The summer after I graduated college I moved to the beach with some friends. Near our house was a karaoke bar. One night when a few friends were in town and they went over there and happened to witness the single greatest karaoke performance of all time. That's not hyperbole either, it's a fact. Unprompted, a bartender hopped over the bar to perform "She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze. The key word to that sentence is perform, he didn't just stand rigidly on a stage and read lyrics from a prompter. He worked the crowd, really crooning to the ladies. I'm pretty sure this guy was a comedic genius. He chose the most perfectly awful, somewhat obscure but still well known cheesy 80's ballad and sang it with a totally straight face. You know how amazing I think this story is? I wasn't even there, but I still feel the need to tell it becuse it's so great. I was at work, I didn't hear it until the next day at the beach and I'm pretty sure I laughed for a solid 2 hours. I love it so much I've made this my go to karaoke performance, the highlight of my singing career being my epic serenade of Rachel at the Dubliner Christmas party in 2003. It sounds like I'm stealing someone elses idea, but I consider it an homage. I'm like a tribute band. Essentially I'm doing karaoke of a guy doing karaoke to Patrick Swayze.
As a result of this I now love "She's Like the Wind". It really is an amazing song. How can something be so awful and yet so awesome at the same time. It's a paradox. So imagine my surprise when I was at the gym last night and heard a remake of the song. For real. Someone actually thought to themselves, "I think I'll redo that song from Dirty Dancing the Patrick Swayze did. Only I'll add some rapping and a cool beat." This seems like a bad idea to me but apparently not to other people. You decide.
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9 comments:
I have never heard that story...but I also in fact use shes like the wind as my back-up go to song...I now feel like a poser. My first is obviously "Escape" by Enrique Iglesias, which makes me feel a little better about my life.
After hearing Lumidee's version...I think I have a new go to...I can summarize the remix in one word...AWESOME! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
one more thing...I just did a quick youtube search...holy crap! there are a ton of remixes...so many new choices for romantic ballads!
I actually saw that video a while ago and immediately decided that I would forget that it ever happened. (Just looked it up, it was released last spring. You should really watch music videos while you are getting ready for work in the morning, it keeps you up to speed on what the kids think is cool.) The original version was as awesomely bad as that song can get. Lumidee and Tony Sunshine can't hold a candle to The Swayz.
BTW, I also was not there for that performance, but I agree 100% with your sentiments.
Didn't the greatest karaoke performance occur in Loss Vegas?
I'm not sure an exceptionally good karaoke performance could make me feel nostalgic for the song, "She's Like the Wind ..."
I've decided on a new go-to.
Mr. Big, "Be with you." Truth is that there isn't a worse song in he history of the world. And he has the cojones to use the old english "betwixt." That's just awesome.
Anthony - The LV performance is probably the best that I have witnessed in person, but there are 2 performances that I didn't see that were apparently pretty money (the one referenced in this post and the Banana one that Patrick wrote about a while back).
I love to sing karaoke with my friends who are all have marvelous singing voices. But I hate having to sit through the hideous yodelings of tone deaf wax figures. If you're going to sing badly at least do a little soft shoe number and/or put some heart into it.
I also think it's funny how regular karaoke goers get attached to songs and upset when other people sing them.
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