STMcC’s Vote On '2016, December 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'Murray Head Vs. Glen Campbell') And The Final Tally:
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First, as always, I want to thank every single one of you boys and girls, men and women, blokes and blokettes, cool cats and hot dogs for taking the time to listen to my Battle Of The Bands installment and cast a vote.
A few of you expressed an appreciation for this BOTB's concept, however I got the sense that overall it wasn't really one of my more popular contests. That would figure though, since (to quote Oh "Wild Thing" Donna quoting Waylon "Outlaw" Jennings) I'm always one step ahead or behind. And also, like Ricky Nelson said: "You can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself".
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I know I'm in the minority with the BOTB crowd, but I have always been a GLEN CAMPBELL fan. I love 'Gentle On My Mind', 'By The Time I Get To Phoenix', 'True Grit', the bittersweet 'Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife', 'Southern Nights', and so many more. A couple years after he had passed away, my Pa once used Glen's song 'Wichita Lineman' to get a message to me from "the other side". It was already my very favorite Glen Campbell song.
In 1978, I knew a guy who knew Glen Campbell and a group of us blokes drove to Las Vegas to see him perform at the Riviera hotel / casino. Due to the connection, we got to go backstage and meet Glen after the show.
Glen and I both lived in Phoenix in November of 2003 when Glen was arrested for DUI. I thank God no one was hurt, but that was a bad crime committed by a troubled Christian. I knew that Glen was a Christian, and I knew that Christians sometimes screw up. Glen's still a Christian even though today, due to Alzheimer's Disease, he doesn't even know who his family members are. He may not even know who he is. But I assure you that Christ Yeshua knows who he is!
I still have the newspaper clipping about Glen's arrest tucked into my 2-CD set of his music. I have some Spiritual connection to Glen Campbell that I really can't even begin to explain. I don't understand it, but I love the man. Loved him before the DUI, and loved him afterwards. I really don't know why. The arrest broke my heart (I remember watching the news story on TV and getting misty-eyed), and yet somehow, at the same time, it made me care even more about him.
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| GLEN CAMPBELL'S MUG SHOT |
'I KNEW JESUS (BEFORE HE WAS A STAR)' is not only one of my very, very favorite Glen Campbell songs, but it's amongst my very, very favorite Gospel songs, period. Why? Well, for one thing (as Beer Boy Bryan noted), the heart, soul and enthusiasm that Glen imbues that recording with! Despite the divorces and the DUI, how do I KNOW Campbell is a Christian? Because NO ONE could sing about The Savior and fake that much passion! No one! Listen again [link:] HERE.
You may remember that I used Glen once before in a Gospel BOTB contest. He was matched against The Edwin Hawkins Singers on 'OH, HAPPY DAY!' [click HERE], and although he lost in a very tight Battle, several people mentioned the genuine emotion evident in Glen's singing.
Poor Glen. He's one of the best Gospel singers I know and yet he can't win in BOTB. Yep, the Magic 8-Ball was wrong. The first six votes cast all went to Murray Head and 'Jesus Christ Superstar' and it looked like this was going to be a shutout. But, no, it wasn't even a blowout, because Glen Campbell came surging back... but just not back enough:
Murray Head = 13 votes
Glen Campbell = 9 votes
I feel this was yet another example of how nearly-impossible it is for a relatively unknown song to beat the Familiarity Factor in BOTB.
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I'd wanted to use Glen's 'I Knew Jesus' in BOTB for quite awhile, but I could only find two covers of it and neither one was very good. So I gave up on the idea. But then one day, while driving and listening to the song in my truck, I suddenly had the thought: Wait a second! You KNOW this song is an "answer" to the song 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. So instead of using two versions of 'I Knew Jesus', why not put it up against the song that it's answering and have "a battle within the Battle"? And that's how this BOTB installment came to be. (That idea immediately led me to conceive of another similar kind of "battle within the Battle" potential match-up which I gave to one of our fellow BOTBers to use someday.)
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As for 'Jesus Christ Superstar' -- although it's catchy and, to me, does have an (unfortunate) "earworm" element to it, I simply don't like it. Who can say why we embrace some melodies while others rub us the wrong way? But I have ALWAYS found the melody of 'JCS' to be somewhat annoying. When I was a stupid kid, I used to sing it as "Jesus Christ, Superstar, who in the hell do You think You are?" Then the damned thing would get stuck in my head for hours as punishment!
So, for me, it wasn't that I like 'I Knew Jesus' better than 'JCS'. It was that I LOVE 'I Knew Jesus' and I actively dislike 'JCS'.
And it doesn't help matters much that the play and movie, 'Jesus Christ Superstar', conspicuously and suspiciously ENDS with the Crucifixion of Jesus. Uh... hullo?! I think something rather remarkable and important happened 3 days after the Crucifixion which the play and movie left out. If that Resurrection thing had not occurred, not one person on the planet today would be familiar with the name Jesus and the play and movie 'Jesus Christ Superstar' would have never been written! The very existence of 'Jesus Christ Superstar', even with its unanswered question, points to the fact that He was who He said He was.
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So, you ask, how did I go from singing "Jesus Christ, Superstar, who in the hell do You think You are?" to becoming a believer in and follower of Christ Yeshua (Jesus)? Well, I wasn't looking for Jesus at all -- I had no interest in Him, really -- but on April 6th, 1994, He came looking for me; He had an interest in me.
But fear not! I never lost my personality and sense of humor. To this day, I'm the sort of "bad" Christian who writes notes in the margins of his well-worn Bible like this: In Genesis, God created the coffee bean BEFORE He created Adam, because God knew that Adam was going to need strong cups of coffee on mankind's first morning! (And it's Biblically true! The coffee bean was created BEFORE man was. God knows what He's doin'!) And notes like this: In the book of Esther, Mordecai is clearly the Road Runner and Haman is obviously Wile E. Coyote. (Read it for yourself and see if I'm lyin'!)
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Do you know why Christians are always bothering people by yakking about Jesus? It's not because Christians are just yakkingly annoying people. (Well, some of them are, but...). It's because Jesus is their Holy King, and JESUS TOLD THEM TO! You're supposed to do what the King says, right?
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
~ Jesus
[from Matthew 28]
And it's for THAT reason I'm always willing to yak about Jesus with anyone who sincerely wants to discuss Him in a civil way. I'm happy to answer questions as best I can. But be sure NOT to check your sense of humor at the door. I promise you that Jesus has a sense of humor, even about religion. And therefore, so should we. I mean, who do you think invented the capacity for humor? (Did you know that Jesus is fond of playing practical jokes? He's not the stiff killjoy you may have been led to think He is.)
Anyone who might want to yak Yeshua with me, there's a good place for it right [link:] HERE.
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But even if you don't wanna yak Yeshua, you should at least do yourself a favor and read the book 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW: Experiencing The Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality Of Jesus' by John Eldredge. It's a fabulous book that comes with my highest recommendation and a grade of "R" (which is one step above A+). You can read my review of the book [link:] HERE.
Many thanks again to EVERYONE who participated in this BOTB, and I hope to see you here again for my December 15th Battle. It'll be a more traditional BOTB installment, and we'll see if the Magic 8-Ball can redeem himself.
Bless And Be Blessed!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Haman and Mordacai...Ha, ha, ha! I shall never again read Esther without giving a chuckle at that image. Thanks. ;-)
ReplyDeleteRight? The only thing missing is ACME dynamite.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
It's definitely sad how Glen Campbell ended up. I remember reading about his DUI and seeing that horrible mug shot. :( So sorry your favourite didn't win, but at least it was fairly close.
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE ~
DeleteYeah, it was actually a pretty good Battle, I think. I knew going in that it would be an uphill fight for Glen trying to beat such a famous hit song, but I'm still glad I put this one together. Personally, this is one of my Top 5 BOTB installments I've done, just because I liked the concept of it.
And Glen actually closed to within 1 or 2 votes, but then 'JCS' scored some more right at the finale.
~ D-FensDogG
That Battle didn't turn out too badly at all. I was thinking it might be a shut-out, but it was a decent comeback for Glen. The subject matter was appropriate for a comeback I'd say.
ReplyDeleteI like doing thematic type Battles and I have a few lined up for some future someday. The themes provide more topic for conversation which makes for a more interesting post which is important for me since a lot of my visitors don't seem interested in the BOTB itself. Hopefully I'll win some of those over to play someday.
My favorite Glen Campbell song is "Wichita Lineman"--I like the melancholy melody and the appropriately accompanying sentiment expressed. Jimmy Webb wrote some great tunes and Glen interpreted them in a way that they seemed meant to be. Also enjoyed Campbell's TV show. He had some great guests that weren't often seen in other places. I miss those old variety shows like that.
Good Battle with an outcome I would have expected mostly due to that old familiarity issue. At least you introduced another good Glen Campbell song to some of us who either never heard it or don't remember hearing it before.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Thanks, LEE! Yeah, I like the themed Battles, too. Or as I call them "Twisted BOTBs". I wouldn't want to see them replace the standard format, but they're great for adding a little variety once in awhile and giving the BOTBer a chance to use his/her imagination a little bit more.
DeleteI have a Twisted BOTB lined up for February as part of the Valentines Day theme. This one will not be a shutout, but it absolutely, positively WILL be a massive blowout -- amongst the biggest blowouts I've ever had. And yet, I LOVE the concept of it SO MUCH that it might be my favorite BOTB idea ever. I can hardly wait to get to it, just to see what the reaction is from BOTBers.
Aside from the Famous Hit Versus Unknown Song aspect of it, another disadvantage this particular BOTB had going in was the principal topic of Jesus Christ. I know I don't need to tell you how squirrely that makes some people. I wondered if that would scare off some voters but they all came through like good troopers.
~ D-FensDogG
Well, these BoTBs are your garden party, and you can't please everyone, so you have to please yourself.
ReplyDeleteAt least we agree about disliking Jesus Christ Superstar, as I said in my comments. The danged song only got my "vote" because I gave it credit for everyone else liking it in the marketplace. Can I change my vote? Even though I did not care for THIS Glen Campbell song, I really like the guy a lot and always have. Uhp! Those qualities should have won out over the marketplace. I must have been HIP-mo-tized by Donald Trump and the almighty dollar! It is his fault!!
Ha! SBB-6, I think maybe the "marketplace" won out in your voting decision because perhaps you had your Ayn Rand hat on at the time.(?)
DeleteAnyway, your one vote didn't deprive The Rhinestone Cowboy of a BOTB win. Now if you could've played the part of "dead voter in Chicago"... THOSE VOTES would have given Glen a landslide victory!
~ D-FensDogG
In retrospect, I probably didn’t give GC’s song a fair shake. Seems like too many people think that they have a “Fast Pass” to heaven because they “knew Jesus before he was a superstar”, or because they recited one more Bible verse or Hail Mary than the next guy. Reminded me of that self-absorbed, short, little she-devil rebel. Remember her?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I just overthunked it.
Good tune anyway, and thanks for sharing your GC experience.
SigTakeToo
SigTakeToo ~
Delete(Ha! I like that one.)
Oh, yes, Susan Shannon, the "Short Little Rebel". She's currently in court being sued over a claimed false rape allegation.
I recall that you got a bit interested in Biblical prophecy after reading 'The Harbinger'.
Did you hear about the timing of this weather phenomenon in Israel that some are calling a protective miracle from God? Apparently a wall of dust and rain sat on the border preventing ISIS from crossing into Israel. (I haven't really looked into it, so I can't say whether or not it seems to have any merit.)
And you may have already seen it, but if not, maybe this will interest you:
http://xtremelyun-pcandunrepentant.blogspot.com/2016/11/why-i-believe-jesus-christ-will-return.html
Feel free to express your thoughts if you'd like, SigTakeToo, either in that comment section or offline via Email.
~ D-FensDogG
The info on the "Sh*t Little Rebel" is fascinating!! I did a internet search after reading your comment, and man... what a loony she is!!! I would say that you may count yourself lucky to have dropped her.
DeleteSigToo ~
DeleteIn my earlier response, I meant to include the following Biblical verses in reply to your (ACCURATE!!) observation:
Matthew 7:21-23
New King James Version (NKJV)
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
Matthew 25:31-46
New King James Version (NKJV)
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In other words: Like you, I suspect many so-called, self-professed "Christians" will be in for a big (DISAPPOINTING!!) surprise when The King returns.
It has nuttin' to do with Bible verses memorized, or who knew Jesus first. As The Bible says, "God is not mocked". And EVERY THING about the world we know testifies to the fact that God is more than just a little smart.
I've got a feeling that, despite his sins (Atoned for by Jesus), Glen Campbell will make it. I trust I will too.
~ D-FensDogG
SBB-6 ~
DeleteShort people got no reason
Short people got no reason
Short people got no reason
To live
They got little hands
And little eyes
And they walk around
Tellin' great big lies
They got little noses
And tiny little teeth
They wear platform shoes
On their nasty little feet
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Round here
Short people are just the same
As you and I
(A fool such as I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's a wonderful world)
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
Short people got nobody
To love
They got little baby legs
And they stand so low
You got to pick 'em up
Just to say hello
They got little cars
That go beep, beep, beep
They got little voices
Goin' peep, peep, peep
They got grubby little fingers
And dirty little minds
They're gonna get you every time
Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
'Round here
Unfortunately, there is no SHORTage of SHORT Little Rebels out there.
~ D-FensDogG
Nice battle! I look forward to your next battle.
ReplyDeleteThanks, MIKE.
Delete~ D-FensDogG
I thought your battle was a genius idea. And I'm glad that it wasn't a blowout. Glen Campbell had a very respectable showing. I liked being introduced to his song. I LOVE Wichita Lineman. Such a great song.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun battle Stephen. The Magic 8-Ball is about as accurate as I remember it being when I used it all the time! :)
Have a good weekend.
Michele at Angels Bark
Hey, MICHELE, thanks a lot! I'm glad you appreciated this BOTB concept.
DeleteHa! I guess there's a reason why no one bases their stock market investment decisions on the word of the Magic 8-Ball, eh?
If you liked this one, I think you'll LOVE my "Twisted BOTB" concept for February and Valentine's Day. It's already my favorite BOTB idea and it hasn't even happened yet! ("I hope I don't die before I get... to February".)
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. I know you don't care for Christian music as a general rule, but I guarantee you if you listen to Jeremy Camp, you'll find as much passion and emotion in his singing as you will in any famous gospel singer ever. I have him on Spotify and really get pumped with it at the gym. Give him a listen, I guarantee you he won't let you down.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteActually, I DO like Christian music. Some of it I flat-out love. There are some songs that are so powerful that they make ME feel powerful in The Lord.
It's the Pop-ish stuffs I'm not crazy about -- Amy Grant and that sort of stuffs. I like my Christian music in either the old Gospel style (e.g., Queen Mahalia) or kick-butt Rock with a devil-bashing beat (e.g., Dylan's 'Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking').
I've heard the name Jeremy Camp. Probably from you in the past. I will DEFINITELY check him out at Spotify / YouTube, etc.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll take it very seriously and look into him. ...Just as soon as I polish off this "Rub-Of-The-Brush". Ha!
~ D-FensDogG