The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Tentatively put me down for "Yah Mo B There" by Michael McDonald and some other dude who's not important right now.

Lunkhead wrote:Tentatively put me down for "Yah Mo B There" by Michael McDonald and some other dude who's not important right now.

The other dude was James Ingram, and I thought I was one of the very few people on Earth that still remembered that song.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Glenn, your knowledge on this topic is scary. I mean it. You're scaring me.

So, I suppose everyone is planning on doing these pretty much straight forward and keeping the "smooth" on? Rocking it up seems to go against the spirit of this thing.

GlennCase wrote:

starfinger wrote:i was going to do 'ride like the wind', but I reserve the right to fall back on one of his smoother, more obscure numbers in case I can't get it to feel right.

-craig

Hey Craig, For what it's worth, I imagine you would do a bang-up job on "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"

Mhmm. Hugh Jackman sung this in 'The Boy From Oz'. That man can make anything smooth...

Anyway, that's pretty much all I have to add to this thread. I've never heard of half the songs.

ok, looked for a few more.....and in order of preference of coverage...

1) Arthur's theme - christopher cross ....but someones called it already damn!..........if they're not gonna do it, we'll do it.

2) If you leave me now - Chicago ....does this qualify?

3) Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty ....i'm pretty sure this qualifies

4) Glory of love - Peter Cetera ....does this qualify?

I don't know, I can hear Lunkhead and Jute Gyte making a crazy sludge version of Ya Mo Be There. Kind of like that Type O Negative version of Summer Breeze.

Ken

GlennCase wrote:

Lunkhead wrote:Tentatively put me down for "Yah Mo B There" by Michael McDonald and some other dude who's not important right now.

The other dude was James Ingram, and I thought I was one of the very few people on Earth that still remembered that song.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Add me to one of those very few people. Damn, wish I had thought of that one! Look forward to hearing it!

Bill Heuristics & I were going to do a song, but it's been (rightly) excluded by the committee, so if anyone else has any ideas, feel free to suggest something. Most of the songs mentioned are a little bit before my time musically speaking though, so i guess it would have to be a big number for me to know it. (I didn't even know the song we were going to do, and that was from 'top gun'!)

Dunno, I thought it would be a good one since it was in the movies and also by one of the Yacht Rock main characters.
-bill

HeuristicsInc wrote:Dunno, I thought it would be a good one since it was in the movies and also by one of the Yacht Rock main characters.
-bill

But it's all about the SMOOTH factor.

Might I recommend "This is It" by Kenny Loggins?

or

"It Keeps You Running" by the Doobie Brothers?

or maybe even

"I Keep Forgetting (Every Time You're Near)" by Michael McDonald?

ROCK!

Glenn Case

GlennCase wrote: Might I recommend "This is It" by Kenny Loggins?
or
"It Keeps You Running" by the Doobie Brothers?
or maybe even
"I Keep Forgetting (Every Time You're Near)" by Michael McDonald?

The Loggins and the McDonald are EXCELLENT suggestions, Glenn. I don't know the Doobies song, I'll check it out if you want.

moboid,

what about Dr Hook??

Me$$iah wrote:moboid,

what about Dr Hook??

While I am not Moboid, my gut instinct tells me that Dr. Hook would absolutely depend on the material. "Cover of the Rolling Stone" isn't even close, while "Sharing the Night Together" is the epitome of Smooth.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

moboid wrote: I don't know the Doobies song, I'll check it out if you want.

Oh, you surely don't have to, but if someone wanted to claim it? <a href="http://www.glenncase.com/db-ikyr.mp3">I think it fits.</a>

Seriously, I could come up with a whole list of these. Oddly enough, this really is an era I am quite familiar with.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Recently, it was suggested by a Very Experienced Individual that I loosen up on the "rules" of this fight, allow people do whatever song they want, and just let it all come out in the "wash" that is the song voting process. I thought hard about it. I know I'm being tough. However, I strongly feel that this cover fight's theme can and should be maintained, to ensure a stylistic cohesiveness and render it a true tribute to a golden and glorious moment. So, I shall remain the "Yacht Nazi" for the time being. I trust you guys to seek deeply, to learn about this era and genre, and to make song proposals which reach the heights of Smooth (but also, Rock).

Toward that end, I'd like to share with you a method I've lately developed to gauge a song's Yacht Factor (YF), with the help of YouTube. Maybe this could help some other people too, since I know there is are plenty of gray areas, if you only go by basic facts like Artist and Year.

First, I go find a video of the suggested song, being performed by the original artists during the time that the song was current. Then I score based on these key signs and symbols:

• +5 for each of the band members sporting beards and "natural" hair
  -5 for each member of the band wearing a pastel suit, a sleeveless tshirt, shoulder pads, or skinny tie
  +5 for a recording taken from a televised "live" performance on prime time TV variety show
  -5 for an MTV video
  +2 for a Rhodes or a Hammond organ
  -2 for a Korg or a Roland synth
  -10 for each member sporting a pompadour
  +10 for extremely bad taste in prescription glasses
  +50 for wearing actual sailing paraphernalia

Finally, I add it all up, divide by number of band members, and...
OK so i don't actually do any of the points-scoring-math stuff. But you get the idea. The clues are there, you just have to learn how to read them. Follow Koko's ghost...

Dan-O from Five-O wrote:So, I suppose everyone is planning on doing these pretty much straight forward and keeping the "smooth" on? Rocking it up seems to go against the spirit of this thing.

There's no limitations at all on people's stylistic choices for their covers. I think we'll see the whole range, from hyperloyal to antithetical.

Uhoh, I bet "Lead singer wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt" and "Punks making out" are not large plus scores.

bzl wrote:Uhoh, I bet "Lead singer wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt" and "Punks making out" are not large plus scores.

Too true, Charcoal, you're a quick study.
When I saw that one I was dismayed by the pathetic bid for "hipness" in what was otherwise an easy-listening song from them. The making-out action is pretty hot tho!

Rinkydink wrote:2) If you leave me now - Chicago ....does this qualify?
3) Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty ....i'm pretty sure this qualifies

Ooh ooh! One of these! (I'm surprised no one nabbed Baker Street already...)

Does this mean Chicago are yacht-rock-endorsed? Can I do 'You're The Inspiration'?

j$ wrote:Does this mean Chicago are yacht-rock-endorsed? Can I do 'You're The Inspiration'?

I think it depends on the song, and also on the music video that they made for the song. You're the Inspiration is what I wanted to do but it's been negged (albeit indirectly). Damn you Peter Cetera for being ahead of your time!* And while you're far smoother than I'll ever hope to be, I don't think that is a factor.




* In this case, being all 1987 way back in 1984.

I made a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... 031">Yacht Rock YouTube playlist</a> for those who wish to watch the episodes in order.

If you are wondering which songs would qualify, I think that watching the episodes in order would help you determine what is and what is not smooooooth.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

It was all worth it just to see the phrase "Yacht Nazi".
-bill