Disco Dance Party! -- Not! ( #BOTB Results )

      It's a really quiet Saturday morning.  A beautiful day to be sure, but really quiet.  That's fine with me since I'm in a quiet reserved sort of mood.  One thing for sure is that this ain't no disco.  But we can still play disco music if we want.  But it is a quiet morning...

Battle of the Bands Results

Disco Rules!

     My most recent Battle was between a song by one of my old basement favorites Wichita Fall and the monster disco hit by Barry White and Love Unlimited Orchestra "Love's Theme".   Perhaps predictably the more well-known disco song won the showdown.  

       I was never a disco hater.  I wasn't fond of the scene, but the music was and is something I've liked.  I have a number of disco style albums in my collection.  But nevertheless, the Wichita Fall song is what started this Battle and I have to vote for my old basement favorite.  It's a nice theme and the arrangement has that big cinematic ending.  My vote didn't help much.

Final Vote Tally

Wichita Fall             2 votes

Love Unlimited        7 votes

Next Phase Begins April 1.  It has something to do with the alphabet and I'll throw in another Battle of the Bands.  Now I'm going to get to work composing a bunch of blog posts.

Themes, Themes, Themes! ( #BOTB & #AtoZChallenge Theme )

    April almost here and right now a lot of bloggers are talking about their themes for the 2025 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  Themes, themes, themes--so I guess I'll make this post about my theme as well as other themes for my mid-month Battle of the Bands...

My 2025 A to Z Theme?

        Essentially I don't really have a theme for this go around.   Haven't thought about it much and now I'm thinking of theme as more of an afterthought.  I'm going to wing it I guess.  But these days I do a lot of that.  I might try to keep some kind of gimmick going which involves three word titles where all three words begin with the letter of the day. Maybe I'll keep that up or maybe I'll just throw up my hands and abandon that idea.  Who knows?  I'm going to just go as I go and hopefully have a good time with it all.  Hope you do too!

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.

Themes

      Since I'm on the topic of themes I'm going to Battle two songs that are "themes" or have the word "theme" in their titles. The first is one of my "biggies" from my Lee's Basement series.  The second is a biggie from the hit charts that you all probably know well.    Which do you prefer?

Wichita Fall  "Schubert's Theme"  (1969)

       This song was one of my favorites from the Wichita Fall album that I used to enjoy after my friends had gone home after a night of partying and I was alone in my basement still coming down from a psychedelic trip.  I was listening to a lot of music by classical composer Schubert back then so this song stood out even though it doesn't sound much like anything by the classical master.  But I think it's a fun song...

 

 Love Unlimited Orchestra "Love's Theme" (1973)

       Who hasn't heard this song?  Really?  I mean it was everywhere back in the seventies.  Early disco that sounds pretty good to my ears these days.  I was never a disco hater and this song makes me even enjoy grooving to the beat. How about you?

 

Time to Vote!

          Okay, back off the dance floor and into your seats!  It's time for a Battle of the Bands!  You're supposed to vote on one of these songs.  Which one do you prefer?  Battles are no fun without you the reader participating.    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 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Results on Friday March 21

   

       I plan to be here then and hope you do too!

And Now the Moment You've All Been Waiting For... ( #BOTB Results)

    I still haven't found what I'm looking for, but I guess that goes for you too.  If you get my reference then maybe you thought that was a funny joke.  No charge. I'm giving this one to you pro bono...

Battle of the Bands Results

 Where's That Tune?

      I never did find the song I was looking for in my previous Battle, but I ended up using versions of "Misirlou" which is now most oft-remembered as the Dick Dale tune used in the film Pulp Fiction.   Since I was initially drawn in by the artist I remembered from childhood, Korla Pandit went into the contest as my favorite.  But then when I heard Olga's version I was blown away a bit.  When the flute kicked in I was thinking "shades of Jethro Tull" but, no, that's not Ian Anderson blowing that flute.  But I find everything about Olga's version to be very satisfactory.

     Still, I keep going back to that mysterious sounding version by Korla Pandit and he gets my vote.

Final Vote Tally

Korla Pandit         4 votes

Olga Avigail          5 votes

Next Battle on March 15th

      Sure why not.  

Out of My Head? ( #IWSG )

 

   I'm so busy being me that I don't know if I've got time to be in someone else's head. But if I could see the world from another perspective other than my own, where would I go and what could I learn?  Something to ponder in this post...

  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 March 5 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages.

March 5 question - If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.

       Back when I was in high school after my family had moved to Maryville Tennessee, we bought a house in a tract that was almost rural looking in a way and yet still close to city things.  This was the first time I encountered dogs running stray and they were in small packs.  They were fearful of humans so it took me a while to gain their trust and that was never complete.  They'd take food I offered, but they didn't trust much other contact. 

      I began to notice that there was a "trail" through our lawn as well as adjoining neighbors' lawns where the dogs would follow on a daily routine.  At times I would watch the small pack loping along their trail and going to wherever their daily schedule took them.  And I definitely discerned a specific time schedule they would follow.  I often wondered, "Where do the dogs go?"

      That could be one answer to the theme of this post.  And so could lives of other animals--migrating birds, mountain lions, or the world from the perspective of an ant. So many choices!  The viewpoint from the eyes and mind of an animal might be interesting for an hour or two, but I think I need more of a human mind to reside in for a day.  Someone whose life and habits might help me improve my own.

      Put me in the head of someone who gets things done and done well and efficiently and maybe I could learn something.  But in the final analysis I just want to be me.  I don't need to be anyone or anything else.  I've got my hands full just as I am.  

      Who or what would you want to be for a day?

Misirlou ( #BOTB th

    You know how you'll be looking for something and then find something else that distracts you and you forget what you were originally looking for?  Did that ever happen to you?  Well, that's what happened 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.

Misirlou

      When I started to compile my Battle of the Bands post for the first of March I started thinking about some certain song for some reason that I don't remember.  This was rather unnecessary since I have tons of Battle potential songs lined up in my someday queue, but I just wasn't in the mood for any of them.  And my mind was in a wandering mood. 

      So echoing in the chambers of my mind was a melody that I couldn't remember what the name was. I was thinking of steel guitars or something wailing mournfully.  Maybe it was something by the Three Suns so I looked on YouTube with no satisfactory results regarding what was in my head.  But then another recommendation showed up that set me off in another direction.

     The hypnotic gaze of Korla Pandit reached out of the computer and drew me into the old film short of him playing "Misirlou" on the console organ and piano. I was taken back to my childhood in San Diego of the early sixties when sometimes I would tune into the Mexican TV station emanating from Tijuana and I would see them playing one of the old Korla Pandit music films and I would be totally fascinated by the sound and visual.

      Many years passed until I was reminded of this old childhood memory when I saw old Korla in the film ED WOOD with Johnny Depp in one of my favorite roles that he portrayed.  This film is such a great film and if you've never seen it you really ought to.  Especially if you enjoy films about filmmaking.  And to see the actual Korla Pandit appearing as himself.

     Anyway, that's why I picked my song for this Battle.  I'm pretty sure someone else has done this song before, but since it's a good one then might as well do it again.  And besides, it was on my mind...

Korla Pandit  "Misirlou"  (1951)

    This predecessor of Liberace had one of the early music TV shows.  Fifteen minutes of him looking into the camera with his hypnotic gaze and playing the trance-inducing music.  Women loved him back in the day.  for more info: 

His Wikipedia entry  or

Why was Korla Pandit the Greatest Imposter of the 50s?

 

Olga Avigail  "Misirlou"  (2021)

       Looking up this artist I see that she is pretty serious about Jewish music.  I'd say her version is more like the original authentic sound.  Certainly nothing like Pulp Fiction if you know what I'm saying.  

Time to Vote!

          This isn't any lesson of musicology!  It's a Battle of the Bands!  You're supposed to vote on one of these versions.  Which of these versions do you prefer?  Battles are no fun without you the reader participating.    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 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Results on Friday March 7