I'd like to teach the world to sing...
Ok, I'll be happy with just teaching myself.
The cast has built a tradition of Karaoke after the show. We've got our favorite hang out, the uber-cheesy dive called The Mousetrap. While I enjoy singing the group renditions and dancing in support of our cast when they perform but there is something evil out the mic for me. I've never sung. I don't know if it is possible for me to get drunk enough. But I love my cast and they really want me to sing so if this is ever going to happen I figure closing night in a little under two weeks is the night. But song selection appears to be key.
So, tell me your karaoke stories, give me advice. What songs should I investigate (since I need some time to practice in the car)?
The cast has built a tradition of Karaoke after the show. We've got our favorite hang out, the uber-cheesy dive called The Mousetrap. While I enjoy singing the group renditions and dancing in support of our cast when they perform but there is something evil out the mic for me. I've never sung. I don't know if it is possible for me to get drunk enough. But I love my cast and they really want me to sing so if this is ever going to happen I figure closing night in a little under two weeks is the night. But song selection appears to be key.
So, tell me your karaoke stories, give me advice. What songs should I investigate (since I need some time to practice in the car)?
posted by K-Lyn @ 9:33 PM
14 Comments:
At 12:27 AM,
Neel Mehta said…
Oh man, ever since Bart and Lisa were in the Japanese restaurant singing the theme from Shaft, I have nothing but fondness for karaoke.
From experience: if I'm in a coed group, we're the B-52's and I'm Fred Schneider. You can't mess up the B-52's. Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" is the same way, but it works better as an end-of-party tune.
When solo, I steer myself toward "Just a Gigolo." They may have the original version, but I still perform it like David Lee Roth. (It helps that I know the "Humma la beeba la seeba la booba la humma la beeba la seeba la bop" by heart.)
At 8:45 AM,
Julie said…
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At 8:52 AM,
Julie said…
Then there is people like me who end up at these types of bars all the time with people that
A. Have sung professionally on Broadway
B. Just got done with a two and a half hour show where they were singing most of the time
And I can barely sing! Luckily I found one song, but my throaty-alto won't work with K's voice.
One trick to try is to pick songs that the whole bar will sing. Just make large gestures and no one will notice that they can't hear your voice over everyone else's. Such anthems as "I Will Survive" is very good for this.
Or try songs that are written simply, like "Daydream Believer." You don't need a big range for that one!
At 11:41 PM,
K-Lyn said…
Eddie is always worth repeating!
Front runners at the moment. Feel free to vote on your fave:
Abba - Mamma Mia
Billy Joel - Tell Her About It
Erasure - Chains of Love
Madonna - Vogue
At 12:09 AM,
Neel Mehta said…
I think Erasure is a smart choice. "Vogue" might work if the performers do it seriously. Sorry, but I only hear the other two coming out badly.
At 8:56 PM,
K-Lyn said…
Two more to add from Hiawatha (non-reader) Fever or It's Raining Men.
At 11:31 AM,
Neel Mehta said…
I would totally sing backup for that song.
"Right?"
"Right."
At 12:18 PM,
K-Lyn said…
Leonard Bernstein!!!
I know I was thinking We Didn't Start The Fire but one of the other girls did it already.
I could totally do Johnny but alas. It is not to be.
I was impressed by our Claudio's rendition of Istanbul (not Constantinople) however.
At 2:11 PM,
Julie said…
I must warn you that Birdhouse in Your Soul is VERY repetitive. All these years of singing it in the car and I never noticed until Grant and I were up there doing a duet (he was John which left me doing John's part).
Isn't Fever in the alto range? Although if you Robert Preston your way through it...
eek. Dare I suggest Ya Got Trouble? No!
At 4:22 PM,
K-Lyn said…
There will be no, I REPEAT NO, musical theatre numbers. It's bad enough that the cast has a thing for Greese as is.
At 1:16 AM,
What is flora? said…
Ok, I've actually done karaoke...*surprise!* When selecting the perfect karaoke song you've got two problems:
1) karaoke selections are not very good at these places. I mean you're most likely NOT going to find the songs you like in their songlist. Remember karaoke started in asia, and in asia they like the old stuff, or top 40's.
2) is your voice better in a slow song (which will mean sad and depressing love song) or a fast-paced song (usually top forties of some sort).
my recommendation is, if you haven't already, check out what songs are available and make note of a few that you think you can sing. go home and see if you can actually sing it all the way through. you don't want a song with a lot of "oohing and ahhing" because unless you're really good, you'll just sound stupid.
try the beatles. i know you know their songs, and "when i'm 64" might be a good one. upbeat, happy, and althogether a tune easy to carry. :)
i'm not a good singer myself-- so if you're with me, be ready to hear sappy love songs :)
At 8:02 AM,
Julie said…
And to add to Flora's ohhing and ahhing comment, you also don't want something that has a dance break. Nothing with really long pauses and no singing.
At 10:31 AM,
Neel Mehta said…
The advantage to "Torn" is that you get to act out all the drama while you perform. Adding body language is always a good idea. Bear in mind that you will have to lie naked on the floor.
At 2:33 PM,
K-Lyn said…
Oooh...can you forward to me too? I lost my email with it. SOOOOOOO freaking funny. I could NEVER do that song having seen that clip. I do the "You're a little late" motion to my actors that show up late to fight call.
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