.
(Continued from Part One > HERE.)
.
Alright, let's get on it.
Let's get ON this thing!
.
We have Ray Charles on the Hammond B-3 organ & backed by some members of the Count Basie orchestra, going up against Xavier Cugat's orchestra, which brings an aural flavor of Cha-Cha Twist to its Mint Julep.
.
Please vote for the Mint Julep you enjoyed most (good freakin' luck!), and then visit all of the other BOTBers and drop your two cents in their Battles.
.
One Mint Julep (1961)
by Ray Charles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFL0x2ur71E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFL0x2ur71E
.
.jpg) |
| "Quit crying and get me some bourbon." ~ appropriately from the Film Noir classic 'The Asphalt Jungle' (It's a Kentucky bourbon & Thoroughbred horse racing thing; you wouldn't understand!) |
.
One Mint Julep (1963)
by Xavier Cugat
.
I intend to return here on May 8th with my own vote (if I can figure it out by then!! 😱) and to announce the winner.
.
~ Stephen T. McME
(because someone's gotta do it)
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Great story for a cool battle ;-) I'm casting a vote for the Mambo King (Xavier) and his Cha-Cha Twist!
ReplyDeletedEAR dIEDRE ~
DeleteI'm pleased as spiked punch that you enjoy the story (...thus far). There's not a whole lot more to it, but the second half (which is short and probably eternal) is my favorite. Please return on May 15th for the brief & never-ending conclusion.
~ D-FensDogG
I'm going with Ray Charles "One Mint Julep" but I enjoyed the other song pick, too. I definitely recognized the first selection and since it came out the year I was born it feels only right that I go with it. I'll swing back by to read part 2. I'm running late this morning and now I need to get off the net for my elliptical session. Have a bandtastic weekend, my friend!
ReplyDeleteCAThy! It's That YOU!!
DeleteThanks for elliptically running here & casting a vote. I love different things about BOTH of these recordings, and I'm pulling my hair out (I needed a haircut, anyway) trying to figure out how I'll vote. It could come down a coin toss... if I have any coins left after betting on tomorrow's Churchill Downs racing!
~ D-FensDogG
Did you get that hair cut? :)
DeleteI was a bit torn on my decision in my battle, too. You'll find the results in that post's comments whenever you get a chance to breeze by to check it out and since you haven't shared yours yet, I'll return later today to see if it shows up. :)
Ha! No haircut yet. The longer I can stand looking like a dirty hippie, the longer I get to hang onto this $20 dollar bill in my pocket. ;^D
Delete~ D-FensDogG
Sounds like a classic bar for sure. Someday maybe I might make it up that way, but probably not. Nothing like a good neighborhood bar where you can hang out and set a spell.
ReplyDeleteI've heard this song so many times,but I had no idea what it was called. My mother her probably had it on one of her Cugat albums But maybe another one. I don't recall.
Of the two versions I've gotta go with Xavier Cugat. Always liked his music. Ray was really good though and it's almost a toss up.
Lee
Lee
R. LEE BOID ~
DeleteYeah, this Battle is one of the three all-time hardest for me, in the 11+ year history of BOTB! Interestingly, Ray Charles was also involved in one of the other two.
Most of my favorite bars are long gone now, including my #1 favorite, which was out your way, in the Culver City / Mar Vista area. Just the music on the jukebox, alone, would have made this a favorite watering hole of mine:
‘Moonlight Serenade’ by Glenn Miller – H9
‘Sunrise Serenade’ by Glenn Miller – H0
‘Moonlight In Vermont’ by Willie Nelson – G6
‘Blue Skies’ by Willie Nelson – G5
‘Boogie Woogie’ by Tommy Dorsey – H5
‘Desperado’ by The Eagles – G9
‘That Old Black Magic’ by Louis Prima & Keely Smith – J2
and
‘I Wish You Love’ by Keely Smith – J1
~ D-FensDogG
How on earth did you remember the jukebox selection numbers? That was the best jukebox, in the best bar of all time!! Many happy hours spent there. The food was fantastic as well!
DeleteHi, COUNTESS! ~
DeleteAdmittedly, it's often out-of-focus but, nevertheless, I DO have a [Link> photographic-memory! ;^)
~ Bilge Rat DogG
POSTSCRIPT: I remember us deciding that we needed to find "our" lounge. So we decided to go to several different ones as a try-out. The first one I suggested was The Crest House Lounge. I'd never had a drink in there, but I knew of it because my family used to have breakfast in the restaurant (great 4-egg omelettes!) After testing a few more places over the next week or so, we both thought The Crest was #1 and unbeatable. (Yes & yes!!)
Ray really rocks the organ here! He gets my vote!
ReplyDeleteJOHN ~
DeleteThe Ray Charles version is just so damned beefy!! While the Cugat version sounds & feels fizzy, like a carbonated Champagne cocktail of some sort. For me, it really comes down to my mood on any given day. Or... which mood do I think I'd be in more often? Tough, tough, tough decision for me!
~ D-FensDogG
And Stephen...
ReplyDeleteI am not like the elderly lady, I can't walk away from a bar and sleep like a baby at night.
Kudos to you and the Countess for your patience. I would have walked to the Bucket of Blood for a shot and a beer while I waited.
I liked both songs but Xavier Cugat's version gets my vote as I found it a bit more lively and appealing.
JW,
Pooh
...AND, POOH, THAT'S NOT ALL!...
DeleteNice nod & wink, Officer Gentleman! (Yip! I seen what you did there.)
Yeah, you'd have walked to the Bucket Of Blood Saloon and had a shot and a beer... IF they let you come back in. Hee-Hee!!
Thanks for bringing some of that Cugat Coke for the community punch bowl, Pooh. It definitely needed something for flavoring. I mean, one oughtn't drink Everclear 190 straight.
~ D-FensDogG
Interesting story, as always! ☺ As for the battle, I prefer Cugat's Cha Cha version.
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE D'DOGLADY ~
DeleteThank you for coming by and bringing a vote for the Battle. And, I'm glad you enjoy the story... so far. There's very little left, but it goes for a lo-ooo-ng time!
~ Stephen
Still traveling so I will make this quick: Cugat. I like them both, of course, but - can you HAVE too much B3? I think in this case, you can have just a tad too much!
ReplyDeleteSix
SIR SIX-A-LOT ~
DeleteI appreciate you taking some time while "on the road again" to add your two cents.
"I disagree, homeboy!" (as that guy said in the movie theatre). There's no such thing as too much B3. Helck, it could be a B26 and I'd still call out for "More!" (However, I'm not big on the B-52s -- neither the band nor drink.)
~ D-FensDogG
TAGS... Evidence... Spoonerisms. This story has it all (so far). I'm looking forward to part deux, where I assume the epic bar brawl and/or pistol duel breaks out.
ReplyDeleteThis was a solid battle, and I had to listen a couple of times to declare a clear winner. Ray is goot, but Xavier Cugat (in addition to having one helluva name) has this Latin flair that I keep coming back to.
Give my bote to him, and pass me a mint julep while you're at it. I honestly can't say I've ever had one, but I love mint and I love bourbon, so... it can't be all that bad.
JULIO ~
DeleteI dig that you're diggin' the story (so far). Nope, no bar fights or pistol duels forthcoming. (Not even a Pete Duel.) In my drinking career, I only saw one fight in a bar and, believe it or not, I had nut'n to do with it.
My Stetson's off to everybody who can muster a vote in this contest, because it's damn-sure tough on me!
I like mint & I like bourbon, too. But mint juleps are too time-consuming. It takes longer to make than it takes me to drink. However, tomorrow being the Kentucky Derby, maybe I'll have one again. It's been decades since I've gone that route. (I'll consider the matter further while having my morning beer in the shower. ;^D
~ D-FensDogG
Oh you waskel you! This was very tough. I love both and could easily listen to both. Hmm....ok I'm going, at this moment, with Ray Charles because I like the sexiness he brings to it. He gets my vote but love the horns in Xavier's versio .
ReplyDeleteBIRGIT ~
DeleteHa!-Ha! You dun goot!!
I've always dreamed of being called a "waskel", but you the one who dun did do it! THANKS! Thanks for making muh dream come true! (I only wish that Elmer could be here to celebrate with us.)
To my great surprise (& a wee bit o' shame), I gotta admit that I'm shocked - "SHOCKED!" - to find that you and I seem to be the only listeners in this BOTB contest to be completely, utterly, strongly (& every other kind of ly) conflicted about how to vote!
You say that Ray brings "sexiness" to his recording. Me... Mmmm... I would call it something more like... "Machismo!" (I have no idea what that word means, but muchas hermosas mujeres Mexicanas have said that word to me... just before slapping the Margarita out of my hand. Methinx it's some kind of South-O'-Ye-Border compliment.)
Thank you, Birgit, for taking the time to stop by and bring some waskel for the wassail.
~ Drunk'n D-FensDogG
[NOT to be confused with Drunken Donuts!]
Stephen -
ReplyDeleteHave you ever done a count of how many of your own posted battles there have been where you voted for the winner? I know you almost always love both or more of your contestants, but how in sync with you are your readers?
Sixgun Mcblahblahblah
SIR SIXY ~
DeleteHa!! That's an excellent question (which never even occurred to me). I'd also be curious to find out how many times my own vote determined the winner of the Battle. I know that's happened a fair number of times over these 11+ years.
I may have to explore those questions, the next time I have too much time on my hands and too much booze in my house! (A thing which does happen more often than I'd care to admit. ;^)
~ D-FensDogG
Al Bondigas here. Very tough battle indeed!! Well, like everyone else here on the board, I’m digging both versions. I guess I gotta make a rulin’ fer Cugat at this moment. I ain’t rulin’ agin Ray Charles, just rulin’ fer Cugat. Tomorrow could be different. That’s it,, that’s muh rulin’!!
ReplyDeleteJUDGE AL BONDIGAS ~
DeleteThanks for coming by with a rulin' in this court case. Yeah, this is a toughie for me, too. Still ain't sure which way I'm going. But then, that's par for the course for me in almost everything.
~ D-FensDogG
VOTE = XAVIER CUGAT
ReplyDeleteWhoa! That was tough! In the end, I think the Cha-Cha got the edge for me. ~Ed.
ED ~
DeleteThank you for stopping by with two cents for the BOTB kitty. This is one of those times where I feel the contest was closer than the score would seem to indicate.
~ D-FensDogG
++++++++++++++++++++++++
ReplyDeleteBATTLE OF THE BANDS
Results For 2025, May 1st
'ONE MINT JULEP'
by Ray Charles
Versus
'ONE MINT JULEP'
by Xavier Cugat
++++++++++++++++++++++++
My genuine thanks to everyone who took the time to visit and cast a vote in my BATTLE OF THE BANDS' Battle Of The Booze contest.
I believe this was one of the three most difficult BOTB decisions I've ever had to make. The first time I listened to both songs back-to-back, I thought I dug Ray's version better (like a 50.5 to 49.5 margin). The second time I listened b2b, I reversed that decision (Xavier by a 50.5 to 49.5 margin).
So, I decided that the third time I listened to both recordings b2b, I would close my eyes the entire time, in order to give every note maximum attention.
In my comment to John Holton above, I said this:
The Ray Charles version is just so damned BEEFY!! While the Cugat version sounds & feels fizzy, like a carbonated Champagne cocktail of some sort. For me, it really comes down to my mood on any given day. Or... which mood do I think I'd be in more often? Tough, tough, tough decision for me!
Well, after about a minute of listening to the Ray Charles version with my eyes closed, I began seeing mental images of hard-nosed action on an imaginary gridiron. I thought: This is like a compilation of devastating tackles in the Burt Reynolds movie 'The Longest Yard'.
After about another minute, with my eyes closed, I realized that what I was seeing in my mind was Dick Butkus on the football field and kicking ass (like in the video 'CRUNCH TIME') while Ray & his band were playing kick-ass NFL highlight music!!
After listening to the Xavier Cugat recording with my eyes closed (and no mental images appearing), I knew I was going to vote for Ray Charles with Count Basie Orchestra members backing him. Then I went to YouTube & found that old video. I muted the sound on the football video, fast-forwarded one minute, and then watched it while Ray's 'One Mint Julep' played. It was fantastic!
[Link> Butkus Monster of the Midway
Seriously, some filmmaker should use this song as background music for some rough & tumble football footage. It's a terrific marriage of sight & sound.
Nevertheless, despite my vote for Ray Charles, this was a pretty lopsided contest:
FINAL TALLY:
Ray Charles = 4 votes
Xavier Cugat = 8 votes
Thanks again, Y'All, for your participation. I intend to return here again on May 15th with two different versions of 'One Mint Julep' and the brief but never-ending finish to my Crystal Bar's Mint Julep story. Until then...
Bless & Be Blessed!!
~ STMcC
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
Wow. That was quite a process, Esteebie! Love it.
ReplyDeleteHermano Eduardo ~
DeleteLooking with hindsight at my word choice "Beefy!" in the reply to John, I strongly suspect that my subconscious mind had already made the Ray Charles / NFL connection. And listening with my eyes closed was the key that opened my conscious mind to that relationship. In every endeavor, I've always been a "Whatever Works" kind of guy. (I think it may be an INTJ thing. ;^)
~ D-FensDogG
Your vote was NEVER, EVER in doubt. YOU may wonder, others may ponder, the world may question, but - your vote is governed by an unshakable law of the universe. If you know this law then confusion fades and peace is found. All one has to do is to check MY vote, and then the answer is clear. Vegas sees my vote, sets the odds at 1,000,000 to 1, then closes the betting window.
ReplyDeleteI even tested it a bit by poking at Ray Charles in my comment as offering TOO much B3, and your comment disagreeing rose to the surface like a rainbow trout to a Royal Coachman as dawn is breaking.
Sixgun
SIR SIX-A-LOT ~
DeleteFirst, I want to say that the Hammond B-3 is similar to cheese and ice cream, in that there's no such thing as "too much".
Over the history of BOTB, I believe my votes have been agreement with your votes a little-- *only* a little bit* --more often than my votes have been in agreement with Lee's.
I remember once, YEARS ago, Lee actually accused me of deliberately voting the opposite of him. FAE jumped in and said something like, "Oh, come on! You don't really think he's doing it on purpose, do you?"
Every time your vote agrees with Lee's, I hear that invisible devil sitting on my shoulder whispering into my ear, "Do it! Go on, vote along with Lee and Six. Do it, and get this Armageddon thing started!" GOL! Sometimes I'm tempted, just because I want to see the pretty explosions.
~ D-FensDogG
Yay for the cha-cha twist! A few of us dusted off some Golden Oldies this time; Ray Charles, The Hollies, Gene Pitney...do you think it's a movement?:-)
ReplyDeletedIEDRE ~
DeleteI certainly hope so! Because I like Dead People Music much more than Live People Music. (To paraphrase that little boy: I HEAR DEAD PEOPLE... music.)
Thanks for coming by to check on the outcome. I've got more Mint Juleps slated for my May 15th Battle. No Cha-Cha next time, but some good dead people Big Band Swing music!
~ D-FensDogG
Haha! I'll make a point of it ;-)
DeleteIt was never an absolute done deal for me. At first I did pick the Charles recording and then I had to go back to my old juggling roots. Cugat is one of the kings of great music to juggle to.
ReplyDeleteLee
BOIDMAN ~
DeleteYeah, I can definitely see how Xavier's stuffs would be terrific juggling music. And one's roots are tough to shake. Wolfe wrote, "You can't go home again". Frankly, I don't believe I ever left!
~ D-FensDogG
Happy to back the winner! I enjoyed reading your process of how you voted, though. ☺
ReplyDeleteDEBBIE D'DOGLADY ~
DeleteI have used the "close your eyes and concentrate" approach in the past, when the songs have been neck-'n'-neck, like they were for me in this Battle. But I think this was the first time I started seeing mental images which helped me decide which way to vote. Helck, I'll use any tactic or technique that works!
Thanks for your continued BOTB support, Debbie!
~ Stephen