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Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

Friday, July 15, 2016

2016, JULY 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, LOUIS PRIMA VS. PHIL HARRIS)


Trump Vs. Hellary, 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...

BATTLE OF THE BANDS! (‘BOTB’)


Shoop-Shooby –
Shooby-duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah –
Buh-Doo-Wah!

Yes, it’s time once again for ‘Battle Of The Bands’ (‘BOTB’)

Alright, let’s get on it...

EUGENE  MARTONE  VS.  JACK  BUTLER
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As a youngster I was fortunate that both of my parents had good taste in music but also that their tastes were slightly different. Therefore, I was exposed to a good variety artists. Pa and Ma agreed on Big Band and Sinatra and then their tastes diverged slightly.

Ma gave me Cannonball Adderley, Bill Black's Combo, Artie Shaw, Stan Getz, and believe it or not, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Pa gave me Nat "King" Cole, Dinah Washington, Willie Nelson, Louis Prima and Phil Harris. And those last two bring us to today's BOTB installment.

Everybody knows Louis Prima (and his wife Keely Smith) through classics like (link >>) Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody. Man, if THOSE people did not have fun on stage, then no one EVER has!!

Fewer people are familiar with Phil Harris. Phil was born in Linton, Indiana, but very much like Prima, who was born in New Orleans, he was strongly associated with the South (I loves me "the South", y'all!). Both men were Big Band leaders, vocalists, and very fond of novelty songs. Novelty songs... naturally my Pa, with that goofy sense of humor, loved them both greatly!

Phil Harris had quite a number of songs that were popular back in the '40s and '50s. I think perhaps the one I dig most of all is (link >>) That's What I Like About The South. Is there any way not to enjoy THAT song? Seriously! Is there?

What might surprise a lot of people is that Prima and Harris are featured in Disney's "Summer Of Love" (1967) animated classic 'THE JUNGLE BOOK'. Louis Prima supplied the voice for "King Louie" and Phil Harris provided the voice for "Baloo The Bear".

'I WANNA BE LIKE YOU' -- The Jungle Book


Now, I ask you, what could possibly be more fun than having KING LOUIE and BALOO THE BEAR face off against each other in a 'Battle Of The Bands' installment? ...That's what I thought! So, here's Prima and Harris doing a novelty song, the type of music they both specialized in.

If you're already very familiar with The Bible, you can skip this next segment and go straight to the tunes. If not, you'd better read this first or the song is not going to make any sense to you.

GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS

First, one must know that in the Old Testament, God gave to the Israelites what's called "The Ten Commandments". The very first Commandment states:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them."

Remember that, you'll need it later.

Now, in (link >>) the third chapter of 'Daniel', there's the story of how Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, made an image of gold that he set it up in the plain of Dura.

Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery ... you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

But three Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, remaining true to God's "First Commandment" refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's idol.

The King gave them one last chance before throwing them into the furnace, but they responded:

"O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury ... He commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were bound in their coats and were cast into the furnace. Because the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who fell down bound into the midst of the furnace. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and spoke to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the the fire? ... I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

They saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him ... that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ... There is no other God who can deliver like this." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
 
OK, now you're ready for this fun song. "KING LOUIE" (Prima) versus "BALOO THE BEAR" (Harris) -- may the better Disney character win!

SHADRACH -- Louis Prima
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFVaKg4MD74

GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG

SHADRACH -- Phil Harris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu4kMDh4W_4


RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN
Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other. 

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 vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)

Voice Your Vote...

@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JANIE JUNEBUG, RIGHTING & EDITINGby clicking HERE.
@ 'J.A. SCOTT' by clicking HERE.
@ 'QUIET LAUGHTER' by clicking HERE
@ 'REINVINTAGED' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'EVIL POP TART' by clicking HERE.

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.

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

82 comments:

  1. One of my favourite stories in the bible. They certainly had courage in the face of death. I hope to have the same courage if I'm ever tested for my faith.
    Was not aware this was a song, but it was a very interesting song, to say the least. Phil does a good job with this, but I have to give my vote to "King" Louis.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JEFFY ~
      'Daniel' happens to be my favorite "book" of the Old Testament. And I believe we are now living through some of those prophecies found therein.

      I think what I like best about the Shadrach story is them saying to the king, "We have no need to answer you in this matter." (Translation: You ain't shit!)

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  2. My pick is Louis Prima's version. I'm pulling for the home team. BYW, Louie Prima got kicked out of a boy's Catholic high two weeks before graduation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Didn't know that. Suddenly I like Prima even more than I already did!

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  3. Have you ever heard Brook Benton's version? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0COJ2UraVU) I heard his version first, and it's my favorite. But anyway...

    The Book of Daniel is a wild book, isn't it? A lot of strange and wonderful things happen there. My favorite is the story of Daniel in the lion's den. At one point, the author cuts over to a story of Habakkuk making his lunch. An angel arrives and tells him that Daniel needs the food, and picks Habakkuk up by the hair, holding the pot his lunch is in, and carrying him to the lion's den to deliver it. Guess that's where the term "carryout" comes from...

    All right, enough silliness. I love Louis Prima, but didn't like his version of this. It started out fast and just got faster. Phil Harris's version was consistent throughout, and I liked the background voices better. Give my vote to Mr. Harris.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JOHN ~
      I'd never heard that Brook Benton version before. The first 'Shadrach' recording I became familiar with was Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong's.

      That story of Daniel in the lion's den was new to me as well. I guess the Egyptians probably had some food in their chariots when they chased the Israelites through the Red Sea. That must have been where we got the term "Drive-Thru".

      VOTE: BALOO

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
  4. Thanks for sharing the story. Loved the songs -- they were both very catchy but Louis Prima was so much more engaging, in my opinion. I loved his backup singers better too. I bet they had a good time performing that one!
    My vote goes to Louis.
    Fun battle Stephen!

    Michele at Angels Bark

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MICHELE ~
      Glad you liked it.

      It's funny that John expressly mentioned liking Baloo's background singers better, while you expressly mentioned preferring King Louie's background singers. And I know you didn't see John's comment while typing your own, because his hadn't been published here yet.

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. That is odd, isn't it? And some people give backup singers no credit! :) They do make a difference...

      Delete
  5. I did nbot like either vocal, although Harris had a slight edge there for me.

    But I really liked the arrangement on Prima's version a lot.

    You'll stop following my blog when I tell you I knew David Lee Roth did not write "Just A Gigolo," but never heard the original before clicking your link ten minutes ago.

    So Prima gets my vote.

    LC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BANNED!!!

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. I knew it...imagine how disappointed my Mom would be if she knew

      Delete
    3. She DOES KNOW, Buddy.
      Right now she's probably whispering in Saint Peter's ear, "Don't let 'im in."

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    4. Imagine what the two jazz-musician brothers are saying...

      Delete
    5. Yeah, your only hope of getting into Heaven is if the Jazz Bros went to "that other place" and Saint Peter is hard of hearing.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  6. I love Louis Prima and Phil Harris! What a great, but difficult, choice. How do I decide between them? I love the song, too. When my son was little he thought it was Shadrach, Meshach, and To Bed We Go. At 8:30, or earlier if I'd had all I could stand, I'd tell him it was time for Shadrach, Meshach, and TO BED WE GO! Then I read the same book at least one hundred times before he settled down and fell asleep. Now how do I vote? I love Louis Prima, but I vote for Phil Harris. (I flipped a coin.)

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOVE, JANIE ~
      You're on a roll today!

      I'm curious to know the title of that book which got read at least 100 times when you reached the point of Shadrach, Meshach, and To Bed We Go.

      VOTE: BALOO

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  7. Janie beat me to the punch. We also used to say Shadrach, Meshach and To Bed We Go. Great story. Daniel has some really good ones in there. The story of the lions den is probably one of my favorites.

    So FatherPreacherManBossMan... it comes down to who I need to cast my vote for. Dammit why do I always have to decide?

    Oh yeah. It's a competition. That's why.

    While I LOVED the deep voice of Phil Harris, I was completely entertained by Louis Prima. Therefore, I must give my vote to Mr Prima.

    Great battle. Excellent thinking outside of the box.

    Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HiYa, MARY ~
      I don't know where I've been. I seem to be way behind on the "To Bed We Go" joke.

      I got the idea for a KING LOUIE VS. BALOO competition months ago, when I first got the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN VS. THE HAUNTED MANSION idea.

      I thought it would be easy to find songs that both Prima and Harris had recorded. **WRONG!** I started looking about 3 weeks ago and after a 90-minute search I had come up with... nuttin'.

      I was just about to give up this concept when I found the "Shadrach" connection. It seemed Louie and Baloo were mining different material except when Disney called them together.

      I'm happy you enjoyed this one, my friend.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. POSTSCRIPT:

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  8. Ok this is a bummer because I couldn't listen to Louis Prima even when I went to YouTube. I listened to another version of his of this song but not sure it was the same one or not. I can say that I just love Pbil Harris's voice so much. I love this rendition but I'm afraid I can't vote this time because I'm unsure about the first one. If the one I did listen to is the same then Phil gets my vote

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BIRGIT ~
      That's a bummer because I used that YouTube Restriction Checker site on every single link I posted here, and every one was cleared as viewable in Canada.

      I guess now we know how reliable that YouTube Restriction Checker website is.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  9. It took a while for me to find a Louis Prima version that worked that wasn't a- crazy remix. I guess the video you offered isn't available in Canada which is where I am right now--Winnipeg to be precise.

    The Phil Harris version was okay, but sure not as much fun as the Louis Prima version. I vote for Prima.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LEE ~
      See my reply to Birgit, just above your comment.

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  10. Louis Prima gets my vote, it was going from the start. Harris had a neat, deep voice.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You know I love both these guys. Prima is near the tip top of jazz favorites (I throw it in with jazz, though at times it might be more "old pop"). And I love Phil Harris. My parents saw him live a number of times in the 40's in L.A. and passed along their fondness for him to me.

    With this number, though, it is hard to beat Prima. I like the background singers for King Louie better; the singers for Baloo chime in at odd times and it sounds a bit weird to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SBB-6 ~
      To me, anything with three horns is automatically Jazz. It might be a Pop Standard too, but the horns make it a Jazz Standard when I categorize it.

      I know I've mentioned this before, but my Pa and I got to see Keely with Sam Butera & The Witnesses at The Sands in Vegas once. That was a fun show. Would have been even funner had Louis been alive and there.

      We are clearly seeing in these BOTB voting results why LOUIE was the KING and BALOO was just a bear.

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  12. Stephen, what an interesting and fun battle! The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego from the Old Testament is one of my favorites. I loved the miraculous wonder of God's protection over His faithful in the fiery furnace. I like both artists, but I think Louis Prima gets my vote. I loved his jazzy, bubbly rendition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CATHY ~
      It's a Win, Win, Win situation when one can use Louis Prima and Phil Harris to teach a Bible passage, eh?

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  13. A biblical lesson in a Disney movie? Wow, you sure wouldn't see that today (and there was already a remake of The Jungle Book earlier this year, along with one slated for 2018)! I'd seen this a ton as a kid, but had no idea. Then again, I was just a little kid. I wasn't exactly understanding all of the zingers in Rocky and Bullwinkle, either.

    So far it seems like a blowout, and per your guess, we're only going to add to that. We both vote for King Louie. The liveliness of his version is just more appealing. That almost seems unfair, though, because Harris's version was good too. King Louie's version was just... gooder?

    ~6B

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've had one beer too many, BEER BOYS! This song didn't really have anything to do with 'The Jungle Book'. It was simply the only song I could find that BOTH Prima (King Louie) and Harris (Baloo) had recorded in their careers. Funny that they were contemporaries, covering the same KIND of material but only one time (to my knowledge) did they both put their personal stamps on the SAME song.

      I'd have guessed that they'd BOTH recorded versions of, say, 'How High The Moon', 'Stardust', 'Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree', but... nope.

      >>... So far it seems like a blowout

      I'm afraid this has gone far beyond "so far".

      VOTE: KING LOUIE X 2

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. Maybe I was just confused because I googled "Jungle Book biblical verses" before voting and got back plenty of results. For example, Bagheera, while mourning Baloo, says, "Greater love hath no one than he who lays down his life for his friend." And I'm sure you know who said that line first.

      ~6B

      Delete
    3. Of course I know who said that first: Pike Bishop.

      That makes me wonder what sort of returns I might get if I Googled "Biblical verses" in conjunction with "The Devil In Miss Jones", and "Debbie Does Dallas".

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  14. Al Bondigas here. I feel really bad that one has to come in second here. I loved the vocals in both versions, so I guess the background singers and horns of the Phil Harris version carries the day. I admit that I am a little biased here and wanted to vote for Harris. Baloo is one of my all time favorite characters, and I patterned my life after his. That's how I became such a shiftless, irresponsible jungle bum. Vote for Baloo. That's it!! That's my rulin'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. >>... That's how I became such a shiftless, irresponsible jungle bum.

      And you wear it well!

      Bet that feels good to be "rulin'" again, eh?

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. Watch your language, damn it! There are little kids who visit this blog!

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    3. I love the banter between you two!

      Delete
    4. B-E B-O! ~
      Well, we've had 50+ years of practice.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    5. JUDGE AL BONDIGAS SEZ...

      VOTE: BALOO... the shiftless, irresponsible jungle bum.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    6. I think I'm ahead on points after those 50+ years. Right? The judges' score cards don't lie.

      Delete
    7. "It's just a flesh wound!.....
      Alright, we'll call it a draw."


      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  15. I like ol' Phil's deep baritone....but King Louie gets my vote, fer shure!! I have a couple of CDs that have a collection of 1940s oldies, and Louie is on it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BROWN-EYED BECKY-O! ~
      That was some fabulous music back in the '40s. I used to think my parents didn't know nuttin' 'cause they listened to all that Big Band stuffs and were always telling me to turn down my Styx, Thin Lizzy, and REO Speedwagon.

      It took decades, but eventually I discovered that it was "I" who didn't know nuttin' 'bout music.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. Well, I'd say just about ALL kinds of music have lots of great stuffs. I really like(d) Styx, too. But nothin' gets me like Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. Sometimes I think I was definitely born in the wrong era. ;)

      Delete
    3. B-E B-O! ~
      'MOONLIGHT SERENADE' is literally my all-time favorite musical recording, with the sole exception being... nuttin'.

      (Do you know the song NUTTIN' by The 5 Blind Squirrels?)

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    4. POSTSCRIPT:
      I forgotted to say this...

      VOTE: KING LOUIE

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    5. Stephen T - I hadn't heard of that song, so I Googled it...and can't find it there, either. Help!

      Delete
    6. You Googled it and couldn't find nuttin'?

      Hmmm..... That's peculiar.
      Maybe try searching for it by its FULL, "OFFICIAL" title:

      (I Can't Find) NUTTIN'
      by... The 5 Blind Squirrels

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    7. Okay, now I think you're messin' with me, Stephen T! I tried that "OFFICIAL" title search....and I FOUND NUTTIN'!

      Delete
    8. Well, I don't understand that, B-E B-O! That was a major hit for The 5 Blind Squirrels, who got their big break while on tour and opening for Ray Charles.

      Years later, when they were an established act in their own right, a very young Stevie Wonder paid HIS dues opening for The 5 Blind Squirrels.

      By the way, do you remember the song '(It's Your Lips) I CAN'T REMEMBER' by The 3 Amnesiacs?
      [:o)

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    9. Wasn't it originally The 4 Blind Squirrels? That was when Roy Orbison penned (under the original title): "Oh, Pretty Woman (I Think)".

      Delete
    10. Yep, that's right. Your music trivia knowledge is as good as mine.

      And, incidentally, did you ever see a photograph of the woman Roy Orbison wrote that original 'Oh, Pretty Woman (I Think)' for?

      Sheesh!
      Seriously, she made Moose-chelle Obama seem feminine!

      Boy, it was very obvious that Orbison was "Blind+".

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    11. Well, there ya go! Thank you SBB6. I was beginning to wonder why I couldn't find Stephen T.'s group!! :)
      And I gotta relate a funny thing from about 15 years ago...I was listening to an "oldies" radio station and they were playing "Oh, Pretty Woman." People were supposed to call in and give the title of it. EVERYBODY kept calling in and saying Pretty Woman, or Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison...callers were getting exasperated! And the poor DJ just kept saying, "No, sorry. That's not it.".....I only knew because I'd seen the title somewhere.....LOL

      Delete
  16. I don't mind admitting that I've listened to both versions several time and like each one a great deal. I was familiar with the Prima version, but had never heard Phil Harris do this number before.

    This is a tough decision, but I'm gonna have to go with Harris. I love a deep rich baritone and besides who could possible vote against Baloo the Bear(my favorite Jungle Book character).

    So, Harris it is. As a side note Daniel is probably in the top ten running for my favorite book in the Bible. Always seemed a little bit of a shame that he got top billing, when those other three guys exhibited every bit as much faith, even if they weren't as big on dream interpretations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FAE ~
      Apparently you didn't get the memo that "King Louie" is the acceptable vote in this round. Or maybe you, like Judge Al, are a member of the radical terrorist group 'Shiftless, Irresponsible Jungle Bum Lives Matter'. Y'all in this together! You won't vote for King Louie because he be Black and you be racis!

      Well, you know how "The Word Of God" is... Dream big (and interpret bigger) or go home!

      [If I knew I could be this good sober, I'd've quit drinking decades ago!]

      You wanna know MY favorite 'Jungle Book' character? Scroll back up to the video for the song 'I WANNA BE LIKE YOU', hit Play, then Pause it at the 0:25 mark. That second monkey from the left, HE'S my favorite 'Jungle Book' character. (Incidentally, that monkey on the far right? He's my LEAST favorite 'Jungle Book' character.)

      Thanks for your racis rebel vote!

      VOTE: BALOO (the White supremacist bear)

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    2. And we don't take no lip from no bartender either. We'll see ya soon.

      Delete
    3. One more word out of you and I'll make your head into a canoe.

      Do you think I'm bluffin'?

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    4. No,no. He ain't bluffin. He ain't bluffin.

      Delete
    5. HA!-HA!

      You ain't as dumb as you look, Judge.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  17. I love this song, but I have to confess that I am here just to say: "Where did the darn movers put my speakers for my computer!!!!!!"

    Yep, that just happened. Also, all of Gonzo's video games and system (he isn't into that as much as most kids, but he did have some).

    See ya on August 1st when all of life is reassembled, and the moving company has heard my complaints adequately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DOC CHERDO ~
      Have you looked yet into that cardboard carton labeled "Computer Speakers"? If not, give that one a try.

      BOTB lacks a little something when you ain't got yer ears on, huh?

      See ya on the flipside, Doc.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  18. Now hold on just a cotton picking minute that...who you calling a racist? Remember the slogan 'all beats matter'!

    ReplyDelete
  19. >>... "just a cotton picking minute"

    Are you SERIOUSLY going to use the expression (Link...>>) "COTTON PICKING" and in the SAME BREATH tell me you ain't no racis?

    Oh, you a racis alright...

    ...not that there's anything wrong with th--

    Oops! My mistake.....
    It's OK to be gay,
    Not OK to be racis.
    CUZ BLACK LIVES MATTER, CUZ.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    (Maybe I'd BETTER go back to drinking!)

    ReplyDelete
  20. And Stephen,

    Didn't Torch drive a Shadrach? Eeeew...Lynth! There I said for ya. Good battle my friend, never heard neither nor not to familiar with Shadrach but I am now. Two versions very different from one another. Phil Harris was much easier to understand but I liked Louis Prima better, just made me feel good. I guess the tempo and beat was better and I do like the raspiness of Prima's voice. Well, there ya have it.

    And Stephen, that's not all...thinking' maybe July 13th wasn't 30 years after the day after I had my last beer with you in 1986 in Ashland Park. What a great trip the Show No Emotion in a Big Way Tour was. Thank you for talking me out of a relatively promising drinking career. I will always JW ya for that. Now move it, now move it, now move it!

    Pooh (glad to be alive, wouldn't have been if I didn't have that last beer with you on July 12th) Lynth

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    1. ...AND POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!

      Well, if we translated it from Mexican to American and then counted just the first three letters, you'd get 3 points for that!

      I do think that more times than not, the more upbeat version of a song will win BOTB. That's not necessarily so though if the rendition is Metal or Punk.(BOTB is a tricky thing with lots of complex variables and rules, exceptions, and conniptions.)

      30 years without a drink? "Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy!" Don't you ever get thirsty?

      I feel honored to have been there and witnessed you drinking the first 12 of your last 76 ounces of beer!

      Thanks for the vote, General Poohregard.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. Well, if you're gonna have one last beer, it might as well be 1 Mickeys and 5 Budwiesers.
      To paraphrase some song...
      You and your hot rod Lincoln
      Driving me to not drinkin
      Pooh!

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    3. HA!-HA!
      Nice new twist on my old saying.
      (One could definitely see Dylan's influence on me with that one, because it didn't make a lick of sense and yet in some weird way it "SEEMED" like it did.)

      Was it 5 Budweisers? I thought it was 4. Apparently my ounces number is off. But I did count the Budweisers as 16 ounces each. That was right, right?

      I'll never forget finding you passed out there with those empty beer cans scattered about and thinking you were full o' crap about quitting. And yet, to my amazement, those REALLY WERE your last cans of golden elixer.

      It's good you quit when you did, because this "Craft Beer" thing would literally have killed you. The variety of styles and number of breweries, in conjunction with the high alcohol content, would have done you in.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    4. Alas, they were only 12ozers. Couldn't even end on a high(er) note. Such a Pooh thing to do.

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  21. Stephen, You get extra points for originality on this battle! I also had to listen a few times, because Prima and Harris were both great! As a biblical piece, I would have to vote for Harris as he had one mighty voice.

    Julie

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    1. Thanks, GEM JULIE! I'm pleased you liked the concept behind this Battle.

      Yeah, Harris has a voice like a shofar. And technically speaking, Baloo's version is a bit more factual (e.g., Prima says they heated the furnace 10 times hotter than usual, while Harris correctly says it's 7 times, etc.)

      VOTE: BALOO

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  22. OK, so you told me the battle this week was between Baloo & King Louie...I ASSumed you meant the two songs from 'Jungle Book'. While Baloo is my all-time fav-o-rite Disney character, I actually like King Louie's song just a little bit better, and never tire of hearing it over and over and over!!! So before showing up here today, I thought I already knew what I was gonna pick!! As I was reading through, I realized I didn't have a clue what I was gonna pick!! Coincidentally (or not, if you believe that God is in charge, as I do) this past Sunday our church went over this EXACT passage of Daniel in our current sermon series!!! Amazing faith in the book of Daniel. Humbling and encouraging at the same time. So, back to the song battle. So difficult to choose. I love Louie & Keely! They bring an energy to their songs like nobody else.....but I am going to give the prize to Phil this time around. His smooth vocals tell the story, and sell the story! He sounds great! Cast my vote for Papa Bear on this one!!

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    1. TN KOUNTESS ~
      Ha! I loved that!

      When you texted that you'd probably be voting for King Louie, I figured you'd already come by here before and listened to both versions of 'Shadrach' but simply hadn't cast your vote yet.

      It never dawned on me that you'd ASSumed I'd put 'I Wanna Be Like You' against 'The Bear Necessities'. (And, by the way, had that REALLY been the Battle, I'd have voted for 'I Wanna Be Like You' also. But then I'd also be voting for Baloo too. It'd be Louie & Baloo Vs. Just Baloo.)

      Now, every time you read that passage in Daniel, you will think of THIS 'Battle Of The Bands' installment. AmI'Ight?

      Remember that first time I saw 'The Jungle Book' as an adult, with you? And in the dark theatre I leaned over and whispered in your ear: "He better... NOT... be dead!!"

      I'm glad po' Baloo got another vote, 'cuz he be gettin' clobbered here.

      VOTE: BALOO

      ~ D-FensDogG

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    2. I DO remember you leaning over to me and saying those exact words. You were fehlly mad, eh? Ha! I also had the pleasure of seeing Keely and Sam Butera at the Sands Hotel - that was a great show!! And it was free! I still can't believe that it was just one of the 'lounge' shows that you could just sit in on, if you felt like it. Jack Sheldon was another one of those great Vegas shows that I loved!! Except for the part where he emptied his spit valve onto the stage right in front of us.....GAG!

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    3. Ha! The Ghost Of Suey Past.

      Pa and I had to pay to see Keely and Sam, so I guess you must've seen them some time after we did.

      One time in Vegas (at The Mint, downtown) I saw Billy Preston as a free lounge performer. Couldn't believe how far he'd fallen. Of course he had a major drug problem which probably accounts for most or all of it.

      Jack Sheldon -- ha! Yeah, I remember THAT too, and how repulsed you were. Dang, that was a lot of saliva! But, boy, that guy could play!

      I still listen to the 'ONE FROM THE HEART' soundtrack a lot, and Sheldon did some wonderful work on those songs.

      Well, no E-Ticket rides or Baloo next time, but feel free to check in for my August 1st Battle if you'd like. It's going to be a refreshing Summer song about sex. (Only on THIS blog does the subject matter go from Disney to Sex in 1.6 seconds!:o)

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

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  23. Robin @ 'YOUR DAILY DOSE' sez:

    As soon as I heard the Louis Prima version of this song, I knew that Harris had his work cut out for him, because Prima's version was HOT HOT HOT. Pun totally intended.

    I was right in my assessment. I liked the version by Harris, but I loved the version by Prima, so this was an easy vote for me. Give me some Louis Prima. The lyrics in his version just knock me out. "Them cats never made it past the front door." hahahaha. Love it!!!

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  24. STMcC’s Vote On '2016, July 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'Louis "King Louie" Prima Vs. Phil "Baloo" Harris') And The Final Tally

    I'm a wee bit o' late with this tally but still within the proper day.

    Even though the outcome was very uneven, I thought this was a really fun Battle and the comment section was a blast.

    I thank y'all for your participation (votes and humorous comments).

    [BROWN-EYED BECKY-O!, I had a little fun at your expense. Sorry... sorta. I'll pick on someone else next time, I promise!]

    Well, how do I vote? I really like BOTH versions of 'SHADRACH', so IMO everyone was justified in voting how they did.

    I really enjoy the music of BOTH Louis Prima and Phil Harris, but overall I like Prima a little bit more. If for no other reason, I would have to pick Prima (and his sidekick Sam Butera) based solely on the strength of (Link...>>) 'THERE'LL BE NO NEXT TIME', which my Pa introduced me to when I was but a tyke, and I STILL think it's one of the funniest songs ever.

    In THIS contest, the highlight of Prima's version was the "call and response" between him and his background singers. It was great fun and very cleverly arranged.

    The focus of Phil Harris' rendition was on Phil's voice -- which is definitely better than Prima's -- and on his horn section which was absolutely top-notch! (I really wish there'd been a short instrumental break where that horn section could have let loose for awhile.)

    Love both versions, but in the end I have to say that I think BALOO'S recording was a tiny bit stronger. At the 1:51 point when Phil Harris says, "Old Nebuchadnezzar called, 'HEY DERE!', when he saw the power of The Lawd! And they had a big time in the house of Babylon", that's where Phil Harris completely seals the deal for me.

    Nevertheless, I was on the losing end this time, as the more uptempo Prima version ran away with the contest.

    Louis "King Louie" Prima = 14 votes
    Phil "Baloo" Harris = 7.5 votes


    My thanks again to everyone who took part in this Disney character Battle. I hope you return for my August 1st Battle. I'll give you a clue: This next Battle is going to be about refreshing Summer Sex. And, no, the song is NOT 'Hot Fun In The Summertime' (although I do think that's a great song).

    Return here for the sex,
    But stay for the...
    Sex.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  25. A worthy battle. Hard to beat Louis Prima and his crew for entertainment value and fun usually wins over gravitas.

    Look forward to the hot August 1st battle.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Thanks, LEE. Yeah, this one wasn't close but it was still fun.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  26. If you had said in the afternoon rather than summer, I might have ventured a guess.
    I'm still a little puzzled why everyone posts the results on the 6th day, rather than the 7th day. Maybe it's my OCD, but I refuse to break the harmony of 7. Battle 1, results 8, battle 15, results 22. At least you now know why all my results are a day late.

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