BOTB RESULTS: JUNE 15, 2024 (Or, THE BLUES BROTHERS Versus VAN MORRISON)

 

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The outcome of my latest BOTB's Battle Of The Booze came as a surprise to me. The contest took place HERE and it was between 'Hey, Bartender' by The Blues Brothers and 'If You Only Knew' by Van Morrison. I half-expected The Blues Brothers would have some difficulty keeping up with Van-The-Man, but in this case, the underdog didn't know it was a damn show, they thought it was a damn fight!

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My own vote was never in question because for many years I was a major Van Morrison fan (and owned all of his albums up to and including 1995's 'Days Like This'). And the last several notes that Pee Wee Ellis plays in his tenor sax solo on 'If You Only Knew' can literally send a shiver up my spine!

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However, even with my vote, Van wasn't able to match the Blues Brothers' vote total.

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FINAL TALLY: 

The Blues Brothers = 6 votes 

Van Morrison = 5 votes 

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Unfortunately, this wasn't a great turnout. (My sincere gratitude to every one of you who did take the time to visit and participate!!) Hopefully more voters will show up for my July 1st Battle Of The Bands installment, because I have something very special planned for that one. I'll be taking a one-Battle break from the booze and featuring the exploits of my ol' pals, The League Of Soul Crusaders. Meaning, of course, that the post will be extremely serene. ;^)

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"If You Only Knew" > related blog bit HERE.

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May you all... 

Bless & Be Blessed!

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, JUNE 15 (Or, THE BLUES BROTHERS Versus VAN MORRISON)

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DogGs & DogGesses, welcome to my 12th installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze. 
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This time we have The Blues Brothers going up against Van Morrison, or beer versus gin & vermouth (also known as a "martini").

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You probably recall that The Blues Brothers were "Jake" (John Belushi) and his brother, "Elwood" (Dan Aykroyd). What you may not have known was that their backing band included some really good musicians, such as Steve Cropper & Donald "Duck" Dunn (of Booker T & The MGs), and Matt Murphy, who had played guitar for Memphis Slim and Howlin' Wolf. 

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Included in Van-The-Man's band was Pee Wee Ellis, who was nothing short of a beast on the tenor saxophone and who had been a member of James Brown's band! So, we've got some really hot musicians in this contest, and I am curious to see who will emerge victorious.

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Without further ado... 

let's get on it! Let's get ON this thing!!

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Well jukebox girl is everything

All the cats began to sing

I heard somebody called and said

"Last round for alcohol!"

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I said, Hey bartender

Hey bartender

Hey bartender

Hey bartender

Draw one, two, three, four glasses of beer

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Hey Bartender 

by The Blues Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lNTBzyn4Xw

Message In A Bottle

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I wouldn't want to cramp your style

But if you want to make it all worthwhile

You have to have your own breakthrough

If you only knew

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If you only knew what could happen to

A man for telling the truth

If you only knew all the scruples

That go down in gin and vermouth

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If You Only Knew 

by Van Morrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h846devnLyE

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Remember: This is really about the songs and not the booze. So, in ye olde comment section, please vote for which song you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.

* See the BOTBer links over there --->
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I'll return here on or about June 22nd with my own vote and the final tally.

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~ Stephen T. {*hick!*} McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, JUNE 1 (Or, ZZ TOP Versus GEORGE THOROGOOD)

Hi, Hello & Howdy, Y'All.
My sincere gratitude goes to everyone who graciously and generously took the time to visit my BOTB's Battle Of The Booze installment (HERE) and voted in the contest while I was mostly away on my vacation 'Stop 'N' Go, Slow-Moving, Burning Carcation'. Also known as 'Travels Without Muddy'. It was one hell of a trip! (Muddy is my stuffed dog and road trip good luck charm. Like a dern fool, I left Muddy at home this time and we suffered the consequences!)
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The Booze battle was between ZZ Top ('Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers') and George Thorogood ('I Drink Alone'). It began as a massive blowout in ZZ Top's favor. At one point they were ahead in the voting 7-1. But then George's fans sobered up enough to cast vote after vote after vote.
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Although I have always liked BOTH of these hard-rockin' songs a great deal, I slightly - only very slightly - favor the Thorogood tune for these 4 reasons:
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1. The wacky humor in staunchly drinking ALONE... along with Jack, Jimmy & Johnny.
2. The nasty sax.
3. (100-proof) Old Grand-Dad is my favorite family member!

4. Because.

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FINAL TALLY:
ZZ Top = 7 votes
George Thorogood = 6 votes
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Thank you, friends, for making this such an outstanding Battle! ZZ Top's 'Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers' will advance to BOTB's Battle Of The Booze playoffs, while George Thorogood is left behind, drinking alone.
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The 4 Highlights from my brief road trip were:
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1. Seeing my sister, >Bonehead, for the first time in two years.
2. Being served the very best Old Fashioned cocktail I've ever tasted, thanks to Bonehead's husband, Eric (the man should have become a bartender!)
3. Learning the word "bourbonomics" from M.W., a former member of The League Of Soul Crusaders.
4. Getting to stay for free one night in a Big Bear Lake cabin with Billy Gibbons Billy Buck, who sings ZZ Top's famous song 'La Grange'. (When I found myself sharing a room with Billy Buck, I knew it was an incontrovertible omen that ZZ Top was destined to win this Battle!)
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I hope to return here again on June 15th with a new Battle. And I hope YOU will return here again to vote in it! Until then, may you all... 
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Bless & Be Blessed!! (And try to remain somewhat sober, but without overdoing it too much.)
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: JUNE 1, 2024 (Or, ZZ TOP Versus GEORGE THOROGOOD)

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Howdy, Friends. Welcome to my 11th installment of BOTB's Battle Of The Booze. You should definitely crank this one "up to 11!" In this contest the hooch that gets mentioned is beer, bourbon and scotch (or Budweiser, Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Old Grand-Dad, and Johnny Walker). The winning song will advance to BOTB's BOTB post-season playoffs.
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Unfortunately, I will be out-of-state most of the time that this Battle is running, so I probably won't be my usual verbose self in the comment section. I may even be a day or two late in posting the results of this contest. But post them I will, on June 8th or as close as possible.
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In ye olde comment section, please vote for which song you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.
* See the BOTBer links over there --->
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Alrighty then. Straddle your Harley, crank it "up to 11", and let's get ON this thing!
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BEER DRINKERS & HELL RAISERS
by ZZ Top
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09L0vTMDKwo

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I DRINK ALONE
by George Thorogood 

& The Delaware Destroyers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzqQst-Sg8

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation