AccuRadio Song Of The Day-George Benson and Jill Scott

Artist:George Benson and Jill Scott
Song:Summertime
Album:Society of Singers Presents Great Voices Great Songs




So this is a one time only pairing of two musical greats. George Benson and Jill Scott recorded the Gershwin classic Summertime for a benefit album and a benefit concert. Benson first recorded Summertime on his 1966 album It's Uptown and then he recorded it with Kenny G on the 1999 album Classics in the Key of Kenny G. The idea to bring Benson together with Jill Scott was part of a concert series called Broadway's Best. Composer Frank Wildhorn thought it would be interesting to see what pop singers could do with Broadway classics. The show was taped for Bravo at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City and it aired on Bravo in Mar. 2002. It is not available on DVD. It was a benefit for a children's hospital charity. Those appearing on the TV show were Darius Rucker, George Benson and Jill Scott and then Benson solo, Bacon Brothers, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Loudon Wainwright III. That brings me to the CD which was released in 2004 to benefit Society of Singers (SOS). They were founded in 1984 by Henry Mancini's widow Ginny Mancini to offer medical expense support to singers who of course don't have a union. Apparently Ella Fitzgerald was an early supporter of SOS. Their funding comes from private donations mostly from famous singers. This CD was released in 2004 by Shout Factory and proceeds went to SOS. Except for the Benson and Scott recording of Summertime, there are no original recordings on this CD. The oldest recording is Frank Sinatra's 1950 recording of Sweet Lorraine. Others appearing include Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Diana Krall and many others. The CD is available but I don't think the charity exists anymore. I went to their website and the domain name is for sale. So I don't know where the money goes if you buy the CD. And this is likely the only time George Benson and Jill Scott will record together. Here's George Benson and Jill Scott performing Summertime on the 2002 Bravo TV show Broadway's Best.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Strumbellas

Artist:The Strumbellas
Song:Spirits
Album:Hope





The Strumbellas have had success in their native Canada. With the 2016 album Hope and the single Spirits and a move to a larger label, they are on the verge of a big international breakthrough. The Strumbellas will remind you of Mumford and Sons. They were formed in Toronto in 2008. But most of the members are from Lindsay, ON which is near Peterborough. Simon Ward is lead singer and guitarist, Jon Hembrey is lead guitarist, Darryl James is on bass and Jeremy Drury is on drums. When they moved to Toronto, they placed an ad on Craigslist and added David Ritter on vocals and keyboards and Isabel Ritchie on violin. They released an EP in 2009 and this led to a regular gig at Toronto's Cameron House. They were getting a lot of local attention and they released the 2012 album My Father and the Hunter on Fontana North. It got them a Juno nomination. Then the Strumbellas signed with Six Shooter Records and released the 2013 album We Still Move on Dance Floors produced by The Lumineers producer Ryan Hadlock. This time they won a Juno for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. At this point, Six Shooter owner Shauna de Cartier knew that The Strumbellas were getting too big for her to handle. She sold their contract to Glassnote Records with Universal distribution. Mumford and Sons is also on Glassnote. The album Hope was released Apr. 2016 and the single Spirits was an international hit especially in Europe. The Strumbellas performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and they played during the intermission of the NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg. They also won some awards including a MuchMusic Video Award. The Strumbellas are currently on a world tour. When that ends, I expect them to record a new album. And if Glassnote plays things right, the Strumbellas have the potential be as big as Mumford and Sons. Here's the video for Spirits by The Strumbellas.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmie Rodgers

Artist:Jimmie Rodgers
Song:Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
Album:The Best Of Jimmie Rodgers





Let's get rid of the confusion right now. There was a country music music pioneer named Jimmie Rodgers known as The Singing Brakeman. This Jimmie Rodgers was a folksinger who had a couple of big pop hits in the late 50s. He was born Sept. 18, 1933 in Camus, WA. His mother taught him to play guitar and piano. He was in a band called the Melodies and he served in the US Air Force in Korea. Like many singers of the 50s, Rodgers got his big break appearing on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. As I have said before, today's fans have no idea how important Godfrey was in those days. He was spotted by the production team of Hugo & Luigi (Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore) who had just bought into Morris Levy's Roulette label. Rodgers was mainly a folksinger. But as they went on to do with Sam Cooke, Hugo & Luigi added strings and a chorus to turn a folksinger into a pop singer. Rodgers scored three big hits. Honeycomb topped the charts in 1957. The second single Kisses Sweeter Than Wine reached #3. And the third single Uh Oh I'm Falling In Love reached #7. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine was recorded by The Weavers in 1950. It's based on a song Leadbelly recorded in the 30s. Pete Seeger liked the song but he and Lee Hays of The Weavers wrote new lyrics. So for a short time, Rodgers was a big star. But then Hugo & Luigi left Roulette for RCA. And that was the end for Rodgers. He left Roulette in 1961 for Dot and later A&M. But he was never able to recapture the glory years with Hugo & Luigi. He suffered a head injury in 1967 that may have been the result of a Los Angeles Police Department beating. He recovered but he was never able to resume touring. Tommy James claimed that Roulette Records owner Morris Levy arranged the beating. Levy had mob connections. Rodgers performed occasionally but he could have made good money as a nostalgia touring act. You can get all of Rodgers' hits on this Rhino budget comp. Here's Jimmie Rodgers performing Kisses Sweeter Than Wine on The Giselle McKenzie Show 1958.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Herb Ellis and the All-Stars

Artist:Herb Ellis and the All-Stars
Song:Old Folks
Album:The Midnight Roll





Of course guitarist Herb Ellis is best known for his days with Oscar Peterson and the Verve Records house band in the 50s. I have also looked at his Concord recordings of the 70s. This 1962 album is unusual for Ellis as he normally records in small groups. On this album, a larger band was put together. After Ellis left the Peterson band in 1962, he worked mainly as a session musician for most of the 60s. But legendary Columbia Records producer John Hammond signed Ellis. Ellis recorded four albums for Columbia. The Midnight Roll was his first album in 1962. He has a larger band than usual with Roy Eldridge and Frank Assunto of The Dukes of Dixieland in trumpet, Buddy Tate on tenor sax, Ray Bryant on piano, veteran sidemen Israel Crosby (Albert Ammons, Teddy Wilson) and Jimmy Rowser from Maynard Ferguson's band on bass and drummer Gus Johnson from Count Basie's Orchestra. Old Folks is recorded with just the rhythm section. It's a jazz standard written by Willard Robison and Dedette Lee Hill and first recorded by Larry Clinton in 1938. It's been recorded by many jazz musicians including Ben Webster and Jack Teagarden. The Midnight Roll has been released as a budget CD by the reissue label Wounded Bird. Ellis recorded on Columbia with Stuff Smith, Andre Previn, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown and Charlie Byrd. He left Columbia in 1965 and after one album for Dot, he mainly worked as a session musician until he signed with Concord in 1974. Here's a video for Old Folks by Herb Ellis and the All Stars.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Adriana Caselotti

Artist:Adriana Caselotti
Song:Whistle While You Work
Album:Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs




Adriana Caselotti was the voice of Snow White in Walt Disney's landmark 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She did other things but this is her claim to fame. She was born May 6, 1916 in Bridgeport, CT. Her father was a music teacher and her mother sang in The Royal Opera Theater of Rome and she continued to perform in operas in New York. Her older sister gave voice lessons to famed opera singer Maria Callas. Adriana moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1935. And after a brief stint as an MGM chorus girl, she was hired by Walt Disney to play Snow White. The story is Disney was searching for the right voice. A casting agent asked Adriana's dad if he could recommend one of his students. And of course he suggested his daughter. She beat out, among others, Deanna Durbin. So you might think Snow White made Adriana famous and she made a lot of money. But she was only paid $20 a day and at the time Adriana didn't know Disney was making a full length feature film. And she was under exclusive contract to Disney. When Jack Benny wanted to use Adriana on his radio show, Disney told him he didn't want the illusion of Snow White to be spoiled. Adriana's voice did appear in the 1939 film The Wizard Of Oz during If I Only Had A Heart and she had a small role as a singer in the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life. She also performed in operas like her mom. But mostly Adriana made promotional appearances for Disney. In 1994, she was named a Disney Legend. Adriana died on Jan. 18, 1997 at age 80. Here's Adriana Caselotti performing Whistle While You Work from the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chick Corea Akoustic Band

Artist:Chick Corea Akoustic Band
Song:My One And Only Love
Album:Chick Corea Akoustic Band





Of course pianist Chick Corea is one of the all time jazz greats. He is mainly known for jazz fusion like Return To Forever. But he has played acoustic piano at the same time. I guess those recordings don't get as much credit. The 1989 album Chick Corea Akoustic Band was an attempt to balance that. In 1985, Corea signed with GRP Records and formed Chick Corea Elektric Band. The band was Corea on electric keyboards, John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums with either Scott Henderson or Carlos Rios on guitar. The band recorded three very successful albums from 1986-88. On the 1988 album Eye Of The Beholder, Corea seemed to prefer playing acoustic piano. Sax player Eric Marienthal was added along with new guitarist Frank Gambale. So Corea formed the offshoot band Chick Corea Akoustic Band with Patitucci and Weckl. Though the 1989 album got mixed reviews, it sold well and Corea won a Grammy. He took this band on tour and it recorded three albums. Corea also continued to record and tour with the Elektric Band. On the 1989 album Chick Corea Akoustic Band, Corea records a mix of originals and standards. My One And Only Love is a jazz standard that has been a part of Corea's repertoire since he recorded it on the 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. The song was written by Guy Wood and Robert Mellin. Though Frank Sinatra was the first to record it, sax player Charlie Ventura popularized it in 1953 and it's been a jazz standard ever since. The best known version of My One And Only Love was recorded by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman in 1963. The Chick Corea Akoustic Band recorded three albums. Corea ended both bands when he left GRP in 1992 to start his own label Stretch Records in 1992. He reunited the band for the retrospective CD and DVD Rendezvous In New York which was recorded at the Blue Note in New York in 2003. It's a DVD box set with reunions of all of Corea's bands. It seems to be out of print. Here's Chick Corea Akoustic Band performing My One And Only Love at the Blue Note in New York Apr. 2003 from the Rendezvous In New York DVD.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Kids On The Block

Artist:New Kids On The Block
Song:Step By Step
Album:Greatest Hits




As typically happens with boy bands, New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) had brief success at the top of the charts. When their teen girl fanbase grew up, they faded and split up. Step By Step was probably their biggest hit. The genesis of the band was with producer Maurice Starr. He had success with New Edition. When he cut ties with them, he decided to form a white version of the group. He held auditions in Boston and Starr really liked 15 year old Donnie Wahlberg who was multi talented. Wahlberg helped recruit the other members including his brother Mark Wahlberg and his friend Danny Wood. He also brought in schoolmate Jordan Knight who was probably the best singer in NKOTB and he brought in his brother Jonathan Knight. They began rehearsing and when Mark Wahlberg quit, Starr found 12 year old Joey McIntyre to replace him. At this point they were called Nynuk. When Starr signed them to Columbia, they demanded a name change and he came up with New Kids On The Block. Their debut album didn't do that well when it was released in 1986. But Starr convinced Columbia to let him record a second album. When the first single from the 1988 album Hangin' Tough stiffed, Columbia was going to drop them. But that single Please Don't Go Girl started getting airplay, Columbia decided to promote it and it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. And NKOTB continued to have success with number one hits like I'll Be Loving You (Forever) and Hangin' Tough. Starr hired a touring band led by Greg McPherson and sent them on tour. NKOTB recorded a Christmas album. Columbia released a video collection. So when the 1990 album Step By Step was released, the title track and first single topped the charts. Unfortunately for them, that was their final big hit. You can get all their hits on this budget comp that was first released in 1999 but then reissued in 2008 with a new cover and bonus tracks. At this point, things started to go south. After McPherson was replaced by David Dyson in 1991, he claimed that NKOTB's vocals were lip synced and Starr was the actual singer. McPherson eventually recanted because it wasn't true but the damage was done. NKOTB split with Starr and they wrote and produced the 1994 album NKOTB. It didn't sell and they split up in 1995. Of course Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre have all recorded solo with varied success. They reunited in 2008 with a new album and tour. And they still tour. They even recorded and toured with Backstreet Boys. They are probably a nostalgia act at this point but NKOTB are releasing a new EP and will begin touring on May 12. Here's the video for Step By Step by New Kids On The Block.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexis Davis vs Cindy Dandois

Here's the match video of Alexis Davis vs Cindy Dandois from last night's UFC show in Nashville. This aired on UFC Fight Pass. Though both are veteran fighters, Cindy is a UFC newcomer. Most fans have probably seen her in Invicta. A few years ago, Cindy had not planned to return to fighting post pregnancy. She is a high school teacher in Belgium and she has three kids. Who has time for fighting? But Miesha Tate convinced her to return. Cindy trained with Miesha at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and Miesha was in her corner. Cindy's major flaw is terrible striking. For that reason alone, I don't believe she belongs in the UFC. Alexis is a former title contender in her second post pregnancy fight. The one thing is her striking is better than Cindy's. But that's not saying much. The fight was close but not very good. I didn't think Alexis was at her best and it makes me wonder if she'll ever be good again. Sometimes fighters aren't the same post pregnancy. But I thought she was marginally more effective. I don't think she can beat an elite fighter anymore. But the buzz on Twitter last night was how shockingly bad Cindy's striking really is. She's been a fighter for a long time. Her striking has always been bad. Of course the UFC magnifies that. I wasn't surprised because I've seen her in Invicta and in Europe. She needs to improve if she wants to get anywhere in the UFC. But Cindy is 32 years old and it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I believe the UFC signed her for the Welterweight division as she has fought at 145 in the past. But I certainly don't want to see her sacrificed to Cris Cyborg. Again, I don't believe Cindy is a UFC caliber fighter. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Danielle Taylor vs Jessica Penne

Here's the match video of Danielle Taylor vs Jessica Penne from last night's UFC show in Nashville. This aired on Fox Sports 2 in the US and The Fight Network in Canada. Of course Jessica is a former title contender on a two fight losing streak. She needs a win. She has a significant height and reach advantage over Danielle. Plus Danielle doesn't have any wrestling skills. So one would think Jessica would want to take Danielle down. Brian Stann compared Danielle to Tecia Torres. Danielle shows a lot of movement but she doesn't do anything. It's the kind of fighting style that fools judges. She seems busy by darting in and out. And she has no power. So she's a points fighter like Tecia. Jessica needed aggression to deal with that. She just didn't do it. There's no excuse for that. And that's what the fight was like, three rounds of light sparring where neither fighter did enough to win. I scored the fight 29-28 for Jessica but the judges scored it 29-28 for Danielle. It was a close fight but not a very good fight. It's a big win for Danielle. Look, this is how Danielle always fights. Being a points fighter is like playing with fire. Sometimes you get burned by a judges decision going the other way. That's what will happen to Danielle. Jessica knew Danielle's fighting style. She did nothing to counter it. What happens next with Jessica depends if her contract is over. I would not expect the UFC to renew it. She already works as a coordinator at Alliance in San Diego. I would not be surprised if she retired to do that. She needed a win and she didn't go out and take it. Maybe it's time to go. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sia

Artist:Sia f/Sean Paul
Song:Cheap Thrills
Album:This Is Acting





Sia Furler has been around since the 90s as a singer and songwriter. In 2016, she finally scored her very first number one hit with Cheap Thrills. So she seems like an overnight success but she's not. She was born Dec. 18, 1975 in Adelaide, Australia. Her dad is a musician and her uncles are actor Kevin Colson and Colin Hay of Men At Work. Sia's early influences include Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. She was a singer in the acid jazz group Crisp. But when they disbanded in 1997, she moved to England. She worked as a background singer and she recorded and toured with Zero 7. Then she signed with Sony's Dance Pool label and released the 2001 album Healing Is Difficult. Unhappy with the label's promotion of the album, she fired her manager and left Sony for Universal's Go! Beat label. Again, she was unhappy with Universal's promotion of the 2004 album Colour The Small One. She moved to New York in 2005. Sia got a boost when one of her songs appeared in the HBO series Six Feet Under. Sia signed with the Starbucks label Hear Music for the 2008 album Some People Have Real Problems. She had modest success on the dance charts and in Australia. In 2009, Christina Aguilera approached her about writing songs and she's worked a lot with Christina and she has written for other artists. She had some success with the 2010 album We Are Born but she took a hiatus from recording. When the David Guetta Titanium featuring Sia's vocal was a top ten hit, record companies started sniffing around. Sia wrote Titanium for Alicia Keys but Guetta got his hands on it and decided to use Sia's demo vocal. She didn't know about it until she heard it on the radio. She wasn't happy because she just wanted to be a songwriter. While she's writing songs including Flo Rida's top five hit Wild Ones, Sia signs with RCA and releases the 2014 album 1000 Forms Of Fear. The single Chandelier reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. So that's her overnight success story. Then with the 2016 album This Is Acting, the single Cheap Thrills topped the charts. The record features rapper Sean Paul but he isn't in the video. The album was certified Platinum. So now she's a big star on tour and Sia is getting plenty of attention. I bet many fans don't know she's 40 years old. I don't know what Sia will do next. But it wouldn't surprise me if she quit recording and touring to keep her privacy. She already disguises herself in public appearances for that reason. It seems like she would be perfectly happy writing songs for others. She gets the money but not the fame. Here's the video for Cheap Thrills by Sia.

Analysis of Invicta FC 23

After announcing two more matches yesterday, I am going to do my usual analysis of Invicta FC 23 which will happen May 20 in Kansas City. It will air on  UFC Fight Pass. There are no championship matches on the show. So that automatically weakens the main card. The main event has been announced as Brazilian Vanessa Porto vs Agnieszka Niedzwiedz from Poland. Look, they are both decent fighters. Vanessa has been around a long time. But neither belongs at the top of any card. Vanessa is 18-7. The last time we saw her she lost an Invicta Flyweight Championship match to Jennifer Maia Mar. 2016. Agnieszka is from Karakow, Poland. Her record is 9-0. She has had one fight in Invicta so I know I have seen her fight. But I can't remember her. That's not a good sign. I looked at her record and competition level of her opponents and it's not good enough. I could see her being high on a KSW show in Poland but not here. I don't have a problem with the fight but it doesn't qualify as a main event. The co-main event has Roxanne Modafferi vs Sarah D'Alelio in a Flyweight match. I like this a little better as a main event just because of Roxanne's popularity maybe against a different opponent because I don't care much for Sarah. Meanwhile, the Flyweight champ Jennifer Maia hasn't fought since September so I guess that's the real problem. In the other main card matches, former Invicta Atomweight champ Herica Tiburcio will face Tessa Simpson. I don't think Tessa is experienced enough for the main card. She's from Austin, TX and her record is 5-1. In her one Invicta appearance, she beat the overrated Simona Soukupova. Also Herica beat Simona last time she was in Invicta. I want to see Herica face a more experienced fighter. Tessa should be in the prelims. In the other main card fight, Elizabeth Phillips will face Kelly Faszholz in a Bantamweight fight. Of course both are former UFC fighters. But the last time we saw Elizabeth, she was KOd by Leah Letson on the Jan. 14 Invicta show and then given a 60 day medical suspension. Instead she fought on Feb. 3 for ExciteFight in her home state of Washington. She was able to do this because the show was on a Native American casino which is not under the oversight of the Washington AC. And she has fought for that promotion several times so she's pals with them. With that behaviour in her recent past, why does the Missouri AC approve her to fight. And to put on my promoter's hat for a moment, I wouldn't book a fighter who ignores medical suspensions. That's unprofessional behaviour. I dunno what Invicta is thinking. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. Kelly went 0-2 in the UFC. She looked OK in her first fight but not in her second fight. And just because a fighter had a cup of coffee in the UFC doesn't mean Invicta should automatically sign her. Some need to go back to regional promotions. Let's get to the prelims. In a Flyweight bout, Andrea Lee will face Liz Tracy. I have seen enough of Andrea that she belongs on the main card. Liz is an Invicta newcomer so it seems like a step down. Liz trains at Team Oyama in California. Her record is 3-1 and she won her last couple of fights in Super Fight League. Puzzling matchmaking. Tiffany Van Soest will face Christine Ferea in a Strawweight bout. Of course Tiffany is an elite kickboxer but that doesn't mean she will be good at MMA. She lost her Invicta debut to Kal Holiday and now she's getting another chance. Christine won her Invicta debut over Rachael Ostovich. That's the girl who wears the Wonder Woman gear but she's not a very good fighter. Two matches were added yesterday. In a Welterweight bout, Brazilian veteran Ediane Gomes will face Pam Sorenson. Ediane is a veteran who has fought at 135 and 145. I think she prefers 145. She was supposed to fight in Invicta last year but she missed weight. These days she trains at American Top Team in Florida. Who doesn't? She might look at Welterweight as a route to the UFC. I don't think she's good enough. Pam won her Invicta debut over Aussie Jessy Jess Clark. This is her pro Welterweight debut. All her pro fights have been at Bantamweight. I think she may be looking at Welterweight as a route to the UFC as well. Pam is from Minneapolis and her record is 5-1. And in a Bantamweight bout Shaianna Rincon will face Brooksie Bayard. Shaianna is making her pro debut. She has a 4-0 amateur record. Brooksie is 1-1 as a pro making her Invicta debut. Both fighters are from California. Again, I think this show has a weak main event and it might affect ticket sales.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ian & Sylvia

Artist:Ian & Sylvia
Song:You Were On My Mind
Album:Greatest Hits!





The husband wife duo of Ian Tyson and Sylvia Fricker were Canadian music pioneers and a big part of the early 60s folk music boom. Though they never had a hit single, You Were On My Mind is Ian & Sylvia's signature song especially after We Five scored a big hit with it in 1965. Ian Tyson was born Sept. 25, 1933 in Victoria, BC. He was a rodeo rider as a teen. But he got injured and he took up the guitar. Tyson acknowledges Canadian country music pioneer Wilf Carter as an influence. He started playing Vancouver clubs while attending the Vancouver School of Art. After graduating, Tyson moved to Toronto to take a commercial art job. That's where he met Sylvia Fricker. She was born Sept. 19, 1940 in Chatham, ON. Her mom was a church organist and choir leader. Sylvia always wanted to be a singer so she moved to Toronto in 1959. Ian & Sylvia started performing together in Toronto clubs. In 1962, they moved to New York. They got the attention of Albert Grossman who managed Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan. He got them a record deal with Vanguard Records. They released their debut album and performed at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. They married in 1964. You Were On My Mind is from the 1964 album Northern Journey. Though You Were On My Mind was not a hit at the time, it became a hit in 1965 when We Five leader Michael Stewart wrote an uptempo arrangement that was more commercial. Folk music purists complained at the time. But I don't think Sylvia complained about the royalty cheques she got in the mail. Ian & Sylvia were successful mostly in Canada with hits like Four Strong Winds and Gordon Lightfoot's Early Morning Rain. This budget comp covers their Vanguard recordings. It was first released in 1970 as a 2LP set and released on CD in 1987 as a "twofer". Ian & Sylvia became more of a folk rock act in the late 60s. They left Vanguard for MGM in 1967. They formed Great Speckled Bird and released a Todd Rundgren produced album in 1970. That album was hurt by poor distribution but it is worth seeking out. Then they recorded two albums for Columbia that went nowhere and they divorced in 1975. Ian & Sylvia have had significant solo careers in Canada. They reunited for a 1986 CBC TV special which you can watch on Youtube. Here's Ian & Sylvia performing You Were On My Mind on the 1986 CBC TV special The Ian & Sylvia Reunion.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Herb Alpert

Artist:Herb Alpert
Song:This Guy's In Love With You
Album:Definitive Hits





Of course Herb Alpert is best known as a trumpeter and leader of the very successful 60s instrumental group Tijuana Brass. So it's ironic that his only number one hit in the 60s was This Guy's In Love With You where Alpert sings. Alpert would be the first to admit that he can't sing. At the time Alpert was just supposed to perform the song on his 1968 TV special The Beat Of The Brass. So I'm sure he was surprised when people went nuts for it. Of course Alpert started Tijuana Brass and A&M Records in his garage and his first big hit was The Lonely Bull. There wasn't even a band at first. Alpert used studio musicians. But he started touring in 1965 and he was very successful especially because of the cover for the album Whipped Cream. Alpert is appearing on TV regularly and then he does his own special for CBS in 1967. It did so well that CBS asked him to do a second show. It was called The Beat Of The Brass and it aired on Apr. 22, 1968 and there was an album released to go with it. The story goes that Alpert was at Burt Bacharach's house and he asked Bacharach if he had any old songs that he wasn't using lying around. Alpert claims that he would routinely ask this of songwriters. Bacharach gave him This Guy's In Love With You. It was suggested to Alpert that he could sing this song on the TV special. Alpert agreed to do it as long as there was room for a trumpet solo. The video was filmed in Malibu and Alpert is singing the song to his wife Sharon. The song was not supposed to be released. It was just for the TV show. But when viewers started phoning TV stations asking where they could get the record, A&M released it as a single and added it to the album The Beat Of The Brass. It topped the charts. Bacharach arranged the song and conducted the orchestra. I think his arrangement and Bacharach's piano riffs were a big part of the record's success. Alpert faded after this and he would disappear from the charts until his 1979 number one hit Rise. That means Herb Alpert is the only one to have number one vocal and instrumental hits. Here's the video for This Guy's In Love With You by Herb Alpert.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Soul For Real

Artist:Soul For Real
Song:Candy Rain
Album:Candy Rain





Soul For Real were teens when they scored the 1995 top five hit Candy Rain. After a second chart hit, they faded and they have been trying to recapture the magic ever since. Soul For Real is a family group from Wheatley Heights, NY which is in Long Island. There are four brothers, Christopher "Choc" Dalyrimple, Andre "Dre" Dalyrimple, Brian "Bri" Dalyrimple and 13 year old lead singer Jason "Jase" Dalyrimple. In 1992 they were discovered by Dwight "Heavy D" Myers and he got them a deal with Uptown Records. Of course Heavy D and the Boys were a popular rap group. But even when they were popular Myers was scouting talent for Uptown. Candy Rain was Soul For Real's debut album and single. The single topped the R&B Singles chart and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. Myers and the production duo Trackmasters (Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier) wrote and produced most of the album and the single Candy Rain. It samples from the 1991 A Tribe Called Quest song Check The Rhime which sampled Minnie Riperton, Average White Band, Grover Washington Jr., Dalton & Dubarri and Biz Markie. Soul For Real's second single Every Little Thing I Do hit the top 20. And that was it for Soul For Real. Candy Rain is available as a budget CD. By the time Soul For Real's 1996 album for Life... was released, Uptown founder Andre Harrell left to run Motown. Universal promoted Myers to president of Uptown. You would think that would be good for Soul For Real. But Universal cut Uptown's promotion budget and there were no hit singles and the album stiffed. Soul For Real released a 1999 album on a small label that went nowhere. They started their own label in 2003 and a single was released in 2007. Then in 2009, Brian Dalyrimple was indicted for identity fraud. The group has continued and they are supposedly working on new music. They have released a couple of singles. Here's the video for Candy Rain by Soul For Real.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rich Gang

Artist:Rich Gang f/Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan
Song:Lifestyle
Single:Lifestyle




Cash Money Records is a very successful rap music label owned by Bryan "Birdman" Williams and brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. In 2013, they were looking for a way to promote new signings without having to invest in a full album. They can test out artists to see if they are worth keeping around. They decided to release a various artists album under the name Rich Gang. It was a good idea to label it so fans could easily find it. For the 2013 debut CD Rich Gang, they decided to have established stars on the album just so the audience would become familiar with Rich Gang. Fortunately the single Tapout reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album also sold well. Tapout featured Lil Wayne, Birdman, Future, Mack Maine and Nicki Minaj. Anyone who bought the album got an assortment of artists. Once the Rich Gang was established, Cash Money released the single Lifestyle in 2014. This was only available as a digital download. This single did better than Tapout. It topped the R&B charts and it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The featured rappers are Jeffery "Young Thug" Williams and Desquantes "Rich Homie Quan" Lamar. As it turned out, neither of these guys signed with Cash Money. Williams bounced around several labels and has now started his own label. Lamar is working on his debut album for Motown. the single was produced by Cash Money house producer London "London on da Track" Holmes. Cash Money has released several Rich Gang singles. None of them have charted and Cash Money hasn't compiled them on one album. Lifestyle is available as a single and it's also on the various artists album Now R&B Vol. 1 available from iTunes. I expect Cash Money to continue to release Rich Gang singles. Just remember Rich Gang is not a group but an identifying label. Here's the video for Lifestyle by Rich Gang featuring Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Allan Holdsworth

Artist:Allan Holdsworth
Song:Tokyo Dream
Album:Against The Clock: The Best Of Allan Holdsworth



Guitarist Allan Holdsworth was mainly a sideman renowned for his technique. He just died yesterday so plenty of guitarists took the time to praise him on Twitter. When he recorded as a leader, it was usually with a trio as on this 1984 recording of Tokyo Dream. He was born Aug. 6, 1946 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. His father was a pianist and taught him music. Holdsworth started playing guitar as a teen. He was a quick study and he soon moved to London under the wing of sax player Ray Warleigh. Holdsworth was in several early 70s bands including 'Igginbottom, Sunship, Nucleus and Tempest. But his big break came when he joined Soft Machine for the 1975 album Bundles. The band was actually Nucleus with Soft Machine founder Mike Ratledge. But it led to Holdsworth being discovered by jazz drummer Tony Williams. And that was the real beginning of Holdsworth's career. He appeared in The New Tony Williams Lifetime, Gong and Jean-Luc Ponty. Holdsworth always credited Williams for giving him his career. Holdsworth's debut as a leader Velvet Darkness was released in 1976. But Holdsworth always claimed the music was recorded without his knowledge or consent. Yes founding drummer Bill Bruford was looking to start a fusion band. Holdsworth played with Bruford and Bruford also recruited him for the supergroup U.K. which only lasted one album and Holdsworth hated that band. So he returned to Bruford. He left Bruford after the 1979 album One Of A Kind. He recorded three albums with pianist Gordon Beck and then he led the band I.O.U. They released an album in 1982. This got Eddie Van Halen's attention and he brought Holdsworth to Warner Bros. and this led to the 1983 EP Road Games. Tokyo Dream is a track on the EP. Musicians are Jeff Berlin on bass and Chad Wackerman on drums which was I.O.U. Jack Bruce made a guest appearance on vocals. The EP is available but it's too short. So I recommend this 2CD comp from Universal Japan. This recording of Tokyo Dream is from the 1992 album Wardenclyffe Tower. After Road Games, Holdsworth left Warners for Enigma and he moved to Los Angeles. It was around this time he started playing the SynthAxe which is a synthesized guitar. Holdsworth was the face of this product for years. Then he opened his own recording studio in San Diego. Holdsworth continued to be active in the 90s but he slowed down in later years due to health problems. He died on Apr. 15, 2017 at age 70. Holdsworth was not known to most music fans. Most of his fans were guitarists he influenced. Here's Allan Holdsworth with Jeff Berlin and Chad Wackerman performing Tokyo Dream in Japan 1984.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-RENA vs Dora Perjes

Here's the match video of RENA vs Dora Perjes from Sunday's RIZIN show in Yokohama. Of course we all know about RENA and I guess we are all looking forward to the women's Grand Prix which I expect she will win. Dora is from Hungary. Her record is 7-1 which seems impressive but she hasn't faced anyone like RENA. Dora gets off to a quick start by taking RENA down and try to submit her. She almost hooked an armbar. It was certainly entertaining BUT it was way too early in the fight to try that. RENA was still fresh and I'm sure she knew that Dora would do this. Dora may have gotten away with this back home in Hungary but it's not a strategy that will work against a good fighter. So once RENA got to her feet, that was the beginning of the end. She dropped Dora with a body shot and then walked away. The ref yelled at RENA and she rushed back. It looks like she forgot this is MMA. They have standing eight counts in Shoot Boxing. I'll get back to that in a minute. Among other things, RENA stomps Dora. Then she drops her with another body shot and this time it is over. I have been saying for the last year that RENA needs to quit Shoot Boxing and concentrate on MMA. The mistake she made in this fight reinforces that. If she makes a mistake like that during the Grand Prix, it could be very costly. I know she is loyal to SB owner Takeshi Caesar but he's a weasel and he only appreciates his cut for letting RENA fight in RIZIN. Maybe RIZIN owner Sakikabara can work something out with him. RENA is his star now and she may be the biggest home grown star to come out of RIZIN. Saori Ishioka, Kanna Asakura and King REINA all won their matches at yesterday's show. Ishioka and Asakura will be in the Grand Prix and both were stalking RENA at today's press conference. As for King REINA, there's no one for her to fight in Japan so RIZIN has to keep bringing in gaijin. She has already threatened to move to the US. She will probably have to move anyway. The talk is REINA may fight Gabi Garcia but REINA would give up a lot of size and weight. Remember in Japan it's Open Weight. So enjoy the fight and remember that RENA is the one who could bring MMA back to the mainstream in Japan.

Jamie Moyle vs Viviane Pereira added to June 3 UFC show

The UFC announced that Jamie Moyle vs Viviane Pereira has been added to UFC 212 June 3 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I would expect this fight to air on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Jamie is an Invicta veteran originally from Orlando, FL. But she now trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. She was in TUF 23 and she made her UFC debut with a win over Kailin Curran in December. She looked pretty good in that fight and I expect her to be favoured in this fight. Viviane is from Fortaleza, Brazil with a 12-0 record. She's a former XFC Strawweight Champ. She made her UFC debut in December with a split decision win over veteran Valerie Letourneau. I scored that fight a draw. Valerie won the first round and then she did nothing for two rounds. So she gave the fight away.  And Viviane didn't do much either. The problem Viviane has is she's very tiny even for a Strawweight and she's mainly a striker. Jamie is better on the ground and she should use those skills to win. Maybe Viviane shouldn't be in the UFC. This fight should tell us that.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Simon Collins

Artist:Simon Collins
Song:Pride
Album:All Of Who You Are





Simon Collins is the son of Phil Collins. He grew up in Canada after his parents divorced. He had modest success with the 1999 single Pride. He currently leads the band Sound Of Contact. He was born Sept. 14, 1976 in Hammersmith, London, England. He is the oldest son of Phil Collins and Canadian Andrea Bertorella. When his parents divorced in 1984, he moved with his mom and sister Joely to Vancouver. Collins started playing drums as a child mentored by his dad and Genesis drummer Chester Thompson. He first appeared on stage with his dad at age 12. Collins got into songwriting because he didn't want to be just a drummer. He moved to Germany and signed with Warner Music after sending out demos. The album All Of Who You Are was released in Germany and Canada. The album and the single Pride did very well in Germany. It also got some airplay in Canada because Collins would have been considered as Canadian Content. The album was produced by the German production trio Schallbau (Matthias Hoffmann, Ralf Hildenbeutel & Stefan Britzke). They are studio musicians with a fondness for electronica and trance. You can hear that in Pride. I did like the use of Sheldon Clare's bagpipes. You don't hear that every day on a pop record. Collins moved back to Vancouver in 2003 to start his own label. While he released two albums, Collins started the band Sound of Contact with keyboard player Dave Kerzner who he met in New York while working with Steve Hackett on a Genesis tribute record. Collins describes Sound Of Contact as progressive rock. I guess Collins is used to being compared to his dad. Sound Of Contact released an album in 2013. Kerzner left and then returned Apr. 2015. They announced at the time they were recording a new album. There has been no news since then and Collins has moved Sound Of Contact to his own website. It's unclear what Collins is doing now. Here's the video of Pride by Simon Collins.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ketlen Vieira vs Ashlee Evans-Smith

Here's the match video of Ketlen Vieira vs Ashlee Evans-Smith from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This fight aired on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Though she is 2-1 in the UFC, Ashlee has not looked very good in her last couple of fights. She's a former All American wrestler who now trains with her long time pal Carla Esparza at Team Oyama. Ketlen won her first UFC fight. But this fight should give us a better idea of where she is at. The big difference in this fight was that Ketlen was much quicker than Ashlee. Ketlen was throwing combinations and landing more. Ashlee seemed sluggish but I think she just lacks quickness. Ashlee makes up for that with her wrestling. But Ketlen was too quick for her. Ashlee did a little better in round three when Ketlen got a little tired. But Ashlee needed a finish and didn't get it. She needed to show some urgency and I don't know why she didn't. Ketlen will probably face a top ten opponent in her next fight. If she doesn't get her act together, Ashlee could be headed for Palookaville. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Rose Namajunas vs Michelle Waterson

Here's the match video of Rose Namajunas vs Michelle Waterson from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. The winner of this fight is likely to get a title shot. The result was going to depend on which Rose Namajunas shows up. Is it the elite fighter? Or will it be the Rose that lost to Karolina Kowalkiewicz last year? That's a fight she should have won and she beat herself. Michelle is undersized for a Strawweight. She's a good but not an elite fighter. But she is marketable to casual fans. I saw a lot of whining about Michelle being the betting favourite. Did you all forget that Rose looked terrible in her last fight? She could have done that again. But she didn't. Michelle's big mistake was getting a head and arm throw takedown and not immediately transitioning to side control. The problem with that throw is even if it's successful, it leaves her back open. To hold on to it like she did is a rookie mistake by a ten year MMA veteran. Once Rose took Michelle's back, that was the beginning of the end. Rose got the finish in round two after a jarring head kick. Rose took Michelle down and eventually got a rear naked choke for the finish. So now it looks like Rose will get a title shot. Afterwards, she admitted that she has been guilty of thinking too much. That's why she lost to Karolina. It's very important that coach Trevor Wittman helps Rose keep her head on straight and make sure she avoids overthinking. That's a big flaw I see in a lot of fighters but it is fixable. He needs to remind her to use her instincts and physical skills and he'll worry about strategy. Keeping focused on that could get Rose a title belt. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Kander and Fred Ebb

Artist:John Kander and Fred Ebb
Song:It'll All Blow Over
Album:Cabaret: Original Broadway Cast





John Kander and Fred Ebb are one of the most successful songwriting teams in history. They have written plenty of musicals. Cabaret was their first successful show. It'll All Blow Over is one of four songs rejected for the 1966 production of Cabaret. Demos of these songs sat in the Columbia vault for years until they were added to the 1998 CD release as bonus tracks. Kander was born Mar. 18, 1927 in Kansas City, MO. He was in the Merchant Marines and the Army Reserves while studying at Columbia University. After his discharge, he wrote dance arrangements for West Side Story and Irma La Douce. Then he wrote the 1962 musical A Family Affair with James and William Goldman. Ebb was born Apr. 8, 1928 in New York City. He also studied at Columbia. Ebb wrote songs with Phil Springer and Paul Klein and he worked on a couple of Broadway revues. Their music publisher introduced them in 1962. They wrote a couple of songs together and then Hal Prince hired them to write Flora The Red Menace which starred Liza Minnelli when it was on Broadway in 1965. Then Prince hired them to write Cabaret and that was their breakthrough. It'll All Blow Over was one of four songs not used in the show. The song was supposed to run at the end of act one when Fraulein Schneider (Lotte Lenya) and Cliff (Bert Convy) are worried that marrying a Jew wasn't a good idea. Sally (Jill Haworth) sings the song to convince them there is nothing to worry about. This and the other deleted songs sat unreleased until Columbia's 1998 CD of Cabaret. Kander and Ebb perform demos of the songs with brief introductions. Of course Kander and Ebb have written several successful shows including Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Ebb died in 2004 but Kander is still writing shows. His musical Kid Victory written with Greg Pierce recently opened on Broadway. Here's a video for It'll All Blow Over performed as a demo by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Artist:Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Song:Mr. Bojangles
Album:Fishin' In The Dark: The Best Of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band




In all their history, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) scored their only top ten pop hit with this 1970 cover of Jerry Jeff Walker's Mr. Bojangles. Most of the time they record country, bluegrass and folk. Some say they are a mirror image of The Byrds with NGDB more steeped in country. They were formed in Long Beach, CA in 1966. Jeff Hanna and Bruce Kunkel performed together and they joined jam sessions at McCabe's Guitar Shop with Ralph Barr, Les Thompson, Jimmie Fadden and Jackson Browne. NGDB started as a jug band. Browne soon left to go solo. He was replaced by John McEuen and his older brother William McEuen became the band manager and he got them a deal with Liberty Records. Their debut album was released in 1967. The single Buy Me For The Rain reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. This got them on The Tonight Show and other TV shows. When their second album Ricochet didn't do well, Kunkel wanted to go electric and record original songs. He left when that didn't go over well and he was replaced by Chris Darrow. When their next couple of albums didn't do well, NGDB split up after appearing in the 1969 film Paint Your Wagon. They reformed with William McEuen taking over as producer. And Jimmy Ibbotson replaced Darrow. The 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy was a mix of country, bluegrass and folk. Mr. Bojangles was a surprise hit single. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and first recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker. Hanna heard the song on the radio and suggested to Ibbotson that NGDB should record it. Ibbotson was already familiar with the song. The hit single allowed NGDB to record what they want and not have to be too commercial. This comp from Rhino covers their entire history. The other NGDB album worth getting is Will The Circle Be Unbroken which features a who's who of country and bluegrass legends. After Ibbotson left in 1976, they called themselves The Dirt Band for a few years. And then they restored the full name in 1982. McEuen was replaced by Eagles founding member Bernie Leadon in 1986. He left in 1988. By that time, Ibbotson returned. McEuen returned in 2001. Original members Hanna, McEuen and Fadden are still part of NGDB. Bob Carpenter has been a member since 1977. They last recorded on their own label in 2009. But they still tour. Here's Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performing Mt. Bojangles at Church Street Station in Orlando, FL. Hanna is lead singer, McEuen plays mandolin and drummer Fadden plays the harmonica solo.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Breeders

Artist:The Breeders
Song:Cannonball
Album:Last Splash





The Breeders are a mostly girl group that started as a side project of Pixies bassist Kim Deal. They had success with the 1993 album Last Splash and the single Cannonball. The Breeders became a priority after Pixies split up. In 1989, Pixies were touring Europe with Throwing Muses. Kim Deal wasn't happy and she was writing songs for a possible solo project. She discussed this with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donnelly. They recruited violinist Carrie Bradley and recorded a demo. They didn't have a drummer yet. They signed with 4AD with Elektra distribution. Kim had used the name The Breeders before. They brought in Josephine Wiggs from The Perfect Disaster to play bass. Steve Albini was hired to produce. He had worked with Pixies. He suggested drummer Britt Walford who used the pseudonym Shannon Doughton. The 1990 album Pod was recorded in Scotland. It was critically acclaimed but it was not a commercial success. So everyone returned to their original bands. But then Pixies split up in 1991. Kim and Josephine recorded a song on England and then recorded more songs in New York. That was released as the Safari EP. Tanya started the band Belly. So Kim asked her sister Kelley Deal to play guitar and she also brought in Pixies drummer Jim McPherson. The Breeders opened for Nirvana on their European tour. They released Last Splash in 1993. The single Cannonball reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the album was certified Platinum. After touring, Kelley was busted for drugs. The Breeders went on hiatus. Kim and McPherson formed The Amps and released an album. She revived The Breeders in 1996 with McPherson and Bradley. Eventually the Deal sisters reunited and the Breeders toured in 2001 and released an album using studio musicians in 2002. They continued to tour and they released an album in 2008. The Breeders' status is uncertain. Last year there was talk about them recording new music. But their website hasn't been updated since 2014. That's a sign that they aren't active. Here's the video for Cannonball by The Breeders.

Holly Holm vs Bethe Correia will main event June 17 UFC show

As first reported by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting and then confirmed on last night's episode of UFC Tonight, Holly Holm vs Bethe Correia will main event UFC Fight Night 111 June 17 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. This show will air on Fox Sports 1 in the US and TSN in Canada. As you may have heard, Holly was offered Korean fighter Ji Yeon Kim. She might be a better fighter than Bethe as she has wins over Takayo Hashi and Shizuka Sugiyama. The UFC has been after her for at least a year. They wanted her to fight Rin Nakai at the last Korea show. But she has no name recognition in the UFC. So Holly's manager Lenny Fresquez turned down that fight. He also said that he wanted to see what was happening with a Welterweight rematch with Germaine De Randamie. Once it was clear that wasn't happening, he accepted the match with Bethe. Though both fighters have been in UFC main events, that was a while ago and I think it's fair to say that neither fighter belongs in a main event anymore. Holly is on a three fight losing skid. And the only thing worse than her poor performances is her woulda coulda shoulda excuses afterwards. She needs a win or I don't know what the UFC will do with her. Bethe is probably in the same boat to Palookaville with Holly. Her last fight against Marion Reneau was a draw. And her two fights before that were both split decisions. She was 1-1. We've seen enough of both fighters by now to know what to expect from them. I wouldn't be surprised to see another split decision.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Warpaint

Artist:Warpaint
Song:Love Is To Die
Album:Warpaint





Warpaint is an all girl band who have had success on the indie rock circuit with their atmospheric sound. They were formed in Los Angeles in 2004 by lead singer Emily Kokal and guitarist Theresa Wayman who were childhood friends along with sisters Jenny Lee Lindberg on bass and Shannyn Sossamon on drums. Shannyn is also an actress who made a big splash in the 2001 film A Knight's Tale. She left Warpaint in 2007 after having a baby and then her acting schedule got too busy. She would eventually be replaced by Stella Mozgawa. Warpaint got their big break in 2007 when Emily was dating Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. He helped them produce an EP and Warpaint signed with the British label Rough Trade. Their debut album The Fool was released in 2010 and they toured to support it. Love Is To Die is from the 2014 CD Warpaint which the band wrote and produced with veteran recording engineer Mark "Flood" Ellis. Love Is To Die got a big boost when it was used in a Calvin Klein commercial. After Warpaint toured to support the album, each member worked on side projects. Theresa formed the band BOSS and Jenny released a solo album. It gave them a fresh perspective when it came time to record the album Heads Up which was released Apr. 2016. They toured, took a Christmas break and they are touring again. I recommend Warpaint to fans of Dream Pop and psychedelia. Here's Warpaint performing Love Is To Die on Conan 2014. This was Warpaint's TV debut. I think they did pretty well.

Jessica Aguilar vs Cortney Casey added to May 13 UFC show

The UFC announced yesterday that Jessica Aguilar vs Cortney Casey has been added to UFC 213 May 13 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. I expect this fight to air on the prelims. After having success in Bellator and then the WSOF, Jessica has caught the injury bug since coming to the UFC. In her only UFC fight to date, Jessica lost to Claudia Gadelha in Aug. 2015 after suffering a broken foot while training. I know why she didn't pull out but that was the wrong decision. Then she was scheduled to fight Juliana Lima last year and Jessica suffered a knee injury and had surgery. So now she's on the comeback trail. Meanwhile, the UFC still has her ranked #3. Obviously that's based on her past record. That's one reason I don't pay attention to rankings. She's ranked way too high. But fighters pay attention to them. So for Cortney Casey, taking this fight is a no brainer. It's a winnable fight for Cortney against the #3 ranked fighter. Cortney is 2-3 in the UFC. But she has been fairly competitive and I don't think she should be overlooked. So I expect Jessica to be favoured but we could see an upset.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jerrod Niemann

Artist:Jerrod Niemann
Song:Drink To That All Night
Album:High Noon





Jerrod Niemann started out as a songwriter and he has had success as a recording artist since signing with Sea Gayle Music co-owned by Brad Paisley. Drink To That All Night is his biggest hit to date. He was born July 24, 1979 in Liberal, KS. He has been writing songs since he was a child and he competed in local talent contests. While attending South Plains College in Levellead, TX, he played local clubs and self released an album in 1999. After moving to Nashville, Niemann signed with Mercury Records. Nothing came from that except he toured regularly. Then he signed with Category 5 Records but they closed after owner Raymond Termini was found guilty of misappropriating funds to fund the label. Meanwhile, Niemann wrote the 2005 Garth Brooks hit Good Ride Cowboy. In 2010, he signed with Sea Gayle co-owned by Brad Paisley with Arista distribution. He had success with the 2010 album Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury and the single Lover, Lover. His next album Free The Music did not perform well and there were no hit singles. But he bounced back with the 2014 album High Noon produced by Jimmie Lee Sloas. The single Drink To That All Night reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. He also recorded a remix with rapper Pitbull. Niemann co-wrote most of the songs on the album. But Drink To That All Night was written by Brad and Brett Warren who had modest success recording as The Warren Brothers. They have had a lot of success writing hits for others. They write frequently with Niemann and Lance Miller who co-wrote this song. Derek George from Bryan White's band was also a co-writer. When Niemann's single Donkey flopped, it led to his departure from Arista. He signed with Curb Records. The single God Made A Woman was released last month so a new album is forthcoming. here's the video for Drink To That All Night by Jerrod Niemann.

Manami Toyota talks about retirement

Manami Toyota recently announced her retirement plans. The show, which will also be her 30th anniversary, will be Nov. 3 at the Osan Bridge Hall in Yokohama. Manami has done a two part interview with Sportsnavi where she talks about retirement and other things. Plenty of fans are unhappy that she is retiring. I think her retirement is long overdue. And based on this interview, she seems to agree with that. The first question is why is she retiring. Fans may recall that she had reconstructive shoulder surgery in 2003. Though Manami returned, her shoulder has never been the same. She's in pain 24 hours a day and now it's spreading to her neck. It's very similar to what happened to Ayumi Kurihara. She had shoulder surgery in 2008 and it got to a point where she couldn't lift her arm anymore. She had to retire. Manami says it's getting worse and it's affecting her performance in the ring. With her 30th anniversary coming up, she decided it was time to retire. She probably should have retired back when she had the surgery. She says she got accustomed to the pain and there were no further injuries. She was able to get by. In 30 years, this was her one major injury. She broke her foot once when she was young but there's no comparison. Manami has six bolts in her shoulder. Working with pain is nothing new for Manami or any other pro wrestler. She says working with the shoulder pain was very difficult. And she was still working 200 matches a year. She was asked if all her flying around causes injuries. She says not really. If that was really risky, no one would perform those moves and everyone does them. So what will she do after retirement. Manami isn't sure but she won't stay in the wrestling business. She says she can't watch wrestling now but she plans to try to attend occasional shows with pal Mima Shimoda. She is asked if she wants to be a promoter or trainer. She says she's not interested in promoting. And she says she has tried to teach but she's not good at it. She says for the next six months, she will work mostly for OZ Academy. She may work for some of the other joshi companies. Manami has become friends with Tsukasa Fujimoto so she will work some Ice Ribbon shows. When asked about her retirement match, Manami says she hasn't decided yet. But she is considering a sequel to the famed 1995 match Manami Toyota vs AJW where she faces 30 opponents in succession. As a tribute, Fujimoto did the same match with 32 opponents. She jokes that she doesn't want Fujimoto to top her. Her friends like Aja Kong, Mima Shimoda and Kyoko Inoue will be in her retirement match for sure. When asked about her signature move the Japanese Ocean Cyclone, Manami says she already gave that move to Fujimoto. When asked about the future of joshi puroresu, Manami says things were great in the 90s when they were on network TV. Today the fanbase in Japan is small because of lack of exposure. There's no money to be made. When she started out, Manami thought if she worked hard she could be rich. Then AJW lost their TV deal and the joshi business has never recovered. Of course she would like to see a joshi revival but she knows it's unlikely at this point. Manami says the biggest problem is there are too many joshi compnies. There's just not enough of a fanbase or money to go around. And young wrestlers don't make enough to concentrate on wrestling training. They have to work day jobs. They go back to talking about her retirement match. A lotion match is suggested. She laughs. She says for sure she's not doing a death match or barbed wire. She doesn't want any lasting scars. As the date approaches, Manami will get more excited about her retirement. It's too soon to get excited. She just wants to remain reasonably healthy until the end. At first she says she won't cry at her retirement. But then she says she probably will cry. She's not ready to admit that yet. It will certainly be a memorable event. Check out the accompanying poster.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shalamar

Artist:Shalamar
Song:A Night To Remember
Album:I Can Make You Feel Good: The Best Of Shalamar




In 1977, Soul Train owner Don Cornelius and talent coordinator Dick Griffey started a record company Solar Records. The first act on the label was Shalamar. The 1977 album Uptown Festival used studio singers. It was successful enough that Griffey thought they could form a group using Soul Train dancers. The original lead singer was Gary Mumford. He was soon replaced by Gerald Brown. After the 1978 album Disco Gardens, Brown left over a money dispute and he was replaced by Howard Hewett. And that's when Shalamar really took off. The other two members were Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. The 1979 album Big Fun was Hewett's first album. That album was certified Gold and the single The Second Time Around topped the R&B charts and it was a top ten pop hit. Shalamar's success continued mostly on the R&B charts. A Night To Remember reached #8 on the R&B singles chart. It's probably their second biggest hit. It's from the 1982 album Friends. The record was produced by Leon Sylvers III and written by his sister Charmaine Sylvers, Nidra Beard of Dynasty who were also on Solar Records and Dana Meyers who was a staff songwriter at Solar. After that, Watley and Daniel left Shalamar probably over money. Of course Jody Watley went on to a successful solo career. Daniel became a choreographer for Michael Jackson among others. Shalamar continued to have success until Hewett left to go solo in 1985. He has also had a solid solo career especially in the gospel market. You can get all of Shalamar's hits on this budget comp. Shalamar officially ended in 1990. Though the classic Shalamar lineup has never recorded, they have toured mostly in England. They will tour England again starting in a couple of weeks. Here's the video for A Night To Remember by Shalamar.

AccuRadio song Of The Day-Vanessa Redgrave

Artist:Vanessa Redgrave
Song:The Lusty Month Of May
Album:Camelot: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack




Of course Vanessa Redgrave is from a family of actors. She didn't really sing except for playing Guenevere in the 1967 film adaptation of the musical Camelot. The Lusty Month Of May was her big song. She was born Jan. 30, 1937 in Greenwich, London, England to British acting legend Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. The entire family are actors. By the late 50s she was appearing regularly on the London stage. Early starring roles included The Tiger and the Horse and As You Like It. Her breakthrough film was the 1966 film Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment for which she got an Oscar nomination. And she starred in the popular 1966 film Blowup which is a must see. When Joshua Logan was looking to film Camelot, he hired Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave to star. Neither actor was known for singing. My guess is Vanessa looked at singing as a challenge. And she does well. Camelot was not critically acclaimed but Harris and Vanessa were both praised for their singing. It doesn't look like Vanessa ever sang on film again. She did appear in the 1969 musical Oh! What A Lovely War but she didn't sing. Maybe she sang on TV. Of course she has appeared in plenty of films. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 1977 film Julia. And she won an Emmy for the 1981 film Playing For Time. If you want to see one of her films, that's probably the one to see. Vanessa is still around. Her most recent significant film was Foxcatcher in 2014. She has had health problems recently caused by smoking. And of course she is known for her political activism. Well, she may be notorious for that stuff. Here's Vanessa Redgrave performing the Lusty Month Of May from the 1967 film Camelot.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Katlyn Chookagian vs Irene Aldana

Here's the match video of Katlyn Chookagian vs Irene Aldana from last night's UFC show in Buffalo. This aired on UFC Fight Pass. When I previewed this fight on the blog, I said that neither fighter belongs in the UFC. I figured it would be competitive with very little aggression and the end result would be a split decision. And that's what happened. These two fighters need to show dominance to move up in the rankings. They didn't do that. I didn't like the fight so I'm not going to look at each round. But I did score it 30-27 for Irene because I thought she was marginally more effective. Though Katlyn threw more punches, most of them didn't land. And Irene's punches that did land were harder. The fight was very close and Katlyn got the win by split decision. And no I didn't think it was a robbery. It was a close fight between two mediocre fighters. It doesn't matter who wins. I think Katlyn has to face a ranked fighter to see if she improves when the competition is better. I doubt it. Katlyn is 2-1 in the UFC and all her fights have been split decisions. Any fighter or coach who is satisfied with that is out to lunch. Irene's results don't surprise me because I didn't like her when she was in Invicta. So yeah, this fight was as bad as I expected. Check out the video for yourself.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Cynthia Calvillo vs Pearl Gonzalez

Here's the match video of Cynthia Calvillo vs Pearl Gonzalez from last night's UFC show in Buffalo. The big story before this fight was the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) told Pearl Gonzalez after the weigh ins that she couldn't fight because she has boob implants. Not surprisingly, the UFC had Pearl's doctor tell the NYSAC that Pearl could fight with no health risk. The fight was back on. So why is this stupid rule on any athletic commission's regulations? It was originally put in for boxers years ago. It's the kind of archaic rule that should be struck from their books. It's ludicrous. In her application, Pearl told them she had implants. But they didn't bother to tell either her or the UFC about this rule. So not only is it a stupid rule but the NYSAC was incompetent to not notify them about it. Enough of this nonsense. Let's get to the fight. It's clear that the UFC has high hopes for Cynthia or they wouldn't have brought her back so quickly after her debut win on a PPV no less. And though Pearl was making her UFC debut, I think she's better than Cynthia's first opponent. The first round was pretty close but I scored it 10-9 for Cynthia. She landed enough shots and scored a takedown near the end of the round. She was more active. Between rounds, Cynthia's trainer Justin Buchholtz told her to take Pearl down. Cynthia did exactly that and she won with a rear naked choke. Cynthia looked very good in this fight. My guess is they will have her face a ranked opponent next. They seem sold on her as a possible title contender. Depending on the opponent, we should get a clearer picture of Cynthia's potential with her next fight. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bad Brains

Artist:Bad Brains
Song:Big Takeover
Album:Banned In D.C.: Bad Brains Greatest Riffs




The one big change in today's music business is bands can easily distribute their own music. That wasn't the case when Bad Brains started out in the 80s. It was a big barrier for them to be anything more than a cult band. Bad Brains were a mix of punk and reggae. They are from Washington, DC. They started out in 1976 as the jazz fusion group Mind Power. Then they were influenced by The Sex Pistols to change to punk and call themselves Bad Brains. Of course the kicker is this was a black band. Of course no one was expecting a black punk band. The lead singer is Paul "H.R." Hudson. He's a Rastafari originally from England. He records reggae as a solo artist and punk as a member of Bad Brains. Other members are Gary "Dr. Know" Miller on guitar, Darryl Jenifer on bass and H.R.'s younger brother Earl Hudson on drums. Bad Brains moved to New York in 1979 when they were unofficially banned in D.C. They became very popular in New York clubs but they couldn't get a record deal. Their 1982 debut album was released only on cassette. For the 1983 album Rock For Light, they signed with the Passport Records owned label PVC. The album was produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. Big Takeover was on the first album and re-recorded on the second album. Later on the British label Caroline released Rock For Light on CD and they released this comp. They signed with Caroline in 1987 and in the 90s they recorded for Epic and Maverick. By this time the band had become more of a metal band. The other problem was H.R. wanted to devote his time to reggae. So he left several times taking his brother with him. But he would always return when he needed money. He also behaved erratically on stage and sometimes attacked fans. The band that has been most influenced by Bad Brains was Fishbone. So they are an influence but not really successful. Bad Brains is still around. Their latest album for Megaforce was released in 2012. H.R. and Dr. Know have had recent health issues. They said in a recent Rolling Stone interview they are planning a new album. Here's Bad brains performing Big Takeover at CBGB's in New York City 1982.

I Called Him Morgan review

Last night I went to Bloor Hot Docs in Toronto to see the documentary I Called Him Morgan. Most jazz fans should be familiar with trumpeter Lee Morgan from his days with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and Blue Note albums like Sidewinder. These same fans probably know that Morgan was murdered by his wife Helen on a cold snowy night outside a New York City club in 1972. But if you're like me, you know nothing about Helen Morgan. And that's what I Called Him Morgan is about. Director Kasper Collin made the 2005 documentary My Name Is Albert Ayler about another jazz musician who died prematurely. The biggest problem he had was there was very little info about Helen Morgan. She died in 2006. Fortunately Collin discovered that teacher Larry Reni Thomas interviewed Helen just before her death. After acquiring the interview, he did more interviews. The most important interview was with tenor sax legend Wayne Shorter who at first didn't want to discuss his days with Art Blakey and Morgan. Other musicians interviewed include Jymie Merritt, Bennie Maupin, Paul West, Billy Harper, Tootie Heath, Larry Ridley and Charli Persip. Maupin was very close with Morgan. They frequently toured together during his later career. So he knew Helen well. And Harper was at the club when Morgan was murdered. So with that and the interview with Helen, we get a clearer picture of the relationship. Shorter talks about Morgan's heroin addiction that forced him out of the Blakey band. By 1965, Morgan looked like a homeless person. And this was a guy known as a sharp dresser. We discover that Helen Morgan helped Lee kick his habit. She was much older than him so I guess she was a surrogate mother. She allows him to be productive again. So what happened? Jealousy of course. Helen thought Lee was unfaithful. On the fateful night of Feb. 19, 1972, Morgan was playing his usual gig at Slugs in New York City. That was his home base when he was in New York. In the middle of a raging blizzard, Helen decides to confront Lee and she brings a gun. She shoots him and Lee Morgan is dead. Helen is arrested and eventually pleads guilty to manslaughter. She claimed she shot Lee by accident. Then she moved to Wilmington, NC and that's where Thomas met her and interviewed her. Thomas had planned to continue the interview but Helen died before he could do that. I Called Him Morgan does a good job in telling a story that had never been told because it was thought that Helen Morgan disappeared back in the 70s. And because this murder happened during a blizzard, cinematographer Bradford Young gives the film a mystical look. Add plenty of Lee Morgan archive footage and photos and this film is a must for jazz fans. Check out the trailer.