BOTB 2024 February 1st - Results

 

Battle Name:             For the Birds  - 5^th installment

Song:                          Songbird

Contenders and Tallies:

                                    Rita Wilson & Josh Groban    = 4 votes

                                    The Running Mates                = 5 votes

Many thanks to everyone who flew in to vote on what was likely one of my last For the Birds battles. Honestly, I’m not even near the end of my list of ‘Bird’ songs, but it feels like time to move on to another theme. I don’t know what it will be yet, but in the meantime, I’ve challenged myself to a second battle for the month of February - in honor of Valentine’s Day, presenting love songs that don’t actually use the word “Love.” I bet you’ll stop by to see how I’ll ever pull it off ;-)

Thanks again, everybody – and for your kind condolences as well. Other battle results are probably available (I’m a slowpoke) at the links located in the top right column of this page. I'm on my way to check them out now ;-)

See you on the 15^th!

BOTB November 2023

 

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 1^st and/or 15^th of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about 8 days later.

As I mentioned last time, when it comes to predicting battle outcomes, my judgment seems to be “For the birds.” While I pondered this dilemma one morning as cartoons droned on TV after the local news, it occurred to me that the roadrunner might be the smartest bird that ever raced across the desert with Wile E Coyote in full, yet futile pursuit. It was as I considered all the smart birds I knew that a BOTB theme came to me. If you guessed birds, you’re right! But not The Byrds or the Eagles or even Counting Crows. At least, not yet ;-)

First up is a song by Nellie Furtado, who divulged in an interview that her favorite birds are crows because they like shiny things as much as she does.

Next up is a song that very few people haven’t heard ;-) from Bob Marley and the Wailers' ninth album. It has an uplifting refrain that Marley said he heard the birds sing from his porch every morning.

There you have it, folks! Which do you like best? And how come? Let me know in the comment section below. Oh! And, before you go, hop around and see the rest of today’s battles (participating sites are located in the top right sidebar of this page)

Fun Facts:

Wally Amos was responsible for making more than just cookies famous. Indeed, he was also a talent rep for musical acts such as Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke. And that was after he discovered and signed the folk duo Simon and Garfunkel ;-) 

BOTB October 2023 Results

 

Contenders and votes for the October Battle of the Bands:

Survivor Eye of the Tiger   votes - 2

Creedence Clearwater Revival Up Around the Bend - 7

Once again, my friends, I seem to have misjudged the outcome. As long as everyone was sufficiently inspired into positivity, I'm okay with that ;-)  

Since my telepathic powers seem to be "For the Birds" these days, here's a hint as to what I'll be doing for upcoming battles and a theme song to keep me on track ;-)  *No, there won't be any cartoons.

Don't forget to stop by to check the results of the other battles (top right sidebar). That's where I'm headed next.

BOTB October 2023

 

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 1^st and/or 15^th of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied, and the winner revealed on or about 8 days later.

It’s International Music Day! Universal Music Day is next Saturday. I don’t mind two celebrations, do you?

So, in my never-ending search for any and all things interesting, like on this day in history, Marvel published the first Alice Cooper comic book! And, it’s Julie Andrews’ birthday today – the same day that thirteen-year-old Judy Garland signed with MGM - I discovered the longest-running sound system in Jamaican history called Merritone Music. I’m still not exactly sure what they do, but they’ve been doing it for a long, long time ;-)

I was determined to come up with an unusual, yet uplifting battle that might even get our toes tapping. Thanks to Merritone Music, I found my first contender right away. But had to go to plan B when something went wrong with video uploads.  I figure these two will inspire at least a little positivity ;-)

First up: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Next up:  Survivor

There you have it, folks! Which do you like best? And how come? Let me know in the comment section below. Oh! And, before you go, hop around and see the rest of today’s battles (participating sites are located in the top right sidebar of this page)

Autumn skies and Pumpkin pies

 

We’re not exactly graced with all the splendors of seasonal changes in the desert. Few of our leaves change color, opting instead to forsake their posts for bony winter fingers. Luckily, our evening sky is often willing to step up and deck out with spectacular flair. Time to buy a couple of pumpkins!

According to a few of my favorite haunts, today was quite the day in music history. In 1967, Arlo Guthrie released a song that would one day become a Thanksgiving tradition in our house, as each year while the swamp cooler works overtime, the turkeys are fried or roasted or smoked on the patio, the sides take turns in the oven of our crowded kitchen, another leaf is added to the table and set for 8 – 12 while we listen to a full-length version of “Alice’s Restaurant” that finishes just as the biscuits begin to smolder.

During a meeting with the rest of the band on this day in 1969, John Lennon announced he was leaving the Beatles. Meanwhile, one of only a handful of successful “fake” bands, The Archies, began a four-week run at #1 on the US singles chart with “Sugar, Sugar” in addition to becoming one of the longest-running one-hit-wonders after eight weeks at the top of the UK charts. "I'm gonna make your life so sweet,"

On this fateful day in 1973, Jim Croce was on his way to perform a second concert of the day when he tragically perished along with five others in the crash of their chartered plane. His song “Time in a Bottle” made an instant come-back, as his other hits also saturated the airwaves.

Kate Bush hit the ground running in 1980 with her first album, “Never For Ever,” the first album by any female solo artist to enter the UK chart at #1. “Running Up That Hill”

“But now it’s time for me to go; the autumn moon lights my way.” Led Zeppelin

Peaceful autumn, everyone!

BOTB September 2023 Battle Results

 

Contenders and votes for the September Battle of the Bands

Song:  The Letter

Joe Cocker - 2

Richard Marx, ft. Hugh Jackman - 6 + 1 = 7

It's not a misprint, folks. It really is the same results as last month, 7 - 2! Richard Marx is more of a surprise than I initially thought. 

True, he was a little slow off the mark, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well Marx (and Jackman) represented a song rumored in some circles to have been performed in a gravel pit by a cement mixer, albeit (to be fair) with an impressive amount of human emotion. Considering the lyrics, the song itself deserves some emotion, I think.

I have to admit, I was even more surprised (and secretly pleased) that so many of you preferred Richard Marx ;-) Here’s one where he really shows off his emotive skills:

I’m off to see how the other battles did. Hope you do the same!

BOTB September 2023 The Letter

 

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 1^st and/or 15^th of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about 8 days later.

In honor of World Letter Writing Day, I’ve chosen a song entitled “The Letter” along with a couple of artists/bands I think you may have heard of to compete in today’s battle. The song was first recorded by The Box Tops in 1967 and was their most successful single reaching #1 on the record charts in both the U.S. and Canada. The lead vocalist, 16-year-old Alex Chilton, later admitted his voice sounded gruff from lack of sleep.

First up, an even more distinctive voice:  English bluesman, Joe Cocker

Next up, an American entertainer whose first seven singles reached the top five on Billboard charts: Singer-songwriter Richard Marx, featuring his buddy Hugh Jackman

There you have it, folks! Which do you like best? And how come? Let me know in the comment section below. Oh! And, before you go, hop around and see the rest of today’s battles (participating sites are located in the top right sidebar of this page)

 

Lastly, on the subject of letters, here is one we can all appreciate (I think) by E.B. White.

 

See you soon!

C'mon People Now

 This has been an incredibly trying month for screenwriters, actors, and all the important (and nearly invisible) people who keep costumes cleaned, lighting and sound just right, fresh flowers in vases, candy dishes refilled, schedule keepers, and deadline meeters.

It hasn’t been much easier for folks in the music industry.

Appearing on the broody “Blue-eyed soul” music scene in 2017 with his independently released single “Bruises,” Irish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi became the first artist to sell out an arena tour before the release of an album. In 2019, “Someone you loved” became the breakthrough single that charted in 29 countries. The song reached #1 on Billboard Hot 100s, making him the first Scottish solo artist to top the US charts since Sheena Easton in 1981. Capaldi achieved 4 more #1 hits before announcing he would be taking an extended, indefinite break from touring due to a recent diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome, a debilitating bout of which led to adoring concertgoers finishing his performance for him last month at the Glastonbury Festival.

Country music star Jason Aldean is no stranger to controversy. But he is a survivor of the deadliest mass shooting in American history in 2017 at the Las Vegas Route 91 Music Harvest Festival. Aldean was performing onstage when the shooting began, and like most everyone else, he thought the sounds he heard were fireworks signaling the end of the concert. The 3-time winner of the ACM Entertainer of the Year award (2016-2018) is now being chastised for his latest release, “Try That in a Small Town” (lead single from his upcoming 11^th album). In fact, CMT removed the music video from rotation; while the AMA played pre-recorded footage of Aldean performing, ABC refused to show the video for the CMA Fest. Meanwhile, Billboard reports record plays. Apparently, honest response and references to actual news footage of crimes and violence on American streets makes Aldean an inciter of vigilantism, a promoter of violence. He should know better, they say. He’s probably racist, they quip. Eye-roll.  

And just yesterday, the music world lost another icon. At 95 years old, Tony Bennett made the Guinness World Record for the oldest person ever to release an album of new material.  Among the American jazz and Pop singer’s many accolades were 20 Grammy awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Do you have a favorite artist or thoughts you'd like to share?

BOTB July 2023 Battle Results

 

Contenders and votes for this month's "Memphis" themed battle are:

"Memphis"  Johnny Rivers - 3 votes

"Walking in Memphis"  Marc Cohn - 4 + 1 = 5 votes

Not exactly the outcome I expected, but I'll take it! 

Here's a little duel to get us in the mood for August:

And the pleasing sounds of strings - and rain. Because we could use some ;-)

Thanks, everyone! See you next month ;-)

BOTB July 2023 The Memphis Sound

 

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 1^st and/or 15^th of every month), give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about 8 days later.

Hi again, everyone!

Move over, Werthers; there’s a new treat in town! According to emcee McC, who passed the suggestion on from his Brother the Judge, Al Bondigas, Mango Ginger Chews are the snacks to chow – and it’s healthy for you too!

It took a while for the song “Summer Rain” to quit strolling around in my mind! Now that I’m over the initial shock of last month’s Johnny Rivers blowout battle against The Motels, I’ve decided to see how well he’ll do in a Memphis-themed contest.

Did anyone know there’s a Memphis in Egypt? Something new every day. Memphis, TN., is also a five-time winner of the nation’s cleanest city award.

First up is actually a cover (of a Chuck Berry) song that, charting at #2 in America, spawned a live album called “Johnny Rivers at the Whiskey a Go Go,” with “Memphis” as a single that effectively launched his career.

Marc Cohn wrote this next one himself after an unremarkable visit to Graceland. A weathered sign along Highway 61 that read “Hollywood” led him to a small diner/music joint called “The Hollywood Café,” where a lady played piano in a corner and sang songs in a smoked-honey voice that brought him to the heart of what he'd been walking around looking for.

There you have it, folks! Which do you like best? And how come? Let me know in the comment section below. Oh! And, before you go, hop around and see the rest of today’s battles (participating sites are located in the top right sidebar of this page)

I’m likely on the road as you read this, but no worries. My destination is only half a day away, so I’ll check back in real soon!

Who Knew?

 A small church in West Virginia held the first public event honoring hard-working dads in July 1908 in remembrance of 362 men killed in a mine explosion the previous December. Sonora Smart Dodd, of Spokane, Washington. is credited with brainstorming the annual celebration of fathers with her own father, a civil war veteran, and widower who raised six kids on his own, in mind. Father's Day was officially recognized statewide in 1910. Roses were originally a big part of Father's Day celebrations, as daughters gave their fathers a red rose during church services. Red roses were pinned to the lapels of children to honor their fathers. White roses were provided for those whose fathers were deceased.

Now that you know, here's a music video depicting just how fun fathership can be ;-)

Angel Flight

 

Today and Always

“Honor to the Soldier, and Sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves, as best he can, the same cause—honor to him, less only than to him, who braves, for the common good, the storms of heaven and the storms of battle.” —Abraham Lincoln

It is not enough to aim

 "There was nothing like a Saturday – unless it was the Saturday leading up to the last week of school and into summer vacation. That of course was all the Saturdays of your life rolled into one big shiny ball.”

— Nora Roberts

I actually slept in this glorious Saturday morning.By a whole 30 minutes. After just one cup of coffee, I decided to create a site dedicated solely to music. And here it is! This should alleviate some of the overlap/confusion between writers and music enthusiasts, though if you ask me, we're all the same ;-) 

Here's a Saturday song I bet you haven't heard in a while, from the original 1969 soundtrack of "The Sterile Cuckoo" by the Sandpipers

Stay tuned!