Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Kayden Carter

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Kayden Carter from last night's episode of RAW. This is even shorter than their Main Event match. Kairi Sane has returned from her honeymoon so I can't say why they didn't do a tag team match. So now the WWE has finally announced that The Kabuki Warriors will defend their WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross at Wrestlemania. The one thing I hope the WWE has learned is that Asuka is a versatile and entertaining workhorse who is capable of anything. Who would have thought that her ranting in Japanese would have gotten over with fans. But it has. She has always had the ring skills. This other stuff adds value. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kenny Loggins

Artist:Kenny Loggins f/Stevie Nicks
Song:Whenever I Call You Friend
Album:The Essential Kenny Loggins





In the 80s Kenny Loggins was the king of movie soundtrack hits. The 1978 single Whenever I Call You Friend was the only one of his five top ten hits that wasn't from a movie. It was also his first top ten hit. Of course Loggins became famous in Loggins & Messina. Considering that Loggins was always supposed to be a solo act and Jim Messina was only supposed to produce, it was inevitable that Loggins would want to record solo. His touring band was the same minus Messina. Whenever I Call You Friend was the first single from Loggins' second solo album Nightwatch. Bob James produced. Loggins wrote Whenever I Call You Friend with the popular singer songwriter Melissa Manchester. Melissa says the two would run into each other at TV awards shows. They started chatting and Loggins came over to her house one night and they wrote the song. But they were never able to work out their schedules and record a duet. So when the time came for Loggins to record the song, it looks like Stevie Nicks may have been recording something in the same studio, possibly with Walter Egan. In a 1982 interview with High Times, Stevie jokingly described Loggins as a slave driver. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Melissa recorded her own version of Whenever I Call You Friend with session singer Arnold McCuller but that went nowhere. Jon Clarke plays the sax solo. You'll notice that Stevie isn't in the video. Her vocal is taken by bassist George Hawkins. Loggins even performed the song on a TV show with some girl lipsyncing Stevie's vocal. So it was strictly a studio recording. You can get it on this 2CD comp and the song also appears on a couple of Stevie Nicks comps. Here's the video for Whenever I Call You Friend by Kenny Loggins featuring George Hawkins.

Monday, March 30, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leonard John Crofoot

Artist:Leonard John Crofoot
Song:Bigger Isn't Better
Album:Broadway Scene Stealers: The Men





Leonard John Crofoot won a Drama League Critics Award for playing Tom Thumb in the 1980 Broadway musical Barnum. Bigger Isn't Better is his big song. You may recall seeing him in a couple of the Star Trek shows. He was born Sept. 20, 1948 in Utica, NY. He is a trained ballet dancer. But as he says in an interview on the Star Trek website, he could sing well enough to get the role of Tom Thumb in the hit show Barnum. It was his first major role. He had appeared in touring productions of Hello, Dolly and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Crofoot won a Drama League Critics Award. The cast album for Barnum is out of print. But you can get Crofoot's performance of Bigger Isn't Better on this budget CD compiled by the editors of Playbill. Crofoot also appeared in the 1985 show Grind. Then he moved to Los Angeles. His most notable appearance was as Trent in a 1988 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called Angel One. He also appeared in a 1990 episode of the same show under a lot of makeup. He also appeared in a 2000 episode of Star Trek: Voyager. He's been on some other shows. And he has recreated Donald O'Connor dances from Singin' in the Rain a couple of times on Oscar broadcasts. In 1996 he created the one man show Nijinsky Speaks. It's a tribute to ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. He took that show all over the US for several years. Crofoot is still active in Los Angeles as a dance teacher and choreographer. Here's a video for Bigger Isn't Better by Leonard John Crofoot.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 29, 2020

Asuka, Io Shirai and how false WWE news is reported.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Raiana Paige

Artist:Raiana Paige
Song:Open Up Your Heart
Album:Freestyle Explosion Vol. 7





Open Up Your Heart was a top ten dance hit in 1989. It could have been a much bigger hit but it looks like the record company dropped the ball on Raiana Paige. She was born in Puerto Rico but she grew up in The Bronx. Raiana signed with the dance label Sleeping Bag Records. Open Up Your Heart was her first single. It reached #10 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music chart. The song was written and produced by Andy "Panda" Tripoli who was also the guy behind the successful group The Cover Girls. It looks like Sleeping Bag didn't strike while the iron was hot. Instead of having Raiana record an album with Tripoli, the single Rescue Me was released in 1990 and she worked with different producers. She had cooled off by that time. Raiana only recorded the two singles for Sleeping Bag. You can get Open Up Your Heart on this Thump Records various artists CD. Raiana released a rock album in 1994. And since 1996 she has been lead singer of the hard rock band kHz. They have released several albums, most recently in 2008. According to their Facebook page, they are currently on hiatus. She has also done some modelling. She seemed to have potential at the time but things just didn't work out. Here's the video for Open Up Your Heart by Raiana Paige.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Kayden Carter

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Kayden Carter from this week's episode of WWE Main Event. I know nobody watches that show. You might wonder why the WWE still produces it. Most of the foreign markets air it. Here in Canada, Sportsnet 360 airs it on Friday after Smackdown. Kayden Carter has been in NXT since 2018. Before that she wrestled under her real name Lacey Lane. She trained at Team 3D aka The Dudley Boyz. They bill Kayden as from The Philippines but she was born and raised in Winter Park, FL so she's a local. She has athletic ability but she tends to try to do too much and she makes mistakes. The idea here is she will learn a lot just working with Asuka. It's a glorified squash. You might think that Kayden gets in too much offense. But Asuka wants her opponent to look good even in a squash match. Asuka wins with a head kick followed by the Asuka Lock. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexa Bliss vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Alexa Bliss vs Asuka from last night's episode of Smackdown. This is supposed to set up The Kabuki Warriors vs Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. So I'm not surprised Alexa went over here. Of course the problem is that most fans don't believe that Alexa should ever beat Asuka. Period. So for Alexa to go over clean like she did here is insulting to many fans. Vince McMahon would counter that anything can happen in the WWE. So throw logic out the window. And we all know how much Vince loves Alexa despite her poor ring skills and concussion history. Asuka tries very hard to make Alexa look decent. But that's a losing battle and I don't think most fans buy it. But we all know what the WWE is trying to do and it's a tough situation. They probably should have cancelled Wrestlemania. But Vince is stubborn. So the match is OK but nothing special. Check out the video for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amy Macdonald

Artist:Amy Macdonald
Song:This is the Life
Album:This is the Life: Deluxe Edition





Scottish singer songwriter Amy Macdonald had success in Europe with her 2007 debut CD This is the Life and the single This is the Life. She has not been successful in North America and I think she has faded in recent years. She was born Aug. 25, 1987 in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Apparently this is a suburb of Glasgow. Her main inspiration to get into music was the popular group Travis. She bought a Travis chord book and taught herself to play guitar. Then she started writing and at age 15 she was playing the Glasgow coffeehouse circuit. After sending a demo in response to an ad in the music paper New Musical Express, she was contacted by Pete Wilkinson who was starting Melodramatic Records. After several months recording at Wilkinson's home studio, she signed with Vertigo Records. Amy's 2007 debut CD This is the Life sold three million copies across Europe. The single This is the Life was very successful in several European countries. The single Mr. Rock and Roll was her biggest hit in England. I think Amy's music reminded British fans of the late Kirsty MacColl. She toured the US and appeared on Ellen and other shows. But the album was not successful. Since then Amy has released three albums with diminishing returns. On her 2017 CD Under Stars she worked with veteran producer Cam Blackwood. Vertigo also released a Best Of comp featuring a new song Woman of the World. I normally recommend comps. But This is the Life was released with a bonus CD with live tracks and alternate takes. It's available as a budget CD. According to her Instagram, Amy is currently working on a new album. She seems to have peaked in 2007. One would think she would need to turn that around to keep Vertigo happy. Here's the video for This is the Life by Amy Macdonald.

Friday, March 27, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marco Antonio Solis

Artist:Marco Antonio Solis
Song:La Venia Bendita
Album:Antologia




Marco Antonio Solis has been a successful crooner in Latin America since going solo in 1996. The 1997 single La Venia Bendita is one of his nine number one Latin hits. He has also won five Latin Grammys. He was born Dec. 29, 1959 in Ario de Rosales, Michoacan, Mexico. He started performing as a child with his cousin Joel Solis as Los Hermanitos Solis. They formed Los Bukis in 1975 and they were very successful. Solis wrote all the songs and sang lead. He was also writing and producing for Rocio Durcal and others. Solis decided to go solo in 1995. La Venia Bendita is from the 1997 album Marco Antonio Solis. It topped the Latin charts. Solis writes and produces all his music. I call him a crooner because he sings love songs. Solis has had nine number one Latin singles. You can get them all on this 4CD/1DVD box set. Solis has won five Latin Grammys and several Billboard Latin Music Awards. He is also in the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame. And he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was the Spanish singing voice for the Ernesto de la Cruz character in the 2017 Pixar film Coco. In 2017, members of Los Bukis formed Los BK's with the purpose of reuniting Los Bukis for one final tour. They can't use the name Los Bukis. Solis said they can perform all the old songs but he's not interested in a reunion. Solis last released an album in 2013 but he continues to write and produce for others. Here's the video for La Venia Bendita by Marco Antonio Solis.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Aliyah

Here's the match video of Io Shirai vs Aliyah from last night's episode of NXT. This is a qualifying match for a number one contender ladder match for the NXT Women's Championship that was supposed to be on the NXT Takeover show but now will be taped for the weekly show. The match was announced as Xia Li vs Aliyah. A backstage segment showed that Xia was attacked. Aliyah is in the ring demanding a forfeit. But instead Io Shirai's music plays and Aliyah's demeanor changed. We don't know who attacked Xia. Io has been out for two months with a sprained knee. This was her first appearance. The match went as expected and Io wins with her moonsault. There will be six wrestlers in this ladder match and the winner gets a shot at the NXT Women's Championship after Wrestlemania. Of course Io against either Charlotte Flair or Rhea Ripley would be epic. Plus who knows what kind of craziness Io will do during the ladder match. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

Artist:Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
Song:It Takes Two
Album:Power 106 FM: 10th Anniversary Compilation





The 1988 single It Takes Two was one of the more memorable early hip-hop classics. The duo didn't last very long but that wasn't unusual in that kind of music. Robert "Rob Base" Ginyard and Rodney "DJ E-Z Rock" Bryce grew up in Harlem, NY. They were in a group called The Sureshot Seven. After graduating from high school, they were the the only two members left. They released a couple of singles on the World To World label that did well enough to get them a deal with the much bigger Profile label with PolyGram distribution. It Takes Two was the first single from the album It Takes Two. It reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a big dance club hit and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I think it was a much bigger hit than the chart position would indicate. The record samples liberally from the 1972 Lyn Collins single Think (About It) produced by James Brown. The album was certified Platinum. A second single Joy and Pain also did well. This sampled liberally from Maze's Joy and Pain. Maze leader Frankie Beverly sued them. Then they split up due to Bryce's personal problems. Ginyard released the 1989 album The Incredible Base that was unsuccessful. The two did reunite for a 1994 album but it went nowhere. The album It Takes Two is out of print. But you can get the single on plenty of various artists CDs including this budget CD. Both guys continued to perform in New York clubs but they never recorded again. Rodney Bryce died of a diabetic seizure on Apr. 27, 2014 at age 46. Here's the video for It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-NG La Banda

Artist:NG La Banda
Song:Necesito Una Amiga
Album:Antologia de la Musica Cubana: Salsa Cubana





NG La Banda is an important group in the history of Cuban music especially in the late 80s and early 90s.The NG stands for Next Generation. Flutist Jose Luis "El Tosco" Cortes was a member of the pioneering Cuban jazz group Irakere in the late 70s. Then he was a member of Los Van Van in the 80s. He formed NG La Banda in 1988. He called it timba music. The idea was to apply the musicianship of jazz to popular Cuban music. They didn't release albums at the time. Songs like Neceasito Una Amiga only appeared on various artists albums like the one pictured. Isaac Delgado was the lead singer. He left in 1992 to go solo. Also featured is drummer Giraldo Piloto. They began to release CDs after they left. Obviously the band membership has changed frequently over the years. NG la Banda last recorded in 2014. It looks like Cortes still leads a version of the band. Here's NG La Banda featuring Isaac Delgado on lead vocals performing Necesito Una Amiga.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Dollar Store

Artist:Dollar Store
Song:North Central Plain
Album:Dollar Store





Alt country fans will want to check out the two albums by Dollar Store. They are a spinoff of the popular group Waco Brothers featuring that group's lead singer Dean Schlabowske. He is not only the lead singer of Dollar Store but he wrote all the songs. Dollar Store is more rock oriented than Waco Brothers so he may have been looking for an outlet for songs that weren't appropriate for Waco Brothers. Bassist Alan Doughty and drummer Joe Camarillo are are also members of Waco Brothers. Special guests include former Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin and Bloodshot Records mainstay Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel guitar. Dollar Store recorded two albums and they all returned to Waco Brothers and they are still members of that band. Recently Schlabowske has recorded a couple of albums as Ramblin' Deano which can be downloaded from his website. According to his website, Schlabowske moved from Chicago to his home town of Milwaukee in 2017. It's not clear if he is still a member of Waco Brothers. He is still listed on their website. He says he was tired of being in a band and he wanted to return to making his own music. Here's a video of North Central Plain by Dollar Store.

Monday, March 23, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Julio Iglesias

Artist:Julio Iglesias
Song:Por Un Poco De Tu Amor
Album:Begin the Beguine





Of course most music fans are familiar with Julio Iglesias through his 80s recordings in English. But he was already successful in Europe in the 70s. The 1977 album A mis 33 Anos which contained the hit single Por Un Poco De Tu Amor convinced Columbia Records that Iglesias had potential to be really big. Iglesias first signed with the Spanish branch of Columbia in 1968 after he won the International Song Festival. For the next few years, Iglesias recorded in Spanish but he also recorded in German, French and Italian. That made him a star across Europe. There were two things that convinced Columbia of Iglesias' potential. In 1976 he played a sold out concert in Madison Square Garden in New York City though he was still unknown in the US. And he began to have success in England. The 1977 album A mis 33 Anos was not only a big seller in Europe but it was the first Iglesias album to sell well in South America. So Iglesias signed a new Columbia contract and moved to Miami. A 1981 Spanish cover of the standard Begin the Beguine topped the British charts. It was on the album De nina a mujer produced by Ramon Arcusa who also produced Por Un Poco De Tu Amor. Columbia released the 1981 comp Begin the Beguine in an attempt to introduce Iglesias to the English speaking audience. The album was certified Gold in England. It was soon after that Columbia released the 1984 album 1100 Bel Air Place. This was Iglesias' first English album and of course his duet with Willie Nelson To All The Girls I've Loved Before was a huge hit. Of course most of the groundwork for that success was laid in the late 70s with songs like Por Un Poco De Tu Amor. Begin the Beguine is available as a digital download. Here's Julio Iglesias performing Por Un Poco De Tu Amor on England 1979.


Sunday, March 22, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Bragg

Artist:Billy Bragg
Song:A New England
Album:Must I Paint You A Picture?: The Essential Billy Bragg




Billy Bragg reminds me of protest singers of the 60s like Phil Ochs. Bragg has been very popular in his native England since the 80s. A New England is one of his signature songs. He was born Dec. 20, 1957 in Barking, Essex, England. Though Bragg was not a good student, he wrote poetry and learned to play guitar. Influences include Faces, Bob Dylan and especially The Clash who mixed punk rock with political activism. In 1977 Bragg formed Riff Raff with his long time pal Phil "Wiggy" Wigg. After releasing a few unsuccessful singles and touring England, they split up in 1980. Unhappy with that, Bragg enlisted in the British Army. He left after three months training. He started performing solo around London as Spy vs Spy named of course after the Mad Magazine comic strip. He sent out demos and pretended to be a TV repairman to get into the office of Charisma Records A&R man Peter Jenner. He told Bragg the company was near bankruptcy so they weren't signing anyone. But he agreed to release some demos Bragg recorded for a song publisher. And that was the 1983 EP Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy. A New England was one of the songs on that EP. When Bragg heard on air that legendary BBC DJ John Peel was hungry, he brought him food and Peel played Bragg's EP. After Virgin Records bought Charisma, Jenner became Bragg's manager. They signed with the new label Go! Discs and they re-released the EP. Though Bragg's recording of A New England was never released as a single, Kirsty MacColl's cover was a top ten hit in England in 1985. That got him a lot of attention. The 1986 album Talking with the Taxman About Poetry was Bragg's first top ten album in England. Bragg has been recording regularly ever since. Sometimes he tours with a band. But usually he returns to performing solo with a guitar. This 2CD budget comp is a good intro to Bragg's music. Bragg currently records for Cooking Vinyl and his latest album was released in 2017. Here's Billy Bragg performing A New England on Suggs in the City 2008.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 21, 2020

Hikaru Shida and WWE and UFC status.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Swell Season

Artist:The Swell Season
Song: In These Arms
Album:Strict Joy





The Swell Season are best known for starring and composing the music for the 2007 film Once and winning a Best Song Oscar for Falling Slowly. In These Arms was the first single from the 2009 album Strict Joy. Glen Hansard has been lead singer of the Irish group The Frames since 1991. He was also in Alan Parker's 1991 film The Commitments. He first met Marketa Irgalova in 2001 whille appearing on a music festival in the Czech Republic organized by her father. He started helping her with her music and they recorded the 2006 album The Swell Season. They are named after Hansard's favorite novel. Director Jan Hrebejk asked them to record the songs for his film Beauty In Trouble. After the album was released, director John Carney asked if he could use the songs in his next film. Carney was formerly bassist for The Frames. Cillian Murphy was supposed to star in Once with Marketa. But he dropped out because he didn't think he sang well enough. Carney asked Hansard to fill in. Hansard and Marketa became romantic during the filming. And then Once was a big hit and Falling Slowly won an Oscar. The Swell Season signed with ANTI Records for the 2009 album Strict Joy. In These Arms was the first single. The album sold well and was highly acclaimed. They were supposed to record a third album after Hansard's 2012 album Rhythm and Repose. But instead they split up. Marketa has released two albums. She got married and moved to Iceland and now has three kids. Hansard has released four solo albums. The latest was released in 2019. And he continues to lead The Frames. They last recorded in 2015. Though they were short lived, The Swell Season are worth checking out. Here's the video for In These Arms by The Swell Season.




Friday, March 20, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dean Jones

Artist:Dean Jones
Song:Being Alive
Album:Company: Original Broadway Cast




Though Dean Jones was best known for starring in Disney movies like The Love Bug, he had the singing talent to be a star on Broadway. He played Bobby in the 1970 musical Company. He was born Jan. 25, 1931 in Decatur, AL. While attending high school, he hosted is own radio show. After serving in the US Navy during the Korean War, Jones moved to Los Angeles and signed with MGM. His biggest role was as a DJ an the 1957 Elvis Presley film Jailhouse Rock. He also recorded a few singles for MGM. He made his Broadway debut starring with Jane Fonda in the 1960 show There Was A Little Girl. And he also appeared in Under The Yum Yum Tree. Jones also appeared in the film version of Under The Yum Yum Tree when he returned to Los Angeles. Jones recorded the 1963 album Introducing Dean Jones produced by Shorty Rogers. And he starred in the 1962 sitcom Ensign O'Toole. The show only lasted one season. Other than that he was doing mostly TV guest shots. But he got lucky. Ensign O'Toole led into The Wonderful World of Disney. Walt Disney saw Jones and cast him in the 1965 film That Darn Cat!. He starred in several Disney movies but he is probably best known for The Love Bug series of films. He also briefly hosted a variety show. And then he replaced Anthony Perkins to play Bobby in the 1970 Stephen Sondheim musical Company. He left after a month and was replaced by Larry Kert. But Jones appears on the original cast album and on D.A. Pennebaker's award winning documentary of the recording session. This was a pilot for a proposed TV series that unfortunately wasn't picked up. Being Alive is Jones' big song at the end of the show. It's not clear why Jones left but he was going through a divorce at the time. Jones returned to Los Angeles and continued to appear in Disney films until he became a Christian in 1974. He appeared in several religious films. Probably his best known later film appearance was in the 1992 film Beethoven. Dean Jones was named a Disney Legend in 1995. He died on Sept. 1, 2015 at age 84. Here's Dean Jones performing Being Alive in the 1970 documentary Company: Original Cast Album.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Riho vs Kris Statlander vs Penelope Ford

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida vs Riho vs Kris Statlander vs Penelope Ford from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. This was in an empty arena in Jacksonville, FL. Considering that, I thought the show was pretty good. Last week Penelope won over Riho on AEW Dark. Mostly, she has been accompanying Kip Sabian to the ring. She is a trained wrestler but inexperienced. Hikaru is wearing new gear which I like better than what she was wearing. The match is mostly decent except for one really bad botch on what I think was supposed to be a Penelope hurricanrana. Kip got involved a couple of times and the girls beat him up. The end came when Hikaru hit a Michinoku Driver on Penelope followed by a Shining Wizard. I hope this means that AEW are finally going to give Hikaru a title run. The fans are into her but I'm not sure if AEW management is. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mariah Carey

Artist:Mariah Carey
Song:Vision of Love
Album:#1 to Infinity





Not only was the 1990 single Vision of Love Mariah Carey's first number one hit. but it was the first single from her debut album. You know what they say about first impressions. She was born Mar. 27, 1969 in Huntington, Long Island, NY. Her mother sang opera. Mariah started writing songs as a child. While in high school, she started writing songs with Gavin Christopher. They needed an assistant and Ben Marguiles arrived and they started working on a demo. The turning point came when Mariah met singer Brenda K. Starr. Mariah sang backup vocals in Brenda's 1987 album Brenda K. Starr. Brenda took Mariah to a music industry gala and gave her demo to Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola. He listened to the demo and immediately signed her. A star is born. Columbia wouldn't allow Mariah to produce the album with Marguiles. But seven songs including Vision of Love appeared on the 1990 album Mariah Carey. Mottola brought in session musicians Rhett Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden to produce. Of course Walden produced Whitney Houston so he knew what Mottola wanted. Vision of Love topped the charts followed by three more #1 hits from Mariah Carey. The album sold 15M copies worldwide. Walter Afanasieff produced one song on Mariah Carey. But he was the main producer on the 1991 album Emotions. What about Marguiles? He did play drums on Vision of Love. But then he and Mariah had a falling out and Columbia kicked him to the curb. Marguiles sued Sony and the judge awarded him 10% of Mariah's record sales. He produced other artists like Chaka Khan. But in 2001, he opened a recording studio in Santa Barbara, CA and he still owns that. His only songwriting credits are from the 1990 album Mariah Carey. Marguiles blamed Mottola for the split. Oh well. That's the music business for you. Here's the video for Vision of Love by Mariah Carey.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Passion Pit

Artist:Passion Pit
Song:Take A Walk
Album:Gossamer





The 2012 single Take A Walk is the best known song by Passion Pit. It appeared on the soundtrack of the 2013 film Carrie. In the studio, Passion Pit is a Michael Angelakos solo project. He hires musicians to tour. He was born May 19, 1987 in New Brunswick, NJ but he lives in Boston. Angelakos was attending Emerson College when he wrote and recorded a couple of songs on his laptop as a Valentine's Day gift for his girlfriend. He performed in local clubs. Berklee student Ian Hultquist approached Angelakos about forming a band. They called it Passion Pit which is Variety slang for drive in theaters. They signed with Frenchkiss for the 2009 EP Chunk of Change. The single Sleepyhead got some airplay on Boston radio. This led to the 2009 album Manners produced by Chris Zane. It did well enough that Columbia picked it up for national distribution. At this point Passion Pit was still a band. But for the 2012 album Gossamer, Angelakos did everything himself in the studio and hired musicians to tour. Zane played drums. Take A Walk was the first single. After the song appeared in a Taco Bell commercial, it was a top ten Alt Rock hit. The song also appeared on the soundtrack for the 2013 remake of the horror movie Carrie. Passion Pit's tour was cut short when Angelakos went into treatment for bipolar disorder. After the 2015 album Kindred didn't do as well, Angelakos started his own company The Wishart Group to use his music to promote mental health. That's how he promoted the 2017 album Tremendous Sea of Love. He also appeared on the 2019 single I Found U by the Swedish group Galantis. Angelakos is probably due for a new album. Here's the video for Take A Walk by Passion Pit.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dusty Springfield

Artist:Dusty Springfield
Song:The Look of Love
Album:Gold





The Look of Love was a top 30 hit in 1967. It was not Dusty Springfield's biggest hit. But it was recorded for the 1967 film Casino Royale and it was nominated for an Oscar. Casino Royale was a James Bond film but it was really a spoof of the Bond films. The music was the most successful part of the film. Producer Charles Feldman hired Burt Bacharach to compose the music for Casino Royale. Bacharach composed the score for the Feldman produced film What's New Pussycat?. The soundtrack album is instrumental except The Look of Love. And at first it was also an instrumental recorded by sax player Stan Getz in 1966. Hal David wrote lyrics for the song and producer Phil Ramone got Dusty to record it. Though he isn't identified, Getz plays the sax solo. The Look of Love reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was nominated for an Oscar. Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 performed The Look of Love on the Oscar broadcast and that recording reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dusty's recording was on the Casino Royale soundtrack released by Colgems. You can get it on this 2CD comp from Spectrum in England. There are two Gold comps. Make sure it has this cover as the other Australian version isn't as good. The Look of Love was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Here's Dusty Springfield performing The Look of Love 1967.

Monday, March 16, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Voice In Fashion

Artist:The Voice In Fashion
Song:Only In The Night
Album:Disco Box Vol. 9: Dance Machine





Only In The Night was a dance club hit in 1986. The problem was The Voice In Fashion only released a few singles and then split up. This was in the early days of Freestyle in Miami. Sal Hanono and Ony Rodriguez started The Voice In Fashion as a recording studio project. They released the 1985 single All We Need as The Voice. When the record got airplay on the University of Miami radio station WVUM, they decided to continue as The Voice Of Fashion. I assume they thought The Voice was too generic. Hanono's brother David Hanono was added so they could perform live. Only In The Night was their second single. It was a top ten dance hit. Rodriguez wrote and produced the song with Lewis Martinee who later went on to create the popular group Expose. The record was released on Pantera Records and Atlantic picked it up for national distribution. The Voice In Fashion toured to support it. By the time the 1988 single Give Me Your Love was released, Rodriguez left the group. The Hanono brothers wrote and produced it with Martinee. Pantera licensed the record to EMI-Manhattan. After appearing on the Pet Shop Boys single Domino Dancing, The Voice In Fashion released one more single in 1992. After some success touring Brazil, the Hanonos disbanded The Voice In Fashion. You can get Only In The Night on the various artists budget CD. David Hanono released a solo album and sang with the group London Exchange. The Voice In Fashion returned with a new album in 2012 and they continue to perform today. Here's a video for Only In The Night by The Voice In Fashion.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Poscast Mar. 15, 2020

UFC on ESPN+ 28 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bea Malecki vs Veronica Macedo

Here's the match video of Bea Malecki vs Veronica Macedo from last night's UFC show in Brazil. This fight was at Bantamweight. Bea is from Sweden but she trains at Fortis MMA in Dallas. She was in TUF 28 for Featherweights. Veronica was born in Venezuela but she grew up in Florida. She has had success at Flyweight but in preparing for a fight last fall, she got sick and she has decided to go back to Bantamweight. But she is undersized and Bea is a Featherweight fighting at Bantamweight. Veronica starts out OK and wins round one. But I think it was more of a case that Bea did nothing in that round. After her corner read her the riot act between rounds, Bea was a lot better in the other two rounds. Also Veronica was tired by the end of round one. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Bea and so did the judges. Veronica night want to reconsider the decision to move up to Bantamweight and hire a good nutritionist. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maryna Moroz vs Mayra Bueno Silva

Here's the match video of Maryna Moroz vs Mayra Bueno Silva from last night's UFC show in Brazil. Both fighters are returning from injury. Maryna is from the Ukraine but she trains at American Top Team. She's mainly a boxer who has had mixed results in the UFC. She is returning from an elbow injury. Mayra was in the Brazilian Dana White Contender Series. She blew out her knee during her UFC debut. It was a close fight but Maryna won the first two rounds. Mayra looked better in the third round. If she had fought like that in the first two rounds, she would have won the fight. I scored it 29-28 for Maryna and so did the judges. They won fight of the night bonuses but I didn't think it was a great fight. Check out the video for yourself.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Ribas vs Randa Markos

Here's the match video of Amanda Ribas vs Randa Markos from last night's UFC show in Brazil. This fight is at Strawweight. Since returning from a USADA suspension, Amanda has looked great. She trains with her father and at American Top Team. Paige VanZant was supposed to be her opponent but Paige is still having problems with her arm. The Canadian Randa agreed to replace her. She has been in the UFC since TUF 20 with mixed results at best. Randa is a pretty good wrestler but her striking is terrible. Not only is Amanda a more complete fighter but she is much quicker too. This fight went as I expected except that Amanda couldn't get a finish. She was particularly dominant in round three which I scored 10-8. So I scored the fight 30-26 for Amanda. So did two of the judges. The third judge scored it 30-25. Afterwards, Amanda called out Paige. What is more likely is she will face the winner of Carla Esparza vs Michelle Waterson. And the winner of that fight will get a shot at Zhang Weili's UFC Strawweight Championship. On my Big Topic of WMMA podcast a few days ago, I named Amanda as the top up and coming Strawweight contender. All that and she's loaded with charisma too. She's a star in the making. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Evan Christopher

Artist:Evan Christopher
Song:I Know That You Know
Album:Django A La Creole




The clarinet was the most popular jazz instrument in the early days of jazz especially in the swing era when the most popular bands were led by clarinetists. Of course this all changed when bebop made the saxophone the instrument of choice. Most sax players also play flute and clarinet. So the clarinet could make a comeback but it hasn't except for a few guys like Evan Christopher. He plays traditional jazz in a contemporary style. This is very popular in Europe and Christopher tours a lot there. He was born Aug. 31, 1969 in Long Beach, CA. He studied at USC and California state at Long Beach with Dixieland musicians like Kenny Davern and George Probert. Touring with singer songwriter A.J. Croce (Jim Croce's son) brought Christopher to New Orleans. He moved to San Antonio and was the featured clarinetist in the Jim Cullum Jazz Band for three years. Christopher moved back to New Orleans and released albums as a leader and recorded with Lars Edegran, Jack Sheldon, Tierney Sutton and Dick Hyman. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Christopher moved to France. And that's where he established his band Django A La Creole. Of course the idea is Christopher's music is a mix of French and New Orleans jazz. I Know That You Know is from the 2008 album Django A La Creole featuring Aussie Dave Blenkhorn on electric guitar, Dave Kelbie on acoustic guitar and Sebastien Girardot on bass. They record for the French label Fremeaux & Assoc. I Know That You Know was written by Vincent Yeomans and Anne Caldwell for the 1926 show Oh, Please!. The song was popularized by Benny Goodman in 1936 and it has been recorded by many jazz musicians. Christopher returned to New Orleans in 2008. He still leads Django A La Creole and he plays New Orleans clubs regularly. Here's Evan Christopher and Django A La Creole performing I Know That You Know in France 2010.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Father MC

Artist:Father MC f/Mary J. Blige
Song:I'll Do 4 U
Album:Uptown Records Block Party Vol. 2





I'll Do 4 U was a top 20 hit in 1990 for rapper Timothy "Father MC" Brown. A few of his other songs charted but this was his biggest hit. The most notable thing about this song is it features a pre-fame Mary J. Blige on backup vocals. Brown was born Apr. 28, 1968 in New York City. After releasing a single independently with 1st Fleet Crew, Brown signed with Andre Harrell's Uptown label distributed by MCA. Of course that was also the home of Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs as a producer. They were the executive producers on Brown's 1990 debut album Father's Day. I'll Do 4 U topped the rap chart and reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The main sample is the Cheryl Lynn hit Got To Be Real. It's a little too recognizable for me. The song and most of the album was produced by Mark Cory Rooney and Mark Morales who was Prince Markie Dee of the Fat Boys. As I said, Mary J. Blige is on backup vocals. It looks like this was her first recorded appearance. She had signed with Uptown and Combs hadn't decided what to do with her yet. Some of Brown's other singles charted but I'll Do 4 U is the song most fans will remember. You can get it on this various artists comp. Brown also appeared on a couple of Ray Parker Jr. albums. When his 1992 album Close To You didn't have any hits, Combs brought Teddy Riley in to produce the 1993 album Sex Is Law. That was also unsuccessful and his final Uptown album. Brown continued to record occasionally. His most recent album was in 2003. It doesn't look like he has done anything lately. Here's the video for I'll Do 4 U by Father MC featuring Mary J. Blige.

Friday, March 13, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 13, 2020

The Kabuki Warriors, UFC on ESPN+ 28 preview and new fight announcements.

Two women's fights added to June 27 UFC show

Yesterday the UFC confirmed that UFC on ESPN 9 will be June 27 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Two women's Flyweight matches have been announced for this show Jennifer Maia will face Viviane Araujo and Alexa Grasso will face Ji Yeon Kim. Jennifer is 31 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains at Chute Boxe. She's a former Invicta Flyweight Champion. Her record is 17-6-1 and 2-2 in the UFC. She's a boxer and a very ineffective MMA fighter. If she had beaten Katlyn Chookagian in her last fight, she would have got a title shot. Viviane is 33 years old from Brazil. Her record is 8-2 and 2-1 in the UFC. She's a former Queen of Pancrase as a Strawweight. I will be interested to see how she bounces back after losing her last fight to Jessica Eye. I think she is undersized at Flyweight. Alexa is 26 years old from Mexico. She trains at he father's gym Lobo. Her record is 11-3 and 3-3 in the UFC. After missing weight at Strawweight twice, she is moving up to Flyweight. I think she's undersized at Flyweight. And she's a one dimensional points fighter. What she has going for her is her looks and she's a big deal at home. The UFC would love to see her emerge as a contender because she's money in Mexico. I just don't see it. Ji is 30 years old from Korea. Her record is 9-2-2 and 3-2 in the UFC. Like many Korean fighters, she's a kickboxer who got into MMA in Japan. She started out in the UFC as a Bantamweight. I like her in this fight as she has a significant size advantage. I'd like her to be busier than she has been in some of her fights. Alexa is a popular fighter but I would favor Ji.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wheatus

Artist:Wheatus
Song:Teenage Dirtbag
Album:Wheatus





The 2000 single Teenage Dirtbag was the only big hit for Wheatus. It was especially big in England. And then they had record company problems. Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Brendan B. Brown was born Oct. 11, 1973 in Northport, Long Island, NY. He formed Wheatus in 1995 with brother Peter Brown on drums, Rich Liegey on bass and Philip A. Jimenez on percussion, keyboards, samples and special effects. The band name was a childhood nickname. Their manager got them a regular gig at the Luna Lounge in New York City and that led to a record deal with Columbia Records. They released their debut album Wheatus in 2000 and Teenage Dirtbag was the first single. By the time the album was released Liegey was replaced by Mike McCabe. Teenage Dirtbag appeared in the 2000 film Loser and the stars Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari appear in the video. It reached #2 on the British Singles chart but it didn't make the Billboard Hot 100 despite MTV putting the video in heavy rotation. Radio stations had a problem with possible offensive lyrics. Columbia released a radio edit but that didn't help. Wheatus recorded a second album Hand Over Your Loved Ones. But when Brown refused to lipsync the first single American in Amsterdam on Top of the Pops, Columbia cancelled the album release and Wheatus' contract. Since then Brown has released three albums on his own label. He still leads a version of Wheatus and they should have a new album out soon. Wheatus reunited early versions of the band for one night only at New York's Mercury Lounge last year. Brown is releasing a 20th anniversary expanded edition of the 2000 album Wheatus and they will tour to support it. Here's the video for Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

The Big Topic in WMMA-episode 3

Was Weili vs Joanna an instant classic?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mustard

Artist:Mustard f/Roddy Ricch
Song:Ballin'
Album:Perfect Ten





Dijon "Mustard" McFarlane is a successful producer who occasionally records as a solo artist. His 2019 single Ballin' was a top 20 pop hit. He was born June 5, 1990 in Los Angeles. His uncle got him into DJing. He started working with rapper Keenon "YG" Jackson in 2010. The success of their mixtapes attracted guys like Micheal Ray "Tyga" Stevenson and Tyrone "Ty Dolla Sign" Griffin. McFarlane produced Stevenson's 2011 single Rack City. It was a top ten pop hit. After producing hits for 2 Chainz and Young Jeezy, he started releasing his own mixtapes which led to a record deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. He released two albums on Roc Nation in 2014 and 2016. There were no hits from these albums. But he continued to produce hits for Rihanna, Lil Dicky and especially Ella Mai's 2018 top five pop hit Boo'd Up. McFarlane started his own label with Interscope distribution and released the 2019 album Perfect Ten. The single Ballin' featuring rapper Rodrick "Roddy Ricch" Moore reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. McFarlane wrote and produced the song with Moore and frequent collaborators Shah Rukh Zaman Khan and Justus West. The album has plenty of guest rappers and singers and it is available as a digital download. He also produced Moore's new hit single High Fashion. I would expect McFarlane's solo career to be sporadic as he's a very busy producer. And now that he has his own label he will want to develop new artists. Here's the video for Ballin' by Mustard featuring Roddy Ricch.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Horst Jankowski

Artist:Horst Jankowski
Song:A Walk In The Black Forest
Album:The Golden Age of American Popular Music: Hits with Strings and Things




German pianist Horst Jankowski scored a top 20 pop hit with A Walk In The Black Forest in 1965 right in the middle of the British Invasion. Most of his success was on the Easy Listening chart. He was born Jan. 30, 1936 in Berlin, Germany. He studied at the Berlin Music Conservatory. He started out as a jazz musician in Berlin clubs backing up singer Caterina Valente. He also composed the German version of Muzak. Jankowski recorded jazz in the late 50s with guys like clarinetist Rolf Kuhn. In the early 60s he started recording with an orchestra and singers. His 1965 single Eine Schwarzfaldfahrt was a big hit in Europe. Mercury Records released it in the US as A Walk In The Black Forest. it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the Easy Listening chart. It's not clear why the song was a hit but Jankowski wrote it as background music or Muzak in 1962. The song was intended to be part of a stock music library. Jankowski continued to have success on the Easy Listening chart until 1968. The 1965 album The Genius of Jankowski has never been released on CD. The one comp CD I saw does not contain the original version of A Walk In The Black Forest. You can get the original version on this Ace Records various artists comp. As I said, Jankowski had a long music career in Germany. He returned to jazz in the 80s. And for the German network RIAS, he was one of the leaders of RIAS Tanzorchester. They recorded and had their own TV show. Horst Jankowski died of cancer on June 29, 1998 at age 62. Here's a video of A Walk In The Black Forest by Horst Jankowski.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kabuki Warriors vs Liv Morgan and Natalya

Here's the match video of the Kabuki Warriors vs Liv Morgan and Natalya from last night's episode of RAW. On Sunday's Elimination Chamber, the WWE tried so hard to get Shayna Baszler over as a monster, they forgot all about The Riott Squad split. So they put this random team to advance that angle. That's called ass backwards booking. So Ruby Riott comes out followed by Sarah Logan. And when they start fighting at ringside, Liv leaps from the top turnbuckle to the floor and abandons Nattie. The end comes when Asuka makes a blind tag. While Nattie has Kairi in the Sharp Shooter, Asuka kicks her in the head and wins the match. No doubt this will lead to Nattie teaming with Beth Phoenix for Wrestlemania. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lea Michele

Artist:Lea Michele
Song:Mama Who Bore Me
Album:Spring Awakening: Original Broadway Cast





Though Lea Michele is best known for the TV series Glee, she had a long career on Broadway. She had her greatest success with the 2006 show Spring Awakening. She was born Lea Michele Sarfati Aug. 29, 1986 in The Bronx, NY and she grew up in Tenafly, NJ. Her father owned a delicatessen. She was eight years old when she played Young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. She also appeared in Ragtime in Toronto and New York. Spring Awakening was written by singer songwriter Duncan Sheik. Lea was involved in the early development of the show. She played the female lead Wendla. Mama Who Bore Me kicked off the show. Spring Awakening was very successful. Lea was nominated for a Drama Desk award. It was after she left Spring Awakening in 2008 that she signed on for the TV series Glee. And that's where most fans know her. While still on Glee, Lea signed a record deal with Columbia. She has released three albums. The latest was Christmas in the City in 2019. Since moving to Los Angeles, Lea has continued to be successful on TV. She was a regular on the Fox series Scream Queens, the ABC series The Mayor and she currently is the lead voice on the Nickelodeon animated series Butterbean's Cafe. She is also hosting the health and wellness show Well, Well, Well for the Ellen DeGeneres Network which is scheduled to launch as Ellen Digital Network in 2020. Lea still appears occasionally on the Los Angeles stage and she also got married last year. Here's Lea Michele performing Mama Who Bore Me on the 2007 Drama Desk Award broadcast.

Monday, March 09, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 9, 2020

UFC 248, Invicta Phoenix Series 3 and WWE Elimination Chamber reviews and new fight announcements.

Two women's matches added to May 16 UFC show

Over the weekend the UFC finally confirmed that UFC on ESPN+ 33 will be May 16 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. There will be two women's Flyweight matches on the show. Ariane Lipsky will face Luana Carolina. and Cortney Casey will face Lara Procopio. As you can see above, Ariane signed a new UFC contract which she posted on Facebook. She's 26 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She now trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. Her record is 12-5 and 1-2 in the UFC. She is a former KSW champ. But she lost her first two UFC fights. She looked bewildered after her loss to Molly McCann. She looked good enough in her last fight that she signed a new contract. We'll see if she can live up to her potential. Luana is 26 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her record is 6-1. she was in the Brazilian Dana White Contender series. After winning her UFC debut, Luana was supposed to fight in August but pulled out due to injury. Cortney is 32 years old. She trains at MMA Lab in Phoenix with John Crouch. Her record is 8-7 and 4-6 in the UFC. All of those fights have been at Strawweight. This will be her first fight at Flyweight. I don't think she's that good anyway so I don't know if that will make any difference. Lara is 24 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She trains at Nova Uniao. Her record is 6-1. She lost her UFC debut to Karol Rosa by split decision. I didn't think it was that close. Karol kept it standing and she is a striker. Lara couldn't take it to the ground. Lara took that fight on short notice and it was at Bantamweight. She fought in both weight classes in Brazil. So I don't know if fighting at Flyweight will make any difference. But going through a full training camp could make a difference.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Happy Mondays

Artist:Happy Mondays
Song:Kinky Afro
Album:Double Easy: The U.S. Singles





Happy Mondays were successful mostly in their native England. They were from Manchester, England so they were part of what was known at the time as the Madchester sound. Unlike The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays were fueled by the rave scene and lead singer Shaun Ryder's drug use. The 2002 film 24 Hour Party People was partially based on Ryder's life. The other members were Ryder's brother Paul Ryder on bass, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards and Gary Whelan on drums. Backup singer Rowetta and dancer Mark Berry were added later. They signed with Factory Records in England and Elektra in the US. The 1990 album Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches was their most successful album. It was certified Platinum in England. The single Kinky Afro reached #5 on the British singles chart. So did the single Step On. They were never able to break through in the US. The band split up and Factory went bankrupt after the 1992 album Yes Please. Ryder's drug abuse was a big problem. This budget comp has all their singles. Ryder formed Black Grape in 1995. After they split up in 1998, Happy Mondays reformed in 1999. They have reunited several times. There was an album in 2007. They toured last year but I don't think they are active right now. It looks like Ryder is working on vinyl reissues of Happy Mondays albums. And he seems to appear a lot on reality TV in England. Here's the video for Kinky Afro by Happy Mondays.

Sunday, March 08, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Here's the match video of Zhang Weili defending her UFC Strawweight Championship against Joanna Jedrzejczyk from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This is likely going to be the match of the year for 2020. It was even for the most part. The big difference was Weili's power. Some will complain that statistically Joanna landed more punches. But that was marginal and Weili's punches were more damaging. Look at Joanna's forehead. She said afterwards that she almost passed out from the pain. Any other fighter would have been knocked out. I scored the fight 49-46 for Weili. I gave Joanna round three. The other rounds were very close but as I said, Weili's punches were more damaging. The judges scored it even going into round five. Two of the judges scored round five for Weili and the other scored it for Joanna. With a fight that close, a rematch night be in order. Dana White said that Weili's next fight will be at Madison Square Garden in November. The opponent could be the winner of the upcoming Rose Namajunas vs Jessica Andrade fight. Or it could be a rematch with Joanna. Tatiana Suarez is still injured so it won't be her. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hotelier

Artist:The Hotelier
Song:Piano Player
Album:Goodness





Fans of emo music might want to check out The Hotelier who have had modest success reviving that kind of pop music. They met while attending high school in Dudley. MA. in 2009. Lead singer Christian Holden also plays bass. Other members are Chris Hoffman and Zack Shaw on guitar and Sam Frederick on drums. At first they were called The Hotel Year but there was a band with a similar name so it was changed to The Hotelier. After releasing a couple of EPs, they released the 2011 album It Never Goes Out. Shaw left in 2012 and Ben Gauthier replaced him. For the 2014 album Home, Like Noplace is There, they signed with the Tiny Engines label. The album got a lot of favorable press and The Hotelier were hailed as one of the leaders of the emo revival of 2014. Holden didn't understand that. He says he didn't know The Hotelier were emo. But if it got them attention and sold CDs, so be it. Piano Player is from the 2016 album Goodness. You'll notice the album cover is blurred. The picture is supposed to be a group of nudists. They were forced to censor it so stores would carry it. It's unclear if The Hotelier are still together. It looks like they lost their record deal and Holden has CDs in his basement. He is also playing local clubs with his new band World's Greatest Dad. Maybe they are just on hiatus. Here's the video for Piano Player by The Hotelier.

Saturday, March 07, 2020

Julija Stoliarenko is the new Invicta Bantamweight Champion

Most of last night's Invicta show was a Bantamweight tournament. But the main event of Julija Stoliarenko vs Lisa Verzosa crowned a new Bantamweight champ. Julija likes to finish fights in the first round so she got off to a very quick start. But when she wasn't able to get a finish, she slowed down a lot and Lisa won the second round. The turning point of this fight was when Julija busted Lisa open with a third round elbow. The fight should have been stopped at that point. I don't know why the doctor let it continue. I thought Julija won the other two rounds and won the fight 49-46. A big deal was made about using open scoring on this show. As I have said all along, open scoring does not make inept judges competent. One of the judges scored this fight 49-46 for Lisa. I don't know what he was looking at but that is why Julija won by split decision. So the answer is still state ACs need to get rid of inept judges and get rid of inept doctors while you're at it as this fight should have been stopped. The other fight that was not part of the tournament was Kay Hansen winning dominantly by unanimous decision over Liana Pirosin. This was at Strawweight. The rest of the show was the tournament and I hate the one round fights. The final was three rounds. In that final, Taneisha Tennant beat Taylor Guardado by unanimous decision. Taneisha used her height to employ the dreaded keep away strategy. It's a strategy that can win fights at a lower level. But it tends to fail against better fighters who are willing to risk getting hit and be more aggressive. The fight was boring. Taylor admitted afterwards that she didn't listen to her coach/husband. She looked pretty good in the other fights. Remember this was her pro MMA debut and her first time in a cage since 2011. If she learns from this, she could have potential. Other than that, the one round fights were dull and I wish Invicta would stop doing them.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Loggins

Artist:Dave Loggins
Song:Please Come To Boston
Album:Romancing the 70s: Lovin' You





The 1974 top five hit Please Come To Boston was the only big hit for singer songwriter Dave Loggins. He has gone on to have plenty of success in Nashville as a songwriter. He was born Nov. 10, 1947 in Mountain City, TN. Kenny Loggins is his cousin. He moved to Nashville in 1970 and that's where he met producer Jerry Crutchfield. Loggins released the 1972 album Personal Belongings on Vanguard Records with Crutchfield producing with Nashville session musicians. The album went nowhere but his song Pieces of April was a top 20 hit for Three Dog Night. Epic Records exec Don Ellis liked what he heard from Loggins. The album Apprentice (In A Musical Workshop) was released in 1974. Please Come To Boston reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Loggins produced most of the album except Please Come To Boston which was produced by Crutchfield. Loggins says the song is a recap of his visits to several cities. The romance is fictional. He says the song wrote itself in ten minutes. One of his other songs charted so technically he isn't a one hit wonder. You can get Please Come To Boston on this 2CD Time Life various artist budget comp. Loggins recorded four albums for Epic. He was unable to repeat the success of Please Come To Boston. His only other chart success as a performer was the 1984 #1 country hit Nobody Loves Me Like You Do with Anne Murray. He was very successful as a songwriter in Nashville. He had a total of 14 #1 country singles spanning from 1984 to 1992. The biggest of those hits was the 1984 Kenny Rogers single Morning Desire. He also wrote the song Augusta that is used in the Masters Golf Tournament broadcast. Loggins was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995. Here's Dave Loggins performing Please Come To Boston on The Midnight Special 1974.

Friday, March 06, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 6, 2020

Kairi Sane, Invicta Phoenix Series 3, UFC 248 and WWE Elimination chamber previews and new fight announcements.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jamiroquai

Artist:Jamiroquai
Song:Too Young To Die
Album:High Times: Singles 1992-2006





Jamiroquai have had success mostly in their native England. They came from the Acid Jazz scene. The 1993 single Too Young To Die was their first big hit in England. Jay Kay is the leader of Jamiroquai. He was born Dec. 30, 1969 in Stretford, Lancashire, England. His mother Karen Kay is a singer and TV host. After getting into trouble as a teen, Kay turned to music. After attempting to record solo, he decided to form Jamiroquai. The name is a mix of "jam" and "Iroquois". A demo got Kay a record deal with Acid Jazz Records. Kay's main collaborator in Jamiroquai was keyboard player Toby Smith who also wrote songs with Kay. Other members when they recorded the 1993 album Emergency on Planet Earth were Wallis Buchanan on digeridoo, Stuart Zender on bass, Nick Van Gelder on drums, Simon Bartholomew on guitar and Gary Barnacle on sax and flute and he wrote the horn arrangements. They signed with Sony Soho Square in England and Columbia in the US. Recording engineer Mike Neilsen produced the album. Too Young To Die was the second single. It reached #10 on the British singles chart. It was an anti war song written by Kay and Smith. The album was certified Platinum in England. Jamiroquai had their greatest international success with the 1996 single Virtual Insanity mostly because the video went into heavy rotation on  MTV. It won four MTV Music Awards. But that didn't convert into international chart success. You can get all of Jamiroquai's singles on this budget comp. Toby Smith left Jamiroquai in 2002 to become a producer. He died in 2017. Jamiroquai continued to have success in England. They left Sony in 2005 and have since recorded for Universal and the 2017 album Automation was on Virgin. They aren't on tour right now. I think they are due for a new album. Here's the video for Too Young To Die by Jamiroquai.







Thursday, March 05, 2020

Amanda Nunes vs Felicia Spencer added to May 9 UFC show

As expected, the UFC announced today that Amanda Nunes will defend her UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 250 May 9 at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With two belts to defend, Amanda has been on a roll. But she did not look her best when she beat Germaine de Randamie by unanimous decision. If she fights like that against Felicia, that could be a problem for her. Felicia is 29 years old born in Montreal but she trains at The Jungle in Orlando, FL. Last week we saw he beat Zarah Fairn with ground and pound and she also has good submission skills. Amanda should be the favorite. But if she doesn't come out and destroy Felicia in round one, we could see an upset.