LET'S KARAOKE 28 : WHITNEY HOUSTON - I HAVE NOTHING

This karaoke is in memory of the late Whitney Houston (she still remains one of my favourite singers until today). Taken from the movie 'The Bodyguard', this songs was released as the third single from the movie soundtrack album after two other consecutive worldwide hits, 'I Will Always Love You' and 'I'm Every Woman'. 'I Have Nothing' had been performed many times during Whitney's worldwide tours and various television appearances, with great reviews of course. The instrumental used for this karaoke is not official but it fits into the video quite well (I 'stole' it from somebody's youtube so please forgive the less than spectacular quality of the audio). I finally own this CD single (20 years after its initial release, can you believe that?) after I bought it through the Internet. I try to collect her CD singles whenever possible although they can cost me quite a fortune sometimes. There are many more that I don't have (especially the rarer ones from her first and second albums) and at the moment, I am still waiting for a few more to arrive in my mailbox. Personally, I think this is a great love song although I don't like the video clip that much (most of Whitney's video clips are quite bland and boring actually). This song is quite difficult to sing if you can't feel it and my advice to those who want to attempt it is simple : do it your own way and don't imitate Whitney's vocal styling.  

The single's cover

Share my life
Take me for what I am
'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you
Take my love
I'll never ask for too much
Just all that you are and everything that you do

I don't really need to look very much further
I don't want to have to go where you don't follow
I won't hold it back again, this passion inside
I can't run from myself
There's nowhere to hide

Don't make me close one more door
I don't wanna hurt anymore
Stay in my arms if you dare
Or must I imagine you there
Don't walk away from me
I have nothing, nothing, nothing
If I don't have you, you, you, you, you

You see through
Right to the heart of me
You break down my walls with the strength of your love
I never knew
Love like I've known it with you
Will a memory survive, one I can hold on to

I don't really need to look very much further
I don't want to have to go where you don't follow
I won't hold it back again, this passion inside
I can't run from myself
There's nowhere to hide
Your love I'll remember forever

Oh, don't make me close one more door
I don't wanna hurt anymore
Stay in my arms if you dare
Or must I imagine you there
Don't walk away from me
I have nothing, nothing, nothing

Don't make me close one more door
I don't wanna hurt anymore
Stay in my arms if you dare
Or must I imagine you there
Don't walk away from me, no
Don't walk away from me

Don't you dare walk away from me
I have nothing, nothing, nothing
If I don't have you, you
If I don't have you, oh you

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2013!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

BY THE RIVERSIDE 2

My late father's hometown was a small village by the Perak River in Teluk Intan. It was not far from town and my Mum would often tell me how she used to take the 'beca' to the market to buy groceries. When I was growing up, my family rarely went back to this village and as far as my memory can tell me, the river was always muddy and murky. I did not like the river much. In the eyes of a small kid like me, it looked more like a brown-coloured ocean rather than a river. It was deep in certain places and stories of crocodiles swarming the river were not uncommon either. My Mum and I took a trip down memory lane when we went for our weekend outing a few weeks ago (we don't go for long holidays anymore due to my Mum's thrice-weekly hemodialysis but we try to make it a point to go out as often as we can and enjoy our weekends). The sleepy old village is still there and remnants from the past can be seen here and there; indicating that it comes from another era and time. But a lot of things have changed too. The old house belonging to my late grandfather is long gone and in its place is a new house occupied by relatives on my late father's side. We did not drop by since we were on our way somewhere else (to find a good place to eat which can be quite difficult sometimes). However, we did stop for a few minutes at the jetty where a boat was waiting to take a few passengers to the other side of the river. The river is still muddy and murky like I remember it. And I believe the crocodiles are still there too. Everything looked totally alien to me and there was not much that I could remember. Only bits and pieces that popped out of my subconscious like fragments of a half-forgotten dream. I never really knew this place and now that so many ties with the past have been severed, I realise I probably never will... 
 

IT'S FINALLY OVER

The polls are now officially closed. Let's take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Have a cup of coffee (or tea or whatever you fancy) and wait for the results with an open heart and an open mind. It's also the right time for a little bit of reflection and contemplation. Remember, life still has to go on tomorrow. إن شاء الله  everything will be all right.

BEYONCE AND ANDRÉ 3000'S BACK TO BLACK

I  went numb after hearing Beyonce and André 3000's version of the late Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black' (which is from the soundtrack of 'The Great Gatsby', which is also another remake). The atrocious remake of one of my favourite songs was too much for me to take. There is no emotion and no depth in the delivery at all. It's cold and soulless especially when the song production is dominated by the heavily-synthesised downtempo bass sound. Trying to make the musical imagery much darker, more ominous, more hypnotising and more drugged-out than it originally is, I think. Well, to me the song fails big time. Totally different from Amy's version which can seep right into my heart's core. I am not going to hate on Beyonce and André but I feel it is downright shameful for a classic song to be butchered and ruined that way. I'm pretty sure many of Beyonce and André's fans will say that the new version is fantastic but let's be objective about the whole thing, okay? There is no doubt that Beyonce can sing but certain types of songs are not suitable for her. Songs that tell stories are best sung when the singers can relate to the stories. Amy was clearly conveying her emotions in 'Back To Black' and that's why you can 'feel' her soul. Beyonce was merely singing (if  her whispering can be called a form of singing) and she couldn't capture that feeling. She couldn't get herself down there, to the place where she should feel her lowest. And I don't even want to say anything about André 3000's rapping...

p/s As much as I love Whitney Houston, I have to admit that her version of 'You Light Up My Lie' does nothing to me compared to the original version by Debbie Boone.

COLOUR ME A DIFFERENT SHADE, PLEASE!

Colours play a very important role in our life. Certain colours can calm us and there are others which will irritate the hell out of us. To me, a colour is a colour. It's all a matter of preference since it's just another hue on the palette. However, it is sad and frustrating when certain colours are strongly associated with certain things and ideas. It's okay if the correlation is all positive but what if it's the other way around? I have always been partial to black and unfortunately a lot of negative images are associated with black. Black magic, black market, black sheep, black hat, black list, blackmail etc, etc, etc. I have always wondered who started the idea that a baby boy's room has to be blue and a girl's has to be pink. There are many boys (and men too) who like pink but unfortunately, they have to hide their preference due to society's perception and preconceived notion. Certain political parties and preferences are even associated with certain colours. The General Election is coming up and I can't even wear a certain shade of green or blue or red or yellow before hearing a certain smart aleck commenting on my colour choice. It is obviously superficial and absolutely not smart when a person is solely judged based on what is seen on the outside. The world might be heading in a new direction but if the mind remains static, we won't be moving anywhere at all.

p/s Maybe I should wear something transparent so as not to evoke any unwelcome comments from others. But then, it will probably evoke something else.

BY THE RIVERSIDE 1

My childhood home was near a river and before the government began supplying piped water to homes, that river was the main source of water for the villagers. I know that it sounds so 'pre-historic' to a lot of people nowadays but that was the actual truth. My Mum would go to the river almost daily to wash our clothes. When the water level went down, my second youngest brother, my cousin and I would tag along. We would take some food and there, we would have our small picnic. There was nothing elaborate and fancy about the picnic. Usually, it would be 'jemput-jemput', simple 'nasi goreng' or 'kuih tepek' cooked by my Mum (I'll write about these 'delicacies' in another post later but don't count too much on it). There would be an instant sandy beach spread before our own very eyes, sometimes even stretching to the middle of the river. The adults could go from one side of the river to the other easily. The water was clean and cool. The surrounding was beautiful and peaceful. You could see the little fish swimming in the crystal-clear water. By the bank of the river, bamboo and 'sentul' trees grew abundantly. Sometimes we would collect the fallen 'sentul' fruits from the trees. Our favourite activities were building 'nests' for the freshwater prawns and competing who could dig the deepest hole on the beach. It was fun splashing and playing in the water but it would have been better if I knew how to swim. I never understood why floating and swimming was problematic for me until later. I had learned how to swim properly (unsuccessfully nevertheless) but since I have scoliosis, breathing under water and coordination can be quite difficult for me. FYI, scoliosis is curvature of the spine which can be quite severe in certain cases (More about scoliosis in another post if I have time). I've been back to the place where my childhood home was a few times and the area around the river is as beautiful and peaceful as ever. The 'sentul' trees are nowhere to be seen but the 'magic' is still in the air. I wish I could let go of all my inhibitions and start acting like a small kid again; frolicking in the cool water and doing silly things without a single care. But I guess that wish will always remain a wish...
 

THE VOID INSIDE

This is the eighth year since your passing and I should have gotten used to the fact that you are no longer around. Yet, I still feel empty and on certain days, totally hollow inside. I think about you almost every single day and it is especially hard when a lot of things around the house still remind me of you. As the one who is left behind, I am constantly surrounded by memories of you. Everywhere I turn, there will be something that will make my heart ache again. The lazy chair where you used to sit. Your clothes still neatly folded in the closet. Your pictures on the living room table. The flowers that you planted around the house. Your old watch that I wear to work every day. And the list goes on and on. The others have moved on, I think and I am glad that they have. They have their own lives to live plus a lot more to experience and see. Abah, I am still missing you. Much more than I can ever express. May your soul be blessed. Al Fatihah.

WHITNEY HOUSTON'S WAX FIGURES

I guess this will be the closest the fans of the late Whitney Houston will ever get to see her up-close. Four wax figures of the late singer which represent four different points of her illustrious career were specially commissioned by Madame Tussauds and each one of them will be displayed at different locations in the United States. I had often wondered why no efforts were made to have her wax figures made when she was still around especially during 'The Bodyguard' period. She was unjustifiably overlooked when other celebrities who are less famous and less popular have had at least one wax figure made. The pictures of the wax figures have been released all over the Internet and I have to say that there is only one of them that I truly like. The one in the tracksuit has too much make-up on her although her eyes look very real though. Anyone who saw the iconic 'Star-Spangled Banner' moment will know that Whitney was not wearing much make-up at that time. It is clearly an 'idealised' version of Whitney during that Super Bowl pre-game ceremony. The curly hair, bead earrings and light lavender tank dress on the second one are fabulous and but from the angle the picture was taken, something about her countenance is missing. It could be her upper lip which looks a little bit thin or it could be the eyes. The third one is not too bad actually except for the upper arms which look very strange to me. The last one is the only one I like. If I were given a chance to choose only one, this is the one that I would pick. It is iconic. It speaks of an era and time. It has an 'attitude'. It clearly stands out from the rest. I can definitely do without the first and the second. I'd rather have her figures copied either from the 'Greatest Love Of All' video (in which she wears a sequined dress and her hair combed from the nape up) or the 'It's Not Right But It's Okay' video (that pseudo S&M outfit is simply fierce!). I know I shouldn't be complaining too much since I know 'nada' about how these figures were constructed. All I know is they cost up to US$300,000 each. I also realise that there was a lot of work involved in constructing these figures but I can still have my opinion, can't I? As much as I admire the craftsmanship of these figures and also the efforts taken, I don't think I would like to be at the revealing of these figures if I were family. In fact, I wouldn't want to see them at all. It will be too eerie for me since they are of actual size and look very lifelike. It's almost like bringing back the dead when you know they are no longer around. Pictures and portraits are different since they are not three dimensional but not life-size sculptures and figures. Well, I guess some people do feel differently...

LET'S KARAOKE 27 : BASIA - CRUISING FOR BRUISING

Basia might not be ruling the chart like other pop singers but her music is 1000 times much better than most of the garbage that I have to endure nowadays. For someone who is neither American nor British, I consider it a tremendous success for her to be part of the international music scene (she is Polish). I first saw her on television performing 'Time And Tide' on a late night show more than 23 years ago. I think it was 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' but my memory is a bit hazy here so I might be wrong. 'Cruising For Bruising' is more than 20 years old and yet it is still as fresh as it was then; an indisputable indication that quality music is timeless and evergreen. I have always loved 'Cruising For Bruising'. There is a bittersweet sentimentality to it that some of us might identify with when love alone is not enough to sustain a relationship and make it work. I don't have the CD single of this song since it is quite difficult to come by and can be a little bit on the expensive side whenever available.

p/s By the way, from certain angles I think there is an uncanny resemblance between her and Maya Karin, the actress from the critically acclaimed 'Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam' and the commercially successful 'Ombak Rindu'. Watch the video clip and you will see what I mean.

The single's cover

Cry
Come to me and cry
I know, I know, I know it's not easy
Your heart is aching
But so is mine
But so is mine

How
Can I tell you why
For so long, so long, so long
I've been thinking
Now I know
I can't live a lie
Can't live a lie

They say true love lasts forever
If we want it
There will be waiting
A second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising, my baby

Second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising

Go
I must let you go
Don't stop, don't stop
'Cause it's better now
When I still love you
Don't say goodbye
Don't say goodbye

They say true love lasts forever
If we want it
There will be waiting
A second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising my baby

Second chance
Baby but now we need time
Time to learn
Time to understand
Where we went wrong
'Cause I feel so strong
We're cruising for bruising

So long, so long, so long
So bye for now
Don't let it die
'Cause we can try
Some other time
So bye for now
Don't let it die
'Cause we can try
Some other time