Battle of the Bands,  Tickle Me Tuesdays

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) #BoTB showdown

December 1, 2020 /

I didn’t know that Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) was originally recorded by Darlene Love much less that it’s an oldie (release date Nov. 1963). I made this discovery while looking for tunes to share this holiday season.

SecondHandSongs lists more than 100 covers of Miss Love’s vintage hit. I’m not sure which artist cover I know best. The truth is classic Christmas mewsic is my preference but in recent years I’ve come to enjoy the contemporary holiday songs to spice up my listening pleasure during the season. 

In today’s battle of the sexes, I picked two groups with a throw-back vibe from yesteryear. For the ladies, I’m using the new-to-me band, Good Lovelies. You have to love that name! In fact, it was the group’s name that caught my attention.

Although I notice the next band on the SHS list, I didn’t click on their verison. It was while at YouTube listening to another rendition that I spotted their video preview which caught my eye and interest to listen.  Check out Band #2, Human Nature!


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 DEC. 7th

Who gets your vote Good Lovelies or Human Nature?

I’ll be back right here next week to announce the winner in this round, so be sure to mark your calendar to see if your favorite artist wins in this showdown. 

This week, DH & I are enjoying some vacation time at home.  I’ll do my best to pop in on y’all sporadically during our R&R period.  Meanwhile, grab your coffee cup and head over to visit Stacy for Random Tuesday Thoughts and Happy Tuesday with Sandee.  My posts are scheduled as you probably assumed. Check back for my #WildWednesdays linky party where just about anything goes! X💋X💋, Cathy


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28 Comments

  • Birgit

    December 3, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    I prefer the beautiful traditional carols sung by classical artists or symphonic sounds but this is a good Christmas song and the girls are lovely but I vote for the guys who put fun into this song.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 6:26 am

      Birgit,

      Yippee, HUMAN NATURE steal yet another vote! They sure did a great come back but didn’t score quite enough votes to take the lead yet as the vote tally now stands 5 to 8 in favor of the girls. Thanks for joining the fun, dearie!

  • Stephen T. McCarthy

    December 3, 2020 at 12:02 am

    HiYa, CAThy!

    I LOVE the fact that you chose a Christmas song for this Battle! Christmastime is so short to begin with, and when I was a BOTBer, I always jumped through the open window that allowed me to use Christmas songs in my Battles (i.e., December 1st & December 15th).

    I think the Good Lovelies is a good and lovely group name! And I also really enjoyed their rendition of this song. I was all prepared to vote for them. But…

    …then I listened to Human Nature.

    That electric organ opening immediately told me, “This Election ain’t over yet!” The electric organ is my very favorite instrument, and just those opening chords caught my attention!

    In the final analysis – although I definitely dig the Good Lovelies (both name AND recording) – my BOTB Bote goes to the apparent underdog (although it was pert-dern close).

    Organ, sax, and more passionate vocals = HUMAN NATURE

    AND!… my Brother (Judge Al Bondigas) made me play BOTH songs TWICE, before he could make up his mind in this contest. He also thought the contest was pert-dern close, but ultimately he sided slightly with HUMAN NATURE.

    So… add 2 MORE BOTB Botes to HUMAN NATURE’S total. And don’t cheat! Because we will be double-checking all the Mail-In votes and the fraudulent computer votes that come in for the fake winner!!
    ;^D

    ~ D-FensDogG
    (aka STMcC)

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 6:23 am

      Stephen,

      Generally, I lean toward Christmas mewsic for my battles in December but there have been some years where I picked wintry songs instead because I know some folks get burned out on Christmas tunes. I never tire of the beautiful celebration of Jesus’ birth through song. Sure, not all holiday mewsic shares this message but the festive or story-telling lyrics stirs me magically. Man, I’m glad you and your brother got in on the action giving HUMAN NATURE two more votes. This battle has been so heavily in favor of the girls but the boys are catching up. Thanks for joining me!

  • Mary B

    December 2, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    Okay, I guess I’ll be the odd one here and vote for Human Nature. I’ve listened to quite a few of their Holiday tunes in preparation for this month, and I am pleased with the sound. They get my vote!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 6:12 am

      Natasha,

      Yes I’m sorta hosting Wild Wednesdays but the holidays have me off track a bit along with other things. I appreciate you letting me know of your WW linky party but was on vacation when you stopped by. I will certainly make it over to your place soon,though. 😉

  • John Holton

    December 1, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    I listened to Human Nature first and really enjoyed their performance, then listened to the Good Lovelies and enjoyed theirs just a little more, so I’m going with the Good Lovelies.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 6:06 am

      Brian,

      Well…1963 isn’t an oldie. I mean, look a 1961 issue. lol Old changes every year I’m blessed to have a birthday. Thanks for voting for GOOD LOVELIES!

  • Nicole/DVArtist

    December 1, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    Hi Kathy. I am not into christmas or christmas music. However, I listened to both. Each have their good point. The girls have better harmony, but the boys seem to be having more fun. I am the voting for the boys Human Nature.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 6:03 am

      Nicole,

      What’s this, you’re not into Christmas or Christmas mewsic? Are you feeling alright? 🙂 Oh well… I’m delighted you decided to cast the first vote for HUMAN NATURE which kept this battle from being a shut out. 😉

  • Sandee

    December 1, 2020 at 12:09 pm

    Love both renditions, but the girls have my vote.

    Love the professor teaching the cats how to do it right. Cute.

    Thank you for joining the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop.

    Have a fabulous Happy Tuesday. Love and hugs. ♥

  • Thomas Anderson

    December 1, 2020 at 6:41 am

    Hi, Cathy!

    Happy Tunetastic Tuesday, dear friend!

    I am very familiar with the Darlene Love original because I posted it several years ago. Darlene’s single was doomed as was the album from which it was released, the Phil Spector produced A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, originally released as A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records, a collection of secular Christmas standards recorded by his label’s singers and musicians. The single and album failed to catch on in the U.S. because the timing of their release couldn’t have been worse. Both the single and the LP hit the street on November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the nation was plunged into depression and despair Truth be told, I never was very fond of Darlene’s original version. I don’t react favorably to Christmas songs that have a rock arrangement. Somehow rock Christmas songs jar me out of the spirit, the spell I fall under during the holidays. The vocal on Darlene’s version is overwrought and so is the Spectorian Wall of Sound production treatment. In my opinion, the audio is smashed, too dense, for a holiday song. I like my holiday mewsic clear, plain and simple.

    With all that in mind, I can state that I like one of the versions of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” introduced in your BOTB. while I love the other. Here’s my rationale. The first act, The Good Lovelies, a Toronto-based folk/country harmony trio, performs the song the way I most appreciate Christmas music – simple, straightforward and with no gimmicks. Their voices blend together gloriously and the tone, the feel conveyed by their version is one of wistful, wholesome, innocent romance. During the holidays my ears and sensibilities appreciate that style.

    The Australian doo-wop group Human Nature has the unfair advantage of a video performance to watch. I believe that will influence many of the votes. They sing with pizzazz but, as I said before, I don’t react as favorably to holiday songs that are belted in this manner. Pizzazz is a negative for me at Christmas. Human Nature is a terrific group, but I was won over by the more soothing sounds of the Canadian women. I give my vote to The Good Lovelies who surpassed the Darlene Love original with their updated version of the song.

    I hope your week is restful and happy, dear friend Cathy!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      December 7, 2020 at 5:56 am

      Tom,

      Thanks for sharing some of the history behind Darlene’s song. I understand what you mean about Christmas rock is more jarring. Years ago it bothered me more to hear anything other than traditional sounding Christmas mewsic and I still prefer it but it’s grown on me over the years. While I’m late to response, I’ve kept silent tab on the contenders count. The first vote in the battle goes to GOOD LOVELIES, my friend!

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