BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, APRIL 15 (Or, FRANK And NELSON Versus SHIRLEY And NELSON)

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Howdy, Handsome DogGs & Pretty DogGesses!

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It's time for Round #8 of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze.
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This time we have two classic singers - one male and one female - going up against each other. The hooch (a.k.a. "evidence") in the song is champagne (a.k.a. "bubbly"). The male singer is Frank Sinatra; the female singer is Shirley Bassey. BUT!...
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...a thing I find particularly interesting in this match-up is the fact that behind both singers is the SAME orchestra and conductor. Have you ever heard of Nelson Riddle and The Nelson Riddle Orchestra? Yeah, of course you has, you marvelously musically edgeukated friends o' mine!
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I also find it ultra-interesting how the same orchestra operating under the same conductor sounds so completely different in both versions of the same classic song! Listen and you'll see what I means:
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I Get A Kick Out Of You
by Frank Sinatra (& The Nelson Riddle Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II78P4HxcX8

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I Get A Kick Out Of You
by Shirley Bassey (& The Nelson Riddle Orchestra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDFA4NkDStc

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In ye olde comment section, please vote for which recording you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.
* See the BOTBer links over there --->
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I plan to return here on or about April 22nd with my own vote (*if I can figure it out*) and the Final Tally of this BOTB installment. Until then... get a goot juan!
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~ Stephen-Boy

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, APRIL FOOLS' DAY (Or, TINY TIM VERSUS THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND)

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As Tiny Tim said 54 years before beating Charlie Daniels in Battle Of The Bands:

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"MOST OF ALL, I’D LOVE TO SEE CHRIST COME BACK TO CRUSH THE SPIRIT OF HATE AND MAKE MEN PUT DOWN THEIR GUNS. I’D ALSO LIKE JUST ONE MORE HIT SINGLE."
~ TINY TIM
[Interviewed by Harold Ramis for
Playboy magazine, June, 1970]
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Yep! You understood that correctly. Tiny Tim conquered the hilarious Charlie Daniels Band 7 votes to 6 in my most recent BOTB's Battle Of The Booze contest [link> HERE.

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My genuine appreciation to all of you who took the time to visit here and cast a vote. I'm sure everybody figured Tiny Tim was a major underdog in this contest, but I actually had a strong feeling he would win. Why? Because, over the long history of Battle Of The Bands, Tiny Tim has won more contests than he has lost, and everyone is always surprised, re-surprised, and re-re-surprised when they discover (or discover yet again) that a great many of big Tiny's songs were considerably better than his weirdo reputation would seem to imply.
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So, Tiny Tim advances to the future BOTB Playoff round, and Charlie Daniels... continues on his trip to L.A. via Omaha.

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I plan to return here again on April 15th with a new installment of BOTB's BOTB, so I hope all y'all will return also. Until then, may you...
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Bless & Be Blessed!!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
DogGtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, APRIL FOOLS' DAY (Or, TINY'S CHAMPAGNE VERSUS CHARLIE'S BEER)

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DogGs & DogGesses ~ 

This being April Fools' Day, I felt that a couple of fun & foolish songs were in order for Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze. 

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Hereabouts, I am a legendary notorious Tiny Tim fan. And although I do genuinely dig 73.84% of Tiny's music, I knew that he would be a perfect fit for my April Fools' Day BOTB installment. Q: Is there a fun & foolish song I can find to use against big Tiny? A: Yes! I found an ideal competitor in Charlie Daniels.

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What we've got here is  failure to communicate Tiny's champagne versus Charlie's beer. Or, 'Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life' versus 'Uneasy Rider'.

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All I want is wheat germ for my breakfast

A CHAMPAGNE fountain sizzlin' at my feet

While Rockefeller waitin' on the table

And Lombardo's band a-playin' while I eat.

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If I only owned Western Union cable

And if Tuesday Weld would only be my wife 

(*Tiny, I love you!*)

If I could only stay sixteen forever and ever and ever

Then I know that I'd be satisfied with life.

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Fun Fact: In Tiny's song, Nico (of The Velvet Underground fame) played the role of Tuesday Weld.

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I just ordered up a BEER and sat down at the bar

When some guy walked in and said, "Who owns this car 

with the Peace sign, the mag wheels, and four on the floor?"

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Well, he looked at me and I damn-near died

And I decided that I'd just wait outside

So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door

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Alright, let's get on it. 

Let's get ON this foolishness!

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Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life

by Tiny Tim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF5ZryRm-Nk

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Uneasy Rider 

by The Charlie Daniels Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-3T2kNxTQ

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Remember: This is really about the songs and not the booze. So, in ye olde comment section, please vote for which song you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.

* See the BOTBer links over there --->
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I'll return here on or about April 8th with my own vote and the final tally. 
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~ Stephen T. McC

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, MARCH 15 (Or, ERIC BURDON & WAR VERSUS UB40)

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Well, shit in me doughnut! I was pert-dern sure that Eric Burdon & War was a-gonna win my last Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze contest, but I didn't think they was a-gonna win by such a Large Marge-in. 

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The songs were 'SPILL THE WINE' (Eric & his WARriors) and 'RED RED WINE' (UB40), and the contest took place HERE.

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Even if the song 'Spill The Wine' truly is about injecting heroin into one's body, which some websites claim (and which would be an incredibly stupid thing to do), I loved the song when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I still like it today at 64 or 65 (or... 12). So, I too voted for spilling the wine (or, shooting up the horse).

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FINAL TALLY:

Eric Burdon & War = 9 votes 

UB40 = 3 votes

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In other words, Eric & his WARriors will advance to the BOTBs' BOTB playoff rounds, and UB40 will go back to the Unemployment Department, where they belong, and will submit another form 40 for taxpayers' help.

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Because she is a big fan of Eric Burdon, I dedicated this Battle to our friend Debbie the Doglady. Her blogs can be found HERE & HERE. (Check her out, because she's got some really interesting stories and BOTB contests.) It's fittin' that Eric & the WARriors won this contest in true blowout fashion.

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My thanks to everyone who took the time to spill or drink some wine in my March 15th BOTB installment. I 'preciate youz all! I intend to return here on April 1st (April Fools' Day) with an appropriately fun & silly Battle for y'all to "bote" in. 

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Here's a sneak preview of my next BOTBs' BOTB contest. (423.83% kudos will go to anyone who can guess the two songs I'll be using, based on these two photos.)

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Fuhgeddaboudit! Ain't no one who can guess the two songs (unless they're given Holy Spirit help from God Himself!)

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"See ya soon!"

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~ Stephen

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 2024, MARCH 15 (Or, SPILLING RED RED WINE)

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Hello, ALL! Welcome to my sixth installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze, which is an ongoing challenge between songs that mention a type of booze, a brand of booze, or a cocktail made with booze. (No Shirley Temples need apply!)
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On February 27th, I read an Email that I had received from one of our loyal BOTBers, Debbie the Doglady. (She can be found HERE and HERE.)

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Shortly afterwards, I found myself at my 'Goldenshadowland' YouTube playlist. (I live there a lot these days, reminiscing about people, places and events I have loved.) The video for the 1976 hit song 'Summer' by War began to play. And 12 seconds into the song, the video showed a photo of Eric Burdon and War.
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At that very moment it hit me: 

UHP! I'M AN IDIOT!!
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I knew that Eric Burdon was one of Debbie's all-time favorites. Later that day, I sent Debbie an Email saying in part:
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It suddenly dawned on me that a song by one of your very favorite musical artists wasn't even on my song list of future BOTB's BOTB challengers! The damn list was 114-songs long, BUT it DIDN'T have this particular song on it, which was a massive favorite of mine when I was a good deal younger than I am today. So, my BOTB's BOTB song list is now up to 115, and I intend to use this mystery song (in your honor) on ... March 15th.
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Therefore, regardless of which song wins the Battle, this BOTB installment is dedicated to Debbie D'Doglady. (Gee, I wonder who Debbie gonna vote for. Hmmm....)
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Today's question is: Are you going to spill or drink the red red wine?
Fun Fact: In constructing this Battle, I learned that UB40 actually stands for Unemployment Benefits, form 40. 

Guffaw-😂ut-Loud!
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In ye olde comment section, please vote for which you like better betwixt these two wino wine songs, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.

* See the BOTBer links over there --->

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I will return here on or about March 22nd with my own vote and the final tally.
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Alright, let's get ON this thing! 

"See ya soon!"
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SPILL THE WINE
by Eric Burdon & War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtAKcyl-54

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RED RED WINE
by UB40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_NMgwW5Ufw

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~ Dr. Stephen

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, MARCH 1 (JIMBO'S BEER VERSUS DONALD'S BEER)

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There was a nice turnout for my most recent Battle Of The Bands installment which took place HERE. It was between Jim Morrison's beer ('Roadhouse Blues') and Don Henley's beer ('Sunset Grill'), and I thank every one of you who came by and contributed your two cents and a pint of "evidence" to the punch bowl. 

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Judge Al Bondigas had predicted a blowout in favor of The Doors. I knew going in that Don Henley was probably the underdog, but I also envisioned a much closer outcome. Like, perhaps a 3-vote margin of victory between winner and loser. After all, 'Sunset Grill' had been a Billboard hit song at #22, while 'Roadhouse Blues' was not even in the Top 40. However, it seems that Judge Al may be BOTB's new psychic. Because (after including my own vote for The Doors' song), the contest was indeed no "contest"!

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FINAL TALLY: 

Jim & The Doors = 10 votes 

Don Henley = 4 votes 

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So, 'Roadhouse Blues' will move on to the eventual 'Battle Of The Booze' playoff rounds, while Don Henley just... rides off into a tequila sunset.
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I suppose the thing that surprised me the *most* about this Battle was that no one in the comment section - not even the four folks who voted for 'Sunset Grill' - mentioned the intensely energetic horn segment at the end of Henley's song. To me, that is clearly the highlight of the piece, which sounds as good as most classic Big Band stuffs which I greatly love. 

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Anyway, thanks again, my friends, for taking time to visit my blog and participating in my music Battle! I intend to post a new BOTB contest here on March 15th and I hope you'll return for that one. Until then, may you all... 

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Bless & Be Blessed!!

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~ Stephen 

BOTB'S BOTB: 2024, MARCH 1 (Or, JIM MORRISON'S BEER VS. DON HENLEY'S BEER)

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Music-Lovers! 

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! I'm pleased as spiked punch to announce Battle Of The Bands has a new participant! He's an E&I (Educated & Interesting) fellow named Boromax (a.k.a. Ed) from the blog titled  

[link> Trivial Music Silliness. Please be sure to welcome him, vote in his Battle, and add to your BOTB blogs a link to his blog! Thank ye.

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This is my 5th installment of Battle Of The Bands' Battle Of The Booze, an ongoing musical challenge in which winning songs will eventually meet other winning songs in the postseason Playoffs. (It's kind of like the NFL but not rigged.)
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Brief reminder: Every song I use in BOTB's BOTB must mention a type of booze and/or a brand name of booze or a cocktail made with booze.
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In Round 5 we have The Doors' 'Roadhouse Blues' against ex-Eagle Don Henley's 'Sunset Grill '. 

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In my teens & early twenties I was a major Doors fan; and as a [link> League Of Soul Crusaders member, I could really wrap my mind around a "hair of the dog" line like this:

I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer. The future's uncertain and the end is always near. 

(I consider that lyric important in the development of the Punk Rock timeline.)
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In 'Sunset Grill', Don Henley sings:

Maybe we'll leave come Springtime

Meanwhile, have another beer

What would we do without all these jerks anyway?

Besides, all our friends are here

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Very late one night-- er... about 3:30 or 4:00 one morning in 1985, my friend > Lin and I were driving around dark & deserted Hollywood in her Volkswagen Beetle. We had an open keg of beer in the backseat with the dispensing tube running up to the front seats. We'd just pour another beer straight from the keg whenever we felt like it. (It would have been the all-time ultimate "open container" citation ...if  the cops had caught us!)

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Lin was enrolled in film school, preparing for that career as an editor. She and her team needed to produce a 20-minute movie for the final exam.

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At one point, we pulled up to the curb, parked right in front of the > Sunset Grill, and poured us a couple of beers.

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Curb in front of the 'Sunset Grill'

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It was there, in her VW Bug parked directly in front of the Grill - while drinking beer from the backseat keg - that Lin yakked me into writing a screenplay for her film school project. It would be 'A Day In The Life Of Jim Morrison'.

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Before long, Lin had also yakked me into playing the role of Morrison. I then yakked Alice Amy In Wonderland into playing Pamela Courson, Jim's girlfriend. (I'd have done anything for the sake of Cinematic art! 😇)

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That was the last bit of "acting" I ever did... in front of a camera. And it was 6 years before Val Kilmer portrayed Jim Morrison in the Oliver Stone movie. 

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So, Morrison, The Doors, and the Don Henley song 'Sunset Grill' are all very much connected in a personal way for me.

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In fact, "Matt-Guy" (brother of the legendary Countess), used to insist that I looked like Jim Morrison. Mmm-maybe a li'l bit:

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Photo by Kelly "Andy" Anderson

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Photo by The Countess

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OK, enough yakking! Let's get ON this thing!

In ye olde comment section, please vote for which song you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.

* See the BOTBer links over there --->

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Roadhouse Blues by The Doors

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

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Sunset Grill by Don Henley

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

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~ Stephen by Stephen

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POST TOASTIES POSTSCRIPT: 

I will post the BOTB voting Results at this blog on or about March 8th. 

BOTB RESULTS: FEB. 15, 2024 (Or, NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND VS. BRUCE BLACKMAN)

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As always, first & foremost, my sincere thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to visit my Battle Of The Bands installment, listened and submitted a "bote" in the comment section. Y'all Cool Cats! The Musical Battle took place HERE, and it was between 'An American Dream' by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and 'Doing Nothing' by Bruce Blackman.
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This was a close contest. "Ya see?"...
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FINAL TALLY:
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band = 7 votes
Bruce Blackman = 5 votes
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Anyone who was paying even the least bit of attention already knew from my comments in the Comment Section that I was going to vote for Bruce Blackman. After all, as I wrote, Mr. Blackman (unbeknownst to him) really helped me to overcome my immense shyness! I know! I know! I know what y'all thinkin': "No way was STMcC ever shy!"
"Wrong again, Fishface!" (as my dearly beloved Ma used to say).
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I was so shy that I flunked out of Kindergarten. My teacher called me "anti-social". (I wish she could see me now!)

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Right after graduating from high school, Bruce Blackman helped me in overcoming my shyness. (How? See the comment section.)
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Here's the comment I posted on Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' YouTube video 7 years ago:
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@D-FensDogG
7 years ago
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think "DOING NOTHING" may be my favorite Bruce Blackman song of all time. Yes, even more so than "Moonlight Feels Right". I think... maybe. Sheesh! That's a tough call, but I do know that over the last few years I've become very fond of saying "I NEED A COLD MOJITO". (And most of the time I do, too! Ha!)
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And Mr. Blackman replied:
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@StarbuckMusic
7 years ago
+D-Fens DogG I've been known to down a mojito or two, or three on occasion.
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By the way, *that* mojito, pictured above, was the best one I ever had!  Courtesy of the bartender at the Claim Jumper restaurant in Reno. The first mojito I ever had was at Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Phoenix. Abuelo's is also where I invented the word [link>"goldenshadow". 

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Sadly, of the 114 songs I still currently have listed to eventually use during my BOTB's Battle Of The Booze series, Bruce Blackman's 'DOING NOTHING' was my #1 absolute favorite. I really thought he would win this contest and go on to clobber a whole lotta other songs in BOTB's BOTB future Playoff rounds. As Waylon Jennings sang: [link> "WRONG!"
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Oh well, that's how the cocktail glasses break in a dive bar blog like this one.
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(I once ordered a martini in a bar called Remedy's. The bartenderess asked me if she could serve it to me in a cocktail glass, because she didn't have any real martini glasses. Then she added, "I'm surprised the martini glasses lasted as long as they did... in a dive bar like this." That was perhaps the second funniest thing I ever heard in a bar!)

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Well, anyway... although my very favorite song that mentions booze has already been eliminated from BOTB's Battle Of The Booze, the show must go on! So I will return here on March 1st with a new round of BOTB's BOTB. Until then, may you all...

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Bless & Be Blessed!! 

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~ Stephen

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POSTSCRIPT: Bruce Blackman's 2018 'THE ROAD TO MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT: The Story Behind One Of The Most Popular Songs Of The '70s' is an extremely entertaining book! I highly recommend it. (And it goes great with 

"a cold mojito".)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: FEB. 15, 2024 (Or, THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND VERSUS BRUCE BLACKMAN)

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CONGRATULATIONS! You found it. This is the 4th installment of Battle Of The Booze, my new Battle Of The Bands theme (also know as BOTB's BOTB).
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You DogGs & DogGettes who have been paying attention know that so far 3 songs have been slated to appear in a future Playoff round. So far we've got these winners:
'Tequila' by Xavier Cugat
'My Name Is Bocephus' by Hank Williams Jr.
'Hotel California' by The Eagles
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Brief reminder: Every song I use in BOTB's BOTB must mention a type of booze and/or a brand name of booze or a cocktail made with booze.

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This week, the two songs vying for a Playoff spot share a kind of tropical island getaway feeling.
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First up this time is the song 'An American Dream' by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - a #13 Billboard hit:

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Keep on talking, mama, I can hear
Your voice, it tickles down inside of my ear
I feel a tropical vacation this year
Might be the answer to this hillbilly beer
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I think Jamaican in the moonlight
Sandy beaches, drinking rum every night
We got no money, mama, but we can go
We'll split the difference, go to Coconut Grove
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What is "hillbilly beer"? Is that Hamm's? Schlitz? Lone Star? Lucky Lager? (Does anyone out there remember Lucky Lager?!)
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Challenging The NGDB for that Playoff position is the song 'Doing Nothing' by Bruce Blackman. Who he? He's the man what gave us the massive 1976 hit song [link> 'Moonlight Feels Right'. And here's some of what Mr. Blackman is dreaming of in 'Doing Nothing':
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Well, I'm looking good and smiling big; I've got it made
Just wait until the evening sun pulls down its shade
A long tall senorita making a margarita just for me
Hoo-Wee!

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Well, I'm underpaid and under-slept; ain't nothing new
The ocean calls my name in twenty shades of blue
I need a cold Mojito
Gotta get away from where I'm at
I can flat do that!
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So, we've got hillbilly beer & rum going up against a margarita and a cold mojito. 

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Remember: This is really about the songs and not the booze. So, in ye olde comment section, please vote for which song you liked better betwixt these two, and then please visit the other wonderful BOTBers and also drop your two cents in their comment sections.

* See the BOTBer links over there --->

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I'll return here on or about February 22nd with my own vote and the final tally.
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Alright, let's get on it (said Howlin' Wolf)
Let's get ON this thing (said Lightnin' Hopkins)

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AN AMERICAN DREAM
by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvHgPE6Se_0

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DOING NOTHING
by Bruce Blackman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNIaOBUY4vY

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

BOTB RESULTS: 2024, FEB. 1 (Or, THE BEATLES VERSUS THE EAGLES)

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Well, I did expect The Eagles' 'HOTEL CALIFORNIA' to win my most recent Battle Of The Bands contest HERE against The Beatles' 'Rocky Raccoon'. However, I also thought it would be a bit closer than it was. Nevertheless, I appreciate each and every one of you who took time to visit 'n' vote!

Unfortunately, what surprises me most of all (not really - I believe most people have lost their sense of curiosity) is that no one asked me about the meaning of this dialogue in my 'League Of Soul Crusaders' manuscript:

That shtick came from the Laurel & Hardy movie 'Our Relations'. Click HERE! League members routinely quoted from the greats, such as Laurel and Hardy, W. C. Fields, Monty Python, Benny Hill, Wally George, and Mister R. P. McMurphy! 

Aside from the fact that both songs in the contest mentioned a type of booze (gin, wine & champagne), both songs also had a theme that pertained to checking into a rented room. Rocky checked into a hotel room above a saloon and found... "Gideon's Bible". The delusional dreamers checked into the Hotel California and found... they could "never leave!" 

Yes, 'Hotel California' - the massive #1 hit by The Eagles - was way overplayed (and probably still is!) But a song *that* famous and *that* good, which happens to mention two types of hooch, just HAD to be included in my BOTB's Battle Of The Booze series. It's definitely a well-crafted song with one of the most melodically memorable electric guitar solos EVER recorded! The song is justifiably considered a Classic. 

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Even so, I like 'Rocky Raccoon' better, although I certainly like The Eagles better than I do The Beatles! I just have too many (hazy) memories associated with that particular Beatles song. Plus, I love the loose rambling style of it (so unlike so much of the overproduced, drugged-out, artsy-fartsy crap The Beatles usually recorded during that same time period); and I really dig the "jig" sections in that tune. Oh, how many times did a hungover D-FensDogG dance in circles to that? God only knows... and He's protly tryin' to erase it from His Memory!

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FINAL TALLY: 

The Beatles = 4 votes 

The Eagles = 8 votes 

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So, 'Hotel California' advances to the BOTB Playoffs (to occur at some future time). And I plan to return here again on February 15th with a new musical Battle for your consideration. Until then, may you all be well and... 

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...Bless & Be Blessed!! 

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy