Saturday, May 21, 2016

Results for May 15th Battle: The water is still deep for both groups!

This was some battle... I wondered which way it would go. I've had a tough time choosing, but finally I stepped into the light. Both groups are my passion. I have CDs I enjoy every week. I almost flipped a coin! Ha, yes, that tough.

You guys really turned this into a tight voting experience. The end result was 'sooo' very close.

Thank you for voting in my battle. The comments were great. I  wonder what makes each of you 'tick'... and those comments keep me laughing and pondering what song to hit you with next time. Speaking of NEXT - be here (please) for our next battle on June 1st.

Thank you, Fae, and Stephen T. McCarthy ... our co-hosts for this fun musical event!

Your interest in joining this blogging event would be most welcomed. Please go to Stephen T. McCarthy's blog, leave your name and blog link in the comment box!

Winner: Four Tops @ 11 votes
             Bee Gees  @ 10 votes (including mine).

With a battle THIS close, I'm leaving you with a song from each.

I'm dedicating this Four Tops number to me, because I didn't vote for them - sorry guys.

I've chosen a version from 'The Midnight Special- 1975' show-casing the high part sung by Maurice Gibb. Later versions have Barry singing those high notes. Why? You tell me. Maurice always sang the high notes... until Barry's falsetto came along, I guess.


Here we go...


Sunday, May 15, 2016

May 15th - looking for Still Waters that run deep

WELCOME TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS!! aka, "BOTB".

It's that time again, and I'd like to thank our musical event hosts: Fae and Stephen T. McCarthy.

Today's battle runs from Sunday, May 15th to Saturday, May 21st. I'll be posting the results by noon (EST)on May 21st., hoping that gives enough time for everyone to vote!! Normally we post two versions of the same song, and you vote for the version you like most. 


We feature two different recordings of the same song. Listen to both, and then vote for the song version you like the best.  Feel free to leave me a comment, along with your vote. Our battles take place twice a month ~ on the 1st and 15th. The results come six days later ~ on the 7th and 21st. That's when I return, add all of the votes, including mine, and announce the winner. Feel free to return and see if your choice won!

Lastly - If you would like to listen, and vote in other battles, please see the participant list in the right hand margin. If you would like to join this bi-monthly blog-event, visit the blog host, Stephen T. McCarthy. Leave him a message, and your blog address. We would love to have you participate.

TODAY, I'm changing up the rules a bit. Yes sir! I'm going with same song titles but completely different songs. You'll still vote for the song you like the most... so here we go!

Personal notes:

My early life was greatly influenced by the Motown sound. I had an aunt who taught me dancing. Put them together and I was one moving, grooving kid! Thus THE FOUR TOPS entered my world, and have remained ever since. 

Fast forward to 1978 and a movie titled GREASE came out and I loved the soundtrack. It kicked off what became known as the Disco era, even though the music was simply deemed an interpretation of Rhythm & Blues, by the English group, THE BEE GEES. Once again, I was 'moved' by music, mentally and physically.

Today's song is titled, "Still Waters"... which ironically became known as "Still Waters Run Deep" by both featured groups. Both are considered to be "brother bands," but only one group is made up of true blood-brothers. See you on the 21st!

Today's contestants are:

1- The Four Tops

2- The Bee Gees

Background on the groups and their songs:

Wiki says:  "Still Waters Run Deep is a 1970 album by the American vocal group the Four Tops. Released in March 1970 on the Motown label. Produced by longtime Norman Whitfield associate Frank Wilson, the album returned the Four Tops to the top forty on the album charts where it peaked at number twenty-one on the albums chart yielding the popular Top 30 hits, "Still Water (Love)" (#11), which was co-written by Smokey Robinson and their cover of "It's All in the Game" (#24), which featured rare co-leads by Four Tops members Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton singing alongside prominent lead Levi Stubbs. The album also served as inspiration behind singer Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, the hit title track, which was written by Benson. The song was written by Smokey Robinson and  Frank Wilson."


Wiki says: "Still Waters (Run Deep)" is a song by the Bee Gees. It was the third and final single issued from their album, Still Waters, which was released in 1997. It is a pop ballad written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb and recorded in the previous year. The recording and producing of the song were assisted by Hugh Padgham. For the third time in a row, the Bee Gees made a United Kingdom Top 20 hit single from the same album, peaking at No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] It peaked at No. 57 in the United States Billboard Hot 100,[2] their most recent appearance in that chart. The single performed well on continental European charts. On 14 November 1997 they performed the song in Las Vegas for their One Night Only concert to promote the single.[3]"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSi9DJAgarw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nijj2QMZb6Y