Stephen T. McCarthy said in the comments that this battle was C-L-O-S-E, and I knew that, but I've been struggling with a stomach bug for nearly two weeks (since I posted this battle). It's been one of those crazy things that is bad, then is good (deceptively better), and then WHAM, it comes back. I think I might finally be past it, but I must say it's been energy depleting... big time!
All that said, I was excited to finally having a rousing battle on this here blog. In point of fact, this battle was so close that in the end your votes came out 8 for Frank Sinatra and 8 for Jane Monheit and Michael Buble.
What's that? I get to break this tie!!! I can't remember the last time that happened. Has it ever happened? I'm not sure. If so, it's been so long I don't recall it.
So, what are MY thoughts on this song (since they are actually important)... for once. Or maybe twice.
Sit back, and I'll tell you a little story. When I was in high school, the choirs performed a nearly gala-like concert in the spring. It was really something. There were song skits. People wore costumes for their "specialty songs". There were always four solos (two men, two women). Everyone wore formal attire (usually your prom clothing). It was da bomb. It wasn't just a concert; it was an event. The concert choir sat on glass boxes (2 people per box) when they weren't singing. I realize I'm not adequately describing this thing, but it was classy. Seriously. That is not my usual dose of sarcasm. Our high school was 10-12 grades, so I remember very clearly staying after school in the 10th grade just to watch the rehearsals leading up to this thing. I remember sitting in the front rows thinking about when this would be ME. Of course, I wanted a solo (that didn't happen), but that's okay. I was in a song skit. I was also in Swing Choir. In other words, I achieved most of my goals for senior year.
Anyway, one of the senior guys (his name was Mark) was a soloist my sophomore year. For the record, he was NOT the senior I had the worst crush on (a crush which began in 7th grade, fizzled out when he moved on to high school, and resumed full force my sophomore year). No, that guy was the OTHER soloist. Ironically, I can't recall what he even sang. But, Mark, my not-crush, sang the song I Won't Dance. OMG. If I wasn't fully in the throes of my crush on the other guy, Mark would've been my new crush simply because of that song. I loved that song. (Sadly, this is the sort of reasoning behind many of my crushes as I've traveled through this thing we call "life.")
That story told you nothing about Sinatra or the duet, but plenty about me and my history with the song I Won't Dance.
So, moving on... I think Buble is a fantastic singer and entertainer. I really love him the more I hear him. I thought Jane Monheit was just okay on this song. In some places, she struck me as nasal-sounding, which I didn't care for much. I think their VIDEO is wonderful. Entertaining as all get out. Such big personalities. I am a fan of personality. But, Frank Sinatra kills this song. I thought that McCarthy's comment about RING A DING-DING was particularly on target. I'm going from memory here, but he said something like, "How can you not vote for the guy who effectively uses Ring A Ding-Ding as a lyric?" Ironically, every time I get to that line in the song I smile. I just love it. IMHO, Sinatra does everything right. He's upbeat. Jazzy. But, oh so smooth. It all just glides off the tongue. So sweet. Ring A Ding-Ding, we have a winner.
Take us home (but we won't dance to get there)...
Showing posts with label Michael Buble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Buble. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2017
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
My Anti-Valentine's Day BoTB... You're Welcome
Hey all. Once again, I dropped off the face of the blog. It's a bit like falling down in heels, but not quite.
Mich over at The Bastard Henry sent me some artwork that she painted:
I will post another photo once I find a frame. To that end, I really should post a picture of the card and bookmark that Birgit made me. Maybe it'll be a two for one photo once I get my rear in gear. That means I will also have to figure out how to download the pictures off my phone onto my computer. (Can we all say it together? NOT TECH SAVVY.) Thankfully, Mich sent me this photo or I'd be trying to describe the artwork. This also explains why Birgit's lovely card and bookmark are still not on this blog...
Let's move on to why you're actually here. I'm back for Battle of the Bands.
I debated how to proceed for this battle. I've come to not care so much for Valentine's Day. I think that probably has a great deal to do with spending the better part of my life single. However, I have come to appreciate February 15 a great deal. That's when all the Valentine's candy goes on sale. There really should be TWO holidays. The 14th lands in the maybe column of happiness, whereas the 15th is a slam dunk. Anyway, I thought about all manner of song styles to try and help me decide on this battle. I was afraid if I chose anything too anti-love you'd think I was also terminally depressed. Let's face it, I have an inexplicable love for horribly depressing songs.
I present to you with a great deal of fondness (drum roll, please) I Won't Dance. It's the perfect amount of upbeat paired with my anti-Valentine's Day sentiments. I think I've found two worthy contenders for this battle. Your comments (aka voting) will confirm or deny this theory.
First up is Ol' Blue Eyes with his rendition of this spicy song!
Another fabulous rendition comes from Jane Monheit and Michael Buble! This video is super fun, but if you think it might sway your vote close your eyes. You can watch it AFTER you vote. Totally worth it as they are ever so enjoyable to watch. But this is a LISTENING contest.
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.
Mich over at The Bastard Henry sent me some artwork that she painted:
I will post another photo once I find a frame. To that end, I really should post a picture of the card and bookmark that Birgit made me. Maybe it'll be a two for one photo once I get my rear in gear. That means I will also have to figure out how to download the pictures off my phone onto my computer. (Can we all say it together? NOT TECH SAVVY.) Thankfully, Mich sent me this photo or I'd be trying to describe the artwork. This also explains why Birgit's lovely card and bookmark are still not on this blog...
Let's move on to why you're actually here. I'm back for Battle of the Bands.
I debated how to proceed for this battle. I've come to not care so much for Valentine's Day. I think that probably has a great deal to do with spending the better part of my life single. However, I have come to appreciate February 15 a great deal. That's when all the Valentine's candy goes on sale. There really should be TWO holidays. The 14th lands in the maybe column of happiness, whereas the 15th is a slam dunk. Anyway, I thought about all manner of song styles to try and help me decide on this battle. I was afraid if I chose anything too anti-love you'd think I was also terminally depressed. Let's face it, I have an inexplicable love for horribly depressing songs.
I present to you with a great deal of fondness (drum roll, please) I Won't Dance. It's the perfect amount of upbeat paired with my anti-Valentine's Day sentiments. I think I've found two worthy contenders for this battle. Your comments (aka voting) will confirm or deny this theory.
First up is Ol' Blue Eyes with his rendition of this spicy song!
Another fabulous rendition comes from Jane Monheit and Michael Buble! This video is super fun, but if you think it might sway your vote close your eyes. You can watch it AFTER you vote. Totally worth it as they are ever so enjoyable to watch. But this is a LISTENING contest.
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.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Battle of the Bands ~ Grown-Up Christmas List
Hello friends. I apologize for being so slow in responding to your comments on my previous post. I have been reading them. I will say this: to each of you who said, "I should try iodine because..." I want you to know that I literally said out loud, "Yes! You should!" You should also do it now while the iodine and selenium are on clearance. I don't think the price will be any lower. They are trying to move as much inventory as they can by end of the year. One more note: this stuff isn't just for migraines. There are something like 3,000 reviews on the iodine on the website. I think I read 300+ (starting with the least favorable). Not one person mentioned having migraine problems, but tons of people mentioned having a variety of health issues that got better upon taking the iodine. Most shocking to me? Gout. This stuff detoxifies you. So, it pushes out the bad stuff, simply making you more healthy, thereby solving some surprising health problems. If you don't know what I'm yakking about, go back one post. I don't know one person who has said recently, "I'm so healthy that I wouldn't take something that would make me even healthier because I'm as healthy as a person can get." That is NOT the society we live in folks. Good health. The best Christmas gift ever. :)
Battle of the Bands.
Yes, I just changed the subject to the meat of this post. I know most (all?) have done this before. You listen to the songs and then decide who you think sings it better and place your vote in the comments. I will come back in approximately a week, tally up the votes, and write a post letting you know who won this thing.
The song for this installment is Grown-Up Christmas List. The contenders are Amy Grant and Michael Buble. I think both versions are really good. You can watch the video for the Amy Grant version, but don't let the optics influence your vote! MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIENDS. I hope whatever you're wishing for comes true this year!
First up, Amy Grant:
Versus
Michael Buble:
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.
Battle of the Bands.
Yes, I just changed the subject to the meat of this post. I know most (all?) have done this before. You listen to the songs and then decide who you think sings it better and place your vote in the comments. I will come back in approximately a week, tally up the votes, and write a post letting you know who won this thing.
The song for this installment is Grown-Up Christmas List. The contenders are Amy Grant and Michael Buble. I think both versions are really good. You can watch the video for the Amy Grant version, but don't let the optics influence your vote! MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIENDS. I hope whatever you're wishing for comes true this year!
First up, Amy Grant:
Versus
Michael Buble:
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.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Soundtrack/Battle of the Bands ~ Orange Colored Sky
Once again my Soundtrack series has run into Battle of the Bands. In the past it has resembled a crash. Today, it's more like a friendly merger.
So, let's start with the Soundtrack story. It's my Sophomore year of college. We're jumping ahead in time just a little bit, but at least we're in the right year! I lived in a coed dorm, the only one on campus, which is right where I wanted to be. My roommate situation became complicated at the end of my freshman year (which I'll address later), but ended up working out just the way it should. The girls who lived across the hall were complete strangers, though that wouldn't last, and they'd become good friends.
In point of fact, all four of us (me, my roomie, and the girls across the hall) all loved to play euchre. If you're from the north, you know of what I speak. If you're from the south, you're without a clue. I don't know about you western-living folk. BUT, it's a card game. In the north it's a wildly popular card game. Most everyone at my college played euchre. Turns out, there was a group of guys who lived on the second floor of my dorm who congregated in the lobby to play. After dinner, my friends and I (them that wanted to play, that is) would stop in the lobby for a game (or night) of euchre.
On this particular occasion, we didn't have enough people. So, I volunteered to go knock on doors on the second floor of the dorm to scrounge up some euchre players. I kinda sorta knew where these dudes lived, but not really. Anyway, one of the rooms had music blaring. (I mean blaring, as in really loud.) I knocked and knocked and knocked again. Honestly, I was stymied. Someone had to be in there because no one would just leave with their music turned up to 11.
This guy, who I'd never met, throws open the door and yells, "What???"
Two things were readily apparent. 1) He was annoyed. 2) He'd been sleeping. The latter threw my brain into a spin. Who could sleep through that racket????
I stammer out, "I was looking for R-------. We need someone for euchre." At this point, feeling really stupid and kinda scared. The guy was big (not fat), but football player-like big. Mussed. A bit like an angry bear.
He scratches his head and says, "Where you playing?
Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be a disaster. "The lobby."
"I'll be down in a few minutes." Door slams.
Why is this story even important? We'll call this guy J1 (guys with J names feature prominently in my life). He would also be my first Big Love. But not this year. There was a time when I thought this would be a story for the grandchildren. Alas, it didn't work out that way. But, it still makes me smile just to think about it. You never know who's lurking behind Door Number One.
If this were just a Soundtrack post, the song would be Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole. And you can listen to it HERE. But, you can't vote for it. He would run away with the vote. .
So, let's get to it. I punched in Orange Colored Sky on YouTube and listened to many versions. Honestly, I was a bit surprised at the number of covers. I'd never even heard the two I decided on for this battle until I began the search.
Do you have any First Meeting Stories you'd like to share? I'd like to hear about 'em!
First up is Natalie Gauci:
Next up is Michael Buble:
We've got so many new Battle of the Bands players that I'm having difficulty keeping up. (We post a new battle on the 1st and 15th of each month.) For those who've been following this feature/blog for a while now, can you believe that once upon a time -- for a long time-- there were only five of us??? Well, now the list grows each battle. So, if your name is not on here and you're participating, please leave me a message in the comments. Thanks for your patience!
Also, 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:
So, let's start with the Soundtrack story. It's my Sophomore year of college. We're jumping ahead in time just a little bit, but at least we're in the right year! I lived in a coed dorm, the only one on campus, which is right where I wanted to be. My roommate situation became complicated at the end of my freshman year (which I'll address later), but ended up working out just the way it should. The girls who lived across the hall were complete strangers, though that wouldn't last, and they'd become good friends.
In point of fact, all four of us (me, my roomie, and the girls across the hall) all loved to play euchre. If you're from the north, you know of what I speak. If you're from the south, you're without a clue. I don't know about you western-living folk. BUT, it's a card game. In the north it's a wildly popular card game. Most everyone at my college played euchre. Turns out, there was a group of guys who lived on the second floor of my dorm who congregated in the lobby to play. After dinner, my friends and I (them that wanted to play, that is) would stop in the lobby for a game (or night) of euchre.
On this particular occasion, we didn't have enough people. So, I volunteered to go knock on doors on the second floor of the dorm to scrounge up some euchre players. I kinda sorta knew where these dudes lived, but not really. Anyway, one of the rooms had music blaring. (I mean blaring, as in really loud.) I knocked and knocked and knocked again. Honestly, I was stymied. Someone had to be in there because no one would just leave with their music turned up to 11.
This guy, who I'd never met, throws open the door and yells, "What???"
Two things were readily apparent. 1) He was annoyed. 2) He'd been sleeping. The latter threw my brain into a spin. Who could sleep through that racket????
I stammer out, "I was looking for R-------. We need someone for euchre." At this point, feeling really stupid and kinda scared. The guy was big (not fat), but football player-like big. Mussed. A bit like an angry bear.
He scratches his head and says, "Where you playing?
Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be a disaster. "The lobby."
"I'll be down in a few minutes." Door slams.
Why is this story even important? We'll call this guy J1 (guys with J names feature prominently in my life). He would also be my first Big Love. But not this year. There was a time when I thought this would be a story for the grandchildren. Alas, it didn't work out that way. But, it still makes me smile just to think about it. You never know who's lurking behind Door Number One.
If this were just a Soundtrack post, the song would be Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole. And you can listen to it HERE. But, you can't vote for it. He would run away with the vote. .
So, let's get to it. I punched in Orange Colored Sky on YouTube and listened to many versions. Honestly, I was a bit surprised at the number of covers. I'd never even heard the two I decided on for this battle until I began the search.
Do you have any First Meeting Stories you'd like to share? I'd like to hear about 'em!
First up is Natalie Gauci:
Next up is Michael Buble:
We've got so many new Battle of the Bands players that I'm having difficulty keeping up. (We post a new battle on the 1st and 15th of each month.) For those who've been following this feature/blog for a while now, can you believe that once upon a time -- for a long time-- there were only five of us??? Well, now the list grows each battle. So, if your name is not on here and you're participating, please leave me a message in the comments. Thanks for your patience!
Also, 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:
- Far Away Series (not participating 6/1/15)
- Stephen T. McCarthy's Battle of the Bands Blog
- Tossing it Out
- DiscConnected (temporarily disconnected from BoTB)
- 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 (not participating 6/1/15)
- Cherdo on the Flipside
- Angels Bark
- THE DOGLADY'S DEN
- Jingle Jangle Jungle
- WOMEN: We Shall Overcome
- Alex J. Cavanaugh (sometimes)
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