“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!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“Shake A Tail Feather”

The Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast presents a great uptempo number to git y’all on the dance floor, “Shake A Tail Feather.”  Who better to get ya shakin’ it, than the original 1963 version by the Five Du-Tones?  Or maybe you prefer the biggest hit version of song from James & Bobby Purify from 1967?  It’s possible that Ray Charles’ version from the “Blues Brothers” film is the one that tickles your tail feather.  Voice your choice!  Listen to the Cat Fight and then decide if it’s one of the hits or one of the lesser-known versions by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels or Ike & Tina Turner.

Listen!  Vote!  Dig!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“The Day The Music Died” Cat Fight – 2011

The Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast honors the 52 anniversary of “The Day The Music Died,” that terrible plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson).

There will be 2 separate Cat Fights this week.

The first is over a tune that was written by J.P. Richardson and originally recorded by him.  His buddy George Jones covered it in 1959 and made it his first of MANY #1 Country singles.

The second Cat Fight is between Robert & Johnny and Ritchie Valens over the tune, “We Belong Together.”  Robert & Johnny co-wrote the song and took it to #12 on the R&B charts, but Ritchie puts a heartfelt touch to the tune and makes it all his own.

Plus, the podcast also contains a little tribute to Buddy Holly, whose loss is still very much felt today.

So listen, vote and dig this week’s Friday Night Cat Fight Podcast with Matt The Cat.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“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.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“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.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“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!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“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.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“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!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.