My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
They say that practice makes perfect. They also say that no one is perfect. I'm not sure who "they" are, but the contradiction between these statements is perfectly absurd...
Focusing on Music
Marley at a recent performance
(she's my granddaughter!)
This year I've become more focused on creating music, this mostly due to being inspired by my oldest granddaughter Marley. She won't be 10 until September so she's still mostly a kid, but she's become pretty serious about her music. When I was visiting her this summer she proudly showed off her very neatly organized room and her collection of musical instruments. She's been taking lessons in instruments and vocals. There's definitely talent in that girl.
My biggest inspiration came toward the end of April as the Blogging from A to Z Challenge was winding down. A song came to me and I recognized it as my song for Marley. Hopefully she'll be singing it soon as part of her repertoire. During my summer visit I watched her do a five song set at an open mike night in a New Jersey coffee bar. Though all the other performers were adults, Marley held her own and impressed the crowd. The young lady has some guts that I never had even at twice her age.
I've been rather preoccupied by my song (that is, Marley's song) of late so between that and the stuff of my life I've not been keeping up with blogging to the extent that I probably should. Consequently I may have not been visiting blogs like I've done in the past. Sorry, but for now my priority is working with my song--but more of that later in this post. First though, let's get to the results of my previous Battle of the Bands...
Battle of the Bands Results
My Battle between Jane Olivor and Alice Cooper was a somewhat odd pairing that I had no idea how it would turn out. For my part, I went into this favoring Jane Olivor's version and that's where my vote ended up. I've been a long time fan of Alice Cooper, but I was not overly thrilled with his rendition of "Always Chasing Rainbows."
Once again I was in a minority. Alice pretty well ran away with this contest, but all things considered, Jane Olivor did not do terribly.
Final Vote Tally
Jane Olivor 6 Alice Cooper 11
Next Battle on Saturday September 1st!!!
As for my song "Let's Run"--a song I've been mentioning since May--I now have two versions ready for Battle in my next round. This Battle will be a sort of West Coast versus East Coast--or more precisely East Tennessee Coast. I'll likely have another version by the end of the week which could give me a three-way. Better yet, I'd still like to get some more covers for future Battles.
I'm thinking big as usual--and chasing rainbows.
If I didn't dream big then I'd likely forget those dreams and try to just get through each day without accomplishing much. With that, I'm outta here.
How often have your dreams been accomplished as big as you first dreamed them? Have you ever been taken by surprise at the outcome of a dream? Does perfectionism sometimes hinder your progress?
It's often the little things that bring us the biggest joys in life. On the other hand, little things can sometimes turn into one big pain in the ass...
Update on My Song
Obviously the title of this post indicates that I won't be presenting a debut of the song I wrote earlier this year in this current post. My plan had been to use two different versions of my song "Let's Run" as a Battle of the Bands. So far I still have only one version and one "maybe, I'll see if I can come up with something."
This past week-end I came up with a wacky idea that just might work to create another "Let's Run" video to use in a future batte (September 1st?) It's going to be a variation on an old school idea I used many years ago to record some original songs. That experiment worked, but not so well.
This time I have more and better equipment to work with so maybe, just maybe, I can create something interesting. If it works I'll explain the process. I'll start working on it this week. It's somewhat labor intensive so I'll have to see where it all goes. I'm probably totally on my own in this next experiment.
In a way that's been the story of my life. Maybe yours too. Not everyone sees the urgency of my dreams to the extent that I do. But that makes sense. We are all dreamers pursuing sometimes elusive butterflies of our own. We just have to keep on chasing down our dreams. In fact, that's what my song is all about: Don't give up and just keep pressing onward. That's how things get done.
Still, I figure that I'm always chasing rainbows and I'll probably keep on doing it. I'd hate to think that I'd ever stop as long as I have breath. And that is my lead in to the song I've chosen for this post...
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bandsisthe blogging event started byFar Away Seriesand now hosted byStMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. This event happens each month on the 15th and on some blogs there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month. My blog is one of those with a second Battle on the 1st of the month. 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.
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
This is one of those vaudevillian standards that I've heard all my life. Though I wouldn't rank this high on my list of favorite songs, it's still a pleasant enough tune that I enjoy hearing. You've most likely heard this song since it has appeared numerous times in movies, television, and recordings.
"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" was published in 1917 and since then there has been no looking back. The song is about failure so it's somewhat surprising that a song with such a depressing message would gain so much popularity. However, since failure is something in which all of us have shared at some point in our lives then it is an idea to which we can all relate.
Like a number of popular songs of the past, this song has roots in classical music--Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. In the video embedded below you can go to the 1:07 mark to hear the melody that later became the hit song. Don't vote on this version--but I guarantee you that at least someone will ignore this instruction. If you're interested then please take a listen.
And now on to the first Battle contestant...
Jane Olivor "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (1977)
The first time I heard Olivor's version of this was somewhere around 1985. Our touring show had a brief layover in Seattle during which I visited a number of people's homes. In all of the homes I saw a copy of Jane Olivor's album Chasing Rainbows . Since I'd never heard of Jane Olivor I figured this was some kind of pop cult artist whom I'd missed. Still, I bought a few of her albums on cassette. It was nice music, but I didn't listen to them very much. The music is not good for driving. Good for bedtime, not for driving. Enjoy...
Alice Cooper "Chasing Rainbows" (1976)
Most anyone who was over 13 by 1969 probably saw an Alice Cooper show at some point in their lives. If you haven't then they are still on tour and perhaps playing in a town near you. I saw the show (I think of it all as more of a stage production than an actual band) in the early seventies. That concert was something like seven dollars to see Alice, The Hello People with Todd Rundgren, and Free (of "All Night Long" fame). Big concerts really were bargains back then.
I couldn't resist using Cooper's version of "Chasing Rainbows." Don't let the schmaltzy song intro fool you. This is Alice Cooper...
Time to Vote! Take a break from chasing rainbows and let's vote. What's your favorite between these two choices? Which song version do you like best? 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.
Winner of this Battle Announced on Wednesday August 22
Maybe I'll have a song update for "Let's Run"--I'm shooting for September 1st now. In any case we should have a clear winner of this Battle next Wednesday. I have a feeling I'll get a lot of commenters saying they don't like either version. Then again maybe I'll be surprised this time. Have you gone to any Alice Cooper concerts? Do you have a tendency to pursue wild-seeming fantasies? Do you dwell on past failures more than the many small successes along the way?
Lately I've been ordering music for my brother. When he discusses most of the groups that he likes, I'm somewhat lost since they are groups that I've never listened to. Some of the artists such as Aerosmith, AC/DC, and Kiss I am well enough familiar with to know some extent of their catalogs of works. Others like Dio, Warrant, and L.A, Guns I'd never heard actually played though I'd heard of them.
My brother asked me if I like any of these artists and I told him it isn't my kind of music. These days I don't listen to music like I used to and when I do it's often classical. Then around the 1st and 15th of each month I listen to the song picks offered by the Battle of the Band participants. There's a wide range of musical excursions at those times of the month.
In recent days I've been listening to some L.A. Guns, Dio, Faster Pussycat, and Alice Cooper. Back in the 70's I used to listen to a lot of Alice Cooper and even saw the band in concert--it was a great show. What I've listened to recently is far better than I remember. I guess that's why I liked them so much at one time. The other groups were also excellent. I've been digging listening to the digital copies of the albums that come with the CD's.
I think what I said to my brother was wrong--I do like this kind of music. Not that I would want to listen to this type of music all the time, but I don't mind hearing it at all and am finding many of the tunes enjoyable.
More than once have I made a judgement call about something because of preconceived notions or not giving myself more of a chance to understand and appreciate it. I'll still take classical music much of the time, but for now I'm listening to Alice Cooper and it sounds pretty good to me.
Battle of the Bands Results
As many of you have noted about your own Battles since the Battle of the Bands first began over two years ago, the results can be unexpected and sometimes very surprising. The results of my most recent Battle were just that. I was bracing myself for a brutal shut out, but you voters kept this from happening.
This Battle was between two Spanish language artists performing what I perhaps audaciously suggested what might be "among the most beautiful pop songs ever written". Fortunately the song, "Mi Historia Entre Tus Dedos", was graciously accepted by the readers and even appreciated by most of those who voted. From the outset my expectation was that the sound of the duo Sergio Dalma and Vanesa Martín would be the one that everyone would readily accept while the more Latin cumbia/reggaeton sound of Los Verduleros would be rejected. I was sure wrong about this. Even though Los Verduleros were pretty far off from a win, there were still enough of you who liked their style to hand them your vote and in the end give them a respectable showing. While I enjoy the exuberant performance and lively style of Los Verduleros, I much prefer the jazzy romantic style of the duo. As Stephen T McCarthy pointed out, "How in the world Los Verduleros got it into their heads to perform THOSE lyrics in THAT style is way beyond me". That was my initial reaction, though as I pondered the motivation of an artist I can see how the lyrics could be done in an upbeat styles as the group performed them. It's not what I would prefer hearing with this song, but Los Verduleros sure make the song fun. This group would probably be highly entertaining in concert and with music like that who's listening to the lyrics anyway? As you might have guessed, my preference was the performance of Sergio Dalma and Vanesa Martín. I enjoy that jazzy style of music. The vocal interplay between the two singers gave the song the sense of being a romantic mini-drama. But even without the performance as a duo, I'd prefer the style in which they presented the song.
Final Vote Tally
Sergio Dalma (w/ Vanesa Martín) 28 votes Los Verduleros 15 votes More Battle of the Bands Coming Up! My next Battle will be appearing here on Monday February 15th. Again I will be using a thematic approach geared toward the season. Nothing dealing with romance or Valentine's Day this time. However my song picks will be appropriate in their timeliness. Oh,and the song will have nothing to do with the Academy Awards--or maybe it will in a way. Another Battle of the Bands will be coming on Tuesday March 1st. My song choice for that Battle will be offering a prediction of the future in a dual sense. It's a song that "predicts the future" in the sense of the lyrics, but it will also offer some clues as to some of my upcoming song battles. I've got something big planned--or at least my plans include something big. Enigmatic enough for you? I'll just leave it at that and leave you guessing. BlogFest Stuff My hugest thanks to Guilie Castillo-Oriard,Elizabeth Seckman, Yolanda Renee, Denise Covey. and Alex J Cavanaugh for helping to make the Lost & Found: Valentine's Edition blog hop such a tremendous success. And of course the event would have not been a success at all without all of the wonderful entries from those who participated. What a wide range of views on the topic of "Lost and Found love" and a great assortment of stylistic approaches. If you didn't get a chance to read all of the entries you can find the list of participants here. Also let us not forget the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. In the first two weeks of sign-ups we have passed the 600 mark. You've still got several weeks to add your link to the list, but why not do it now. Start your posts now and you'll have your April blogging wrapped up before that month starts. For more information visit the Blogging from A to Z Blog. What was something that you pre-judged only to decide later that you were wrong about? Is there a type of music (food, sport, literary genre, etc) that you now greatly appreciate after finding out more about it? Are there any things that interested you in the past that you now don't particularly like?
If you're interested in being part of my Arlee's Ambassadors A to Z Challenge Team, please let me know in the comments. Essentially this means assisting me with the A to Z Challenge by monitoring the sign-up list for bad links, etc and visiting bloggers who have signed up.
