Battle of the Bands – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND of Stuck in the Middle with You!

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Last month I did my first FOUR-WAY BATTLE using the Stealers Wheel song Stuck in the Middle with You. I featured two Jazz covers and two Country covers and folks cast two votes, voting for their favorite in each genre. The winners in that Playoff Round were Michael Bublé as the Jazz contender and Keith Urban as the Country contender. That battle has lead us up to this month’s battle:

The “Stuck in the Middle with You” Championship!

For today’s battle, voters will be choosing ONE WINNER who will walk away with the Championship title (and maybe even a SuperBattle Ring).

The contenders are last month’s winners: Michael Bublé vs Keith Urban. Give a listen and choose your favorite.

Jazz Contender:  Michael Bublé – Michael Bublé (born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won several awards, including four Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards.

Here’s his jazzy take on Stuck in the Middle with You, the winning Jazz cover version in my battle last month:

 

Country Contender:  Keith Urban – As mentioned last month, Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is a New Zealand born country musician (singer, songwriter, guitarist, TV show judge and record producer) with an impressive award-winning career.

His cover version of Stuck in the Middle with You is from the 2004 re-release of The Ranch’s self-titled album. The Ranch was a country music trio, which formed in 1997 by Peter Clarke on drums and percussion, Jerry Flowers on harmony vocals and bass guitar, and Keith Urban on lead vocals, guitar, ganjo, and keyboards. Most of the group’s material was co-written by Urban and Vernon Rust. Self-titled album The Ranch is the band’s only album. It was released by Capitol Nashville in 1997. After disbanding the group The Ranch, Urban resumed his solo career. Due to his solo success, The Ranch’s album was re-issued in February 2004 on Capitol/EMI as Keith Urban in The Ranch with two bonus tracks: “Billy” and “Stuck in the Middle with You“. Here is that bonus track and the winner in the Country genre in last month’s battle:

 

So, who is going to reign supreme in my first SuperBattle Championship? Please cast your vote in the Comment section and let me know why you are choosing that artist for this song.

And when you’re done voting, please visit these other BOTB participants and check out their cool battles:

I’ll be back on August 21st declaring the winner of this Stuck in the Middle with You Championship. It will probably take me that long to clean up the parking lot: the tailgate parties leading up to this championship got a little rowdy…

As always, thanks so much for participating.

31 thoughts on “Battle of the Bands – CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND of Stuck in the Middle with You!”

  1. Well Shoot. I thought I was going to give my vote to Mr Buble, but Mr Urban won me over. I like how you did this battle (along with the last battle). Great job, Michele!

    Oh yeah… my vote goes to Keith Urban

    ~Mary

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks so much Mary~ I’m just now getting to this battle post…and now I’m a day late tallying up the votes, but my Results post will be out shortly…
      I’m still listening to both, trying to decide who I’m giving my vote to. 🙂

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  2. Hi, Michele!

    It was a pleasure to review these two fine renditions of “Stuck In The Middle.” Over the years I have discovered that my taste changes from day to day along with my mood. On this particular day, at this particular moment, in this particular mood, I am inspired to switch sides, change my original vote and give it to Michael Bublé. It is by the thinnest, slightest margin that Bublé earns my vote and it is his backing band that makes the difference. They cook. The arrangement used on this old favorite is refreshingly different and it works. I also loved the harmonica solo. Urban’s version stays closer to the original and I favor Keith’s vocal style – his raspy voice and “glottal fry” technique ideally suited to the song. Keith Urban recorded a great cover, but on this day, at this moment, I was even more delighted with the jazzy, brassy version laid down by Bublé and his band. I vote for Michael Bublé.

    Thank you very much, dear friend Michele!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hey Tom,
      I’m finally getting back to my battle post! Tallying up the votes now so will have the results posted shortly. That’s if I don’t get held up: my contractor just called and is on his way to discuss a project (which I wasn’t expecting) and then I have to head out for an appt so it may be later today before I post results, so hang tight! 🙂
      thanks for your vote!

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  4. I second Mary B’s comment! The opening instrumental of Buble’s version hooked me from the start. Then listening again to Urban’s version I was reminded of why I liked it so much last time. Based on personal preference. I like Keith Urban’s version best.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hey Lee, I’m here just counting up the votes and Keith Urban is in the lead at the moment. I’m still deciding…as he’s playing in my ear right now…
      Will post Results soon!
      Thanks for your vote.

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    • Hey Janet,
      I’m seeing a Keith Urban trend here… Counting votes now.
      I haven’t yet decided who I’m giving my vote to but Keith’s in my ear right now and he’s soooo good!
      Results coming soon!
      thanks for your vote

      Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Deidre! I just found your comment in my Spam folder. Sorry that I didn’t see it sooner. But thanks so much for coming by. Keith Urban ended up winning this Championship. I couldn’t decide which one I liked better so I split my vote and voted for both! 🙂
      I appreciate your visit. Have a good rest of the week…

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    • You may have picked the winner Debbie. I’m still adding up the votes but so far Keith is leading. I just finished listening to his version again and now I’m evaluating Buble’s. Tough choice!
      Will post results soon.
      Thanks for your vote.

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  8. Howdy, MICHELE! How you?

    Here’s how I see it: The MICHAEL BUBLE version has it all! Michael’s voice is great; his energy level and sense of rhythm are stellar; the arrangement is wonderful; and the musicianship is utterly fantastic. I think this is not only a PERFECT record, but I even like it better’n the original hit by Stealer’s Wheel!

    I enjoy the Keith Urban version, too, but I don’t think it’s even remotely in the same ballpark with the Michael Buble rendition. Keith’s recording is very much guitar-centric and sounds nearly as much like Rock as it does Country. There’s nuttin’ wrong with that, but I’d say that for the most part, by and large, the BOTB crowd leans toward Rock. Therefore, I expect Keith Urban’s more raw, harder-edged electric guitar-driven rendition to win.

    However, for my money, it’s BUBLE all the way!
    And since I am a dead man in Chicago, I’m voting early and often for candidate Buble. [:o)}

    ~ D-FensDogG
    (link:] STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hey Stephen,
      I think you may be right, as the votes are stacking up in Keith’s favor right now. I’m having a hard time deciding: I like them both and have Buble’s version in my ear right now.
      Tallying the votes so will post Results soon.
      Thanks for your vote and commentary…

      Like

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    • And I think at this point Keith will be declared the winner. That’s how it looks to be shaping up, but still counting. results soon!
      Thanks for your vote.

      Like

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  11. Hi Michele, the final and I’m sure you know who I’m going to vote for. I love both versions with Michaels having that classy jazzy feel that he’s so good at, but Keith’s voice just hooks me in every time (and the fact that he’s a fellow Aussie). My vote goes to Keith Urban.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hi Pamela,
      Hey, ya just gotta vote for the Aussie! And most everyone else seems to be leaning that way too.
      I’ll have results posted soon.
      Thanks for your vote!

      Like

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    • Hey Birgit,
      And here’s yet another vote for Mr. Urban. I think he’s going to be the ultimate winner here…
      Thanks for your vote!

      Like

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    • Hey Joyce,
      Yay, another vote for Buble. He’s taking it on the chin in this battle so glad to see he’s getting a few more votes. Thanks for coming over and for your vote!

      Like

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  15. This one IS TOO GOOD. You ‘ve taken two guys I love and put them up against each other? Oh, darlin’….ah am getting a headache.

    But in the end, Buble love wins. So smooth and so….Buble.

    Not too late to vote on my battle – I’m just doing the 15th for now.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hey Girl,
      You are wrapping up the votes for this battle with another one for Buble. So glad because so many people are going for Keith Urban, not that that’s bad, it’s just that they’re both so good. It’s 9pm on 8/22; I’m already a day late posting results and I still have yet to decide who I’m voting for. And since I’m already late, eh, I’m gonna sleep on it and decide tomorrow… 🙂

      Like

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