Jr. Walker and the All Stars

It’s time for another Battle of the Bands and today I’m featuring The Guess Who’s hit song These Eyes. Give a listen to the two contenders and vote which one you like best. I’ll post the results in 6 days!

The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band, is my very favorite band of all time! I could listen to the Guess Who endlessly and never tire of their sound. Today’s battle features their original song These Eyes, written by Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman. “The song was co-written by the group’s lead guitarist Randy Bachman and lead singer Burton Cummings and originally included on the band’s 1969 album Wheatfield Soul. It was first released as a single (backed by “Lightfoot”), in their native Canada, where its chart success (#7) helped land them a U.S. distribution deal with RCA Records. It was then released in the U.S. in April 1969, and became a breakthrough success for the group, as it would be their first single to reach the top ten on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, peaking at number six, and would eventually be certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over one million copies.” (Source: Wikipedia)

Here they are performing These Eyes. This is for your enjoyment only as they are not part of the battle…but it’s so worth watching:

For more Guess Who, check out my A-Z Musical Tour of My Life post, where the Guess Who was featured prominently, given that they’re my favorite band!

As for today’s soulful battle, I’m showcasing covers by Jr. Walker and the All Stars and Jacksoul.

Jr. Walker and the All Stars:

Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr. (June 14, 1931 – November 23, 1995), known by the stage name Junior Walker, was an American musician. His group, Junior Walker & the All Stars, were signed to the Motown label in the 1960s, and became one of the label’s signature acts. His saxophone style was the anchor for the band’s overall sound.

Here is his cover of These Eyes:

Jacksoul:

jacksoul, sometimes stylized as jackSOUL, was a Canadian soul and R&B music group formed in 1996 in Toronto. The band was a multi-recipient of the Juno Award. The band was fronted by singer Haydain Neale, and was best known for their hits “Can’t Stop”, “Still Believe in Love”, and “Somedays”.

Each of the band’s albums was nominated for a Juno Award, and the group won the award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year in 2001, 2007 and 2010. The band won a Canadian Urban Music Award in 2004.

Here is jacksoul’s cover of These Eyes: