AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wes Montgomery

Artist:Wes Montgomery

Song:Far Wes

Album:Three Classic albums Plus

Of course Wes Montgomery is one of the all time greats of the jazz guitar. He had great success after he signed with Riverside Records in 1959. And later on with Verve before his premature death. But before he signed with Riverside, he recorded with his brothers for Pacific Jazz. The 1959 album Montgomeryland was the second of two albums by The Montgomery Brothers for Pacific Jazz. Wes is on guitar of course. Buddy Montgomery is on piano. Monk Montgomery is on bass. Other musicians are Pony Poindexter on alto sax and Louis Hayes on drums on side A and Harold Land on tenor sax and Tony Bazley on drums on side B. It was after this album that Cannonball Adderley convinced Riverside Records owner Orrin Keepnews to sign Montgomery. Blue Note rereleased Montgomeryland in 1960. You can get it on this Avid comp of Montgomeryland with three other classic Montgomery albums. The 1960 album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is with Tommy Flanagan and Percy and Albert Heath. The 1960 album Movin' Along is with James Clay, Victor Feldman, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. And the 1959 album The Wes Montgomery Trio is with Melvin Rhyne and Paul Parker. Those were Montgomery's first three Riverside albums. So these are essential recordings especially for jazz guitar fans. Here's a video for Far Wes by Wes Montgomery with The Montgomery Brothers.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alien Ant Farm

Artist:Alien Ant Farm 

Song:Smooth Criminal

Album:ANThology

Alien Ant Farm (AAF) scored a top 30 pop hit with this cover of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. The band's success was curtailed by record company problems. AAF's music is a mix of alternative rock and metal sometimes called Alt Metal or Nu Metal. AAF were formed in 1996 in Riverside, CA by lead singer Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora and drummer Mike Cosgrove. Corso says the band name came from a daydream he had about an alien invasion. They recorded a couple of demos and released an album independently. It got enough buzz in Los Angeles that they became friends with the band Papa Roach and that led to a record deal with Dreamworks SKG. The 2001 album ANThology was their major label debut. The album was produced by Papa Roach producer Jay Baumgardner. The band wrote all the songs with the exception of Smooth Criminal. It looks like Mitchell writes the lyrics but the band splits the royalties evenly. AAF performed riffs from Smooth Criminal just to warm up before shows. When audience members asked them to perform the whole song, it went over so well they included it on the album. Smooth Criminal was the lead single. It topped the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. In May 2002, AAF was in a bus accident while on tour in Spain. The driver was killed and Mitchell was hospitalized with a broken back. By the time AAF released the 2003 album TruANT, Dreamworks closed the record label. Universal bought the Dreamworks contracts and AAF was moved to Geffen Records. Corso left and was replaced by Joe Hill. They recorded an album but Geffen refused to release it. Bootleg copies turned up at AAF live shows. Universal did eventually release it on Universal Music Enterprises, their catalog label. They were trying to bury AAF. The 2006 album Up in the Attic was also released on that label. Zamora left the band to go to school. AAF split up in 2007 but reformed when Corso and Zamora returned. AAF has been touring since then Zamora left in 2014 and was replaced by Tim Peugh. They released an album in 2016 and a new album is coming as a single was recently released. So like I said, the record company problems sunk Alien Ant Farm. They could have been much bigger. Here's the video for Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kurt Carr

Artist:Kurt Carr f/Special Friends

Song:Bless Somebody Else (Dorothy's Song)

Album:Bless Somebody Else

Kurt Carr is one of today's top gospel artists. He usually records with his group The Kurt Carr Singers. He also produces and writes for other artists. For this 2019 single Bless Somebody Else, he brought in an all star cast of singers. I guess this sort of thing is a crowd pleaser and the single and the album have done well on the gospel charts. So now you want to know who is on this single. They are all identified in the video so I could defer to that. But I will tell you who is on it anyway. First of all is The Kurt Carr Singers. The first soloist is Miles Caton who appears to be a member of The Kurt Carr Singers. He is followed by Wess Morgan who is a white guy who sings black gospel. Then it picks up with Fred Hammond, Faith Evans and Yolanda Adams. Smokie Norful and Erica Campbell of Mary Mary do a little duet followed by Kurt Carr Singers member Roosevelt Griffin. John P. Kee followed by Carr's niece Jekalyn Carr and Bishop Paul Morton. Keke Wyatt is similar to Faith Evans. She had success in R&B but she has worked with Carr in the past. It finishes with a word from Bishop T.D. Jakes. I think gospel fans will dig it and Carr's albums are worth getting anyway. The album is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Bless Somebody Else (Dorothy's Song) by Kurt Carr and Special Friends.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Julia Avila vs Julija Stoliarenko

Here's the match video of Julia Avila vs Julija Stoliarenko from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Julia looked very good until she lost her last fight to Sijara Eubanks. She really messed up. Then she was kicked out of her gym. Obviously she could have gone anywhere. But she's married with two kids and she wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. So she opened a gym with her husband called Outsiders Combat Club. Her husband is not an MMA guy so I think what she will do is go to different coaches. For this camp, she trained with James Krause in Kansas City. Julija is from Lithuania. She was in TUF 28 but didn't make it. The UFC signed her after she beat Lisa Versoza in Invicta. I don't think she is a UFC caliber fighter. Julia was winning the fight when she won with a third round rear naked choke. It looks like she is back on track and I expect her to fight a ranked opponent next. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Gentle People

Artist:The Gentle People 

Song:Journey

Album:Soundtracks for Living

The Gentle People is a mix of ambient electronic instrumental music with lounge music vocals. The music is supposed to be dreamlike. There is a market for this sort of thing in clubs. The guy behind this is British DJ and producer Richard "Aphex Twin" James. He releases plenty of music on his label Rephlex Records. It's mostly instrumental music that I would describe as a contemporary version of 101 Strings. For The Gentle People, he found four singers in Los Angeles who were interested in adding vocals to his electronic music. They were Douglas "Dougee Dimensional" Stoddard, Marcelle "Laurie Lemans" Laurence, Sarah "Honeymink" Simonon and Jeremy "Valentine Carnelian" Leahy. I presume the pseudonyms are to make them seem exotic. Journey was the first single in 1995. It features a guest singer identified as Lady Pleiades. The single was ten minutes long with a vocal and instrumental. The single did well enough that The Gentle People released the 1996 album Soundtracks for Living. The version of Journey on the album is about four minutes long. The Gentle People recorded one more album in 1999. And then they went their separate ways though they have occasionally reunited to record singles. Here's the video for Journey by The Gentle People. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lil Nas X

Artist:Lil Nas X f/Billy Ray Cyrus

Album:Old Town Road (Remix)

EP:7

Rapper Montero "Lil Nas X" Hill started out as a Twitter personality. Then he scored a big crossover hit with Old Town Road in 2019. His debut album will be out next month. He was born Apr. 9, 1999 in Lithia Springs, GA. He gained notoriety while he was in high school on Twitter. He was even suspended from Twitter due to spamming. By late 2018, Hill figured out that rapping was the pathway to fame. So he took the name Lil Nas X (a tribute to Nas), bought a beat on for $30 on producer YoungKio's online store and sampled the Nine Inch Nails song 34 Ghosts IV. After successfully spamming Old Town Road on TikTok, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and crossed over to country. Hill signed with Columbia and then the remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus was produced. Both versions are on this EP. Billboard excluded Old Town Road from the Country Singles chart as "not country enough". Otherwise the song would have topped that chart too. After noted music writer Robert Christgau accused Billboard of racism, they tried to defend the decision. It not only made them look bad but it made Hill an even bigger star. After winning two Grammys and a bunch of other awards, Hill started working on his debut album Montero. The first single Montero (Call Me by Your Name) topped the Billboard Hot 100. The album will be released next month. Here's the video for Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Chris Rock also appears in this video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dispatch

Artist:Dispatch

Song:Only the Wild Ones

Album:America, Location 12

Dispatch is an indie folk rock band. They had modest success mostly in the Northeast when they started out in the 90s. They disbanded and the 2017 album America, Location 12 was their official return. They are having a little more success now mostly on college radio. The members of Dispatch were all students at Middlebury College in Vermont. Chad Urmston is lead singer and I think he writes all the songs. The songs are credited to the band and they split the royalties. The other members are Pete Francis Heimbold on bass and Brad Corrigan on drums. At first they were called One Fell Swoop but there was already a band with that name so it was changed to Dispatch. After graduating, Dispatch moved to Boston. They gained a following mostly through touring. They were popular on the file sharing site Napster. They released four albums on their own Bomber label with Universal distribution. After touring to support the 2000 album What Are We Living For?, they weren't getting along. So they disbanded after a 2002 appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. This was after a final 2004 show and a 2005 documentary. After the split, Urmston started a new band State Radio. Heimbold and Corrigan went solo. Dispatch did some charity shows for Zimbabwe. Then they reunited to tour in 2011. They released an EP and a live album. The album America, Location 12 was released in 2017. Only the Wild Ones got a lot of college radio play. Urmston wrote all the songs and the album was recorded in California with John Dragonetti of The Submarines and Mike Sawitzke of The Eels producing. Dispatch has released two more albums. Heimbold left Dispatch in 2018. It looks like they are hiring musicians to replace him for now. Fans of folk rock will want to check out Dispatch. Here's the video for Only the Wild Ones by Dispatch.

The Big Topic in WMMA

 UFC review and PFL, Bellator and UFC preview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sheila E. Pete Escovedo Tito Puente

Artist:Sheila E. Pete Escovedo Tito Puente

Song:Suenos de los Toreros

Album:Jazzvisions: Latina Familia

Of course percussionist Pete Escovedo is the father of Sheila E. But he and his brothers have been a big part of the San Francisco/Oakland music scene since the 60s. Who do you think taught Sheila all that stuff? They have recorded together since she was a teen. This is a 1989 live album that also features legendary percussionist Tito Puente. Pete Escovedo was born July 13, 1935 in Pittsburgh, CA. His father was a big band singer. Pete played sax and then the vibraphone. One night pianist Ed Kelly needed a percussionist. Pete tried it out and it just went from there. Pete and percussionist brother Coke Escovedo became in demand for gigs in Northern California. They formed The Escovedo Brothers with younger brother Phil Escovedo on bass. When Carlos Santana was starting Santana in 1967, he wanted Pete and Coke in the band. After touring with him for three years, they formed Azteca. They recorded two albums for Columbia. The music was great but the band was so big they couldn't make any money. Since then Pete has led his own bands and of course he gave us Sheila. They recorded together after Billy Cobham saw her in a club and insisted on producing the two Pete and Sheila Escovedo albums. Sheila was 15 years old. The 1989 album Latina Familia was recorded live at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for Verve Records. Along with Pete, Sheila and Puente, musicians include Wayne Wallace on trombone, Rebecca Mauleon on piano, Pete's other son Juan Escovedo on percussion along with John Santos. Trombonist and former Azteca member Al Bent wrote Suenos de los Toreros In recent years, Pete Escovedo has recorded for Concord Picante. Suenos de los Toreros also appears on the 2016 album Live from Stern Grove. That is not available on CD but Latina Familia is available on CD. Here's Sheila E. Pete Escovedo Tito Puente featuring Wayne Wallace and Rebecca Mauleon performing Suenos de los Toreros. I guess it's the same concert that is on this CD. The entire concert can be streamed on YouTube.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs Aliyah and Jessi Kamea

Here's the match video of Io Shirai and Zoey Stark vs Aliyah and Jessi Kamea from last night's episode of NXT. This was Io's first in ring appearance since she lost the title. For those wondering, the WWE sent her on a Hawaiian holiday. This match is about setting up a future tag team title match. Io and Zoey win the match as one might expect. The current NXT Women's Tag Team Champions Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell came out to watch the match. Afterwards, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai come out followed by Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. It turns into a big brawl. Assistant GM Samoa Joe calls security. Once things calm down, it is announced that there will be a three way #1 contender match and the winner gets a title shot. We'll see how that goes. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rockin' Sidney

Artist:Rockin' Sidney

Song:Jalapeno Lena

Album:My Toot Toot

Zydeco musician Sidney "Rockin' Sidney" Simien made history when in 1985 he became the first zydeco musician to score a hit single with My Toot Toot. Jalapeno Lena was on the B side. He rode that success train until his 1998 death. He was born Apr. 9, 1938 in Lebeau, LA. As a teen he played in his uncle's band. Then he started Sidney Simien and His All Stars. He released a few singles on small labels in the 60s. These were all R&B. When zydeco made a big comeback in the late 70s, it was suggested to Simien that he should pick up the accordion and try zydeco. The big zydeco acts at the time were Clifton Chenier and Buckwheat Zydeco. Simien's act was to parody Chenier complete with crown, cape and gold tooth. Simien started writing his own songs and he released a couple of albums on Floyd Soileau's Maison de Soul label. It was Soileau who suggested Simien try zydeco in the first place. My Toot Toot first appeared on Simien's 1983 album My Zydeco Shoes Got the Zydeco Blues. Simien recorded the album at his home studio in Lake Charles and he played all the instruments. My Toot Toot became a regional hit early in 1985. Legendary producer Huey P. Meaux licensed it to Epic Records and the single reached #19 on the Country Singles chart. Jalapeno Lena was the B side. Epic never released a Rockin' Sidney album. They released an EP. Afterwards, Simien returned to Maison de Soul and this album was released in 1987. It's available as a budget CD. The success of My Toot Toot allowed Simien to tour the world, start his own record label and buy a radio station. Simien died of throat cancer on Feb. 5, 1998 at age 59. Here's Rockin' Sidney performing Jalapeno Lena and My Toot Toot on the 80s TV show Church Street Station.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast

Charlie Jewett is my special guest from Japan. We talk about Sunday's Deep Jewels show. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Naomi and Asuka vs Doudrop and Eva Marie

Here's the match video of Naomi and Asuka vs Doudrop and Eva Marie. The winners of this match will qualify for Money In The Bank. This is more angle than match. Eva Marie is doing the same angle she did on her first WWE run. Except this time she is having a surrogate wrestle for her. It is Piper Niven from NXT UK. She has been renamed Doudrop. Of course it's a terrible name. It's supposed to be terrible. Check out Piper's reaction in the pre-match interview. Then when it looks like Doudrop is going to finish Naomi, Eva Marie tags herself in to get the easy pin. When Naomi kicks out, Eva Marie tries to tag Doudrop. She takes a hike and Naomi rolls up Eva Marie for the win. Well, that didn't last very long. But I would not be surprised to see another surrogate brought in to feud with Doudrop. Can you say Mercedes Martinez? Check out the video. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ella Fitzgerald

Artist:Ella Fitzgerald w/Joe Pass

Song:Cry Me a River

Video:Duets in Hannover 1975

In the 1970s, Verve Records founder Norman Granz started a new label Pablo Records. And not surprisingly he signed some of his favorites from the old days like legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald. Obviously by this time Ella is older so she's not the same. But she was still recording and touring regularly with her own band led by Tommy Flanagan or with Duke Ellington. Granz decided to pair her with guitarist Joe Pass. I don't know if Ella was familiar with him but they recorded four albums and they toured to support the albums. So she must have enjoyed working with him. Ella first recorded Cry Me a River on the 1961 album Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie with Lou Levy on piano and Herb Ellis on guitar. Arthur Hamilton wrote Cry Me a River for the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues. Ella was in that film and was supposed to sing that song. But film producer, director and star Jack Webb dropped it from the film and gave it to his ex-wife Julie London. She scored a top ten pop hit and Cry Me a River became a jazz standard. Hamilton knew Julie from high school and she gave the song to Webb. Ella never recorded Cry Me a River with Pass. But they did perform it live on this 1975 concert in Hannover, Germany. Ella even mentioned that she had the lyrics handy in case she forgot the words. This concert was released on DVD in 2008. It's out of print but you can stream the entire concert for free on YouTube. Here's Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass performing Cry Me a River in Hannover, Germany 1975.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jameson Rodgers

Artist:Jameson Rodgers

Song:Some Girls

EP:In It for the Money

Jameson Rodgers had success as a songwriter before his 2018 debut single Some Girls was a top five country hit. He has yet to release his debut album. He was born Oct. 17, 1987 in Batesville, AR. Rodgers loved baseball and music. While playing baseball at University of Southern Mississippi, Rodgers started writing songs and after graduating, he moved to Nashville in 2010. He signed a publishing deal with Chris Farren's Combustion Music in 2014. After writing hits for Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, Rodgers released an EP in 2016. Farren started a new label Black River Entertainment and signed with Columbia. Columbia re-released the EP and the single Some Girls reached #5 on the Country Singles chart. Some Girls was written by Hardy, Jake Mitchell and C.J. Solar. These guys write with Rodgers. Rodgers listened to a demo and he decided to record it. Farren produced with veteran producer Mickey Jack Cones. Rodgers won the 2020 MusicRow Discovery Artist of the Year. He toured with Luke Combs. Rodgers released the 2020 single Cold Beer Calling My Name with Combs. In April Columbia added that song to the previous EP including Some Girls and released it as In It for the Money. This seven song EP is available as a digital download. It looks like Columbia is buying time waiting for Farren to finish Rodgers' debut album. Or they could be waiting until Rodgers goes on tour. We'll see. Here's the video for Some Girls by Jameson Rodgers. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Casey O'Neill vs Lara Procopio

Here's the match video of Casey O'Neill vs Lara Procopio from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Casey is 23 years old. She was born in Scotland but she lives in Gold Coast, Australia. Her father is her coach. He wasn't in her corner for her UFC debut due to COVID-19. So Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture filled in. Dad was back for this fight. Lara trains at Nova Uniao in Brazil. She is 1-1 in the UFC. Casey said in interviews that she wanted to showcase her striking in this fight. But Lara won round one not decisively. But I thought she won the round. Casey changed her strategy in round two. She took Lara down and got her in a crucifix hold. Then she took her back and put her to sleep with a rear naked choke. Lara looked tired in round two. So maybe like other Nova Uniao fighters, she lacks endurance. I thought Casey's strategy change was great. It's a good sign as many fighters won't do that. I'd like to see her against a ranked fighter next time. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Virna Jandiroba vs Kanako Murata

Here's the match video of Virna Jandiroba vs Kanako Murata from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Both fighters are former Invicta Strawweight Champions. Virna is from Bahia, Brazil. She trains at Academia fight House. She is 2-2 in the UFC. She says she was embarrassed by her latest loss to Mackenzie Dern. Kanako is from Tokyo, Japan. She was a wrestler at Nihon University and recruited to RIZIN by Olympic wrestling champ Saori Yoshida. She looked pretty good in her first UFC fight. But her striking needs to improve. Kanako trains with Kieran Fitzgibbon at Combat Sports Academy in Dublin, CA when she is in the US. Virna decided that the way to beat Kanako was standing. So she was pretty aggressive with strikes until she pulled guard. That probably wasn't such a good idea but Virna hooked an armbar from the bottom. Though Kanako escaped, it became clear in round two that her left arm was damaged. The cageside doctor looked at her arm after round two and stopped the fight. It was a big win for Virna as she hadn't looked very good in previous fights. Maybe this will get her back on the rails. I haven't heard anything about Kanako's arm. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Real McCoy

Artist:Real McCoy

Song:Another Night

Album:Platinum & Gold Collection

Another Night was a worldwide hit before it became a top five hit in the US in 1995. Real McCoy is a standard Euro Dance act that normally would have success in clubs. But once Arista Records owner Clive Davis was interested in Another Night, he has the power to make anything a hit. Real McCoy are from Berlin, Germany led by rapper Olaf "O-Jay" Jeglitza along with producers Jurgen "J. Wind" Wind and Frank "Quickmix" Hassas. They were called M.C. Sar & The Real McCoy. They released an album and some of their singles charted in Germany and other European countries. They were on Wind's Freshline label. But he signed a deal with BMG Germany's Hansa label and that got them distribution throughout Europe. The singer was Patricia "Patsy" Petersen. Another Night was written by Wind and Hassas and Jeglitza wrote his raps. The singer on Another Night Karin Kasar was recommended by producers Frank and Christian Berman. She sang on their records. Karin was brought in to sing on the album but Patricia was still the singer for Real McCoy. She is in the video but it's Karin's voice. Another Night was a minor hit in Europe. But then it was picked up by BMG Canada and it topped the Canadian dance chart. That's when Davis heard Another Night and thought they could be another Ace of Base. He signed them and shortened the band name to Real McCoy. Another Night reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and so did the single Run Away. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Of course they weren't as successful after that. Real McCoy continued to chart in Germany For one thing, Jeglitza had trouble keeping singers. Real McCoy went on hiatus in 2000. This comp covers the Arista years. Real McCoy last recorded an album in 1997. But Jeglitza continues to release occasional singles and tour Europe with Another Night singer Karin Kasar. Here's the video for Another Night by Real McCoy. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Casting Crowns

Artist:Casting Crowns

Song:Who Am I

Album:Voice of Truth: The Ultimate Collection

Casting Crowns is a very successful CCM band. Who Am I was their first CCM #1 hit in 2004 and they are still going strong today. Who Am I is probably their signature song. Casting Crowns was formed in 1999 at First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, FL by youth pastor Mark Hall. He is the lead singer and main songwriter. Other members were Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes on guitar and DeVevo's wife Melodee DeVevo on violin. They moved to Stockbridge, GA and added Chris Huffman on bass, Megan Garrett on keyboards and Andy Williams on drums. After releasing two independent albums, they signed with a new label Beach Street Records owned by Sawyer Brown lead singer Mark Miller with distribution by the CCM label Reunion. Miller brought in Steven Curtis Chapman to help him produce the 2003 debut album Casting Crowns. Who Am I topped the CCM charts. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. It's their best selling album to date. Though Casting Crowns have slowed down in recent years, they were very successful for several years winning several Dove awards. This comp has all their hits. Williams was replaced by Brian Scoggin in 2009. Cervantes was replaced by Josh Mix in 2013. Casting Crowns' latest album Only Jesus was released in 2018. Here's Casting Crowns performing Who Am I in Atlanta 2004. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cindy Bullens

Artist:Cindy Bullens

Song:It's Raining on Prom Night

Album:Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture

Though Cindy Bullens has recorded as a solo act since 1980, she is probably best known for singing three songs on the soundtrack of the 1978 film Grease. She doesn't appear in the film. She is dubbing Stockard Channing's singing voice. Cindy came out as transgender in 2012 and now calls herself Cidny Bullens. She was born Mar. 21, 1955 in West Newbury, MA. Her introduction to the music business was with legendary producer Bob Crewe in 1975. She wrote songs and sang backup vocals on some of his albums. She also married his brother Dan Crewe. She toured with Elton John. So she became a top backup singer. That's how she wound up on the Grease soundtrack. She performed three songs dubbing for Stockard Channing. It's Raining on Prom Night is the only song that appears in the film. After that Cindy launched a solo career. She recorded three albums for three different labels; United Artists, Casablanca and MCA. She wrote and produced them and she even had success as a songwriter. But Cindy was never able to get that hit single to get to a higher level. After raising her family, Cindy recorded in 1994. Since then she records for smaller labels. In 2012, she came out as transgender and changed her name to Cidny Bullens. The 2020 album Walkin' Through This World is Cidny's first album as a transgender man. Here's a video of Cindy Bullens performing It's Raining on Prom Night from the 1978 film Grease. 

The Big Topic in WMMA

p style="text-align: left;">Claressa Shields, Invicta and UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Men Without Hats

Artist:Men Without Hats

Song:The Safety Dance

Album:Rhythm of Youth

I'm sure most music fans remember the 1983 top five hit The Safety Dance but don't know anything about Men Without Hats. They are not a one hit wonder as some of their other singles charted. They were also successful in their native Canada. They are from Montreal. Lead singer Ivan Doroschuk formed Men Without Hats in 1977 as a punk band. When that didn't work out, he formed a new band with Jeremie Arrobas on keyboards and Ivan's brothers Stefan (bass) and Colin (drums). The name Men Without Hats was because the Doroschuks refused to wear hats during Montreal's cold winters. The decision was made to switch from punk to synth pop. Ivan was the leader of the group. Even his brothers were disposable. The 1980 EP Folk of the 80s was released on the British new wave label Stiff. Keyboard player Allan McCarthy joined Men Without Hats for the 1982 album Rhythm of Youth. The band signed with Statik Records for Europe, Sire in Canada and MCA's Blackstreet label in the US. The Safety Dance was the second single. After the song was a hit in Canada, MTV played the video enough that it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. Doroschuk wrote The Safety Dance after he was thrown out of a club for pogoing too much. Men Without Hats recorded five albums from 1982-91. They had two problems. One was a lot of personnel changes. The second was MCA bounced them around different labels like Mercury and PolyGram. Men Without Hats disbanded in 1993. Doroschuk released a solo album in 1997. He released a Men Without Hats album in 2003 but they didn't even tour after that. Doroschuk again reformed Men Without Hats in 2010. He hired musicians through auditions. An album was released in 2012. They have toured and Doroschuk is working on a new album. Here's the video for The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. This video was filmed in England with local dancers and dwarf actor Mike Edmonds from the children's TV show Maid Marian and Her Merry Men. He also played Logray in Return of the Jedi and Og in Time Bandits. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Utami Hayashishita vs Syuri

Here's the match video of Utami Hayashishita defending her World of STARDOM Championship vs Syuri from Saturday's 10th Anniversary show at Ota Ward Gymnasium. Utami is from Hiroshima. Her father is a famous comedian known as Big Daddy. I saw her a few years ago when she first started. It's very obvious why Rossi Ogawa likes her. She's young and hot. She's improved a lot over the last couple of years. Of course Syuri has been a wrestler for twelve years. She was also in the UFC and she was a kickboxing champ in Japan. The match is well worth watching. The only thing I didn't like is they went to a 30 minute draw and then they went another 13 minutes to a double KO. Rossy Ogawa is a chicken to not have a finish to a main event on a big show like this. Both wrestlers performed great. I don't want to give too much away. Watch the match! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Days-Flogging Molly

Artist:Flogging Molly

Song:Float

Album:Float

Flogging Molly has been described as Celtic Punk. They are from Los Angeles but lead singer Dave King was born in Dublin, Ireland so he brings those influences with him. The band's success has mostly been in the Alternative Rock market. King was the lead singer of Fastway and Katmandu. He signed a solo deal with Epic. But when they objected to his use of traditional Irish instruments, King got out of the deal. He formed a new band that became Flogging Molly and they signed with SideOneDummy. The name was after the Los Angeles pub where they played weekly. The core of the band is King and wife Bridget Regan on violin. On the 2008 album Float, the rest of the band was Dennis Casey on guitar, Matt Hensley on accordion and piano, Nathen Maxwell on bass, Robert Schmidt on banjo and mandolin and George Schwindt on drums. The album was recorded in Ireland. It's their biggest selling album to date. Flogging Molly's latest album Life Is Good was released in 2017 on Vanguard Records. They have been running an annual Salty Dog Cruise since 2015. I'm sure they will continue that after the pandemic is over. They are touring Europe this summer. Here's the video for Float by Flogging Molly. 

Frank pozen's Big Bad Podcast

 Meiko Satomura, Sarray, Asuka and UFC review and preview.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Rhea Ripley vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Rhea Ripley vs Asuka from last night's episode of RAW. Finally Hell in the Cell is this Sunday. So the WWE is just trying to create conflict between Rhea and Charlotte Flair. That's why there is a brawl after this match. So it's like I have said for weeks. They are just wasting time. Earlier in the show Nikki Cross beat Charlotte by countout. So Charlotte is embarrassed. This match is OK. Asuka's main purpose is to put Rhea over despite her obvious flaws and terrible finisher. The rivalry is disjointed. Rhea is composed and calm and Charlotte is behaving like a spoiled brat. It makes me think that Rhea is retaining the title on Sunday as the WWE seems to like a flustered Charlotte. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mountain Man

Artist:Mountain Man

Song:River

Album:Made the Harbor

If you like folk music with intricate harmonies, you may like the female trio Mountain Man. The 2010 album Made the Harbor was critically acclaimed but obviously it's not commercial music. Mountain Man are from Bennington, VT. Molly Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Meath met at Bennington College and started singing together. After self releasing a 2009 album, they signed with Partisan Records for the 2010 album Made the Harbor. Though the album was critically acclaimed, Mountain Man decided to disband. They went on tour with Feist as backup singers. Alexandra and Amelia worked with Nick Sanborn of the electropop act Sylvan Esso. Eventually Feist convinced Mountain Man to reform and they released the 2018 album Magic Ship on Warner's Nonesuch label. Also, Molly released the 2019 album Karaoke Angel. Amanda released the 2019 album Dawnbreaker as Daughter of Swords. Amelia continues to record with Sylvan Esso. They released an album in 2020. Made the Harbor is recommended to folk music fans and it is available as a budget CD. Here's Mountain Man performing River at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, NY Nov. 11, 2010. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Zoey Stark and Sarray vs Jessi Kamea and Aliyah

Here's the match video of Zoey Stark and Sarray vs Jessi Kamea and Aliyah. This was taped at last night's NXT Takeover show. The WWE posted it on Youtube today. It's a basic enhancement match. No surprises here. They obviously like Zoey a lot or they wouldn't have her teaming with Sarray. I don't see any clear direction for Sarray yet. With all the releases, I always am asked about Aliyah. The WWE doesn't release wrestlers just because they are jobbers. They obviously think she is worth keeping around as enhancement talent. Because of her size, Jessi may have more potential. I don't know why Robert Stone still works there. The match is OK but nothing special. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Randy Houser

Artist:Randy Houser

Song:Like A Cowboy

Album:How Country Feels

Randy Houser had success first as a songwriter and then with the 2008 album Anything Goes and several country hit singles especially Boots On. But his second album went nowhere and he switched to a new label. That revived his career and his 2013 album How Country Feels did well. Houser's problem was due to record company ownership changes. After success as the writer of Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, Houser signed with Toby Keith's Showdog label and the 2008 album Anything Goes was successful. Keith sold Showdog to Universal and Houser's 2010 album They Call Me Cadillac didn't do nearly as well. What happens in many cases is Showdog as a small label were more invested in Houser's success. When he was moved to Universal South, he was just another guy. The new regime wasn't invested in Houser. They didn't promote him. Houser left Universal and signed with Broken Bow's Stoney Creek label for the 2013 album How Country Feels. He's on a small label again and they promoted the album aggressively. He had a total of five top ten country hits from the album. And the album was certified Gold. Like A Cowboy reached #9 on the Country Singles chart. Houser wrote the song with Brice Long. Long was briefly on Columbia in 2005 and he currently concentrates on songwriting. The album was produced by Derek George from Bryan White's band. Since then Houser has released two albums. The latest is Magnolia in 2019. He says he is much happier with Stoney Creek because the label is small and they give him personal service. He was just another guy at Universal. Here's the video for Like A Cowboy by Randy Houser. The actors are Caitlin Leahy, Timothy V. Murphy and William Shockley.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Pannie Kianzad vs Alexis Davis

Here's the match video of Pannie Kianzad vs Alexis Davis from UFC 263 in Arizona. This fight is at Bantamweight. Pannie is from Denmark but she trains in Sweden. She was in TUF 28 for Featherweights. But she prefers Bantamweight because it gives her a size advantage. Alexis is from Port Colborne, ON but she trains at Gracie Barra in San Jose,CA. She has fought at Flyweight and Bantamweight. So Pannie has that size advantage. At one time Alexis would have been a big name in WMMA. But she's not who she used to be. At age 37, she could be nearing retirement. The fight was nothing special but I thought Pannie won all three rounds. Alexis may have thrown more punches but Pannie landed more punches. And I don't understand why Alexis didn't take it to the ground. Her coach told her to do that. So I scored it 30-27 for Pannie. Two of the three judges scored it the same and the third scored it 29-28. During round two, Joe Rogan made a big deal about Alexis throwing calf kicks. What he didn't and should have said was that though calf kicks can be effective, judges don't score them as significant. I think some fans were surprised that none of the judges scored round two for Alexis. He should have explained that. In the end it didn't matter as Pannie won the fight. And then in her post fight interview, Pannie went on about watching Alexis fight when she was younger. Oy vey! Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Lauren Murphy vs Joanne Calderwood

Here's the match video of Lauren Murphy vs Joanne Calderwood from UFC 263 in Arizona. The winner of this fight gets a shot at Valentina Shevchenko's UFC Flyweight Championship. Both are veteran midcard fighters. Lauren has been on a winning streak since training at Fortis MMA in Houston with Saif Saud. Joanne is from Scotland but she trains with John Wood at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Both fighters are known for not doing enough to win fights. So I expected a close but not very good fight. Round one was the key round as two of the judges scored it 10-9 for Lauren and one scored it 10-9 for Joanne. I scored it 9-9 because I didn't think either of them did enough. I am aware that judges don't score fights that way. The other two rounds were easier to score. Lauren won round two with what I would call lay and pray. She got a takedown, maintained top position but did nothing to advance her position. Maybe the ref should have stood them up. I scored it 10-9 for Lauren and so did all three judges. It was not close to a 10-8 round. Both coaches yelled at their fighters between rounds for not showing any urgency. I guess that woke Joanne up because she was a lot better in round three. I scored it 10-9 for Joanne and so did all three judges. So I scored it a 28-28 draw and Lauren won by split decision. But nothing Lauren did in this fight made me think she had any hope of beating Valentina. Joanne needed to get off to a better start and she didn't do that. And Lauren needed to take advantage of that and she didn't do that either. They showed me nothing. And I guess they showed their coaches nothing because they yelled at them. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mickey Calin

Artist:Mickey Calin

Song:Cool

Album:West Side Story: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Most film fans should be familiar with actor Michael Callan in films like Gidget Goes Hawaiian. But he started out on Broadway as a dancer and as Mickey Calin he played Riff in the 1958 musical West Side Story. He was born Martin Calineff Nov. 22, 1935 in Philadelphia. As a teen he performed in local clubs. He moved to New York and changed his name to Mickey Calin. He appeared in the 1954 Broadway musical The Boyfriend and the 1955 musical Catch a Star. He also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with his dance partner Grace Genteel. Then he won the role of Riff in West Side Story. Cool was one of two songs where Calin sang lead. And he and The Jets danced. He was spotted by Columbia Pictures talent scout Joyce Selznick (David O. Selznick's niece) and Calin signed a seven year contract with Columbia. They changed his name to Michael Callan. At the time Columbia signed a bunch of young actors that they were going to turn into stars. Most of them didn't make it. Callan had a long career but he was never a big star. His first film for Columbia was the 1959 western They Came to Cordura starring Gary Cooper. Callan was unable to appear in the film version of West Side Story because of his Columbia contract. His biggest films at the time were Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and The New Interns (1964). He signed a new contract after that. He appeared in Cat Ballou. With his dancing talent, one would think Callan would turn up in a musical. Nope. His only musical appearance was in the 1968 ABC TV production of Kiss Me, Kate starring Robert Goulet and Carol Lawrence. Callan did TV guest shots for years and appeared in occasional films until his 2007 retirement. But before all that, he was Mickey Calin in West Side Story. Here's a video of Mickey Calin performing Cool from the 1958 Broadway musical West Side Story. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mansionair

Artist:Mansionair

Song:Astronaut (Something About Your Love)

Album:Shadowboxer

The Australian group Mansionair has been described as alternative electronic music. After listening to them, I think fans of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) will like them. And the dance floor was where the 2019 album Shadowboxer had success. Mansionair is from Sydney, Australia. Lead singer Jack Froggatt was looking for someone to help him finish some songs he was working on. He met with producers Lachlan Bostock and Alex Nicholls and the sessions went so well, they decided to turn it into a group. Mansionair signed with Glassnote Records and they toured with Alt-J and Chvrches. After releasing a couple of singles and an EP, Mansionair's debut album Shadowboxer was released in 2019. They have had success in clubs and in Australia. Astronaut reached #44 on the US Rock Airplay chart. Nicholls produced most of the album. Fans of EDM should check them out. It looks Mansionair has a new album coming out as they have released a new single recntly and they are going on the road soon. Here's the video for Astronaut (Something About Your Love) by Mansionair. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Claressa Shields vs Brittney Elkin

Here's the match video of Claressa Shields vs Brittney Elkin from last night's PFL show in Atlantic City. There was unusual interest in this fight because Claressa is a boxing champ making her MMA debut. She is training at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. She's only doing MMA because there is no money in women's boxing. Brittney is not a good fighter but she actually won the first two rounds. This is because she was able to take Claressa down and stay on top for two rounds. She didn't really do anything. It was lay and pray. But Claressa was going to need a finish in round three. And she got it. She nailed Brittney with one shot and that was enough for Claressa to get a ground and pound finish. Brittney couldn't recover. I thought Claressa might let her off the hook. I understand why Brittney played it safe in top position. She must have thought she had the fight in the bag. But she should have tried to finish. It was a big mistake to not do that. If Claressa had trouble with Brittney, what will happen with someone better, never mind Kayla Harrison. One thing is for sure. She needs to work on her takedown defense. That could save her ass down the road. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Meiko Satomura vs Kay Lee Ray

 Here's the match video of Kay Lee Ray defending her NXT UK Women's Championship against Meiko Satomura from this week's episode of NXT UK. I thought a title change was likely. I thought they might do that a couple of months ago. The match is very good. It's worth watching. It really picked up down the stretch. I didn't like the commentary. It seemed overly hysterical at times. As the match progressed, I figured Meiko would win. When asked what Meiko would need to win, Nigel McGuiness said her finisher the Scorpio Rising. They saved that for the finish but used everything else. Typically, there were way too many false finishes. And I didn't like Meiko no selling four superkicks. But despite questionable booking decisions and the commentary, the match is worth watching. Congratulations to Meiko Satomura. The streamers at the end were a nice touch. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Madonna

Artist:Madonna

Song:Into the Groove

Album:Celebration

Into the Groove would have been a #1 hit for Madonna in 1985 except it wasn't officially released as a single in North America so it was not eligible for the Billboard Hot 100. It is another Madonna song that qualifies as a discography orphan. The song was used in the film Desperately Seeking Susan but it wasn't on the soundtrack album. Of course that film was Madonna's breakthrough as an actress. Madonna wrote and recorded a song for the film titled Desperately Seeking Susan. I guess it was supposed to be used over the credits. It wasn't used and it doesn't look like it was ever released. Madonna and her then boyfriend Stephen Bray recorded a demo for Into the Groove that was intended for the teen pop singer Cheyne. But she instead decided to use Into the Groove in Desperately Seeking Susan. The video for Into the Groove was clips from the movie. Of course MTV played it in heavy rotation and then it was a radio hit. But because the song was never released as a single, it was not eligible for the Billboard Hot 100. Into the Groove was added to the international reissue of the Like A Virgin album. But it's not on the original album. Warner Bros. decided against releasing Into the Groove as a single as they were concerned about oversaturation.. It was a hit anyway. Later Billboard named it Dance Single of the Decade. And in a 2003 fan poll of Madonna's best singles, Into the Groove placed third. Madonna thought the song was "dorky" but acknowledged that fans seem to like it. You can get Into the Groove on this 2CD comp. Here's the video for Into the Groove by Madonna. 

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and PFL, Invicta and UFC preview 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Afrika Bambaataa

Artist:Afrika Bambaataa

Song:Planet Rock

Album:The Dance Album

Though he faded quickly, Afrika Bambaataa's 1982 single Planet Rock was very important in the early development of hip hop. Bambaataa has had recent notoriety due to sexual abuse allegations. That doesn't diminish the importance of Planet Rock. He was born Lance Taylor Apr. 17, 1957 in The Bronx, NY. His parents were from Jamaica and Barbados. His mom had an extensive record collection and she was a political activist. Bambaataa was in the gang The Black Spades. He was a warlord and did a lot of recruiting. An essay contest win earned him a trip to Africa. He also watched the 1964 film Zulu. And the solidarity shown by the Zulus inspired Taylor to change his name to Afrika Bambaataa and his group was called Universal Zulu Nation. He got into hosting parties to recruit new members. Supposedly Bambaataa was the first to use the term Hip Hop. He formed a couple of groups with DJs, rappers and dancers. Soulsonic Force was the group that recorded Planet Rock in 1982. The featured DJs were Mr. Big, Pow Won and Emcee G.L.O.B.E. Bambaataa signed with Tommy Boy. Planet Rock came out of Bambaataa and producer Arthur Baker's mutual admiration of the German electronic music icons Kraftwerk. They created an electronic backing track and Emcee G.L.O.B.E. wrote the song lyrics. Guitarist John Robie was responsible for the hard edge of the song. Planet Rock was a big R&B and dance hit. It reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bambaataa was only under contract to Tommy Boy for singles. So there was no album until 1986. You can get it on this Charly Records budget comp. Though Bambaataa would never s core another big hit, Planet Rock is considered today as an important building block of hip hop. BTW, it's not unusual for rappers to score one big hit and disappear. Bambaataa recorded for Tommy Boy and EMI but he had faded into obscurity by the early 90s. His name would resurface in 2016 with child abuse allegations. Though Bambaataa denied the allegations at first, he eventually acknowledged them and left Universal Zulu Nation. Apparently his behavior was widely known in the neighborhood. I guess it's what is called an "open secret". Due to statute of limitations, Bambaataa cannot be prosecuted. We may see civil lawsuits. Bambaataa is through. And it's not like he had made important music other than Planet Rock. But that record is important. Here's the video for Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Susan Egan

Artist:Susan Egan

Song:I Won't Say (I'm In Love)

Album:Disney's Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

Susan Egan is a stage actress best known for starring as Belle in Disney's 1994 Broadway musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. She was also the voice of Megara in the 1997 film Hercules. I Won't Say was her big song and probably the best known song from the film. Susan does a lot of voice work. She was born Feb. 18, 1970 in Seal Beach, CA. She studied dance and singing as a child. While attending UCLA, she toured with The Young Americans and in touring productions of Bye Bye Birdie and State Fair. This led to her winning the role of Belle in Disney Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast. Then she got the role of Megara in the 1997 Disney animated film Hercules. The songs were written by Alan Menken and David Zippel. I Won't Say was Susan's big song in the film. It has an early 60s Phil Spector vibe. Menken says he was influenced by songs he wrote for Little Shop of Horrors. It was probably the most popular song from the film. Susan also appeared in the 1999 made for video sequel Hercules: Zero to Hero and the 2001 made for video film Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure. Other voice work includes the animated series Steven Universe as Rose Quartz. She co-starred in the WB TV series Nikki. Susan has been doing a one woman cabaret style show in recent years and she has recorded albums to support this. Here's Susan Egan performing I Won't Say (I'm In Love) from her home as a Disney Sing-A-Long May 7, 2020. 

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast

Asuka, Hikaru Shida and UFC review and preview. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nikki Cross and Asuka vs Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley

Here's the match video of Nikki Cross and Asuka vs Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley from last night's episode of RAW. This is another timewaster leading to Rhea defending her RAW Women's Championship at against Charlotte at Hell in a Cell in a couple of weeks. Two weeks ago the WWE brought back the dreaded Beat the Clock challenge. If Rhea couldn't beat Nikki Cross in two minutes, Nikki wins. They did the same thing last week with Charlotte. At least it got Nikki back on TV. When Charlotte complained, Adam Pearce suggested that Charlotte and Rhea team up vs Nikki and a partner of her choice. Of course that was Asuka. It's more plot device to build the tension between Charlotte and Rhea than a match. Charlotte hits Rhea with the Natural Selection and Nikki gets the pin. At least the match killed 13 minutes. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Phil Wickham

Artist:Phil Wickham

Song:Battle Belongs

Album:Hymn of Heaven

Phil Wickham is very successful in the CCM market. Battle Belongs topped the CCM charts. It's from his new album Hymn of Heaven. His music is very similar to Praise & Worship (P&W) acts like Hillsong United. He was born Apr. 5, 1984 in San Diego. His parents were in the 70s Jesus Music band Parable. His older brother Even Wickham has released four albums. Their father is a P&W leader so they were encouraged to write those kind of songs. Wickham's 2003 debut album Give You My World was released on Simple Records. It was picked up by INO which is now called Fair Trade Services with Sony distribution. Wickham has been on this label for his entire career. He has been a fixture on the CCM charts. Battle Belongs is from Wickham's new album Hymn of Heaven. It topped the CCM Airplay chart. Wickham writes and produces his own songs. He wrote Battle Belongs with Bethel Music owner Brian Johnson. They write several songs on the album. The song is drum heavy and anthemic. I find it sounds too much like other P&W groups. They all sound alike to me. But I can assure you the faithful eat it up. And Wickham will continue his success in the CCM market as long as he does this kind of music. This album has been available as a digital download since April. It will be released on CD at the end of June. Here's the video for Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gutbucket

Artist:Gutbucket

Song:Born Again Athiest Suite Part 2: Sacrificial Vegan

Album:Flock

Gutbucket is frequently described as jazz rock fusion. I think their music is more jazz than rock, especially the avant garde sounds of Ornette Coleman. The rock elements are minimal. The members of Gutbucket were students at Columbia University in New York. Sax player Ken Thomson, guitarist Ty Citerman and drummer Paul Chuffo were in the soul jazz band Ex Caminos. After they were introduced to bassist and NYU grad Eric Rockwin, they decided to form Gutbucket in 1999. After releasing the 2001 CD Insomniacs Dream on Knitting Factory and two albums on Cantaloupe, Chuffo was replaced by Adam Gold. Gutbucket signed with Cunieform. Sacrificial Vegan is from the 2011 album Flock. It was their second album on Cunieform. It's part of the three part Born Again Athiest Suite written by Rockwin. I recommend it to avant garde jazz fans. After Rockwin was replaced by Pat Swoboda, Gutbucket released the 2016 album Dance on their own label. Though Thomson has released a couple of solo albums, Gutbucket announced on Facebook they are returning to perform live soon. Here's Gutbucket performing Sacrificial Vegan at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City Feb. 23, 2011. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Manon Fiorot vs Tabatha Ricci

Here's the match video of Manon Fiorot vs Tabatha Ricci from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Manon's opponent was supposed to be Maryna Moroz. But she pulled out and Tabatha came in on short notice. Tabatha is from Sao Paulo, Brazil but she trains at Paragon BJJ in Ventura, CA. Head coach is Ricardo Miller. I watched Tabatha's recent LFA fight. Her big problem in this fight is she is a Strawweight. Obviously she took this fight to get into the UFC. Manon is from Nice, France. Her coach is Aldric Cassata. He retired from fighting in 2016. Based on what I saw in Manon's UFC debut, she may have something. Unfortunately the size difference is too much for Tabatha. Manon wins by second round TKO. I would like to see Manon against a ranked Flyweight next time. And I look forward to seeing Tabatha at Strawweight as she might be pretty good. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Montana De La Rosa vs Ariane Lipski

Here's the match video of Montana De La Rosa vs Ariane Lipski from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was at Flyweight. Both fighters have been disappointing in the UFC. Montana is from Texas. She now trains at Elevation in Denver with coach Marc Montoya. She trains a lot in Colorado Springs with Raquel Pennington and Tecia Torres. She has ground skills but her striking is terrible. Ariane is from Brazil and a former KSW champ known as The Queen of Violence. But she hasn't lived up to that in the UFC. After her last loss, Ariane and her husband/coach moved to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. Her coach is two time Olympic wrestler Steve Mocco and ATT head coach Conan Silveiro was also in her corner. Mocco is supposed to help with her wrestling. The mistake that Ariane made is a mistake I see from a lot of Brazilian fighters. The only thing Montana is good at is takedowns. After Ariane is taken down, she thinks her ground skills are good enough to win from bottom position. She should have tried to get up. Instead Montana became more confident and won round one. This continued in round two and eventually Montana landed enough ground and pound to win by TKO. Big win for Montana as she may have saved her job. I would have to see her beat someone higher up. I have my doubts. As for Ariane, sometimes it takes more than one camp for a coach to fix problems. Mocco should now know what he needs to fix. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mark Farner

Artist:Mark Farner

Song:Isn't It Amazing

Album:Closer To Home

Most fans should be familiar with Mark Farner as lead singer and guitarist of the popular band Grand Funk Railroad. After they split up, Farner had success in the CCM market with songs like Isn't It Amazing. He was born Sept. 29, 1948 in Flint, MI. Like I said, most fans know him from Grand Funk Railroad and hits like I'm Your Captain and We're An American Band. After Grand Funk split up in 1976, Farner released two albums on Atlantic Records. Grand Funk reformed and recorded two albums in 1981. Then they split up again. Farner became a born again Christian and signed with the CCM label Frontline. Just Another Injustice was his first CCM album in 1988. Isn't It Amazing reached #2 on the CCM charts and Farner was nominated for a Dove award. Isn't It Amazing was written by former Flying Burrito Brothers member John Beland. Farner's main collaborator on Just Another Injustice was smooth jazz pianist Tim Heintz along with jazz bassist John Patitucci and CCM drummer David Huff. He is Dann Huff's brother. Farner released three albums on Frontline and then they released this comp CD in 1992. Faner has since released albums on his own label. Grand Funk reunited and Farner also toured with Ringo Starr's All Stars. Currently he leads Mark Farner's American Band performing a mix of Grand Funk and solo material. Here's Mark Farner performing Isn't It Amazing on Nashville Now 1989. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Dasy-'til tuesday

Artist:'til tuesday

Song:Voices Carry

Album:Voices Carry

The 1985 top ten hit Voices Carry was the only big hit for 'til tuesday. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV. Though 'til tuesday is perceived as a one hit wonder, some of their other songs charted so technically they are not a one hit wonder. The band split up after three albums. The band is from Boston. While studying at Berklee, Aimee Mann was in a couple of bands. She formed 'til tuesday in 1983 with then boyfriend Michael Hausman on drums, Joey Pesce on keyboards and Robert Holmes on guitar. They won a local battle of the bands competition and Epic Records signed them. Mike Thorne produced the 1985 album Voices Carry. He had previously produced Soft Cell's Tainted Love. Voices Carry was the lead single and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. They seemed to come out of nowhere. Aimee had split up with Hausman so a lot of the album songs are about that. Voices Carry predates that and Aimee actually was singing to a woman. Epic had Aimee change the lyrics so she was singing to her abusive boyfriend played in the video by Cully Holland. Aimee has further confused the issue by claiming she wrote the song from a man's point of view. Regardless, the song was a huge hit fueled by the video. The album was certified Gold but 'til tuesday was unable to follow it up. The 1986 album Welcome Home was produced by Bryan Ferry's producer Rhett Davies. So it was more pop than new wave. The single What About Love was a top 30 hit. But that album and the 1988 album Everything's Different Now did not do as well as Voices Carry. The band split up after that. Voices Carry is available as a budget CD. Aimee Mann has gone on to a significant solo career. Hausman manages her. She is married to singer songwriter Michael Penn (Sean Penn's brother). Here's the video of Voices Carry by 'til tuesday. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melvins

 Artist:Melvins

Song:Honey Bucket

Album:Houdini

Melvins is a metal band best known as Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain's favorite band. So they were a big influence on the Seattle grunge scene. And Cobain's fame got them a record deal at Atlantic for the 1993 album Houdini. Honey Bucket is their best known song though Melvins has never been commercially successful. Melvins were formed in 1983 in Montesano, WA. Buzz Osborne was lead singer and guitarist. Matt Lukin was on bass and Mike Dillard was on drums. They went to high school together. Dale Crover soon replaced Dillard. Osborne and Crover have been in Melvins since then. The band name is after Osborne's boss when he worked at a Thriftway store. I would describe their music as slowcore metal. The connection to Cobain was Crover played on his demos. Then Osborne introduced Cobain to Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. That led to the formation of Nirvana. Osborne and Crover moved to San Francisco. The new bassist was Lori "Lorax" Black. She was Shirley Temple's daughter. After releasing a few albums, Melvins signed with Atlantic for the 1993 album Houdini. This was after Nirvana's Nevermind album was a big success. Atlantic wanted Cobain to produce the album and he is credited. But he was so spaced out on drugs that Osborne says they were forced to fire him. Osborne had no illusions about being on a major label. So they tried to make a commercial record that wouldn't alienate their fans. Meanwhile Black was having drug problems so she was replaced. Melvins recorded three albums for Atlantic that did not sell. They returned to recording for small labels. They are still around. Melvins released an album in Feb. 2021. Here's the video for Honey Bucket by Melvins. There sure are a lot of farm animals in this video.

The Big Topic in WMMA

Invicta and Bellator reviews and UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ella Fitzgerald

Artist:Ella Fitzgerald

Song:Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me

Album:Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook

This 1957 album is the only Ella Fitzgerald Songbook where the composer is a participant. So most but not all of this album features Ellington himself along with his usual band of Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Russell Procope, Sam Woodyard, Paul Gonsalves and Ray Nance. Also appearing on this album is Oscar Peterson and the Verve Records house band with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. On Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me and several other songs Ella is backed up by her touring band led by Paul Smith on piano along with Ben Webster on tenor sax, Stuff Smith on violin, Barney Kessel on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass and Alvin Stoller on drums. Verve released this on 3LPs. It was released on 2CDs in 2009 with a new cover. Why the different bands? The Ellington recordings were recorded June 1957 in New York. The other recordings were done in Los Angeles in Sept. 1957. Verve Records owner Norman Granz wanted more and Ellington wasn't available for the LA sessions. This was the most successful of Ella's Songbook albums. There was even a second volume released. Ella and Duke recorded a second studio album Ella at Duke's Place in 1965. And a couple of live albums; Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur in 1966 and The Stockholm Concert which was recorded in 1966 and released in 1984. Ella's Duke Ellington Songbook is certainly an essential recording. Here's Ella Fitzgerald with Duke Ellington performing Do Nothin' till You Hear From Me on The Ed Sullivan Show Mar. 8, 1965.