Battle 7 ~ My quirky battle for April Fool's Day!

WELCOME TO BATTLE OF THE BANDS!!

 **BOTB ~ where you listen to different recordings of the same song, and vote for the song version you like.  Feel free to leave us a comment, along with your vote. There are two "Battles" per month, on the 1st and 15th.  The results come six days later, (on the 7th and 21st). That's when I return, add all of the votes, including mine, and announce the winner. Feel free to return and see if your choice won!

The blogging event first introduced by our friends; a big thank you to them! 

Far Away Eyes

STMcC presents battle of the bands

And, if you would like to join this blog-hop, contact Stephen T. McCarthy; leave him a message, and your blog address. We would love to have you participate.

Other battle participants are listed in the right-hand margin. Feel free to visit, listen, and vote on their battles.

Today's song: "I Put a Spell On You."

Battle background noise:

Lyrics and music:  Screaming Jay Hawkins (1956). Two honors: 1- selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. 2- It was also ranked No. 313 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.  Although Hawkins' version did not make any charts, several later cover versions have done so.  Two films featured the song: "Stranger Than Paradise," (1984) and "Hocus Pocus," (1993).

What does Hawkins say about this song? Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as a refined love song, a blues ballad. He reported, however, that the producer "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version... I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."  The theatrical act was one of the first shock rock performances. ((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Put_a_Spell_on_You ))

Today's Challenger: Soundtrack version from "Hocus Pocus"

Hocus Pocus is a 1993 American horror comedy film directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as a trio of witches, the Sanderson Sisters, who are inadvertently resurrected by a cynical teenager, his younger sister, and his crush in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics during its theatrical release, the film has since received a cult following and has proved to be a popular Halloween-themed film. Halloween 2013 had 2.5 million viewers tune in to watch this movie. The musical score for Hocus Pocus was composed and conducted by John Debney.

Screaming Jay Hawkins versus "Hocus Pocus" soundtrack. Both versions are kind of quirky, but fun for a day like today. 

Lyrics:

I put a spell on you

Because you're mine

Stop the things you do

Watch out, I ain't lying

I can't stand

No running around

I can't stand

No putting me down

I put a spell on you

Because you're mine, oh yeah

Stop the things you do

Watch out, I ain't lying

Oh, oh, I love you, I love you

I love you anyhow

I don't care if you don't want me

I'm yours right now

I put a spell on you

Because you're mine, mine, mine

Oh, ooh you're mine.

One day, I'm gwanna cross dat bridge.

Okay Mom, this one's for you...

Do you remember that night you stopped by apartment, talking about some nice little band you met backstage? Then you whipped out autographed photos from "The Eagles," saying, look Dixie, you ever heard of them? And ~ I fell off of my footstool... in shock. Yes ma'am.

April is always a tricky month for me. Give God a hug from me.

Event Alert!

April is my "Nights on Broadway" moment. Why? Because "dcrelief - Remove the Rose Colored Glasses" blog has accepted the A2Z Challenge. Yes! Dared by thousands, (stretch), encouraged by many, challenged by at least 1400, because I'm participant # 1402, today. I figure being that far down the list, it's safe to say, I'll have few visitors... less comments, and I can get my other stuff done. What other stuff?

"You don't know me... la la la la la la la....la la!"  (Thanks, Lesley.) Maybe that's "You don't own me?" Ha!

Please note in this song, it is Maurice singing the high part!! He also did it on the recording. Trivia, but Maurice was the cool one. Everybody screams for Barry... no, just, no.

A2Z starts April 1st, which is also BOTB day!! I know how to schedule blogger, so hopefully I'll have the music flowing before the coffee dings! It will be the strangest battle I've ever posted, and may never get another chance to do this. I'll be stretching the rules just a little bit... it is April Fool's Day. (grin)

Might as well ask forgiveness now. Nah!

Oh yeah - be here April 1st... or Barry gets it! (smile) 

Gone fishing ~

 Fried chicken - radio - crickets - ginger ale - moon pies - check! See ya!

Guess I'll leave some fishing songs...

Stay loose ~ Saturday

A long time favorite song, written by Leonard Cohen. This version is really sweet.
Have a lovely Saturday!!

1000 Times

In third grade we stood in lunch line. This boy would try to flip my skirt every day. And every day I punched him. One day he was wearing this new shirt for school photos. It had a little loop on the back of the neck. He flipped my shirt, I grabbed his loop. About the time I grabbed it, he twisted around. I looked and the little loop was in my hand. I had messed up his shirt! Not good.

My Mom was called  to the school for a conference. She had to replace this brand new shirt. After all, it was purchased for school photos. At school I had to write 1000 times, "I'll will keep my hands to myself." Meanwhile at home, I was grounded until I reimbursed my Mom $9.57... the cost of the shirt.

When I told my neighbor - babysitter Eddie, he laughed and introduced me to a song. It's funny now ~ it wasn't back then.

Paradise

Three nice days in the yard, spreading mulch. Life is really good when you are given free mulch. Three dump truck loads... I'm working on spreading the third load, and the owner of the company says, "I'm sorry that's all we have this week. Can we drop some off next Monday?"

I almost said no... but that mulch is so good for my home. The 'lower forty' is done... so my garden may get planted in on time. At least I hope so.

"Monday is fine. See you then." Nothing like a small piece of paradise....hit it guys!