Friday, April 21, 2017

RESULTS: BATTLE OF THE BANDS -- 2017, APRIL 15 (Or, MASH VS. WKRP VS. MOONLIGHTING)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2017, April 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'M*A*S*H Versus WKRP IN CINCINNATI Versus MOONLIGHTING') And The Final Tally:

First, I want to thank EVERY ONE OF YOU for playing and for making this one of the most .F-U-N. Battle Of The Bands installments I've ever had.

I really enjoyed reading your comments and learning some of your personal favorite TV Shows and Theme Songs.

This one was super-close! M*A*S*H started out like gangbusters and for quite awhile it looked like Blowout City. But then the Night Owls -- the MOONLIGHTING folks -- showed up a few mornings later and turned this into a serious competition!

As I stated at the beginning, these are probably my all-time TOP THREE favorite theme songs (although I really love many more). But I'll bet many of you probably thought I'd be voting for M*A*S*H. Well... "Wrong again, Fishface!" (as my dear, departed Ma would say).

Of the 3 shows, MOONLIGHTING is my favorite. MASH, believe it or not, I don't really care for. (I liked their money though. Ha!)

My Ma was born and raised in Cincinnati. So was my maternal Grandpa. The super-sweet Mary Ann, a person who is sort of an extended part of my family, still lives there.

And then there was a girl... Amy E. On my blogs, I usually refer to her as [Link:) "Ms. Venus", and I was head over heels mad for her.  One of very few blondes I've ever been really attracted to. She was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio -- not Cincinnati. But that's still a "C" in Ohio and close enough for me to make the emotional connection between her and the theme song for WKRP IN CINCINNATI.

Maybe she and I were never meant to be, but the theme song for WKRP makes me think of her once in awhile...

Baby, if you've ever wondered
Wondered whatever became of me
I'm living on the air in Cincinnati, 

Cincinnati WKRP

Got kind of tired of packing and unpacking
Town to town, up and down the dial
Maybe you and me were never meant to be 

Just maybe think of me once in awhile.

I'm at WKRP in Cincinnati!

John Holton's comment pretty well nailed it:

"There are a lot of reasons I like the theme from "WKRP in Cincinnati": it's a breezy almost-love song"...

It really is a wistful, melancholic love song that hints at "what might have been" -- had it only been in the cards. I can totally relate to that.

But, WAIT! ...THERE'S MORE...

"They're solid PLASTIC! So don't settle for imitations."

"But the senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity."

C'mon, Peoples! How many theme songs have you laughing even before the show starts?!

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


Nevertheless, the only two votes that WKRP got came from my Brother and STMcC.

Yesterday, I replied to the comment by Doc MacSis with this:

I'm almost afraid to count up the votes. This "feels" like a MASH / MOONLIGHTING tie.

Well, we'll know tomorrow.

As it turned out, it really WAS a tie at that point. And along came Robin, the Girl Wonder, to break it...

M*A*S*H = 9 votes


WKRP IN CINCINNATI = 2 votes

MOONLIGHTING = 8 votes

My thanks again to everyone for making this such a successful BOTB installment. "We sure had a lot of fun. And I hope to see you again real soon" (hat tip to Mickey Mouse).

~ KDogG In Reno
Da King O' De Airwaves
& Da Dictator O' De Blog

Saturday, April 15, 2017

2017, APRIL 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, M*A*S*H VS. WKRP VS. MOONLIGHTING)

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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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I woke up this morning and I got a glass of gin.
The future's uncertain but tonight will end in sin.
~ 'Roadhouse Blues' (21st Century edition)

When you pause to think about it, a lot of really A-LIST E-TICKET MUSIC has been used as themes for television shows. And in a way, I imagine it's kind of demanding for a musician to create a song that is super-catchy and conveys some idea about a show's premise in just a minute or a minute and a half at most.

There are quite a goodly number of TV series theme songs that I really dig. I even like some theme songs for shows that I actually think stink to high Heaven (e.g., 'Sanford & Son', 'Welcome Back, Kotter', and 'Hill Street Blues').

(Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary, please do correct me if I'm wrong, but...) Recently, it occurred to me that no one has ever used TV theme songs in a Battle Of The Bands competition before. (Our good friend Jeffrey Scott once used TV stars singing in BOTB, but not the actual TV show theme songs.)

Since the themes are all so short (approximately one minute), I decided to make it a 3-Way Battle. But which theme songs should I use? Hmmm.... I asked my new Magic 8-Ball (now with the electrolytes that BOTBers crave) but it was of no help a'tall. 

So then I just threw up my arms (which, trust me, is very rough on one's throat) and said: "I'll just use my own Top 3 favorites. Who can stop me? I'm da dictator o' de blog!

So, here ya go, my Top 3 favorite TV Theme Songs. Which of the 3 do you like best?

Please remember that I am NOT axing you which of the 3 TV shows you like best, but which of these 3 pieces of music do you like best? However, if you want to tell me in the comment section which of these 3 shows you prefer (even if it's not your favorite of the 3 theme songs presented here), I would LOVE to know. ALSO!... I would be interested to know what is your favorite TV series of all-time, regardless of whether or not it is one of the 3 shows being featured here in this Battle. (In other words, I'm just generally interested in learning a bit more about you and your likes. As Daphne Moon would say: "I don't know why.")
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GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS
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M*A*S*H
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlkxcC79LA8

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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG
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WKRP IN CINCINNATI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQvCNLIVydM

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RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN
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[*Please Note that the official Theme Song for the following show ends at the 57-second mark. When Al Jarreau goes into the song 'Since I Fell For You' afterwards, that part don't count a'tall! So don't be countin' it. Don't make me have to come over there!!]

MOONLIGHTING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPZI9aQLhgk

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Question: Will M*A*S*H win this Battle?
Magic 8-Ball sez:  "My Sources Say No"

Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) 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
@ '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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Saturday, April 1, 2017

2017, APRIL 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, GLENN MILLER VS. ACKER BILK)

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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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This is my second and final Battle celebrating Jazz month (March 15th through April 14th). Wackypedia sez:
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The "Song of the Volga Boatmen" (known in Russian as Эй, ухнем! [Ey, ukhnem!, "yo, heave-ho!"], after the refrain) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev, and published in his book of folk songs in 1866. It was sung by burlaks, or barge-haulers, on the Volga River. Balakirev published it with only one verse (the first). The other two verses were added at a later date. The song was popularized by Feodor Chaliapin, and has been a favorite concert piece of bass singers ever since. Glenn Miller's jazz arrangement took the song to #1 in the US charts in 1941.
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In that case, let's begin with Glenn Miller, shall we? (It doesn't matter whether or not you think we should, because I'm da dictator o' de blog. So learn to love the idea:o)

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GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS
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SONG OF THE VOLGA BOATMEN -- Glenn Miller Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCjQqF44kE 

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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG
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Next up is Acker Bilk. In case you are unfamiliar with him, Wackypedia sez this:
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Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk was an English clarinettist and vocalist known for his appearance -– goatee, bowler hat and striped waistcoat -– and breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register clarinet style.
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Bilk's 1962 instrumental tune "Stranger on the Shore" became the UK's biggest selling single of 1962: it was in the UK charts for more than 50 weeks, peaking at number two, and was the first No. 1 single in the United States by a British artist in the era of the modern Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
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His parents tried to teach him the piano but, as a boy, Bilk found it restricted his love of outdoor activities, including football. He lost two front teeth in a school fight and half a finger in a sledging accident, both of which he claimed affected his eventual clarinet style.

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Now, let's listen to Acker's very spirited rendition which definitely adds a little New Orleans 'Dixieland' touch to the song.
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SONG OF THE VOLGA BOATMEN -- Acker Bilk 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWfwi5uiTkg

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RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN
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Question: Will Acker Bilk win this Battle?
Magic 8-Ball sez:  "Don't Count On It"
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) 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
@ '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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