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!

Monday, June 1, 2020

Didn't Want To Have To Do It (#BOTB) ( #IWSG )


        Been watching new episodes of the Los Angeles riot series that seem to be on every local channel.  I guess these riots will be going on through the summer.  Coverage can get a bit tedious at times, but it sure beats the wall-to-wall COVID coverage we had before this...

After watching riots all day I wanted to see a picture that makes me think of better times.



Didn't Want to Have to Do It

        This might be an excuse from some of the rioters and looters, but they seem pretty willing do be doing what they've been doing.  Personally I don't get it.

         In everyday life we all have to do things we didn't want to have to do, but hopefully none of us are responsible for feeling a need to do useless destructive things.  Right now my mind is a bit weighted down with considerations of certain things.  Things that I might not want to do, but probably need to do. 

          But I'm still thinking and will discuss it on my Battle of the Bands results post in about a week.  So first we need to have a Battle of the Bands, which is something I always enjoy doing.  Besides this song by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful being a favorite of mine, the song contains a thought that's at the center of what's been on my mind.   Listen and enjoy...



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.



       

Jackie & Roy   "Didn't Want to Have to Do It"  (1968)

      This husband and wife team performed together for over 50 years and left a slew of albums in the wake of their long career.  They were a Vegas smash back in the years around 1960.  I first saw them on some old television reruns of The Danny Kaye Show and The Dinah Shore Show and was impressed enough to find some of their songs on YouTube including this old favorite song of mine...

       




Rotary Connection    "Didn't Want to Have to Do It"  (1967)

        Among my all time favorite groups, Rotary Connection was noted for mind-bending song covers and psychedelic pop.  I first became intrigued with this group after reading about them.  When I saw their album Aladdin in about 1970 I bought it and have it in my vinyl collection to this day.  In more recent years I've added some of their other albums to my CD collection.  I think their music still holds up pretty well.  Let us know what you think...





Time to Vote!
         How does this song make you feel?    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 Monday June 8th

****************************************

The Insecure Writer's Support Group


Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog


The co-hosts for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre!



   
June 3 question - Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

             Seems like my work is based on my life for the most part--or at least life experience.  My work is mainly on my blog so there isn't much left to the imagination if one reads enough.  And maybe I'd ultimately have to say "What work?" since nothing of note has been published. 

            But of course there are secrets.  Some very big secrets.  And I'm not going to reveal those here or perhaps anywhere.  That's why they are secrets.

         

          Maybe I'll figure out what I'm going to decide by the time of my next post on June 8th, but do come back to find out.  Or just come back because I'm here.  What are your big decisions for this upcoming potentially tumultuous summer?













50 comments:

  1. Lee,

    Not knowing the song or the battle contenders, I'm going with Jackie & Roy in this showdown. I just liked their sound overall. The world is crazy and I think all this rioting is cited by a certain someone who's known for fueling a flame for political purposes only. It's not that some guy was killed because of his skin color. That just provided the hate group an excuse to lash out and destroy neighborhoods and businesses. What these people need is taken to the wood shed for a switching, yes a switching! People who can be bought and you know these rioters aren't normal folks, they are hired trouble makers bent on destroying property and lives. Sure there is hatred and people are wronged of all colors. There won't be any divisions in heaven. All nationalities will stand together in perfect harmony on that golden shore. We need to live like that here below. Alrighty, I've said enough. Stay safe and be well, my friend.

    Summer Breeze #BoTB cover artists showdown shares 4M time slot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, sadly George Floyd is becoming a footnote to all of the unnecessary nonsense that has followed in the wake of his death. I'm so saddened by all of the destruction done to Los Angeles area over the weekend just as businesses were starting to reopen after the COVID lock down. Sadly, now some of those businesses will not be reopening because of the irresponsible behavior of the mobs.

      Yes, a better world is coming and I'm ready to get away from all the craziness of this world we are in.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
    2. Indeed, a better world is coming...maybe sooner than we think. I'll be waiting!

      Delete
  2. Hi Lee I like the Jackie and Roy version.
    Pleased you are ok. I too get fed up with the coverage of the COVD19 coverage especially when politicians and the medical profession condtridict what we should be doing for the best.

    Take care.
    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yvonne, so much we hear is a contradiction of what we've heard before. Maybe we should just stop listening.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  3. Both the song and these battle artists are new to me (thought I have heard of John Sebastian/Lovin' Spoonful). I prefer the sound of the second one best, so please give my vote to ROTARY CONNECTION. Their sound was a perfect mix of pscychedelia, experimentalism, and fantasy, and the vocals were smooth.

    Kim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, I like your reasoning.

      A vote for Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  4. From my friend Lonnie on Facebook comes a vote for...

    Rotary Connection.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really enjoyed listening to Rotary Connection because I like the piano keyboard which gave it an otherworldly feel. I have been the recipient of the guy who didn't want to have to do it. It sucked!What happened to that African American man was brutal but this does not give the young to loot, pillage and destroy...that is just an excuse to do this which is so wrong. I am all for the peaceful protests and something needs to be done to fix this issue which is no easy feat. As for Covid 19...I am sick of hearing it too but we do need to use commonsense and still be careful and stay safe. Statistically, when one looked at the number of people who died in Great Britain last year as compared to this year, it rose by 67%! Germany, which had high numbers but also were on top of things had a difference of only 6%. I don't know Canada or the U.S. but my brother, who looks at statistics as a way to gauge, found these numbers. Look, no one, as far as I heard has got the common flu, cold or bronchitis so, no matter what, the social distancing does help. I will look forward to hugging my family and friends though but I will not shake a stranger's hand but I will use the Wakanda greeting which I love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, not much makes sense to me anymore--at least not what I see going on in so many places. I wish more people would apply logic to their thoughts and actions.

      A vote for Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  6. No secret? That's cheating.
    I definitely like the first one better.
    I don't get the senseless destruction either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, like I said--I've got secrets, but I intend to keep them secrets at least for the time-being. There are often good reasons not to reveal secrets.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. Again from Facebook, a vote from my cousin Tom for...

    Rotary Connection.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  8. We had people trying to riot at our mall last night and we live in a small town. Just crazy.

    Jackie & Roy's had a nice groove to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. L.Diane, some of the mob activities in certain towns around the L.A. area surprised me as well. Something is happening that was likely going to happen anyway even before the death of George Floyd. Antifa is not going to be quiet in this election year I'm sure.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  9. Facebook is hot today! This time a vote from my sister Joni for...

    Rotary Connection.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  10. I get that people are a bit wound up and have some pent up frustration following their house arrest aka stay at home order, but seriously - what ever happened to human decency and self-control? I was really surprised by the amount of violence that took place in Salt Lake City. The little town north of me (population 61.5K) is even trying to recruit some of the Salt Lake protesters to join them here locally. I just don't get it.

    What I do get - is Jackie & Roy. Loved their little peppy rendition. Give them my vote please.

    ~Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary B, pent up frustration for sure I understand, but the craziness just leaves me shaking my head in wonderment.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  11. Hi, Lee!
    Jackie and Roy were good, real smooth. I can imagine them smiling as they sing together. But the lyrics suggest an entirely different mood, one I thought was well conveyed in the somewhat cosmic background sounds and fetching vocals of Rotary Connection. A vote for RC from me, please.

    Writerly speaking, my mantra for this summer is “Publish or Perish”. Because this year so far feels like we’re all unwilling pins in a Twilight Zone bowling alley, I’d like to (at least help) find a way to permanently close the lanes these dumb balls are using to torment and tear apart our nation. From what I’ve seen, anything is possible. Why can’t it be good?

    Take care ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, any dream might be a difficult pursuit during this year. I've lost most any motivation I previously had. Hope your goals are achieved and meet success.

      Another vote for Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  12. Both really good, I'll go with Jackie and Roy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW, duly noted, a vote for...

      Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  13. I knew I had heard of Rotary Connection before. They did albums with Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf in the late '60's and early '70's, doing psychedelic versions of Muddy's and the Wolf's songs. The albums were not really all that good (a friend of mine had "Electric Mud," ditched the disk and hung the picture of Muddy from the album cover on his wall). Those disastrous projects notwithstanding, I remember the band was really good, and the delightful Minnie Riperton sang with them at one time.

    I like both versions of the song, so for old time's sake I'll go with Rotary connection.

    As for this weekend's "festivities": There were no doubt people who came to them with the intention of peaceful protest, and I agree this was a terrible thing that happened, for which there was absolutely no excuse. I'm particularly wondering what the hell the othe three officers were doing while Chauvin had Floyd on the ground and was killing him. They are also criminally liable, and I hope they have the book thrown at them. The four need to do hard time, and I would have no pity for them if they were placed in the general population and got roughed up.

    The rioting, arson, and looting, on the other hand, were criminal acts that should also be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. What makes them worse is the attitude the elected officials in those cities, essentially condoning acts of violence against people and property. People's homes and places of business were destroyed, and the attitude is one of "well, that's life." I don't know how many comments I saw on Instagram where the attitude was, "well, they have insurance on their property and inventory, so I don't feel too bad about it." Some people deserve a good swift kick in the ass. I was horrified to see celebrities and businesspeople bragging on Twitter about how much money they had given to bail out the criminals who participated in the destruction, and how many attorneys were offering their services pro bono to them. I'm sorry, I'm getting all worked up over this. Maybe I should just say that the whole damn bunch of them should go to hell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John H, no matter how peace the intent, I think any "mob" will typically results in the bad actions of a few and other less than good participants joining in. I am so dismayed seeing so many businesses destroyed or set back by these actions especially when things were just starting to open up after the unwarranted lock down. It's all sad and disappointing.

      I didn't know about those early albums you mentioned. Their other group releases were pretty good I thought.

      For old times' sake it's Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  14. LEE ~

    I don't think I'd ever heard of Jackie & Roy before (was this before Roy divorced Jackie and married Siegfried?)

    I actually liked BOTH of these recordings (nice match-up!) but I definitely preferred Siegfrie-- er, I mean... JACKIE & ROY. That is really my kind of music! I dug the harmonies and the arrangement was terrific, with excellent musicianship. Which leads me to ask this question: 1968... great arrangement and musicianship... could this mean that The Wrecking Crew was the backing band? I'd bet a pretty penny that it was. The band had that very Wrecking Crew-like tight sound but with terrific swing.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. STMcC, Jackie & Roy were new to me as well when I saw them on those old show reruns. The impression I got from how they were presented on the shows that they were more of an entertainers insiders type duo known more in the industry than to the general public. Seems like with all the good albums they had out they might have caught my attention long before now. They might very well have used the Wrecking Crew or at least top notch musicians in the recording industry.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  15. Close one I will go with Rotary Connection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike, you got it! A vote for...

      Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  16. I liked Rotary Connection best. The Jackie & Roy was a little too jazzy. Close though.

    Janet’s Smiles

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet, preference over psychedelia over jazz? Sure enough...

      Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  17. Even here we have the riots on all the bloody time and I am interested but over it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jo-Anne, the riot coverage is riveting to watch, but for my wife and I it's also been rather depressing.

      Lee

      Delete
  18. My kids want to know how people go from participating in a peaceful protest to rioting and looting and why. I don't really have a great answer. Maybe if they see that the police are acting like brutal animals (not all, but in certain cases), then they feel it justifies their bad behavior? Or maybe the protestors are just a cover for a separate group of agitators. Who really knows?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tamara, I am certain that the violence and lawlessness comes from instigators within. If all the bad behavior were confined to the police I could make more sense of it, but destroying and disrupting business, the economy, and the communities is intended to break down the system and I think to influence the upcoming election. I think it's the wrong way to go about things.

      Lee

      Delete
  19. Replies
    1. Anna, it would be nice if everyone was concerned with the safety of not only themselves, but everyone else as well. The country does not need or deserve the disruptive behavior. I doubt whether anyone has been won over.

      Lee

      Delete
  20. Jackie & Roy "Didn't Want to Have to Do It" (1968) was funky and clunky but groovy, I liked it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spacer Guy, you didn't have to vote but I'm glad you did.

      Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  21. I think Jackie and Roy sound familiar, but yet... not. I must have heard them and seen them on those shows you mentioned. I used to watch them with my folks.

    I'm going to vote for them and their smoooooooth sound.

    I am going to stay hushed on this stupid rioting crap. I'm sure you and I and McC agree on most of the details of origins and solutions.

    PS - covid, smovid

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 6-Gun, I think we are in times of a deceptive scam of biblical proportions. At times I can only shake my head in wonderment. I'm okay as long as things don't interfere with my safe little life in my home.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  22. Secrets are secrets for a reason, right? I think I'd vote for Jackie & Roy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loni, That's what I think about secrets for sure. And there's usually a good reason why we keep something a secret.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  23. I'm going with Jackie & Roy in this battle, Lee - the song is unfamiliar to me but the vibe reminds me of something my parents would play (I've mentioned my Dad and the Sunday afternoon radio/intercom before).

    As for what is going on in this country, I shouldn't even comment, but I rarely do things "for my own good." In a nutshell...it's terrible when anyone's life is lost unnecessarily. Equally appalling is the fact that you can't even have a legitimate conversation about 90% of the day to day news without someone losing their ever loving mind. And lastly, I don't believe about 75% of what I hear and I've stop believing in good intentions. That sums it up, I suppose.

    Thanks, Lee, and I hope you are well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cherdo, you summed things up for me as well.

      A vote for Jackie & Roy.

      Lee

      Delete
  24. Yeah. Never got the whole destruction thing, other than just people showing their true self.

    #2 gets my vote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat, I've always had to work to have stuff so I know the value of it. I'd rather be practical than emotional.

      A vote for Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  25. Hi Arlee, thanks for this BOB. Definitely prefer the Rotary Connection version, something 70’s about it, psychedelic. Would fit in perfectly with the series Legion that I am currently watching, so far from the usual marvel comics interpretations.
    Hooh, big secrets hey ! Ok, no snooping , wishing you plenty of imagination for your June writing, revealing maybe the big secrets of your characters .....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan B, secrets come and go. The story of my life.

      A vote for Rotary Connection.

      Lee

      Delete
  26. I really dig Rotary Connection's take on the song. Like Susan B said, it must be the 70s that I really like!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ami, the 70s will probably always be my preference where pop/modern music is concerned.

      Another vote for Rotary Connection.

      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