BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
.
In celebration of the upcoming Saint Paddy's Day, DOC CHERDO @ Cherdo On The Flipside - my sister in an alternative universe, and my sister in Christ - are teaming up in this round of BOTB to present stories from our wild (alcohol-enhanced) youts, and featuring Irish musical artists.
.
But first, here's the birthday card my BOTB co-founder, FarAwayEyes, sent to me last year. Truer words were never spoken:
.
Chances are, you remember me mentioning 'The League Of Soul Crusaders'. This was basically a (primarily 6-man) drinking & partying gang in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area in the early through mid-1980s.
.
As I recently Emailed to my good pal Sheboyganboy Six:
.
"The true essence of The League (and it is NO exaggeration at all to say this) is that we never once left a party. The "party" always left when WE left. Because we WERE the "party"!
.
Hanging out with us was like being with Monty Python, Laurel & Hardy, W.C. Fields, Benny Hill, The Three Stooges, and R.P. McMurphy all at once! The League wasn't the "gang" that other guys wanted to fight with; The League was the "gang" that other guys wanted to "PARTY!" with!! We were almost always "cranked up to eleven".
.
I met Torch (the unofficial leader of The League Of Soul Crusaders) one day in 1979 when we both happened to be working on the set of the Gene Wilder & Harrison Ford movie 'The Frisco Kid'. We got to yakking and discovered that we both lived near each other in "Dogtown" (also known as Santa Monica, California).
.
He invited me to join him later that night at his friend Pooh's place, who also lived near us both in Dogtown. So, we all got together to drink a few beers and yak. Pooh (who was actually conceived in Ireland) and I hit it off pretty quickly, largely due to our mutual love of the Irish Rock band THIN LIZZY.
.
I've always considered that night in 1979, when Torch, Pooh and I got together at "The House At Pooh Corner", to be the genesis of what eventually became The League Of Soul Crusaders. Fate (or God) brought Torch, Pooh, Cranium, Napoleon, Twinkie and I all together to form 'The League':
.
 |
| L to R: Stephen T. McCarthy, Twinkie, Wally, Torch [driving], Napoleon, Pooh. (Only Cranium missed this "happy occasion".) |
In that photo above, note that Twinkie, Wally, Nappy, and Pooh are all giving the photographer The League's famous "Beee" sign:
.Nowadays, I sometimes text it to friends like this:
.
 |
| Saint Paddy's Night, 1983, @ 824 Bay Street. L to R: Felly Zenker (my sister Bonehead's friend); Cranium; my sister, Bonehead; Twinkie; Pooh; and Bill "coping a feel" of a stunned STMcC's right breast (#MeToo!) |
 |
| Felly Zenker; Pooh; my sister, Bonehead; Twinkie; and Cranium in foreground. Poster of James Dean from the movie 'Giant' in the background. |
If you're a big fan of the movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', you may recognize this "Stink-Eye" image of my sister, Bonehead, which filled the screen in a massive "bonehead" close-up at one point in that famous movie:
.
 |
| Pooh on his way toward a state of "lamination". |
 |
Napoleon (aka Nappy, aka "Judge Al Bondigas"). What an expression!! If 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' could be summed up in a single word, that word would be "ATTITUDE!" And "Attitude" is written all over my brother's face in this photograph!  |
 |
| Nappy & Twinkie standing in front of the statue & photograph shrine to W.C. Fields at 824 Bay Street. |
There are MANY songs that immediately make me think of The League. #1 on that list would be the entirety of Side 2 of The Beatles' "White Album" (aka "The Hangover Waltz"). Also high on the list would be 'Hellzapoppin'' by Louis Armstrong; 'Wang Dang Doodle' by Howlin' Wolf; 'Come On, Eileen' by Dexys Midnight Runners; several early songs by Bruce "Commie" Springsteen; and naturally the song [link> 'THE LEAGUE OF SOUL CRUSADERS' written and sung by League member Twinkie.
.
But for this BOTB installment, the artists needed to be Irish. THIN LIZZY's 'The Boys Are Back In Town' was an obvious choice, since that band played a real part in cementing my friendship with Pooh, which got the ball rolling on the formation of 'The League'.
.
Irishman Van Morrison's song 'WILD NIGHT' was another good choice since that song was included on the soundtrack I created for The League's final party which occurred in 1988, just before our hangout (the house at 824 Bay Street in Santa Monica) was demolished to make room for condominiums.
.
But, first, before the songs Battle it out, here are a couple of true Saint Paddy's Day / Night 'League' stories to entertain ya:
.
.
"It was a rendezvous at the Pigwalk that got Saint Patrick's Night 1981 underway. Due to the fact that we considered ourselves Irish-Americans, Saint Patrick's Day was a momentous occasion. We started the evening with a few imported Irish beers. Then, when we felt the time was right, we piled into the red Cadillac and headed down Lincoln Boulevard for Brennan's Pub in Marina Del Rey."
[...]
Later on, "we were heading North on Lincoln Boulevard, intending to hit another Irish pub up on Wilshire Boulevard, and we were just slightly South of the 'Fox Venice Theatre' (where Yours Truly saw James Dean on the silver screen for the very first time), when Torch invented the "Space-Walk".
.
"Torch, our driver, told Napoleon, who was sitting "shotgun" next to him in the Cadillac, to put his foot on the accelerator and keep the speed up and take hold of the steering wheel. Napoleon did this, while Torch lifted himself up and out from behind the steering wheel. And while we were moving along at a steady forty miles an hour, Torch reached out, grabbed the side of the car and then with a quick leap, flung his body out of the car and stretched himself across the hood. He then began to slowly inch his way across the hood, toward the other side of the automobile. In about a minute, he had reached the opposite side of the vehicle. Meanwhile, Napoleon had slid over into the driver's seat.
.
"Reaching inside the Cadillac, Torch grabbed the back of the front seat and hoisted himself through the window area and into the passenger's seat. Napoleon was now driving and Torch was kicking back "shotgun", just enjoying the ride. We had changed drivers on busy Lincoln Boulevard in Venice without even slowing down."
.
We began calling that dangerous maneuever "The Space-Walk", and it was something we duplicated a few times on various L.A. streets over the next few years.
~ 'The League Of Soul Crusaders'
Chapter 3, 'The Space-Walk And Other Joyous Occasions'
.
.
As far as I can remember, I got 86'd from a bar only once, and that was the infamous Saint Patrick's Night of 1983 (Chapter 22, 'When Irish Eyes Are Bloodshot', in "The Book", aka 'The League Of Soul Crusaders').
.
That was the night my brother, Nappy, and I both got 86'd from 'O'Mahoney's', and we never even knew the reason why. The Soul Crusaders were so laminated that night, that the next morning...
.
"There were two questions which remained unanswered: First, did we pay any sort of cover charge to get into O'Mahoney's the night before? And secondly, was there a live band playing?
.
"Everybody had a different opinion.
.
"Pooh said that we paid to get in and that there was a band. Twinkie said that we paid to get in but there was no band. Napoleon and I believed that we did not pay and that there was a band. Cranium wasn't sure about anything. We considered calling O'Mahoney's and asking for answers but finally figured it would be more fun to just leave it a mystery forever."
~ 'The League Of Soul Crusaders'
Chapter 23, 'Dear God, Please Don't Let Gus Come Here Today'
.
.
Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
.
Both of the Battlin' songs below make me think of 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' for obvious reasons.
.
'Wild Night' was a Billboard #28 hit for Van Morrison in 1971:
.
WILD NIGHT - Van Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IJsrWW2oWU
.
'The Boys Are Back In Town' was a Billboard #12 hit for Thin Lizzy in 1976:
.
THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN - Thin Lizzy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuR0DqbQGN8
.
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.
.
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.
.
Voice Your Vote...
@ TOSSING IT OUT by clicking HERE
@ MIKE'S RAMBLINGS 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
@ CURIOUS AS A CATHY by clicking HERE
@ AI LOVE MUSIC by clicking HERE
@ STORMS & STARDUST by clicking HERE
.
As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th of each month to post my own votes and announce the winner.
.
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
.
Though I'd faithfully wear green every St Pat's day so no one would pinch me or bug me about it, I never paid the day much mind until I was in my 40's and did some genealogical research to find that my ancestors on my father's side came to the U.S. from Ireland in 1756. Never much considered myself to be much Irish til then. Never much celebrated St Pat's day with drinking either, although now I usually make corned beef and cabbage for dinner most years.
ReplyDeleteBoth songs are good, but Thin Lizzy injects a greater sense of raucousness to their song and I tend to like their tune better.
Give my vote to Thin Lizzy and the Boys being back in town.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
DeleteWhen I was a kid, my Ma always sent me (and my siblings) off to school wearing green. When I got older, I kept the tradition alive, but sometimes only by wearing green boxer shorts or green argyle socks.
One bote for: GREEN LIZZY.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
You know what? Even though I'd normally give this to Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison just sounds better to me today, so give my vote to him.
ReplyDeleteBack in my bagpipe-playing days, St. Patrick's Day was really important, but since then, I couldn't care less about it. Even though I'm as Irish as Paddy's pig, I'd just as soon tell people my last name is English and leave it at that.
JOHN O'HOLTON ~
DeleteIn the hindsight that decades bring, I've come to realize that Saint Paddy's Day was just an excuse or reason for The League to go out and get hammered. ...As if we ever really needed an excuse or reason to do that. We did that most nights of every week, regardless of whether we were supposedly celebrating some historic event.
These days, I'm with you, in that I couldn't care less about Saint Patrick's Day. In fact, I don't even think of meself as an Irish-American anymore. I'm just an American, plain and simple.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
HiYa Stephen T!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, looks like you were having some fun times. I like both songs; one describing what happened, and one suggesting why it might have. The Boys are back in town – heck yeah! Thin Lizzy gets my vote ;-)
Howdy, dIEDRE ~
DeleteThanks for coming by and joining in the fun!
Yeah, those years were a blast. I sometimes marvel that we all survived them relatively unscathed.
Another bote for GREEN LIZARD.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Howdy Stephen
ReplyDeleteThis Scottish girl can appreciate a little bit o'Irish. In fact, when my dad was younger, he did some geneology and learned that some of our ancestors came from Ireland. He says to his grandpa 'Grandpa, why do you say we are Scottish when some of our ancestors came from Ireland?'. And Grandpa replied 'Just because a cat has her kittens in the oven, it don't mean they are biscuits'.
Thin Lizzy is what I'm feeling in this here battle today. Give my vote to them.
~Mary
MMQE ~
DeleteI'm about as Irish as a bottle of imported Jameson whiskey sitting on a shelf at a 7-11 in Las Vegas.
By the way, I have no idea what that means or where it came from, but that's "art" for ya. (I just got done watching a documentary about James Dean, and that kind of thing can always crank my Jazz improvisations "up to eleven".)
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Aye, and for sure, this be the most Irish battle I ever be seeing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the matchup, I was certain I'd vote for Van the Man. I like his stuff as you know. Maybe not every last bit 'o it, but most of it. But I knew I loved both songs, so I listened to both again for the 1000th time.
And then, wonder of wonders, I've decided to vote for Thin Lizzy.
I do this based on my gut feelings about TLOSC story that came before.
The Boys are Back In Town seems to epitomize the trouble making bunch that you guys are... er, were.
McBRUHTHUH SIXGUN ~
DeleteClearly you have kissed the Blarney Stone and have the gift of gab. But, what does this...
>>... "I've decided to vote for Thin Lizzy. I do this based on my gut feelings about TLOSC story that came before. The Boys are Back In Town seems to epitomize the trouble making bunch that you guys are... er, were."
...have to do with flying aardvarks?
I trust that after more than six (count 'em: 6!) years of BOTB, you do un'erstan' that your votes / botes are, "and of right ought to be", based solely upon your own personal musical preferences, regardless of the long-winded McYakking that led up to the song videos. Right, right??
We here at 'STMcC Presents Battle Of The Bands, Inc.' don't give a flyin' aardvark which song you think best represents the spirit & stupidity of 'The League Of Soul Crusaders'. All this corporation really wants to know is this:
If God said that for the rest of your life you could only hear one of these two songs, which of these two songs would you prefer that God allowed you to hear?
If your answer would not be 'The Boys Are Back In Town', then the god of this blog will allow you to change yer bote, provided it is changed prior to March 7th.
¿Comprende, mi O'Amigo?
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
And I don't give a flyin' aardvark whether you give a flyin' aardvark.
DeleteClearly you ARE King of Inebriation Nation if you think your scolding is going to affect anything... except increasing my resolve!
Did you miss the part about me liking both songs? (Cut back on the sauce, Bro!)
After reading more of the ridiculous exploits (and I really do sincerely mean ridiculous. Good Lord! Climbing over the hood of a moving car? Too much! It makes for a great story, but it is too damned much, Rupert!)...
…reading more of the exploits of TLOSC gave me an increased appreciation of the Thin Lizzy song that I ALREADY loved. I got to the end of listening to both songs and voted the way I wanted to vote. I ain’t changing it. You want it changed, you’re gonna have to fight me! I’m not sayin’ I’m gonna WIN… I’m sayin’ I’m gonna fight!
PART 1 OF 2:
DeleteSHEBOYGUNBOY SIX ~
>>... "And I don't give a flyin' aardvark whether you give a flyin' aardvark."
And I don't give a pink, polka-dotted elephant if you give a flyin' aardvark whether I give a flyin' aardvark! And I'll raise you two technicolor flying pigs and [Link> a bird that swims rather than flies!!
>>... "Clearly you ARE King of Inebriation Nation..."
And don't forget "DogGtor of Alcohology", damn it! I worked hard to achieve that doctorate, and you had better respect it, punk! If not, you'll be hearing from my lawyer, [Link> J. Noble Daggett.
>>... "Did you miss the part about me liking both songs?"
I did NOT miss it. I simply chose to ignore it. Because (as we League members so often shouted) "I do what I WANT!!!"
>>... "(Cut back on the sauce, Bro!)"
OK... that kind of terminology will NEVER get you accepted into The League Of Soul Crusaders. This is KAOS! We don't "sauce" here!
The word "sauce" is so 1930s, '40s and/or '50s. You might be able to use that word and still get admitted by Bo Hopkins into [Link> 'The Pharaohs', but it'll never do if you want to become a member of The League (which, of course, you and every other Valley Dude like you dreams of).
90% of the time, you need to refer to booze as "Evidence". (Ain't you never seen [Link> THIS and [Link> THIS??!!) However, on rare occasions (no more than 10%) you may refer to booze as [Link> "Camel Grass Juice". Tsk!-Tsk! I'm willing to work with ya, 'cause I genuinely like ya, but ya gotta AT LEAST be able to grasp 'The Ten Commandments' of TLOSC.
>>... "Climbing over the hood of a moving car? Too much! It makes for a great story, but it is too damned much, Rupert!)"
"Nope! No good!" (as Cranium used to say).
Or as Pooh used to say: "It's all fun and games... until someone tears a nostril".
It was NEVER "too much", because... no one ever tore a nostril.
But, in the spirit of 'full disclosure", I will admit that The League DID once experiment crawling over the hood of a STATIONARY Cadillac. However, when we discovered that blonde girls could and would do it also, we were FORCED to raise the bar.
As I understand it, there is still a coed "junior varsity" version of 'The League' operating somewhere in San Fran-Crisco. You might want to see if they are currently accepting applications.
;^D
{*Kiddin'! Kiddin'!*}
CONTINUED BELOW...
PART 2 OF 2:
Delete>>... "I ... voted the way I wanted to vote. I ain’t changing it. You want it changed, you’re gonna have to fight me! I’m not sayin’ I’m gonna WIN… I’m sayin’ I’m gonna fight!
I accept your challenge. [Link> Shall we say "Pistols at dawn?" (We can say it. I don't know what it means, but we can say it.)
Meet me at the 7-11 at eleventy o'clock on Friday, March 13th at [Link> 69 Moonlight Road, Carson City [or Mound House], NV. 89706. And if you don't show up, I'm-a gonna tell the whole world that you weren't man enough to MAN UP!!
OK, seriously, this is the most fun I've had in the comment section since G-DogG disappeared... yet again.
FUN FACT: The two primary slogans of 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' were: "WE DO WHAT WE WANT!!" and (we did what we wanted because of...) "ATTITUDE!!"
In my entire 6+ history of BOTB, I probably agonized and went wishy-washy on which two songs I would us in this Battle more than any other contest I've ever conceived.
For Van Morrison, I originally planned to use the song [Link> 'IF YOU ONLY KNEW' ("the scruples that go down in gin & vermouth").
And at one time, the Thin Lizzy song I considered using (in The League's spirit of "We do what we WANT!!") was [Link> 'DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO'
Unfortunately, I feel I made a mistake by choosing the two hit songs for each artist that I ultimately went with in this Battle. (The people who really put some serious thought into their BOTB contests know how agonizing this process can often be.)
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Yeah... where the hell IS G-DogG, anyway?
DeleteThat was a mighty wind of a reply from you, McBrother! Where do I start?
First, I'll SEE your pigs and swimmin' birds, and RAISE you one MONOTREME! I don't think you gots that much in the bank! You're gonna have to fold.
Second, the Pharaohs are a GREAT gang that probably got into more mischief than TLOSC. I'm not too keen on the blood initiation, though.
Third, maybe nobody in TLOSC ever tore a nostril, but THEY SHOULD HAVE! Even your LUCK was too much.
Forth, If you want to "accept the challenge," that means you want me to change my vote. I'll tell you what: if you want to change it, then change it! I don't care. But we still gotta fight. Howsomever, I gots an appointment the morning of the 14th, so we gotta meet closer to me. How about Elko? 175 S 3rd St, Elko, NV 89801
Finally, I LIKE the battle you put together. I am glad you did the one you did instead of the two other songs you list above. Had you posted that contest, I'd have had to have voted for something else entirely, like THIS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTgmFDoptyQ
SHEBOYGUNBOY 6 ~
DeleteTony Baretta, Starsky, and Hutch are all currently conducting individual investigations into the disappearance of G-DogG. Our collective prayer is that they won't find him in a shallow grave down Mexico-way!
>>... You're gonna have to fold.
I NEVER FOLD... spindle, or mutilate.
The League wasn't into blood initiations, either. Rather, would-be initiates were required to drink a fifth of Wild Turkey 101, a fifth of Bacardi 151, and one can of Miller beer without upchucking. It was usually the Miller in a can that caused the pledges to vomit and thus be denied membership in The League.
>>... Even your LUCK was too much.
We didn't have "luck". NO ONE could have *THAT MUCH* luck! What we had were guardian angels who themselves possessed SO MUCH ATTITUDE(!!!) that they were often flying a fine line and at risk of being re-labeled "fallen angels" by the committee at the summit of the angelic hierarchy.
While I would like to join you at that location in Elko, to settle this matter once and for all, I will be required to work my full shift here in Willoughberry on the 14th.
Therefore, I have referred your case to the board of directors here at 'STMcC Presents Battle Of The Bands, Inc.' And after reviewing the discrepancy in order to see if your bote will need to be altered, the board came to this final decision: "He can do what he WANTS!!!" (Apparently some of the more influential members of the board are former League members. So, you lucked out... this time.)
That's one Carpenters song you will NEVER find in a BOTB installment constructed by me!
And, incidentally, those two other songs I was considering using in this Battle at one time were never intended to be used against each other. That wasn't one of the potential match-ups I was contemplating. Before I settled on 'Wild Night' versus 'The Boys Are Back In Town', I was thinking of using 1 of about 3 or 4 different Van Morrison songs, and an equal number of potential Thin Lizzy recordings. Finally, I just ran out of time, and the day before this Battle had to be posted, I threw my arms up in the air and thought: Screw it! I'll just use these two hit songs by each artist and see how it plays out.
Like I said, this Battle was exceptionally frustrating for me to settle on. They usually come together for me in a much more smooth and natural manner, allowing me to feel some sense of confidence in the contest. Not this time.
But thanks for putting some fun into the yakversation, Bruhthuh!
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
I grew up in a town where I'd hear bagpipes as I sat on my back porch. My maiden name is as Scottish as they come and caused me to be nicknamed Mac by most of my high school acquaintances.
ReplyDeleteSt. Paddy's Day and Bobby Burns birthday were BIG deals. So, I love to hear about St. Paddy's Day antics.
My tale was a bit tame, but I delivered!
Can you guess who I'm voting for? I true follower of my voting history would know immediately. The THIN LIZZY song is a classic, for sure...
But...VAN MORRISON is VAN MORRISON. You can't compete with that. His voice, his songwriting, the whole VAN catalog...
Uh...I vote for VAN MORRISON...
Ciao!
Cherdo
PS: Think of another challenge.
Since April is the month of "April Fool's"...maybe a foolish tale/ battle?
DeleteDOC MacSIS ~
DeleteYour tale was spot-on. Anything wilder and I would-a lost respect for ya. The gals shouldn't be as stupid as the boys, fer cryin' o'loud!
"[A] foolish tale / battle?"...
Are you serious?! Considering *THIS* BOTB blog bit, and my last one, in which I recounted my misadventures with Pooh in Reno / Virginia City, just how much more "foolish" do you think I can get? Any "foolisher" and I wouldn't be alive to write about it!
Since James Dean died in September, why don't we do a James Dean theme on April 1st? (Makes total sense to me!)
Or... since April 6th is my Spiritual Birthday...
WAIT! I know! I'll ask 'The Magic 8-Ball'.
;^)
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteIt's quite obvious by my married sir name that DH definitely has Irish roots. Over the years, I learned that there's also an Irish/Scottish bloodline on my family side as well. I don't know my paternal grandpa's heritage, my paternal grandma last name has link with England. Most of us have European roots, so we can all be Irish even if it's just for the day.
I'm going with THIN LIZZY. Van Morrison is a good alternative but TL had me boogieing in my chair and when a song moves me like that then I've gotta go with it.
Have a good day, my friend. When you get a chance, please join me in my Mad World BoTB Showdown!
CATHY! It's That You? ~
DeleteI'm glad you mentioned that you have a BOTB installment goin' on in this round, because I didn't see one posted on the 1st and thought maybe you were taking March off. (I'll get my sorry bum over there in time for my two cents to be counted.)
Dang! I thought fer sure that YOU would be a certain vote for Van The Man. BOTB makes less and less sense the longer I play the game.
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Stephen,
DeleteMy vote surprised me, too. lol I thought for sure I'd go with Van the Man but Thin Lizzy won me over.
I love both songs and I can just imagine all of you in that car loving to listen to the Boys are Back in Town but I will go with Van Morrison because he just seems to be a poet with lyrics and delivery. Isn't it fun to look back on the rollicking days of fun and recall all the antics. There is no way I could drink like I used to but I had so much fun!
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
Delete>>... "I can just imagine all of you in that car loving to listen to the Boys are Back in Town"
What we listened to in that car was really whatever we found playing on the radio. It had no tape deck, and compact discs hadn't been invented yet.
I can tell you, though, that back in those years, whenever a Bruce Springsteen song came on, both the radio and The League got cranked "up to eleven". ......Sadly, today, I wouldn't even piss on Bruce if he were on fire in the street. (Opinions sometimes change with the years.)
>>... "Isn't it fun to look back on the rollicking days of fun and recall all the antics."
Truthfully, if I hadn't recorded The League's misadventures in a book manuscript when I did, I would not be able to remember 95.86% of the stuffs we did back in the early '80s.
Van was in need of some love, and you done gived him some.
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
I am going to choose Thin Lizzy again because "Boys are Back in Town" is such a delightful classic. I knwo I choose them on Cherdo's blog but they are so great!
ReplyDeleteI said this on Cherdo post but I forgot that it was St. Patrick's Day. The coronavirus virus has spread here in Japan and has instilled panic all over the nation. Every event is cancelled (even the St. Paddy's parade here in Nagoya) as well as every attraction too. One good thing is that the deadline for filing taxes is extended by one month. I am alright but I have been stuck in my apartment for too long (unless I go to work).
I do miss my mom making corned beef and cabbage. I can only find corned beef in Tokyo.
https://ailovemusic.net/hello-projects-color-battle-20-years-later/
AMY ~
DeleteIf you axe me, you needn't worry about the Coronavirus. It's the usual "scare tactic". Check out what alternative news sources are saying. You can trust the mainstream news in every country... about as often as you can throw a 300-pound man against the wind and through a Hula Hoop that's 40 yards away from you.
Got yer bote for Thin Lizzy counted, and I will visit yer Battle sooner than... you can throw a 300-pound man against the wind and through a Hula Hoop that's 40 yards away from you.
;^D
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Always fun to read about your past exploits, Stephen. ☺ I like both of these songs and they get plenty of airplay on classic rock radio. It's a bit of a tough decision, but in the end, Thin Lizzy had my toes tapping, more. That's who I'm choosing today.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed the blog bit, DEBBIE!
DeleteIn advance of this Battle, thinking about how I suspected some of my regular boters might bote, you were perhaps the toughest one for me to figger out...
I know that you are primarily a Hard Rock lover, but I also know that you are a woman who loves some sax.
;^D
So, I really wasn't sure how you would lean in this Battle and I considered it was close to a 50%-50% toss-up. But... now I know.
Thanks for stopping by to read and bote!
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteEarlier today I came by and I thought I voted but now I can't remember, so if this a repeat then delete it.I'm going to give my vote to Thin Lizzy. Feel free to pop over vote in my Mad World BoTB showdown if you haven't already. I'm a little off key today. :) Have a good week, my friend!
CATHY! It's That You... AGAIN?!?! ~
DeleteIndeed, I got yer bote for Green Lizzard earlier. (Unless you're trying to be a dead Democrat voter in Chicago voting for a second time?)
>>... I'm a little off key today.
Think nothing of it! I'm off-key EVERY day!
I've often referred to myself as a "Maverick Christian", but the truth of the matter is that I am a "Maverick EVERYTHING"! Which makes me off-key to the whole world, 24/7/365.
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI was feeling a little brain dead yesterday but I assure you I'm not a dead Demoncrat! Oh the things the left will do to hold onto or to put into office. Thanks for stopping in to vote in my battle. Have a good week! :)
CAThy ~
DeleteIt's all summed up well in these three short sentences:
"Come to power",
"By any means necessary",
because
"The end justifies the means".
Those are the methods and the outlook of the Communist party, which is frequently cloaked by names other than "Communist". But the genuinely educated are not fooled by alternative, self-chosen labels that sound less extreme. As the book title says: 'You Can Still Trust The Communists... To Be Communists (Socialists And Progressives Too)'.
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
What wonderful memories! I know you guys had such a great time back then. I need to find friends like that here in my town.
ReplyDeleteI really like both of your selections this week, and I feel like I'm cheating on Van because I love him so much, but my vote goes to THIN LIZZY simply because I'm feeling more like rock and roll this go-round. It really could have gone the other way were my mood slightly different.
Kim
KIM ~
DeleteVan The Man also feels like you're cheating on him. He told me so. He is very, very disappointed in you. Shaking his head!
But... The Eagles told him to "Get Over It!"
>>... I know you guys had such a great time back then. I need to find friends like that here in my town.
Yes, we really did. I've been incredibly and richly blessed by God, so I have a wealth of "fantabulous" (as Van would say) memories and good times to reflect on now in my old age. But without a doubt, my time in 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' is way up toward the top o' me list - if not actually occupying the #1 spot (which sometimes it seems it is, depending upon my state of mind at different times).
But 'The League' was a young man's game, and was also amongst the rarest of things. I don't think you'd be likely to "find friends like that" there. And even if you did, your sense of maturity would likely leave you rolling your eyes, just as I often shake my head and roll my eyes when I think of some of the shit I and my buddies did back in the early '80s.
Thanks for checking in with two cents for the BOTB kitty, Kim!
~ Stephen
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
And Stephen,
ReplyDeleteGreat battle! Love both songs. But as the League is concerned I gotta go with the harder driving Boys are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy or Tin Lizzy as Seamus would say! And aren't we after needin to tank Seamus for the garb in many of those photos? I suppose we should thank Mickey's too. And if you're going to have one last beer you might as well make it 5 Mickey's (truth be told it was Bud). And besides isn't it after bein Tin Lizzy dat brought us togedder? What with the drinkin' and all. No I'm not sayin dat Wild Night is a bad song nor given up me allegiance to the Irish Rebel himself.
Now back to the League...what a lightning strike that was, t'was magic I tell ya! And wasn't it after beein magic dat got us trew all dat and still bein' alive so you see? A big tanks to Jaysus, Mary,and Joseph no doubt!
JW and toora loorah loorah me boyo!
Pooh
...AND, POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!...
DeleteWhat would you know about it? You come on here actin' all high 'n' mighty, like some kind of authority on 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' and you spout off about it like...
Oh... wait.
Indeed, Seamus' liquor store in Venice should be credited for our 1983 Saint Paddy's Day night costumes!
That next morning, after Saint Paddy's Night, remains in my memory as one of the wildest and most fun League moments ever. "The-Morning-After" was actually even more fun than the Saint Patrick's Night that came before it! 1983's Saint Patrick's Night and The-Morning-After may have been the wildest E-Ticket ride of all time! ...And according to "The Book", Bill and I actually went to work "the-morning-after" on some movie or TV set, after the beer ran out and the living room window glass had all been swept up. UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE!
Yeah, I do credit our mutual love of Thin Lizzy (at that time) for playing a part in the formation of The League. However, I think it would have happened anyway because I think it was truly a case of "destiny"...
Having read The Holy Bible from cover-to-cover 25 times, I know what God says about drunkenness. And yet, the whole League thing was so unique and kind of 'mystical' that I have to believe God was... "dealing from underneath the deck"(?) I mean, it really was like "catching lightning in a bottle". And The Bible is also clear that mankind cannot understand the Ways of God, regardless of what it says in His "Word".
In the earliest stages of constructing this particular Battle, I actually considered using Van Morrison's song 'IN THE BACK ROOM'. But I figured it was too much of a ballad and too "abstract" for my audience to grasp. In fact, that song was kind of an inside joke between you and I in '85 & '86 - after The League's heyday - and I don't think even Nappy would be able to connect with it. 'IN THE BACK ROOM' was something you and I shared together when we were doing some regular day-drinking at "The 99-Cent Club" and at 'The House At Pooh Corner' and when we took a road trip or two together.
Hard to believe all of that actually occurred in this *SAME* lifetime! Today, it feels like that was all two or three lifetimes ago. I can't believe we're still all alive and this is the *SAME* lifetime. (Man... I honestly believe that my life has gone on too long. Is it never - *NEVER* - going to end?)
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
And Stephen...
DeleteWelcome back my friends to the life that never ends...
What a long strange trip it has been...
"Why don't we go all day" and we often did. Ahhhhhh, day-drinking. However, I don't recall much good coming out of that except a good bit of fun followed by deep regret, a larger hole in my soul, and a nastier headache than we started with.
Yes, the Back Room, I recall some good times in the back room at Seamus Liquor. What with the binge benefits and all.
And of course the famous road trip to end all road trips in Summer '86, Route 66, and Satan's tricks. (I do believe that there is a poem in that sentence trying to get out).
Life does go on even if it feels like too long sometimes. While we're not going to duplicate the energy or magic of the past we can look back on it with a smile and a twinkle in the eye like good Leprechauns do. Yes, In the Back Room is ours and we don't need to share that with anyone any-way any-how. Can't you just smell the sunscreen we used that summer or is overpowered by the smell of the vomited hot dog in Bullhead City? To quote somebody you used to know and like:
Now young faces grow sad and old and hearts of fire grow cold
We swore blood brothers against the wind
I'm ready to grow young again...
Cause we made a promise we swore we'd always remember
No retreat, baby, no surrender
Blood brothers in the stormy night with a vow to defend
No retreat, baby, no surrender
I'm finin to head full speed ahead to chapter 2 (albeit may be even chapter 3) my blood brother glancing back from time to time to catch a spark of the magic that did burn so brightly during the reign of the League of Soul Crusaders (and the only signs we stole were street signs). Yeah, I said it!
Sounds like we need another road trip!
JW, JW,
Pooh
...AND, POOH...
Delete>>... "Why don't we go all day" and we often did. Ahhhhhh, day-drinking.
Of course, we didn't call it "day-drinking" back then. It was just "drinking". If it was a day (ending in y) then drinking is what we did.
>>... However, I don't recall much good coming out of that except a good bit of fun followed by deep regret, a larger hole in my soul, and a nastier headache than we started with.
Sheesh, man!! Like, whaddaya want from life? (to borrow a question from The Tubes). Who said it should come with somet'ing more than "a good bit of fun"? Some people don't even git *THAT* much!
>>... Life does go on even if it feels like too long sometimes.
Yeah, life goes on,
long after the thrill of livin' is gone.
(Someone oughta put that in a song.)
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Hmm, seems to me Saint Mac, you and your League buddies were just trying to out-do each other's suicide attempts. Ghads. Alls well that doesn't end in death and dismemberment, yeah? The Irish in me applauds the adventures. My "Wild Nights" now start later and end early, lol. I got old.
ReplyDeleteI like Thin Lizzy. Van is good too, but there's just something about Thin Lizzy's version of "The Boys" that just appeals to me.
WILD THING ~
Delete>>... you and your League buddies were just trying to out-do each other's suicide attempts.
I totally understand why you would say that. And, on the surface, it actually makes A LOT of sense. But... "life" often doesn't "seem" to make sense. And this is one of those situations.
I think we were SO FULL OF LIFE back then that it looked (according to the standard rules o' logic) that we were nearly - or genuinely - suicidal. But, no. It was truly, authentically "carpe diem". We were experiencing life to the fullest (and sometimes maybe even risking death in order to do that).
Over the subsequent decades, I've encountered many instances where people have said to me things like, "Oh, yeah, my friends and I were like that."
"Nope. No good."
My standard response is: "Let me read the book and the poetry about you and your friends; and let me hear the song that was written and recorded about y'all."
Everyone who once or twice attended a wild party thinks they had "League"-like experiences. But, as boastful as it may seem, it's a plain and simple fact that 'The League' was an extremely unique "thing". And I feel truly blessed to have played a part in it.
>>... My "Wild Nights" now start later and end early, lol. I got old.
Ha!-Ha!
Well, you're still way ahead of me because... I don't have wild nights anymore, at all. To me, nowadays, a "wild night" is when I stay up until 11:55 P.M. responding to blog comments, while listening to Christian music from my compact disc collection.
[;oD
As Edmond O'Brien said at the very end of the movie 'THE WILD BUNCH':
"It ain't like it used to be but, uh, it'll do."
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
Good to have those memories to laminate on :)
DeleteAl Bondigas here. Good choices you've got here. I figured out why you are always so surprised with my rulin's. It's because my musical tastes have done an about face. I don't really care for all the stuff I thought I liked way back in the day. Styx, Foghat, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. BULLSHIT!! I still like some UFO, Blue Oyster Cult, and even a few Lynyrd Skynyrd songs. I still like The boys are back in town, but that's probably the only Thin Lizzy song I like a lot. So to surprise you once again, muh rulin' be fer Wild Night by Van The Man. That's it!! That's muh rulin'.
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL ~
DeleteYeah, you and me both.
Very often, when I think back on the music I *LOVED* when I was a teenager and even in my early twenties, I just shake my head and want to kick my own ass for the stupidity (or "ignance").
Very few of the "Rock" bands I used to love have survived my discovery of Jazz (e.g., Styx - my favorite band in '76 & '77 - I now find completely, utterly unlistenable).
I think there's a word for this phenomenon, but I'm still not mature enough to know it.
Wait! "Maturing" sounds familiar!!
(*"I don't wanna grow up!
I'm a Toys-R-Us kid."*)
It may surprise you to know that...
I am not surprised that your "surprise" rulin' fer Van Morrison was... uh... uhm... I mean, that is to say... I, uh, wasn't really surprised. (Does that surprise you?)
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'
Hi Stephen, What a bodacious bunch of beefcakes in this blatant blast from the past! I love that you and The League "were the party," and that many of you still remain close friends. Fun pick of your sister who wins the award for best "stink-eye" ever! It's great that she was also in the family biz, and I'd love to hear more about your time on set with Gene Wilder & Harrison Ford!
ReplyDeleteNow, down to business. Thin Lizzy gets my vote, as The Boys are Back is the perfect soundtrack to your adventures with The League. Have a fabulous St. Paddy's Day and I'm sending you a virtual toast with a Shamrock Shake!
Julie
GEM JULIE ~
DeleteHoly Altogether Awesomely Angelic Alliteration!!
Yip! Some of us League members are still gettin' together for a very tame Breakfast Club meeting every 5 to 10 years or so.
Bonehead had that stink-eye down pat. After I got in "the business", I later recommended my Bro and Sis, after they graduated from high school, and I introduced them to all the wrong people in Hollyweird.
Actually, the ONLY thing I recall about my one day on the set of that Wilder & Ford movie is meeting Torch. I can't even remember what scene we were working on. But I literally worked on hundreds of movies and TV shows back then, and all these decades later, only a few of them still stand out in my memory.
Thanks so much for coming by with your two cents & a Shamrock Shake! Ha!
~ D-FensDogG
'Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...'
So, I'm just curious - is that your actual sister in Ferris Bueller, or is that a joke about how legendary her stink-eye is? If it's the former, I didn't know she went into 'the biz' also. Or that she made it onto the silver screen as well. Is there anything you McCarthys couldn't do?
ReplyDeleteAs for me, my bote's gonna have to be anti-Bonehead. Not because I've got anything against her, but because The Boys Are Back In Town, according to Thin Lizzy, and it sounds like for my bote, no gals allowed.
BROTHER BEER BOY BRYAN BODYGUARD BETTY ~
DeleteYip! That's Bonehead alright. I've only seen that movie once, but as I recall, her HUGE bonehead appeared, completely filling the screen in a massive close-up, exactly as you see it in that gif. She was sitting in a classroom with a bunch of other bored students and gave that stink-eye to the boring teacher who was yakking on and on. (At least that's how my Evidence-drowned brain cells recall it.)
>>... Is there anything you McCarthys couldn't do?
Walk... after a long night of "being the party".
Very few girls (Bonehead being one of them) had the courage to party with The League. But we were much safer than we looked.
In fact, Bonehead moved into the Bay Street house with Nappy and Twinkie after I moved out in... '84?
The 'Boys' thank you for your support.
~ D-FensDogG
'Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends'