BOTB'S BOTB: NOV. 1, 2024 (Or, STEELY DAN'S PINA COLADA Versus STEELY DAN'S COKE & RUM)

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I didn't really become aware of Steely Dan until their biggest hit, 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number', reached #4 on the Billboard charts in 1974. '74 was totally bitchin' and that song will always Waybac Machine me to the Summer of '74 within a matter of seconds. (Thank you, Mister Peabody, you brainy dog!)

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The music of Steely Dan was always slick, sophisticated and somewhat strange -- yes, a wee bit bizarre. But strange / bizarre in a goot way. To me, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker are like the Rocky & Bullwinkle of Rock music.

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Over the decades I owned a fair number of Steely Dan albums. I know that 'Aja' was their biggest non-compilation seller; however, my favorite was always 'Katy Lied' (1975). The cover was as weird as the songs, and that LP spent a LOT of time on my turntable. It was one of 2 or maybe 3 albums I would put on when I didn't really know what I was in the mood to hear. Somehow 'Katy Lied' always hit the spot and those tracks took me to some very different kind of place! 

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"The Dan" mentions booze, hooch, evidence in a goot number of their songs (all of which I like). But, for this installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The  Booze, I decided to run with two relatively obscure Dan tunes from the 'Katy Lied' album. Please vote for your favorite between them, and then please also visit the other BOTBers and drop your two cents in their comment sections. 

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I plan to return here on November 8th with my own vote and the final tally. 

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Bad sneakers and a Piña Colada, my friend

Stompin' on the avenue by Radio City with a transistor and a large sum of money to spend

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BAD SNEAKERS 

by Steely Dan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r5PsCkBrDg

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Daddy don't drive in that El Dorado no more

He don't travel on down to the neighborhood liquor store

Lucy still loves her Coke and Rum

But she sits alone 'cause her Daddy can't come

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DADDY DON'T LIVE IN THAT NEW YORK CITY NO MORE 

by Steely Dan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjf9QQKjRzc

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Be well & stay safe, all y'all!

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~ Stephen T McKatydid McCarthy

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, BIG FULL MOON LIKE A GIANT OYSTER SHELL IN THE DARK BLUE NIGHT!)

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What you have before you is my fourth (a.k.a. 4th) entry in [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival.

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As mentioned previously, my primary theme in this blogfest is "Underrated", as in songs I feel are underrated, primarily because they're also rather unknown by the masses in these (strange) times we're living fighting through. 

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The songs I'm featuring in this installment are kinda-sorta Halloween themed. Think of Full Moons & Things That Go Bump In The Night.

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It's odd that, with my declining memory, I am still able to recall the tiny details I am about to yak out...

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It was 1977 and I drove to downtown Santa Monica to purchase from the Wherehouse Records store the LP 'Their Greatest Hits: 1971-1975' by The Eagles. It just so happened that the employee at the cash register was a guy I'd known from high school ("SAMOHI, dear old SAMOHI, queen of the setting sun..."). We started yakking music and he told me that I had to get the new Blue Oyster Cult (BOC) album 'Spectres'. 

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The only song by BOC that I was familiar with at that point was '(Don't Fear) The Reaper'. Of course, EVERY teenager knew that giant hit. And I had always liked that song, except for the fact that I felt it needed more cowbell. 😉 (Yip, I wrote that.)

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Well, I took that fellow SAMOHI student's word for it and shortly thereafter I bought the 'Spectres' album. Hokey-Smoke!! I fell in love with it and I nearly played the grooves off'n it. What I discovered later, after purchasing every BOC album ever released, was that BOC had really toned down their original heavy metal sound as the years went by; they added all kinds of harmony & melodic hooks, so the early Metal Heads felt that BOC had "sold out". But I LOVED the "sell-out" version of BOC (I saw them live in concert twice). The earlier rackety stuffs was not my mugga beer.

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I have often said that I think Buck Dharma was the most underrated guitarist of the classic Hard Rock era. Whereas so many of the Hard Rock guitarists were playing the same similar lead lines over and over and over and over, Buck Dharma had a unique ability to tailor or stylize his lead guitar licks in accordance with the mood being conveyed in different songs.

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Below are examples of what I mean by that description. These two tunes display the versatility of Buck Dharma's guitar playing and how he added so much atmosphere to the BOC tracks.

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MOON CRAZY  (1979) 

by Blue Oyster Cult 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FTkTnUiK4A

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I LOVE THE NIGHT  (1977) 

by Blue Oyster Cult 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q94EdbBAJEE

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Those two songs came from the albums 'Spectres' (1977) and 'Mirrors' (1979), which were my very favorite BOC albums. I hope they didn't scare you too badly. 

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~ STMcC 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

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POSTSCRIPT:

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

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, HEAVY TRAFFIC; NO LANE CHANGES POSSIBLE)

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What you have before you is my third (a.k.a. 3rd) entry in [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival.

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Me (chin in hand) in my Rock Poetry class - 1977.

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I was introduced to the band Traffic in the only high school class I ever enjoyed – Rock Poetry. (Well, honestly, I didn’t mind my Debate class in high school, either. But that’s only because I got to sit next to Jean Gonzalez. Ooh! Hot mama!!)

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Jean Gonzalez, bottom right... yeah, bottom... right!

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In Rock Poetry, our final exam consisted of introducing other students to a musical artist whose lyrics you found notably good. You had to bring in a song to be played and lyric sheets for everyone in the class. (It wasn't like chewing gum, where you could bring in just enough for your own self-centered self.) 

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During his final exam, one student turned us all on to Traffic and their 1971 song [link> 'The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys'. I instantly dug that song and went right out and bought the LP. I dug that LP so much that, shortly thereafter, I bought several more albums by Traffic. 

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During the 'Low Spark' period, Traffic consisted of Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Ric Grech, and (one of the most memorable names I've encountered in my 65 years) Rebop Kwaku Baah.

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One of my favorite tracks on the 'Low Spark' album was 'ROCK 'N' ROLL STEW'. Here it is:

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Rock 'N' Roll Stew 

by Traffic 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ubpNmSTAU

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Remember that (song); you'll need it later!

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~ STMcC 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 (Or, BUMPIN' ON SUNSET - BRIAN AUGER)

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What you have before you is my second entry in  [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival. Mary is exclusively using Rock from the 1980s, but since that is where Rock music lost me, I will be postin' & explainin' my thoughts on underrated Rock from other years.

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When I was a kid, there was Jazz in the house. My Ma loved Count Basie's 'April In Paris' & she owned the Cannonball Adderley LP 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at The Club'. My Pa was a big fan of Louis Prima & had some of his albums, which got played often. As a teenager in the 1970s, I was all about Rock music. But then something happened...

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Early one morning in late 1977 or early '78, I was driving through the heart of Hollywood on my way to a job at either Universal Studios or Warner Brothers Studio (I don't recall which). Back then there was a wild radio station on the AM dial that was the most eclectic station I have ever heard. I can’t remember the call letters, but it was way, way over to the right side — like, maybe 1640 or somewhere in there.

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I happened to tune in that morning at the middle of some song and had no idea who the artist was, but the monstrous electric organ sound was mind-melting! I kept saying aloud – hoping the DJ would hear me – “WHAT is this?! WHO is this?! Please tell me, Mister DJ!” Half the time they didn’t even bother to mention what they had been playing. And I had never before heard anything quite like that song (I was only 18).

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Just as I was about parallel with the Hollywood Bowl (coincidentally having just crossed Sunset Boulevard about a minute earlier), the DJ said that the song had been ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’ from Brian Auger’s ‘Live Oblivion’ album. SOLD!! Within a day or two, I had the LP, and that was the first step on my way to becoming a Jazz addict.

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'Bumpin' On Sunset' was composed & originally recorded by the great Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. The cover by Brian Auger & The Oblivion Express was a Jazz-Fusion version which is, essentially, a fancy way of saying Jazz-Rock. 

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The first rendition of the song that I encountered (and still my favorite) had been recorded live in 1974 at the Whisky A Go-Go, only a few minutes away from where I was driving at the time I heard it. Some lyrics had been added to Montgomery's original instrumental, and the live recording - which was played at a slightly faster tempo than the studio take - included Steve Ferrone on drums, who became the drummer for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in 1994. 

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Here's a link to that 1974 recording: BUMPIN' ON SUNSET

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However, for those who would prefer to SEE it being performed live, below is a video from a July 2005 concert at The Baked Potato in North Hollywood. It features Brian's son, Karma, on drums; Brian's daughter, Savannah, singing; and Derek Frank on bass. This was filmed on Brian Auger's 66th birthday:

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BUMPIN' ON SUNSET 

by Brian Auger & Oblivion Express

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAvuFli5NS0

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I hope that got you bumpin' along.

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I'll return with a new old tune in a couple o' days.

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Bless & Be Blessed!! 

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~ Stephen 

DogGtor of Alcohology & 

King of Inebriation Nation

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, OCT. 15 & ROCKTOBERFEST: 2024

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My 10-15-2024 BATTLE OF THE BANDS' Battle Of The Booze  took place HERE, and it was between Bruce Stinkweed's Springsteen's 'Spirit In The Night' and The Eagles' 'On The Border' (or, Wine versus Wine). 

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This Battle weren't no dog! It was indeed a "battle". At one point The Eagles were leading 6 to 3, but when Stinkweed Springsteen scored the final 4 votes (including mine) it sealed the deal. 

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FINAL TALLY: 

Bruce Springsteen = 7 votes 

The Eagles = 6 votes 

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Although I certainly don't dig Springsteen's music like I did in the early '80s, I still own his first two albums, which I think are his best. And the song 'Spirit In The Night' is like an anthem to me, which is entirely entangled with my memories of The League Of Soul Crusaders. So much so that lyrics from the song appeared on the first page of my book manuscript about The League: 

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So, Bruce Stinkweed's song will advance to the eventual playoff rounds, and The Eagles' song will fly away, 'bye-'bye.

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I thank each and ever' one o' youz who participated in my BOTB contest, and I hope all y'all will return for my next one on November 1st. 

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ROCKTOBERFEST 2024 

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Between now and my next BOTB installment, I intend to post two or three entries in [link> MMQE's 'Rocktoberfest' carnival. Mary is exclusively using Rock from the 1980s, but since that is where Rock music lost me, I will be postin' & explainin' my thoughts on Rock from other years. 

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Considering how much I yak on this blog about booze, hooch & sampling the "evidence", it may come as a surprise that the first song I want to feature for 'Rocktoberfest' is a song I've always LOVED which is titled 'STONE COLD SOBER'. (Can you believe it-uh?!) 

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Here's the lowdown on this mostly unknown & therefore ridiculously underrated rocker:

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"Jesus is a Locomotive" ~John Eldredge

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The band FREE came & went before I had started buying albums. So, I never owned any of their LPs. But I always liked their big hit 'All Right Now' and knew that the lead guitarist was named Paul Kossoff. In '77, a 2-LP retrospective album was released titled 'KOSS'. I must have read about it in some music magazine & bought it. I played the "KOSS!" out of that album. Totally fell in love with his guitar tone and style! He just had such a deep 'n' dangerous sound. 

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Kossoff's and David Gilmour's playing have always reminded me a bit of each other. It's not fast & flashy, but has a very distinctive low, raw, guttural sound. To me, it sounds like a house being demolished from the foundation UP, rather than from the top down! 

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After Free broke up, Paul Rodgers formed Bad Company and Paul Kossoff formed Back Street Crawler. When Kossoff died, the band continued under the name Crawler, with a guy named Geoff Whitehorn taking over on lead guitar. It was never a big hit song anywhere, but in L.A. a song by Crawler titled 'Stone Cold Sober' got some airplay on our F.M. stations and I fell head-over-heels in love with that song! Whitehorn had the Kossoff sound nailed down, and then some! 

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I consider it amongst the most underrated Rock songs of all-freakin'-time. Or, well... at least since the mid-1950s, anyway. 😉

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STONE COLD SOBER (1977) 

by Crawler

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

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, OCT. 15 (Or, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Versus THE EAGLES)

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East Coast or West Coast? What's it gonna be? In this installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze, the spirit that's about to speak is WINE. You know, as in...

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"wine that makes glad the heart of man" 

~ Psalm 104:15

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Most folks know the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was turning water into wine at a wedding celebration feast. One of the very best books I have read was written by John Eldredge and titled [link> 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW: Experiencing The Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality Of Jesus'.

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Just for fun, before getting this musical Battle underway, let's take a quick look at what Eldredge had to say about that first recorded miracle performed by Christ: 

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To see bigger'n better, click on the images.

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So, this BOTB installment includes two songs which mention wine (rosé is a type of wine). Here are the relevant lyrics:

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Well, Billy slammed on his coaster brakes 

and said anybody wanna go on up to Greasy Lake?

It’s about a mile down on the dark side of route eighty-eight

I got a bottle of rose so let’s try it

~ Bruce Springsteen 

'Spirit In The Night' 

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Cruising down the center of a two way street

Wondering who is really in the driver's seat

Minding my business along comes Big Brother

Says, son, you better get on one side or the other

I'm out on the border, I'm walking the line

Don't you tell me about your law and order

I'm trying to change this water to wine

~ The Eagles 

'On The Border' 

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Alright, doggone it, let's get on it.

Let's get ON this thing!

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Please vote in the comment section for which song you like better and then, like good peoples, please visit all of the other BOTBers and contribute to their contests, also. 

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I intend to return here on or about Oct. 22nd to announce my own vote and the final tally. 

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SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT 

by Bruce Springsteen 

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

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ON THE BORDER 

by The Eagles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeuaxvEI9Dw

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: OCT. 1, 2024 (Or, TOM WAITS Versus DAVID & DAVID)

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If that picture is a mystery to you, then I recommend you return to my Oct. 1st Battle Of The Bands post HERE and read the comment exchanges between Pooh Lynth and myself. That'll explain the history behind that photo. 

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We're all familiar with the saying "A 2 at Ten is a 10 at Two". Well, at 824 Bay Street in the very early '80s, the saying was: "A drunk at Ten wears a chair at Two".

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Anonymous partier at 824 Bay Street, after passing out and getting "the business", circa 1982.

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This installment of BOTB's Battle Of The Booze was between Tom Waits ("bourbon") and David & David ("Jack Daniel's"), and I very sincerely appreciate everyone who came by and participated in the voting. Just to illustrate how wrong I can be, I'll confess that, while constructing this last Battle, I was of the belief that Tom Waits would win it by a comfortable margin. Uhp! I'm an idiot!! 

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In my Battle post, I mentioned how 1986 was a tough year for me, due in large part to the suicide of my great friend Kelly. 

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Skydiving Kelly & his pal Mr. Coors.

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In 1986, David & David's only album, 'Boomtown', really spoke to me, conveying many of the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing at the time. Rarely, if ever, had I been as personally connected to a collection of songs.

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Although I have 'Boomtown' on CD today, and can't imagine not owning it, I rarely play it anymore. The songs are unique & quite good but, happily, those themes and emotions are in my distant past. Today, I have a great deal more inner peace.

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So, how did I vote in this BOTB installment? Like most teenagers at the time, when I was a teen I loved the sound of loud electric guitars. Scott Gorham, Michael Schenker, Buck Dharma - I thought those guys were the cat's meow and the dog's bark! 

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In the late '80s, after getting heavily into Jazz, the tenor saxophone became my favorite musical instrument. But then sometime in the early to mid-'90s I came to realize that no instrument rocks my world quite like the electric organ. Man, lay down some seriously charged organ on a track and I am guaranteed to dig it big time! 

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Well, the heavy bass & orgasmic organ on the Tom Waits song 'Little Boy Blue' is definitely my cup of tea mug of beer! I find that combo extremely exciting (plus, I dig the lyrics also). So, despite all of my personal history with the David & David songs, my vote for Tom Waits was never in question. Nevertheless, this contest was a blowout:

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FINAL TALLY: 

Tom Waits = 3 votes 

David & David = 8 votes 

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My thanks again to everyone who contributed, and I hope you'll return for my next installment of BOTB's BOTB on October 15th. 

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~ STMcC 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: OCTOBER 1, 2024 (Or, TOM WAITS Versus DAVID & DAVID)

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My Friends, My Friends, please bear with me this time, OK?
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My last BOTB's Battle Of The Booze contest was sugar & spice & everything "nice", and most everyone seemed to like it. This one, with its heavy, Heavy, HEAVY keyboards and even heavier theme, won't likely be as appreciated. But, as an infamous person once said:

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"Sometimes you just gotta unleash the dog and let it go sniffin’ around whichever way the wind blows it." 

~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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My all-time favorite movie soundtracks are:
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#1) [Link> BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S by Henry Mancini.
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#2) [Link> ONE FROM THE HEART by Tom Waits (& Crystal Gayle)
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#3) [Link> THE ENDLESS SUMMER II by Gary Hoey
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(Anybody who thinks movie soundtracks cannot Rock really hard has obviously never heard Gary Hoey's guitar work in 'The Endless Summer II'.) 
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1986 was a rough year for me. The angels of "Los Angeles" had departed, and one of the very, very best friends I've ever had committed suicide in '86. And it was still eight years before I would meet Yeshua. A tough time for ol' STMcC (who wasn't really ol' yet, but was beginning to feel kinda ol').
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However, that same year, David & David released their only album, 'Boomtown', which made them a one-hit-wonder when their song [link> 'Welcome To The Boomtown' climbed to #37 in the Billboard charts.
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David (Baerwald) & David (Ricketts) and their only album attracted a "cult" following, which still exists today. I know because... I'm a cult member. Without boring you to death with details, I'll simply say that I had 'Boomtown' on 'repeat' in '86 & '87 because I felt that The Davids had been "reading my mail". The songs really spoke to me (like me speaking to myself!)
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That brings us to this installment of BOTB's Battle Of The Booze. We have 'LITTLE BOY BLUE' by Tom Waits from his soundtrack for the movie 'One From The Heart' going against 'ALL ALONE IN THE BIG CITY' from David & David's only album 'Boomtown'.
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Please vote for your choice as "the lesser of two weevils" here. And then go deposit your two cents-worth in the Battles of the other BOTBers. I plan to return on Oct. 8th with my own vote and the Results.
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Alright, let's get on it.
Let's get ON this thing!
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So, Abracadabra
Now she's disappeared
Everything's Canada Dry
So, watch your behavior
And rattle your cage
With a bottle of bourbon
Good-bye
~ 'Little Boy Blue' by Tom Waits
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LITTLE BOY BLUE
by Tom Waits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjuRjjBwidc

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What's the matter, buddy?
Do you want another drink?
Try Jack Daniel's
It really helps you to think.
~ 'All Alone In The Big City' 

by David & David
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ALL ALONE IN THE BIG CITY
by David & David
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCcxR6fW73I

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~ Ol' Stephen T. McCarthy

(who, now, really is ol')

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, SEPT. 15 (Or, THREE DOG NIGHT Versus AMERICA)

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My most recent BATTLE OF THE BANDS' Battle Of The Booze contest took place HERE. It was between Three Dog Night's 'Joy To The World' ("mighty fine wine") and America's 'Ventura Highway' ("moonshine"). 

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Most of the voters stated that they liked both songs, and that goes for me, too. I still remember how immensely popular 'Joy To The World' was when I was just a li'l boy. The moment you heard that memorable opening line, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog", you knew exactly what song was about to play. 

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However, 'Ventura Highway' by America has a certain dream-like nostalgic quality about it that immediately has me reminiscing & missing golden days long gone. 

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'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' - now available on compact disc!

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So, including my own vote for the "golden days long gone" song, the outcome looks like this:

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FINAL TALLY: 

Three Dog Night = 4 votes 

America = 8 votes 

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Not a bad Battle, and 'Ventura Highway' will advance to the eventual Battle Of The Booze playoff rounds.

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My very sincere thanks to EVERYONE who took the time to visit 'n' vote! 

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I'll have something new for you to drink hear on October 1st , so y'all come back now. Thanks!

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, SEPT. 15 (Or, AMERICA & AMERICA SINGS)

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I currently have a list of about 115 different songs to use in my BOTB Battle Of The Booze contests. The problem is that my mind makes an infinite number of connections between different things. So, if I really wanted to, I could probably find some sort of connections between all 115 of these songs & reasons why one song should do battle with any number of the others. In other words, it's difficult for me to narrow down the possibilities. My brain was doing cartwheels, whirligigs, somersaults, and bibbidi-bobbidi-boos trying to figure out what my Sept. 15th Battle oughta 🐝. 

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I finaventually narrowed it down to doing a birthday tribute to my good friend Joe, who was born on Sept. 21st. Meaning that I was going to use the hit song 'Ventura Highway' by America, which I recorded from the radio on Sept. 21, 1985. I titled the cassette tape 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' and, to this day, it is one of my all-time favorite possessions. It's not just a physical tape; it's a Spiritual message. I'd explain that, but you'd think I was more'n a wee bit o' crazy.

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'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' cassette tape from 1985.

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cassette notes

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I couldn't even calculate (with a calculator) how many different songs I considered using against America's hit. But then on the night of 9/11, the Light suddenly came shining through. The keyword was "America". 

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My mind connected America, the 2/3rds American group formed in London, with 'America Sings', one of my all-time favorite Disneyland attractions. 'America Sings' was created for America's 1976 Bicentennial Celebration, which is humorously recreated in the movie 'The Spirit Of '76', starring David Cassidy.😏

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In 'America Sings', Disney's animatronics perform Three Dog Night's 'Joy To The World'. {There's your "dog", if'n you was waitin' for it to appear here.}

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As be necessary, BOTH songs mention booze:

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Jeremiah was a bullfrog

Was a good friend of mine

I never understood a single word he said

But I helped him a-drink his wine

And he always had some mighty fine wine

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Ventura Highway in the sunshine

Where the days are longer

The nights are stronger than moonshine

You're gonna go, I know

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For anyone who might want to see 'Joy To The World' sung in Disneyland's attraction 'America Sings', which was dismantled in 1988, click HERE and then skip forward to the 17:00 mark. 

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Alright, let's get on it. 

Let's get ON this thing! 

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Please vote for the song you like best here, and then please visit all of the other BOTBers and participate in their Battles also. I thank ye kindly.

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JOY TO THE WORLD 

by Three Dog Night 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZgw5xG8Vew

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VENTURA HIGHWAY 

by America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnV7dTXlXxs

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I'll return here on or about Sept. 22nd with my own vote and the final tally.

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy