BACK FROM EUROPE AND READY TO GO!
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 dipping my toes back into the blogging waters, trying to get back to “normal”.
Not so easy, after a month away! Here we go…
HISTORY
“It Was a Very Good Year” is a song composed by Ervin Drake in 1961 and recorded first by The Kingston Trio that same year. It was subsequently made famous by Frank Sinatra‘s version in D minor, which won the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male in 1966. The single peaked at #28 on the U.S. pop chart and became Sinatra’s first #1 single on the Easy Listening charts.
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ROD STEWART
British rock star Rod Stewart included “It Was a Very Good Year” as a bonus track on his new album, “Blood Red Roses”, released Sept. 28. He wrote an extra verse to honour his wife, Penny, whom he met at age 53:
When I was fifty-three it was a wonderful year
It was a wonderful year to find the girl I’d call my own
A place where I belong and she’d love only me
When I was fifty-three
VS
RICHIE HAVENS
American singer/songwriter Richie Havens included “It Was a Very Good Year” on his 1973 album, “Portfolio”, as the first track.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE VIDEO IS NO LONG AVAILABLE.
LISTEN TO A SAMPLE HERE ►
VOTE NOW!
Please state your preference in comments below and why you chose it.
Voting remains open until 11:59 pm EDT October 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.
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Battle of the Bands #BOTB: IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR| Who did it better? Cast your vote! Share on X
Next Battle on this site will be November 15th.
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!
35 thoughts on “IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR | #BOTB”
Debbie D, the pics and text on your page are so big it’s not exactly the most navigable. Robbie Williams gets my vote as the best cover of A Very Good Year. He’s not the greatest but he’s also not “just another boy band guy”… aand not on the ballot. Okay. Rod Stewart is way too slow get it started already.. Richie Havens for the vote: Not by default because I like the son very much.
Welcome to The Den, G-Dogg! ☺️That’s the first time I’ve heard such a complaint. Are you viewing using a PC, tablet or smartphone? If it’s a computer, you can shrink any page by pressing ctrl and the minus sign. Thanks for sharing you thoughts and adding your vote. Nice to see Richie get some votes! Robbie Williams did a nice job, too!
PC. Aha, Debbie D. Bingo, ctrl – worked. Appreciative.
Great! ? Thanks for the feedback. ?
I just wrote and it didn’t take! My vote goes to the clear and smooth sound of Rod Stewart. Richie’s guitar seemed to battle and contradict with the song
Your previous comment is there, Birgit. I will catch up with replies as soon as I can. Thanks! 🙂
Welcome home! I am loving the pics you post at the other sites:) I know this song and I like Rod Stewart’s even better than Frank’s! Rod sang this without the pain showing on so many singer’s faces and he sang it clearly. Richie Havens is great on the guitar but the guitar speed and the song and how he sang it almost seem to compete with one another.
Thanks, Birgit! 🙂 I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos. I hope to start writing some travelogues, soon.
Rod is certainly the leading contender, here. Interesting that you like his version better than Frank’s!
Glad to see you back, DEBBIE! I trust you had a wonderful vacation.
I had a helluva time getting your blog to load. But the same as when I went to visit Mary, the third time was the charm (although I had to close down every other window first before my system would even THINK about loading your blog).
This is one of only a small handful of songs where I think Frankie Baby knocks it outta the park. It’s a terrific song that Frank will always “own”.
But of these two choices, I definitely go with ROD. The Richie Havens approach to the song causes it to lose the “haunted” feeling of it, which is really the main appeal for me.
So far, anyway, it looks like you’ve got a blowout on your hands. But it was an excellent song choice and it’s great to have you rejoining the BOTB Family!
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’
Hi Stephen; Sorry you had a hard time accessing the blog. Who knows what causes these glitches? There weren’t any notices (which I usually get) about technical issues. Anyway, I’m glad you made it! 😀 I agree that this is one of Frank’s best songs and was pleasantly surprised to see Rod did a cover of it for his new album. To be honest, I was scrambling to find a worthy opponent and obviously, Richie doesn’t quite cut it, judging by how the votes are leaning. That’s how it goes, sometimes! Thanks for your vote. Rod is looking like a winner, here.
Rod Stewart gets my vote but Richie does a good job as well.
Rod, it is. Glad to know you also liked Richie’s version, though. Thanks for voting!
Hey Debbie,
Welcome back into the BOTB bold-fold! Glad you’re back. You’re kicking off your comeback with a great battle. That Richie Havens version is very good. Musically it’s very interesting and I’m enjoying it tremendously. But I’m also drawn to Rod Stewart’s raspy vocals.
Tough decision here.
I went back and listened to each again and I’m sure about my vote now. I’m giving it to Rod. Not only do I like his vocals better but the instrumentation is very powerful and dramatic in his version. I just may go buy his album after hearing that cut!
(ha! “…may go buy his album…”, as if I’d actually have to GO SOMEWHERE to get it! I miss those days of visiting the record stores and spending hours flipping through the thousands of albums in the bins…
Have a great week! Excellent battle.
Michele at Angels Bark
Hi Michele; I’d say good to be back, but, it’s been hard getting into normal routines again. Sigh…Anyway, I’m glad you liked Richie’s take on the song; not that many people do. Rod is going to run away with this one, I think. He wrote most of the songs on his new album. Kind of a “mixed bag”; everything from disco to reggae. I know what you mean about record stores. Those were the days! Thanks for your vote. Rod gets another one!
Debbie,
First off, it’s great seeing you back in Blogosphere! I know y’all had the time of your lives and I can’t wait to read all about it. 🙂
You picked a furtastic battle song for this round. I hadn’t heard of the dude competing against Rod before today, so thanks for the introduction. I liked both covers. Rod’s version was a bit too slow to suit my mood. I love his vocals and the added verse to honor his wife. That’s just stinking sweet! Richie upped the tempo quite a bit but it worked quite well which totally surprised me. At first I didn’t think I was going to like it but it really took shape in my head and swaying me to cast my vote for Richie Havens. I hate doing that to Rod because I just love his voice. Oh well…that’s the way it goes sometimes. 🙂 Great fun!
Hi Cathy; We had a fabulous time on our trip, which is making it hard to get back to “normal”. 😛 I’m hoping to start writing some travelogues very soon.
Rod surely is a sweetheart and obviously in love with his wife. 🙂 I’m happy to see Richie get some attention too, though. Thanks for your vote!
Geez louise! I came into this not expecting to get wowed, and got wowed twice! I didn’t think Ritchie would interest me, and it was so good I thought poor Rod didn’t have a chance. Then I heard the guitar riff, and suddenly it was a very close race…. I think the winner depends on whether I’m in the mood for a good solid consistent song, or a McArthur Parl- style orchestration. Today, that means I give it to Ritchie by a nose hair. Tomorrow, it might have been the other way…
Hi Chris; I’m thrilled you were surprised! And that you chose Richie. I was worried this would be a shutout. Thanks! 🙂
I’m going to go with Rod Stewart. Richie Havens’s version sounds off, like all the instruments are keeping different time.
Rod is running away with this one! Thanks for your vote, John.
Good to see you back home and back on the blog. I’m sure you must have had a great vacation. I guess you’ll have some pictures to share later.
I’ve loved this song since the first time I heard Sinatra do it. That was when I was in high school. The song has so much greater significance for me now that I’m the age of the narrator of the song. It’s a beautiful song with such a bittersweet sentiment.
Havens takes an interesting approach to the song–definitely in his style. I don’t care for it as much as the original or as much as Rod’s version. Rod Stewart’s arrangement is lush and dramatic, capturing the spirit that the song is intended. Listening to Rod sing his version evokes memories and bittersweet feelings. Such a song and a great one for the Fall months.
My vote goes to Rod Stewart.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
It is a great song, for sure, and my favourite of Frank Sinatra’s. 🙂 I think most of us of a “certain age” can definitely relate. Rod gets another vote. Thanks, Lee!
P.S. I’m hoping to start publishing some travelogues in the near future. It was a fantastic trip! ♥
My vote goes to Rod Stewart.
Another vote for Rod. Thanks, Clowie! 🙂
Rod Stewart hands down because, well, Rod Stewart. – Happy to see you again. 🙂
Hands down vote for Rod! I do believe he might be running away with this one. 😀 I’d say glad to be back, but…
Anyway, it was nice to be missed. Thanks, Mimi!
I would say that you have indeed had a very good year! For this battle, I most definitely am casting my vote for Rod Stewart. The frantic strumming of the guitar for Richie Havens was distracting and made it difficult to enjoy the vocals.
Yes, it has been a stellar year, so far! 😀 Another vote for Rod. Thanks for coming by, Mary.
Rod Stewart gets my vote… The level of energy on this track is overwhelming… Easily in my all time top ten R. S. recordings, even at first listen.
Thanks for your vote, Myke. Rod starts it off. I was pleasantly surprised to find this on the album. 🙂