How long is too long?

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:03 am

With the songs today (many older ones too) getting longer ......How long is too long?

Do you or have you considered deleting songs because of their length?

It's killing our rotation times.

Do you have people that only sing long songs for maximun stage/star/spotlight time?

Should we care if the rotation times get longer?

Do you think the singers would like the idea of getting to sing more by deleting the long songs?

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:47 am

They can get to be a pain. But I seldom see a lot of them being sung at my shows. It's even been rare to hear Stairway To Heaven or Paradise By The Dashboard Lights for that matter. I have never thought of deleting them as they serve a purpose (bathroom Breaks for one).

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:40 am

That only works if you have to go

when the song comes up.

Post by **wiseguy** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:37 am

What really irks me are the ones that have a minute or more of outro music. Why would they include that in a karaoke song track?

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:45 pm

What irks me is I have the oddly unlucky kind of luck that if I like the song it never fails to have a long outro. Be Good To Yourself by JOurney comes to mind or even the Dance and One NIght A Day.

Sabrina59 · Post by **Sabrina59** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:46 pm

Most regulars won't do a long song unless it is a slow night. On a busy night, I'll allow them from the new folk, but I also let them know, nicely of course, that when we have a long rotation it's a bit rude to do such a long song.

I agree with wiseguy ... the songs that have over a minute of intro, break or outro are the ones that irritate me to no end. If it's a busy night, I have a tendancy to fade the outro and get on with the next song.

mnementh · Post by **mnementh** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:35 am

I have to admit, this side of the Pond, that Meatloaf gets sung to death. Usually by women, I have to say??

When Paradise comes up, I just start banging my head on the bar to make the pain go away, these days.

Mind you, it could be worse. Just think of Innuendo by Queen at 11 minutes long. I can feel my beard going grey, just thinking about it.

However, I do agree with Wiseguy, Re. Intro's and Outro's. Some of them are ridiculously long and on Karaoke, it's just plain boring.

Sandy

Sabrina59 · Post by **Sabrina59** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:28 pm

I LOVE Meatloaf and Queen! About the only time I hear Paradise is when hubby and I do it, which isn't that often. I don't even hear Stairway To Heaven that often. In fact, the only time I hear it is from non-regulars. I guess I'm lucky in that regard.

By the way ... welcome Sandy. Good to have you aboard.

mnementh · Post by **mnementh** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:14 am

Sabrina59 wrote:I LOVE Meatloaf and Queen! About the only time I hear Paradise is when hubby and I do it, which isn't that often. I don't even hear Stairway To Heaven that often. In fact, the only time I hear it is from non-regulars. I guess I'm lucky in that regard.

By the way ... welcome Sandy. Good to have you aboard.

Thanks for the welcome Sabrina.

As for "Stairway", have you got the really good version by Rolf Harris?

Only kidding, it's horrendous.

Sandy

letitrip · Post by **letitrip** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:31 am

It all depends on the song. Meatloaf songs regularly run 7-9 minutes but they're active the whole time and people like them. However, there are some tunes (Metallica Fade To Black is one that comes to mind) that are over 6 minutes but at least half of that is instrumental. In that case 6 minutes is too long.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:13 pm

Once the singing part is over I fade out the song. I don't care if there is 2 minutes of instrumental left.

Paradise BDL is too long only because I have only heard one couple in 16 years come close to sining it. I deleted it. It turns into 8 minutes of stumbling over the words and it ends up sounding like two people mumbling.

Sabrina59 · Post by **Sabrina59** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:29 pm

Hubby and I actually do pretty good on it (if I do say so myself

). But then, I'm also able to do Life Is A Rock without stumbling.

I think the worst I heard was a woman who decided to do Paradise by herself. Now that was interesting!

djBe · Post by **djBe** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:28 pm

Usually the long songs are group sings - Love Shack, Paradise, and especially Bohemian Rhapsody. If I have drunks up there doing a long song I'll use a VCD version, plex the vocal track (in stereo so it's there but not all the way there) and hopefully there's some pretty eyecandy in the video behind the lyrics for a diversion.
Stairway to Heaven I plan to remove from my new books, however - I owe that much, at least, to Led Zepelin.
But Can't You See, which is easier to hit passibly, I plan to keep.
I, too, fade out long outros. Other wise people are clapping after the singer has already sat down.

Bigdog · Post by **Bigdog** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:55 pm

Can't You See SGB-016----2 (5minute) version is 1 minute shorter than Legends.

DanG2006 · Post by **DanG2006** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:17 pm

I don't plan on deleting any songs regardless of my feelings for it. Will I be getting any more of them? I do not believe so because my audience from here on out isn't that kind of audience. Could I delete them if I choose to and not have them missed.

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