BOTB RESULTS: 2022, MAY 1 (Or, R.J.S. VERSUS R.J.S. VERSUS R.J.S.)

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The results are in! 

My most recent 'Battle Of The Bands' installment took place [link> HERE, and it was match-up between the three big Billboard hits by the group REO Journey Styxwagon. 

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I thought the Battle was a fun one (semi-tongue-in-cheek, but ONLY "semi") and the comment section exchanges were just as much fun if not funner. (Yeah, funner is not a real world, but it should be, and since when did a maverick like me begin paying attention to all the arbitrary rules invented by the eggheads? Huh? When? When did I? Answer! Answer the damned question! ;-)

I really, sincerely appreciate everyone who stopped by with a vote! You peoples are the reason I keep playing this game. And since I did manage to reach double-digit votes again (barely), there will indeed be another BOTB installment from me on June 1st. It won't be as outside-the-box as this one was, but I still think it'll be worth our time.

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So, how'd I "bote" in this contest and what was the outcome of this Battle?

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I have an occasional sweet tooth, but 'Babe' by REO Journey Styxwagon was just way too saccharine sweet for me!

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I have an occasional sweet tooth, but 'Open Arms' by REO Journey Styxwagon was just way too saccharine sweet for me!

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I have an occasional sweet tooth, and 'Can't Fight This Feeling' by REO Journey Styxwagon was sweet but not TOO SWEET for me!

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FINAL TALLY:

'Babe' = 3 votes 

'Open Arms' = 4 votes

'Can't Fight This Feeling' = 4 votes 

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Today, I don't own a single compact disc by REO Journey Styxwagon, but if I were to buy one, it would most definitely be the album [link> 'hi INfiDELITY'. To me, this was the best album ever put out by R.J.S. and it carries a lot of fond memories for me:

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For a year or so in the early 1980s, my dear ol' friend Big Al and I used to drive down to the Redondo Beach Pier most Tuesdays to partake of the all-you-can-eat dinner buffet at the EL TORITO Mexican Restaurant there. And 9 or 10 times out of 10, 'hi INfiDELITY' was the cassette we'd listen to while making the drive in Big Al's little MG convertible sports car. I have goot memories associated with that one particular album by REO Journey Styxwagon and I really should purchase the CD someday. 

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Although it's not my favorite song on 'hi INfiDELITY', I think 'Tough Guys' has the single greatest intro ever tacked on to a song. Take a listen here:

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'TOUGH GUYS' by REO Journey Styxwagon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhmn23I4wvY

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Anyway, thanks again, all y'all, for your participation. I feel that a tie was actually apropos for a Battle like this. It's the first BOTB tie I've ever had that I can wholeheartedly applaud. I hope you'll all come to visit me again on June 1st for more "Jocularity! Jocularity!"

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Stephen T. McCarthy 

2022, MAY 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, R.J.S. VERSUS R.J.S. VERSUS R.J.S.)

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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB). 

Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...

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My old friend Pooh and I had a long-running, ongoing joke throughout the first half of the 1980s. In the same way that Andy Kaufman, Tony Clifton, and Latka Gravas were the same person, we maintained the idea that the Rock groups Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon were in fact the very same musicians simultaneously marketing albums under three different band names. Pooh and I always referred to all three bands as "REO Journey Styxwagon". Why $ell just 1 mu$ic album a year when you can $ell 3 per year?

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Just for kicks, I recently conjured up the idea of doing a 3-way 'Battle Of The Bands' contest pitting REO Journey Styxwagon against REO Journey Styxwagon and against REO Journey Styxwagon. I figured the fairest way of doing this would be to match up all the biggest Billboard hits in chronological order. And so that's what you'll find below. In the comment section, please vote for your favorite of these three big hits by REO Journey Styxwagon. After that, please check out what the other BOTBers are offering this week.

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'Babe' by REO Journey Styxwagon was a #1 hit for two weeks in 1979 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9mmbrLmV2A

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While 'Open Arms' by REO Journey Styxwagon failed to reach #1, it actually remained at #2 on the Billboard charts for an impressive six weeks in 1982. Not bad for an underdog, eh? :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl2TjYwcycg

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'Can't Fight This Feeling' by REO Journey Styxwagon was a #1 Billboard hit for three weeks in 1985 :

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

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So, which of those three REO Journey Styxwagon songs do you like best?

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Maybe someday... later on - like, in the future - I'll do a BOTB installment pitting Spinal Tap against The Folksmen. ;-)

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: 2022, APRIL 1st (Or, EDDY VERSUS TRINI)

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First and foremost, I want to thank all my friends who took the time 'n' trouble to stop by, listen, and vote on my latest 'Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) post which appeared [link> HERE. The song was the early 1960s hit 'WE'LL SING IN THE SUNSHINE' - the cover versions performed by Eddy Arnold and Trini Lopez.

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I like this earworm-y song and really didn't know what to expect with this Battle. I figured it could possibly go either way, and to my mind there wasn't any clear favorite or underdog. And that is EXACTLY the way the Battle played out! That's right! It was a tie:

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FINAL TALLY:

Eddy Arnold = 6 votes

Trini Lopez = 6 votes

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I like both versions very well and honestly could have felt satisfied voting either way. However, I sided just slightly with Eddy Arnold and essentially for the same reason that Arlee Bird did. He wrote, "Trini's version is just too--ah--sunny?" Yeah, I feel that the underlying current which belies the cheerfulness of the melody kind of gets lost in Trini's super-upbeat happy-happy approach. But even so, I still really do like the Trini recording. This Battle was a Win-Win in my opinion.

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Although it picked up later, the voting started out so slow in this Battle that for several days I was beginning to think this may be my final BOTB installment. I sed it before and I seds it again: If one of my BOTB voting tallies ever falls below double digits (i.e., less than at least 10 votes, counting my own), THAT will be my final Battle. I just feel I put too much thought & time into these contests to justify anything less than double digit feedback. Happily, however, this Battle got into double digit "boting" late in the game, so I'll be back with another BOTB installment on May 1st. I hope to see all y'all here again then.

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In what is a first for me, I actually have ALL of my Battle songs and contestants lined up for the remainder of the year (excluding the December Christmas theme, which is yet to be determined). Until next time, may you all...

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BLESS AND BE BLESSED!!

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2022, APRIL 1 (Or, EDDY ARNOLD VERSUS TRINI LOPEZ)

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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB). 

Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...

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About 5 weeks ago, I was meditating (which I do daily as a part of my Spiritual upkeep) when I heard my Brother playing a song in the other room. I vaguely recognized it and it rekindled memories of the early 1960s for me, even though I hadn't heard the song since I was a child. 'We'll Sing in the Sunshine' was a 1964 hit song written and recorded by Gale Garnett and, for me, it's quite an earworm! 

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When I finished meditating, I sought out my Brother and asked him, "What was that song you were playing? Something about SUNSHINE?" When he told me the title, I immediately decided that it would be my April BOTB song.

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I became a (Maverick) Christian after having a profound Spiritual experience in the afternoon of April 6, 1994 on the second floor of this Los Angeles apartment:

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Yeah, that's (stuffed) Muddy McDogg waving from the second floor window of the room where Jesus Christ converted me from a sinner into a... sinner who is going to Heaven.

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God literally sent me back to Los Angeles from Arizona because of how often I used to tell people, "God doesn't exist in L.A.". God disagreed. And He sent me back to L.A. for the sole purpose of discovering Him there. Uhp! I was an idiot!!

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'We'll Sing in the Sunshine' is an odd song. The verse lyrics seem to belie the cheery chorus and the overall cheerfulness of the melody. Even so, somehow, there's something in me that Spiritually responds to this song. If I don't focus on the verses too closely, this feels to me like it's a Gospel song. And that's why I'm presenting it in the month that represents my 28th-year anniversary as "a surrendered rebel".

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The Sidewalk Cafe (exterior), Los Angeles - Venice Beach Boardwalk.

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The Sidewalk Cafe (interior), Venice Beach boardwalk.

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Full Plate @ The Sidewalk Cafe.

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Happy Plate Face @ The Sidewalk Cafe.

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Below are two cover versions of this song for you to choose from. I wanted to go in a different direction with this song, so I selected two male performers, even though the original hit was written and performed by a female (for those who still believe in distinctions such as "male" and "female"). 

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We'll Sing In The Sunshine -- Eddy Arnold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQI2D6-HZU

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We'll Sing In The Sunshine -- Trini Lopez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucTqdQ-0vh8

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Please vote for your favorite of these two recordings, and then please be sure to visit the other BOTBers list-linked in the right margin of this blog. Pssst! Over there somewhere ----->

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I'll return here on the 8th of April to cast my own vote and tally the Results for ya. Sing in the sunshine and Have A Nice Day

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: 2022, MARCH 1 (Or, DICK VAN DYKE & JULIE ANDREWS VS. LOUIS "SATCHMO" ARMSTRONG)

 

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My last Battle Of The Bands installment took place [link> HERE. It pitted Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews against Louis Armstrong over bragging rights of the song 'Chim Chim Cher-ee'.

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Although it certainly wasn't one my most popular BOTB match-ups, I thought it was an interesting contest which elicited some fairly strong opinions (always a goot thang, in my view).

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Aside from the fact that I love the song 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' from the Disney movie 'Mary Poppins', which I also love, this Battle was meant as a test of the two most universally held unwritten Rules amongst longtime BOTBers. To repeat, those "Rules" (or better yet, "time-tested guidelines") are:

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1) Do NOT use a famous rendition of a song against a relatively unknown cover version of it.

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2) Do NOT use one of the legendary crooners against a lesser-known singer. By "legendary crooners", I'm referring to singers such as Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, and Bing Crosby. 

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My question was: What if I break BOTH of those Rules simultaneously, and used the most famous rendition of the song against a cover version by one of the "legendary crooners"? Would the two broken rules cancel each other out and leave us with a level playing field?

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Well, I got the answer, and it was "NO!" Rule #1 carries more weight than Rule #2, and inconceivably, that left Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong getting beaten in this match-up!! A lot of BOTB voters (or, BOTB "boters") weren't real crazy about Dick Van Dyke's performance, but he and Andrews still cleaned up. Below are some selected comments from my beloved boters:

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[Armstrong's recording] "...started turning into the "In-a-gadda-da-vida" of Disney interpretations."

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"Dick Van Dyke's Cockney accent is ... generally regarded as the worst in the history of film. ... I wanted to go with Louis, but his seemed weak."

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"...the original just sounds too much like what it is supposed to sound like at this point."

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"I like Satch so much, but this isn't a good song for him. ... It's not a good song for Van Dyke either. He can't sing for beans..."

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"Penis Van Lesbian...er, Dick Van Dyke can't do the cockney accent very well..."

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"...nostalgia wins out and I'm voting for the original movie version."

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So, there ya go! Van Dyke kinda-sorta sucks, but the original version is still preferable to the "legendary crooner's" cover. Interesting, interesting!!

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I most sincerely thank each and every one of you who took the time to visit here, to listen, and to submit a vote & opinion. I'm grateful, mighty grateful!!

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My own feeling about this match-up was quite different from most of the other folks. I actually love BOTH versions of the song and could have happily boted for either one. But since I have to choose between them, I go with Satchmo. I remember hearing his version for the first time, decades ago, and being immediately blown away by it! IMO, he transformed a cool, happy tune into a downright tour de force! 

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One reason I think this song suits Armstrong so well is that he is the singer who popularized the technique known as "scatting", or "scat singing". In Jazz vocals, scatting is vocal improvisation with wordless sounds or nonsense syllables synchronized with the beat or rhythm. It was Satch who made "scatting" a famous thing in music. Other very famous scat singers are Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme. 

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I can honestly say that I don't much care for scatting... UNLESS it's Louis doing it. Somehow, it just seems to be a perfect fit for his too-big-to-be-contained personality. Aside from that, even the title of the song - "Chim Chim Cher-ee" - sounds like an example of scatting. How ideal for Satchmo, the king of scat singing!

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Satch's personality just explodes into this song, and I literally can't think of an example of a singer having more fun performing a tune. I find the bigger-than-life joy that Satchmo exudes in launching himself into this song to be utterly contagious. In his comment, G DogG wrote, "I vote for Armstrong as his voice instantly put a smile on my face". ZACTLY! DITTO!

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I'm actually kind of shocked that most of the voters weren't wild about Armstrong's cover; I feared he was going to clobber Van Dyke & Andrews so thoroughly that I was concerned about a possible shutout. BOTB: the mystery continues.

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FINAL TALLY:

Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews = 7 votes

Louis Armstrong = 5 votes

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As much as I love the original recording, this Battle becomes "no contest" for me at about the 3:08 point when Satchmo is having so much fun with the song that we are treated to that wonderful laugh of his:

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Chim Chim Cher-ee -- Louis Armstrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22TnKgjEL_U

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Anyway, thanks again to all y'all for participating in this, and I hope to see y'all back here again for my April 1st Battle. I've got all my match-ups already worked out from here through September, and I feel good about all of them. We've got some unique fun stuffs coming in the months ahead.

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2022, MARCH 1 (Or, DICK VAN DYKE & JULIE ANDREWS VS. LOUIS "SATCHMO" ARMSTRONG)

 

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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).

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Like J. Thaddeus Toad (aka Mr. Toad) I've always moved from one mania to the next. I have 101 manias, and when I reach the end of the last one, I start over again.

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One of my recently completed manias was watching 18 animated Disney classics in a couple months. Great stuffs about lost boys, talking dogs, talking elephants, little woodenheads and flying womens. Stuffs like this:

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And in the process, I stumbled upon a (bad?) Battle Of The Bands idea. 

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There are a few unwritten BOTB Rules of Thumb for avoiding blowouts and shutouts, and here's two of the biggies:

1) Do NOT use a famous rendition of a song against a relatively unknown cover version of it.

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2) Do NOT use one of the legendary crooners against a lesser-known singer. By "legendary crooners", I'm referring to singers such as Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, and Bing Crosby. 

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Break these rules and you are just begging for a BOTB blowout or even a shutout. But... is it possible that occasionally two wrongs can make a right? What if someone (i.e., me) broke BOTH of those rules SIMULTANEOUSLY? Would the two wrongs cancel each other out and create something that works?

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I realize that I am begging for trouble with this Battle. However, sometimes you just have to be a maverick's Maverick and take a chance. Playing it safe can get a bit boring. So... let's try something "wrong" and see if it shakes out all right.

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The stupendously brilliant Sherman Brothers (sbSB) wrote the song 'Chim Chim Cher-ee' for Disney's 'Mary Poppins' movie and I've actually had it on my 'To BOTB Someday' list since, at the very least, early 2014:

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The Boidman of BOTB recently got away with pitting "King Cole" against a "modern" singer [link> HERE; and re-watching and re-falling in love with 'Mary Poppins' recently, those two things, combined, gave me the push that I needed. I decided it was time to BOTB this song.

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So, I give you the extremely famous original movie rendition by Dick Van Dyke & Julie Andrews versus Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (one of those legendary singers we aren't supposed to dare use for fear of blowouts and shutouts). 

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Please vote for the version you honestly like best, and when you're done "boting" here, please visit my fellow BOTBers (see list in the right column) and cast your "botes" there, as well. I'll return here with my own cherce and the Final Tally on March 8th (God, weather, and Jack Daniel's permitting). 

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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...

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CHIM CHIM CHER-EE -- Dick & Jane Julie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG6O4N3wxf8&t=56s

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CHIM CHIM CHER-EE -- Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22TnKgjEL_U

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

(the maverick's Maverick!)

BOTB RESULTS: FEB. 1, 2022 (Or, DR. JOHN VERSUS AVERAGE WHITE BAND)

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First and foremost, I wanna say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who visited my little corner of the blogosphere, listened and submitted a "bote" in my latest Battle Of The Bands contest. (And another warm welcome to our newest friend, CarolCooks2.)

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The BOTB contestants were Dr. John ('Right Place, Wrong Time') and the Average White Band ('Pick Up The Pieces') and the Battle took place [link> HERE. 

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The turnout was good, but the contest... not so much. I actually thought this would be a neck-and-neck race with the AWB coming out on top by maybe 2 or 3 votes. After all, 'Pick Up The Pieces' was a #1 Billboard hit, while 'Right Place, Wrong Time' topped out at #9. But sometimes the underdog beats the favorite, and that's why we play this game to begin with.

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For me, this was a tough one to vote on because I seriously dig BOTH songs quite a bit; there's a little bit o' Funky R&B soul in this old White bloke. In 'Pick Up The Pieces', there's a point in that sax solo (about 2:36-2:41) where the Funk runs right up my spine and literally makes my White shoulders shiver!! (It's like sex, only better.)

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Even so, after a good deal of deliberation, my own vote went to Dr. John. Really, just because his song has a bit more "grit". He was seriously gettin' on down with his bad, bearded self!

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FINAL TALLY: 

Dr. John = (cranked up to) 11 

Average White Band = 4 

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[View: Looking East from the back porch of the Silver Dollar Saloon.]

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Again, I thank all y'all for visiting the Silver Dollar Saloon in Virginia City with me, and I hope to see y'all back here again for my next BOTB installment on March 1st. Until then...

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Bless And Be Blessed!! (It's a karmic thang instituted by God, Who's pert-dern smart!)

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: FEB. 1, 2022 (Or, PICKING UP THE PIECES AT THE RIGHT PLACE BUT THE WRONG TIME)

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Virginia City, Nevada, is my favorite place whole the world, and it's only a 30-minute drive up the mountain from where I live. You remember Peabody, his boy Sherman, and their Waybac Machine? Well, going up to Virginia City is like taking a Waybac Machine trip to the Wild West of the 1870s and 1880s. Back in the day, V.C. was the richest mining town in America.

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Today, there are about 14 saloons in V.C. All but two are mostly too touristy for my tastes. The two I really like are local hangouts, The Corner Bar & the Silver Dollar Saloon. Because of the music they play, my favorite is the latter. Although the Silver Dollar Saloon is right on the main street in town (C Street), few tourists are adventurous and courageous enough to descend the foreboding, steep stairs to see what lies below. This keeps the tourists from mingling with the local and semi-local riff-raff, like me. ;^)

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Cat & Cole's Virginia City Saloon Grades, Feb. 1992:

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According to those grades from 30 years ago this month, the Silver Dollar Saloon (Grade: Fair) was nothing like it is today. Cat & I were in the right place, but it must have been the wrong time. I wish I could recall what the '92 version looked like, because I LOVE the saloon as it appears today. The Silver Dollar promotes itself this way:

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Before we get down to bidnizz here, lemme take you on a quick photographic tour of the Silver Dollar Saloon. And ask yourself if YOU were a tourist in Virginia City, Nevada, would YOU go down those stairs to find out what was at the bottom? (My "Yes, Soitently!" guesses are: Judge Al Bondigas, G-DogG, Julio Seis-Abeja, Debbie D'Doglady, Birgit, MMQE.)

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Going Down?

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At The Bottom...

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Female Undergarments Lost & Found.

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Dogs Lost And Found.

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Old Codgers Gettin' Liquored-Up At The Silver Dollar.

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Photos Of My Two Favorite Actors On The Wall. What Were The Odds?

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"We Do Not Serve Women. You Must Bring Your Own."

"Dogs Welcome. People Tolerated"

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Wild Horses Hangin' Out Behind The Silver Dollar Saloon.

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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get on DOWN with our bad selves!...

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I've met some cool people in the Silver Dollar Saloon, and as mentioned, they play some really great music in there (sorry -- no modern Pop stars need apply). One day a couple years ago, when I was at the Silver Dollar knockin' back a couple Wild Turkeys, the owner / bartender turned me onto a young Blues Rocker whom I'd never heard of. I was planning to use one or two of his songs in this Battle, but have decided to save him for later. (Methinks this mightn't be the only time we're gonna take a trip to the Silver Dollar Saloon and mayhaps we'll be back in the future.)

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So, below are two different oldies but goodies that I have heard cranked "up to eleven" at the Silver Dollar. See which one you think goes best with that imaginary beer or glass of wine you're drinking right now:

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RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME -- Dr. John   (1973)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4RainY-lY

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PICK UP THE PIECES -- Average White Band   (1974)

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

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So, who said those ol' cowboys at the Silver Dollar Saloon ain't got no Funk in 'em?!

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After you vote here, please visit the other BOTB Participants and see what stuffs they may be offering up for your funky pleasure. I 'spect to be back here with the Battle Results post on February 8th. Be here, and be wearing "some clothing".

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy