Battle of the Bands

2019 #BoTB Round 5 ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ showdown with #DeanRay, #BrandonFlowers, & #Toughcats

March 1, 2019 /

It’s Friday again and it’s a brand new month! How did that happen?  This is DH’s off-Friday, so I’m MIA but I will make my rounds bright and early Monday morning.  I’m tossing in a bit of Friday Sillies in the mix for this round of BoTB.  I hope you don’t mind, my lovelies! 

The 80s seemed golden for top mewsic hits.  I recall vividly Kim Carnes’  ‘Bette Davis Eyes‘ but what I did not know is that it was originally recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1975.  I had no clue that Carnes version is a cover song, did you? I bet I’m the only one who didn’t know.

I figured no matter who I put against Carnes would lose, so I took this fight a different direction. I looked for male vocals covering this oldie but goodie.  YT had a handful of guys covering what they think is a Carnes’ original.  I’m using three cover artists.  The first two seem more serious but I couldn’t resist throwing in the last act.  You be the judge, tell me which one gets your vote (highly recommended) and why (optional) in comments! 

Contender #1 I don’t know much about except he was the 6th season runner-up on X-Factor Australian and since that time has produced a couple of studio albums but none of his songs have charted in the US, give a listen to Dean Ray!

 

Contender #2 an American singer/songwriter and mewsician Brandon Flowers is a member of The Killers rock band from Las Vegas. It is interesting that the band has five studio albums and Flowers recorded two solo albums but what surprises me most is he has hit the top of the UK Albums chart several times.

Contender #3 Judging by the mewsic video I stumbled on from this Maine band, I figured they were only half serious but it appears they’ve done touring in the local circuit and produced an album. Their rough garage band sound mingled with banjo picking has an interesting and unique style that somehow appeals to my ear. Please try out Toughcats!

Remember there is no wrong way to vote, except to not vote at all, who’s your pick Dean Ray, Brandon Flowers, or Toughcats? 

[tweetthis]I just voted in the ‘2019 Round 5 #BoTB ‘Bette Davis Eyes showdown’ between #DeanRay, #BrandonFlowers, & #Toughcats! #coverbands[/tweetthis]

You’ll find more awesome battles underway at some of these blog listed below (not everyone is doing the bi-monthly showdowns now) and if you’d like to be included in the fun, then contact Stephen requesting to be added to the list.

✩ai loves music✩ (Amy), Angels Bark (Michele),  Cherdo on the Flipside,  The Doglady’s Den (Debbie),   Jingle Jangle Jungle (Mary), Mike’s Ramblings,   STMcC Presents BoTB (Stephen, BoTB Manager),   The Sound of One Hand Typing (John), &  Tossing It Out (Lee)

**Polls close noon (EST) on the March 7th**

I’ll share which artist got my vote and the results of this battle next week this time, so mark your calendar to come back to see if your pick is named BoTB winner!. 

DID YOU VOTE? No! Okay, but if you leave WITHOUT voting, I won’t be held responsible for what happens to your computer. Just saying is all. 😂

Don’t forget to hit the dance floor with me and my fellow co-hostess for Monday’s Mewsic Moves Me. Have a bandtastic weekend!

X💋X💋, Cathy



36 Comments

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 20, 2019 at 8:00 am

      Cynthia,

      Yes, it’s too late to vote but never too late to discover new artists. Thanks for sharing which singer you preferred even though this battle is now history. It’s not too late to vote in my March 15th BoTB if you’re interested but the polls close tomorrow at noon and don’t forget I’ll have another on April 1st. 😉

  • Birgit

    March 5, 2019 at 3:35 pm

    I had no idea Kim Carnes was not the original for this song. I hope you are doing well writing your A to Z and looking forward to seeing what you do. I give my vote to Dean Ray who gave a different take on this song and one that I liked. The second was ok but didn’t do much and the last band need more work and they sound like they already had a few beers

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 5, 2019 at 4:42 am

      John,

      WOWZA, finally Dean Ray is on the board! It sure wasn’t looking good for this guy. Toughtcats are a fun listen. 🙂 Thanks for voting, my friend

  • Debbie D.

    March 4, 2019 at 11:35 am

    I too thought Kim Carnes had the original version of this song. Interesting! 🙂 Of the three male vocalists, my vote goes to Brandon Flowers. Dean was a bit bland and The Tough Cats sounded like they needed more practice. Have a great week!

  • Alana Mautone (@RamblinGarden)

    March 3, 2019 at 5:34 pm

    I didn’t know the Kim Carnes recording was a cover, either! So: Dean Ray, I liked the guitar work; the singing not as much. The Toughcats: “A” for effort but after a while the singingonthevergeofscreamingbecausemaybetheyneededamicrophone got to me. I have a feeling with professional recording equipment and producing it would have been a lot better. Brandon Flowers? Liked the beginning, but liked it less as the song progressed. So, this really, in a way, isn’t an apples to apples comparison given that contestant #3 was in garage band mode. I will give the Toughcats the benefit of the doubt and vote for them, although “I still like Kim Carnes the best” would be my honest vote.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 4, 2019 at 8:22 am

      Alana,

      That’s why I didn’t use Kim in the battle. 🙂 I also didn’t want female artists covering the song and that’s why I went with guys in this showdown. Toughcats have a way of growing on you. They are my favorite of the three. Thanks for joining in the fun!

  • Cherdo

    March 3, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    Cathy:

    Sometimes, it is soooo close and sometimes, I have an immediate clear choice. Dean Ray wasn’t so bad at all and Tough Cats appear to have a following on your blog now, but they just didn’t do it for me.

    Brandon Flowers…yep, that’s my guy today. Never heard this version but I do love his take on it.

    Thanks, girl!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 4, 2019 at 8:19 am

      Cherdo,

      Unfortunately, this battle has come down to more or less just two contenders leaving poor ole Dean Ray out of it all together it seems but that could change at any point. Thanks for taking time to pitch vote in the hat for Brandon Flowers. I’m heading your way next!

  • Mary B

    March 2, 2019 at 6:43 pm

    Hey there Cathy…

    I’m slowly getting around to visit the battles. I haven’t even peeked at how my own is doing. My thoughts are elsewhere – planning ahead for future days. But thought I’d better take a moment to make the rounds here.

    That first guy was really tough to listen to. I thought I was going to like Brandon Flowers, but he got on my nerves as well. I really liked Toughcats. Sure, they started out a bit rough, but then they got into the song and I actually made it all the way through the entire song with them – something I wasn’t able to do with the others.

    My Vote: Toughcats

    ~Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle
    Literary Gold

  • -Eugenia

    March 2, 2019 at 10:30 am

    While I think Brandon Flowers did a great job on this song, Tough Cats put their heart and soul into it and added their own take on the song. Toughcats gets my vote.

  • aisasami

    March 2, 2019 at 10:13 am

    My vote goes to the Toughcats because it features a banjo and I really enjoy the way that drummer sings. He is putting a lot of energy in that.

  • 15andmeowing

    March 1, 2019 at 10:01 pm

    I thought Kim Carnes’ was the original. I choose Brandon Flowers, I just couldn’t get into the other version.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 4, 2019 at 6:45 am

      Ellen,

      I admit it took me a couple of listens these artists before deciding who to put on center stage for this round. You might find going back to listen to them a few times then you might have a different opinion. Thank you for voting for Brandon Flowers!

  • sandy

    March 1, 2019 at 3:39 pm

    going with Tough Cats – the vocals weren’t as good but the entertainment was better – vibrant fun band.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 4, 2019 at 6:40 am

      Sandy,

      I listened to some of Toughcats other mewsic which I discovered their vocals a bit better. Perhaps part of that is due to studio magic but they do shine in a special way. Thanks for dropping in to cast your vote for theToughcats!

  • Stephen T. McCarthy

    March 1, 2019 at 12:25 pm

    HiYa, CATHY! It’s that me – STMcC.

    So, before I get started on your Battle, I just wanna say that I really liked that Three Stooges cartoon.

    My buddies used to love watching The Three Stooges. I never got into them much… until… one day, we were all sitting around drinking beer, the guys were watching some Three Stooges movie on the boob tube. I just happened to close my eyes for awhile and suddenly I found myself laughing at all the sound effects. Just hearing the weird noises that served as the sounds for when the Stooges committed acts of violence against each other, and trying to use my imagination to conceive of ANYTHING one human could do to another and produce those sounds, I was actually very much entertained.

    From that day forward, I began to say: “The Three Stooges should be heard and not seen.”

    Onto The Battle:

    I always liked this song, and like you, I had NO IDEA that Kim Carnes’ hit wasn’t the original recording. You dun tawt me sumpin new!

    I thought James Dean – I mean, Dean Ray – was OK.

    Brandon Flowers was a little better. (He definitely needs to fuhgeddaboud that Used-Car-Salesman’s Mustache, though!)

    When the TOUGHCATS first started, my immediate thought was: Wow! This is a rough recording. And that singer doesn’t have much of a voice. But the longer it played, the more I began to enjoy the energy of it, and the obviousness that these guys are playing for the love of music and the fun of performing. Then when the singer went to that falsetto voice to sing “She’s got Bette Davis eyes”, I laughed out loud and knew that the TOUGHCATS had earned my vote.

    Those guys seem like they’d be a lot of fun to hang out with. (Heck, “The League Of Soul Crusaders” would have probably let the Toughcats party with them.)

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 4, 2019 at 6:13 am

      Stephen,

      Good Monday morning to you, my friend! I’m now ready to get into the blogging groove for another week. I appreciated your visit on Friday. When I was a kid I found The Three Stooges amusing but I wouldn’t say I loved them until later in life I came to enjoy their wacky sillies involving all kinds of slapping. By today’s standards Moe would be considered a bully since he was the one who did most of the roughing up of the others. lol Those old shows were a lot of fun and always good for some laughs.

      I’m delighted that I tawt you sumpin new! I always learn something I didn’t know with everyone’s battles. I don’t care too much for Brandon’s mustache but at least you see it a nicer light than I do. I was thinking more along the lines as that boy looks a bit sinister but I liked his voice and decided he’s probably an okay guy. 🙂 I was not sure how well received the Toughcats would be in this battle but I’m totally happy to see that you were entertained by their performance. They definitely did have fun with it. You can tell they love to sing. Oh yeah, I can see The League of Soul Crusaders and Toughcats hangin’ at a party. That might make for some VERY good fun – two different styles but bands with a passion for mewsic! I have your vote recorded for the Toughcats!

  • Jacqui Murray

    March 1, 2019 at 11:26 am

    Kim Carnes gets my vote. I guess I want a female singer because of hers. One I liked as well–maybe better–was Chloe Kohanski on The Voice finale. Yikes that was wonderful!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 3, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      Jacqui,

      I remember Chloe Kohanski from The Voice. Her vocal style is purrfect for those classic 80s songs. She totally rocked the show! Unfortunately, Kim isn’t part of the voting process but I sure do appreciate you stopping by anyhow. 😉

  • Arlee Bird

    March 1, 2019 at 8:22 am

    Half serious for this song works for me. I never cared much for this song, but then I’ve never been a big Bette Davis fan either. Give my vote to the Toughcats. They added more originality and fun to their version.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 3, 2019 at 1:11 pm

      Lee,

      I haven’t watched many Bette Davis films. The one I recall best that always creeped me out is ‘Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte’. After consulting with Google, I think this might be the only Davis movie I’ve seen. Thanks for throwing in your vote for Toughcats!

  • Thomas Anderson

    March 1, 2019 at 7:40 am

    Hi, Cathy!

    Happy month of March, Friday Sillies and BOTB day, dear friend! I see that you and I are both saluting the music of the 80s today.

    You must have forgotten your comment on my 2017 post when I introduced Jackie DeShannon and revealed that she co-wrote “Bette Davis Eyes.”

    https://shadydell.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-world-needs-now-i-think-youll.html

    I think the Kim Carnes recording of the song is pure magic, one of the greatest hits of the decade. Truth be told, I don’t like Jackie’s original recording of the song very much and would not have voted for it in this battle. You found three interesting versions of the song by male vocalists. Aussie Dean Ray’s version didn’t grab me. The stripped down arrangement was bland and drifted too far afield. The recording of contestant #2, Brandon Flowers, packed a lot more punch and stayed much closer to the original. However, act #3, The Toughcats, tickled my fancy. Those guys made me smile and I appreciated their creative use of banjos on the song. The drummer and lead zinger has a gravel voice much like that of Kim Carnes’ and, if they had the benefit of recording in a studio, their version would have sounded killer. I made that leap in my mind and decided to vote for the Maine Toughcats on the basis of originality and the fun and spunk they brought to their performance.

    I also appreciated your Eyes cartoons, especially the one with the Three Stooges.

    Thanks for the mewsical entertainment and the Friday Funnies. I wish you and DH a wonderful weekend, dear friend Cathy!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      March 1, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      Tom,

      It doesn’t surprised that you shared the fact with me before about Jackie DeShannon being the original recording artist of ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ and I just let it slip out of my mind but in my self-defense, I did have this nagging feeling like I probably knew this all alone. Somewhere in my subsconscieness I probably remembered. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know that it was you who introduced this tidbit to me a few years ago.

      I’m glad you enjoyed today’s sillies. I believe you’re right if Toughcats had a studio recording of then they’d have a killer song. Perhaps someone needs to whisper the idea in their ear. I really enjoyed the rough version so I can only imagine how good it would sound in the studio. Thanks for throwing the first vote in this round for Toughcats

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