Hey, hi! Glad you stopped
by ;-)
The Battle of The Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best
contest, where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is
show up (the 1st and/or 15th of every month), give a listen, and cast your vote
in the comment section. Votes will be tallied, and the winner will be revealed
on or about 8 days later.
Happy Summer, Happy June!
Some among us may be glad
to know June 5th is National Moonshine Day; it’s also National Rum
Punch and Iced Tea Month. Though, I’m not sure if you’re supposed to mix the
two or drink them separately ;-)
There are so many great
summertime songs that I had trouble deciding which to choose for this battle.
Since we’re already in the triple digits, the first hit single for Seals and
Crofts comes to mind, and I think a cool Summer Breeze would be just right for
now. I hope you do as well!
First up, Johnny Mathis
Next up, Jason Mraz
There you have it, folks!
Do either one of these covers strike your fancy? I’d love to read your thoughts
in the comment section below. Oh, and does anyone know which musical instrument is known as the “King of
Instruments”?
Happy Summer, diedre. 🌞 I absolutely LOVE this song! 💖Thanks for showcasing it here. My vote has to go to Johnny Mathis, as it's closer to the original which, as mentioned, is a huge favourite.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the "King of Instruments" would be the guitar, but that's likely incorrect. Piano?
P.S. Does Long Island Iced Tea count for the month? 😉 Stay cool! 🍹
DeleteHi, Debbie!
DeleteI almost used Summer Rain, since I love that one as well, But I'd heard Seals and Crofts on my favorite radio station and it was all over but the slightly off-key singing ;-) I appreciate your vote for Johnny Mathis, my dear!
P.S. If Long Island Iced Teas don't count, they ought to! I think they're delicious but they sure sneak up on a person ;-)
DeleteEspecially the way I make them! 😉🍹
DeleteGreat song! And perfect for the month of June. Giving my vote to the legendary Johnny Mathis.
ReplyDeleteHave a great summer!
-Mary
Hi, Mary!
DeleteAnd a wonderful summer to you as well! Another vote for Johnny, duly noted, M' Lady ;-)
I felt like Jason Mraz was losing the song behind all his vocal pyrotechnics. Johnny Mathis did his usual great job with the song and thus gets my vore.
ReplyDeleteHi John! You do have a way with words ;-) Hard to go wrong with Johnny M, isn't it? Thanks for your vote.
DeleteJohnny all the way. His voice is so pure and smooth, like warm honey. This arrangement was perfection.
ReplyDelete~ Nancy
Hi Nancy! I hear ya. Johnny's voice is just as pleasantly soothing as the summer breeze he sings about ;-) I appreciate your vote!
DeletedIEDRE, dIEDRE, My Friend, My Friend! ~
ReplyDeleteOh, what a beautiful song. I've always loved it. 'Summer Breeze' has goldenshadow thoughout it, and in spades! And this is a perfect song choice for June 1st.
Well, let me preface this by saying . . . . .
I'm not ordinarily a big fan of the "crooning" style of singing. But Johnny Mathis is a massive exception; he has literally been a part of every single Christmas since I was born. In fact, his 1958 album 'Merry Christmas' was one of the very first compact discs I ever purchased, when I started changing my LP collection to a CD collection in late 1988 or very early '89.
I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.
Judge Al Bondigas listened to both recordings also and later told me, "My rulin' for Mathis was made 10 seconds after the start of the Jason Mraz song." (I can honestly say that I was twice as open-minded as my brother was. Because I didn't make up my mind to vote for Mathis until 20 seconds into the Mraz performance!)
Yeah, Mraz was messing with the melody by altering some lyrics. Sometimes that can be OK but, in my opinion, not with such a beautifully lilting song like 'Summer Breeze'. When it ain't broke, don't fix it. (You can quote me on that, as long as you credit me for originating it. ;-)
~ Stephen T. the D-FensDogG
Hey there, Stephen T!
DeleteThankfully, not even ad-libbing can mar the mystique of the Red Rock area - just as very few (besides Seals and Crofts, of course) voices can capture the essence of magic infused in this song. I'm glad you like Johnny Mathis too. Thank you and your brother for your votes!
Diedre,
ReplyDeleteThere's no question Johnny Mathis has a golden voice which I really do love but for some reason his cover sounded too karaoke. Jason Mraz did monkey a bit too much with the melody at times adding crazy runs (I guess that's what you call it) which didn't add anything to the song and caused distraction but still over all I preferred his cover. The good thing is with my vote for Jazon Mraz, you're not going to have a shut out. :) Here's hoping we have lots of nice summer breezes!
Hi Cathy!
DeleteIndeed you are my game-saver - thanks!
I hadn't heard anything by Jason Mraz for some time and remember him sounding a little better, somehow ;-) Must be the song. A much appreciated vote for Jason!