HAPPY THANKSGIVING

On this day before we celebrate being Thankful, I want anyone who stops by here to know how thankful I am for a wonderful life. All day I've have this song running through my head and I'm not sure it's really a Thanksgiving Song, but when I went to look for it on YouTube, I stumbled upon a different song with some incredible quotes. That is the song I'm leaving for you today.9i do believe I was sent to YouTube to find this particular video and share it.) Please watch the video and read the quotes.

I'm also leaving you with a special prayer this day. My prayer for each of you who read this is: at this Thanksgiving time, someone will put their arms  around you and hold you close for a full minute and whisper in your ear, just how much you are loved, and how thankful they are for you.

Happy Thanksgiving, please remember what you are thankful for.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS RESULTS - OH YEAH, BABY KEEP TALKIN'

OK, this was an interesting BATTLE. Don’t ya think? I’ll be perfectly honest, I was $2.00 over that line of not enough sleep, and running faster than I can, when I came up with this BATTLE. I really didn’t expect it to be one of my best. Frankly, I kind of expected it to be a shut-out. BUT, as usual you guys, my trusty voters, surprised me.

I’ve always kind of liked this song. I know it’s smaltzy, overdone, over produced and pretty much typical Meatloaf, but I have always like it. Here’s what Wacky-Watchee has to say about Meatloaf or Michael or Marvin.

Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947) is an American musician and actor best known by his stage name Meat Loaf. He is noted for the Bat Out of Hell album trilogy consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and his powerful vocals over a three-octave range.^{[citation needed]} Bat Out of Hell has sold more than 43 million copies worldwide.^[1] After 35 years, it still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best selling albums of all time.^[2][3]

Although he enjoyed success with Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell and earned a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song "I'd Do Anything for Love" on the latter album, Meat Loaf experienced some initial difficulty establishing a steady career within his native US. However, he has retained iconic status and popularity in Europe, especially the UK, where he ranks 23rd for the number of weeks overall spent on the charts as of 2006. He ranked 96th on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

He is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 80 million records.^[4] He has also appeared in over 50 movies and television shows,^[5] sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His most notable roles include Eddie in the American premiere of The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He also appeared in David Fincher's Fight Club in 1999 as the character Robert Paulson.

If you read through the comments, you will note that LC of http://discconnected.blogspot.com/ who happens to be ‘somewhat’ of a Todd Rundgren fan, pointed out that Meatloaf was having trouble getting this album produced and it was Rundgren who came to his aid. LC also noted that his work with Meatloaf, built Rundgren a beachfront home in Hawaii. Not bad, eh?

Anyway…before we get to my vote (unless you have already figured out that I’m voting for Meatloaf) and the final tally, I promised to WOW you with my piece of Flash Fiction originally inspired by this song. So here it is:

Lightning

Lightning flashed and I immediately started counting in my head…one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand. The thunder rolled across the ocean and crashed onto the shore with an unusual intensity. Even expecting it, I jumped. You didn’t even stir. I never did sleep like that. There is so much about you that I envy. Maybe that’s my problem. Envy.

I can’t express how or why I fell in love with you. There’s so much we have in common and yet the differences are monumental. Oh well, there is that ‘opposites attract’ thing; maybe that’s what we have going on. I’m not sure anymore. I am sure of one thing; it’s going on more for me than you.

“Hey, I’m always in pursuit. I’m just not pursuing you.” You told me that from the very beginning.

Did I listen? I fell for every line, never realizing that they weren’t lines at all. I’m still not sure exactly what they were. What you were or are about. I do know one thing for sure; for me this is one big heartbreak.

Another flash and the room is illuminated. I marvel at your beauty. Asleep or awake you are gorgeous. I’m grateful for the time we had together. The times I looked into your soul. The time I spent sharing mine. I needed that, still do, but it’s time to go.

“Always leave ‘em wanting more. Never take that extra curtain call. Slip away before the applause completely wanes.” Sage advice. It’s time I took it and made a graceful exit.

Another flare granting just enough light for me to gather my things. The next burst comes and I’m ready to leave. May your dreams be sweet and your memories of me tender.

Lightning flashed one more time, and I’m gone.

I wrote that piece for a contest where ‘Lightening Flashed’ was the prompt. I did make it to the finals, but I didn’t win. I think maybe I might have had a better chance if our entries had been anonymous, but maybe that’s just me. If I remember correctly I lost out to a piece about kids playing baseball. Moving on...

Let’s get back to BATTLE OF THE BANDS and the final tally. As I stated above, but maybe no so clearly, I like and voted for Meatloaf. As some of you mentioned Bonnie Tyler gave this song a pretty good try, but DISCO, seriously? In the comment section I was also left a link to Todd Rundgren’s version and sadly (for me at least) it’s also a disco version.

The final tally including my vote is:

                

                Meatload            12 votes including mine

                Bonnie Tyler         3 votes

I do thank the three of you who voted for Bonnie Tyler, thus saving me from ANOTHER shut-out. To those of you who voted Meatloaf grudgingly, I guess you’re not with the popular view that this album is ‘one of the best-selling albums of all time’ and Meatloaf is ‘the best-selling artist of all time’, at least according to Wacky-Wachee.

As always, I appreciate your votes and you all coming around to join in the fun of BATTLE OF THE BANDS. I’ll be back on December 1st with another BATTLE. This is my favorite month for BATTLE OF THE BANDS (and just about everything else), cause I’ll be using ‘Christmas Music’. See you then!

BATTLE OF THE BANDS XXXIII - 'Baby We Can Talk All Night'

I apologize that I have been AWOL all week. I’ve been reading all of your blogs, but not leaving a comment. I know that stinks. I’ve been really busy and on the road a lot. Right now I’m trying to type this with a big old bandage on my right index finger (another miserable excuse for not leaving comments). Earlier in the week I had this same bandage and another one on my right thumb also, If you think my posts were rife with typos before…sheesh!

A few years ago I wrote a piece of ‘flash fiction’ for a contest that was inspired by today’s song. I had the best of intentions of printing that little piece here with my BATTLE, but as of tonight, that ain’t gonna happen. Maybe, I can dig it up and thrill you with it when I post the results.

Typing is so difficult, I’m not gonna give you any background here either. Since it’s taken me about twenty minutes to get this far, let’s get on with it, shall we?

First up, Mr. Meatloaf himself, with ‘Two out of three Ain’t Bad’

 Next, let’s hear a slightly different take on this little tune from Miss. Bonnie Tyler

Now, you all should know what, where, and how to do your part. Once you’ve finished up here, head on over to the home of ‘TSMOTP’, Stephen T. McCarthy. Find him by clicking HERE. He has a splendid BATTLE planned for you this time, and I can count on him to provide you with links to all the other participants. Please try to visit everyone and cast a vote.

I’ll be back on the 21^st of November with my vote and the final tally. Hopefully, at that time my typing fingers will be restored to their normal dexterity and accuracy and I can give you a little more background.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS XXXII RESULTS

The very first comment on my Battle of the Bands post was from Mr. Arlee Bird and he predicted that Ricky Lee Jones would win this one by a landslide. Well just to be contrary, I was hoping he was wrong. I mean, the nerve of that guy, trying to predict the outcome of my BOTB.

I got a kick out of more than one comment that said they were really surprised, BUT they were voting for Bette Midler. I'm not sure what anybody should be surprised about. That woman has got a great set of pipes and she knows how to work a song. There were even two last minutes votes, rather late last night, that came in on her side.

In the end it wasn't enough. The final tally looks like this (NOT including my vote):

           Bette Midler                 6 votes
           Ricky Lee Jones          10 votes

Now it really doesn't matter where my vote lands, but it would be kind of unfair to not tell you what I think. I cast my vote for Ricky Lee Jones. I don't think of her style as 'vocal acrobatics'  or 'flights of fantasy', as some of you said, I just think of it as 'her style'. If you haven't already guessed, I like Ricky Lee Jones. I know she has a strange style, I know she mumbles a lot, and even swallows some of the words, but for whatever reason, she appeals to me. Many of her songs also sing to my heart.

Anyway, if you add my vote to the final count she did beat out Bette by almost 2 to 1. Is that enough of a landslide for you Mr. Bird?

Comeback on the 15th for my next BATTLE OF THE  BANDS and see what you think of the song and competitors I've chosen. As always, I appreciate your continued support of this little project.