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!

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5/6/2011 – The “Good Rockin’ Tonight” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Good Rockin’ Tonight”

The Friday Night Cat Fight presents “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” one of the most important and influential songs every recorded.  Three versions are in contention with week, with the tune’s author, Roy Brown leading the pack with his original version from 1947.  Wynonie “Mr. Blues” Harris and Elvis Presley also take a shot at the song.  Wyonie’s went to #1 on the R&B lists in 1948 and Elvis’ version helped to spark the “Rock n’ Roll Revolution” of the mid-1950s. 

Listen to the podcast and vote for the one you truly DIG THE MOST!

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1/21/11 – The “Rockin’ Pneumonia” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Rockin’ Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu”

The Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast takes on flu season with this classic rock n’ roll tune.  We return to the original two song Cat Fight format as Huey “Piano” Smith & The Clowns’ 1957 original version of “Rockin’ Pneumonia & The Boogie Woogie Flu” takes on Johnny Rivers’ top 10 version from late 1972.  Who’s got the hotter fever?  Who’s got the colder chills?  Who’s lunch is coming up first?  You decide by listening to this week’s Cat Fight and then voting for the one that gets you the most sweaty.

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11/5/10 – The “Seventh Son” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast

“Seventh Son”

This week, The Friday Night Cat Fight looks at a classic blues tune that never became a hit UNTIL Johnny Rivers covered it in 1965 and gave it his “Whiskey Au Go Go” treatment.  The song was written by Willie Dixon and originally recorded by Willie Mabon for Chess in 1955.

Listen to all three versions of “Seventh Song” and then decide which one you dig the most and then vote for your favorite.

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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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5/14/10 – The “Fever” 7-Way Cat Fight Radio Show

Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show

“Fever”

Little Willie John first recorded “Fever”, a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell (as John Davenport) in 1956 for King.  It was a #1 smash on the R&B charts and it even crossed over to #24 on the elusive pop charts.  The tune was so popular that it led to many immediate covers.  In 1957, both Ray Peterson and Earl Grant took a crack at it.  Then in 1958, Peggy Lee put her unique, seductive stamp on it and it rose to #8 on the pop charts and an incredible #5 on the R&B lists.  In 1960, Elvis featured “Fever” on “Elvis Is Back,” his first LP after being discharged from the Army.  Alvin Robinson bubbled under the Hot 100 in 1964 with a great retelling of the song and the McCoys followed up their “Sloopy” success with a top ten version of “Fever” in 1965.  Now, listen to them all and decide which one you truly DIG THE MOST! 

Also on this week’s program, we feature some birthday tributes to Bobby Darin, Troy Shondell and Charlie Gracie.

So listen, VOTE and DIG!

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**Subscribe to my weekly email newsletter CLICK HERE to hear a vintage Friday Night Cat Fight over “Fever” from March of 2006.**

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5/7/10 – The History of “See See Rider” Cat Fight!

Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show

History Of

“See See Rider Blues”

This week, I trace the history of another blues and rock n’ roll standard, “See See Rider.”  It’s one of those songs that just feels like it’s been around forever, but like every great tune, there’s a story to tell.  Ma Rainey first dropped this on shellac in 1924 with the help of Louis Armstrong’s band.  It became a sensation in 1925 and that lead to many different covers of the tune.  I’m presenting a brilliant version by Bea Booze (1943), a doo wop version by The Orioles (1952), the first rock n’ roll version by Chuck Willis (1957), LaVern Bakers retelling of the tale (1962) and the Animals’ “take no prisoners” take from 1966.  Listen to all six versions in their entirety before making your decision and voting for your favorite.  I will also have a collage that features versions by Leadbelly, Mississippi John Hurt and Elvis Presley. 

Also on this week’s show, we bet on the horse races, hear a killer record from The Calvanes AND pay special birthday tributes to Johnny Maestro and Ricky Nelson. 

So listen, vote AND DIG!

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4/30/10 – “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” 4-Way Cat Fight Radio Show

Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show

“Gonna Get Along Without You Now”

A 1950s classic tune has been reborn and the Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show is here to present 4 different versions of “Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now.”  You are probably most familiar with young Patience (14) and Prudence (11) and their rendition of the tune.  But up for your consideration is the original hit by Teresa Brewer (1952) and Skeeter Davis’ retelling of it in 1964 as well as a brand NEW version of the song done by She & Him (Zooey Dechanel & M. Ward).  So which one is it gonna be?  Listen to all four in their entirety and then decide for yourself and VOTE! 

This week’s show also includes a mess of killer instrumentals that have been forgotten to time, Johnny Horton live on the “Louisiana Hayride” radio program from 1956 and Louis Jordan’s musical plea for racial harmony and equality.

So listen, VOTE and DIG!

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4/23/10 – The “Sweets For My Sweet” Cat Fight Show!

The Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show

“Sweets For My Sweet”

The Friday Night Cat Fight is the only show the puts 2 versions of the same song by 2 different groups up against each other and then asks for YOUR VOTE!  A common theme on this show is the Americans vs. The Brits.  This occurs so frequently, because in most cases the British covers of American tunes are so damn good, that they deserve mention.  Also, sometimes the British group scored the bigger hit, while the original American cover is left behind, forgotten.  That is not the case this week, as The Drifters scored a major top 20 hit on both the American pop and R&B charts.  The Searchers 1963 cover hit #1 in the UK, but failed to chart Stateside when it was released here in 1964.  So please listen to this week’s Cat Fight Show and then make your choice and VOTE for the one you truly DIG THE MOST!

Also on this week’s program, we find out what Mel Torme and a guitar virtuoso have in common, we make some R&B phone calls with Big Walter and Floyd Dixon AND we talk to former Oriole Diz Russell about Sonny Til, the man.

So listen, vote and DIG!

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4/16/10 – “You’re The Boss” Cat Fight Radio Show

Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Podcast

Who’s The Boss?

This week’s Cat Fight is a battle of the duets and the question for you to decide and vote on is, who’s the boss?  Will it be LaVern Baker and Jimmy Ricks’ original version of this Leiber/Stoller tune OR Elvis & Ann-Margret’s sexy interpretation. 

Plus, this week’s show features some really early Solomon Burke, a trip down to New Orleans and a new tune from the legendary Peter Wolf as well as one of Wolf’s greatest stories of all-time.

So listen, vote and dig!  The Friday Night Cat Fight Radio Show is on the air!

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