Battle of the Bands

Heart & Soul #BoTB showdown

February 15, 2020 /

It’s the weekend and the weekends means, no Cathy in Blogosphere. Sorry, my love! DH gets all of my attention but the good news is I can schedule posts in advance so it’s kinda like I’m with you. Well…I’m always with you in spirit.  😉

In today’s showdown, I found inspiration for my song choice in July while researching the 1938 mewsic archives.  Yeah, you thought I was going to say Valentine’s Day but I could’ve and is actually why I held off until now to use it.  I was surprised to learn that this childhood favorite my BFF and I played on the piano,  Heart and Soul (Larry Clinton and His Orchestra),  dated back to my daddy’s birth year. I’m not sure why that was such an eye-opener but knew I had to use it for Battle of the Bands.

SecondHandSongs lists 74 covers of this vintage hit.  The year I was born (1961), The Cleftones recorded a successful R&B version of this song that was used later in the 1973 film, American Graffiti.   I found four covers captured my ear but only used three of them.  If you don’t have time to listen to each completely, then feel free to play just enough of the song to see which one grabs your heart and soul best. 😉

 

The Incredibles 1966

Chris Montez and Raza 1972

Prudence Johnson 2002

Which cover artist did you like best, The Incredibles, Chris Montez & Raza, or Prudence Johnson?


[tweetthis]I just voted in the ”Heart and Soul’ #BoTB showdown! #theincredibles #chrismontez&rasa #prudencejohnson #songcover[/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 Feb. 21st!

I’ll share the results of this battle this time next week, so mark your calendar to check back to see if your favorite wins and be prepared to cast your vote in a new battle!

I hope to see you tomorrow for Songsational Sundays!

 

 

X💋X💋, Cathy


32 Comments

  • Sandee

    February 21, 2020 at 9:42 am

    If you post on the weekends I’ll rarely see it. I quit blogging on the weekends, but you mentioned this showdown in your post today and had to come over and see what’s what. I’m late to vote, but my vote goes to The Incredibles. I always tend to go for the original.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend, Cathy. Big hug. ♥

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 21, 2020 at 5:31 am

      Cherdo,

      Ha-Ha, The Incredibles – ARE! They are, aren’t they? I’d say if I were to pick one of these then they more than likely would get my vote, too. Thanks for voting!

  • aisasami

    February 19, 2020 at 10:00 am

    I swore I have heard this in a commercial once or twice before, especially in the style like Prudence Johnson’s version. Anyways, Prudence Johnson gets my votes. I love her rich, jazzy vocals!

  • Debbie D.

    February 18, 2020 at 11:11 am

    Hi Cathy! Like many others, I used to play this on the piano. 🙂 Of the three contenders, I prefer the jazzy vibe of Prudence Johnson. Sorry this is so late. It was a crazy/busy long weekend. Trying to catch up now. Thanks for voting in my battle, as well.

  • Mary B

    February 17, 2020 at 2:50 pm

    HI Cathy!

    I used to play this on the piano in my younger years (along with chopsticks). Sorry to take so long to get around to voting – but today you get two votes – one from myself and another from The Cute One..

    I’m keeping my comment short today as I’m off to treatment in a little bit.

    ~Mary

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 5:45 am

      Mary,

      Hmmm, I’m not sure how to register your vote. I’m not able to decipher your code. You said I was getting two votes one from you and the other form The Cute One but who do I give the vote to? I need my morning coffee BADLY! lol No worries, you just take care of yourself. I hope the treatments are going well, my dear. xx

      • Mary B

        February 18, 2020 at 1:36 pm

        Hey Cathy!

        As one might of guessed, I was just a tad distracted yesterday.. TCO and I are voting for Prudence Johnson.

        The treatments aren’t doing what they need to be doing. There is no change in the tumor and the lymph nodes look the same. Thursday of this week is my final ‘regular’ radiation treatment. On Monday, I become an inpatient again where they will give me an epidural and insert ‘pins’ in my tumor and lymph nodes. They will then give high dosage radiation to those pins twice a day through Wednesday. If that doesn’t do the trick – then they are talking about possibly doing chemo. They aren’t willing to talk about surgery as they are afraid I will bleed out and not survive.

        I so appreciate your thoughts and prayers. It means the world to me. Thanks for being such a dear friend.

        ~Mary

        • Cathy Kennedy

          February 18, 2020 at 3:46 pm

          Mary,

          Hey, I understand, girl! I hated mentioning the slip up but I know you would want to know. That being said, don’t ever worry about making a special trip back to over unless that’s what you want to do, k? Thanks for to you and TCO for voting. I’ll put down two more counts for PRUDENCE JOHNSON which now levels the playing field between and The Incredibles. Poor ole Chris & Raza are totally out of this battle with not a single vote.

          I hate learning that the radiation treatments aren’t doing the job. Hopefully what they’re doing now will have a positive impact in shrinking the tumor while tending to the lymph nodes. As always, you’re in my thoughts and prayers. Just know you’re loved by me and many others in Blogosphere. We’re all sending good vibes to rid your body of cancer. Big hugs to you, my dear!

  • Arlee Bird

    February 17, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    Back in my younger days I can recall so many other kids playing this on piano. It seemed to be the go to song for many and probably the only song they could play.

    Of the choices I’m going with Prudence. Just seems like the wisest choice for me.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 5:37 am

      Lee,

      “Heart and Soul” is an easy song to learn how to play on piano. Even after all of these years, I’m sure if I sat in front of the keys that I’d remember how to peck it out. 🙂 Thanks for voting for PRUDENCE JOHNSON!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 5:30 am

      Eugenia,

      THE INCREDIBLES kept their cover more true to the Larry Clinton’s original than the others with Prudence being the next closest. The Reggae version has a fun vibe to it but the duet has yet to get their first vote. Thanks for popping by!

  • Stephen T. McCarthy

    February 15, 2020 at 2:05 pm

    Good song choice, CATHY!

    I am very, very familiar with the rendition by The Cleftones as ‘AMERICAN GRAFFITI’ is one of my all-time favorite movies. I’ve seen the film so many times and even own the soundtrack, which I’ve been playing since the late ’70s.

    But of the three choices presented here, I most definitely preferred The Incredibles from 1966. Actually, although I had never heard it before now, I even like The Incredibles version better than The Cleftones, which I’ve heard about a godzillion times.

    Incidentally, although I no longer usually do BOTB installments on the 15th of each month, I made an exception this time because today is the birthday of one of my all-time best friends, who was killed by a car thief in 1989. So I decided to put together a Battle that relates to him in a couple of ways, in honor of his birth.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 5:03 am

      Stephen,

      This is a very popular song to cross many decades. It took us a long time as in years before finally getting around to watch American Graffiti. I’m not sure because we both grew up watching and loving the TV spin-off, Happy Days. The music is a fabulous part of the film. In movies these days that’s one thing that fails to please in my opinion. I’m pleasantly surprised to hear that your like THE INCREDIBLES better than The Cleftones. Thanks for giving me the heads up that you’re doing a battle this time. I would’ve been over to check anyhow because I had forgotten that you’re not doing the mid-month battle now but sometimes one is compelled like you this time to honor someone with means/meant a lot to you. That’s horrible to lose a good friend but it stings even more when it’s at the hands of another. What a senseless tragedy! I hope the car thief was captured and prosecuted. How sad! Thanks for dropping by over the weekend, my frien.

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 4:51 am

      Binky,

      It’s hard to pick sometimes and it might take me listening to the contenders multiple times before I can decide, so I understand. Thanks for visiting, little furiend!

  • Thomas Anderson

    February 15, 2020 at 7:25 am

    Hi, Cathy!

    I missed your last battle while on hiatus, but I’m back for this one. I never heard the chart-topping original of “Heart And Soul” recorded by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra feat. Bea Wain on vocals. The Cleftones’ version was a hit in my region and played heavily on my local radio station through the summer of 1961. I also remember it well from the soundtrack of American Graffiti.

    Your battle presents three distinctly different arrangements of the song. I don’t tend to like reggae influenced recordings and therefore I eliminated Chris Montez. The millennial jazz style version by Prudence seemed rather ordinary to my ears. I am congruent in liking and voting for entry #1 – the version by The Incredibles, a Los Angeles based soul quartet of the mid 60s because their version is heartfelt and most true to the original. In late January and early February of 1967, The Incredibles’ single made a run at the top 40 on the R&B chart, stopping short at #45, while Bubbling Under the Hot 100 at #122. The group was slightly more successful with an earlier single entitled “I’ll Make It Easy” which cracked the top 40 on the soul chart (#108 BU). I give my vote to The Incredibles!

    Have a tunetastic weekend, dear friend Cathy!

    • Cathy Kennedy

      February 18, 2020 at 4:48 am

      Tom,

      I’m sure it’s The Cleftones’ cover I know the best but I can’t swear to it for sure. The contenders in this round are new-to-me but The Incredibles band name sound familiar so I’m not sure if I’m remembering right. Sometimes I get old bands mixed up. I’ll go over to YT later to listen to ‘I’ll Make It Easy’. Thanks for stopping in to vote for THE INCREDIBLES!

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