2019, JUNE 15: BOTB RESULTS (Or, NINA SIMONE VERSUS MAHALIA JACKSON)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, June 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Nina Simone Versus Mahalia Jackson - And The Final Tally:
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My most recent Battle Of The Bands (BOTB) contest was a premature (most guys are like that) 6th Anniversary celebration which took place HERE. It was Nina Simone's 'Summertime' (FAE's first BOTB winner from July 10, 2013) versus a Mahalia Jackson rendition, and FAE herself showed up to cast a vote for Mahalia.
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The contest was a blowout, as I was sure it would be. I think Mahalia Jackson was probably the greatest singer of all time, so my vote (or bote) also went to her. But, thankfully, a couple persons saved me from a shutout:
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Nina Simone = 2 votes
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Mahalia Jackson = 15 votes
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And, hey, whaddaya know?...
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Even our resident psychic, Sikike Phteven (1-2), guessed right this time! Every dog has its day, and even a broken squirrel finds a blind clock twice every 24 hours. (Hmmm.... Somehow that didn't seem to come out quite right.)
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I thank each and every one of you who showed up to celebrate BOTB's 6th Birthday with me!
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In this last Battle, I used Mahalia's 'Summertime' / 'Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child' medley, because the only other rendition I could find at YouTube - which was 2:40 of just 'Summertime' - showed "The Queen Of Gospel" singing the song live, and I felt sure I'd be begging for a shutout if I utilized that video. But for your enjoyment, here it is:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q4qwSzQXYo

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Thanks again for being here, All Y'all. And I'll be back with a new Battle on July 1st. See ya then!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, JUNE 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, NINA SIMONE VERSUS MAHALIA JACKSON)

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FAE Vs. STMcC, Female Vs. Male, 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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Eugene Martone Vs. Jack Butler

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The first thing you noticed was that the date's wrong. Yip! I misread my notes and mistook 7/10/2013 for June instead of July. This 6th Anniversary BOTB installment is about 1 month too early. Oh, well. (I do letters better'n numbers.)
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No, BOTB did NOT begin as a blogfest and, no, I did not take over hosting it when my friend FarAwayEyes (aka FAE) split the scene. Back in 2013, FAE blogged regularly and kept to a schedule. On July 10, 2013, she was due to post something, but being preoccupied with house guests, she just quickly threw together a "Battle of the Bands" blog bit. She chose the song 'SUMMERTIME' from 'Porgy & Bess' ["I loves you, Porgy!"] and put Nina Simone up against Muse. Nina got 8 votes, Muse got 3. You can see that first BOTB installment and its comments / votes by clicking HERE.
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FAE had not intended to do another BOTB installment. As far as she was concerned, it was a 'one and done' type of affair. But as my comments on her original post show, I thought it was a terrific idea, which I indicated I was inclined to steal:
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STMcC to FAE: "Hey, I really like your 'Battle Of The Bands' concept! Maybe you should run with that idea, making it a regular feature on your blog. [...] Incidentally... if you decide NOT to make this 'BOTB' concept a regular feature on your blog, I am DEFINITELY going to steal the idea and make it a semi-regular feature on MY blog. Just sayin'."
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I later Emailed FarAwayEyes and yakked her into doing semi-regular BOTB installments WITH me. That's how it started. It wasn't meant to be a blogfest; it was just something two "blog buddies" decided to do together. But other folks saw what we had begun doing, liked it, asked to join, and - voila! - a blogfest was born.
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Good-niks Vs. No-Good-niks

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FAE has long since ceased blogging. But because she always used to post in "blue", I incorporated that color into the official 'BOTB' logo, and I have always written 'Battle Of The Bands' and 'BOTB' in blue as a tribute to FAE, who did it first.
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For this (one month premature) 6th Anniversary BOTB installment, I decided to re-use the first song ever used in BOTB - 'SUMMERTIME' - and take FAE's first-ever BOTB winner, Nina Simone, and pit her against a new challenger. In July of 2013, Muse lost to Nina by 5 votes. Now, nearly 6 years later, let's see if Mahalia Jackson can put up a better fight.
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Godzilla Vs. King Kong

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SUMMERTIME -- Nina Simone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmrUrEbaYWE

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Riddler Vs. Batman

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Mahalia Jackson's version is actually a medley, in which she briefly incorporates 'Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child' into the middle portion of the song. But she quickly transitions back into 'Summertime' after just a couple minutes:
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SUMMERTIME -- Mahalia Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M4zUEGkdBw

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QUESTION: Will the challenger, Mahalia, beat Nina, the reigning queen of 'Summertime'?
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SIKIKE PHTEVEN (0-2): If she doesn't, may The Amazing Sixwell push me right in front of a speeding bus driven by the Magic 8-Ball!
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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.
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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". 
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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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
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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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BOTB RESULTS: 2019, JUNE 1 (Or, BRIAN SETZER VERSUS BRIAN SETZER)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, June 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, The Stray Cats Versus The Brian Setzer Orchestra - And The Final Tally:
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Dogged if The Stray Cats didn't win! It wasn't one of my better Battles, but the comment section was fun and I appreciate all of you who took the time to listen and vote (aka bote).
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The song was 'Rock This Town' and the Battle was between Brian Setzer's 'Stray Cats' and Brian Setzer's Orchestra. It took place [link> HERE.
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The Orchestra got the very first vote. It also got the very last vote (mine). And those are the ONLY votes it got!
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'Rock This Town' was a Top Ten hit for The Stray Cats in 1982, and I liked the song so much that I went out and bought the album. Setzer covered the song with his Orchestra in 1998, and I liked the cover so much that I went out and bought that album, too! Obviously, I like this song. However, I like the Big Band version just a smidgen more because on rare occasions, less isn't really more.
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The Stray Cats = 15 votes
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Brian Setzer Orchestra = 2 votes
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STMcC: What the hell happened to you? You guaranteed a win for Brian Setzer's Orchestra!
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Sikike Phteven: You didn't tell me that people won't vote for a cover over an original hit.
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STMcC: I shouldn't have to tell you anything. As a psychic, you're supposed to have supernatural prescience.
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Sikike Phteven: I never said I was psychic. I said I was sikike. Stop mislabeling me! .....My next one will be better.
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My friends, the "next one" will be a special anniversary edition of BOTB on June 15th, and I hope all y'all will return for that one. See ya then!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, JUNE 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BRIAN SETZER VERSUS BRIAN SETZER)

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Setzer Vs. Seltzer, 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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Eugene Martone vs. Jack Butler

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As all y'all know, my last BOTB installment was a heartfelt Tribute To My Mom which occurred [link> HERE. It was a 3-way contest in which 1st place and 3rd place were separated by only 2 votes (i.e., it was exactly the kind of Battle we all hope for when we put these music contests together).
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In case you wuzn't here, I'll tell ya that The Brian Setzer Orchestra (barely) beat Count Basie's Orchestra and The Cannonball Adderley Quintet. And that got me to thinking about how I discovered that first Brian Setzer Orchestra album to begin with...
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Good-niks vs. No-goodniks

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The year was probably 1998. My brother Nappy (aka Judge Al Bondigas, which means "Judge Meatball") and I had spent the weekend in Tombstone, AZ. I was driving us back to Phoenix and had the car radio on when this song came on...
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I was thinking: 
Wait a minute! I know this song! This is 'Rock This Town', but it's definitely not The Stray Cats. ...Hmmm.... That DOES sound like Brian Setzer singing, though...
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I was really curious about this, so I looked into it when I got home and discovered that Brian Setzer had reemerged on the music scene fronting a full orchestra. I could be mistaken, but as far as I know, Setzer was the inventor of 'Big Band Rock', which has since become "a thing".
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This Battle *HAD* to be done! Who you boting (or voting) for? 
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The Stray Cats were a 3-piece Rockabilly band out of Long Island, New York, and 'Rock This Town' (#9 in 1982) was their first of three Top Ten hits. It very briefly gave me hope that Rock 'N' Roll was not dead. ...But then Rock 'N' Roll died. 
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ROCK THIS TOWN - The Stray Cats (1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-a6ct8aalg

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Godzilla vs. King Kong

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In 1998, The Brian Setzer Orchestra covered the song on their first album 'The Dirty Boogie'. Here's the 3-piece Rockabilly hit given a brassy Big Band treatment:
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ROCK THIS TOWN - The Brian Setzer Orchestra (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvs9ODIjhiU

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Question: Will the older Brian Setzer beat the younger Brian Setzer?
Sikike Phteven (0-1): Is the pope Catholic? Does a bear go poo-poo in the woods? Can a low-I.Q. bartender become a Congresswoman in New York? Will the world end in 12 years if we don't address "Climate Change" today? 
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Question: Huh? I think you're sending mixed signals.
Sikike Phteven: Oh... Right, right. Scratch my last question.
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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.
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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.)
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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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE.
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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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BOTB RESULTS: 2019, MAY 15 (Or, BASIE VERSUS ADDERLEY VERSUS SETZER)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, May 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or,  Count Basie Versus Cannonball Adderley Versus Brian Setzer - And The Final Tally:
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First of all, a BIG THANK YOU to all you kind folks who participated in my BOTB tribute to my dear, ol' Ma. You dun made it a goot juan!
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The Battle / Tribute took place HERE and featured 3 of my Ma's favorite songs: 'April In Paris' by Count Basie, 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!' by Cannonball Adderley, and 'Since I Don't Have You' by Brian Setzer. And considering the fact that Setzer got the first 4 votes cast, and 5 of the first 6, this actually turned into a first-rate Battle.
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The womens really seemed to go for Brian's sexy voice in that song. But being the [link> "confident heterosexual" I am, for me it was between 'April In Paris' and 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!' I really love both of those instrumentals. But the soulful build-up of Adderley's saxophone and the electric piano is what captures my own vote / bote.
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So, here's how it turned out:
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Count Basie = 4 votes
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Cannonball Adderley = 5 votes
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Brian Setzer = 6 votes
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Pretty competitive outcome! Thanks, Everyone! I enjoyed it.
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I wish I could speak as glowingly about our newest psychic, Sikike Phteven. He's gotten off to a bad start in his BOTB prognosticating career, and is kind of in my doghouse at the moment.
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Prior to the Battle, Sikike Phteven stated: "You bet your sweet bippy that Cannonball'll win!"
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I sure hope none of you bet and lost your sweet bippy over this Battle.
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I spoke with Sikike Phteven (0-1) briefly about his ignoble start and here's what he had to say:
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STMcC: How do you explain your very bold BOTB prediction being wrong?
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SIKIKE PHTEVEN: This is a technique of the anti-psychics, to take dry humor + sarcasm literally and “fact check” it. Like the “Cannonball Adderley winning” thing, you’d have to have the social intelligence of a sea sponge to think it’s literal.
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STMcC: Seriously? That's your excuse? You were just kidding?
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SIKIKE PHTEVEN: Hey, if [link> a woman in Congress can get away with that in the mainstream media, it ought to work just as well on some nobody's blog. Er... I hope I wasn't out of line with that crack about the "nobody". As for the predictions, to borrow a quote from the greatest filmmaker of all time: My next one will be better.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, MAY 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, BASIE VERSUS ADDERLEY VERSUS SETZER)

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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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I had no idea what direction to go in with this BOTB installment, but then it came to me late in the afternoon of May 13th..
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Ma passed on in 2005. May 12th was Mothers' Day, and May 13th was my Ma's Birthday. And like I do on every May 13th, I played some of my Ma's favorite music. And that's when the idea of doing a BOTB tribute to my Ma unfolded in my mind.
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So, I have selected 3 of some of my Dear Ol' Ma's favorite songs and I'm asking you to vote for one of them.

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My Ma was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and one of the nicknames I had given her was "Binky Buckeye, Ohio's Flippin' Squirrel". 
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Here's a photo of part of an inscription my Ma wrote in a Holy Bible that she gave me as a gift:
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Sadly, my Ma was ill for many years late in her life, and I can distinctly recall a certain day, long ago, when she was listening to Count Basie's 'April In Paris'. I saw tears come into her eyes. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, "I just now realized that I will never be able to dance to this music again." 
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So, first up in this contest is 'April In Paris'. I hope my Ma is dancing in Heaven to this while you're listening to it.
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APRIL IN PARIS - Count Basie (1955)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCmcoZktZG4


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As a young boy, I got a good musical education from the varied musical tastes of both my Pa and Ma. They both liked certain singers, such as Sinatra and Louis Prima, but overall, my Pa leaned more toward Country, while my Ma had more of a liking for music with a pronounced groove, such as Blues, Soul, and R&B. 
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I was 7 years old when The Cannonball Adderley Quintet album 'Live At "The Club"' appeared in my parents' LP collection. I didn't need to ask which of my parents bought that one. The 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!' track has my Ma written all over it, and it got played so often that I came to memorize not just every note of the music, but also every word of the spoken introduction.
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MERCY, MERCY, MERCY! - Cannonball Adderley (1966)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQprFhWYr0s


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My Pa passed on in 1996, and a few years later, I bought the album 'The Dirty Boogie' by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. I really loved the sexy playfulness of 'You're The Boss' and I thought my Ma would love it, too, so I played it for her. Eh... She liked it well enough, but it didn't knock her socks off. So then I played her 'Rock This Town' - the Big Band treatment that Setzer had given to his earlier Stray Cats hit. Ma thought it was OK. I played her a couple other songs, neither of which WOW-ed her.
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I was about to pack it in, when I heard Lieutenant Columbo whisper into my mind, "Oh, one other thing...", and so as an after-afterthought (aka post-afterthought), I played 'Since I Don't Have You', Brian Setzer's cover of the old Skyliners hit. 
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HOKEY-SMOKE 'n' HOO-WEE! That did IT! 
Binky Buckeye, Ohio's Flippin' Squirrel, absolutely FLIPPED!!! She instantly fell in love with that song and the sound of Setzer's voice in it. 
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For the next 7 years of her life, she'd sometimes ask me to play it for her, and would ask me all kinds of questions about Brian Setzer: "Where did he come from?" "How old is he?" "Is he a good guitarist?", etc., etc. (I think that poor ol' widow may have developed a slight crush on Setzer in her final years, based solely on that one song.) 
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SINCE I DON'T HAVE YOU - Brian Setzer (1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdNAMyG1Ti4


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Honestly - with God as my witness - I'm really not sure which of these 3 songs my Ma would vote for if she were here and able to cast a vote in this BOTB installment. It's a really close call, and one I wouldn't feel comfortable or confident in trying to make on her behalf. So, y'all can choose the winner by yer votes.
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NEWS FLASH! 
Since the unforeseen deaths of The Magic 8-Ball and The Amazing Sixwell in the same bus accident, we have gone out and hired a new psychic. Fortunately, psychics are a dime a dozen, so we got this one for just 83.33/100th of a cent! He goes by the name Sikike Phteven ("that's Steven spelled with a ph"). His diary explains how and when he acquired his supernatural gift:
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Wendsday, March 10, 1970 
I have gone sikike. 
i had a dream that 
my girl friend wasn't 
in the cafetiria (it came true)
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Question: Will Cannonball Adderley win this Battle?
Sikike Phteven sez: Is beer one of the major food groups? Did STMcC's Mother love baseball? Do rabbits love 'Bolero'? You bet your sweet bippy that Cannonball'll win!
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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.
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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.)
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Voice Your Vote...
@ 'ANGELS BARK' by clicking HERE. (Returning to BOTB today!)
@ '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.
@ 'THE DOGLADY'S DEN' by clicking HERE.
@ 'CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE' by clicking HERE.
@ 'AI LOVE MUSIC' by clicking HERE.
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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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