BoTB 2021 Round 5 Showdown – Thunderball

It’s the first day of a new month again and it’s time once more for another edition of Battle of the Bands!   In this showdown, I’m using the 1965 James Bond film main movie theme.  An Italian journalist dubbed 007 as “Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” summing up his character accurately.  John Berry wrote a song using the title.    Shirley Bassey originally recorded the theme song but later became unavailable so Dionne Warwick rerecorded the song.  Bassey sued the producer for using Warwick which resulted in neither version of the song releasing until the 1990s.  John Berry, music composer and director, recruited lyricist, Don Black to help him write Thunderball performed by Tom Jones. 

Every male cover I listened to tried to mimic Tom Jones and failed doing it, so I thought I’d use two new-to-me females in this round.  

First up from the 2015 album Bond Stripped & Acoustic, allow me to present to you,  Vinyl Hotel.  

Next from the 2007 album Stronghold – The Collector’s Hit Box, I give you Jennifer Rush.

Did you know when Tom Jones recorded Thunderball in the studio, he passed out?  According to Wikipedia in a 2005 interview Jones said this about the final note.

“I closed my eyes and I held the note for so long when I opened my eyes the room was spinning.”

Another interesting tidbit I learned at Wikipedia is Johnny Cash submitted a song titled Thunderball to eon producers that tells the film’s story which was trumpeted by Jones version.

Who gets your vote in this showdown, Vinyl Hotel or Jennifer Rush?  The fate of this battle rests in your hands!

 

You’ll find more awesome battles underway at some of these blog listed below and if you’d like to be included in the fun, then contact Stephen requesting to be added to the list.

Polls close noon (EST) on March 6th

Next week in my 4M time slot, I’ll announce the winner in this round.  Mark your calendar to join me on the dance floor.  Speaking of which, don’t rush off just yet.  Right after this, you’ll find some great songs playing on Monday’s Music Moves Me.  Have a tunetastic day! X💋X💋, Cathy


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31 comments

    1. Mike,

      Well…I be dog gone your vote for VINYL HOTEL ties things up yet again. This might be the end of this battle! Thanks for finding time to join me in this showdown. Have a good weekend, my friend!

  2. CAThy ~

    I dersn’t know this song (the original recording, I mean).
    I hain’t never seen a James Bond movie in my life.
    Seen lotsa John Wayne movies, though. So my Man Card is not in question.

    Listening to the first contestant, I thought I’d protly be voting for her, because I was diggin’ the scene. But, to be honest, after awhile, it started to bore me a wee li’l bit. I felt like there wasn’t enough “There” there.

    But the second version was full of dynamic dramatics and several other “D-words” that I can’t dredge up at the moment, dagnabbit and dern it all to damnation. (BTW, where is damnation? Is that somewhere between the United Nations and the Indian Nations?)

    Anyway, please chalk up another BOTB bote for Jennifer Rush, if’n ya don’t mind.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    DogGtor of Alcohology &
    King of Inebriation NATION

    1. Stephen,

      I don’t have to see you to know that your Man Card isn’t questioned. I can tell strictly by what you talked about on your blog or by your comments. But, really you need to check out those older James Bond flicks. I think you’d love them! Thanks for finding a moment to swing over to cast your vote which now puts JENNIFER RUSH ahead by one. This battle looks a tennis match with the going back and forth this one in the lead then that one and tieing up. Unless someone stops by over the weekend then I may have a winner now. Have a good weekend. Stay safe and be well, my friend!

  3. I made it! I love this song..I love all James Bond songs and this one is one of my all time favourites. I had no idea Tom Jones fainted but I can believe it! I love both versions but I am giving it to Jennifer Rush. She has an amazing voice and well trained! So many(like Whitney Houston) start screaming it out and have no control over their great voices…they need more training but this lady packs a whallop and has great control. Too bad she is not well known.

    1. Birgit,

      I’m glad you were able to join the voting process. Your vote for JENNIFER RUSH evens things up once more. Will I have tie breaker? There are a few folks yet to stop in to have a say-so and hopefully, they’ll get a chance before the polls close. Thanks, my friend!

  4. Yup, a little slow to make my rounds. I’ve been busy trying to stay on top of things, and still get all of my April posts written for the big challenge. Still have quite a ways to go on that project.

    I’m casting my vote for Jennifer Rush.

    1. Mary,

      I stay behind always, so don’t worry. As for the big challenge next month, I think I’m going to sit it out. Of course now that I said it, something probably will click with me. I don’t know. We’ll see what April brings other than showers. Gotcha down for JENNIFER RUSH, my dear!

    1. CW,

      It’s so interesting how these battle unfold. At the start it was looking so lopsided and now VINYL HOTEL is ahead by two votes!

  8. Vinyl Hotel was a real treat. I will take all of that you have to offer… I am off to hear more of this band.

    VINYL HOTEL

  9. Jennifer Rush has a great voice, but I really liked the guitar work in Vinyl Hotel’s, so I’m voting for Vinyl Hotel.

  10. Jennifer Rush’s version was a bit overdramatic and pretentious for me. I prefer the easier sound of Vinyl Hotel. I like their name too.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    1. Lee,

      I’m happy to see that you’re throwing your vote into the box for VINYL HOTEL. I was beginning to think I was going to have a shut out. Thanks!

  12. Jennifer Rush has my vote. Wow, loved her voice and the music far better.

    Have a fabulous day, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥

  13. Hi Cathy, I Love your James Bond theme! Those are interesting bits of trivia. Robert Downey Jr. starred in a movie called “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” but that was in 2005, so likely not related. Although both vocalists sounded good, I prefer the fully orchestrated version by Jennifer Rush. More emphatic and dramatic, as befits the film.

    1. Debbie,

      I took a quick look for the Downey Jr movie, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. It’s definitely not connected to James Bond. The synopsis reads as if it could be a good film. I have your vote recorded for JENNIFER RUSH. Thanks, my friend!

  14. Cathy, happy March! I hope you are well! It is a warm March 1st, but tomorrow it will be rainy and get colder. Three more weeks till sakura will start to bloom.

    I pick Jennifer Rush for the same reasons why Thomas picked Rush too (we got the same reason). I felt Rush’s version was more faithful to Bond movie themes and would similar to what I would envision Shirley Bassey to sing the song like. Was Shirley Bassey not a nice person to be around in the studio or dealing with music? Suing Dionne when Bassey wasn’t there to record it is a bit extreme, don’t you think.

    Take care! I feel like hope is on it’s way after seeing some really promising news this weekend.

    1. Amy,

      I agree Jennifer’s rendition is more true to the original style. She’s certainly not Shirley Bassey, though. Shirley sued the recording studio not Dionne. I would imagine Bassey like she was being stepped on. I’m sure there’s a whole going on than what I gathered from my readings from Wikipedia. I would imagine if the shoe were on the other foot, then Warwick might have done the same. It’s a frightful industry.

  15. Hi, Cathy! Happy 4M Monday and BOTB Day, dear friend! I hope you and DH had a nice weekend.

    That’s an interesting piece of trivia about Tom Jones fainting after holding the last note of “Thunderball” so long. In your battle, it doesn’t make sense to me for a theme song from a 007 movie to be “stripped and acoustic” when a bold and brassy orchestra and belted vocal treatment are more in character. Therefore I didn’t care very much for the version by Vinyl Hotel. New York singer/songwriter Jennifer Rush performs a version that is more faithful to the sound of other Bond film themes. Therefore I vote for Jennifer Rush. I’ll see you in a bit on your 4M post, dear friend Cathy!

    1. Tom,

      The original in its glory that Jennifer tried to replicate is a version many of us can identify easily with as a classic but there’s something magical about the simplistic pureness of the acoustic cover. Although I put together two different styles in this battle I knew right off that Vinyl Hotel might be at a disadvantage. It was worth it to see how things go down in this showdown, though. JENNIFER RUSH takes the first tally!

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