AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Supremes

Artist:The Supremes

Song:My Favorite Things

Album:20th Century Masters: The Best of The Supremes: The Christmas Collection

Of course there are plenty of Christmas albums out there. And it can be difficult to know which ones are worth buying. And that's why I try to feature them on the blog during the holidays so you can be an educated consumer. Of course all the Motown artists recorded Christmas albums in the 60s. This 1965 album by The Supremes has become a Christmas perennial. At the time they were at the height of their fame. So it's not surprising that Motown boss Berry Gordy would want a Christmas album from The Supremes. The songs are all Christmas standards. Most of the album was produced by Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows with arrangements by Gene Page, H.B. Barnum and Ernie Freeman. The musicians recorded in Los Angeles and The Supremes recorded the vocals in Detroit. My Favorite Things is from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. The most famous cover of the song is by jazz legend John Coltrane. As I said, Merry Christmas was released in 1965. Universal released the album on CD in 2003 with four bonus tracks. The Supremes' recording of My Favorite Things appeared in the 2018 film The Grinch which has given this album a boost on the holiday charts. Here's The Supremes performing My Favorite Things on The Ed Sullivan Show Dec. 4, 1965.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Gina Mazany vs Rachael Ostovich

Here's the match video of Gina Mazany vs Rachael Ostovich from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Gina is making her Flyweight debut after mixed success at Bantamweight. She has moved with her UFC fighter fiancee Tim Elliott to Kansas City to train with UFC fighter James Krause. Elliott is from Kansas City. Megan Anderson also trains there. Rachael is from Hawaii. Sex appeal is her calling card. I don't think she belongs in the UFC but I didn't like her in Invicta either. She is coming off of a drug suspension. I guess the bottom line is that Gina outclassed Rachael in the first two rounds. And then in round three Gina finished her with a couple of body kicks. Rachael said this week that this could be her last chance in the UFC. And of course I would like to see Gina face someone better. Enjoy the video!

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Norma Dumont vs Ashlee Evans-Smith

Here's the match video of Norma Dumont vs Ashlee Evans-Smith from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Norma is from Brazil. She made her UFC debut at Featherweight and lost to Megan Anderson. Her previous fights were at Bantamweight. She missed weight for this fight. She said that she had "woman problems" and she promised to make weight for her next fight. Ashlee is a teammate of Carla Esparza at Team Oyama in California. She has had mixed success in the UFC. Norma is bigger than Ashlee. Norma won easily by unanimous decision. She is not only bigger than Ashlee but quicker too. Norma almost got a finish a couple of times and she slowed up considerably in the third round. I scored it 30-27 for Norma. Round two could have been 10-8 but it doesn't matter. Paul Felder said during the broadcast that Ashlee may have been injured but she hasn't said anything. Obviously I would like to see Norma against somebody better. Enjoy the video!

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sid Vicious

 

Artist:Sid Vicious

Song:My Way

Album:The Original Punk Album

Most music fans are familiar with Sid Vicious as bassist for the pioneering punk band The Sex Pistols and his drug abuse and self destructive behavior in the popular film Sid and Nancy. His one solo album Sid Sings was released after his death so we don't really know if he could have been a star. I doubt it because he probably would have sabotaged himself. This punk cover of My Way is probably his best known recording. He was born John Simon Ritchie May 10, 1957 in Lewisham, London, England. His father was a guardsman at Buckingham Palace and he played trombone on the local jazz scene. Ritchie moved with his mother to Ibiza. The father was supposed to send her money and arrive later. But he never did. Her second husband died of cancer in 1968. He met John Lydon in 1973. Lydon gave him the nickname Sid Vicious after Ritchie's hamster Sid bit Lydon. They busked in the streets of London and people gave them money to stop. He joined The Flowers of Romance in 1976. That didn't last and Vicious failed to show up at audition to be the lead singer of The Damned. He blamed His competition Dave Vanian for giving him the wrong location for the audition. High on drugs, Vicious attacked the band at a gig and accidently blinded a girl in the audience. He was arrested and thrown in jail. Meanwhile Vicious replaced bassist Glen Matlock in The Sex Pistols in 1977 because he hung around with the band. Of course he couldn't play so guitarist Steve Jones played bass on the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols. His girlfriend Nancy Spungen got him hooked on heroin. Needless to say, The Sex Pistols' brief career was chaotic and they split up in 1978. Vicious performed three songs including My Way for the film The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle. Vicious moved to New York and formed a band with Glen Matlock, Rat Scabies of The Damned and Arthur Kane, Jerry Nolan and Johnny Thunders of The New York Dolls. They played gigs at Max's Kansas City that were very successful. Then Nancy Spungen died and that drove Vicious even deeper into heroin. Sid Vicious died on Feb. 1, 1979 at age 21 during a drug fueled party with some friends. His mother found his body the next day. The album Sid Sings was released in 1979. It is taken from Max's Kansas City shows with the exception of My Way which was recorded in Paris in Apr. 1978. It was released in England and was a hit single. You can get My Way on this various artists budget comp. Here's Sid vicious performing My Way in the 1978 film The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-HARDY

Artist:HARDY f/Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson

Song:One Beer

\Album:A Rock

Michael Hardy had success as a songwriter before scoring a top twenty country hit in 2020 with One Beer. He calls himself HARDY. He was born Sept. 13, 1990 in Philadelphia, MS. After graduating from high school, Hardy moved to Nashville to get into the music business. He earned a degree in songwriting from Middle Tennessee State University. A 2013 EP and some songs he posted on Youtube got the attention of veteran songwriter Dennis Matkosky who signed him to a publishing deal. Hardy's first hit was Morgan Wallen's Up Down. He also co-wrote Simple and Talk You Out of It for Florida Georgia Line and songs for Blake Shelton. He signed with Big Loud Records and label co-owner and producer Joey Moi. He' a Canadian who has been very successful in Nashville in recent years. A Rock is Hardy's second album. It was released in Sept. 2020. One Beer reached #3 on the Country Singles chart and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hardy wrote all the songs on the album with co-writers. One Beer was co-written by veteran songwriter Hilary Lindsey and newcomer Jake Mitchell. Both wrote other songs on the album. Special guests are American Idol winner Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson who started out on Youtube and now records for Warner Music. It remains to be seen if Hardy has longevity as a recording artist. But even if that doesn't work out, he has a great future as a songwriter. Here's the video for One Beer by HARDY featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Legacy Five

Artist:Legacy Five

Song:What Kind of Man

Album:Pure Love

 Legacy Five is a modern Southern Gospel group. They have attempted to modernize that kind of music while retaining Southern Gospel elements. They are pretty successful in that market. They are from Akron, OH. Scott Fowler and Roger Bennett were members of The Cathedral Quartet. When the older members of the group retired, they gave ownership of the group to Fowler and Bennett. They changed the group name to Legacy Five. The group was four singer and Bennett on piano. A lot of guys have gone through the group. Fowler is the only original member. Bennett died in 2007 and he was replaced by Tim Parton. It makes no difference as they have had a total of three Southern Gospel chart toppers. What Kind of Man is from the 2019 album Pure Love and it topped the chart. This is music aimed at a particular audience and they can't stray too far from their audience. They can't be too contemporary. I'm not a big fan of this kind of music but it's slickly produced and the faithful certainly lap it up. Here's the video for What Kind of Man by Legacy Five.

The Big Topic in WMMA

 Invicts review and UFC review and preview.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jay

 Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jay from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. Hikaru beat Anna a few months ago. AEW is trying to sell her as much improved in the ring. It's similar to what they tried to do with Penelope Ford a while back. The truth is they are both green but Hikaru has the ability to make them look half decent. Of course instead of giving Hikaru credit, idiot fans will overpraise the greenhorns. Anna is a member of Dark Order but she doesn't do much. And they made her friends with the Brazilian Tay Conti. Supposedly Tay is helping Anna improve her ring skills though Tay is green too. They are also trying to sell that Hikaru hurt her knee in the match vs Nyla Rose. She's not really injured. She's just selling. The match starts out OK. But then it goes off the rails when Anna asks Tay to give her a chair. Tay gets one from under the ring. But for some reason she is reluctant to give it to Anna. And then the ref got rid of it. That segment made no sense. Then John Silver gave Anna a kendo stick. She actually hit Hikaru in the ankle but Hikaru sold the knee anyway. So yeah, Anna whuffed that spot. Hikaru won the match with a running knee. It was OK. The extra people should have stayed in the back as they were useless. The spot with the chair was a real headscratcher. Whoever thought of that needs a smack upside the head. Afterwards Abadon came out and did her horror movie shtick so I guess she's the next challenger. And Hikaru is trying to be afraid of Abadon. So who is she? They found her in Denver and she had a dark match against Hikaru in March. Obviously AEW likes the character. But she's another greenhorn. So I don't know what kind of match Hikaru can have with her. So far Abadon's AEW matches have been on Dark. I think I have only seen her a couple of times. Most fans don't watch Dark. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Toadies

 Artist:Toadies

Song:Possum Kingdom

Album:The Box Set Series: '90s Alt Rock

Toadies had very brief success in the mid 90s post grunge boom. The 1995 single Possum Kingdom was their only chart hit. Maybe you saw the music video. Toadies recorded one album for Interscope. They reformed in 2008 and are still around. Toadies are from Fort Worth, TX led by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Vaden Todd Lewis. He formed Toadies in 1989 with record store co-workers. His main collaborator early on was bassist Lisa Umbarger. Charles Mooney III was the lead guitarist. They went through four drummers before Mark Reznicek joined in 1991. The Pixies were a big influence on Lewis and Umbarger. The 1993 EP Pleather got them a deal with Interscope. They recorded the 1994 album Rubberneck with Beck producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf. Possum Kingdom reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video got a lot of airplay. Toadies recorded their second album Feeler in 1997. But Interscope didn't like it and ultimately refused to release it. They reworked it and a version was released in 2001. Lisa left Toadies when she realized that Interscope wasn't going to promote them. Lewis said he couldn't continue Toadies without Lisa so he disbanded them. Lewis joined Burden Brothers. It looks like Lisa quit the music business. Lewis reformed Toadies in 2008. They currently record for Kirtland Records and their latest album was released in 2017. Possum Kingdom is on this 4CD various artists box set from Sony. Here's the video for Possum Kingdom by Toadies.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sasha Banks vs Asuka

 Here's the match video of Sasha Banks vs Asuka from the Survivor Series. The match is fine. It's not as good as their other matches. It's a bit of a slave to WWE 50/50 booking policy. Nothing was at stake so it was a good time for Sasha to get a win over Asuka. Of course she'll brag about it like it was a big deal. A win is a win. But not all wins are created equal and the booking made this match blah. But the match is OK so check it out.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Mock Turtles

 

Artist:The Mock Turtles

Song:Can You Dig It?

Album:Best of the Bands: Classic Tracks

So you may remember seeing the video for Can You Dig It? in 1991 but you know nothing about the band. The Mock Turtles were part of the Madchester sound in England led by The Stone Roses. Can You Dig It? was a top 20 hit in England and then The Mock Turtles split up. As I said they were from Manchester, England let by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Martin Coogan. He is the older brother of comedian Steve Coogan. Guitarist Martin Glyn Murray and drummer Steve Cowen were in the band when they were formed in 1985. Bassist Andrew Stewardson and keyboard player Joanne Gent replaced the other original members in 1989. That's the band that was on Can You Dig It?. The 1990 album Turtle Soup on Imaginary Records did well enough that the band got a deal with Virgin's Siren label for the 1991 album Two Sides. Can You Dig It? reached #16 on the British Singles chart. Coogan wrote and produced the album. They appeared on Top Of The Pops. When subsequent singles didn't do as well, Siren dropped The Mock Turtles and Coogan disbanded them to form the group Ugli. You can get Can You Dig It? on this 3CD various artists budget comp from EMI. Can You Dig It? was revived when it was used in a 2003 ad campaign for the British mobile phone company Vodaphone. A Norman Cook remix of the song was a top 20 hit in England. That must have made Coogan some easy money. Here's the video for Can You Dig It? by The Mock Turtles.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast

 Io Shirai and UFC review and preview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chance The Rapper

 

Artist:Chance The Rapper f/Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz

Song:No Problem

Album:Coloring Book

"Chance The Rapper" Bennett is mainly known for his mixtapes. The thing that is notable about him is gis use of gospel in his music. You don't hear that much in hip hop. The 2016 single No Problem is his biggest hit to date though he has appeared as a guest on some big hits. He was born Apr. 16, 1993 in Chicago. His parents are in politics. His father was in the Department of Labor during President Obama's first term. So he was planning a move to Washington. Instead he got into music and released his first mixtape in 2010. His parents listened to Billie Holiday and Sam Cooke among others and Bennett was influenced by Kanye West. Bennett records on his own label. His early mixtapes were critically acclaimed. And like I said, he appeared as a guest artist a lot, most notably on Kanye West's 2016 album The Life of Pablo. No Problem is from Bennett's 2016 mixtape Coloring Book. It was the first album to be streamed 50 million times. Most of the songs have guest artists. No Problem features rappers Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. It was produced by the duo Brasstracks (Ivan Jackson, Conor Rayne). That's not an actual choir in the background. Bennett created that with multi tracking. Kirk Franklin's choir does appear on one track. Bennett performed on the 2017 Grammys and won three awards. Bennett continues to do mixtapes though he finally released an album The Big Day in 2019. That is his first recording to be released on CD. He's doing pretty good for a guy recording independently and using non traditional distribution. Here's the video for No Problem by Chance The Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Perez Prado

 

Artist:Perez Prado

Song:Mambo No. 5

Album:Cuban Originals

Most music fans are familiar with Lou Bega's 1999 hit single Mambo No. 5. This was a cover of the 1949 recording by Perez Prado, known as The King of Mambo. He was a pioneer of Cuban music. Mambo No. 5 is probably his signature song. He was born Dec. 11, 1916 in Matanzas, Cuba. His father was a journalist. Prado studied piano as a child and played piano and organ in local clubs. He was a pianist and arranger for Sonora Matancera. Prado moved to Mexico in 1949 and signed with RCA. The mambo was created in Cuba in the 30s but Prado popularized it with hits like Mambo No. 5. When arranger Sonny Burke went on vacation in Mexico, he brought the mambo to the US. And that led to Prado signing with RCA in the US and touring. Prado topped the charts in 1955 with his cha cha cover of Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White. Other hits include Mambo No. 8 and Patricia. This CD contains Prado's original recordings from the late 40s. For a while in the late 40s Prado was very successful touring internationally. Of course with changing musical tastes that all ended in the 60s and he left RCA in 1965. Prado returned to Mexico City and continued to tour mostly in Latin America. He didn't record much. Perez Prado died of a stroke on Sept. 14, 1989 at age 72. He was inducted into The Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Here's Perez Prado performing Mambo No. 5 in the 70s.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Antonina Shevchenko vs Ariane Lipski

 Here's the match video of Antonina Shevchenko vs Ariane Lipski from last night's UFC show. This match is at Flyweight. Of course Antonina is the older sister of UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko but she's not as good. Ariane is a former KSW champ who has had mixed success in the UFC. Ariane is a better striker than Antonina. So when Ariane started to light her up, Antonina took her down. And Ariane's problem is she could never get out from under. This continued in round two and Antonina pounded Ariane until the ref stopped the fight. Antonina wins by second round TKO. I thought Pavel Fedotov gave Antonina great strategy and it got her a big win. Enjoy the video.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Katlyn Chookagian vs Cynthia Calvillo

 Here's the match video of Katlyn Chookagian vs Cynthia Calvillo from last night's UFC show. This fight is at Flyweight. Katlyn is a former title contender seemingly headed to retirement. She trains with Mark Henry and uses this keepaway strategy. The way to beat her is to pressure her as Jessica Andrade did in her last fight. Cynthia can get closer to a title shot if she can win this fight. She has the ability to close the distance and pressure Katlyn. But she chose not to do that and that's why she lost the fight. Her coach Jimmy Gifford told her to close the distance. She didn't listen to him and Katlyn won the fight 30-27. I dunno why Cynthia did that. Maybe my podcast co-host Schwan Humes has the answers. We will discuss it later this week. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valentina Shevchenko vs Jennifer Maia

 Here's the match video of Valentina Shevchenko defending her UFC Flyweight Championship against Jennifer Maia. Valentina was a big betting favorite. After the fight, my podcast co-host Schwan Humes and I decided that Jennifer was more interested in surviving five rounds than actually winning the fight. It's very similar to the strategy that Liz Carmouche used against Valentina last year. They are looking for a moral victory which is stupid. We have a fight between a kickboxer and a boxer but much of this fight was on the ground or in the clinch in what Angela Hill calls hugging. Jennifer won round two when she was able to reverse a Valentina takedown. But neither of them did much in top position. So if they weren't doing anything, why didn't ref Herb Dean break them up? He warned them a couple of times. I can only assume he didn't want to affect a championship fight. I don't agree with that. The fight wasn't good. Forcing them to do more probably would have resulted in a better fight. I scored the fight 49-46 for Valentina and so did the judges. Jessica Andrade is likely the next title contender. You can be sure she won't be looking for any moral victories. Enjoy the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mary MacGregor

 

Artist:Mary MacGregor

Song:Torn Between Two Lovers

Album:Singers and Songwriters: Late '70s

Torn Between Two Lovers topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1976. It was the only big hit for Mary MacGregor. Some of her other songs charted so she is not technically a one hit wonder. But most music fans will only remember Torn Between Two Lovers. She was born May 6, 1948 in St. Paul, MN. Mary studied piano as a child and was in bands as a teen. After attending the University of Minnesota, Mary toured as a backup singer. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary hired her to tour with him and she appeared on his 1975 album Love Songs. After signing with Ariola America, Mary recorded her 1976 debut album Torn Between Two Lovers at Muscle Shoals. Yarrow produced with Muscle Shoals keyboard player Barry Beckett. That's him playing piano in the video. Torn Between Two Lovers topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. Yarrow wrote the song with Muscle Shoals staff songwriter Phil Jarrell. Why was the song a hit? I think people thought it was by Olivia Newton-John. Mary said in Fred Bronson's book The Billboard Book of Number One hits that she hated the song because it was about infidelity and it kept her away from home and her own marriage broke up. Though some of her other singles charted, Mary was unable to repeat the success of Torn Between Two Lovers. She recorded two albums for Ariola and one for RSO. You can get Torn Between Two Lovers on this 2CD Time Life various artists budget comp. Though she never recorded again, Mary continued to tour in the 80s and 90s. It looks like she retired in 2000. Here's Mary MacGregor performing Torn Between Two Lovers on The Midnight Special 1977.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wings

 

Artist:Wings

Song:Live and Let Die

Album:Wings Greatest

Paul McCartney scored one of his biggest hits with the theme for the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die. It wasn't on a McCartney or Wings album so it's a discography orphan. Live and Let Die producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli contacted McCartney about writing the theme for the film. The screenplay wasn't finished so they sent McCartney Ian Fleming's book. After reading the book, McCartney wrote the song and recorded a demo the next week with producer George Martin. Initially Saltzman thought of getting either Shirley Bassey or Thelma Houston to record it. But Martin told him that McCartney would allow the song to be used only if Wings performed it over the opening credits. McCartney recorded Live and Let Die during the Red Rose Speedway sessions. But he didn't put it on the album. He treated the song like a work assignment. Live and Let Die reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Martin composed the score for the film and the soundtrack is available on CD. I recommend this Wings comp which was released in 1978. In recent years McCartney made a deal with Concord to release his back catalog. Live and Let Die appears on a deluxe edition of Red Rose Speedway and the 4CD box set Pure McCartney. I guess that would be for the completist. It's only in the last couple of years that McCartney's entire catalog has become available again. Here's the video for Live and Let Die by Wings.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Matthew Morrison

 

Artist:Matthew Morrison

Song:Younger Than Springtime

Album:Where It All Began

Matthew Morrison is best known for his days on the TV show Glee. But he has had a lot of success on Broadway. He was nominated for a Tony for the 2005 musical The Light in the Piazza and he was in the 2008 revival of South Pacific. He was born Oct. 30, 1978 in Fort Ord, CA. He's been doing musical theater since he was a child. After attending New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he joined the Broadway show Footloose in 1998. His big break came when he starred as Fabrizio Nacarelli in the Broadway musical The Light in the Piazza. He was nominated for a Tony. On TV he appeared in the 2005 production of the musical Once Upon A Mattress. And he also appeared on the daytime soap As The World Turns. He returned to Broadway to play Lt. Cable in the 2008 revival of South Pacific. Younger Than Springtime was his big song in the show. Then he was in Glee. And I think that's where most folks have seen him. Morrison attempted to launch a recording career with the 2011 album Matthew Morrison on Mercury. He released the 2013 album Where It All Began on Adam Levine's 222 label with Interscope distribution. It's a showtunes album including Younger Than Springtime. Phil Ramone produced the album and Tim Davis arranged and conducted. Davis and Morrison worked together on Glee. That album and the original cast album of South Pacific are both available on CD. Morrison returned to Broadway in the 2015 musical Finding Neverland. And he has released the 2020 album Disney Dreamin' of Disney covers. So I think musical theater is his thing. Here's Matthew Morrison performing Younger Than Springtime with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in New York City July 2018. This entire concert can be streamed on YouTube.

The Big Topic in WMMA

 UFC review and preview and Invicta preview.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Rhea Ripley

 Here's the match video of Io Shirai defending her NXT Women's Championship against Rhea Ripley. I watched this live using a stream and my Roku player. This was a hard hitting match with some crazy bumps. At the first commercial break, Io took a face first bump on the apron. During the break, it was made to look like Io might not be able to continue. After watching the replay, Io got her hands up for the bump. So I don't think she was really injured. It was just time killing during the break. Io works on Rhea's shoulder and drops her shoulder first on the apron. When Rhea attempts her Riptide finisher, Io turns it into a DDT. A basement dropkick busts open Rhea's ear. That happens sometimes with cauliflower ears. So the end comes when Io powerbombs Rhea through the announce table. Commentary is amazed that Io can lift Rhea. It just shows how strong Io is. After Rhea barely beats a count out, Io hits her moonsault for the win. As I said, this match is well worth watching. I wouldn't mind if Rhea moves up to RAW as I know Asuka really wants to work with her. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-T-Pain

 

Artist:T-Pain f/Yung Joc

Song:Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')

Album:Happy Hour: The Greatest Hits

Singer Faheem "T-Pain" Najm is best known for popularizing the use of Auto-Tune in his music. The 2007 single Buy U A Drank is his only number one hit to date. Though his solo career has slowed down, he continues to make plenty of guest shots. He was born Sept. 30, 1985 in Tallahassee, Fl. His nickname is short for Tallahassee Pain as he had a difficult childhood. As a child, he was mentored by gospel jazz pianist Ben Tankard who showed him the ropes in the recording studio. Najm was ten years old when he turned his bedroom into a recording studio. He joined the rap group Nappy Headz in 2004. The rapper Akon heard him and signed him to his label Konvict Musik distributed by Jive. With his 2005 album Rappa Ternt Sanga, Najm became more of a singer by using Auto-Tune which makes poor singing voices sound decent. The singles I'm Sprung and I'm 'n Luv (With A Stripper) were top ten pop hits. Buy U A Drank is from the 2007 album Epiphany. The single featuring rapper Yung Joc topped the Billboard Hot 100. I think a lot of fans heard him on the chart topper Low by Flo Rida. For a while Najm seemed to appear on every single on the Billboard Hot 100. The 2008 single Can't Believe It from the album Three Ringz was Najm's final top ten pop hit. He has faded considerably since then. You can get all of Najm's hits on this budget comp. After Jive was bought by Sony, it was absorbed by RCA. My guess is they weren't spending promotion money on Najm. So he left RCA for Cinematic Music Group in 2017. His latest album 1UP was released in 2019. Najm won season one of the Fox show The Masked Singer. He released a single earlier this year so he may be working on a new album. It's doubtful he can return to the top of the charts. Here's the video for Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin') by T-Pain featuring Yung Joc.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast

 UFC review and preview.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Victoria Leonardo vs Chelsea Hackett

 Here's the match video of Victoria Leonardo vs Chelsea Hackett from last night's Contender Series. This fight was at Flyweight. Victoria is an Invicta veteran from Shreveport, LA. She trains with her husband Brent Mason. Chelsea is 22 years old from Melbourne, Australia. Her father Jeff Hackett is her coach. I watched her on YouTube and I want to see what she is like on the ground. And that was the key to this fight. Once Victoria took Chelsea down, Chelsea couldn't get out from under and eventually Victoria pounded her enough to get a second round finish. Victoria got that UFC contract. I would like to see Chelsea move to the US and get good enough at her takedown defense so it sets up her striking. U think her dad has taken her a long way but she will need to improve to get to the UFC. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Gloria de Paula vs Pauline Macias

 Here's the match video of Gloria de Paula vs Pauline Macias from last night's Contender Series. This fight is at Strawweight. Gloria is 26 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at Chute Boxe with Diego Lima. Her girlfriend Mayra Bueno Silva is already in the UFC. I watched her on YouTube and she's an aggressive striker but I don't know if she has any ground skills. Pauline is 31 years old. She trains at Factory X in Denver with Marc Montoya. She's a judoka. I watched her LFA fights. I wasn't crazy about her. Pauline got a big takedown early in round one but Gloria defended well and quickly got up. It turns out her ground defense is pretty good. Gloria is a much better striker and Pauline was only throwing one punch at a time. Gloria was great in the clinch with knees and elbows. She just wasn't able to get a finish but she did get that UFC contract. She looks like a good addition to the Strawweight division. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Judy Holliday

 

Artist:Judy Holliday

Song:The Party's Over

Album:From Broadway to Hollywood

Judy Holliday was a very versatile performer who died way too soon. She won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1950 film Born Yesterday and then she won a Tony for the 1956 musical Bells Are Ringing. The Party's Over is her big song from that show. She was typecast as the dumb blonde but she very smart. She was born Judith Tuvim June 21, 1921 in New York City. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Her mother was a piano teacher. Her father was a songwriter among other things. She started out in the nightclub act The Revuers which included the legendary songwriting team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Leonard Bernstein sometimes played piano for them. After the group split up in 1944, Judy appeared in a couple of movies and on Broadway. But her big break came as the scatterbrained Billie Dawn in the 1946 Broadway show Born Yesterday. She replaced Jean Arthur who left the show for personal reasons. Judy won a Best Actress Oscar for the 1950 film version. She also starred in the 1954 film It Should Happen To You and the 1956 film The Solid Gold Cadillac. Then she starred in the 1956 Broadway musical Bells Are Ringing written by her old pals Betty Comden and Adolph Green. She won a Tony for that. Judy also appeared in the 1960 film version with Dean Martin. Sadly Judy's career came to a halt after that due to breast cancer. Judy Holliday died on June 7, 1965 at age 43. The original cast and the soundtrack are available but I recommend this CD from the reissue label Jasmine that includes all of Judy's songs from the film Bells Are Ringing. The Party's Over also appears on a 1958 album Judy recorded with jazz musician Gerry Mulligan. They were in a relationship and were planning to write a Broadway show. When the show didn't materialize, they recorded a few more songs for an album. Columbia Records shelved it and DRG released it in 1990. Judy wrote several of the songs with Mulligan. Judy only recorded one other album so she wasn't a recording artist. But she sure was talented. Here's a video of The Party's Over by Judy Holliday from the 1960 film Bells Are Ringing.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billie Joe Armstrong

 

Artist:Billie Joe Armstrong

Song:I Think We're Alone Now

Album:No Fun Mondays

Of course Billie Joe Armstrong is best known as lead singer of Green Day. He hasn't recorded solo much. But with Green Day not on tour because of the pandemic, he decided to record a series of covers. I Think We're Alone Now was the first single in Feb. He was born Feb. 17, 1972 in Oakland, CA the youngest of six children. His father was a truck driver and part time jazz musician who died of cancer when Armstrong was ten years old. Armstrong and Green Day guitarist Mike Dirnt were classmates and they had bands together as teens. Armstrong's musical influences included The Replacements and Husker Du. They formed Green Day in 1989 and eventually they became one of the most popular bands in the world. They are still going strong so Armstrong hasn't had much incentive to do other projects. He writes many of Green Day's songs. He formed the band Pinhead Gunpowder in 1991. They released a few EPs and one album. He also played a few shows with Rancid in 1993. They tried to recruit him but he decided to stay with Green Day. He has written and produced for other artists occasionally. Armstrong released the 2013 album Foreverly with Norah Jones. That is a reinterpretation of the 1958 Everly Brothers album Songs Our Daddy Taught Us. So that's a tribute album. Green Day was supposed to tour this year. And with the pandemic ending the concert business for now, musicians have been sitting at home. A lot are doing live shows in their living rooms. Armstrong decided to record a series of covers at home. This cover of the Tommy James classic I Think We're Alone Now was the first single in Feb. Armstrong's children are his band. That is certainly an appropriate song for the pandemic. Armstrong released the recording to YouTube and then as singles. Now Reprise has compiled an album which will be released on Nov. 27. I'm sure Armstrong recorded these just because he was bored. Here's the video for I Think We're Alone Now by Billie Joe Armstrong.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-James Bay

 Artist:James Bay

Song:Let It Go

Album:Chaos and the Calm

British singer songwriter James Bay will remind you of other similar singers especially Ed Sheeran. The 2014 single Let It Go is his biggest hit to date. He was born Sept. 4, 1990 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. He started playing guitar as a teen and he studied at BIMM Institute in Brighton. He performed in clubs on open mic nights. After a video of him performing was uploaded to YouTube, Universal Republic signed Bay to a record deal. His EP Dark of the Morning was released in 2013. Bay went on a UK tour. Let It Go appeared on a 2014 EP. It was Bay's first single. It reached #10 on the British Singles chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single Hold back the River reached #2 on the British singles chart. The album Chaos and the Calm was released in 2015. Both singles are on it. The album topped the British charts and was certified 2XPlatinum. It was certified Gold in the US. The album was produced by Jacquire King who also produces Kings of Leon. Bay wrote all the songs usually with a co-writer. Paul Barry co-wrote Let It Go. He wrote Cher's Believe. Bay won a Brit Award and he was nominated for Grammys. Bay's second album Electric Light was released in 2018. It did OK in England but not as well. And it looks like he will be a one hit wonder in the US. It's a problem that music fans confuse him with Ed Sheeran. Bay needs to have his own identity. The two have even performed together. Bay is currently working on a new album in Nashville with Dave Cobb and Brandon Flowers of The Killers. A single was released in July so the album should be out soon. Here's the video for Let It Go by James Bay.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kanako Murata vs Randa Markos

 Here's the match video of Kanako Murata vs Randa Markos from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Kanako's opponent was supposed to be Livinha Souza but she pulled out and Randa came in on short notice. She is from Windsor, ON and she trains at Michigan Top Team in Dearborn, MI. She's a wrestler but she makes too many mistakes. Kanako fights for RIZIN in Japan. Her problem is she is a Strawweight and RIZIN has mostly Atomweights. They farmed her out to Invicta. And after she won the Invicta Strawweight Championship, she now makes her UFC debut. Kanako had Olympic wrestling aspirations before MMA so her wrestling is elite already. And that's what we saw in this fight. Randa is supposed to be a wrestler but she couldn't handle Kanako's ground skills. Kanako won the fight easily 30-27. The big question is can Kanako be an elite fighter in the UFC. I think we will find out. Her wrestling could already be the best in the division. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Cory McKenna vs Kay Hansen

 Here's the match video of Cory McKenna vs Kay Hansen from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was at Strawweight. The judges messed up the decision. Both fighters are 21 years old. Kay is an Invicta veteran who trains at 10th Planet in Fullerton, CA. Cory is a Cage Warriors veteran from Wales who now trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. She's mainly a striker. Round one was the key as I scored it 10-9 for Kay for extended time in top position and submission attempts. Cory was able to reverse but I don't believe in round stealing unlike the judges who all scored it 10-9 for Cory. Round two was close. I scored it 10-9 for Cory. And I gave round three to Kay. So I scored it 29-28 for Kay. The judges all scored it 29-28 for Cory. I don't know how the judges scored round one for Cory. And it wasn't just me. There was plenty of chatter on Twitter last night that the judges messed up. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ashley Yoder vs Miranda Granger

 Here's the match video of Ashley Yoder vs Miranda Granger from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. This was not a very good fight. Neither fighter belongs in the UFC. Ashley trains at Team Quest in California. Miranda trains at Charlie's Combat Club in Everett, WA. The first two rounds were pretty bad. I scored round one 10-9 for Miranda very marginally. Two of the judges scored it that way and Chris Lee scored it 10-9 for Ashley. Boy, did he have a bad night. All three judges scored round two 10-9 for Ashley. I scored it a 9-9 tie. And I know that judges don't score tie rounds. But this was really bad. Ref Jason Herzog kept warning them as Ashley in particular was stalling. Her corner yelled at her between rounds so she was better in round three. Ashley almost got a finish at the end of round three so all three judges scored it 10-8 for Ashley. I scored it 10-9 for Ashley so I scored the fight a draw. Two of the judges scored it 29-27 for Ashley and Chris Lee scored it 30-26. I repeat neither fighter belongs in the UFC. Enjoy the fight! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kelontae Gavin

Artist:Kelontae Gavin

Song:No Ordinary Worship

Album:The Higher Experience

Kelontae Gavin was discovered on YouTube. He is now having success on the gospel charts. He's a pretty good singer. He was born Mar. 28, 1999 in Charleston, SC. He grew up singing in church. While in high school, a 2014 YouTube video of Gavin singing I Won't Complain to a cafeteria worker went viral. Gavin planned to move to Atlanta to become a minister. In 2016, producer Marquis Boone contacted Gavin about a record deal. Boone has a distribution deal with Dr. Leonard Scott's Tyscot label. Boone has produced gospel artists Casey J and C WEST among others. The 2017 single Higher was written and produced by Myron Butler. After that was a top 20 gospel hit and it was nominated for a Stellar award, the 2018 album The Higher Experience was released. No Ordinary Worship reached #5 on Billboard's Gospel chart. Boone wrote and produced No Ordinary Worship. Gavin wrote several songs on the album. The album is available on CD. A live DVD was released but it doesn't seem to be available. Gavin's latest single Hold Me Close was released earlier this year. So he's off to a pretty good start and I suggest that gospel music fans check him out. Here's the video for No Ordinary Worship by Kelontae Gavin.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-N.W.A

 

Artist:N.W.A

Song:F**k Tha Police

Album:The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge

Though it was never released as a single and most radio stations refused to play it, F**k Tha Police was the biggest chart hit for rap pioneers N.W.A. They were the first rap group to do social commentary. They are from Compton, CA. In 1987, rapper Eric "Eazy-E" Wright wanted to form a group for his label Ruthless Records. After he was introduced to Andre "De. Dre" Young, they started working with Kim "Arabian Prince" Nazel. Then they added O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson from the group C.I.A. and Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby. After releasing the single Panic Zone, N.W.A signed with Priority Records who distributed a lot of rap labels. Straight Outta Compton was their 1988 debut album. The social commentary of songs like F**k Tha Police hadn't been heard before in rap. Obviously the song was controversial and it even earned them a letter from someone who claimed to represent the F.B.I. He turned out to be a rogue agent. F**k Tha Police was written by Jackson, Lorenzo "MC Ren" Patterson and Tracy "The D.O.C." Curry with rapping by Jackson, Wright and Curry. Young and Carraby produced. It reached #25 on the R&B Singles chart. Remember it was never released as a single and there was no video. The single Straight Outta Compton reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Things started to unravel when Jackson left to go solo over a royalty dispute in 1989. Of course he has been very successful. Young produced the 1991 album Niggaz4Life. The album didn't do as well and Jackson's success along with Young and Wright squabbling over money ended N.W.A. Of course Young has been a successful producer for many years. Wright died in 1995. Jackson and Young attempted to reunite in 1998. Only one single came out of it. Among other things, they had difficulty getting the rights to the N.W.A name. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. The biopic Straight Outta Compton was released in 2015 and this video was made for the film. Here's the video for F**k Tha Police by N.W.A. Beware of NSFW language.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stars

 

Artist:Stars

Song:Take Me to the Riot

Album:In Our Bedroom After the War

Despite the generic name, Stars is a pretty good Canadian indie band. Attempts to break them in the US have been unsuccessful. The lead singer and songwriter of Stars is Torquil Campbell. He was born Mar. 17, 1972 in Sheffield, England but he grew up in Toronto. He is the son of Shakesperean actor Douglas Campbell who was the first artistic director of the Stratford Festival. In addition to his music career, Campbell is also a Shakesperean actor. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He formed Stars in 1999 with keyboard player Christopher Seligman. They released an album and decided to turn Stars into a band. Campbell brought in childhood friend Evan Cranley to play bass and he brought in Amy Millan to share vocals with Campbell. Both were members of Broken Social Scene. After moving to Montreal, Patrick McGee was brought in to play drums. Stars signed with Arts & Crafts which is also Broken Social Scene's label. The 2004 album Set Yourself on Fire was nominated for a Juno. Stars has always had critical acclaim but they have had modest commercial success. The 2007 album In Our Bedroom After the War is their most successful album to date. It was nominated for a Polaris Music Prize. Take Me to the Riot got radio play and charted in Canada. It was released on CD with a bonus DVD documentary. After releasing an album on their own label, Stars released two albums on Dave Matthews' ATO label. And then for the 2017 album There Is No Love in Fluorescent Light they signed with the Canadian label Last Gang. It looks like Stars will continue to tour and record in Canada. Campbell has a second band Memphis who have released a few albums. And like I said, Campbell has acted on stage doing Shakespeare like his dad. He has also done movies and TV but not lately. Here's the video for Take Me To the Riot by Stars.

The Big Topic in WMMA

 UFC review and preview

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mos Def

 

Artist:Mos Def

Song:Umi Says

Album:Black on Both Sides

Dante "Mos Def" Smith has had success as a rapper and an actor. After success in the duo Black Star, he released his solo debut in 1999 Black on Both Sides. That album and singles like Umi Says have been his most successful. And then he got into acting. He retired from both in 2016. He was born Dec. 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, NY. He was a child actor most notably on the 1988 ABC TV movie God Bless the Child with Mare Winningham. After dropping out of high school, he got into music. After a couple of guest shots, he signed with Rawkus Records and formed Black Star with Talib Kweli. They released one album and Smith went solo and released the 1999 album Black on Both Sides. The album sold almost a million copies and was certified Gold. Singles like Umi Says and Ms. Fat Booty charted in R&B and rap. But Smith never crossed over to pop. He wouldn't release his next album until 2004. He appeared in the 2002 film Brown Sugar and the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip-Hopera. He was nominated for an Emmy for the 2004 film Something the Lord Made. He returned to music with the 2004 album The New Danger. It was certified Gold. So this is what he did. He went back and forth between music and films. He released his most recent album in 2009. After that he did mostly guest shots most notably with Kanye West. And he continued to appear in films and TV until his 2016 retirement. He now calls himself Yaslin Bey and he opened an art gallery in 2018. For a while, it looked like Mos Def would be a big rap star. Maybe he didn't want that. Here's the video for Umi Says by Mos Def.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast

 Hikaru Shida, Asuka and UFC review and preview.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Luana Pinheiro vs Stephanie Frausto

 Here's the match video of Luana Pinheiro vs Stephanie Frausto from last night's Contender Series. This fight is at Strawweight. Of course Stephanie is the younger sister of Zoila Frausto. We have seen her in Invicta and other places. In the Contender Series the UFC will do deliberate mismatches and I thought Stephanie was brought in to lose. Luana is 26 years old. She trains at Nova Uniao. She has been training in judo since she was a child. She didn't need that. It took Luana half of the first round to get her range. The first combination she throws knocks Stephanie out and that's it. And then she got her UFC contract. I guess she reminds me of Amanda Ribas. She has obvious fighting skills and also charisma. We didn't even get to see any of her judo. We'll see what she looks like in her next fight. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hinder

 

Artist:Hinder

Song:Lips of an Angel

Album:Extreme Behavior

The post grunge band Hinder made a big splash with their 2005 debut album Extreme Behavior and the top five hit Lips of an Angel. They haven't been as successful since then but they are still around. Hinder are from Oklahoma City. Bryce Hinder was lead singer in a local cover band. He met drummer Cody Hanson and guitarist Joe Garvey at a party and Hinder was formed. Austin Winkler was soon brought in to replace Hinder. After bringing in bassist Cole Parker, they recorded a demo. They started performing at the club The Blue Note. Parker was replaced by Mike Rodden and rhythm guitarist Mark King. After releasing an EP, record companies came calling and Hinder signed with Universal Republic. The 2005 album Extreme Behavior soon followed. The album was produced by Brian Howes. He is from Vancouver and is best known for producing the band Hadley. He also wrote all the songs with Winkler and Hanson. Lips of an Angel reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Extreme Behavior was certified 3XPlatinum. Subsequent albums haven't done nearly as well. I assume most fans perceive Hinder as a one hit wonder. But a couple of their other songs charted so technically they aren't a one hit wonder. Hinder continued to tour and record. In 2013, Winkler went into rehab and eventually replaced by Marshall Dutton. Hinder left Universal Republic for the 2015 album When the Smoke Clears for The End with BMG distribution. Their latest album The Reign was released in 2017 and they are currently working on new music. Hanson and Dutton write and produce all the songs. Winkler has released an EP as Austin John. It looks like he recorded a couple of songs with Tantric but he didn't stay. He is working on new music but he has had health issues including COVID-19. Here's the video for Lips of an Angel by Hinder.

Big Bad Blog video Theater-Asuka vs Nia Jax

 Here's the match video of Asuka vs Nia Jax from last night's episode of RAW. It has been reported that Bruce Prichard got the idea that that if he put Lana through a table repeatedly, it would turn her into a hot sympathetic babyface. It's more likely to make her look pathetic and useless. Lana fluked her way onto the RAW Women's Survivor Series team. Nia will continue putting her through the table until she quits. So this match is designed to serve that angle. At ringside is Lana, Shayna Baszler, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose. At the end of the match, Lana gets up on the ring apron for no good reason. Asuka doesn't need her help. After she knocks Lana and Shayna off the apron, She gets Nia in the Asuka Lock and Shayna breaks it up for the DQ. Then Nia puts Lana through a table for the eighth straight week and grabs a mike and tells her to quit. So they are treating this lamebrained idea like it's a big deal. Ugh! Check out the video for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Granger Smith

 

Artist:Granger Smith 

Song:Backroad Song

Album:Remington

Country music singer songwriter Granger Smith started out releasing music on his own label. He finally had success when he signed with a major label. The 2016 single Backroad Song is his biggest hit to date. He was born Sept. 4, 1979 in Dallas. After playing local clubs as a teen, Smith earned a publishing deal with EMI while attending Texas A&M. He soon moved to Nashville and started releasing albums on his own label. He signed with Broken Bow's Wheelhouse label in 2015. Broken Bow was sold to BMG in 2017. Backroad Song is from the 2016 album Remington. It was Smith's first album on Wheelhouse. Backroad Song reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Smith wrote and produced the song and most of the album with producer Frank Rogers. Rogers is best known for producing Brad Paisley. Though he has had subsequent chart hits, Backroad Song is Smith's biggest hit to date. Smith's latest album is Country Things Vol. 1. Smith also records as Earl Dibbles Jr. which is a spoof of "country boys". He usually records one song per album as Dibbles and singles and videos have been released under that name. I'm sure Smith would be on tour if there was no pandemic. He writes songs so even if his recording career stalls, he can write songs for others. Here's the video for Backroad Song by Granger Smith.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sondre Lerche

 Artist-Sondre Lerche

Song:Words and Music

Album:Heartbeat Radio

Norwegian singer songwriter Sondre Lerche has had modest success. But it hasn't been enough to keep him on a major label. He was born Sept. 5, 1982 in Bergen, Norway. The Norwegian band a-ha was his biggest influence. Lerche started writing songs and performing in clubs as a teen. He signed with Virgin Norway in 2000 and his debut album Faces Down was released in 2001. After the 2002 US release, Lerche opened for Beth Orton and Elvis Costello among others. He doesn't have a band. He performs solo. The album was highly acclaimed by Rolling Stone. But Virgin could never figure out how to sell him. The 2009 album Heartbeat Radio was on Rounder. Again it was highly acclaimed but it didn't sell. Since then Lerche has recorded for his own Mona label and for Norwegian labels where he does sell. Lerche moved to the US in 2005. He currently lives in Los Angeles. Lerche has also dabbled in film music and he was a mentor on the Norwegian version of The Voice. Here's Sondre Lerche performing Words and Music at The Triple Door in Seattle for Seattle radio station KEXP Sept. 29, 2009.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Nyla Rose

 Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her AEW Women's Championship against Nyla Rosefrom last night's Full Gear show. Vicki Guerrero was in Nyla's corner. After many complaints about the lack of build for this match, Cody claimed that not all matches need a story. This is nonsense and he knows it. And then he claimed that Hikaru is the best wrestler in the company. Then why is she rarely on TV? Actions speak louder than words. This match is pretty good. Hikaru starts out great. But then Vicki hits her in the knee with a kendo stick. And that gives Nyla the edge for most of the match. But she can't put Hikaru away. Meanwhile Vicki yells at Nyla. Obviously Nyla should be able to overpower Hikaru because of the size difference. But Hikaru is much stronger than she looks. A Falcon Arrow from the top rope followed by several knee strikes and Hikaru retains the title. Afterwards Vicki yells at Nyla. I don't know where that is going. Hikaru looked great so be sure to watch the video.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yan Xiaonan vs Claudia Gadelha

 Here's the match video of Yan Xiaonan vs Claudia Gadelha from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This is an important fight in the Strawweight division. Claudia is 31 years old from Brazil. She trained for years at Nova Uniao. She now owns her own gym in Philadelphia and she trains with Mark Henry in New Jersey. She's an elite fighter with poor endurance. Yan is 31 years old. She trains at China Top Team in Beijing. Her coach is former UFC fighter Tiequan Zhang. Yan is mainly a striker. She's 5-0 in the UFC. This is a big step up in competition level for her. Claudia gets a takedown early in round one. Yan's defense is good and she is able to wall walk on the cage and get up. Yan is getting the best of clinching on the fence. Claudia scores another takedown at the end of the round so I scored it 10-9 for Claudia. But I could see that she was already tired. And Yan took advantage of that for the next two rounds. She led with her jab, followed it with a left hook and kicks. And Claudia had slowed down considerably and didn't respond very well. So I can only assume that Zhang's strategy was to tire Claudia out and then beat her up. Yan's execution was perfect. I scored the fight 29-28 for Yan and so did all three judges. I guess Yan is now in the title picture now. It gets harder now. Claudia needs to do something about her endurance. She switched camps the last time she lost a fight so that wouldn't surprise me. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ava Gardner

 

Artist:Ava Gardner

Song:Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man

Album:Show Boat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Of course Ava Gardner was one of the most popular actresses of the 50's. The 1951 film Show Boat was her only appearance in a musical. She did her own singing but ultimately MGM had Annette Warren dub her vocals. But you can hear Ava's vocal on the soundtrack CD. She was born Sept. 24, 1922 in Grabtown, NC. She was in New York visiting her sister when a photography studio displayed her portrait in the window. An MGM talent scout saw it and Ava signed with MGM. The film that made Ava a star was the 1946 film The Killers. After that, Ava was one of MGM's biggest stars. Of course she wasn't known for her singing and Show Boat was her only musical. In her autobiography, Ava said she could sing but don't mistake her for Maria Callas or Ella Fitzgerald. For Show Boat, Ava wanted to emulate Lena Horne. She worked with a vocal coach who had worked with Lena. She recorded a demo and gave it to MGM producer Arthur Freed. He told her no. They brought in Annette Warren, a jazz singer who had dubbed Ava's singing in the past. But Ava insisted and associate producer Roger Edens finally agreed to let her sing. After some indecision, MGM decided to bring Annette back and record the vocals. The claim was preview audiences didn't like Ava's singing voice. But I suspect that when Freed said no he meant no. Ava's vocal was restored and the clip appeared in the 1994 film That's Entertainment III. And it's a bonus track on the Show Boat soundtrack CD. Of course Ava went on to a long career in films until she died on Jan. 25, 1990 at age 67. Here's Ava Gardner performing Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man in the 1951 film Show Boat.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Trixie Smith

 

Artist:Trixie Smith

Song:Railroad Blues

Album:Complete Recorded Works Volume 2 1925-1939

Trixie Smith was a vaudeville performer who could also sing. So she made a few records in the 20s. She certainly wasn't as well known as Bessie Smith (no relation). But her recordings are of interest because they were arranged and produced by Fletcher Henderson and Louis Armstrong plays cornet. Trixie was born in Atlanta probably in 1895. After attending Selma University in Alabama, she moved to New York in 1915. Supposedly she was 20 years old so that's why 1895 is thought to be her year of birth. After playing in local clubs, she started performing on the vaudeville circuit in 1916. She also performed on Broadway as Bessie Lee. She first recorded in 1922 for Black Swan Records first with James P. Johnson and then with Fletcher Henderson. Those recordings are on volume 1 of Document's 2CD collection of Trixie's recordings. Henderson continued to work with Trixie when she recorded for Paramount Records in 1924 and 1925. Railroad Blues is probably Trixie's best known song as it appeared in the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes. And of course Louis Armstrong plays cornet on several tracks including a solo on Railroad Blues. After these recordings, Trixie performed in cabarets and in some Broadway shows but nothing notable. After appearing in a couple of films for black film pioneer Oscar Micheaix, she recorded for Decca in 1938 mostly with Sidney Bechet. These recordings are on volume 2 of Document's collection. It looks like she may have retired as she changed her name to Trixie Muse. She died on Sept. 29, 1943 at age 48. Here's a video for Railroad Blues by Trixie Smith.

The Big Topic In WMMA

 UFC preview, Deep Jewels and Schwan and I discuss a couple of controversial fighters.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Mike Longo Trio

 

Artist:The Mike Longo Trio

Song:Honeysuckle Rose

Album:The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson Live

Jazz pianist Mike Longo started out as a sideman in the 60s mostly with Dizzy Gillespie. He had recorded as a leader since the 70s and he was a fixture on the New York club scene until his recent death from COVID-19. He was born Mar. 19, 1937 in Cincinnati. His parents were amateur musicians. Longo said he was three years old when he was at a Count Basie concert. He was fascinated by child prodigy Sugar Chile Robinson playing boogie woogie piano. His parents sent him to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for lessons. After his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL, Longo won a local talent contest at age twelve. He started out in his dad's band. But after sitting in on a Cannonball Adderley show, Adderley taught Longo how to be a professional musician. Longo recorded with Adderley and then he earned a Bachelor of Music at Western Kentucky University. Longo moved to New York. He was playing at the Metropole where he was on the main floor and Dizzy Gillespie was upstairs. Gillespie liked him and mentioned him in an interview. Longo took piano lessons from Oscar Peterson. Longo started his own trio in the 60s. He was again playing at the Metropole when Roy Eldredge brought Gillespie to see him. Longo had an upcoming gig with Eldredge. Gillespie hired Longo and he would be Gillespie's musical director for many years. Longo was with Gillespie when he died in 1993 and he delivered the eulogy at Gillespie's funeral. His connection with Gillespie was they were both members of the Baha'i faith. Longo recorded for Mainstream, Groove Merchant and Pablo in the 70s. He started his own Consolidated Artists label in 1981 and remained there for the rest of his career. He recorded other artists too. Honeysuckle Rose is from the 2014 album The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson Live. This was recorded at the Baha'i Center in New York City with Paul West on bass and Ray Mosca on drums. Of course this album was a big deal for Longo as Peterson was his biggest influence and a mentor. Longo released his final album in 2017. He continued to play New York clubs until his death from COVID-19 on Mar. 23, 2020 at age 83. Here's The Mike Longo Trio with Paul West on bass and Mike Campenni on drums performing Honeysuckle Rose at the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium at the Baha'i Center in New York City Feb. 19, 2019. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ron Kenoly

 

Artist:Ron Kenoly

Song:Jesus Is Alive

Album:Jesus Is Alive

Though Ron Kenoly could be a gospel singer, his music could best be described as Praise & Worship (P&W). So songs like Jesus Is Alive straddle the line between black and white gospel. Kenoly is one of several black artists who are not marketed as gospel artists. He was born Dec. 6, 1944 in Coffeyville, KS. After graduating from high school, Kenoly moved to Los Angeles. While in the US Air Force, he was in the Mellow Fellows, a cover band that toured military bases. Upon his discharge, he moved back to Los Angeles and became a demo singer. He wanted to be on TV like Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. Kenoly released a couple of singles in A&M in the mid-70s as Ron Keith. In the 80s, he became a Christian and earned a Doctor of Ministry and Sacred Music from Friends International Christian Ministry. in 1985 Kenoly became worship leader at Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose, CA and then he became music pastor. He was spotted by Integrity Records house producer Tom Brooks. Jesus Is Alive is from Kenoly's 1991 debut album Jesus Is Alive. It's one of his signature songs. Integrity had a distribution deal with Epic. They weren't a gospel label. They were a P&W label. Kenoly has been very successful in that market. He's still around. He released an album last year. His sons Ronald and Samuel have recorded as the Kenoly Brothers. Here's Ron Kenoly performing Jesus Is Alive 1991. I think this is from a home video that Integrity released with the album.