. I thank each and every one of you who took time this Christmas season to participate in my Battle Of The Bands (BOTB) contest which took place HERE. The song was the classic 'O Holy Night' and the two excellent versions of it were by Johnny Mathis and Josh Groban. Funny thing is that I created this match-up with the idea that Groban was going into it as the underdog, but he quickly amassed a 6-1 lead over Mathis. Groban definitely wasn't any underdog! . I think the Groban version is one of the best I've ever heard, but my vote went with Mathis because his rendition sounds so genuinely reverential and because the way he sings that last word "Divine", it reallydoes sound Divine to me. Groban definitely has a tremendous voice, but personally I feel that he is "showboating" it a wee li'l bit. That is to say that I feel Johnny's version is more about humbly worshipping Jesus. But that's just me. . Despite Groban's early and large lead, this turned into quite a good BOTB installment" . FINAL TALLY: Johnnny Mathis = 5 votes Josh Groban = 7 votes . As always,I appreciated everyone's participation. My friends, I hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas and a Merry New Year. Stay safe and let's do this thing again on January 1st, 2023, eh? . Oh, and one more thing... On Christmas Day, please don't forget to drop a coin into a body of water (even a glass of H20 will do) and MakeAWishForTinyTim. We're asking that he somehow manage to get one more Top 40 hit song before "this world" comes to an end. . Take it away, Tiny!...
Battle Of The Bands (BOTB). . Shoop-Shooby – Shooby-duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah – Buh-Doo-Wah! . In doing a little personal research attempting to decide what Holiday song to use this year, I was doggone shocked to discover that in over 8 years of BOTB, I have never once used Johnny Mathis in a contest. So, I'm going to fix that right now. . Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing! . Below are two really excellent versions of the classic 'O HOLY NIGHT' for you to *close your eyes and listen* to, and then vote on. And when you're done voting here, please visit the other BOTB participants and cast a vote in their Battles as well.
. And by all means, get you a Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday!
. HOKEY-SMOKE! STMcC is in the ho-owww-se, but I'm days late! . Well, you see, what happened was... I'm way late because I got waylaid and then mislaid and then my fee had to be paid and the cops made a raid and... and... and the dog ate my homework. . I thank everyone who took the time to visit li'l ol' me and my blog and cast a vote in this 3-Way Battle Of The Bands installment. We had three different tunes titled 'INDIAN SUMMER' -- Glenn Miller versus The Doors versus Chris Botti -- and the Battle took place HERE. . It turned out to be an excellent BOTB match-up as evidenced by the close finish: . FINAL TALLY Glenn Miller = 3 votes The Doors = 4 votes Chris Botti = 5 votes . My own vote for Chris Botti was the deciding factor. I enjoy hearing all three of these tunes but for me it was really between Miller & Botti. Here's why I "boted" for Botti: . [Some Notes From My 'Morning Music With Joe' competition...] For about fourteen months (April, 2018 to May 31, 2019) in two different cities, I was on a personal quest to determine what was the ultimate music album in my collection to listen to first thing in the morning while waking up with my cups o' coffee. I call this MMWJ (or, 'Morning Music With Joe'). The album had to be pleasant to hear in the early morning hours; it had to have some life to it but not be too loud and jarring. . 'Kind Of Blue' by Miles Davis was the first album I came across which I was able to proclaim as "Ideal MMWJ". This was my first great find, which set the bar for everything that followed. I hadn't listened to it for several months, because I deemed that it had nuttin' else to prove. And that's why I was quite shocked to find that Chris Botti (seeded at #6) beat Miles Davis (seeded #4) relatively easily. ... I still think 'Kind Of Blue' is great MMWJ. But 'A Thousand Kisses Deep' is even better. The first track is 'Indian Summer', and it begins with some "chiming" notes. Every time I hear them, I have this thought: 'The Morning is ringing my doorbell'. And then there's just a kind of "groove" that most of these songs ride which is simply perfect with coffee first thing in the morning. Wow! This is the real deal! I never imagined that Chris might bump off Miles. . So, I really dig Chris Botti's 'Indian Summer', especially first thing in the morning when I'm drinking my coffee and preparing to go out and meet the day. If anyone's interested in the MMWJ playlists I put together after the 14-month contest ended, below are two links you can check out: . [Link>MMWJ - Morning Music With Joe - Part 1 of 2: Primarily Instrumentals . [Link>MMWJ - Morning Music With Joe - Part 2 of 2: Primarily Vocals . Well, thanks again, all y'all, for participating in my November BOTB contest. I'll be back here again on December 1st, and I hope YOU will be, too! . ~ Stephen T. McCarthy
. [*Painting by my good friend "Doc" Cherdo*] . HAPPY ALL SAINTS' DAY, Y'ALL! . First of all, I want to remind you that dear dIEDRE has joined our Battle Of The Bands club. So, please be sure to visit her Battle installment [link>HERE, and please make certain to add her blog, StreamPebbles, to your blog's list of current BOTB participants {https://streampebbles.com/}. Thanks!! . Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing! . In part, Almanac.com says this: The term “Indian Summer” has been around for centuries. What is an Indian Summer or Second Summer? ... it’s a period of abnormally warm weather occurring in late autumn between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20 with generally clear skies, sunny but hazy days, and cool nights. . And The Cambridge Dictionary includes the following as a definition of Indian Summer: . ...a pleasant or successful time almost at the end of someone's life, job, or other period. . I like that. I like that a lot! Because now, in my 63rd year, and the start of my second year of official retirement, I feel like I've been blessed by God to have finally been directed to a place that really feels like "home". I've lived in "Willoughberry", Nevada, for nearly four years now, and I love it as much today as when I first moved here. . So, this being November, and me enjoying "a pleasant time almost at the end of my life", I'm giving you three completely different tunes titled 'INDIANSUMMER' to hear and vote on. Please vote for your favorite 'Indian Summer' and tell me why you done that. . I'll be back on or around November 8th to cast my own BOTB "bote" and announce the winner. Thanks for playing, my friends! . Indian Summer -- Glenn Miller Orchestra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa_faILW6MQ
First & foremost, I want to announce that our friend dIEDRE has (timidly) entered the 'Battle Of The Bands' Family. So please be sure to visit her, welcome her, and add her blog to your links of BOTB Participants. dIEDRE'sBOTBing can be found at [link> StreamPebbles.
.
My most recent Battle took place HERE, and it was a 'Fight Song' theme which included 'Fight Song' (Rachel Platten), 'Behind Blue Eyes' (The Who), and 'Long Promised Road' (The Beach Boys). It turned out to be a very close fight -- no knockdowns, no knockouts.
I really appreciate all y'all who took time to vote. And I double appreciate everyone who submitted a personal fight song of their own. Here are the Fight Songs songs which got mentioned in the comment section: 'I Won't Back Down', 'Fight The Good Fight', 'The Real Me', 'Eye Of The Tiger', 'We Are The Champions', 'Straight Shootin' Woman', and 'Face The Blood'.
.
The idea of a 'Fight Song' is entirely subjective; whatever works for a person is what works. Period. The songs don't even necessarily need to mention any sort of conflict. Sometimes it's just a powerful feeling induced by a beat, a rhythm, or the sound of certain instruments. I remember a day in the late 1970s when just prior to a high school wrestling match I happened to hear the following song played on the radio and it really revved me up for that battle:
'Black Betty' doesn't have a thing to do with fighting, wrestling, or conflict of any kind, but it has a certain aggressive sound & rhythm that did the trick for me that day.
.
Here's another song that really gets me ready to step into the ring when I hear it, even though I'm not Jewish and the song is specifically about God fighting the Battles for Israel:
.
'No Weapon Formed Against You Shall Prosper' -- Joel Chernoff
With my BOTB bote for 'Long Promised Road', the Results look like this:
FINAL TALLY
Rachel Platten = 2 votes
The Who = 5 votes
The Beach Boys = 6 votes
.
I'm pretty shocked that The Who did not win this, but I'm pleased I was able to introduce some folks to a song they weren't familiar with and who were pleasantly surprised by it. For me, personally, since 1997, The Beach Boys' 'LONG PROMISED ROAD' has not only been a Fight Song, but actually my ULTIMATE FIGHT SONG!
.
In '97, I purchased a Beach Boys CD which contained a number of complex songs that were new-to-me.
.
.
I was working on a writing project at the time, so for a few days I played this CD on 'Repeat', as just background music to write to, until unusual songs like ''Til I Die', 'Surf's Up', 'The Trader', and 'California Saga' seeped into my mind. Another one which I gradually began to consciously understand was 'Long Promised Road'. After awhile, I found myself getting fired up by that "GetOuttaMyWay!" chorus.
.
The lyrics seemed a bit abstract until I started to reflect on the last lines which, initially, seemed oddly out of place. It was like the finale of the recording was turning into a Love song. "I'd love to see you... I'd love to see you". Suddenly it clicked! "YOU" was GOD, and the whole song was about a person fighting his way back to his Creator! It's not just a physical fight song, it's a Spiritual fight song!
.
But I hit hard at the battle that's confronting me, yeah. Knock down all the roadblocks a-stumbling me. Throw off all the shackles that are binding me down.
.
That's the singer (Carl Wilson) removing every thing in "this world" that is impeding his path to The Lord. ("Enter by the narrow gate... Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.") The Battle is in recognizing one's pure Spiritual identity and in overcoming the obstructions & illusions of "this world" that attempt to block the road to one's understanding, self-awareness & Divine Destination.
.
'Long Promised Road' is a fight songand a road song about a person's journey from "thisworld" to the Perfect Realm of Light & Love that's been promised:
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. ... For all that is in the world... is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away... but he who does the will of God abides forever. Now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
I'm not going to belabor the point and beat a dead horse by interpreting every verse in the song, but here's one that is very obvious, once a listener understands the true theme of this 'Fight Song':
The title is 'Long Promised Road'. What is that Long Promised Road? It's a Spiritual journey: forty years in the wilderness concluding at The Promised Land.
"Long Promised Road" (Heaven - The Promised Land - at the end for those who faithfully fight the Good Fight). "Trail starts at dawn" (your birth) "carries on to the season's ending" (your death). "Long promised road flows to the Source" (God, the Creator), "gentle Force" (Almighty Love) "Never ending, never ending" (Eternal Life).
.
There's one last thing I want to mention about this song that I find very unique. Perhaps this has been done in other musical arrangements, but if so, I'm not aware of it. The Beach Boys were masters at arranging background vocals with Heavenly harmonizing. Everybody knows this. But they did something in 'Long Promised Road' that took me a long time to notice, and I think it adds some "oomph" to the chorus.
.
Ordinarily, background vocalists will sing right along with the lead singer, or just slightly behind the lead vocalist. But in the chorus of'Long Promised Road', the other Beach Boys, singing background, actually start singing the chorus just half a beat BEFORE lead vocalist Carl Wilson does. Here's the chorus again:
.
But I Hit hard at the battle that's confronting me, yeah
Knock down all the roadblocks a-stumbling me
Throw off all the shackles that are binding me down
If you listen closely, you'll hear the background vocalists are singing ("Hit"... "Knock"... "Throw"...), like, half a beat BEFORE lead vocalist Carl Wilson sings those same lines. I've never noticed this sort of thing in any other song, and I feel like it adds an interesting sonic texture and maybe a bit more "oomph" to the chorus. See if you hear that...
Do you have a personal 'FIGHTSONG'? If so, please tell me what it is when you vote in the comment section below. I'd love to learn everyone's personal 'Fight Song'.
.
In the realm of sports, the idea of a 'Fight Song' goes way back and was originally a collegiate concept. Boston College's 'For Boston' (1885) may have been the first.
.
In Major League Baseball they are referred to as 'Walk-Up Songs'. [link>27 Best Baseball Walk-Up Songs (Of All Time) These are songs that are played in the stadium when a hitter is walking up to the plate and he is looking for that extra "GRRRR!"; looking for that added boost of adrenaline that can come from a feisty, inspirational song just before the batter faces the pitcher and those 100 MPH fastballs. (Even some pitchers have had 'Warm-Up Songs'.)
.
In Martial Arts, it's referred to as a [link>'Walkout Song'. This is a song meant to fire up the fighter and crank his aggression "up to eleven" when he walks out to the field of battle.
.
The whole point of a 'Fight Song' (or 'Walk-Up Song', 'Warm-Up Song', or 'Walkout Song') is to awaken and energize the inner lion (or lioness) in a competitor / performer.
.
In 2015, Rachel Platten had a #6 Billboard hit with a very popular song she wrote & recorded titled 'Fight Song'. (I'm not a musician, but in 1980 I wrote my own 'Fight Poem' titled 'The Mad Dog'.) I recently asked my friend Sheboyganboy Six (aka Sixgun McItchyfinger) what his personal 'Fight Song' is and he mentioned two songs by The Who, one of which was 'Behind Blue Eyes'. I've always liked that song because I can relate to it, and also because I have always strongly associated it with my Brother, who was born with pale blue eyes and an innate anger directed at "this world".
.
In 1997, after having heard it from eight to ten times, I recognized that a very obscure song by The Beach Boys titled 'Long Promised Road' was my own personal 'Fight Song'.
.
This is a 3-Way 'Fight Song'Fight between Rachel Platten's 'Fight Song', The Who's 'Behind Blue Eyes', and The Beach Boys' 'Long Promised Road'. Please tell me in the comment section which of these 3 songs appeals to you the most (for any reason whatsoever, and not necessarily as a 'Fight Song'). And please tell me if you have your own favorite 'FightSong' that speaks to you and makes your inner lion or lioness roar.
.
I'm including the lyrics to all 3 songs for those who want to sing along.
.
FIGHT SONG (#6 on Billboard, 2015) by Rachel Platten
Hokey-Smoke & Hoo-Wee! (as Rocket J. Squirrel & Deputy Dog Dawg would say). This turned out to be a better Battle Of The Bands installment than I thought it would be. The contest took place HERE and it featured two different songs titled 'DOITAGAIN'.
.
I had a really nice voter turnout this time, so I thank every one of you who made this Battle possible. And Special Thanks to my two "Anonymous" voters who generously dropped their two cents into the BOTB Kitty. (Don't worry - "Special Thanks" is nothing like "Special Sauce"). I hope you'll both return again next time, on October 1st. And bring a name, if you feel comfortable coming out of the Film Noir shadows.
.
Because The Dan's 'Do It Again' was a bigger hit than was The Beach Boys' 'Do It Again', I half-expected them to win handily here. But it was a very interesting Battle: The Boys came charging out the chute, garnering the first two votes. Then The Dan slapped 'em around for awhile, but The Boys came charging back, landing a flurry of punches just before the final bell rang.
.
I really dig BOTH songs a lot, but my vote went to The Boys, because from those first few funky notes, that unique rhythm has me bopping in my chair. Plus, I can really relate to the lyrics of The Boys' song, whereas The Dan song is so lyrically unrelatable (which is true of almost all their great tunes) that it just doesn't quite bury itself into my heart & mind.
.
As I said to my old drinking pal, Pooh: "girls... the beach... suntanned bodies... waves of sunshine... warm and out-of-sight nighttimes... surfing and dancing... and a beautiful coastline". Or, "sorrow... stolen water... getting dragged by the feet... a cheating girlfriend... Vegas slot machines, roulette wheels, and cards that are black". Hmmm?
.
Anyway, two great songs slugged it out and here's how the judges' combined scorecards added up:
FINAL TALLY
The Beach Boys = 7 votes
Steely Dan = 8 votes
.
Wow! An ideal BOTB outcome (1-vote point spread between winner and loser). I loved it!
.
Thanks again, All Y'All! I hope to see y'all back here again on Oct. 1st.
Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).
Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
.
When I was young, I hated to see the Summer end. It meant that days at the beach were over and I had to return to school. In June, the kids would say, "See you in September!" (Yeah, not if I had anything say about it, you wouldn't.)
.
But now that I am retired from the workforce and there are no schoolrooms in my immediate future, I can't wait to see the dog days of Summer come to an end. I can't wait to see 90-100 degree days end and the gorgeous Fall weather arrive to cool things down.
.
For a variety of reasons, my all-time favorite Summer was 1974. I was recently thinking about how much I adored Summers at the beach when I was a teenager, and how at the end of August I'd be wishing that we could do Summer all over again. Why did there have to be a September? Why couldn't we just go back to June after August 31st?
.
And all of that thinking reminded me of the funky Beach Boys song 'DO IT AGAIN'. (Yes, I reallyDID use the words "funky" and "BeachBoys" in the same sentence.) Naturally, this also made me think of Steely Dan's different song with the same title. And so... HERE we are, about to do one of those 'Same Title, Different Song'Battles.
.
The Beach Boys' 'DoItAgain' was a #20 Billboard hit in 1968, while Steely Dan's 'DoItAgain' climbed to #6 in 1973. In researching those Billboard stats, I was surprised to learn that 'Do It Again' was The Dan's first Top 40 hit. For some reason, I'd always thought it was 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'. In fact, 'Reeling In The Years' also preceded 'Rikki...' in the Top 40 charts.
.
Anyway... below are the songs. You know what to do:
I gots me a "hangdog expression" on me mug because I'm two (count 'em: 2) days late with this Battle Of The BandsResults post. Sorry. Been a busy couple of days 'n' stuffs like that. But I sure appreciate everyone of youz what took the time to stop by here with yer two cents for the BOTB kitty. I had a lot of fun reminiscing while putting this Battle together and I hope all y'all enjoyed it, too.
.
The contest took place [link> HERE, and it was a "Speed-Singing" Battle between Johnny Cash's 'I've Been Everywhere' and Reunion's 'Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)'.
.
.
['The Jack Daniel's Cross-Country Tour' - New York City to Los Angeles, Oct. 1983.]
.
.
[VW Bug somewhere in Georgia, Oct. 1983.]
.
I really dig BOTH of the songs I used in this Battle, but I prefer the very catchy, earwormy song by Reunion. After my vote was added in, we wound up with this Result:
Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).
.
On July 11th, I wrote this to our friend [link>dIEDRE:
"Next Battle will be pretty unique. Here's a big clue: What do Speed Racer, Speedy Gonzalez, and The Roadrunner have in common?"
.
Tha-aaa-t'sright! They're all cartoonsvery fast.
.
Today's Battle features two songs sung very fast. I very cleverly call this "speed-singing". Today we have Johnny Cash and his recording of 'I've Been Everywhere' (1996) against 'Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)' which was a #8 Billboard smash for the one-hit-wonder group Reunion in 1974.
.
I have never made a secret of the fact that I think Johnny Cash was one of the very most overrated music "artists" of all time. I only like two of his songs (the grifter didn't write either one of them). And, helck, as the old saying goes: Even a broken, nutty squirrel finds a blind clock twice a day.
.
One of those two Cash recordings I like is the super-fast 'I've Been Everywhere'. Of course, Johnny didn't write it because he couldn't have -- he simply didn't have that much talent. But he DID record a good rendition of it. (If you're curious about the history of this interesting song, click HERE.)
.
I haven't been EVERYWHERE, but I have been to many places. Some examples:
.
I have been to Winnemucca, Mac. I have been to San Fernando Valley; Monument Valley; Silicon Valley; Simi Valley; Death Valley; and Goblin Valley.
.
Goblin Valley, Utah
.
STMcC with a big ol' bottle of Almaden wine in Goblin Valley.
Tom Sawyer's (i.e., Mark Twain's) boyhood home. That's STMcC's Marvelous Ma in Hannibal, MO.
.
I've been to Saint Louie; and Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty.
.
STMcC's brother, Judge Al Bondigas, in St. Louis, 1984.
.
...photo by STMcC.
.
I've seen Flagstaff, Arizona - don't forget Winona - Kingman; Barstow; San Bernardino. (In fact, I got a speeding ticket just outside of Barstow in 1980.)
.
STMcC & Muddy hitchhiking on the original Route 66.
.
I've gotten to Amarillo by morning, and I've been seen standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.
.
Judge Al Bondigas, STMcC & Muddy standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ.
.
I've been to Colorado; Kentucky; Washington, D.C. and the Devil's (other) Tower in Wyoming.
.
.
I've seen Grants Pass, Oregon; jumping frogs in Calaveras County; and I've fallen in love with the cute cashier at the Santa Fe drug store.
.
I've been in Maine; Mississippi; Minnesota; and Butte, Montana.
.
I've been to Tonopah; Tucson; Tombstone; and Toontown. I've seen Gotham City; Bullhead City; Virginia City; the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia; and Hawkeye's "Swamp" in Korea.
.
Judge Al Bondigas & STMcC in Virginia City, NV. (circa 1975).
.
Okefenokee Swamp, GA., where I got completely lost one night with nothing but a flashlight and only one Lowenbrau beer to sustain me! The alligators were closing in and the hoot owl was "WHOooo"-ing. *I'm NOT kidding!*
.
By the time I got to Phoenix, it was 1995 (degrees). I've been ON, ABOVE and UNDER the Vincent Thomas Bridge; and 40 years later, the authorities are still looking for me on Catalina Island!
.
I once made a wrong turn and 12 miles later I found myself in McGill, Nevada. (Nah, I'm just joking. Nobody "finds himself" in McGill. McGill is a place you LEAVE in order to find yourself.)
.
Oops!Wrong turn.
.
I've been to Appleton; Sheboygan; and Weyauwega, Wisconsin.
(Why the helck was I in Weyauwega??!!)
.
I've been in Kansas... (wait for it... wait for it...)
... but I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore.
.
I have been in the state of Confusion and the state of Despair. I've been in Hot Water and A-Day-Late and A-Dollar-Short. I've been lost at sea in a fifth of Bacardi. I have hallucinated on the road out of Vegas, and I've gone to jail in Mexico.
.
.
Daphne Moon and I NEVER should have hired those undercover cops posing as "male escorts"!!
.
I've even been in Monstro.
The beast swallowed me while I was watching the birdie. [Photo by the one & ONLY "Countess". Don't be fooled by cheap imitations like Jeanne Moreau!]
.
But worstofall, I've been in Fringe & Paisley...
.
...and I killed a bottle of bourbon in Reno just to watch it die.
.
The hangover I had when I took this picture in 1986, no mortal man could have survived. *I'm NOT kidding!*
.
But unlike Johnny Cash, I haven't been EVERYWHERE... man.
I never went to Katmandu, and I've never seen holy Toledo!
.
Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
.jpg)
