As always, first & foremost, my sincere thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to visit my Battle Of The Bands installment, listened and submitted a "bote" in the comment section. Y'all Cool Cats! The Musical Battle took place HERE, and it was between 'An American Dream' by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and 'Doing Nothing' by Bruce Blackman.
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This was a close contest. "Ya see?"...
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FINAL TALLY:
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band = 7 votes
Bruce Blackman = 5 votes
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Anyone who was paying even the least bit of attention already knew from my comments in the Comment Section that I was going to vote for Bruce Blackman. After all, as I wrote, Mr. Blackman (unbeknownst to him) really helped me to overcome my immense shyness! I know! I know! I know what y'all thinkin': "No way was STMcC ever shy!"
"Wrong again, Fishface!" (as my dearly beloved Ma used to say).
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I was so shy that I flunked out of Kindergarten. My teacher called me "anti-social". (I wish she could see me now!)
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Right after graduating from high school, Bruce Blackman helped me in overcoming my shyness. (How? See the comment section.)
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Here's the comment I posted on Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' YouTube video 7 years ago:
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@D-FensDogG
7 years ago
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think "DOING NOTHING" may be my favorite Bruce Blackman song of all time. Yes, even more so than "Moonlight Feels Right". I think... maybe. Sheesh! That's a tough call, but I do know that over the last few years I've become very fond of saying "I NEED A COLD MOJITO". (And most of the time I do, too! Ha!)
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And Mr. Blackman replied:
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@StarbuckMusic
7 years ago
+D-Fens DogG I've been known to down a mojito or two, or three on occasion.
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By the way, *that* mojito, pictured above, was the best one I ever had! Courtesy of the bartender at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Reno. The first mojito I ever had was at Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Phoenix. Abuelo's is also where I invented the word [link>"goldenshadow".
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Here's the comment I posted on Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' YouTube video 7 years ago:
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@D-FensDogG
7 years ago
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think "DOING NOTHING" may be my favorite Bruce Blackman song of all time. Yes, even more so than "Moonlight Feels Right". I think... maybe. Sheesh! That's a tough call, but I do know that over the last few years I've become very fond of saying "I NEED A COLD MOJITO". (And most of the time I do, too! Ha!)
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And Mr. Blackman replied:
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@StarbuckMusic
7 years ago
+D-Fens DogG I've been known to down a mojito or two, or three on occasion.
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By the way, *that* mojito, pictured above, was the best one I ever had! Courtesy of the bartender at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Reno. The first mojito I ever had was at Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Phoenix. Abuelo's is also where I invented the word [link>"goldenshadow".
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Sadly, of the 114 songs I still currently have listed to eventually use during my BOTB's Battle Of The Booze series, Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' was my #1 absolute favorite. I really thought he would win this contest and go on to clobber a whole lotta other songs in BOTB's BOTB future Playoff rounds. As Waylon Jennings sang: [link> "WRONG!"
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Oh well, that's how the cocktail glasses break in a divebar blog like this one.
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Oh well, that's how the cocktail glasses break in a dive
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(I once ordered a martini in a bar called Remedy's. The bartenderess asked me if she could serve it to me in a cocktail glass, because she didn't have any real martini glasses. Then she added, "I'm surprised the martini glasses lasted as long as they did... in a dive bar like this." That was perhaps the second funniest thing I ever heard in a bar!)
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Well, anyway... although my very favorite song that mentions booze has already been eliminated from BOTB's Battle Of The Booze, the show must go on! So I will return here on March 1st with a new round of BOTB's BOTB. Until then, may you all...
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Bless & Be Blessed!!
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~ Stephen
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POSTSCRIPT: Bruce Blackman's 2018 'THE ROAD TO MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT: The Story Behind One Of The Most Popular Songs Of The '70s' is an extremely entertaining book! I highly recommend it. (And it goes great with
"a cold mojito".)
I've been reading Bruce's book on and off. It's not that long, maybe I should just read it and get it done. I follow him on Facebook and he's the kind of guy who will reply when you talk to him. I like that.
ReplyDeleteBROTHER JOHN ~
DeleteYes, Bruce Blackman seems like a genuinely nice guy who is still down-to-earth despite his success.
I've always been a book junkie, and I read so much heavy stuff for decades that I reached a point where, for a few years, I needed to step away from the sort of thing I most often delved into.
It was some light, entertaining publications - such as Mr. Blackman's memoir - that eventually reinvigorated my interest in reading.
~ D-FensDogG
I'm not surprised that you were shy. You were an actor and many were/are shy. I wad called painfully shy and very timid. Nor any more..unless I have that mood spring up. I'm not surprised about who wins and who doesn't.
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteSupposedly, my personality type is INTJ, with the I standing for "Introverted". Although I'm not shy now, I would say that my natural state is still fairly reserved. I mean... unless the drinks are on the house. ;^D
Say, you know, we haven't had a resident psychic on this blog for quite awhile now. You wanna be the new psychic? I can tell you in advance which songs will be Battling it out and you can predict which will win.
We just need to come up with a good stage name for you... Birgit, The Clairvoyant Canadian?
~ D-FensDogG
I predict she won't do it!
Delete"The Amazing Sixwell"
How come that? Did the Magic 8-Ball tell you so?
Delete(If she's really psychic, she'll know *not* to take the offer. Because... buses with names on 'em, and all sorts of other ways to go. It's a very dangerous job, and no psychic has survived it yet. ;-)
~ D-FensDogG
Obviously, that comment was NOT from "The Amazing Sixwell," since he was run over by a bus several years ago, meeting his demise.
DeleteThat comment was from a "Russian Hacker AI Bot." Those Rooskies are always up to something, and in this case they are just messing with your blog!
Of COURSE, Birgit will take the prognosticating gig! It carries much prestige and can lead to seminole (not seminal) career changes. As is becoming a card dealer at a casino.
Sixgun McItchyfinger
Actually, I don't think Artificial Intelligence had anything to do with the comment above. I believe it was indeed a Russian hacker, but his name is AL BOTSKY (BOT for short).
DeleteI often think of The Amazing Sixwell and mourn his death. So unfortunate that he didn't see that bus coming.
Mr. McItchyfinger, I can't help wondering who The Amazing Sixwell would predict as the winner, if he could be here now and know that my March 1st BOTB installment would feature 'Roadhouse Blues' by The Doors versus 'Sunset Grill' by Don Henley. Can you guess what outcome Sixwell would forecast?
~ D-FensDogG
It is a true tragedy that Sixwell did not see that bus coming. The rumor I read was that not only was HE drunk - staggering out into the street into traffic - but that the bus driver was drunk too! Those are the rewards of the "demon juice," the devil's left hand." He would - if he could have predicted it - strongly object to your Battles of the Bands which glorify the giggle water that left him flushed and embalmed.
DeleteThat being said: I may pop around the corner and ask a neighbor her opinion about what Sixwell might have predicted about the matter. She lives on Endor Street about four houses away, and is the (now) elderly niece of Jean Dixon: her name is Louija "Trixie" Dixon. Maybe she has some powers to reach beyond the grave and get in touch with Sixwell. I will get back to you on this if I have more info.
Meanwhile, hopefully NostraBirgit may be located and offer her "praedictionem pugnam musicorum."
Sheboyganboy
SHEBOYGANBOY ~
DeleteYour comment was so clever I had to read it twice to catch all you wuz doing there! (I think my favorite was "Louija".)
However, I needs must correct a couple incorrect facts.
The Amazing Sixwell was *NOT* intoxicated at the time of his death. For one thing, when two Gumbys crash into each other, neither one gets hurt. Being like Gumby is what saves lives!
Also, Sixwell hated hooch so much that he would have *NEVER* partaken. I knew Sixwell... well. I recall him often saying that Jesus had made only two mistakes during His life. One was that He had turned water into 757 to 908 bottles of wine. (The other was that Jesus had not prayed to His Father and called down "more than twelve legions of angels" when He had the chance.)
I am sure that NostraBirgit will not accept my offer. She is too intelligent to play Russian Roulette with the dark forces of the Netherworld.
~ D-FensDogG
Nice playlist. Bruce was my favorite in this, but I suppose the Gritty guys have earned their due ;-) I'm not familiar with Sixwell. However the Sixgun dude had an idea a battle or two ago that reminded me of a game I used to play with a guy we called "The Silent Giant" He didn't talk much but he sure knew music. Kinda like you.
ReplyDeleteGood battle!
dIEDRE ~
DeleteI'm glad you liked the Battle. Although I wasn't ecstatic about the outcome, I also thought the contest was a goot juan.
That 'Goldenshadowland' playlist absorbs more of my time than I like to admit. But it's near & dear to me. I refuse to let it grow beyond 88 videos. So every time I think of something else that *MUST* be on it, that forces me to delete some other video that I don't *really* want to remove. But over the last 6 months, the playlist has been significantly refined.
Every video is somehow connected to memories of important people, places and events in my life. In truth, it's essentially a video playlist autobiography!
I've seriously thought about writing a blog bit series that explains the significance of each video in the playlist and the reasons for the order in which they are presented. (I've spent as much time working on the order as I have on which videos to include and remove.)
I've thought about doing this series at my Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends blog, or even reopening my long-defunct 'STUFFS' blog for it. But then I always conclude that it would be too much work for something that would go primarily unnoticed. Plus... what's the point of essentially writing an autobiography when I can spend that time watching & listening to the videos instead?
I don't know exactly how much time is left, but I want to enjoy my late-afternoon years as much as possible.
~ D-FensDogG
Too Bad! I liked Blackman much better too. I've been perusing your YouTube channel. Some interesting playlists you have, including "Goldenshadowland".
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE D'DOGLADY ~
DeleteTo show just how delusional I can be at times, I had actually imagined Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' winning this entire Battle Of The Booze contest! I debuted his song against 'An American Dream' since they both had a kind of tropical island getaway vibe. But I thought Bruce would dispose of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band rather handily and then go on to beat tougher competition later.
"Uhp! I'm an idiot!
Now, all of my hopes rest with Tiny Tim. Ha! (I've already begun thinking about who I will match Tiny against soon. My first thought was The Charlie Daniels Band. But that could change.)
I got your E. Thanks!
And I hope to get a r-E-ply sent maybe later today or tonight.
~ Stephen