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Battle of the Decades (split from What Are You Listening to)

Which is the winning track

My Baby Just Cares for Me (40s)	2 votes
Shout Bamalama (50s)	4 votes
I've Been Lonely Too Long (60s)	8 votes
Laughter in the Rain (70s)	2 votes
Together Forever (80s)	1 votes
You Oughta Know (90s)	5 votes

TheOldMole Mar 24 2008 06:12 PM

I've been doing this email thing with my family called "Battle of the Decades." Every so often I go on XM, and list whatever songs happen to be playing at that moment. We then all vote on the winning decade. Here's an example -- the current one, complete with pontificating. THE 40s King Cole Trio My Baby Just Cares for Me THE 50s Otis Redding Shout Bamalama THE 60s Young Rascals I've Been Lonely Too Long THE 70s Neil Sedaka Laughter in the Rain THE 80s Rick Astley Together Forever THE 90s Alanis Morissette You Oughta Know Interesting bunch. `No one jumps out of the pack right away, but remember the rule -- you have to vote for someone, I, however, will cut Rick Astley first, although he may well (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B62p-dEfUZM) be the second coming of Tony DeFranco. And I never liked Neil Sedaka (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKn8saVQbts), though I respect his craftsmanship, so he's an easy cut. Otis and the Rascals both great -- scratch that. The Rascals very good, Otis great. The Rascals' best songs stand up with the best of the 60s; Otis's best songs are transcendent. Hard to think of Otis in the 50s, but he did start out then, so he's not at his mature peak on this one. Here, on the other hand, are the Rascals, introduced by Albany's perpetually tanned mayor (maybe if Elliott Spitzer had spent more time in the tanning salon?) -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyKso2Mw2oE Alanis Morissette is kinda brilliant, kinda annoying -- on this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnbc64XQ1DI) probably more brilliant than annoying, and unlike the two in the last tier, this really is her defining song. So it comes down to the two decadal extremes, thd 40s and the 90s, and I think I'm going to go with the smooth stylings of Mr. Nat King Cole here.

seawolf17 Mar 25 2008 04:33 AM

I actually debated between Alanis and Neil Sedaka, but voted Alanis.

TheOldMole Mar 25 2008 06:28 AM

I've gotta go for Nat, with my reasoning above. I can keep posting these here, on the irregular basis that I make them up, if people like, if I can remember how to set up a poll.

AG/DC Mar 25 2008 06:32 AM

You can do it. Seeing young Otis carry the banner for the 50s is a little like letting Nolan Ryan represent the Mets in a poll of teams.

Frayed Knot Mar 25 2008 07:15 AM

Big fan of both Otis & Nat, but am not familiar with either song. Further eliminating Astley and Sedaka (on the basis of being Astley & Sedaka) leaves us with the Rascals & Alanis ... and a surprise vote for Alanis based on 'YOK' being her signature song and 'LTL' not being theirs. She also struck a chord with lots of young chixx which turned that one into a mega-hit. Many other Rascals songs would have kicked her skinny butt. So, on this group alone, '90s rule.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 25 2008 07:16 AM

Between the first 3 for me.

AG/DC Mar 25 2008 07:45 AM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Mar 25 2008 08:21 AM

Me too. I voted Rascals on the basis of thinking of "My Baby Just Cares for Me" as a Nina Simone song, and thinking of "Shout Bamalama" as Otis imitating Little Richard before he found his own sound. Then I went home and listened to it and realized just how much it rocked. Aside from writing a Little Richard stomper, Otis stole one of Sam Cooke's tricks and recorded it like it was being played at a blasting house party. It also includes the line "I love a chicken, baby." So, when you tabulate the votes, subtract one from Felix Cavaliere and give it to Otis.

sharpie Mar 25 2008 08:17 AM

Yeah, that Otis song rawks. "Lonely Too Long" is no "Good Lovin'" and I agree that Nina Simone is who you want for "My Baby Just Cares For Me." The other three aren't considerations in my book. So, Otis wins!

AG/DC Mar 25 2008 02:27 PM

This deserves and demands more votes.

Rockin' Doc Mar 25 2008 05:35 PM

I went with the Young Rascals and I've Been Lonely Too Long.

TheOldMole Mar 26 2008 07:35 AM

Rascals walking away with this one. I'm embarrassed to say that my family, which consists in great part of women in their thirties and forties who were at an impressionable age when Rick Astley was a heartthrob, voted overwhelmingly for...no, I can't even say it.

AG/DC Mar 26 2008 07:39 AM

Keep in mind that my Rascal vote has been switched to Otis. What's the standard? First to ten wins?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 26 2008 07:43 AM

Do you remember Rick Astley? He had a big hit that was ghastly He said 'I'm never gonna give you up or let you down' Well I'm here to tell you that Dick's a clown

Willets Point Mar 26 2008 08:24 AM

Have you seen britney on “how i met your mother” OMG she was liket totally funny and clever OMG. This clip of the show is like totally amazing http://tinyurl.com/878d8.

TheOldMole Mar 26 2008 05:59 PM

Noted. So actually it's virtually neck and neck, six votes for Rascals and five for Otis. The standard with the family game has always been voting is open until I decide to post another one, which in this case may soon, to wipe the stain of Rick Astley's victory off the family escutcheon.

cooby Mar 26 2008 07:29 PM

I liked "Together Forever". However, I accidentally voted for "Laughter in the Rain"

AG/DC Mar 26 2008 08:40 PM

Maybe we should play it as first record to garner 10 votes.

AG/DC Mar 26 2008 09:04 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 27 2008 07:18 AM

Or maybe we should just flip it over. A little research shows me that "My Baby Just Cares for Me" was the B-side to "Mule Train," the credit on both cuts shared by Woody Herman. "Shout Bamalama" was actually from 1960. Otis was part of the group Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers. They recorded this record under the name "Otis and The Shooters." The B-Side of the original was a song called, "Fat Girl." "I've Been Lonely Too Long" came out in 1967 (as did I) backed with "If You Knew." The original B-side to "Laughter in the Rain" was called "Betty Grable." Appropriately, the original 7" of "Together Forever" was backed with "I'll Never Set You Free." Yikes, Rick. "You Oughta Know" wasn't elgible for the Hot 100 because a retail single was never released, but a live version of the song was the B-side to "You Learn." Billboard credited that single (peaknig at number six) as "You Learn"/"You Oughta Know."

TheOldMole Mar 27 2008 06:11 AM

Nat King Cole recorded "Mule Train"? That would be something to listen to. Are there any such things as singles and flip sides any more?

AG/DC Mar 27 2008 07:20 AM

My guess is that it's a rarity, and the rule about the Hot 100 being eligible only to songs with a physical release is right out, and the formula is now based on airplay and downloads and whatnot.

AG/DC Mar 27 2008 07:25 AM

You can listen to "Mule Train" here. Surprising is that Woody Herman is there singing, not just clarineting. http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Encounters-Nat-King-Cole/dp/B000005HHE It's a standard reading until about thirty or forty seconds in when they stop wailing and swittch into what sounds like an entirely different composition more typical of the Nat "King" Cole trio.

AG/DC Mar 27 2008 07:27 AM

Alanis has tied Otis for second.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 27 2008 08:16 AM

Alanis would be a good subject for a Desert-Island Poll in the event I ever get the energy to do another one. The dedicated Desert Island Mix Tape web site is going to make us all richer than astronauts.