BATTLE OF THE BANDS: “What A Difference A Day Makes”

Battle of the Bands 1 Minute

Today’s Battle pits two current singers against each other over Dinah Washington’s classic “What A Difference A Day Makes.”

Renee Olstead

Chantal Chamberland

Those are the contestants. Here are your instructions…

  1. Listen to the two songs.
  2. Decide which song you like the best.
  3. Vote for your favorite by leaving me a comment with your choice. If you feel like telling us why, feel free.
  4. Then, visit the other participants and vote in their Battles:

You have between now and September 8, 2022 at noon Eastern to cast your vote.

The lines are now open. Good luck to Renee and Chantal!

Published by John Holton

Internet disc jockey, lover of old TV (especially the commercials), inveterate wise guy.

Published

24 thoughts on “BATTLE OF THE BANDS: “What A Difference A Day Makes””

  1. Hi John,
    I like the song. Renee’s voice is a bit too high-pitched, but I liked the big-band, jazzy backup sound. Chantal’s voice is deep and dry (parched?) even the band sounds tired. Perhaps a different song for Chantal and a vote for Renee, please.

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  4. JOHN ~

    I don’t recall hearing either of these singers before… unless they’ve been BOTB’d previously and I’ve forgotten.

    But, boy, I sure liked the RENEE OLSTEAD version! What’s not to love? A singing style that makes her seem personal – as if she’s singing to YOU (or, in this case, to ME) – and a terrifically romantic arrangement that sounded somewhat Nelson Riddle-like. Great stuffs, buddy!

    Unfortunately, Chantal Chamberland didn’t stand a chance by comparison. In fact, by comparison, she came across to me like the anti-Renee Olstead. Oh, well.

    I should check out some other Renee recordings to see if she appeals to me as well doing other tunes, or if this was just a one-time deal.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

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  6. Both of these came across a little different to me. I like the higher pitch that Renee has, but I found myself being drawn to Chantel’s lower range as well. It wouldn’t be fair to make you split the vote, so I’m giving them both another listen before casting my vote.

    After listening to both twice, I have decided to vote for Renee. Good battle!

    ~Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle

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  8. John, I want to vote for the other BOTBs but it’s very difficult to find the comment sections on many of the other blogger’s posts. Unfortunate. It would have been nice to participate.

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  9. I did not care for Renee’s version. Her voice sounded affected and she was trying too hard to sound like Eartha Kitt (not Dinah Washington – that would be impossible). The accompanying music was fluff and the whole version was a turn off for me. This reminded me of Roberta Peters singing “Santa Baby” – never a good thing.
    The Chantal version took me by surprise. I was not expecting a deep voice but liked it because I’m an alto and could relate. That type of voice suits this song and I like the fact that she sang it straight without flourish. Was I blown away by her; not really and I felt the song was a bit slow, but I liked her version better so my vote goes to Chantal.
    FYI – When I’m listening to a song for the first time I close my eyes and just listen. I don’t want to be swayed by the looks of the singer so any reference to botoxed lips etc. did not influence me. Perfect example is Lade Gaga. When she’s singing standards from the 40s, her voice is like silk. No need to look at the ruby red lips and platinum blonde hair to judge her talents.
    This is a classic song, one of the best, and Chantal did it justice.

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  10. I did not expect vavoom chick with the botoxed lips to have such deep vocals like Peggy Lee but I preferred Renee because I prefer the less pouty, sexy vibe that the other gal gave.

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    1. “Vavoom chick” isn’t the singer; she’s a model that the person who put together the video fell in love with. I’ve switched the video with one that shows the singer. Thanks for voting!

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  11. Something about each version irritated me and it had to do with the vocals. The first sounded too pouty little girl-like so I figured I’d be going with the next version. But no, I was a bit taken aback by the smoky vocals of that version. Don’t get me wrong, both are well done. It’s just a matter of personal taste. The backing instrumentation on both was excellent.

    Give my vote to the little girl sounding Renee Olstead.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  12. I like… Renee Olstead… her voice is not mixed as high but I like the feeling of hers more.

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