BATTLE OF THE BANDS XIX 'One Kinda Moody Guy'

Before we get onto BATTLE OF THE BANDS XIX, I want to back track to my RESULTS post for BATTLE OF THE BANDS XVIII. Do you remember that I promised you a surprise? Well…

SURPRISE! Back on August 1, 2013, Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy and I aired the first ever BATTLE OF THE BANDS (well, at least our first ever). Once we set up the concept, we also decided to make it a contest. At that time we stated that we would begin a new contest period every four months. At the end of November, 2013, we had our first winner – C.W. Martin,   BUT we never started the contest up again. (Not totally surprising considering one of us is an old codger, and the other a dumb blonde). Anyway… After a total of nine months in play, Mr. McCarthy and I have decided to run a SECOND BATTLE OF THE BANDS ‘contest’ brought to you by the originators of BATTLE OF THE BANDS. 

Here’s how it’s gonna work. Everyone who comments will have up to eight possible entries. Vote once here at Far Away Series (FAS) on May 1 and May 15 on each BATTLE OF THE BANDS post and once at  Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends on May 1 and May 15 on each BATTLE OF THE BANDS post. Then come back on the 7^th and 21^st and leave a comment here on Far Away Series in my BATTLE OF THE BANDS RESULTS POST and return to Mr. McCarthy’s original BATTLE OF THE BANDS POST and leave a comment after ‘HIS OWN VOTE’ HAS BEEN RECORDED AND THE WINNER ANNOUNCED. If you VOTE at each site you will receive four (4) entries into the contest AND if you return and comment at (FAS) RESULTS post and comment at F-FFF (Mr. McCarthy’s site) after his “VOTE’ comment you will receive another four (4) entries for a possible total of eight (8) entries = 8 chances to win. On May 31^st, we will drop all of the entries into a hat and draw one.  The winner will be announced on June 1, 2014 at BATTLE OF THE BANDS XXI.

What can you win? After careful consideration it has been decided that we will be giving away an all-expenses paid vacation to spend either a week in lovely Phoenix, AZ or Lake Tahoe, NV with the your respective hosts Far Away Eyes or Stephen T. McCarthy    - JUST KIDDING!!! Seriously now, we will be giving away a CD of your choice, as long as it contains one of the songs featured on any BATTLE OF THE BANDS posted at Far Away Series or Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends. (Super expensive imports or Boxed Sets NOT included.) To make it even more interesting and to honor the origination of BATTLE OF THE BANDS you may go all the way back to that first BATTLE on August 1, 2013 to make your selection.

KEEP IN MIND this contest will only run for the month of MAY and votes will ONLY be counted from FAR AWAY SERIES and FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS. But, we encourage you to visit and vote at the sites of ALL THE PARTICIPANTS in BATTLE OF THE BANDS (links for other possible participants can be found at Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends ) cause that’s what makes this such a ‘party’.

Now onto my choices for BATTLE OF THE BANDS XIX:

When I was making my list (of potential BATTLES) and checking it twice, I had a stroke of nostalgia/nightmare, thinking about an old boyfriend. YIKES! 

You know how a lot o’ folks have a song that they think is ‘their song’. This guy’s song is the one I’ve settled on for today. I was never sure exactly why, because he really was more a moody sort of guy than a ‘Good Time Charlie’. Long story short, he and I broke up and he moved onto to seeing another woman named Janet. About a month later I met a guy, whose name I can’t remember for the life of me, BUT after he and I had been dating for about a month or so, I ran into a mutual friend who was having a hissy fit about my being with Steve (I just remembered his name). Anyway… the reason for mutual friends ‘hissy fit’ – he tells me Steve is Janet’s ex-husband. How weird is that? 

OK, I guess I better finish this story ‘cause it gets even weirder.  Several years later, I’m married to someone else and moving back to Colorado from Florida. It’s the middle of winter in a ski resort (think - there are no rentals available). A friend of a friend, tells me that they know of a townhouse that is a wreck. The owner is a divorced woman who lives in Rancho Mirage, CA, who doesn’t know what to do with the place. I get her name and number and it turns out to be none other than Janet. She rents me the townhouse in exchange for it being ‘fixed up’. My family and I get a free place to live, if we’re willing to invest a little ‘sweat equity’. Worked out good for all of us.

As a footnote; Janet tells me she and Bob (Good Time Charlie), are divorced and he is in the ‘witness protection program’ (Are you kidding me?). It seems he ratted out some fairly big drug dealers in the area. (I told you it got weirder)

I don’t know what possessed me to tell you guys all of that. Just file it under what I like to call the Y & S Syndrome (Young & Stupid) and a great big ole ‘WHAT WAS I THINKING?’

OK, enough of the nostalgia/nightmare.

First up is Danny O’Keefe, he’s the guy who wrote, and recorded this tune. He first recorded it in 1967 but never released it. Then it was recorded as a B-side to a record (if you don’t know what that means, Google it) by a group called The Bards. O’Keefe then recorded it in 1971 on his debut album. The following year he re-recorded it with a slower, more downbeat arrangement on his second album. The second version was released as a single and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 1984 a cover of this song by Leon Russell peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles.

Just about everybody and their dog have covered this song including Elvis, Willie, and Waylon. Those three versions are all great, BUT are not a part of this BATTLE. So cast your vote for either Danny or Leon and tell me why in the comment box.

Next, click your way on over to  Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends the home of Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy, where your vote will grant you more chances to win a CD. THEN, visit the other participants (links at STMc’s Place).

I’ll you back here on the 7^th, with my vote and the results for this BATTLE. At that time you can leave another comment and gain another entry into the contest.

Sorry for yakking your ear off here. Sometimes I just don't know what gets into me.