Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
It's time for the July 15th, 2015, smack down of the Battle of the Bands. Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy provides us with this information about the bloghop:
The whole thing is really quite simple: You select two different versions of the same song (versions you feel might give each other some competition in the voting) and you post them on the 1st and the 15th of each month.
On the 7th and 21st of each month, you add your own personal vote to the mix, total up all the votes and announce the winner on your blog.
Beyond that, just try to have fun with it and let your readers/voters have fun with it.
I perused The Huffington Post on July 14th, and there was Lady Gaga singing La Vie En Rose. She dedicated the song to her parents, and said she had always wanted to sing La Vie En Rose while wearing a pink dress made by her sister Natali, a fashion student. This particular performance was at Radio City Music Hall. Lady Gaga has toured with Tony Bennett of late, but here she sings solo:
If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you might recall I am gaga for Gaga, whose parents named her Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. When I first heard about Lady Gaga, I didn't know what it meant. The Hurricane explained to me that Lady Gaga was a singer, but more of a performance artist. When I saw her on TV, I thought she was cool.
Then on the most recent telecast of The Academy Awards, she sang a medley from The Sound of Music, and wowed me with the power, range, and beauty of her voice.
So your first possible choice is Lady Gaga.
The second is Celine Dion. I am not a Celine fan, but I know many people are. She is French Canadian so the French words and accent come naturally to her. Here's Celine, who is also known for the power, range, and beauty of her voice:
I think I like Celine better when she sings in French. I didn't like that song from the movie Titanic because for months I heard it everywhere I went. Her style was too dramatic for me. She sings in a simpler and more natural style here.
This performance by Celine is a younger version of her on a TV show in Paris during 1993. My ability to read French is rather limited, so I appreciate the subtitled lyrics in English. "I see life in pink" is similar to seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.
I wanted to pit Lady Gaga against the great French singer, Edith Piaf, but when I listened to a recording of her signature song, I felt it wasn't fair to make anyone battle against the Frenchwoman who wrote the song in 1945 and released it as a single in 1947.
We'll listen to Edith another day--perhaps when I announce the results.
Let's recap: The song is La Vie En Rose. Please vote in your comment for Lady Gaga or Celine Dion.
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.
Good morning, dear Janie Junebug! I'm GAGA over you, dearie!
ReplyDeleteLa Vie En Rose is a beautiful song. In your contest it is performed live by two talented ladies. I see it (and hear it) as a battle between a performance artist and a straightforward vocalist. Clearly (at least to me) Celine Dion exhibits greater vocal ability in her performance of the song while Gaga renders a more flamboyant interpretation of it. Celine Dion's version pleased me more and therefore Celine gets my vote.
Thank you very much, Janie, and happy Wednesday to you!
Celine it is. Don't you ever go to bed? I need my milk and cookie. Then Franklin and I will go sleepy-bye.
DeleteEdith sings it best, but given the choices here, my vote goes to Celine Dion Her vocals are smoother and more elegant, IMO.
ReplyDeleteOkay. Another vote for Celine.
DeleteCast my vote for Lady Gaga. I may be biased because, like you, being inundated, neigh, assaulted by "My Heart Will Go On" in the 90's and I don't know if I can ever forgive Celine for that. But, judging the two performances, I still go with Gaga. Her performance is more of a performance (Who comes in to remove the glue from Celine's feet after she's done with her paralytic rendition?) and I prefer her style of singing. It just has more soul.
ReplyDeleteThank God. I think Celine is made of plastic.
DeleteI have become a Gaga fan, but Celine definitely has the advantage here with her native tongue. Celine's voice is truly amazing, but there's always been something about her I don't care for. Maybe because, having grown up performing, she always hides behind this very artificial stage persona. She is always "on" and never seems genuine to me. But I still have to give my vote to Celine despite the fact I like Gaga better as a person and a performer.
ReplyDeleteI thought you would be a Gaga voter because we've talked about how much we like her.
DeleteI am full of surprises. ;)
DeleteJanice, I never liked Lady Gaga's POP style, but I liked her music for the most part. She opened my eyes to a new side of her when she started touring with Bennett. I was surprised...really surprised by her talent and she actually looked normal for a change. lol I think she looks really lovely wearing the pink gown in the vid. Her version his pretty, but I think I like Celine Dion's better simply because she's singing it in French. It really is beautifully done by Dion. So, please give my vote to Celine!
ReplyDeleteCome by to vote when you can in my Mr. Bojangles #BOTB showdown! ;)
Celine it is, but I'm Janie. I'm not sure who Janice is.
DeleteOne of my all-time favourite Edith Piaf songs! While I too adore Lady Gaga with all my heart, my vote must go to Celine Dion who is the far superior vocalist.
ReplyDeleteThank you for voting.
DeleteI vote Celine Dion although I SOMETIMES like lady gaga. She does have a beautiful voice when she decides to use it. Lol
ReplyDeleteThis song was used in an earlier Battle but you've added a new dimension with these versions.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga is definitely talented, but she overdid the presentation of this song for my taste. Celine presented a more listenable version of the song in my opinion.
My vote is for Celine Dion.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Do you remember who the two contenders were before?
DeleteI have to say that I like Lady Gaga more than Celine. Celine seems like you said too dramatic but I enjoyed Celine's version more. I'm so wishy-washy.
ReplyDeleteSo do you vote for Gaga or Celine?
DeleteI'm going with Celine on this one.
DeleteThanks for the clarification.
DeleteHey Janie. Good battle. I really liked having the lyrics subtitled in English! Thanks for including that. I'm going to give my vote to Lady Gaga. I like her voice better. Plus I'm a Lady Gaga fan, especially because of her contribution to tolerance and diversity. She's given a great contribution to today's youth with her platform. She uses it magnificently, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteGood battle!
Michele at Angels Bark
Well said. I was born this way.
DeleteThey both did great versions of this song with their own style. My vote goes to Lady Gaga on this. She was entertaining and sang this beautifully!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat battle- Thanks for following my blog. I too returned the favor.
Thank you. I like your blog.
DeleteMy choice? Edith Piaf 1st; Celine Dion 2nd. Here's Piaf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feNVUwQA8U
ReplyDeleteThen your vote goes to Celine because Edith is not a contender this time. It's not fair to pit anyone against Edith Piaf.
DeleteAs much as I love Gaga and dislike Celine, Celine just did a better job at it. It sounds more natural for her.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. French is Celine's first language.
DeleteYup!
DeleteI'm not a big fan of Celine Dion. She emotes too much when she sings and i have a hard time watching her.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean you vote for Lady Gaga or do you abstain?
DeleteNo one can say that either of these women lack talent. Each give a great performance. But I almost always vote for anyone who battles Lady Gaga...she just doesn't do it for me. Fortunately, she doesn't care what I think and her feelings won't be hurt the least little bit.
ReplyDeleteCELINE GETS MY VOTE.
Great match up, Janie!
You are wrong about Stefani. She told me she's crushed because you didn't vote for her. She cried so much that her makeup ran all over her perfect pink dress. How can you be so cruel?
DeleteGreat and thanks a lot. Now, after listening to those two versions, I'm going to be ill and the dog is hiding under the sofa after hearing whatever that was.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga equals yuck as far as I'm concerned. Her sister, Radio Gaga, has way more talent. As for Celine, I wish she's been on the Titanic.
Yep, I don't like either version, but being somewhat bias, eh, I shall vote for Celine.
Gary
Your comment made me laugh.
DeleteI love this song and if Edith Piaf was here she would win hands down so I am glad she will be on her own. I prefer Lady Gaga (My mom called her Lady Caca). I always liked Lady Gaga and I feel her voice just did this song justice. I preferred the musical accompaniment with her better as well. Celine obviously has a strong voice and a great once but I didn't care for how she sang some of the notes in her signature way. I also didn't care for the swagger-like way of the music. I was expecting Dino and Sinatra. Lady Gaga for me. I remember when Celine sang that Titanic song at the Oscars and laughed like hell when she thumped her chest near the end of the song. It reminded me of the Romulan salute
ReplyDeleteRomulan salute--you are so funny, Birgit.
DeleteYes, I was so sick of hearing the Titanic song but I am personally so much more sick of Gaga performance art over her voice. And if I see her naked one more time... ugh
ReplyDeleteEveryone mentions her signing with Tony but even with Tony (who I have seen in a very small room singing with his paintings on display quite fabulous) I especially didn't like her singing.
Sorry.
I will vote for Celine.
cheers, parsnip
I'm impressed that you saw Tony in a small venue with his paintings. Very cool.
DeleteIt was so cool I couldn't believe we got to go.
DeleteIt is one of my highlights.
Ha! This was as easy as the Beach Boys versus David Lee "The Hack" Roth!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I will say I am partial to the Satchmo version, but...
I don't call her "Lady GagGag" for nothing. As a matter of fact, that is NO LADY at all!!! (Oh, but don't the tattoos on her arms raise my lust level, but don't they? What an original!)
First of all, Lady GagGag isn't even able to move on the stage like a "lady". Is it just me, or does she seem all totally out-of-place wearing pink and trying to "move like a lady"?
Watching Lady GagGag, all I could think of was (Link:->) MADELINE KAHN SINGING 'I'M TIRED' IN 'BLAZING SADDLES'
I guess it goes without saying where my vote goes.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I loved Madeline Kahn. I miss her. There will be no gag gag here. If you need to barf, please do it elsewhere. The tats don't bother me. Favorite Young Man is covered in them, and I love him dearly. I would love to wear that pink dress. I don't know if she's trying to move like a lady so much as express emotion while wearing super high heels.
DeleteNot a fan of Gaga... and while I was a fan of Celine Dion in her hey day, she has become a bit overrated for me. That being said - my vote goes to Celine Dion.
ReplyDeleteThank you for voting.
DeleteWow, this one had me going back and forth. I've had my moments with both singers. Lady Gaga is, as you say, more of a performance singer than Celine. Celine sings very well and I am a fan, but I'm also a fan of Lady Gaga. In the end, I think I decided Celine sang the song well. It was a great performance, but it did not blow me away. It was, as they say on American Idol, a safe song to sing. I relistened to both and finally decided that Lada Gaga surprised me so much with this song and I did enjoy her range much more than Celine. So I'm giving my vote to her.
ReplyDeleteVote - Gaga for the Lady in Pink.
Your comment is spot on. Part of the splendor of Lady Gaga is that she's capable of doing the unexpected and pulling it off.
DeleteI think it's also impressive that a girl with a New York accent sings so well in French. Perhaps she studied French in the past, but she must have worked quite hard to get the correct pronunciation and accent.
DeleteA surprise to me I am voting for Lady Gaga..her version sounded more fun.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see her in person, whereas I feel no interest in Celine.
DeleteUnfortunately, I could not view either video. I was surprised though, after listening to Lady Gaga sing Sound Of Music. She did well!
ReplyDeleteSherry, are you having problems with Adobe Flash Player? I was the past few days and had to reinstall the plug-in. After that, the videos have been playing fine.
DeleteI'm sorry you can't see the videos. You can Google them on YouTube to watch if you like. So do you vote for Lady Gaga, or abstain?
DeleteI know how much you love Lady Gaga, but I think her version was done with just a little too much irony. Plus, she looks like Jenny McCarthy here. Celine Dion, while not Edith Piaf (and there could only be one), captured the feel for the song better, and she gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteEver heard Louis Armstrong's version? After Edith, his is my favorite.
Yes, I heard Louis Armstrong and thought he was very good, but I wanted to pit the two women against each other. I don't think anyone looks like Jenny McCarthy other than Jenny McCarthy.
DeleteYou're right... That wouldn't have been fair. As for this battle, I lean toward Celine,
ReplyDeleteP.S. I like Grace Jones' version even more. I don't know why.
Thanks for sending Grace to visit me. I've never been a Grace Jones fan.
DeleteI always admire Celine's passion but usually I'd say Lady Gaga. She was being too showy here. The interesting thing is, if she gets rid of all of that and just sings, she can out sing even the best vocalists.
ReplyDeleteDo you vote for Lady Gaga then? Or abstain?
DeleteGaga gets my vote. Much better, and she shows her pure talent in this one.
ReplyDeleteCeline, shows her fake lashes or extra mascara. That's about it.
Good luck with the editing, JJ.
Thank you. I was shocked to learn that Lady Gaga has suck a powerful voice.
DeleteAlthough I remain impressed that Lady Gaga has such a powerhouse voice, I definitely prefer Celine Dion's rendition. Her voice was made for this song.
ReplyDeleteCeline Dion is one of those singers, much like Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera, that I know they have incredible singing talent... and yet I can't stand listening to them. In French this is no different. I just don't care for Dion. Give me Gaga.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about those singers that makes it so difficult to like them? Do they not seem like real people? Is it that they're ubiquitous and they all seem so similar?
DeleteIf I have to pick between those two, Lady G. But really, Satchmo all the way.
ReplyDeleteSatchmo was great at everything he did, but I wanted the battle to be between two somewhat similar singers. In this case, I present two young women singing in French. Doesn't Satchmo sing La Vie En Rose in English? I need to check on that.
DeleteOne reason I love BoTB is how it jostles my paradigms. Ms. Gaga's Sound of Music medley blew me away, too, but not far enough to make me a fan :) Still, I was sure I'd vote for her, just by default: like you, that nasty Titanic song crossed Celine Dion out on my list (the movie didn't help none, either). And then I took a listen. And everything changed. My vote goes, against every grain of my prejudices, to Celine. That was one WOW version of a classic. (Good decision to keep Edith out of the battle, though... That would've probably been a shut-out.)
ReplyDeleteExcellent battle, Janie! Thank you!
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
Thank you for joining us. I am following you by email now.
DeleteCeline takes a lot of flak and as popular as the $$$ say she is, people love to put her down. BUT, in this contest...it's no contest, for me. Give Celine my wholehearted vote.
ReplyDeleteAs you like it.
DeleteNot a Celine at all....I don't 'believe' her. She has a very technical voice with no real passion.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga has done her best to blow the traditional music scene to pieces. It so badly needed this.
But.....being a French song by a superb songstress originally, my vote goes to Celine because technically she nailed this.
I like Celine Dion better when she sings in French.
DeleteGaga, for always.
ReplyDeleteYou're a hip chick, Mayor Gia.
Delete