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. Let's get ON this thing!...
 |
| EUGENE MARTONE VS. JACK BUTLER |
For the longest time (and by "longest", I mean longer than most of y'all have been in BOTB) I've wanted to put Elvis Presley up against Brenda Lee, and all because of this darling December 21, 1957, photograph:
 |
| "LITTLE MISS DYNAMITE" & "THE KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL" |
Probably because both artists were born and raised in the South, I always envisioned using the song 'JAMBALAYA' for this Battle. Unfortunately, I waited a long, long time for someone to post the full-length Elvis version at YouTube, but to this day it still hasn't happened. Even now there are just short, heavily edited partial versions and the song included as a part of live medleys. I'd nearly given up on using 'Jambalaya', but then...
On August 1st, our friend and BOTB Master Mary @ 'Jingle Jangle Jungle' (HERE) used 'Jambalaya' in her Battle. She pitted a Mexican group I'd never heard before, Los Felinos, against Jazz singer Harry Connick Jr. I was knocked out by the Los Felinos version which I thought was absolutely terrific (listened to it about 4 times 4 fun) and I decided that whoever won Mary's Battle I would use against Brenda Lee in a future Battle. Today is the day of that "future Battle".
 |
| GOODNIKS VS. NO-GOODNIKS |
Happily, LOS FELINOS beat Harry Connick Jr. 8 to 5, so they get the starting position in today's Battle. Here's what Mary had to say about them on August 1st:
"Los Felinos is a Mexican musical group from the mid 70's. They boast a very extensive discography, where they had much success with Flor Morena, Morena of 15 years, Jambalaya, as well as others."
Brenda Lee was this little half-pint sized young child who burst onto the scene in the mid-1950s with a voice about 144,000 sizes too powerful for her body. Thus, she acquired the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite". She had a long and very successful singing career which is still ongoing.
So, essentially, what we've got today are two super-uptempo versions of the song, one delivered in a kind of Tex-Mex meets semi-Surf Guitar hybrid style versus Old School Rockabilly. This should be an A-List E-Ticket BOTB installment... I think.
'JAMBALAYA' by Los Felinos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVgF_DoNFcU
 |
| GODZILLA VS. KING KONG |
'JAMBALAYA' by Brenda Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXk44QoLHmQ
 |
| RIDDLER VS. BATMAN |
OK, you've decided now how you're going to vote in this Battle, right? Based ONLY on the sound of the recordings and no other outside factors, right?
Alright, then I want to share a video with you just for the entertainment value. But this shouldn't affect your vote -- your vote has already been decided and ought not be altered at this point due to the... uh... amazing spectacle you're about to witness. This is just one of those things you can't hardly believe even though you're seeing it:
Click HERE for a grand old performance on the stage of the Grand Ol' Opry.
[NOTE: We have a new BOTBer joining us today. I introduce you to Chris at the blog 'The Pedestrian Writer'. You will find a link to his site at the bottom of the usual list below. Please be sure you stop by to vote and welcome him to BOTB.]
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
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 & EDITING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'J.A. SCOTT' by clicking HERE.
@ 'QUIET LAUGHTER' by clicking HERE.
@ 'REINVINTAGED' by clicking HERE.
@ 'DISCCONNECTED' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE PEDESTRIAN WRITER' 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
Mexico must be on our minds today considering that so far your picks, Debbie D, and my songs all include Mexican artists or songs in Spanish. Coincidence? If anyone else has a Mexico related song maybe that bodes well for the upcoming election.
ReplyDeleteYour choice is a tough one as both versions are fun and enjoyable to listen to. In the end I think I'm going with Brenda Lee with that rockin' sax. (Uh, that's with an "a").
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteYeah, this could be a good omen.
My first choice, however, would be THIS scenario:
Hellary dies from whatever's ailing her BEFORE the election. So, the election is cancelled, the good people of the D.C. area storm the White House, pull Barack and Moose-cHELLe out by their ears and give this country its first public hanging in over 100 years. And then the USA goes forward forever WITHOUT a president.
What could be better'n that? But it's too much to hope for, I suppose.
"Boots" really kills it on that sax, huh? Suddenly I have an urge to watch some Benny Hill.
LITTLE MISS DYNAMITE
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Man, that's one hell of a politically incorrect scenario that you mapped out. The knock at your door later today might be the secret service looking to take you in for questioning--or worse.
DeleteMakes for an interesting story though. I guarantee you that's one that Hollyweird would never touch--unless it was about it happening to conservative candidates and presidents.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
You, Sir, are right on ALL counts!
Delete~ D-FensDogG
That was fun. I"m awake now! ☺ Los Felinos got my vote for Mary's battle and I'm choosing them again. There's something about their version that resonates more. Love your description: "Tex-Mex meets semi-Surf Guitar". Perfect! ☺ Brenda Lee's childhood performance was fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE ~
DeleteHa! Yeah, that's like two extra-strong cups of coffee, huh?
Hybrid sounds that don't really fit perfectly into any pre-established categories force a bloke to make it up as he goes along. I'm glad you felt my description found the mark. I knew what I was hearing wasn't straight Tex-Mex, and I detected shards of Surf shredding here and there. Great sound!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Great battle Stephen. This is a tough one. Los Felinos version reminds me of the music I hear around here in Texas. But Brenda Lee is a little firecracker, isn't she?! I like Los Felinos version but I really like, and appreciate, Brenda Lee's version -- it's muy impresionante! So please give my vote to her.
ReplyDeleteHope this September 1st finds you well and happy!
Michele at Angels Bark
MICHELE ~
DeleteThanks a lot! This Battle has turned out even better'n I expected. It's getting late now, and I still can't predict the winner -- they're only separated by maybe two votes with enough still coming in to make up the difference. I'm very curious how this one will end.
~ D-FensDogG
I thought for certain I was going to go with Brenda Lee, but Los Felinos had that John Fogerty-Blue Ridge Rangers groove going, and I didn't like the staccato style of Brenda's version. So, Los Felinos for me!
ReplyDeleteJOHN ~
DeleteIt's funny how often we come into a BOTB competition sure we're voting for one over the other based on history, only to find ourselves 180-degree surprised. It keeps BOTB still interesting after 3 years.
~ D-FensDogG
I'll give my vote to Brenda Lee, who just put her own style on the song, and I like that horn in the background. . .I like some TexMex music like Los Lobos, but Brenda Lee is an icon.
ReplyDeleteD.G. ~
DeleteThanks so much for your vote. If you like Los Lobos (I do too) check out the Texas Tornadoes. It was actually my Brother who turned me onto them. Discovered by Nappy - Nappy found it.
~ D-FensDogG
Me, I prefer Brenda Lee's rendition. Happy September.
ReplyDeleteThanks, pOp TaRt. Brenda Lee it is. And a Happy September to you as well!
Delete~ D-FensDogG
A most interesting BATTLE you have here Mr. McCarthy. While I really like this song, the two versions you have chosen to showcase are not my favorite by a long shot. The Los Felini one is way to slow and almost ponderous sounding and Brenda Lee...well that little hiccup thing she does works in some songs, but in this one here, I simply find it distracting. In my opinion this tune is much better done by the 'Dirt Band' or CCR. I'll have to go look for Elvis' version, even if only a fragment, to see how he fairs in my ears.
ReplyDeleteSince I must vote for one of your two choices (in order to play fair and you know I always play fair), I'll give my vote to Miss Lee. Hiccups notwithstanding that is some smokin' sax going on in her version and I can easily vote for that.
FAE, E-Ticket thanks for coming by with your two cents and a vote.
DeleteI hadn't heard the CCR version in ages, and I had NEVER heard the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover, so I went and listened to 'em.
I liked both. I especially dug the instrumentation in the NGDB version with the fiddle and harmonica. It was slightly spoiled for me though by the singer. He was laying on that "N'awleans" accent so heavily in places that the song almost took on a novelty feeling for me. If we could put Fogerty's vocals in front of the NGDB's music we'd have something pretty epic, I think.
But curiously you said that the Los Felinos version was way too slow. But... but... but it's slightly faster'n both the NGDB and CCR versions. 'Splain yaself, Sistah! :o)
And I'll have you know that being critical of Brenda Lee's hiccup is an indictment of our entire American society! Well, you can do whatever you want to me, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America!
But no - but no - but no - seriously now, thanks for playing, Nitro.
ONE VOTE FOR LITTLE MISS DYNAMITE'S SMOKIN' SAX
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen, what is it with you, Debbie, and Lee? The flavor of y'all cover songs make me want food! *smack forehead* This was an easy pick for me. I'm giving my vote to Los Felinos because it made me think Jambalaya. Brenda Lee's somewhat gravelly vocals didn't do much for me with this song, but then I rarely like that in female voices. Interesting, fun battle!
ReplyDeleteCATHY ~
DeleteI hear ya. I'm off for some Chile Rellenos and six or seven Margaritas!
Gotcha down for Los Felinos. And I appreciate how you always put your votes in bold. It makes it so much easier to find them later when it's time to tally 'em all up.
~ D-FensDogG
Los Felinos gets my vote, but a fun song! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMIKE ~
DeleteYou're right. The song seems to exude "fun" no matter who does it or how. I'm waiting for a Reggae version. (It's probably already out there somewhere.)
~ D-FensDogG
I really liked Los Felinos because of their musical styling and singing. I wasn't as enamoured with the Brenda Lee version. It sounded a bit too fast.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteWell, indeed, not many songs come faster'n Brenda Lee's version of 'Jambalaya'. She has a few others that rival the tempo of this one, but this is pretty much INDY 500 speed.
Glad I found videos that would play up North this time.
~ D-FensDogG
Hi Mac!
ReplyDeleteMy earliest listening of 'Jambalaya'was equally sp.lit between two diferent versions: Floyd Cramer's piano, and Hank Williams Sr. vocal. I've never heard Elvis' version or the two you're presenting today. THis is a tough choice because both are very unique and I like both. That said, I'm a big saxophone fan, and Brenda is almost competing with the 'yackity- yack' of it.
I'm voting for Brenda Lee... spunk 'n all.
HiYa, DIXIE POLKA! ~
DeleteGlad to see ya back here again. You wuz mist.
"sp.lit" -- Ha!-Ha! Cleverness, cleverness!!
It was my Pa who turned me onto Floyd Cramer's piano and Boots Randolph's saxophone -- both of whom played behind Little Miss Dynamite. (FUN FACT: I knew Boots' "Yakety-Sax" years before I'd ever seen an episode of 'Benny Hill'.)
Brenda thanks ya, Dixie.
~ D-FensDogG
YAY! Today's the day! WOOT WOOT
ReplyDelete(alright.. I'll calm down now)
I really like Brenda Lee, but Los Felinos made me want to get up and dance. Thankfully no one saw said dancing, so no one thought I was having a seizure and called 911.
Please give my vote to the mexican cats, Los Felinos.
~Mary
I love your enthusiasm, MARY!
Delete>>... so no one thought I was having a seizure and called 911.
Or worse, filmed it and turned it into a viral video at YouTube? Ha!
This has made for a fantastic Battle, Mary. It could still very easily go either way, and might even result in a tie. Thanks for providing me with the perfect competitor for Little Miss Dynamite. I think Los Felinos is slightly ahead now, and I never would have known of them without your earlier Battle.
~ D-FensDogG
There is no denying Lee's talent... but I just don't like her. It is like seafood: I wished I liked it, but I don't. Every few years I try it again and spit it out yet again. Her staccato breathy effect just makes me want to grab her and slap her till she stops.
ReplyDeleteLos Felinos (the Cats??) have a neat rockabilly-meets-mariachi sound that I really liked. I vote for Los (Stray) Felinos!
Another vote for Los Felinos Extraviado.
DeleteThanks for the vote, Sheboyganbro.
>>... There is no denying Lee's talent... but I just don't like her.
I honestly don't know how you do it, but I give you 100 points for your uncanny consistency...
Johnny Mathis, Karen Carpenter, Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee.
Tell me, how do you feel about Bobby Darin's voice.
Nah, just kidding. No need to tell me. I already know based on how I feel about it. :o)
Brother, it's weird, Weird, WEIRD... but it's true. (But at least we'll always have the Xtreme Right Wing.)
~ D-FensDogG
Yup. Weird... true. Right about Darin, too, although I don't dislike him as much as the others. I suspect that Tony Bennet made be the "stopped clock" in our equation, but perhaps not.
DeleteRank the following:
Albert Lee
Alvin Lee
Brenda Lee
Peggy Lee
Robert E. Lee
Let's see just how opposite we are!
Ha!-Ha!
DeleteI'm not sure if you're suggesting we both like or dislike Tony Bennett, but for me it's the latter... and BIG TIME!
Hmmm...
1) BRENDA Lee
2) ALBERT Lee
3) PEGGY Lee
4) ROBERT E. Lee
5) ALVIN Lee
How many matches? It was little tough, seeing as how we had two singers, two guys who play the guitar, and one guy who played the musket. They were all experts in their chosen fields, however.
~ D-FensDogG
Yes, Bennett is the stopped clock, right twice per day. I can't stand him either.
DeleteAs for the lists, we are way off.
1 - Robert E. Lee
2 - Peggy Lee
3 - Alvin Lee
4 - Albert Lee
5 - Brenda Lee
As you are right that it was a pretty eclectic list with just one thang in common. I didn't bother adding Sheila Jackson-Lee, as I knew she be at the bottom of BOTH our lists!
Very right about Sheila.
DeleteOut lists are not 180-degrees different, but pretty close. My top 2 are your bottom 2, and my bottom 2 are 2 of your top 3. It's hopeless.
~ D-FensDogG
My vote definitely goes to 'JAMBALAYA' by Los Felinos. I love Tex Mex music! I didn't care for Brenda's tempo, and her voice just didn't seem "right" for this song.
ReplyDeleteBROWN-EYED BECKY-O! ~
DeleteSo happy to see ya here. I hope things are settling down at home now. And I know I still owes ya an Email. Don't give up on me yet. I'm late, but I'm still great... er, "grate".
~ D-FensDogG
Thanks, and I'm happy to be here! Don't worry about me giving up on you. That'll never happen. We all get busy and the emails pile up. As I recall, I also told you I'd write more info soon....and I forgot!
DeleteWe be busy, Busy, BUSY! But we're loved. And the good news is that Emails have no "freshness date" on them. They're like fruitcakes in that they NEVER go bad. (Although many would argue they've never been good.)
DeleteWeird Thought: If we bathed in fruitcakes, wore fruitcakes, and ate nuttin' but fruitcakes, would we live forever? ...Or until we committed suicide?
~ D-FensDogG
Sometimes I just can't come up with the proper reply to you, Stephen T! :)
DeleteB-E B-O ~
DeleteThere is rarely a proper reply to me. One needs to be an alcoholic or suffering from "Summer Of Love" LSD flashbacks in order to have a "proper" reply to me most of the time.
No reply? It's a sign that you're clean and sober.
~ D-FensDogG
[;o)}
Delete~ D'plorable D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I foolishly assumed immediately that I would vote for Brenda Lee. I grew up listening to her. I LOVE her. But I liked Los Felinos even more. Jambalaya sounds great in Spanish. It's Los Felinos for one Janie Junebug.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
LOVE JANIE ~
DeleteThose Cats appreciate your vote.
Brenda's pretty hurt though. She's stunned that all the times you've spent together meant nuttin' when it came time to vote.
Don't worry, Janie. I'll talk to her and see if I can't smooth this thing out. It'll all blow over eventually... I think.
~ D-FensDogG
If I didn't vote for Brenda Lee, my father would rise from the grave and cry foul...the most foulest of fouls ever.
ReplyDeleteThe play list for my Dad was full of Bobby Vinton, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Vale, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline...you get the gist. He controlled the state of the (60s) art stereo that was supposed to be pumped into every room of the house, but actually just flooded the kitchen.
I could listen to whatever I wanted as long as I held my head a quarter inch from the speaker and turned it down so low he couldn't hear it.
Off to bed with me, give my vote to Lee!
DOC CHERDO ~
DeleteIt sounds like your Dad and my Pa would've gotten along. At least musically.
My parents played their records and I played mine... down in the basement where they had me chained up with barely enough length to reach my stereo. If mine ever got too loud they'd beat me with a gato o' nine tails.
"Off you go" (as Frasier would say).
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteSeein' as it is Labor Day weekend I will put the minimal effort in. Interesting battle agin. Los Felinos just had a bit more energy coming off it so it beat Brenda by a nose. Happy Labor Day my friend.
JW,
Pooh
...AND POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!
DeleteI thought we're s'posed to work extra hard on Labor Day, and that's why they called it that.
Los Felinos by a nose. Whose nose? It makes a difference in the margin of victory, you knows?
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. Man, what's goin on here? Slam dunk for Brenda Lee!! Actually, Karen Carpenter does a version that rivals Brenda Lee's, maybe even a tad better in this judge's opinion. Me gusto' la versio'n que hicieron Los Felinos Pero prefiero la versio'n de Brenda Lee. That's it!! That's my rulin'.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteI couldn't have used Karen's version here or SBB-6 would have put out a contract on my life.
OK, another vote for Little Miss Dynamite. This one's gonna be decided by the final four... votes, that is.
~ D-FensDogG
HA!
DeleteIf you'd have put Karen vs. Brenda you KNOW I would have abstained on this one and used my time to locate a hit man in Reno. (That oughta be easy.)
Yeah, lots and lots of "hit men" in Reno... dealing blackjack.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
FUN FACT: our Mexican grandpas actually both played music very much like Los Felinos, in their own respective bands (and both played guitar). They played in Mexican restaurants, just for kicks. Probably not nearly as good, but the sound is the same. So needless to say, that Los Felinos version brought back a lot of great memories for us both. Brenda... uh, was a little Yakety-Sax for our tastes (I'm glad we're not the only ones who heard that). I was just waiting for a midget to pull open a door and jump inside, and then hop out another door while being chased in wacky double-time by a man in a bear costume.
ReplyDeleteSo two botes for Los Felinos, and two botes for a happy childhood.
~6B
6-B ~
DeleteI got half this time. Figured the guitar would attract Other B, but guessed that the hot sax would win your bote by the width of a cat's whisker.
Well, if I didn't miss once in awhile there would be no point in continuing the game, eh?
~ D-FensDogG
POSTSCRIPT:
DeleteYou probably already got this info from my earlier comments, but the guy who played 'Yakety-Sax' (later borrowed by Benny Hill for his theme music) was a great saxophonist named "Boots" Randolph. He was primarily a studio musician, and indeed he did back Brenda on this and many other early recordings.
Everyone responds differently (music being so astoundingly subjective) and the funny thing is that the 'Yakety-Sax' nod in 'Jambalaya' actually nudges me more TOWARD the tune than away from it. But then again, I was hearing the song long before I'd ever heard of a bloke named Benny Hill, so for me it's not 100% associated with those classic closing scenes of his show; the tune has a whole other identity for me as well.
~ D-FensDogG
This is a case where I love one arrangement (Los Felinos) and love the other vocal performance (Brenda Lee).
ReplyDeleteI dislike the Lee arrangement enough that the vocal performance cannot make the difference, so my vote goes to Los Felinos.
LC
>>... I dislike the Lee arrangement enough that the vocal performance cannot make the difference
DeleteLC ~
Arrangement-wise you lean more TexMex than Rockabilly, eh?
~ D-FensDogG
Hi Stephen! Brenda Lee stole the show, so she gets my vote! Love her powerful pipes! Another fun battle!
ReplyDeleteJulie
Thanks, GEM JULIE. Glad you found it fun.
DeleteI have another one coming up soon that I KNOW you'll find fun. If not the very next one, then soon afterwards.
~ D-FensDogG
PART 1 OF 2:
ReplyDeleteSTMcC’s Vote On '2016, Sept 1st: Battle Of The Bands'
(Or, 'Los Felinos Vs. Brenda Lee')
And The Final Tally:
Well, this Battle WAS and WASN'T a surprise. I thought both versions of 'JAMBALAYA' were quite different but really terrific in their own ways. Therefore, I rightly expected a very close Battle with the contestants separated by only a few votes. Check! That's what happened. But what greatly surprised me was that the top and bottom was exactly reversed from how I was sure it would wind up. Doggs and Doggettes, I would have bet $20 that Brenda Lee was going to win this. In fact, even though I expected a close outcome, I was still able to fearfully imagine a Brenda blow-out.
Twice now I've used Brenda Lee in BOTB; twice now she has lost contests I thought and believed she should have won. Especially that first one though, where I still feel certain she lost only because of the "Familiarity Factor". There was no "F.F." at play in THIS contest, however, so she just plain lost. At this point, I'm not sure I'd use her in a future BOTB. This just doesn't seem to the best venue for her, for whatever reason.
As I said, I really dig BOTH recordings, but I absolutely love Brenda's -- to me, the combination of that "Little Miss Dynamite" vocal power and energy combined with the wailing sax of Boots Randolph is an unbeatable duo! Brenda is one of my very, very favorite female singers of all time -- I'm talking Top 3 or 4.
CONTINUED BELOW...
PART 2 OF 2:
DeleteAside from that, there's even a personal element involved: In 1990 or '91, I had the good fortune to see Brenda Lee perform live. It was on a small stage in a small casino nightclub in Los Angeles. I was there with The Countess, and Brenda put on a lively, memorable show. It was a thrill for me because she'd been a big favorite of mine for many years at that point.
And toward the end of that show, Brenda did the coolest thing I've ever seen at a concert. Not before had I seen a performer do such a thing, and not since, either. Brenda Lee walked off the stage and out into the audience, followed by a roadie with a type of Kodak Instamatic Camera. Brenda walked through the seated crowd and posed with randomly selected people while the roadie snapped the picture. Then the roadie would hand the still-developing photograph to the fan while Brenda went off looking for the next lucky fan.
Brenda Lee must have posed with about 20 different fans in the audience -- cheek-to-cheek with the females, arms embracing the necks of the males -- before she went back up on stage to sing the next song. The Countess tried desperately to flag Brenda's attention so she'd pose with me but -- dern it! -- no luck that time. Wow! But wouldn't I love to have a photograph of Brenda Lee with her arms around me!
Los Felinos = 13 Votes
Brenda Lee = 10 Votes
What also makes this Battle a bit MORE disappointing is that it was so close that it was in striking distance for Brenda to at least tie it up. At one point the Battle was 6 to 6, and then Los Felinos finally pulled out in front a bit. I had actually chosen this very Battle thinking of Robin, the Girl Wonder, and believing she would really be wowed by Brenda's singing. Sadly, Robin was suffering from a migraine and didn't make it here to vote. I think that was a "can't-miss" vote that Brenda would have scored. Also, I texted The Countess and told her that her girl Brenda was a contestant in this edition of BOTB, but the Ol' Bilge Rat never came by. So that was another sure vote that Brenda missed out on. Those would have put her only one vote behind and who knows?... maybe if Donna had come by, or someone else?
Anyway, so close -- woulda, coulda, shoulda, and if.
My sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to listen and cast a vote. I appreciate you all and hope to see you here again for my September 15th Battle. I'm trying to decide between two very, very different possibilities, but either way it should be fun... or interesting... or surprising. Love ya all.
~ Stephen
I agree with your assessment about the outcome of this battle--Brenda Lee should have been the winner. Still this was close enough to make it a grand battle.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Lee ~
DeleteBOTB: Blogfest Of Terrific Bewilderment
~ D-FensDogG
Great concert story about Brenda! Lots of singers wander into the audience and shake hands, but I've never seen any take pictures. Very cool! I'm sorry your girl lost, Stephen, but at least it was close. For me, the Los Felinos version resonated a bit more.
ReplyDeleteThanks, DEBBIE! And no problem at all. 99% of the time I couldn't care less who wins, I just want a competitive Battle. That other 1% of the time I am actually "rooting" for one of the two competitors but it doesn't ruin my day if they don't pull it off.
Delete(Plus, I really loved that raw guitar sound of Los Felinos. I could live with this one. But if, say, the B-52s had beaten Brenda - look out! Now THAT would piss me off! :o)
BOTB is fun for me, and not overly personal, and I just want everyone to enjoy it.
~ D-FensDogG
wish id known I would of voted for Brenda. stal
ReplyDelete