Welcome to Battle of the Bands, Holiday Edition!
BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB), hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. is where you listen to different recordings of the same song and vote for the one you like best. Two “Battles” per month, on the 1st and 15th. Votes will be tallied and posted the following week. (Please note: Effective July 2017, some of us switched to once a month on the 15th. Others may opt to continue with twice a month.) See below for further details.
This battle features the same artists as the last one but in a different configuration.
HISTORY
“Blue Christmas” is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music, especially in the country genre. First recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948, it was popularized the following year in three separate recordings. Elvis Presley cemented the status of “Blue Christmas” as a rock and roll holiday classic by including it on his 1957 LP Elvis’ Christmas Album. Only in 1964 was it released as a commercially available single.
[Reference only. Not eligible for voting.]
On to the contest!
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MICHAEL BUBLÉ
Michael Steven Bublé, born Sept. 9/75 in Burnaby, B.C., is a Canadian-Italian singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won several awards, including four Grammys and multiple Junos. “Blue Christmas” is the 11th track from his seventh studio album, “Christmas”, released in 2011.
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WILLIE NELSON
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. His critical success has made him one of the most recognized artists in country music. Blue Christmas was included in several of his Christmas albums, making a first appearance on Pretty Paper in 1979.
VOTE NOW!
Please state your preference in comments below and why you chose it.
Voting remains open until 11:59 pm EDT Dec. 2oth,
after which I will count the votes, add mine and publish the results.
These are the other BOTB regulars and semi-regulars.
Please cruise on by their sites and, if they have a post up, vote on their selections as well:
[Check back – there’s no set posting time]Angels Bark / Book Lover / Cherdo On The Flipside / Curious as a Cathy / Janie Junebug Righting & Editing / Jingle Jangle Jungle / Mike’s Ramblings / Sound of One Hand Typing / HOST: StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands / Tossing It Out / Your Daily Dose
As always, “Sharing is Caring”. Spread this musical joy all over your social networks.
Hashtag is #BOTB
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Next Battle on this site will be January 15th.
In the meantime, come on back this Monday (Dec. 18)
for a festive photo spread featuring a fabulous place!
ROCK ON!
♫♪♫♪♫ Rockchick Rapture!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
29 thoughts on “BLUE CHRISTMAS | BATTLE OF THE BANDS #BOTB”
Willie Nelson gets my vote! Happy Holidays!
A vote for Willie. Thanks, Mike. Happy Holidays to you, as well. 🙂
I like this song especially the Porky Pig version:) I give to Michael Bublé because it sounds snazzy. I am not into country and Willie never did much for me.
HI Birgit; I’m not familiar with the Porky Pig version, but will look for it. 🙂 A vote for snazzy Michael. Thanks! Here you are:
Oh, girl – Buble all the way!! I love his version so much. Elvis has been played so many times that I can barely handle that anymore (remember, I live in Tennessee…). Willie is Willie….when you feel like Willie, nothing else will do.
Buble! And to all a good night! Merry Christmas!
Bublé, it is! 🙂 Thanks and Merry Christmas, Cherdo.
IDK, but the jazzy start to Buble just put me off. Much more comfortable with Willie, big surprise there. Willie for me.
And, a surprise vote for Willie. Thanks, Chris! 🙂 I’ve been lax about making the rounds. Apologies!
Whew; so glad Elvis wasn’t in the running. Like, ELVIS!!!!
I was all set to dislike Michael, not a fan usually, and of course I saw my boyfriend Willie was his competition. There are certain songs that Willie’s stock country twang is unsuited for (not that he doesn’t sing them well) and this is just one of those songs. Plus, I was surprised I actually liked Michael’s version quite well.
So give my vote to Michael Buble.
A surprising vote for Michael. Thanks! 🙂
Willie Nelson, please, for this boy from Tennessee. 😉
Willie is the man for Myke. 🙂 Thanks for your vote!
I like Michael’s jazzy sound, so he gets my vote.
Love,
Janie
A jazzy vote for Michael. Thank you, Janie. 🙂
Every time I hear Michael Buble, I have to wonder what people love so much about him. Here, he managed to keep his voice in check, but the “shades of Dixieland” arrangement was simply too much. I didn’t like Willie Nelson’s version, either, but I hated it less than Buble’s, so he gets my vote.
A vote for the less objectionable Michael Bublé. 🙂 Thanks, John!
Debbie,
I can’t say that I’m crazy about either of today’s artists doing “Blue Christmas”. Michael is a bit too contemporary and Willie IS too country but since I don’t like twany sounding country singers, I’m giving my vote to Michael Buble. I hope you don’t have blue Christmas with too much white this holiday season. Nice battle!
Thanks for your vote, Cathy. Another one for Michael. We’re having a major snow storm right now, so it looks like a white Christmas after all! MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🙂
Elvis’ rendition is one of my all time faves. I had a hard time even listening to the beginning of Michale Buble’s and couldn’t get into the way too jazzy feel. Give my vote to Willie Nelson.
Hi Janet; Thanks for weighing in. 🙂 Another vote for Willie!
I like the Willie Nelson version. I think the simplicity of it suits the sentiment of the song.
Hi, Clowie! Willie seems to be picking up some steam. Thanks for your vote. 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and your bipeds.
HiYa, DEBBIE D DOGLADY!
I may be the only person on the planet who does not like The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s recording of ‘Blue Christmas’.
I had never actually heard Michael Buble until BOTB. I’d heard the name, but not the singing. He’s been used many times in Battles and I’ve found that I really like him. I’m even considering buying one of his albums. (The one with ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ on it, which Michele introduced me to in one of her BOTB installments.)
But I did not care for Buble’s take on this song. WTH was that instrumental arrangement behind him?! It sounded like DIXIELAND meets ‘RAINY DAY WOMEN #12 & 35’. Ooohh! Bad idea, in my opinion!
I like WILLIE NELSON to begin with, and his version of this song is one of my favorites. Easy vote here for WILLIE — and I’ve killed the possibility of any shutout immediately. Now, let the Battle rage!…
~ Stephen
STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’
Good day to you, Stephen T. McCarthy! 🙂 You’re right about the band – it does have a Dixieland flavour. Yours is the first vote for Willie, but I’m fully expecting a close battle here. It’s ON! 😀
Hey Debbie,
Happy Holidays! I’ve always loved this song, especially Elvis’ version. I never heard the two you presented here and I must say, I like both very much! Holy crow, you’ve made this INCREDIBLY difficult! Can I split my vote??
Michael Buble’s version knocks me out! The brass is crazy good! And no one can deny his voice is beyond sexy. It’s a powerful version for sure.
But then there’s Willie Nelson. I mean I am in Austin, after all, and just an hour or so from the famed Luckenbach, Texas. You kinda can’t be in this town and not be a Willie fan.
After listening to both again, I guess I’m going to give my vote to Michael Buble. His version is so good…so good that I just put his mp3 Christmas album in my amazon shopping cart. 🙂
I didn’t get around to doing a battle this month. Too much going on and I’ve spent the last week and a half covered in ice packs for the most part and just didn’t feel like moving (I had a fall and messed myself up pretty good, nothing major but this sucks).
LOVED your battle! It actually gave me a little Christmas spirit, which has been lacking this month… Thanks Chica.
XOXO
Michele at Angels Bark
Hi Michele; Happy Holidays to you, too! I’m glad this put you in a festive mood. 🙂 Should be a close battle. 🙂 That’s another vote for Michael. I’m sorry you had such a nasty fall and hope the healing is well underway. ♥ Enjoy your doggie Christmas, amiga.
This didn’t require any thought since I knew my preference before even finishing the second version. Willie Nelson was really good, but Buble had the most interesting sounding band behind him and his vocals were fine. Give my vote to Michael.
Lee
Tossing It Out
A resounding vote for Michael Bublé to start things off. Thanks, Lee! 🙂