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, June 1, 2021

White Bird ( #BOTB & #IWSG )

           Summer's here according to the post-Memorial Day tradition of thinking.  Time to get away.  I want to fly, literally, but not in a plane.  I just want to go.  I'm like a caged Bird faced with my opportunity to set out to somewhere.  So where do I go from here...


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 2 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria.


      Nothing  I had to say about the question for this month.  But that's been the case for a lot of things.  Oh, don't let me mislead you--I've always got something to toss out for folks to mull and chew on. There are other things I'm thinking about lately, but nothing I want to blog about.  It's all blog worthy, but I need to clear my mind.

        So I plan to take a semi-hiatus for a few months.  I'd like to think I'll be writing.  Or doing something worth doing.  I'll likely pop in each upcoming month for the Insecure Writer's Support Group post.  And until sometime after August the following will be my final...

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.


White Bird

        The song "White Bird" originally appeared on the first album by the San Francisco group It's a Beautiful Day.  When I first heard it in 1970 I was an immediate fan because it featured a violin which is an instrument that I play.  And it's a nice song as testified in the many covers one can find of artists performing the song.  Here are two for you to compare and vote for your favorite...



The Scones    "White Bird"   (2019)

         From Colorado we have The Scones presenting their version of "White Bird" in a dramatic video shot at the Colorado National Monument.










Vanessa-Mae   "White Bird"   (2001)

         Born in Singapore, Vanessa-Mae is a British citizen who has made a mark not only in a career of music but also as a skier.  Her cover of "White Bird" managed to make #66 on the British pop charts and she hasn't done too badly with her musical career.




Time to Vote!
        
         Gonna fly soon but first I want to see who wins this Battle.    Please join in and play along in this Battle of the Bands.  I hope you'll at least give the versions a listen to discern your favorite.   Which 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

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 




Winner of this Battle Announced on Monday June 7

        I'll do my usual post for those who look at it.  And so on...









35 comments:

  1. The first one does have an amazing setting, but somehow they managed to make the song annoying. My vote goes to the second version.
    Understand the break. Probably won't blog but once a month myself this summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, summer has never seemed particularly conducive to blogging. Might as well cut back.

      First vote goes to Vanessa-Mae.

      Lee

      Delete
  2. Lee,

    We're all due a break from blogging. I'm doing the same over summer. I did not know this song so it's nice introduction. I by far preferred THE SCONES version. Vanessa Mae has a lovely voice but it wasn't nearly as interesting as her competition's rendition. When you get a moment, I hope you stop by to vote in my Diamonds Are Forever BOTB Showdown. Have a good week, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, hope you have a wonderful summer!

      Second vote goes to The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
    2. Lee, you have a wonderful summer, too!

      Delete
  3. I'm voting for Vanessa-Mae for much the same reason that Alex did.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John H, you got it...

      A vote for Vanessa-Mae.

      Lee

      Delete
  4. The Scones all the way for me. The girl just sounded whispy, not of strong voice and repetitive. I hope you return because once people take a blogging break they seem to vanish. Enjoy your summer!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, I hope I don't vanish! Well, unless I vanish for a good reason.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  5. LEE ~

    I'm not sure if I'd heard this song before, but I definitely know of the group 'It's A Beautiful Day', primarily because of that one somewhat iconic LP cover illustration of the girl and her bonnet.

    This match-up seems to have elicited some sharply divided opinions. So far, anyway, voters either find The Scones annoying, or else they prefer The Scones to Vanessa-Mae by a good margin.

    I fall into the latter camp. Vanessa-Mae's rendition didn't seem to have much "There" there. It was just too thin and gauze-like (or wispy, as Birgit termed it). Now if Vanessa-Mae possessed that saudade quality in her voice like Astrud Gilberto had, it would be a whole different ballgame. But she doesn't (and few ever did).

    THE SCONES -- I don't know about that name, and they sure did have their hippie-'60s on, with those "outfits", but I quite enjoyed their rendition of the song. I found it more pretty than annoying, and they get my BOTB Bote by a pretty large margin.

    This is shaping up to be a close Battle with fairly strongly divided viewpoints. In other words, "good stuffs!"

    For anyone who might be interested in participating, I have returned with a Battle Of The Bands contest of my own here:
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

    ~ D-FensDogG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. STMcC, I'd be surprised if you'd never heard this song in its original form. I hear it played relatively frequently. But it might be an easy song to just dismiss while hearing it in the background.

      This is turning out to be an interesting contest.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
    2. Hey, LEE ~

      Did you get the Email I sent you last night?
      If not, check your Spam file.

      ~ D-FensDogG
      STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

      Delete
    3. STMcC, thanks for the heads up. I've been avoiding the internet the past couple days, but today I'm rounding things up for my winners announcement for Monday.

      I've added 6-Gun's vote below.

      Lee

      Delete
  6. First, I must say, this has been my favorite Battle from you, Lee. This song is virtually unsingable. Even the original It's A Beautiful Day version has many misfires, but still, it is an all time top forty pop performance. The version by The Scones goes far to mimic the original, and for that, I grant infinite kudos. Well done, Scones!

    A vote for the Scones, please, Sir.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael, funny you should say the song is unsingable and there are so many good versions to be found on YouTube. I guess somebody has been able to sing it.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. I found Vanessa Mae much easier to listen to. I wasnt familiar with the contenders or the song. Sometimes that makes it easier to cast a vote.

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    Replies
    1. Mary B, not knowing helps make a more unbiased judgement.

      A vote for Vanessa-Mae.

      Lee

      Delete
  8. I do not know this song but I loved the video of The Scones, shot in the Colorados ... but i have to say Vanessa Mae is more pleasing to me. Thanks Arlee and all good wishes for your blogging break.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan S, hope I get more things done without focus on blogging even though I haven't been all that focused on blogging in recent years.

      A vote for Vanessa-Mae.

      Lee

      Delete
  9. Hands down...Vanessa Mae. Much more watchable...and love her voice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leigh, that's a definitive vote for...

      Vanessa-Mae.

      Lee

      Delete
  10. Hi Lee!

    I can't remember the last time I heard this song, nice blast from the past. Vanessa-Mae has a lovely voice, but I found it, as well as her video, more seductive than I think the lyrics intend. My vote goes to the Scones, please. Good video too.
    We'll miss you...have a wonderful summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, "White Bird" is a song I always enjoy hearing. Good memories of a distant time in my life.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  11. From my Cousin Tom on Facebook comes a vote for...

    The Scones.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm voting for The Scones! But I suppose I'm inherently biased, because that's my generation of music. And I loved the video.

    Enjoy your time off!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee L., Music is timeless!--well, good music is.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  13. Dang, I have to say neither is quite my style. After sampling both, I think I'll toss my vote to The Scones.

    I hope you have a nice break. I've certainly scaled back on the amount of blogging I do, and have barely made it for the IWSG each month anymore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loni, maybe a summer break will be the recharge I need.

      A vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  14. From an email from 6-Gun:

    I've been wanting to get back to the battles for a while, but blogger
    (or my computer) lost my ID/moniker/nom de plume, and THEN my Mac simply
    crashed... so I've been out of commish for some time.

    A mutual fiend suggested that I vote annoyingamousely, as it were, and
    simply type my old cognomen at the bottom. SO here I is. (My jumping
    back in right now is 100% coincidental with the return of McCarthy. In
    fact, I feel it will distract from my glorious return. And I am sorry
    to get back in just as you are taking the summer off! Safe travels, and
    visit me if you get as far back as NH.)

    It was fun to hear this song again. I have not listened in ages, though
    I still have the LP of "It's a Beautiful Day." I, too, was surprised
    that so many people were unfamiliar with it. Must be either youthful
    ignorance or senility. Heck, even BIDEN would probably remember the
    song, and he cannot remember whether the person he sleeps with at night
    is his wife or his sister. (Frankly, Hunter is confused on that issue
    as well.)

    Anyway: I really liked the first rendition, and really hated the second
    one. So a vote for the scones.

    Sixgun McItchyfinger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the vote 6-Gun. It's A Beautiful Day was a bit of a flash in a pan of the early 70s I guess so maybe it makes sense that a lot of folks don't know the group. And I think they were probably a bit of a musical niche anyway.

      Thanks for your vote for The Scones.

      Lee

      Delete
  15. Hi Arlee, hope you are well. Enjoy your hiatus and please stay safe.

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    Replies
    1. Rachna, thank you for your well-wishes. And you have a wonderful rest of the year.

      Lee

      Delete
  16. Hope you get some writing done during your blog break.

    ReplyDelete