#BOTB April 1st PREVIEW

Apart from the STILL shitty weather we're having right now (when it's supposed to be spring), I'm getting excited about the next Battle of the Bands!

Here's a sneak preview of what you can expect on April 1st. Can you guess which song and the artists featured?

SO LONG, MARIANNE #BOTB RESULTS

WELCOME BACK TO BOTB! 
It’s time to announce the results of the March 1st showdown.

Thank you all for making my return such a success! 💖

This battle featured Brian Hyland, a former teen idol, and rock musician John Cale, partnered with folksinger Suzanne Vega.

At first, it looked like a complete wipeout, with Hyland taking all the votes. Slowly, some trickled in for Cale & Vega, but they couldn't catch up. Most people preferred Hyland's lighter, breezier version. 

I like them both, but in 1971, the strains of Brian's "So Long, Marianne" were heard daily on the radio, for months. That was an eventful year for me and I have many memories attached to the song! Inevitably, nostalgia wins out. 

Here’s how it went down:

SO LONG, MARIANNE #BOTB

WELCOME TO MY FIRST BOTB SINCE 2020!

This new site is dedicated to Battle of the Bands exclusively:

botb-by-debbie-d.blogspot.com

♫ Today's showdown features a solo artist from 1971 and a duo from 1999,
covering Leonard Cohen's tribute to a long-lost lover. ♫

#BOTB March 1st PREVIEW

Apart from the shitty weather we're having right now (snow, ice pellets, freezing rain),

I'm feeling pumped about returning to Battle of the Bands!

Here's a sneak preview of what you can expect on March 1st:

COMING SOON! #BOTB

From 2015 to 2020, I took part in a fun blogfest called Battle of the Bands (#BOTB).

NOTHING ELSE MATTER - BOTB RESULTS (DOGLADY'S DEN WORDPRESS POST)

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS – #BOTB RESULTS

August 21, 2015  Battle of the Bands (BOTB), Blogfests, Music  16 comments

Welcome back! It’s time to announce results for the Aug. 15th BOTB post

BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB), hosted by Far Away Series and StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. is where you listen to different recordings of the same song and vote for the one you like best. Two “Battles” per month, on the 1st and 15th. Votes will be tallied and posted the following week.

This one pitted Brazilian contralto, Paula Fernandes
against American R&B/Jazz/Soul singer, Macy Gray.

Firstly, I want to mention how much I love Metallica’s original song. Chills, goosebumps, all of that! (Damn! WHEN is this band coming to Toronto??!) NEVER did I think anybody else could measure up. I’ve heard a few covers and they were all “MEH”. 😛 The two versions presented for this battle were new to me and one of them did the nearly impossible – compare favourably to the original. (This is completely subjective of course. Everyone’s tastes are unique.)

How did the contest progress? Macy got a strong start out of the gate, with Paula slowly catching up. Soon they were neck and neck. Heading into the home stretch, Paula took the lead. Could she sustain it? A few people voted later on…

I just had to give Paula my vote. The beautiful, Flamenco-style guitar – the violins – that incredible contralto voice! Almost as good as Metallica and there were definitely a few goosebumps. That said, the musical intro and guitar solo in Macy’s rendition were both fabulous, but….I felt her voice did not suit the material and found it jarring. Carolyn said something similar.  While not a huge fan of Macy’s I don’t dislike her either and that was not a factor in my selection.

AND THE WINNER IS:

PAULA FERNANDES

By 3 votes. 

This was my closest battle to date. So much fun!

Here’s the winner once more, in a live performance:

Don’t forget to check back with the others, for their BOTB results:

Angels Bark / Book Lover / Cherdo On The Flipside / Curious as a Cathy / DC Relief BOTB / Far Away Series / Holli’s Hoots & Hollers / J.A. Scott /Jingle Jangle Jungle / Mike’s Ramblings / Novel Brews / Quiet Laughter / Sound of One Hand Typing / StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands / Tossing It Out / Women: We Shall Overcome / Your Daily Dose

HOSTS

NEXT BATTLE OF THE BANDS WILL BE ON TUESDAY, SEPT. 1. SEE YOU THERE!

Was this the outcome you expected or were you surprised?
Did your favourite win?

Looking forward to your comments!

Until next time.

ROCK ON!

♫♪♫♪♫
Rockchick Rapture!

As always, "Sharing is Caring". Spread this musical joy all over your social networks. 🙌
Hashtags are #BOTB and #dogladysden

 

16 thoughts on “NOTHING ELSE MATTERS – #BOTB RESULTS”

1. Jeffrey Scott says:

   August 24, 2015 at 3:29 pm Edit

   This was a fantastic battle this time. Really love this song.
   Glad to see I picked a winner this time.
   As I mentioned in my other comments, I may need to find a CD from this lady.

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2. Birgit says:

   August 23, 2015 at 12:02 am Edit

   This was close! What a great battle and I am glad she won

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3. Cherdo says:

   August 22, 2015 at 6:40 pm Edit

   Sorry, I’ve been the lamest of bloggers this week! Super busy; tons of changes and “to-do” tasks at the start of the year. I’ll do better next time!

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4. Cathy Kennedy says:

   August 22, 2015 at 3:11 am Edit

   Debbie, Although, I voted for Macy I would have been just as equally happy if Paula had won this battle. These ladies are both good with a style of her own.

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5. Madilyn Quinn says:

   August 21, 2015 at 11:18 pm Edit

   Wow! Close battle! My vote won 🙂

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6. Yolanda Renee says:

   August 21, 2015 at 11:13 pm Edit

   Damn, two for two – Macy lost! I’m sad, no not really, 🙂
   These are fun, especially for someone who knows nothing about music, which is quite apparent.
   Barbara Mandrell is singing now, “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed.” My calm down music.

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7. John Holton says:

   August 21, 2015 at 8:56 pm Edit

   I prefer the battles that are close. It tells me that I picked a good song and a couple of good acts.

   Reply
8. Stephen T. McCarthy says:

   August 21, 2015 at 6:00 pm Edit

   Yes, this one was close. Always more fun when either contender has a chance to win coming into the home stretch. Guilie and Lee had close Battles, too. I think FAE’s is going to be a fairly tight race also. Fun stuffs!

   ~ D-FensDogG
   ‘Loyal American Underground’

   Reply
9. Arlee Bird says:

   August 21, 2015 at 5:51 pm Edit

   Nice getting the introduction to this great song through your BOTB post. Macy certainly made a good showing, but I agree that Paula deserved to take the prize for best version.

   Arlee Bird
   A to Z Challenge Co-host

   Reply
10. Myke Todd says:

    August 21, 2015 at 4:48 pm Edit

    Well… Here is another contest I seem to have missed. Darn the luck… This one sure was close.

    Reply
11. diedre says:

    August 21, 2015 at 3:36 pm Edit

    I did expect this outcome 🙂 The song itself is just not a good fit for Macy, whereas Paula’s version of it was quite pleasing. Thanks for introducing her (at least, to me)!

    Reply
12. Angelika Schwarz says:

    August 21, 2015 at 2:47 pm Edit

    woah..that was pretty close. I’m surprised. A lot of hip people on your blog. 🙂

    Reply
13. Guilie says:

    August 21, 2015 at 1:20 pm Edit

    Wow. Really? Well, maybe it’s not such a big surprise. Paula’s version is quite good. Cool battle, Debbie!

    Reply
    1. Debbie D. says:

       August 21, 2015 at 1:27 pm Edit

       Sorry, Guilie. I know you’re a big fan of Macy’s and voted for her. If it’s any consolation, she was in the lead for quite some time.

       Reply
14. Carol Graham says:

    August 21, 2015 at 12:27 pm Edit

    A huge surprise for me. Like you said, each to their own 🙂

    Reply
    1. Debbie D. says:

       August 21, 2015 at 1:29 pm Edit

       Yes, I remember you didn’t like Paula at all, Carol. Macy was the frontrunner for quite awhile.

       Reply