If you enjoy music and/or you like to watch music videos on YouTube, then Mahalo’s Best Video Version Ever is right up your alley! A new contest featuring a song of the week, will be posted in three different places: (1) here, on this page, (2) on Mahalo Answers, and (3) on Doubleminaz's B.V.V.E. Youtube channel.http://www.youtube.com/user/doubleminaz

The song of the week will be from different decades, different genres, different artists. It may be extremely popular, less well-known. The nominated videos of that version may be the original artist’s “official” video, a favorite live performance, a “cover” of the song by another artist (professional or amateur), a mash-up with audio or video from other sources, or even audio with pretty pictures and/or lyrics as the visual. Some might be standard, some might be completely unexpected. The first two contests were Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” and U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)”; several great versions – with different formats – were nominated.

Anyone can NOMINATE a video version of the song by posting the link as an answer – YouTube (and some other site’s videos) will automatically “embed” in your answer. After three days, anyone who is a registered user on Mahalo (registering with Mahalo is quick and easy) can VOTE for their favorite video, and the person who nominated the winning video receives a cash tip (pursuant to Mahalo’s TOS). The primary purpose of this contest is to have FUN! Beyond that, it is to share favorite music/videos with others and to broaden musical horizons. If you ever have any suggestions about songs that could be featured or how to improve this page, please DQ (direct question) @doubleminaz.

BEST VIDEO VERSION EVER!!! Bob Dylan and the #1 song of all time!http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs You help find and select the best video of this song! "Like a Rolling Stone" has been played and covered and video'ed thousands of times by different people in different styles and different languages - it will be a tough assignment to find THE BEST on YouTube. But, I think we are now up to the challenge.

Not only did this 1965 classic make a lasting impact on listeners (including Jimi Hendrix, but it apparently was very important to Dylan himself. "I guess I was going to quit singing. I was very drained, and the way things were going, it was a very draggy situation ... But 'Like a Rolling Stone' changed it all. I mean it was something that I myself could dig. It's very tiring having other people tell you how much they dig you if you yourself don't dig you."http://www.interferenza.com/bcs/interw/66-jan.htm

There are hundreds of YouTube videos of this song, and AllMusic.com lists more than 300+ recordings of it.http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=17:2512456~1~T000 Your mission: investigate as many as you can, and then nominate your favorite. I'm sure that we could have an interesting contest even if we just limited it to videos of Bob singing the song, but we have no such limitation. You could post a reggae version, a punk version, a country version, a mash-up giving some added meaning to the song, the rawness of a high school garage band just learning the power of the song, or whatever moves you.

To get this week's contest started, I chose this 1998 version by The Rolling Stones, with Dylan. It has so many interesting elements - both positive AND negative (Dylan's not mic'd properly, at first, and Mick plays the harmonica) - that I had a blast watching it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwSJFz4jK6s

If you think that this version is best and there is not yet an answer voting for it, please submit your answer proclaiming it the best - that will count as one vote. If you would like to nominate another version, answer this question. The video with the most votes will be declared the winner, and the nominator will receive the M$ tip. Oh, and feel free to share your thoughts and feelings about this classic song!

"BEST VIDEO VERSION EVER" is a regular contest on Mahalo. Winners and other selected nominees will be featured on Mahalo and also on our channel at You Tube. Check it out!

BVVE will attempt to feature songs from different genres, different eras, different artists. If you have an idea for a song that would be ideal for BVVE - or have other feedback - please DQ @doubleminaz! Thanks--mm (855)

P.S. Would you believe that You Tube is turning (only) FIVE YEARS OLD this month?!?! It hosts an INCREDIBLE library of music - you can find concert videos from dozens of angles, cover versions by individuals and garage bands, audio of the official version with pretty pictures and lyrics, goofy kids dancing to their favorite song of the moment, etc, etc. I hope that this contest will allow us to help each other mine a few of the diamonds in the video world.

Here are the lyrics: Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you? People'd call, say, "beware doll, you're bound to fall" You thought they were all kiddin' you You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin' out Now you don't talk so loud Now you don't seem so proud About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel How does it feel To be without a home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school alright, miss lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it You said you'd never compromise With the mystery tramp but now you realise He's not selling any alibis As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns When they all did tricks for you You never understood that it ain't no good You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat Who carried on his shoulder a siamese cat Ain't it hard when you discover that He really wasn't where it's at After he took from you everything he could steal

How does it feel How does it fee To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone http://www.songfacts.com/lyrics.php?findsong=2737