8/5/11 – The “Oh, Babe!” Cat Fight Podcast!

The Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Oh, Babe!”

This week’s Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast features a song that was a flicker in time.  Back in late, 1950, no less than 6 artists charted with versions of the Louis Prima penned song, “Oh, Babe!.”  Many of them charted on the rhythm and blues side of things, but Kay Starr and Prima himself had hits with the tune on the pop lists.  Since 1950 and 1951, this song has faded from the public’s musical consciousness, but now it returns thanks to the Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast with Matt The Cat.

Listen to all six versions of “Oh, Babe!”, VOTE and DIG!

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

3/11/11 – The “Nature Boy” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Nature Boy”

This week, The Friday Night Cat Fight is a battle royale between 4 distinguished crooners over the classic, if not eerie tune, “Nature Boy.”  Nat King Cole scored the first and biggest hit in 1948, but Sinatra and Haymes each had top 20 versions of the tune also in ’48.  Bobby Darin brought it back to life in 1961 with a slightly different take on it musically and today, “Nature Boy” is a jazz standard. 

Listen to the podcast and vote below for your favorite version of “Nature Boy.”

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

1/7/2011 – The “Unchained Melody” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Unchained Melody”

The Friday Night Cat Fight takes on one of the most popular, most covered and best selling songs of all-time with “Unchained Melody.”  Originally, it was written for the 1955 motion picture, “Unchained,” but after Les Baxter released an instrumental version of the tune on Capitol and it hit #1, it became one of the biggest songs of 1955, with versions by Al Hibbler and Roy Hamilton topping the R&B charts and charting top 10 on the pop lists.  We’ll also feature some very unique and heartfelt renditions of “Unchained Melody” by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps (1957), New York’s Vito & The Salutations (1963) and the mega-selling 1965 Righteous Brothers classic.

So listen and then vote for your favorite version of “Unchained Melody.”  With over 500 covers of this tune, I couldn’t feature them all, but I think all six that are featured here are worth your time.

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

12/17/2010 – The “Let It Snow!” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”

The Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast takes on the classic tale of winter joy, “Let It Snow!  Let It Snow!  Let It Snow!” which first appeared on record in 1946 by Vaughn Monroe.  We’ll give Vaughn some stiff competition by putting strong performances by Frank Sinatra (1950) and Dean Martin (1966).  Listen to the Cat Fight and then vote for your favorite version of this winter classic.

Let the nog flow and have a wonderful holiday season.  Happy New Year, everyone.  2011 is gonna be BIG!

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

11/19/2010 – The “Peter Gunn” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Peter Gunn”

This week, the Friday Night Cat Fight focuses on one of the most popular and recognizable television theme songs in history.  “Peter Gunn,” the TV show premiered on NBC in 1958 and lasted until 1961 (switching to CBS).  Henry Mancini composed the theme, but it was Ray Anthony’s 1959 version of the tune that put it on the charts (hit #8 US).  Duane Eddy and The Blues Brothers did smokin’ versions of the tune and The Art Of Noise even won a Grammy for their version in 1986.

Listen to the podcast and dig on all the different versions of “Peter Gunn” and then vote for the one you truly DIG THE MOST!

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

7/23/10 – “You Are My Sunshine Cat Fight Royale!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“You Are My Sunshine”

This week’s Cat Fight is a battle royal as 10 different versions of the classic tune, “You Are My Sunshine” battle it out.  Now, 10 are in competition, but this podcast contains 18 1/2 different versions of the tune, so stand back!  For many years, country music legend and former governor of Louisiana Jimmie Davis claimed to have written “You Are My Sunshine,” but the reality is that he bought it off of Paul Rice of The Rice Brothers Gang (who cut their version in 1939).  Listen to the show to hear many unique versions of the song ranging from country to pop to R&B and soul.  Pick the one you dig the most and vote for it below.

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

6/25/10 – The “Java” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Show

“Java”

The Cat Fight puts 3 versions of the instrumental “Java,” by 3 different cats from Louisiana up against each other this week.  All 3 versions appeared on RCA Victor.  Allen Toussaint, who originally recorded for RCA under the name “Tousan,” wrote the tune and recorded the first version.  Then, piano master Floyd Cramer took it to the charts in 1963.  But “Java” didn’t really heat up until Al Hirt hit #4 with it back in 1964.  Listen to all 3 and vote for the one that moves you the most!

Plus, I’ll feature a terrible cover of the Buchanan & Goodman classic, “The Flying Saucer” as well as a groovy tune that got a lot of inspiration from Santo & Johnny.  All this and more on this week’s Friday Night Cat Fight Show!

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

6/18/10 – The “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” Cat Fight Show

Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show

“(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons”

This week’s Cat Fight tackles one of the sweetest love songs of all-time, William “Pat” Best’s “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons.”  He wrote it as a poem to a girl when he was just a kid and then it became an enormous hit for Nat King Cole in 1946.  This week, I feature 15 different versions of this classic tune, but only 9 of them are in competition for the Cat Fight.  Listen to the show and then vote for the version you truly dig the most. 

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

6/11/10 – The History of “Frankie & Johnny”

The History Of

“Frankie & Johnny”

This week, The Friday Night Cat Fight tackles one of the greatest folk tunes of all-time, “Frankie & Johnny.”  We trace the history of the tune back to the Nineteenth Century and play 15 different versions of the song.  Only 6 versions are in competition in the Cat Fight this week, though.  The classic blues rendition of the tune by Mississippi John Hurt leads us off, then we jump to Johnny Cash’s telling of tale as “Frankie’s Man, Johnny” from 1959.  From there, Brook Benton and Sam Cooke give the tune a soul twist from the early ’60s.  Versions by the Greenwood Country singers and Elvis round out the competition. 

The rest of the show is filled out with various blues, country, big band and rockabilly versions of “Frankie & Johnny” that it’ll make any man think twice before doing his woman wrong. 

So listen, dig and VOTE for your favorite version of “Frankie & Johnny” on the Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Podcast with Matt The Cat.

 Loading ...

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

5/28 & 6/4/10 – The “Prisoner Of Love” Cat Fight & More!

Friday Night Cat Fight Show

“Prisoner Of Love”

Six different versions of the 1931 song, “Prisoner Of Love” compete this week in the “World Famous” Friday Night Cat Fight.  We begin with Russ Columbo’s original recorded version, which he also had a hand in writing.  Then we move to Perry Como’s chart-topping rendition from 1946, a year that also saw 2 successful R&B performances of the tune.  In 1960 Bo Diddley recorded a unique version of “Prisoner,” but it was never released.  Finally, we end with one of James Brown’s biggest pop hits and his inspired take on “Prisoner Of Love.”  Listen to all six versions of the tune before voting on which one you dig the most.

Also, on this week’s program, a song set salute to the 1960s dance, The Watusi as well as a set of songs about fairy tale legend, Little Red Riding Hood.

So listen, vote and dig!

 Loading ...

Have a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend and start of summer!  If you feel like some summer songs, please visit my Cat Fights from last year at this time by using the “archive” menu to the right.

There will be no Cat Fight Show next week, but I will return on June 11, 2010.

Soulfully,

Matt The Cat

Podcast: Play in new window | Download