The basement at my parents' Maryville TN house was, to me, my music room. But it was very likely that my father saw the basement as a space to practice our juggling act. Either way, the music was there...
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.
Juggling Music
My previous Battle centered around my attempt to introduce some rock music into the practice session. My father wanted the same music we used for performance. If we didn't have an actual band to back us up then we had prerecorded music on reel-to-reel. Here are a couple of the actual recordings we used during our act. Which one do you like best?
Xavier Cugat "El Cumbanchero" (1961)
Les Brown "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" (1956)
Time to Vote!
At least you don't have to juggle while listening to these. Just listen and have fun. 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.
At least you don't have to juggle while listening to these. Just listen and have fun. 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. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.
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
Results coming on Friday September 22
I like the first one. Sounds fresher.
ReplyDeleteAlex, thanks for the first vote for the fresher sounding...
DeleteXavier Cugat.
Lee
I really like both of these songs, a lot. Since I have to pick one, I'll go with Les Brown and His Band of Renown, but really i like both about the same. My battle will be up at noon Eastern (9 AM your time)...
ReplyDeleteJohn, I'm in a similar quandary.
DeleteA vote for Les Brown.
Lee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a bit of juggling this morning. Juggling a paperwork for a new doctor to have root canal work done in a couple of weeks, making a batch of biscuits, texting my son whose at the hospital with his wife (baby is on his way), and mouth pain. It goes without saying the last three weeks have been a big juggle. Anywho...the song that works best for me in this round has to be El Cumbanchero. I don't know why but it gets my vote. :)
I have a mid-month BOTB running, as well. Whenever you have a moment to spare, I hope you'll pop over to cast your vote.
Thanks for your comforting words. It's been a hard walk but I know Daddy is with the Lord. :) Blessings to you, my friend!
Cathy, life is a big juggle for most of us I think. Just keep everything in the air!
DeleteXavier Cugat.
Lee
These are both great songs and I commend you that you and you band could play something so tough. I love the album cover of Cugat's although it did not impede my judgement. I am going with Cugat's song which just maceant to dance. It seemed more lively to me.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, well, we were juggling to the music and not playing it in a band, but it still required a comparative amount of skill. Those Latin music album covers could be pretty wild back in those days.
DeleteAnother vote for Xavier Cugat.
Lee
I'll go with Les, only because of the horns. Both were enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteCW, the horns have it!
DeleteLes Brown.
Lee
What a fantastic place to practice! I could easily picture jugglers with either/both, so I had to try to choose without picturing jugglers ;-) My vote goes to Xavier Cugat.
ReplyDeleteDiedre, until they put in a pool table the basement was ideal for practicing our act. They bought the pool table later after my sister and I left the act and they didn't need as much space to practice. Both these songs served well for our juggling act.
DeleteXavier Cugat.
Lee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteThese last two BOTB installments of yours prove one thing: your dad had better taste in music than you did.
Don't feel bad about that, because I eventually learned that *my* parents also had better taste in music than I did when I was in my teens. (I didn't learn that until I was in my early 30s.)
To me, Xavier Cugat's 'El Cumbanchero' seems like better music to juggle to... and even better music to kill a foreign spy to (James Bond, I'm looking at *you*).
I like both recordings real well but (juggling aside), I slightly prefer Les Brown's 'This Could Be the Start of Something Big'.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC, my father always had an appreciation for music, especially any music that sounded good for our juggling act. Don't know if he necessarily had better taste in music over all than I, but his musical tastes greatly influenced my own. They had some great albums in their relatively small record collection and I listened to those albums a lot when I was a kid.
Delete"El Cumbanchero" is a classic show biz songs that has been used by many variety acts over the years. An excellent song for fast paced juggling.
A vote for Les Brown.
Lee
McCarthy stole some of my thoughts before I even thunk 'em. I listened to the music then read the comments. Cugat's music is MUCH better music to juggle to. It has an exciting, dangerous sounding edge to it.
ReplyDeleteBut unlike McCarthy I am voting for Cugat's song BECAUSE it is better to juggle to.
Sixgun McItchyfinger
6-Gun, can't argue with your conclusion.
DeleteAnother vote for Xavier Cugat.
Lee
Definitely Cugat! I've also liked that Latin flavour, although the Les Brown tune is probably even more well known.
ReplyDeleteDebbie D, I'm not sure how known the Brown tune is to modern listeners, but I used to hear it in a lot of places.
DeleteA vote for Xavier Cugat.
Lee
From Facebook my Cousin Tom cast his vote for...
ReplyDeleteXavier Cugat.
Lee