Saturday, August 31, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karol Rosa vs Lara Procopio
Here's the match video of Karol Rosa vs Lara Procopio from today's UFC show in China. This fight was at Bantamweight. Both fighters are UFC newcomers from Brazil. Karol is a training partner of Jessica Andrade at PRVT. Lara trains at Nova Uniao. Lara could never get the fight to the ground and Karol is a much better striker. It was a competitive fight but I scored it 30-27 for Karol. The judges gave Karol a split decision. Round two was close so it could have gone either way. But I don't see how Lara wins either of the other two rounds. Check out the fight for yourself.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-MIZUKI vs Wu Yanan
Here's the match video of MIZUKI vs Wu Yanan from today's UFC show in China. MIZUKI was brought in when Wu's original opponent dropped out. MIZUKI is from Japan. She's been a fighter since 2010. She is now training at Longo Serra in Long Island. UFC fighter Aljamain Sterling was in her corner along with her manager Shu Hirata to translate. This fight was at Flyweight. But MIZUKI is a Strawweight. And she told Japanese website eFight that after this fight she will move back to Strawweight. So with a huge size advantage, I don't understand why Wu was so passive. She just didn't do enough. I scored the first two rounds for MIZUKI and round three for Wu. MIZUKI won by split decision. Considering the circumstances, I thought MIZUKI did well. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Weili Zhang vs Jessica Andrade
Here's the match video of Jessica Andrade defending her UFC Strawweight Championship against Weili Zhang from today's UFC show in China. I'm sure you already heard about this match. You can't say I didn't warn you. But I don't think anyone expected Weili to finish Jessica in 42 seconds. It's a product of Jessica's fighting style. She always goes forward. And though she's a hard puncher, it makes her easy to hit. And as I said, Weili is much quicker than Jessica. And unlike many female fighters, Weili goes for the kill. So once she hurt Jessica, that was the end. So obviously it's a big win not only for Weili but for China as she is the first Chinese UFC champ. So what's next? Well, my understanding is Rose Namajunas is retired. She was traumatized by that bus attack in Brooklyn. She almost quit then. Tatiana Suarez is out with a neck injury. If she isn't ready, the winner of Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Michelle Waterson will get the next title shot. Supposedly Michelle was offered the China fight but her husband/manager didn't think Weili was a big enough name. Did she get your attention now? Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The New Gary Burton Quartet
Song:Sunday's Uncle
Album:Guided Tour
Since jazz vibraphone legend Gary Burton retired in 2017, it's ironic that he called his final band The New Gary Burton Quartet. I guess he wanted to show that at 70 he could still play with young musicians. Most jazz fans first heard of Burton when his played with Stan Getz in the mid-60 followed by several solo albums. In the 70s, he recorded for ECM and forged successful partnerships with Chick Corea and Keith Jarrrett. And then he recorded for GRP in the 80s and 90s. Through all this Burton was on the staff of Berklee School of Music in Boston. After GRP closed and it looked like Burton might slow down, he reunited with Chick Corea on Corea's label Stretch. And he found a new partner he enjoyed working with in Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone. In 2011, Burton signed with Mack Avenue and recorded two albums as The New Gary Burton Quartet. Sunday's Uncle is from the 2013 album Guided Tour. The song was written by guitarist Julian Lage who has become one of today's most versatile guitarists. He first played with Burton when he was 12 years old. Other musicians are bassist Scott Colley from Herbie Hancock's band and drummer Antonio Sanchez from Pat Metheny's band. This turned out to be Burton's final album as he announced his retirement in 2015. After appearing on an 2015 Eberhard Weber tribute concert and a final tour with Makoto Ozone, Burton retired in 2017. Of course his legacy is all that great music that he has given us since the 60s. Here's The New Gary Burton Quartet with Julian Lage, Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez performing Sunday's Uncle at the 2013 Jazz Sous les Pommiers in Courtances, France.
Friday, August 30, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 30, 2019
Io Shirai, UFC on ESPN+15 preview and new fight announcement.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Temples
Song:Strange Or Be Forgotten
Album:Volcano
Temples are a British indie band. I would describe their music as neo-psychedelic. They will release a new album next month. Temples are from Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It's 70 miles north of London. Lead singer and guitarist James Bagshaw and bassist Tom Walmsley started Temples in 2012 as a home studio side project. They knew each other from rival bands and at one time both were in local bands The Moons and Sukie. After uploading four tracks to Youtube, Temples signed with Heavenly Records and released a single. They added drummer Sam Toms and keyboard player Adam Smith so Temples could perform live. After touring, the album Sun Structures was released in 2014. This was released in the US on Fat Possum. The album did well in England and they appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Ellen. Strange Or Be Forgotten is from the 2017 album Volcano. The album did OK but Temples has now signed with Dave Matthews' ATO label. Their new album Hot Motion will be released next month. They will tour to support it. It remains to be seen if greater expectations come with the move to a larger label. Toms left Temples last year initially to go solo but he has now joined the band Fat White Family. He won't be replaced. Temples is hiring drummers to play live. Bagshaw and Walmsley still create all the music in the studio. They only added guys to recreate the music live. And that's why Toms left. He wanted to contribute to Temples creatively and they didn't need that from him. Check out Temples if you like neo-psychedelia. Here's the video for Strange Or Be Forgotten by Temples.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Cami Fields
Here's the match video of Io Shirai vs Cami Fields from this week's episode of NXT. Cami is an indie wrestler who has worked for the WWE in the past. Obviously it's a squash match. Io has gone completely nuts. She is now spectacularly evil. But she's still Io Shirai so her execution is perfect. The only difference is her heel behavior. For example, Beth Phoenix complains when Io steps on her opponent on the way to the top rope to execute her moonsault. But Io has always stepped on her opponent even as a babyface. The difference is she's evil now. Io chooses not to pin Cami. And with a big smile on her face, she applies her submission finisher. Io grabs a kendo stick from under the ring. But before she can use it, Candice LeRae arrives to make the save. This feud will continue. Io cut a promo that the WWE posted on Twitter. I retweeted it so check out my timeline. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patty Duke
Song:Don't Just Stand There
Album:Early Girls Volume 5
Patty Duke was 16 years old when she won an Oscar for playing Helen Keller in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. Then she starred in the successful sitcom The Patty Duke Show. When the studio behind that show United Artists decided to turn Patty into a singer, she scored a 1965 top ten hit with Don't Just Stand There. She was born Anna Maria Duke Dec. 14, 1946 in New York City. With an alcoholic father and a mother prone to violence due to mental illness, Patty and her brother Raymond were turned over to John and Ethel Ross, talent managers specializing in child actors. They changed her name to Patty Duke because they wanted to remind producers of 50s child actor Patty McCormack. Years later it was discovered that the Rosses padded Patty's resume and they abused her. At age 12, Patty won $32K on the game show The $64,000 Question which turned out to be a scam. Patty played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker first on Broadway and then she won an Oscar for the 1962 film version. And then Sidney Sheldon created The Patty Duke Show where she played identical cousins. The show was a big hit. After Patty appeared in the 1965 film musical Billie, United Artists thought they could turn Patty into a pop singer. The single Don't Just Stand There reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. If you think Patty sounds a lot like Lesley Gore singing You Don't Own Me, you're on the right track. The record was produced and written by music industry veterans who knew exactly what they were doing. Soundalike records can be very successful. The record was produced by UA house producer Jack Gold who would soon move to Columbia. Arnold Goland worked frequently with Gold as an arranger and orchestra leader. The song was written by Bernice Ross and Lor Crane who were UA staff songwriters. They also wrote the 1964 top ten hit White On White by Danny Williams. Subsequent singles didn't do as well. Patty's final album was released to promote her appearance in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. You can get Don't Just Stand There on this Ace Records various artists comp. Patty returned to acting and never recorded again. She died on Mar. 29, 2016 at age 69. Here's Patty Duke performing Don't Just Stand There on Shindig! 1965.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan
Song:Body and Soul
Album:Blues In Time
Here's a 1957 album by two all time jazz greats. Of course at the time tenor sax legend Paul Desmond was in the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Baritone sax legend Gerry Mulligan saw Desmond in 1954 and wanted to record with him. They finally did record in 1957. Apparently the main problem was trying to figure out who would record them. Desmond had recorded mostly with Brubeck on Fantasy Records. He had only recorded two albums as a leader. Mulligan recorded for Pacific Jazz and he had just moved to EmArcy. Mulligan recorded an album with Teddy Wilson in 1956 for Verve Records. He asked Verve owner Norman Granz to arrange a recording session with Desmond. Granz was already helping Mulligan record with Stan Getz. Blues In Time was released in 1957. Other musicians were Joe Benjamin on bass and Dave Bailey on drums who were both in Mulligan's band. You can get this album as part of a budget twofer released in 2012 by the British reissue label Not Now. The other CD is the 1959 Paul Desmond album First Place Again originally released by Warner Bros. Musicians are Jim Hall on guitar and bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay from the Modern Jazz Quartet. Desmond and Mulligan recorded the 1962 album Two of a Mind for RCA. and in the late 60s Mulligan recorded and toured with the Brubeck quartet. Here's a video for Body and Soul by Paul Desmond and Gerry Mulligan.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Leah Letson vs Duda Santana added to Nov. 16 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate reported today that Leah Letson vs Duda Santana has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 22 Nov. 16 at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This fight will be at Featherweight. Leah is 27 years old from Milwaukee. Her record is 5-1. She was on TUF 28 and she won her fight at the TUF Finale. She was supposed to fight Sarah Moras in May at Bantamweight but she was pulled due to medical issues. I was not impressed with her when I saw her on TUF 28. Duda is 27 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her record is 3-1. She was supposed to be on the Brazilian Dana White Contender Series but she had visa problems. Duda made her UFC debut in June in Sweden vs Bea Malecki. She looked pretty good in round one. But she wound up on the wrong end of a takedown and Bea won with a rear naked choke. I thought Duda was unlucky. We'll see how she bounces back from that.Duda Cowboyzinha tenta recuperação no Ultimate diante de Leah Letson, no UFC São Paulo | combate | Sportv https://t.co/F54cz1CRSY com @marbarone
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) August 27, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Silver Convention
Song:Get Up And Boogie
Album:Greatest Hits
Silver Convention had two big hits at the height of the mid-70s disco boom; Fly, Robin, Fly followed by Get Up And Boogie. They were gone by the end of the 70s. Silver Convention was two German producers who hired three girls to sing. Sylvester Levay was born in Yugoslavia and he moved to Germany in 1972. That's when he met Michael Kunze and they decided to work together. Levay's nickname was Silver so they recorded as Silver Convention. Kunze used the pseudonym Stephan Prager. After the 1975 single Save Me was a hit in England, Silver Convention signed a US record deal with Midland International who were having success with John Travolta at the time. Fly, Robin, Fly topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. That record won a Grammy. Get Up And Boogie reached #2. Both songs are instrumental with a repeated chorus. There are no verses or lead singer. That's because Silver Convention used studio singers. It was never supposed to be a real group. When Save Me became a hit, Levay and Kunze discovered that they would have to turn them into a group. So they hired Penny McLean, Ramona Wulf and Linda G. Thompson to be Silver Convention. And that's who you see on this video. This comp from the Canadian label Unidisc has both hits and other Silver Convention songs. Levay and Kunze split up after the 1977 album Summernights. Midland brought in producer John Davis to help Kunze with the 1978 album Love in a Sleeper. After that was unsuccessful, Silver Convention ended. Levay went on to work in films with Giorgio Moroder. After working as a producer, Kunze got into translating musicals like Evita into German. Levay and Kunze reunited in the 90s to write and produce stage musicals for German theater. They continue to do that today. Here's Silver Convention performing Get Up And Boogie on The Mike Douglas Show 1976.
Monday, August 26, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Riley Clemmons
Song:Broken Prayers
Album:Riley Clemmons
Singer songwriter Riley Clemmons will remind you of pop singers like Tori Kelly or especially Rachel Platten. But Riley is a CCM artist. She had success in that market with her 2018 debut album and the single Broken Prayers. The big question in my mind is will Capitol Records cross her over to pop. And before you pooh pooh that, I will remind you that Katy Perry recorded several CCM albums before becoming a pop star. Riley was born Dec. 9, 1999 in Nashville. Her manager Mitchell Solarek discovered her performing in a school pageant. He had her take vocal and dance lessons. But when she started writing songs at age 13 and performing locally, he decided to get her a record deal. After a release on a small label, Riley signed with Capitol's CCM label Sparrow Records. The single Broken Prayers was released Dec. 2017. It reached #17 on the CCM Singles chart. The album Riley Clemmons was released Aug. 2018. Riley writes all the lyrics of her songs. She did a Youtube video where she explains the meaning of Broken Prayers. The main producers she worked on the album with were Ben Glover and Tedd Tjornhorn AKA Tedd T. Glover won Grammys for writing and producing the song Overcomer for Mandisa in 2013. He was also ASCAP's Christian Songwriter of the Year for several years. Tjornhorn has produced CCM artists since 1993. Riley toured with Danny Gokey to support the album. It looks like she could have a new album out soon as a single was released and Riley is touring with Mandisa this fall. It remains to be seen if Riley and her manager will be satisfied with her as a CCM artist. Capitol may already be pressuring her to cross over to pop. We'll see how it goes. Here's the video for Broken Prayers by Riley Clemmons.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-SFJAZZ Collective
Song:Visions
Album:Wonder: The Songs of Stevie Wonder
The SFJAZZ Collective was formed in 2004 as a fundraiser for the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival. I guess it's similar to what the Monterey Jazz Festival has done. The big difference is the SFJAZZ Collective changes each year and the band tours internationally to promote the festival. Some of the top jazz musicians have been through this band. For their inaugural season in 2004, Joshua Redman was musical director and Gil Goldstein was the arranger. Nicholas Peyton, Bobby Hutcherson, Renee Rosnes and Brian Blade were among the musicians. The first couple of SFJAZZ Collective albums were on Nonesuch. Since 2005, the festival has their own label. Each year they release a CD tribute to a legendary composer including John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and last year Antonio Carlos Jobim. Visions is from the 2012 tribute to Stevie Wonder. There's actually two versions of this album. This CD is a studio recording. There is a 3CD version recorded live in New York. The arrangement of Visions is by vibraphonist Stefon Harris. Other musicians are Miguel Zenon on alto sax, Mark Turner on tenor sax, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Edward Simon on piano, Matt Penman on bass and Eric Harland on drums. The band changes each year. Edward Simon is the only member of the 2012 band that is still in SFJAZZ Collective. Current members include Etienne Charles on trumpet, David Sanchez on tenor sax and Warren Wolf on drums. So even if you have seen or heard SFJAZZ Collective before, they are a different band every year. Here's the video for Visions by SFJAZZ Collective.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kristin Korb
Song:Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Album:Why Can't You Behave
Kristin Korb is a bassist and singer. So kind of like Esperanza Spalding. I guess the big difference is Kristin has recorded for her own Double K label since 2001. So she mostly has to promote herself. Esperanza has a big machine behind her. Growing up in Montana, Kristin wanted to be a country singer like her hero Barbara Mandrell. A sixth grade music teacher got her to play bass and listen to some of his jazz records. Kristin studied at Eastern Montana College and University of California, San Diego. Her teacher Bert Turetsky got her to sing while playing. And that's what she has been doing ever since. She made her recording debut after studying with Ray Brown. But she only sang on that album because it was with Brown's trio. Since then Kristin has recorded for her own Double K label. Her recording of the Duke Ellington standard Don't Get Around Much Anymore is from the 2006 CD Why Can't You Behave. Musicians are Andy Martin on trombone, Larry Koonse on guitar, Llew Matthews on piano and Steve Barnes on drums. Kristin was living in Los Angeles. But she married DPA Microphones owner Morten Stove in 2011. She now lives with him in Denmark. Her current trio are both Danish musicians, Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums. They have been on her recent albums. Kristin released a Christmas album last year. She will start a European tour in September. Here's Kristin Korb with Magnus Hjorth and Snorre Kirk performing Don't Get Around Much Anymore at the Gladsaxe Jazz Club in Denmark Apr. 7, 2017.
Friday, August 23, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Traci Braxton
Song:Last Call
Album: Crash & Burn
Traci Braxton is the youngest of the Braxton sisters. She scored a top 20 R&B hit with Last Call in 2014 mostly riding the success of the reality series Braxton Family Values. She was born Apr. 2, 1971 in Severn, MD. Like her four older sisters, Traci grew up singing in church. The Braxtons recorded an unsuccessful album in 1989. After Toni became a successful solo artist, the others toured with her as backup singers. The Braxtons signed with Toni's label LaFace in 1993. When Bryant Reid left LaFace for Atlantic, he took The Braxtons with him. After releasing a 1996 album that went nowhere, Traci quit the music business to become a social worker. She returned to music in 2011 after the success of the WE tv reality series Braxton Family Values. Traci also appeared on Marriage Boot Camp. She signed with Soul World Entertainment with eOne distribution. Soul World is owned by David "Davey Boy" Lindsey and Cliff Jones. They produced the 2014 album Crash & Burn. The single Last Call reached #16 on the R&B Singles chart. The music is a throwback to 90s R&B. Traci released a second album On Earth in 2018 but it didn't do as well. Traci continues to appear on Braxton Family Values along with a couple of films. It was certainly a long journey for a chart single. Here's the video for Last Call by Traci Braxton.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Sherman
Song:Little Woman
Album:The Very Best of Bobby Sherman
The 1969 top five hit Little Woman was the biggest hit for actor turned singer Bobby Sherman. It might surprise fans that he had been recording since the early 60s. But his successful teen idol singing career was because of his success acting on TV. And also his boyish good looks that appealed to teen girls. He was born July 22, 1943 in Santa Monica, CA. In 1962, actor Sal Mineo saw Sherman performing and produced a couple of singles. One of them was released on Dot Records in 1963. After Mineo had Sherman perform at a ritzy Hollywood party, Sherman was hired as a regular on the ABC music series Shindig!. That gig lasted for two years. Sherman released a few singles on Decca and Cameo-Parkway with little success. But then he got another big break when he was cast in the 1968 ABC series Here Come The Brides. Sherman also appeared on The Monkees doing a Frankie Avalon spoof. Here Come The Brides was popular enough that Sherman signed with Metromedia Records. Metromedia owned radio and TV stations across the US. Sherman scored five Gold albums from 1969-72. Little Woman was his biggest hit. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Danny Janssen who usually wrote songs for TV shows like The Partridge Family. He was a staff songwriter for Hanna-Barbera writing songs for Scooby Doo and Josie and the Pussycats among others. Sherman recorded seven albums from 1969-72 all produced by veteran producer Jackie Mills who started out as a drummer for Harry James in the 40s. This Varese comp covers Sherman's very brief career. After Here Come The Brides was cancelled, Sherman was in The Partridge Family spinoff Getting Together which was cancelled after one season. Though his music career was over, Sherman continued to appear on TV. A guest shot on Emergency! inspired Sherman to become a paramedic and later a police officer. Sherman last recorded in 1975. He was in the 80s USA Network series Sanchez of Bel Air. But he did appear on the 1998 Teen Idol Tour with The Monkees. Bobby Sherman is now retired. Here's Bobby Sherman performing Little Woman 1970.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
JJ Aldrich vs Lauren Mueller added to Oct. 12 UFC show
A press release was sent out this morning announcing the card for UFC on ESPN+ 19 Oct. 12 at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. A match not previously announced has JJ Aldrich vs Lauren Mueller. Lauren confirmed this on Instagram. This fight will be at Flyweight. JJ is 26 years old from Denver. She is a teammate of Rose Namajunas under coach Trevor Wittman. He's a great coach. She's a midcard fighter at best. Her record is 7-3 and 3-2 in the UFC. She's a points fighter. In her last fight, she won round one over Maycee Barber. But then Maycee caught up to JJ and won by second round TKO. I thought Wittman gave JJ a great plan for one round. But I didn't think JJ would get away with it for three rounds. Lauren could present similar problems. She is 27 years old and she trains at Alliance in San Diego. Since winning a UFC contract on Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series in 2017, Lauren has gone 1-2 in the UFC. In her last fight, she lost the first two rounds to Poliana Botelho. Lauren scored a knockdown in round three and had a chance to finish but she followed Poliana to the ground and Poliana was able to kill enough time to survive. So now after two losses, Lauren needs a win. I liked her on DWTNCS but she needs to be more aggressive right from the start. I like her chances if she does that.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mallory Martin vs Micol Di Segni
Here's the match video of Mallory Martin vs Micol Di Signi from last night's episode of Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. This fight is at Flyweight. I recall seeing Mallory in Invicta though she wasn't memorable. She's OK but nothing special. I hadn't seen Micol fight but I know that she is a model from Italy. Though she trains at Jackson Wink, this was her first fight in the US. Both fighters are trying to win a UFC contract. After watching this fight, I wonder if matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard ever saw Micol fight. She was terrible. Mallory won the fight easily. Micol was telegraphing her punches, especially an overhand right. She was awful. What was she doing on this show? Obviously neither got the contract. I scored the fight 30-27 for Mallory. Check out the fight for yourself.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Song:Kidney Stew Blues
Album:Mr. Cleanhead Blows His Greatest Hits
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson could sing and play the sax. He is best known for a few R&B hits from the late 40s including Kidney Stew Blues. His music at the time was similar to the jump blues of Louis Jordan. But Vinson could play any kind of music. He was born Dec. 18, 1917 in Houston. Vinson learned to play sax in high school. He was in Milton Larkins' orchestra with jazz legends Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. He learned to sing touring with blues legend Big Bill Broonzy. He joined The Cootie Williams Orchestra in 1942 and sang lead on Cherry Red and Somebody's Got To Go. Vinson started his own big band in 1945 and signed with Mercury Records. Old Maid Boogie and Kidney Stew Blues topped the R&B charts in 1947. It was actually a double sided single. Vinson moved to King Records in 1949. His hits included Somebody Done Stole My Cherry Red and Person To Person. He got the name Cleanhead after a hair straightener caused him to lose all his hair. In the 50s Vinson recorded jump blues for Mercury and jazz for Bethlehem Records. This CD from Jasmine has all his hits from the 40s and 50s. Vinson moved to Los Angeles in the early 60s and joined The Johnny Otis Revue. After an appearance with Otis on the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival, Vinson got into touring and recording for Flying Dutchman, Philips and Muse. Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson died on July 2, 1988 at age 70. Here's Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson with Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Eddie Durham performing Kidney Stew Blues on the 1980 CBC TV series Oscar Peterson and Friends.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Molly McCann vs Diana Belbita added to Oct. 18 UFC show
It was reported today that Molly McCann vs Diana Belbita has been added to UFC on ESPN 2 Oct. 18 at the TD Garden in Boston. This fight is at Flyweight. Molly is 29 years old from Liverpool, England. She was very popular there as a Cage Warriors champ. Her record is 9-2 and 2-1 in the UFC. She is mainly a striker. I haven't liked what I have seen from her so far. She won her last fight over Ariane Lipski by unanimous decision. But I thought both of them were so bad that I scored it a draw. Diana is a UFC newcomer. She is 23 years old from Romania. Her record is 13-4 mostly for RXF in Romania but also KSW in Poland. She has never fought outside in Europe so who knows what she will be like. She's also mainly a striker. I hope I am pleasantly surprised but I'm not expecting much.It's official,baby!! Let the game begin.. #UFCBoston #ufcfighter #ufc #dianabelbita #teamdiana .
— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita) August 20, 2019
.@sebastianvieru @RXFighting1 @kru_alin pic.twitter.com/c3p0elyHQC
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Cranberries
Song:Linger
Album:Icon
The Cranberries were very successful in their native Ireland. Their greatest international success was the 1993 single Linger. It was a top ten hit in the US. Their albums were very consistent sellers in the 90s. They are from Limerick, Ireland. they were called The Cranberry Saw Us when bassist Mike Hogan and guitarist brother Noel Hogan formed the band in 1989 with drummer Fergal Lawler and singer Niall Quinn. After Niall left, Dolores O'Riordan responded to an ad and auditioned by writing lyrics to some of their existing demos. They liked that. That's when she wrote Linger. They released an EP and changed the group name to The Cranberries. Demos resulted in a bidding war won by Island Records. An EP was released that did not go over well. The Smiths producer Stephen Street was brought in to produce the 1993 album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?. At first the album didn't do well. But The Cranberries toured and MTV saw them and started playing their videos. Linger reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 5XPlatinum. Dolores and Noel Hogan wrote most of the band's songs. They never had another big hit single. But they didn't really need one as their 90s albums sold very well. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. The Cranberries went on hiatus in 2003. Dolores released a solo album in 2007. They reunited in 2009 and the album Roses was released in 2012. I don't think the reunion went well. Dolores and Noel Hogan weren't getting along. And she was having back problems. And then the whole thing ended when Dolores drowned in a hotel bathtub on Jan. 15, 2018. Apparently she was drinking. Hogan announced The Cranberries would not continue. Here's the video for Linger by The Cranberries.
Monday, August 19, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dick Haymes
Song:You'll Never Know
Album:The Golden Years of Dick Haymes
Dick Haymes was a popular ballad singer of the 40s mostly playing second fiddle to Frank Sinatra. You'll Never Know was his biggest hit in 1943. Haymes also appeared in several films of the era. He continued to record in the 50s but changing musical styles and personal problems killed his career. He was born Sept. 13, 1918 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His British parents owned a cattle ranch there. When they split up, he lived with his mother who was a singer. Haynes started singing in New Jersey clubs as a teen. Then he moved to Hollywood and worked as an extra. His big break came when he replaced Frank Sinatra in the Harry James band. His biggest hit with James was I'll Get By which was recorded in 1941 but released in 1944 after Haymes left the James band. He also sang with Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman before signing with Decca in 1943. You'll Never Know topped the charts for four weeks. You'll notice there is no backing band. This was recorded during the musicians strike from 1942-44. So instead the vocal group The Song Spinners arranged and performed the record. They also backed up Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby among others. Margaret Johnson wrote the arrangement. You'll Never Know was written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon for the 1943 film Hello, Frisco, Hello where the song was performed by Alice Faye. The song won an Oscar. Sinatra also recorded You'll Never Know. It was one of the few times Haymes got the better of Sinatra. Haymes also appeared in the 1945 film State Fair. He scored a hit with It Might As Well Be Spring. Haymes also hosted a radio show with Helen Forrest. Haymes career went into a tailspin in the late 40s due to heavy drinking and unsuccessful marriages to Joanne Dru and Rita Hayworth. Haymes was married six times. He recorded a couple of albums for Capitol in the 50s. He re-recorded You'll Never Know on one of those albums. Most comp CDs have that version. I recommend this 4CD box set because I know it has original 40s recordings. You can trust Jasmine Records. They don't mess around. Haymes moved to Ireland in the 60s. After kicking his drinking habit, Haymes moved back to the US to perform in clubs, record occasionally and appear in some TV shows. He died on Mar. 28, 1980 at age 61. Here's a video for You'll Never Know by Dick Haymes.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 18, 2019
UFC 241 review, DWTNCS preview and new fight announcement.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sabina Mazo vs Shana Dobson
Here's the match video of Sabina Mazo vs Shana Dobson from last night's UFC show in Anaheim, CA. Sabina is from Colombia but she trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. She had a lot of success in the LFA before coming to the UFC. But in her first fight, Maryna Moroz got the jump on her and broke her nose. She said she would get off to a better start this time. I didn't think she would have much trouble with Shana who is ineffective. The fight was dominant enough that two of the judges scored it 30-25 and the third scored it 30-24 for Sabina. Though Sabina was dominant mostly with kicks and knees, I didn't think any of the rounds was quite at a 10-8 level. Shana's offense and especially her defense were way below par. It seemed like she didn't know how to get out of any predicaments. I would like to see Sabina against a ranked fighter. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hannah Cifers vs Jodie Esquibel
Here's the match video of Hannah Cifers vs Jodie Esquibel from last night's UFC show in Anaheim, CA. Hannah arrived in the UFC with a rep as a KO artist in regional companies. I haven't seen that from her in her two UFC fights. Jodie probably shouldn't be in the UFC. She was in TUF 23 and was brought into the UFC as a punching bag...er...opponent for Karolina Kowalkiewicz fighting in her home country of Poland. Jodie is 0-3 in the UFC. Her primary fighting style is ineffectiveness. She promised Jon Anik she would be more aggressive. Fighters are such bullshitters. The fight was about what I expected. Hannah just doesn't seem to have that punching power. She did more in this fight so I gave it to her 30-27. But I can see her having real problems with ranked fighters. Jodie did nothing as usual. She even scored a couple of takedowns but did nothing with them and the ref was forced to stand the fighters up. She knows she's on the chopping block and she still does nothing. I guess we'll see her in Invicta in a few months. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Skylark
Song:Wildflower
Album:Reaching for the Sky: Towering Soul from the 70s
Wildflower was a top ten hit in 1973. It was the only chart single for the Canadian band Skylark. They only released two albums so they didn't last very long. They were from Vancouver but the formation of Skylark came from guys who backed up Ronnie Hawkins when he led the house band at the Le Coq D'or in Toronto. One of those guys was David Foster. He's famous now. Skylark was his first band. Other members were Donny Gerrard and B.J. Cook on vocals, Doug Edwards on guitar, Steve Pugsley on bass, Duris Maxwell on drums and Carl Graves on percussion. Wildflower was a poem written by Dave Richardson who was a friend of Foster. Edwards turned it into a song. Veteran producer Barry De Vorzon really liked Skylark's demo and he helped them get a record deal with Capitol Records. Canadian radio stations were mandated to play Canadian produced records. I think it was 30% at the time. They had to play some really crappy records. Rosalie Trombley was program director at CKLW in Windsor. She played Wildflower incessantly for three months to fill CanCon requirements. CKLW was very popular in Detroit. Capitol decided to release Wildflower in the US and eventually it broke nationally and reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get it on this various artists comp. By the time Skylark recorded their second album, Foster, Cook and Gerrard were the only original members remaining. The album bombed and Foster moved to Los Angeles effectively disbanding Skylark. Foster immediately formed Airplay with guitarist Jay Graydon. Everyone knows who he is now. Gerrard and Graves released solo albums. In recent years, Gerrard has toured with Mavis Staples. I saw him in her band a few years ago. Edwards has been in The Hometown Band for years. Here's Skylark performing Wildflower on The Midnight Special 1973.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Amanda Nunes vs Germaine De Randamie added to Dec. 14 UFC show
Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported today that Amanda Nunes will defend her UFC Bantamweight Championship on UFC 245 Dec. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Germaine confirmed this on Instagram. I expect this to be the co-main event. Amanda beat Germaine by first round TKO in 2013. I don't see this one going any differently. In her last fight, Germaine won over Aspen Ladd due to an awful Herb Dean stoppage. A win like that should not get anyone a title shot. But the UFC needs a title match for their year end Las Vegas show. It's likely that if Cris Cyborg had accepted a match with Amanda, it would have been on this show. At this point, the options are limited in Bantamweight and Featherweight. And that's why we are getting a non-competitive match. Amanda will be the prohibitive favorite.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Albert King
Song:Born Under A Bad Sign
Album:The Very Best of Albert King
Albert King is one of the all time blues greats. He is best known for his late 60s Stax recordings. Though it wasn't his biggest hit single, Born Under A Bad Sign is considered to be his signature song. He was born Albert Nelson Apr. 25, 1923 in Indianola, MS and her grew up in Forest City, AR. He sang in the family gospel group. He took the name Albert King so he could claim to be the half brother of Indianola native B.B. King. But they were not related. He played guitar left handed but the guitar was not restrung which accounts for King's unique sound. And his signature guitar was the Gibson Flying V. Because of his size and he worked in construction in his younger days, King was known as The Velvet Bulldozer. His smooth vocal style was influenced by The Mills Brothers. King moved to Gary, IN and recorded the 1954 single Bad Luck Blues for Parrot Records. He moved to St. Louis and recorded for Bobbin Records where Little Milton was A&R man. His 1961 single Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong was a top 15 R&B hit. And he recorded an album for King Records. He moved to Memphis and signed with Stax in 1966. And that's where King had most of his success working with Booker T & The MGs with Al Jackson Jr. and Steve Cropper producing. He had several Stax hits including Laundromat Blues, Crosscut Saw and Cold Feet. But the best known of those songs is Born Under A Bad Sign probably because it was covered by the popular group Cream. The song was written by Stax legend Booker T. Jones. He got William Bell to help him with the lyrics. King continued to have success at Stax until they closed in 1975. You can get all his Stax hits on this comp. King recorded for Utopia, Tomato and Fantasy. He did a 1983 TV show In Session with Stevie Ray Vaughan that was very popular. This was taped at CHCH in Hamilton and aired on PBS in the US. You can watch this show in its entirety on Youtube. Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Joe Walsh all cited King as an influence. Despite failing health, King continued to tour until his death from a heart attack on Sept. 21, 1992 at age 69. Albert King was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. Here's Albert King performing Born Under A Bad Sign in 1981. The second guitar solo is by Claude Marrow.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug.16, 2019
UFC 241 preview, Invicta Phoenix Rising II analysis, new fight announcement and my podcast exclusive take on Cat Zingano's UFC release.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Royals
Song:Work With Me Annie
Album:The Very Best of the Royals and the Midnighters
Hank Ballard was a Rock 'N' Roll pioneer as a performer and songwriter. Work With Me Annie was his first big hit in 1953. It was recorded as The Royals and they soon changed their name to The Midnighters and went on to have several more hits. He was born John Henry Kendricks Nov. 18, 1927 in Detroit. After his father died, Ballard and his brother were raised by an aunt and her husband in Bessemer, AL. He sang in church. Ballard was a big Gene Autry fan. He moved back to Detroit and worked on the Ford assembly line while looking to form a doo wop group. The Royals were formed in 1952 by guitarist Alonzo Tucker. At first they were called The Four Falcons but they changed it to The Royals as there was already a group called The Falcons. Among those who supposedly went through the group were Jackie Wilson and Levi Stubbs of The Four Tops. By 1952 the lineup was Tucker, Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Sonny Woods and lead singer Lawson Smith. They were a doo wop group heavily influenced by The Orioles. Ballard and Woods became friends while working at Ford. When Smith was drafted into the military, Ballard replaced him. Johnny Otis saw them and got them a deal with the King Records label De Luxe. At first Sutton was The Royals lead singer. They released a few singles and King moved them to Federal Records. Ballard started writing songs and he became lead singer for the top ten R&B hit Get It. Then Work With Me Annie topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #22 on the pop charts. Then King changed the group name from The Royals to The Midnighters so they wouldn't be confused with another King act The 5 Royales. The FCC tried to ban Work With Me Annie for overtly sexual lyrics. That's why it only reached #22. Some radio stations refused to play it. Of course that meant teens liked it even more. Ballard says he was inspired to write Work With Me Annie by The Dominos hit Sixty Minute Man, another song the FCC tried to ban. Work With Me Annie sold a million copies and it was followed by Annie Had A Baby. So risque lyrics is what defined Ballard's songs at the time and that spiked record sales. Ballard's other big hit single was Finger Poppin' Time in 1960. And of course he wrote and recorded The Twist which became one of the biggest hits of all time when Dick Clark told Chubby Checker to imitate Ballard. Ballard continued to record and tour until his death on Mar. 2, 2003 at age 75. You can get all of Ballard's hits on this Collectables budget comp. Here's Hank Ballard performing Work With Me Annie on the 80s show Night Music.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Invicta Phoenix Rising 2 analysis
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marion Meadows
Song:Dressed To Chill
Album:Dressed To Chill
Soprano sax player Marion Meadows has been successful in the Smooth Jazz market since the 90s. His 2007 single Dressed To Chill topped the jazz charts. Meadows was born in West Virginia but he grew up in Stamford, CT. He learned to play clarinet as a child and switched to sax as a teen. He studied at Berklee in Boston and SUNY Purchase in New York. His main teachers were Joe Henderson and Eddie Daniels. After graduating in 1979, Norman Connors recorded one of his songs and then asked Meadows to join his band. Meadows also got into session work through Jay Chattaway and Bob James. He made his debut as a leader in 1990 with the album For Lovers Only on RCA Novus. After five albums, the label closed. Meadows signed with Telarc's Heads Up label in 2000. Dressed To Chill was released in 2007 and the single topped the jazz charts. Meadows' main collaborator on Dressed To Chill was keyboard player Michael Broening. He worked with Meadows on most of his Heads Up albums. Broening wrote and arranged Dressed To Chill and some of the other songs on the album. Other musicians on the album include Will Brock on vocals, Randy Bowland and Freddie Fox on guitar, Mel Brown on bass and guest guitar soloists Chuck Loeb and Thano Sahnas. Meadows' deal with Heads Up ended after Concord bought Telarc. His last three albums including his 2018 album Soul City have been on Shanachie. Broening left Meadows to take a similar position with sax player Cindy Bradley. Chris "Big Dog" Davis now plays keyboards. Meadows is currently on tour. Here's Marion Meadows performing Dressed To Chill 2017.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Cortney Casey vs Virna Jandiroba added to Dec. 7 UFC show
Gene Wang of The Washington Post reported a couple of fights for UFC on ESPN 6 Dec. 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. One of those fights is Cortney Casey vs Virna Jandiroba at Strawweight. The above Instagram post is from Virna. The story here is that Virna came to the UFC as an undefeated former Invicta Strawweight Champion. She is 31 years old from Bahia, Brazil. But she didn't look very good losing to former UFC Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza. Cortney is still ranked but not as high as Carla. Cortney is 32 years old from Glendale, AZ. She trains with John Crouch at MMA Lab. Her record is 8-7 and 5-5 in the UFC. Obviously she should be an easier fight for Virna. This is the same problem that the UFC has with Ariane Lipsky. Virna had a lot of success in Invicta and they obviously thought she could debut against a ranked fighter. If she loses this fight, she will be 0-2 like Ariane Lipsky. That's not what was expected from either of them. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men.
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 14, 2019
The Kabuki Warriors, new fight announcements and my podcast exclusive look at Paige VanZant.
Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia added to Nov. 2 UFC show
Ryan Gerbosi of Newsday in Long Island reported this morning that Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia has been added to UFC 244 Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. I expect whoever wins this fight to get a Flyweight title shot. But I also expect this fight to be a snoozer. I would prefer neither to get a title shot. Katlyn is 30 years old originally from Philadelphia but she now lives in Long Island. Her record is 12-2 and 5-2 in the UFC. Mark Henry has taught her this keep away fighting style that is designed to win close decisions. So if her opponent dances around with her, Katlyn has a good chance of winning the fight. The fight can go the other way too and Jessica Eye beat her by split decision and got the title shot. In her last fight, she beat Joanne Calderwood. And Katlyn has been trying to get a title shot ever since. Of course the UFC knows her fighting style is boring so they gave the title shot to Liz Carmouche who performed worse that Katlyn would have. Jennifer is 30 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. Her record is 17-5-1 and 2-1 in the UFC. She is a former Invicta Flyweight Champion. Jennifer is a boxer but she has no power and she's not very aggressive. Neither of them have finished a fight since 2016. I am expecting a dull fight with three rounds of light sparring ending with a split decision. I believe fighters should deliver exciting and entertaining fights and these two don't do that.LI’s Katlyn Chookagian added to #UFC244 at the Garden in November. @blondefighter will face Jennifer Maia in a key flyweight bout with clear title implications: https://t.co/fCJmgaqNIM
— Ryan Gerbosi (@RyanGerbosi) August 14, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stacey Q
Song:Two of Hearts
Album:Smash Hits: One Hit Wonders
Two of Hearts was a top five hit in 1986. It was the only big hit for Stacey Q. Though the song is perceived as a one hit wonder, some of her other songs charted so technically it was not a one hit wonder. I think it's fair to say that Stacey was riding Madonna's coattails at the time. She was born Stacey Lynn Swain Nov. 30, 1958 in Fullerton, CA. Her mother was a dog breeder. Stacey is a dancer. She studied ballet for years. After graduating high school, she worked for Ringling Brothers Circus as an elephant rider. Stacey got into music by singing radio spots in a Los Angeles recording studio. That's where she met recording studio owner Jon St. James. He was a big Kraftwerk fan and wanted to form his own synth pop band. He liked Stacey's looks and fashion sense. The group was called Q after the James Bond character. Stacey was lead singer. St. James played guitar and Dan Van Patten and John Van Tongeren played keyboards. They released an EP that got some college radio play. They changed the band name from Q to SSQ because Quincy Jones owns Q. SSQ released the 1983 album Playback on EMI's Enigma label. By this time, Rich West and Karl Moet had joined the band. The single Synthicide was a minor dance hit. Stacey signed with the small On The Spot label and the single Shy Girl did well enough to get her a deal with Atlantic. She had already released an album on cassette. But when she signed, Stacey and St. James decided to record a new album. St. James produced the album and wrote most of the songs. Though it was sold as a Stacey Q solo album, the band was still SSQ. It was the same guys. Two of Hearts reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was a worldwide hit. The song was written by Sue Gatlin and St. James produced her recording before Stacey recorded it. Sue's version is on Youtube. You can feel bad that Sue never got a chance to record. But that song has made her a lot of money. Stacey performed Two of Hearts on the sitcom The Facts of Life. After the single We Connect was a top 40 hit, Stacey didn't have much success. She recorded three albums for Atlantic. You can get Two of Hearts on this Rhino various artists 2CD budget comp. Stacey recorded for Thump Records in the 90s. And she released an album in 2010 and she still releases occasional singles. But obviously she is mainly known for Two of Hearts. Here's the video for Two of Hearts by Stacey Q.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Ariane Carnelossi in for Istela Nunes at Sept. 21 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate reported yesterday that Istela Nunes is out of her match vs Angela Hill due to a positive drug test. Ariane Carnelossi will replace her. This will be at UFC on ESPN+ 17 Sept. 21 at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City. Ariane confirmed this on Facebook. Ariane is 26 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her record is 12-1. She was supposed to fight on last weekend's Uruguay show. But her opponent Taila Santos dropped out due to a back injury. The UFC decided not to replace Taila. They could have brought in another Brazilian. But they decided to rebook Ariane instead. It doesn't change anything for Angela. She has lost three of her last four fights. She needs a win.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs Kabuki Warriors
Here's the match video of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defending the Women's Tag Team Championships against Kabuki Warriors on last night's episode of RAW. I did not expect the titles to change hands. The mistake was having Alexa and Nikki win the titles last week. I'll get into that in a minute. They go to a commercial 30 seconds into the match and that always kills the crowd because they don't do anything during the break. We come back to a rest hold. The turning point of the match is when Kairi hits Nikki with a cross body to the floor and then follows it with her insane elbow. Alexa breaks it up. That deflated the crowd. Asuka made a big mistake following Alexa to the floor and getting run into the ring post. And that left Kairi in the ring alone. Nikki hit her neck breaker followed by Alexa's Twisted Bliss finisher for the win. At least they didn't have her whiff a punch this time. Last week someone suggested that Alexa can save the Women's Tag Team Championships because Vince cares about her. And that is the disconnect with fans. You can tell by last night's reaction that fans don't want to see Alexa wrestle because she isn't any good. And because of her concussion history, she can't take any bumps. It's not even a heel reaction because they aren't booing. They're just sitting there. Fans won't accept Alexa as a wrestler anymore. She was better this week because she didn't do much. But I don't know how long the WWE can present this tag team as champs with no reaction. Eventually this team will split up when Nikki catches on to Alexa's deceit. But that probably should have happened already. Nikki already looks like a dope. As I said last week, don't be surprised if The IIconics regain the titles when they return as the WWE is touring Australia in the fall. Enjoy the video!
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