Screech.
Kaboom.
Well, it turns out that the only thing required was some juggling. Those of you following this chronological jaunt through my life set to music are going to have to move forward in time and then back again. Why? I have one more song for junior high and then we're outta there. But not today. Today we're skipping ahead to my senior year in high school, though this song is reflective of my entire junior high - high school experience, so I think it's mostly okay to insert it here.
The Soundtrack Part of this post: This song got a lot of play my senior year. I distinctly remember playing it on repeat the hours before high school graduation. It was as if I were reminding myself that I did still believe. This experience did not break me. I'm okay. God loves me. Ergo, it's all fine. Of course, God did love me, but I wasn't all that fine. It would've been better if I could've used the transformative power of God's love and Jesus's sacrifice to find a way to love myself. If so, you might be listening to Whitney Houston's The Greatest Love Of All right now. Instead, you get this. But, even though I wasn't able to really love myself, I did believe. I did have hope it would get better. I was pretty sure it wasn't going to kill me. Turns out I was right about that:)
This is the version that rocked my boom box. It's by an alt rock band called The Call. I had no idea that there was another version out there (until very recently). I'll talk about it in a second. Let's give this a listen.
So, while compiling songs for The Soundtrack of My Life I see that there is another pretty big (as in notable) version of this song. It was made popular by a little ole movie you've probably not heard of called The Lost Boys. (she snickers to herself hoping that *anyone* gets the understated sarcasm of that comment) Frankly, I'm surprised that I've never heard it until now. I've written on this blog about the phenomena of MTV, music, movies, and movie soundtracks back when I doing my Inspirational Song Posts. I'll break it down for you very quickly. In the 80s, MTV, the radio, the movie industry... it was a trifecta. They all worked together to make a song go viral. Postal. #1. Chartbreaker. Now, I think I've not heard the Tim Cappello version because it wasn't released, so it didn't ride this tremendous wave to number one. However, that was a big movie and soundtrack, so I bet some of you will have heard this version before.
It's not all that different from the version by The Call, but there are differences. So, put on your listening ears, friends. Here we go...
What did you hold on to in order to get through the trauma of junior high and high school?
For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles:
- Far Away Series
- Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
- Tossing it Out
- DiscConnected
- This Belle Rocks
- Mike's Ramblings
- Curious as a Cathy
- Book Lover
- The Sound of One Hand Typing
- dcrelief ~ Battle of the Bands
- Shady Dell Music & Memories
- Alex J. Cavanaugh (sometimes)
Now, is the critical moment. It is time to vote for your favorite version of this song. I even encourage you to leave me long comment explaining all the ins and outs of why you voted as you did!
Hi, dear Robin!
ReplyDeleteYou got yourself anchored to this song, didn't you? I enjoyed it. I never heard the version by The Call but I saw The Lost Boys when it was first released in 1987. The movie about teenage vampires gave me my first exposure to Kiefer Sutherland and Jami Gertz. Anybody else upset that her innovative sitcom The Neighbors got canceled? I love brat pack movies of the 80s. The Tim Cappello version of "I Still Believe" from the soundtrack of The Lost Boys has a little more "St. Elmo's Fire" and for that reason I give it my vote.
I am participating in the Battle of the Bands and have my first post up and running on Shady Dell Music & Memories. Thank you, Robin!
I remember the movie and the song. It was one of the strangest movies I'd ever seen. Loved the Grandfather's attitude at the end. Never was a MTV fan, but I understand what you're saying. A lot of better music got left out of the limelight.
ReplyDeleteThe Call is good, but I prefer Tim Cappello - The Lost Boys.
Thank you Robin!
You've hit a soft spot with me this morning with your song pick. I really got into The Call back in the late 80's / early 90's. Great group with a powerful sound not to mention the powerful message behind their music.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing The Lost Boys though I don't recall this song in the soundtrack. The version by Cappello is excellent--outstanding even--slick in true movie soundtrack fashion. This version is a winner, but...
The power of the band The Call and especially Michael Been's powerfully passionate vocals wins me over in this song. The passing of Michael Been was a sad loss to the world of rock music, but his work with The Call alone has established a great musical legacy for him. It's good to hear this song again as it's been awhile for me.
My vote is for Michael Been and The Call. I still believe they are a great rock band.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Join us on May 4 with your post of Reflections about this year's A to Z.
Tossing It Out
Strangely enough, the movie soundtrack version was the one I recognized from when I was growing up. So that's why it gets my vote. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like both versions, but I am going with The Call, because is is a bit less produced and sounds evocative, more like someone really singing from the heart.
ReplyDeleteI'll go with the Lost Boys. Don't know why but I kinda like them both and today I'm suffering from the A-Z hangover.
ReplyDeleteThanks for supporting me during the challenge. It's nice to have friends like you.
The Lost Boys for my vote. I saw a bit of the movie by the same name when watching a special on Kieffer Sutherland a few days ago. That blond guy looks like him in that image. I liked the sound of the second one better, could have been the horn in the background. . .
ReplyDeleteThey weren't that different, and yet, they were. The Lost Boys version had a little more life and more of an 80's sound about it, and I liked it better. That version gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteGIRL WONDER ~
ReplyDeleteI like the way you tied 'TSOML' into your 'BOTB'. Good work!
I had heard of THE CALL, but I'd never heard any of their recordings (that I'm aware of).
I had heard of the movie 'THE LOST BOYS', but I've never seen it.
So, this was all a blank chalkboard for me to start out with. When I read your words "an alt rock band called The Call" my immediate thought was: Oh, I'm probably going to dislike this. You know, the "Alt Rock" bit.
To my surprise, I liked The Call's version really well. That is a powerful song with some passionate singing.
For the first minute of the Tim Cappello version, I thought: It's going to The Call. But then at about a minute and a half, that great sex started. Err-- ...I mean, "sax"... however, to me, great sax IS like great sex, only perhaps better. (What "guy" ever said something like THAT before?!)
Problem is: I like the singing better in the original. The singer seems more sincere and worked up. What to do? If only we could graft the great sex onto The Call we'd have it ALL!
Sheesh! Double-sheesh! I've listened to BOTH versions twice. Tough! I wanna vote for the original because it IS the original and the singer sounds so passionate. But that guttural sex...
OK... I guess, as is often the case with me, the "music" wins out over the "vocals", so... give me the sax sex because the singing was good in that one too (just not AS good) but that horn absolutely screams what the lyrics mean.
Girl Wonder, please don't put together any more BOTBs that are THIS tough for me, OK?
[:-)}
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
POSTSCRIPT: Did you receive the E I sent last night?
I liked The Call better. I don't know what instruments were used in the beginning of the other, but the scratchiness bothered my ears.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the soundtrack ending high school was ELO's It's Over. I remember hearing the Call's version. And maybe even the other guy's too. I'll take the second version, the soundtrack is more appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteBoth are really close. Like Mr. Sexy above, I think the sax pushed me over the edge also for Tim. Just Wow :) Lost Boys sure brings back memories, lol.
ReplyDeleteI remember 'The Lost Boys', actually I remember a lot of lost boys, some I may have even helped to lead astray, but that's a comment for another blog post entirely. Anyhow...I don't really remember this song as being from those 'Lost Boys'.
ReplyDeleteBoth versions are somewhat similar but I'm a sucker for that squakin' sax, so count me in for Tim Cappello and the version linked to them po' little ole vampire guys.
Hey Robin,
ReplyDeleteI feel like I just got trapped in some cheesy eighties music. It's a close Call, but I vote for the Call. Must go and recover from those two movies.
As for high school, I'd rather not even think about it. A horrible time in my life.
Have a nice weekend.
Gary
I like the Lost Boys version MUCH better. First one's boring. Theirs is intense and exciting with great instrumental.
ReplyDeleteI held onto the fairy tale of my prince charming all my life, until the day my marriage ended. I learned it's a farce. Now I hold onto me.
Tim Cappello gets my vote with the help of the sax!
ReplyDeleteThe Lost Boys put the "zip in my doodah." Sorry about that; it's still not out of my system yet! The sax gets me every time! My Barbies probably got me through junior high. Hey, that camper was pretty darn sophisticated. Sorry I've been so far behind. I'll try to catch up over the weekend, Robin! I should probably address you as Dr. Robin from now on!
ReplyDeleteJulie
The Lost Boys version for me. I love the grittier vocal and the sax! I love this movie and saw in the theatre when it came out. I enjoy the humour with the horror. Movies and reading got me through my school years and...my mom. She always told me the birds will sing in the morning.
ReplyDeleteRobin, honestly, I don't think there is a girl alive that didn't hate herself, especially during one's high school years and sometimes it stems for many years afterwards. The Bible commands us to love ourselves in order to truly love another. I, like you, wish Jesus' love transformed me from a caterpillar into a butterfly a lot sooner, but it took getting a little wiser & confident with age to discover I really liked who I was and that's when the walls fell around me. Now on to the BoTB. I must admit, I could not place the title I Still Believe even after listening to The Call. Of course, I am familiar the movie The Lost Boys, but have not seen it or at least not all of it. It wasn't until I clicked on Tim Cappello's cut before I recognized the tune. My vote goes easily to Cappello because I not only liked the instrumental arrangement better, but the vocals were perfect with this version making the presence of the overall song stronger felt. Good BoTB addition! Now, I've gotta see The Lost Boys! After all, Kieffer Sutherland is in it! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that 80s sound, so this was probably one of my favorite BOTBs from you yet. And I loved both versions, but The Call just slightly edged out Tim Cappello. Cappello's has a lot going on, perhaps just a bit too much going on. And The Call's has such passion to it. One very happy vote for them.
ReplyDeleteNow if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go hit the replay button a few times...
Wouldn't it be great to be able to re-do jr. high and high school with an adult brain? Why were we so hard on ourselves?
ReplyDeleteIs it wrong to give the nudge to the Lost Boy's version just because I loved the movie?
The second version! That little bluesier sound with the horn (sax, I think). And the overall sporadic wildness. I sounds more like high school than the polished one that came first.
ReplyDeleteI must go with The Call. My attention was drawn to the lyrics and the vocals, instead of the background music that, for me, did not fit.
ReplyDelete