BATTLE OF THE BANDS VI Results and Tradition

Before I tell you who I’m gonna vote for in this BATTLE I want to talk about a few things. If you’re real impatient just scroll down and ‘work for it’.

First, you may be a little surprised when you see the final tally, not counting mine, there are 99 votes counted. Surprised? Shocked? Mystified? Me too, but only for a second. Let me explain.

On Friday October 18^th, while my BOTB post was still running I was BLITZED. Probably not what you’re thinking. You see, DL Hammonds over at Cruising Altitude 2.0 started a new kind of Blog Hop called Blog Blitz. If I try to explain it, I’m sure I’ll just confuse the heck outta you, so click on that link up there and check it out at the source.

Are ya back? If you read the Blog Blitz guidelines you know that when DL calls for a Blitz everyone on the Linky List is notified and we all go and visit the person being Blitzed. Of course, he doesn’t notify the chosen person, so they are kind of surprised when the comments start rolling it. Surprised doesn’t even begin to cover what I felt.

Now those of you, who know me, should know that I’m not much of a “head hunter’ either by nature, content or efforts. I pretty much blog for myself and hope some of you will find my posts informative, amusing or at least, worth your time. I appreciate all comments and have been fortunate to receive, for the most part, positive feedback.

Anyway, I was overwhelmed to see all of those people stopping by. Most of them actually read the whole post and even voted (well about two-thirds anyway) counting YOU my regular participants in BOTB. At one point when I was seeing the numbers grow, I clicked on IZ version of SOTR and actually had a few tears running down my face.

Unfortunately, I did have one negative comment, which kind of threw me for a loop. I was told that I offended the commenter because in my initial feedback to the people who know me best, I referred to those of you voting for Judy as traditionalists. YOWYEE! When did saying that someone believed in and voted for tradition become a bad thing. Anyway, I expect that the only people who will actually come back for the results are those of you who regularly vote, I certainly hope that none of you were offended. I really meant no harm. I mean, I love tradition.

Aside from calling me on the carpet, this person who also said I was unkind, stated that I had ‘tipped my hand’ and it was obvious that I was on IZ’s side. Ahem…

So…before we go any further, or I give you my vote I want to show what YOU GUYS  said about IZ’s version of ‘Over the Rainbow’.

Sia McKye – soft lilting version

Suzanne – haunting

Heather M. Gardner = happy, breezy, good feelings

Berverly Fox – Iz’s song makes me so damned happy

Tina – hauntingly beautiful as though he is humming to himself in a dream

Joan Strading – Touches me in a way Garland’s never did

Rhonda Albom – I’m a traditionalist, hovever…I have to go with IZ

Pk Hrezo – it’s just so tranquil

A Beer for the Shower - I thought I'd pick ol' Izzie's version without even thinking twice, but listening to them back to back, I like Garland's version a lot more than I thought I would.

With that said, though, I still find IZ's version to be more haunting. I love that aspect of it. Plus, who isn't a sucker for a morbidly obese man in a grass skirt with a tiny ukulele?

Jaybird - Hey Lady! I'm pretty sure this won't be the popular decision, but I am voting for the big Hawaiian. (IZ) Everything about him and his cover of this song speaks to me. No disrespect to Miss Garland, but I must vote honestly and I'm very partial to the covered version.

Luckymama - IZ all the way. Love this song, always have but he completes it for me. His style and emotion is how I feel when I here this song. 

But you already knew that. This is my all time favorite song, will be forever and always.

Susan Kane - IZ made me weep, absolutely.

Stephen T. McCarthy - Now, for IZ... I had never heard of him before. Hokey-Smoke! What a surprisingly original and enjoyable take on '...Rainbow'! I really dug it! And unlike a couple of the earlier commenters, I enjoyed it just as much the second time I heard it as I did the first.

Not sure I would want to hear an ENTIRE album full of songs recorded in that same style, but it worked great for '...Rainbow'!

I could be mistaken but here's how I "interpret" the two versions: Garland's version is meant to be somewhat bittersweet and wistful; she's hoping for an ideal place in "this world" but secretly suspects down deep that this ideal is unattainable. So it's a "wishing" song for a better place on Earth.

IZ takes it higher, into a more spiritual realm. Just my own personal impression, but when I hear him singing it, he's thinking about a Heavenly Spiritual Place; he KNOWS it exists, and he KNOWS he WILL eventually be living there, if he isn't already.

Score another (pleasantly surprised) point for The IZ Man!

AND, I agree with each and every one of you. My vote also goes to IZ.

The final tally looks like this:

                      Judy Garland 53 votes The winner by 10 votes!

                      Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (IZ) 47 votes

As promised, here is Miss Garland in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ one of my top ten all time favorite movies, singing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.

And here is the Official IZ version. The big man died in 1997 at the age of 38. This video ends with a JOYFUL celebration as his friends spread his ashes in his beloved Pacific. Enjoy!

I admit I really thought that Judy would run off with this one. It ended up a lot closer than I could have predicted.

NOW, scoot on over to Tossing It Out and Ferret Faced Fascist Friends to see how Arlee and Stephen's BATTLES turned out. also, check out anyone else who may have left a comment and participated too.

Until, November 1^st. Enjoy the music – whatever your pleasure may be.

POSTSCRIPT – I apologize for the length of this post. I wanted to draw your attention to those comments made by others without suggesting you read through all 155 comments.