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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7/23/10 – “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.

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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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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.

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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!

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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

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5/21/10 – The History of “Midnight Special”, 7-way Cat Fight & More

Friday Night Cat Fight Show

The

History Of

“Midnight Special”

The “Midnight Special” is a traditional folk tune about a passenger train that roared past a prison every night.  The singer of the tune dreamed of the freedom that waited just outside his prison walls.  It was first committed to paper in 1905, but didn’t appear on record until 1926 when Dave “Pistol Pete” Cutrell recorded it for Okeh with some new lyrics that referenced his band.  Leadbelly popularized the song after he let Alan Lomax record him singing it for the Library Of Congress in 1934.  The song entered the R&B charts as an instrumental in 1948 with Tiny Grimes cutting it for the then new Atlantic Label.  In 1952, The Weavers had a small hit with is, but it didn’t hit the Rock n’ Roll Era until Big Joe Turner cut it in 1957.  From there, it became a pop hit for Paul Evans in 1960 and Johnny Rivers in 1965.  Credence Clearwater Revival included their inspired version of “Midnight Special” on their 1969 LP, “Willie & The Poor Boys”.  This week, 7 versions of the tune (Leadbelly to CCR) will be competing for YOUR Vote.  For historical purposes, I do include the original 1926 recording by Dave Cutrell.

I’ll also take a look at some of the popular songs that were recorded on THIS DAY (5-21-10) in rock n’ roll history.

So listen, VOTE and DIG the “Midnight Special” Cat Fight With Matt The Cat.

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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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