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| Halloween (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
There can be no courage unless you're scared."
-- Eddie Rickenbacker,
fighter pilot and business leader |
Halloween is coming upon us. This is a celebration that has particular significance to Tossing It Out since this blog began a little over six years ago as a Halloween blog. That's the industry that I was working in prior to starting this blog so it stood to reason at that time to start writing about what I knew as writers are often recommended to do. I knew Halloween.
My blogging interest in Halloween dissipated pretty quickly as I became more interested in the writing process itself. That's where my real interests lie. In reality I'm no big fan of Halloween anymore--not like I was when I was a kid. Moving Halloween products into stores was an enjoyable job in many ways, but the event day itself was more of a let down for me as the real excitement was in the months leading up to Halloween itself. Now Halloween is a fun memory of the past and no longer particularly relevant to my present time.
This doesn't mean I'm going to ignore Halloween completely. For this Battle of the Bands edition I present a "scary" song to celebrate the scary season.
Battle of the Bands!
This is not at all complicated: Listen to the song versions 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 Battles to vote on.
"I Scare Myself"
This song was written by campy eclectic artist Dan Hicks. It was originally recorded by his band Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks--one of the best and most diverse bands of the past 50 years. The band is difficult to categorize, but Hicks calls his music "folk jazz" which seems like an appropriate label.
Don't vote on this, but for reference purposes for those who are interested here is the original version. And the following are your voting selections:
Thomas Dolby "I Scare Myself" (1984)
Music artist and record producer Thomas Dolby covered "I Scare Myself" on his second album The Flat Earth (1984). I particularly enjoy the jazzy piano and trombone near the halfway point of this recording. While staying true to the original, Dolby adds a cool feel to his version of the song.
Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks with Rickie Lee Jones "I Scare Myself" (2000)
The alternative version that I'm offering is actually Dan Hicks doing a cover version of his own song. He's joined by Rickie Lee Jones as they step up the tempo with a sort of hip-hop world music sound. The jazziness is still evident in the vocals and the signature Hot Licks jazz style violin. Enjoy!
Time to Vote!
Don't be scared to vote on this Battle. I hope you'll add your vote to this contest. Which song version do you like the best? Judge what you hear in the above videos. Which version do you prefer? It's up to you to help determine the winner.
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:
‘FAR AWAY SERIES’
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’
'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
DC Relief Battle of the Bands
The Doglady's Den
Angel's Bark
Cherdo on the Flipside
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Women: We Shall Overcome
Book Lover
J. A. Scott
Quiet Laughter
Holli's Hoots and Hollers
NovelBrews
Results on Wednesday October 21st
I'll be back with the final tally and the winner on Wednesday October 21st. Also, join me this Saturday on Wrote By Rote when I present another Soundtrack of My Life segment based on a song by the great Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks.
Are your fears mostly based on external threats or what is in your mind? What are your biggest fears? Are you familiar with the music of Dan Hicks?
