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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.]

Friday, July 8, 2022

BOTB RESULTS: JULY 1, 2022 (Or, THE BEACH BOYS WITH BLONDIE CHAPLIN VS. THE BEACH BOYS WITH RAY CHARLES)

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First & Foremost: Big Thanks to everyone of you who took the time to visit my July 1st Battle Of The Bands installment and contributed your two cents to the kitty. Although the Battle was a blowout, I still feel it was a goot juan, and I had some funs in ye olde comment section.

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The BOTB contest took place [link> HERE. The song was 'SAIL ON, SAILOR', and the contestants were The Beach Boys with Blondie Chaplin singing the lead vocal versus The Beach Boys with Ray Charles singing the lead vocal. Although our resident so-called "psychic" (Psychic Sidekick) unequivocally predicted a Ray Charles victory, Blondie Chaplin actually won... unequivocally.

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FINAL TALLY

Blondie Chaplin & The Beach Boys = 9 votes

Ray Charles & The Beach Boys = 3 votes

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Occasionally the underdog wins. And every once in a blue moon, the underdog even kicks the McNuggets out of the favorite. That's what happened this time.

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I actually love BOTH versions of this song a great deal, so for me, personally, this Battle was a lot closer than it was for our BOTB community. However, like most other BOTB boters, I sided with Blondie Chaplin's original recording. Maybe it was partly due to the fact that I grew up with the original recording, so familiarity bred contempt (too strong a word) for the "new" version. But also, when a song gets the classic "Blues" treatment (a la Ray Charles) it tends to alter the musical meter. Sometimes that's an improvement. But not this time, according to mine own ears.

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Anyway, I sure do appreciate those who voted for Ray, preventing a (first) shutout! And because I did manage to get at least 10 votes again (12 - *Thank you, Birgit's Hubby!*), I'll be back with another Battle Of The Bands installment on August 1st. I hope you'll all return for that one, because I've got something rather unique up my sleeve. It's an idea I've had on my 'To Do' list for quite awhile, and I'm thinking that the month of my birth is the time to bust out this one-of-a-kind musical Battle.

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My Friends, may you Bless And Be Blessed!!

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

20 comments:

  1. Blondie and the Beach Boys - glad to hear it! Not that I'm not a fan of the man who lived his life in dreams of yesterday with Georgia on his mind...Hmm, a special battle and an August birthday month? Count me in, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Howdy, dIEDRE!

      I hope you're having a "bitchin' Summer". (I invented that expression in 1970 and then everyone started stealing it from me and writing it in school yearbooks.)

      Yip! Next month I turn... uhm... well... a year older. You may call me King Leo (or King for short ;-)

      Next Battle will be pretty unique. Here's a big clue: What do Speed Racer, Speedy Gonzalez, and The Roadrunner have in common?

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS'

      Delete
  2. You is gettin perilously close to not enough votes to keep bloggin'. I have contacted B. Hussein O., his partner, Michael O., as well as the Antifa department of Dominion Voting Machines. They have promised you more votes from now on. You will never lose again. All it took was my promising them that you would only feature BotB's with Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and the Dixie Chicks from now on. You're good with that, right?

    I, myself,, promise to vote several times in your next blog under various names. You will never even suspect they are not real.

    Sixgun McItchyfinger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NUMBER 6 ~

      You are not a number! You are a FREE man!!

      >>... All it took was my promising them that you would only feature BotB's with Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and the Dixie Chicks from now on. You're good with that, right?

      Dang, mang! You are more psychic than Psychic Sidekick. Because you somehow already knew what my next BOTB installment is going to be. It's going to be a 3-Way between those very "artists".

      "But no, but no, but no" (as Pooh used to say), in all seriousness, you just gave me an idear for a future BOTB installment. I haven't got it worked out yet in detail, but maybe something where two or three songs represents political ideals - from one extreme to another. Like, Conservative versus Liberal (and then maybe something truly Constitutional thrown in just for kicks). I'll call this Battle "Shitstorm". GOL! I'm terrible. But I'm just the guy to do this thing.

      >>... I, myself,, promise to vote several times in your next blog under various names. You will never even suspect they are not real.

      You going to use pseudonyms like these?
      Desayah
      Destiny
      Hunter
      Khaleesi
      Koda
      Poppy
      Siri
      Zayden

      You're right. I'll never not know it wasn't you.

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS'

      Delete
    2. >>"You're right. I'll never not know it wasn't you"
      HEY NOW! You might know with a name like Kalki... but POPPY! "Come on, man!"

      Delete
    3. "Anonymous"?

      Level with me. That's you, isn't it, Corn Pop?
      ;^D

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  3. Thanks for reporting the outcome. I was on the wrong side of this battle but I still like Ray Charles better. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. CAThy ~

      I would say you were on the "RIGHT" side of this Battle. Because Ray needed all the votes he could muster, and because I needed to avoid a shutout.

      See ya next time, my friend!

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS'

      Delete
  4. Good battle and surprising outcome. I don't think Ray Charles lost because he blacked it up too much but rather not enough -- he could have added a rap verse that put him over the top.

    Let's face it: Guss The Psychic Sidekick had an off day, shaking off Kentucky 'shine.

    Hope to chime in on the August battle. My highbrow public defender Fast Freddy From East LA Community College says if I don't give him three cases of St Ives before sentencing, I may be on a bus to Pelican Bay for five years of hard time. He's making a rush to judgement, he's making a rush to judgement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fast Freddy was late to my sentencing, having spent time (non-billable!) with his online multiple choice Sociology 001 final exam to get his Associates degree, logged back in and printed it out in the courtroom. "The dot matrix would have woke, excuse me, 'woken' up the hookers. Neapolitan!" he said as he fist bumped the DA... "three broads white, Indian, and black" he explained to the nitwit. Freddy "Frederick" now in his powder blue tux and Brylcream snorted No-Doz off the desk, and, preempted Judge Kristinita in a stern tone "I beg your pardon, it's not illegal." When she told him to approach the bar, he asked her for a gin and tonic, she said she didn't have any, he called her unprepared and asked if she got the job because of affirmative action. Well, in legal jargon, "Be ye a diversity hire."

      I got off because Fred--rick wore down their welcome.

      My probie Heidi has a beer belly and tattoos on her neck and stacks of files on her desk so I can roam a lot.

      The Richard Moll clip is Fantastic, thrown for a loops, can't believe it doesn't have more views yet. The black haired lady in the video looks like Susan Atkins when she did runway stage theater in SF. Easy. Easy. Probie says no felons.

      Digging Roger Miller's tunes and style of humor, never before realizing his undercurrent quick turns of lyrics. Think I mentioned before, Jerry Reed's Hits album was a favorite of my dad. He cranked it on Sunday mornings with the subtext "get the hell up sunny jim!" IE "buckle down to it!" And as waspy as things got, can't help but think "England Swings" with its straight up lyrics tilt toward sardonic. John Locke! John Locke!

      Dylan for some reason I forever associate with Rolling Stone magazine as their linchpin favorite. So much so that when Depeche Mode (don't even google it, knowing your musical taste you'll upchuck fast) hit, RS doth protest too much. I linked to Lou Reed's album as a love it or hate it thing as he has a love/hate relationship with himself.. and by golly the world. Perhaps sacrilegious or just shaking his fist at the heavens expecting a lot born of faith. Released in and partly a counter to the Regan/Bush years methinks.

      Googled it and Taylor Gomez has 11 Grammys (sell out!) while shockingly as never thought of him as a Grammy guy Dylan has 10. Nor did he ever want Bono-the-guy who-moved-his-dough-out-of-Ireland-to-avoid-its-taxes oof.. to give a speech so obesq--obesc--obsequiously kissing Dylan's rump. Bono is bush league!

      A cut from the album I most listened to circa 1988 >, seriously. Phil Spector (who the Beatles hated on his production I heard - and the Ramones, he was losing it) ain't got nothing on PE's wall of noise:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybYG928Uy5A

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iod8ySpmN58

      https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEtjy8Jb5nzZQ8dFR7rneYipu6zp7SKQD

      Delete
    2. Sounds like PROFESSOR DOGG been doin' hard time in Hardtimesville.

      But not to worry! Ain't nuttin' what can cheer up a man faster'n Lou Reed full o' New York stories!

      My first notable experience with Lou Reed was '1969: The Velvet Underground Live' - listening to it too early one 1980 morning while driving through the Airheadzona desert. Destination: The Grand Canyon. The Velvet Underground in the desert convinced me not to do drugs any time soon... or ever. I think my brainwaves were already cooking and pushing the envelope.

      The Arizona morning desert + '1969: The Velvet Underground Live' = Incongrutiating. A fine, fine example!

      I can definitely see how Jerry Reed could be the start of thinking outside-the-box in a young, impressionable mind. I think art would have evolved (rather than devolved) if parents had been required to own Roger 'n' Reed hits and play them for their kids early most mornings. (5.2 mornings per week, as suggested on the labels. However, there's no harm in overmusicating.)

      I've never read any Hunter Thompson stuffs. But I've heard some stories that remind me of the very early '80s when I'd stay up all night drinking Kahlua (caffeine jitters!) and trying to write - on a manual typewriter I had named Manuel - the perfect stream-o'-consciousness poem. It never worked! It never even came close to working. For one thing, I kept wanting to go back and correct my errors (forgetting my own invented adage that "An artist's mistakes are half of his art").

      I finally succeeded (on my manual, Manuel) one morning in June of 1983 when I drove to Venice Beach with an E-Ticket hangover and typed a letter to a girl in Greece while sitting in the bed of my pickup truck. It was perfect stream-o'-consciousness - errors and everything all over the front and back!! I signed it 'Bob Dylan' and mailed it to her. I had nothing left to prove.

      So I went to Jolly Jack's and convinced Cranium to quit playing pool and go see the new movie 'Koyaanisqatsi' with me. 'Koyaanisqatsi' on a weird, mind-warping, time-crinkling hangover... maybe the best day of my life.

      [Link> Koyaanisqatsi - "The Grand Illusion"

      I've spent the rest of my life attempting to chase that first great high. ;-)

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    3. Definitely typed errors viewed skewed from the heavens are meant to be. White-Out is for sissies!  

      True story that Thompson typed on a manual typewriter word for word the entirety of The Great Gatsby to get the feel of the words.  I don't get the hype, there's a car crash and Fitzgerald presses his nose against the glass at the rich restaurant gossip.  

      Much of Thompson's  "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" book was auto-biographical driving in a convertible Cadillac off his head on drugs, or at least making long lists of drugs that he and his lawyer/driving compadre took. Good to have a lawyer with all the drugs, to be safe.

      My second most remembered professor was for British Literature, which was Spring fever, only registered in it because I was about to graduate, didn't care if I got a D.  12 page papers of reports on books I read but couldn't remember the titles even at the time.  In contrast to students in the class "On page 112, he notes the candle is red. Which is meaningful" uh er. The professor let me get away with figurative murder and write whatever I wanted and gave me A's.  How did I get away with writing about WW I poets with a paper about Reagan's media team.  Dang that professor was hot -- and not even a redhead so it's a mystery why I was immediately attracted. 

      My favo(u)rite.. so much so I remember the title! was Heart Of Darkness later turned into film as Apocalypse Now most famed for Martin Sheen and the director's breakdowns and Brando showing up at 300 pounds and having to be filmed in darkness.  

      See Biden has "covid" otherwise known as his approval rating is so low the DNC and its MSM says find an excuse to ease him out.  Harris is going to have to hold on to her never ending revolving door of communication staff (the people to blame for low approval ratings for "not getting the messaging right" on apathetic policies).  The first this type, the first that type hires. Jeez, Stephen, we must be living in the laziest administration of all time. 

      The Grand Illusion looks at first Tokyo-esque where everyone is a number as lack of individuality is a price to be paid for productiveness there.. and here darn it. 

      If you had a Patreon like these redheads who have beta orbiters paying their bills each month (I don't give them a dime lest they think I'm a sucker who puts them on a pedestal too high - "You think you're better than me?"), I'd give you a C-Note for the standard 15 minute psychiatry fee and discreet drugs.

      In lieu of that, thanks Bro.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8VhywkXUWU

      Delete
    4. Sir McDogG ~

      >>... White-Out is for sissies!

      That goes immediately to the front of the line! Head of the class!
      I think that's somewhere in the New Testament, but my Bible knowledge is a bit hungover.

      Don't tell anybody -- I'd hate for this to get out -- but two classics I never read are 'Moby Dick' and 'The Great Gatsby'. I've always felt a bit guilty about this. Well... if I don't get to them in this lifetime, my next one will be better.

      Redheads, eh? You and [Link> Steve Wiley (aka Dean-o). It was always the Latinas for me. (Well, truth be told, beggars can't be choosers -- so I'd be happy with anyone who would put up with me.)

      >>... we must be living in the laziest administration of all time.

      That and/or The End Times (Late 2029, I'm looking at *YOU*!)

      I'm not sure if it would hold up for me now, but I remember that at the time, I was a regular watcher of Elliott's 'GET A LIFE'. Definitely a guilty pleasure but, hey, he gave us "Wallet Boy", and I have no doubt that episode would still have me laughing. "Wallet Boy" was the reason I started adding "boy" to everything. Helck, Sheboyganboy Six doesn't even know this, but he can thank Chris Elliott for the second half of the first half of his nickname.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    5. I saw a few Get A Life episodes back in the day, the memorable one was when he became a male model and called himself "Sparkles." One thing about Elliot, he unabashedly made himself the butt of his jokes. And also Elliot starred in a movie called "Cabin Boy" although it's so bad I don't think Six would want to be associated with that particular project.

      The former artist known as Prince had some best looking of all-time raven-haired Latino or Latino-esque featured women in his stable. Being his proteges, much of their music had single or 1.5 entendres. Named:
      Vanity
      Apollonia
      Bria Valente

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEVgnEtj0g

      Great movie trailer and I heard the name Anita Ekberg but hadn't seen her before and what tabloids would call Ample Assets, Perfect Pins, (and wonder if "Bust" in the movie title is a 1.25 entendre) and in a cartoon the characters' eyes would pop out, and in The Honeymooners, Ralph would say "homina, homina, homina"

      Redheads can draw one in quickly but, sometimes there is something to stereotypes. Strong correlation between women who dye their red and impulsive Crazy! The natural redheads can't help their natural, God-given temper as they're usually Irish :)

      There's no need to read Moby Dick after Fred Willard's Mighty Wind summation:
      "I don't know if you're familiar with a book about a pirate captain, his name is Moby Dick. He was chasing some big whale and he had a catch phrase he'd always yell out, 'There she blows!' So, I thought if you could do that, we'd have someone off-stage drench the group with water. And you could look at the camera and say, 'Hey, wha' happened?'"

      Delete
    6. Professor DogG ~

      >>...Vanity

      Ouch! No, DOUBLE OUCH!!
      Kinda scary when her bust size is double her I.Q. size.

      >>... wonder if "Bust" in the movie title is a 1.25 entendre

      Ha! That never occurred to me, but you just could be onto something there.

      'Hollywood Or Bust' is a favorite "guilty pleasure" of mine. It's on that same movie list with things like 'The Spirit Of '76', 'I'm Gonna Get You Sucka!', 'Hollywood Shuffle', and anything by Ed Wood. No apologies given.

      >>... The natural redheads can't help their natural, God-given temper as they're usually Irish

      Right, right.
      Despite some Irish blood flowing in my veins (appropriatly dilluted by whiskey), the Redhead doesn't normally naturally appeal to me. *Normally*. But Maureen O'Hara in her prime? Homina! Homina! Homina!

      FUN FACT: The first redhead to make an appearance in 'Hollywood Or Bust' (1956) was [Link> Tracey Roberts. I briefly studied at her "west coast home of the famed Actors Studio.

      Bookie Benny (Maxie Rosenbloom) : "Say goodbye to the redhead."
      Steve Wiley (Dean Martin) : "Goodbye, redhead."
      Redhead (Tracey Roberts) : "Are you going to let him talk to me that way?"
      Steve Wiley : "Yes. YES!"


      >>... And you could look at the camera and say, 'Hey, wha' happened?'"

      I own and LOVE 'A Mighty Wind'. Love it almost - almost - as much as 'Tap'.
      No apologies given.

      I'm really looking forward to my August 1st Battle Of The Bands installment. Been working on it off and on for several days and it's the most fun I've ever had putting together a BOTB blog bit. I'm actually even doing a wee bit o' creative writing in this one. I hope and think it'll be a fun one for people to listen to and bote on. My own all-time favorite BOTB installment was the one I did about reincarnation ('El Paso' and 'El Paso City' by Marty Robbins), but this one on August 1st will definitely be giving it a run for its money.

      ~ Stephen
      DogGtor of Alcohology &
      King of Inebriation Nation

      Delete
    7. Thanks S-Man,

      Some redheads I know, when they're in "Hollywood" (SoCal).. tale as old as silent movies of any hair colors: 30+ year olds who are gorgeous but can't compete anymore for parts and have mild breakdowns. (~ 2% according to stats are able to make a career of just acting).

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ff7Hze_mk

      Your coach did good, broadening her skills beyond acting. Looking forward to your next battle, and creative writing perhaps also at the level of your classic/spot-on/hilarious post of "Writers Who Write About Writing" titled "Method Writing."

      G Dogg

      Delete

    8. G DogG ~

      Oh, Brother Man! Thanks for reminding me about that blog bit. I have no idea how you remembered that one, because I myself had completely forgotten about it. I just now searched it out and read the whole lengthy thing. (FUN FACT: Today - July 26th - coincidentally marks the 11th anniversary of that blog bit. That fact jumped out at me right away.) That was back in my earlier days of blogging, when I was still somewhat enthused about this fad. It's now about as exciting as the Hula Hoop.

      Somehow, for some reason, I don't think that blog bit clicked with the Writer Wannabes. Can't imagine why not. ;^)

      My next adventure in creative writing (August 1st BOTB) will be much shorter. More of a brief travelogue, with pictures.

      I will now openly confess that "Lady Doris" [in the comment section] was really my type. I don't know whatever happened to her. She just seemed to disappear from the blogosphere. But "Lady Doris"... ahhh... "Lady Doris" - 1) she wasn't hard to look at and 2) seemed to have smarts, and 3) a good sense of humor. In other words, all 3 of the Essential Food Groups.

      Professor G DogG, get a goot juan, brother!

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    9. https://archive.org/details/saturday-night-live-s-04-e-18-michael-palin-james-taylor-05-12-1979

      Start at the 12:50 mark. Remember this one?

      Sincerely,
      Sheboygan "Cabinboy" Six

      Delete
  5. I don't remember if I'd seen this post before, but seeing as how there is no comment from me I am assuming that I probably didn't see it. The past couple months have been such a hazy blur to me that there is a lot I don't remember. We (or should I say my wife's family) have had so many nonsensical parties & gatherings that much of my time has been consumed by that and it all culminated in a positive COVID result for my wife and I. The illness part wasn't really all that bad--gave me a great excuse not to see people for a while and just be lazy--and now having experienced actual COVID I am more convinced than ever that I had COVID in February of 2020 because it was the same stuff except for worse then. But even then I got over it all in just a few days. I still say there is a lot of scam attached to this China Virus and the drug companies are making an absurd mega-fortune as are all those congresspeople who are invested in those companies.

    Anyhow, nice battle. I should be around for the next one even though I haven't been spending much time on line let alone on my blog. Talk about major ennui.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    Replies
    1. No worries, BOIDMAN.
      The interest in blogging, or even being online at all, is a very ebb and flow kind of thing.

      There are times when I don't even want to think about it. But then I'll get an idea that I like and want to "stick it out there somewhere".

      Looking forward to my next BOTB on August 1st. Definitely one of my Top 3 favorites I've ever come up with. If this one turns out to be my last, due to a lack of voter interest, I feel it would be a goot juan to go out on.

      I caught something unusual this last February, I believe. But it was just 3 days of feeling exhausted and having zero appetite. And then just a dry cough that hung around for about 3 weeks. If that's the worst that Covid could do to me, then it's much ado about nuttin'.

      Sure, people who are elderly and already have some serious preexisting medical conditions need to be careful (just like it's always been). But otherwise, this thing is easily the biggest scam ever pulled off in the history of this world. And having studied it in great detail, I understand the myriad reasons it's been coordinated by various bad actors in high places across the globe.

      Bottom line: Ultimately "the adversary" is behind every bit of this scam.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete

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