CNY 2011 Karaoke

With CNY drawing near, the discussion goes to the dinner and karaoke session. So we are talking of our favourite songs before the event is going to take place.

Usually, the oldies are easier to sing and they are very meaningful about love, nature, etc. While many of the songs are about love, there is this old rock band called CCR (Credence Clearwater Reviver... what a mouthful). Their famous song (still play over the airwave) is Have You Ever Seen the Rain ... well, it is about raining. ... :-)

Many of the new songs are just too complex and difficult to sing and the meaning is also quite funny. The other song that I like to hear is "(You Want to) Make a Memory" by Bon Jovi. After listening to countless times, I still cannot sing the whole song properly... :-) click here Then the song by Mariah Carey: Touch my Body is really a challenge being able to sing it.

There are certain songs that are nice to hear but too difficult to sing. Recently, I was trying to sing those beautiful songs of Beyond, a Chinese band from Hong Kong; then I realised that the vocal pitch of the lead singer is too high for me to continue.

For trekkers and skyrunners, the song Top of the World by Carpenters would be a good one especially when reaching the peak to have the top of the world feeling.

My favourite song is Sunshine by John Denver. The feeling is just great when trekking at the Himalayas, when we step out of the lodges in the cold morning to continue with our journey:

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high ...

Even when I run in the morning, at 7:30 a.m. when the sun shines on me, this song is just motivating to push on.

One tall, yow yeng runner/trekker guy said I sing when I see the sun shines. He also sings about sunshine but with leng lui trekking or jogging besides him:

You are my Sunshine
My only Sunshine
You make my days happy when I not blue ...


The other songs that I like go to KC and the Sunshine Band. It is this name that I transform to become KC and the Sunshine Runners. This is how I got the idea: In India, they realised that boxes of firecrackers bearing Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood’s icon and superstar, churn up high volume of sales. So to endorse and to associate something already famous does help.

Let me share with you a joke on Lobo: While performing at Genting's Arena of Stars recently, the fans spotted him walking around the Theme Park. So they were excited and started screaming. When the excitement calmed down, then he heard, "but this Lobo looks very much older." So Lobo quipped, "Yeah, I am his father."

This funny story happened to me: in one of the karaoke sessions in celebrating the post-Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC) trip, Rocky and I were attempting to sing Hotel California since it is wonderfully melodic and tuneful. Then I realised that the pitch is too high for me to continue; while struggling, luckily, PK Chan cancelled the song. Otherwise, I would be running out of breath (not even in EBC). One lady runner quipped: On the other hand, if PK pressed the wrong button reverting to the original, they may think that I sound like The Eagles.

While browsing through my collection of CDs, I saw this album by Queen.

Maybe we can sing this song in group during the karaoke time.

Do click here ... turn on the speakers (this video has been viewed 19 million times !!):

I Want to Break Free - by Queen

(I want to break free)
(I want to break free)
I want to break free from your lies
You're so self satisfied I don't need you
I've want to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free

Okay, in case you are not aware, there is no ladies in the group “QUEEN” – all are guys. The singer of this song, Freddie Mercury, has died many years ago.

To all the trekkers and skyrunners: thanks to Germaine Tan for highlighting a very appropriate song:

The Climb by Miley Cyrus ... click here

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

++++++++++
Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

Ain't about how fast I get there ... Yeah! Good phrase !! I better learn up this song just in case I don't make it within the 3.5 hours of qualifying time to the peak of Mt Kinabalu Climbathon this year ... :-) Then I shall sing it out loud (maybe at the rocky areas, about 4,000m level) to gain sympathy or to impress the rest of the pack ... :-)

Written by KC Leong
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