This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Like A Star (#BOTB)


        There are some things that demand they be remembered.   The highway of history should consist of identifiable markers that prompt us to think and not empty ruins that have no meaning to anyone--those mile markers contain important lessons that can provide insight and promise for the future.  

Birth of a Battle

        My previous post told the story of my encounter with a song that I'll be using for my current Battle of the Bands entry.  As noted in that account, this song snuggled into my brain and I did not want to let it go.  When I first heard it, this particular song struck me as an older tune, perhaps from the sixties.  I speculated that it might be a bossa nova style tune by the Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim.  I could not recall ever having heard the song and I wanted to know who performed this lovely rendition of the mystery song.

        Thankfully, the radio announcer let me know that what I'd heard was performed by Jane Monheit, an artist not only with whom I was remotely familiar, but who I have been considering using in a future BOTB post.   After all, Monheit is a jazz and pop song stylist who has recorded numerous covers.  She had appeared on at least one other BOTB post that I could remember.

        Upon my return home a couple days after hearing the song on the radio, I researched YouTube to see if I could find the beautiful song that I had heard on the road in Missouri.  It didn't take long to find the song and shortly thereafter I discovered that the original version by the composer Corrine Bailey Rae was also very good.   This was a call to Battle...


Battle of the Bands


       Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.


Jane Monheit "Like A Star"   (2009)

        Since her first album in 2000, Jane Monheit has released twelve albums as well as appearing on a number of albums by other artists.  Along with the many accolades for her music, Monheit has been nominated twice in the Grammy Awards.  Here is the song that transfixed me so on Highway 60 in Missouri.




Corinne Bailey Rae  "Like A Star"  (2006)

       With six Grammy nominations and two wins along with a slew of other international awards and recognition, Corinne Bailey Rae has established an impressive music career in a relatively short time.  Though I previously had no idea who she was, I was familiar with her song "Put Your Records On".  Now I can gladly say that I know who this artist/composer is and I'll be watching for more music from her.  According to the website Genius, Rae says that "Like a Star" was inspired by the grunge group Nirvana.  It's not the first thing I would have guessed, but we all know that inspiration can come from the strangest places.    I'll leave it to you to see what you hear in the song.








Time to Vote!

    
    Are you as torn between these two versions as I am?  D
o you have a preference between these two choices?   Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. Which version do you like the best?   You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 


Cherdo on the Flipside 


Winner of this Battle Announced on Monday August 21st

        This might be a tough match so I'm anxious to see what the outcome will be.  Tune in next Monday for the Battle results.   That will be my next post--on Solar Eclipse Day!

         Do you like this song as much as I do?   Do you think my response to the song was a bit of overreaction?   Do you live in the path of the solar eclipse or will you be going to a place that is?











45 comments:

  1. Hi Lee hope you're enjoying the summer.

    I prefer the Corrinne Bailey Rae version.
    Great song.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yvonne, out of the gate with first vote for...

      Corinne

      Lee

      Delete
  2. Lee,

    I just want you to know, I do not have a battle showdown this time. My plan is to return to BoTB the middle of next month.

    Beautiful song! I definitely understand your appeal. Jane has a lovely voice. Her style places my mind in a low-lit fine dining establishment while lingering over a cup of coffee and dessert. Preferably something dark chocolate.

    Corrinne has a lovely voice, too. Her style actually surprised me. She has such an sweet, sexy innocence and the simplicity of the arrangement is a a purrfect match. I definitely will need that dark chocolate dessert after listening to hers. :)

    Both artists make me eager to learn more about their mewsic and I certainly plan to hit YouTube to listen to more in a bit. I'll be happy with either gal winning this round but I'm going to go with the way the song moved me this morning and I'm giving my vote to Corrinne.

    Nicely played. Continue enjoying your summer. It's quickly slipping away!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, you made a persuasive case for both artists, but thanks for the vote for...

      Corinne.

      Lee

      Delete
  3. Corinne Bailey Rae gets my vote, I like the simplicity to her version.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike, for the simplicity, another vote for...

      Corinne

      Lee

      Delete
  4. I thought of an early morning breeze on a sun-dappled road lined with trees. "I've been away for far too long..." No wonder the song struck you as it did. It's beautiful. Because I listened to Jane's version first, it's probably not truly fair, but she gets my vote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, all's fair in love, war, and BOTB. Thanks for ending the shut-out that was looming.

      A first vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  5. I definitely preferred Jane Monheit's version of this song. Corinne's vocal tone kind of set my teeth on edge. Interesting tidbit about the connection to Nirvana, though. Never would have put those two together!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Debbie D, I hear what you're saying.

      Another vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  6. These are two artists with tremendous talent. Wow. Choose between them?

    I will go with Corinne; her sweet voice and innocence are great mixtures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan, I think this is a pretty evenly matched based on, as you say, tremendous talent of both artists.

      A vote for sweet innocent Corinne.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. Interesting battle! I think I prefer Corinne for this one. Her voice draws you in and practically forces you to listen to the words.

    ~Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary, your pick is running away with this contest so far.

      Another vote for Corinne.

      Lee

      Delete
  8. From Facebook a vote from my cousin Tom for...

    Corinne.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sixgun McItchyfingerAugust 15, 2017 at 12:59 PM

    Glad you had a nice trip. You cruised thru areas that I'm passing near or thru next week.

    My vote is going to Jane Monheit. Rae's voice has a sort of baby-like quality that bothers me. Plus, Jane's version does indeed have a bossa nova feel to it. I tried drumming a bossa nova beat, and it fit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 6gun, in her Wiki profile one of the descriptions of Monheit's style is "Brazilian" which to me is primarily bossa nova.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. CW, yeah to me there's a narrow margin between the two picks as both are pretty good.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  11. Go with #2 at our zoo. Both were good but liked her softer tone better.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's Corinne Bailey Rae's song, I realize, but I kind of fell in love with Jane Monheit's voice, and when I checked the credits, I saw that the beautifully understated guitar solo was done by Frank Vignola, one of my favorites who plays a lot with Tommy Emmanuel. I'm voting for Jane Monheit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John, I agree that the guitar work on the Monheit is so tastily done as is the entire instrumental ensemble.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. Jacqui, it's a tough one. If you do decide on one feel free to come back to vote.

      Lee

      Delete
  14. LEE ~
    At first, the song seemed too slow and indistinct to me, but it gradually pulled me in. And, yes, absolutely there is a Bossa Nova flair to JANE's version. And I too really dug that nice (and also Bossa Nova-ish) acoustic guitar break.

    Corinne's original is nice too. She has that "little girl" voice like Rickie Lee Jones, which must grow on some folks. But since I've always been a RLJ fan, I was already ready for it.

    However, no question, I preferred the cover by JANE. Which means that you, Sixgunboy, and I are all voting alike, which means the world will end on August 21st.

    I just asked my Magic 8-Ball: "Will the world end on August 21st?" And it answered: "Don't Count On It".

    And you know what that means, right?
    The world is DEFINITELY ending on August 21st, because the Magic 8-Ball is ALWAYS wrong!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    [Link:) STMcC Presents 'Battle Of The Bands'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well next Monday IS eclipse day which is conducive to a cataclysmic event.

      You came through with another much needed vote for...

      Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  15. Hi Arlee! I'm going with Corrine on this one. I tried to get into the first one but it didn't draw me in the way Corrine's did.

    Enjoy the rest of your week!
    Elsie

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lee, I may be one of the very few people who hasn't gone nuts at the opportunity to view the solar eclipse. I don't have special glasses and I'm not traveling to a better viewing spot. I plan to sit outside with my back to the sun and watch the event unfold via ground shadows. We should get more than 80% of the sun covered here, so that will be cool enough for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patricia, I'll be in the farthest reaches of the eclipse I guess and no one is making much of a deal about it. For me the best vantage point will be watching it on TV. Now would be a good time for me to be staying at my sister's house in Tennessee--they'll be right in the middle of the path where they'll have an excellent view.

      Lee

      Delete
  17. Jane Monheit is the total bomb... I love this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael, I will accept that as a vote.

      Jane Monheit

      Lee

      Delete
    2. It was, Sir.
      Sorry, I got carried away.

      Delete
  18. So THIS is the song that caught your attention during your road trip! Very peaceful!

    I have never heard eighteen version. My vote goes to Jane Monheit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tamara, yes this is the song! I'm still enjoying it too.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  19. I prefer Corinne's take on this song more than Jane. Jane is ok but it didn't do much for me whereas Corinne seems to add a bit more flair to this song so she gets my vote. The highway of heroes sounds like a great tribute to veterans of the first and Second World War? Vietnam...Korea? If this is the case and no one is keeping the highway up then that is a shame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, when whizzing down the highway most of us probably barely notice the history markers along the road. There is so much to be learned when one is traveling or even just wandering around town.

      A vote for Corinne

      Lee

      Delete
  20. Who knows why a song just hits us the right way sometimes. I've had to pull over and write down a title or few lines to look up later.

    Great battle. Both ladies are good singers, the song well suited to their voices. I think Jane has a bit more umph in the too laid back song. Something about this song is just too "soft" for my tastes.

    Anyway, vote for Jane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dolorah, it's like a magical place in time when a special, memorable song comes to my attention. Sometimes I'll write down something to help me to remember while others times it so memorable that I cannot forget it.

      Another vote for Jane.

      Lee

      Delete
  21. Hi Lee. Sorry I'm so late in making the rounds for this BOTB. I haven't even had a chance to read the comments at my battle so if you left a comment there, I haven't yet seen it.

    Wow, I can see why you were so mesmerized by Jane Monheit's version of this song. The instrumentation is fantastic and her smooth voice blends so well with it, making a song so incredibly rich. I love it. Really exceptional, in my opinion.

    I did also very much enjoy the original by Corrine Bailey Rae. Both renditions are wonderful so I would think this battle will be a close call. My vote goes to Jane. I'll definitely be looking at more of her music.

    Really nice battle. Thanks for the introduction to two stellar artists. Glad you made it home safe and sound. Enjoy what's left of the summer...

    Michele at Angels Bark

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michele, you are correct about what I found so mesmerizing about Monheit's version. I'll be tallying up votes shortly so I'll see how close this was.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete
  22. I'm pretty new to the Corrine fan club; her voice is kinda quirky to me, but I do like it.

    However….Jane wins this one, More depth, vocals much better. Sorry Corrine!

    Hey, Michele…I saved you from being last. :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alright Cherdo... bringing up the rear... Yay! Thanks for that! :)
      Are you battling now, again? I'll have to go check...

      Delete
    2. Cherdo, you arrived in the nick of time.

      A vote for Jane

      Lee

      Delete

Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee