BOTB RESULTS: JULY 1, 2022 (Or, THE BEACH BOYS WITH BLONDIE CHAPLIN VS. THE BEACH BOYS WITH RAY CHARLES)

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First & Foremost: Big Thanks to everyone of you who took the time to visit my July 1st Battle Of The Bands installment and contributed your two cents to the kitty. Although the Battle was a blowout, I still feel it was a goot juan, and I had some funs in ye olde comment section.

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The BOTB contest took place [link> HERE. The song was 'SAIL ON, SAILOR', and the contestants were The Beach Boys with Blondie Chaplin singing the lead vocal versus The Beach Boys with Ray Charles singing the lead vocal. Although our resident so-called "psychic" (Psychic Sidekick) unequivocally predicted a Ray Charles victory, Blondie Chaplin actually won... unequivocally.

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FINAL TALLY

Blondie Chaplin & The Beach Boys = 9 votes

Ray Charles & The Beach Boys = 3 votes

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Occasionally the underdog wins. And every once in a blue moon, the underdog even kicks the McNuggets out of the favorite. That's what happened this time.

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I actually love BOTH versions of this song a great deal, so for me, personally, this Battle was a lot closer than it was for our BOTB community. However, like most other BOTB boters, I sided with Blondie Chaplin's original recording. Maybe it was partly due to the fact that I grew up with the original recording, so familiarity bred contempt (too strong a word) for the "new" version. But also, when a song gets the classic "Blues" treatment (a la Ray Charles) it tends to alter the musical meter. Sometimes that's an improvement. But not this time, according to mine own ears.

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Anyway, I sure do appreciate those who voted for Ray, preventing a (first) shutout! And because I did manage to get at least 10 votes again (12 - *Thank you, Birgit's Hubby!*), I'll be back with another Battle Of The Bands installment on August 1st. I hope you'll all return for that one, because I've got something rather unique up my sleeve. It's an idea I've had on my 'To Do' list for quite awhile, and I'm thinking that the month of my birth is the time to bust out this one-of-a-kind musical Battle.

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My Friends, may you Bless And Be Blessed!!

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: July 1, 2022 (Or, BLONDIE CHAPLIN & THE BEACH BOYS VS. RAY CHARLES & THE BEACH BOYS)

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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).

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"Roll down the window, put down the top

Crank up the Beach Boys, baby

Don't let the music stop"

~ Randy Newman

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Well, well, well, we're now in the patriotic heart of Summertime. Having grown up in the shade of Lifeguard Station #26 in "Dogtown", California, this time of year fills my mind with good memories of Fourth of July celebrations, lemonade, body-surfing waves all day long, and the sunny, cheery songs of The Beach Boys. The Boys are on my very short list of all-time favorite musical artists.

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In 1975, I purchased my first three LPs in a single visit to Tower Records, and one of those three albums was this one:

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It included several lesser-known songs that I loved as much as I did the massive hits. One of those songs was 'SAIL ON, SAILOR', which actually got played on Los Angeles FM radio stations very frequently and, along with 'Good Vibrations', was the primary reason I purchased this LP. In putting together this Battle, I was shocked to discover that 'Sail On, Sailor' was never a Billboard Top 40 hit. I guess its massive popularity was more of an "underground" type of thing in L.A. back then.

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I've decided to put The Beach Boys up against The Beach Boys, with two different singers performing the lead vocals. Ray Charles needs no introduction. But who is this "Blondie", who sang the lead on the original recording?

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No, no, not *that* Blondie! "Don't let's be silly!!" 

Terence William "Blondie" Chaplin grew up in South Africa under apartheid where he was classified as Coloured, and where he played in the band The Flames... Beach Boy Carl Wilson heard The Flames while the band was performing in London and signed them to the Beach Boys' Brother Records label, producing their self-titled album, The Flame. In 1972 and '73, "Blondie" was a member of the Beach Boys and contributed to their albums Carl and the Passions' 'So Tough' (1972) and 'Holland' (1973).

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See which version of the song you prefer -- Blondie Chaplin's original, or Ray Charles covering it with The Boys themselves.

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Q: Will Ray Charles & The Beach Boys beat Blondie Chaplin & The Beach Boys?

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WARNING: This song can be a nasty earworm that keeps you awake all night long. Take it from an extremely tired guy who knows: Don't play this song shortly before bedtime!!

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Alright, let's get on it.  Let's get ON this thing!...

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SAIL ON, SAILOR - The Beach Boys (with Blondie Chaplin)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wYanztTi7k

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SAIL ON, SAILOR - The Beach Boys (with Ray Charles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zFlvqTDVSE

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Please vote here and then check out the other folks in the BOTB Club to see what Battles they are running this week. (See the Linked List of "Participants" in the right-hand column, punks.)

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I should be back here on July 8th to announce the winner. Git you a Happy Fourth of July, my friends! (Don't gorge yourself on fireworks and then play with your food!!)

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy