Under the Bridge BOTB Showdown
Originally composed in the fall 2021, I am now finally able to pull another draft slowly from its slumber for today’s edition of Battle of the Bands. Mary inspired my song choice with Red Hot Chili Pepper “Under the Bridge”. The song sounded familiar but a lot of older music gets covered and I’m not sure if it’s the original or another version I remember. This prompted me to sample other renditions, thus inspiring today’s Battle of the Bands showdown.
Who captured your ear best in this round, All Saints or First to Eleven? The choice is yours! Cast your vote in comments before you leave. I invite you to check out other participants’ battles located in my side bar underneath the BOTB banner. —>
Polls close noon (ET) May 21st!
I will announce the winner in this battle round in my Monday’s Music Moves Me post on the 22nd, so look for it there. Speaking of which, my 4M post goes live at 6am and you’re invited to step onto the dance floor with me. This is CAAC signing off, have a bandtastic day! XO, Cathy
18 Comments
Stephen T. McCarthy
Hi, Hello, Howdy & HiYa, CAThy!
This is the only song I’ve ever heard by the Red Hot Chili Peppers that I really liked. In fact, I used this song by them in a BOTB installment back in 2015, when I was doing a “Los Angeles” Battle theme. That was a really great contest against David & David’s ‘Welcome To The Boomtown’. (David & David won 13 to 12. Wow! What a Battle that was!!)
The Saints added some elements to the song that made it sound almost completely different from the original. I liked that siren touch. Having lived in L.A. for about 34 of my 63 years, I know that’s a commonplace sound in the city of demons. ;^)
Both covers were pretty good. First To Eleven did the song very much like the original, and I always knock a point off for that, because I think if a band is going to do a cover of a famous hit, they need to find a way to make it their own somehow. First To Eleven was basically just copying the same arrangement that the Peppers used.
So… please give my vote to ALL SAINTS, primarily because they truly did put their own original stamp on their cover rendition. Plus, nothing says “helL.A.” quite like the sound of a siren. Ha! (Ain’t I a snarkastic punk?)
~ D-FensDogG
(helL.A. survivor!)
Cathy Kennedy
Hiya Stephen,
Hmmm, I don’t remember you using this song for a past battle. That’s really interesting. I’m like you, I prefer a well known song get reshaped a bit by a cover band to make it more there own but not so out of shape that I don’t recognize it. I have you down for ALL SAINTS, you snarkastic punk! lol
messymimi's meanderings
First to Eleven. I just really liked their sound.
Cathy Kennedy
Mimi,
Sometimes there’s no other reason than you just like the way a band sounds to give your vote to them. I have you down for FIRST TO ELEVEN, my dear!
Brian
I didn’t know the original but All Saints sounded good to me.
Cathy Kennedy
ALL SAINTS gets a second vote. YAY! Thanks, Brian for helping them out.
John Holton
I like the All Saint vocalist’s voice better. They get my vote.
Cathy Kennedy
Finally, ALL SAINTS are on the board! Thanks for keeping this battle from being a blow out. It’s going to end very lopsided I fear but it’s still early. We’ll see how it goes.
Sandee
First to Eleven is my pick this battle.
Have a fabulous day and week, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥
Cathy Kennedy
Another vote for FIRST TO ELEVEN! Thanks for playing along, Sandee.
Eugi
It’s First to Eleven for me, Cathy! I like their sound. Btw, Happy Mother’s Day!
Cathy Kennedy
Eugi,
Thanks for the MD wishes and for stopping by to cast your vote for FIRST TO ELEVEN. So, far they are running away with this battle!
Birgit Bedesky
First to Eleven is my puck. She has a better sound and I like the band with her. Seems more alive.
Cathy Kennedy
Thanks for stopping by to vote in this battle, Birgit. I have you down for FIRST TO ELEVEN! 🙂
Thomas Anderson
Hi, Cathy!
Happy Monday and BOTB day, dear friend! I hope you and DH had a nice weekend and hope you and your DDs had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Turning to your band battle, this is an impossibly hard voting decision for me because I love the Brit girl group All Saints. As you recall, I recently made their recordings the focus of an entire post at Shady’s Place. I also love Audra Miller and her Erie, PA, band First To Eleven and have posted a good number of their covers in recent years.
Released in the spring of 1998 as a double-A side single along with a cover of “Lady Marmalade” which I ran on my blog, the All Saints funky pop/R&B version of “Under The Bridge” is excellent and highly listenable. Both songs on the double-A single topped the UK chart. However, the Peppers criticized All Saints for leaving out important lines that convey the intended meaning, turning it into a less depressing song than the original. That is key to my voting decision, because the pain and depression of the song are more authentically rendered by soulful Audra and her guys. First To Eleven is on a tremendous roll, uploading one fantastic cover performance after another to their Y/T channel, and “Under The Bridge” is a great example. I vote for F211 and thank you for introducing both of these ultra high quality acts to the uninitiated.
I’ve got my annual Mother’s Day tribute running at Shady’s Place and hope you can stop over before it gets bumped. I’ll be back in a few minutes to listen to more great sounds on your 4M dance floor. Have a wonderful week, dear friend Cathy!
Cathy Kennedy
Tom,
I do remember quite well you spotlight All Saints on SPMM. I’m surprised in the end you with FIRST TO ELEVEN but can’t blame you. They really have a cool vibe. Thanks for voting. Have a bandtastic day, my friend!
Arlee Bird
I think this is a good Red Hot Chili Peppers song. I like the stuff this group does though I don’t think I’ve ever bought any of their albums.
I like what All Saints did with the song. Nice interpretation.
But I prefer the live sound of First to Eleven and the vocals are very nice.
I give my vote for First to Eleven.
Lee
Cathy Kennedy
Lee,
You’re the early bird in this battle. RHCP hit my radar after I started blogging more or less. I barely remember them from the day. All Saints another group I that flew right over my head Tom shared their stuff a few yeas back making me go WOW. First to Eleven was a new discovery. I’m glad you enjoyed them enough to cast your vote for FIRST TO ELEVEN. Have a bandtastic day!