Battle of the Bands Results - Battle of the Network Stars

We once again interrupt your regularly scheduled Battle of the Bands feature so we may bring you this special presentation.

Gabe Kaplan, Telly Savalas, Robert Conrad, William Shatner, Tom Wopat, Joe Piscopo, John Davidson, Charlene Tilton, Tina Yothers, Bruce Willis, Lynda Carter & Lisa Whelchel. Just a few of the celebrity names you'll find in the Battle of the Network Stars. Which of their shows are your favourite? Who cares? We want to find out which network can out-perform the other network. And with the help of these celebrities we aim to find out.

If you remember from last time, one celebrity from each network offered a song for our entertainment and scrutiny. So which network won out in this battle? Let's check out the scores and see which network came out on top.

In our first heat, we see a real performance by all three networks. CBS (Lynda Carter) took the initial lead with NBC (Lisa Whelchel) right behind. ABC (Bruce Willis) was not to be left out and though starting behind the other two networks, they held their own.
CBS - Alex & eViL pOp TaRt
NBC - John Holton
ABC - Mary & Stephen

Was ABC toying with the other networks? It seems so, because in the second heat ABC took the lead away from CBS. NBC was having problems and likely stumbled on the track.
ABC - Michele, Cathy & mike
CBS - birgit

Perhaps ABC could have gone all the way from there. But it's likely Bruce was a bit too cocky. What suddenly seemed like he might actually leave everyone in the dust, Lynda showed she was not out of the competition just yet. The third heat proved this as she pushed on, endeavouring to overtake ABC. But could ABC do it?
CBS - Janie & Arlee
ABC - Shady & Debbie

The fourth round proved what great competitors all three individuals are. Despite tripping and falling, Lisa from NBC picked herself up, dusted herself off and began to run once again. Unfortunately, it was Lynda who faltered this time which allowed Bruce of team ABC to run away with the competition.
ABC - Stephanie, Crystal & diedre
NBC - Chrys



Winners - ABC
With a final score of 10-5-2
Congratulations to ABC


Top Comments
Alex J. Cavanaugh - I remember watching Battle of the Network Stars back in the day.
Lynda Carter can really sing. Would almost give it to my boy Bruce, but Lynda's voice was beautiful.

John Holton - Great idea for a BotB! Lynda Carter is just beautiful, and, as this cut proves, has a magnificent voice. Lisa Whelchel surprised me; I liked her song, kind of like what you'd hear on a "smooth jazz" station… Bruce Willis is a smartass, and the first time I heard of "Bruno," I just rolled my eyes. "Great, another Blues Brothers takeoff"... but the guy can bring it, and he's not a bad harp player.

Mary Burris - Oh Jeffrey..... such a great idea for a battle! I enjoyed listening to Lynda Carter, and was even a bit surprised at Lisa Welchel. I already knew that Bruce Willis could sing.

Stephen T. McCarthy - Cool idea for BOTB, JEFFY! If this were just about "vocal quality", I'd give Lynda my vote. But I'm taking EVERYTHING into consideration, including how much I like each song. And therefore, ABC (also known as "Bruce Willis") gets my vote. Back in the day, I even owned that Bruce Willis album. It was pretty good, actually. And, yeah, Bruce can really play that harp!

Michele Truhlik - Wow, was this ever a fun battle! Very creative Jeffrey. I love it! I didn't know that Lynda Carter and Lisa Whelchel could sing. I knew about Bruce Willis' band but never really paid attention to any of his music. I'm giving my vote to ABC/Bruce because that song was so much fun. The music was great and the harmonica fantastic!

Birgit - This was an excellent battle of the Network Stars and, yes, I watched it faithfully. I am surprising myself here but I am giving it to Lynda Carter. Her voice is actually the best of the 3. Lisa made my teeth hurt and Bruce...I don't know...I like the blues but I was waiting for him to say to some die hard quotes and the song didn't sound that great in his hands.

Janie Junebug - I vaguely remember when these "battles" were on, but I don't think I ever watched one. Lisa Whelchel's singing ranks even lower than her acting. Bruce Willis made strange noises, kind of like one hears in a zoo around the chimps. I guess I vote for Lynda, although her voice is thinner than she is or was.

Arlee Bird - Bruce Willis was annoying, the NBC contestant was kind of weak, while Lynda Carter had kind of a Karen Carpenter vibe. Give my vote to CBS.

Shady Del Knight - Now I know why they called her Wonder Woman. It's a wonder they let her anywhere near a recording studio.

Debbie D. - That was fun and I remember the show. ☺ Going with Bruce Willis by a mile. Good thing those ladies kept their day jobs.

Stephanie Faris - Bruce Willis, all the way!!! Lynda and Lisa...yikes. Who told them they could sing? They didn't have autotune back then, I guess!

Chrys Fey - 3 contenders and all from a different networks? Oh this is good! I didn't know Bruce Willis could sing. It's upbeat but too much for me. I agree with Arlee that he was annoying in his song. Lynda didn't sound too great once the song's beat picked up, so I'm giving my vote to Lisa.

diedre Knight - Ha! This was so clever :-) Who knew Wonder Woman could also sing? My vote goes to ABC (just this once) as I watched Moonlighting as a kid and Bruce just seemed to fit the mood of Jackpot.



Bonus Video - The Dunk Tank




Please note: My next battle will be August 1st.
Additional: In the winning video above, you may notice Lynda Carter playing for team ABC. That's because the first year Wonder Woman was on the air, it was on ABC. Beginning with the second season, it was on CBS.

Once again, thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again August 1st for another exciting battle.
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES (We miss your battles!)
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
QUIET LAUGHTER
BE_REINVINTAGED
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
eViL pOp TaRt
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Battle of the Bands - Battle of the Network Stars

Our regularly scheduled Battle of the Bands has been pre-empted tonight so that we may bring you this special presentation.

* * * * * * * * * *

Good evening. I'm Howard Cosell.
Tonight we are continuing the battle between the network stars. I'm here with Gabe Kaplan, captain of team ABC.
Gabe. How have you enjoyed the battles,
so far?

Well Howard, we've been having some great weather and my team has been winning a lot of challenges. So I would have to say, I'm having a great time.

Now I understand Gabe, we are in for something special tonight. Would you care to explain, exactly what it is, we are about, to see.

Tonight we have decided to do something a little different. We have tried track and field, swimming, diving, even a tug-of-war. But we have never tried to see which network has the best voice.

Are we talking singing here? And do you truly believe this activity belongs in a sporting event?

Why not? Athletes have to train their bodies to compete in whatever event they perform. It's true of a singers too. I think we will see how this goes. If it works, it works. If it doesn't work, It was Telly Savalas' idea.

Well, I wish you the best of luck in this event. As do I all the networks. 
Remember, The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give.
And with that. Let's let this competition, begin.

All three networks have provided a singer. It will be up to you, the audience, to decide who has the best vocal skills, needed to win.
Team CBS - Lynda Carter will perform 'the Last Song'
For NBC - Lisa Welchel has 'All Because of You'
Finally, Team ABC - Bruce Willis will be singing 'Jackpot'.

Lynda Carter (Diana Prince)

Wonder Woman - 1975-1979

Lisa Welchel (Blair Warner)

The Facts of Life 1979-1988

Bruce Willis (David Addison)

Moonlighting - 1985-1989

Those are the three contenders. Who do you feel deserves the win? ABC, CBS or NBC?
It is now your job. Please vote for your favourite. Additionally, let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 21st when I'll cast my vote (if needed) and announce the winner in a separate posting, the next day.


Join us again tomorrow night for another exciting battle with the network stars.
Following is a sneak peak at what you will see.





Additional Questions:
Were any of these shows your favourite?
Can you name any other celebrity/actor who has dabbled in singing?
Have you ever watched the actual 'Battle of the Network Stars'?
Would you welcome a modern reboot?


If you enjoyed this Battle of the Bands feature, don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see what sort of music they are featuring. You will certainly be entertained, so click on their links below.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
QUIET LAUGHTER
BE_REINVINTAGED
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
eViL pOp TaRt
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Battle of the Bands Results - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

Ask and ye shall receive. At least that's how I've felt this entire battle. I'll explain more in a bit, but first I should probably get to the results.

Right from the start, the battle was everything I had hoped it would be. I've had so many blow outs recently, I was hoping to have a closer match-up. So I was relieved when the first round resulted in Cecil leading by only one vote. So far so good.
Brotherhood of Man - Debbie, Pat
Cecil - Arlee, Gwynn & Birgit

All good things must come to an end. That's what I suddenly began thinking when the second round resulted in the majority for Cecil; the band already in the lead. Looks like my competitive battle was short lived unfortunately.
Brotherhood of Man - Stephen
Cecil - Shady, Mary, Michele & diedre

But wait! The third battle was a true battle once again. This time the Brotherhood won the round. Of course it was won by only one vote and Cecil had an impressive lead. Any more votes for Cecil after this round would surely give them the win.
Brotherhood - Janet, dolorah & Dixie
Cecil - Cathy & Guilie

Going into the fourth and final round, Cecil was in the lead by three votes. And then, the unexpected happened. Could it be? Is it true? Was there going to be an upset? Yes, it happened! The Brotherhood of Man suddenly found their audience and they came in droves to vote. At least four did.
Brotherhood of Man - Cherdo, Chrys, John and mike.

That's right. In a come back from behind win. The Brotherhood of Man beat out Cecil! I've been hoping for a REAL battle and it looks like I received it. As I said before. Ask, and ye shall receive.


Winners - Brotherhood of Man
With a final score of 10-9
Congratulations to Brotherhood of Man



Top Comments

Debbie D. - Not a favourite of mine, I'm sorry to say. The covers didn't improve on it much. I ruled Cecil out because falsetto voices are a turnoff, so my vote goes to Brotherhood of Man.
Arlee Bird - Both of these versions make for pleasant listening. Cecil took the song into a different level which added value to their version to my ears. Give my vote to Cecil--I was tripping out to that version.

Pat Garcia - My vote goes to the Brotherhood of man. I like it because it softer and I love the harmonies. Cecil was too rough, not gentle.

Gwynn Rogers - I much preferred Cecil as the group added more rhythm and variety. Somehow, the Brotherhood of Man's version seemed dead to me.

Birgit - I'm glad you had the 2nd video:) I give it to Cecil because it seemed more unique and less whispy than Brotherhood of man. I couldn't get into that 2nd one at all so Cecil gets my vote

Shady Del Knight - Re: "When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman" - I hear ya, good buddy. I know the pain. I've been phoning, texting and tweeting Diana Krall up to 50 times a day for weeks - and NOTHING... as the Beatles sang - "No Reply!"

Michele Truhlik - This is such a great song. I figured I'd be voting for Brotherhood of Man because I really like their sound ... but Cecil did this song better so that's who's getting my vote. Great song choice Jeffrey. I haven't heard that song in ages...

diedre Knight - I've long been a fan of Dr, Hook and wondered if either contender could do the song justice (love this era, by the way), I think Cecil did a decent job and the song just sounds better with one guy singing with a little backup than the other with a chorus of voices you might hear in an elevator. I had to go back and listen to Dr. Hook, just because ;-)

Stephen T. McCarthy - How come no one ever writes a song about being in love with a Plain Jane woman? Don't women with average looks deserve love and songs, too?

Janet Miles - Hello Jeffrey Gotta give my vote to Brotherhood of Man. I thought Ceci was singing too fast. I liked watching the Dr. Hook video too, just for old time's sake.

dolorah - With some songs, there is just no improving on the original. What's good is good. I liked Cecil right off; it sounds like the Dr Hook; but then it took a sort of dance-extended version. This song lends itself well to the group effort, and even if Cecil did not extend it, I think I still would give my vote to Brotherhood. Good vibes, all the way through.

Dixie@dcrelief - Jeffrey, I might be the only non- Dr. Hook fan, even though I enjoyed 70s music!!

Chrys Fey - My vote does to Brotherhood of Man. I liked the addition of a woman's voice, and the other version was a bit too hippie-ish for me.

John Holton - I saw the name "Brotherhood of Man" and I said, "Brotherhood of Man? As in 'United We Stand'?" When I learned that it was, and heard the song, I decided they were the winners for me.


Please note: My next battle will be July 15th.
PS - Sorry everyone this is so late!

Once again, thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again for a new battle June 1st
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES (We miss your battles!)
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
QUIET LAUGHTER
BE_REINVINTAGED
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
eViL pOp TaRt
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS


Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

I.W.S.G. (11) - This Is Amazing

I'm pleased to announce I'll be co-hosting the IWSG this month along with: Yolanda Renee, Tyrean Martinson, Madeline Mora-Summonte , LK Hill & Rachna Chhabria. 

* * * * * * * * * *

For a writer, every kind word about our writing, even a simple one, can be a big deal. When I write, am I looking for the phrase, "This is the best thing I have ever written!"? No, not really. Because that would be very unrealistic, and for a writer, we have to be realistic. Would I love it if someone said that to me? Of course, but I don't expect it.

Well, that brings me to the question of the month. Something new we are doing here in the IWSG. Asking a question and seeing how we all answer it. So on to this months question.

What's the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Outside of my blogging, I really have not received a comment about my writing in a long time. As some of you are aware, I've been trying to rewrite a series I started almost thirty years ago. In fact, I finished another chapter for episode three this weekend. I know I must have received a well word abut it, because I had several people who loved reading it. I guess the best thing someone has said about my writing is, "When is the next one finished"? Yes, thirty years ago I had a loyal readership. There were several people who read it, but two people were really into it and read each of my then finished episodes, seven in total. Several times before I was finished they would ask when the next one was finished. That made me feel more like a writer than I have ever felt. Just knowing someone wanted to continue reading something I had written was a big motivation. It gave me the courage and confidence to keep writing. Without people like Virginia and Joel, I'm not sure I would still be writing today.


Goals and such:

Old Goals:
Test readers:
Last month a few expressed an interest in being a test reader for me. I'm kind of new to this so I'm going to suggest those interested to let me know via email so I can send a copy of what I've writte.
My email is a gmail account, jeffreysg. If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

Find Writing Schedule:
Still looking to time my non-negotial time. Summer is a bad time for me. So much going on. Can I still find the time?


New Goal:
Make it through my IWSG duties to the best of my ability.


My Encouragement:
Only YOU can give your story that special touch. Oh sure, if you give a room full of monkeys a typewriter and enough time, they could re-produce the works of Dickens' - A Tale of Two Cities. But most likely it would read like, "It was the bast of times, it was the blurst of times."


Questions to Ponder:
Outside of school, what was the first thing you wrote that others enjoyed?
 
Have you ever written something, put it away for a long period of time, then returned to rewrite it years later?


* * * * * * * * * *

The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!
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Battle of the Bands - When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

A Doctor sings this song.
Doctor Who?
No, Dr. Hook.

Sorry, I can never resist nerd humour.

As you may have noticed, for this Battle of the Bands, I have travelled back to the late 70s. In this battle, we will be discovering how difficult it can be, at times, to be in love with a beautiful woman. This song has it's own battle; jealousy and trust battle it out. Which will win out? I mean, which song will win out?

I'm kind of concerned about that previous question because it seems my last few battles have been very lopsided. If it were up to me, I wish every music battle was a true BATTLE, rather than one tank rolling over a machine gun turret. And that's how I've felt. But at the end of the day, it's all about fun. So even if this turns out to be another lop-sided battle, I'm still having fun and still loving reading the reactions and the reasoning's behind why you like one song over another. So let's get to it! If you are unfamiliar with the song, please follow the link below to listen to the original version. Then, well, you should know what to do by now.

For reference only: Dr. Hook - When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman



BATTLE OF THE BANDS
The two musical contenders for this Battle of the Bands are below.
Please listen to both and tell me who you like best.

Cecil


Brotherhood of Man


If that link does not work, try this one: (Thanks Debbie)



Those are the two contenders. Ignoring the actual videos, who do you think performs the song best? I collected the two bands to battle it out, now it's your job to vote on your favourite. Please list your preferred song choice in the comments. Additionally, let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 8th when I'll cast my vote (if needed) and announce the winner in a separate posting.

Additional Questions:
Have you ever had to battle for the love of another?
Are you a Dr. Hook fan?
Do you have a 70s band you love the most?


If you enjoyed this Battle of the Bands feature, don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see what sort of music they are featuring. You will certainly be entertained, so click on their links below.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
QUIET LAUGHTER
BE_REINVINTAGED
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE
eViL pOp TaRt
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.