AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Doug Webb

Artist:Doug Webb
Song:Southern Scene
Album:Another Scene





Sax player Doug Webb has been a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene since the 90s. He first recorded as a leader in 1998 and he has recorded for Posi-Tone since 2010. And some of his movie and TV work might surprise you. He was born in 1960 in Chicago but he grew up in Huntington Beach, CA. Webb began playing clarinet at age 8 and added sax and flute in high school. He earned a Bachelor of Music at Berklee in Boston. Webb started out in Doc Severinsen's big band. Clint Eastwood spotted him and Webb has appeared on the soundtrack of several Eastwood films including Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. Webb also plays Lisa's sax in The Simpsons. He was in the house band on Dennis Miller's variety show. and he has recorded with Brian Bromberg, Rod Stewart, Stanley Clarke, Horace Silver, Bill Holman and many others. Webb first recorded as a leader in 1998. And he fronted a trio with drummer Mat Marucci for several years. He has recorded for Posi-Tone since 2010. Southern Scene is from the 2013 album Another Scene. The musicians are Peter Zak on piano who leads his own trio in New York, Dwayne Burno on bass who was a very busy sideman until his death from cancer in 2013 and Rudy Royston on drums who has played with Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas and others. Though Webb writes many of his own songs, Southern Scene is a Dave Brubeck song from the early 60s. Webb's latest album Fast Friends was released in 2018 and it features Michael Dease on trombone. He isn't on tour right now. Webb does a lot of film and TV work. You can see the whole list on his website. Here's a video for Southern Scene by Doug Webb.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 29, 2019

UFC on ESPN+ 18 review.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mairead

Artist:Mairead
Song:The Butterfly
Album:Raining Up





Mairead Nesbitt is a classically trained violinist who was a featured performer with the popular group Celtic Woman from 2004-2016. She recorded a solo album before she joined the group. She was born Apr. 1979 in Loughmore, County Tipperary, Ireland. Her parents are music teachers and all her siblings are musicians. She began to play violin at age six. Among other places, Mairead studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. While starting a career in classical music, Mairead played with Clannad and Van Morrison on the side. And this led to Michael Flatley inviting her to perform on his 1996 show Lord of the Dance. She remained with Flatley until 2001. And that's when she recorded the album Raining Up. The album is a mix of Celtic music and contemporary elements including horns. The album was produced by Manus Lunny of the Scottish folk group Capercaillie along with Colm O Foghlu. Mairead wrote the arrangements with Lunny. Several family members appeared on the album including brother Karl Nesbitt on didjeridu. After Mairead became a featured performer with Celtic Woman, the album was re-released including a 2006 US release on EMI's Manhattan label. The album made Billboard's World Music chart. After leaving Celtic Woman in 2016, Mairead released the album Hibernia Dec. 2016. She again works with producer O Foghlu and again several family members appear on the album. Since then she has been touring and she also launched her own line of signature violins along with jewelry. Mairead was the featured violin soloist in the Disney film Tinker Bell. And she recorded an album with her family as The Nesbitt Family. The Devil's Bit Sessions was released in 2017. Here's Mairead Nesbitt performing Butterfly as a featured performer with Celtic Woman.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Lina Lansberg vs Macy Chiasson

Here's the match video of Lina Lansberg vs Macy Chiasson from today's UFC show in Denmark. Macy was heavily favored because she was undefeated and Lina even when she wins hasn't been very impressive. On the broadcast they try to make a big deal about her win over an over the hill Tanya Evinger. C'mon man. And round one went as planned. Macy controlled the fight on the fence and won round one 10-9. But in round two Lina wound up in top position. Macy tried for submissions from the bottom. But what she needed to do was get out from under. Lina didn't really do much. It was mostly lay and pray. But it was enough to tire Macy out and she didn't have anything left for round three even with Macy's coach Sayif Saud reading her the riot act between rounds. So I scored both rounds 10-9 for Lina and the fight 29-28 for Lina. One judge scored it that way and the other two scored it 29-27. I didn't think there was a 10-8 round. But I will be interested to see how Macy comes back from a loss. Some fighters handle adversity better than others. And Macy didn't seem to handle it well today. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap

Artist:Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
Song:The Last Time I Saw Paris
Album:The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern





In recent years, Tony Bennett has recorded so many duets that it's become a running joke to long time music fans. Of course the high point or low point, depending on your point of view, was when Bennett recorded the 2014 album Cheek To Cheek with Lady Gaga. Bennett became the oldest artist to top the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The album won a Grammy and Bennett and Lady Gaga toured successfully. This 2015 album which immediately followed that album recalled a time in the 70s when things weren't going well for Bennett. Columbia dropped him in 1972. It looked like his career was over. He was forced to start his own label. Bennett returned to his jazz roots and recorded two albums with pianist Bill Evans. The albums were highly acclaimed but Bennett was in big trouble until his son Danny took over as his manager. He returned to Columbia in 1986. Of course Bill Evans is long gone. But I guess Bennett wanted to show that he could still be a jazz singer. Pianist Bill Charlap is the son of singer Sandy Stewart and Peter Pan composer Moose Charlap. He has recorded as a leader since the 90s and was also a member of Phil Woods' band. Charlap performs regularly at the Village Vanguard in New York with his trio of Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums. The Last Time I Saw Paris also features Charlap's wife pianist Renee Rosnes. The album won a Grammy. Bennett must have been pleased because his 2018 album with Diana Krall Love Is Here To Stay was backed up by Charlap's trio. Though there is talk that Bennett's next album will reunite him with Lady Gaga, it looks like he plans to record with Charlap again. Tony Bennett is currently on tour. Here's Tony Bennett with Bill Charlap performing The Last Time I Saw Paris 2015.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 27, 2019

The Kabuki Warriors, UFC on ESPN+ 18 preview and new fight announcements.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kem

Artist:Kem f/Ronald Isley
Song:My Favorite Thing
Album:Promise To Love





Of course most music fans are familiar with Ronald Isley as lead singer of The Isley Brothers. He's had some solo success in recent years. This 2013 single was written, produced and also features Kem Owens. It was a top five R&B hit. It first appeared on Isley's 2013 album This Song Is For You on E1 and it also appears on Kem's 2014 album Promise To Love on Motown. Both albums are available on CD but the Kem album is much cheaper. Kem produced Promise To Love and wrote most of the songs. On My Favorite Thing he gets production assistance from Rex Rideout who normally produces Ledisi and Demetrious "Krayon" Nabors who has played piano with Lee Ritenour. Snoop Dogg also makes a guest appearance in the album. Rideout worked on most of the album. It's obviously a Kem song and he allowed Isley to put it on his album. This is the latest album by both guys. Isley still records and tours with The Isley Brothers. He also appeared on a 2015 Kendrick Lamar album. There have been recent rumors that he is getting a new album ready for a 2020 release. But those rumors turned out to be false. Kem told the Detroit Free Press in May that he's finishing up a new album for a 2020 release. He is currently on tour. Kem also appeared on Gregory Porter's 2016 album Take Me To The Alley. Here's the video for My Favorite Thing by Kem featuring Ronald Isley.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joan Weber

Artist:Joan Weber
Song:Let Me Go, Lover
Album:Pure...50s




Let Me Go, Lover topped the charts for four weeks early in 1955. It turned out to be the only hit for Joan Weber. She was born Dec. 12, 1935 in Paulsboro, NJ. She was married to sax player George Verfaillie. She sang for his band The Harry Vee Five who played local clubs. She was spotted by manager Eddie Joy who took the two of them to the Brill Building to meet Charles Randolph Grean of RCA Records. Grean had Joan record a demo. He liked it but Grean normally worked with country artists like Eddy Arnold. So he gave it to Columbia Records A&R head Mitch Miller. Let Me Go, Devil was a country song written by veteran songwriter Jenny Lou Carson. She says she wrote it in tribute to Hank Williams. Miller liked the song but he thought it was too dark. So he had veteran songwriters Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey and Ben Weisman rewrite it for 18 year old Joan as Let Me Go, Lover. The song is credited to the pseudonym Al Hill. Joan recorded the song and it was featured in an episode of the drama anthology series Studio One. The song was played six times during the broadcast. Joan was pregnant at the time so she couldn't perform live though after her daughter was born, she appeared on Ed Sullivan and other shows. Let Me Go, Lover topped the charts for four weeks in early 1955. It turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year. After subsequent singles went nowhere, Columbia dropped Joan in 1959. In a 2004 interview, Miller said Joan's husband became her manager and she probably would have been better off with a real manager. She also didn't want to tour preferring to stay home with her daughter. You can get Let Me Go, Lover on this 4CD various artists budget box set from Sony. Joan continued to sing locally and work as a library clerk. She seemed to disappear in the early 70s. It turns out she was admitted to a mental hospital and she died there on May 13, 1981 at age 45. Here's a video for Let Me Go, Lover by Joan Weber.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kabuki Warriors vs Fire & Desire

Here's the match video of the Kabuki Warriors vs Fire & Desire from last night's episode of Smackdown. The whole purpose of this match was to make a big deal about Mandy Rose appearing on the cover of Maxim Australia. Of course they forget that no one buys magazines anymore. To be fair, the WWE will tour Australia next month. But the main reason for the cover is for Mandy and Corey Graves to act like idiots. Kairi is tossed to the floor and Mandy shoves the magazine in her face. Kairi kicks the magazine out of her hands and slaps the crap out of her. Kairi gets in trouble after that but makes the hot tag to Asuka. Asuka hits a blockbuster followed by Kairi's Insane elbow. And the match is over. It looks like they are teasing a Fire & Desire split...again. Kairi was in Japan last week and she was wearing new gear she designed while there. Kairi was there to celebrate her 31st birthday which was on Monday. And Asuka will celebrate her 38th birthday on Friday. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dale Hawkins

Artist:Dale Hawkins
Song:Susie Q
Album:Susie Q: The Singles As & Bs 1956-1960





Most music fans are probably familiar with the 1968 top twenty hit Susie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Though John Fogerty wrote most CCR songs, the original recording of Susie Q was written and recorded by Dale Hawkins in 1957. Today it is hailed as a rockabilly classic and Hawkins is considered to be a pioneer of Louisiana swamp rock. He was born Aug. 22, 1936 in St. Mary Parish, LA. Ronnie Hawkins was his cousin. Hawkins was playing Shreveport clubs when he got the opportunity to record Susie Q for the local label Norton Records. Hawkins wrote Susie Q with legendary guitarist James Burton and Burton played the guitar solo. The song did well enough locally that Norton sold the record to Chess who released it nationally on Checker in 1957. Susie Q reached #7 on the R&B Singles chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. It should have been a much bigger hit. Racism was prevalent in the music business back then. And though Hawkins was white, many radio stations thought he was black and refused to play Susie Q. Today Susie Q is a frequently covered classic, most significantly by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968. A couple of Hawkins' other Checker singles charted but Susie Q is the only one most will remember. You can get all his Checker singles on this Jasmine Records budget comp. Hawkins left Chess in 1959 and recorded for London, Atlantic, Tilt, Abnak and ABC Paramount. Hawkins got into production in the 60s, most significantly with The Five Americans. He returned to recording with Bell Records in 1969. He was also an executive at Bell, Abnak and RCA where he worked with Michael Nesmith and Harry Nilsson. Hawkins returned to performing and occasionally recording in the 90s until his death on Feb. 13, 2010 at age 73. Dale Hawkins is in The Rockabilly Hall of Fame and The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. And Susie Q is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. Here's Dale Hawkins performing Susie Q. The clip doesn't say when or where this was taped. My guess is fairly recently in The Netherlands.

Julia Avila vs Karol Rosa added to Oct. 26 UFC show

UFC on ESPN+ 20 - Julia Avila contre Karol Rosa
Samedi 26 octobre 2019
SINGAPORE INDOOR STADIUM, SINGAPORE#UFCSINGAPOREhttps://t.co/LGUqiSWBzl pic.twitter.com/seMwvt482f

— UFC FANS (@mmaufcfr) September 24, 2019

Richard Pinheiro of Globo in Brazil reported this morning that Julia Avila vs Karol Rosa has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 20 Oct. 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium at Kallang, Singapore. This fight will be at Bantamweight. Julia is 31 years old from Oklahoma City. Her record is 7-1. She won her UFC debut over Pannie Kianzad in July. I have liked her since I saw her in Invicta a couple of years ago. Her only loss came when she broke her finger during a fight. Karol is 24 years old from Brazil. She trains with Jessica Andrade at PRVT. Her record is 12-3. She won her UFC debut over Lara Procopio in China in Aug. Karol won by split decision though I thought it should have been unanimous. She is a striker. Julia is a more complete fighter. She should be favored especially if she takes it to the ground.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Underworld

Artist:Underworld
Song:Born Slippy .NUXX
Album:Second Toughest In The Infants: Superdeluxe





The Welsh electronic music group Underworld has been around since the 80s. Most of their success has been in clubs and the dance charts. Their biggest hit and most memorable song was this remix of Born Slippy that appeared in the popular 1996 film Trainspotting. Underworld are from Cardiff, Wales. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith started out in 1979 as the Kraftwerk influenced The Screen Gemz. They turned it into the new wave band Freur and released the 1983 album Doot-Doot on CBS. After Freur split up, they reformed as Underworld in 1987 with The Screen Gemz' Alfie Thomas on bass and Bryn Burrows on drums. This was a return to electronic music. They released two albums on Sire and then split up. After a couple of years doing other things, Hyde and Smith reformed Underworld with DJ Darren Emerson and released the 1994 album Dubnobasswithmyheadman. The album did well enough in England that Trainspotting director Danny Boyle wanted to use a couple of songs in the movie. Born Slippy was an instrumental released as a single in 1995. The .NUXX remix added Hyde's vocals and was on the B-side. That's the version Boyle used at the end of Trainspotting. It reached #2 on the British charts. It has been Underworld's biggest hit. If the record seems a little hazy, that's because Hyde was an alcoholic at the time and sang while in a drunken stupor. The Trainspotting soundtrack is available. Underworld added Born Slippy .NUXX to rerelease versions of the 1996 album Second Toughest In The Infants including this 2015 4CD Superdeluxe edition. After Emerson left Underworld in 1999, Hyde and Smith continued as a duo. Underworld continues to record and perform. Along with Danny Boyle, they provided the music for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies. Their latest CD was released in 2016. Hyde and Smith have also recorded solo and continue to work on films and TV with Boyle. Here's the video for Born Slippy .NUXX by Underworld.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Debney

Artist:John Debney
Song:To The River
Album:The Jungle Book: Original Music Composed By John Debney




It's ironic that Emmy winning composer John Debney has become known for his music for Disney films like the 2016 film The Jungle Book. Because he grew up at the Disney studio. He knew Walt Disney when he was a child. He was born Aug. 18, 1956 in Glendale, CA. His father Louis Debney was an assistant to Walt Disney. His production credits include the TV shows Zorro and The Magical World of Disney. Debney took guitar lessons as a child and he earned a BA in music composition at the California Institute of Arts. He worked for Disney composer Buddy Baker after graduating. Debney got into TV working for Mike Post and Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtain. Pretty soon he was working in episodic TV. Debney has won three Emmys for The Cape, Seaquest DSV and The Young Riders. He seems to work on family films. One of his early scores was the 1990 film Jetsons: The Movie. His only Oscar nomination to date was for the 2005 film The Passion of the Christ. Debney has worked on several films with director Jon Favreau. The first film was Elf in 2003. Debney also composed the score for the 2010 film Iron Man 2. When Favreau was hired to direct Jungle Book, he wanted to do a live action film that evoked memories of the 1967 animated Jungle Book that Favreau loved as a child. So much of Debney's music quotes the 1967 film. And though it's not a musical, the film uses the popular song The Bear Necessities performed by Bill Murray and Kermit Ruffins along with a Dr. John version played over the end credits. The soundtrack album also includes performances by Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken. It's available on CD. John Debney is still a very busy composer. Recent films include The Greatest Showman and the film adaptation of the Nickelodeon series Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Recent TV work includes Texas Rising for The History Channel, the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet and the Fox series The Orville. He composes plenty of music for Disney theme parks. Here's a video for To The River from the 2016 film The Jungle Book.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 22, 2019

UFC on ESPN+ 17 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bethe Correia vs Sijara Eubanks

Here's the match video of Bethe Correia vs Sijara Eubanks from last night's UFC show in Mexico City. This fight is at Bantamweight. Sijara was in TUF 26 for Flyweights. But when she couldn't make weight, she was forced to move up to Bantamweight. Bethe has been in the UFC for a few years. I guess she's a points fighter but not a very effective one. Sijara has a chance to win this fight in round one. She takes Bethe down and she pounds her a bit but not enough to get a finish. it must have pooped her out because she does nothing for the rest of the fight and Bethe does enough to get a unanimous decision. I don't think either fighter belongs in the UFC. Maybe Sijara should hire an ace nutritionist who will help her cut safely to Flyweight. And go back to Invicta and beat a few Flyweights. Because she isn't any good at Bantamweight. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Angela Hill vs Ariane Carnelossi

Here's the match video of Angela Hill vs Ariane Carnelossi from last night's UFC show in Mexico City. Angela is on a three fight losing streak so she needs a win. Ariane is 12-1 on the Brazilian regional circuit. She is mainly a striker. Ariane is another fighter who always goes forward. That makes her easy to hit. As the fight goes on, Angela gets more confident. And I guess the problem is Ariane doesn't make any adjustments. She just goes forward and gets hit. Finally Angela busts Ariane open with an elbow and the fight is stopped. It's a big win for Angela but it doesn't make me think she can beat anyone good. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Irene Aldana vs Vanessa Melo

Here's the match video of Irene Aldana vs Vanessa Melo from last night's UFC show in Mexico City. This fight was at Bantamweight. Irene is a points fighter like her teammate Alexa Grasso. He opponent was supposed to be Marion Reneau. After she pulled out, Brazilian Vanessa Melo was brought in on ten days notice. The big problem for her was the altitude killed her endurance. Like plenty of Brazilians, her fighting style is to go forward. Of course that makes her easy to hit. So the fight was am easy unanimous decision for Irene. I'm sure Marion would have been a much tougher opponent. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Carla Esparza vs Alexa Grasso

Here's the match video of Carla Esparza vs Alexa Grasso from last night's UFC show in Mexico City. These are both fighters looking to get into the Strawweight title picture. Carla is a former champ. Alexa has star potential and if she can win two fights she will probably get a title shot at next year's Mexico show. Her major weakness is she is so used to being a points fighter that she lacks aggression. And that flaw really came back to bite her in the ass last night. Round one was very close. Carla scored a couple of takedowns but didn't do much with them. Typically, Alexa didn't do enough to win the round. I scored it 10-9 for Carla. So did two of the judges and the third scored it for Alexa. I thought Carla won round two 10-9 and so did all three judges. But in round three, Alexa woke up and wobbled Carla. If she goes after her and finishes Carla, Alexa wins the fight. But she doesn't. Later in the round, Alexa gets an armbar but Carla escapes. I scored round three 10-8 for Alexa making the fight a draw at 28-28. One of the judges scored it that way but the other two scored round three 10-9 for Alexa. Carla won by majority decision. Despite the fan outrage, a 10-8 third round for Alexa still made it a draw. So Alexa needed to finish and she had a chance to finish. She just didn't go for the kill. It's a flaw in her training. Fighters need to have that killer instinct or why be a fighter. Her uncle is a former fighter so he knows this. This is another case of a fighter beating herself. Watch the video and decide for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-G-Eazy

Artist:G-Eazy f/Bebe Rexha
Song:Me, Myself & I
Album:When It's Dark Out





Me, Myself & I was the first of two top ten pop hits for rapper Gerald "G-Eazy" Gillum. Like a lot of rappers, he does a lot of guest shots, most significantly on hits by Grace and Britney Spears. He was born May 24, 1989 in Oakland, CA. While attending Loyola University in New Orleans, Gillum met Christoph Andersson who still works with him today. After graduating, Gillum returned to Oakland and got involved in the local rap scene. He started releasing mixtapes. After a cover of Runaround Sue from the 2011 mixtape The Endless Summer got four million views on Youtube, he went on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour and released the 2013 album Must Be Nice. Gillum signed with RCA for the 2014 album These Things Happen. He continued to tour. The album was certified Platinum but there were no hit singles. That changed when the single Me, Myself & I from the 2015 album When It's Dark Out reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. Bebe Rexha wrote and recorded the song as I Don't Need Anything for her own album. But Warner Bros. didn't like it so she played it for Gillum. They rewrote it to feature his rap and changed the title to Me, Myself & I. That's why the recording sounds like he's the guest star. Gillum toured to support the album. His latest CD The Beautiful & The Damned was released in 2017. No Limit was Gillum's second top ten hit. But the album wasn't as well received. It was mostly produced by Jonathan "Dakari" St. Aimee who has worked with LFO and O-Town. Meanwhile, Gillum was charged with assault May 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden. He pled guilty and was fined. He has a new album coming out soon. Here's the video of Me, Myself & I by G-Eazy featuring Bebe Rexha.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barbra Streisand

Artist:Barbra Streisand
Song:Don't Rain On My Parade
Album:The Essential Barbra Streisand





Barbra Streisand was already successful when she decided to return to Broadway to play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. This turned out to be a great decision as Barbra won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1968 film of Funny Girl and she's still a star today. She already had a successful Broadway run in I Can Get It For You Wholesale which led to a Columbia Records contract. And she was appearing regularly on TV. Traditional thinking would have sent her to Hollywood. The man behind Funny Girl was Fanny Brice's son in law Ray Stark. He had a production deal with Columbia Pictures so he wanted to make a movie. After several unsuccessful screenplays, Mary Martin suggested turning it into a stage musical. Jule Styne and eventually Bob Merrill wrote the songs. The main suggestion from Stephen Sondheim and Carol Burnett was Stark needed a Jew to play Fanny Brice. And that of course led him to Barbra who he had seen in I Can Get It For You Wholesale. After the show was a hit on Broadway and Barbra scored her first top five hit with People, Stark turned Funny Girl into a movie in 1968. It was Barbra's film debut. Columbia wanted Shirley MacLaine for Funny Girl. But Stark told them there would be no movie without Barbra. Obviously Funny Girl was a success and it launched Barbra to stardom and an Oscar. Both the Funny Girl original cast and soundtrack albums are available. But I suggest this 2CD budget comp that covers Barbra's entire career. Here's Barbra Streisand performing Don't Rain On My Parade from the 1968 film Funny Girl.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 20, 2019

Io Shirai, UFC on ESPN+ 17 preview and new fight announcement.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Bottle Rockets

Artist:The Bottle Rockets
Song:Gravity Fails
Album:Bottle Rockets/The Brooklyn Side





Today The Bottle Rockets are hailed as pioneers of Alt Country. But they never had the commercial success that was achieved by Drive By Truckers among others. Their music is worth checking out. Bottle Rockets leader Brian Henneman is from Missouri. He started a band with Tom and Bob Parr in 1977. They became friends with Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy who would go on to form Uncle Tupelo. Henneman's band Chicken Truck opened for Uncle Tupelo in the late 80s. After Chicken Truck split up, Henneman toured with Uncle Tupelo as a roadie. One of his demos got the attention of Rykodisc label East Side Digital. So Henneman reformed the band as The Bottle Rockets with Tom Parr on guitar, Tom V. Ray on bass and Mark Ortmann on drums. Henneman sang lead and wrote most of the songs. Gravity Fails is from the 1994 album The Brooklyn Side, their second album. After plenty of critical acclaim, The Bottle Rockets signed with Atlantic's TAG label and they rereleased The Brooklyn Side. They appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. They recorded the album 24 Hours A Day. But staff layoffs at Atlantic delayed the release until 1997. And most of the staff who promoted The Brooklyn Side were gone. So the album didn't sell and Atlantic dropped them. After recording for a couple of other labels, The Bottle Rockets signed with Alt Country label Bloodshot Records. Bloodshot released the first two Bottle Rockets albums as a twofer with plenty of bonus tracks. Henneman still leads The Bottle Rockets. Ortmann is still in the band along with John Horton on guitar and Keith Voegele on bass. Their latest album Bit Logic was released last year and they are currently on tour. Here's The Bottle Rockets performing Gravity Fails for Music Fog at the 2011 Americana Music Festival in Nashville.

Jessica-Rose Clark vs Pannie Kianzad added to Nov. 9 UFC show

She's back!@missjessyjess 🇦🇺 heads to Moscow to take on Pannie "Banzai" Kianzad! #UFCMoscow 🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/SOpEB7fndc

— UFC Aus/New Zealand (@UFC_AUSNZ) September 19, 2019

UFC Australia Twitter announced today that Jessica-Rose "Jessy Jess" Clark vs Pannie Kianzad has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 21 Nov. 9 at the CSKA Arena in Moscow, Russia. This fight will be at Bantamweight. Jessy Jess is 31 years old from Innisfail, Australia. But she now trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Her record is 9-5-1NC and 2-1 in the UFC. She lost to Pannie in Invicta in 2015. She's a popular fighter. But like a lot of Aussie fighters, her skills aren't great and that's why she moved to the US. We haven't seen her in over a year due to injuries. She needed surgery for a torn ligament in her right foot. Pannie is 27 years old from Copenhagen, Denmark. Her record is 11-5 and 0-2 in the UFC. In fact, her combined UFC/Invicta record is 2-5. That looks like a competition level issue to me. She was on TUF 28 for Featherweights. But Pannie is a Bantamweight. She finally got to the UFC as a late replacement and she lost to Julia Avila in July. Pannie has beaten Jessy Jess before and I think she can beat her again. Pannie has a significant size advantage.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Candice Lerae vs Io Shirai vs Bianca Belair vs Mia Yim

Here's the match video of Candice Lerae vs Io Shirai vs Bianca Belair vs Mia Yim from last night's episode of NXT. The winner gets a NXT Women's Championship shot. This is the first episode of NXT to broadcast live in the US on USA Network. The episode will air on the WWE Network on a 24 hour delay. This is a slap in the face to international fans. The technology is available that they could air the show live on the WWE Network everywhere but the US. It's dumb to not do that as that could sell subscriptions to international viewers. For the first two weeks the second hour will air on the WWE Network as Suits ends its long run on USA. This match led off the first hour and Io Shirai's entrance was the first thing seen on USA. The match is fine but way too short. I have no problem with Candice winning except no one believes she can beat Shayna Baszler. The match is fine. They all get their stuff in but as I said, this match should have been much longer. I will be very interested to see what they have Io do after this. Things could get a lot crazier in NXT. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra

Artist:Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra
Song:2/3's Adventure
Album:Live In Cuba




Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra is a an outgrowth of the long running concert series at Lincoln Center in New York City. Wynton Marsalis has been the artistic director since 1991 and they record for their own label Blue Engine. They were called Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra when David Berger started the band in 1988. Marsalis took over in 1991 and changed the name. They have recorded for Columbia, Warner Bros. and now Blue Engine. At first the band performed big band arrangements of standards. But more recently they have added original compositions. 2/3's Adventure is from the 2015 2CD album Live In Cuba. The song was written and arranged by bassist Carlos Henriquez. And as you can see in the video, he has a solo. Henriquez was born in New York City and is of Cuban descent. He plays in Marsalis' band. The piano solo is by Dan Nimmer who is also in Marsalis' band. The trumpet solo is by Marcus Printup who also works with Marsalis. Other musicians are Kenny Rampton, Ryan Kisor and Marsalis on trumpet, Elliott Mason, Vincent Gardner and Chtis Crenshaw on trombone, Victor Goines, Ted Nash, Sherman Irby, Walter Blanding and Joe Temperley on sax and flute and Ali Jackson on drums. Not surprisingly these are all veteran sidemen who have worked with Marsalis at one time. This band performs a lot not only at Lincoln Center but they also tour. So obviously Marsalis needs great musicians who are dependable. They have also recorded with special guests like Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Ruben Blades. Their latest album is a performance of a special composition Swing Symphony written by Marsalis and recorded with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Here's Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra performing 2/3's Adventure in Cuba 2010. This video is not on Youtube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robin Schulz

Artist:Robin Schulz f/Mr. Probz
Song:Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)
Album:Prayer





Waves was a worldwide hit in 2014 especially on the dance charts. The song was written and sung by Dennis "Mr. Probz" Stehr and a Robin Schulz remix was the hit version and he put it on his debut album. Stehr only released his original as a single. Schulz was born Apr. 28, 1987 in Osnabruck, Germany. He started DJing at age 17 and then he owned his own club. He started releasing remixes to Youtube. Stehr was born May 15, 1984 in Zoetermeer, Netherlands. He got into music through graffiti culture and rap. Stehr had local success with his 2013 album Treatment. He released Waves in 2013. It did OK but Schulz' uptempo remix topped the European charts and reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The only difference between the two versions is the tempo. But the Schulz remix is the one to get on his 2014 debut album Prayer. Schulz has had a couple more hits in Europe and he has released two more albums. But because he's mainly a remix guy, chart success can be hit and miss. It's the same story for Stehr. Since Waves, he has released a few singles but nothing notable. Here's the video for Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit) by Robin Schulz featuring Mr. Probz.

AccuRadio Sing Of The Day-Orchestre Musette "Swing Royale"

Artist:Orchestre Musette "Swing Royale"
Song:Philippe's Stomp
Album:The Rough Guide to Gypsy Swing





The first name that comes to mind when thinking of French Jazz of the 30s is the legendary guitarist Django Reinhart and his legendary cohort violinist Stephane Grappelli. Other musicians seem to get overlooked and forgotten. Though Orchestre Musette "Swing Royale" only recorded a couple of songs in 1940 on the Polydor label, the band members were well known. The musicians are Gus Viseur on accordion, Philippe Brun on trumpet, Maurice Blanc on alto sax, Andre Lluis on clarinet, Jean "Matelo" Ferret on guitar and Mariue Coste on bass. Viseur is probably the best known of these guys. He was a member of Reinhart's Hot Club de France. And after he left he recorded as a leader. He was probably the best known accordionist in France in the 30s. Brun wrote Philippe's Stomp and it was first on one of Viseur's recordings. Brun moved to London in the early 30s to play trumpet with Bert Ambrose's band. He moved back to France to lead his own band. Guitarist Ferret and his brothers were in Reinhart's early 30s band. He became more of a sideman in the mid-30s for Viseur and others. And then he recorded as a leader in the 40s. Clarinetist Lluis was also a sideman for Viseur, Reinhardt and others. I can't say why a new band was formed when Viseur was recording regularly as a leader. But this recording is available on this volume of the Rough Guide series. And maybe check out other recordings by these musicians. Here's a video for Philippe's Stomp by Orchestre Musette "Swing Royale".

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lenny Kravitz

Artist:Lenny Kravitz
Song:American Woman
Album:Greatest Hits





Lenny Kravitz was one of the most successful singer songwriters of the 90s. Though he had some hit singles, he was mainly an album artist. His 1999 cover of American Woman appeared on the soundtrack of the film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. It's not an "orphan" because Virgin Records added it to the 1999 rerelease of Kravitz's 1998 album 5. He was born May 26, 1964 in New York City. His mother was actress Roxie Roker of The Jeffersons and his father was NBC News producer Sy Kravitz. Kravitz became a Christian at age 13. Kravitz's dad promoted jazz concerts. Plenty of musicians hanging out at his house. Kravitz was also influenced by 60s soul music. The family moved to Los Angeles when Kravitz's mom started The Jeffersons in 1974. He was in the California Boys Choir and he was in the Beverly Hills High School music program with Nicolas Cage and Maria McKee. That's when he got into rock music. Kravitz tried to pattern himself after Prince. He called himself Romeo Blue. He moved to New York in the late 80s where he married Lisa Bonet of The Cosby Show. That's when he started working with his main collaborator Henry Hirsch and sax player Karl Denson. A Different World music supervisor Stephen Elvis Smith became Kravitz's manager and within a month got him a deal with Virgin Records. Kravitz's first hit single was It Ain't Over Til It's Over in 1991. But the song that really established him as a star was Are You Gonna Go My Way in 1993. It was released as an airplay only single so it was not eligible for the Billboard Got 100. But it was a huge worldwide hit and the album was certified 2XPlatinum. His 1995 album Circus was not as successful. And his mom died in 1995. The 1998 album 5 returned Kravitz to the charts with the top 15 hit Fly Away. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Then he recorded American Woman for the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The video featured the film's star Heather Graham. And MTV's playing the video is what made the record a hit. Kravitz performed American Woman with The Guess Who on the 1999 MuchMusic Video Awards. The soundtrack is available. And Virgin added American Woman to the 1999 rerelease of 5. It also appears on this Greatest hits comp which also has Kravitz's final big hit Again. Kravitz hasn't been as popular since then. He left Virgin in 2008 and his 2018 album Raise Vibration is on his own Roxie label with BMG distribution. His is currently on tour but he is working on a new album that may be part of a film project. Kravitz is probably a 90s nostalgia act at this point. Here's the video for American Woman by Lenny Kravitz.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andy McKee

Artist:Andy McKee
Song:For Now
Album:Joyland





Acoustic guitarist Andy McKee has built a significant fanbase through Youtube videos. He's very similar to Canadian guitarist Don Ross. They both play fingerstyle guitar. McKee was born Apr. 4, 1979 in Topeka, KS. His father bought him a guitar at age 13. McKee taught himself to play by listening to Joe Satriani and Metallica. His cousin took him to see guitarist Preston Reed. McKee learned guitar technique from one of Reed's instructional videos. He has also been influenced by Michael Hedges and the aforementioned Don Ross. McKee released his debut album Nocturne in 2001 and he placed third in the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition. And he bought a harp guitar that he plays occasionally. The turning point for McKee was when he signed with Candyrat Records for the 2005 album Art of Motion. Candyrat specializes in acoustic guitar and they are also the home of Don Ross. He also started posting videos on Youtube which really helped him build a fanbase. Some of his videos have been Most Viewed on Youtube. In 2009 he recorded an EP with Don Ross. McKee moved to Razor & Tie for the 2010 album Joyland. This album is available in a CD/DVD package. The DVD has a doc about McKee along with a couple of guitar lessons. McKee's latest album Live Book was released in 2016 on guitarist Tommy Emmanuel's label CGP Sounds. McKee continues to tour and post Youtube videos. Here's the video for For Now by Andy McKee.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vera Lynn

Artist:Vera Lynn
Song:Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart
Album:Forget Me Not




Vera Lynn was the first British artist to top the US charts in 1952. Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart was number one for nine weeks. In England she was known for WWII songs like White Cliffs of Dover and We'll Meet Again. She is known as The Forces' Sweetheart. She was born Mar. 20, 1917 in London. She began performing as a child. As a teen, she performed on radio and appeared with bands led by Joe Loss and Charlie Kunz. In 1937 she joined one of the most popular bands in England led by Bert Ambrose. Vera first recorded for Crown in 1936 but Decca bought them. Her first big hit was We'll Meet Again in 1939. Just as Britain was getting involved in WWII, the Daily Express newspaper asked British servicemen to name their favorite performer. Vera won and was named The Forces' Sweetheart. She went solo in 1940 and started her radio show Sincerely Yours where she sent messages to British soldiers serving abroad. Her biggest hit was White Cliffs of Dover in 1942. She also starred in the 1943 film We'll Meet Again and she entertained British troops. Obviously this was very important for morale. Vera retired after WWII ended. But that didn't last very long. Decca released some of Vera's recordings in the US during a 1948 musicians strike. After a couple of top ten hits, Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart topped the charts in 1952. The song was written by Eberhard Storch. Vera was on holidays in Switzerland and she heard the song sung in beer halls. When she returned to England, she asked John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons to write English lyrics. The song turned out to be Vera's biggest hit. Vera continued to have success in Britain with several hit singles and many TV appearances. You can get all her hits on this 3CD budget comp. Vera Lynn is now 102 years old. Her 2017 album 100 backed up her original vocals with contemporary arrangements. It was certified Gold. So I guess she's still a star. Here's Vera Lynn performing Yours and Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart on the 70s CBC Vancouver show Forces Sweetheart.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 9, 2019

Invicta FC 37 analysis, new fight announcement and my new PC.

Invicta FC 37 analysis

Yesterday Invicta announced six fights for Invicta FC 37 Oct. 4 from Kansas City. This will air on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8PM. I don't think this is the entire card. I expect them to add a couple more prelim fights. The main event will have Jinh Yu Frey defending the Invicta Atomweight Championship against Ashley Cummins. Jinh Yu beat Ashley in 2015 but Ashley has made big changes since then. Jinh Yu is 34 years old from Arlington, TX. She trains with her husband Doug Frey. Her record is 8-4. She's a points fighter. She last finished a fight in 2014. She doesn't do enough to win fights decisively. So far she has been lucky especially in her first fight against Minna Grusander. I thought Minna won but the judges gave Jinh Yu the win. I thought Jinh Yu did better in the rematch. And Ham Seo Hee KOd Jinh Yu in Korea and Ayaka Hamasaki beat her in Japan. That's a worst match of the year candidate. Ashley is 34 years old originally from St. Louis but she now trains with Manny Hernandez at 10th Planet in San Diego. Ashley is a police officer. She's gonna have plenty of fans in attendance. Her record is 7-4. She is on a two fight winning streak. A lot of Atomweights are not finishers and Ashley is no different. With Jinh Yu's luck with the judges, I think Ashley really needs to finish this fight. But I don't know if she can. The co-main event will have Pearl Gonzalez vs Brogan Walker-Sanchez at Flyweight. Pearl is 33 years old from Chicago but she trains at 10th Planet in San Diego. Her record is 9-4. Her calling card is sex appeal. She was terrible in the UFC and she isn't any better in Invicta. She got an Invicta title shot that she didn't deserve and then she lost. I don't think she should be in Invicta in the first place. Brogan is 31 years old. She trains at Purebred Jiu Jitsu in Guam. Her record is 6-0 and 2-0 in Invicta. She has won all her fights by decision. Her Invicta wins were by split decision. That's the MO of a points fighter. At Flyweight, Mariya Agapova will face Marilia Santos. Both fighters lost in Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS). Mariya is 22 years old from Kazakhstan. She trains at American Top Team in Florida. Her record is 7-1. She just won a fight in Invicta against a terrible opponent. Marilia is 26 years old from Bahia, Brazil. Her record is 7-1 on the Brazilian regional circuit. When she lost in DWTNCS, I didn't think either fighter deserved a UFC contract. I guess an Invicta contract is a consolation prize. In an Atomweight bout, Shino VanHoose will face Lindsey VanZandt. Shino is 24 years old. She was born in Japan and started her MMA career there. But she now trains at Combat Fitness in Boise, ID. Her record is 6-5. We last saw her in 2017. She is returning from reconstructive knee surgery. Lindsey is 26 years old from Wappingers Falls, NY. Her record is 6-2. She fought twice in Bellator. But they don't have an Atomweight or Strawweight division. She returned to Invicta in August and lost by split decision. The other two fights have Invicta newcomers. In an Atomweight bout, Linda Mihalec with face Marisa Messer-Belenchia. Linda is 37 years old from Kentucky. Her record is 1-0. She's a little old to be an Invicta debutante. No age is given but Marisa looks to be in her 20s. She trains at Ultimate MMA in New Haven, CT. Her record is 3-0. She was CES Atomweight Champion. This looks like promotional malpractice to me. And in a Flyweight bout, Jordam Kaaze will face Claire Guthrie. Both fighters are making their pro debuts. Jordan is 28 years old. She trains at Spartan MMA in Minnesota which I think is owned by WMMA veteran Kelly Kobold and her husband. Her amateur record is 7-1. She has fought for LFA a couple of times. Claire is 23 years old from Denver. She trains at Elevation. UFC fighters Meil Magny and Alistair Overeem are among her teammates. Her amateur record is 7-1. As I said, I expect a couple more fights to be added.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tom Jones

Artist:Tom Jones
Song:Thunderball
Album:Greatest Hits





Anyone who has read my song of the day on this blog will know that I like to feature what I call "orphan" songs that are not part of an artist's overall discography. And I have written about several James Bond themes because James Bond is a unique music genre. Jones recorded the theme for the 1965 film Thunderball right after he had a big hit with the theme from the film What's New Pussycat?. So he was hot at the time. But the interesting thing about the theme from Thunderball is how it came together at the last minute. The original theme Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was written by Bond composer John Barry and Leslie Bricusse. A journalist used that term to describe the James Bond character. Barry didn't think he could write a song about Thunderball. So he wrote a song about the character instead. Dionne Warwick recorded the song but they weren't happy with her delivery. So Shirley Bassey was brought in to record it. Of course her theme from Goldfinger was very successful. The producers were going to use Shirley's recording over the opening credits and Dionne's over the end credits. But then United Artists insisted that the theme should have the word Thunderball in the title. So Mr. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was scrapped. Shirley's recording is on a 30th Anniversary James Bond box set. So Barry wrote Thunderball with Don Black and Tom Jones was brought in to sing. Apparently Jones fainted when he hit the final high note. This was all done at the last minute. So Barry was forced to record new music for the film. Thunderball reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It did not appear on a Tom Jones album. And the Thunderball soundtrack album was delayed because of the last minute changes. That album is still available on CD. But you can get Thunderball on this Tom Jones budget comp which covers his entire career including his 80s hits. Here's Tom Jones performing Thunderball at the 2012 Bafter Awards to commemorate the 50th anniversary of James Bond.

Two Strawweight bouts added to Oct. 26 UFC show

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I am extremely excited to announce that I will be moving up to straw-weight to make my UFC debut, 26 October in Singapore. I want to first thank Shannon Knapp and Invicta for starting off my MMA career. I wouldn't have been here without their faith in me. To my coaches George Hickman, Frank Hickman, Alex Schild, Andrew Wood, Tarek Suliman, Emilio Urrutia thank you for training me and to all training partners at Tiger Muay Thai for always pushing me, thank you to my manager Danny Rubenstein ,Frances Watthannaya for this incredible opportunity, and thank you to my family who've been with me through thick and thin. 🥰🥰♥️♥️ . . . #ufc #mma #wmma #ufcsingapore #invictafc #fight #fighter #buriram #tigermuaythai #hickmanbroswrestlings #lookboonmee #thai #thailand #thaimma

A post shared by Loma Lookboonmee (@lomalookboonmee) on Sep 6, 2019 at 7:32pm PDT

Two women's Strawweight bouts have been added to UFC on ESPN+ 20 Oct. 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. One will have Loma Lookboonmee vs Aleksandra Albu. the other is Ashley Yoder vs Xiaonan Yan. Loma is 23 years old from Thailand. She is the first fighter from Thailand to make the UFC. Of course kickboxing is huge in Thailand. A lot of the kickboxers just aren't interested in MMA. Loma's kickboxing record is 22-3. Her father owns a Muay Thai gym. She started training MMA with George Hickman at Tiger Muay Thai. A chance encounter with then Invicta matchmaker Kaitlin Young got her into Invicta. Her MMA record is 3-1. She won both of her Invicta fights and one in PANCRASE in Japan. Obviously she has great kickboxing skills. Other than that, I didn't think much of her. I suppose she can improve with experience. And all her fights were at Atomweight and this is at Strawweight. So she's going into the deep end of the pool. Aleksandra is 29 years old from Moscow, Russia. Her official record is 3-1 and 2-1 in the UFC. Supposedly she had several fights in Asia but there is mo record of them. She's been in the UFC for a few years. But her career was slowed by injuries, school and a successful modelling career. I suppose she's a good opponent for a UFC newcomer. Yan is 30 years old from China. Her record is 11-0-1NC and 4-0 in the UFC. Ashley is 31 years old. She trains at Team Quest in Murrieta, CA. Her record is 7-4 and 2-3 in the UFC. She's on a two fight winning streak. Looking at who Yan has fought, I would have liked to see her fight someone better. If she wins this fight, they have to move her up.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Texas Is The Reason

Artist:Texas Is The Reason
Song:A Jack With One Eye
Album:Do You Know Who You Are?: The Complete Collection




The post punk band Texas Is The Reason only recorded one album in 1996. The album was critically acclaimed and loved by fans. But they split up soon after. They were formed in New York City by former Shelter guitarist Norman Brannon and former 108 drummer Chris Daly. Both guys are Hare Krishna devotees. Shelter and 108 were Krishnacore bands. I couldn't believe there is a name for that. They brought in former Fountainhead bassist Scott Winegard and Garrett Klahn as lead singer. He was a bassist for Buffalo's Copper. The band name is from The Misfits song Bullet which is about John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories. After releasing an EP and a single, Texas Is The Reason signed with Revelation Records for the 1996 album Do You Know Who You Are?. This critically acclaimed album did well enough that major labels came calling. They were about to sign with Capitol Records when during a European tour, Brannon and Daly weren't getting along and they decided to split up after the tour was over. Their final show was in Germany. It's likely that if Texas Is The Reason had continued, they could have had commercial success on Capitol. In 2013, Revelation released an expanded version of Do You Know Who You Are? with several bonus tracks. Klahn joined New Rising Sons and is now in Atlantic/Pacific. Daly joined Jets To Brazil. Brannon and Winegard formed New End Original. Texas Is The Reason has reunited three times, most significantly for the Revelation Records 25th Anniversary concert in 2012. And here's Texas Is The Reason performing A Jack With One Eye from that concert.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 8, 2019

UFC 242 and Invicta Phoenix Rising 2 reviews.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tory Lanez

Artist:Tory Lanez
Song:LUV
Album:I Told You





LUV is the biggest hit single to date for singer, rapper and producer Tory Lanez. He has a new album coming out. We'll see how that goes. I think he has potential as a producer but not so much as a recording artist. He was born Daystar Peterson July 27, 1992 in Brampton, ON which is northwest of Toronto. His father was a missionary so he lived in Montreal, Miami and Atlanta. A friend gave Peterson the Tory Lanez name because he supposedly liked to play in traffic. Due to behavior problems, Lanez was sent to Toronto to fend for himself. He started doing mixtapes and posting videos on Youtube. Sean Kingston got him to tour and sign with his label. But Lanez preferred doing mixtapes and continued to do that until he signed in 2015 with producer Benny Blanco's Mad Love label with Interscope distribution. Lanez continues to release mixtapes. The problem with mixtapes is they aren't subject to copyright so they can't be official releases. It's hard to make money that way. Lanez' first official single Say It was a top five R&B hit in 2015. The single LUV was released July 2016 followed by the album I Told You in Aug. Lanez wrote and produced the album with long time partner Daniel "Play Picasso" Gonzalez. LUV was produced by Benny Blanco and Norwegian producer Magnus "Cashmere Cat" Hoiberg who works a lot with Blanco. LUV is based on Everyone Falls In Love by the Jamaican duo Tanto Metro and Devonte. That's why the record has a dance hall vibe. Sean Paul was featured on the remix. LUV was a top five R&B hit and it reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lanez hasn't had another chart hit though he continues to tour and his new album El Agua is coming soon. It's his fourth studio album. Lanez still releases mixtapes. Similar to fellow Canadian Drake, Lanez probably releases too much music. And he's not as successful as Drake. It was rumored that they are cousins. They aren't. And they don't even like each other as they diss each other on record. It makes me wonder how long Lanez will want to play second fiddle to Drake when producing other artists can be just as lucrative and less aggravating. What if his new album doesn't do well and there is no hit single. I could see him quitting to become a full time producer. Here's the video for LUV by Tory Lanez.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sarah Moras vs Liana Jojua

Here's the match video of Sarah Moras vs Liana Jojua from today's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight is at Bantamweight. Sarah is on a three fight losing streak. So she needs a win. And she missed weight. Liana is from Georgia which is near Russia. She is a former Fight Night Global champ. Sarah had a big enough size advantage that I thought Liana should be fighting at Flyweight. She was awful anyway. She was very tentative. Sarah dominated the fight and won by third round TKO. Dominick Cruz suggested that Liana may have been suffering from the UFC jitters. She had that deer in the headlights look. I expect her to drop to Flyweight. Sarah needed that win though. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Joanne Calderwood vs Andrea Lee

Here's the match video of Joanne Calderwood vs Andrea Lee from today's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. Both fighters are looking to get into the Flyweight title picture. I don't think either is good enough. In her last fight, Joanne could have come closer to the title with a win over Katlyn Chookagian. But she didn't look good. Andrea is on a three fight winning streak. But she didn't beat anyone decent nor did she win dominantly. I have seen her for a few years and she has charisma and sex appeal. But she's a points fighter. I said yesterday on my podcast that I expected this fight to be close and that's exactly what it was. Andrea just doesn't do enough to win fights decisively. I scored round one 10-9 Joanne because she controlled the first half of the round. Round two was very close but I scored it 10-9 for Andrea. And I thought Joanne won round three 10-9. So I scored it 29-28 for Joanne. The judges gave her a split decision. It doesn't matter because neither fighter was dominant. The next likely challenger for Valentina Shevchenko will be the winner of Katlyn Chookagian vs Jennifer Maia. I don't like them either. Enjoy the video!

Miranda Maverick wins Invicta Phoenix Rising 2 tournament

Invicta FC Phoenix Rising 2 results and video: Maverick gets revenge over Bennett, wins flyweight tourney https://t.co/CBHNEnBBC6

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 7, 2019

Last night's Invicta Phoenix Rising 2 tournament for Flyweights aired on UFC Fight Pass. There were eight fighters in the tournament and the first round and semi finals were one round. The final was three rounds. This is the second time Invicta has done one of these tournaments and the first round fights have been tough to sit through. To try and create some urgency, the winner with the quickest finish gets to choose her semi final opponent. It didn't work. There was very little action in three of the four first round fights. No one came close to a finish. One suggestion might be to stick to younger fighters as they seem to give the best results. The one fight that had decent action was Miranda Maverick winning by unanimous decision over Victoria Leonardo. The other three first round fights had fighters who are older and known to not take risks. Daiana Torquato beat Milana Dudieva by split decision. I thought Daiana landed better strikes. DeAnna Bennett beat Liz Tracy by unanimous decision. Liz probably won but neither did much. DeAnna looked surprised when the decision was announced. Shanna Young beat Maiju Suotama by unanimous decision. Again nothing much happened. Then there were a couple of one round reserve bouts. Chantel Coates beat Flore Hani by split decision. Flore should move back to Strawweight. And Kay Hansen beat Carolina Jiminez by unanimous decision. The accumulation of these low action contests was a tough slog to sit through. The second round fights were better as Miranda beat Shanna and DeAnna beat Daiana with rear naked chokes. Then there were a couple of buffer bouts so the fighters could rest. Both fights were at Flyweight. Josee Storts beat Helen Lucero by first round rear naked choke. Josee is a young fighter with potential. Helen was making her pro MMA debut at age 41. I would describe her booking as promotional malpractice. And then Mariya Agapova beat Alexa Connors by first round rear naked choke. I saw Mariya on Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. She looked better here but of course Alexa is awful. And then in the tournament final, Miranda won the first two rounds over Deanna and then finished her in the third round with what looked like a neck crank. DeAnna was outclassed anyway. The only thing she is good at is grinding on the fence and that doesn't win fights. The problems Invicta has had with the two tournaments is lack of action in the opening round and it shows that the concept is flawed. But I expect them to keep doing them because no one has the guts to tell them the truth.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Black Ryder

Artist:The Black Ryder
Song:Let Me Be Your Light
Album:The Door Behind The Door





The Aussie duo The Black Ryder will remind you of groups like The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Their music is an atmospheric kind of neo-psychedelia commonly known as Shoegaze. Aimee Nash and Scott Von Ryper were in the band The Morning After Girls. They left in 2007, got married and released the 2009 album Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride on their own label with EMI distribution in Australia and The Orchard in the US. The album was critically acclaimed in Rolling Stone Australia who gave them a best new artist award. They write and produce the music and play all the instruments. They bring in guest musicians and also tour with bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. After the album was released, The Black Ryder moved to Los Angeles and divorced. Aimee married The Cult lead singer Ian Astbury. The Door Behind The Door was released in 2015. That album was acclaimed similar to the first album and they toured to support it. Fans of Shoegaze should check them out. It looks like The Black Ryder split up. Their website and Facebook and Twitter accounts are inactive. The two have individual Twitter accounts. The only recent activity has Variety reporting that Amiee and Asbury bought a house in the Hollywood Hills. I'm sure Von Ryper will resurface as a producer. Clearly he has a lot of talent. Here's the video for Let Me Be Your Light by The Black Ryder.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 6, 2019

Riho vs Hikaru Shida and Invicta Phoenix Rising 2 and UFC 242 previews.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Otis Rush & Friends

Artist:Otis Rush & Friends f/Eric Clapton
Song:All Your Love (I Miss Loving)
DVD:Live At Montreux 1986





Of course Otis Rush was one of the all time blues greats. He helped establish the Chicago blues sound in the 50s with some of the great songs he recorded for Cobra Records including the 1958 single All Your Love (I Miss Loving). But after Cobra went bankrupt, Rush struggled with getting a decent record deal. This reached a low point when Capitol Records refused to release the 1971 album Right Place, Wrong Time. Rush bought the master from Capitol and released it on the Japanese label P-Vine. Then he seemed to retire from music. Rush returned in the 80s. And after a couple of record deals didn't work out, he made his triumphant return at the 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival. This eventually led to a career revival in the 90s. The Montreux concert was released on CD and DVD by Eagle Rock in 2006. The DVD is available but you can also watch the entire concert on Youtube. Eric Clapton appears on three songs including All Your Love (I Miss Loving). And Luther Allison joins them on one song. Rush continued to tour and record until a 2002 stroke forced him to retire. He died on Sept. 24, 2018 at age 84. Here's Otis Rush & Friends featuring Eric Clapton performing All Your Love (I Miss Loving) at the 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival. And remember you can watch this entire concert on Youtube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Offspring

Artist:The Offspring
Song:Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)
Album:Greatest Hits





The Offspring were very successful in the 90s through MTV play of videos like Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) in 1998. They never had a big radio hit but their albums did very well. The Offspring are from Garden Grove, CA led by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland. They were called Manic Subsidal when Holland formed the band in 1984 with bassist Greg Kreisel and guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman of the band Clowns of Death. Drummer James Lilja was also from Clowns of Death. Supposedly Wasserman was in the band because he was older and could legally buy booze. The name The Offspring came from a horror movie. Lilja left to attend medical school and was replaced by Ron Welty. After releasing a single and recording a couple of demos, The Offspring released the 1988 album The Offspring on Nemesis Records. Though distribution was limited, it led to a deal with Epitaph Records owned by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. Their first album was Ignition in 1992 followed by Smash in 1994. Smash was a huge success. It was certified 6XPlatinum. It rode on the coattails of bands like Green Day and Rancid and MTV playing The Offspring's videos. They decided to leave Epitaph for Columbia after Gurewitz tried to sell their contract to a major label. This was very controversial within the punk music community at the time. And The Offspring's first album for Columbia, 1997's Ixnay on the Hombre, was a critical and commercial disappointment. They returned to form with the 1998 album Americana and Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) became a big hit mostly through MTV playing the video. Holland says the song is about white kids at the mall trying to act black. The album was certified 5XPlatinum. The Offspring tried to release their 2000 album Conspiracy of One for free on their website to show their support for downloading over the internet. But Columbia threatened legal action so they didn't do that. Ron Welty left in 2003 and for the album Splinter he was replaced by Atom Willard. By this time The Offspring had faded. They left Columbia in 2012. This comp covers their Columbia recordings. The Offspring are supposed to have a new album coming out. but Kriesel was kicked out of the band last year and he's suing them. That is pending. They have been touring but a lot of things are on hold because of the lawsuit. Of course The Offspring is well past their prime of the 90s. Here's the video for Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) by The Offspring.