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Continuing with the theme of spring from the last Battle of the Bands, I decided to go with the theme of flowers for this Battle. Flowers of different varieties all over the Northern Hemisphere will start to bloom and blossom in the upcoming weeks. I love going to the gardens located next to the city zoo here in Nagoya. But, my most favorite place is a flower park filled with so many tulips in Nagano Prefecture. Flowers are one reason why I love spring!
Although we cannot enjoy these flowers at gardens or flower parks right now due to the Coronavirus, we can still enjoy songs about them. So, let’s get to the battle: which kind of flowers do you want?
So Many Choices For Flowers
When I thought about this battle, I knew that I would want to use “Send Him Forget me Nots” by Patricia Rushen. But, it was really hard to find a worthy competitor against an 80s classic. I was originally going to choose “Kiss By a Rose” by Seal as it is was my mother’s most-played soundtrack of 1995 and a worthy song against “Send Him Forget Me Nots”. But, I ultimately decided not to use it in this battle as I wanted to keep the 80s theme.
So, I looked around the web for songs from the 80s that were about flowers. That is how I found Rushen’s contender: “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” by Kathy Mattea. I never heard of this song before nor Kathy Mattea, but it sounded like a worthy song. It is something different than “Send Him Forget me Nots” as “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” is a country song. But, both songs are about receiving flowers from or giving them to a lover.
The rules of the Battle of the Bands is simple: just listen to both songs and vote for your favorite in the comments. I can’t wait to see who wins this battle!
“Send Him Forget Me Nots” by Patricia Rushen
Patricia Rushen is one of my favorite artists of the 80s. You can hear the why in “Send Him Forget me Nots” as Rushen is such a talented singer. Although “Send Him Forget me Nots” showcases a softer side of Rushen’s vocals, there are moments in the song where the singer shows off her complete range, especially right before the chorus. It also has a funky beat that makes you want to get up and dance to, all thanks to the bass line played by Freddie Washington.
Interestingly, her record label (Elektra) thought that “Send Him Forget Me Nots” was going to be a flop as the song was radically different than her previously released album (1980’s Posh — which is my favorite). However, it was a hit as the tune charted on three different charts: Top 40, R&B, and Dance. The song was also featured in movies like the 1988 classic Big. It also has been sampled by many artists like George Michael with the 1996 tune “Fastlove” and Will Smith’s with the 1997 hit “Men in Black”.
“Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” by Kathy Mattea
Like I said above, I have never heard “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” before today. But, it sounds like a really decent and relaxing song. The tune does feel like a trucker song, which I found out that that the song is a favorite among truckers. “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses” does sound like a true country song with the twangy country guitar throughout the tune.
The message of the song is what stood out for me. It is such a sentimental song about someone who is madly in love with wife after many years of marriage. Just like my parents, who have been married for 34 years this fall, they are still in love with each other even as they are heading into their 60s. It is really sweet!
