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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.]

Thursday, December 8, 2022

BOTB RESULTS: DEC. 1, 2022 (Or, JOHNNY MATHIS VERSUS JOSH GROBAN)

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I thank each and every one of you who took time this Christmas season to participate in my Battle Of The Bands (BOTB) contest which took place HERE. The song was the classic 'O Holy Night' and the two excellent versions of it were by Johnny Mathis and Josh Groban. Funny thing is that I created this match-up with the idea that Groban was going into it as the underdog, but he quickly amassed a 6-1 lead over Mathis. Groban definitely wasn't any underdog!
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I think the Groban version is one of the best I've ever heard, but my vote went with Mathis because his rendition sounds so genuinely reverential and because the way he sings that last word "Divine", it really does sound Divine to me. Groban definitely has a tremendous voice, but personally I feel that he is "showboating" it a wee li'l bit. That is to say that I feel Johnny's version is more about humbly worshipping Jesus. But that's just me.
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Despite Groban's early and large lead, this turned into quite a good BOTB installment"
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FINAL TALLY:
Johnnny Mathis = 5 votes
Josh Groban = 7 votes
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As always, I appreciated everyone's participation. My friends, I hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas and a Merry New Year. Stay safe and let's do this thing again on January 1st, 2023, eh?
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Oh, and one more thing... On Christmas Day, please don't forget to drop a coin into a body of water (even a glass of H20 will do) and Make A Wish For Tiny Tim. We're asking that he somehow manage to get one more Top 40 hit song before "this world" comes to an end.
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Take it away, Tiny!...
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May You Bless & Be Blessed!!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. Arlee BirdDecember 8, 2022 at 10:07 PM

    Like you, I didn't expect this outcome, but I'll stand by my vote for Mathis. I'm with what you said about it.

    I'll have to reconsider about posting my BOTB on Jan 1 rather than the 15th like I said in my post. There are good reasons for either date. I'll have to think more about it as I see how my upcoming week turns out.

    Merry Christmas!

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    Replies
    1. Stephen T. McCarthyDecember 9, 2022 at 5:38 PM

      ...And a Happy New Year to you, LEE!

      I was pretty happy with how this Battle went. A cool comeback and a close outcome -- I can dig it!

      Well, regardless of when you post your next BOTB installment, I'll be there with my two cents for the kitty.

      Take care, Brother!

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  2. Cathy KennedyDecember 9, 2022 at 3:21 AM

    Oh drats! I'm on the losing side in your battle but both artists did a great job so I'm not horribly disappointed that Groban won. He surely deserved it but still I prefer Mathis' mellow, peaceful sound which instills a humbleness song. Thanks for sharing. I have a mid-December battle scheduled. Yep, I haven't done one in a long time. I couldn't let 2022 end without including it. Have a nice weekend, dear friend!

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    Replies
    1. Stephen T. McCarthyDecember 9, 2022 at 5:41 PM

      Yeah, CAThy, both renditions were so exceptionally good that I was going to be happy regardless of who won.

      I'll be there for your next Battle. Maybe I'll even try to drag my Brother over with something to say about it.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  3. diedre KnightDecember 9, 2022 at 9:43 AM

    Howdy Stephen T.!
    Good point about "humbly worshipping Jesus," and a beautiful song for the season.
    Tiny Tim, really? I thought he might cry a couple times during the song ;-) Not a bad rendition, I guess.
    Have a pleasant Christmas, my friend.

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    Replies
    1. Stephen T. McCarthyDecember 9, 2022 at 6:01 PM

      Howdy, dIEDRE!

      I've heard Mathis every single Christmas of my 63-year life, so I'm very biased toward his versions of *most* songs.

      There are a handful of Xmas songs that are "owned" by others (e.g., 'It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year' by Andy Williams; 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' by Judy Garland; 'The Christmas Waltz' by Karen Carpenter, etc.), but Mathis reigns supreme on most Holiday songs for me.

      [Link> E-Ticket CHRISTMAS SONGS!

      Tiny Tim... what can I say? I am just weird enough to genuinely appreciate his weirdness. One thing I really like a lot about Tiny is that he really WAS what you saw. Nothing about Tiny Tim was an "act" in any way, shape, or form. He was who he was and he had the courage NOT to care what others thought about that. He was also a Christian and loved Jesus.

      As bizarre as he was, Tiny was *ALWAYS* true to himself. A real "maverick" through and through!

      "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!"

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete

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