Showing posts with label don't stop believin'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label don't stop believin'. Show all posts
Sunday, January 23, 2011
More of the ongoing DSB-omania
I found this excellent version of Don't Stop Believin' as performed by Elton John , Lady Gaga, Sting, Blondie, and Shirley Bassey. Enjoy!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Update on "the most maligned karaoke song"
I had a previous post about a KJ who was charging for people to sing Don't Stop Believin. Evidently my post was not the only outcry. There was a follow up interview that explains why the KJ has taken such strong measures to combat one song in his collection.
Roger Niner explained in the interview that he got tired of hearing it, so he took it out of his songbook. Even then, people kept asking for it. Despite not having the
song listed in his book, he had a night where numerous people asked for
the song. In his words: "I just snapped. I'm not going to delete it, because that's just
going to be a disaster. So I said, 'Alright, I'm going to make some
money from this.'"
The interview ends with this comment from Niner: "... that song, I just -- I can't do it anymore. It just drove me to the point of insanity."
The song is among the most popular karaoke songs, if not the most popular. People want to sing it. These are the people who spend money on drinks and make it possible for a club to hire a KJ.
Just to balance this out, I quote from an excellent article about the song, written by Dorian Lyndsky of the Guardian:
It was a song inspired by failure. Journey started life as a jazz-rock band in San Francisco in 1973, but they were floundering and hitless when, four years later, they recruited singer Steve Perry, who was having little luck himself. Their fortunes drastically improved, but the sentiments of Don't Stop Believin' harked back to the lean years. Before keyboardist Jonathan Cain joined in 1980, he was also struggling while living on LA's Sunset Boulevard. Each time he called home in despair, his dad would tell him: "Don't stop believing or you're done, dude."
That's the kind of positive stuff I like to hear!
The interview ends with this comment from Niner: "... that song, I just -- I can't do it anymore. It just drove me to the point of insanity."
The song is among the most popular karaoke songs, if not the most popular. People want to sing it. These are the people who spend money on drinks and make it possible for a club to hire a KJ.
Just to balance this out, I quote from an excellent article about the song, written by Dorian Lyndsky of the Guardian:
It was a song inspired by failure. Journey started life as a jazz-rock band in San Francisco in 1973, but they were floundering and hitless when, four years later, they recruited singer Steve Perry, who was having little luck himself. Their fortunes drastically improved, but the sentiments of Don't Stop Believin' harked back to the lean years. Before keyboardist Jonathan Cain joined in 1980, he was also struggling while living on LA's Sunset Boulevard. Each time he called home in despair, his dad would tell him: "Don't stop believing or you're done, dude."
That's the kind of positive stuff I like to hear!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The most maligned karaoke song
I saw something online that really shook me. There is a KJ in San Francisco who is charging folks $5 to sing Don't Stop Believin'!
To me, this is sacrilege. My loyal readers will remember a blog of mine ("What should I sing?") where I combined the lists of best karaoke songs from 41 websites. Don't Stop Believin' came out on top. Of the 41 "best of" lists, 14 of them included Don't Stop Believin'. The next song in line (Total Eclipse of the Heart) was mentioned only 11 times. DSB is clearly the winner. This is not my opinion. This is the consensus of the experts on the web!
I might add that Don't Stop Believin' did not make it on my list of worst karaoke songs. I searched for lists of worst karaoke songs, and combined the results from 19 websites.
I am sorry Mr. SF KJ. People like the song.
To me, this is sacrilege. My loyal readers will remember a blog of mine ("What should I sing?") where I combined the lists of best karaoke songs from 41 websites. Don't Stop Believin' came out on top. Of the 41 "best of" lists, 14 of them included Don't Stop Believin'. The next song in line (Total Eclipse of the Heart) was mentioned only 11 times. DSB is clearly the winner. This is not my opinion. This is the consensus of the experts on the web!
I might add that Don't Stop Believin' did not make it on my list of worst karaoke songs. I searched for lists of worst karaoke songs, and combined the results from 19 websites.
I am sorry Mr. SF KJ. People like the song.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
What should I sing?
"What should I sing?"
I get this question a lot. As the guru-oke, people hang onto my every word when the question comes up. "Hey Mister Revealador, what should I sing?" The room goes quiet until all you can hear is one lady in the back of the room saying "... and I don't ever want to catch you wearing my mother's..." Her voice trails off as she, too, cranes her head to listen to my sage advice.
"I dunno, sing something you know." The person who asked the question turns away and melts into the crowd.
It's good advice, but it sure sounds like a lame answer. And it is lame, too. Mostly cuz I don't know the answer. Well... not until now. I have spent hours digging through websites to pull together people's opinions about what karaoke songs are crowd pleasers. I reviewed 41 websites that had lists of crowd pleasing karaoke tunes in order to cull crowd pleasers. Altogether, I tallied 895 suggestions of songs, and found 594 different songs. (Or 593 if you consider Michael Buble's version of Sway to be the same as Dean Martin's. Personally, I don't. Buble's version is way better.)
The next time someone asks what to sing, I am armed with these lists!
Crowd pleaser karaoke duets
Duets seem to cause the most consternation, so I made a special category for duets. It is no big surprise to me that Love Shack was at the top. Lots of positive energy in that song. But, I have always wondered about the rusted tin roof thing, though. What does it mean?
I Got You Babe is also way at the top. Again, no surprise. Well, except that it's a dumb song. And it has no tune to it. And the words are hokey. And it Sonny had such a lousy voice. But, other than that, the song is great! I sang it once with a woman other than my wife. Bad move, BTW. Our couch isn't all that comfy.
Summer Nights is also no big surprise. That one (and the naughty version of it) get sung on my watch a lot. I'm still waiting to hear, however, a couple really nail the nasal harmony at the end. I am offering a free air guitar to the first pair that can bring it home.
And of course, there is Paradise by the Dashboard Light. No need for a naughty version of that, what ho? Proud Mary is another favorite of mine. And definitely the Ike and Tina version.
Crowd pleaser karaoke
What can I say? For those of you who know my fondness for Don't Stop Believin, you might think that I just put it there. Like maybe only two people said that they liked to hear the song? Or that the only people who mentioned this song were saying that it should be followed immediately by Clapton's song I Shot the KJ?
No really. People like the song. People get into the song. No ever sings it well, but it is the quintessential karaoke song. I love this parody:
Both singers they are unaware
that neither of them have a prayer
of hitting half the notes they'd have to
to sing this song, this song, this song...
Total Eclipse? Good song... I just don't hear it often enough though. Bohemian Rhapsody? Yeah. Another great sing-a-long. As is Sweet Home Alabama.
I am frankly surprised to see Sweet Caroline be so far down on the list. I mean, this song has audience choreography! It's nothing like hordes of people dressed up to see Rocky Horror, but hearing everyone in the bar shake their fist in the air singing "Buh buh buh" is just a total rush. It's just so good, so good, so good!
Which reminds me... where's the salt? Why don't people do Margaritaville anymore? It only got three votes. Is Sweet Caroline doomed to that same pitiful obsolescence? Sad.
And the list for top karaoke crowd pleasers...
What about country?
Some of you may notice that Islands in the Stream, Picture, and Friends in Low Places are the only country songs on the two lista. Well... Sweet Home Alabama could be counted as country, I suppose. But there was a definite dearth of country songs. Three or four out of the top 21 karaoke songs. Hmmm... Sorry, country fans. I did the googling. I dutifully recorded the results.
Pleasing and displeasing the crowd
Some astute and ardent readers may recall that I posted a blog in mid January about the worst karaoke songs. Those same astute and ardent readers may have already been looking at that post and comparing the lists. Lemme save you some time. Yes, there are four songs on both the best and the worst lists:
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Summer Nights
Friends in Low Places
Picture
Go figger.
I hope this post helps you decide what to sing!!
John the Revelator
www.RevelatorKaraoke.com
Looking for a place to sing karaoke tonight? Check out the most comprehensive listing of karaoke venues in Milwaukee!
I get this question a lot. As the guru-oke, people hang onto my every word when the question comes up. "Hey Mister Revealador, what should I sing?" The room goes quiet until all you can hear is one lady in the back of the room saying "... and I don't ever want to catch you wearing my mother's..." Her voice trails off as she, too, cranes her head to listen to my sage advice.
"I dunno, sing something you know." The person who asked the question turns away and melts into the crowd.
It's good advice, but it sure sounds like a lame answer. And it is lame, too. Mostly cuz I don't know the answer. Well... not until now. I have spent hours digging through websites to pull together people's opinions about what karaoke songs are crowd pleasers. I reviewed 41 websites that had lists of crowd pleasing karaoke tunes in order to cull crowd pleasers. Altogether, I tallied 895 suggestions of songs, and found 594 different songs. (Or 593 if you consider Michael Buble's version of Sway to be the same as Dean Martin's. Personally, I don't. Buble's version is way better.)
The next time someone asks what to sing, I am armed with these lists!
Crowd pleaser karaoke duets
Duets seem to cause the most consternation, so I made a special category for duets. It is no big surprise to me that Love Shack was at the top. Lots of positive energy in that song. But, I have always wondered about the rusted tin roof thing, though. What does it mean?
I Got You Babe is also way at the top. Again, no surprise. Well, except that it's a dumb song. And it has no tune to it. And the words are hokey. And it Sonny had such a lousy voice. But, other than that, the song is great! I sang it once with a woman other than my wife. Bad move, BTW. Our couch isn't all that comfy.
Summer Nights is also no big surprise. That one (and the naughty version of it) get sung on my watch a lot. I'm still waiting to hear, however, a couple really nail the nasal harmony at the end. I am offering a free air guitar to the first pair that can bring it home.
And of course, there is Paradise by the Dashboard Light. No need for a naughty version of that, what ho? Proud Mary is another favorite of mine. And definitely the Ike and Tina version.
Here is the list of crowd pleaser karaoke duets...
| Love Shack | B52s | 9 |
| I Got You Babe | Sonny and Cher | 8 |
| Don't Go Breakin' My Heart | Elton John and Kiki Dee | 5 |
| Summer Nights | John Travolta and Olivia Newton John | 5 |
| Paradise by the Dashboard Light | Meatloaf | 5 |
| Proud Mary | Ike and Tina Turner | 4 |
| I Had the Time of My Life | Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes | 3 |
| You're the One That I Want | John Travolta and Olivia Newton John | 3 |
| Islands in the Stream | Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton | 3 |
| Picture | Kid Rock Sheryl Crow | 3 |
| Endless Love | Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross | 3 |
Crowd pleaser karaoke
What can I say? For those of you who know my fondness for Don't Stop Believin, you might think that I just put it there. Like maybe only two people said that they liked to hear the song? Or that the only people who mentioned this song were saying that it should be followed immediately by Clapton's song I Shot the KJ?
No really. People like the song. People get into the song. No ever sings it well, but it is the quintessential karaoke song. I love this parody:
Both singers they are unaware
that neither of them have a prayer
of hitting half the notes they'd have to
to sing this song, this song, this song...
Total Eclipse? Good song... I just don't hear it often enough though. Bohemian Rhapsody? Yeah. Another great sing-a-long. As is Sweet Home Alabama.
I am frankly surprised to see Sweet Caroline be so far down on the list. I mean, this song has audience choreography! It's nothing like hordes of people dressed up to see Rocky Horror, but hearing everyone in the bar shake their fist in the air singing "Buh buh buh" is just a total rush. It's just so good, so good, so good!
Which reminds me... where's the salt? Why don't people do Margaritaville anymore? It only got three votes. Is Sweet Caroline doomed to that same pitiful obsolescence? Sad.
And the list for top karaoke crowd pleasers...
| Don't Stop Believin' | Journey | 14 |
| Total Eclipse of the Heart | Bonnie Tyler | 11 |
| Bohemian Rhapsody | Queen | 10 |
| Livin' On A Prayer | Bon Jovi | 8 |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynryd Skynyrd | 8 |
| Friends in Low Places | Garth Brooks | 7 |
| Like a Virgin | Madonna | 7 |
| Sweet Caroline | Neil Diamond | 7 |
| I Love Rock and Roll | Joan Jett | 6 |
| Hit Me with Your Best Shot | Pat Benatar | 6 |
What about country?
Some of you may notice that Islands in the Stream, Picture, and Friends in Low Places are the only country songs on the two lista. Well... Sweet Home Alabama could be counted as country, I suppose. But there was a definite dearth of country songs. Three or four out of the top 21 karaoke songs. Hmmm... Sorry, country fans. I did the googling. I dutifully recorded the results.
Pleasing and displeasing the crowd
Some astute and ardent readers may recall that I posted a blog in mid January about the worst karaoke songs. Those same astute and ardent readers may have already been looking at that post and comparing the lists. Lemme save you some time. Yes, there are four songs on both the best and the worst lists:
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Summer Nights
Friends in Low Places
Picture
Go figger.
I hope this post helps you decide what to sing!!
John the Revelator
www.RevelatorKaraoke.com
Looking for a place to sing karaoke tonight? Check out the most comprehensive listing of karaoke venues in Milwaukee!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
unique orchestrations
For your delectation, I have a collection of unique orchestrations... remakes of popular songs with just a little different take. I hope you enjoy watching these videos as much as I have enjoyed collecting them!
The song Don't Stop Believin' by Journey has been kept alive with the cast from Glee. But even before Glee, it was one of the most maligned karaoke songs. (To see why I say that... catch this parody.) What better way to hear it performed than in one of the most maligned musical styles? Greenbrier performs a bluegrass version of the Journey hit. (The song really kicks out starting at 1:38.)
How about a sweeter version of it? Here is the harp version by Camille and Kennerly.
Not bizarre enough? Don't Stop Believin' played on a violin would be cliche. How about two people playing it on violins? Still not bizarre enough for you? How about two people playing Don't Stop Believin' on one violin?
Sorry I couldn't find a video of this one, but the mp3 is worth it. Manhattan Transfer performs a sultry version of the top slow dance song of all time, Unchained Melody. Is it doo wop? Or is it a polka?
Speaking of polkas, Weird Al has recorded the definitive version of Bohemian Polka. Not to be outdone, the Muppets' cover Bohemian Rhapsody. But the competition for the most bizarre version of Bohemian Rhapsody is fierce. How about hearing it on accordion and tuba?
This version of Toto's Africa by Perpetuum Jazzile quickly became my favorite. And strangely, this song was going through my head for a week solid. Well... maybe not so strange, since I was in Africa for a week solid.
This video of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as performed by a string septet is good, bad, and ugly. I love it.
When I think of the song "Smoke on the Water", by Deep Purple, I naturally think of Japanese orchestras complete with erhus. Well, actually, I didn't until I heard this version of Smoke on the Water! (If you happen to be wondering about where Deep Purple got their name, have a look my blog on the origin of band names.)
How about Michael Jackson's Billie Jean? It's just begging to be performed on kazoo, right? If you can't find six other guys to sing a capella Michael Jackson songs, you just have to do it yourself. But if you play bassoon and like Lady Gaga, it certainly can't be that hard to find three other bassoon players? Here is "The Breaking Winds" performing a medley of Lady Gaga songs.
Send me your favorites!
The song Don't Stop Believin' by Journey has been kept alive with the cast from Glee. But even before Glee, it was one of the most maligned karaoke songs. (To see why I say that... catch this parody.) What better way to hear it performed than in one of the most maligned musical styles? Greenbrier performs a bluegrass version of the Journey hit. (The song really kicks out starting at 1:38.)
How about a sweeter version of it? Here is the harp version by Camille and Kennerly.
Not bizarre enough? Don't Stop Believin' played on a violin would be cliche. How about two people playing it on violins? Still not bizarre enough for you? How about two people playing Don't Stop Believin' on one violin?
Sorry I couldn't find a video of this one, but the mp3 is worth it. Manhattan Transfer performs a sultry version of the top slow dance song of all time, Unchained Melody. Is it doo wop? Or is it a polka?
Speaking of polkas, Weird Al has recorded the definitive version of Bohemian Polka. Not to be outdone, the Muppets' cover Bohemian Rhapsody. But the competition for the most bizarre version of Bohemian Rhapsody is fierce. How about hearing it on accordion and tuba?
This version of Toto's Africa by Perpetuum Jazzile quickly became my favorite. And strangely, this song was going through my head for a week solid. Well... maybe not so strange, since I was in Africa for a week solid.
This video of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as performed by a string septet is good, bad, and ugly. I love it.
When I think of the song "Smoke on the Water", by Deep Purple, I naturally think of Japanese orchestras complete with erhus. Well, actually, I didn't until I heard this version of Smoke on the Water! (If you happen to be wondering about where Deep Purple got their name, have a look my blog on the origin of band names.)
How about Michael Jackson's Billie Jean? It's just begging to be performed on kazoo, right? If you can't find six other guys to sing a capella Michael Jackson songs, you just have to do it yourself. But if you play bassoon and like Lady Gaga, it certainly can't be that hard to find three other bassoon players? Here is "The Breaking Winds" performing a medley of Lady Gaga songs.
Send me your favorites!
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