TIME FOR ANOTHER BATTLE OF BANDS!
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.
I’m on a concert high once again, thanks to my old favourite, Rod Stewart, who put on a fabulous show last Friday (as he always does) in Toronto, along with special guest, Cyndi Lauper (“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”). She’s 65 and he’s 73 if you can believe it! Gives hope to those of us “of a certain age”, doesn’t it?
MORE PHOTOS PLUS CONCERT REVIEW HERE.
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With this battle, I’m pitting young Rod against older Rod, just like I did with Eric Burdon in July 2017.
HISTORY
“I Don’t Want to Talk About It” is a song written by Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by his band Crazy Horse (best-known as Neil Young’s backing band) and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten’s signature tune, but gained more fame via its numerous cover versions, especially by Rod Stewart.
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ROD STEWART 1975
In 1975, Rod Stewart recorded the song at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, for his album Atlantic Crossing. This became successful when it was released as a single. In the United States, it became a top fifty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1980 (#46 pop and #44 adult contemporary). In the United Kingdom, it topped the UK Singles Chart as a double A-side with “The First Cut Is the Deepest” in 1977. The song is widely believed to have benefitted from being deliberately released as a budget single in order to keep the Sex Pistols’ ‘God Save The Queen’ off the top of the UK Singles Chart.
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ROD STEWART 1989
In 1989, Stewart recorded a new version of “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” for Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990. It was later included on Downtown Train – Selections from the Storyteller Anthology and released as a single in 1990. It received extensive airplay on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States as an album cut, reaching number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Stewart also sang this song as a duet with Amy Belle during his 2004 tour[5] and it is included in his concert DVD.
VOTE NOW!
Please state your preference in comments below and why you chose it.
Voting remains open until 11:59 pm EDT August 21st,
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 / Cherdo On The Flipside / Curious as a Cathy / Jingle Jangle Jungle / Mike’s Ramblings / Sound of One Hand Typing / HOST: StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands / Tossing it Out
As always, “Sharing is Caring”. Spread this musical joy all over your social networks.
Hashtags are #BOTB and #dogladysden
Next Battle on this site will (probably) be October 15th.
In September, I’ll be on an extended cruise.
ROCK ON!
♫♪♫ Rockchick Rapture! ♫♪♫
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There’s still time to join the Movie Lovers #Blogfest! Open through Aug. 31.
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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!
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26 thoughts on “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT | #BOTB”
In the roughly fourteen years between the two versions Rod’s voice changed and he learned to be a singer. I’m going with Rod ’89.
His voice definitely matured over time. 🙂 Thanks for voting, John. That’s one more for older Rod.
Well, this is tough but I go with the younger version because it’s slower but the 70’s style comes through. The older version, he has more experience to fit the words but that sax comes into it to make it icky, for me so the earlier version gets my vote.
You don’t like icky sax, eh, Birgit? 😉 😀 Young Rod is doing well here! Thanks for your vote.
I can’t believe Stewart and Lauper’s ages! My gawd. I would definitely go with the earlier Rod Stewart. How ironic, as I had a show on just for background noise while I was doing something today. Some talk show and Amy Schumer was on there and said she doesn’t like Rod Stewart. I have no idea what that was about. I hope all is well Debbie! 🙂
We should all look that good at their ages, yes? Great to see you here, Mike! Welcome back. 😀 That’s another vote for young Rod. Amy Schumer obviously doesn’t know much about good music. 😛 All is well, here. Hubby and I are preparing for our 45th anniversary trip in a couple of weeks. Cruising the Meditteranean and Adriatic. Can’t wait! You must be excited about this new chapter in your life. Looking forward to reading about your adventures once again. Thanks for dropping in!
Got to go with #1. The lilt to his voice in more pronounced, gives it more feeling to me.
Nice to see young Rod catching up! This is turning into an interesting battle. 🙂 Thanks, Chris.
Good Battle, DEBBIE! (But how come I’m not seeing other comments here? I can’t possibly be the first to vote, can I?)
I don’t think I’d ever heard this song before, and I really had to think about this one. The two versions are not drastically different, so it requires some real focus and (for me, anyway) more than one playing.
I think the later version is more polished, while the 1975 recording is more rough-edged. And in that first rendition, I like the mandolin(?) being upfront and pronounced. And considering the subject matter of the song and the mood that it’s promoting, I feel that maybe the rougher version is in greater alignment.
Yeah, I think I’ll vote for the 1975 Rod Stewart. His heart sounds a bit more broken and ragged to me in that recording.
Now where the heck is everybody else?!?!
(But then this has happened to me here before — where I wasn’t able to see things that were apparently apparent to other folks. I think it may be a browser thang. Hopefully this comment of mine is going to go post correctly.)
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’
Hi Stephen; Must be your browser, or something, because I see 15 comments here. 🙂 You make a great case for young Rod and he certainly needs the votes. Thanks!
I’ll go with vintage Rod
Vintage Rod, it is! Thanks, Mike. He’s catching up a little.
Such a great song, Debbie! I’m a little jealous that you were able to see Rod and Cyndi in concert. I’m a fan of older Rod, as I think despite his throat issues, his vocal control and sound has improved over the years. I’m voting for 1989 Rod.
It’s one of my favourites, too! ♥ Rod is certainly like a fine wine, isn’t he? 😀 Another vote for older Rod. Thanks, Mary! Concerts are my favourite form of entertainment, but the prices are getting completely out of hand. 😛 We likely won’t go to that many in future.
I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this lovely song before! I like the ’89 version best as his smoke and whiskey voice has aged quite nicely.
HI diedre! Love that “smoke and whiskey” voice. 😀 Thanks for voting. Older Rod gets another one.
I like the 1989 version better. His voice is a bit smoother and I think the beat is just a step faster.
Another vote for 1989 Rod. Thanks, Janet! 🙂
I used this song a couple years ago. It’s always been a favorite of mine–especially the Crazy Horse version.
Both Stewart versions are excellent, but the earliest version from 1975 is a thing of crystalline beauty. I like the sparkle of the guitars and the sparsity of the arrangement. That version captures the nature of the song better in my opinion.
I vote for Rod in 1975. It was a very good year for me as well.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I didn’t know this was a Crazy Horse song until I started researching for the battle. That was an interesting discovery! Thanks for your vote. Young Rod, it is and yes, 1975 was a good year all around. 😀
Debbie,
WOW, I bet this concert was amazing with two fabulous entertainers sharing the stage! I enjoyed both the younger and the more mature Rod. This is a song I haven’t heard in quite some time and nearly forgot about, so it was nice to revisit once again. I think with time Rod actually sounds better. His voice is more mellow and if the truth be told he’s better looking. 🙂 My vote goes to the older Rod!
Thanks for voting in my latest BoTB. Have a bandtastic week, my friend!
I’m still floating on a cloud five days after the concert! 😀 Rod is like a fine wine, isn’t he? Getting better with age, for sure! My theory is, his face filled out more, so his nose became less prominent. Either that or maybe he got a nose job? 😉 Anyway, thanks for voting. Older Rod gets another one.
What a great song! I don’t recall they Crazy Horse original. But Rod’s covers are better than the original, in my opinion. As for which Rod I’m going with, I’ll go with old man Rod. His vocals are better and more powerful in this later version. The instrumentation is more rich. And the sax solo nailed it for me. Simply beautiful, this whole 1989 version. Love it!
Great battle, coming out of your concert high…
I’m over here getting a contact high so thanks! 🙂
Michele at Angels Bark
First vote goes to the older Rod! I had no idea this was a Crazy Horse song until I started researching for the battle. To me, it was Rod and only Rod! ♥ As for the concert, I’m still in a cloud of euphoria five days later. Glad I can share some of the joy! 😀 Thanks, Michele.