One of my favorite movies in college was She's Having A Baby. My college roommate and I rented it from the video store so often we really would have come way ahead just to buy the thing. We trekked down there almost every weekend and ended up leaving with either that one or Better Off Dead (sometimes both) darn near every weekend. Don't ask me why. Teenagers do stupid things. Let's just say we weren't financial planners. I loved the movie so much that I bought the soundtrack to the movie on cassette tape. Yes, still talking about She's Having A Baby. I don't know if Better Off Dead had a soundtrack... If it did, I didn't buy it.
I tell you all of this to tell you how I found my song for this installment of Battle of the Bands. I've been seriously infatuated with Greg Laswell's song Dodged A Bullet. Quite honestly, I can't remember how or when I heard it, but now I can't stop listening to it. I'm a song junkie who just discovered a new form of crack. It's sad really. So, picture this: I'm listening to Dodged A Bullet for the fifteenth or so time on YouTube (yeah, I know... junkie) when I see in the videos below the one I'm listening to other songs by Greg Laswell. And there it is... Battle of the Bands Gold. Or, in this case, a song I happen to know is a cover because I know the original. The song is This Woman's Work. The reason I know it is because it was on the She's Having A Baby Soundtrack. See how all of my stories circle back perfectly? It's a freakin' gift.
And thus begins the work of sifting through the many covers (yes, there are many) of This Woman's Work. I still think the original by Kate Bush is the definitive word on this song. Of course, some of you are scratching your heads and muttering, "Never heard it." I know who you are, and I still love ya! Point of fact, I had to take that into consideration as a reason to allow Kate Bush's original be used in this battle. After all, what do I know about who will beat whom? I picked The Tractors for the last match up and I couldn't have been more wrong.
However, I think Kate Bush has an unfair advantage. If you want to hear her version, you can click on the link "the original by Kate Bush" highlighted above.
The most famous cover of this song is by Maxwell. Let's give him a listen.
And then the man who started the insanity in the first place... Mr. Dodged A Bullet Himself... Mr. Greg Laswell.
Please vote for the version of this song you prefer. If you want to get into the Ins and Outs of why you like one better than the other... I LOVE long comments!
For more Battle of the Bands fun, check out the other BOTB bloggers to vote on their battles. I've stopped trying to keep up with who is running a battle and who isn't. To see who is participating, go here: Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog.
I think I like Laswell's version best.
ReplyDeleteI just did a Google search. There was a soundtrack album for Better Off Dead. Unavailable now, of course.
I never saw this movie but I like the song. I like Greg Laswell's version much better. I didn't like Maxwell's voice. In Laswell's, I can feel the emotion. Maxwell's voice distracted me from the song. Please give my vote to Greg.
ReplyDeleteNice battle Robin! Thanks for the movie recommendation too. :)
Michele at Angels Bark
Never saw She's Having a Baby and don't remember ever hearing "This Woman's Work" before. Maxwell's version was about as annoying as anything I've heard and I hope I never hear it again--nearly made me throw up.
ReplyDeleteDon't know this Greg Laswell guy, but he has a much better style than Maxwell. Glad you saved his version for last so it could wipe my head clean from Maxwell's insipidly high irritating voice.
A vote for Greg Laswell.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I am voting fo Greg Laswell. The other version is too high for my liking...but it did remind me of an old Pat Benetar song for some reason (no idea why) that I haven't thought of for years. When I went to YouTube to hear it (Wuthering Heights), I saw Kate Bush singing it. That was my first to ever hear her sing. :)
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I'm not sure if I like the first song or not. But I do like the second version, Greg Laswell, so he gets my vote. Now this vote might have been different if you had included the Kate Bush version. Do you remember her Cloudbusting video? For some reason, I seem to recall a Skittles commercial that parodied that, but I can't find a video of it or anyone that remembers the commercial.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my vote is for Greg.
Congrats on post #900! That's an impressive body of work. The movie and the song were unfamiliar to me. Maxwell's voice was giving me fits. Greg Laswell does it much better and he has a pleasing tone. He gets my vote!
ReplyDelete900 posts - congrats!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Greg's voice.
Oy! My computer hates chrome lately. Or is Chrome just being stupid? It could be that. Regardless, it won't let me watch the videos. Lame, right?
ReplyDelete900!!! Whew! I've posted half that on my blog...but I've also written almost as many posts for guests, so... *shrugs*
I didn't know you liked Greg Laswell. I love his music - great writing and great emotion. He puts on a killer concert, too.
ReplyDeleteI played Greg's version, which I'm familiar with, and then played Maxwell's version for about 30 seconds, and then I played Greg's again.
I don't think I have to tell you who I'm voting for.
By the way this battle is shaping up, I can clearly see I should have pitted Laswell against the original. Or anyone other than Maxwell...
ReplyDeleteMaxwell's version got annoying after about the first thirty seconds. My vote is for Laswell, and I agree, maybe pitting him against Kate Bush would have made it a little closer.
ReplyDeleteGotta admit, Maxwell lost me early on. Thought #2 was a vast improvement for me.
ReplyDeleteWow, and now that I read the other comments, I don't feel real bad...
Deleteadrienne@mail.postmanllc.net
ReplyDeleteGIRL WONDER ~
ReplyDeleteYou have raved about 'SHE'S HAVING A BABY' in the past so I've actually got it in my NetFlix queue to be delivered one o' dese days.
Of course, you know how I feel about 'BETTER OFF DEAD'. I found it in a used DVD bin for $2.00 and I never once said, "I want my two dollars back!"
You're a "song junkie"? Gee, and all this time I thought you had "a basketball jones".
>>... Of course, some of you are scratching your heads and muttering, "Never heard it." I know who you are, and I still love ya!
I thank you for understanding.
I wanted SO BADLY to end this shutout for you, but I'm afraid it's a bigger job than I can handle. You better call OH "WILD THING" DONNA for a project this tough. She's the best BOTB Shutout-Ender I know. I could bring this shutout to an end but that would make my vote a lie. (Hmmm... If you can't find Donna, contact Hillary. She's always willing to lie.)
Truthfully, the song is so sentimental and girlie to begin with that the last thing a guy should do is sing it in a high falsetto voice. If Maxwell's smart, he'll start singing it in his lower register.
I too gotta vote for LASWELL, this guy you're crushing on. Heck, maybe I'll even steal him from ya. All's fair in love and war and BOTB. (John Wayne! John Wayne!)
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
Going with Laswell. Not a fan of the higher pitched sound. I don't remember the movie, I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteMy family LOVES Better Off Dead! We watch it every year during our ski vacation. If possible, we drag some friend along and force them to watch it too.
ReplyDelete"I want my two dollars!!!"
Robin, I tell you if you hadn't mentioned Maxwell was a dude I'd swear he was a woman. I don't like it when men sing falsetto. It's emasculating! It sounded good over all but it really isn't my style and won't get my vote. However, I really liked choice #2. He not only sounded like a man but he has nice vocals. Please give my vote to Greg Laswell!
ReplyDeleteGreg Laswell gets it, girl.
ReplyDeleteKate Bush? Love her. I'll never forget the first time I saw her (on SNL, back in the day). I used Don't Give Up (duet with Peter Gabriel) in one of my battles. Maybe I need to resurrect Wuthering Heights (google Noel Fielding's version...hilarious).
Greg Laswell gets my vote, I liked his vocals better
ReplyDeleteI love both of those movies! When i was in college, i worked at video store and would pop those in over head often.
ReplyDeleteVote goes to Greg.