This week´s karaoke challenge is by none other than the multi-talented performer Chris Isaak. Isaak, who has just released his latest album Mr. Lucky this year and currently hosts the Chris Isaak hour on The Biography Channel, has been enlisted to host The Country Music Hall of Fame´s biggest benefit, Thursday October 1st.

From his deep voice to hanging around with super models, Isaak is known for being down right sexy, and this challenge is no exception. The karaoke is a recent addition to Red Karaoke´s catalogue, the very provocative Baby did a bad, bad thing. Just a heads up, that´s not the song where he rolls around in the sand with a half naked Helena Christensen, it´s the one where Isaak watches as a half naked Laetitia Casta rolls around in a hotel room.

Baby did a bad, bad thing not only recieved loads of controversial attention for the steamy music video, it also peaked at #9 on the Billboard charts. The songs sexiness was recognized by Stanley Kubrick, who featured Baby did a bad, bad thing in the equally sultry 1999 movie starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut. The video was also named on VH1´s 50 Sexiest Video Moments.

Chris Isaak knows how to do sexy. Do you? Check out the karaoke for Baby did a bad, bad thing and put your own sultry twist on the song. Remember to post your rendition in the forum and you could be in next week´s newsletter.

Today brings the end of our trial run of the RK Mini Idol. It was definately an interesting experiment with alot of different input and some great participation from users.

Read on for more on the contest and our winners!

baby one more times (otro tono) - Vote for my rendition!

First place goes to Dreddzskie, whose smashing performance of Britney Spear´s Baby one more time won her the spot as the user favorite! Dreddzskie started out the competition strong with her audition entry On my own originally by Celine Dion. Her rock ´n roll themed song was something a bit different than what we´ve come to expect from Dreddzskie, but users loved her version of Elvis Presley and she was able to move on to round 2 to sing Open Arms by Mariah Carey for the love song theme. Congratulations to Dreddzskie and thank you for participating!

How Do You Do - Vote for my rendition!

Nikolett came in second place by the skin of her teeth since she posted her final entry, How do you do by Roxette, very late in the competition. Luckily for her, there actually were no deadlines on contestant submissions, though it was certainly a risky move. Still, Nikolett´s amazing voice landed her in second, beating out Suecaz´s classic karaoke selection, Blondie´s Heart of Glass.

heart of glass - Vote for my rendition!

So there you have it! First place goes to Dreddzskie, second place to Nikolett and third place to Suecaz. As chosen by you, the users! Congratulations to all the users in the final round, and thank you to everyone who participated by singing and voting.

And now that the contest has ended, tell me what you think! What would you change? The voting process? The submission process? The amount of contestants or votes? What themes or requirements would you like to have seen of the users? I want to know what you would like to see in another contest like this.

Take the time to post your ideas and opinions in the RK Mini Idol Questions and Comments thread. And don´t forget to congratulate our three lovely ladies who won!

This week´s karaoke challenge is a recent addition to Red Karaoke, Ace of Bases´s cover of Don´t turn around.

Though I´ve heard the pop Swedish group´s Don´t turn around, and loved it (despite it sounding like every other one of their top singles) I never realized the bouncy #4 single by Ace of Base as actually a minor key version of an 80´s song originally written for Tina Turner.

Though Turner never turned the song into the popular recording it is today, many other people took their time putting a spin on the perky beat, including Kim Goody, Bonnie Tyler and Luther Ingram.

Still, the hit didn´t become one until Aswad created his own interpretation, making it a #1 in the UK.

Ace of Base  was the group that made Don´t turn around a chart topper in 1994. Let´s see if you can sing it better than them. Listen to Don´t turn around, post your own rendition in the forum and join in this fun karaoke challenge!

This week´s karaoke challenge is a tribute to the late Patrick Swayze, the American actor, dancer AND singer who lost his battle against pancreatic cancer this week. The challenge is Swayze´s self written and performed song featured in one of his biggest movies, She´s like the wind.

Named the sexiest man alive in 1991 by People Magazine, Patrick Swayze started his long and fruitful celebrity career on Broadway. While Swayze had parts in several movies including The Outsiders and North and South, his big breakthrough came with his starring role in Dirty Dancing, a film that has grossed over $300 million dollars worldwide and gave Swayze his first Golden Globe nomination. Nobody can forget the tough guy attitude and killer moves of dance instructor Johnny Castle, or Swayze´s perfect delivery of the line, ¨Nobody puts Baby in a corner.¨

She´s like the wind was a song Swayze orginally wrote with Stacy Widelitz in 1984 for another film. However, he ended up sharing the song with the producers of Dirty Dancing and they ran with it. The song was featured prominently in the film, on Dirty Dancing´s soundrtack, and the music video features scenes sexy scenes of Johnny Castle and Baby. She´s like the wind became a huge success, even gaining a #1 spot on the Billboard charts.

Swayze has had an amazing career as a performer, known for his killer body and dance moves, and he will live on through the performances he has left behind. This week´s challenge is to remember and honor his amazing life and career. Sing Patrick Swayze´s She´s like the wind and post your rendition in the forum.

This past weekend the Finns celebrated the Karaoke World Championships, inviting crooners from over twenty different countries to share their talent for a chance as the world karaoke champion in one of the world´s largest karaoke gatherings.

Representing the US were New Mexico´s Brian Scott and Koxville´s Rebecca Armstrong. Both were the finalists in the US National Competition held in Mason, Ohio a few weeks ago. Armstrong, with her rendition of It´s Raining Men, was thrilled for her chance to compete in Finland . "I've been working hard at it, and I'm just proud to be here, proud to go and represent the USA," she says. Scott won a shot at his own lifelong dream with his performance of Candle in the wind.

While we had some strong contenders in the 7th annual KWC, in the end the titles went to Nataliya Pilyutina from Russia and Adrian Kenny from Ireland. These two lovely vocalists walked away with the best prizes a singer can imagine, studio time and the chance to records their first major single, as well as a recording contract… not to mention immeasurable fame among their karaoke companions.

If you´d like to read more about the Karaoke World Championships, make sure to check out the media and all they have to offer at their own site. Also read about how you can join in the competition and find a way to next year´s championships. Who knows, maybe you´ll win the champion´s title for the USA…

We´ve just uploaded the new search for Red Karaoke with many new and important improvements. The principal change is the unified search that will present ALL of the results of any search (karaokes, lyrics, videos, users, recordings, etc.) on one page. Basically, from now on, everything you search for within Red Karaoke will be delivered to you in one package! Along with the new search comes integrated into the new header, from which you can log in to Red karaoke and access your personal profile (my karaoke, private messages, etc.) All of this just by clicking on your user name!

We have made a summary of all the novelties the new Red Karaoke search has to offer.

New order of results

When you make a search you will see that the results page has various areas in which they the content that coincides with your search is shown: artists, songs, recordings, videos and users. The results page will offer a determined number results for each area, with an option to see all of the results for that area by clicking ¨see more¨.

Artist search

From now on you will be able to search within your preferred artists on Red Karaoke. Simply click on the artist´s name. The results page will offer artists that coincide with the search term. Logically, the more you refine your search, the more refined your results will be.

Song search

One of the major changes is the search within lyrics of a song. In this way if you can´t remember the exact title of a song, but only a fragment of the lyrics, you can type that phrase in and find the original song.

Aside from this you will be able to search for songs the same as always. When you type in the title of a song, the karaokes we have will appear in the results. This as well will be part of the complete page of search results.

Video

With the new search you can also search within the videos that have been uploaded to Red Karaoke. The page of search results will show all the videos that coincide with the search you have made.

Recordings

Another big change has been made to the search for recordings. From now on when you make a search, especially if you are searching for a song, the results
will show the recordings that have been made for that song.

Users

Finally, the last change is that users will be included in the search, which is to say, that if you want to search for any of your friends on Red Karaoke, you can do it from the same search box. The results page will show you all of the users whose names coincide with your search.

Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? Lyrics from this week´s challenge, the inspiring seventies You´ve got a friend.

Carole King wrote the music and lyrics for You´ve got a friend, one of the prettiest diddies about friendship around. But while Carole King may have sung the original, James Taylor was the man who made the song famous singing Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights.

The song is one of the sweetest odes to friendship, which is probably why it is so popular. Not only has You´ve got a friend been a number 1 single on the Billboard charts and won a couple of Grammy´s, it has been covered by just about everybody.

For example, take the divalicous version of the classic folky tune for the VH1 Divas special in 1998, complete with the vocal stylings of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan and King herself.

If divas aren´t your genre, there are plenty of other renditions to get some inspiration from. Why not try Me first and the gimmie gimmies ska punk version, or maybe The brand new heavies soulful rendition.

The bottom line is, everyone has got a friend worth singing for. Who would you dedicate this song to? Grab your mic and take the time to give this challenge your all. Don´t forget to post your version of You´ve got a friend in the forum for your chance to be in next week´s newsletter.

Thank goodness its Friday, and even better, it´s the Friday before a long weekend. This Monday is Labor Day, the nationally recognized day for everyone to excuse themselves from their manic mondays and take a break from griping about their 9 to 5. For many it´s the last beach trip or big BBQ of the year and for others it means the beginning of another school year. So sit back and enjoy the three day weekend by singing Red Karaoke´s Top 5 Labor Day Karaokes.

First on our list is one of The Beatles most recognizable tunes, A hard day´s night. The song, which also was the title of their first feature film and third album, is one of the peppiest around about working hard just to get home. Just about everyone can agree, ¨It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log, but when I get home to you I find the things that you do, will make me feel alright.¨

Taking Care of Business, written by Randy Bachman of the Bachman-Turner Overdrive, is the second song on our list. Taking care of business is basically the theme song for making a job out of doing what you want, all the while laughing at the unlucky souls with a real 9 to 5. Maybe someday the talent here on Red Karaoke will be able to relate.

Number 4 on our list is Allentown by the estimable Billy Joel. Yet another chipper, feel good tune about a somewhat downer topic, in this case, the depiction of the dreary, blue collar lifestyle of Allentown. I guess no matter how hard the day to day is, you can still find something to sing about.

Donna Summers disco about that infamous young woman who ¨works so hard for the money¨ is number 4 on our picks for Labor Day. She works hard for the money goes out to all the ladies who´ve worked too many double shift on their feet all day, wondering why ¨some people seem to have everything.¨ Hang in there sister, everyone gets theirs in the end!

¨Everybody´s working for the weekend…¨ Yes, our final Labor Day pick is Loverboy´s awesomely 80´s pop single, Working for the weekend, the perfect start for this year´s long Labor Day Weekend.

So, grab a mic and get to work singing these Labor Day picks!

While it´s a little more indie than usual, New Soul and it´s cute chorus of La la la has been stuck in my head all week, so I thought I´d share this simultaneously gleeful and wise song with the community of Red Karaoke as the weekly challenge.

New Soul was written by French-Israli artist Yael Naim. Naim debuted as solo artist way back in 2001, but it was New Soul that brought her fame in the US due to its use by Apple in a 2008 advertising campaign. The advert allowed the song to debut at #9 on the Billboard charts, making Naim the first Israeli solo artist to have a top ten hit in the United States.

Whatever the success of the song, New Soul is a song everyone should hear. Naim´s feel good vocals could have even the grumpiest scrooge skipping down the street. And the lyrics about a new soul in a strange world, trying to learn the way around, or insightful without being too heavy. In general New Soul is a chipper, optimistic and pretty little indie song that is just plan fun to sing along to.

So, in case you´ve never heard the song before, make sure to listen to Yael Naim´s original version of New Soul, then grab a mic and try it yourself. The forum is waiting for your post in the week´s Karaoke Challenge!

We have just launched the New Artist Page, a new page with all of the current karaoke and lyrics, the recordings users have made, and also some great additional information about the artist, like their photo, biography, music videos, related artist, a store to buy their music and the most exciting addition, the possibility of becoming a fan of the artist.

Here you can find an basic explanation of all the new additions, so you know where to get started on the New Artist Page. The example we have for you come from the diva herself, Beyonce´s artist page.

Biography

In the biography you will find a photo of the artist as well as a small blurb about the artist so you can learn a little more about the music you are about to sing.

Become a fan

Clicking on this option allows you to become a fan of the artist. Once you become a fan, you will get to see the other users of Red Karaoke who share your passion for certain groups and singers, as well as receive updates on all the news related to that artist.

Videos of the artist

This section contains a collection of some of the artist´s best videos. To see all of the videos, all you have to do is click on ¨See more¨ and you will arrive at a new page busting at the seams with videos of the artist.

Related Singers

This sections shows a liste of artists whose music is similar to the artist in genre, style, etc. along with an image of the related artist.

Store

And for those who are interested in buying the artist´s music, there is a small section at your disposal that allows you to access the artist´s entire discography, and to buy the music in either a CD as well as MP3s usually.

These are the basics of the New Artist Page. Of course you also have all the karaokes, with a new option to order them how you want (alphabetically, the most recent, etc.) And as for recordings, you can also order them by date recorded or by their rating.

You are invited to leave us your impressions of the New Artist Page in the forum, where you can tell us exactly what you think, debate with us and with the rest of the Red Karaoke community.