AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Santana

Artist:Santana f/Gato Barbieri
Song:Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)
DVD:PBS Soundstage




Here's a very rare vintage video clip of guitarist Carlos Santana and sax player Gato Barbieri. Santana and his keyboard player Tom Coster wrote Europa for the 1976 album Amigos. Santana had written the song a few years earlier and he never finished it and put it aside. The band was on tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in England when he decided to try the song again. Coster helped Santana with some of the chord changes and it was on Amigos. It's turned out to be one of Santana's more durable instrumentals and he still performs it today. Gato Barbieri was recording his A&M Records debut album Caliente! and he decided to record Europa. I thought Santana may have appeared on the recording uncredited but he doesn't. But as a big jazz fan, Santana was already familiar with Barbieri. So he invited Barbieri to perform Europa on a TV special Santana was taping for the PBS series Soundstage. The taping was Feb. 21, 1977 in Chicago. Tower Of Power also appeared on this show. The band was Santana's band at the time with Tom Coster on keyboards, David Brown on bass, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler on drums and Armando Peraza on percussion. Though Santana and Barbieri would record together years later, this appears to be the only time they performed together. This episode of Soundstage can be viewed in its entirety on Youtube. It's available as a bootleg DVD. Do a Google search and you will find it. I loved Soundstage and PBS should release the whole series in a DVD box set. There's plenty of great music. Here's Santana featuring Gato Barbieri performing Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile) on PBS Soundstage Feb. 21, 1977 in Chicago.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Watermelon Slim and the Workers

Artist:Watermelon Slim and the Workers
Song:Black Water
Album:The Wheel Man




For many years, Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans drove a truck for a living and occasionally toured with blues musicians. A late 90s health scare convinced him to take music more seriously and now he's a fixture on the blues festival circuit. Homans was born in Boston in 1949 but he grew up in North Carolina and he became a blues fan as a child. After a tour of duty in Vietnam, he tried music and released the 1973 album Merry Airbrakes. He also toured with John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray among others. But for the most part, Homans drove a truck. Then in the late 90s, he formed the band Fried Okra Jones and released an album and they went on tour. This was curtailed when Homans suffered a serious heart attack. Upon his recovery, Homans decided to quit driving trucks and that's when he formed Watermelon Slim and the Workers. Homans has recorded several albums for NorthernBlues. Black Water is from the 2007 CD The Wheel Man. Homans wrote most of the songs and of course he plays steel guitar. Other musicians are Ronnie "Mack" McMullen and Ike Lamb on guitar, Cliff Belcher on bass and Michael Newberry on drums. The album won two Blues Music Awards including Best Blues CD of 2007. Last year Homans released the album Golden Boy on the French label Dixie Frog. He has been recording a new album scheduled for a 2019 release. But he also recently had hernia surgery. Homans says on his website that he is recovering and will be ready to tour as scheduled in April. Check him out if you like steel guitar in your blues. Here's Watermelon Slim and the Workers performing Black Water at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS. 2010. This is available on DVD.

Emi Fujino vs Amy Montenegro added to May 20 PANCRASE show

PANCRASE announced today that Emi Fujino vs Amy Montenegro has been added to the May 25 show at Studio Coast. This will be at Strawweight. If you recall, PANCRASE announced a few months ago a talent sharing agreement with Invicta. They made a big deal out of it. I said at the time and I still think this is window dressing to make it look like PANCRASE owner Masakazu Sakai is doing something new when all he is really doing is what he has done since he has owned PANCRASE, bringing over foreign fighters to lose. It's just that with talent sharing, it means he's saving a few bucks. He said at the time that he wanted to develop PANCRASE women's divisions. But he has never done that and he's not doing that now. Look, Emi Fujino is a decent but not elite fighter. And she's 37 years old. She is not the answer to developing the future of women's MMA in Japan. She's part of the past. And she was never that good anyway. Her record is 21-10. For the last couple of years she has fought mostly for ROAD FC with a 4-1-1NC record. As has been typical of Fujino's career, that one loss was a big one to Chinese fighter Weili Zhang. Her wins have been over fighters she should beat like Brazilian Aline Sattelmeyer. Emi is a midcard fighter and she has never won over a higher competition level. I think Emi should beat Amy Montenegro. You have probably seen Amy in Invicta and TUF 23. She's 34 years old and she trains at Gracie Barra in Lynwood, WA. Her record is 8-3 and 2-2 in Invicta. But one of those wins was one of the worst ref screwups in MMA history. It was so bad that Celine Haga is suing the Missouri AC to get the decision reversed. Amy also lost in the first round of TUF 23. She's typical of what Japanese promoters tend to do with foreign fighters. They bring them over to lose. So considering what Sakai said when he made the Invicta announcement, this fight is a waste of time and the whole deal is window dressing.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Crew Cuts

Artist:The Crew Cuts
Song:Earth Angel
Album:The Best Of The Crew Cuts: The Mercury Years




Back in the 50s, there were many radio stations that refused to play black artists. The solution to this was for white groups to record Doo Wop songs. And that's the story of The Crew Cuts. They had two number one hits covering the Doo Wop classics Sh-Boom and Earth Angel. The Crew Cuts were from Toronto. Like The Four Lads, The Crew Cuts attended St. Michaels School and sang in the choir. They were brothers John and Ray Perkins, Rudi Maugeri and Pat Barrett. John Perkins and Maugeri were in an early version of The Four Lads. They decided to leave the group and concentrate on school. After graduation and seeing the success of The Four Lads, they decided to form The Four Tones and then their fans named them The Canadaires. They played local clubs and saved up enough money to go to New York to appear on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. They didn't win but they did get to record. Then they went to Cleveland for a TV appearance. DJ Bill Randle liked them so much that he named them The Crew Cuts and got them an audition with Mercury Records. Their first hit single Crazy 'Bout You Baby was written by Maugeri and Barrett. It reached #8 on the Hit Parade. Then they recorded a cover of The Chords' Doo Wop classic Sh-Boom. The original was a hit but some radio stations wouldn't play it because The Chords were black. The Crew Cuts version was produced and arranged by Mercury house arranger David Carroll. It topped the charts and then they released a cover of The Penguins classic Earth Angel. It also topped the charts. They had one more top ten hit. And then The Crew Cuts left Mercury for RCA in 1958. They didn't have the same success there and they split up in 1964. This budget comp has all their Mercury hits. Today The Crew Cuts are sneered at as an abomination to Doo Wop. But they were never a Doo Wop group. They were a vocal group much like The Four Lads. But they appealed to white teens because they recorded Doo Wop songs. And the Crew Cuts versions were acceptable to white owned radio stations. This was the music business in the 50s. Here's a video for Earth Angel by The Crew Cuts.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Notorious B.I.G.

Artist:The Notorious B.I.G. f/Ma$e and Puff Daddy
Song:Mo Money Mo Problems
Album:Life After Death




Rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace is probably better known for how he died than anything he did during his life. He only recorded two albums during his life and Life After Death was released two weeks after his death. Mo Money Mo Problems was his first number one hit. It's unlikely he would have had that success if he was alive. That sounds cruel but it's normal for record sales to spike after an artist dies and Wallace's death was certainly more unusual than most. He was born May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, NY. His parents were Jamaican immigrants. After his dad left, Wallace's mom worked two jobs to raise him. Unfortunately, he got into drug dealing at an early age. Wallace was headed for a life of crime. He spent time in jail for weapons and drug dealing. He started rapping as a teen. When he got out of jail, Wallace recorded a demo as Biggie Smalls after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again. The demo got him a deal with Uptown Records producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs. Wallace appeared on a Heavy D & The Boys song and he remixed the Mary J. Blige hit Real Love. But then Combs was fired from Uptown. He started Bad Boy Records and Wallace went with him. Wallace changed his name to The Notorious B.I.G. when he found out that Biggie Smalls was already being used. He worked on a few things, married singer Faith Evans and his debut album Ready To Die was released Sept. 1994. The album was certified 4XPlatinum. His singles topped the Rap and R&B charts. Big Poppa reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. A remix of One More Chance featuring Faith Evans which was not on Ready To Die reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wallace became friends with rapper Tupac Shakur. And he also recorded with NBA star and rapper Shaquille O'Neal. Then he had a falling out with Shakur and that led to the murders of both of them supposedly caused by the east coast/west coast rap feud. There are certainly plenty of theories about these murders. But the bottom line is no one has ever been charged with the murders. So while Wallace and Shakur were feuding, Wallace recorded Life After Death. The album was ready to go. Wallace was in Los Angeles to film a music video. Then he was murdered on Mar. 9, 1997. Life After Death was released two weeks later. The album was a huge seller. It was certified Diamond. Mo Money Mo Problems was Wallace's first number one hit single. The video is a little strange because Combs had to produce it without Wallace. The golf tournament stuff is a little weird. The song liberally sampled the Diana Ross hit I'm Coming Out. And that's it for Wallace. There have been some posthumous releases but Life After Death is available on CD so I would recommend that. Today Wallace is hailed as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Of course everything is overshadowed by his and Shakur's murders. Here's the video for Mo Money Mo Problems by The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Ma$e and Puff Daddy.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Extra

BREAKING NEWS! Charlotte Flair pulled from tonight's Mixed Match Challenge. And my thoughts on Ronda Rousey and the "R" word.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 27, 2018

Today I talk about Asuka's RAW match from last night and the latest UFC news.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Jamie Frost

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Jamie Frost from last night's episode of RAW. As you have probably already heard, it wasn't much of a match. Right now Asuka is in a holding pattern. She is still on the RAW roster until Wrestlemania. I wasn't surprised by a squash match but I don't like them. But there are those who believe she should have been promoted like Goldberg because of the streak. Guys, she ain't Goldberg. And I think that a steady diet of squash matches would be boring and wear thin very quickly. In this case, they decided to go for humour. After Asuka's entrance, Jamie says in a ringside interview that this is her first match. Her confidence was hilarious because everyone knew what was coming. And as it turns out, it looks like it was her first match. Jamie is Pittsburgh based fitness model Brittany Rae Steding. She uses the name Ellie Fredericks as a manager/valet in local indie feds. She is currently a wrestler in training. Jamie slaps Asuka and a head kick knocks Jamie loopy and it's all over in thirty seconds. I just think squashes are a waste of Asuka's talent. But the WWE has to kill two weeks until Wrestlemania. I hope they come up with something better next week. I noticed that WWE PC coach Sarah Stock was involved in breaking up the Sasha Banks vs Bayley backstage brawl. I bet she could still have a four star match with Asuka. I don't think they ever had a match. I doubt that will happen but I can wish for it. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-My Chemical Romance

Artist:My Chemical Romance
Song:Welcome To The Black Parade
Album:May Death Never Stop You: The Greatest Hits 2001-2013




My Chemical Romance (MCR) were a popular touring and album band. They didn't quite reach the mainstream success they and their record company wanted. Welcome To the Black Parade was probably their biggest hit as it topped the British charts in 2006. MCR are from New Jersey. Lead singer Gerard Way grew up wanting to be a musician. But instead he went to work as an intern for The Cartoon Network. The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks convinced Way that he had something to say. He formed MCR with guitarist Ray Toro, drummer Matt Pelissier and his younger brother Mikey Way on bass. Mikey got the band name from a book title. They signed with Eyeball Records and released an album in 2002. They also added Pencey Prep guitarist Frank Iero. The album did well enough to get them a deal with Warner's Reprise label. The 2004 album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge was certified 3XPlatinum despite no hit singles. They were a strong live draw. They toured with Avenged Sevenfold and then Green Day. Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. At the time, Bryar was a sound engineer for The Used but he also played drums. MCR met him while touring. After releasing the live CD/DVD Life on the Murder Scene, MCR recorded The Black Parade with Green Day producer Rob Cavallo. The Black Parade is a rock opera about a band with MCR calling themselves The Black Parade. And the uniforms they wear in the Welcome To The Black Parade video are Sgt. Pepper influenced. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Welcome To The Black Parade topped the British charts and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would turn out to be MCR's biggest hit single. They released another live CD/DVD in 2007. Their next album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys was another concept album released in 2010. They recorded and discarded a lot of songs. They weren't happy with it and it led to Bryar leaving. The album wasn't as successful as previous albums and it led to MCR disbanding in 2013. They just weren't happy or getting along. This comp is a good intro to MCR's music. Gerard Way released a solo album in 2014. He also works on comic books. He says an MCR reunion is unlikely but a 10th anniversary edition of The Black Parade was released in 2016. They were a reasonably successful band that couldn't quite reach the heights of a band like Green Day. Here's the video for Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance.

Jessica Aguilar vs Jodie Esquibel added to June 1 UFC show

Last night the UFC confirmed that Jessica Aguilar vs Jodie Esquibel has been added to UFC Fight Night 131 June 1 at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY. This was first reported last week by Nolan King of MMA Kings. This show will air on Fox Sports 1 in the US and TSN in Canada. I expect this to air on the prelims. There was a time when a Jessica Aguilar fight was a sure main event. But MMA can be cruel and the UFC has not been kind to Jessica. She recently had a fight cancelled due to a broken hand. And before that she had knee surgery. She's 0-2 in the UFC. Based on her most recent fight, a loss to Cortney Casey, Jessica has slowed down considerably. And at 35 years old, it may be time for her to go into coaching at American Top Team. This fight is a must win for her. Most fans are familiar with Jodie from her days in Invicta. She's 31 years old and she trains at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. After Jodie lost in round one of TUF 23, she returned to Invicta. She finally got the call and made her UFC debut Oct. 2017 in Poland against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. As I expected, Karolina won by unanimous decision. Both are points fighters but Karolina is just better at that. Jodie did OK in Invicta. But I'm not surprised she has trouble with a higher level of competition. Jodie is a striker with no power and she has no ground game. And in her fight against Karolina, she was clearly losing but she made no changes in her strategy to try and pull out a win. There was no sense of urgency. Yes, I know she is very popular with the usual WMMA fanboys. That doesn't mean she is any better than mediocre. I think this is a bigger fight for Jessica. A loss could mean the end of the road. Jodie can always go back to Invicta.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barbara Ruick and Claramae Turner

Artist:Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner and Mixed Chorus
Song:June Is Bustin' Out All Over
Album:Carousel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack



The Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musical Carousel was turned into a movie in 1956 starring Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae. The big song and dance number June Is Bustin' Out All Over features supporting players Barbara Ruick as Carrie Pipperidge and Claramae Turner as Cousin Nettie. The individual members of the Mixed Chorus are not identified. Carousel was the most significant film appearance by both women. Barbara Ruick was born Dec. 23, 1930 in Pasadena, CA the daughter of radio actors Melville Ruick and Lurene Tuttle. So not surprisingly Barbara started out in radio and then was under contract to MGM. In the 50s, she appeared on TV a lot. She was a regular on Hollywood Screen Test, The College Bowl, The Jerry Colonna Show and The Johnny Carson Show. She also appeared on a 1955 studio cast recording of the Gershwin musical Oh, Kay!. So when she was cast in Carousel, they knew she could sing but she wasn't much of a dancer. After Carousel, she married legendary film composer John Williams. She continued to appear on TV but less frequently. After playing one of the evil stepsisters in the 1965 TV production of Cinderella, Barbara retired and died on Mar. 3, 1974 at age 43. Claramae Turner was born Oct. 28, 1920 in Dinuba, CA which is in the desert. She sang with the New York City Opera from 1953-1969. So Carousel was her only film appearance. She retired in 1974 and died on May 13, 2013 at age 92. I'm sure opera fans know all about her. Carousel is available on CD with some bonus tracks. Here's Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner and the Mixed Chorus performing June Is Bustin' Out All Over in the 1956 film Carousel.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 25, 2018

My review of last night's Invicta FC 28

Controversial judging in Invicta FC 28 main event

Last night Invicta FC 28 was in Salt Lake City. The show was OK but it just seemed to lack pizzaz. The fights ranged from dreadful to OK. But I guess there weren't any really great fights. The main event had Virna Jandiroba win the Invicta Strawweight championship over Mizuki by split decision. So that was the controversy. Two of the judges scored the fight 49-46 for Virna and that's how I scored it too. But the third judge scored it 49-46 for Mizuki. Of course there was plenty of outrage on Twitter. My job is to explain that score. I don't think it's poor judging. I just think it's a different interpretation. Conventional judging criteria says that top position wins. But what if the fighter on the bottom is unusually active. And what if the fighter on top is stalling. That leaves the door open for a different interpretation. In a nutshell, I thought Virna stalled way too much and I know she fought conservatively because Mizuki is dangerous. The big problem Mizuki had was she couldn't seem to get in top position. But except for round three, she was active from the bottom. Scoring the fight 49-46 for Mizuki goes against convention. But it's not wrong. That's why you don't leave it to the judges. Fighting conservatively is a double edged sword and judges can bite a fighter in the ass if she tries to play it safe. That almost happened in this fight. In the semi-main, DeAnna Bennett beat Karina Rodriguez by split decision. This was a dreadful fight. Karina is a teammate of Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana which means she fights the same style. She's an OK striker but she needs to be busier. It's another example of why I would like to see the decision No Contest due to no action. Some fighters need a wake up call. Of course refs can warn them but most won't do that. Then we had Milana Dudieva over Christina Marks by second round TKO. This was another dreadful fight that went nowhere until Milana landed a decent punch and Christina folded like a cheap suitcase. Pearl Gonzalez beat Kali Robbins by unanimous decision. Kali was successful in her Invicta debut a few months ago. In this fight, she was outmuscled by someone who looked terrible in the UFC a few months ago. It won Fight Of The Night but it was nothing special. Minna Grusander won her Atomweight debut over Fernanda Barros by second round TKO. Minna could be really good at Atomweight. Kal Schwartz beat Kay Hansen by second round TKO. It had to be stopped because there was so much blood after Kal busted Kay open with an elbow. Officials had no choice. It was a mess. Kerri Kenneson won over Chelsea Chandler by unanimous decision. Chelsea started out OK but she ran out of gas by the end of round one. Jillian DeCoursey beat Rebekah LeVine by unanimous decision. And Tracy Cortez beat Kaytlin Neal by unanimous decision. I guess those two fights were blah like the rest of the show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ramones

Artist:Ramones
Song:Blitzkrieg Bop
Album:Greatest Hits




Generally speaking, the Ramones are considered to be the very first punk band. I do think they were the first punk band to get a major label push. So they were probably the first widely heard punk band which makes them influential. Blitzkrieg Bop was their very first single. The Ramones are from the Forest Hills section of Queens, NY. While in high school, John Cummings and Thomas Erdelyi Had a band called The Tangerine Puppets. Douglas Colvin joined the band. And then a few years later, Sniper lead singer Jeffrey Hyman was invited to join. Colvin was lead singer and played guitar. Cummings played guitar and Hyman played drums. Erdelyi managed them. They brought in their friend Richie Stern to play bass. But he wasn't any good so Colvin switched to bass. He started calling himself Dee Dee Ramone influenced by Paul McCartney's use of the name Paul Ramon from his Silver Beetles days. So they all took the name Ramone. When they found that Colvin couldn't sing and play bass, Hyman was made lead singer. Then when they found he couldn't sing and play drums, Erdelyi became the drummer. So they started playing gigs and they signed with Seymour Stein's Sire label in 1975. Sire A&R director Craig Leon produced their first album. Leon really pushed Stein to sign them. It was released Apr. 1976. Blitzkrieg Bop was the first single. Despite the uncomfortable subject matter, the album was a strong catalog seller and eventually was certified Gold. Erdelyi wrote the song as Animal Bop and Colvin changed some of the lyrics so it would be controversial. Like much of the Ramones music, the song was short and played at a rapid pace. It was very influential at the time. They were a very popular live act. After a couple more albums, Erdelyi retired and became the band's producer. Former Richard Hell & The Voidoids drummer Marc Bell replaced him. Then they appeared in the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School and legendary producer Phil Spector produced their 1980 album End of the Century. That cemented the Ramones as punk music legends. This budget comp covers their early albums. The band continued but were having problems with Bell's alcoholism. So he was replaced by Richard Reinhardt. Bell returned in the late 80s. Colvin left due to personal problems and was replaced by CJ Ward. In the 90s, the Ramones switched labels twice. And other than an appearance in a 1993 episode of The Simpsons, the band seemed to run its course and disbanded in 1996. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. All the original members are deceased. Hyman died in 2001. Colvin died in 2002. Cummings died in 2004. Erdelyi died in 2014. As I said, the Ramones were influential because they popularized punk. They set a template for other bands. Here are the Ramones performing Blitzkrieg Bop.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 24, 2018

Check out my preview for Invicta FC 28.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vengaboys

Artist:Vengaboys
Song:We Like To Party! (Vengabus)
Album:The Party Album!





Vengaboys were mostly successful in European dance clubs. But their music also crossed the pond to US clubs and the 1998 single We Like To Party! even got mainstream radio play. Vengaboys is two Dutch producers who usually hired singers and dancers to perform the music. The producers are Wessel van Diepen and Dennis van den Driesschen. They call themselves Danski and Delmondo. They are from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. van Diepen started out as a DJ in the 80s and he teamed up with van den Driesschen and they started performing live in 1992. In 1996, they decided to hire singers/dancers to tour as Vengaboys. They hired Kim Sasabone, Denise Post-Van Rijswijk, Roy den Berger and Robin Pors. They released an album on their own label in 1998. The single Up & Down was a hit in England it was picked up by the US dance label Strictly Rhythm. The 1999 album The Party Album! is a reworked version of Up & Down. For the most part, Vengaboys were successful in Europe. But We Like To Party! reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who's singing? The singer is never identified. It could be a studio singer. But Denise has recorded albums so I assume it's her. Vengaboys continued to have dance hits mostly in Europe. But then Pors left to go solo and Vengaboys split up in 2001. They eventually reunited and tour today. They release occasional singles and a Christmas album in 2015. Here's the video for We Like To Party! (Vengabus) by Vengaboys.

Gina Mazany vs Lina Lansberg added to May 27 UFC show

Last week it was reported by MMANYTT that Gina Mazany vs Lina Lansberg has been added to UFC Fight Night 130 May 27 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. This fight was confirmed this morning by the UFC Europe Twitter feed. As I have said recently, with retirements, fighters dropping to Flyweight and some fighters aging fast, the UFC Women's Bantamweight division needs fresh blood. I don't believe either fighter belongs in the UFC. Gina is 29 years old originally from Anchorage, Alaska but she now trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Her record is 5-1 and 1-1 in the UFC. After losing a TUF 18 qualifying match, I guess the UFC kept track of her. Because when they needed a late replacement for a Feb. 2016 match vs Sara McMann, she stepped up and got submitted in round one. She won her second fight in Nov. in China. Her brother Dave Mazany is the EFC Lightweight Champion and both are pro wrestlers. Sometimes they work as a tag team. Lina Lansberg is 36 years old from Malmo, Sweden. She trains with former UFC fighter Akira Corassani. Her record is 7-3 and 1-2 in the UFC. She came to the UFC as a sacrificial lamb to Cris Cyborg. She lost her most recent fight by submission to hot prospect Aspen Ladd. Lina is a kickboxer. She has no ground game. If Gina can take her down, she should be able to submit her. But as I said, I don't think either of them are very good so this could also be three rounds of blah.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Debbie Davies

Artist:Debbie Davies
Song:Scratches
Album:Round Every Corner





Blues guitarist Debbie Davies was in Albert Collins & The Icebreakers. After his death, she decided to go solo and has been recording and touring since 1993. You may have heard her recording of Scratches on the HBO series True Blood. She was born Aug. 22, 1952 in Los Angeles. Her father was an arranger for Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Pearl Bailey. Debbie was a big fan of British blues rockers like Eric Clapton and John Mayall. And Mayall turned out to be one of her biggest boosters. Debbie worked in San Francisco clubs for a few years. She moved back to Los Angeles in 1984 and Mayall hooked her up with his wife's band Maggie Mayall & The Cadillacs. In 1988, she joined Albert Collins & The Icebreakers and she remained there for three years. Then she joined Fingers Taylor & The Ladyfinger Revue. Taylor plays harmonica but I think it was an all girl band. They worked for Jimmy Buffett and opened all his early 90s shows. Debbie went solo in 1993 with Blind Pig Records. Collins appeared on her debut album Picture This. Scratches is from her 1998 album Round Every Corner which was on Shanachie Records. As I said, Scratches was used in the HBO series True Blood. The album was produced by Joe Ferry who is leader of Big Ska Band and producer of The Skatellites. Musicians include organist Jeremy Baum who works with Ferry, Bob Hoffnar of Indoor Life on pedal steel and Jonathan Sanborn on bass. I think he is David Sanborn's son. Debbie has won some WC Handy blues awards. She started her own label a few years ago and her latest CD was released in 2015. It looks like she is touring the festival circuit this summer. Here is Debbie Davies with Cassandra Faulconer on bass and Don Castagno on drums performing Scratches at Towne Crier Cafe in Pawling, NY Mar. 26, 2010.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 22, 2018

Today I look at Tuesday's Mixes Match Challenge match with Asuka and The Miz vs Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman. And with Daniel Bryan getting cleared to return, what are the chances of Paige getting cleared?

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka and The Miz vs Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman

Here's the match video of Asuka and The Miz vs Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman from Tuesday's Mixed Match Challenge. I don't get to see it live because Facebook Watch is only available in the US. There were technical problems with the video so it was delayed a day. This is a semi final of the MMC. Of course the big story is The Streak and how does Asuka prevent Strowman from killing The Miz and her streak. I know at one point the WWE considered ending Asuka's streak on MMC but that was dropped when they signed Ronda Rousey. Now they plan to keep it going until next year. But they have to have commentary sell that the streak could end. So obviously Strowman beats up The Miz for most of the match. The turning point comes when Asuka tags in and instead of going back to his corner like he was supposed to, Strowman goes after The Miz and rams him through the ringside barrier. Asuka clamps on the Asuka Lock and it's over. The Streak is safe and Asuka and The Miz go on to the final. The other semi final will have Bobby Roode and Charlotte Flair vs Finn Balor and Sasha Banks who won the second chance fan vote. The final is on Mar. 3. Is it a good idea to have Asuka and Charlotte in the same ring before Wrestlemania? I wouldn't do that but who knows what the WWE is thinking? Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Massive Attack

Artist:Massive Attack f/Shara Nelson
Song:Unfinished Sympathy
Album:Collected





Massive Attack was very influential on the British dance music of the 90s. It's unlikely that Portishead even exists without Massive Attack paving the way especially with the 1991 single Unfinished Sympathy. Massive Attack are from Bristol, England. They started as the 80s DJ collective The Wild Bunch led by Nellee Hooper and Robert "3D" Del Naja who was a graffiti artist before he got into music. When Hooper left The Wild Bunch to form Soul II Soul in 1988, Del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and Andy "Mushroom" Vowles formed Massive Attack. They released a single independently and Neneh Cherry liked it enough to get them a record deal with Virgin. She also invited them to record in her home studio. Neneh and her producer husband Cameron McVey supported many emerging groups. They recorded the 1991 album Blue Lines. They usually brought in guest vocalists. In the case of Unfinished Sympathy, the singer is Shara Nelson who knew Massive Attack from The Wild Bunch days. The video is also interesting as it is a tracking shot of Shara walking through the West Pico district of Los Angeles. It was shot by Blue Velvet camera operator Dan Kneece on Steadicam. The "hey hey hey hey" is sampled from The Mahavishnu Orchestra song Planetary Citizen and they also sample JJ Johnson's music from the 1974 film Willie Dynamite. The song charted in England and was popular in dance clubs. It's also a very influential on subsequent groups that emerged from Bristol in the 90s. Shara went on to a solo career. The other guest vocalist on Blue Lines was Jamaican legend Horace Andy. Tracy Thorn of Everything But The Girl was the guest vocalist on the 1994 album Protection. Sinead O'Connor has also worked with them. Massive Attack has released five albums. The most recent was released in 2010. This comp is a good intro to their music. They occasionally reunite but mostly the guys have other projects going on. They are revered in England as innovators. Here's the video for Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack featuring Shara Nelson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kenny Rankin

Artist:Kenny Rankin
Song:When Sunny Gets Blue
Album:The Kenny Rankin Album





Jazz singer Kenny Rankin had most of his success in the 70s when he became very close friends with comedian George Carlin. Rankin sang, played guitar and piano and recorded a mix of original songs, jazz standards and contemporary songs. He was born Feb. 10, 1940 in Los Angeles but he grew up in the Washington Heights area of New York City. He recorded singles for Decca in the late 50s and then for Columbia in the 60s. He also wrote songs for Peggy Lee and Ricky Nelson and others. He finally released the 1967 album Mind Dusters on Mercury. Rankin appeared on The Tonight Show and Johnny Carson really liked him. He not only got him the deal with Mercury but Carson wrote the liner notes for Mind Dusters. After two unsuccessful albums for Mercury, Rankin became very good friends with George Carlin. Carlin recorded for Flip Wilson's label Little David with Atlantic distribution. Rankin recorded several albums in the 70s for Little David including The Kenny Rankin Album in 1975. His producer on most of those albums was Michael Stewart, a member of the 60s group We Five who turned to producing after they split up. But this album was produced by legendary big band producer Don Costa which is probably why it has a jazz vibe. Musicians included Wendy Haas of Azteca on keyboards, Peter Marshall on bass and Roy McCurdy on drums. Both guys toured with Rankin. McCurdy is from Rochester and he started out with the Mangione brothers. When Sunny Gets Blue was written by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal and it was the B side of the Johnny Mathis hit Wonderful Wonderful. Nat King Cole also recorded it. It's a popular song with jazz singers. As I said, Rankin toured a lot with Carlin and that led to cocaine addiction. Carlin bought Little David in 1978 and then closed it to start a new label in 1980. Rankin didn't record much in the 80s. But in the 90s he recorded for Chesky, Private Music and later Verve. Rankin sang at Carlin's 2008 memorial service. Rankin was working on new music for Mack Avenue when he died of lung cancer on June 7, 2009 at age 69. Here's Kenny Rankin performing When Sunny Gets Blue on The Jazz Channel Presents 2001.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 20, 2018

On today's podcast, Asuka faces Alexa Bliss on last night's RAW and the return of Nanae Takahashi,

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Alexa Bliss

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Alexa Bliss from last night's episode of RAW. Like last week, this match is designed to serve the Alexa vs Nia Jax angle. So obviously the WWE wants to continue Asuka's streak and at the same time they have to protect Alexa going into Wrestlemania. My only problem with the way this was executed is Asuka beat Alexa clean a couple of months ago. They think fans forget about things...but they don't. Of course the other problem is Alexa's main skills are with her mouth. And her ring skills haven't been allowed to develop properly. So I thought in this particular match, Asuka oversold her offense. I know that she was trying to make Alexa look much better than she is. But I don't think it was successful. Alexa is at the same skill level as Dana Brooke except Alexa is the champ. For that reason, the match didn't work very well. And then of course they saddled the match with a lame count out finish. And that was so Nia Jax could come out and chase Alexa. The end result is Alexa vs Nia at Wrestlemania has been set up. I don't know what Asuka will do on RAW for the next couple of weeks. But I do know she will team with The Miz on tonight's Mixed Match Challenge vs Braun Strowman and Alexa. So I should have the video for you tomorrow. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Thomas Rhett

Artist:Thomas Rhett
Song:Marry Me
Album:Life Changes





Thomas Rhett is one of today's biggest country music stars. He has released three albums and all have done very well and he has had several hit singles. He was born Mar. 30, 1990 in Valdosta, GA the son of 90s country music star Rhett Akins. So obviously he grew up wanting to be like his dad. He had a band in high school. While attending Lipscomb University in Nashville, Rhett signed a publishing deal with Big Machine. So he started out writing songs like the 2010 Jason Aldean hit My Kinda Party. Then he signed a record deal with Big Machine's Valory label. He released an EP in 2012 produced by Jay Joyce who had worked with Eric Church and others. All the songs were on his 2013 debut album It Goes Like This. He also worked with Jason Aldean's producer Michael Knox and Luke Laird who has worked with Carrie Underwood. Hit singles were It Goes Like This, Make Me Wanna and Get Me Some Of That. For his 2015 album Tangled Up, Rhett worked with session guitarist Dann Huff and songwriter Jason Frasure. Both guys come from Contemporary Christian Music. What Rhett is looking for is a more mature sound as he was starting a family. The album was certified Platinum and Die A Happy Man was his first number one country single. He continued to evolve with the 2017 album Life Changes as Rhett and his wife now had two daughters. And that's what the album is about. Rhett continues to work with Huff and Frasure. Rhett and Frasure wrote most of the songs together including Marry Me which was written by Rhett, Frasure, Ashley Gorley and Shane McAnally. He also sometimes writes with his dad. Rhett is currently on tour. I expect new music once the tour is finished. Thomas Rhett is already a big star and he will be around a long time Here's the video for Marry Me by Thomas Rhett.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joey Scarbury

Artist:Joey Scarbury
Song:Believe It Or Not
Album:America's Greatest Hero





Joey Scarbury's claim to fame was this 1981 top five hit Believe It Or Not from the TV series The Greatest American Hero. He's not quite a one hit wonder because a couple of other songs charted. But he's perceived as a one hit wonder. He was born June 7, 1955 in Ontario, CA. His mother encouraged him to sing and as a teen, he was discovered by songwriter Jimmy Webb's father. Webb got him a record deal with Dunhill Records. Scarbury released three singles that went nowhere. His producer was former Liberty Records house producer Dallas Smith. By then Webb started his own label Lionel Records with MGM. Lionel released the Five Man Electrical Band hit Signs in the US. The 1971 single Mixed Up Guy charted. But then Webb closed Lionel. Scarbury recorded singles for Bell, Playboy and Columbia. And he also sang backup for Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn among others. Those singles were produced by Mike Post who is mainly known for TV themes like The Rockford Files. Post was working on the music for The Greatest American Hero created by Stephen J. Cannell. The star of the show was William Katt, son of Perry Mason's Della Street Barbara Hale. ABC wanted an opening theme song. Post wrote Believe It Or Not with frequent songwriting partner Stephen Geyer. And I guess Post thought this would be Scarbury's big chance. When the show became a hit, so did the theme. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The guitar solo on the record is by Larry Carlton who also played the guitar solo on Post's hit theme for Hill Street Blues. Scarbury released an album on Elektra which is available as a budget CD. And that was about it. Scarbury recorded unsuccessful singles for RCA and Big Tree. He also had success as a songwriter, especially the 1989 #1 country hit No Matter How High for The Oak Ridge Boys. But mostly Scarbury is remembered for Believe It Or Not. Here's the video for Believe It Or Not by Joey Scarbury.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Holly McNarland

Artist:Holly McNarland
Song:Beautiful Blue
Album:Home Is Where My Feet Are





Singer songwriter Holly McNarland had modest success in her native Canada. But I think Universal Music had big plans for her and she never broke through to a wider audience. She was born Oct. 23, 1975 in The Pas, MB but she grew up in Winnipeg. She learned to play guitar as a teen and she began writing. She entered talent contests and worked as a waitress while singing on the side. In 1995, she got enough money together to record an EP and that got her a deal with MCA Records Canada. They re-released the EP and then she released the 1997 album Stuff produced by Dale Penner who had recently worked with Econoline Crush. The single Numb reached #9 on the Canadian charts. That was Holly's biggest hit. She won a Best New Artist Juno. She released the EP Live Stuff in 1999 but she wouldn't release new music again until the 2002 album Home Is Where My Feet Are. She worked with two veteran producers, Mark Howard and Warne Livesey. Beautiful Blue is probably the best known song from this album as it was used in the Global TV series Falcon Beach. This show aired on ABC Family in the US. But the album didn't sell and Universal dropped Holly. So what happened? In the late 90s, there were too many similar Canadian female singer songwriters and Holly just fell through the cracks. And she went five years between albums which is way too long. I'm not sure if Holly is still active. She released albums in 2007 and 2012. But she isn't touring and she last posted on Facebook and Twitter in 2015. She did work on a couple of Matthew Good's albums. But I don't know if she tours with him. At least Home Is Where My Feet Are is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Beautiful Blue by Holly McNarland.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barry Manilow

Artist:Barry Manilow
Song:Ready To Take A Chance Again
Album:Ultimate Manilow





Of course Barry Manilow was very popular in the 70s. He had several big hits. Ready To Take A Chance Again was an orphan because it didn't appear on one of his albums. It is from the 1978 film Foul Play. The film starred Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn and was directed by Colin Higgins. It's a comic homage to Alfred Hitchcock. The score was composed by Charles Fox who is probably best known for writing Killing Me Softly With his Song which was a huge hit for Roberta Flack. That song was an exception but Fox usually wrote songs for TV and film with partner Norman Gimbel. And that was true of Ready To Take A Chance Again. Manilow had just scored a big hit with Copacabana from his 1978 album Even Now. Paramount Pictures no longer owned a record company. So they licensed the Foul Play music to Arista. In return, Arista had Manilow record the movie theme. Manilow and his usual producer Ron Dante produced Ready To Take A Chance Again and it played over the opening credits of the film. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it did not appear on a Manilow album. The song appeared on the Foul Play soundtrack which mostly contains Fox's score and an abbreviated version of Copacabana. The soundtrack is available on CD. The one bonus track is the theme from the Foul Play TV series. Not all Manilow comps have this song but Ultimate Manilow does and it's available as a budget comp. This is the only time Manilow recorded a song for a film during his heyday. He recorded a couple of songs for films in the 90s but he wasn't as successful by then. Here's Ready To Take A Chance Again by Barry Manilow as it appeared over the opening credits of the 1978 film Foul Play.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Scatman Crothers

Artist:Scatman Crothers w/Phil Harris, Thurl Ravenscroft, Robie Lester, Liz English
Song:Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat
Album:The Aristocats: The Legacy Collection




Benjamin "Scatman" Crothers had a long career in music before he got into acting. The 1970 Disney film The Aristocats established him and led to better known work in TV and films. He was born Jan. 23, 1910 in Terre Haute, IN. His work at a Dayton, OH radio station got him the Scatman nickname. In music, he is probably best known for his time in the 40s with Slim Gaillard. Crothers moved to Los Angeles in 1953 and had small roles in films until he appeared in The Aristocats. The original plan was for Louis Armstrong to voice Scat Cat. But he was forced to back out due to illness. Phil Harris recommended Crothers for the role. The score for The Aristocats was composed by Disney veteran George Bruns who went for more of a jazz vibe than we usually hear in Disney films. There were no hit singles from The Aristocats but Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat is probably the best known song from the film. The song was written by veteran songwriters Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker. It's a group song with Crothers, Phil Harris, veteran voice artist Thurl Ravenscroft, Disney regular Robie Lester and Liz English. Recently Disney has released several soundtracks as The Legacy Collection. The Aristocats is 2CDs with bonus tracks and it's available at a budget price. Crothers' appearance led to his role on the TV series Chico and the Man. And later on the film The Shining which he got because he was pals with Jack Nicholson. Scatman Crothers was a heavy smoker and he died of lung cancer on Nov. 22, 1986 at age 76. Here's the video of Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat by Scatman Crothers with Phil Harris, Thurl Ravenscoft, Robie Lester and Liz English.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad podcast Mar. 15, 2018

Breaking news on the podcast today as the WWE has dropped The Fabulous Moolah from the women's battle royal at Wrestlemania. Also news about a new joshi puroresu company in Japan and Mackenzie Dern's next fight.

Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Bobby Cooper added to May 12 UFC show

After she won her UFC debut, Strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern asked to be on UFC 224 May 12 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yesterday MMA Brasil reported that she got her wish. She will face Amanda Bobby Cooper. Amanda confirmed the fight on her Instagram. Of course Mackenzie is a BJJ champ and she has spent a lot of time in Brazil. So this is like a home game for her. Mackenzie won her UFC debut over Ashley Yoder by split decision. First of all, it should have been a unanimous decision but there was plenty of terrible judging on that show. The main problem Mackenzie had with Ashley was she had never faced a southpaw before. Her coach John Crouch of MMA Lab in Phoenix said he kept yelling that she was circling in the wrong direction. But by the third round, Mackenzie figured things out and almost got a finish before time ran out. We could see a similar fight here. Ashley was on TUF 23 and she lost in the finals to Tatiana Suarez. She is 26 years old from Bath, MI. Her UFC record is 2-2 and both her wins were over fighters who were immediately released. She has a fan following because of her looks. But she's not a high level fighter. She has yet to beat anyone who is perceived as better than her. And I haven't seen anything from her that makes me think she can. The other big problem she has in this fight is the Brazilian fans will cheer for Mackenzie. Of course there could always be an upset. But I see nothing in Amanda's history that says that she can do that. Obviously Mackenzie will be favoured but that was true of her last fight. I just want to see progress from her.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wreckx-N-Effect

Artist:Wreckx-N-Effect
Song:Rump Shaker
Album:Classic Hip Hop





Rump Shaker was a big hit back in 1992. It was the only big hit by Wreckx-N-Effect. Due to political correctness, I don't know if a record like this would be released today. Even back then there were protests about the video. Not surprisingly, the man behind Wreckx-N-Effect was New Jack Swing creator Teddy Riley. His brother Markell Riley was a member of Wreckx-N-Effect along with Aqil "A-Plus" Davidson, Keith "K.C." Harris and Brandon Mitchell. They released an EP on Atlantic in 1988 that went nowhere. Riley and partner Gene Griffin were unhappy with Atlantic's promotion so they moved the group to Motown. By the time the album Wrecks-N-Effect was released, Harris had left. They had modest success on the R&B charts. Then Mitchell was killed in a 1990 shooting incident. They changed the group name to Wreckx-N-Effect as a tribute to Mitchell. They moved to MCA Records for the 1992 album Hard Or Smooth. Rump Shaker reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The only thing that kept it from being #1 was the monster Whitney Houston hit I Will Always Love You. The raps are by Davidson and the Riley brothers. It samples plenty of songs but the big one is the sax riff from Darkest Light by the obscure 70s band Lafayette Afro Rock Band. They also sample the obscure 70s group Manzel, Magic Disco Machine, James Brown, The Emotions, MC Lyte and DeBarge. The video was criticized for exploiting women. But the song was a hit anyway. And the album was certified Platinum. You can get Rump Shaker on this Rhino 3CD various artists comp. By the time their 1996 album Raps New Generation was released, Davidson and the Rileys weren't getting along and MCA was sick of them. So that was the end of Wreckx-N-Effect. Here's the video for Rump Shaker by Wreckx-N-Effect.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 14, 2018

Today I look at Asuka's appearance on Smackdown and an interview with Carmella that gives a clue at what will happen at Wrestlemania. I also discuss the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal fallout and why the WWE may not have been aware of what the reaction would be. Don't forget my podcast is on Anchor, Google Play Music and Pocketcast. Please subscribe at your favourite service. And you can leave any questions or comments at Anchor and I will answer questions on air.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ashley MacIsaac

Artist:Ashley MacIsaac f/Mary Jane Lamond
Song:Sleepy Maggie
Album:Hi How Are You Today?





With his mix of traditional Cape Breton and contemporary music, fiddler Ashley MacIsaac had success in his native Canada in the 90s. Sleepy Maggie was his biggest hit in 1995. He's unknown outside Canada. He was born Feb. 24, 1975 in Creignish, NS. He grew up playing the traditional music of the Cape Breton region in Nova Scotia which is similar to Celtic music. His sister Lisa MacIsaac is also a fiddler who leads the band Madison Violet. And his cousins Alexis MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster are all fiddlers. MacIsaac's 1992 album Close To The Floor was traditional Cape Breton music. But then he signed with A&M Records and with the 1995 album Hi How Are You Today?, it was decided that MacIsaac would fuse his usual music with contemporary music. This was led by producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda who had produced Barenaked Ladies and Spirit Of The West. Other key musicians included Big Sugar guitarist Gordie Johnson, drummer Graeme Kirkland, Ian Blurton of Cowboy Junkies, Chin Injeti of Bass Is Bass, Cape Breton native and session musician Gordie Sampson and Bourbon Tabernacle Choir keyboard player Chris Brown. So clearly A&M wasn't messing around. They thought MacIsaac could be a big star. The single Sleepy Maggie was very successful in Canada mostly in dance clubs. The album was certified 2XPlatinum in Canada. A&M released the album in the US but it was not successful. The singer Mary Jane Lamond sings traditional Cape Breton music. MacIsaac won a couple of Juno awards. He toured with The Chieftains. And he appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. MacIsaac's undoing was he butted heads with A&M over music direction and he left after two albums. Hi How Are You Today? is available as a budget CD. MacIsaac currently records for the Canadian label Linus Entertainment. His latest CD was released in 2016. And he still tours Canada. I guess MacIsaac's music is an acquired taste. But he was going places when creative differences got in the way. Here's the video for Sleepy Maggie by Ashley MacIsaac featuring Mary Jane Lamond.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 13, 2018

On today's podcast, I talk about last night's Asuka vs Mickie James match, the Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax angle and my take on The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Mickie James

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Mickie James from last night's episode of RAW. This match was part of a larger angle to turn Nia Jax against Alexa Bliss. On yesterday's podcast, I talked about Asuka appearing on Sunday's Fastlane to challenge Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship at Wrestlemania. Of course Alexa Bliss came out on RAW and claimed that Asuka was smart to avoid her. I guess she forgot that Asuka already beat her once. She was going to bring Nia out. But when Nia didn't come out, Mickie James attacked Asuka. Then they went to commercial and the match was joined in progress. Mickie was in control for most of the match. And that's necessary for commentary to sell that The Streak is in jeopardy. I don't think anyone believes they will end The Streak. But that's the story the WWE wants to tell. The notable spots included Asuka missing a kick and hitting the ring post. Commentary really tried to sell that. And Mickie executed a sunset flip power bomb. But in the end, Asuka hooks the Asuka Lock and it's over. Alexa deserted Mickie after the match. Then she went to the dressing room to ask Nia where she was. Nia said she has a match and Kurt Angle wouldn't let her come out. That match was less than a minute long. Afterwards, They showed Alexa and Mickie waiting to be interviewed. Alexa talks about how she is using Nia. But she didn't know the mic and camera were live. BTW, these kind of segments aren't usually live. They are taped earlier in the day. Of course Nia sees this and goes nuts. This angle will continue when Asuka faces Alexa Bliss on next week's RAW. Meanwhile, Asuka will appear on tonight's episode of Smackdown. Enjoy the video but remember that it was part of a larger angle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Floyd Cramer

Artist:Floyd Cramer
Song:Last Date
Album:20 Greatest Hits





Pianist Floyd Cramer was one of the most important figures in country music history. His playing style is synonymous with country music. He played on many sessions and he even scored a top five pop hit with Last Date in 1960. He was born Oct. 27, 1963 in Shreveport, LA and he grew up in Huttig, AR. Cramer taught himself to play piano and after graduating high school, he became the pianist on the Louisiana Hayride radio show. He even toured with Elvis Presley. The event that changed Cramer's life was when he met RCA Nashville head and guitar legend Chet Atkins. Atkins brought Cramer to Nashville. Cramer played on everything produced at RCA Nashville. He developed what became known as the "slip note" piano style. You can hear this on hundreds of hits including Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Occasionally Cramer recorded his own music. And one of those recordings Last Date reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. The only thing that kept Last Date from topping the charts was Elvis Presley's Are You Lonesome Tonight and Cramer played piano on that record. Lawrence Welk's cover of Last Date was also a hit. Skeeter Davis even wrote lyrics for Last Date and that was a hit too. And in 1972 Conway Twitty wrote his own lyrics to Last Date. Obviously Last Date was Cramer's signature song. But his real legacy was all the hits he played on. Cramer recorded and toured for many years until his death on Dec. 31, 1997 at age 64. This comp was sold on TV and it's a good intro to Cramer's music. Floyd Cramer was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. Cramer's grandson Jason Coleman also plays piano and he tours as a tribute to Cramer's legacy. Here's Floyd Cramer performing Last Date on The Johnny Cash Show 1971.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 12, 2018

It's official. Asuka will challenge Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship at Wrestlemania. This was announced at Fastlane last night. I talk about where that is going and more.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Car Seat Headrest

Artist:Car Seat Headrest
Song:Fill In The Blank
Album:Teens Of Denial





Car Seat Headrest started as a home studio project by Will Toledo. Then he signed with Matador Records and turned it into a band. The music will remind you of 80s emo punk. Toledo is from Leesburg, VA. He majored in English in college. But he started recording music on his home PC. He called himself Car Seat Headrest because he recorded vocals in the back seat of his car for privacy. He released eight albums on Bandcamp. There was enough buzz about his music that he signed with Matador Records in 2015. And he decided to form a band with Ethan Ives on guitar, Seth Dalby on bass and Andrew Katz on drums. The first Matador CD Teens Of Style was a comp of previous albums. The 2016 CD Teens Of Denial was the first album by the full band. The band toured and appeared on the late night talk show circuit. This band is recommended to fans of retro punk. Car Seat Headrest has released a new CD Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) which is a re-recording of a 2011 album. Here's Car Seat Headrest performing Fill In The Blank on Late Night with Stephen Colbert Feb. 2017.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 11, 2018

Today's podcast is a review of yesterday's DEEP JEWELS women's MMA show in Tokyo. Also the closing of Reina Joshi Puroresu and a Wrestlemania rumour.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sunny Ledfurd

Artist:Sunny Ledfurd
Song:Pontoon Boat
Album:Greatest Hits 2003-2009





Sunny Ledfurd is the stage name of Jonathan Bakalli. They were once a band and when it split up, Bakalli kept the Sunny Ledfurd name. I guess the best way to describe his music is politically incorrect country about hard partying. Record companies have attempted to market him but have been unsuccessful. So now Ledfurd has his own record company. Bakalli was born in Chatanooga, TN and grew up in Gaston County, NC. He played guitar as a teen. One of his main influences is legendary outlaw country singer David Allan Coe. He formed Sunny Ledfurd in high school. Like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the name is a gag spelling of a friend's name. The band released a CD independently and it did well enough to get them a deal at MCA Records. But the 2001 CD The White Disk did poorly and the band split up. Bakalli kept the Sunny Ledfurd name and started his own label. And he has been releasing his own CDs since then. Occasionally he has licensed his music to record companies which is what he did with this Greatest Hits CD. It was licensed to Average Joe's Entertainment which is also the home for country rapper Colt Ford. Sunny Ledfurd would appeal to a similar audience. It's available as a budget CD and it's a good intro to Bakalli's music. He continues to release CDs and DVDs on his own label and he tours regularly. So obviously Sunny Ledfurd has a following. It's just not a mainstream country music following. Here's the video for Pontoon Boat by Sunny Ledfurd.

Mina Kurobe successfully defends her DEEP JEWELS Atomweight Championship

DEEP JEWELS held a show today at Shinjuku FACE. Though the main event went as expected, there was controversy in some of the other fights mostly due to DEEP JEWELS matchmaker Shigeru Saeki's insistence on having two round matches. The main event had Mina Kurobe successfully defend her DEEP JEWELS Atomweight Championship over Sarami. It wasn't a dominant win. All three judges scored it 29-28. Afterwards, Kurobe tried to shame RIZIN owner Nobuyuki Sakakibara into giving her a match. She claimed he ignores her because she's 40 years old and she doesn't have big boobs. It seemed to work and he agreed to arrange a match. In the co-main, King Reina finished Korean So Young Park in 90 seconds by kimura. Sakakibara said Reina will fight on the May 6 RIZIN show. So now we get to the first controversy. Kana Watanabe vs Yukari Nabe was scored as a majority draw. One judge scored it 20-18 for Kana and the other two scored it 19-19. But if there is a third round, the draw is broken. So it is a result of old fart Saeki living in the past. This should not be acceptable in 2018. We had a similar controversy in Mizuki Furuse vs Nanaka Kawamura. It looks like Nanaka won round one and Mizuke won round two. And one of the judges scored it 19-19. But the other two judges scored it 20-18 for Mizuki. Like I said, three round fights would solve this kind of crap. And this nonsense makes Saeki look like a bush league bozo. In the other fights, Tomo Maesawa beat Yuko Saito by unanimous decision. Amiba won her Flyweight debut by majority decision over Hikari Sato. It looks like this fight needed a third round too. Yuko Kiryu beat Tomomi Souda by first round armbar. Arami beat Pan Hui by unanimous decision. And Hikaru Aono beat Anna Kiriyama by unanimous decision. It looks like Hikaru almost got a finish.

AccuRadio Song of The Day-James Last and his Orchestra

Artist:James Last and his Orchestra f/David Sanborn
Song:The Seduction
Album:Classic: The Universal Masters Collection




I guess German bandleader James Last was more notorious than famous. But his bland big band party music was very popular in Europe. And I guess his albums sold well because he kept recording them and Polydor kept releasing them. There are some artists that you wonder who actually listens to them because I have never known anyone who would admit to enjoying James Last. The Seduction was his only US chart single. It's different from Last's usual music. He was born Hans Last Apr. 17, 1929 in Bremen, Germany. He learned to play piano as a child and switched to bass as a teen. After WWII, he joined Hans Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Jazz Orchestra and then The Last-Becker Ensemble jazz group spun off in 1948. He was named best jazz bassist in Germany in the early 50s. Then he took a house arranger job at Polydor Records and that's what he did until the mid-60s. Last released the album Non Stop Dancing in 1965. it was usually a medley of songs arranged as dance music complete with exuberant crowd noise played by a big band. His albums were very popular in Europe though I can't tell you why. Apparently Last has sold 200 million albums in his lifetime. He also had his own TV show in the 70s. He didn't have any hit singles except the 1980 single The Seduction which reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Seduction was the love theme for the popular film American Gigolo. It's from Last's 1980 album Seduction which was more jazz than his usual music. David Sanborn makes a guest appearance on sax. The album was recorded in Los Angeles. Jerry Hey of Seawind wrote the arrangements. Among the musicians on the album were Mike Brecker, Ernie Watts, Bill Reichenbach, Chuck Findley, Michael Boddicker, Don Grolnick, Abe Laboriel, James Gadson and Paulinho da Costa. I don't know how often Last recorded albums like that. Most of his albums seemed like continuations of Non Stop Dancing. I guess he knew where his bread was buttered. Last continued to tour and record until his death on June 9, 2015 at age 86. This comp will introduce you to his music. Here's James Last and His Orchestra performing The Seduction on his TV show in Germany 1980. The sax player is not identified.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 9, 2018

Today I have a preview of tomorrow's DEEP JEWELS show and a couple of UFC and NXT odds and ends.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lea Michele and Cory Monteith

Artist:Lea Michele and Cory Monteith
Song:Don't Stop Believin'
Album:Glee The Music: Season One Volume 1





Glee was a very popular TV show about a high school choir. I never watched it. One of the things that made it successful was they covered many pop hits from the past. Don't Stop Believin' was the first single from the first Glee album. It was a top five hit and I think the success of that single set the show up for a long run. There were a couple of other top ten hits but Don't Stop Believin' was the first. The main guy behind Glee was Ryan Murphy who had worked on Popular and the FX series Nip/Tuck. He selected all the music. The songs were used to advance the story and he chose a mix of covers and Broadway songs. Probably the key cast members in the early days were Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison. Both were experienced Broadway performers. Cory Monteith didn't have that kind of experience. He had done some film and TV in his native Canada. But he proved to Murphy that he could sing and got the key role of the star quarterback. The duet of Don't Stop Believin' was in the series pilot which aired May 2009. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. That set things up for when the show returned in September. Glee was a hit for several years. Columbia released 16 albums from Glee and all of them sold well. As I think most know, Monteith committed suicide on July 13, 2013 at age 31 after he split up with Lea. He had a long history of drug problems. Of course Glee did a tribute to him. By this time the show had run its course. The ratings were down and Murphy decided to end the show. Of course he has gone on to produce other shows like Feud and American Horror Story. He just signed a big deal with Netflix. Lea Michele released a couple of albums and starred in the Fox series Scream Queens and the ABC series The Mayor. She seems to be concentrating on her music right now. I would not be surprised to see her head back to Broadway. Here's Lea Michele and Cory Monteith performing Don't Stop Believin' in the Glee pilot.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Humble Pie

Artist:Humble Pie
Song:30 Days In The Hole
Album:The Definitive Collection





Though Humble Pie never had a hit single, they were a popular album band and concert draw in the early 70s. 30 Days In The Hole is one of their more popular songs. Steve Marriott was lead singer and guitarist for the very successful band Small Faces. After he left in Jan. 1969, he wanted to start a more acoustic band for The Herd guitarist Peter Frampton. Marriott brought in Spooky Tooth bassist Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley from The Apostolic Intervention. Humble Pie signed with Immediate Records and the single Natural Born Bugie was a top five hit in England. They released two albums but then Immediate went bankrupt. Dee Anthony became Humble Pie's new manager and the first thing he suggested was a hard rock sound. The band also moved to New York. They signed with A&M Records and the 1971 album Rock On did very well. Humble Pie became a very strong concert draw. But Frampton didn't like the change to a hard rock sound. So he left and was replaced by David "Clem" Clempson of Colosseum. The 1972 album Smokin' was Humble Pie's most successful album. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified Gold. It included guest appearances by Stephen Stills and Alexis Korner. 30 Days In The Hole is one of Humble Pie's most memorable songs. Marriott wrote it after a drug possession arrest. The song has been covered most notably by Gov't Mule. Humble Pie continued to record and tour. But Marriott's drug addiction got worse and they split up in 1975. The story was Marriott was more belligerent as his addiction got worse. Marriott moved back to England and released a 1976 solo album. He also auditioned to replace Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones. Keith Richards liked him but Mick Jagger didn't like his on stage behaviour. After that he joined a Small Faces reunion and then Humble Pie reunited in 1979. Marriott and Shirley hired guitarist Bobby Tench and other musicians and they recorded two albums for Atco. Marriott continued to lead various bands until his death in a house fire on Apr. 19, 1991 at age 44. Apparently he was drunk and was smoking in bed. By this time, Shirley had acquired the Humble Pie name. He continued to lead a version of the band until 2001. This budget CD covers Humble Pie's A&M recordings. Here's Humble Pie performing 30 Days In The Hole at The Rainbow Theater in London 1974.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-DNCE

Artist:DNCE
Song:Cake By The Ocean
Album:DNCE





DNCE is the group formed by Joe Jonas after The Jonas Brothers split up. Cake By The Ocean was a top ten hit and their debut album was certified Gold. After The Jonas Brothers split up in 2013, Joe Jonas was unsure if he wanted to record a solo album or start a new band. Jonas released a solo album in 2011. At the time he was living with drummer Jack Lawless who toured with The Jonas Brothers. He started writing songs with Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons. He asked guitarist JinJoo Lee if she wanted to join a new band. She was born in Korea but she has toured with all kinds of acts. Jonas met her in 2009 when she was touring with Jordin Sparks. Tranter suggested Semi Precious Weapons bassist Cole Whittle and DNCE was born. The band was named after one of the songs on the album. Cake By The Ocean was released on the EP Swaay in 2015. The song reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was produced by the Swedish duo Mattman & Robin who have also worked with Selena Gomez and Imagine Dragons. DNCE performed the song on several TV shows. I guess the problem was the album DNCE wasn't released until Nov. 2016. That's too much of a time lag for my liking. DNCE is on tour right now but I'm sure they will record new music after they finish. Here's the video for Cake By The Ocean by DNCE.