Ibuki on hiatus after Nov. 8 Korakuen Hall show

Here's the two part S-Arena video digest for the Nov. 8 Ibuki show at Korakuen Hall in front of 965 fans. As Mariko Yoshida announced, Ibuki will go on hiatus. There will be a show on Feb. 11 but things are uncertain after that. Yoshida addressed the crowd but said nothing. S-Ovation posted on their website that she's not retiring but has no schedule for her next match. I'm not buying it but they'll all have to come clean eventually. We get to see clips from all the matches on the show. The opener has Ryo Mizunami, Hiren & Yukari Ishino from Sendai Girls against Esui, Makoto & Kazumi Shimouna. The Mongolian Esui may be the one most adversely affected by Ibuki's possible closure. She's a big girl but very awkward. You can see she almost fell off the top turnbuckle. BTW, Esui sings. She just released a CD. Next is Nanae Takahashi vs Shuu Shibutani. Would you believe both of them are 30 years old? Takahashi is very generous and makes her look very good. Kyoko Kimura & Tomoka Nakagawa of Revolution Amandora return from Mexico to face Yoshiko Tamura & Ayumi Kurihara. Sakura Emi sucessfully defends her ICEx60 Title against Misaki Ohata. Ohata looks pretty good. But like Takahashi, Emi is very generous and I think it's a good idea to match Ohata up with her. Kaori Yoneyama & Tojuki Leon of JWP face Ray & Natsuki*Taiyo of Passion Red. You'll notice Natsuki is wearing new gear. Lots of high flying in this one. Looks like a lot of fun. The second video is devoted to the main event. It's a 2 of 3 falls match between Atsuko Emoto and Hiroyo Matsumoto. You'll notice that Emoto got a new *ahem* hairdo in Mexico. It's unfortunate that Ibuki isn't on TV and this match will likely be clipped on DVD because this match really delivers. Hiroyo just turned 25 on Friday and she's clearly the best young wrestler in joshi. And you'll notice her right ankle is heavily taped. She's already getting pushes in NEO and OZ so she's well on her way to being a big star in the joshi business. Based on the clips, I would love to see the entire match. So it looks like a pretty good show. It's just sad that Ibuki may end. Enjoy the videos!

Jango Song Of The Day-En Vogue

Artist:En Vogue
Song:Hold On
Album:The Very Best Of En Vogue





En Vogue were the most popular black female vocal group of the 90s. Hold On was their first big hit in 1990. The group was put together by the production team of Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. They had some success as members of Club Nouveau. En Vogue was their tribute to the girl groups of the 60s with a contemporary twist. The members of En Vogue were former Miss Black California Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson and Terry Ellis. Originally they were supposed to be called For You and they were supposed to be a trio. But Foster & McElroy added Ellis after her audtion. All four are church trained singers and all sang lead. Born To Sing was their first album in 1990 and Hold On was the first single. The song is based on the 1960 Smokey Robinson classic Who's Lovin' You and samples James Brown's The Payback. Cindy Herron sings lead and Terry Ellis sings the intro. The song topped the R & B charts and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. En Vogue had a lot of success even after Dawn Robinson left in 1997. You can get all their hits on this comp. Dawn has probably had the most success outside En Vogue with Lucy Pearl and recording with her husband Dre Allen. Terry Ellis released a solo album in 1995. En Vogue continues to tour today though they haven't caught on with a major record label. Here's the video for Hold On by En Vogue.

En Vogue-Hold On
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Jango Song Of The Day-Marty Balin

Artist:Marty Balin
Song:Hearts
Album:Balince: The Marty Balin Collection





Of course Jefferson Airplane was one of the best counterculture bands of the late 60s. So when the various members morphed into more mainstream pop like Jefferson Starship, it became obvious that Paul Kantner was behind the Jefferson Airplane and the others weren't all that into the counterculture. Marty Balin was no different with his 1981 hit Hearts. He was born Martyn Buchwald Jan. 30, 1943 in Cincinnati and grew up in San Francisco. He renamed himself Marty Balin and recorded some singles in 1962 and was also a member of the folk group The Town Criers. in 1965, he met Kantner at a club and they started Jefferson Airplane. Balin left in 1971 and after recording as Bodacious DF, he joined Jefferson Starship in 1975 and contributed to several of their hits. He left in 1978. After writing the rock opera Rock Justice, he signed with EMI America and released his solo debut Balin in 1981. Hearts was the first single and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Jesse Barish. He was a protege of Balin and had also written for Jefferson Starship. It's a good pop song but it's a little shocking for Airplane fans. Balin released one more album for EMI and then reunited with Paul Kantner and Jack Casady to form KBC Band in 1985. He continues to record occasionally and work Jefferson Airplane reunion tours. This 1990 Rhino comp covers Balin's career very well. Here's the video for Hearts by Marty Balin.

Marty_Balin_-_Hearts_%28W%29
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Frausto, Coenen win in Strikeforce

Because last night's match wasn't on TV, I'm going to cover both of the weekend Strikeforce shows in this post. Friday night, Strikeforce was in Fresno and there was a 135lb women's match between Zoila Frausto and Elisha Helpur. Zoila is from Fresno which explains why she was on the show. Her record was 3-0 but she's had problems making weight in the past but not on this occasion. She's a Muay Thai fighter and has very powerful kicks. Elisha lost her one pro match three years ago but she has some amateur wrestling experience. I dunno if I would have put her on a TV match. Obviously Zoila should win. She won by unanimous decision but wasn't impressive. The first round was the problem. She needed to come out more aggressively and she expressed disappointment with herself afterwards. Her big blow was a high kick in the second round that cut Elisha under her left eye. And it appears that Zoila broke her foot. If Zoila were to come out that tentatively against some of the other fighters in the 135lb devision, she wouldn't last very long. But check out the video for yourself.

Of course there was a women's match on the undercard of last night's Strikeforce show at the Sears Centre in Chicago. But it wasn't on TV. And they didn't even mention it because the Shields/Miller match went longer than expected and the show was long. The affiliates don't like it when their news is delayed. Buffalo's WIVB didn't even wait for the end credits before cutting to the news. After I watched Marloes Coenen's interview on Thursday, I expected her to win quickly. So she won over Roxanne Modafferi with an armbar in 63 seconds of round one. She got the redemption she wanted. It's unfortunate for Roxy because she would be very competitive in the 135lb division. I know Roxy is a fan favourite but it's just that Marloes is unknown in the US. Blog hits have gone through the roof the last couple of days mostly with Marloes Coenen Google searches. So now Marloes will challenge Cristiane Cyborg for the Strikeforce 145lb Women's Championship. Scott Coker wouldn't give a date but in this video interview with Ariel Helwani, she says the fight will be Jan. 30 in Miami. So can Marloes win? Sure. Marloes is a veteran and has been in big matches before. She's had trouble getting fights in Europe the last few years because a lot of European promoters prefer kickboxing to MMA. She seems really stoked for the opportunity she has been given. I just wish fans could have seen her fight last night because they don't know who she is and what she can do. njoy the videos.

Jango Song Of The Day-Flaming Ember

Artist:Flaming Ember
Song:Westbound #9
Album:The Best Of Flaming Ember





Westbound #9 was the biggest hit and probably the best song by Detroit blue eyed soul group Flaming Ember. Jackson, MS native Jerry Plunk was the lead singer and drummer. Joe Sladich played guitar. Bill Ellis played piano, sax and other instruments and Jim Bugnel played bass. They started out playing Detroit clubs as The Flaming Embers and recorded for Ed Wingate's Ric Tic label in 1968. When Motown bought Ric Tic, they did not pick up The Flaming Embers. They signed with Holland-Dozier-Holland's new label Invictus and were assigned to Hot Wax Records. They changed their name to Flaming Ember. Westbound #9 reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. Flaming Ember were accomplished musicians and wrote their own songs. But that's not how things worked at Invictus/Hot Wax. It was the Motown formula. Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote Westbound #9 with house producer Ron Dunbar. Tony Camillo brought The Funk Brothers in to play on the record. This eventually would lead to the downfall of Flaming Ember. They wanted to write and produce their own music and that wasn't going to happen at Hot Wax. This 1992 Fantasy comp has all their songs. Sladich was replaced by Mark McCoy in 1972. Hot Wax was closed in 1973 and Flaming Ember changed their name to Mind, Body and Soul and went back to playing the Detroit club scene. Bill Ellis went on to play sax for The SOS Band. Jerry Plunk and Jim Bugnel reformed Flaming Ember in 2000 and recorded a CD. They're a pretty good blue eyed soul group. I think you'll enjoy this video of Flaming Ember performing Westbound #9 1970.

Jango Song Of The Day-Johnny Bristol

Artist:Johnny Bristol
Song:Hang On In There Baby
Album:The MGM Collection





Johnny Bristol was a producer for Motown in the 60s but had a lot of success as a solo artist in the 70s. Hang On In There Baby was his only top ten pop hit. He was born Feb. 3, 1939 in Morganton, NC. At Motown, he was part of the family. He first recorded as a duo with Jackey Beavers called Johnny & Jackey in 1959 for Tri-Phi Records, a label owned by Berry Gordy Jr's sister Gwen Gordy and Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows. Motown took over Tri-Phi in the early 60s and Bristol and Fuqua produced many Motown hits, most significantly Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's Ain't No Mountain High Enough. Bristol also produced Someday We'll Be Together for Diana Ross & The Supremes, a song he originally recorded as part of Johnny & Jackey. Bristol left Motown when they moved to Los Angeles and after working for a short time as producer for Columbia, he signed with MGM Records as a solo artist. He had several R & B hits but Hang On In There Baby reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. This comp has his MGM hits. He moved to Atlantic in 1976 and also continued to produce artists like Boz Scaggs. Bristol continued to record in the 80s for European labels and produced others as well. He last recorded in 1993 and died on Mar. 21, 2004 at age 65. Here's Johnny Bristol performing Hang On In There Baby courtesy of British music maven Ian Levine.

Interview with Mr. & Mrs. Vera

Here's a video interview with Brandon and Kerry Vera courtesy of Loretta Hunt of Sherdog. Aren't they cute? Of course Brandon is facing Randy Couture in the UFC and then a week later, Kerry will face Kim Couture in Strikeforce. The interview is mostly about the logistics of Kerry going ro England to watch her husband's fight and then going to Kansas City for her own fight. Enjoy the video.

Jango Song Of The Day-Colonel Abrams

Artist:Colonel Abrams
Song:Trapped
Album:Best Of Colonel Abrams





If Colonel Abrams had been around in the 60s, it's likely he would have been very big in the Soul Music market. But Disco was king in the 70s produced mostly by Europeans. This developed into what became known as House Music in the 80s. So Abrams took his soulful vocals and the disco backbeat and had a club and R & B hit with Trapped in 1985. He's still producing that kind of music today. Abrams was born in Detroit and grew up in New York City. In the late 60s, he had a group called Conservative Manor with his brother Morris. In the mid-70s, he was lead singer of 94 East. The guitarist of that group was Prince and the leader of the group was Prince's cousin Willie Pepe. In 1984, he had a club hit with the group Surprise Package called Music Is The Answer. Steven Machat signed Abrams to his AMI label with distribution by MCA. AMI was also behind Ready For The World and New Edition. British producer Richard James Burgess was brought in to work with Abrams. Burgess was best known for producing Spandau Ballet. Trapped was the first single. It topped the dance charts and reached #20 on the R & B Singles chart. Trapped is a "I love you but your parents hate me" songs but I guess the beat was the main thing. Who cares about the words? And French disco king Cerrone was responsible for the beats. Abrams wrote the song with his partner Marston Freeman. Abrams continued to have a lot of success in the clubs though he left MCA after two albums. This Universal comp has several of his hits. Colonel Abrams continues to be popular in clubs today. He has his own label and uses MySpace to sell his music. They still use vinyl in clubs so I guess he still releases 12" singles. He's a pretty good singer so check out the video for Trapped by Colonel Abrams.

Marloes Coenen wants redemption

Here's a video interview with Marloes Coenen courtesy of Ariel Helwani of Fanhouse. The first thing Marloes wants to talk about is her 2007 fight with Roxanne Modefferi. She thinks she won and only has redemption on her mind. This is precisely why though Roxanne is the fan favourite, fans are making a serious mistake if they sell Marloes short. She's still pissed about that fight. It's a crime that this won't be on TV. And Scott Coker confirmed last night that the winner of this fight will be the next challenger for Cris Cyborg's 145lb Womens Championship. Enjoy the video.

Roxanne Modafferi interview

Here's a video interview with Roxanne Modafferi courtesy of Ariel Helwani of Fanhouse. Roxanne will face Marloes Coenen on the undercard of this Saturday's Strikeforce show. If you've been checking out Roxy's MySpace, she's getting silly right now though her trainer is arriving in Chicago today. She'll have to get serious. A couple of things about the interview. Roxy says she doesn't know why she has had trouble getting fights in Japan. Well, she knows why but doesn't want to say. I've already written about the silly political situation in Japan so I won't bore you with it again. And about getting Marloes' autograph, fans should be aware that though Marloes is unknown in the US, she's a legend in Japan and a ten year veteran of women's MMA. She's a pioneer and worthy of that kind of respect. Enjhoy the video!

Jango Song Of The Day-Joan Baez

Artist:Joan Baez
Song:The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Album:How Sweet The Sound





Of course Joan Baez is a legend of folk music. But mainstream commercial success has eluded her except for this version of Robbie Robertson's The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. She was born Jan. 9, 1941 in Staten Island, NY and signed with Vanguard Records after appearing at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival. She recorded her debut in 1960 and through the early 60s became the popular face of folk music. She became a songwriter later but initially championed Bob Dylan and had a hit with her cover of Phil Ochs' There But For Fortune in 1964. She experimented with recording with an orchestra and got interested in country music when she married war protester David Harris in 1968. He was a big country music fan. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down was on her 1971 album Blessed Are... and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's her only top ten hit. But her albums always sold well. She moved to A & M Records and her 1975 album Diamonds and Rust went gold. She left A & M for Columbia's Portrait in 1977 and has bounced around different labels ever since. Joan currently records for Razor & Tie. PBS recently produced a documentary called How Sweet The Sound for their American Experience series and the DVD and CD are recommended if you want to learn more about Joan Baez. Here's Joan Baez performing The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down on The Midnight Special 1973.

Is Danica finally coming to NASCAR?

For several months there have been rumours about IRL driver Danica Patrick coming to NASCAR. This is a big deal because in a climate of sponsor cutbacks and financial uncertainty, Danica is a marketing goldmine. Winning is irrelevant. Though it hasn't been announced yet, Danica has re-signed with Andretti Green Racing in the IRL for two years. At that point, Danica coming to NASCAR appeared to be over. Apparently not. A few weeks ago, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge acknowledged that JR Motorsports was in negotiations with Danica to run a part time Nationwide Series schedule. Over the weekend, it was rumoured that an announcement will be made next week in Phoenix. Danica lives in Phoenix. Rick Hendrick denied this. Now ESPN's Marty Smith and Ryan McGee report that Danica is close to signing a two year deal with JR to run the #7 Nationwide Series car in ten races. Go Daddy will sponsor. The deal is supposed to be signed by the end of this week and McGee says they weren't planning an announcement until season's end. But with the cat out of the bag, they may announce it at Phoenix after all. Check it out on this video clip from ESPN's NASCAR Now hosted by Mike Massaro with Marty Smith & Ryan McGee.

Jango Song Of The Day-The Funk Brothers

Artist:The Funk Brothers f/Joan Osborne
Song:What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
Album:Original Soundtrack: Standing In The Shadows Of Motown





Even those familiar with The Motown Sound may not be aware of the musicians who played on those records from 1959-72. And that's what Paul Justman's 2002 documentary Standing In The Shadows Of Motown is about. They were known as The Funk Brothers. But they were never credited on all those classic Motown hits. When Berry Gordy Jr. started Motown in 1959, he knew that he needed great musicians that could play almost anything. That's what Willie Dixon did at Chess. So he went to Detroit jazz clubs and formed his group in 1959. The leader of the group for most of the 60s was pianist Earl Van Dyke. Other regulars included the groundbreaking rhythm section of bassist James Jamerson and drummer Benny Benjamin. There was also pianists Joe Hunter and Johnny Griffiths, guitarists Robert White, Joe Messina and Eddie Willis, drummers Richard "Pistol" Allen and Uriel Jones and percussionists Jack Ashford and Eddie "Bongo" Brown. Not only did The Funk Brothers play on all the records but they toured with the Motown acts as well. Things changed in the late 60s with Norman Whitfield adding psychedelic overtones to his records with guys like bassist Bob Babbit and guitarists Dennis Coffey and Wah Wah Watson. Also Benjamin and Jamerson were having drug problems and became unreliable. Benjamin died in 1969 and Jamerson died in 1983. It all ended when Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles in 1972. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On was the final recording with The Funk Brothers and the only recording that listed them in the credits. Standing In The Shadows Of Motown gives The Funk Brothers that long overdue credit. The centre of the film is a reunion concert held in Detroit featuring guest vocalists Joan Osborne, Gerald Levert, Bootsy Collins, Chaka Khan and Montell Jordan. This track featuring Joan Osborne is from the film. The DVD is highly recommended and so is the soundtrack. Some of the guys are still around. Eddie Brown died in 1984. Earl Van Dyke died in 1992. Robert White died in 1994. Richard Allen and Johnny Griffiths died in 2002 right after the filming. Joe Hunter died in 2007 and Uriel Jones died in 2009. Here's The Funk Brothers with Joan Osborne performing What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted from Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.

Joan Osborne - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted from Skeeter Logan on Vimeo.