RESULTS: BATTLE OF THE BANDS -- 2017, FEB. 15 (Or, MARTY ROBBINS VS. MARTY ROBBINS)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2017, February 15th:
Valentine's Day Battle Of The Bands, Vol. 2'
(Or, 'Marty Robbins Versus Marty Robbins')
And The Final Tally:
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I thank you all for making this my favorite 'Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) installment ever. The voter turnout wasn't great, but I think this is now the "new normal" for BOTB. However, most of you answered all or at least some of my questions. The questions obviously tied into the theme of "eternal love" and "life after death" as suggested by pairing Marty Robbins' songs EL PASO and EL PASO CITY. And it was the novelty of this concept combined with the interesting comments from voters that made this one so special to me.
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So, again, I thank y'all for your participation!
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And now to answer the questions myself, cast my own vote, and provide you with the results of the informal poll I was conducting...
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Do you believe in love at first sight?
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Just a couple years ago I would have said no. There can be a strong attraction, even infatuation at first sight, but it takes really getting to know a person before that can grow into love.
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Today I say that yes, there is such a thing as love at first sight, but it's a rare occurrence and probably always related to a subconscious or soul recognition of the other person from a previous life experience (i.e., a genuine "soul mate"). In other words, the time needed for love to grow has already occurred in a previous life with that same person or same soul, and you are recognizing them at some level deeper than your conscious mind.
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YES = 8
NO = 6
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Do you think there is life after death?
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Based on my answer above, you already know my answer to THIS question.
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YES = 14
NO = 1
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Do you believe a person's romantic love for another can be maintained even after the physical body has died and disappeared?
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I certainly believe that love lives on, but not a "romantic" form of love. In Matthew 22, Jesus is asked about marriage in the afterlife and He responds: "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." In other words, in the Heavenly realm, we are pure Spiritual, asexual beings. It won't be a romantic love we experience, but a more Godly, and even more powerful Love, untainted by the physical.
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YES = 7
NO = 6  
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Do you think the souls of the deceased sometimes reincarnate and inhabit the earth in newly born bodies?
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No, I don't think that. I KNOW that. This is actually a subject that I have spent many years studying in great depth. Believe it or not, it has been shown repeatedly, in no uncertain terms, that some people (and apparently a large number of folks) have reincarnated. I know that I have.
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Although I know reincarnation can and does occur, I am NOT a believer in soul transmigration, which is often confused with reincarnation but is actually a different concept with no evidence to support it. Soul transmigration posits that a person might return as a dog, a cat, a raindrop, or even a "holy cow". Reincarnation implies that the soul returns (sometimes many times) solely in the human form.
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YES = 8
NO = 4
MAYBE = 2
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There are a lot of sensational (and sensationalistic) stories out there about reincarnation. Many of them are true. But me, I am a "Just the facts, Ma'am" kind of guy, which is why I prefer to keep my studies in the more scientific realm, even if that can be on the dry side. To any reincarnation doubters, I would recommend two books by Dr. Ian Stevenson: '20 Cases Suggestive Of Reincarnation' and 'Where Reincarnation And Biology Intersect'.
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Because Dr. Stevenson had a scientific mind and took science very seriously, those two books read rather dry -- like the scientific studies they describe. However, if you're like me and just want to know the unadorned facts without spin or bias so you can make up your own mind, then you will value those two publications as I do.
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Here's just one little fact as an example of what you might find in those books:
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A boy named Indika was born in Weligama, Sri Lanka on October 24, 1972. At the age of 3, he began speaking of a life he had lived in another town. He gave many specific names of people and places he had known in his prior life. Eventually, it was determined that he was speaking facts about the life of a boy named Dharshana who had lived in Balapitiya, Sri Lanka and had died of an illness on January 24, 1968, having lived not quite up to eleven. (Sorry. I couldn't resist that.)
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Indika was taken to Balapitiya to meet the family of the deceased Dharshana. At one point he began intently searching the compound area where the family home was located, while the adults followed him. Finally, he located what he'd been looking for. He pointed out where "Dharshana 1965" had been scratched into the concrete of a drain while the cement had still been wet. None of Dharshana's family had ever noticed his name in that concrete until Indika showed it to them. In other words, no one other than Indika, a boy born in another town of Sri Lanka, 5 years after Dharshana had passed away, knew about that personalized graffiti.
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I don't believe that any intellectually honest skeptic could read the Dr. Stevenson books and remain unconvinced that reincarnation occurs.
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Most Christians reject the idea of reincarnation because they mistakenly believe it contradicts The Holy Bible, the Word of God. I am a follower of Christ and a big league believer in The Bible, and I have rather extensively blogged about why reincarnation is not only compatible with the Word of God, but is repeatedly found in the Word of God. For anyone interested, I give you this...
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REINCARNATION & THE HOLY BIBLE [Part 1 Of 4]
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THE REINCARNATING JESUS: WILL IT BE HIS "2nd COMING" OR HIS 34th?
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In this BOTB installment, I voted for EL PASO CITY. I love the cleverness of it, and the mystical element of reincarnation added as the denouement to the 'EL PASO Trilogy'. Also, from a musical standpoint, I prefer the nice but more subtle melody of EL PASO CITY. Although I like the original EL PASO well enough, the "sing song-y" melody of it isn't really my mug o' beer.
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This was indeed a blowout, as I predicted, but not nearly as bad a blowout as I expected. Going up against the famous original, I figured my vote and maybe just one or two others is all that EL PASO CITY would get, but the final tally looks like this:
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El Paso = 14 votes
El Paso City = 6 votes
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Anyway, my thanks once again to all y'all for making this BOTB installment so fun and memorable for me. I hope to see ya here again for my March 1st Battle.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2017, FEB. 15TH: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, MARTY ROBBINS VS. MARTY ROBBINS)

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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'). Except that this is...
​ VALENTINE'S DAY BOTB #2 

(Or, LOVE NEVER DIES!) ​
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This is my 85th 'Battle Of The Bands' installment, and although it is destined to be a big, bad blowout, this is probably my favorite Battle that I've ever constructed. After two ties in a row, it'll be refreshing to finally have a winner to announce! Yeah, I can live with a blowout this time.

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EUGENE  MARTONE  VS.  JACK  BUTLER

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This is a "Twisted BOTB" contest, meaning that I'm using two different songs rather than two versions of the same song. However, I'm only using one artist. Slick, huh?
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I like to think I've come up with some uniquely Twisted BOTB contests before, but this one is extra special to me. This Battle idea occurred to me several months back and I've been waiting all this time to use it. This was probably the only time in my life that I eagerly awaited Valentine's Day (pish 'n' pshaw)

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Wackypedia sez:
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"EL PASO" is a Country & Western ballad written and originally recorded by Marty Robbins, and first released on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959. It was released as a single the following month, and became a major hit on both the Country and Pop music charts, reaching Number One in both at the start of 1960. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961, and remains Robbins' best-known song.
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It is widely considered a genre classic for its gripping narrative which ends in the death of its protagonist, its shift from past to present tense, haunting harmonies by vocalists Bobby Sykes and Jim Glaser and the eloquent and varied Spanish guitar accompaniment by Grady Martin that lends the recording a distinctive Tex-Mex feel. The name of the character Faleena was based upon a schoolmate of Robbins in the fifth grade -- Fidelina Martinez.
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Members of the Western Writers of America chose El Paso as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
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The second song may be new to you. Wackypedia sez this about it:
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"EL PASO CITY" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Marty Robbins. It was released in March 1976 as the first single and title track from the album El Paso City. The song was Robbins' 15th number one on the U.S. Country singles chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent 11 weeks on the chart.
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Robbins wrote "El Paso City" while flying over El Paso, in - he reported - the same amount of time it takes to sing, four minutes and 14 seconds. It was only the second time that ever happened to him; the first time was when he composed the original El Paso as fast as he could write it down.
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GOODNIKS  VS.  NO-GOODNIKS

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Valentine's Day is when we celebrate romantic love (so sez Dr. Hallmark). So, while you are listening to the two recordings, give some thought to how you would answer the following questions (and I hope you will indeed answer them in the comment section in conjunction with your voting).
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Do you believe in love at first sight?

  
Do you think there is life after death?

Do you believe a person's romantic love for another can be maintained even after the physical body has died and disappeared?

  
Do you think the souls of the deceased sometimes reincarnate and inhabit the earth in newly born bodies?
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Heavy, huh?
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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EL PASO -- Marty Robbins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spaPETdoRVM
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GODZILLA  VS.  KING  KONG

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EL PASO CITY -- Marty Robbins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wTYDxLOUgk
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Question: Will Marty Robbins win this Battle?

The Magic 8-Ball sez:   "It Is Certain"

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Now it's time for you to vote for which Marty Robbins song you preferred and to answer some or all of those questions I posed above. Have fun with it, and... have a Happy Valentine's Day! (Oh, Valentine's Day has already passed? ...Well, maybe it will reincarnate someday.)
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I will return here on February 21st with a BOTB Results post. So, be here or... bring a note from your bartender. 
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RIDDLER  VS.  BATMAN

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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) 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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
@ 'JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE' by clicking HERE.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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RESULTS: BATTLE OF THE BANDS -- 2017, FEB. 1 (Or, MILES DAVIS VS. CHRIS BOTTI)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2017, February 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'Miles Davis Versus Chris Botti') And The Final Tally:

As always, first and foremost, my genuine thanks to every one of you who took the time and trouble to vote here. Without you, there would be no "Battles".

Despite the fact that for the second time in a row the vote totals were down, this turned out to be a pretty terrific contest. From the outset, I figured that just the legendary name Miles Davis would cause a BOTB blowout. Sixgunboy McItchyfinger also predicted a Miles landslide. And even the new and improved .Magic 8-Ball. -- now with the electrolytes that plants crave -- confidently stated that a Miles Davis victory was something we could ."rely". on.
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Aww, but not so fast, not so fast! This thing was neck-and-neck, trumpet-to-trumpet from start to finish.
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My own vote did go to the legend, Miles Davis. Although I abbalouly love the album A Thousand Kisses Deep, from which Chris Botti's version of MY FUNNY VALENTINE originates, and although I do think that there's a touch more passion in Botti's playing of the song than in Miles' rendition, there's a slightly more lush, really romantic tone in the latter's playing. Plus, let's not forget that flirting piano! To my ears, anyway, the Miles recording sounds more like wine and candlelight; Botti's maybe leans more toward nakedness on a bear skin rug in front of a lustily glowing fireplace. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (Hey, is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?)
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Here's the outcome:
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Miles Davis = 9 votes
Chris Botti = 9 votes
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I'm not even going to say it because 
y'all already know what I'm thinking!
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As I mentioned previously, this was my first of two
Valentines Day-themed BOTB installments.

My next one will be on February 15th, of course, and I hope all of you favorite DogGs and DogGettes of mine will be here for that. I've been looking forward to this ."Twisted  BOTB". contest for several months. Not only do I think it will be the most unique Battle concept I've ever dreamed up, but it may even inspire some very interesting non-music-related discussions in the comment section.
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So, please return here for the next installment of Battle Of The Bands. It'll be drop-dead love-ly! ("And you tell 'em that you heard it here first on Roller Derby.")
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2017, FEB. 1ST: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, MILES DAVIS VS. CHRIS BOTTI)

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'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB')
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Being a curmudgeonly, life-long bachelor, I've never bothered doing a Valentine's Day-themed Battle Of The Bands installment before. I've always suffered too much from Bah-Humbugitis for that. But just when you think you've got a handle on me, this old dog ups and learns a new trick, doing not one but TWO Valentine's Day-themed Battles in one month.

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This first one is sorta for a friend whom I think will enjoy it. (I hope she doesn't hang a shutout around my neck, because I'm believing she'll vote a certain way in what I suspect will be a blowout. Yes, I'm looking at you, You-Know-Who-You-Are!)
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My next Valentines Day installment will be on Feb. 15th, and that "Twisted BOTB" blog bit will DEFINITELY be a blowout. It's also quite possibly the best BOTB concept I've ever conceived of. I can hardly wait to get to that one!

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But now, let's concentrate on the matter of the heart at hand. In other words, let's get on it! Let's get ON this thing!
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Wackypedia sez:
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"My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms in which it was introduced by former child star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists.

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Our first contestant is the legendary Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
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MY FUNNY VALENTINE -- Miles Davis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCqZE6oBSsQ

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The second competitor is Chris Botti (pronounced "Bo-Tee"). His cover of the song comes from his 2003 album 'A Thousand Kisses Deep'. Here's a Wackypedia Fun Fact:
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He was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Corvallis, although he also spent two years of his childhood in Italy. His earliest musical influence was his mother, a classically trained pianist and part-time piano teacher. He started playing the trumpet at nine-years-old, and committed to the instrument at age 12 when he heard Miles Davis play "My Funny Valentine"
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MY FUNNY VALENTINE -- Chris Botti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftHyUms1Ays

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Now that you've decided who's getting your vote in this Battle, take a minute to check out my review of Chris Botti's album 'A Thousand Kisses Deep'at my new blog by clicking HERE. I promise you that the review is NOT boring. I'm not sure if it's sexy or humorous or neither, but I feel confident in saying that it's NOT boring.
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Question: Will Miles Davis win this Battle?
The Magic 8-Ball sez:  "You may rely on it". 
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After voting here, vice your voice... vote your vice...
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.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'ANGELS BARK' 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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A "NOVEL" ALLEGORY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MID-CENTURY JAZZ

HiHelloHowdy! I am posting the following music-related review here on my BATTLE OF THE BANDS blog with the hope of "drumming" up a little interest in my new blog STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS... 

If you enjoy reading this unique approach to reviewing Jack Kerouac's famous "Beat Generation" book ON THE ROAD, then you might want to take a look at all the other product reviews I am posting at my new digs. I have a new (old) review going up there every day or two.
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ON THE ROAD
by Jack Kerouac
published: 1957 

We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe
And I'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
They're built like light
And they dance like spirits in the night
(all night) in the night (all night)
Oh, you don't know what they can do to you
Spirits in the night
(all night) in the night (all night)
Stand right up now and let them shoot through you
~ 'Spirits In The Night'
by Bruce Springsteen

I happened to spend a night in Lowell, Massachusetts, while on a road trip some years ago. Being back in Jack Kerouac's hometown, I seized the opportunity to pick up a copy of his most famous book, ON THE ROAD, for a young co-worker. When I learned that he was only halfway through the book after 6 weeks of reading, I pulled my old copy from the shelf to see if it was more complex than I remembered it being -- I hadn't read it since the age of 19 or 20. (*No, it's predominantly high school level writing.) 

I intended to read but a page or two, but found myself sucked in, and I went through the entire book as fast as Dean Moriarty drives through "the fatal red afternoon of Illinois". (For those of you who have never read this cult classic, that translates to 110 mph.)

Ostensibly, the story is an existential look at America played out in the form of multiple cross-country road trips conducted by a variety of "beat" characters or "hipsters" from 1947 to 1950. Of course it also captures the hedonism of the original "Lost Generation."

But in a way it also illustrates the development of Jazz in that era -- something that escaped my notice when I first read it. When Sal Paradise (Kerouac's first-person narrative voice) undertakes his first trip to the West Coast, his plans are all mapped-out, nice and orderly: "I'd been poring over maps of the United States in Paterson for months ... on the roadmap was one long red line called Route 6 that led from the tip of Cape Cod clear to Ely, Nevada, and there dipped down to Los Angeles. I'll just stay on 6 all the way to Ely, I said to myself and confidently started." [pg. 10]

It is not long before Sal's plans get scrapped and he's forced to improvise his way West. This mirrors the movement of Jazz at the time. The rigidly structured musical charts (roadmaps) of the Big Bands were gradually giving way to more free-form Jazz, as musicians began to explore greater possibilites within the genre.

By the book's conclusion, Sal, Dean, and various hangers-on are blasting through the nights and days in a wild frenzy of (sometimes illogical) driving, drinking and womanizing with reckless abandon. Just as the Jazz musicians had gone to the outermost edge of melody and then abandoned all musical structure with wild flights of fancy -- the "Bebop" saxophonists and pianists whose musical aspirations were to create wholly personal, improvisational expressions which often became as self-indulgent as the road trips and misadventures of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. And throughout the story we find the two protagonists in smoke-filled Jazz clubs in the wee hours, nodding their heads, banging on tables and exhorting the players to Go cat, go! 

And "GOING" in the pursuit of the unnamed "IT" is another major component of the story: "We all realized we were ... performing our one and noble function of the time, MOVE. And we moved!" [pg. 134] "Sal, we gotta go and never stop going till we get there." / "Where we going, man?" / "I don't know but we gotta go." [pg. 240] "If you go like him all the time you'll finally get it." / "Get what?" / "IT! IT! I'll tell you -- now no time, we have no time now." [pg. 127] "Man, this will finally take us to IT!" said Dean with definite faith. [pg. 265]

But Dean Moriarty never does define "It" because he can't. I believe that Sal Paradise comes as close as they ever get to the object of their quest when on page 147 he relates that "as the river poured down from mid-America by starlight I knew, I knew like mad that everything I had ever known and would ever know was One." But then he gets distracted by illusory, mirage-like pleasures deceptively promising to lead him to "It", and he subsequently loses the scent in an alcohol haze.

It really doesn't surprise me that the first car I actually loved, I had named SAL, after Kerouac's character who was forever on the road. And many aspects of the story call to mind my own LIQUIDATED YOUTH when I cavorted with the spirits in the night (all night, every night) and friends known collectively as THE LEAGUE OF SOUL CRUSADERS, and individually as Napoleon, Cranium, Twinkie, and Pooh. Yours Truly was sometimes referred to as Mr. Intense. And then there was our red-headed unofficial leader, Yoey O'Dogherty, known by the nickname of Torch, who served as our "Dean Moriarty" with his contagious passion for life and his magnificent acts of magic behind the wheel of Tiburon, his 1963 Cadillac. There was virtually NOTHING that Torch couldn't get Tiburon to do (except obey the rules of the road).

I caught the essence of The League Of Soul Crusaders in a 1983 poem that concluded with the lines, TELLING JOKES AND HOWLING / TO NOWHERE. And that could just as easily describe the exploits of our boys in ON THE ROAD.

By no stretch of the imagination is ON THE ROAD truly great literature. It's one of those books that found its niche by coming along at just the right time with a new "language." What makes it interesting is its ability to convey the unharnessed energy of youth and to portray an exuberance for experience that resonates with primarily young readers (and old hippies).

While there are far better and more important books for you to spend your limited time with (and although I always preferred Kerouac's, 'The Dharma Bums'), ON THE ROAD is a somewhat worthwhile read and I can generally recommend the "trip", though I would caution you against emulating the immoral self-centeredness of its principal characters. (And I can tell you from many years of experience that you're never going to find "It" at insane parties and wild bars, nor while crossing the country at 110 miles per hour in a tequila or chemical-induced stupor.)

I'd sum it all up like this: 

They raced madly, wildly, chasing after IT. Looking here, looking there; tracking IT through the loud neon-painted nights and always seemingly one step behind IT. I've got IT now! I can feel IT -- the heat, and hear ITS breathing. I can sense ITS powerful presence here. And yet... IT is gone again; ever elusive, never materializing. And Sal and Dean never realized that IT dwelled within them. The one place they never thought to look. They toted IT with them in their crazy, frenzied and futile attempt to find IT. And with Kerouac's poor body utterly wasted from drugs and alcohol, he died a sad, bloated death in 1969 at the age of forty-seven, never having located IT. And IT died with him.
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Again I say, if you enjoyed reading this unique approach to reviewing Jack Kerouac's famous "Beat Generation" book ON THE ROAD, then you might want to take a look at all the other product reviews I am posting at my new digs. I have a new (old) review going up there every day or two at (link:) STEPHEN T. McCARTHY REVIEWS... 

~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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RESULTS: BATTLE OF THE BANDS -- 2017, JAN. 15 (Or, THE TRAIN HAS ARRIVED)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2017, January 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (Or, 'Regina McCrary Versus William Dobbs') And The Final Tally:
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First of all, my genuine thanks as usual to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who took the time to listen and vote on this edition of 'Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB). Without you, this Battle would have ended in a 0 to 0 tie.

I mentioned HERE, how much trouble I had trying to find what I felt were two well-matched competitors for the Gospel song 'IF I GOT MY TICKET'.
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This was my 83rd BOTB installment and I'm not sure if I've EVER had one that seemed so closely matched. I think that at one point WILLIAM DOBBS had a two-vote lead over REGINA McCRARY, and that's the WIDEST the vote margin ever got throughout the contest. For the most part the voting on this Battle was like one for William, one for Regina, one for William, one for Regina, one for William, one for Regina... and so on, all the way to the Finish line. It was INCREDIBLE!

The majority of voters stated that they really enjoyed BOTH versions of the song and that it wasn't an easy decision to make. Only a couple of people seemed to feel that their vote was a slam-dunk for one artist over the other.

Considering that at one point I was about two minutes away from giving up on using this song altogether (I had even picked out a substitute song already) and considering that William Dobbs is a non-celebrity YouTuber who was going up against Bob Dylan's highly professional and excellent Gospel background singers, William came through magnificently in this contest.

As for my own vote... well...
When my Brother, Judge Al "Nappy" Bondigas, posted his vote, he left a comment that PERFECTLY captures my own views about this contest as well. So following is what Judge Al wrote, and it goes for me, too:

Both versions were so great and soulful that I feel bad that someone's gonna take second. I know, I know, there is no crying in baseball and no ties in Battle of the Bands. Hmmm... I slightly rule fer William Dobbs and his choir. Both versions were great, but the whole choir arrangement really moved me. Anyway, rulin' fer Dobbs and background. That's it. That's my rulin'!!!

I wholeheartedly concur with ALL OF THAT. Except for one thing... The Good Judge wrote, "There is ... no ties in Battle of the Bands". But in truth (as Tyrone said in the movie 'Hollywood Shuffle'), "That shit could really happen!"

Regina McCrary = 10 votes
William Dobbs = 10 votes

Alright, at this point I've lost track of how many times "I've kissed my sister" (i.e., ended up with a BOTB tie) but I think this one might be #12.

Anyway, as much as I normally dislike ties, this one doesn't bother me because BOTH artists performed this song so well that it would have been almost criminal to have seen either one of them have to lose the Battle. So, yes, I actually CELEBRATE this draw and commend Regina and William for making it so entertaining and exciting for me. Great BOTB installment, thanks to the contestants!

Incidentally, I want to earnestly urge you all to pay William a visit. He has a YouTube channel where he has uploaded a number of other classic songs that he's recorded for our enjoyment. Please go by and listen and give him a word or two of encouragement. William seems like a super-nice and humble man after God's own heart, and I hope you all will thank him for contributing to such an A-List and E-Ticket Battle Of The Bands installment.
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WILLIAM DOBBS YouTube channel: click HERE.
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My thanks to William Dobbs and my thanks again to all y'all. And I hope you'll return for my February 1st Battle Of The Bands installment on February 1st. (You see how that works?)

~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2017, JAN. 15th: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, REGINA McCRARY VS. WILLIAM DOBBS)

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Donald Trump Vs. the Mainstream Media & the Clinton Campaign & the Republican Establishment, 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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This is my 83rd 'Battle Of The Bands' installment. This is also the most difficult time I've ever had in trying to put together a BOTB contest. I'll spare you the details but tell you this:
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I really wanted to use THIS particular song for THIS particular BOTB installment. But just when I thought I had the whole thing set up, I discovered that one of the videos I'd selected would not play in Canada. So, that's how "Plan A" died. 
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No real big deal, right? Just move on to "Plan B" (a different version of the song). Well, "Plan B" wouldn't play in Canada either. Nor would "Plan C", and "Plan D".
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As all you BOTBers know, there are only just so many covers of a song you can use in attempting to construct a competitive Battle. You eventually come to a point where you realize that, using a lesser cover, you're setting yourself up for a blowout if not a dreaded shutout.
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That's the point I had reached. I came to the conclusion that I would need to use a different song for this Battle. And I even picked out the substitute song I was going to use.
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But then I thought I'd take just one more last look at YouTube and... EUREKA! I found it! In my case, "Plan E" was the charm.
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And now, not only do I really like this match-up, but I can't even guess who is going to win. I think it could go either way. So, let's let the New & Improved Magic 8-Ball (now with electrolytes!) take a shot at it:
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Question: Who will win this Battle?
Magic 8-Ball sez:  "You may rely on it"
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Back in his Gospel music phase, Bob Dylan's shows would open with Regina McCrary and the rest of his background singers. They would come on stage first, sans Dylan and the band, and Regina would tell the audience a story about an old lady wanting to ride a train to see her dying son. Then they would all sing the Gospel standard 'If I Got My Ticket'. After that, Dylan and his band would join them and play the rest of the concert.
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So, here's the opening of a 1980 Bob Dylan concert in Toronto, Canada.
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IF I GOT MY TICKET -- Regina McCrary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJDoUfJYZM

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The next competitor is William Dobbs. And honestly, I don't know anything about him other than the fact that I contacted him via YouTube and he seemed like a really super-nice guy. I told him 2 months ago that I was going to use his cover in this BOTB installment and he said: "It is considerate of you to want to use my recording in your contest. I'm so nervous." God bless him!!
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IF I GOT MY TICKET -- William Dobbs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSfhjXi1dOg

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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whoever you are) 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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE. 
@ 'ANGELS BARK' 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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