AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spacehog

Artist:Spacehog

Song:In the Meantime

Album:Resident Alien

Spacehog had success with the 1995 debut album Resident Alien and the single In the Meantime. Other than that, they weren't very successful. The unusual thing about Spacehog is they are from Leeds, England but they met in New York. Drummer Jonny Cragg was working in a cafe killing rats when he met guitarist Antony Langdon. He brought in his brother Royston Langdon who sings, plays bass and writes most of the songs. Cragg brought in Richard Steel to play lead guitar. They signed with Sire Records and released the 1995 album Resident Alien. The single In the Meantime reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart. The video went into heavy rotation on MTV. The album was certified Gold. Spacehog self produced and Royston Langdon wrote most of the songs including In the Meantime. When the 1998 album The Chinese Album didn't do as well, Sire dropped Spacehog. After releasing the 2001 album The Hogyssey on the smaller Artemis label, Spacehog split up. Royston Langdon married actress Liv Tyler in 2003. The had a son and split up in 2008. In 2006, the Langdon brothers brought in a third brother Christian Langdon to form Arckid. It looks like they recorded an album but it was never released. Spacehog reunited in 2008 and released an album on their own label in 2013. They seem to be inactive. Royston Langdon released a solo album in 2018 and a single last year. Here's the video for In the Meantime by Spacehog. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Emimem

Artist:Eminem

Song:The Real Slim Shady

Album:Curtain Call: The Hits

Marshall "Eminem" Mathers is probably the most successful rapper of all time. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America. I think he continued what The Beastie Boys started. The 2000 single The Real Slim Shady is not his biggest hit. But it was his first top ten pop hit. It set the stage for bigger things. He was born Oct. 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, MO. After his parents divorce, Mathers moved with his mother to a black neighborhood in Detroit. Though he was not a good student, Mathers wanted to be a comic book artist. He started rapping at age 14 as M&M which became Eminem. He dropped out of high school at age 17 and started performing locally. At the time, he knew that being a white rapper was going to be an uphill climb. Mathers was in the group Soul Intent in the early 90s. They released an EP in 1995. Mathers signed with producers Jeff and Mark Bass and released an album in 1996. Though it wasn't successful, Mathers continued to work with the Bass brothers. Then Mathers created the Slim Shady alter ego which allowed for a much angrier attitude. The Slim Shady EP got him featured in hip hop magazine The Source as "unsigned hype". Then he went to Los Angeles for the Rap Olympics. After placing second, an Interscope Records intern asked Mathers for a copy of The Slim Shady EP. He gave it to Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine who played it for N.W.A. rapper and producer Andre "Dr. Dre" Young. Young signed Mathers immediately and began working with him. Mathers idolized Young but also found him great to work with. The 1999 album The Slim Shady LP was certified 5XPlatinum. The single My Name Is only reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 probably because radio stations didn't like the violent lyrics. Young and the Bass Brothers produced the album. So now they have a formula for success. The 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP was certified 11XPlatinum. Young and The Bass Brothers produced the album. The single The Real Slim Shady reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was produced by Young and partner Melvin "Mel-Man" Bradford. They wrote it with Mathers, bassist Mike Elizondo and pianist Thomas Coster Jr. Both played on the album. I think radio stations liked the song's satirical tone. Mathers' next album The Eminem Show was also successful. And his first #1 hit was Lose Yourself from the soundtrack of 8 Mile, a film Mathers starred in. After that he started to fade. He considered retirement after the tour to support the 2004 album Encore. This comp Curtain Call was released in 2005. He did return in 2009 and released another album in 2010. But he just hasn't had the same success. His latest album Music to Be Murdered By was released in 2020. And he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. Don't be surprised if he retires from performing to be a producer. That's what he was going to do in 2005. Here's the video for The Real Slim Shady by Eminem. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith Richards

Artist:Keith Richards

Song:Run Rudolph Run

Single:Run Rudolph Run

Of course Keith Richards is famous as guitarist for The Rolling Stones. He also co-writes many of the songs with lead singer Mick Jagger. But unlike Jagger, he has rarely recorded solo. His first solo recording was a 1978 cover of Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run. So it's perfect for the holidays. Richards was born Dec. 18, 1943 in Dartford, England. His grandfather was a musician who gave him his first guitar. He attended school with Jagger until both families moved. But a chance encounter revealed a mutual interest in R&B and of course that led to the formation of The Rolling Stones. And as famous as they became, Richards still loves the music that he listened to growing up. And that's how Run Rudolph Run came about. Richards said in an interview that he thought it was the coolest Christmas song. He decided to record it. The Rolling Stones were in Los Angeles on tour. Richards asked Ronnie Wood to help him and it was released as a single. Run Rudolph Run has never been released on an album but it is available as a digital download. It's perfect for the holidays. Other than this, he has recorded three albums. In the mid-80s, Jagger and Richards weren't getting along and it was possible the Stones might split up. Both recorded solo albums. Richards released the 1988 album Talk Is Cheap. He also released albums in 1992 and 2015. His main collaborator on al three albums was session drummer Steve Jordan. In the 80s he was the drummer for the Saturday Night Live band. Of course the Stones never split up so I think Richards is happy in the band and doesn't want to go solo. Here's a video for Run Rudolph Run by Keith Richards.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nigel Olsson

Artist:Nigel Olsson

Song:Dancin' Shoes

Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day Vol. 22

Nigel Olsson is best known as Elton John's drummer. When he's not doing that, he's a session musician. He also recorded a few albums in the 70s and scored a top 20 hit with the 1978 single Dancin' Shoes. A couple of his other songs charted so Olsson is technically not a one hit wonder. But Dancin' Shoes was his only memorable song. He was born Feb. 10, 1949 in Wallasey, Cheshire, England. He started out playing guitar but took up drums when a drummer failed to show for a gig. His first appearance on record was with the band Plastic Penny. They recorded two albums. Olsson was in the group Argosy led by future Supertramp leader Roger Hodgson. Elton John was also in that band along with future studio musician Caleb Quaye. They recorded one single. After a brief stint with Uriah Heep, Olsson joined The Spencer Davis Group just before they split up. That's where he met Elton John bassist Dee Murray. Both guys worked on John's demos. So when John got his record deal and became a big star, Olsson was his drummer until 1975. He started working sessions with Neil Sedaka, Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart. He also recorded a 1975 album for Elton John's label Rocket Records. While continuing studio work, Olsson signed with Bang Records with Columbia distribution. He recorded three albums for Bang. Dancin' Shoes is from the 1978 album Nigel. This was Olsson's second Bang album. Dancin' Shoes reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Olsson wrote and produced half the songs on the album. But he also worked with another Bang artist Paul Davis (I Go Crazy). Davis produced Dancin' Shoes. The guitar solo is by legendary session guitarist Jay Graydon.  The song was written by Faith Band lead singer Carl Storie. Their original version reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100. So why did Olsson's cover chart higher? It was released first. Mercury Records released Faith Band's Dancin' Shoes as a single only after Olsson's recording started getting radio play. I listened to both. They are very similar. Dancin' Shoes is available on this Rhino various artists budget comp. Bang was sold to Columbia in 1979. When Olsson's 1980 album Changing Tides didn't sell, he returned to Elton John's band for a few years. Olsson released an album in 2001. But mostly he continues to tour and record with Elton John and play sessions. Here's a video for Dancin' Shoes by Nigel Olsson. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Artist:Smokey Robinson & the Miracles f/The Temptations

Song:The Christmas Song

Album:20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection: The Best of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

So I always like to feature a couple of Christmas songs at this time of year. But the music plays at random and the Christmas songs were either songs I had already done or I couldn't do for various reasons. I only looked at a couple seriously and decided against both. So when this recording of The Christmas Song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and The Temptations came up, I thought it would be fun. The only problem is that Robinson recorded several Christmas albums and The Christmas Song is on all of them. On this comp it is labelled as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and The Temptations. But the song times don't match up so I don't think Motown knows when this version was recorded. It doesn't seem to be from a Smokey Robinson solo album or a Temptations album. Christmas with the Miracles was released in 1963. Robinson's wife Claudette was still in the group and she sings lead on one song. With the exception of the Robinson original Christmas Everyday, they recorded all standards including The Christmas Song. The album is 23 minutes long. The Miracles second Christmas album The Season for Miracles was released in 1970 though I understand it was recorded in 1968. Robinson wrote one song for the album and he records two Stevie Wonder songs. This album likely has the version of The Christmas Song with The Temptations. But a slightly longer version appears on the 1999 comp Our Very Best Christmas and that matches up with the version on this 2003 comp. BTW, these two comps are identical except for the cover. Regardless, I think Motown fans will dig the album. It's funny that suddenly Universal figured out The Temptations are on this recording. Here's a video for The Christmas Song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles featuring The Temptations. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Teenage Fanclub

Artist:Teenage Fanclub

Song:What You Do To Me

Album:Bandwagonesque

The Scottish band Teenage Fanclub will remind you of other 60s influenced bands like Radiohead. They just never had the same success. Teenage Fanclub is from the Bellshill district of Glasgow, Scotland. Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Norman Blake was in several 80s bands including BMX Bandits and The Boy Hairdressers. He formed Teenage Fanclub in 1989 with The Boy Hairdressers guitarist Raymond McGinley and drummer Francis Macdonald along with BMX Bandits bassist and singer songwriter Gerard Love. They released the album A Catholic Education in 1990. They were mostly songs intended for The Boy Hairdressers. Macdonald left to return to school after the album was finished. The band was unhappy with him anyway and new drummer Brendan O'Hare re-recorded the drum parts. After recording an EP, Teenage Fanclub signed with Creation Records and released the album The King. This was recorded in one day and intended as a limited release. But it got positive reviews and that was enough to get Teenage Fanclub a US record deal with Geffen Records. They remained on Creation in England. They had modest international success with the 1991 album Bandwagonesque. Most of their success was in England and the Alternative Rock chart. The album is heavily influenced by The Beatles and especially Alex Chilton's Big Star. Bandwagonesque was named Spin Magazine's Album of the year over a lot of better known albums. And in the video for What You Do To Me, Teenage Fanclub is supposed to look like The Beatles. The song is a repeated refrain of the title. I think there are only two lines in the song. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie released a Bandwagonesque tribute album in 2017. He said it was his favorite album of all time. This album is available on CD. Teenage Fanclub released three albums on Geffen and switched to Columbia for the 1997 album Songs from Northern Britain. After Creation closed, they released one more album on Columbia. Then Teenage Fanclub released several albums on their own label before signing with Merge Records for the 2021 album Endless Arcade. They toured to support the album. Gerard Love left Teenage Fanclub in 2018. Blake and McGinley still lead the band. Here's the video for What You Do To Me by Teenage Fanclub. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Upsetters

Artist:The Upsetters

Song:Jaywalking

Album:The Bobby Robinson Story: Selected Sides 1951-1960

Most music fans are familiar with the Jamaican band The Upsetters and their long association with Lee "Scratch" Perry. But there was also an US band called The Upsetters that mainly backed up Little Richard but also recorded a few singles. The leader of The Upsetters was sax player Grady Gaines. He was a session musician for Peacock Records before forming The Upsetters to back up Little Richard in 1955. After Richard retired in 1957, they toured with Dee Clark, Little Willie John, James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Joe Tex. Other members were drummer Chuck Connor, Clifford Burks on sax and Olsie Richard Robinson on bass. They recorded several singles for different labels. Jaywalking was released in 1960 on Fury Records, one of several labels owned by New York record store owner Bobby Robinson. This four CD box set covers his 50s history. After The Upsetters split up in the mid-60s, Gaines toured with Curtis Mayfield and Millie Jackson. He reformed a version of The Upsetters in the 80s and continued to perform until he died on Jan. 29, 2021 at age 85. Here's a video of Jaywalking by The Upsetters.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-for KING & COUNTRY

Artist:for KING & COUNTRY

Song:God Only Knows

Album:Burn the Ships: Deluxe Edition: Remixes & Collaborations

The CCM duo for KING & COUNTRY have not only had success in that market but have crossed over a bit to pop. The 2019 single God Only Knows is their biggest hit to date. for KING & COUNTRY is brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. They were born in Sydney, Australia. Their family moved to Nashville in 1991 when their concert promoter father got a new job. Their older sister is popular CCM singer Rebecca St. James. They started performing as a duo first as Joel & Luke and then Austoville. When they signed with Word's Fervent label, they discussed changing the group name to All the King's Men while recording their debut album. Their producer suggested the British battle cry for KING & COUNTRY so they went with that. They had immediate success when their 2011 single Busted Hearts reached #3 on Billboard's CCM chart and they have been going strong ever since. They are now on Curb Records as Mike Curb bought Word in 2016. God Only Knows is from the 2018 album Burn the Ships. It is for KING & COUNTRY's third album. God Only Knows reached #2 on the CCM chart and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. The album was produced mostly by veteran CCM producer Tedd Tjornhom. The Smallbones wrote all the songs with co-writers. God Only knows was written with veteran CCM songwriters Josh Kerr and Jordan Reynolds. Kerr is the brother of CCM singer Hannah Kerr. For this album, they wanted the songs to be more personal. God Only Knows is about when Joel's wife was addicted to prescription drugs and the suicidal thoughts that come with that. The girl is actress Masey McLain who has appeared in faith based films like the 2016 film I'm Not Ashamed. Burn the Ships is available in a deluxe edition including a remix of God Only Knows featuring Dolly Parton. The success continues with the 2022 album What Are We Waiting For? which topped the CCM charts. for KING & COUNTRY toured earlier this year. And they will tour again in the spring of 2023. Here's the video for God Only Knows by for KING & COUNTRY.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaun Groves

Artist:Shaun Groves

Song:Welcome Home

Album:Invitation to Eavesdrop

Singer songwriter Shaun Groves had success in the CCM market with his 2001 debut album Invitation to Eavesdrop. He seemed to be heading to stardom when he decided it wasn't for him and he moved to El Salvador to be a missionary. He still tours and records for his own label. He was born Dec. 27, 1973 in Tyler, TX. He became a Christian at 12 years old and then got into music. This led to a music scholarship at Baylor University. Groves' plan was to marry his high school sweetheart, become a minister and write songs on the side. But an internship at a Nashville publishing company led to a full time job and then record company interest in his demos. Groves signed in 2000 with Michael W. Smith's Rocketown label with Word distribution. His 2001 debut album Invitation to Eavesdrop was a big success on the CCM charts. Welcome Home was one of five singles that charted. It was nominated for a Song of the Year Dove award. Epic Records saw crossover appeal in Groves and released the album to the secular market. Groves thought he would record one album and return to his original plan. But the success changed that. After three albums, Groves decided he was getting too comfortable. He quit the music business to do missionary work in El Salvador for Compassion International. Since returning home, he still tours and records on his own label occasionally. But mostly he does a lot of fundraising for Compassion International. This just shows that success in the music business is not for everyone especially in CCM where commerce and faith don't always agree. Here's Shaun Groves performing Welcome Home at Cup O Joy in Green Bay, WI Aug. 1, 2013.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jamie Hayter vs Hikaru Shida

Here's the match video of Jamie Hayter defending her AEW Women's Championship against Hikaru Shida from last night's episode of Dynamite. This was the main event of the show so it was given a lot of time. Women's matches usually get screwed on Dynamite. The match was hard hitting as expected. Both of them like to work that style. So I recommend you watch it. Complaints include the commentary which was really bad. There were way too many false finishes though the crowd seemed to be into it. AEW crowds tend to be dopey. Britt Baker's outside interference was predictable but unnecessary. And it hurt the finish. And the post match nonsense was predictable too. The fans are already cheering Jamie so I don't know why Britt hasn't turned on her already. It's inevitable. Hikaru should be on her way to Japan already. She will do some wrestling and a Makai show. She goes home every couple of months. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Group 1 Crew

Artist:Group 1 Crew

Song:Movin'

Album:Ordinary Dreamers

The Christian hip hop group Group 1 Crew had success on the Christian charts and were poised to cross over to pop when they split up in 2017. They are from Orlando, FL led by Jose "Manwell" Reyes. He writes all the songs and raps. The other members are singer Blanca Reyes (no relation) and rapper Pablo Villatoro. After having success with the single Can't Go On, Group 1 Crew signed with the CCM label Fervent Records. After singles from the 2007 album Group 1 Crew reached the top 20 in the CCM charts, Group 1 Crew signed a secular record deal with Curb and Warner Bros. Movin' is from the 2009 album Ordinary Dreamers. It was produced by Christopher Stevens who has worked with TobyMac. Movin' reached #4 on the CCM chart. I can certainly see why Warners was interested in Group 1 Crew. I heard them for the first time today. And the only way I knew they were CCM is Fervent Records is a CCM label. Most folks aren't going to know that. Obviously there was crossover potential. Then things started to fall apart. Villatoro left after the 2010 album Outta Space Love. Blanca married drummer John Callahan, got pregnant and left after the 2012 album Fearless. After one more album, Reyes ended Group 1 Crew. He seems to be involved with a group called Panda$. They have released a few singles on Virgin Records. It seems to be a duo and they use guest rappers. They haven't released an album yet so there is very little info. I found this on Spotify. Here's the video for Movin' by Group 1 Crew. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gene Bertoncini

Artist:Gene Bertoncini

Song:Quiet Night of Quiet Stars

Album:Jobim: Someone to Light Up My Life

Jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini plays jazz on a classical style guitar. It's an acoustic guitar with nylon strings. Most jazz musicians use steel strings but Bertoncini says he's looking for a softer sound. He was born Apr, 6, 1937 in New York City. His father played guitar and harmonica. Bertoncini began to play guitar at age seven and appeared on a kids TV show at age 16. The classical influence is his guitar teacher Chuck Wayne told him to listen to classical guitar legend Julian Bream. That's the sound that Bertoncini is looking for. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering at Notre Dame. But instead he moved to Chicago to get into the jazz scene. He said in a recent interview that his parents were OK with that. He moved back to New York and was in Buddy Rich's band. He also worked as a sideman with Clark Terry, Monty Alexander, Herbie Mann and Duke Pearson. He was in Skitch Henderson's Tonight Show band when the show was in New York. And then when the show moved to Los Angeles, Bertoncini moved too and was in the Tonight Show band for most of the 70s. He also got into session work. That's him playing guitar on the B.J. Thomas hit Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head. Bertoncini made his recording debut as a leader in 1969. He has recorded mostly for small labels. Quiet Night of Quiet Stars is from the 1995 album Someone to Light Up My Life. The album is a tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim with Bertoncini on guitar and John Arruci and Jon Bates on drums and percussion. The album is on Chiaroscuro which is the largest label Bertoncini has ever recorded for. Though he last recorded as a leader in 2009, Bertoncini still turns up as a sideman. And he still plays New York clubs with his longtime bassist Mike Moore. Plus he does guitar tutorials on YouTube. So I don't think Gene Bertoncini is retiring at age 85. Here's Gene Bertoncini with guitarists Roberto Lubambo and Ken Hatfield performing Quiet Night of Quiet Stars July 16, 2012. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-La Bouche

Artist:La Bouche

Song:Sweet Dreams

Album:Sweet Dreams

The 1995 single Sweet Dreams was one of two hit singles for the duo La Bouche. It's a song I'm sure you have heard but know nothing about the group. That's why I'm here. I know everything. The man behind La Bouche was German producer Frank Farian. He was behind Boney M and notoriously Milli Vanilli. His co-producers were DJ Ulli Brenner and music producer Amir Saraf. The singer was Melanie Thornton and the rapper was Lane McCray. Melanie was from Charleston, SC. She moved to Germany in 1991 where her brother-in-law was in the US Army. McCray was in the US Air Force which he left for music. He met Melanie and they formed the cover band Groovin' Affairs and played German clubs. Melanie also did session work with Brenner and Saraf. When they brought her to Farian, he wanted to pair her with a rapper and she recommended McCray. Farian released the 1995 album Sweet Dreams on his own label with BMG Germany distribution. When Be My Lover topped the German chart, RCA picked up the album for US distribution. Sweet Dreams reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Be My Lover reached #6. The album was certified Platinum. It was a big success especially in Europe. Melanie co-wrote both songs and McCray co-wrote Be My Lover. The album is available as a budget CD. When the 1998 album S.O.S. wasn't successful, Melanie left La Bouche to go solo. She released an album in 2001. But then sadly she died in a Nov. 24, 2001 plane crash in Switzerland. McCray has released several solo albums and continued to perform as La Bouche with different singers. Here's the video for Sweet Dreams by La Bouche.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-forever JONES

Artist:forever JONES

Song:He Wants It All

Album:Get Ready

Contemporary gospel fans are going to want to check out this 2010 album by the family group forever JONES. They were led by Dewitt Jones and his wife Kim. They are from Washington state. Dewitt wrote the gospel standard Use Me for Ron Kenoly. He claims God gave him a "specific call" to start the group with his five kids. They are D'Jeniele Hooten on guitar and vocals, Dominique Jones on vocals and piano, Mya Jones on vocals, Dewitt Jones IV on bass and Judah Jones on drums. I guess the idea was to showcase the five kids. Their manager introduced them to producer Tommy Sims and he got them a record deal with EMI Gospel. He produced the 2010 album Get Ready. The parents wrote most of the songs. But the lead single He Wants It All was written and sung by Dominique. I thought at the time that she had star potential. They were nominated for two Grammys. The 2012 album Musical Revival was produced by Keith Thomas. When it didn't do as well, a third album was recorded. But I don't think it was ever released. And Dominique decided to go solo. She now calls herself DOE. Her big break came when she appeared on the 2018 Jonathan McReynolds single Cycles. This got her a deal with RCA Inspiration and her debut album Clarity was released Feb. 2022. She got four Dove nomination. I told you she's a star. Here's the video for He Wants It All by forever JONES.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Cory Mckenna vs Cheyanne Vlismas

Here's the match video of Cory McKenna vs Cheyanne Vlismas from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was at Strawweight. The UFC looks at both fighters as prospects. But I don't think this fight did anything for either. Cory is from Wales. She trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. Cheyanne trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. She's mostly a striker. Cory is probably a more complete fighter. But in round one they were just pawing at each other not doing much of anything. I would score a round like that 9-9 for doing nothing. But judges don't do that and they scored it 10-9 for Cheyanne for marginally better striking. Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo must have seen the same thing I saw because they told Cory to get her act together. She was much better in the other two rounds. So Cory won the fight 29-28. But I think the UFC was looking for one of these fighters to step up and neither of them did that. Very disappointing. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Filter

Artist:Filter

Song:Take a Picture

Album:The Very Best Things 1995-2008

After he left Nine Inch Nails as a touring guitarist in 1993, Richard Patrick formed Filter. They had success in the late 90s. Take a Picture was their biggest hit. Patrick formed Filter with guitarist Brian Liesegang. Liesegang lived with Trent Reznor when he lived in New Orleans. He appeared on the Broken EP but he left Nine Inch Nails when Reznor moved to Los Angeles. Patrick wasn't satisfied with being a touring member of NIN so he formed Filter. They signed with Reprise Records and released the 1995 album Short Bus. The album was just Patrick and Liesegang in the studio. Patrick wrote all the songs. So like Nine Inch Nails, Filter wasn't really a band and they hired musicians for touring. The single Hey Man Nice Shot would have been a bigger hit but it was thought to be about Kurt Cobain's suicide. Many radio stations refused to play it. The song was not about Cobain but the controversy made the album go Platinum. After touring, they recorded (Can't You) Trip Like I Do with Crystal Method for the Spawn soundtrack. This convinced Liesegang that Filter should go in an electronic music direction. Patrick didn't like that and since he wrote the songs, he had control. Liesegang left and that's when Filter became a solo act in the studio. He did bring the touring musicians for the 1999 album Title of Record. But it doesn't look like they contributed much. The single Take a Picture reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Platinum. That was the high point for Filter. After the 2002 album The Amalgamut, all the band members left and Filter left Reprise. This comp is available as a digital download. Patrick went on hiatus, appeared in a couple of one off supergroups and returned to Filter in 2007. Since then Filter has recorded for Pulse, Rocket Science Ventures and Wind-Up. There is a new album coming in 2023. Here's the video for Take a Picture by Filter.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai vs Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai defending the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships vs Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox. This is Tegan's first match since her WWE return. She and Dakota have a long history together. I would describe both as decent wrestlers but probably overrated by HHH. The match was OK but not great. The major complaint that I heard was that the champs should be more dominant against a thrown together team. I agree with that but considering the finish, I think the WWE was trying to establish Liv and Tegan as a threat for the titles. And of course that finish had Bayley try to interfere and then a hooded figure superkicked Tegan and that led to Iyo's moonsault for the finish. The hooded figure was apprehended by security and was revealed to be Xia Li. We don't know yet what the plans are for Xia but I'm sure we'll find out soon. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Travis Wammack

Artist:Travis Wammack

Song:Scratchy

Album:That Scratchy Guitar from Memphis

Guitarist Travis Wammack was 17 years old when Scratchy charted in 1964. Though he never had that big hit single to make him a big star, Wammack has had along career as a session musician and musical director. And he still tours. He was born in 1946 in Walnut, MS. His family moved to the Memphis suburb of Binghampton when he was three and he started playing guitar at age eight. He was neighbors with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette and they told Memphis DJ Eddie Bond about Wammack. He performed as Little Travis in Bond's "jamboree" events. And he recorded a single in 1957. Wammack recorded Scratchy in 1962 for Ara Records. It was on the B side of Fire Fly. He wrote and recorded it with session drummer Gene Chrisman and it was produced by Sun Records guitarist and Sonic Studios owner Roland James. Atlantic picked Scratchy up for distribution in 1964 and it did chart. Wammack recorded for Atlantic until 1967 but he never had another chart hit. The most notable thing about Scratchy is the use of distortion. Supposedly Wammack was the first guitarist to use a fuzz box. This CD from Bear Family has all of Wammack's 60s recordings. In 1969, Wammack moved to Muscle Shoals to work for Rick Hall's FAME Studios. When some of the musicians left FAME to start Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Wammack stayed at FAME. He played on plenty of hit records including Patches by Clarence Carter and One Bad Apple by The Osmonds. Wammack continued to record occasionally. And he was Little Richard's musical director from 1984-95. He continues to play gigs with his band The Snakeman Band. Wammack is a big rattlesnake fancier. Here's a video for Scratchy by Travis Wammack.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frank Sinatra

Artist:Frank Sinatra

Song:Night and Day

Album:The Fabulous Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey

The Cole Porter standard Night and Day was Frank Sinatra's first solo recording in 1942. He was already very successful singing with Tommy Dorsey's band. But Sinatra felt it was time to go. His timing wasn't the best but I'll get to that in a minute. In 1939, Sinatra left the Harry James band for Tommy Dorsey. His recordings with Dorsey made Sinatra the very first teen idol. But by the end of 1941, it became clear to Sinatra that he had outgrown the Dorsey band and he needed to go solo. After bugging Dorsey relentlessly, he was allowed to record Night and Day and three other songs for RCA's Bluebird label in January 1942 with Dorsey's arranger Axel Stordahl. The record reached #16 on the Hit Parade. Now Sinatra really wanted to go solo. It wasn't easy but Sinatra was able to get out of his contract with Dorsey in August 1942. He also took Stordahl with him. Of course later that year, Sinatra made his famed appearance at New York's Paramount Theater where Sinatramania was born. Then he signed with Columbia Records. Unfortunately, this was during the musician's strike. Columbia's solution was to release the 1939 recording of All or Nothing at All that Sinatra made with Harry James as a Sinatra recording. It was his first big solo hit. Though Sinatra would record Night and Day many times over the years, the 1942 version is a discography orphan. This the only time Sinatra recorded for RCA. Over the years RCA has released comps with Sinatra's Dorsey recordings with Night and Day added. That's what this budget comp is. Sony released a career spanning Sinatra box set in 2007 but it's too expensive. Here's Frank Sinatra performing Night and Day in the 1943 film Reveille with Beverley. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Arrested Development

Artist:Arrested Development

Song:Tennessee

Album:The Best of Arrested Development

The rap group Arrested Development made a big splash with their 1992 debut album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... Tennessee was the first of three top ten hit singles. And the album was certified 4XPlatinum. When the 1984 album Zingalamaduni did poorly, they split up. Arrested Development leader Todd "Speech" Thomas is from Milwaukee. He was in the group Attack from 1984-86. After they split up, he was a club DJ. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1988, he met turntablist Timothy "Headliner" Barnwell and they formed Arrested Development. Thomas wanted them to be a positive alternative to gangsta rap. Thomas was lead rapper and he wrote all the songs. The much older Baba Oje was the group's spiritual advisor. There were other singers, dancers and musicians in Arrested Development but they were disposable. Thomas ran the show. The 1992 album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of... is how long it took Arrested Development to get a record deal with Chrysalis Records. Tennessee was the first single and it reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Thomas wrote the song after he saw his brother at his grandmother's funeral and then his brother died soon after from a severe asthma attack. Today it is still considered to be one of the best rap songs of all time. The singer is Dionne Ferris who would go on to have solo success a couple of years later. She sang on four songs on the album. The album was certified 4XPlatinum. They scored two other top ten hits, toured and released an MTV Unplugged album. When the 1994 album Zingalamaduni did poorly, Arrested Development officially disbanded in 1996. In recent years, Thomas has admitted that he and Barnwell weren't getting along and that caused the split. Thomas went on to release a solo album in 1996. Thomas reformed Arrested Development minus Barnwell in 2000. He records on his own label and continues to tour. Here's the video for Tennessee by Arrested Development. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Class of '99

Artist:Class of '99

Song:Another Brick in the Wall

Album:The Faculty: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture

Class of '99 was a supergroup that was assembled to record a cover of Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall for Robert Rodriguez' 1999 film The Faculty. The band was formed specifically for this film and they only recorded once. I don't know exactly why this was done. But I suspect someone at Columbia Records thought it would be a good gimmick to market the soundtrack album. Remember The Faculty was a film that was marketed to teens. The band was Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine on guitar, Matchbox Twenty producer Matt Serletic on keyboards, Martyn LeNoble of Porno for Pyros on bass and Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction on drums. The band was only supposed to be a one shot deal. And it turned out to be Staley's final recorded appearance as he died in 2002. It was released as a single and it is only available on The Faculty soundtrack album. Ugh! Here's the video for Another Brick in the Wall by Class of '99. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae from last night's episode of RAW. Last week Candice beat Dakota Kai. So this week she gets to face Iyo. These two worked together in NXT. I just didn't think the match ever got into high gear. It was OK but it's almost like they are saving their best for later. Iyo won with the moonsault. Enjoy the video! 

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. This was after Rhea's post match attack last week. Asuka has been teasing change on Twitter all week by posting pics of herself as the evil clown character that she did in Japan. Then she came out with her usual robe and mask. When she took them off, she was wearing no face paint for the very first time in the WWE, no smile and much darker gear than usual. She's trying to present herself in a more serious way. She still wore the red Nike sneakers. Rhea comes out with Dominick Mysterio. And do the fans hate him. The match was very competitive as you would expect. And of course Dominick interfered at the end. Asuka had Rhea in the Asuka Lock when Dominick places Rhea's leg on the ropes for the break. Asuka responded with the poison mist to blind Dominick. The distraction was enough for Rhea to push Asuka into Dominick and then win with the Riptide. I don't know exactly what Asuka's new character will be like. Commentary was even discussing it so something is up. We'll see what she does. The only question is when will this happen. I think she is going home to visit her mom over the holidays. She hasn't been home in three years. So we may not see the change until January. I'm looking forward to it. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-SHeDAISY

Artist:SHeDAISY

Song:I Will...But

Album:The Whole SHeBANG

The girl group SHeDAISY got off to a good start when their 1999 debut album The Whole SHeBANG was certified Platinum and three singles cracked the country top ten. But they faded after that and by 2006 they didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Their music was country pop. SHeDAISY is from Magna, UT which is near Salt Lake City. The group name is derived from a Navajo term meaning "my little sister". The group is sisters Kristyn, Kelsi and Kassidy Osborn. Kristyn writes most of the songs. Kassidy sings lead. They started singing together as kids. At first they performed as The Osborn Sisters. They signed with RCA in 1989. They recorded an album but it was never released. Kristyn says they were young and did what they were told instead of standing up for themselves. The girls returned to working day jobs and performing at night until they got a record deal with Disney owned Lyric Street Records in 1999. The album The Whole SHeBANG soon followed. There were three top ten country singles. Little Good-Byes reached #3. This Woman Needs reached #9. I Will...But reached #2. The album was certified Platinum. The album was produced by veteran session guitarist and former CCM musician Dann Huff. Kristyn wrote all the songs with veteran Nashville songwriters. She wrote I Will...But with Jason Deere. She wrote a lot of songs with him. They probably clicked because he's a Mormon from Oklahoma. SHeDAISY appeared on the Disney Channel show So Weird and the ABC series The Drew Carey Show. They released a Christmas album in 2000 and hosted a Christmas special on TNN. The major criticism of SHeDAISY at the time was they were too pop and not country enough. And that may explain why subsequent albums did not perform well. Huff continued to produce and Kristyn continued to write all the songs. They finally switched to a new producer for the 2006 album Fortuneteller's Melody. But it was too late and while recording in Canada with Jann Arden, Lyric Street dropped SHeDAISY. They haven't recorded since then and I don't think they are active. Here's the video for I Will...But by SHeDAISY.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rod Stewart

Artist:Rod Stewart f/Ronald Isley

Song:This Old Heart of Mine

Album:Storyteller: The Complete Anthology 1964-1990

Anyone familiar with this blog will know that I like to write about discography orphans. These are recordings from outside an artist's standard discography and can be difficult to track down. That's not the case with Rod Stewart's recording of The Isley Brothers classic This Old Heart of Mine with Ronald Isley. But it was recorded for the 1989 4CD box set Storyteller so it is a discography orphan. But it is easy to find. It's not surprising that Stewart would want to record with one of his musical heroes. Stewart has always sprinkled R&B classics throughout his recordings. In fact, he recorded This Old Heart of Mine on the 1975 album Atlantic Crossing. That was his first album for Warner Bros. When record companies are compiling a career spanning box set, they will usually include recordings exclusive to the box set. This is to get fans to spend a lot of money on something they don't need. On Storyteller, those two recordings are This Old Heart Heart of Mine and Stewart's cover of the Tom Waits song Downtown Train. Both were released as singles. This Old Heart of Mine reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Downtown Train reached #3. This Old Heart of Mine was produced by Bernard Edwards and Trevor Rabin. The Storyteller box set was certified 2XPlatinum. So I think it's fair to say that Warner Bros.' strategy was successful. They also released the single CD distillation of the box set Downtown Train for those who don't want the whole box set. These are both easy to get at a reasonable price. Here's the video for This Old Heart of Mine by Rod Stewart featuring Ronald Isley.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rythm Syndicate

Artist:Rythm Syndicate

Song P.A.S.S.I.O.N.

Album:All Ultimate Dance

P.A.S.S.I.O.N. was a top five hit in 1991. It was the only big hit for Rythm Syndicate. They only recorded two albums so they weren't around very long. Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers have been around the New York R&B scene since the mid-80s mostly as producers. Rogers released the 1985 album Love Games on RCA and he released another album in 1989. He started working with Sturken and they had success with the 1986 Gavin Christopher single One Step Closer to You. But they really hit it big by writing and producing Donny Osmond's 1988 top five hit Soldier of Love. They started their own label Impact Records with MCA Records distribution. There were other artists on the label like The Fixx and Joey Lawrence. But Rogers still wanted to be a performer. So they formed the band Rythm Syndicate. BTW, the spelling was corrected for the second album. The rest of the band was Mike McDonald on guitar, John "Noodle" Nevin on bass, Rob Mingrino on sax and Kevin Cloud on drums. Rogers was lead singer, Sturken played guitar and keyboards and they wrote and produced everything. An album was released in 1991 and the big surprise was when P.A.S.S.I.O.N. reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released an album in 1992 but when it wasn't successful, Sturken and Rogers ended the band and closed the record label. You can get P.A.S.S.I.O.N. on 2CD various artists budget comp from Madacy. Sturken and Rogers continued to have success as producers with acts like Boyzone, NSYNC and Alabama. The big one was when Rogers met Rihanna while he was visiting family in Barbados. They have their own artist development company Syndicated Rhythm Productions in a joint venture with Universal. They have developed artists like Blue Note Records singer Kandace Springs. And they have started hiring young writers and producers to work under them. Here's the video for P.A.S.S.I.O.N. by Rythm Syndicate.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs The Bunny

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her Regina di WAVE championship vs The Bunny from last night's episode of AEW Rampage. The winner of this match gets an AEW Women's Championship match against Jamie Hayter on next week's AEW Dynamite. The Regina di WAVE belt just shows that not all title belts are created equal. Pro Wrestling WAVE has not been a full time promotion for a couple of years. The name of the belt is probably a joke. The only thing I will say about The Bunny is I see no reason to try and turn her into a wrestler. She isn't any good at it. Hikaru tries to make her look good but she lets her have way too much offense. This match should have been a squash. So I didn't care much for the match. I don't expect Hikaru to win the title on Wednesday. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Greg Long

Artist:Greg Long f/Margaret Becker

Song:How Long

Album:The Definitive Collection

Singer songwriter Greg Long had success in CCM in the 90s. He joined the popular group Avalon and he is still in that group. He was born Dec. 12, 1966 in Aberdeen, SD. As a child, he travelled with his father's music ministry. He signed with Word's Myrrh label and released his debut album Cross My Heart in 1994. The album was produced by former Kansas lead singer John Elefante and his brother Dino Elefante. They had their own label with a distribution deal with Myrrh. How Long topped the CCM charts. Margaret Becker was a popular CCM artist. It's the kind of record that could have crossed over to pop if it been marketed that way. Word did that but not with Long. Maybe he didn't want that. Long wrote four songs on the album. How Long was written by veteran CCM songwriters Connie Harrington and Joe Beck. Long continued to have success in the CCM market. He recorded three albums with the Elefante brothers. When he switched to new producers for the 2000 album Now, it wasn't as successful. And that led to Long leaving Word. After one more album in 2004, Long decided to replace Michael Passons in the CCM group Avalon. His wife Janna is a member of Avalon. Word released this comp in 2007. Long continues to record and tour with Avalon. He doesn't record solo anymore. Here's the video for How Long by Greg Long featuring Margaret Becker. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Beartooth

Artist:Beartooth

Song:Aggressive

Album:Aggressive

I would describe Beartooth as a metal band with punk vocals. They have had success as an album and touring band. Caleb Shomo does everything in the studio himself and he hires musicians for touring. Shomo is from Columbus, OH. He began writing Beartooth songs while he was in the band Attack Attack!. He was going to call the band Noise. But that name was taken so he changed it to Beartooth which is a street in Columbus. Beartooth was never supposed to be a band. But after he left Attack Attack!, Shomo took it more seriously. As I said, Shomo does everything in the studio and hires musicians for tours. After releasing a couple of songs online and then uploading a live performance video, Beartooth played some gigs including the 2013 Van Warped Tour. I think the video got them their record deal with Red Bull Records. The band continued to tour while Shomo was recording the 2014 album Disgusting. This was followed by the 2016 album Aggressive. This was all supported by constant touring. There were constant changes in the tour band because Shomo just teaches them the songs. They aren't part of the creative process. Why make a commitment to that? Shomo seems to have eased up on that. On Beartooth's 2021 album Below, he actually had the band musicians record the album in the studio. Well, that's progress. Beartooth released a single in July. They will tour Europe in 2023 and then return to the US for festival season. Here's the video for Aggressive by Beartooth. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nine Inch Nails

Artist:Nine Inch Nails

Song:Closer

Album:The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails (NIN) took the industrial rock sound of Joy Division and New Order mainstream in the 90s. They are mainly an album and touring band but some singles like Closer charted. Closer is probably their signature song. Trent Reznor is the leader of Nine Inch Nails. He does everything himself in the studio and hires musicians for tours. Reznor was living in Cleveland in 1987 and playing keyboards for the synth pop band The Exotic Birds. He also worked as an assistant engineer at a recording studio. He was allowed to use the studio to record demos between bookings. When he couldn't find musicians to play his songs, Reznor played all the instruments himself. He released a single that got him a record deal with TVT Records. He released the 1989 album Pretty Hate Machine. Reznor chose the band name Nine Inch Nails because it is easy to abbreviate. I think what really helped NIN even in their early days is all of their videos went into heavy rotation on MTV. They toured and Reznor started smashing his equipment while on stage. TVT wanted a follow up album but they wanted it to be more commercial. His response was he wanted his contract terminated. Reznor's plan was to release his music under a different name on his own label Nothing Records. Interscope's Jimmy Iovine intervened and acquired Reznor's contract from TVT. Reznor was unhappy at first but Iovine said he would leave him alone. The 1992 single Broken was released and NIN won a Grammy for Best Metal Pweformance for the Single Wish. The EP had a harder sound influenced by their live performances. The 1994 album The Downward Spiral is NIN's biggest seller. The album reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 200 and it was certified 4XPlatinnum. The single Closer reached #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Again, I credit a lot of the success to MTV. NIN would not release another album until Fragile in 1999. The album did OK but I think the delay hurt it. And then he released the next album in 2005. Then he got into a dispute with Interscope over the release of the 2007 album Year Zero. Normally I would recommend a NIN comp. But there isn't one meaning Reznor won't allow it. The Downward Spiral is available on CD. Nine Inch Nails still releases music on their own label. Of course they aren't as successful as they were in the 90s. But who is? They had a pretty good mostly thanks to MTV. Here's the video for Closer by Nine Inch Nails. This is the uncensored version and is NSFW. The video is on Vevo but is age restricted so I can't post it on the blog. Fortunately, it is on Vimeo.  

Nine Inch Nails: Closer (Uncensored) (1994) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tamir Hendelman

Artist:Tamir Hendelman

Song:Israeli Waltz

Album:Destinations

Pianist Tamir Hendelman is mainly a sideman. But he has recorded a couple of albums that are worth checking out. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1972. He started taking piano lessons at age six. Hendelman moved to the US in 1984. Then in 1986 he won Yamaha's National Keyboard competition. Concerts in Japan and Kennedy Center followed. Hendelman studied at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA and then he studied at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and earned a Bachelor in Music Composition. He was musical director at Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts in Salinas, KS. Hendelman moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and has become an in demand sideman and studio musician. Since 2000 he has been a member of drummer Jeff Hamilton's band and the offshoot band The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He has also appeared with Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Tierney Sutton, Roberta Gambarini. Michael Buble, John Pizzarelli, Gladys Knight and Diana Krall. Hendelman has recorded two albums as a leader. Israeli Waltz is an original composition from the 2010 album Destination on Resonance Records. Musicians are Marco Panascia on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. The album is worth checking out. That is Hendelman's most recent album as a leader. But he seems satisfied with being a sideman on all kinds of projects. Here's Tamir Hendelman with Marco Panascia and Lewis Nash performing Israeli Waltz at Spazio's in Sherman Oaks, CA 2010. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bayley vs Rhea Ripley vs Asuka

Here's the match video for Bayley vs Rhea Ripley vs Asuka from last night's episode of RAW. The WWE decided to run two three way matches to determine the next challenger for Bianca Belair's WWE RAW Women's Championship. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I don't like three way matches as they have a formula and that formula is stale. I would have added Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky and turn it into a tournament. That would have been more interesting but this takes less time. The other match had Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss vs Nikki Cross. The winners face each other next week and the title match is in two weeks. I would have guessed that Rhea and Becky would win these three ways. But instead they decided to have Bayley win this match and then have Damage Contrl take out Becky and have Alexa win. Next week I expect Becky to return the favor so Alexa can win. And then the Bray Wyatt stuff will come to the surface during the title match. As for this match, it's pretty good. I know Asuka doesn't care about winning and losing. She only cares about money. But fans do care and they need to give her some wins at some point. With the post match, they set up possible revenge on Rhea. But I don't know if they will follow through with that. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-McBride & The Ride

Artist:McBride & The Ride

Song:Sacred Ground

Album:Country's Best

The 1992 single Sacred Ground was the biggest hit for the country group McBride & The Ride. They scored four top ten country hits. The unusual thing about McBride & The Ride is they were created in 1989 by MCA Records Executive VP Tony Brown. He's probably best known for producing Steve Earle. Brown was looking for a group to compete with Alabama who he thought was in decline. The three members of McBride & The Ride did not know each other. Lead singer Terry McBride is the son of 70s country singer Dale McBride. Up to this point, McBride was a backup singer. Guitarist Ray Herndon was in Lyle Lovett's band and a studio musician. Drummer Billy Thomas was in Emmylou Harris' band. Brown introduced them to each other at FanFair. The guys went into the studio and recorded an album. When the first two singles didn't chart, MCA thought of dropping the whole thing. But when the single Can I Count on You reached #15 on the Country Singles chart, MCA released the album Burnin' Up the Road and McBride & The Ride toured to support it. McBride wrote all the songs on the album. The 1992 album Sacred Ground was McBride & The Ride's most successful album. The single Sacred Ground reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. Two other singles reached the top ten and the album was certified Gold. Though McBride again wrote most of the songs, Sacred Ground was written and recorded by Kix Brooks before he became one half of Brooks & Dunn. McBride & The Ride's third album Hurry Sundown spawned one more top five. But it looks like Brown was unhappy with the results. He decided to bring in an all new band and change the name to Terry McBride & The Ride. After a 1995 album was unsuccessful, that was the end of the band. MCA released this comp in 1996. Terry McBride has had a lot of success as a songwriter, especially for Brooks & Dunn. He was their bassist. He's written several hits for them including the 2005 #1 country hit Play Something Country. McBride has released two solo albums. McBride & The Ride reunited in 2000 and released an album on Dualtone Records in 2002. They split up again and Herndon released a solo album in 2005. Thomas toured with Little River Band and was in Vince Gill's Western Swing band The Time Jumpers. McBride & The Ride has reunited again and they released a single last month. Here's the video for Sacred Ground by McBride & The Ride.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tee-Set

Artist:Tee-Set

Song:Ma Belle Amie

Album:The Heritage-Colossus Story

Ma Belle Amie was a top five hit in 1969. It was the only international hit for the Dutch band Tee-Set. They were successful at home. Tee-Set was formed in 1965 in Delft, Netherlands by lead singer Peter Tetteroo. He also wrote Ma Belle Amie. It looks like he was the only consistent member of Tee-Set. By the time Ma Belle Amie was released in 1969, the band personnel had turned over a couple of times. They had success at home but Ma Belle Amie reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. They had success at home after that. She Likes Weeds topped the Dutch chart in 1970. The success of Ma Belle Amie begins and ends with veteran producer Jerry Ross. He wrote The Supremes' I'm Gonna Make You Love Me with Kenny Gamble. And he produced Bobby Hebb's Sunny while he was working for Mercury Records. He started Heritage Records in 1966. And though he had some success with that, he went to Europe in 1969 hunting for hits. The biggest hit to come from that was the #1 hit Venus by The Shocking Blue. He heard Ma Belle Amie in a club in Switzerland and signed Tee-Set. Then the song was a hit. Tee-Set continued to have success at home until they split up in 1975 but Ma Belle Amie was their only international hit. Tetteroo died in 2002. Ross closed Colossus in 1971. The British label Sequel has released The Heritage-Colossus Story and it is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Ma Belle Amie by Tee-Set. 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yazmin Jauregui vs Istela Nunes

Here's the match video of Yazmin Jauregui vs Istela Nunes from last night's UFC show in Orlando. This fight is at Strawweight. Yazmin is 23 years old from Tijuana, Mexico. She trains at Entram which is the biggest gym in Mexico. She won her UFC debut despite having the UFC jitters. Istela is 30 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas. She lost her first two UFC fights. She starts out OK but her endurance is suspect. And that's what happened in this fight. Istela knocked Yazmin down early in round one and that was enough for Istela to win the round 10-9. But Yazmin knocked Istela down in round two and proceeded to pound her until the fight was stopped. Yazmin wins by TKO. We'll see how she does in her next fight. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Angela Hill vs Emily Ducote

Here's the match video of Angela Hill vs Emily Ducote from last night's UFC show in Orlando. This fight was at Strawweight. Angela is a UFC veteran who trains at Alliance in San Diego. She is a kickboxer with no ground game. With a 14-12 record, she is lower midcard at best. But she has a bright future as a broadcaster. Emily fought mostly as a Flyweight in Bellator. But she should be fighting at Strawweight. After she won a couple of fights in Invicta, she won her UFC debut in July. Emily trains at American Top Team in Oklahoma City. I thought she had a good shot to win this fight. But Emily takes the wrong approach. The way to beat Angela is to be aggressive with her and back her up. Or take her down because she has no ground game. Instead Emily allows Angela to back her up. And that gives Angela more confidence. This is the exact opposite of what Emily's coaches wanted. So Angela won easily. She didn't look any different than usual. But Emily fought poorly. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Adam Ant

Artist:Adam Ant

Song:Goody Two Shoes

Album:The Essential Adam Ant

Adam Ant became famous as the lead singer of the late 70s band Adam and the Ants. After going solo in 1982, he scored his biggest hit with his debut single Goody Two Shoes. He got into acting after that. He was born Stuart Leslie Goddard Nov. 3, 1954 in Marlyebone, London, England. His parents divorced when he was seven years old and he lived with his mother. After graduating from high school Goddard studied graphic design at Hornsey College of Art. But he dropped out to pursue a career in music. His first band was Bazooka Joe in 1975. After watching the Sex Pistols, Goddard knew he wanted a new name. He chose Adam because he was the first man and Ant because the ants will survive the apocalypse. Then he formed Adam and the Ants. At first they were a punk band. Ant appeared in Derek Jarman's 1977 Jubilee and performed a couple of songs. Adam and the Ants released the 1979 album Dirk Wears White Sox. Then Ant approached Malcolm McLaren about managing the band. He took the band minus Ant and turned them into Bow Wow Wow. McLaren told Ant his music wasn't commercial enough. Ant formed a new Adam and the Ants. They recorded three albums for CBS Records and were very successful in England. But he wasn't happy with the band. So he took Adam and the Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni and started a solo career. Goody Two Shoes was the first single and it topped the British Singles chart and reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would turn out to be Ant's biggest hit. He and Pirroni wrote and produced it. The song has a Rockabilly feel. Ant formed a band for touring. But in the studio it was Ant and Pirroni. After two albums, Ant went on hiatus to concentrate on acting. He wouldn't record again until 1990. For the most part, Ant has appeared in B movies and TV. In 1990, Ant signed with MCA and released the album Manners & Physique. This was a collaboration with former Prince band member Andre Cymone. The single Room at the Top charted and did especially well in dance clubs. Ant recorded two albums for MCA and then reunited with Pirroni for a 1995 album on EMI. After that he seemed to concentrate on acting again. He didn't seem to know what he wanted to do in music. This Sony budget comp covers Ant's entire career including Adam and the Ants. Ant released his autobiography in 2006. He released an album on his own label in 2013 and he toured to support it. He was planning to release an album in 2020 and tour. But this was delayed by the pandemic and Ant says the album will be released when he is ready to tour. Here's the video for Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sponge

Artist:Sponge

Song:Have You Seen Mary

Album:Playlist: The Very Best of Sponge

Sponge had success in the mid-90s mostly on the Alternative Rock chart. They were classified as grunge with hard rock tendencies. That was a crowded market at the time. Sponge is from Detroit. Drummer Vinnie Dombroski, guitarist Mike Cross and bassist Tim Cross were in the band Loudhouse led by Kenny Mugwump. After a 1991 album on Virgin, Mugwump decided to get into acting so he left the band. Dombroski took over lead vocals and brought in drummer Jimmy Palluzzi. The band was renamed Sponge. They signed with Sony's Work Group label and released the 1994 album Rotting Pinata. The singles Plowed and Molly charted on the Alternative Rock chart. The album was certified Gold. The band write and produce themselves. Palluzzi was replaced by Chatlie Grover. Sponge toured to support the album and appeared on the late night talk shows. For the 1996 album Wax Ecstatic, Sponge was moved to Columbia. The band went for a more hard rock sound. Have You Seen Mary appeared in the 1997 film Chasing Amy. Columbia was unhappy with the album sales and Sponge was dropped. This budget comp covers the Columbia albums. Since then they have recorded for Beyond, Idol, Bellum, their own label and they currently record for Cleopatra. Sponge's latest album Lavatorium was released last year. Dombroski is the only original member. What happened at Sony? My guess is the label switch meant a cut to Sponge's promotion budget. More spending equals increased record sales. Here's the video for Have You Seen Mary by Sponge. The girl in the video is Beth Bladen. Per imdb, she appeared in two music videos.