AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Randy VanWarmer

Artist:Randy VanWarmer

Song:Just When I Needed You Most

Album:70s Music Explosion: Sunshine

Singer songwriter Randy VanWarmer scored a top five hit with the 1979 single Just When I Needed You Most. Though VanWarmer is perceived as a one hit wonder, a couple of his other songs charted. So technically he is not a one hit wonder. It is his only big hit. The song still gets oldies radio play as a soft rock classic. He was born Randall Van Wormer Mar. 30, 1955 in Indian Hills, CO. After his father died in a 1967 car accident, VanWarmer moved with his mother to Cornwall, England. That's when he started writing songs. He moved back to the US in 1978 and settled in Woodstock, NY. That was the home of artist manager and Bearsville Records owner Albert Grossman. Grossman liked VanWarner's songs so he signed him to a record deal. The 1979 album Warmer was produced by British producer Del Newman. He worked on Cat Stevens' Teat for the Tillerman so he knew how to get that soft rock sound. Just When I Needed You Most reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Van Warmer wrote the song with Tony Wilson of the British group Hot Chocolate. Supposedly Grossman wasn't too thrilled with the song or VanWarmer in general. He recorded four albums for Bearsville. There are no Randy VanWarmer comps available but you can get Just When I Needed You Most on this 2CD Time Life various artists comp. Beware of rerecorded versions of Just When I Needed You Most. VanWarmer continued to have a following in Japan. Some of his later albums were released only in Japan. He also had success as a songwriter in country music. VanWarmer moved with his family to Seattle and he died of leukemia on Jan. 12, 2004 at age 48. Here's Randy VanWarmer performing Just When I Needed You Most on Top of the Pops 1979. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joshua Rogers

Artist:Joshua Rogers

Song:Pour Some Oil

Album:Returning

Yesterday I was talking about American Idol as a double edged sword. I guess I could say the same thing about BET's Sunday Best. There are so many of these talent contest shows it's hard to keep them straight. Sunday Best is supposed to do for contemporary gospel what AI did for pop. So the format is similar. Kirk Franklin is the host and executive producer. Erica and Tina Campbell aka Mary Mary are judges and executive producers. I thought the Sunday Best winner got a record deal with Franklin's Fo Yo Soul label. But he may just have first rights. There have been ten seasons of Sunday Best. I don't think it has been renewed but I heard it might turn up on the BET+ streaming service. Joshua Rogers won season five of Sunday Best in 2012. He was the first male to win the show. He was born Mar. 22, 1994 in Greeleyville, SC. He grew up singing in his grandmother's church. When Rogers won Sunday Best, he got cash, a car and a record deal with Music World Entertainment. Who dat? That's Matthew Knowles. That's right, Beyonce's dad. I always thought he was too screwy to be in the record business. He sold Music World last year so maybe he came to that conclusion too. Rogers released one album for Music World and then he left the label. He has since signed with Mixed Bag Entertainment and released the 2018 album Returning. I think Pour Some Oil was the second single. The album was produced by Elvis "Blac Elvis" Williams who has worked with plenty of R&B artists and gospel artists like Ruben Studdard and Smokie Norful. Rogers is a pretty good singer. He just released a new single on Mixed Bag. Who dat? From what I can tell, they are owned by Christian rapper Emmanuel Lee "Da' T.R.U.T.H." Lambert. The label is distributed by eOne. Plenty of gospel labels use them. But Mixed Bag has to spend their own money on promotion etc. So how much can Lambert spend? I always say the best way to make a small fortune in gospel music is start with a large fortune. So we'll see how things go with them. I do like Rogers. Gospel fans should check him out. Here's the video for Pour Some Oil by Joshua Rogers. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kris Allen

Artist:Kris Allen

Song:Waves

Album:Letting You In

As I have said many times, American Idol (AI) can be a double edged sword. There is a certain level of fame. But there are also record company expectations. And if an artist doesn't meet those expectations, the scrap heap is nearby. And that's what happened to Kris Allen after he won AI in 2009. He now records for his own label. He was born June 21, 1985 in Jacksonville, AR which is a suburb of Little Rock. He taught himself to play guitar. Influences include Jamie Cullum and Jason Mraz. Allen attended University of Central Arkansas as a business major. He was a missionary and worship leader. Then Allen dropped out of school to try to make it in music. He even released an album on his own label. He worked as a shoe salesman during the day. Auditioning for AI was a last ditch attempt for a music career. Allen said if he failed, he would return to school. But he made the show and was an upset winner over Adam Lambert. After he won, Allen reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his coronation song No Boundaries followed by Live Like We're Dying at #18. This was followed by the 2009 album Kris Allen and the 2012 album Thank You Carmellia. RCA couldn't have been too happy with the sharp decrease in sales of the second album. Plus there were management changes in RCA that probably did Allen no favors. And he wrote all the songs. So I'm sure he wasn't surprised when RCA declined to renew his contract. This has happened to many AI winners. Since then Allen has released two albums on his own label. The 2017 album Letting You In is his latest. Interestingly, on his two albums Allen worked with producers Charlie Peacock and Brown Bannister who are known for CCM. Considering Allen's religious beliefs, I would like to see him sign with a CCM label. He could do very well in that market. That's what Danny Gokey did after AI. Allen released a new single a couple of months ago. That and his own albums are available as digital downloads. And he is currently on tour. Here's the video for Waves by Kris Allen.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Missy Elliott

Artist:Missy Elliott f/Ciara and Fat Man Scoop

Song:Lose Control

Album:Respect M.E.

Missy Elliott has had success as a rapper. But she is probably more important as a writer and producer. Lose Control was a top five hit in 2006. It is her most recent hit single mostly because she hasn't been that active as a recording artist. She is concentrating on production. She was born July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, VA. Her father was a US Marine and she grew up in Jacksonville, NC. Missy grew up singing in church. She knew she wanted to be a performer at a young age. Her father was very abusive towards her mother. Missy and her mom fled when Missy was 14 years old. She attended high school in Portsmouth and that's where she met long time collaborator Tim "Timbaland" Mosely. After graduating from high school, Missy formed the R&B girl group Fayze. She asked Mosely to produce demos. After auditioning for DeVante Swing of Jodeci, he signed Fayze to his own label Swing Mob with Elektra distribution. He changed the group name to Sista. They moved to New York, brought Mosely and partner Melvin "Magoo" Barcliffe. Missy's first appearance was on Raven-Symone's 1993 single That's What Little Girls Are Made Of. She rapped and wrote the song. Sista recorded an album in 1994 but it was never released. Swing Mob closed in 1996 but Missy and Mosely continued to work together. They produced SWV, 702 and most notably Aaliyah. They produced nine songs on Aaliyah's 1996 album One in a Million. The success of that album got them work with Total, Nicole Wray and Destiny's Child. After appearing as a guest rapper, Missy started her own label Goldmind with Elektra distribution. She released her 1997 debut album Supa Dupa Fly. The single Sock It 2 Me reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Platinum. Missy had success over the next few years. Her 2002 album Under Construction was certified 2XPlatinum and the single reached #2 on the Billboard. Plus she continued to make guest appearances and produce. The 2005 single Lose Control reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Cookbook was certified Platinum. Missy wrote and produced. Ciara and rapper Fatman Scoop make guest appearance. This is to date Missy's latest album. She released an EP in 2019. But for the most part she has concentrated on production. Her album sales were decreasing so maybe she decided not to record anymore. You can get all her hits on this budget comp. Here's the video for Lose Control by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lonnie Hunter

Artist:Lonnie Hunter with Structure

Song:I'm Back

Album:I'm Back

Lonnie Hunter has been one of Chicago's top choir directors since the 90s. After releasing a couple of albums in the late 90s, Hunter made a big comeback with the 2011 album I'm Back. But since then things have stalled and he last recorded in 2015. He was born July 20, 1965 in Harvey, IL. His mother was a gospel singer. Hunter served as lead singer of the US Air Force Jazz Band for five years. In 1980, Hunter became Minister of Music St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church Cathedral. He named his choir The Voices of Sr. Mark and they won the 1989 Singsation National Choir Competition. Eventually Hunter got a record deal and released albums in 1998 and 2003 on Malaco's Muscle Shoals label. This was an offshoot of the famed Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama. Hunter produced albums by fellow Chicago choir leader Earnest Pugh. I'm Back was released on Kerry Douglas' Black Smoke label in 2011. Hunter's new choir was called Structure and I'm Back really clicked with gospel fans. The single topped the charts. Despite that, it was Hunter's only album on Black Smoke. His 2015 album #Getitdone was released on Tyscot. That's his latest album. Hunter hosts his own show on Radio One every morning from 6-10AM. I'm sure that keeps him busy. Here's Lonnie Hunter with Reid Temple's Youth and Adult Choir performing I'm Back at the 2012 How Sweet the Sound in Washington, DC. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tony Renis

Artist:Tony Renis

Song:Quando, Quando, Quando

Album:Made in Italy

Here is a song that most folks have heard but know nothing about the origin of the song. Quando, Quando, Quando was written and recorded by Italian singer songwriter Tony Renis in 1962. It's his signature song and it was a hit in Italy. But he's unknown outside Italy. He was born Elio Cesari May 13, 1938 in Milan, Italy. He performed in local clubs doing an impersonation of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Renis signed with Combo Records in 1958 and he recorded Italian versions of American Rock 'n' Roll songs. Then Renis started writing and performing songs at the Sanremo Music Festival. These festivals have always been a big deal in Europe. Plenty of hits have originated at them. Renis performed Quando, Quando, Quando at the 1962 Sanremo Music Festival and it got him a record deal at EMI's Odeon label. Quando, Quando, Quando was a big enough hit that the album was released in North America on Capitol. Renis wrote the song with Alberto Testa. Pat Boone recorded Quando, Quando, Quando in 1962 with English lyrics written by Ervin Drake. It charted in the US and England and it likely was played on easy listening radio. Canadian singer Bobby Curtola recorded it in 1967 and it was a top ten hit in Canada. Engelbert Humperdinck recorded it in 1968 and a 1999 dance remix charted in England. In 2005, Michael Buble recorded Quando, Quando, Quando with Nelly Furtado and I'm sure it got Adult Contemporary radio play. Plus there are many instrumental versions. Tony Renis recorded for RCA for many years. He also worked as a record producer and appeared in films. His song The Prayer was Oscar nominated when Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli performed it in the 1999 film Quest for Camelot. It looks like he retired in 2004. This comp is available as a digital download. Here's a video for Quando, Quando, Quando by Tony Renis. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sequal

Artist:Sequal

Song:I'm Over You

Album:Sequal

The 1988 single I'm Over You was one of two Dance chart hits for the Freestyle girl group Sequal. They should remind you of the similar but much more successful group Expose. That's not a coincidence because Miami based producer Lewis Martinee formed both groups. The members of Sequal were Angie Vollaro and Maria Christensen. They released three singles in 1985 for the small Joey Boy label. They did well enough in clubs that Capitol Records signed them. The 1988 album Sequal was their only album. I'm Over You reached #11 and Tell the Truth reached #9 on the Billboard Dance chart. Martinee hired big name producers Stock Aitken Waterman and Mantronix to work on the album, Mantronix produced Tell the Truth. But I'm Over You was produced by local producer Michael Morejon and he wrote the song with Angie. Morejon worked on the Joey Boy singles. He went on to produce Jon Secada. Sequal split up in 1990. Maria recorded a 1993 album for Atlantic. She has had success as a songwriter. The big one is she co-wrote the 1999 Jennifer Lopez hit Waiting for Tonight. She has also worked with Disney Channel shows like Lemonade Mouth, Jesse and Austin and Ally. Cherry Red rereleased Sequal in 2012 with a second CD of remixes. But the original album is available as a digital download. Sequal reunited in 2008 and released a single. I don't think they are still activ. Here's the video for I'm Over You by Sequal.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ismael Quintana

Artist:Ismael Quintana

Song:Mi Debilidad

Album:La Herencia

Singer Ismael Quintana is best known for his 70s stint recording and touring with The Fania All Stars. Mi Debilidad is his signature song. He was born June 3, 1937 in Ponce, Puerto Rico but he grew up in Bronx, NY. So Quintana is a Nuyorican. He had a band while in high school. Eddie Palmieri saw Quintana at an audition and he invited him to join his band La Perfecta. Quintana sang for Palmieri from 1961-73. Quintana was named Most Popular Latin Singer of the Year in New York in 1966. While still in Palmieri's band, Quintana recorded two albums for United Artists. In 1973 he signed with Fania's Vaya label and joined The Fania All Stars. Mi Debilidad is from the 1974 album Ismael Quintana. Quintana wrote that and some other songs on the album. He also produced with Fania owner Jerry Masucci. The song was arranged by bassist Bobby Valentin who led his own band. Other musicians were Mark Dimond from Willie Colon's band on piano, Vinnie Bell from Tito Puente's band on guitar, Barry Rogers and Lewis Kahn on trombone, Hector "Bomberito" Zarzuela and Luis Ortiz on trumpet, Orestes Vilato on bongos, Johnny Rodriguez on congas, Nicky Marrero on timbales and Harry Viggiano on tres which is a Cuban six string guitar. Veteran bandleader Johnny Pacheco was credited as musical director. Quintana performed Mi Debilidad during Fania All Stars shows and that's how it became his signature song. Quintana recorded four albums for Vaya which are covered by this comp available as a digital download. Quintana's health declined and he retired in the early 80s. His final recording was in 1983. He returned for a couple of Fania All Stars reunions but mostly he stayed retired. Ismael Quintana and his family moved to Colorado. He died on Apr. 16, 2016 at age 78. Here's Ismael Quintana performing Mi Debilidad from the 1976 film Salsa. The pianist featured in the video is Larry Harlow. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karol Rosa vs Lina Lansberg

Here's the match video of Karol Rosa vs Lina Lansberg from yesterday's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight is at Bantamweight. Karol is a PRVT fighter meaning she is from Brazil but PRVT is now in Las Vegas. Lina is from Malmo, Sweden. She trains with former UFC fighter Akira Corassani. After taking time off to have a baby, she returned a few months ago and lost. Lina is a kickboxer who can be good in the clinch. Karol is a more complete fighter so I expected her to win easily. The fight was closer than it should have been because Karol landed an illegal knee to grounded opponent in round two. The ref deducted a point and that's why Karol won by majority decision. Without the deducted point, I scored it 30-27 for Karol. One judge scored round one for Lina. So the scores were 2X29-27 and 28-28. At 40 years old maybe it's time for Lina to go. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Manon Fiorot vs Katlyn Chookagian

Here's the match video of Manon Fiorot vs Katlyn Chookagian from yesterday's UFC show in Abu Dhabi. This fight is at Flyweight. Manon was supposed to fight Jessica Andrade in Paris but she hurt her knee and the fight was rescheduled. That fight would have had fireworks. But instead we got Katlyn and she does that keep away style trying to avoid damage. The way she wins fights is she fools judges by throwing a lot of punches. Of course most of them miss but it's designed by her coach Mark Henry to fool judges. Manon is from Nice, France. Her coach is Alric Cassata. Normally Manon is very aggressive and likes to finish. But considering that her knee could still be bothering her and Katlyn's fight style, I'm disappointed but not surprised that Cassata changed Manon's game plan. The first round was close as Manon was patient and knew it would take time to get her range. I thought Manon landed harder punches so I scored the round 10-9 for Manon. But I was not surprised the judges scored it for Katlyn. In the other two rounds, Manon figured things out and was able to neutralize Katlyn. So I scored both rounds 10-9 for Manon and so did the judges. So all three judges scored it 29-28 for Manon. Like most of Katlyn's fights, it was boring. But that's how she wins fights. So Manon did a good job in winning because it could have gone the other way. Should Manon get a title shot? Keep in mind that Jessica Andrade is fighting soon. I will reserve judgement until then. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Toquinho e Vinicius

Artist:Toquinho e Vinicius

Song:Turbilhao

Album:Novo Millennium

Soon after Brazilian guitarist Toquinho started his career in 1970, he was invited to perform on a series of shows by Girl from Ipanema songwriter Vinicius de Moraes. This partnership was very successful until de Motaes' 1980 death. Toquinho was born Antonio Pecci Filho July 6, 1946 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. His parents were Italian immigrants. Toquinho is a childhood nickname. He began his music career playing at the Paramount Theater. After writing a couple of hit songs, de Moraes asked Toquinho to participate in a series of shows in Argentina. And that led to a very successful partnership. Toquinho continued to record as a solo artist. It looks like most of the albums Toquinho and de Moraes recorded together were live.  Toquinho wrote Turbilhao with Mutinho and he recorded it on his 1977 album Tocando. Then he started performing it live with de Moraes. This comp is a good intro to their music. Sadly, de Moraes was in poor health due to smoking and alcohol. He died on July 9, 1980 at age 60. Toquinho continues to record and perform. But he had his greatest success in the 70s performing with de Moraes. Here's Toquinho with Mutinho performing Turbilhao at the WTC Theater in the Sheraton Hotel in Sao Paulo Mar. 25, 2016. This is from the Toquinho DVD 50 Anos de Carreira.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai vs Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai defending the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi from last night's episode of Smackdown. Iyo does most of the heavy lifting in this match. She is willing to take crazy bumps. Then in the second half of  the match, she hits a springboard dropkick. And then she leaps from the top turnbuckle into a DDT on Raquel. Most wrestlers would never try a move like that. The end comes while Dakota takes Raquel outside the ring. Iyo hits Shotzi with an Air Raid Crash followed by her moonsault for the win. So Iyo looked good. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jazz Soul Seven

Artist:Jazz Soul Seven

Song:Amen

Album Impressions of Curtis Mayfield

Here's a one off jazz album that you don't want to overlook. It's got great musicians and a tribute to the legendary Curtis Mayfield was long overdue. The guy behind it is veteran session guitarist Phil Upchurch. Like Mayfield, Upchurch is a Chicago native. Upchurch has been a sideman and session musician since the 60s. He worked with Mayfield. Though Upchurch has recorded as a leader, he is mainly known as a sideman. Upchurch not only plays guitar on Jazz Soul Seven, he wrote the arrangements and produced with his manager Brian Brinkerhoff. This was released in 2012 on BFM Jazz. Musicians are Ernie Watts on sax, Wallace Roney on trumpet, Russell Ferrante of Yellowjackets on piano. Robert Hurst on bass, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums and Henry Gibson on percussion. Gibson toured with Mayfield. Hurst has worked with Wynton and Branford Marsalis. And of course Terri Lyne is one of today's top drummers. This album is definitely worth checking out. Here's a video for Amen by Jazz Soul Seven. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-ZAYN

Artist:ZAYN f/Taylor Swift

Song:I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker)

Album:Fifty Shades Darker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Zayn Malik first had success as part of the X Factor group One Direction. Since leaving the group, he has had solo success with hits like the 2017 single I Don't Wanna Live Forever. He calls himself ZAYN. He was born Jan. 12, 1993 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. His father is from Pakistan. Malik grew up Muslim but he no longer identifies as Muslim. He auditioned for X Factor in 2010. Afterwards, he was put into a group that became One Direction. I have never liked that X Factor puts strangers into groups. Groups should want to be together. One Direction finished third and Simon Cowell signed them to his Syco label. Though One Direction had a lot of success, Malik left to go solo in 2015. He said in interviews that the group had no creative control and he always wanted to leave. Malik signed with RCA and his 2016 debut album Mind of Mine was certified Platinum. The single Pillowtalk topped the charts in England and the US. It is his only #1 hit to date. I Don't Wanna Live Forever came close to that. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the British Singles chart. The song was recorded for the film Fifty Shades Darker. It's a duet with Taylor Swift. She wrote the song with frequent songwriting partner Jack Antonoff and Sam Dew. Antonoff produced. He was a member of fun. but these days he works a lot with Taylor. The song is not on one of Malik's albums. It's only on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. Since then Malik has released two albums. They haven't been as successful as his early albums and RCA dropped him last year. He seems to be a little young to be a has been. But maybe he wasn't that good to start with. Here's the video for I Don't Wanna Live Forever (Fifty Shades Darker) by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dada

Artist:Dada

Song:Dizz Knee Land

Album:Puzzle

Dada's 1992 single Dizz Knee Land became a radio hit after MTV played the video in heavy rotation. They have had success as a touring band but this was their only hit. Dada is from Los Angeles. Guitarist Michael Gurley and bassist Joie Calio were playing in other bands when they decided to start working together in 1988. Both guys sing and they liked the harmonies enough to recruit drummer Phil Leavitt and form Dada. Their music is 80s pop heavily influenced by The Police. They signed with I.R.S. Records owned by The Police drummer Stewart Copeland's brother Miles Copeland with Capitol distribution. The 1992 album Puzzle was written and produced by the band with veteran recording engineer Ken Scott. After the video for the first single Dizz Knee Land went into heavy rotation on MTV, alternative radio picked it up and it reached #5 on the Alternative Rock chart. The song is not about Disneyland. It's commentary about society. There was a time when after major events, someone would say "I'm going to Disneyland". I think this began at the Super Bowl. Disneyland used it in commercials. "I'm going to Disneyland" is the song's hook. I assume that got MTV's attention as the video is nothing special. Calio says the word Disneyland came to him in a dream. Obviously the spelling was changed so they wouldn't get sued. Dada recorded four albums for I.R.S. but financial problems forced I.R.S. to close in 1996. Dada released a 1998 album on MCA and then Universal bought PolyGram and Dada fell through the cracks and split up in 1999. Puzzle is available as a budget CD. Gurley and Leavitt formed the band Butterfly Jones. They released a 2001 album on Vanguard. Calio worked in MCA's A&R department and released a solo album on his own label. Dada reformed in 2003 mostly to tour They released an album in 2004. They toured in 2017 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. I don't think they are active anymore. They last posted on Facebook in 2020. Here's the video for Dizz Knee Land by Dada. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Toni Storm vs Hikaru Shida

Here's the match video of Toni Storm defending her AEW Interim Women's Championship from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. As I said last week, I don't like these two as tag team partners last week and facing each other this week. You can see by the lack of reaction from the crowd why I don't like that. They don't know who to cheer. The match is OK but nothing special. It gets off to a slow start and if they are going to do that, the match needs to be longer. But they insisted on having that post match nonsense with Britt Baker, Saraya and the return of Riho. I thought this match was almost an afterthought and it should have been booked better. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Men at Large

Artist:Men at Large

Song:So Alone

Album:Men at Large

The 1993 single So Alone was the biggest hit for the R&B duo Men at Large. The group name is because Dave Tolliver and Jason Champion are both hefty guys. They are from Cleveland. Of course when I think of Cleveland R&B, I think of The O'Jays. And I also think of Gerald Levert who was the son of Eddie Levert of The O'Jays. He was a big star in in the 90s and he was able to get his homeboys a record deal with Atlantic's EastWest label. He even got them an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. Of course Levert produced their 1992 album Men at Large. So Alone was the fourth single and it reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the R&B chart. They performed So Alone on Arsenio. Tolliver dedicated So Alone to his late mother. Though they wrote a couple of songs on the album, So Alone was written and produced by Edwin Nicholas. He produced most of the album with Levert and also played keyboards and drums. Nicholas is a Cleveland native. Men at Large's 1994 album One Size Fits All had the same producers. Both albums did OK in the R&B market. Then they split up. Tolliver attempted to keep Men at Large going by recording a 1999 album with a different partner. Champion got into Contemporary Gospel and after appearing on albums by Kirk Franklin and Men of Standard, he released the 2007 album Reflections on EMI Gospel. He was supposed to record a second gospel album with producer Warryn Campbell but it never happened. Champion and Tolliver reunited and Men at Large released the album Love Benefits in June. Here's the video for So Alone by Men at Large. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky vs Bianca Belair and Candice Lerae

Here's the match video of Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky vs Bianca Belair and Candice Lerae from last night's episode of Raw. This was a non title match. This was set up last week when Candice beat Bayley with a rollup pin. Iyo and Dakota attacked Candice. Bianca tried to make the save but she was laid out too. The match is OK but not great. Bayley was on commentary and she talked about how she has known Candice for years. Both are from northern California. Candice still seems a little rusty. Iyo took a very tough bump. Bianca was holding her in a vertical suplex position. Candice dropkicked Iyo and she landed poorly. Iyo was down for a while but she was OK. The end came when Bayley tried to interfere. Bianca ran her over the announce table and that allowed Iyo and Dakota to double team Candice for the win. On Friday, Iyo and Dakota defend the titles against Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi. And next week Bianca will face Bayley in a non title match. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-69 Boyz

Artist:69 Boyz

Song:Tootsee Roll

Album:Greatest Hits

The single Tootsee Roll was a top ten pop hit in 1994 for the rap duo 69 Boyz. It topped the rap charts. Some of their other singles charted but this was their biggest hit. I guess that's why there is a greatest hits CD. It should remind you of the 1993 hit single Whoot, There It Is by 95 South. Tootsee Roll charted higher. Both singles were produced by Quad City DJs from Jacksonville, FL. They are Johnny "Jay Ski" McGowan and Nathaniel "C.C. Lemonhead" Orange. They started out in the late 80s as Chill Deal and called themselves 95 South to release Whoot, There It Is. After that was a success, they were looking for other acts to produce. 69 Boyz consisting of Van "Thrill Da Playa" Bryant and Barry "Fast" Wright fit the bill perfectly. Quad City DJs produced 69 Boyz' debut album 199Quad and Tootsee Roll reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Rap chart. And as I said, Tootsee Roll sounds a lot like Whoot, There It Is. 69 Boyz recorded four albums and continued to have success on the rap charts. The final album was in 2001. The members of Quad City DJs and associated acts are still around but they had their time in the sun. Here's the video for Tootsee Roll by 69 Boyz.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter

Artist:Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter

Song:Aung San Suu Kyi

Album:1+ 1

Though tenor sax legend Wayne Shorter has recorded as a leader since the 60s, I think he prefers being part of a band. I don't know enough about him to know the reason for this. He must be a naturally shy person. I doubt he would agree to it but we need a Wayne Shorter documentary. Paging Kasper Collin who convinced Shorter to appear in his Lee Morgan doc I Called Him Morgan. Did you know that Shorter did not tour as a leader until 2000. He always toured as part of a band. And this 1997 album is Shorter's only duet album. The song Aung San Suu Kyi won a Grammy. Of course Shorter and Hancock have worked together since Shorter joined the Miles Davis band in 1964. Hancock was already there. Davis tried to recruit Shorter for two years. He remained in that band until 1970. Shorter recorded many albums for Blue Note as a leader but he never toured as a leader. Of course after he left the Davis band, Shorter formed Weather Report with Joe Zawinul. Shorter was in Weather Report from 1971-86. Shorter also toured and recorded with V.S.O.P. in the late 70s. Hancock was in that band too. It was a tribute to the 60s Davis band. Shorter and Hancock also did a 1991 Miles Davis tribute album and tour with Wallace Roney playing Davis. Both guys signed with Verve in 1995. So it may have been their idea for them to record a duet album. Shorter had never recorded a duet album with anyone. They also toured to support it and Shorter won a Grammy. Shorter toured as a leader in 2000. I saw him on his 80th birthday tour. Shorter retired from performing in 2018 but he's been working on an opera with Esperanza Spalding. Here's Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock performing Aung San Suu Kyi at the Tokyo City Opera Concert Hall 1998.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes

Here's the match video of Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Piera is from Venezuela. She was on Contender Series and won her UFC debut in April. She is a pretty good striker. She likes to go to different gyms. For this camp, she trained at Black House in Los Angeles. Sam is from Everett, WA. Before her last fight, she moved to Fortis MMA and Saif Saud and that seemed to light a fire under her. We'll see how long that lasts. I don't think she belongs in the UFC. I scored the fight 30-27 for Piera. The judges scored it 29-28 for Piera but two of the judges gave round five to Sam and the third gave her round one. Saud yelling at Sam between rounds didn't seem to help much. I would like to see Piera face better competition. She looked pretty good though. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo

Here's the match video of Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. It was five rounds. Alexa is from Guadalajara, Mexico. She trains at Lobo Gym owned by her father. She is mainly a striker. She's been on a winning streak since moving to Flyweight. Viviane is from Brasilia, Brazil. She trains at Cerrado MMA. He coach is Daniel Evangilista. She's probably a more complete fighter than Alexa. But I was wondering about her endurance. I would have liked to see her go for an early finish. But instead she stayed on her feet and that played into Alexa's strategy to outpoint her. Like many strikers, Alexa throws a lot of volume but misses a lot. And I think that fools judges. Two of them scored it 49-46 for Alexa and the third scored it 50-45. I thought the fight was closer than that but I thought Alexa won. She says she wants another five round fight before getting a title shot. I don't think she won dominantly enough to get a title shot. Besides, next week Manon Fiorot is fighting Katlyn Chookagian. And if Manon wins as I expect, she should get a title shot. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ministry

Artist:Ministry

Song:N.W,O.

Album:Greatest Fits

Though Nine Inch Nails were more commercially successful, It's unlikely that they are successful if Ministry doesn't pave the way for the popularization of industrial dance music. What's that? It's heavy metal with a beat. The 1992 single N.W.O. is probably Ministry's biggest hit. The leader of Ministry is Al Jourgensen. He was born Alejandro Ramirez Casas Oct. 9, 1958 in Havana, Cuba but he grew up in Chicago and Breckenridge, CO. He moved back to Chicago in 1978 to attend University of Illinois Chicago and that's when he got into music. He was in the new wave group Special Affect. After they split up in 1980, Jourgensen started making music in his apartment with an ARP Omni synthesizer, a drum machine and a reel to reel tape recorder. He gave a demo to Wax Trax! Records co-owner Jim Nash and he suggested that Jourgensen record a single, form a band and play gigs. Jourgensen called the band Ministry. When he couldn't find a decent singer, Jourgensen decided to sing himself. And he ended up doing everything himself. There was a band and they did tour, But the members were disposable. Ministry was really a solo act. When Ministry's single I'm Falling made the dance chart, that got the attention of Arista Records owner Clive Davis. He signed them and planned to make them the next Joy Division. The 1983 album With Sympathy did OK. Two singles made the dance charts. But despite the success, Jourgensen butted heads with Davis and left Arista. He was unhappy that Davis brought in outside producers. And he claimed that Davis tried to turn Ministry into a synth pop band. That's what happens when two control freaks try to work together. Ministry returned to Wax Trax!. And while on tour, Sire Records owner Seymour Stein offered Ministry a record deal. Jourgensen was reluctant to sign at first. But he did sign. Stein has enough sense to leave bands alone. After Ministry's 1985 Sire debut album Twitch, Ministry's success was as an album and touring band. Their biggest hit was when the 1992 single N.W.O. reached #11 on the Billboard Alternative chart and the album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs was certified Platinum. N.W.O. is obviously a protest song. MTV played the video in heavy rotation. Ministry recorded with Sire/Warner Bros. until 1999. This budget comp was released in 2001. In 2001, Jourgensen almost lost his arm due to a venomous spider bite. During recovery Jorgensen recovered from substance abuse. Ministry signed with Sanctuary Records in 2003. But the two albums they recorded were disappointing. Since then Jourgensen has recorded for his own label. Ministry went on a retirement tour in 2008. But they returned in 2011 and they still tour and record. A new album was released last year. Here's the video for N.W.O. by Ministry. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ernest Ranglin

Artist:Ernest Ranglin

Song:Surfin'

Album:Live in Tokyo

Guitarist Ernest Ranglin is a very important figure in the development of Jamaican music. Though he occasionally recorded his own music like his signature song Surfin', for the most part he played guitar on hundreds of records. He was born June 19, 1932 in Manchester, Jamaica but he grew up in Kingston. His uncles played guitar. He played in local bands as a teen and that's where he met pianist Monty Alexander and they have been lifelong friends. In the 50s he played on many calypso and mento records. He worked for the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation from 1958-65. And he started working with producer Coxsone Dodd. For the 1962 film Dr. No, Ranglin was asked to compose music for some of the Jamaican scenes. He played bass on many of Prince Buster's hits. And he arranged and played guitar on Millie Small's smash hit My Boy Lollipop. Ranglin worked for Duke Reid's Treasure Island as an A&R man. Then he got into jazz appearing at Ronnie Scott's in England. He has released jazz albums ever since. Ranglin worked as A&R and a session musician for producer Coxsone Dodd from 1965-72. Among other things he produced the 1967 classic Rivers of Babylon by The Melodians. He released Surfin' in 1971 and it is his signature song. In the 70s Ranglin toured with Jimmy Cliff. And in the 80s he got into playing jazz festivals usually with Alexander. This 2011 album was recorded live at the Blue Note in Tokyo with Monty Alexander on piano and Sly and Robbie on drums and bass. It is  available as a digital download on Amazon as Jamaican Legends Live in Tokyo. It's also available on Bandcamp via a YouTube link. Here's Ernest Ranglin with Monty Alexander, Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar performing Surfin' at the Blue Note in Tokyo 2011.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Junior Reid

Artist:Junior Reid

Song:Boom-Shack-A-Lack

Album:Boom-Shack-A-Lack

Dancehall singer songwriter Delroy "Junior" Reid had his greatest success with the 1985 international chart hit Boom-Shack-A-Lack. It's probably his signature song. He was born June 6, 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in the Waterhouse district which is notorious as one of the most dangerous places in Jamaica. At age 13, Reid released the single Speak the Truth. This was produced by Hugh Mundell for Augusto Pablo's Rockers International label. For a while he had his own band The Voice of Progress and he scored a minor hit with Mini-Bus Driver. Then he signed with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion label and released singles like Foreign Mind which became an anthem for ghetto youth. But Reid really seemed to find his groove when he started working with Lloyd "King Jammy" James. James was a dub mixer for King Tubby. He had recently opened his own studio. Boom-Shack-A-Lack was a hit in England. Greensleeves Records released an album. Reid wrote all the songs. Reid then started his own production company. In 1986 Reid was offered the opportunity to replace Michael Rose as lead singer of Black Uhuru. At the time Reid thought it would be a good opportunity to reach an international audience. In retrospect, Reid would probably admit that he should have remained a solo artist. He was criticized for sounding too much like Rose. After three albums with Black Uhuru, Reid returned to his own label and scored an international hit with the 1989 single One Blood. Reid continues to record and produce artists on his own label. And he has appeared internationally with Alicia Keys and Rick Ross among others. Reid does a lot of guest shots. Greensleeves re-released the album Boom-Shack-A-Lack in 2003 with a different cover and a bonus remix of Boom-Shack-A-Lack. When the album was reissued in 2016, it had the original cover. This is available as a budget CD. Here's Junior Reid performing Boom-Shack-A-Lack at Reggae Sunsplash 1991. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker from last night's AEW show in Toronto. The setup for this was Hikaru looking to get revenge for a backstage attack a couple of weeks ago. Except the whole thing was phony as Hikaru was in Japan appearing in a Makai show. And for those wondering, it's in her contract that she can do that. The match was OK. The fans are chanting Jamie's name. So that makes me wonder when she will turn on Britt. Or vice versa. The match breaks down at the finish. As is typical of AEW, the ref loses control. I also hated the reversing rollup finish. They want to protect Britt so they have her lose in a halfassed way. Next week Toni will defend her interim title against Hikaru. Tony Khan likes to do dumb stuff like that. Have babyfaces team up and then have them wrestle each other. Ugh! Speaking of dumb, there is no place for interim titles in pro wrestling. Like rankings, Khan thinks stuff like that makes the product more realistic. He's wrong. It just confuses fans. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Selah

Artist:Selah

Song:You Raise Me Up

Album:Hiding Place

Selah is a popular CCM group that is known for adapting traditional hymns with contemporary arrangements. The 2004 single You Raise Me Up is their highest charting single to date and Hiding Place is their biggest selling album. And I know that You Raise Me Up is not a traditional hymn. Selah was formed by Todd Smith, his sister Nicol Smith and friend Allan Hall. The Smiths grew up in Africa. Their parents were missionaries. As I said, they became known for adapting hymns with contemporary arrangements. Selah signed with Curb Records and their 1999 album Be Still My Soul and 2001 album Press On both won Dove awards as Inspirational Album of the Year. Meanwhile Todd and Nicol recorded solo albums. But things went to a whole new level with the 2004 single You Raise Me Up reached #2 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart. The 2004 album Hiding Place was certified Gold. You Raise Me Up was written by Rolf Lovland of the Norwegian group Secret Garden and Irish lyricist Brendan Graham. The song was popularized by opera singer Josh Groban and producer David Foster. Obviously it's not a gospel hymn. But I have seen secular songs adapted to CCM before. Believe me. The faithful ate it up. They love CCM versions of songs like this. Nicol went solo and Selah used guest singers for a while. After auditions, Amy Perry joined Selah in 2012. Selah left Curb in 2017 and they continue to record for their own label. But nothing has had the impact of You Raise Me Up. Hiding Place is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for You Bring Me Up by Selah. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Edwyn Collins

Artist:Edwyn Collins

Song:A Girl Like You

Album:Gorgeous George

Scottish singer songwriter Edwyn Collins scored his only US chart hit when A Girl Like You appeared in the 1995 film Empire Records. The song was a top ten hit in England. Some of his other songs have charted in England. I don't think Collins has ever recorded for a major label. He was born Aug. 23, 1959 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He formed The Nu-Sonics in 1976 and changed the name to Orange Juice in 1979. They recorded three albums for Polydor. Their 1983 single Rip It Up was a top ten hit in England. But for the most part, Polydor was unhappy with the band's lack of success and dropped them in 1985. Then Orange Juice split up. This experience may explain why Collins doesn't record for major labels. Collins signed a solo deal with Creation Records' Elevation label. After one EP, Collins had a falling out with Creation owner Alan McGee. He released his first two albums on Demon Records. The first album did OK. But Demon was unhappy with the second album. For the 1994 album Gorgeous George, Collins signed with Setanta Records and Bar/None in the US. The big surprise was when A Girl Like You appeared in the 1995 film Empire Records and was released as the second single. It reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the British Singles chart. The film was a flop but the soundtrack was a success. It's available but too expensive. Gorgeous George is available as a budget CD. In recent years, Empire Records has developed a cult following. Collins continued to release albums until a 2005 cerebral haemorrhage led to surgery and a lengthy recovery. He had to learn to talk again. By 2007, Collins had recovered enough that he could record again. He currently records for his own label and his latest album was released in 2019. Here's the video for A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jarabe de Palo

Artist:Jarabe de Palo

Song:El Lado Oscuro

Album:En La Vida Conoci Mujer Igual a La Flaca: 20 Anos

Jarabe de Palo were very successful in their native Spain and other Latin speaking countries. The 1996 single El Lado Oscuro was one of their earliest hits. They were from Barcelona led by singer songwriter guitarist Pau Dones. The name Jarabe de Palo translates in English as "wooden stick syrup". It's actually a Spanish expression for taking a beating. They signed with Virgin Records in 1996. La Flaca was their debut album produced by Joe Dworniak. He is a Brit who moved to Spain in the 80s. It looks like he was a house producer for Virgin. Other band members were Jordi Mena on guitar, Joan Gene on bass, Alex Tenas on drums and Daniel Forcada on percussion. The album became a success when the title track was used in a commercial. El Lado Oscuro reached #25 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. They continued to have success until they left Virgin to start their own label in 2009. This 20th anniversary comp is available as a digital download. They did release new music on their own label. But they also rerecorded their hits and changed their name to jarabedepalo because Virgin owned the rights to everything. Sadly Pau Dones died of colon cancer on June 8, 2020 at age 53. Jarabe de Palo disbanded after that. Here's the video for El Lado Oscuro by Jarabe de Palo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Baillie & the Boys

Artist:Baillie & the Boys

Song:(Wish I Had A) Heart of Stone

Album:The Best of

Baillie & the Boys had a successful run on the country charts in the late 80s. They had seven top ten country hits. The 1989 single Heart of Stone was the highest charting of those hits. Baillie & the Boys are from New Jersey. Alan LeBoeuf and Michael Bonagura had a band called London Fog. After hearing her sing, Bonagura married Kathie Baillie and the trio became Baillie & the Boys. They moved to Nashville and were backup singers until RCA Records signed them in 1987. Their three RCA albums were produced by Kyle Lehning who was best known for producing Randy Travis. They scored seven top ten country hits. Heart of Stone was their highest charting single at #4 on the Country Singles chart. Though the trio wrote, Heart of Stone was written by veteran songwriters Wayland Holyfield and Richard Leigh. LeBoeuf left (he didn't like touring) and Lance Hoppen of Orleans appeared on the 1990 album The Lights of Home. That was Baillie & the Boys' final album for RCA. Their contract was up and they left. RCA released this comp in 1991. Since They have recorded for small labels with their 2018 CD I Will Run on their own label. Bonagura produced so I guess control is what he wanted. Here's the video for (Wish I Had A) Heart of Stone by Baillie & the Boys.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Curly Moore

ArtistLCurly Moore

Song:Get Low Down

Album:Sehorn's Soul Farm: 50 New Orleans Soul Classics

Fans of legendary New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint are going to want to check out this collection of 60s recordings from Sansu Records which he owned with Marshall Sehorn. June "Curly" Moore was a decent singer who could also write and play instruments. But he was never able to find that hit single that he wanted. Moore was born in New Orleans in 1943. He grew up singing in church. As a teen, he formed a group with his friends called The Blue Jays and they competed on local talent shows. This was obviously influenced by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers who were the first teen pop group. In 1960 he joined Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns. After touring and recording with them for three years, Moore decided to go solo. He released the single Soul Train on Wardell Quezergue's Nola label and he was renamed Curley "Soul Train" Moore. That's why you see a variation of the spelling of Moore's name. Moore moved to Sansu which was owned by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn. The big thing is they had national distribution with Bell Records. And Moore got to write with Toussaint. Get Low Down was the first of three singles. All the Sansu recordings are on this 2CD comp from Charly Records. When R&B went to a hard edged funk sound in the 70s, Moore struggled with that. Moore also had drug and gun issues. He rejoined Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns at the 1979 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. After serving prison time in the early 80s. Moore was murdered on Dec. 14, 1985 at age 42. Here's a video for Get Low Down by Curly Moore.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dirt Band

Artist:The Dirt Band f/Linda Ronstadt

Song:An American Dream

Album:Fishin' in the Dark: The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The year was 1978 and the decision was made to rebrand The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to The Dirt Band. After four albums, they returned to calling themselves The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. An American Dream was their biggest hit of The Dirt Band period. The change coincided with John McEuen deciding to take a reduced role in the band so he could concentrate on managing comedian Steve Martin's career. That left Jeff Hanna in charge and he wanted a more pop oriented band. So he changed the name to The Dirt Band. Other changes included the departure of Jimmy Ibbotson and the addition of guitarist John Cable, bassist Jackie Clark and pianist Bob Carpenter. The biggest hit to come from this period was the 1980 single An American Dream which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Linda Ronstadt was the featured singer. Rodney Crowell wrote the song and he recorded it on his 1978 album Ain't Living Long Like This. The Dirt Band also charted with the 1981 single Make a Little Magic featuring Nicolette Larson. After four albums, as of the 1983 album Let's Go, they returned to calling themselves The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. This may have been record company motivated. The band's label United Artists was sold to EMI and The Dirt Band was placed on EMI's country label Liberty. Maybe EMI preferred the old name and I think McEuen did too. The band still performs An American Dream and it appears on this comp. Here's The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Rodney Crowell performing An American Dream on a 1990 episode of the TNN show American Music Shoppe.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tammy Cochran

Artist:Tammy Cochran

Song:Angels in Waiting

Album:Tammy Cochran

Singer songwriter Tammy Cochran scored a top ten country hit with the 2001 single Angels in Waiting. It turned out to be her biggest hit. She does not appear to be in the music business anymore. She was born Jan. 30, 1972 in Austinburg, OH. This is a very small town in the northeast part of Ohio. She grew up singing in church and led her own band as a teen. After graduating high school, she trained to be a secretary. In 1991, Tammy moved with her parents to Nashville. After five years of frustration, Tammy got married in 1996 with plans to retire and start a family. But the marriage didn't last. She returned to performing in 1998. After one of her shows, she was introduced to Warner-Chappell staff songwriter Shane Decker. He got her a job at Warner-Chappell and agreed to help her record demos. When record labels came calling, Tammy signed with Epic. Her 2001 debut album Tammy Cochran was produced by Sony Nashville executive vice president Blake Chancey. He won Grammys for producing The Dixie Chicks. Angels in Waiting was the third single and it reached #9 on the Country Singles chart. It was one of two songs on the album that Tammy wrote. She wrote it with veteran songwriters Stewart Harris and Jim McBride. She dedicated it to her two brothers who both died from cystic fibrosis. I wouldn't normally recommend that Tammy introduce the video but I actually think it helped when VJs played it. Her 2003 album Life Happened didn't do as well. It looks like Chancey left Sony during production. And that change in management hurt Tammy and she ended up leaving Epic. Since then Tammy released two albums on small labels, most recently in 2009. I think she quit the music business. Here's the video for Angels in Waiting by Tammy Cochran.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA

Artist:New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA

Song:I'll Tell It

Album:At Their Best

Though I'm pretty sure most of you have never heard of the New Jersey Mass Choir, I know you have heard them because this is the choir that appeared on Foreigner's smash hit I Want To Know What Love Is. The choir is led by Donnie Harper from San Antonio, TX. He moved to New Jersey and his choir Voices of Tomorrow appeared on a 1977 episode of Saturday Night Live. He formed New Jersey Mass Choir in 1981 with the assistance of gospel music legend Rev. James Cleveland and Gospel Music Workshop of America. He got them a record deal with Savoy and they released the 1982 album Soon I Will Be Done with the Troubles of the World. Harper moved the choir to Light Records as he wanted the choir to have a contemporary sound and Light was better suited to handle that. And that's when they appeared on I Want To Know What Love Is. So that kept them active for a long time. I'll Tell Him is from the 1986 album Look Up & Live. The lead singers are Harper and Aletha Carlette Watson-White though she does not sing in the video. This choir also appeared on albums by Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder among others. They left Light in 1991 and that's when Light released this budget comp. Harper was ordained in 1991 and he is minister of music at Good Neighbor Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. The New Jersey Mass Choir last recorded in 1995. I assume Harper concentrates on his ministry because he rarely appears on anything. He did play piano at Whitney Houston's funeral as he has worked with her mom Cissy Houston. Here's the New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA performing I'll Tell It. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Critters

Artist:The Critters

Song:Mr. Dieingly Sad

Album:Younger Girl: The Complete Kapp & Musicor Recordings

Mr. Dieingly Sad was a top 20 hit in 1966. It was the only big hit for The Critters. They were a soft rock group that should remind you of groups like The Lovin' Spoonful. I don't think that was a coincidence. The Critters are from Plainfield, NJ. Singer songwriter guitarist Don Ciccone went to see a band called The Vibratones because his saxophonist friend Bob Podstawski was in the band. He liked the band enough that he asked to audition and they liked that he could write. The band name was changed to The Critters. Other members were Chris Darway on keyboards, Jimmy Ryan on guitar and vocals, Ken Gorka on bass and Jack Decker on drums. After one 1964 single on Musicor, The Critters signed with what would become Kama Sutra Records. At first Kama Sutra licensed acts to other labels. The Critters were licensed to Kapp Records. The producer was Kama Sutra co-owner Artie Ripp who also produced The Lovin' Spoonful. The Critters' first single was the John Sebastian song Younger Girl. The Critters recorded it first. It reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mr. Dieingly Sad was the second single and it reached #17. Ciccone wrote it. Listeners may have thought it was by The Lovin' Spoonful. By the time the song was a hit, Ciccone had been drafted and spent the next four years in Vietnam with the US Air Force. After Podstawski and Decker were also drafted, Ryan attempted to keep the band going. They recorded a couple of albums for Enoch Light's Project 3 label. After that went nowhere, The Critters split up. This CD from the reissue label Now Sound is the 1966 album Younger Girl plus bonus tracks. Ryan recorded and toured with Carly Simon and became a session musician. Ciccone was in The Four Seasons in the 70s. He sang lead on the 1975 hit December 1963. He died in 2016. Here's The Critters performing Mr. Dieingly Sad on the 1966 Dick Clark TV series Where The Action Is. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Alexa Bliss

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Alexa Bliss from last night's episode of RAW. During the contract signing of Bianca Belair vs Bayley, Iyo and Dakota Kai attacked Asuka and Alexa Bliss. Alexa challenged Iyo to a match. They made it look like Asuka was injured because they wanted to save Asuka vs Iyo for later. The match is pretty good with Iyo winning with what the WWE is calling the Over the Moonsault. She got a decent match out of Alexa which can be tough to do sometimes. Of course it all leads up to this Saturday's ladder match. We'll see how that goes. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christian Bland & The Revelators

Artist:Christian Bland & The Revelators

Song:Brian Wilson

Album:The Unseen Green Obscene

Christian Bland is the guitarist for the popular neo psychedelic band The Black Angels. He leads The Revelators when The Black Angels are off the road. They don't stray far from neo psychedelia so I think Black Angels fans will enjoy the music. Bland is from Austin, TX which has always been a breeding ground for psychedelic music going back to 60s bands like The 13th Floor Elevators. Plus Bland says his major influence is Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett. Bland attended Florida State University on a track scholarship. He was a high jumper. After Bland injured his knee, he looked seriously into music. He is a founding member of The Black Angels and they have been recording and touring since 2004. When The Black Angels are off the road, Bland is involved in the Austin based The Reverberation Appreciation Society. They produce the Levitation music festivals. When they started a record label in 2010, Bland formed The Revelators and released the first album on the label. The other band members are Chris Catalena on vocals and guitar and Bob Mustachio on drums. Mustachio does multimedia for The Black Angels but he is not a member of the band. Brian Wilson is from the 2014 album The Unseen Green Obscene. It's obviously s tribute and Catalena tries to sound like Wilson. This is available as a budget CD. This is the most recent of the band's three albums. They have released a couple of singles and played a few gigs last year. The Black Angels released a new album and are on tour. I'm sure Bland will reform The Revelators after they finish touring. Here's the video for Brian Wilson by Christian Bland & The Revelators.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kid Bailey

Artist:Kid Bailey

Song:Rowdy Blues

Album:40 Delta Blues Gems

Kid Bailey was one of the most enigmatic early blues musicians because he only recorded one record. But that record is good enough that fans want to know more about him. There isn't much. What we do know is Bailey was friends with legendary blues singer Charley Patton. We don't know his real name but he is from Sunflower County in northwest Mississippi. He recorded Rowdy Blues and Mississippi Bottom Blues on Sept. 25, 1929 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. There is an unidentified second guitarist. Brunswick Records released it. Bailey continued to perform in Mississippi until the 50s but he never recorded again. But plenty of blues artists have covered the song. Legendary bluesman Son House once claimed that Willie Brown and Charley Patton recorded Rowdy Blues under a pseudonym. First, it wouldn't make sense for Brown to do that. Second, Brown and Bailey sound nothing alike. So I think Kid Bailey will remain enigmatic except that Rowdy Blues is a pretty good song. You can get Rowdy Blues on this 2CD various artists comp. Here's a video for Rowdy Blues by Kid Bailey. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Chelsea Chandler vs Julija Stoliarenko

Here's the match video of Chelsea Chandler vs Julija Stoliarenko from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was at 140lb Catchweight because Julija was a late replacement for Leah Letson. I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC but Julija is particularly bad. Other than an armbar, she's useless. Chelsea is an Invicta veteran. She trains at Gracie Barra in Stockton, CA which is the Diaz brothers. What can I say? Julija folded like a cheap suitcase and Chelsea won with ground and pound. This fight was a waste of time. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yan Xiaonan vs Mackenzie Dern

Here's the match video of Yan Xiaonan vs Mackenzie Dern from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Yan is from China but she trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento with Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo. She is mainly a striker. She throws a lot but most of it misses. Mackenzie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champ. Her striking is sub par. Her coach is Jason Parillo in Huntington Beach. He has trained Cris Cyborg among others. So obviously Yan wants to keep the fight standing and Mackenzie wants to take her down. For the most part, Yan was successful and that's why she won the fight. I scored rounds one, three and four 10-9 for Yan. She only rocked Mackenzie once in round three but she landed enough to win. Mackenzie did take Yan down in round two and five but she wasn't able to finish and afterwards Mackenzie expressed disappointment in not finishing. I scored round two 10-9 but I thought round five was 10-8. So I scored the fight a draw and so did one of the judges and that's why it was a majority decision. The point is when Mackenzie gets that position, she needs to finish. And her striking still needs to be better. This one got away from her. Enjoy the video!