BOTB RESULTS: 2019, FEB. 15 (Or, ANTON KARAS VS. EDDIE COCHRAN)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, February 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Anton Karas Versus Eddie Cochran - And The Final Tally:
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I'm a day late in presenting the results of my last BOTB installment, and here's why: I am able to joyfully announce that my big move is finally finished. I completed it at about 2:30 PM yesterday, and my dog, Muddy, and I celebrated with a glass of a certain kind of rum that I'd been craving since February 6th.
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Due to bizarre weather (strange snowstorms), what should have been a pretty simple and easy move from Reno to Carson City was absolutely brutal and left me physically exhausted and mentally drained. But I thank God that it's over now. And as soon as the snow melts off and this town dries out a bit, I think I'm going to love it here. Carson City is 30 miles and 50 years away from Reno.
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My most recent Battle took place HERE. It was the theme music from the Film Noir classic 'The Third Man' - the original 1949 recording by Anton Karas versus Eddie Cochran's cover recorded ten years later. The contest began as a beat-down, with Karas getting the first six votes and me scratching my head. But then Eddie's fans started showing up and Cochran scored 9 of the next 10 votes for an incredible comeback!
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Anton Karas = 7 votes
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Eddie Cochran = 9 votes
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I also voted for Cochran. Judge Al Bondigas said: "To tell you the truth, after awhile the Anton Karas version kind of got on my nerves. Also, it was way too long for my liking." I concur completely. I enjoy the original tune fairly well, but the sound of the zither gets very old pretty quickly for me. Anton's 4-minute recording is about 2-minutes too long, as far as I am concerned.
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Eddie's guitar version, however, swings like nobody's bidnizz! "Swing" is a musical term that I'm not sure has ever been adequately defined, but you know it when you're hearing it. And, frankly, in my book, there may not be any recording by anyone that I think swings more than Eddie's [link> "Fourth Man Theme" does. I know this much: I think it swings more than Ella Fitzgerald's version of 'It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing' does! Give it another listen and while it's playing, ask yourself, "Does this swing?" and see how you answer.
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Well, this turned out to be a dern good Battle, and I feel the version that shoulda won, DID win, even if it required a monumental comeback from an immediate 6-vote deficit. 
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In The Battle Within The Battle, The Amazing Sixwell (16-6), who is indeed prognosticating amazingly well these days, beat The Magic 8-Ball (13-9) yet again.
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My thanks to all of you who took the time to listen and vote. Your participation was greatly appreciated. And I hope to see you all back here again on March 1st, as I have something kind of special planned for my next installment of Battle Of The Bands.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, FEB. 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, ANTON KARAS VS. EDDIE COCHRAN)

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Reno Vs. Carson City, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for 'Battle Of The Bands' ('BOTB').
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Eugene Martone Vs. Jack Butler

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Well, the big move from Reno to Carson City has been kinda-sorta made. Actually, I'm still in limbo. Due to the lousy weather, all my plans went South and my life is still in disarray. (Not Disarray, Washoe County, but the independent city of Disarray, Nevada!) So much for the news of the day. Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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Goodniks Vs. No-Goodniks

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From Wackypedia:
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"The Third Man Theme" (also known as "The Harry Lime Theme") is an instrumental written and performed by Anton Karas for the soundtrack to the 1949 film The Third Man.
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The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed. One night after a long day of filming The Third Man on location in Vienna, Reed and cast members Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Orson Welles had dinner and retired to a wine cellar.
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In the bistro, which retained the atmosphere of the pre-war days, they heard the zither music of Anton Karas, a 40-year-old musician who was playing there just for the tips. Reed immediately realized that this was the music he wanted for his film. Karas spoke only German, which no one in Reed's party spoke, but fellow customers translated Reed's offer to the musician that he compose and perform the soundtrack for The Third Man. Karas was reluctant since it meant traveling to England, but he finally accepted. 
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Karas wrote and recorded the 40 minutes of music heard in The Third Man over a six-week period, after the entire film was translated for him at Shepperton Studios.
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The composition that became famous as "The Third Man Theme" had long been in Karas's repertoire, but he had not played it in 15 years. "When you play in a café, nobody stops to listen," Karas said. "This tune takes a lot out of your fingers. I prefer playing 'Wien, Wien', the sort of thing one can play all night while eating sausages at the same time."
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Quite a few very stylistically different versions of this tune have been recorded, and one could put together a goodly number of BOTB contests using them. I have decided to use the Anton Karas original against a rendition recorded ten years later by one of the earliest Rock 'N' Rollers, Eddie Cochran. For whatever reason, Eddie called his recording 'Fourth Man Theme'.
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Incidentally, I've seen 'The Third Man' a couple of times. It's a good film and I recommend it. (I'm sure Birgit recommends it, also. Right, Birgit? )
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Wackypedia has more interesting stuffs about Anton Karas HERE. 
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Godzilla Vs. King Kong

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The Third Man - Anton Karas (1949)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oEsWi88Qv0

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Riddler Vs. Batman

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The Fourth Man - Eddie Cochran (1959)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRfkplZAEcQ

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The Battle Within The Battle

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VERSUS

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Question: "Will Eddie Cochran beat Anton Karas?"

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The Magic 8-Ball (13-8) sez:  "My Reply Is No"

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The Amazing Sixwell (15-6) sez:  "Signs Point To Yes"

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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) 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.
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogs to vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)
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Voice Your Vote...
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ 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
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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BOTB RESULTS FOR FEB. 1, 2019 (Or, ANN PEEBLES VS. ETTA JAMES)

STMcC’s Vote On '2019, February 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Ann Peebles Versus Etta James - And The Final Tally:
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Well... the bulk of the move is over and I have Internet access again. I'm not going to lie - this was brutal and I really feel my age now. In fact, I'm DogG-tired, and I have little doubt that this move took 4 years off my life.
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I'm going to keep this short because I'm too tired to type much; because my fingers are full of "skin splits" which hurt like hell; and my mind and body are just too exhausted to put much into this BOTB Results post. Plus, I still have a ton of things to do (like cleaning up my old house, moving furniture around, unpacking books, and finding my toothbrush).
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The only time I can remember being even more wiped-out than I am right now is when I was doing that UCLA Medical Receiving job in 1994.
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I thank all of you who took the necessary time to listen and vote!
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Assuming I counted correctly, the final tally looks like this:
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Ann Peebles = 4 votes
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Etta James = 11 votes
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Why my vote went to Ann Peebles: 
Well, to begin with, I liked her voice better'n Etta's. But then there was also that almost-scary, foreboding whispered intro, the organ, the moaning background singers, that sinewy snake-like sound - simultaneously seductive and sinister. (I got an "F" in Math, but I got an "A" in Alliteration.) 
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By comparison, Etta's rendition was a standard, straight-forward Blues song. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I dig standard, straight-forward Blues. But I enjoyed the unique elements that Ann brought to the table, making the song a bit unusual, rather than giving it the usual Blues treatment like Etta did.
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My original idea was to use Albert King against Etta James on 'Breaking Up Somebody's Home', but after awhile I realized that King would clobber her. I didn't think I had a competitive Battle there. Nor did I think that *anyone* would be able to give Albert a run for his money on this particular song. So, I went in search of someone else to put up against Etta, and I settled on Ann Peebles.
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But now that Etta James has done to Ann Peebles what I felt sure Albert King would do to Etta, I think it's payback time for Etta. Before too long, I may use this same song again, but next time I'll go with my original idea - Albert versus Etta - and see if the Battle actually shakes out the way I feared it would, and which discouraged me from going down that route to begin with.
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In THE BATTLE WITHIN THE BATTLE, The Magic 8-Ball (13-8) got it wrong, and The Amazing Sixwell (15-6) got it right.
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I'll be back with a new Battle on February 15th, and I hope to see you all here again. Maybe - MAYBE - I'll be feeling like my old jocular self by then.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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2019, FEB. 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, ANN PEEBLES VS. ETTA JAMES)

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Reno Vs. Carson City, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for 'Battle Of The Bands' ('BOTB').
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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Eugene Martone Vs. Jack Butler

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I'm typing this blog bit on Friday, Jan. 25th, because I'm in the midst of making what I'm hoping will be the last move of my life. I'd like my next move to be to that Great Mobile Home Park In The Sky.
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Three times I asked my Magic 8-Ball "Will I have time to respond to comments on this next Battle Of The Bands?" and all three times the answer-gizmo inside the Ball came up midway between two answers - neither of which I could read. So, apparently, even the 8-Ball doesn't want to hazard a prediction on this.
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If you want an idea of the move I'm making, below is a video of the portion of Highway 395 which connects Reno and Carson City. I'll be driving my U-Haul truck over this road, except that I will be going the opposite direction from the driver in this video - I'll be leaving Reno and going to Carson City (Thank you, God!!) How far is Carson City from Reno? Thirty miles and fifty years.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVUWhmmPG5A

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Goodniks Vs. No-Goodniks

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I am pre-writing and pre-scheduling for automatic posting THIS Battle as well as my next one on Feb. 15th, because I truly don't know what I'll be doing at the time and don't know how long I'll be without Internet service. 
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The odds are that I won't be able to respond to comments on my own Battles, but I shall endeavor to get my votes in on all y'all's BOTB contests from my cell phone. They'll probably be short & sweet, such as, "D-FensDogG votes for Tiny Tim."
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But, God willing, I should be back to BOTB [link> "like a full force gale" on March 1st, and so I'm planning something special for that installment.
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While I'm breaking up my own home - packing up everything I own and moving it elsewhere - I thought the Blues song 'Breaking Up Somebody's Home' would make for an appropriate BOTB choice in this round.
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My Friends, My Friends, until next we meet in the blogosphere...
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May You Bless And Be Blessed.
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Godzilla Vs. King Kong

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BREAKING UP SOMEBODY'S HOME -- Ann Peebles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK3cAvnhLqs


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Riddler Vs. Batman

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BREAKING UP SOMEBODY'S HOME -- Etta James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVs64VpIhXU


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The Battle Within The Battle

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VERSUS

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Question: "Will Etta James beat Ann Peebles?"

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The Magic 8-Ball (13-7) sez:  "My Reply Is No"

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The Amazing Sixwell (14-6) sez:  "Most Likely"

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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) 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. 

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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogs to vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)
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Voice Your Vote...
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ 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
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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