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May 2015 Challenge - 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple

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Im a Highway staaaaaaaaaaaaar xDD JK i down for any :P

 

I'm actually cool with you choosing the first song, since you came up with the idea in the first place. And we can figure out a way to pick the song for June before May is done. As long as everyone else is cool with it.

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I'm actually cool with you choosing the first song, since you came up with the idea in the first place. And we can figure out a way to pick the song for June before May is done. As long as everyone else is cool with it.

​Nah bro, maybe we can create a quick poll. Everyone reccomends a song and we vote which one we like best

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​Nah bro, maybe we can create a quick poll. Everyone reccomends a song and we vote which one we like best

​Alright cool.I just didn't know what the odds would be that people would choose songs that everyone knew about. I don't really care what the song is, I just want to attempt this.

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Sorry, guys, I won't participate this month. Unfortunately, this is not my style. 

I will wait for next month.

Good luck to you guys!

Take care

​   I think the whole point is sing outside your style or Sing it in your style. Just a friendly thing to see what happens and how songs would sound in a different genre.

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​   I think the whole point is sing outside your style or Sing it in your style. Just a friendly thing to see what happens and how songs would sound in a different genre.

Yep. The whole point is to get comfortable with doing things you probably wouldn't do under normal circumstances. It's not even a competition where someone wins or loses. You could translate the song lyrics into your normal style of singing or you can try to maintain the song's original style. 

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   Highwaystar?   Jeez!    Couldn't you find anything with a little higher notes and more screaming? This is cake!  :blink:  :lol:

Yea i agrew. We could tone it down And Find an easier tune

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​   I think the whole point is sing outside your style or Sing it in your style. Just a friendly thing to see what happens and how songs would sound in a different genre.

​Yeah, I sang outside of my normal style and that was exactly the problem. Best compliment was "interesting take on it" or words to that effect, which is better than "please stop making that noise, for the love of all humanity or even any living creature." So, no, for example, if I sing an r&b song, people are expecting an r&b sound and my own particular sound is not acceptable, to a large degree.

I also don't have enough of a rock voice, so I would lose this one, too. But if ya'll get into a Fogelberg challenge, I stand a pretty good chance on that. I don't know what we win in these challenges but I will take two of whatever it is.

In addition, I am scary ugly. That is why I was requested to change my avatar. So I changed it to my old dog, Shadow. He is an old guy, too, but he is prettier than I am, which is not saying a lot.

So, I am looking for the challenge to look like I could audition for GWAR without make-up and prostheses on yet sound like a folk singer.

 

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​Yeah, I sang outside of my normal style and that was exactly the problem. Best compliment was "interesting take on it" or words to that effect, which is better than "please stop making that noise, for the love of all humanity or even any living creature." So, no, for example, if I sing an r&b song, people are expecting an r&b sound and my own particular sound is not acceptable, to a large degree.

I also don't have enough of a rock voice, so I would lose this one, too. But if ya'll get into a Fogelberg challenge, I stand a pretty good chance on that. I don't know what we win in these challenges but I will take two of whatever it is.

In addition, I am scary ugly. That is why I was requested to change my avatar. So I changed it to my old dog, Shadow. He is an old guy, too, but he is prettier than I am, which is not saying a lot.

So, I am looking for the challenge to look like I could audition for GWAR without make-up and prostheses on yet sound like a folk singer.

 

I think we really work our musical brains whenever we do this. We learn how to approach things we wouldn't normally approach. And there are odds we'll find influences where we wouldn't have looked before.

Yes, I think if you tell people you're going to sing an "R&B" song, they'll expect a certain sound. There were times before where I've heard people singing, and I've never realized what they were singing until I found out at the end, and it completely surprised me, because I knew the song but didn't recognize it because of the way they did it. A skill like that is worth developing.

 

Either way, learning how to go about singing a song in a certain genre is beneficial. You may find you like singing that way but not necessarily the stuff from that genre. Learning how to incorporate your own style into a song that's completely out of your comfort zone is something beneficial as well, because you really learn something about yourself as an artist when you're faced with tailoring a song to your voice and your preferences technique-wise.

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I think it is a great idea to have people cross genres(not genders like I almost typed, although that is another  way to break the bonds of type casting but that is for another forum).   It could help break ourselves from other habits that we do not realise we have. Someone who is used to having a strong grip on their vocal folds could benifit from singing a Frank Sinatra song, Soft spoken and mellow as opposed to crying high notes of RnB or Rock.....Someone like myself who is more comfortable with Folk songs could get some benefit from the suggested song of Highway Star because you need to get loud and distorted to get that sound. Even if I crap out, it does not matter. I will find another way of expression to convey that emotion or energy that is required by the song. Anything new is another choice for expression.

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Earlier this evening, we were watching the new Mark Wahlberg movie, "The Gambler." And one of the songs in there was a reggae cover of a Pink Floyd song. I didn't recognize it until I heard the lyrics. And then, I liked it. Of course, I am an odd duck, appreciating true covers, not tributes.

I am probably in a club of one, so I nominate myself as president.

 

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Earlier this evening, we were watching the new Mark Wahlberg movie, "The Gambler." And one of the songs in there was a reggae cover of a Pink Floyd song. I didn't recognize it until I heard the lyrics. And then, I liked it. Of course, I am an odd duck, appreciating true covers, not tributes.

I am probably in a club of one, so I nominate myself as president.

 

​Exactly what I'm talking about. And if I'm an odd duck too for liking that kind of stuff, then it's quite alright with me.

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My recently discovered 80s voice might get me there. But even if I go that route I'm interested in more original interpretations.

 

My difficulty is with the lyrics of the song.

 

Nobody gonna take my car, I'm gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my car, it's gonna break the speed of sound
Ooh it's a killing machine, it's got everything
Like a drawing power big fat tires everything

I love it, and I need it, I bleed it
Yeah it's a wild hurricane
Alright, hold tight. I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my girl I'm gonna keep her to the end
Nobody gonna have my girl she stays close on every bend
Ooh she's a killing machine she's got everything
Like a moving mouth, body control and everything

I love her, I need her, I seed her
Yeah she turns me on
Alright, hold tight, I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my head, I got speed inside my brain
Nobody gonna steal my head, now that I'm on the road again
Ooh I'm in heaven again, I've got everything
Like a moving ground, throttle control and everything

I love it, I need it, I seed it
Eight cylinders all mine
Alright hold tight, I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my car

I'm a highway star, I'm a highway star

 

I don't understand a way to interpret the lyrics. It's basically about driving a car or a girl fast. So screaming at a high tempo seems an obvious interpretation of the song to articulate both. I suppose yelling with mixture of enthusiasm and a menace to anyone who dared to take away the narrator's fun would work. But it reads a bit one dimensional lyrically for me, so the amount of interpretation room isn't as high as some others might be for different moods and interpretations. Might require a lyric rewrite to convey a different vocal personality outside of yelling and or screaming. 

 

I already have  potential rewrite in mind, that I might sing from.

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So, it's going to be "Highway Star" by Deep Purple? A difficult task that's for sure. I'll see if i have  time to do this,  i have decided to try "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC as my next project. Good luck, guys!

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When well-known and successful singers cover a song, they don't strive to fit the genre, they make the song they cover fit the genre they are in, or the style of presentation they use. The best example, besides what I listed above that was in a movie, is when Ronnie James Dio covered "Dream On." He did not try to sing like or sound like Steven Tyler. He did it sounding like RJD and his cover became so beloved that a slew of new covers were based on his rendition. Just like a bunch of young guys doing covers of Shinedown's cover of "Simple Man." Although their style is actually kind of close, at times, to Lynrd Skynrd.

And professionally,  I could do that. Cover a song the way that I sing a song and make money with it. It's just not acceptable in certain places or instances. In some places, you must sound like the original singer and you must sing it in the original style. I think that is one of the reasons I have not shared my guitar-based cover of "All of Me." A kind of medium travis picking thing and of course, my non "R&B" voice. Because my own voice, even after 41 years of singing is just not acceptable on everything. 

Some may think, "are you comparing yourself to Ronnie James Dio (besides having the same first name)?"

Yes, I am. As I would compare myself to any other singer, a man made of flesh and blood and not a god or deity.

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    My first consideration in covering a song is finding the connection in my own life. Unfortunately I was never into fast cars and do not get the thrill off driving fast or feeling superior because I can drive 120 miles an hour on a highway that has a limit of 55. I can however find a connection to Sammy Hagar's " I can't drive 55" but that is because I am afraid my car will fall apart if I go any faster than 50.(If you ride in the thing you will understand)

    Although if Someone tries to take my "Dew" well that is a different story...."I LOVE IT", "I NEED IT", "I BLEED IT".......Looks like I am in. I just found my connection. ;)

   

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      Although if Someone tries to take my "Dew" well that is a different story...."I LOVE IT", "I NEED IT", "I BLEED IT".......Looks like I am in. I just found my connection. ;)

   

Nobody gonna take my Dew and if you do the jokes on you!!!! :D

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I had a '68 Mustang with a small block 289 cid and a regular Holley 2 bbl carb and C6 auto-tranny with the slapstick on the hump. I beat out bigger cars because I had gonads made of high tensil steel and driving skills. The only car that beat me on the straightway (westbound 635 going through Garland and into Dallas) was one of my college friends. She had a '69 Mustang El Grande with a 302 cid Cobrajet. Left me eating dust.

Another time, when I had a '96 Chevy 1/2 ton with a V6 Vortec, I beat a guy who had a Z71 with a stroked 383, for the same reason. Driving skills and commitment to win.

Ah, my younger days, when I was going to live forever ....

 

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Nobody gonna take my Dew and if you do the jokes on you!!!! :D

​   True story...Back when I was in a band(early80's) This guy was giving me a hard time(arguing over nothing) being obnoxious flailing his arms around and stuff. He knocked the Mnt Dew out of my hand. The look I gave must have really scared him because he immediately apologized and bought me another dew and was quiet for the rest of the evening. I am 5'7 under 130lb people usually laugh when I give them the "Mean" look. 

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Alright, am I to understand everyone is okay with Highway Star?  I actually didn't recognize it by name, but I realized I knew that song once Killer posted the lyrics. It's a cool song. I'm alright with it.

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