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!

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Cherry Wine vs Cherry River ( #BOTB )

 

         Cherries!  I love cherry flavor.  Don't know about cherry wine or other cherry alcoholic drinks since I don't think I've had any.  But it does sound good to me!






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.


Cherry Booze Battle

       I'm jumping back onto the Battle of the Booze theme.  I had to think about the song possibilities for awhile but then the song "Cherry River" started chugging through my brain which made me start thinking about "Cherry Wine".  I'll take some of what both these songs' singers are talking about.  And if it's cherry flavored then what's not to love?   Which of these songs do you enjoy the most?


Tommy James & the Shondells  "Sweet Cherry Wine"  (1969)

       This song came out during my senior year of high school.  I had enjoyed Tommy James and his band for several years, but in 1968 Tommy started turning out some Jesus related music that was excellent.  He was like one of the earliest Christian rock artists I guess. It's not hard to figure out what this song is about.  It was a pretty big hit back in it's day.


 



The Good Rats   "Cherry River"   (1979)

          I discovered The Good Rats in 1970 when I was in college at the University of Tennessee.  I read a review of the band in a classical music magazine then went and bought the album, which I thought was pretty good.  Then the band disappeared from my radar after that. Over a decade later I started finding several of their albums in cut-out bins so I started buying them up. The later albums were even better than the one I already had.  The song "Cherry River" is one of my favorite songs that the band did.  I don't know what's in that river they're singing about, but I think I'd like some of it. Now if someone can just find that river again...







Time to Vote!

         Come on and vote--please!  If you don't then go jump in a river.  But I don't want you to do that.  Just take a listen to the songs then tell us which song version  you like best? 
  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

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 







Results on Wednesday May 22
  
        I'll try to stay away from that river until I get my results posted.  















21 comments:

  1. Think I'd give an edge to the first one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, an edgy first vote for...

      Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  2. I'm for the 2nd...they are quite interesting and I think they give a uniqueness to their music.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, thanks for that second vote.

      Good Rats

      Lee

      Delete
  3. Cast my vote for the pride of Niles, Michigan, Tommy James & The Shondells!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John H., Michigan has given us some great musical artists.

      Tommy James

      Lee

      Delete
  4. MR. BOIDMAN ~

    >>... "Don't know about cherry wine or other cherry alcoholic drinks since I don't think I've had any."

    It's funny you say that. Because for the majority of my life I've been listening to songs I really like which mention "cherry wine". ('Cypress Avenue' by Van Morrison; 'T For Texas' by Tompall Glaser and by Lynyrd Skynyrd.) Then at one point early last year it suddenly dawned on me that never in my life had I tasted cherry wine.

    So, I went to Total Wine & More and bought me a bottle of the stuffs. I drank it, and thought: OK. I can cross cherry wine off my bucket list.

    As for the music here, I'm-a have to cast my "bote" for The Man With Two First Names & The Shondells. It had that classic '60s Pop sound that is impossible to dislike. And, honestly, I wasn't real wild about the lead singer's voice in The Good Rats. Therefore, this was a pert-easy cherce for me to make.

    I was pleased to see that you decided to join us in this round o' BOTB. Good man!

    ~ D-FensDogG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen, thinking more about it, Cherry flavored alcohol sounds like a recipe for getting rather sick if over-indulged. But I don't want too much of any alcohol or I'll get sick.

      Peppi Marcello from Good Rats had a classic rock and roll voice with a lot of grit. Good for when you want to rock out I guess.

      A vote for Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  5. I've got to go with the Shondells - for the memories ;-)
    The Good Rats weren't bad. According to The Rolling Stone magazine, they're the world's most famous unknown band. I'm curious about the Cherry River. I hear there's good fly-fishing along the North Fork in West Virginia.
    I've never had Cherry wine, but I've tried strawberry. Meh.
    Good battle, Lee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, I'm surprised that The Good Rats never got bigger than they did, but they still have a loyal fan base mostly around NYC.
      The song puts the location of this Cherry River near Butte Montana. When I looked up Cherry River I ran across the info about the one in WV, but not in MT.

      A vote for Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  6. I did not know that Tommy James drifted into the Christian music waters in his later years (not that there's anything wrong with that), but it does put his song into a very different context.

    My vote goes to Good Rants. That song seems to pop quite well and made me loses myself in the song. I looked up and suddenly the song was over.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GB, when "Sweet Cherry Wine" was a hit I never paid that much attention to the lyrics so the Christian influence escaped me. Later I did hear the message clearly in their next hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion".

      A vote for Good Rats.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. Idiot that I am, I wrote the comment while listening, and left the page before submitting! GR sound a lot like old Golden Earring. I give it to TJ, by but a nose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW, I never listened to much Golden Earring so I don't make the connection.

      By a nose vote for Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  8. VOTE = Tommy James & the Shondells

    I liked both songs, and they are pretty different from each other, really. I just enjoyed the TJ&S one better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max, yeah, they are pretty different sounding songs.

      Another vote for Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  9. From Facebook: My Cousin Tom votes for...

    Good Rats.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lee - I got time and some internet where I am for a couple of weeks, and got here in time to cast my vote. I was not a huge fan of the sound of the Good Rats. They really sounded like an average bar band that could never make it, at least with the one song and to my ears. TJ and the Shondells sounds like "themselves," which was enough to make them a pretty big success. They get my vote!

    Sixgun McItchyfinger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 6-Gun, good to see you make it.

      A vote for Tommy James.

      Lee

      Delete
  11. DH is the cherry lover in this house. It's just okay to me but I'm always for a piece of cherry pie, though. :)

    I'm giving my vote to Tommy James and the Shondells! Great throwback tune from yesteryear. It warms me all over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, I'm not a big pie fan, but I'd probably not turn down a piece that was offered to me. I like cherry candy and drinks best I think--kind of fake cherry flavoring I suppose.

      A vote for Tommy James.

      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