Go the Distance #BOTB #music

I will find my way
I can go the distance
I’ll be there someday
If I can be strong
I know every mile
Will be worth my while

Hello, kittens & dawgs! I survived the #AprilA2Z challenge with no tears or blood shed and life is as before….back on track. Thank you for patiently sticking with me.

Feeling all inspired with my recent accomplishment. I decided Michael Bolton’s Go the Distance, (not included in the show-down) is the perfect song choice for Battle of the Bands (BoTB) May 1 installment.

I’m sure you already know Hercules is a Disney (1997) animated production and “Go the Distance” is the featured songs from the film. Written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel, it was originally recorded by Roger Bar, an American actor, in his film role as the singing voice of Hercules.

Michael Bolton, an American singer/songwriter, recorded a pop version of the song for the film’s end credits. Go the Distance peaked at #24 on the Billboard Top 100, but went on to #1 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. An interesting note is I learned that Ricky Martin (as Hercules) recorded and performed the Spanish version for both the movie and in the credits. Martin included his version on his Vuelve album, you can listen to his sexy cut, here(not included in BoTB).

This is one of those songs that isn’t covered a lot. However, I did find a few unknown artists who added their own personal style to the original.

The first band is a UK punk rock band. I’m not a fan of punk style music, but I thought it would be fun all the same to throw it in the mix this go around, especially considering my choices limitations.

I present to you Stay Late.

Stay Late

 

The competition is an American rock n’ roll singer/songwriter from St. Paul,  Minnesota. I give you Jonathan Young (feat Drew Hurst).

Jonathan Young ft Drew Hurst

I prefer the original done by Bolton, but it’s always fun to see what others are doing and to share these discoveries with others. Maybe, you already heard these versions before and then maybe not. It’ll be interesting to see who wins.
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Thinking of yourself, when the going gets tough, does the tough get going or quit? For the most part, I stick things out to the end even if it feels like I’m dying. I don’t ever want anyone to say I’m a quitter, but there are times I quit only because I realized my limitations and chose to listen to that small voice inside.

Okay, visit STMcCP to get the 411 on how Battle of the Bands works, but those who know what to do then it’s time to play along with the other members!

I’ll have the results next week this time, in my side menu, so I invite you to check back to see if your pick wins. Before I go, I want to share one Flashback Friday memory.

Tomorrow marks the the 21st anniversary of my youngest child’s birth. I want to say, Although, you’re not a baby (you will always be in my heart, though) anymore, it’s hard to believe at 6’3″ and 200+ pounds that you were ever this small! Happy Birthday, DS! I love you!!

Until we meet again, have bandtastic day and I hope to see you tomorrow Saturday Songsuasion!

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25 comments

  1. I already voted Young.

    I really can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said. I thought that Stay Late felt like shouting vs. singing. I wonder what that would’ve sounded like if he’d tried to actually sing it???

    I understand the feeling of wanting to use a song (because you like it so much) and discovering that the possible match-up choices aren’t what you’d hoped for. In the end, we all just do our best… and you are no exception!

  2. Hi Cathy.
    Happy birthday to your youngest!

    Michael Bolton is okay – he does a nice job with the Disney song. I think I have a problem with the song itself, or I’m brain dead – which is possible. To me Disney songs all seem to sound alike… I’m sorry 🙁

    I did like Jonathan Young’s version, but I think I was swayed by the music… sounds a bit like ‘Journey.’ I also liked the guitar bit! So that’s it for me… Jonathan Young gets my vote. Nice find on the versions,Cathy!!

    1. Dixie, thanks for the bday wishes for DS. I get what you’re saying about Disney songs sounding alike. I hear that, too. But, still I love ’em! I think it’s because it makes me think of my kiddos when they were small, you know? There’s nothing like having that kind of powerful emotional connection to a tune, huh? Speaking of versions, I did come across a few female artists doing this song, but they sounded so close to Bolton’s version and simply weren’t nearly as interesting as the ones I decided on. Oh well…thanks for voting! Now, to hop over to check out your BoTB addition! 😉

  3. Oh I go for Jonathon Young’s version even though I feel it needs work-hahahaaa-Who am I regarding music. He seems to rush it and needs to reign things in but even saying that I like his voice much better and the whole feel of it better than the first. I am not into punk much at all so maybe that is a reason

  5. I really liked Stay Late. I did not finish listening to Jonathan Young, didn’t like that deep voice for this right off. Love Michael Bolton, but I really think Stay Late did a much better rendition. I’ll have to find more of his songs. Way cool, thanks Cathy.

    Have an awesome weekend 🙂

  6. CATHY ~
    I submitted my vote for JONATHAN YOUNG.
    For one thing, he’s actually “singing” the song. Also, he seems very likeable (yeah, I watched the post-song video stuffs too). It’s hard to believe the guy is from Minnesota though, because to me he sounded a shade “English”. I thought I detected a wee bit o’ English accent. Maybe he does it consciously.

    I wouldn’t quite classify Stay Late as “Punk Rock”, although they do have some of the “Punk” aspects to their sound. I would say they were more of a Punk/Hard Rock hybrid.

    Regardless, the problem with Stay Late and most other “Punkish” bands like them is that they mistake speed and loudness for passion. Worst of all, their singers can rarely sing; they just shout everything right up against the mic thinking it makes them “intense”. They have NO CONCEPT of how to really use the human voice with nuance and how to inject emotion into it by the use of phrasing and modulation.

    Whoever that “singer” is for Stay Late, he is no more a “singer” than I am, and I have NEVER felt I could sing worth a darn. But there is nuttin’ he’s doing with his voice on that song that I couldn’t do myself. And yet, he gets in front of a mic and shouts a bunch of lyrics and somehow that makes him the “singer” in a band. I don’t think so!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    ‘Loyal American Underground’

    1. Stephen, I love how you dissect these BoTB segments. It’s for the reason I enjoy this meme SO much! I learn the reasons why I do or do not like a song/artist after reading your (and the others) comments. I can’t sing a lick, but I can do a lot of yelling. Maybe, we should get a band together with others like us. I’m sure we’d go straight to the top, too. lol Thanks for voting Jonathan Young.

      1. I’m all for it. We’ll call ourselves ‘CATHY & THE CATBIRDS’ (we can’t sing like birds but we shriek like cats).

        I can sense the money rolling in already!

        ~ D-FensDogG

  7. I have never forgiven Michael Bolton for his version of “Dock of the Bay”…

    I had a hard time listening to this one, regardless of who was doing it. I think I just don’t like the song. Of the two versions entered in the battle, Jonathan Young’s was better than Stay Late’s, so he gets my vote.

    1. You’re too funny, John! Bolton does okay with Dock of the Bay, but no one does it like Otis Redding. It’s interesting how everyone feels about these two bands. I felt the same way, too. But, I still wanted to pit them against each other and to see what y’alls reaction would be. It seems everyone is siding with my pick thus far. Thanks for voting even though your heart wasn’t totally into either group.

  8. Hi, Cathy! Once again I want to let you know how much I appreciate your visit to SDMM today. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am overjoyed to have you in my circle and to be welcomed so warmly into yours.

    Truth be told, I never saw the Disney movie Hercules and never heard this song before, not even Bolton’s original. That said, I enjoyed all three versions. It might be a guy thing, but I almost always prefer music that packs a punch to that which is more subdued. Therefore, I liked the punk version of “Go The Distance” a little more than the second one. Stay Late achieves a retro sound that recalls the glory days of 90s grunge and alternative rock. I liked it. Stay Late gets my vote.

    Happy birthday to your youngest child, 21 years old tomorrow! (I’d give anything to be FIFTY-one again! 🙂

    Thank you for reaching out to me and for your wonderful comment on my blog, dear Cathy. I predict our budding friendship will “go the distance.”

    1. It’s a pleasure to have you join my little niche in Blogosphere, Shady. I have a great-great-great grandpa named Dell. That was the first for me seeing that spelling and now it’s part of your name. That’s rather cool. Thanks for leaving your lovely comment on why you picked Stay Late. I’m not much of punk rocker, but felt it an interesting twist. It’s hard to believe our youngest kiddo will be 21. The years just zip by. I think age is more or less a mind set, even when our body’s tell us otherwise. I waged war against growing old years ago and am determined to fight it tooth and nail. As long as the Lord gives me continued good health then that’s precisely what I plan to do. So glad to have you as the newest member of BoTB!

  9. I voted for Stay Late but couldn’t say I was over keen on either. But I did want to offer congrats on your young un’s 21st birthday, and to say that I try not to quit on much, unless it’s giving up chocolate …

    1. I appreciate the congrats & bday wishes for DS! Time really has a way of zipping by, doesn’t it? Thanks for casting a vote on May 1st BoTB. Both groups are different and not quite up to Bolton’s (or Ricky Martin)level, in my opinion, but I thought they were good enough for them to go head-to-head. Thanks for making me apart of your April visits. Let’s keep it going, shall we?

  10. I kind of expected to hate ‘Stay Late’, because I don’t care for most of that Punk stuff, but I found that I didn’t. BUT, I still voted for Jonathan Young, cause I just liked his version better,

    1. Fae, I know exactly what you mean about punk rock and thought sure as the world that I would hate Stay Late, but in fact it was kind of fun & fresh. However, in the end I preferred Young’s cover, too. I wouldn’t say either are fabulous renditions, but like I said my choices were so limited and I really wanted to feature this song.

  11. Actually I prefer either of these over Bolton’s original. On the poll I vote for Stay Late, but then listening again to the Young version I starting to prefer that one with the bigger production. So that confuses things maybe but my real vote goes to Young. They’ve both good though in their own ways.

    Great Themed BOTB with the nod to A t o Z.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Join us on May 4 with your post of Reflections about this year’s A to Z.
    Tossing It Out

    1. What do you mean, Lee, you don’t like Bolton’s original? I take this that you are not a Bolton fan. I really like his voice quite a bit, but I do not own an album of his and I think I only have one song of his. Stay Late & Jonathan Young are good for what they are, but no one does this song like MB with the exception of Ricky Martin and he has that Latin mojo going for him which is SO appealing to most females.

      1. It’s not that Bolton’s original is bad, but it’s big and dramatic like a song from a soundtrack from a Disney animated film–oh, yeah, huh, that’s what it is. Bolton’s definitely got talent, but I’m not a big fan of his or his style. However I don’t dislike it either and it’s perfectly listenable to me. I would imagine that I wouldn’t even mind having one of his albums and enjoy listening to it. Martin is fine as well–I am more inclined toward his singing style.

        Arlee Bird
        A to Z Challenge Co-host
        Join us on May 4 with your post of Reflections about this year’s A to Z.
        Tossing It Out

        1. Ah, I totally get where you’re coming from. Ever since I started doing the music memes, I try to listen to a song or the artist to find the specialness. I can be swayed by a person’s voice theatrics. I don’t know, if that’s a good or bad thing, but it may not be quite discerning in music as others, but I hope to learn as I go. I love how you and the others on BoTB are so good with explaining why you like or dislike an artist. It really helps me to grow into the person I want to be where music goes. Thanks for clearing up that Bolton is talented, but only listenable, Lee.

  12. I definitely believe that we have to go by our own standards. We are only a quitter if we think we are, not someone else.
    I wanted to stop and say Hi, even if I don’t feel qualified to vote on this one.

    1. McGuffy, anyone who stops by to listen IS qualified & HAS the right to vote!So, please don’t give this a second a thought and cast your vote, ok? There are some folks who fall into the quitter category no question about it. I’m not talking about the average person who starts something and realizes that he/she has gotten into something way over his/her head. We all have been there and can relate. A “real quitter” is the person who never finishes anything.

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