BOTB RESULTS: 2018, APRIL 1 (Or, WHEN THE SAINTS FINISH MARCHING IN)

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So, the BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB) installment took place HERE. It was a theme based on EASTER SUNDAY and APRIL FOOL'S DAY, featuring the classic Spiritual 'When The Saints Go Marching In'. 
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The contestants were The Golden Gate Quartet and Louis Prima, and Sam Levine, and I very much liked all three of them. In fact, I own the Prima recording, as it's on one of my Pa's all-time favorite albums, 'The Call Of The Wildest'. I have had that album on compact disc for years and grew up hearing my Pa's LP recording of it. Oddly though, of the three recordings used in this Battle, Prima's was only my third favorite. I don't quite fully embrace the "call and response" aspect of it with his backing group. It seems a little too loose and ragged to my ears, which gives the song more of a "drunken Mardi Gras" atmosphere. 
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I really loved Sam Levine's Dixieland styling, which I think was exceptional and one of the best examples of that musical genre I've heard. I could very, very easily split my vote and give half to Sam and half to The Golden Gate Quartet. But since BOTB REQUIRES a full vote for one participant or another, I lean just slightly toward the harmonizing of The Golden Gate Quartet, so that's where my vote lands.
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While starting to put this Battle together, I heard the GGQ's recording for the first time and within 30 seconds I KNEW I would be using them in this contest. I instantly loved their harmonic arrangement and their voices were as smooth and sweet as warmed pancake syrup. I fell in love with that group singing in an instant. Dogged if I can give my vote to anyone else.
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This was a terrific Battle -- close all the way to the end, with each of the three contestants getting votes. Frankly, the Battle was a little TOO close, and we wound up with the following results:
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Golden Gate Quartet = 6 votes
Louis Prima = 6 votes
Sam Levine = 3 votes
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Considering it was a 'First Of The Month' Battle (which seem to get lower voter turnouts than do the 'Fifteenth Of The Month' Battles), this was pretty decent participation. I SINCERELY THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who took the time and trouble to visit, listen, and vote.
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Unfortunately, though, I've wound up with another BOTB Tie. I think this is my eleventy hundredth tie. And you know how I love them so. /sarc
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I consciously left the Battle open one extra day, hoping some straggler would come along in the 13th hour and break the tie, but none did.
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Our first installment of 'The Battle Within The Battle' between those remarkable prognosticators, THE MAGIC 8-BALL and THE AMAZING SIXWELL, was won by the 8-Ball. That's surprising. But then we DID deliberately hire The Amazing Sixwell to try to light a fire under The Magic 8-Ball, to urge it to take its BOTB predictions more seriously, and perhaps that's exactly what has happened.
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The Amazing Sixwell is disputing the results. He claims that there were some "hanging chad" shenanigans and has called for a recount of the votes. He's also calling for a special Congressional hearing, charging that The Magic 8-Ball colluded with the Russians to rig the election. He also maintains that some of his votes were deleted by BOTB's former Secretary Of State and he wants the FBI to conduct an investigation into that.
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We suspect it will take 4 to 8 years to get all of those charges settled one way or another. But until that is resolved, our Bored Of Directors has stated that the BOTB Book O'Statistics will, at least temporarily, show the current tally as:
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The Magic 8-Ball: 1-0
The Amazing Sixwell: 0-1
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Please return for my next BOTB contest on April 15th, when I will have a new installment in my 'Battle For Los Angeles' series. We'll see if The Amazing Sixwell can beat the 8-Ball next time and even the score.
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Again, thanks Y'all for playing. I appreciate your time and comments and hope to see you back here again next week. 
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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