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Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

RESULTS: BATTLE OF THE BANDS -- 2017, MARCH 15 (Or, DJANGO REINHARDT VS. CLYDE McCOY)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2017, March 15th: Battle Of The Bands'
(Or, 'Django Reinhardt Versus Clyde McCoy')
And The Final Tally:

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Well, this was an unexpected bust.
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Granted, I knew going into this Battle that Clyde McCoy would have his hands full against Django Reinhardt. Nevertheless, with 'Battle Of The Bands' being primarily a Rock crowd, I figured the jet-fueled tempo of McCoy's version would rocket him to victory. Apparently the Magic 8-Ball was thinking along the same lines. But, WRONG! & WRONG!

This being BOTB (and to borrow a line from the late great Chuck Berry), "You never can tell."

Django was an absolute master and his recording of 'I've Found A New Baby', with all its subtle shadings played in such a seemingly effortless way is pretty mesmerizing to me. However, it probably comes as no surprise that my vote lands on the Clyde McCoy version which I dubbed "Punk Jazz".

When I was a teenager, long ago in a land far away, I got into the Punk Rock scene when it first exploded. Yep, I had those first two Sex Pistols albums, as well as the first three albums by The Clash. I owned a couple of albums by X, the first one by The Germs, also some proto-Punk albums by Iggy And The Stooges, The Ramones, and 'Radios Appear' by Radio Birdman.

A few years older and wiser, I realized it was all a bunch of shit and I jettisoned that noisy vinyl.

But make no mistake, I understood the Punk Rock genre -- I "got it" and liked it for those first few years before my musical tastes changed and made it unlistenable to me.

In the mid-1980s I turned heavily toward the Blues which led me into Jazz by the late-'80s. And it was probably around 1990 or '91, after hearing 'Sing, Sing, Sing' by The Benny Goodman Orchestra that I (as far as I was aware) coined the expression "Punk Jazz".

What Punk Rock lacked in quality musicianship it attempted to make up for with loads of attitude, speed, and volume (as in "up to eleven") on nearly every track.

Now, obviously, you're not going to find the anger of Punk Rock lyrics in old Jazz tunes -- many of which were instrumentals anyway. But that 1937 recording by Benny Goodman was the first time I had found the same sort of aural attack, the same energetic, all-out ferociousness of Punk Rock in a Jazz track. It was like "take-no-prisoners" music; it was like "get outta my way and hang onto something" music. I felt like I wanted play along on my air-guitar; I felt like I wanted to break something and start a fight. Ha!

A few years later, my dear ol' Ma gave me for Christmas some great Jazz CDs. Those discs introduced me to Ralph Marterie, Bill Doggett, and Clyde McCoy. I loved them all, but especially that early Jazz "Wah-Wah" sound of McCoy's trumpet. And it was on that McCoy disc that I found his 1931 recording of 'I've Found A New Baby'. I recognized in it that same attacking energy, that guttural ferociousness that I heard in Goodman's 'Sing, Sing, Sing' and in most of that early Punk and proto-Punk Rock. And Clyde's track preceded Goodman's by 6 years!

That fierce energy and sound really runs throughout McCoy's 'I've Found A New Baby', but if you want to hear perhaps the most prominent point, go back HERE and listen from 2:09 until the end. That sounds like a cross between a barroom brawl and a bull elephant! Or perhaps bull elephants in a barroom brawl.
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FUN FACT: I went to YouTube to grab a video of Benny Goodman's 'Sing, Sing, Sing' (the 1938 Carnegie Hall version) and while I was there, I scrolled through some of the comments. I was surprised to see that I'm not the only person who has noticed some of the attributes it has in common with Punk Rock. Read these 5 different comments and then give a listen to Benny Goodman's great band rockin' out!

Wow. This punk rocker bows down in respect. Absolute brilliance from beginning to end, but throughout, the raw jungle power of Gene Krupa drives this monster like a muscle car. Flat-out crazy awesome!

This rocks. One of the great moments in popular music history.

Quite punk, in its own way. Excellent raging tune.

This is the best Rock drumming ever!  Not even our Blessed John Bonham could do better.

Have often thought that a lot of Swing could be arranged for Heavy Metal band and vice versa.

Which gives me the idea that I suppose I could have even called the Clyde McCoy version of 'I've Found A New Baby' "Heavy Brass" as well as "Punk Jazz".

'Sing, Sing, Sing' -- The Benny Goodman Orchestra


Well, "Punk Jazz" aside, my own vote for Clyde did nuttin' in terms of preventing a blowout:
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Django Reinhardt = 12 votes
Clyde McCoy = 5 votes
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I thank y'all for voting and I hope you will return on April Fool's Day when this fool will present another installment of 'Battle Of The Bands'.
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Just for fun, while on your way out the door, check out this third rendition of 'I've Found A New Baby'. I'd never heard of The Speakeasies' Swing Band until I was putting this latest BOTB installment together, but I think they're terrific! See what YOU think:
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

2017, MARCH 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, DJANGO REINHARDT VS. CLYDE McCOY)

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Republican Vs. Democrat, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB')
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for 'Battle Of The Bands' ('BOTB').
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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As everyone knows, March 15th through April 14th is officially "Jazz Month", and in honor of that, my next two Battles will feature Jazz recordings. Settle down, children, settle down! I'm not asking you to write a theme, and I promise you that this won't be as painful as all that. It's not like I'm going to be using any Free-Form Be-Bop stuffs or anything like that.
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In fact, I think if you'll just open your mind a tiny crack and give this stuffs a chance, you might find you really like it. I believe these Battles are going to be pretty good because I am using RADICALLY different versions of the songs which should really give you a lot to ponder.

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In this first Battle, it's a very old Jazz song titled 'I've Found A New Baby'. The first recording is by the legendary French Jazz guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt.
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Django will be going up against trumpeter Clyde McCoy, whose recording of the song is, as far as I know, the first example of what I've coined "Punk Jazz" due to its energy and tempo. McCoy, from the family line of the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud, was a co-founder of Down Beat magazine.
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{A tip o' me Leprechaun hat to Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary for the inspiration.}
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Question:  Will the Mick win this Battle?
Magic 8-Ball sez:  "As I See It, Yes"

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I'VE FOUND A NEW BABY -- Django Reinhardt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVHzYPOr5bw

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I'VE FOUND A NEW BABY -- Clyde McCoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMpj2kqdLt4

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Special Note For CANADIAN Voters:

If that video would not play for you, try link #2 below. If that one won't play either, use link #3, which I am nearly certain will play in Canada. (It's not the same recording but close enough.) And please do me a favor by telling me which of the links played for you. For future reference I'm trying to find a pattern in the YouTube Region Restriction Checker's inconsistent results.
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#2:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i17AK151jWs
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#3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sInLyOxyT3U

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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other. 

After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogs to vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)

Voice Your Vote...

@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.

As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

2017, MARCH 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, RARE EARTH VS. BILL WYMAN'S RHYTHM KINGS)

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Republican Vs. Democrat, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB')
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for 'Battle Of The Bands' ('BOTB').
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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EUGENE  MARTONE  VS.  JACK  BUTLER
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Wackypedia sez:
"Tobacco Road" is a song written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960 ... and has since become a standard across several musical genres. Originally framed as a folk song, "Tobacco Road" was a semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Durham, North Carolina. Released on Columbia Records, it was not a hit for Loudermilk, achieving only minor chart success in Australia. Other artists, however, immediately began recording and performing the song.
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GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS
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'Tobacco Road' was the second track on Rare Earth's Platinum-certified second studio album 'Get Ready', released in 1969 by Motown Records. We'll listen to that one first...
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Tobacco Road -- Rare Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3TLTFqO4ns

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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG
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Wackypedia sez:
Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings is a British rhythm and blues, blues and blues rock group, founded in 1995 by Bill Wyman, the former bass player of the Rolling Stones.
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After Wyman had left the Rolling Stones ... and instead devoted himself to other projects such as writing books and photography. At the end of 1995, he again felt like making music ... he decided to return to his musical roots. Wyman began jamming at home with Terry Taylor, and soon the idea came to play with several artists. Wyman contacted Georgie Fame, guitarists Albert Lee, Peter Frampton, Andy Fairweather-Low and pianist Gary Brooker.

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Tobacco Road -- Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A9uJDc4qj4

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RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN
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Question: Will Rare Earth win this Battle?
Magic 8-Ball sez:  "As I See It Yes"
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other. 

After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. (If their ‘BOTB’ blog bits aren’t posted yet, pour yourself two shots of ‘Grand Marnier’ over ice – do it twice – and then return to their blogs to vice your voice ...vote your vice ...voice your vote.)

Voice Your Vote...
@ 'BOOK LOVER' by clicking HERE.
@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ by clicking HERE.
@ ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ by clicking HERE.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CURIOUS AS A CATHY' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.

As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th and 21st of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy 
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