CLIPBOARD : KARAOKE

A junior executive in a starched white shirt and yellow tie steps into the spotlight and stares at his glossy buffed loafers for a moment. His nerves are flashing like a neon sign, but he manages to screw up his faltering courage, which has been shakily bolstered by several now-empty salt-rimmed glasses of margaritas. He’s never done anything like this before.

“Start spreading the news. . .,” he begins quietly, hesitantly.

Suddenly he hears trumpets, cymbals, drums and violins kick in behind him and his whole demeanor changes. He’s a singer! By the time the orchestra swells to a climax, he’s in rare form and ready to belt out a big finish.

“If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere, it’s up to you. New York, Neeeew Yooork,” he wails.

And Jack Arnold, a sales representative in Orange County, is hooked on karaoke.

Karaoke (pronounced ca-rah-O-kay) is loosely translated as “empty orchestra.” It is a high-concept apparatus that plays tapes or compact discs, sans the vocals, while maintaining musical arrangement. A microphone is plugged into the machine and voila ! Frustrated shower-singers are instantly transformed into Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darrin, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, or Janet Jackson . . . sort of.

“Karaoke has been popular in Japan for about 12 years--in fact, now it’s as common in their homes as a VCR,” said Ron Carleton, owner of Karaoke of California, a distribution company for the system. “Japanese businessmen would get off work, go to the karaoke bar, have a few beers and get up and sing.”

Carleton explains that while karaoke was big in Japan it didn’t catch on in the United States until about two years ago. “There were simply not enough recordings without vocals (to English songs). And without the music, the equipment is useless.”

Now, however, there are plenty of recordings--either in stock or in catalogues. They range from rap to metal and gospel to rock; artists vary from M.C. Hammer to Willie Nelson, the Beatles to Guns and Roses. There are even Milli Vanilli songs to be lip-synched.

For the most part, the new sensation is used largely in bars, though there are personal applications. Through another of Carleton’s companies, Spice of Life Productions, people have recorded songs for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other special occasions using the karaoke. And professionals have used the system to make demo tapes.

There is one drawback: the prerecorded arrangement cannot be changed, though the tempo and the key can. But the savings for the recording compared to the minimal inflexibility is worth it for many professional singers. The price is $15 per 30 minutes.

Still another private use is for home parties. A smaller unit that uses cassettes can be rented for $50 for 24 hours plus $10 for microphone, if needed.

Private uses aside, the most popular outlet for the karaoke is still public. Local restaurants, bars and lounges that feature the equipment include The Cannery in Newport Beach, the Tustin Yacht Club and El Torito Restaurant and Cantina in Westminster. But lovers of the new art form contend the Bombay Bicycle Club in Santa Ana is the best karaoke bar around.

The club’s state-of-the-art system has a top-of-the-line karaoke unit, extra speakers, a camcorder to splash the singer’s image on several television monitors placed strategically throughout the lounge, a laser disc that superimposes the lyrics over the singer’s image, plus color graphics that highlight the phrase to be sung.

Finally, a woman gets up to sing an old Al Green song, “Let’s Stay Together.” She’s actually one of the better singers that night. And with good reason, it turns out.

“When I was 18, I wanted to be a singer,” said Phyllis Ferguson, an office manager for a psychiatric office in Santa Ana. “But instead I got married and had five kids. Now at 43, I thought I’d try it again. And this is a good way to begin.”