The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fats Waller

Artist:Fats Waller

Song:Ain't Misbehavin'

Album:Stormy Weather: The Classic Series

Thomas "Fats" Waller was the first really important black songwriter. This performance of Ain't Misbehavin' from the 1943 film Stormy Weather came just before his death. He was born May 21, 1904 in New York City. His father was a preacher and his mother taught him to play piano. Stride piano legend James P. Johnson was one of his teachers. Waller started out recording ragtime. But by the late 20s he was writing musicals with lyricist Andy Razaf. Ain't Misbehavin' is from the 1929 show Hot Chocolates. Waller signed with RCA in 1926 and recorded for them his entire career. In addition to all his great songs, Waller was a great performer. So unlike many black artists of this era, there is plenty of video footage of Waller. He had two fatal flaws. He was obese and he liked to drink. Waller appeared in several short films known as Soundies. But he also appeared in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. This is based on the story of legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Robinson stars with Lena Horne. Waller performs along with Cab Calloway, dancer Katherine Dunham and The Nicolas Brothers dance duo. Stormy Weather can be streamed on The Criterion Channel and the soundtrack is available on CD. The band performing with Waller includes Teddy Buckner, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Jo Jones, Taps Miller, Zurtty Singleton and Slam Stewart. Soon after Stormy Weather's success, Waller was travelling to New York on the train Super Chief when he contracted pneumonia and died on Dec. 15, 1943 at age 39. His legacy endures. Here's Fats Waller performing Ain't Misbehavin' from the 1943 film Stormy Weather. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Chambers Sextet

Artist:Paul Chambers Sextet

Song:We Six

Album:Four Classic Albums

Bassist Paul Chambers was mainly a sideman best known for his days with Miles Davis from 1955-63. That's him on So What. Of course John Coltrane was also in that band. Chambers appeared on several of Coltrane's Prestige albums. But you may not be aware that Coltrane appeared on a Paul Chambers album. Chambers recorded three albums for Blue Note. The 1957 album Whims of Chambers was his Blue Note debut. Of course Coltrane played tenor sax. Other musicians are Donald Byrd on trumpet, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Horace Silver on piano and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Byrd wrote We Six. This album is available as a digital download. But this Four Classic Albums CD from Avid is good value. You get all three of Chambers' Blue Note albums. The second is Bass On Top with Burrell, Hank Jones on piano and Art Taylor on drums. The third is Paul Chambers Quintet with Byrd, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. The fourth album is Go which was Chambers' first album for VeeJay. This has a very early appearance by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard along with Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, Wynton Kelly on piano and either Philly Joe Jones or Jimmy Cobb on drums. Chambers was in Kelly's 60s band. Blue Note has occasionally released Coltrane's sideman recordings separately but they are out of print. Paul Chambers did not record as a leader in the 60s. He was a drug and alcohol addict until his death on Jan. 4, 1969 at age 33. Here's a video of We Six by Paul Chambers Quintet.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tenille Arts

Artist:Tenille Arts

Song:Somebody Like That

Album:Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between

Canadian country singer songwriter Tenille Arts is trying to make it in Nashville. The 2019 single Somebody Like That is her biggest hit to date. She was born Apr. 19, 1994 in Weyburn, SK. She started singing as a child and writing as a teen. A 2009 YouTube cover of Taylor Swift's Fifteen got her a manager. After graduating high school, Tenille moved to Nashville and signed a publishing deal. She has released three albums on what appears to be her own label. After having success in Canada, Tenille appeared on the 2018 season of the popular reality show The Bachelor. This got her a distribution deal with Reviver Records. The 2019 single Somebody Like That was the first single of that deal. It reached #3 on the Country Airplay chart. The album Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between followed. Tenille wrote all the songs. She wrote Somebody Like That with Alex Kline and Allison Veltz. Kline produced most of the album. She has worked with similar singers. Tenille's latest album Girl to Girl was released in 2021. Can Tenille Arts make it in Nashville? Her appearance on The Bachelor gave her a boost. And she's attractive. But country pop is a crowded field and Canadian country artists have had a tough time making it in Nashville in recent years. The last Canadian act to achieve anything was Emerson Drive in 2007. Plus she's not on a major label. So I think Tenille has an uphill climb. Plenty of rising stars wind up making a living writing or doing studio work. We'll see how her next couple of albums do. Here's the video for Somebody Like That by Tenille Arts.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chakachas

Artist:Chakachas

Song:Jungle Fever

Album:Funk Gold

Jungle Fever was a top ten pop hit in 1971. The most notable thing about this song is the moaning and heavy breathing which is probably why it was a big dance club hit. Chances are pretty good you heard it in the 1997 film Boogie Nights. Chakachas were a band of Belgian studio musicians. They started out in the late 50s as a cha cha band led by Gaston Bogaerts. After some local success, they split up in 1965. They reformed in 1970 and that's when they recorded Jungle Fever. By this time it looks like Chakachas was led by a guy who called himself Bill Ador. He also used the name Willy Albimoor. His real name was Willy Noel de Moor. He wrote and arranged Jungle Fever. He liked to record Cuban dance music. The singer doing the heavy breathing was Kari Kenton. I'm not sure about the rest of the band as I don't have detailed credits and I think this version of Chakachas was different from the early 60s version. Jungle Fever was on Polydor. After the heavy breathing got the song banned by the BBC, it became a big hit in Europe and in US dance clubs. Jungle Fever reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chakachas last recorded in 1977 and Bill Ador died in 2004. But Jungle Fever has had a long life. It appeared in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is also frequently sampled by hip hop guys. You can get Jungle Fever on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Here's a video for Jungle Fever by Chakachas.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Vanessa Demopoulos vs Jinh Yu Frey

Here's the match video of Vanessa Demopoulos vs Jinh Yu Frey from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Vanessa trains at Fight Ready in Phoenix. She won her UFC debut over an inept opponent. Jinh is on a two fight winning streak since training with Saif Saud at Fortis MMA in Houston. This is another fight where I will talk more about the judges than the fight itself. I didn't think either fighter was very effective but I scored each round marginally for Jinh. So I scored it 30-27. But this was another case of a fighter fooling judges. Like Maria Oliveira last week, Vanessa throws a lot of punches but most of them did not land. The worst was Jerin Velel who has reffed in the past. He scored the fight 30-27 for Vanessa. So he got completely fooled. Sal D'Amato scored the first two rounds for Jinh. Ron McCarthy scored the last two rounds for Vanessa. So Vanessa won by split decision. The media scores are a good gauge for a close fight and all but one scored it 29-28 for Jinh. It was a close but not very good fight. Vanessa got credit for looking busy. That's not how things are supposed to work. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Train

Artist:Train

Song:Hey, Soul Sister

Album:Greatest Hits

After the success of the 2001 top five single Drops of Jupiter, things didn't go so well for Train. When it looked like Pat Monahan was going to end the band, they scored another top five hit with the 2009 single Hey, Soul Sister. Train's big problem is a common one with bands and that is Monahan is a control freak. This drove guitarist Rob Hotchkiss from the band in 2003 as he wanted to contribute more songs to Train. Hotchkiss released a 2004 solo album but he doesn't appear to be in the music business anymore. Then bassist Charlie Colin was fired due to substance abuse. He is currently a member of The Side Deal. After the disappointing sales of the 2006 album For Me, It's You, Monahan decided to disband Train. He released the 2007 solo album Last of Seven. When that didn't sell, Monahan decided to reform train but strip it down to a trio with guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood. The band name Train had equity. Pat Monahan had none. Swede Martin Terefe was brought in to produce. He had previously worked with Ron Sexsmith. Songwriters were brought in to work with Monahan. The single Hey, Soul Sister reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Save Me, San Francisco was certified Platinum. So the reformation of Train was a big success. Monahan wrote Hey, Soul Sister with the Norwegian production duo Espionage (Espin Lind, Amund Bjorkland). They wrote Beyonce's Irreplaceable. Train also had success with the 2012 album California 37 and the top ten hit Drive By. Most of that album was also produced by Espionage. Train just released a new album AM Gold in Feb. 2022. Monahan wrote and produced with current band member Jerry Becker. It's unlikely that Monahan as a solo artist would have had the same success or longevity. And Monahan is the only original member of Train. So reforming Train turned out to be a very smart business move. Sony released a Train comp in 2018. It is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Hey, Soul Sister by Train. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kaoma

Artist:Kaoma

Song:Lambada

Album:The Non-Stop Party Album

The 1989 single Lambada topped the charts worldwide except North America. My guess is you have heard this record but know nothing about Kaoma. They are from Paris, France led by keyboard player and producer Jean-Claude Bonaventure. He had been around since the late 70s but Lambada was his one big hit. The lead singer was Brazilian Loalwa Braz. The background vocals were by Senegalese singer Fatou "Fania" Niang. The other musicians were guys who worked previously with Bonaventure including Jacky Arconte on guitar, Roger "Chyco" Dru on bass and Michel Abihissira on drums. When the 1989 single Lambada became a worldwide sensation, Columbia picked up the 1988 album Worldbeat for distribution. Kaoma recorded two albums for Columbia but Lambada was their only hit. The only problem was Lambada was an unauthorized cover of the 1981 single Charando se Foi by the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas. They sued successfully. Lambada also inspired the 1990 film The Forbidden Dance and the song appeared in the film. Though Worldbeat is available, you can get Lambada on this various artists budget CD. After the two Columbia albums, Bonaventure left Kaoma and the 1998 album A La Media Noche was produced by Abihissira. Braz was murdered in Brazil in 2017. Here's the video for Lambada by Kaoma. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Velvet Revolver

Artist:Velvet Revolver

Song:Fall To Pieces

Album:Contraband

Velvet Revolver was a hard rock supergroup who had success mostly as an album and touring band. They recorded two albums when lead singer Scott Weiland returned to Stone Temple Pilots and the band were unable to replace him. Most of Velvet Revolver were members of Guns N' Roses. After guitarist Saul "Slash" Hudson left Guns N' Roses in 1996, the departure of bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum followed shortly afterwards. Sorum rejoined The Cult. Slash and McKagan attempted to lead bands that didn't work out. After appearing at a 2002 benefit concert for drummer Randy Castillo, the three decided to work together again. McKagan was still playing shows with his band Loaded. He reintroduced Slash to guitarist Dave Kushner who he knew in high school. Kushner was in Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro's solo band. They invited Kushner to jam and they liked him. Then they had to find a lead singer. This was filmed by VH1 and aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. Slash had become friends with Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland. They attended the same gym. After going back and forth, Weiland decided to remain with Stone Temple Pilots. But after they split up in 2003, he joined the band. They decided to call themselves Velvet Revolver. While they were recording Contraband with producer Josh Abraham, there was interest from several labels. They signed with RCA. Contraband was released in 2004 and immediately topped the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The album sold four million copies and was certified 2XPlatinum. The singles Slither and Fall to Pieces charted but were not hits. Fall to Pieces is about Weiland's heroin addiction. Velvet Revolver toured for over a year. The 2007 album Libertad didn't do nearly as well. They toured but Weiland wasn't getting along with the rest of the band. At a Mar. 20, 2008 Glasgow show, Weiland announced that this would be Velvet Revolver's final tour. He didn't know that the band was going to fire him and continue without him. Ultimately Weiland returned to Stone Temple Pilots. Attempts were made to find a replacement but were ultimately unsuccessful. Velvet Revolver did not continue. Eventually Slash started his own band. There was talk about a Velvet Revolver reunion but it never happened. And then Weiland died in 2015. And his heroin addiction was the main reason that Velvet Revolver was short lived. Here's the video for Fall to Pieces by Velvet Revolver.

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

Artist:Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

Song:Rock Island Line

Album:Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad

Billy Bragg is a throwback to 60s protest singers. But he also has great respect for the traditions of folk music and that includes songs about trains. So in 2016 Bragg booked a train ride from Chicago to Los Angeles aboard the Texas Eagle 421 train. And the idea was to record while in transit. Bragg's intent was to "reconnect with the culture of American railroad culture and the music it inspired". He brought singer songwriter Joe Henry along for the ride. Henry has recorded 15 albums but he has won three Grammys as a producer. Henry produced Bragg's 2013 album Tooth & Nail which is when this idea was hatched. They left Chicago's Union Station on a 2,700 mile 65 hour train ride. They performed in waiting rooms and train stations with Henry's recording engineer Ryan Freeland. Rock Island Line was the first song on the album so it must have been recorded in Chicago. They even had an overnight stop in San Antonio and they recorded at the Gunter Hotel because that was the location of Robert Johnson's only recording session. So they tried to add historical significance to the recording. And they even toured to support it. But the criticism of the album at the time was that it's an interesting idea but the execution is nothing special. I think the lack of planning was deliberate. Bragg and Henry wanted to record on the fly as a tribute to the transitory nature of railroads. The concept is compelling to them. It may not be compelling to listeners. So clearly they recorded it for themselves. Here's Billy Bragg & Joe Henry performing Rock Island Line at Seattle radio station KEXP Oct. 21, 2016.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jerry Rivera

Artist:Jerry Rivera

Song:Vuela Muy Alto

Album:Amores Como El Nuestro...Los Exitos

Jerry Rivera is a very successful Puerto Rican Salsa singer. He shifted to a more romantic sound with hits like Vuela Muy Alto in 2002. He still performs live but he hasn't recorded much recently. He was born July 31, 1973 in Humacao, Puerto Rico but he grew up in the Tor Baja suburb of Levittown. His father Edwin Rivera is a guitarist and leader of Los Barones Trio. His mother sings with him. As a child, Rivera performed with his parents. He was performing with his dad in 1986 at a hotel when he was spotted by famed Salsa singer Frankie Ruiz. Then famed bandleader Tommy Olivencia heard Rivera sing and suggested to his dad that he should sing solo. A demo was recorded and Rivera signed with CBS Latin (now Sony Latin). Rivera was with Sony Latin for the first part of his career. At first Rivera was known as El Bebe de la Salsa (the baby of Salsa). By the late 90s, Rivera was the best selling Salsa artist of all time. For his 2000 album Jerry Rivera, Rivera moved to BMG and turned his music in a more romantic direction. The 2002 single Vuela Muy Alto from the album of the same name reached #3 on the Latin chart and it topped the Latin Tropical chart. In recent years, Rivera has recorded tributes to Frankie Ruiz and Argentine legend Carlos Gardel. He last recorded in 2015. This comp is a good intro to his music. Here's the video for Vuela Muy Alto by Jerry Rivera.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Becky Lynch

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Becky Lynch from last night's episode of RAW. It was announced at the start of the show that Rhea Ripley would not be medically cleared for her RAW Women's Championship match at Money in the Bank (MITB). They didn't say why but Rhea had some dental work recently. The new challenger was determined by a five way match with Becky Lynch, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and the returning Carmella. I was not surprised Carmella won though she's awful in the ring. Bianca Belair will have a tough time getting a decent match out of her. After Becky whined to Adam Pierce backstage, he said she would qualify for MITB by beating Asuka. Of course Becky just wanted him to hand it to her. That match was the main event of the show. Unlike the match from a few weeks ago, Asuka was given enough time to put together a high quality match. And she certainly delivered. I won't give details because I want you to watch the match. But Asuka won and Becky had a big temper tantrum afterwards. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Neil Diamond

Artist:Neil Diamond f/Barbra Streisand

Song:You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Album:The Essential Neil Diamond

You Don't Bring Me Flowers topped the charts in 1978. It was Neil Diamond's biggest hit when he recorded for Columbia Records. Diamond wrote the song with Alan and Marilyn Bergman as the theme for Norman Lear's sitcom All That Glitters. When Lear decided not to use the song, Diamond recorded You Don't Bring Me Flowers on his 1977 album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight. Then Barbra Streisand covered the song on her 1978 album Songbird. Louisville, KY radio station WAKY program director Gary Guthrie spliced the two recordings together as a farewell gift to his wife who he was divorcing. When this mashup was played on the air, listeners went nuts. This story was covered by Good Morning America, People Magazine and the BBC. Other radio stations did their own mashups and it became so popular that Diamond and Barbra recorded a duet version which topped the Billboard Hot 100. The duet appeared on Diamond's 1978 album You Don't Bring Me Flowers. It did not appear on a Barbra Streisand album. The aftermath was that Guthrie sued CBS as he felt he wasn't properly compensated for making the song a hit. This was settled out of court. CBS sent Guthrie a gold record plaque and Diamond sent him flowers. Barbra thanked Guthrie by telegram. Of course Diamond and Barbra performed You Don't Bring Me Flowers on the 1980 Grammy Awards broadcast. There were even plans to turn You Don't Bring Me Flowers into a film. But this was canceled after Diamond's 1980 film The Jazz Singer bombed. It was certainly the high point of Diamond's run at Columbia. You can get You Don't Bring Me Flowers on The Essential Neil Diamond or The Essential Barbra Streisand. Both are available as budget CDs. Here's Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand performing You Don't Bring Me Flowers as it aired on Casey Kasem's American Top 40. The footage is from the Grammys but the recording is Guthrie's mashup. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tatyana Ali

Artist:Tatyana Ali

Song:Daydreamin'

Album:Kiss the Sky

Tatyana Ali is best known for playing Ashley Banks on the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After the show ended, she scored a top ten pop hit with the 1998 single Daydreamin'. She ultimately decided not to pursue a music career. She is still acting. She was born Jan. 24, 1979 in North Bellemore, NY which is on Long Island. Her parents are Afro-Caribbean. At age six, Tatyana was a regular on Sesame Street. Then she appeared on Star Search. Then in 1990 she was cast as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Of course the show was a hit until it ended in 1996. Tatyana sang on the show a few times. So after the show ended, Will Smith asked Tatyana if she was interested in pursuing a music career. Though she planned to attend Harvard, she agreed to record an album for Michael Jackson's MJJ and Tommy Mottola's Work Group with Sony distribution. Smith was executive producer. She worked with several producers including Kelly Price, Narada Michael Walden and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. Daydreamin' reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and his frequent partners LaShawn Daniels and Fred Jerkins. The rap is by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. The main sample is from Steely Dan's Black Cow. By the time the record was a hit, Tatyana was attending Harvard and wasn't able to promote the album to Sony's satisfaction. Kiss the Sky is available as a budget CD. Tatyana released an EP on her own label in 2014. But for the most part she has stuck to acting mostly on TV. She was on The Young and the Restless from 2007-13, the BET show Buppies, the TV One sitcom Love That Girl! and the BET show Second Generation Wayans. She has done several made for TV movies recently. Tatyana married Dr. Vaughn Rasberry in 2016. He's an associate professor of English at Stanford. They have two sons which I am sure keeps her busy. So I don't expect her to return to music. Here's the video for Daydreamin' by Tatyana Ali. 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maria Oiveira vs Gloria de Paula

Here's the match video of Maria Oliveira vs Gloria de Paula from last night's UFC show in Austin, TX. This fight is at Strawweight. This was a terrible fight between two terrible fighters. Maria trains at PRVT. Jessica Andrade was in her corner. I first saw her in the Brazilian Contender Series. It's likely that if PRVT was still in Brazil, she would not be in the UFC. But accessibility is one of the reasons Gailard Parana moved PRVT to Las Vegas. Gloria is from Curitiba. She and her girlfriend Mayra Buena Silva own their own gym. I thought Gloria won the fight. Maria reminded me of Katlyn Chookagian. She throws a lot of punches but most of them don't land. And that can fool judges. Meanwhile as in all of her fights, Gloria doesn't do enough. So I thought Gloria won the first two rounds and Maria won round three. All three judges scored round one for Maria. So they got fooled. They all scored round two for Gloria. And two scored round three for Maria. She won by split decision. So it was a lousy fight with a poor decision. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius

Here's the match video of Natalia Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius from last night's UFC show in Austin, TX. This fight is at Flyweight. Natalia is 25 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She trains at Team Borracha which is owned by UFC Middleweight Paulo Costa. Natalia is a former Jungle Fight champ. She was supposed to make her UFC debut last year but she broke her arm during training. She hasn't fought since 2019. Similar to Viviane Araujo, she seems undersized for Flyweight. Jasmine is 33 years old from St. Catharines, ON. She trains at Niagara Top Team with Chris Prickett. She beat Kay Hansen in her UFC debut. Because Natalia hadn't fought recently, she's an unknown quantity. Daniel Cormier mentioned this during the broadcast. Despite the size difference, Natalya completely outclassed Jasmine. She was much quicker. Jasmine couldn't touch her. She couldn't take her down. She couldn't do anything with her. I scored it 30-27 for Natalya. Two of the judges scored it the same. The third scored it 30-26. So is Natalya that good or Jasmine that bad? Probably the latter though I would like to see Natalya against better competition. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Western

Artist:Johnny Western

Song:The Ballad of Paladin

Album:My Rifle, My Pony and Me

Here's a song that was written for the 50s TV western Have Gun, Will Travel. Johnny Western wrote and recorded the song which played over the end credits of the show. Though Western's recording career was brief, he has had success as an actor and a DJ. He was born Johnny Westerlund Oct. 28, 1934 in Two Harbors, MN. His father was an officer for the Civilian Conservation Corps so Western spent his early years in those camps. At age five, Western saw the 1936 Gene Autry film Guns and Guitars. From that day on, Western wanted to be a singing cowboy. He started singing on local radio as a teen and by age 16, he was opening for The Sons of the Pioneers. After graduating high school, Western recorded a few singles and hosted his own TV show in Minnesota. Then he moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream. Of course by the early 50s, there was no need for singing cowboys. He did play in Gene Autry's band just before Autry retired from performing. Western appeared in several TV westerns. After being cast in Have Gun, Will Travel, Western wrote The Ballad of Paladin. After showing it to the show's star Richard Boone and the show's creator Sam Rolfe, they had Western record the song and it played over the end credits. Western got a record deal with CBS's record label Columbia. After recording a few unsuccessful singles and the 1962 album Have Gun, Will Travel, Western joined Johnny Cash's band for several years. Though Western would occasionally record over the years, he became a DJ in 1986 for KFDI in Wichita, KS until his 2010 retirement. Western is in the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame and the Western Music Association Hall of Fame. Bear Family has released a Johnny Western box set. But you can get The Ballad of Paladin on this Bear Family various artists CD of songs from western movies, some performed by actors like Dean Martin and James Stewart. There is also a Time Life 2CD comp Treasury of the West 1 that is recommended. Take your pick. Here's Johnny Western performing The Ballad of Paladin on The Marty Stuart Show Mar. 28, 2013. The French horn is a nice touch. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dubliners

Artist:The Dubliners

Song:Seven Drunken Nights

Album:The Best of the Dubliners

The Irish folk group The Dubliners have been around since the 60s. The 1967 single Seven Drunken Nights was their first number one hit in Ireland. They were formed in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group playing O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin. Drew was lead singer along with Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke and Barney McKenna. But Drew didn't like the group name and Kelly was reading James Joyce's Dubliners so the group name was changed to The Dubliners. After an appearance at the 1963 Edinburgh Festival got them an appearance on the BBC show Hootenanny, The Dubliners signed with Transatlantic Records and released their 1964 debut album The Dubliners. After Kelly briefly moved to England, he was replaced by Bobby Lynch and John Sheahan joined. When Kelly returned, Lynch left and Sheahan remained. The Dubliners signed with Major Minor Records with Decca distribution for their 1967 debut studio album A Drop of the Hard Stuff. The album was produced by Decca house producer Tommy Scott. The songs are mostly traditional. When Seven Drunken Nights topped the Irish charts, the album was re-released as Seven Drunken Nights to take advantage of that. Seven Drunken Nights is based on the traditional Scottish song Our Goodman or The Merry Cuckold and the Kind Wife. It eventually became known as Seven Drunken Nights as each verse is one night. The Dubliners version is the best known version. This one hit kept them going for many years. They have recorded for EMI and Polydor. This 3CD budget comp seems to be original recordings. The Dubliners are still around led by John Sheahan as of 2020. Drew left in 1995 and died in 2008. Kelly died in 1984. Bourke left in 1974 and died in 1988. McKenna died in 2012. Here's The Dubliners performing Seven Drunken Nights in 1987. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Quik

Artist:The Quik

Song:Bert's Apple Crumble

Album:The Mod Scene

Here's a B side of an obscure 1967 single recorded by an even more obscure band that was unearthed in the 90s by London DJs. Bert's Apple Crumble is a pretty good slice of Booker T & The MGs influenced instrumental soul that probably went over well with the Acid Jazz crowd. So who were The Quik? They appear to be part of a long series of failed bands starting with The Soul Agents from Hampshire, England. They recorded a 1964 EP for Pye Records. Most of the band went on to back up Rod Stewart. Drummer Pete Hunt joined The meddyEVILS where he met organist Alex Chamberlain and bassist John Roberts. This band split up after two singles. And then The Quik was formed. The band was Alex Chamberlain on organ, John Rennie on sax, Bruce Roberts on guitar, John Roberts on bass and Pete Hunt on drums. The Quik recorded three 1967 singles for London's Deram label. Love Is a Beautiful Thing was the first single. Bert's Apple Crumble was the B side. It was written and produced by Dave Hadfield who went on to produce Manfred Mann's Earth Band in the 70s. The Quik split up after three singles. But Bert's Apple Crumble was unearthed in the 90s by DJs and it became a cause celebre on the Acid Jazz scene. You can get Bert's Apple Crumble on this various artists comp of obscure songs. After an unsuccessful attempt to reform The meddyEVILS, Hunt and Bruce Roberts were in the funk band Iguana who recorded a 1971 album for Polydor. They went on to back up Jess Roden who recorded a few albums for Island in the 70s. Here's a video for Bert's Apple Crumble by The Quik. 

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Herbaliser

Artist:The Herbaliser

Song:The Real Killer

Album:Abstrakt Workshop

The Herbaliser is a British jazz influenced hip hop duo who have released music since the mid 90s. The Real Killer was their first single. They were successful mostly in London clubs. Jake Wherry was a bassist in the Acid Jazz group The Propheteers. He met DJ Ollie Teeba and they started working together. They signed with Ninja Tune and The Real Killer was The Herbaliser's first single in 1995. The jazz influence is obvious. And unlike other similar groups, The Herbaliser uses live musicians including Wherry on bass, Patrick Dawes of Groove Armada on percussion, Kaidi Tatham on piano and Funky Ray on trumpet. The sampled dialogue is from the 1935 film The Petrified Forest. Yes, that is Humphrey Bogart. So this is where things get confusing. The Real Killer was only released on an EP. It is not on The Herbaliser's 1995 debut album Remedies. On that album there is a track called Real Killer Part 2. This is a reworked version of The Real Killer. At one point The Real Killer was added to a reissue of Remedies. But that does not seem to be available. But you can get The Real Killer on this Shadow Records Acid Jazz sampler available at a budget price. Later The Herbaliser would become a band for touring. And they did the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie's Snatch and a couple of video game soundtracks. And they have other projects. Their latest album was released in 2018. I'm sure we will hear from The Herbaliser again. Here's a video for The Real Killer by The Herbaliser. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Scofield

Artist:John Scofield

Song:Busted

Album:John Scofield plays the music of Ray Charles: That's What I Say

Of course John Scofield is one of today's most versatile jazz guitarists. He's recorded as a leader since the 70s and he just released a new album. After recording for Blue Note, Scofield signed with Verve in 1996 and still records for Universal. This 2005 album is a tribute to Ray Charles and it features special guests that make it a good buy for jazz beginners. The basic band that appears on this album is Larry Goldings on Hammond B3 organ and Steve Jordan on drums. Jordan also produced. He is best known for his days with the SNL Band, The Blues Brothers and Late Night with David Letterman. More recently he was in John Mayer's band and he has replaced the late Charlie Watts in The Rolling Stones. Goldings has recorded as a leader since the 90s. But he's mainly a versatile sideman. This is the band that appears on Busted. Willie Weeks plays bass on several tracks. There's a horn section with Alex Foster on tenor sax, Howard Johnson on baritone sax, Keith O'Quinn on trombone and Earl Gardner on trumpet. Sax solos are by David "Fathead" Newman. Plus John Mayer, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples and Warren Haynes make guest vocal appearances. So it looks like a fun album that may appeal to jazz newcomers. Scofield continues to record for Universal labels like Verve, EmArcy and Impulse. His latest album John Scofield is solo guitar recorded in Germany for ECM. Here's John Scofield with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave performing Busted at InspiRAYtion: A Ray Charles Concert at Berklee College of Music in Boston Sept. 22, 2012. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-2nd Chapter Of Acts

Artist:2nd Chapter of Acts

Song:Mansion Builder

Album:20: 1972-1992

The vocal group 2nd Chapter of Acts were pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). When they first started in the 70s it was called Jesus Music. 2nd Chapter of Acts were siblings from Grand Forks, ND. Annie Herring was the oldest followed by Nelly Greisen and Matthew Ward. Annie played piano and they sang together at home. By the time their parents died, Annie had married record producer Buck Herring and moved to California. The other two were still minors so they joined Annie in California. After singing in local coffeehouses, the three were spotted by Pat Boone and they got to record two singles for MGM. That got the attention of Barry McGuire who was recording his first Christian album with producer Buck Herring. He got them a record deal with Word's Myrrh label. 2nd Chapter of Acts released their debut album With Footnotes in 1974. Annie wrote all the songs and Buck Herring produced. They recorded two albums for Myrrh and toured with McGuire. When Billy Ray Hearn left Word in 1976 to form Sparrow Records, 2nd Chapter of Acts came with him. Mansion Builder was their debut album in 1978. Annie still wrote the songs and Buck produced. But this is when 2nd Chapter of Acts really took off especially as a touring band. This continued until they disbanded in 1988. This 2CD career spanning comp is available as a digital download. Annie Herring And Matthew Ward have both had successful solo careers. Both seem to have retired around 2010. But as I said, 2nd Chapter of Acts were important in the development of CCM. Here's 2nd Chapter of Acts performing Mansion Builder. There is no location or date given but I would guess late 70s. Also, the second half of this video has no audio so just skip it.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carol Welsman

Artist:Carol Welsman

Song:Do I Love You?

Album:I Like Men: Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee

Jazz singer Carol Welsman has had success in her native Canada recording mostly for her own label. This 2009 tribute to Peggy Lee is her most successful to date. She was born Sept. 29, 1960 in Toronto. Her grandfather Frank Welsman was the first conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Her brother John Welsman is a four time Gemini award winner for his music for the TV series Road To Avonlea. After studying classical piano as a child and listening to her father's record collection, Carol majored in piano performance at Berklee in Boston. A Canada Council grant allowed her to study voice with French opera singer Christiane Legrand. She returned to Toronto in 1990 and joined the faculty of the University of Toronto. Carol started her own Welcar label in 1996. Though she has recorded for Justin Time, Savoy and Avenue, she has had her greatest success on her own label. Though Carol performs jazz standards, she also writes songs. Some of her songs have been recorded by Julie Masse and Rene Simard. The 2009 album I Like Men: Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee is her most successful album to date. She records mostly standards like Cole Porter's Do I Love You which he wrote for the 1939 show DuBarry Was a Lady. Peggy Lee recorded it on the 1964 album The Fabulous Peggy Lee. Carol recorded the album in Los Angeles with Tom Scott on sax, Ken Peplowski on clarinet, Pat Kelley on guitar, Rene Camacho on bass, Jimmy Branly on drums and Kevin Ricard on percussion. This album is available as a digital download. Carol's new album 14 will be released in September on Justin Time. It looks like she currently splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. Here's Carol Welsman performing Do I Love You with Jake Langley on guitar, Mark Rogers on bass and Jimmy Branly on percussion at Toronto radio station AM 740 Mar. 24, 2010.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Joselyne Edwards vs Ramona Pascual

Here's the fight video of Joselyne Edwards vs Ramona Pascual from last night's UFC show in Singapore. This fight is at Featherweight. Joselyne is from Panama. She trains at Kings MMA. She is a Bantamweight. Ramona is from Hong Kong. She trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. It was a close fight but not in a good way. The judges gave it to Joselyne by unanimous decision. I didn't care. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Silvana Gomez Juarez vs Na Liang

Here's the match video of Silvana Gomez Juarez vs Na Liang from last night's UFC show in Singapore. This fight is at Strawweight. Silvana is from Argentina and she trains at Entram in Mexico. She came to the UFC as a short notice replacement. She's 0-2. She needs to stick to striking. Na trained at the UFC Performance Center in China. I don't think she belongs in the UFC. And sure enough Silvana knocked her out in round one. Here's the video. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Here's the match video of Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk from last night's UFC show in Singapore. This fight is at Strawweight. Of course this a rematch of their 2020. The big question was did Joanna even want to return to fighting. She doesn't need to fight. I thought Zhang used her wrestling more in this fight which is something she didn't do in the first fight. Then in round two Zhang knocked Joanna cold with a spinning back fist. That was it. Joanna proceeded to retire which didn't surprise me. Zhang gets a shot at Carla Esparza's UFC Strawweight Championship. Zhang wants to do it in Abu Dhabi. All the best in retirement to future HOFer Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valentina Shevchenko vs Taila Santos

Here's the match video of Valentina Shevchenko defending her UFC Flyweight Championship against Taila Santos from last night's UFC show in Singapore. Taila is 28 years old from Florianopolis, Brazil. She trains at Thai Brasil Florip with coach Marcio Malko. Marina Rodriguez is a teammate. Based on who she had beaten, I didn't think Taila was ready for a title shot. She got off to a good start but she faded in the late rounds. Also, I think she needed to be more aggressive. So I thought Taila won round one 10-9 with ground control. Two of the three judges scored it the same. The third scored it 10-9 for Valentina. Round two was a lot closer. I scored it 10-9 for Valentina. So did two of the judges and the third scored it 10-9 for Taila. Taila won round three 10-9 on all the scorecards. But it was during this round that an accidental clash of heads closed Taila's right eye and that led to her losing the final two rounds. It's likely that if this wasn't a title fight, the doctor would have stopped it. So I scored the fight 48-47 for Valentina. One judge scored it the same. One judge scored it 48-47 for Taila. He gave the first three rounds to Taila. The third scored it 49-46 for Valentina. He gave round one to Valentina. It's unfortunate that the head clash was such a big factor. Taila was fading as I expected anyway. But I wouldn't mind a rematch at some point. But I expect Valentina to challenge the winner of Julianna Pena vs Amanda Nunes for the Bantamweight Championship. Taila suffered a broken orbital bone and she will have surgery next week. She performed well enough that we will see her in a title match again. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sparta

Artist:Sparta

Song:Cut Your Ribbon

Album:Wiretap Scars

Sparta is a post hardcore band formed in 2001 after At the Drive-In split up. The music is very similar so fans of At the Drive-In should enjoy Sparta. Despite At the Drive-In's success, lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala was unhappy with the band's direction. After the split, he formed The Mars Volta with guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Drummer Tony Hajjar and bassist Paul Hinojos wanted to form a new band. They asked At the Drive-In guitarist Jim Ward if he wanted to be lead singer. They brought in former Belknap bassist Matt Miller. Hinojos switched to guitar. Sparta signed with DreamWorks Records. After releasing an EP, Sparta released their 2002 debut album Wiretap Scars. The album was produced by Blink-182 producer Jerry Finn. The songwriting was credited to the band as a whole so the royalties would be split evenly. This is done to avoid conflict. Cut Your Ribbon was the first single. The album did OK. It is available as a digital download. There was pressure on Sparta to live up to At the Drive-In's reputation. They opened for Pearl Jam on tour and released the 2004 album Live At the Zona Rosa. Then Ward's cousin Jeremy died from a heroin overdose. He was a sound technician for The Mars Volta. This affected Ward's songs for the 2004 album Porcelain. When the album was not well received, Ward pulled Sparta off the road. He didn't know if he was going to keep the band going. Hinojos left to join The Mars Volta. Keeley Davis replaced him. They signed with Disney's Hollywood label for the 2006 album Threes. When this album was unsuccessful, Ward announced that Sparta was going on hiatus. Ward formed the alt country band Sleepercar. Sparta reformed in 2011 mostly to play Ward's club in El Paso. A single was released. Sparta released a new album Trust the River on Dine Alone in 2020. There are plans for Sparta to return to touring. Ward released a solo album last year. And with Ward and Miller the only remaining Sparta members, Ward might stop using the Sparta name. It might be easier to tour solo. Here's the video for Cut Your Ribbon by Sparta. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sonny Terry

Artist:Sonny Terry

Song:Whoopin' the Blues

Album:Whoopin' the Blues: The Capitol Collection 1947-1950

Of course Sonny Terry is best known for his long time partnership with Brownie McGhee. Both guys recorded solo occasionally. Terry wrote and recorded Whoopin' the Blues for Capitol Records in 1947. The song became a regular part of the Terry/McGhee repertoire. He was born Saunders Terrell Oct. 24, 1911 in Greensboro, GA. His farmer father taught him to play blues harmonica as a child. A couple of farm accidents left Terry blind at age 16. He couldn't work on the farm so he had to play music to make a living. After his father died, Terry moved to Shelby, NC to play with Blind Boy Fuller. After Fuller's 1941 death, Fuller's manager sent guitarist Brownie McGhee on the road to look after Terry. Of course that turned into a decades long partnership. The two moved to New York and performed together. Terry became an in demand session musician. He played on recordings by Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Terry also appeared in the 1946 Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow. Terry signed with Capitol Records and recorded ten songs in 1947 including Whoopin' the Blues. Those songs are all on this comp plus some from 1950. This is available as a digital download. Beware of off label comps with inferior versions. Brownie McGhee does appear on these recordings. But the guitarist on Whoopin' the Blues is Granville "Stick" McGhee. He is not related to Brownie. Stick is best known for co-writing Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee. He was a jump blues musician. Terry and McGhee both led jump blues bands in the mid-40s. As I said, Terry and McGhee were mostly known as a duo. But Terry recorded solo mostly for Folkways. He died on Mar. 11, 1986 at age 74. Here's Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee performing Whoopin' the Blues. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buzzcocks

Artist:Buzzcocks

Song:Promises

Album:Singles Going Steady

Today Buzzcocks are considered to be one of the most influential punk bands. Back in the 70s, they couldn't seem to get a record company to properly support them. The Buzzcocks are from Manchester, England so they were a big part of establishing what became known as the Madchester sound. Howard Trafford and Peter McNeish were students at Bolton Institute of Technology looking to form a band. They decided to call themselves Buzzcocks after a newspaper headline. McNeish took the stage name Pete Shelley. Trafford took the stage name Howard Devoto. Once they added bassist Steve Diggle and drummer John Maher, they started performing regularly. Obviously the Sex Pistols were hot at the time. By the end of 1976, Buzzcocks released an EP on their own label. But then Devoto left unhappy with where punk music was going. Shelley took over the vocals. Diggle switched to guitar and Steve Garvey was the new bassist. They signed with United Artists. Their first few singles were sexually controversial so no one, including the BBC, would play them. They released a couple of albums and started to have chart success. Ever Fallen in Love reached #12 on the British Singles chart. The album Love Bites sold well. Promises reached #20 on the British Singles chart but it wasn't released on an album. The problem was UA was in the process of being sold to EMI. So things were on hold. I.R.S. released Singles Going Steady in the US. But the uncertainty of UA led to the Buzzcocks split in 1981. Singles Going Steady is available as a budget CD. Shelley had solo success with the 1981 single Homosapien. Buzzcocks reformed in 1989. Beware of re-recordings of their 70s singles. Shelley died in 2018. Diggle continues to record and tour as Buzzcocks. Here's the video for Promises by Buzzcocks. 

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ollie & The Nightingales

Artist:Ollie & The Nightingales

Song:I Got a Sure Thing

Album:Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration

I Got a Sure Thing was a top 20 R&B hit in 1968. It was the biggest hit for Ollie & The Nightingales. They recorded for Stax in the late 60s. They were from Memphis led by Ollie Hoskins. They started out in gospel as The Gospel Writer Juniors. After one 1958 single, they changed their name to The Dixie Nightingales. Hoskins was lead singer. Other members were Willie Neal, Nelson Lesure, Bill Davis and Rochester Neal. After three singles for Nashboro, Al Bell signed them to Stax's new gospel label Chalice. After three singles, Bell convinced Hoskins to try secular music. The group name was changed to Ollie & The Nightingales and Hoskins started calling himself Ollie Nightingale. Willie Neal left and was replaced by Quincy Billops Jr. of The Mad Lads. I Got a Sure Thing was the first single. It reached #17 on the R&B Singles chart and #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hoskins wrote the song with Booker T. Jones and William Bell and Jones produced. When subsequent singles and a 1969 album went nowhere, Hoskins left and recorded as a blues artist in the 80s & 90s. Tommy Tate replaced Hoskins in The Nightingales. But they didn't last long and the other members of The Nightingales joined The Ovations. You can get I Got a Sure Thing on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Ollie Nightingale continued to tour until his death on Oct. 26, 1997 at age 61. Here's Ollie Nightingale performing I Got a Sure Thing at the Poretta Soul Festival in Italy July 24, 1993.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Artist:Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/Ray Dalton

Song:Can't Hold Us

Album:The Heist

Rapper Ben "Macklemore" Haggerty's career was going nowhere when he started working with photographer and DJ Ryan Lewis. They scored two #1 hits from the 2012 album The Heist including Can't Hold Us. Haggerty was born June 19, 1983 in Seattle. Haggerty released a 2000 mixtape as Professor Macklemore and then he shortened it to Macklemore for his 2005 album The Language of My Love. Lewis was born Mar. 25, 1988 in Spokane. He's a photographer and a part time DJ. While working on promotions for Haggerty, Lewis started helping him with his music. Haggerty liked the results and the two began working together. After the 2011 single My Oh My, a tribute to late Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, got a lot of attention locally, the single Can't Hold Us topped the Billboard Hot 100. Ray Dalton is a local gospel singer. A second single Thrift Shop also topped the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Heist was certified Platinum. When their 2016 album The Unruly Mess I've Made didn't perform as well, the two went on hiatus. They have released one single but they are not expected to work together regularly. Haggerty released the album Gemini in 2017. A couple of the singles charted. But he won't have the same success as a solo act. Why were Macklemore & Ryan Lewis successful? I credit DJs for pushing them in clubs. It took a year for Can't Hold Us to top the charts. That doesn't happen by accident. Here's the video for Can't Stop Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The System

Artist:The System

Song:Don't Disturb This Groove

Album:Don't Disturb This Groove

Don't Disturb This Groove was a top five hit in 1987. It was the only big hit for the synth pop duo The System. A couple of their other songs charted so technically they were not a one hit wonder. Their use of synthesizers was very influential on hip hop. David Frank and Mic Murphy met in the early 80s while working for the funk band Kleer. Murphy was the band's road manager and Frank was hired to play keyboards for the tour. Later Frank was working on the track It's Passion with a pre-stardom Madonna. After she pulled out, Frank invited Murphy to work on it. Frank did not know Murphy could sing. Atlantic Records liked It's Passion so much they offered to release it on their Mirage label. Murphy came up with the name The System. When It's Passion became a hit in New York clubs, Atlantic offered to finance a full album. Initially The System had success mostly in clubs. They added guitarist Paul Pesco and keyboardist Kris Khellow so they could perform live. The System appeared in the 1984 film Beat Street and they contributed a song to the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop. They got to produce artists like Scritti Politti, Phil Collins' Sassudio, Chaka Khan's I Feel For You and Mtume's Juicy Fruit. The title track from the 1987 album Don't Disturb This Groove reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was their only big pop hit. The album is available on CD. After the 1989 album Rhythm & Romance, The System split up. Murphy released the 1991 album Touch. Frank produced most notably Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle. The System reunited a couple of times and released a couple of albums. But Don't Disturb This Groove is their most memorable song. Here's the video for Don't Disturb This Groove by The System. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bianca Belair vs Becky Lynch vs Asuka

 Here's the match video of Bianca Belair defending her RAW Women's Championship against Becky Lynch and Asuka from last night's Hell in a Cell show. As expected this match was a big step up from anything they did on RAW. I expected Bianca to win. I would have preferred that Becky take the fall as it ties in with her unhinged personality. They all worked hard and got to shine at times. I'm just not a fan of three way matches because they have a formula. The WWE thinks that three way matches are special when they are now run of the mill. Commentary made a big deal out of Asuka's twin ankle locks. I would have preferred she suplex both of them which I have seen her do. I guess the bottom line is the crowd was hot and all three performed great. You can't ask for much more than that. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ladron

Artist:Ladron

Song:Tu Me Quieres Lastimar

Album:Historia Musical

Ladron or Grupo Ladron are one of the most popular Romantica groups in Mexico. They are from Monterrey led by Sergio Villarreal. He's been writing songs since he was a teen. While studying engineering in college, Villarreal formed a rock group. But it was quickly decided they were more comfortable performing a softer style of music. They became Ladron in 1991. There was already a Grupo Ladron in the US. The other members are Omar Garcia on keyboards, Edgar Garcia on bass and William Mejia on drums. They signed with Discos Sabinas and were produced by legendary composer Armando Manzanero. They released an album a year and listeners ate it up. Tu Me Quieres Lastimar is from the 1998 album of the same name. It's short so the best way to get Ladron's music is on a comp CD like Historia Musical. Villareal still leads a version of Ladron. Their latest album was released in 2018. When Villarreal is not busy with Ladron, he writes and produces other artists. Here's the video for Tu Me Quieres Lastimar by Ladron. BTW, Ladron is Spanish for thief.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Erin Blanchfield vs JJ Aldrich

Here's the match video of Erin Blanchfield vs JJ Aldrich from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Erin is 23 years old from New York. She trains at Renzo Gracie. She's 2-0 in the UFC. She is considered to be a top prospect. JJ trains at Elevation in Denver. She's well coached but against better fighters, she tends to run out of talent in the middle of round two. So this a typical JJ Aldrich fight. She looked OK in round one as she was able to keep Erin away and land shots at a distance. She wasn't dominant but JJ won the round 10-9. That all came to an end in round two when Erin got JJ in a standing guillotine choke and then jammed her into the fence. JJ had nowhere to go and that was it. Now I want to see Erin face a ranked fighter. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Felice Herrig

Here's the match video of Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Felice Herrig from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. I joked to Schwan Humes on the podcast that this would be a loser leave town match as both fighters have fallen on hard times. Karolina is a former title contender on a five fight losing streak. After her last loss, she decided to make a change. Karolina has always trained with her husband in Poland. She asked Joanna Jedrzejczyk to get her into American Top Team. This is something she should have done years ago. We discussed it on the podcast. Felice is coming off of knee surgery. She trains with Jeff Curran and Mike Valle in Chicago. She said in interviews that if she loses, she leaves the UFC. Basically, she couldn't keep up with Karolina. And in round two, Karolina finished Felice with a rear naked choke. Going to ATT could get Karolina back into the title picture. And Felice retired as promised. I expect to see her in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karine Silva vs Poliana Botelho

Here's the match video of Karine Silva vs Poliana Botelho from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Karine is 28 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains with Gile Ribeiro. She likes to finish fights which is why her nickname is Killer. She appeared on DWCS but I thought Poliana would give us a better handle on who she is. Poliana is an OK fighter but she's 3-3 in the UFC. She's not setting the world on fire. The fight didn't last long. After Karine tried for a guillotine, she turned it into a D'Arce choke and that was it. You don't see D'Arce chokes every day and that was slickly executed by Karine. I look forward to seeing her against better competition. Enjoy the video!  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Cerveris

Artist:Michael Cerveris w/Mark Jacoby

Song:Pretty Women

Album:Sweeney Todd: 2005 Original Broadway Cast

Michael Cerveris is a Tony winning Broadway actor. He was Tony nominated for playing the title role of the 2005 revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd. Recently he has been doing a lot of TV. He was born Nov. 6, 1960 in Bethesda, MD. but he grew up in Huntington, WV. His mother was a dancer and his father was a professor of music. Cerveris graduated from Yale in 1983. He majored in theater studies. He appeared mostly in off Broadway shows until he played John Wilkes Booth in the 2004 musical Assassins. He won a Tony for that. And no doubt that got Cerveris the starring role in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd. This was based on John Doyle's 2004 London revival where the actors play their own instruments. Cerveris got another Tony nomination. The show ran for about a year so it was successful. Mark Jacoby played Turpin in Sweeney Todd. He has done supporting roles on Broadway. Cerveris continued to perform on Broadway. He won another Tony for the 2015 show Fun Home. That is his most recent Broadway appearance. Cerveris played Elihas Starr in the 2018 film Ant-Man and the Wasp. He makes regular TV guest shots. He had recurring roles on Fringe, Treme and The Good Wife. His most recent appearance was on the new HBO series The Gilded Age. He will return for season two. Here's Michael Cerveris with Mark Jacoby performing Pretty Women on Regis and Kelly Live 2005 followed by an interview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers

Artist:J.Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers

Song:Last Kiss

Album:Rock, Rhythm and Doo Wop: The Greatest Songs from Early Rock 'n' Roll

In the early 60s, there were several teen tragedy hits like Ray Peterson's Tell Laura I Love Her and Mark Dinning's Teen Angel. Last Kiss was a top five hit in 1964. It was the only big hit for J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. A couple of their other songs charted so technically they are not a one hit wonder. The Cavaliers were formed in San Angelo, TX in 1955 led by guitarist Sid Holmes with Rob Zeller on sax, Lewis Elliott on bass and Ray Smith on drums. They had a singer but after he was drafted into the miltary, The Cavaliers were an instrumental band until 1962. J. Frank Wilson had just been discharged from the US Air Force. He auditioned and became lead singer of The Cavaliers. They were spotted by Sonley Roush who became their manager. Wayne Cochran wrote and recorded Last Kiss in 1961. Cochran based the song on several car crashes he witnessed near his home in Georgia. The record was not a hit. Roush loved the song and he convinced The Cavaliers that if they recorded Last Kiss, it could be a big hit. Holmes wasn't interested but Wilson was. Holmes left The Cavaliers and was replaced by Gene Croyle. Bassist Lewis Elliott was still in the band. Other musicians were Jim Wynne on piano and Roland Atkinson on drums. After Last Kiss was a regional hit, Jubilee picked it up and distributed it nationally for their Josie label. Last Kiss reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Cavaliers recorded an album and toured. While traveling to Ohio, Roush fell asleep at the wheel and was killed in the wreck. Wilson suffered serious injuries but attempted to continue the tour. You can get Last Kiss on this Rhino 3CD box set available at a budget price. Wilson continued to lead a version of The Cavaliers until his 1991 death. Most music fans should remember Pearl Jam's 1997 top five cover of Last Kiss but may not be aware of the 1964 version. Eddie Vedder discovered Last Kiss while cratedigging at a Seattle mall and convinced the other members of Pearl Jam that it would be a fun song to record. It was released as a charity record for Kosovo refugees. Here's a video of Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash

Artist:Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash

Song:Rock and Roll (Fais Do Do)

Album:Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming

The 1985 album Class of '55 was partially a tribute to Elvis Presley and a tribute to Sun Studios since Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash all recorded for Sun in the 50s. I guess it's always fun for these guys to get together. The guy behind it was veteran record producer Chips Moman and it was released on Mercury's Smash label. Dick Clark documented everything and it was turned into a 1989 TV special that aired on TBS. This can be streamed on YouTube. There was also an Interviews from the Class of '55 Recording Sessions album that won a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy for Moman, Sun Studios owner Sam Phillips and Rick Nelson. This was Nelson's only Grammy in his long career. One snag was that Johnny Cash was still under contract to Columbia Records. He was about to leave for Mercury. Moman was forced to pay Columbia $100K to keep him on the record. The guys take turns singing. Other than Sixteen Candles, the songs are recent. Rock and Roll (Fais Do Do) was written and recorded by Michael Smotherman on his 1982 self titled album on Epic. He wrote several songs for Glen Campbell in the late 70s. They recorded John Fogerty's Big Train from Memphis with Fogerty guesting on background vocals along with Sam Phillips, June Carter Cash, Dave Edmunds, The Judds and Rick Nelson. Class of '55 was rereleased in 2000 in a remastered version with a new cover. Here's Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash performing Rock and Roll (Fais Do Do) on the Class of '55 TV Special.