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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
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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 |
Please bear with me as I present one more "TWISTED BOTB". For a lot of you, this may be your least favorite Battle Of The Bands that I've ever presented. Me, I think it's kind of funny and definitely different. But after this "TWISTED BOTB", I will be resuming "normal" BOTB installments again beginning on February 1st.
What I'm doing today is presenting you with two very famous "Classic Rock" songs, both done in that slick "Lounge Act" style. You get to choose which one you like best (or which one you hate less). You can use any criteria for judging them that you please. Is one musically superior to the other? Do you prefer one vocalist to the other? Does one amuse you more than the other? Judge them on whatever you like, just vote for one over the other and tell us why you did.
So slip on your smoking jacket, light your pipe, and settle in and enjoy the music or relish the torture.
TINY TIM did cover a few other "Classic Rock" songs. In fact, I put his version of 'PEOPLE ARE STRANGE' up against Jim Morrison and The Doors in BOTB #17. Pretty gutsy, eh? The Doors won 6 to 3 but they couldn't toss a shutout at Tiny.
However, 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN' is the only Classic Rock cover I'm aware of in which Tiny Tim arranged it in a "Lounge" style. In this recording, Tiny is musically backed by Grammy Award-winning Brave Combo. Here's what Wackypedia says about them:
Brave Combo is a polka/rock/worldbeat band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years.Their music, both originals and covers, incorporates a number of dance styles, mostly polka, but also some Latin American and Caribbean styles like norteño, salsa, rumba, cha-cha-cha, choro, samba, two-step, cumbia, charanga, merengue, ska, etc.
As part of their perceived artistic mission to expand the musical tastes of their listeners, they have often played and recorded covers of well-known songs in a style radically different from the original versions. Examples include polka versions of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and The Doors' "People are Strange", The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" as a cha-cha, and "Sixteen Tons" as a cumbia. While their records may have a sense of humor, they are played straight and not usually considered joke or novelty records.
Alright, take it away, Tiny Tim and Brave Combo. (Try to overlook the brief audio dropout early on and the unrelated music at the end.)
'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN' - TINY TIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzrQrlm4M20
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| GODZILLA VS. KING KONG |
Now there is a performer who routinely takes Classic Rock songs and reinvents them a la "Lounge". Here's Wackypedia:
Mark Jonathan Davis (born November 27, 1965), better known by his stage name Richard Cheese, is an American musician and comedian. He was born in New York. He fronts Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine, a Los Angeles based cover band and comedy act, performing popular songs in a lounge/swing style reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett.
Here's Richard Cheese And Lounge Against The Machine performing Pink Floyd's 'ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL' from the album 'The Sunny Side Of The Moon: The Best Of Richard Cheese':
'ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL' - RICHARD CHEESE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zX2wqsrF3A
OK, which one did you like better or hate the least?
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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 blogs to
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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.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THIS BELLE ROCKS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ALEX CAVANAUGH' (when BOTB falls on a Mon., Wed., or Fri.) 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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My, my, McCarthy...
ReplyDeleteThere are some songs that should never be heard. How you happened to locate two of them, I won't waste time speculating. My goal at this point is to avoid being scarred for life. Without further adieu, I say we cut the Cheese. Richard is out! If only he had sung off key, i.e., Bill Murray, a redeeming quality might prevail. The Lounge Against the Machine however, has redeeming qualities, but why bother?
In my wildest dreams, Tiny Tim was never there. This is the first time I've been able to understand all of the words to "Stairway to Heaven, " albeit painfully. Still, Tiny keeps up and my gosh, where did the gruff voice come from? I thought he only succumb to falsetto? Yet he is delightfully emotive; we certainly hear the concern in his voice regarding the lady. Don't we, McCarthy?
Brave Combo saves the day, as much as the Loungers save the Cheese, but these guys do it better. Why? Because I say so. Well, they are playing many of my favorite instruments, and they have better background vocals to the Tee-Tee man. There's a toe-tapping and swing element that drives my little buggy home. I really disliked both, but you did say... blah, blah, blah... next time 'normal'... promise...
My vote is for Tiny Tim and Brave Combo.
Actually I like both versions quite well. They each show some high quality of musicianship and for my ears they are both listenable--no problemo at all for this music fan.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is that there are two different songs so for that alone I would step out of the parameter of the contest rules and declare this a tie. However in the spirit of a contest I will give a definite edge to Tiny with my vote going to him.
I like the style of Cheese and I like cheese as far as food goes, but Tiny Tim's version has so much more going on and is the far more musically complex of the two. I'd heard this cover of "Stairway" before when you posted about Tiny Tim on another occasion and I think I watched just about every Tiny Tim video on YouTube. The guy was something else, but he was also one darn good musician.
Didn't hate this Battle at all, but I wish they'd been covers of the same song to bring greater parity to it all.
Tiny Tim with my vote and I think this one could be a shut out.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Steve, I listened to both songs. I cringed when Tiny Tim started singing. I didn't like his high-ptiched singing (he did manage to throw in a little of it at the end) when I was a kid and I believe I dislike the over-all gruff tone just as much. TT's version of Stairway to Heaven was simply put...too unpleasant to enjoy, but this is my opinion and what do I know right? I mean, so far you have 2-votes for the dude. Richard Cheese? Well...as you put it voting criteria can go one of two ways, pick the one you love or one you hate less. Cheese's voice was slightly... I mean ever so slightly more enjoyable to my ear than TT's and this my friend is why I'm choosing Cheese. What interesting selections, but please spare me anymore Tiny Tim in the future. lol
ReplyDelete-------- DIXIE POLKA --------
ReplyDeleteIt takes a pretty TWISTED personality to put a TWISTED BOTB like this together. And I have that TWISTED personality and TWISTED sense of humor in spades, so I knew it was up to me to create this.
But, yes, my promise will be kept. My February 1st BOTB has already been written and is just waiting for me to hit the "Publish" button. It's going to be two different versions of the SAME song and it's going to feature some kick arse electric guitar work in BOTH versions, and that should help you forget all about THIS Battle Of The Bands installment.
-------- BOIDMAN LEE --------
The shutout is already over. The third vote went to Richard Cheese. But NOW you understand why I kept mentioning 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Another Brick In The Wall' in the Comment Section of your blog yesterday.
Well, last time the theme that unified the two different songs was "My Generation" (#1 and Part 2), this time it was the "Lounge" approach given to two famous Classic Rock songs that was the unifying theme. I like it, even though I was sure many of my voters wouldn't. I just hope they'll vote for the lesser of two evils, if that's how they see it (although you and I don't see it that way at all because I'm genuinely amused by both of these versions and you, it seems, are as sick as I am).
In two weeks I'll be back with a "normal" BOTB that features some damned good, loud, ear-blasting electric guitar to reward everyone for sticking with me through this two-part TWISTED BOTB experiment.
I'm glad you actually liked this one, my friend!
-------- CATHY --------
Thanks for grinning and bearing it. No promise about no more Tiny, but I have all my BOTBs written and set up for posting all the way through April, and there was no sight of Tiny Tim anywhere. In fact, they are all NORMAL BOTBs, and I think you'll like most if not all of them, I've got some really terrific songs lined up, so this is the last of the "TWISTED" for the foreseeable future.
I just felt like expanding the BOTB envelope a little bit these last two times, trying to add a new element. But methinks I'm done now and going back to the tried and true. But I thought a couple new concepts for a new year wouldn't hurt anything.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
OK - I must be at least half-twisted because I actually kind of liked the Tiny Tim version of "Stairway." More in spite of Tiny Tim than because of him, but still -- it was interesting to hear him sing in a lower register without all the falsetto. There was still too much vibrato, but it wasn't nearly as bad as "tiptoe through the tulips." But musically, there was a lot going on that I ended up enjoying. This may have been all for fun, but there was valid musicianship at work here.
ReplyDeleteThe Cheese rendition of "Another Brick" was.. well, cheesy. The piano was ok, but the signing was too campy to take legitimately, and too legitimate to consider fun camp.
So, writing words that I would have wagered would NEVER have thought I would ever use:
I vote for Tiny Tim.
GgC ~
ReplyDeleteIf there's one thing I've learned about BOTB after about 30 to 35 contests it's that... it can be downright surprising.
And I agree with you, Brave Combo are actually quite good. Every instrument is doing something interesting.
And by the way, I once thought Tiny Tim sang ONLY in falsetto but as I began exploring his music in earnest, I realized that he was really a baritone and used his natural voice probably close to 40%. It's just that his one big hit was all falsetto and so we assumed that was what he always did.
I'll also add that I really laugh when Richard Cheese asks "Bobby" how he can have any pudding if he doesn't eat his meat. "Bobby's" enthusiasm for his part in the song is simply overwhelming. Ha!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
When the Tiny Tim version began I thought, "Oh my God, this is going to be unbearable." However, it got better as the song progressed, and I even began to appreciate some of the musicality of it. By the end, I liked it. Color me shocked.
ReplyDeleteI've heard one other Richard Cheese song, and for a brief moment considered using it in BOTB, but I felt like (and still feel like) that a vote for Cheese would actually be a vote against the original and a vote for the original would be a vote against Cheese. In other words, most folks wouldn't really like either version, so for now it's a No Go. But I could change my mind at any given time... you know, because womens do that.
Now I FINALLY know where that phrase about not getting any pudding if you don't eat your meat comes from... I never thought it'd be here. And, you're right that is a funny, funny moment in the song. Almost enough for me to give the vote to Richard Cheese. I really liked that bit.
I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I'm voting for Tiny Tim.
>>... you know, because womens do that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've heard that about womens.
You never knew the line about "pudding / meat" came from the Pink Floyd song 'Another Brick In The Wall'? Missy, it looks like Professor Henry Higgins has a lot of work to do on you.
I voted for Tiny against Jim Morrison, so I've been down this road before. But 'Another Brick In The Wall' does tickle my funny bone.
So far, Tiny Tim has a pretty sizable lead. And who thought anyone would ever write THAT in a BOTB Comment Section?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Wow...this was painful!
ReplyDeleteThese types of recordings are like most Weird Al songs to me-listen once, chuckle and move on with your life..
I am tempted to vote no preference, but that would be a cop out.
So which one did I dislike the least....
I think I am going for Cheese....but probably due to the better fidelity of the recording than actually liking the rendition.
Why am I not surprised that I didn't care for a lounge act put together by a guy whose stage name is basically Dick Cheese?
ReplyDeleteLiving up to his name, I think it sounds a bit too cheesy. I wasn't a fan. And while Tiny Tim's version isn't quite something I'd catch myself listening to on a regular basis, it is a lot more fun, and has a lot more uniqueness to it.
One very easy vote for Tiny Tim.
(I usually don't see my cohort on the weekends, so I thought I'd vote now and give you his vote on Monday or Tuesday. For the record, I'm 99% confident he'd vote the same way as I do based on what I know about him, but you know what they say about ASSuming...)
~6B
-------- DOCTOR DISCDUDE --------
ReplyDeleteHave you filed a police report yet?
You know, pertaining to the guy who stole yer sense of fun?
Oh well. At least I can promise that my future BOTBs won't be this painful for ya.
Plus, I did predict that some voters would hate this lineup, so it comes as no surprise to me. I just didn't expect that YOU would be one of the haters.
-------- BEER BOY BRYAN --------
Thanks for bearing with me here. And I look forward to receiving the other Beer Boy's vote, whenever he has one to submit via you (or even by hisself).
Say, I've got a car for sale. Low mileage, only drove it to church on Sundays. Has white wall tires and I'll throw in the sawdust for free. You interested? If so, contact my agent Hubcaps Lesh at Mayberry-2637. If Mrs. Lesh is out of the office you can speak with her secretary Ralph "Big Maude" Henderson.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Ooh, that's the tip off! This car's just been sittin' on a velvet pillow waitin' for me. It'd be an insult to even inspect this car. I see your price tag says 2,000... would you be willing to accept 3,000? That's all I've got.
Delete(GREAT reference there to Ralph Henderson. That all points bulletin made me GOL)
Don't you remember how much I groaned the time you played the TT song for me?
DeleteTo me, the only good lounge music was in that Bill Murray skit of the old Saturday Night Live...
Wait, stop the presses! Before you tally your votes, here's one more!
DeleteFor...
The lesser of two evils, Tiny Tim. I don't think my cohort enjoyed either, but he hated Tiny Tim slightly less.
~6B
Even though I do like the more vintage sound of Tiny Tim's cover, my vote goes hands-down to Richard Cheese. I prefer his voice, arrangement, and choice of song (Stairway, IMO, is one of those songs that should just never be touched. I only reluctantly didn't bristle in distaste when the Wilson sisters of Heart and Jason Bonham performed it live at Kennedy Center Honors) to the Tiny Tim cover. Richard Cheese for me.
ReplyDeleteOK, KIM, thanks for keeping this one competitive.
DeleteWell, you know Heart (the Wilson Sisters) always DID want to be Led Zeppelin, right?
I'm just happy to see Richard Cheese get some votes because I expected this Battle to be reasonably close.
And thanks for playing BOTB with us. I'll be over to your site soon.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I did not know that! They are some immensely talented ladies, and I'd say they came pretty damn close. Not to mention made leaps and bounds for women in rock and roll.
DeleteFirst of all, thank you for a genuinely weird listening experience.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with Richard Cheese here, because it made me laugh. He truly captured the spirit of Wednesday night in a hotel lounge, just him and a drum machine. Not to say I didn't like Tiny Tim's; it was a great sendup of a song that "classic rock" radio has played the crap out of and made me thoroughly sick of.
Egads! Definitely going with "hate the least" on this one. Good thing the wine is clouding my senses right now, heh?
ReplyDeleteI liked the old time video for Tiny Tim's version, but what a ghastly rendition of the music and lyrics. Pure butchery of a beautiful song. Granted, I laughed all the way through about the first three minutes - thank you for that - but I was seriously looking forward to the "cheese" later.
My vote goes to Richard Cheese. He mutilated the original less. I could almost listen to the entire song only half soused. So glad there was no video with this one.
Well, I come here for the fantasy experience, right? No complaints with the host :)
Stephen, I thought you should know my parents actually woke me up to see Tiny Tim's wedding on The Tonight Show! It was a very big deal for a little kid. I always thought of Tiny Tim singing Tip-toe Thru The Tulips, and his version of Stairway only has a hint of falsetto in it. Richard Cheese was funny at first, but he got on my nerves after awhile.Tiny Tim gets my vote. This was fun in a bizarro kind of way!
ReplyDeleteJulie
I am voting for Tiny Tim because he actually takes his version seriously. I don't think he is being funny, except for when he goes super-high to sing "just a sprinkling from the May Queen" and a couple of verses after that. I suspect the "May Queen" line was just too much for him to resist going "Tiny" on it.
ReplyDeleteThe band is serious and excellent.
-------- JOHN --------
ReplyDelete"Weird" is my middle name.
And I'm with you regarding the Led Zepp version of 'STAIRWAY'. I was sick of it and that was even before I learned about the backward masked references to satan in the song.
-------- DONNA --------
As Ed Wood said to the movie distributor: "My next one will be better." (But in my case, it's actually true.)
Thanks for appreciating the host!
-------- GEM JULIE --------
I'm frequently good for something "bizzaro". I just hope I haven't scared off too many voters for my future BOTBs (which will be more "normal" than "bizarro".)
-------- SEAHAWKENBOY SIX --------
Of the 4 NFL teams left, the one I want to see win the Super Bowl is your Hawks. I could live with the Colts winning it too, if I had to make a second choice. But if the game is the Packers vs. the Patriots, I won't even watch it.
Thanks for the vote! You s'pose THIS could be Tiny's second hit song? (Nah, me neither.)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I vote Tiny Tim
ReplyDeleteAlright, FAE, thanks for the vote.
Delete~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Way to put a smile on my face and make me laugh out loud you rebel you! You didn't pick 2 versions of the same song! The 2nd one made me think of Troy McClure from The Simpsons (poor Phil Hartman). he has a good singing voice but it is supposed to be cheesy (sorry). Tiny Tim took himself seriously and you can tell by this version although it just made me crack up. For his vocals including the high pitch of hos voice that made him who he is I got for Tiny Tim
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for getting into the spirit of this TWISTED thing and for actually enjoying it. It seems that a few people actually liked it.
DOH! I'm afraid I don't know who Troy McClure is, but I has seen more than a few episodes of The Simpsons in my day (and I know Bleeding Gums Murphy personally).
I rarely count votes in advance of announcing the winner, but it feels like Tiny's gonna win this thing, although Richard Cheese isn't going down without a fight.
One thing's certain: Both Tiny and Richard did it their way.
Thanks for your continued support of BOTB!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'll just leave this here. This is Troy McClure, starring in the Planet of the Apes... the musical.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EOzd-xiz14
Al Bondigas here. If your friends think you're strange now, they need to take a trip in the wayback machine to 1980-1984. They would see some real McCarthy strangeness. As one of the 2 founding members of the " Make a Wish for Tiny Tim Foundation ", I should probably be tarred and feathered and ran out of town for my vote, but, I'm casting my vote for Cheese Boy. I found the song funny and the music good. We both like goofy stuff and were lucky to inherit the sense of humor of our parents. That's it. That's my rulin'.
ReplyDeleteSTMcC’s Vote On ‘BOTB - 2015, January 15th,
ReplyDelete- Tiny Tim Vs. Richard Cheese'
And The Final Tally:
First of all I want to seriously THANK EVERYONE who voted. Counting mine, I got 17 votes on what HAD TO BE the weirdest BOTB installment ever.
I actually liked it and I'm pleased that a few of you did too. I sincerely like BOTH of these versions of Classic Rock songs because they're entertaining in a bizarro sort of way.
I'll tell you right now that I am voting for TINY TIM. Some people still think I'm joshing but I honestly confessed on my blog in 2009 that I had become a real Tiny Tim fan. Believe me, I was as shocked as anybody. The only song I knew was 'Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips', which I thought was almost unlistenable. I mistakenly thought Tiny was a one-note, one-hit wonder.
But I purchased a CD boxed set as sort of a Christmas joke. And the boxed set wasn't much more expensive than his debut album alone would have been, because the debut was out of print but the boxed set included the debut plus two more albums and some unreleased songs.
Before I even got through the first disc I was horrified to realize that I was a genuine Tiny fan! There was no denying it, I knew for a fact that I really liked about 70% or more of his recordings. Plus, Tiny Tim was a real music lover, a walking encyclopedia of songs from the 1920s, '30s, '40s, Tin Pan Alley, etc. The guy was serious... AND funny. He was also responsible for one of my all-time favorite quotes:
“MOST OF ALL, I’D LOVE TO SEE CHRIST COME BACK TO CRUSH THE SPIRIT OF HATE AND MAKE MEN PUT DOWN THEIR GUNS. I’D ALSO LIKE JUST ONE MORE HIT SINGLE.”
THE MAKERS OF ‘MOTHER CROAKER’S HEMORRHOID OINTMENT’ PRESENT . . .
Tiny Tim was a true original, and there are few of those in the world today.
Even if someone hates Tiny's singing on 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN' (I don't hate it at all), they should be musically aware enough to realize that the backing group, BRAVE COMBO, is damned excellent! Seriously, there is some really interesting, creative music being played behind Tiny Tim on that track, as a few voters pointed out. Most of that album it comes from is really good, and the song 'SLY CIGARETTE' is a classic (it could have been Tiny's second hit song, I think).
Anyway, the voting ended like this:
Tiny Tim = 11 Votes (he went "up to eleven")
Richard Cheese = 6 Votes
Not a bad showing for either contestant.
In the second vote submitted here, my friend Arlee Bird voted for Tiny and then added, "I think this one could be a shutout."
He missed his guess by a pretty large margin, and I'm glad of that.
I thank you all for putting up with these last two TWISTED BOTBs. I don't have any more planned at this point, and my next BOTB on February 1st is going to feature some awesome Blues guitar work, so please return for that. (My Feb. 1st BOTB, I fear, "could" really be a shutout, even though both guitarists are excellent, and one of them is one of the most recognized and praised Blues guitarists of all-time. He's the one I'm worried about getting shutout.)
My best to you and yours!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I'm not surprised that Tim won, but I was somewhat surprised about all the negativity toward him--I didn't expect that.
DeleteWhat really surprises me though is that you cast your vote for Tiny Tim. I can't believe that! I did not expect for you to vote for Tiny Tim. No, not at all.
Lee
Tossing It Out
StMc:
DeleteWell, Damn -- Now I'm going to have to search out more Tiny Tim to give a listen to. Before hearing this track, I'd only been familiar with him singing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips," getting married on the Tonight Show, and the cameo bits from "Laugh-In" All of which added up to a goofy novelty-act persona, not anyone to take seriously for their music.
But as we both mentioned -- the band in Tim's "Stairway" was really good, and Tim's signing was not what I'd expected. I ended up liking it quite a bit (and I'm kind of surprised anyone actually voted for the other Cheesy guy, but taste is all about the subjective...).
I have to give you credit -- this is yet ANOTHER BOTB where you get me to re-assess my pre-judging expectations in regards to songs and artists. That's a good thing.
Now I don't know what to expect in your next BOTB -- you coming up with a video of Justin Beiber playing blues guitar and me liking it more than BB King???
-------- LEE --------
DeleteYeah, imagine me voting for Tiny Tim, eh? Wonders never cease.
I was just skimming through that old blog bit I linked to, 'Mother Croaker's Hemorrhoid Ointment', and there were a number of really cool Tiny quotes I used in that. That's one of my favorite old blog bits because I had only just recently discovered I genuinely liked Tiny's songs and the surprise was still in full bloom when I wrote that. Rereading it, I can still feel that "Shock And Awe" I had experienced.
I'd still really love it if Tiny scored a second hit song posthumously, to take him out of that One-Hit Wonder category. He truly deserved more than just one hit, especially when much of what he recorded was far better than 'Tip-Toe...'
-------- GgC --------
Hey, thanks, my friend. Yeah, this BOTB installment was a weird one, but I really did like BOTH of the TWISTED BOTBs I presented in January. I felt it was time to expand the BOTB envelope a little bit. But now it's time to go back to the standard approach: two versions of the same song.
I'm kind of surprised that only a few people mentioned the excellent musicianship of Brave Combo backing Tiny Tim. I can "get it" if someone disliked Tiny's singing, but I thought Brave Combo should have really impressed people with their quirky but stellar musicianship. I mean, there was some good funkiness to their playing, as you also noticed.
Glad I got you to rethink Tiny Tim! If you find the time, perhaps read the (lengthy) blog bit I published shortly after really discovering the real Tiny (linked above as 'THE MAKERS OF ‘MOTHER CROAKER’S HEMORRHOID OINTMENT’ PRESENT...', which is a line from his debut album).
YouTube has some of his good stuffs. I never got around to writing my anti-War piece at 'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends' before closing it down. But I had intended to write it for years and I was definitely going to include the Tiny Tim song 'STAY DOWN HERE WHERE YOU BELONG'. It was written by Irving Berlin, and I think Tiny's recording of it is fabulous!
Also try to hear his 'THEN I'D BE SATISFIED WITH LIFE', written by George Cohan, but Tiny added the Tuesday Weld part, and it was Nico of 'Velvet Underground & Nico' fame who voiced the part of Tuesday Weld in the song. It's a hoot and a really catchy song.
Also, 'STRAWBERRY TEA'. Something about that song is beautifully haunting.
There are others I really love, but those are good places to start, to get a better idea of what Tiny was about. His debut album is truly one of my all-time favorite debuts. There are a few duds on it, but the gems are really memorable. (My favorite Tiny song ever might be 'FRISCO FLO', and how, How, HOW could this not have been released on any of his albums?!)
>>... Justin Beiber playing blues guitar and me liking it more than BB King???
Ha!-Ha! No, not quite THAT shocking.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Cheese gets my vote
ReplyDeleteYou mean he WOULD have.
Delete~ D-FensDogg
Excellent Battle!
ReplyDeleteLike Chris said, now I'm curious to know Tiny Tim's other music accomplishments.
Yes, yes, I registered my doubts, and all in my original comment. (It might have helped me if I could have gotten Tiny Tim's image out of my brain... might).
Still, my vote was truly genuine. I was shocked by Tiny's range, and Brave Combo was seriously shifting gears! That's what really got my attention.
Well done! ~as only you could do... (you said that)... you're right)
See you next battle - when we confront, "The masters of strings,"?
I have a question about, WHEN to post results. Mine posted 1/21/15 @ 9:47 a.m. Am I supposed to wait until later in the day...which might give more people a chance to vote?
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't think of this before now.
DIXIE POLKA ~
DeleteI can understand how some people wouldn't like TINY TIM - I do get that.
But another problem is that there has always been so much manufactured, public relations-conscious Pop and Rock acts that when a TRUE ORIGINAL comes along, the public doesn't know how to react to it.
Tiny was deep, funny, authentic. Even his parents didn't know how to react to him, but they agreed to appear on the cover of his second album with him. He was devoted to Jesus Christ and the Dodgers, in that order. The more I learned about him the more I appreciated him. He was a true inspiration, for as he himself said:
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED.
TINY TIM MADE IT.
You gotta love a guy who can say something like that AND MEAN IT.
Now I'll admit that if all his songs were sung in that falsetto like 'Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips', I'd still be a Tiny Tim fan, but NOT a fan of his music. But he had so much more to offer than that one hit.
I defy anybody to listen several times to 'THEN I'D BE SATISFIED WITH LIFE' and still not like it.
There was probably NO ONE who knew more old songs than he did, and he was an avid record collector. Like I said before, he was practically a walking encyclopedia of music from the first 50 years of the 20th Century.
As for when to post your BOTB results, that's entirely up to when it's convenient for you. It's supposed to be on the 7th and 21st, but no time has ever been established.
More times than not, I post mine in the morning. But sometimes a little later in the day, depending upon what I have going on.
This time I posted mine at night just because I was too busy during the day, also because my Brother (Al Bondigas) was having trouble getting the system to accept his vote for some reason. So I held out until he could get his vote in and I was less busy.
Whatever works best for you is fine.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Thanks for answering my question about posting.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog about 'Mother Croaker's Hemorrhoid Ointment'. Quite a guy.
You're welcome.
DeleteYeah, he was surely an original American success story.
Like most people, I first dismissed him as just some weirdo, before realizing that there was a whole lot more there than first met the ears with that peculiar novelty song, 'Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips'.
He was a weirdo to be sure, but a rather fascinating one who had a great love for old music, and found a way to make it his own.
When I put him up against The Doors on 'People Are Strange', I really felt he should have won that BOTB. Who knew "strange" better'n Tiny did?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Yay for Tiny Tim! I enjoyed learning more about him, and also got a kick out of his quote! Oh, and Robin left a message for you on my blog!
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
ReplyDeleteTiny Tim is THE MAN! (Er... or... well, "something".)
Robin left a message for ME on YOUR blog?
That was pretty nervy of her, eh?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Ooops. Looks like I'm late to the party. And after I sat and actually listened to both of those painful renditions, too...
ReplyDeleteTiny Tim sounded like Christopher Lloyd's "Taxi" character Jim singing. In the early part, anyway. I didn't miss the falsetto at all, but wasn't a huge fan of this more baritone sound, either. The background music wasn't bad.
The second helping of cheese reminded me of Bill Murray. Again, the background music wasn't bad.
Both were kinda funny, but there's no reason to vote now. The polls are closed, and the ballots, already counted.
This was certainly a DIFFERENT battle; I'll say that for it!
How did I miss this one? I'm a week late! I'm sorry, dear STMcC! Forgive?
ReplyDeleteSince his heyday, Tiny Tim has given me the creeps. Do you remember his wedding to Miss Vickie on Johnny Carson? I love a good dose of crazy, but he is just weirdly creepy. I can't look at a ukulele (which is tough, 'cause they are all the rage lately.
So, no matter the song - I will always go with (wait for it):
ANYONE OTHER THAN TINY TIM, even if their song sounded like air hissing out of a slit tire (and the tire is Tiny Tim's).
Cheese it is, for my vote!
Aufweidersehen!
Of course I forgive, CHERDO.
DeleteWe're all busy with many things, so no one is going to make it to every post. And that includes a devoted person like me.
Yes, I remember the wedding to Miss Vicki on Johnny Carson. I have a highlight clip of it on a 'TONIGHT SHOW' DVD. It also included a highlight clip of the first time Tiny appeared on The Tonight Show. It was pretty funny. Johnny Carson was nearly in a state of shock and made it clear that he had never met Tiny Tim before that moment.
I had no idea that ukuleles were making a comeback. Maybe Tiny Tim will miraculously get a second hit song after all. Heck, maybe even Bullwinkle Moose will make a comeback, too. Bullwinkle played a mean ukulele, ya know?
I'm just glad you were too late getting here for your vote to count in the tally. Cheese lost to Tim, and that's the way I preferred it.
See ya on the flipside.
Ukulelely Yours,
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'