AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ja Rule

Artist:Ja Rule f/Ashanti

Song:Always on Time

Album:Icon

The 2001 single Always on Time is the biggest hit to date for rapper Jeffrey "Ja Rule" Atkins. He was very successful at the time. His decline probably had more to do with the decline of his label owner Irv Gotti than anything Atkins did. He has a new album coming out. He was born Feb. 29, 1976 in Queens, NY. His parents split up when he was very young. His mom was a nurse and because she worked a lot, Atkins was raised mostly by his grandparents. He was a drug dealer as a teen. He started his rap career in 1994 with the group Cash Money Click with Chris Black and Otha "O-1" Miller. When friends started calling Atkins Ja Rule, he just kept the name. They worked on music with DJ Irv who would later call himself Irv Gotti. His real name is Irving Lorenzo Jr. The group signed with TVT Records and were starting to get somewhere when Black was jailed for five years. Back to square one for Atkins. Lorenzo got an A&R job with DefJam and signed Atkins. When DefJam gave Lorenzo his own label Murder Inc., Atkins was his flagship artist. After a few guest shots, Atkins' 1999 debut single Holla Holla reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was certified Platinum. With the 2000 album Rule 3:36, Lorenzo took Atkins in a more pop direction. Boy, did that pay off. The single Between Me and You featuring Christina Milian reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next single Put It on Me featuring Vita and Lil Mo reached #8. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Atkins' next album Pain Is Love was even more successful. The single Livin' It Up featuring Case reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Atkins appeared on the Jennifer Lopez single I'm Real. That topped the charts. This was followed by Always on Time featuring Ashanti. That also topped the charts. It is to date Atkins' only #1 hit. Pain Is Love was certified 3XPlatinum. Atkins wrote Always on Time with frequent songwriting partner Marcus "Aurelius 7" Vest and Lorenzo and Lorenzo produced. Apparently they wanted Brandy for this song. Ashanti was a Murder Inc. artist. That was the height of Atkins' success. You can get all of his hits on this comp. Atkins seemed more interested in feuding with 50 Cent. And the Murder Inc. were raided by the FBI due to accusations of money laundering. So Atkins left DefJam and went on hiatus after the 2004 album R.U.L.E. Lorenzo also left DefJam and started his new label Mpire with Universal. Atkins returned with the 2012 album Pain Is Love 2 produced by Lorenzo and Vest. By the time the album was released, Atkins started a two year jail sentence for gun possession. Atkins has promised a new album since 2016. He claims it will be his final album. It is supposed to be released this year. He has also done some acting and a lot of reality TV. But he was big for a couple of years. Here's the video for Always on Time by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lalo Rodriguez

Artist:Lalo Rodriguez

Song:Ven Devorame Otra Vez

Album:Seie Cinco Estrellas de Oro

Puerto Rican singer Lalo Rodriguez was very successful with what is called Salsa Romantica. The 1988 single Ven Devorame Otra Vez was his biggest hit and his signature song. He was born Ubaldo Rodriguez May 16, 1958 in Carolina, PR. At age 12 he joined Tempo Moderno. At age 16 he appeared on Eddie Palmieri's 1974 album Sun of Latin Music. That won a Grammy and so did Palmieri's 1976 album Unfinished Masterpiece. Palmieri nicknamed him Lalo. Next was Tommy Olivencia's Introducing Lalo Rodriguez & Simon Perez. Then Rodriguez appeared on Machito's 1977 album Fireworks. He appeared on a couple of Puerto Rican All Stars albums including the 1979 Tribute to Eddie Palmieri. Rodriguez went solo in 1980 with producer Frank Ferrer and his Tierazzo label. Rodriguez' singing style is very similar to guys like Eddie Santiago and Frankie Ruiz. So he signed with TH-Rodven in 1988 to get on Salsa Romantica bandwagon. The album Un Nuevo Despertar topped the Billboard Tropical/Salsa chart. The single Ven Devorame Otra Vez, which translates to Come Devour Me Again, reached #10 on Billboard Hot Latin Tracks. At the 1989 Premio Lo Nuestro awards, it was names Tropical Song of the Year. And in 2018, Billboard named it one of the 15 Best Salsa Songs Ever. This was the peak of Rodriguez' career. He only recorded two albums for TH-Rodven. He spent the next decade trying to recreate the success. After recording three albums for Capitol EMI, Rodriguez seemed to retire in 1996. Apparently he recorded an album in 2000 that has not been released. Rodriguez has had a history of drug and alcohol abuse that led to him filing for divorce in 2020. The TH-Rodven recordings are owned by Universal. This budget comp is a good intro to Rodriguez' music. Here's the video for Ven Devorame Otra Vez by Lalo Rodriguez.

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC and Bellator review, UFC preview and Schwan breaks down the Taylor vs Serrano boxing match. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dizzy Gillespie f/Joe Carroll

Artist:Dizzy Gillespie f/Joe Carroll

Song:Ooh-Shoo-Be-Doo-Bee

Album:Dizzy Gillespie Sings & Plays 1951-1954 Tin Tin Deo

Though trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie is one of the most important figures in the history of jazz, he had a weakness for novelty songs influenced by Cab Calloway. Though Gillespie did sing, the singer on most of these early 50s recordings was Joe Carroll. He wrote the lyrics too. Carroll was born Joseph Paul Taylor Nov. 25, 1919 in Philadelphia. Singers were not a part of the early days of bebop until Carroll joined Gillespie's big band in 1949. He also was with Gillespie's smaller combo from 1952-54. These recordings were on Gillespie's own label Dee Gee. Though this budget CD from Giants of Jazz has Gillespie's name on it, Carroll did most of the singing. There are no Joe Carroll comp CDs. Though Carroll is not highly regarded for these recordings, legendary jazz singers like Jon Hendricks and Mark Murphy cite Carroll as a major influence. So though these recordings are undeniably silly, Carroll's recordings with Gillespie are a bridge to what jazz singing would become. Ooh-Shoo-Be Doo-Bee was released in 1953. Musicians are Gillespie on trumpet, Billy Graham on baritone sax, Wynton Kelly on piano, Bernard Griggs on bass and Al Jones on drums. Carroll and Graham wrote the song. After Gillespie, Carroll released the 1956 album Joe Carroll with The Ray Bryant Quintet on Epic and then the 1962 album Man with a Happy Sound on Charlie Parker Records which was owned by Parker's widow. Bryant was also on this album. Carroll continued to tour until his death on Feb. 1, 1981. at age 60. Here's Joe Carroll with Howard McGhee on trumpet, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Richard Davis on bass and Roy Haynes on drums performing Ooh-Shoo-Be Doo-Bee on Highlights of Jazz Apr. 8,1975.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michel Bell

Artist:Michel Bell

Song:Ol' Man River

Album:Show Boat: World Premiere Cast Recording

Michel Bell's claim to fame is he was Tony nominated for playing Joe in the 1994 Broadway revival of Show Boat. So that means he sang Ol' Man River just like Paul Robeson did in the original 30s production. Bell has appeared in other Broadway shows. But he is mostly known for this one role. It was his first major role. I assume he performed in regional theater up to that point probably on the west coast as he is from Fresno, CA. This production of Show Boat was produced by Livent owner Garth Drabinsky and veteran Broadway director Hal Prince. It was originally staged in Toronto in 1993 and moved to Broadway in 1994 where it was very successful. Drabinsky is from Toronto. Among the stars were Rebecca Luker, Mark Jacoby, Lonette McKee, Robert Morse, Elaine Stritch with Bell as Joe and Gretha Boston as Queenie. When Show Boat moved to Broadway, most of the cast came from Toronto. The original cast album is from the Toronto show. Bell was nominated for a Tony and performed Ol' Man River on the Tony awards broadcast. He toured with Show Boat after its Broadway run. Bell's other Broadway shows include The Civil War and Riverdance. He released an album of show tunes in 2014 and he performs in clubs and with symphony orchestras. It says on his website that he was once a member of The Fifth Dimension. Don't know when that was but I think he spent time in Las Vegas before Show Boat. Here's Michel Bell performing Ol' Man River on the 1994 Tony awards broadcast.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Beirut

Artist:Beirut

Song:Santa Fe

Album:The Rip Tide

Zach Condon started Beirut as a solo recording project. But he turned it into a band and hires musicians for touring. He has had success in the Alternative Rock market. Condon was born Feb. 13, 1986 in Albuquerque, NM. He played trumpet in a jazz band as a teen. While attending the University of New Mexico, Condon recorded Beirut's 2006 debut album Gulag Orkestar in his bedroom. The name Beirut is because it's a city of conflict. Condon signed with Ba Da Bing! Records and hired musicians for live shows. Santa Fe is from Beirut's 2011 album The Rip Tide released on Condon's own label. It is his best selling album to date because it's straightforward pop music. Though Condon still plays most of the instruments, bassist Paul Collins and drummer Nick Petree now record in the studio with Condon. They started out as musicians for hire. The Rip Tide is available as a digital download. Since then Condon has released two Beirut albums on 4AD, most recently in 2019. Condon recently released an album of non album songs called Artifacts. Beirut is currently not on tour. Here's the video for Santa Fe by Beirut.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Reut Regev

Artist:Reut Regev

Song:Balibalaila

Album:This Is R*Time

Along with her drummer husband Igal Foni, trombonist Reut Regev has been part of the New York avant garde jazz scene for 20 years. This Is R*Time is her debut album as a leader. Reut was born and raised in Israel. After taking piano lessons as a child, Reut started playing trombone as a teen. After serving in Israel's army band as lead trombone, Reut moved to New York City. She started out as a sideman with The Jump Arts Orchestra, Groove Collective, Anthony Braxton, Metropolitan Klezmer and Positive Catastrophe. Then she released her debut album as a leader in 2009 on Ropeadope called This Is R*Time. Reut wrote and produced with drummer husband Igal Foni. Other musicians are David Phelps on guitar, Brad Jones on bass and Eddie Bobe on percussion. This album is available as a digital download. Reut released a second R*Time album called Exploring the Vibe in 2014 on Enja. Her latest album Never Enough was released under the name Two Much on Relative Pitch. This is not a band album. It's just Reut and Foni. She also continues to record frequently with avant garde jazz sax legend Anthony Braxton. And Reut is currently a member of Wade Schuman's band Hazmat Modine. Here's Reut Regev with David Phelps, Brad Jones and Igal Foni performing Balibalaila at the Cornelia Street Cafe in New York City 2009.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maycee Barber vs Montana De La Rosa

Here's the match video of Maycee Barber vs Montana De La Rosa from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. This is Maycee's second fight at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. She got off to a slow start in her last fight. I need to see some improvement in this fight. Montana is from Texas but she trains at Elevation in Denver. She's mainly a wrestler. She's taller than Maycee but Maycee is stronger. A lot of this fight was in the clinch on the fence. Maycee won this fight with striking while in the clinch. Even when they went to the ground, Montana couldn't do much with Maycee. I scored the fight 30-27 for Maycee and so did all three judges. Maycee credited coach Danny Castillo with improvements. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Amanda Lemos

Here's the match video of Jessica Andrade vs Amanda Lemos from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Jessica is returning to Strawweight after three fights at Flyweight. Jessica is from Brazil but her coach Gailard Parana moved PRVT to Las Vegas last year. Amanda is from Para, Brazil. She trains with former UFC fighters Iuri and Ildemar Alcantara. Both fighters have knockout power. I thought Jessica would have trouble with Amanda's length. And she did at first. But then Jessica  got Amanda in a standing triangle choke and Amanda's reaction told me the fight was over. I'm sure that was the last thing Amanda was expecting. Not only was this the first time this submission was used in the UFC. But Jessica had never used it before. That's why it worked. It was a big surprise. Jessica got a $50,000 performance bonus. She said in her post fight interview the move was Parana's idea because a surprise can't be scouted. It was for this fight only and I wouldn't expect to see it again. I don't think she would get away with it a second time anyway. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buster Brown

Artist:Buster Brown

Song:Fannie Mae

Album:The Very Best of Buster Brown

Bluesman Buster Brown was 48 years old when Fannie Mae topped the R&B chart and was a top 40 pop hit in 1959. It was his only big hit though some of his other songs charted so technically he was not a one hit wonder. Interest in Fannie Mae was rekindled when it appeared in the hit film American Graffiti. Brown was born Aug. 15, 1911 in Cordele, GA. Brown sang and played harmonica in local clubs. But he never recorded professionally until he moved to New York in 1956. He was spotted by Fire Records owner Bobby Robinson. He owned Bobby's Record Shop and started several record labels. Wilbert Harrison's Kansas City was probably Robinson's biggest hit. Brown recorded Fannie Mae in 1959. His singing and harmonica playing will remind you of Sonny Terry. Fannie Mae topped the R&B Singles chart and it reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100. He recorded the 1961 album New King of the Blues for Fire. Brown's cover of Louis Jordan's Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby reached #81 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Righteous Brothers were among the artists who covered Fannie Mae. And the record got a big boost when it appeared in the 1973 film American Graffiti. This Collectables budget comp covers Brown's Fire recordings. Brown recorded for Roulette, Checker and small labels until his death on Jan. 31, 1976 at age 64. Here's a video for Fannie Mae by Buster Brown. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rene & Angela

Artist:Rene & Angela

Song:I'll Be Good

Album:Street Called Desire...And More

Rene & Angela had success in the 80s mostly on the R&B charts. The 1984 single I'll Be Good crossed over to pop. It was their biggest hit. They also had success as songwriters and producers. So they were similar to Ashford & Simpson except Rene Moore and Angela Winbush weren't married. Moore is from Los Angeles. He is the brother of Rufus bassist Bobby Watson who was the third member of Rene & Angela. Moore was in Brothers Johnson. Angela is from St. Louis. She grew up singing in church and got into music seriously while studying architecture at Howard University. Her demo got the attention of New York DJ Gary Byrd. He got her a spot in Stevie Wonder's band. She moved to Los Angeles and met Moore. After writing songs for Lenny Williams and Lamont Dozier, Rene & Angela signed with Capitol Records. They wrote all the songs and Watson produced their 1980 debut album Rene & Angela. They recorded three albums for Capitol and had modest success on the R&B chart. They also wrote songs for Janet Jackson (Young Love) and Stephanie Mills ( I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love). For the 1985 album Street Called Desire, Rene & Angela switched to Mercury Records. It looks like Mercury gave them a bigger promotion budget. The first single Save Your Love (For #1) topped the R&B Singles chart. I'll Be Good reached #4 but it crossed over to pop. It reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. They are finally on the road to success. But then Angela met Ron Isley and wrote and produced several songs for the 1987 Isley Brothers album Smooth Sailin'. Rene & Angela split up. Angela recorded two solo albums for Mercury and continued to have success on the R&B chart. She married Isley in 1993 and continued to work with The Isley Brothers. Moore released a solo album in 1988. And then he produced and wrote for Michael Jackson and especially David Hasselhoff. And before you laugh, Hasselhoff was very successful in Europe. Moore has had his own label since the 90s. Street Called Desire was released on CD in 1997 with bonus remixes. It's unfortunate that just as they were getting somewhere, Rene & Angela split up. Here's the video for I'll Be Good by Rene & Angela.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Air

Artist:Air

Song:Sexy Boy

Album:Twentyears

The 1998 single Sexy Boy was the breakthrough single for the French electronica duo Air. They have been dance floor staples ever since. Though Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel are both from Versailles, France, they met while studying at the Conservatoire de Paris. Dunckel was studying mathematics and was in the band Orange with Etienne de Crecy and Alex Gopher. Gopher brought architecture student Godin into the band. When Orange split up, Godin was asked to contribute a track to a 1995 Source Records compilation. He used synthesizers and drum loops. He asked Dunckel  to help him and Air was born. After releasing an EP and a few singles and doing remixes for Depeche Mode and Neneh Cherry, Air signed with Virgin and released the 1998 album Moon Safari. The single Sexy Boy became a hit in Europe. Then it reached #13 on the British Singles chart. Then it was released on Caroline Records in the US and got dance club play. Moon Safari was critically acclaimed and named album of the year by British magazines The Face and Select. Though Air used singer Beth Hirsch on Moon Safari, they did the vocals themselves on Sexy Boy. After the success of Moon Safari, Air released the soundtrack for Sofia Coppolla's 2000 film Virgin Suicides. They have worked with her on subsequent films. Air has released six albums, most recently in 2012. This 2CD comp was released by Rhino in 2016. The first CD is a Best Of and the second CD is remixes and rarities. Godin and Dunckel have both released solo albums. It doesn't look like they plan to reunite. Here's the video for Sexy Boy by Air.

 

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and UFC and Bellator preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jack Greene

Artist:Jack Greene

Song:There Goes My Everything

Album:The Jolly Green Giant

There Goes My Everything topped the country charts in 1966. It was the signature song for country singer Jack Greene. The song won several CMA awards. He was born Jan. 7,1930 in Maryville, TN. He learned to play guitar at ten years old. As a teen he was a DJ at Marysville radio station WGAP and then he was a regular on Tennessee Barn Dance on Knoxville radio station WNOX. Along with singing and playing guitar, Greene could also play drums. After moving to Atlanta in the late 40s, Greene was in The Cherokee Trio and The Rhythm Ranch Boys. After military service in the Korean War, Greene returned to Atlanta to form The Peachtree Cowboys. This was all while working in construction. Greene moved to Nashville in 1959 and formed The Tennessee Mountain Boys. His big break came when Ernest Tubb hired Greene to play drums in his band The Texas Troubadors in 1962. For the next few years, Greene opened for Tubb and then played drums in the band. When Greene's 1964 single The Last Letter appeared on a Tubb album, Decca Records producer Owen Bradley signed Greene. Tubb encouraged Greene to go solo. But he always left the door open to return if things didn't work out. Fortunately Greene's second single There Goes My Everything topped the Country Singles chart for seven weeks. It also reached #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won three CMA awards including Single of the Year. The song was written by veteran hitmaker Dallas Frazier. Engelbert Humperdinck's cover reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Greene scored five #1 country hits. When he started to fade, Greene recorded a couple of albums with Jeannie Seely. He left Decca in 1972 but they were a very successful live act in the 70s. This comp from the British label Edsel covers Greene's Decca recordings. Greene wouldn't record again until 1980. And for the rest of his career, Greene recorded for small labels and continued to tour. Failing health forced Greene to retire in 2011 and he died on Mar. 14, 2013 at age 83. Here's Jack Greene performing There Goes My Everything 1967.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tiffany Stratton vs Sarray

Here's the match video of Tiffany Stratton vs Sarray from last night's episode of NXT. So they have been doing this angle where spoiled little rich girl Tiffany is bullying Sarray. Tiffany is another one of these new girls who probably shouldn't be on TV. She's very rough but Sarray tries really hard to make her look halfway decent. But Tiffany really messed up the finish. I'm not sure what she was supposed to do but it looked bad. Sarray sold it anyway and took the fall. As I have said all along, the WWE has been experimenting with Sarray's entrance. Last night she got new graphics and music. I don't think Sarray should be dropping a fall to a greenhorn like Tiffany. They have to stop rushing these girls to TV. It's embarrassing to watch them. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Salif Keita

Artist:Salif Keita

Song:Cono

Album:Anthology

Salif Keita is known as the Golden Voice of Africa. He is an albino and a member of the royal family of Mali. Like many African musicians, Keita lived in Europe. He was born Aug. 25, 1949 in Djoliba, Mali. He was born to the Keita royal family. But he was cast out and ostracized by his family as albinism is considered to be bad luck in Mandika culture. He decided to get into music and that alienated him even further from his family. Keita moved to Bamako in 1967 and he joined the government sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako. He joined Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux in 1973. They were successful in the late 70s. But due to political unrest, they were forced to move to the Ivory Coast. After the band split up, Keita moved to Paris in 1984. He found there were many Malians living there. Keita signed with Island's Mango label. Cono is from his 1987 debut album Soro. Keita has recorded for Universal his whole career. His recent albums have been on EmArcy. This comp is a good intro to his music. Keita's 1991 album Amen was produced by Joe Zawinul. Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Jeff Ballard and Bill Summers appear on the album. Keita moved back to Mali in 2002 and built his own recording studio in Bamako. After releasing the 2018 album Un Autre Blanc, Keita announced his retirement at his final concert in Fana, Mali. Here's Salif Keita performing Cono in Japan 1990.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Joel

Artist:Billy Joel

Song:Uptown Girl

Album:The Essential Billy Joel

After the success of the 1977 single Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel became one of the most successful singer songwriters of the 80s. The 1983 album An Innocent Man and the singles Tell Her About It and Uptown Girl were his greatest success. For the most part, Joel's early albums were influenced by doo wop and 60s pop. His first #1 hit It's Still Rock and Roll to Me was in that vein. For the 1982 album The Nylon Curtain, Joel strayed from that and wrote topical songs about politics. When album sales were disappointing and no singles cracked the top ten, Joel decided that the 1983 album An Innocent Man would be original songs in tribute to his favorite performers. There were two hit singles. Tell Her About It (a Motown tribute) topped the Billboard Hot 100. Though it only reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, Uptown Girl was probably a bigger hit. It was a tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Joel wrote Uptown Girl as tribute to then girlfriend Elle McPherson. And then he married Christie Brinkley and she appeared in the music video. Uptown Girl is about a schlub (Joel) surrounded by beautiful women. Uptown Girl was #3 for five weeks while Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson was #1 for five weeks. Uptown Girl was Joel's only British #1 hit. So the two songs are about even. An Innocent Man was certified 2XPlatinum. Joel wasn't as successful after that. The 1993 album River of Dreams is his most recent album of new songs. He still tours but he isn't writing anything new. This 2CD comp covers his entire career. Here's the video for Uptown Girl by Billy Joel.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Louis Armstrong

Artist:Louis Arnstrong

Song:On the Sunny Side of the Street

Album:The Ultimate Collection

Louis Armstrong first recorded the jazz standard On the Sunny Side of the Street in 1938. It became a regular part of his repertoire over the years. The late 30s was a fertile period for Armstrong before changing musical tastes led to a down period until after WWII. In 1935, Armstrong hired Joe Glaser as his new manager. Glaser was a tough guy with mob connections who untangled Armstrong's legal mess, his mob problems and his debt. Armstrong signed with Decca Records. Because of his unorthodox playing style, Armstrong began experiencing problems with his fingers and lips. So he concentrated more on singing and theatrical appearances. Armstrong appeared in the 1936 Bing Crosby film Pennies from Heaven. And he substituted for Rudy Valle on CBS and became the first black to host a nationally sponsored radio program. He toured with a big band led by Luis Russell at the time. Hit singles included Public Melody Number One and When the Saints Go Marching In. He recorded with The Mills Brothers and with what was called the Decca Mixed Choir. After Armstrong performed Jeepers Creepers in the 1938 film Going Places, he recorded On the Sunny Side of the Street and a few other songs on Dec. 14, 1938. A couple of notable things about this session. It was the first time Armstrong performed with trombonist Jack Teagarden who would later be a key member of Armstrong's All Stars in 1947. But the big surprise is that Fats Waller played piano on this session. Armstrong and Waller sing a couple of songs together. This was the only time the two worked together. Supposedly Waller wrote On the Sunny Side of the Street. But he sold the song and it is credited to Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. Armstrong first recorded the song on this session. But he recorded it frequently over the years. Other musicians are Bud Freeman on tenor sax, Bob Spergel on guitar, Pete Peterson on bass and George Wettling on drums. You can get it on this 2CD budget comp covering Armstrong's Decca, Verve and ABC recordings. Those interested only in Armstrong's 30s recordings on Decca should check out Jasmine's 1998 CD Louis Sings, Armstrong Plays 1935-1942. Here's what appears to be Louis Armstrong and his All Stars performing On the Sunny Side of the Street on a 50s TV show.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sam Hughes vs Istela Nunes

Here's the match video of Sam Hughes vs Istela Nunes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. After going 0-3 in the UFC, Sam moved from her home in Washington to Houston to train with Saif Saud at Fortis MMA. She admitted this was a last ditch effort to save her from the chopping block. Istela is a PRVT fighter. So her fight style is similar to Jessica Andrade but not as good. She lost her UFC debut when she ran out of gas. That happened in this fight too. Istela started out like a house afire in round one. But she ran out of gas by the middle of round two. Plus after a first round eye poke, ref Mark Smith kept warning Istela to keep her fingers in. When there was another eye poke, Smith deducted a point from Istela. So I scored round one 10-9 for Istela, round two 10-9 for Sam and round three with the deducted point 10-8 for Sam. Two of the three judges scored it the same, 29-27 for Sam. The third judge scored round two for Istela. So she scored it 28-28. Sam won by majority decision. That judge was the infamous Adelaide Byrd. But to be fair, round two was close. It could have gone either way. PRVT owner Gailard Parana had better do something about Istela's endurance or she won't be in the UFC very long. And though Sam saved her job, Saif Saud still has things to work on or she won't last either. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Pannie Kianzad vs Lina Lansberg

Here's the match video of Pannie Kianzad vs Lina Lansberg from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. These two fought in 2012 in Lina's hometown. Pannie won that fight and I didn't see this any differently. Pannie lives in Denmark but she trains in Sweden. She's a decent enough midcard fighter. But I don't see her beating any of the better Bantamweights. Lina is from Malmo, Sweden. She trains with former UFC fighter Akira Corassani. She's a kickboxer with no ground skills. We haven't seen her since 2020 because she had a baby. The main thing Pannie needs to do is stay out of the clinch. They don't call Lina The Elbow Queen for nothing. I thought Pannie won handily as expected 30-27. The fight was OK but nothing special. Lina is now 40 years old. Maybe it's time to retire. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Matra Bueno Silva vs Wu Yanan

Here's the match video of Mayra Bueno Silva vs Wu Yanan from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Mayra previously fought at Flyweight. She says the move to Bantamweight is permanent. She owns a gym in Sao Paulo, Brazil with her girlfriend Gloria de Paula. Wu is from China. She trains at Jackson Wink when she is in the US. Neither fighter has impressed in the UFC but I thought Mayra would win because she is more willing to engage. Wu just isn't aggressive enough. The fight was close and it did win a fight of the night bonus. But I'm not impressed with either fighter. I scored the fight 30-27 for Mayra but I don't see her having much luck with ranked Bantamweights. Wu doesn't belong in the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mark O'Connor

Artist:Mark O'Connor

Song:Jerusalem's Ridge

Album:Heroes

Fiddler Mark O'Connor is known as a bluegrass musician. But he can play any kind of music with anyone. On this 1993 album Heroes, he plays with fiddlers he considers his heroes. He was born Aug. 5, 1961 in the Seattle suburb of Mountlake Terrace, WA. O'Connor took guitar lessons as a child and he took fiddle lessons from Benny Thomasson. Then he studied with the great Stephane Grappelli and toured with him. He also worked with David Grisman and Steve Morse. O'Connor was a teen when he signed with Rounder Records in 1975. After winning all kinds of fiddle competitions, O'Connor moved to Nashville in 1983. He became a session musician and signed a record deal with Warner Bros. I first heard of O'Connor when he hosted the TNN show American Music Shop. I loved that show. While at Warner Bros., O'Connor became known for his versatility. He won a Grammy for the 1991 album The New Nashville Cats. Jerusalem's Ridge is from the 1993 album Heroes. O'Connor wanted to record with violinists who are his heroes. Jerusalem's Ridge is a Bill Monroe song. O'Connor performs it with Monroe's fiddler Kenny Baker. Others on the album are Jean-Luc Ponty, Charlie Daniels, Johnny Gimble, Byron Berline, Vassar Clements, Doug Kershaw, Pinchas Zuckerman and Stephane Grappelli. O'Connor moved to Sony in 1996. Maybe you saw him in the 1999 film Music of the Heart. O'Connor currently records for his own label. His current project is The O'Connor Band with his wife Maggie on violin, his son Forrest on mandolin and Forrest's wife Kate Lee on violin. They recorded Jerusalem's Ridge on the 2016 album Coming Home. Forrest and Kate wrote several songs on the album. Mark and Maggie are currently on tour. Check them out if they are coming your way. Here's Mark O'Connor and The O'Connor Band performing Jerusalem's Ridge at Seattle radio station KNKX 2016.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Peggy Lee

Artist:Peggy Lee

Song:He's a Tramp

Album:Classics & Collectables

One of Peggy Lee's more notable accomplishments in her long career was the songs she wrote and performed for the 1956 Walt Disney animated classic Lady and the Tramp. They get overlooked partially because Peggy recorded for Capitol for most of her career except for a relatively brief time in the 50s when she recorded for Decca. After Peggy married Benny Goodman guitarist Dave Barbour in 1943, her intention was to quit the music business and become a housewife. Barbour convinced her that she had too much talent for that. She signed with Capitol in 1945. After her contract expired in 1952, Peggy signed with Decca. Her 1952 single Lover reached #3 on the Hit Parade. She also appeared in the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues and released the album Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues. And then Disney called her about Lady and the Tramp. Peggy and Sonny Burke wrote three songs for the film including He's a Tramp and Peggy performed them in the film. The video clip is from a behind the scenes doc about the making of  Lady and the Tramp. That doc is on the 70th anniversary DVD of  Lady and the Tramp. Sonny Burke is on piano. The background singers are The Mello Men led by legendary voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft along will Bill Lee, Max Smith and Bob Stevens. Decca released the 1957 album Songs from Walt Disney's Lady and the Tramp. These appear to be from the film. It's never been released on CD. Soon after that, Peggy returned to Capitol and Fever was her biggest hit. This 2CD comp from Universal in Australia has all of Peggy's Decca recordings. Here's Peggy Lee performing He's a Tramp from the doc about Lady and the Tramp.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christopher Young

Artist:Christopher Young

Song:Rounders

Album:Rounders: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture

Christopher Young is a jazz drummer who got into composing film scores in the 80s. He started out doing horror movies and got into mainstream films in the 90s. His score for the 1998 poker film Rounders is jazz oriented. He was born Apr. 28, 1958 in Red Bank, NJ. Young earned a BA in Music at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. After completing post graduate studies at the University of North Texas, Young moved to Los Angeles in 1980. His original plan was to get into jazz. But after hearing the music of Bernard Herrmann, he studied at the UCLA Film School with Laura composer David Raksin. He made contacts there that got him work as a composer. Young's first score was the 1982 film The Dorm That Dripped Blood. That set the tone for the kind of films Young scored early in his career like Def-Con 4, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Invaders from Mars and Hellraisers. He continued to score horror and sci fi in the 90s. Young first worked with director John Dahl on the 1996 sci fi film Unforgettable. Dahl next film was the 1998 poker film Rounders starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. After rejecting Young's orchestral score for the film, Dahl asked for a jazz score. So the soundtrack album might appeal to jazz fans. Musicians include Brandon Fields on soprano and alto sax, Bill Liston on tenor and baritone sax, Alex Iles on trumpet, Wayne Bergeron on trombone, Michael Lang on organ, Gary Nesteruk on piano, Dean Parks on guitar, Karl-Vincent Wickliff on bass, M.B. Gordy on drums and John Fitzgerald on percussion. These guys are all veteran session musicians. Rounders is available as a digital download. Young continues to score all kinds of films. But he still has a soft spot for horror movies. Among the directors he works with frequently are Scott Derrickson, Marc Steven Johnson and Tyler Perry. His latest film The Empty Man was released in 2020. Young has two horror films in post production, Abyzou and The Piper. Here's a video for Rounders by Christopher Young.

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UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Petra

Artist:Petra

Song:God Gave Rock and Roll to You

Album:Rock Block

Petra was the most popular CCM band of the 90s. But they started out in the 70s when CCM was called Jesus Music. Their 1977 cover of Argent's God Gave Rock and Roll to You was controversial at the time in the religious community because it was a secular song. Word Records would get so jittery about this that they dropped Petra. God Gave Rock and Roll to You also signaled a change to a hard rock style. For their 1974 debut album Petra, Petra didn't have a lead singer. Guitarist, songwriter and Petra leader Bob Hartman and guitarist Greg Hough handled the vocals. Their sound was similar to Eagles. But Hartman knew that he would have to find a real lead singer. For the 1977 album Come and Join Us, Hartman brought in several guest singers in what amounted to an extended audition. Among them was Steve Camp who had a successful CCM career in the 80s, 1974 Miss USA Karen Morrison and Austin Roberts who scored the 1975 top ten hit Rocky. Roberts produced the album. Greg X. Volz sang lead on God Gave Rock and Roll to You. His hiring led to Petra's move to a hard rock sound. He was born Jan. 12, 1950 in Peoria, IL. He had been in several Jesus Music bands since the early 70s. And he had just turned down the lead singer position in REO Speedwagon just before he got the call from Petra. So Volz was exactly who Hartman needed. And after Petra left Word for StarSong, Volz was a big part of Petra's rise in the early 80s. He left to go solo in 1986 because Volz felt he wasn't making enough money for the extensive touring they were doing. He wanted to spend more time with his family. After recording a few albums, Volz took a hiatus from music. In recent years, he has reunited with members of Petra as Classic Petra. They toured as Classic Petra Resurrected in 2017. Volz' most recent solo album was in 2009. But there's no question that he was a key figure in the development of Petra. Here's Petra performing God Gave Rock and Roll to You 1985. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chaka Demus & Pliers

Artist:Chaka Demus & Pliers

Song:She Don't Let Nobody

Album:Murder She Wrote

Dancehall DJ John "Chaka Demus" Taylor and singer Everton "Pliers" Bonner have solo careers. But they had their greatest success recording as a duo in the 90s with legendary producers Sly & Robbie. Taylor first recorded solo in 1986 with Prince Jammy. In 1988 Bonner recorded an album with dancehall artist Delroy "Pinchers" Thompson. When people though they looked alike, Bonner was given the nickname Pliers. They were billed as Pinchers with Pliers. Though they only recorded one album, Bonner was open to collabs and he recorded a 1990 album with Junior Moore of The Tamlins. After performing together at a 1991 Miami show, Taylor and Bonner decided to record together. After appearing at the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash, the 1993 single Tease Me reached #3 on the British Singles chart. This was followed by a cover of Curtis Mayfield's She Don't Let Nobody reaching #4 followed by the British chart topper Twist & Shout. The album Tease Me was released on Island's Mango label. It was also released as All She Wrote. Sly & Robbie produced the album. It topped the British album chart. So it did well. After recording two more albums, Taylor and Bonner returned to solo careers. You can get all their hits on this comp. They reunited in 2001 and recorded a few albums. They last recorded in 2008. Taylor and Bonner performed Murder She Wrote with Alicia Keys at the 2007 American Music Awards show. And they performed on the 2013 BET Awards show. Here's the video for She Don't Let Nobody by Chaka Demus & Pliers. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Danny Burstein

Artist:Danny Burstein

Song:If I Were a Rich Man

Album:Fiddler on the Roof: 2016 Broadway Cast Recording

Though he appears in films and TV, Danny Burstein is mainly a Broadway performer. He has been nominated for seven Tony awards including for playing Tevye in the 2015 revival of Fiddler on the Roof. He won a Tony for the 2020 show Moulin Rouge!. He was born June 16, 1964 in Mt. Kisco, NY. His parents separated when he was two months old. He was raised by his mother from Costa Rica and his stepfather Harvey Burstein, a professor of Greek philosophy. While attending the High School of the Performing Arts, Burstein appeared in community theater and summer stock. He studied at Queens College followed by graduate studies at the University of California. After graduating in 1990, Burstein moved back to New York and started appearing on Broadway. Burstein's first Tony nomination was for the 2006 musical The Drowsy Chaperone. He also made several guest appearances on the TV series Law & Order. Other Tony nominations were for South Pacific (2008), Follies (2012), Golden Boy (2013), Cabaret (2014) and then Fiddler on the Roof in 2016. He finally won a Tony for the 2020 musical Moulin Rouge!. He still appears in that show. He has done mostly guest shots on TV. He still appears on the various Law & Order shows. He is in the new HBO series about the Los Angeles Lakers called Winning Time. Here's Danny Burstein performing If I Were a Rich Man at the Fiddler on the Roof media day 2015. This video is not on Youtube. 

Danny Burstein - "If I Were A Rich Man" (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Press Day) from Alex Pearlman on Vimeo.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Piera Rodriguez vs Kay Hansen

Here's the match video of Piera Rodriguez vs Kay Hansen from Saturday's UFC show in Jacksonville. This fight is at Strawweight. Piera was an LFA champ before in Dana White's Contender Series in October. She was born in Venezuela but she lives in Panama. She likes to train at several gyms. Kay is 22 years old. She trains at 10th Planet in Fullerton, CA. She has gone 1-2 in the UFC. She needs a win and Kay probably won a close round one. It looks like Piera may have had the UFC jitters as she picked it up in round two and then won round three. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Piera. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Raquel Pennington vs Aspen Ladd

Here's the match video of Raquel Pennington vs Aspen Ladd from Saturday's UFC show in Jacksonville. This fight is at Bantamweight. Irene Aldana was supposed to be Aspen's opponent. But she pulled out with an injury. Raquel was going to be at the show with Tecia Torres so she stepped up. Raquel is on a three fight winning streak. Aspen is a talented fighter but she doesn't always give her best effort and her coach/boyfriend Dave West has to yell at her. And that's what happened. Raquel won the first two rounds. Aspen won the third. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Raquel. Aspen needed to perform up to her capabilities and she just didn't do that. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Raymix

Artist:Raymix f/Juanes

Song:Oye Mujer

Album:Oye Mujer

Edmundo "Raymix" Gomez Moreno is an aerospace engineer who moonlights as a remix guy. When his 2015 song Oye Mujer was successful with DJs and open air markets, record companies came calling and this 2018 version featuring Colombian singer Juanes topped the Mexican charts. Moreno was born Feb. 17, 1991 in San Jose El Vidrio, Nicolas Romero, State of Mexico. His father is a grupero musician. On his 18th birthday, Gomez was given a MIDI controller and he started composing trance songs. He joined the group Light & Wave and one of their songs was featured on Armin van Buuren's radio show A State of Trance. Meanwhile Gomez studied aerospace engineering and started a NASA internship. While there, he started listening to cumbias and he wrote Oye Mujer and produced a music video. The song became very popular with DJs but it couldn't be legally distributed. When he couldn't get an aerospace engineering job in the US, Gomez toured the US with his music. After a bidding war, Gomez signed with Universal and released the 2018 album Oye Mujer. The album did well on the regional Mexican chart and was certified 2XPlatinum. A remix of Oye Mujer featuring Juanes topped the Mexican chart. The album is available as a digital download. There are five versions of Oye Mujer on the album. Since then Gomez has released a second album that has done well. He is known as The King of Electrocumbia. I guess he has a music career. Here's the video for Oye Mujer by Raymix featuring Juanes.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mackenzie Dern vs Tecia Torres

Here's the match video of Mackenzie Dern vs Tecia Torres from last night's UFC show in Jacksonville. This fight was at Strawweight. Mackenzie is coming off a loss to Marina Rodriguez where she looked really bad. She revealed this week that she blew out her knee a week before the fight. She has had surgery. Well, that explains it. We'll see if she is back to normal. Tecia is on a three fight winning streak. But Mackenzie is a big step up in competition. Jessica Aguilar was in Tecia's corner. They trained together at ATT. Though round one was close, I thought Mackenzie won the round with more effective punches. But according to the on screen stats, Tecia landed more punches. That's why I don't like those stats. They give a false impression. In round two, Mackenzie almost finished the fight with a standing kimura. The problem was she pooped out and wasn't as effective in round three. So Tecia won round three. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Mackenzie. Two of the judges scored it the same. But the third judge scored round one for Tecia. So Mackenzie won by split decision. Considering how her last fight went, I thought she bounced back well. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carl Douglas

Artist:Carl Douglas

Song:Kung Fu Fighting

Album:Pure Funk

The 1974 single Kung Fu Fighting topped the charts worldwide. Today it is perceived as a one hit wonder though technically it is not a one hit  wonder as one of Carl Douglas' other singles charted. And a few of his songs charted in England. As you will see, the record was a fluke hit that was slapped on the B side of something else. Douglas was born May 10, 1942 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in California and then he moved to London, England. He sang but Douglas planned to be an audio engineer. His band Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede released a couple of singles in the 60s. While living in Spain, Carl Douglas & The Explosions released a couple of singles. After Douglas returned to London, he released singles on Buddah, CBS and Island's Blue Mountain label. And that led to studio work with Pye Records. Producer Biddu Appaiah worked with Douglas on the soundtrack of the 1972 film Embassy. He asked Douglas to sing the song I Want To Give You My Everything. But he needed a B side. So he asked Douglas if he had any lyrics they could use. Kung Fu Fighting was recorded in ten minutes. It was an afterthought. After Biddu gave the single to Pye, they liked Kung Fu Fighting enough to make it the A side. The song gained a following in British dance clubs and then it topped the British Singles chart. It was picked up in the US by 20th Century Records and topped the Billboard Hot 100. Kung Fu Fighting sold 11M copies and it was named 1975 Jukebox Soul Record of the Year at the Jukebox Awards. The album Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Love Songs topped the Soul LPs chart. The single Dance the Kung Fu reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. Douglas released three albums but was unable to repeat the success of Kung Fu Fighting. Douglas released a 2014 album and continues to release singles. Here's Carl Douglas performing Kung Fu Fighting on Top Of The Pops 1974.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Artist:Bascom Lamar Lunsford

Song:I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground

Album:O Brother: The Story Continues

Bascom Lamar Lunsford was a folklorist and performer of traditional Appalachian music. He was known as Minstrel of the Appalachians. He recorded a few songs in the late 20s but that was really a byproduct of live performances and lectures. He was born Mar. 21, 1882 in Mars Hill, NC. His father was a teacher and gave Lunsford a fiddle. His mother sang traditional songs of the region. Lunsford learned to play banjo and performed at weddings and square dances. Lunsford taught in local schools and then became a lawyer. He began to compile information about Appalachian music. He gave lectures and performed in a starched white shirt and black bow tie. The formal dress was because he was against the hillbilly stereotype. I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground was one of several songs that Lunsford recorded for Okeh and Brunswick. It's a song that Lunsford first heard when he was a teen. He said his mother asked him to play the song for her before she died. The song became better known when folklorist Harry Smith included Lunsford's recording on his 1952 compilation Anthology of American Folk Music. Lunsford recorded only to supplement his lectures. Unfortunately the only Lunsford comp is out of print. But you can get I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground on this budget comp. Lunsford's recording of Good Old Mountain Dew was used to promote the popular soft drink. Lunsford continued to perform locally. And he even recorded a couple of albums in the 50s. He died on Sept. 4, 1973 at age 91. Here's a video of I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground by Bascom Lamar Lunsford. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sylvia

Artist:Sylvia

Song:Nobody

Album:Anthology

The 1982 single Nobody was one of two #1 country hits for Sylvia Hutton. And it crossed over to pop. So it was a big hit. Sylvia had a good run in the early 80s. She was born Dec. 9, 1956 in Kokomo, IN. She moved to Nashville in 1976 intending to be a big country music star. She took a receptionist job with record producer Tom Collins' publishing company. Collins discovered Charley Pride. Collins wasn't impressed with Sylvia at first. But he had her record some demos. After she auditioned for Dave & Sugar, RCA signed Sylvia as a solo artist and Collins produced her 1981 debut album Drifter. the single Drifter was her first #1 country hit. There were four top ten singles from the album. The 1982 album Just Sylvia did even better when Nobody not only topped the country chart. But it crossed over to pop and reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Just Sylvia was certified Gold. Sylvia was Grammy nominated and she won the ACM award for Top Female Vocalist. Nobody was written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan. They wrote plenty of hits together working for Collins' publishing company. 1982 was also a big year for Collins as he produced #1 country hits for Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell. Sylvia scored a total of 11 top ten country hits from 1980-85. She left RCA in 1987. You can get all of her hits on this budget comp. Sylvia was tired of touring. She wouldn't record again until 1996. She has recorded four albums on her own label. She released a new album in February. She still performs but things are obviously much different today. Here's Sylvia performing Nobody on Church Street Station. RCA did not produce a video for Nobody. 

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UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pretty Poison

Artist:Pretty Poison

Song:Catch Me I'm Falling

Album:Disco Queens: The 80s

The 1988 single Catch Me I'm Falling was a top ten pop hit and it topped the dance chart. It is perceived as a one hit wonder but some of their other songs charted. It was Pretty Poison's only big hit. They are from Philadelphia led by singer Jade Starling and keyboard player Whey Cooler (real name-Whey Corea). When Pretty Poison formed in 1981, they were a new wave band. After self releasing a few singles, they ended the band and Starling and Corea started hiring local session musicians to make freestyle dance music which was becoming popular at the time. When Catch Me I'm Falling appeared on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Hiding Out starring Jon Cryer, Virgin Records signed Pretty Poison and released the 1988 album Catch Me I'm Falling. The single reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the dance chart. Starling and Corea wrote all the songs. Kae Williams Jr. of the band Breakwater produced five songs including Catch Me I'm Falling. It was his biggest hit. Prince bass player Andre Cymone was one of the other producers on the album. Some of Pretty Poison's other singles charted especially on the dance chart. But Catch Me I'm Falling is the only memorable song and you can get it on this Rhino various artists budget comp. Pretty Poison only released the one album on Virgin. They continued to release music on their own label, most recently in 2009. Jade Starling released a solo album in 2014. She is a gay rights activist in Philadelphia. Here's the video for Catch Me I'm Falling by Pretty Poison.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Howie Day

Artist:Howie Day

Song:Collide

Album:Stop All the World: Special Edition

The 2004 top 20 hit Collide is the only chart single for singer songwriter Howie Day. He last recorded for his own label in 2015. So it seems unlikely that he will have that kind of success again. He was born Jan. 15, 1981 in Bangor, ME. Day took piano lessons as a child. At age 13, Day's father bought him a Fender Stratocaster and enrolled him in vocal lessons. His parents owned a restaurant so he performed there and in the band Route 66. Booking agent Shawn Radley spotted Day opening for Ziggy Marley at the University of Maine. He became Day's manager and sent him on tour in 1998. A couple of demos got Day a showcase at the National Association of Campus Activities convention. This got him college bookings across the US. Day recorded a cover of The Beatles' Help for the soundtrack of the 2001 film I Am Sam. Day self released his 2000 debut album Australia. He wrote and produced it. This got him a record deal with Epic Recotds. While they re-released Australia, Day went to England to record the 2004 album Stop All the World. He hired a band with Jay Clifford of Jump, Little Children on guitar, Les Hall of 70 Volt Parade on keyboards, Simon Jones of The Verve on bass and Laurie Jenkins on drums. Martin "Youth" Glover produced. He was Killing Joke's bassist and had success producing The Verve. Day wrote all the songs with either Clifford or Better Than Ezra lead singer Kevin Griffin. The album was not well received by critics and sales were sluggish at first. But after Collide was featured in TV shows like Scrubs, One Tree Hill and Third Watch, the song got radio play and reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. This Special Edition of Stop All the World has four bonus tracks including an acoustic version of Collide. It's available as a budget CD. The main criticism of Stop All the World was that it was too slick compared to Australia. So after touring and taking a break, Day recorded the album Sound the Alarm. It was supposed to be released in 2008. But I guess Epic didn't like it so the release was delayed until 2009. It looks like the promotion budget was cut. The album did not sell and Day left Epic. He released the 2015 album Lanterns which was financed through PledgeMusic. He was charged twice for assaulting a girlfriend in 2019. He pled not guilty but there has been no trial yet. Recently Day has performed on his Cameo account to make a few bucks. He is also performing live shows soon. But I don't see anything about new music. He may not want to be famous again. Here's the video for Collide by Howie Day.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rich Mullins

Artist:Rich Mullins

Song:Awesome God

Album:Songs

Chances are pretty good that if you go to your local church, The choir performs a version of Awesome God. Since Rich Mullins wrote and recorded Awesome God in 1988, it has become a CCM standard especially after Mullins died in 1997. He was born Oct. 21, 1955 in Richmond, IN. His family were Quakers so he grew up attending church and the school in the church. Mullins got interested in music after seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Despite philosophical differences, Mullins was a big John Lennon fan. After touring with the New Creations Choir in the early 70s, he attended Cincinnati Bible College and led the band Zion who recorded an album. He was youth pastor and music director at a church in Erlanger, KY. He looked at music as a hobby until he saw the effect it had on teens. After Amy Grant recorded Mullins' song Sing Your Praise to the Lord in 1981, Mullins disbanded Zion and moved to the Nashville area to begin a full time music career. After Amy Grant recorded several Mullins songs, Mullins signed with Reunion Records and released the 1986 album Rich Mullins. Amy's keyboard player Reed Arvin joined Mullins' band and produced all his albums. Awesome God is from the 1988 album Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth. It topped the CCM charts and then it became a church standard. Mullins has said he didn't even like the song at first. But that catchy chorus caught the ear of choir directors and the rest is history. Though Geffen Records unsuccessfully tried to cross Mullins over to pop, Mullins was one of the most popular CCM artists of the 90s until he died in a car crash on Sept. 19, 1997 at age 41. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. Michael W. Smith recorded Awesome God on a 1998 Mullins tribute album. That was a big hit. And the continued success of his songs as church standards is Mullins' legacy. Here's Rich Mullins performing Awesome God. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Harry James

Artist:Harry James

Song:You Made Me Love You 

Album:Yes, Indeed!

Trumpeter Harry James was the second most popular bandleader in the early 40s after Glenn Miller. His 1941 recording of You Made Me Love You was a top five hit. He was born Mar. 15, 1916 in Albany, GA. His parents were in the Mighty Haag Circus. His father led the band and his mother was an acrobat. James performed in the circus as a child, first as a contortionist at age four and then playing drums in his dad's band. His dad taught him to play trumpet and by age 12 James was leading the band. After his family moved to Beaumont, TX. in 1924, James played local clubs while he was in high school. He joined Ben Pollock's band in 1935 and left in 1937 to join Benny Goodman's band in 1937. By 1939 it was time for James to start his own band. He hired Frank Sinatra to sing and they topped the charts in 1939 with All or Nothing At All. That was James first big hit for Columbia. After Sinatra left for Tommy Dorsey's band, Dick Haymes and then Helen Forrest were hired to sing. The 1941 single You Made Me Love You reached #5 on the Hit Parade. This was James first instrumental hit. You Made Me Love You was written by James V. Monaco and Joseph McCarthy for the 1913 Broadway show The Honeymoon Express. Al Jolson sang it in the show. Judy Garland memorably sang You Made Me Love You to a picture of Clark Gable in Broadway Melody of 1938. James' recording is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. James performed it in the 1942 film Private Buckaroo. James had great success until the end of WWII. He ended the band in 1947. This comp from the British label ASV has the original version of You Made Me Love. Beware of re-recordings. James dubbed Kirk Douglas' trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn. He reformed his band in the 50s and performed as a nostalgia act until his death on July 5, 1983 at age 67. Here's Harry James featuring Helen Forrest performing You Made Me Love You in the 1942 film Private Buckaroo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frankie Laine

Artist:Frankie Laine

Song:Jezebel

Album:16 Most Requested Songs

Frankie Laine was one of the most popular singers of the 50s. Today he is mainly known for singing western movie themes. Though the 1951 single Jezebel was not his biggest hit, it was his first big hit when he moved from Mercury to Columbia. So it set him up for future success. He was born Francesco LoVecchio Mar. 30, 1913 in Chicago. His parents emigrated from Sicily. His father was Al Capone's personal barber. Laine started singing in church as a child. After watching Al Jolson in the film The Singing Fool, Laine knew he wanted to be a singer. His biggest early influences were Bessie Smith and Gene Austin. After graduating from high school, Laine worked for the Chicago ballroom The Merry Garden singing during dance marathons. His big break came in 1937 when Perry Como left Freddy Carlone's band and Como recommended Laine as his replacement. Laine moved to New York in 1938 to sing at radio station WINS and that's when he took the name Frankie Laine. Laine moved to Los Angeles in 1943. Songwriter Hoagy Carmichael saw him perform and this led to a contract with Mercury Records in 1946. His first big hit was That's My Desire in 1946 followed by the 1949 #1 hits That Lucky Old Sun and Mule Train. Mitch Miller produced those records when he was working for Mercury. When Miller moved to Columbia in 1950, he wasted no time bringing Laine there once his contract ended. Laine's first single for Columbia was Jezebel with Rose, Rose, I Love You. Jezebel reached #2 on the Hit Parade and Rose, Rose, I Love You reached #3. Jezebel was written by Wayne Shanklin who also wrote the 1959 Toni Fisher hit The Big Hurt. So his songs were dramatic and Jezebel has a biblical theme. Miller produced the record with Norman Luboff's choir and pianist Carl Fischer who had worked with Miller and Laine at Mercury. Laine went on to be one of the most popular singers of the 50s. He especially had great success singing western movie themes. This budget comp is a good intro to his Columbia recordings. Laine faded after he left Columbia in 1963. But he continued to perform until his death on Feb. 6, 2007 at age 93. Here's Frankie Laine performing Jezebel probably from a 1955 episode of his variety show Frankie Laine Time.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith Urban

Artist:Keith Urban f/Carrie Underwood

Song:The Fighter

Album:Ripcord

When Keith Urban's 2013 pop influenced album Fuse returned him to the top of the country charts, he went even farther in that direction with the 2015 album Ripcord. This album also had hip hop elements. How far is too far and it's not country music anymore? It looks like Urban wasn't concerned about that. He thought a change was necessary and Ripcord continued that process. Again he decided to work with numerous producers. The most interesting experiment was the song Sun Don't Let Me Down featuring rapper Pitbull and produced by Nile Rodgers. That was not released as a single but maybe it should have been just to shake up Nashville. He also continued the use of country stars making guest appearances after the success of Eric Church on Fuse. He didn't do that early in his career. Carrie Underwood appeared on The Fighter. It was the fifth single from the album. The song reached #2 on the Country Airplay chart and #38 on the Billboard Hot 100. Urban wrote and produced the song with Mike Busbee aka busbee who was very successful until his 2019 death. Urban says the song is about his marriage to Nicole Kidman. The two did a video where they are in the car singing the song. That was pulled but it's still on YouTube. The video you will see was the third attempt. busbee produced three songs on Ripcord. And Urban's usual producer Dann Huff worked on five songs. The album was certified Platinum. It sold better than Fuse. Since then his albums haven't done as well. So he may be looking to shake things up again. Here's the video for The Fighter by Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood. The dancer is Lindsay Richardson. She and her boyfriend Lyle Beniga are both dancers. He appears in a version of this video.