BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 09:21 PM

In 1965-6 I worked basket houses with a gal named Barbara. She had had a pianist tape his stuff and she did show tunes with the tape recorder for accompaniment. Never thought it was strange, because basket houses didn't pay enough to afford a piano player--and besides, none of 'em had pianos. Barbara was very good, She was working her way through university or college (I forget). That was karaoke.

However, the tripe that happens in bars is just that. Ranks up there with 'air guitar'. Jaysus. Do that in your living room, alone--or with shitfaced friends. Not in public. IMO.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 10:24 PM

Hey brucie, yesterday I posted, up in the thread, a simple etymology similar to yours. A day later, I'm uneasy with it and wonder if it can be whole truth. Tomorrow, you may be uncomfortable with your etymology.

You see, Karaoke, at least in spirit, probably started in ancient Greece, like many other cultural advances. You don't think Apollo, who won several contests singing delightfully while playing his lyre, would have passed up a chance to sing Cold Cold Heart, if he'd stumbled across a Karaoke machine and a microphone? After all, Apollo didn't seem to be as unreasonable or as snobbish as you are. Sure, when he won the contest against flute player Marsyas, who had agreed that the winner could inflict whatever punishment he pleased on the loser, Apollo may have gone a little overboard by today's standards. He flayed Marsyas alive and nailed his skin to a tree.

Aphrodite, on the other hand, might have been more reluctant to sing Karaoke. She had been caught trying her hand on a loom and she had been told, in no uncertain terms, that her only divine duty was to make love. Aphrodite apologized and thereafter avoided working with her hands. I suppose, if she used a mike stand with one of those reliable Shure 58 mikes and sang 'I Will Always Love You' in an arousing voice, she could fulfil her divine duties.

And, please, pray tell, what are basket houses?

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 10:37 PM

Basket houses are homes built from--have you ever read "The Three Little Pigs"? Well, they are the houses built by the middle pig after oragami classes--but classes that used straw, not paper.

BHs are places where would-be musicians/singers could play and then pass the hat. That's how they earned a living or supplemented their incomes.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 10:50 PM

Thanks brucie.

A guy in Toronto begged at the subway with
a hat in his hand and a toilet plunger on
his head. He made more money than your
average beggar. Goes to show that creativity
pays off even with the dirtiest of tools.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 10:59 PM

Welcome, flattop.

Not a bad idea. Don't have to worry about a hat anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 12:43 AM

Welcome to you, brucie.

Ron, at the top, asked a couple of questions. Now that we've established Karaoke as the music of the gods and that many mudcaters secretly envy Karaoke singers making their exquisite music, we should look at the second issue.

If you have a PC, can download a Karaoke player (and become a closet Karaoke singer) at:

http://www.vanbasco.com

The site has links to sites with karaoke file that the player can play but many files off the link are midi files, not Karaoke. Hymn & Christmas carol collections seem to work better than most – they don't have copyright issues.

I tried this player last week. My brother sings regularly at a Salvation Army drop-in center for seniors and he often wants me to accompany him. We've usually use guitars but they wanted Christmas carols last Friday. Carols tend to have too many chord changes, some of them change every quarter note. Neither of us wanted to practice extensively. We spent three practice sessions with the vanbasco player then performed Friday afternoon. The seniors sang along and enjoyed it.   

Some midi programs, like PG Music's PowerTracks, allow you to create your own Karaoke files. I haven't tried it but it looks like you could load midi files, add lyrics and save them as Karaoke files. You can find many great midi files out on the web. (One of my favorites is a midi of Brian Wilson's song Love and Mercy.)

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Peace
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 12:53 AM

I don't mind karaoke if the singer(s) is good. But getting loaded and becoming the hottest thing since grilled halibut ain't my idea of music. Even of grilled halibut.

That's a neat idea, flattop. Very neat.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 05:33 AM

It's not music it's SHITE.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 05:38 AM

I agree with everybody. but I really don't care. In my isolated experience Karaoke is for attempting songs you thought you knew well.

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 17 Dec 04 - 09:20 AM

Do you have a fecal fixation eric the red arse?

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 23 Dec 04 - 11:31 PM

Have an incredible karaoke Christmas, ye who still know how to have fun!

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 24 Dec 04 - 02:16 AM

I think you are confusing me with Sir jOhn of Hull, and why do I suspect you are a karaoke singer ?

Do you like line dancing also ?

Happy christmas, eric

Subject: RE: BS: Karaoke,isnt this music?
From: flattop
Date: 26 Dec 04 - 11:21 PM

Nothing makes jOhn's Crohn's act up like a hot curry at karoake. Line dancing? More like dancing in the line to the crapper.