.
Republican
Vs. Democrat, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good
Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon,
Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy,
Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic,
Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal,
You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer,
Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold
Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam
Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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THE
BATTLE OF THE BANDS! (‘BOTB’)
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Shoop-Shooby
–
Shooby-duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah
–
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes,
it’s time once again for ‘Battle Of The Bands’
(‘BOTB’)
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Alright,
let’s get on it...
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| EUGENE MARTONE VS. JACK BUTLER |
TRIVIA Q:
Can you name a person who co-wrote a song and scored a 'Billboard' Top Ten hit with it and then a decade later joined a different band, re-recorded the same song and scored a 'Billboard' Top Twenty hit with it?
Here's a clue... a clue... a clue! (Gesundheit.)
Just like a ghost, you've been a-hauntin' my dreams
So I'll propose on Halloween. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you.
The answer is: "guitarist JAMES COBB".
I was thinking that I should use a spooky song on BOTB since we are so close to Halloween. And my second thought was: Why not use the song 'Spooky'?
Wackypedia sez:
"Spooky" was originally an instrumental song performed by saxophonist Mike Sharpe, ... which first charted in 1967 hitting #57 on the US pop chart. Its best-known version was created by The Classics IV when guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added lyrics centering on a "spooky little girl". In 1968, the vocal version of the song reached #3 in the U.S. (Billboard Hot 100) and #46 in the UK.
Cobb (along with bandmates Robert Nix and Dean Daughtry) later became part of the Atlanta Rhythm Section and re-recorded "Spooky" in 1979. ARS's version hit #17 in the US and #48 in the UK. "Spooky" has also been covered by a number of artists including Dusty Springfield, whose gender-flipped version was featured prominently in the Guy Ritchie film 'Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels'.
I never saw that movie (although I'm certain I would hate it!) but I do dig the Dusty version. First, let's hear Cobb's second hit version of the song:
'SPOOKY' - ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w804N8q_RQ
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| GODZILLA VS. KING KONG |
Wackypedia sez:
With [Dusty Springfield's] distinctive sensual sound, she was an important blue-eyed soul singer and at her peak was one of the most successful British female performers, with six top 20 singles on the United States Billboard Hot 100 and sixteen on the United Kingdom Singles Chart from 1963 to 1989. She is a member of both the U.S. Rock And Roll and U.K. Music Halls of Fame.
In Dusty's version, the rhythm is the same but... Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Atlanta anymore. It includes a brief but cool alto sax solo and I think it's damned good and different enough from the "second" original hit version that it will make this a neck-'n'-neck contest.
[Methinks I know who StratPlayer-Chris b votin' fo'.]
'SPOOKY' - DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7QzxYAjgNc
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| RIDDLER VS. BATMAN |
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogsto
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Voice Your Vote @ ‘FAR AWAY SERIES’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘DISCCONNECTED’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'BOOK LOVER' by clicking HERE.
@ ‘CREATIVE OUTLET OF STRATPLAYER’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ALEX J. CAVANAUGH' by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
I definitely remember this song (and I went to YouTube and refreshed myself on the old 1968 single version for reference).
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the ARS version -- it''s been a long time since I've heard it. The guitars have a great sound and it's a little jazzier and more jamming than the old single. I like that key-change right before the 1st solo and the keyboard solo and those harmonized guitars at the end are all really good. While I think I still think of the old single as the 'official' song, ARS does a really good version with a lot musically to appreciate in it.
I'd never heard the Dusty Springfield version and I had to go to YouTube to find it -- your link didn't seem to work. But I liked her rendition also. It's a cool, funky version. I like her smoky, sultry vocals and the horns feature prominently with a tasty sax solo. The bass is really grooving, too.
Another good match-up, StevieMacDaddy! I find myself liking both versions. Vocally, I prefer Dusty's version, and the overall low-key sultry vibe is better, but there's that 70's grooving jazzy-rock guitar and keys in the ARS version that I really like also. Very touch choice!
I could refuse to pick and throw out a write-in vote for the 1968 single version, but I like to stay with the intent of the BOTB and actually select from what you've offered. So while it's extremely close, I think my guitar-playing self is going to give a very slight edge to the ARS based on the solos. ;)
This is my favorite StMC Battle so far. And it's a tough one--I could go either way on this one.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school Classics IV were one of the big popular groups back in Tennessee. I had at least one of their albums on 8 track. They had so many great songs.
Naturally, because of the connections to the Classics, I became a fan of ARS. They had a solid sound and songs that I liked even better than the Classics IV. This was when I was married to my first wife--we both liked ARS and listened to them almost as much as we listened to her favorite artist Dan Fogelberg.
I've enjoyed Dusty's music since I was in junior high. Dang, even my father liked her songs and that's saying something about modern music since he didn't like much of what we listened to. Springfield is an outstanding vocalist with a superb catalog of song recordings. I have a best of compilation by her which I like quite a lot. Don't recall if "Spooky" is included on that though.
The thing I miss in the ARS version is that great sax solo that was in the Classics IV version, but I think the emulation by the guitar is pretty cool, especially the last riff toward the end. ARS is fantastic though and hard to beat.
That being said though, Dusty version has the sax with the Memphis style horns, great percussion including the finger snaps, and a sultry vocal which is perhaps appropriately spooky sounding. Her version gives me the chills.
It's a very tough choice, but I'm going with Dusty Springfield's version.
I'll bet this match-up will end up being very close.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Wow. This is a TOUGH one. I really like them both. I listened to both of them again for about a minute to try and pinpoint which one I preferred.
ReplyDeleteIt is still a close one, but I prefer Dusty's sultry voice. And there is something about those finger snaps that makes me smile each time we get there. I can't splain why you like Dusty's voice so much. It is very pleasing to the ear. Maybe someone else will nail that one.
Dusty for me!
I never knew of the common band members from The Classics to ARS...youse lerns sumtin' new...
ReplyDeleteThis was tough, but I think I'm going with Dusty's gender-bender version...like you, something about her voice makes the choice for me.
Larry
Another tough one. I live near Atlanta, so ARS is almost a no-brainer (and I really liked Classics IV). Dusty Springfield, on the other hand, has that wonderful voice, and she's just gorgeous... Dusty it is.
ReplyDeleteJohn Holton
The Sound Of One Hand Typing
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels was crude and violent, like most of Ritchie's films. It was 'eh.'
ReplyDeleteBoth versions have their qualities. The female voice is very smooth. She made it sound like a 60's song while the first band made it sound like a 70's song.
I think I'll have to give it to Dusty on this one.
This does not begin to be fair! I love ARS... I LOVE Dusty! Kalko's second rule was, "Go with the girl." He never steered me wrong, so Dusty it is!
ReplyDeleteNeck in neck, eh? Just goes to show, you can never really tell with these things. The minute I think they're going to go one way, everything goes all kerfluey and you end up with who knows what.
ReplyDeleteNow, onto my vote. I always like the original version of this song and ARS is a pretty close second. That said; I had never heard Dusty's version. I like most of her stuff, at least, the stuff I know. OK, I just came back from Wacky-Watchee. Yeowee! I had no idea she was a lezbo. (Maybe I shouldn't have said that, but then; 'you know me'.)
Oh, well, the reason I went to Waacky-Watchee was to look for that 'Bond Song' I thought she had done, it was 'the Look of Love'. I always liked that one. But my favorite Dusty Springfield song was 'You Don't Have to Say You Love Me' I could hear it playing in my head, but also needed the help of W-W for the title.
Anyway...now I gotta vote. I do cast my vote for Dusty. I. like the combination of sultry/little girl voice she uses here and the instrumental interlude (those horns) is terrific.
Another toughie! This is difficult because they deal with the song so differently but still keep true. I will have to give it to the original. I love the "faster" tone of it and feel it is more in keeping but Dusty is such a close second.
ReplyDeleteboth of these were awesome. Such different styles. But I love the ARS vibe, and found my toes tapping along. I remember when my sister and I made up our own dances to this. Silly, huh?
ReplyDeleteFAE nailed the description of Dusty's voice: sultry/little girl. Hopefully that does not sound perverted. Well... now that I read it, how can it not?
ReplyDeleteBut, what I hear is a very very sexy voice that is not in the low range. We've disagreed about Karen Carpenter's voice, and my big complaint with her is that the voice has a quality to it that is too low for me. You think it sexy, I think it husky.
Dusty's voice sounds in the high range, GIRLY, but also has a bit of a sexy rasp to it. I like that a lot.
The ARS version is fine, but I have heard it a million times and was never more than passively interested in it.
I vote for Springfield.
Part 1 Of 2:
ReplyDeleteHokey-Smoke! I am so late in replying to the comments here. I no can believe it uh!
Well, I'm behind in everything at the moment, including my Email exchanges.
-------- CHRIS --------
Thanks, Brother! I agree that the guitars sound really great in the ARS version but like you I also dig BOTH tracks a great deal. (Heck, I really dig the original Classics IV cut, too. This is probably one of those songs one would have to actually work at it to foul it up.)
-------- BOIDLEE --------
8 Track? What's dat? Wasn't that in the 18th Century? (I jest. I had an 8 Track player once myself.)
Are you being serious or facetious when you say this is your favorite of all my BOTBs? Because even though I like BOTH of these songs a great deal, I guess this BOTB feels a little gimmicky to me due to the Halloween theme. I've liked all the BOTBs I've put together (which is why I put 'em together, obviously) but when I think about my very favorites thus far, the two that always pop into my mind first are 'ROUTE 66' and 'CANADIAN SUNSET'. I think the one I have planned for November 1st might be in their league also.
As for your prediction (and mine as well)... not so close. Color me surprised.
-------- GIRL WONDER --------
Yeah, I really like the finger snapping too! Although Dusty is running away with this contest I take comfort in seeing the word "tough" repeated so often in this comment section. This one's probably a lot closer than the score indicates.
-------- DOCTOR DISCDUDE --------
Yeah, that's a pretty sexy voice. It's funny though because I've heard a number of Dusty's other hits (and even own 'Son Of A Preacher Man' and 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' on a 1960s compilation CD) but this is the ONLY Dusty song I've ever heard where her voice has so much sex appeal. Never really thought of it as a "sexy" voice before now.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
Delete-------- JOHN --------
There's that word "tough" again. Thanks!
-------- ALEX --------
I've never seen that movie. I was pretty sure I'd hate it (like I hate most movies being made these days) so I saved the time and money. Man, your vote really surprised me. Actually, it kind of SHOCKED me. I was sure you'd go with ARS because of the electric guitars.
-------- BROTHER MARTIN --------
Thanks for the vote. Yours didn't surprise me. I would have guessed Dusty 4 U.
-------- FAE --------
Yeah, that "neck-'n'-neck" prediction now makes me seem to be dead from the neck up!
>>... "kerfluey"
Hey, I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from using that kind of language on my blog in the future. I try to keep F-FFF "Family Friendly" (and I'm trying to keep a straight face while I type this).
"Yeowee!" is right! I NEVER would have guessed that. And then the story of her getting her two front teeth knocked out by her female lover. Sheesh! I almost wish you hadn't shared this. TMI.
-------- BIRGIT --------
Hey, thanks so much for the vote... and for telling me it was tough to choose. Makes me feel a little better about having put together a BOTB blowout.
-------- DONNA?... DOLORAH? --------
I don't know how to address you no mo'.
Sounds to me like you and your Sister had some fun times. And I could kiss you for voting ARS. Damn, it was about time they received another vote!
-------- SHEBOYGANBOY 6 --------
Karen Carpenter had a 4-octave range and she did occasionally sing songs more toward the upper end, but she said, "The money's in the basement". And considering how much dough she made, I can't argue it. (Plus, it's her lower voice that appeals so much to me anyway. Yeah, I'd say "husky" describes it, and that's what I love about it. Husky IS sexy.)
There are a couple of points in Dusty's version where her voice reminds me a bit of Bobbie Gentry singing 'Ode To Billy Joe'.
Man, I had you pegged as a vote for ARS. But now that I stop and think about it, I guess I should have KNOWN you'd vote for Dusty. I know enough to know that I should have KNOWN that. Ha!
I'm surprised you've heard the ARS version so many times, because all I ever hear on the radio is the Classics IV original hit.
Oh well, we'll always have The Beatles.
No, wait. Actually, I'm not a big Beatles fan.
Led Zeppelin? Nah. Rolling Stones? No.
Astrud Gilberto? ASTRUD GILBERTO?!?! (Yeah, that's the ticket. Is it?)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I was wondering what happened to you. I totally understand about getting behind in things. That's where I stay these days and occasional lapses into catatonia don't help much.
DeleteI was very serious when I said this was one of my favorites of the Battles you've put up so far reason.
Reasons being that I liked all of the artists a great deal and have music by all of them.
And it's a great song appropriately themed for the season. You know how much I like going with themes in my battle that interconnect with other events or topics that I'm addressing. I like that you went for a theme.
AS to Dusty sounding more sexy on this song than on many of her others, I think a lot of it has to do with the song itself. It's a very sexy sounding song. That's one of the reasons I probably liked it so well in high school. The Classics IV made the song sound sexy and then they had that sexy sax solo that added the sizzle. Great song that brings back great memories and it was good to hear it revived in your post. I don't hear that song played anymore so good that not only you brought it back but another Battle blogger as well.
Lee
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteYeah, I've not been feeling too great recently, so I kind of fell behind on a lot of stuffs.
Well, then very glad you liked this one so much.
I've been looking forward to the BOTB I'm gonna put together for November 1st for quite some time. I've held off on it for a reason I will explain when we get to it.
In fact, I'm gonna move from "Sexy" to "Jazzy" in November (the 1st and probably also the 15th) and that will likely scare off some voters but I sure don't anticipate it having that same effect on you.
Thanks for the kind words, my Friend!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Make that +2 for Ms. Dusty and that sultry voice: just high enough pitched to be nice and feminine and just raspy enough to be sexy. We both strongly approve, and both think it beats out ARS pretty handily.
ReplyDelete~6B
Thanks for the votes, Beer Brothers!
DeleteBrandon I wasn't sure about. But I imagined you, Bryan, might vote either way on this one. If I'd been forced to pick I probably would have said you'll lean slightly toward ARS. Goes to show that I barely had anyone's vote correctly pegged with this BOTB.
Seeing how Dusty has just blown out the competition, it leaves me wondering why it was that the ARS version charted at #17 while Dusty's version didn't even break into the Top 40. Ahh, mysteries, mysteries, the mysteries of music.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I had to listen to it twice before I realized who Dusty Springfield's smoky voice reminded me of. Do you remember Andy Taylor's girlfriend Peggy on the Andy Griffith Show? She was played by blond beauty Joanna Moore, Tatum O'Neil's mother (Ryan's ex). Though she was from Georgia, they had a similar sultry sound. Dusty gets my vote. I love all of your back stories, especially the one about Karen Carpenter!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Oh, and I hope you feel better, Stephen.
ReplyDeleteHowdy, JULIE ~
DeleteThanks for your vote!
I sure do remember Joanna Moore. 'The Andy Griffith Show' is my all-time favorite TV series and I own all of the black & white episodes on DVD.
Over the course of the series Andy had 3 or 4 different girlfriends and my favorite was Joanna Moore. I did not care for Elinor Donahue much and liked "Helen Crump" even less.
But I had no idea that Joanna Moore was Tatum's mom and Ryan's wife (at one time). I learn something new every... few minutes. Thanks for the info. I wonder if my Brother knows that. Probably not, but he's a 'TAGS' junkie just like I am.
And thanks also for the good wish. If I could just get a couple nights of decent sleep I think I'd be alright.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I like Dusty's version which surprised me. My vote for her this time although not a fan generally. Maybe I remember a lot of guys like that. . .spooky.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your time and your vote, D.G.!
DeleteAnd the Dusty votes keep Springing up.
Hoo-Wee! I never imagined such a blowout.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I like Dusty's version a tad better!
ReplyDeletePart 1 Of 2:
ReplyDeleteSTMcC’s Vote On ‘BOTB - 2014, October 15th
- Atlanta Rhythm Section Vs. Dusty Springfield’
And The Final Tally:
Hokey-Smoke and Hoo-Wee! This BOTB installment sure as hell did not turn out like I'd foreseen.
In my text I wrote that I expected "a neck-'n'-neck contest", and my friend Arlee Bird seconded that belief when he wrote "I'll bet this match-up will end up being very close". Goes to show what we know.
I had envisioned myself possibly casting the deciding vote in this one (as I've had to do in more than a couple previous BOTB contests on my blog). At any rate, I did not expect the margin of victory to be more than one or two votes. Maybe three at the absolute maximum.
Historical success seemed to favor the Atlanta Rhythm Section, as this song scored them a hit at #17 on the Billboard chart, while Dusty Springfield's version never even cracked into the Top 40 chart. Seems to me now that Dusty's management team may not have pushed her cover hard enough, because her version simply trounced the radio hit by ARS!
I really like both of these versions a great deal. I like the "original" original by Classics IV a great deal too.
Dusty puts on a great, sultry voice for this song (as others also noted) and I really dig the finger snapping, the short but raunchy sax solo in the middle, and also the "echo chamber" effect on Dusty's voice as the song fades out, adding a definite "spooky" kind of element to the song. There isn't one single thing about Dusty's version that I dislike and I find it astounding that it was not a huge radio hit when it was released in 1970.
Continued Below...
Part 2 Of 2:
DeleteMy vote, however, goes to the Atlanta Rhythm Section whose version I like just a wee tad better. I dig the extended instrumental break, the great guitar sound (as mentioned by Chris Fries) and in general (with the exceptions of Karen Carpenter, Mahalia Jackson, Brenda Lee, and Astrud Gilberto) I prefer male vocalists to female singers. All of those things added up to a very narrow win of my vote by ARS.
Doesn't matter though because my vote was meaningless. The margin of victory was NINE votes.
Atlanta Rhythm Section = 4 Votes
Dusty Springfield = 13 Votes
I had gotten so used to having pretty close "BATTLES", some which have ended in ties and a few in which (as I said above) my own vote at the end was the deciding factor that determined the winner, that I had pretty much forgotten what it was like to have a BOTB blowout.
In fact, I got curious about this so I went back to check all my previous BOTB contests and discovered that I had to go all the way back to BOTB #2 on August 15, 2013 to find a margin of victory as big as this one was.
In that "Battle" Fleetwood Mac beat The Rockets by a similar 9 votes, with mine being the only vote for The Rockets, saving me from a shutout. And that was probably the most shocking BOTB outcome I've ever experienced because going into that contest, before a single vote had been cast, I was fully expecting The Rockets to trounce Fleetwood Mac. I was sure it wouldn't be a shutout (I've never had one of those and I don't ever want one) but I would have guessed that The Rockets would win that showdown by a good 7 or 8 votes. I STILL shake my head over that one. Still can't believe it.
Anyway, HUGE THANKS to every one of y'all who took time to listen and to vote; I genuinely appreciate you all who support the BOTB Blogfest concept and keep the enthusiasm alive, because I myself enjoy the bejabbers out of it and I have a ton of really interesting future BOTB match-ups in the works.
In fact, my next one, on November 1st is one I've been salivating at the thought of almost since BOTB first began. I've held off on it until now for a reason I will explain on Nov. 1 ('All Saints Day'). I hope to see you all here again for that one. It's going to be rather different from my previous concoctions. It will be a beautiful ballad sung by someone who has an outstanding voice going up against an instrumental version by a person who is a true master of their musical instrument, and I have NO IDEA who is going to win this one.
See ya on 11/1/2014, eh?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'm not only surprised by the outcome, but I'm surprised that you didn't go for Dusty. But I understand since ARS is an excellent version of the song. I almost as surprised by the way your Battle ended as I was about the outcome of my own which I will announce tomorrow. Sometimes there's no second guessing what will happen in these things.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you and I have something similar in theme planned for the next round though from your description I'm positive that we won't be duplicating songs. I look forward to what you have in store for us.
This current Battle was indeed interesting and good.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Thanks, LEE. Yeah, this one was a real head-scratcher. I can see Dusty winning. I can also see ARS winning. But what I CAN'T see is a Dusty blowout of ARS. And yet, that's what appears before my eyes.
DeleteIt would be nearly miraculous if we used the same song next time, as the one I'm using IS considered a standard, but sadly it's been kind of forgotten over time and is mostly unknown by younger music fans. To me though, it is one of the all-time most beautiful ballads with a luscious melody that just sort of wraps around my mind and then seeps into it. One of the most romantic songs ever written, in my opinion.
Looking forward to your next pot o' stew too. This should be interesting.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Hey StMc~
ReplyDeleteI just read Arlee's post on the results from his battle and then went back to read the comments on the original battle. This is what I found (written by Julie over at Empty Nest Insider):
After viewing both choices, I am reminded of the upcoming Election Day. Once again, I will be voting for the lesser of two evils. My experience was similar to Robin's in that after I immediately turned off the LL version, I was able to listen to MM's version without the video. I guess this makes him the winner. Great choice for giving us a pre-Halloween scare! Oh, and I'm still laughing at Robin's comment! I think Robin and Stephen should do a Best Of BOTB Point/Counterpoint with you as the moderator, Lee!
Julie
Hahahaha. You have noticed that we tend to vote opposite of one another on these things, right??? That would be freakin' hilarious. Of course, I am not sure I want to debate you on ANYTHING. As much as I enjoy getting clobbered and all that... I don't think anyone could out-debate YOU.
Of course, point and counter-point might not be debate so much as entertainment. If we did it funny... that could be doable. As in entertaining:)
GIRL WONDER ~
DeleteHa!-Ha! Ya know, I DID see Julie's comment a few days ago and I thought it was pretty funny.
Many years ago I was a member of a Tuesday night 'A Search For God' study group, where we would spend 2 or 3 hours hashing out spiritual/religious concepts.
One night, during a break, one of the young ladies asked me, "Were you ever on the debate team in school?" I told her no, and she replied, "Well, you sure SHOULD HAVE BEEN!"
It made me feel good because she also told me: "You don't speak up a whole lot, but when you do, we all pay close attention because you always have something profound to say."
My, how my mind has slipped over the years!
No one could really win a music debate because when you get down to it, music is completely mysterious and subjective.
I remember when I used 'My Favorite Things' as a BOTB song and Lee later said he didn't particularly care for the song. But for me, it's quite likely the single most addictive melody ever composed! I can't hear that song once without the melody starting up in my head and playing over and over again for days or even weeks on end! There's no right or wrong with music, but it sure is mysterious why certain songs affect different people differently.
Robin, you and I do disagree often on our BOTB votes. Taking a wild guess, I'd say we disagree maybe 70% of the time. But my votes actually diverge more often from the votes of Sheboyganboy Six and Arlee Bird.
Over the course of BOTB's history, Sheboyganboy Six and I have often joked in the comment sections about our differences of opinion. (The joke is that when our votes agree too often in a short period of time it's a sign of the Apocalypse and the end of "this world".)
But SBB-6 and I tend to vote alike when it's a Jazz-flavored tune. And over time I began to notice that my votes and Lee's votes disagreed even MORE often than 6's and mine do. In fact, any time Lee and I vote alike it actually jumps out at me - that's how rare it is.
Now here's the IRONIC PART of musical disagreements with Sheboyganboy Six and Arlee Bird ...[wait for it!]...
SBB-6, Lee, and I all first met each other online in a "Music" comment thread that I had begun at Amazon.scum (BigBitch.com) back in early 2008!
That's right! MUSIC is the thread that tied SBB-6, Lee, and me together.
I had started a thread proposing the idea that perhaps the song 'THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS' by Johnny Horton was the single song that the most number of Americans like.
A lot of people began commenting on that thread and it went on for some time. Somehow Lee and SBB-6 (using the online pseudonym P. Griffin back then) discovered the thread, posted comments and here we are today, still in contact with each other, still friends (even though some anonymous liberal complained to BigBitch.com that I was mean and nasty, and so the liberal site, Amazon, removed every single comment I'd ever posted anywhere on their website - including all my comments on the music thread where Six, Lee, and I met).
That's why it's so ironic that SBB-6, Lee, and I rarely agree on our BOTB votes - because we actually formed our friendships through "Music yakking".
If you wanna see where our friendships were first forged, you can do that by clicking HERE.
Also here: http://tinyurl.com/mwosqyl
All things considered and relatively speaking, Girl Wonder, you and I don't really disagree on music all THAT much. It's Lee and Sheboyganboy Six (aka P. Griffin) who have really crappy taste in tunes.
Ha! [;-)}
I'll be watching that first disc of 'Sleepy Hollow' tonight. ...Pray for me.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Many times I really like both versions or really dislike both versions and the voting is really tough. So, that likely accounts for about 20-30% of the times we deviate. It is almost eeeny meeny miny mo for me.
DeleteI think Julie's idea has merit. We could each choose what we think is the best battle to date from all the posters and run point/counter-point on them. We could work on them in advance (via email) and even cut/paste the email thread like:
StMc: blah blah blah
GW: blah blah blah
StMc: blah blah blah
GW: blah blah blah
All with the intent of making it very funny. If we wanted someone with heretofore unknown musical expertise, it would be Chris Fries breaking it down. But, who wants that???
Heck, we could even use our original comments as the "jumping off point." I'd comment on yours. You'd comment on mine. It could be some of our greatest work yet;)
Just think about it... If it becomes popular, it might drive more action to everyone's bi-monthly battles:) And that would be a good thing!!!!
Oh, I just said a prayer for you.
DeleteThough the worst thing that can happen is you just don't like it. I find the humor, historical references, and the biblical references (from Revelations) make this one of the best shows on TV right now.
It is certainly different than the formulaic cop dramas, which means it could be cancelled at any time. So, we need more people tuning in!!!
Hokey-Smoke, ROBIN!
DeleteThat sounds suspiciously to me like... "work".
You know, I don't work for less than minimum wage, right?
Who's gonna pay my salary?
You find an economic sponsor and then count me... IN!
SERIOUSLY,... it sounds like there is the potential for HUMOR, but... I have a headache, and I need to dye my hair and... oh, yeah, my Aunt just died in... Hong Kong. ...Yeah, that's right! Hong Kong! ...She'd gone to see a... a... a plastic surgeon? ...Yeah, a plastic surgeon!... She'd gone to see a plastic surgeon there who specializes in... uh... sex changes. And... uhm... well, she died and... well... I'm expected at the funeral when they bury the bitch... er-- ...the dick. (To be honest, I'm not sure how far along they were in the surgery when my Aunt died on the operating table.)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Well... I will take that as a no... cause I ain't payin' your salary. Don't think I could afford ya.
DeleteWhat're ya kiddin'? I work cheap!
DeleteSure, I said "minimum wage", which at $7 and some change is pretty steep, but... I didn't say "minimum wage for a full 8 hours".
Ya know, half an hour, at minimum wage, is probably more than enough pay for anything I'd produce!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Re; Sleepy Hollow
DeleteStMC--I'll be interested to hear your reaction to this show. I thought it held a lot of promise at first and I followed every episode. Then it started deviated more and more from the Bible even though the Biblical references were constant. I started feeling that this was another conspiratorial effort by the entertainment industry to twist the mind of the public by providing a false gospel. I haven't watched any episodes this year because the show lost me.
It's a great concept though and I like the actor who played Ichabod Crane. I wish they wouldn't have gotten off on such a weird tangent, but that's what most TV series have seemed to do over the years.
Lee
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteI've seen just the pilot and the first two official episodes and my thinking on it is much like yours.
As I wrote to Robin, I love the concept of it, the combining of the American Revolution with current End-Time events as referenced in The Bible. A pretty novel idea.
And I too like the actor playing Ichabod Crane, and I love the look of it (think: vines hanging from trees silhouetted in a blue mist, etc.) along with the way they tie in modern Pop songs.
I told Robin that I thought this concept could have made an excellent 2-hour movie. But without an exit plan, right away I can foresee that they're just going to have to keep making it up as they go along, inventing even-more-outlandish characters, in order to keep the show running season after season, with no end in sight until... the day it gets cancelled and ends on some sour note.
I'm reminded of the old 1960s TV series 'THE PRISONER' with Patrick McGoohan (from which Sheboyganboy Six partially got his nickname). I rented the first episode in the early 1990s and IMMEDIATELY got sucked right into the story and couldn't wait to see how it would end. I rented all the episodes and then finally with great anticipation I watched the final episode and hated it. I realized that they really didn't know WHERE the show was going or how to end it, and when it needed to conclude, they just threw some bizarre mess together that never really did explain much or tie up loose ends.
And I have a hunch this is how 'Sleepy Hollow' will likewise conclude. I hope not, but I'd bet money on it.
>>... "I started feeling that this was another conspiratorial effort by the entertainment industry to twist the mind of the public by providing a false gospel."
Knowing full well that Hollywood is never going to play The Holy Bible straight, I was watching for the spin right from the "get-go" and didn't have long to wait in finding it:
The whole "Good Witch / Bad Witch" thing introduces an occult element into it which we are supposed to sometimes see as beneficial and sometimes see as antagonistic. But, of course, you, Robin and I all know what The Bible says about ALL the various "occult" practices. It's all an unholy deception aiding the dark side. And that's where I found evidence right from the beginning of the "false gospel" you astutely suspected.
Overall though, it is a pretty entertaining show with a unique concept. In the right hands - and with a clearly laid out storyline - it probably could have been made into a fantastic full-length feature film.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Well, I can definitely see the appeal for Dusty's version. I was torn in my vote, even though I was one of the few ARS voters.
ReplyDeleteEven though this was a one-sided win,I would still consider it a great BOTB post -- you exposed people to a new version of a song they weren't familiar with, AND it was the one they voted for over the better-known "successful" version. That's awesome!
C. F. GUITARSLINGER ~
DeleteYeah, I suppose it was a decent BOTB. I mean, Boidman Lee said it was his favorite of mine (and I've done posted a lotta 'em).
Of course, I prefer it when they're really close (and I sure did think this one would be damned close), and I myself like some of the BOTBs I've put together where the music was great but largely unknown to this crowd ('Canadian Sunset': Heywood & Winterhalter Vs. Danny Gatton) or just really, Really, REALLY different, like 'Route 198' (3 different versions of 'Route 66' and all of them 180-degrees different from each other - screw the math, I'm tellin' ya they came to 540 degrees!)
But, heck, I'm just glad when ANYONE shows up to vote. And I truly do like BOTH of these versions very well, and they were arranged very differently from each other so... yeah, I guess it was a pretty decent BOTB.
But... I am REALLY looking forward to the ones I have scheduled for Nov. 1st and Nov. 15th. These were both on my radar ever since the BOTB concept was first conceived. I didn't use them earlier because I didn't want to scare people off. Yes, these next two will be more "challenging" but being a musician yerself, I think you'll find them in YOUR wheelhouse.
Thanks, Brother, for the comment.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Who can possibly figure out how ANY BOTB will go. Music is so subjective, not only to our tastes, but as many of the voters state to the particular mood they feel at the exact moment they listen.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I've had more than my fair share of shut outs on BOTB and that has always surprised me. Then on this last one, I was fairly shocked that the voting came in so close. I really did not expect it to be such a 'horse race'.
My favorite BATTLES (my own or someone elses) are the ones that are the most diverse. I think you achieved that here, no matter the voting.
Loookin' towards to the 1st. Got my song picked out and the contestants. Anxious to see what you have in store for us then.
FAE ~
DeleteNovember 1st will be a "standard", a ballad, a love song. (Gorgeous, in my opinion.) Possibly two vocal performances (both fairly short, like 2:30 and 3:30) and an instrumental take on it that comes in a shade under five minutes.
November 15th will probably be the most "challenging" BOTB I've ever put together. Challenging because it is Jazz (or Jazz-Rock), and one instrumental version versus another instrumental version. Both will clock in at over 7 minutes long and I'm guessing the only BOTB voters who won't hate it will be Arlee Bird, Sheboyganboy Six, Chris Fries, and me.
On November 1st I will begin to chase the voters away. On November 15th I will kill off all but a small clan of Jazz Faithfuls.
And that's one reason I've waited so long to present these two BOTB installments.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'