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The notion of the banquet song begs the question for all of us in the karaoke community, -singers and tone deaf alike; what is your banquet song? Answering this question for myself was surprisingly difficult. First, there are lots of really good songs out there that are really spectacular and which I would really love to be associated with. Unfortunately many would not make the cut because well, I just sound so awful singing them. Bohemian Rhapsody is an excellent example; it is probably the most fun I ever have singing a song, but it is also excruciating to witness. So if we eliminate the vastly unachievable category, I am left still left with so many options for that signature song. You see a banquet song should be more than just a song that you sing well, it should tell us about you, a sneak peek into your soul if you will. Didn’t “Like a Virgin” define Madonna not because it had a cute hook or was groundbreaking music, but because it was highly ironic given her bad girl image at the time. More than that tough, didn’t that song define everything she stood for despite the irony? Didn’t she bring romance and femininity back to popular music? Will anyone ever look at a lace bustiere the same? This brings me to Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” I sing it a lot because 1) it takes a lot of kahunas to do it, so it commands respect; 2) Zeppelin is my favorite band; 3)most women don’t count Zeppelin in their top 2 favorite bands, so that’s interesting; and 4)there are just times that I must channel Robert Plant. But is it really my banquet song? I mean I am really attached to Neil Young tunes, the really depressing ones like “Down By the River,” and I’m a sucker for hippie protest songs like “4 Dead in Ohio,” or “Almost Cut My Hair.” Even though I came of age in the eighties, this era of music was my badge of honor, and defined me; at least musically. A banquet song however, has at least three specific requirements; a singer must 1. Be Able to Sing within the song’s musical range 2. Know the Lyrics by Heart 3. Be Able to Identify with the Lyrics After some deep introspection, I would have to say that my banquet song is Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s “Southern Man.” Its in my range –and Whole Lotta Love isn’t. I know these lyrics, totally, and I feel the pain of the lyrics. More than likely, a banquet song is that tune that you write on the request slip even after you have studied the 500 page songbook for something new, after you promised yourself that this week, you would try something different, after you practiced that new Coldplay song all day in the car, and after you finally realize, I have a song, its mine, and if I’m happy, so is the audience.
What's Your Banquet Song?
Posted May 21, 2009
Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant had just finished an awe-inspiring rendition of Black Dog. It was 1995, at the Baltimore Civic Center and I was too young to have seen Led Zeppelin play live, but a Page/Plant Concert was the next best thing. It was amazing, I was moved, so moved I began to chant. First slowly under my breath, than in a speaking voice; “Stairway to Heaven, Stairway to Heaven, Stairway to Heaven . . .” A little louder, and the tussled hair Hopkins student next to me, with a nod and a smirk, began to chant it with me. We started to yell in unison, then the thirty-somethings behind us joined in. Still drowned out by the thunder of concertgoers whipped into a frenzy by the last song; We kept chanting, hoping by some groovy telepathy those three words would float amidst the hazy ether of the amphitheatre from our lips to Plant’s ears. Then the most peculiar thing happened; I stopped chanting for a moment but I could still hear it. Confused, I started to chant again, only to stop in amazement. The entire concert was now chanting Stairway to Heaven!!!
Page - Plant Tour 1995
If you are not from this galaxy then you may not know that “Stairway to Heaven” is this legendary band’s signature song, and the quintessential rock anthem. Madonna has “Like a Virgin,” James Brown had “ Please, Please,” and Sinatra had “My Way.” In the world of karaoke we call it a “banquet song,” or “Juhachiban,” in Japanese. This is the common man’s signature song. If you karaoke on any regular basis, you are sure to have one, and you certainly know the banquet song of the regulars at your local karaoke bar. Indeed, many people only perform one song at karaoke. The banquet song is supposed to be that tune that you know very well because you enjoy it so much. It is the one that people may chant at you one day if you should be so lucky.
KaraokeTraveler wants to know:
Whats Your Banquet Song?
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