It's back to blog normal at Tossing It Out. Another A to Z Challenge is wrapped up and now I can go back to my lazy blogging schedule...
| ForeignPolicy.com |
My Battle for this round has been sitting in my someday line-up for quite some time. I figured that now is as good as any time to use the song "China Girl". Maybe I've been craving Chinese food. Or maybe it's just something in the air.
Conventional BOTB wisdom suggests that one should avoid using an original version of a song, but in the case of "China Girl" I think the original might not be well known to many people. Most of you might think that David Bowie released the original version in 1983--that is the version that was the big hit. Actually David Bowie wrote the song in collaboration with Iggy Pop who released a version in 1977 with Bowie playing keyboard, saxophone, and toy piano as part of the back-up.
Enjoy the two versions of "China Girl" that I've presented here and tell us which version you like best...
Battle of the Bands
Iggy Pop "China Girl" (1977)
Voltaire "China Girl" (2006)
Time to Vote!
After you listen to "China Girl" you might have your appetite whetted to hear it again. Go ahead and listen away! Which song version do you prefer? Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind. 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
‘Storms and Stardust’
'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
A I Love Music
Winner of this Battle Announced on Friday May 8, 2020
Now that blogging will be back to normal, maybe the world around us will get back to normal. I could use that, how about you? Please come back next Friday to see who won this round of Battle.
Never thought that was one of his better songs. Think he did it better on his own than with Iggy Pop though.
ReplyDeleteAlex, out of the gate on a negative note with no legit vote. I've always liked this song a lot.
DeleteLee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI'm giving my vote to VOLTAIRE. I might decide to do BoTB mid-month through the summer,too. I wasn't going to put one up today but decided at the last minute yesterday afternoon to push it live. But, I'm down for break after this except for Mondays I'll keep to my dance party. I'm tuckered out for sure. Have a good weekend, my friend!
Wicked Games BoTB Showdown
Cathy, always glad if you do a BOTB to help keep me company.
DeleteFirst vote goes to Voltaire.
Lee
Interesting background story for the song! I never knew it was a collaboration with Iggy Pop. That said, his version didn't do much for me and I preferred the smooth vocal tones of Voltaire.
ReplyDeleteDebbie D, the Iggy connection surprised me as well.
DeleteAgain a vote for Voltaire.
Lee
I didn't know this either. I was never much of a Bowie fan and I was never ever ever anything of an Iggy Pop fan. I vote for Voltaire! Hell, I'd vote for Leibnitz singing this before I'd vote for Iggy Pop.
ReplyDelete6-gun, I didn't start coming around to Bowie until the eighties when "China Girl" and some other songs started getting a lot of play on MTV. I was introduced to Iggy Pop via The Stooges back in the late 60's when a friend loaned me their album. I wasn't persuaded by their music at the time and never was an Iggy fan.
DeleteA vote for Voltaire.
Lee
I found it hard to decide but my vote goes to Iggy Pop. loved your post when you said "Maybe Something In The Air" brought a smile this end . Thanks Lee.
ReplyDeleteStay safe.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, I was hoping someone would be tickled by my COVID reference. Thanks for being there again.
DeleteA vote for Iggy Pop.
Lee
Iggy and Bowie might have written it, but I'm going with Voltaire. That toy piano really got on my nerves after a while...
ReplyDeleteJohn Holton, I kind of liked that tinkly toy piano.
DeleteA vote for Voltaire.
Lee
Iggy gets my vote!
ReplyDeleteMike, a needed vote for...
DeleteIggy Pop.
Lee
From a comment on another post, Michael Todd put in a vote for...
ReplyDeleteVoltaire.
Lee
Confirmed. ;)
DeleteLEE ~
ReplyDeleteOther than maybe 2 or 3 songs, I've never been a fan of David Bowie's music. Weird can be OK sometimes, but weird *AND* creepy is a bad combination.
In this contest, I couldn't even get all the way through the Iggy Pop rendition.
I've never heard of *this* Voltaire. 'Zombie Prostitute', eh? Oh, he's just trying way too hard to be "out there" (poseur). The music world is simply out of ideas. Same with Hollywood. But I'll vote for VOLTAIRE nonetheless.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
STMcC, It took me around a decade to get around to appreciating Bowie's music--I figured he was just another weird effeminate glam rocker, but eventually I started listening and came to like his music.
DeleteAccording to info I read Voltaire is some artsy NYC professor type who sidelines with an art-rock group. I like what I've heard by his collective.
But then, I like a lot of different kinds of music as you well know by now.
A vote for Voltaire.
Lee
Voltaire for me. Much smoother.
ReplyDeleteJanet, thank you for your vote for....
DeleteVoltaire.
Lee
Geez... Voltaire, but not by much. Rather stick with Bowie, though.
ReplyDeleteCW, Bowie would definitely cleaned up in this if he'd been included.
DeleteA vote for Voltaire.
Lee
I'm not crazy about either of these. But I think I will give my vote to Voltaire.
ReplyDeleteI'm still up in the air if I'm going to continue with the BOTB posts. Time will tell, I suppose.
Mary B, join the crowd--seems like most voters haven't been overly thrilled with my picks, but I'm used to it. Hope you keep going with BOTB--or for at least as long as I do.
DeleteVoltaire.
Lee
I am a big fan of Bowie, especially with the movie Labyrinth! But, I recently been into Absolute Beginners. Ahhh, if I could clone Bowie and have his clone as my boyfriend. He is my rock dream boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I like Iggy Pop's version. My vote goes to him.
Check out my newest battle about Mother's Day here!
ami, you should be happy with the double dose of Bowie songs in the Battles this time.
DeleteA vote for Iggy Pop.
Lee
Interesting, the intro of Voltaire's version sounded a lot like eerie tunes that played throughout the "Hell on Wheels" series.
ReplyDeleteGive my vote to Voltaire, please. At least I could understand the lyrics ;-)
Diedre, Voltaire probably had better recording equipment and circumstances.
DeleteAnother vote for Voltaire.
Lee
From my cousin Tom on Facebook a vote for...
ReplyDeleteVoltaire.
lee
There's one or two Iggy Pop tunes I would listen to, but he is not high on my list...and "China Girl" doesn't nudge him up any, lol.
ReplyDeleteVOLTAIRE, you get my vote...the deck was stacked in your favor, dude.
Hope you are doing well, Lee!
Cherdo, you probably know more Iggy Pop than I do then.
DeleteI am well, but I wish all this COVID crap was behind us.
A vote for Voltaire.
Lee
A Facebook vote from my sister Joni for...
ReplyDeleteVoltaire.
lee