There’s A Whole Lotta Karaoke Goin’ On (In The Turkish Hotel Restaurant!) by Alfred N.Muggins

15/5/22

    Alfred yearned for more rock’n’roll! They were playing too much dance and hip hop and modern stuff at the hotel poolside! (and amongst the family expedition members in their hotel rooms!) Where were Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard? That’s what Alfred thought they needed more of, although he had to admit the Karaoke had been pretty good in the hotel restaurant area last night!

     Mrs Muggins’ other son, whose family had also come on the holiday, was a bit of a performer/ karaoke star and even stretched to rap sometimes. He sang a song from ‘The Greatest Showman’ musical, quite superbly, holding the line by singing the song acapella style, until the youthful Entertainment Staff worked out how to turn the volume of the backing/song up! Later on he sang a Shaggy song, with a Jamaican accent. Perhaps he could be a star in Turkey?, but in fact, apart from the waiters and staff, most of the audience were British tourists, quite a few of them waiting to be stars themselves.

      One very spunky young lady sang a very strong Connie Francis country song, ‘Walking After Midnight’, and a Star should have been Born!

     Another lady performed a very plucky, if slightly confused by the word breaks on the screen, rendition of ‘Mustang Sally’, made famous in Alfred’s memory by that film and soundtrack album, The Commitments, back in the eighties! (Who did it originally though? He would have to look it up? …..) Actually, although she hadn’t thought she did it well, she actually fitted the part very well, with some very natural dance shuffle movements. So despite her not realizing it, yet another Star was Born! (how many Stars can there be? thought Alfred. Unfortunately it was a bit like the modern writing world, where few would ever earn a penny (or a Turkish Lira?) from their innate stardom or talent.)

     Another lady sang a great song, but he had now forgotten which it was! Two of the Entertainment Staff were so worried she was going to back off the stage while reading the lyrics on the screen and belting it out, that they kept putting their arms round her or behind her just in case she got too close to the edge, to prevent her falling. She sang with them too!

     Another guy from Scotland was a great performer. He chose two of Rock’s most powerful songs: King Elton John’s most moving tearjerker ever, ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, and then in his later slot Bon Jovi’s ‘Dead Or Alive’, their immense power ballad, in which the world actually does turn upside down for a few moments when the lead guitar solo crescendo comes on (well it always does for Alfred! He really didn’t know how they ever managed to make such a perfect recording!) (If that doesn’t happen for you, try listening to it with the volume a bit higher, or you’re just not listening to it right!) The Scottish singer said one of his ears was a bit deaf, so he could not get all his notes perfect, but actually his style of singing was pretty good, if not absolutely perfect!

     Alfred woke up the next morning and went to the toilet. In the main room of the apartment were Mrs Muggins’ elder son, and teenage grandson. The first thing which he noticed, and assaulted his ears, was that there was a whole lotta snoring goin’ on still, so that’s why he started this review article of the previous night’s Karaoke in the Hotel Restaurant!