Battle of the Bands

Dream Lover BoTB Showdown

February 15, 2022 /

Sometime last year, Tom from SPMM shared the Paris Sisters covering Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover”.  I was super impressed with her version which got me to poking around on YouTube when I discovered two other female renditions. 

It was my first video discovery that pushed me into committing to this showdown with their unusual take of a vintage rock track.  Please turn your ear and attention to Katie Keesler on guitar with Lauren Conklin on fiddle with their bluegrass cover.

Not wanting to mismatch talent levels, I found another budding musical duet from across the pond in Glasgow.  Once more, I’d like to borrow your ear to listen to Jodie and Hayley.

Who gets your favorite, Kelsey & Lauren or Jodie & Hayley? Leave your vote in comments!

I invite you to visit these fellow BOTBers!

*Unless noted, all other participants will present two battles per month on the 1st & 15th

POLSS CLOSE NOON (EST) FEB. 21st.

Tickle Me Tuesday giggles

Next week, same time slot I’ll be back to announce the winner in this round, so be sure to mark your calendar to see if your favorite artist wins in this showdown.

I plan to take part in one of the popular April A to Z Challenge. I don’t do well with these things if I try to compose my posts the day before or the day of and for the last three or four rounds of this I’ve completed or nearly finished everything before April 1st. This is is my goal for this year, which means I need to work on it now. I do have music content scheduled ahead for those who love to boogie with me or those who like the BOTB segments. All the in-between posts might be a bit spotty but if you’re subscribed to email notifications then you won’t miss a thing. Let me end by saying, thank you for your patience and understanding. This is CAAC, have a bandtastic day!

This is CAAC signing off, have a bandtastic day!


For entertainment purposes only, not a contender in the showdown

26 Comments

  • Debbie D.

    February 16, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    Hi Cathy, too bad your bonus selection isn’t part of the contest! I would have voted for him. 🙂 Between the two female duos, Jodie and Hayley offered a smoother, more mellow version, so I’m voting for them. Not a huge fan of bluegrass. Good luck with the A to Z Challenge! You will, no doubt, ace it, as usual. 👍

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 17, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      Debbie,

      Sorry you couldn’t vote for Dale Buchan (the bonus artist). He really has a great voice. If you’re a Bruce Springsteen fan, you may want to check out Dale’s YT channel. He covered Dancing in the Dark live at a restaurant or bar and the video was uploaded 4-months ago. Just thought you’d like to know. Another vote for JODIE & HAYLEY. Thanks, my friend!

  • Stephen T. McCarthy

    February 16, 2022 at 12:11 pm

    Howdy, CAThy!

    I’m-a bote for Katie Keesler & Lauren Conklin.

    I agree with John’s statement, in that Katie sounds like she could be Dolly Parton’s daughter or something.

    Get you a terrific day, my friend!

    ~ D-FensDogG

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 17, 2022 at 4:37 pm

      Stephen,

      I don’t think I made that connection with Dolly until John mentioned it. I really like this version of “Dream Lover”. Gotcha down for KATIE & LAUREN, my friend!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 17, 2022 at 4:34 pm

      Eugenia,

      I’ve kinda grown fond of today’s bluegrass sound. It’s definitely better than the bluegrass music from my childhood. Daddy likes that kind of music. When I was kid, he would do a little banjo pickin’. Anywho, thanks for voting for JODIE & HAYLEY!

      • Eugenia

        February 17, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        I love the bluegrass sound too, Cathy! I used to spend a lot of time in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which the bluegrass sound was heard everywhere. It just didn’t jive with me for Dream Lover.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 16, 2022 at 7:10 am

      Mimi,

      My third video is drawing attention. I would’ve used him but felt more compelled to let females go at it in this round. KATIE & LAUREN steal another vote!

  • Birgit

    February 15, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    I like that you went with gals singing this and ones from youtube or wherever:)). I like both but the 2nd team impressed me with the strong voices that sing so well in harmony so Hayley & Jodie get my vote. Maxine is priceless. The guy singing is excellent too.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 16, 2022 at 7:06 am

      Birgit,

      Once I found Katie & Lauren, I knew I had to find another duet performing more intimately for their viewers as opposed to someone with a studio recording. I’m glad to see HAYLEY & JODIE receiving their first vote. You kept this battle from being a blowout, my friend. Thanks! 😉

  • Sandee

    February 15, 2022 at 12:39 pm

    I like Katie and Lauren the best, so they get my vote.

    I loved the funnies so I linked this post to Happy Tuesday.

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

  • Arlee Bird

    February 15, 2022 at 12:26 pm

    Can’t say that either version bowled me over, but the more unique take was the version by Katie Kessler and the fiddle player. They get my vote.

  • John Holton

    February 15, 2022 at 11:41 am

    I liked both, but liked Katie more. She sounds a little like a young Dolly Parton, her guitar playing was a little stronger, and let’s face it, she’s a redhead. Our two Scottish lasses had good harmony, but that was about all, and the tambourine got on my nerves.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 15, 2022 at 1:20 pm

      John,

      The Glasgow duet do harmonize well but like you I preferred the bluegrass cover. Katie’s guitar playing is not only good but vocally she gives the song more character. The fiddle is a super nice touch for the string accompaniment. You know I couldn’t even hear the tambourine in the second vid until I cranked up the volume and I had to watch the girls movements to make sure I could pick up the sound. I hate my hearing limitations – so annoying but at least I can hear for which I’m very thankful for. Okay, another vote goes to KATIE & LAUREN!

  • Thomas Anderson

    February 15, 2022 at 7:14 am

    Hi, Cathy!

    Happy Tickle Me Tuesday, dear friend! I hope you and DH had a marvelous Valentine’s Day. I’ll bet his tummy is full, and I know his heart is filled with joy having you for a lifelong soul mate.

    Thank you very much for mentioning Shady’s Place again today. It makes me happy knowing that you find value in artists and songs I introduce and that my content inspires posts here on your site. I’m delighted that you enjoyed The Paris Sisters’ cover of Bobby Darin’s hit “Dream Lover.” As we discussed at the time, the siblings’ serene, sugar-sweet performance of the song on American Bandstand is borderline creepy, making it suitable for use as counterpoint in the soundtrack of a David Lynch suspense thriller.

    It starts with a great song, and “Dream Lover” is a great song. Today you presented not one, not two, but three more entertaining versions, two of which are competing in your new band battle. First, I want to let you know that I enjoyed the bonus video of Dale Buchan performing the song. Based on other uploads on his channel, such as his fine cover of Ray Charles’ mid 50s hit “I Got A Woman,” Dale knows his stuff. He captures the feel of the original artists and incorporates fresh ideas and elements of his own.

    In your battle. I found a lot to like in both duos. The Scottish pair in video #2, Jodie and Hayley, harmonize nicely and deliver a pleasing performance of “Dream Lover.” They remind me of MonaLisa Twins and Amy & Gerry Slattery, two cover acts I regularly feature. That said, their performance seemed rather ordinary, with nothing special to elicit my vote. I had a completely different reaction to the first act, Katie and Lauren, and their bluegrass cover. The bluegrass genre has grown on me in recent years, and I found their unpolished YouTube upload charming. It reminded me of the homemade cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” uploaded in the fall of 2020 by Asheville, NC, artist Lanie Gardner, a viral vid that now boasts 24.5 million views. As I watched Katie and Lauren, I got the impression that they simply sat down one day and said “let’s do this and see what happens.” The result is a refreshingly different interpretation of the old rock & roll song and a down home, down to earth, seemingly unrehearsed performance that delighted me. It’s flaws are its strengths, if you know what I mean. Therefore, I vote for duo #1 Katie & Lauren!

    Grumpy Maxine cracked me up with her post-Valentine’s Day remark about shopping for discount candy, and I love how Foghorn Leghorn and his ACME mallet have become an integral part of your BOTB feature.

    Thanks again for mentioning me today and creating a band battle based on a song you found at SPMM. Have a terrific Tuesday, dear friend Cathy!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 15, 2022 at 8:09 am

      Tom,

      Thanks for stopping by first thing this morning, my friend. DH and I had an enjoyable V-Day. Anytime, I’m with him then it’s perfect no matter what the occasion is or isn’t. 🙂 You intrigued me to scoot over to YouTube with the mention of the Asheville YTer Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” cover submitted by Lanie Gardner. Thanks for telling me about your discovery. Lanie has that smoky vocal quality that I like. I wasn’t too crazy about her high note toward the end of the song but overall I truly enjoyed listening and will sample more of her cover recordings.

      I’m delighted you enjoyed all three cover recordings of Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover”. I equally happy to see that you preferred the bluegrass rendition by KATIE & LAUREN. Their versions is quite captivating, if you ask me. It’ll be interesting to see how this battle goes.

      Have a wonderful day, my friend!

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