BOTB RESULTS: 2017, OCT. 15 (Or, TAJ MAHAL VS. VAN MORRISON)

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Before anything else, I want to thank every one of you who took some time out of your life to visit my BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB) installment, to listen and then cast a vote. I sincerely appreciate ya! May you all bless and be blessed.

Well, the song was the Blues classic 'Good Morning, Little School Girl', and I knew going into this contest that Taj Mahal -- despite having won Arlee Bird's Battle last month -- was going to be a big underdog against Van Morrison (click HERE). I had previously said that I believed Van's version of this song would clobber in a BOTB contest any other rendition of the song I'd ever heard. Therefore I was actually a little concerned about a shutout. Never had one, never want one!

But with the first vote being cast for Taj, my worry about a shutout was dismissed. I could then relax and just watch the chips fall.

To my astonishment, the first four chips (aka votes) fell for Taj Mahal, and I was thinking: Hokey-Smoke! I has a Battle here!!

Alas, not so. Van Morrison then proceeded to reel off twelve straight unanswered votes (including mine), and the affair ended with the predicted clobbering...

Taj Mahal = 4 votes

Van Morrison = 12 votes

I hope y'all will join me here again on November 15th when I will present a new (and hopefully closer) BOTB installment.

But, speaking of Van Morrison, and me feeling a little sad today, let me ask you a Q. (This Q is for everyone, whether you're a regular at this blog, a non-regular, or even a first-timer.)

Is there any song that, for whatever reason, can make you misty-eyed or even bring you to actual tears in just the first 15 to 20 seconds every time you hear it? If so, please do tell! Which song is it? Performed by whom? And, if you feel inclined to share some personal information, please tell us WHY that song has that effect on you.

I'll go first.

For me, the first song that comes to my mind is this one...
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Pagan Streams by Van Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpJqVr3F87U

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I could go on and on and on about what all of the lyrics signify for me, but... I'd probably bore the hell out-ya. So, I'll spare ya. Lemme just say, though, that when Van says "And I want to climb that hillside again, with you, one more time...", the hillside I always see in my mind's eye is this one...
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Alright, that does it for me; I'm over and out. Thanks again, all y'all. And please return on 11/15, eh?
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2017, OCT. 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, TAJ MAHAL VS. VAN MORRISON)

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'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB')
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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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Yes, yes, yes! I know perfectly well that this BOTB blog bit is going to be a really bad blowout. And I'm alright with that, because it's what I expect. I only hope this doesn't actually become my first ever BOTB shutout -- which, I fear, is a possibility.
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GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS

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In Arlee Bird's September 15th BOTB installment, he used the classic Blues song 'GOOD MORNING, LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL', pitting Johnny Winter against Taj Mahal, with the latter winning 12-8.

The song was written by the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, but the first rendition I ever heard was by the equally legendary Muddy H2Os. I love Muddy so much that I even named my best friend (a stuffed dog) after him!

In the introduction to his Battle, Lee wrote the following:

This song is among the earliest that I placed on my BOTB someday queue.

And I replied:

Same here, LEE. This was probably one of the first 12 songs I listed when I started writing down potential BOTB material. The only problem was that I couldn't find what I felt was the right match-up.

One version that I was determined to use is so good I felt it would clobber every other recording I could find -- including Muddy Waters' version!

So, in almost 3 years of BOTB, I still haven't used this song. But perhaps I'll put my choice against whoever wins this Battle of yours and have them fight for the title. That way if it's a shutout, all of the blame won't fully rest on me. Ha!

When the Countess and I started going together, she was a UCLA student and I was a UCLA employee. I got in the habit of saying to her, "Good Morning, Little School Girl", the first thing after she'd wake up. 

The first time I went to the L.A. Blues Festival, next to the Watts Towers, TAJ MAHAL was the headlining act. And he gets my vote here.
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"GOOD  MORNING,  LITTLE  SCHOOL  GIRL"

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Lee responded:

STMcC, I'd have figured somebody would have used this song by now. ... There are so many excellent -- and interesting -- versions that coming up with matches shouldn't be too much of a problem. Hope you'll do the rematch as I'd like to see which version would have been your choice.

And so, here it comes... Lee's winner, Taj Mahal, versus the cover that I think would clobber every other recording of this song in a BOTB match-up. We'll see whether or not I may be right.

Question: Am I right?
The Magic 8-Ball sez:  "Most Likely"
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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG

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Taj Mahal -- Good Morning, Little School Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129-wRooR8o

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RIDDLER  VS  BATMAN

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Van Morrison -- Good Morning, Little School Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xndDvXANtFg

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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.
@ '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.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'RIGHTING & EDITING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'YOUR DAILY DOSE' by clicking HERE.

As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 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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BOTB RESULTS - 2017, SEPT. 15: HOWLIN' WOLF VS. LUCKY PETERSON

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Once again, my Battle Of The Bands installment had a lower voter turnout than it used to have. A couple of my regular DogG and DogGettes did not show up. But beyond that, it just seems the BOTB flame is flickerin'. Oh, well. What can ya do? (Me? I'll just pour some Cruzan Black Strap Rum and make it all better. RRRrrrrr! )

I very sincerely thank each and every one of you who took time out from your life to listen, think, and vote here. You are appreciated.

This was actually a really good Battle (click HERE to see it) and just what I was hoping for. Both versions of WHO'S BEEN TALKIN' were really excellent in my opinion, and several voters expressed the same opinion. And that's why I was surprised when Lucky Peterson came roaring out of the chute and so quickly established a lead over the legendary Howlin' Wolf. It looked like a blowout in the making.

With 6 votes in, Lucky had 5 of 'em! But he was tangling with a howlin' Wolf who came back ferociously. After those first 6 votes came in, Lucky got only 1 more for the duration of the Battle. Even though I too love Lucky's recording, my vote also went to the great, gritty Howlin' Wolf. The outcome looked like this:

Howlin' Wolf = 9 votes

Lucky Peterson = 6 votes

Close Battle, as I thought it should be and fully expected it would be.

Wolf's version of the song was a re-recording that came from an album titled 'The London Sessions', which featured a number of famous British Rock 'N' Rollers such as Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. If you're interested in reading my full (and kinda funny) review of that album, click here: 

LISTEN, BABY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LOVED BY A MAN THEY CALL THE WOLF?

I thank you all again for your votes and invite you to return here on October 15th when I will present another BOTB installment featuring thrills, chills, and spills. Uh... well, featuring music, if nuttin' else. But of course there's always a chance I'll spill my Rum and "drop my wallet".

If this low vote count continues, I may have to start incorporating some pornographic photos into my BOTB installments. Nuttin' too dirty, ya un'erstan'? Just tastefully sexy with lots of class. You know, like photos of convertible Cadillacs with their tops down. Who doesn't get turned on by a topless Caddy?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-NAHH1yAfY


~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2017, SEPT. 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, HOWLIN' WOLF VERSUS LUCKY PETERSON)

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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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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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Today's song is WHO'S BEEN TALKIN'? which was written and first recorded in 1957 by Chester Burnett. You know who that was, right? Huh? You DON'T? Well, Hokey-Smoke! Lemme edgeuhkate you.
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Wackypedia sez: Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), known as Howlin' Wolf, was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player, originally from Mississippi. With a booming voice and looming physical presence, he is one of the best-known Chicago blues artists.
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Suffice to say that if there were a Mount Rushmore national monument to Blues musicians, Howlin' Wolf's image would be one of the four carved into it. Nuff sed.
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* Remember, unless you're asked to do otherwise, you're meant to evaluate the songs musically ONLY -- not taking into account the video images or stage performances. And, no, I'm NOT asking you to do otherwise. These are both pretty cool videos, so please close your eyes if you think they might influence your vote.
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WHO'S BEEN TALKIN'? -- Howlin' Wolf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDBP1GNDriI

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Our next competitor is not as famous, although in my opinion he ought to be a household name. Lucky Peterson recorded his first album when he was five (5!) years old! I didn't discover him until 1989, when I bought his fourth album 'Lucky Strikes', which he released when he was an old man of twenty-five. 
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Y'all know that I firmly believe in [link:] reincarnation, right? I used to ask people to 'splain to me how this kid could have come right out of the womb with so much musical talent if his soul hadn't occupied a previous body in which it studied music. Lucky's 5th album in 1990 was called 'Triple Play' because aside from the lead vocals, he was also playing all the lead guitar and keyboards.
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Alright, let's listen to Lucky's soulful rendition of Howlin' Wolf's classic...
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WHO'S BEEN TALKIN'? -- Lucky Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXq__HZAcSE

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Question: Will Lucky Peterson beat Howlin' Wolf?
MAGIC 8-BALL sez:   They will Tie.
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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. 

Voice Your Vote...

@ ‘TOSSING IT OUT’ 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.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'RIGHTING & EDITING' by clicking HERE.
@ 'YOUR DAILY DOSE' by clicking HERE.

As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 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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BOTB RESULTS: 2017, AUG. 15 (Or, JIMMY DORSEY VERSUS HERB ALPERT)

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Well, well, well. Another BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB) installment in the books, and another embarrassing black eye for the MAGIC 8-BALL's reputation.
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The Battle (using that word loosely) took place (link:] HERE, and that makes two consecutive BOTB blowouts for me. WTH? I think I've lost my BOTB touch. (I must be low on the electrolytes I crave.) I'm in the doghouse with myself!

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Anyway... I sincerely do thank each and every one of you for coming by my blog doghouse to listen and cast a vote. You are all appreciated by me!

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This Battle, however, didn't end quit as badly as it began. I think the first five votes all went for HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS version of the song 'TANGERINE' -- causing me to begin fretting about a shutout. But then Sixgun McItchyfinger showed up to cast a vote for the Jimmy Dorsey team and that got the 8-ball rolling a little bit. Nevertheless, it was one-sided from the get-go and remained that way for the duration.

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Like the majority, my vote also went South Of The Border. For me, 'TANGERINE' is really all about that gorgeously lilting, haunting melody.

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The sad and final tally looked like this:

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Jimmy Dorsey (w/ Bob & Helen) = 6 votes

Herb Alpert & The TJ Brass = 11 votes.

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Yep. Herb's votes went "up to eleven".

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I hope to see you all here again on September 15th when I will have a real nail-biting Battle. Isn't that right, Magic 8-Ball? ...Oh, why do I even bother to ask YOU ?

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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2017, AUGUST 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, JIMMY DORSEY VERSUS HERB ALPERT)

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Yes, it's the 15th of the month and that means that 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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I associate the color orange with August because the eighth month is "the dog days of Summer" when it's hot... and the heat has gotten really old! It's like the Sun has gone from "happy yellow" to "just-leave-me-the-hell-alone orange". Also, those of us who were born in August are Leos, and lions are orange -- I ain't lyin' (sorry):

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And tangerines are not oranges but they're orange. And this brings us to my August BOTB song.

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I've always loved the melody of 'TANGERINE' and have been wanting to BOTB the song for quite awhile. Once, a couple years ago, I checked YouTube for recordings of it but didn't find any match-up that really appealed to me. But on August 1st I took a second look and then found what I felt were a good pair of Tangerines. Mmmm.... a pair of tangerines. You know wot I mean? Or do you want a picture?

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Wackypedia sez:

"Tangerine" ... was written by Victor Schertzinger, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was published in 1941 and soon became a Jazz standard.

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It was introduced to a broad audience in the 1942 movie, 'The Fleet's In', produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Schertzinger just before his death, and starring Dorothy Lamour, William Holden, Eddie Bracken, singer Cass Daley, and Betty Hutton in her feature film debut.

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The song portrays a fictitious South American woman with universally recognized allure: "When she dances by / señoritas stare / And caballeros sigh." 

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As one of Mercer's biographers explained the initial popularity: "Latin America, the one part of the world not engulfed in World War II, became a favorite topic for songs and films for Americans who wanted momentarily to forget about the conflagration."

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The most popular recorded version of the song was made by the performers who introduced it in the film: the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalists Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly. ... The record first reached the Billboard charts on April 10, 1942, and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, including six weeks at #1.

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The tune was featured as background music in the films Double Indemnity (1944) and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).

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In 1976, All In the Family gave a nod to the song in the episode "Archie's Operation", when Archie Bunker burst into it repeatedly to interrupt son-in-law Mike's efforts to help pay for Archie's surgery.

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Alright, our first competitor is the original #1 Big Band hit. Have a listen:

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Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra 
with Bob Eberly & Helen O'Connell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCD_yR03qxY

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Contestant #2 is Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Their version appeared on the popular 1965 collection 'Whipped Cream & Other Delights', which any "confident heterosexual" male can tell you sported one of the greatest album covers of all time!

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"Confident Heterosexual" Old West Gunfight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZeS1b4QSVk

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OK, and now for your consideration...

[COOL FUN FACT: Notice the sign at the very end of the Herb Alpert video paying tribute to Tommy Dorsey's original 'Tangerine' hit!]

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Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82zmuzDM7d4

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Question: Will Jimmy Dorsey And Friends Win This Battle?

MAGIC 8-BALL sez:   "Yes definitely"

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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.
@ 'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING' by clicking HERE
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.

As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 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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