's already been done then we may never know what we're capable of as an artist. I think it's safer to just go with the imitation and it takes a lot of courage to risk falling on your face when you know you can take the safe way out and just imitate. When I hear someone get up and sing to a karaoke track and add personal style even when the performance is less than perfect I find myself enjoying it much more than some one who gets up and gives a flawless imitated performance.

This may be one of the pitfalls of karaoke compared to singing with a band. (something I have tried but can't seem to figure out yet) With karaoke there's no variation in the music and with live backing you're forced to adapt to the music and that makes it easy to find your own style.

If you go back and listen to some of the old bands before it was possible to digitize the imperfections out of music you'll find that the silght flaws and imperfections are part of what defined their particular style.
Unfortunatly, the music industry seems to have lost interest in originality we've all become used to other artist trying to imitate each other and we've been conditioned to believe that being original is not as effective as conformity.

I hope one day I'll be able to develop the ability to erase the original version out of my head while I'm singing. In the meantime I applaud those of you who have the guts to break away and be original. Maybe someday I'll be able to count myself among you.

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Too soon old......too late smart.

I can only hope that I bring my own style to a song but possibly due to CDG music the timing will be pretty much the same as the original. I know I tend to imitate the original probably too much! Wish I could step out and try to make it my own but just haven't put forth the effort to do so. I notice that if I don't know the original artist, like alot of the Country I do, I probably imitate the guide vocals. It's my big claim to LAME. Sorry folks!

Now I'm wondering if alot of people that listen to me think I'm some kind of wannabe imitator! Darn!

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It's Just FUN!

This is so funny you bring this up, I just started playing a new game at ones of my gigs last night where you pick the song, and the audience picks what you sing it like. For example I picked Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran and one wise guy from the audience suggested I sing it like Englebert Humperdink, so I did it. Everyone loved the game and it kinda forces you out of the box. Mind you it's not exactly putting your spin on a song, so much as putting what you think someone else's spin would be but I had a great time with hungry like the wolf and the one guy who did This Love by Maroon 5 like Bob Dylan was great. If you have a hard time changing things up, give it a try, it worked for me and my crowd.

Sheree you said it so well! Thanks for saving me all that typing!

I have to sing a song a million times or so before I can start to make it my own and by then I'm so sick of it I don't want to!

I can "imitate" singers' voices, but prefer to do it my way. I like to add enough to a song that I can call it my version.
My biggest pet peeve are the Elvis clones. This view point may tick people off, but I've always said opinions are like rear ends. We all have them... and they all stink. I know some people act like they are in "awe" of a "singer" who can do an Elvis impression. I'm sure everyone reading this has heard the Elvis clone say, "Thank you, thank you very much," when they finish. Personally, I'd like to beat them with a fish.
But that's just me. And there's never a fish handy
You want to honor the man, fine, but don't be a carbon copy. Be original for Pete's sake!

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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans
~John Lennon~

I think of it in both ways... I like imitiators, but I also love people who make a song truly theirs.

The way I do "Never Again" is almost like the way Nickelback performs it...

but the way I do "Gimmie Shelter" is truly mine. It's a little bit of Rolling Stones, some Queensryche thrown in,and my own growl to boot!

Now THAT sounds truly awesome knightshow, do you have sub of "Gimme Shelter" in the works?

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Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans
~John Lennon~

I guess I am in the minority here... on the rare occasion I have been wowed by an original arrangement of a song... (two girls once did unchained melody as a duet, it blew everyone away the cool way they did it).

But by and large I am most impressed by someone who is a ringer for a certain singer (hey that rhymes!). There is a guy here I see on rare occasion who looks kinda like Rob Zombie, but when he opens his mouth, Phil Collins comes out... I 'd be willing to bet even phil collins doesnt sound as much like Phil Collins live as this guy does.. have also heard sound-alikes for Rob Thomas and Sass Jordan. It always throws me... that is another thing I love, when you have a preconceived notion based on appearances and then the person starts singing and just blows you away - I love that!

I think it's funny when you have a preconceived notion about someone and they totally surprise you. We had a guy who was about 7 feet tall with long stringy jet black hair, piercings, a pale complexion.... kinda Marilyn Manson looking and it was such a surprise when he busted out with old country music like Johnny Cash. You just never know.

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Too soon old......too late smart.

Sing it just like the original artist; sing it in your own style; be perfectly pitched or just strike out....if you have guts enough to put yourself out there to sing, I'm gonna applaud like thunder! Today's strike out, with encouragement and practice, may be tomorrow's superstar!

Sorry....I just love tunes!

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If you can't have fun...why bother?

Imitating somebody with my stupid accent is impossible! I am sooooo special It still happens ever so often that when I say something my wife doesn't understand me. (Further/farther, dustbin/trashcan???, boot& bonnet, and yes, the keys are in the cubby hole!)

I've tried the redneck lingo, but she says I do it wrong. That ain't true, I don't know nothing Yeehaw!

The answer is both YES and NO. Singing is art! You can not scientifically prove art to be good or bad! And singing IS acting, different song, different act and that rule goes for the original singer too.

Now having said this...Since this is a karaoke website for karaoke singers and NOT for pro's or people singing original songs. A general statement/guideline is to sing mostly like the original singer because the backing(karaoke song you sing to) is set factor and when you deviate too far from the music it will NOT come out well. How ever the beauty of karaoke is that every singer is unique and to 99% of the time it adds extra spice to the song. You should only "add" some of your personality/twist in songs IF there is room for it and that differs from song to song.

I would say this: Try and catch the essence of the original singer, put the emotion in where it should be, put the high and low notes in the right place, do not use vibrato where it shouldnt be and use vibrato on the high strainious notes where it should be etc. Between all of this sing with your natural singing ability and do not try and "imitate" too much. If you follow this formula you can pretty much not go wrong.

Sounds like good advice to me.

as for you AllStar....

Nothing wrong with the way you talk.

It still gives me the tingles when you talk

Leave the redneck talk to pro's like me.

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Too soon old......too late smart.

It was on once, I've put it back up as part of my "files"...

I've been really sick lately, so I've not been able to record anythiing new.

LMBO @ Allstar!

It's nuthin' -- not nothing!! Like 'don't chew know nuthin'?'

@ Miss Milo

So much to learn, so little time