Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
It's time to announce the winner in the current Battle of the Bands.
Although many voters didn't really like Frank Sinatra, they preferred his version of My Way to the "stylings" of Sid Vicious.
Francis Albert Sinatra is the winner with twenty-one votes. Sid Vicious had five votes.
To see the videos from the competition, please click HERE.
Both competitors were sad. Sinatra was well known as a big spender and extravagant host, but the man was a bully. I don't know how many times he retired and made a comeback, but toward the end of his career, he couldn't remember words to the songs, and he stumbled on the stage. Apparently his wife and children couldn't save him from embarrassing himself, or maybe they liked the money he continued to bring in.
Sid Vicious had a brief career as part of the Sex Pistols, and then a very brief solo career. He died at age twenty-one of a heroin overdose. His mother made a deathbed confession that she gave him the overdose intentionally because she knew he would end up in prison for murdering his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, and he wouldn't be able to take life behind bars.
Now let's enjoy My Way as it should be sung. It's not my favorite song, but from the throat of Elvis Presley, it's beautiful. His voice is subtle and tender, and then he soars into the drama of the song.
Here's The King:
Elvis had his problems, too, and died so young. Like Frank, he had difficulty performing toward the end of his life. But I love so many versions of the songs he left behind.
I have some work to do, but I'll be in touch as often as possible.
Elvis and the Junebug have left the building, but I'll be back.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
My motto as an editor: Authors are the authority on their work. I'm a full-service editor. For a reasonable fee, I'm your writing coach from the first suggested revision to the correction of the final typo.
I am shocked and dismayed, Janie Junebug. Confident that the great silent majority of my fellow Americans would vote as I did, for Mr. Sid Vicious, I called my bookie and bet the nest egg on the outcome of your BOTB. I was wrong, so very wrong, but I'm still proud to go down swinging as a member of that ragtag group of misfits known as "The Vicious Five."
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have voted for this great Elvis performance. Sinatra came across as arrogant but Elvis sings the song with sincerity and humility and I appreciate those qualities.
Thank you, dear Janie Junebug!
I couldn't allow Elvis to be one of the choices because he would have won so easily. Sorry about your nest egg.
DeleteI seem to like Sinatra more as I grow older.
ReplyDeleteI seem to hate Sinatra more as I grow older.
DeleteHi Janie -- WDW has wandered over to my blog today. You need to fetch him home again.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to get a cage for him. XXL, of course.
DeleteYes I love Elvis singing this song even if I am not a fan of the song. Did I miss it, who did you vote for?? I believe Frank had early stages of dementia. I took some classes on this since my mom suffers from Vascular dementia. There are many types of dementia, Alzheimers being only one of them. At a conference, the one giving a talk asked us to look at both people sitting to the right and left of us and then said one of you 3 will get dementia. Yikes! I believe many older stars have dementia but it is still kept secret unless it is full blown like Omar Sharif now or Peter Falk. I think, knowing what I know now, Frank Sinatra was showing the signs. Sorry for the lengthy off topic blah blah blah I wrote but I write what I think...hmmm not always the best thing:)
ReplyDeleteI like the song when Elvis sings it. My vote was one of the five for Sid because I feel sorry for anyone whose life was so miserable. You're probably right about Frank, but his family should have convinced him to retire. You can write all you want. I enjoy comments.
DeleteI'd never heard this version--I LOVED it!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a voice that man had.
DeleteSid Vicious had five votes. Well, geez, I'm in that lineup. Though I was hoping for a Tiny Tim version - Sid had to do. In the end, Janie, I voted my way. Great battle!!!
ReplyDeleteNo one can defeat Tiny Tim.
DeleteThanks for posting this version by Elvis. A version that would have created a shut out IMO.
ReplyDeleteYIKES! Sids own mother actually killed him to have him avoid prison. That is more than sad in a life tale that makes one want to weep both their souls.
Yes, Elvis would have won too easily. Sid's story is nothing but craziness and sadness.
DeleteElvis has been dead (supposedly) a long time, shouldn't Prince have been anointed by now? Where's his coronation? Oh, I forgot, he has to wait until Queen Latifah passes or abdicates the throne.
ReplyDeleteI don't see Prince as often as I used to. Doesn't he need to be more visible to claim his kingdom?
DeleteElvis has been dead (supposedly) for a long time, shouldn't we have anointed Prince by now? Where's his coronation? Oh, I forgot, he has to wait until Queen Latifah passes or abdicates the throne.
ReplyDeleteHow many more times must we read this comment, Pickleope?
DeleteJANIE, this was certainly one of the most interesting BOTB contests anyone ever conceived.
ReplyDeleteThe song itself, 'MY WAY', just isn't a big favorite of mine by anyone, really. But when it comes to Elvis, for me, it's 'MEMORIES'. Wow! He did that song perfectly, and if it catches me at the right moment, look out! There WILL be misty eyes.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I don't care for My Way. Memories kinda gets me where it hurts.
DeleteOoh yes, Elvis would have blown away the competition. I'd not heard this version before, but it's already my favorite. Dare I say, even at his worst, fat Elvis was better than drunken, angry Frank or strung out Sid Vicious.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing tapes of some of Elvis's final performances. Though he had trouble remembering the lyrics and he looked confused, he always came through with something great.
DeleteI'm not surprised Frank won the battle, but thanks for posting that great version of the song by Elvis!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us, and you're welcome.
DeleteI too enjoy Elvis' version, and yet, here's another soul tortured by his own demons.
ReplyDeleteAren't we all tortured by our own demons?
DeleteNot me. I'm tortured by Dean Martin's demons.
DeleteNot sure who's getting tortured by my demons.
~ D-FensDogG
You were under my bed last night. Franklin chased you out.
DeleteSo did Sid's mother go to prison?! Good grief!
ReplyDeleteIf Elivis' version had been in the running I would have voted for him. Not that I like the song much. It is so sing-songy repetitious that it is boring to me, but Elvis did a decent job of it.
If it was a deathbed confession, then she wouldn't have gone to prison. I think anything Sid's mum said can be taken with a grain of salt.
DeleteOh, I must have missed the deathbed confession part--LOL! Sorry. Exhausted and foggy brained. ;)
DeleteI knew that Sid Vicious died of an overdose, but I did not know that his mom euthanized him.
ReplyDeleteSo she said.
DeleteElvis has been dead for quite a long time. How much longer does Prince have to wait before his coronation? How much longer do we have to answer to an empty throne...Oh, never mind, I forgot, he's waiting for Queen Latifah to pass or abdicate.
ReplyDeleteOkay. Third strike, and you're out.
DeleteThe King would have made it a shut out!
ReplyDeleteThat's why he wasn't a contender.
DeleteYeah, I'll be there any minute now.
ReplyDeleteFrank and Sid and Elvis (just to name a few) are gone Janie, but we're still here. I think that's pretty impressive.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how old you are, buddy, but those guys were a heck of a lot older than I am.
DeleteI do get why Elvis had to be excluded he was bloody awesome
ReplyDeleteThe battle of the bands can only have two contenders. I didn't choose Elvis as one of the contenders because he would have won so easily. I want it to be more of a competition.
DeleteElvis definitely would've won had he been a contender. I didn't know all that about Frank Sinatra and I certainly didn't know that Sid Vicious own mother killed him! Wow. Great followup post chock full of info.
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
I'm full of worthless information.
DeleteElvis makes an otherwise annoying song one that's hot, cool, and sexy.
ReplyDeleteBe well, JJ.
Elvis does it my way.
DeleteI didn't know that about Sid. I wonder if his mom was just looking for attention or something.
ReplyDeleteCould be. She was probably pretty nuts.
DeleteI'm actually surprised Sid got that many votes.
ReplyDeleteI thought he would get at least a few because some of us are rule breaking, death defying voters.
DeleteThe King wins! It made me cry though, because he just looks like he's near the end of his life. Gone way too soon!
ReplyDeleteActually, I think he looked much worse than that before he died.
DeletePicked a winner! Dang, that's sad about Sid. Such a messed up life *shakes head*
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know, but I'm trying to behave myself and cause a little less trouble.
Delete