10/15/10 – “Matchbox Blues” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Matchbox Blues”

The Friday Night Cat Fight takes on one of the greatest and most recognizable classic blues tunes this week with a 4-way Cat Fight over “Matchbox Blues.”  Blind Lemon Jefferson’s 1927 original will go up against Leadbelly’s 1934 Library Of Congress field recording, while Carl Perkins made it his own in 1957, it was The Beatles that took it into the American Charts in 1964.  Listen to all 4 and then decide for yourself which one you truly DIG THE MOST!

Plus, at the end of the Podcast, I’ll have a little tribute to 2 great soul singers that passed away over the past week (Solomon Burke & General Johnson).

Listen, Dig and VOTE!

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9/24/10 – The “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

This week’s Cat Fight takes the classic Motown tune and spins every charting version of the song from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles original unreleased version to The California Raisins’ 1988 near-miss.  In the middle, you’ll find mega-hit versions by Gladys Knight and The Pips and Marvin Gaye.  Creedence’s eleven minute version from 1970 was issued as a three minute single in 1976 and just missed hitting the Pop Top 40, while Roger took the tune BACK to #1 on the R&B charts in 1981.  Vote for your favorite version of this classic tune.

Listen, vote & dig, baby!

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9/17/10 – The “Stagger Lee” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

Stagger Lee (Stack O Lee)

This week, a true story (Lee Shelton shot Billy Lyons in 1895) comes to life in song.  I’ve been wanting to do a Friday Night Cat Fight on “Stagger Lee” or “Stack O Lee” for a very long time.

The story comes to life in the form of the Delta Blues of Furry Lewis and Mississippi John Hurt, the New Orleans R&B of Archibald and Lloyd Price (who’s version topped both the R&B and pop charts) and many others along the way.  Listen to the podcast and then VOTE for your favorite version of “Stagger Lee” below.

Leave a comment on this page and let everyone know why you voted for one version of “Stag” over the others.

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8/13 – 9/10/10 – The Elvis Triple Threat Cat Fight!

**Extended Voting**

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

THE
ELVIS
TRIPLE
THREAT

The dog days and cat nights of August are ON FIRE with this week’s Friday Night Cat Fight Battle Royale, THE ELVIS TRIPLE THREAT!  Matt The Cat commemorates the 33rd anniversary of Elvis’ death with not one, not two BUT THREE Cat Fight’s rolled into one.  In round one, the “King” returns from his stint in the Army only to battle Lowell Fulson over “Reconsider Baby.”  Then, round two heats up with Elvis’ top 10 rendition of Ray Peterson’s classic “The Wonder Of You.”  Finally, the crowd can’t sit still as the Big “E” takes it to the streets to battle the gang from Washington, DC better known as The Clovers way “Down In The Alley!”

Vote three times in this week’s historic Cat Fight.  Can Elvis win 2 out of 3 and take the title OR will he be defeated and sent back to the minors.  The answer is in your hands.

Listen to the Cat Fight Podcast and then vote THREE TIMES below!

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8/6/10 – The “Do You Want To Dance” Cat Fight

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Do You Want To Dance”

Put on your dancin’ shoes for this week’s Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast over the classic rock n’ roll tune, “Do You Want To Dance.”  This week, all six of the versions in competition made the pop charts.  Of course, some did much better than others, but they all cracked the Hot 100.  So I really think we have an even playing ground.  Bobby Freeman wrote the tune and scored its biggest hit to date with his 1958 original.  The Beach Boys came close to Freeman chart-wise as did Bette Midler (the song that really launched her career).  Del Shannon, The Mamas & The Papas and The Ramones all did their own unique versions of the tune, even if they didn’t chart as high.

So listen to the podcast, dig the tunes and VOTE for the one you DIG THE MOST!

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7/30/10 – The “Hang On Sloopy” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Hang On Sloopy”

“Hang On Sloopy,” which has become the official State Rock Song of Ohio is this week’s feature on the Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast.  We’ll start with the original version (“My Girl Sloopy”) by The Vibrations and follow that with 6 other mostly hit versions of the tune, including the McCoy’s #1 version from 1965.  So listen to the show, hear the varied versions and decide for yourself which one you DIG the most!  Then vote below.

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7/16/10 – The “Sloop John B” Cat Fight

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Sloop John B”

This week’s Friday Night Cat Fight takes on a classic folk tune and shanty, “The Sloop John B.”  It began as a Bahaman folk tune and was first recorded by archivist Alan Lomax in 1935.  From there, groups like The Weavers, Kingston Trio and The Beach Boys made it a part of popular culture.  Listen to all five versions of the “Sloop John B” that are in competition this week and vote for the one you dig the most.

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7/2/ & 7/9/10 – The 4th Of July Cat Fight (Only In America)

Friday Night Cat Fight

“Only In America”

This week, the Friday Night Cat Fight takes on a song about the “American Dream” that was a hit for Jay & The Americans in August of 1963.  The tune was originally presented to and recorded by The Drifters.  However, Atlantic didn’t feel that they could release a tune that spoke of opportunity for all by a black group at that time.  Now, it’s your turn to judge who had the better song.  Listen to the Cat Fight and vote for your favorite version of “Only In America” below.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

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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!

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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. 

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