Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae from last night's episode of Raw. Iyo eliminated Candice at the Royal Rumble. So she wanted a match. Michin came out with her to hopefully neutralize Damage CNTRL. That didn't work out as outside interference led to Iyo winning with a rollup. As tends to happen in the WWE, the match picked up after a commercial break. As I have said before, I fully expect Iyo to get tired of being part of this group. They have already planted the seed for this. Stay tuned and enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kai Winding

 

Artist:Kai Winding

Song:More

Album:Pop Memories of the '60s: Instrumental Gold

Jazz trombone pioneer Kai Winding scored a surprise top ten hit in 1963 with More from the film Mondo Cane. He had one other chart single so he is not a one hit wonder. But he did have a long jazz career. He was born May 18, 1922 in Aarhus, Denmark. His father was a US citizen so his family moved to New York City in 1934. After graduating high school, Winding was in bands led by Shorty Allen, Sonny Dunham and Alvino Rey. He was in the US Coast Guard during WWII. Upon his return, Winding was in Benny Goodman's band and Stan Kenton's band. He was on Miles Davis Birth of the Cool and he played with Gerry Mulligan. In 1954, producer Ozzie Cadena suggested that Winding work with another jazz trombone pioneer J.J. Johnson. They recorded several albums for Columbia. Winding moved to Verve in 1961. By this time, Norman Granz had sold Verve to MGM and Creed Taylor was put in charge. More is from the 1963 album Soul Surfin'. It is the theme from the 1963 film Mondo Cane. Winding's recording reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor produced the album with German pianist Claus Ogerman arranging it. Musicians included Kenny Burrell on guitar and Paul Griffin on electric piano. The electronic instrument that you hear is the ondioline. It was invented in France and it was an early synthesizer. The guy playing it was Jean-Jacques Perrey. After moving to New York in 1960, he recorded and appeared on TV. And I assume either Taylor or Ogerman saw him because he never appeared with other jazz artists. And they tried to keep Perrey's appearance a secret by crediting Winding with playing the ondioline. Later Perrey would take up the Moog synthesizer. After the success of More, Soul Surfin' was retitled More!!! (Theme from Mondo Cane). Your can get More on this various artists budget comp that is part of a Time/Life box set. In 1964, Winding recorded a sequel album called Mondo Cane #2. Winding continued to work with Taylor even after he left Verve and started CTI Records at A&M. After that Winding continued to tour and record for small labels. He died on May 6, 1983 at age 60. Here's a video of More by Kai Winding.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Timbaland

Artist:Timbaland f/Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian

Song:The Way I Are

Album:Timbaland presents Shock Value

Tim "Timbaland" Mosely is mainly a successful record producer. He occasionally records his own albums. With three top five hits, the 2007 album Shock Value is his most successful to date. He was born Mar. 10, 1972 in Norfolk, VA. He started out as DJ Tim or DJ Timmy Tim. His younger brother Sebastian is a rapper and appears in this video. Pharrell Williams is his cousin. Mosely's big break came when Missy Elliott started working with him. Her group Sista signed with Swing Mob and Missy brought Mosely and his rapper buddy Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff to New York to meet Swing Mob owner DeVante Swing. He gave Mosely the nickname Timbaland after Timberland construction boots. And working with Swing Mob is how Mosely got into production. He worked on Jodeci's 1995 album The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel and Sista's debut album 4 All the Sistas Around Da World. When Missy Elliott started getting recognition, that led to Mosely getting the same recognition. His first big albums as a producer were Aaliyah's 1996 album One in a Million and Ginuwine's 1996 album Ginuwine...The Bachelor. He was known for mixing R&B and hip hop. He produced Missy's debut album and then an album for his buddy Magoo. And then he started producing a who's who in hip hop like Jay-Z, Nas and many others. Then he started his own label with Interscope distribution. He got more mainstream producing Justin Timberlake, The Pussycat Dolls and Nelly Furtado. And he started releasing his own albums. The 2007 album Shock Value produced three big hits. The first single Give It to Me topped the charts. The second single The Way I Are reached #3. The fourth single Apologize reached #2. The album was certified Platinum. The Way I Are features singer Keri Hilson and rapper John "D.O.E." Maultsby. Mosely's brother Sebastian appears in the video and the remix. Mosely produced with Floyd "Danja" Hills. Other songwriters include Balewa Muhammad and Candice Nelson of The Clutch. Shock Value is available as a budget CD. Mosely released an album in 2009. And though he has released occasional singles, Mosely has mostly concentrated on production. Recently his label switched distributors to Empire and they are in the process of reissuing the entire back catalog. That should keep him busy for a while. Here's the video for The Way I Are by Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Artist:Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Song:On the Ginza

Album:Les Incontournables

Most jazz fans are familiar with the Blue Note recordings of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Blakey left Blue Note in the early 60s and he bounced around a few labels including Riverside. The band also went through several personnel changes. This wore Blakey down and though the band continued to tour especially in Europe and Japan, Blakey did not record any studio albums from 1966-72. On the Ginza is from the 1963 album Ugetsu. This was recorded live at Birdland in New York and was the first of three albums that Blakey recorded for Riverside. The band was still fairly stable at the time. The main thing was Wayne Shorter was still on tenor sax and was musical director. He wrote four of the six songs on Ugetsu including On the Ginza. The rest of the band was Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano and Reggie Workman on bass. Ugetsu was recorded at Birdland June 16, 1963. This album was reissued in 2011 with four bonus tracks and it is available as a digital download. The CD I am recommending was released by WEA in France and is a comp of the Riverside recordings and Prestige recordings from the 70s. Shorter left Blakey for Miles Davis in 1964. By that time trumpeter Lee Morgan had returned and he brought in tenor saxophonist John Gilmore from the Sun Ra Arkestra and he brought with him pianist John Hicks and bassist Victor Sproles. Thar's the band in this 1965 video clip. They also appeared on two albums that Blakey recorded for Mercury's Limelight label. But Gilmore and the others went back to Sun Ra. And the 1966 album Buttercorn Lady had an all new band with Chuck Mangione and Keith Jarrett. It was at this point that Blakey stopped recording until he signed with Prestige in 1972 though the band continued to tour. Here's Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers performing On the Ginza on the British TV show jazz sixtwofive 1965.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lori Lieberman

Artist:Lori Lieberman

Song:Killing Me Softly

Album:Truly

Singer songwriter Lori Lieberman's claim to fame is she recorded Killing Me Softly before Roberta Flack scored her breakthrough hit with the song in 1973. So what happened to Lori? She's still around. She was born Nov. 15, 1951 in Los Angeles. She attended the International School of Geneva in Switzerland and Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA. Both are private schools. She got interested in music through her sister's record collection. At age 19, she signed a management deal with the songwriting team of Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox. These two normally write songs for movies. As far as I can tell, this is the only time they ever did a management deal. They signed with Capitol Records and Killing Me Softly was on Lori's 1972 album Lori Lieberman. Gimbel and Fox wrote and produced the album. As you will see in the video clip, Lori tells the story of how she was inspired by a Don McLean concert to write a poem. Gimbel used that to write the lyrics for Killing Me Softly. But she didn't get a songwriting credit. Gimbel and Lori started an affair. And during the affair, they agreed with her account. They denied it after they split up in 1976. Lori recorded five albums for Capitol all produced by Gimbel and Fox. Capitol dropped her once the affair ended. She recorded an album for Jimmy Ienner's Millennium label. And then she retired from music to raise her family. Lori returned in the 90s and she currently records for her own label. Her Capitol albums have never been released on CD. But Lori recorded Killing Me Softly on her 2022 album Truly. This is an album of standards. Here's Lori Lieberman performing Killing Me Softly followed by an interview on The Mike Douglas Show 1973. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spose

Artist:Spose

Song:I'm Awesome

Album:Happy Medium

Rapper Ryan "Spose" Peters scored a hit single by making fun of himself on the 2010 single I'm Awesome. To date it's his only chart single. He was born July 1, 1985 in Portland, ME but he grew up in the small town of Wells, ME. He started rapping in eighth grade but he started to take it seriously after he graduated from high school and formed the band The Frothy Four. Meanwhile he attended University of New Hampshire as an English major and transferred to Suffolk University in Boston. Then he released the 2008 album Preposterously Dank on his own label called P. Dank. The turning point for Peters was when he started recording mixtapes with his friend Cam Groves. I'm Awesome is on the 2009 mixtape We Smoked It All. It started getting significant radio to the point where Peters released I'm Awesome as a single and then he signed a record deal with Universal Republic. I'm Awesome reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Peters released the 2011 album Happy Medium which contains a remix of I'm Awesome. All versions of I'm Awesome are available as digital downloads. So it looked like he was getting somewhere and he left Universal Republic probably because he wanted to continue doing mixtapes and his contract wouldn't allow that. And that is what he is doing today. He is happy releasing music on his own label. Here's the video for I'm Awesome by Spose. NSFW due to profanity. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coolio

Artist:Coolio f/L.V.

Song:Gangsta's Paradise

Album:The Essential Collection

Rapper Artis "Coolio" Ivey Jr. topped the charts for two weeks with the 1995 single Gangsta's Paradise. It was 1995's biggest hit. After a couple of other hits, Ivey's music career faded and he appeared on reality TV. Rap music careers usually don't last very long. He was born Aug. 1, 1963 in Los Angeles and he grew up in Compton. Ivey was severely asthmatic and a bookworm. Of course that made him an outcast so he started rapping. He earned the nickname Coolio Iglesias. He spent time in jail for larceny and at one time was addicted to crack. After attending Compton Community College, he worked in odd jobs before launching his rap career. He released a couple of singles independently. After appearing on WC and the Maad Circle's 1991 album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, Ivey signed with Tommy Boy and released the 1994 album It Takes a Thief. The video for Fantastic Voyage went into heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached # 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. When Gangsta's Paradise appeared in the film Dangerous Minds and the video got played on MTV, Ivey decided to name the album Gangsta's Paradise. Initially the song was only supposed to be on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack.The single topped the charts for two weeks and it was 1995's biggest hit. The album was certified 2XPlatinum and the Dangerous Minds soundtrack was certified 3XPlatinum. And Ivey won a Grammy. The singer was Larry "L.V." Sanders. He released one album for Tommy Boy that went nowhere and then released albums on small labels. Gangsta's Paradise was his only memorable appearance. Same with producer Doug Rasheed. He has produced other artists but Gangsta's Paradise was his only big hit. Of course Gangsta's paradise is based on the Stevie Wonder classic Pastime Paradise. I think he song is too easily recognized but that probably helped sell the record. After his next album was unsuccessful, Tommy Boy dropped Ivey. This comp is available as a digital download. He subsequently released albums on small labels that weren't successful. He appeared on reality TV like Celebrity Big Brother and Wife Swap. And he appeared in films and TV usually as himself. He died on Sept. 8, 2022 at age 59. Here's the video for Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio featuring L.V. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris McClarney

Artist:Chris McClarney f/Hollyn

Song:I'm Listening

Album:Breakthrough

Singer songwriter Chris McClarney has had success on the CCM charts since releasing his 2018 album Breakthrough. I'm Listening is his biggest hit to date. I would describe his music as P&W. He was born Nov. 30, 1979. His father was a youth pastor. So the family moved a lot until they settled in Nashville. McClarney got into music as a teen but he became worship leader at a local church. He was able to finance an album that he self released. Then he released the 2010 EP Introducing Chris McClarney on Kingsway Music. Kingsway is a religious book publisher. Music is just a small part of their business. So the EP didn't get wide enough distribution to go anywhere. But McClarney's song Your Love Never Fails got covered. Then it became a P&W anthem when Jesus Culture Music covered it. They are a youth ministry based in Sacramento, CA. So not surprisingly music is a big part of that. So they signed McClarney. Jesus Culture is distributed by Sparrow which is owned by Capitol. That's the kind of distribution McClarney needed. The 2018 album Breakthrough was McClarney's second album for Jesus Culture. The single I'm Listening is McClarney's biggest CCM hit to date. McClarney writes all his songs with co-writers that appear to work with Jesus Culture. The co-writers on I'm Listening are Benji Cowart an Josh Bronleewe. Hollyn is a CCM singer who appeared on season 12 of American Idol. She released an album on Gotee and has a new album coming on her own label. The album was recorded live at Jesus Culture in Sacramento and produced by keyboardist Ian McIntosh. McClarney released the EP Speak to the Mountains in 2021. He still lives with his family in Nashville. He isn't a regular part of Jesus Culture yet. But I would not be surprised to see him move to Sacramento to be a regular member. He already records there. Here's the video for I'm Listening by Chris McClarney featuring Hollyn. This was filmed at the Jesus Culture conference in Sacramento. The shaky camera movement was done for effect. I guess they are trying to make it look edgy or something. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Oldfield

Artist:Mike Oldfield

Song:Tubular Bells

Album:The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells became a top ten hit in 1973 when it was used in the hit film The Exorcist. I guess it's a one hit wonder but Oldfield's music was never intended to be commercial in the first place. It kind of gave birth to New Age music though Oldfield's roots are in the British progressive rock scene. He was born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England. His father gave him a guitar when he was ten years old. He taught himself to play by copying Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. After leaving school because he refused to cut his hair, Oldfield formed the folk duo The Sallyangie with his sister Sally Oldfield. They recorded a 1969 album for Transatlantic Records. In 1970 he became bassist for former Soft Machine singer Kevin Ayers' new band. He had to learn to play bass so he learned to play other instruments. So he started recording at home and a demo got the attention of Richard Branson who was just starting Virgin Records. He allowed Oldfield to record part one of what would become Tubular Bells. When Oldfield was finished, Branson signed Oldfield to a six record contract. Tubular Bells was Virgin's first release. The album was one 50 minute song. So how did it become a hit single? Warner Bros. hired Lalo Schifrin to score The Exorcist. Director William Friedkin hated the score and discarded it. In the soundtrack liner notes for his 1977 film Scarecrow, Friedkin said that if he had known about Tangerine Dream earlier, he would have had them score The Exorcist. So he was looking for electronic ambient music. Ultimately Friedkin hired Jack Nitzsche to compose some original music and use some modern classical pieces. Friedkin asked someone in the Warner music department to find something in the library. They had a copy of Tubular Bells. Warner owned the US rights to the album but there were no plans to release it. Friedkin found a part that he liked and he used it in the film. Of course Oldfield hated this edited version of his music. And the British single is different from the US version. But the single reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Gold. Oldfield played most of the instruments in the studio. But for live performances, he brought in Kevin Ayers and his buddies like Fred Frith, John Greaves and Steve Hillage. The Tubular Bells album is still available. But I recommend this 1995 comp which has a wide selection of Oldfield's music. Oldfield currently lives in the Bahamas. His latest album was released in 2017. But he will forever be remembered for the brief clip from Tubular Bells that appeared in The Exorcist. Here's Mike Oldfield performing a portion of Tubular Bells.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Richard White

Artist:Richard White

Song:The Mob Song

Album:Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition Soundtrack

Richard White is a stage performer who is best known as the voice of Gaston in the 1991 Disney animated musical Beauty and the Beast. He has performed mostly in regional theater. He was born Aug. 4, 1953 in Oak Ridge, TN. After graduating from high school, he moved to New York and started appearing in regional theater especially at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, NJ. He has played Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat many times including in a 1989 episode of the PBS TV series Great Performances. His first starring role was in the 1980 off-Broadway musical Elizabeth and Essex. This only ran for two months. His other major roles include the operetta The New Moon and the 1985 revival of Carousel. I assume the Disney people saw him on Great Performances and cast him as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. I guess he's the closest thing to a villain in the movie. Disney released the soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast with bonus tracks in 2001 and re-released it in 2017 with a new cover. White also voiced Gaston in the animated series The House of Mouse and the TV special Beauty and the Beast: a 30th Celebration. Here's Richard White performing The Mob Song on the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Josiane Nunes vs Zarah Fairn

Here's the match video of Josiane Nunes vs Zarah Fairn from last night's UFC show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This fight is at Featherweight. Josiane is 2-0 in the UFC. Her last fight was at Featherweight but at 5'2", she's probably better off at Bantamweight. She trains at Striker's House in Curitiba, Brazil. Of course Josiane took this fight because she wanted to fight at home. Zarah is a legit Featherweight from France. The problem is she isn't any good. Plus she hadn't fought for three years because three of her fights were cancelled. For this camp, she moved to Team Figueiredo in Para, Brazil. Apparently her mother is Brazilian. Zarah started out OK using her size advantage to land strikes. I scored round one 10-9 for Zarah. But she ran out of gas by the end of round one and had nothing left for the rest of the fight. So Josiane won rounds two and three and won the fight 29-28 by unanimous decision. Of course the UFC should close the Featherweight division but won't because Amanda Nunes likes having two belts. Ugh!. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Lauren Murphy

Here's the fight video of Jessica Andrade vs Lauren Murphy from last night's UFC show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This fight is at Flyweight. Jessica is a former Strawweight champ who took this fight because she wanted to fight at home. She now lives in Las Vegas and she still trains at PRVT. Lauren is a former Flyweight title contender. She now trains at Elevation in Denver with coach Carrington Banks. Her husband is also in her corner. I saw this as an easy win for Jessica. I didn't think there was any way that Lauren could keep someone as aggressive and powerful as Jessica away so she could outpoint her. And that's the way it went. It was very one sided and the only thing Jessica didn't get was a finish. I thought the ref should have stopped it. But I wasn't surprised the corner didn't throw in the towel. I'm sure Banks agreed before the fight not to do that. But he should have. A beating like that could end Lauren's career. And it was completely unnecessary. So Jessica won by unanimous decision. And afterwards she said she wanted a Strawweight title shot against Zhang Weili in Brazil. You may recall that Zhang won the title from Jessica in China. I don't know if the UFC will do that but it would be fine with me. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-L. Spenser Smith

Artist:L. Spenser Smith

Song:The Cross Alone

Album:Hooked

Until recently, L. Spenser Smith was mainly known as a choir director. With the 2020 album Hooked, he's more of a solo artist. Smith is from Moncks Corner, SC. He's a Preacher's Kid so not surprisingly he's a preacher too. Bishop Smith leads The Impact Nation Fellowship Church in Alabama. I first heard of him in the 90s when he was at Florida A&M University leading the FAMU Gospel Choir. They recorded a 1995 album with Twinkie Clark. It was after that he founded his church and started his own choir Testament. They recorded three albums on Emtro and his own label Smith Worx. He put music on the back burner for a few years. For the 2020 album Hooked, Smith signed as a solo artist with the much larger Fair Trade Services label with Sony distribution. This is a trend towards moving gospel music out of the church to a more casual setting. So, no more choir. Smith's message is the same. He's just changed the delivery method hoping to reach a younger audience. I would not be surprised if Fair Trade suggested this approach. Smith wrote and produced the album with his brother Jamel Smith. It remains to be seen if Smith will continue with this approach. Maybe not as he hasn't posted on his Facebook page since 2020. But gospel fans should enjoy the album. Here's the video for The Cross Alone by L. Spenser Smith.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gyptian

Artist:Gyptian

Song:Hold You

Album:Hold You

Jamaican singer Windel "Gyptian" Edwards scored a worldwide hit with the 2010 single Hold You. This even charted in the US at a time when Jamaican music isn't on the radar. The song was a top 20 hit in England. Edwards was born Oct. 25, 1983 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up singing in church. His father was a music promoter and recognized his son's talent. So he sent him to I Wayne producer Mr. Wong to develop that talent. The nickname Gyptian came from Edwards' habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his beard like an Egyptian pharaoh. After winning a 2004 talent contest, Edwards signed with VP Records. He had success with his first couple of albums. But he really broke through in a big way with the 2010 single Hold You. This is probably because of the remix featuring Nicki Minaj called Hold Yuh. An album of remixes is available as a digital download. Hold You reached #16 on the British Singles chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a big club and international hit. Edwards wrote all the songs on Hold You and the album was produced by Ricky Blaze who has produced Jazmine Sullivan. Those who enjoy the Dancehall style of Reggae will enjoy Edwards' music. His latest album was released in 2013 but he released a single a couple of months ago. I think he was having record company problems. The new single is on a new label. Here's the video for Hold You by Gyptian. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jon B.

Artist:Jon B.

Song:They Don't Know

Album:Greatest Hits

The 1997 single They Don't Know was one of two top ten pop hits for R&B singer songwriter Jonathan "Jon B." Buck. He was born Nov. 11, 1974 in Providence, RI but he grew up in Altadena, CA. His father was a music professor and his mother was a concert pianist. His siblings are all classical musicians. His grandparents owned a record store. And that's where Buck got into R&B. While writing songs and doing remixes, he sent out demos. And one of those demos got the attention of Yab Yum Records owner Tracey Edmonds. Of course she is married to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. The label was distributed by Epic. The 1995 Buck and Babyface duet Someone to Love reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was nominated for a Grammy. The album was certified Platinum. Babyface wrote and produced that song. But Buck wrote and produced most of the album. The success gave Buck more freedom for the 1997 album Cool Relax. Buck wrote and produced most of the album. Babyface did not work on this album though Buck did use outside producers. They Don't Know reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Buck wrote and produced with the production duo Tim & Bob (Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson). He also had success with the single Are U Still Down featuring 2Pac. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Things went south for Buck after Tracey Edmonds closed Yab Yum and started Edmonds Record Group still with Epic distribution. Buck wrote and produced most of the 2001 album Pleasures U Like. But there were no hit singles and Buck was unhappy with Epic's promotion of the album. Epic released this comp after he left. Since getting out of his contract, Buck has recorded a couple of albums for a smaller label. His latest album was released on his own label in 2012. He released a couple of singles in 2019. Buck still performs live but I think he's a nostalgia act at this point. Here's the video for They Don't Know by Jon B. This video is not on YouTube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charles & Eddie

Artist:Charles & Eddie

Song:Would I Lie To You?

Album:Duophonic

The 1992 soul single Would I Lie To You? was a top 20 hit at a time when New Jack Swing was hot. It would turn out to be Charles & Eddie's only hit in the US though it topped the British charts. They only recorded two albums. Charles Pettigrew was from Philadelphia and he studied jazz at Berklee in Boston. He was lead singer of Down Avenue. They released a single in 1985. Eddie Chacon is from Oakland, CA. He was a staff songwriter at CBS. He recorded a couple of albums for Columbia that were never released. He is also a photographer. Chacon says they met on the New York City subway in 1990. Chacon was carrying a copy of Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man. They started talking and then they began working together. I assume they sent out demos and they got a record deal with Capitol Records. Their 1992 debut album Duophonic was produced by Capitol house producer Josh Deutsch. He went on to work for Elektra/Atlantic and produce Vitamin C among others. Would I Lie To You? was the first single. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the British Singles chart. It is not to be confused with the 1985 Eurythmics hit with the same title. Though Chacon wrote several songs on the album, Would I Lie To You? was written by the British songwriting duo of Mick Leeson and Peter Vale. They wrote songs for Sheena Easton in the 80s and the Eddie Money hit Take Me Home Tonight. It was a hit at a time when soul was not popular. The album is still available. Charles & Eddie had more chart success in England but they were a one hit wonder in the US. They released the 1995 album Chocolate Milk. But when that went nowhere, they decided to split up. Pettigrew went on to tour with Tom Tom Club. Sadly, he died of cancer at Apr.6, 2001 at age 37. Chacon concentrated on photography. He lived in Germany for a while and was half of the duo The Polyamorous Affair. He released a solo album in 2020. Here's the video for Would I Lie To You? by Charles & Eddie. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bow Wow Wow

Artist:Bow Wow Wow

Song I Want Candy

Album:The Best of Bow Wow Wow

The British New Wave band Bow Wow Wow had their greatest success when the video for their 1982 single I Want Candy was played to death on MTV. I think radio was very slow to pick up on it. The guy behind Bow Wow Wow was Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Adam Ant wanted McLaren's advice when the latest Adam and the Ants album didn't sell. He persuaded the band to leave Adam Ant and form a new band. The band was Matthew Ashman on guitar, Leigh Gorman on bass and David Barbarossa on drums. They began an audition process to find a lead singer. Talent scout Dave Fishel heard 13 year old Annabella Lwin singing along with the radio while working at a dry cleaner. Fishel convinced McLaren to audition her and she was hired. A second lead singer George O'Dowd was hired but he didn't stay and of course he became Culture Club lead singer Boy George. Bow Wow Wow signed with EMI Records and released a couple of cassette singles. When they didn't sell EMI dropped them and RCA signed them. They released the 1981 album See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!. The cover had a nude pic of Annabelle. When her mother complained, McLaren was told by Scotland Yard not to promote Annabelle as a sex kitten. Bow Wow Wow scored a top ten hit in England with Go Wild in the Country. They opened for The Pretenders and The Police in the US and for Madness in Japan. Then they released the EP The Last of the Mohicans produced by Joan Jett producer Kenny Laguna. When the video started getting played on MTV, RCA in the US released the EP with some tracks from the previous album under the title I Want Candy. The record reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. In those days, a video's success did not always translate to radio play and chart success. Of course this was a cover of the 1965 hit single by The Strangeloves. After releasing the 1983 album When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going, Bow Wow Wow went on tour. They weren't getting along and Annabelle was fired and the band split up. She released a couple of solo albums. The other members formed Chiefs of Relief with Ashman as lead singer. They released an album in 1988. He was in the band Agent Provocateur when he died in 1995. Barbarossa became a session musician. His band Republica released an album in 1996. Gorman got into production and reformed Bow Wow Wow with Annabelle in 1997. Gorman continues to lead a version of Bow Wow Wow today. Here's the video for I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bryan Andrew Wilson

Artist:Bryan Andrew Wilson

Song:Turning Away

Album:The One Percent

Not to be confused with the contemporary gospel artist Brian Courtney Wilson, Bryan Andrew Wilson has been singing since he was a child. He's been recording since the 90s. But he made a big splash on the gospel charts with the 2014 single Turning Away. He was born Nov. 3, 1983 in Danville, IL. His grandfather Tommie Davis sang with B.B. King and his mother sang with a local R&B band. Wilson was 12 years old when he sang His Eye Is on the Sparrow with the Mississippi Children's Choir. When that blew up, Malaco Records gave Wilson a record deal. His 1996 album Bryan's Songs was produced by Walter Hawkins and John P. Kee among others. He was nominated for Dove and Stellar awards. But after his voice changed, Wilson did not get the same crowd reaction. After two albums for Malaco, Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in religion and philosophy at Claflin University and then he studied at Princeton Theological Seminary. He was likely headed for the ministry when he decided to try music again on his own label. Though he didn't have success at first, he finally made it with Turning Away from his 2014 album The One Percent. The song reached #15 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Wilson wrote all the songs on the album with several producers. Turning Away was written with Marcus Whitsey who also produced and played piano. This album is available as a budget CD. The success continues with his latest single The Ride reaching #5 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Wilson is also pastor at the Remnant Covering Church in Washington, DC. Here's the video for Turning Away by Bryan Andrew Wilson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kany Garcia

Artist:Kany Garcia

Song:Hoy Ya Me Voy

Album:Cualquier Dia

Latin pop singer Kany Garcia made a big splash with her 2007 debut album Cualquier Dia and the first single Hoy Ya Me Voy. She has faded but she is still a big deal in her native Puerto Rico. She was born Sept. 25, 1982 in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico which is on the north coast of Puerto Rico. Her father is a former priest born in Spain. Her mother was a choir director. Her older brother is a bassist for Sinfonia de Puerto Rico. Kany studied classical music as a child. But as a teen, she learned to play guitar and started writing songs. She studied at Puerto Rico's Conservatoria de Musica. After a successful audition for the TV talent show Objectivo Fama, Kany fell asleep at the wheel while driving home. This near fatal car accident put her in hospital for several months and she was unable to appear on the show. After her recovery, Kany signed with Sony Latin and released her 2007 album Cualquier Dia. Kany wrote all the songs on the album. The album was produced by Sony Latin house producer Guillermo "Memo" Gil. Hoy Ya Me Voy was the first single. It reached #4 on the Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart. It was nominated for the Song of the Year Latin Grammy. Kany won Latin Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Album and Best New Artist. The album was certified Platinum. It is available as a digital download. Since then Kany not only writes all the songs but she produces usually with a co-producer. Her recent albums indicate that she may be fading. She is currently touring to support her latest album which was released last year. It may be time for Sony Latin to release a Greatest Hits album. Here's the video for Hoy Ya Me Voy by Kany Garcia.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Raquel Pennington vs Ketlen Vieira

Here's the match video of Raquel Pennington vs Ketlen Vieira from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Raquel is on a four fight winning streak. She is from Colorado Springs. She is a good but not great fighter. Ketlen trains at Nova Uniao in Brazil. She is on a two fight winning streak. If she wins this fight, she probably gets a title shot. She is an elite fighter and she's bigger than Raquel. But her major flaw is she isn't aggressive enough. She's too nice. She should win this fight. But instead she beat herself by accepting positions when she should be taking the initiative. And one particular judge didn't do her any favors. The entire fight was on the feet. Keep in mind that Ketlen has elite BJJ. But she didn't use it. That was her first mistake. Round one was close but I thought Ketlen won it 10-9. The only person who seemed to think Raquel won that round was judge Mike Bell. Though that did cost her the fight, it was Ketlen's lack of aggression that really cost her the fight. I scored round two 10-9 for Raquel and so did all three judges. Round three was also close. I scored it 10-9 for Ketlen so I scored the fight 29-28 for Ketlen. Two of the three judges scored round three for Ketlen. She won two of the three rounds on the judges scorecards. But she lost the fight because Bell scored round one for Raquel. If he scores it for Ketlen, she wins by unanimous decision. So it was a bit of a robbery. But if Ketlen is more aggressive, she wins the fight easily. She beat herself. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ana Barbara

Artist:Ana Barbara

Song:Como Me Haces Falta

Album:Las Retro Chingonas

Back in the 90s, singer Ana Barbara was as popular in Mexico for her sex appeal as for her music. She certainly had a great run for about fifteen years. She was born Altagracia Ugalde Mota Jan. 10, 1971 in El Pitayo, Sanciro De Acosta, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Her older sister Viviane sang in local clubs and that influenced Ana Barbara to be a singer. But first she had success in beauty contests. In 1994 she signed with Fonovisa, the record label owned by Mexican TV network Televisa. That's when she took the name Ana Barbara. Her music was Grupero which was popular in regions of Mexico. With the 1996 album Ay, Amor, Ana Barbara expanded her appeal by recording different kinds of music. She was also chosen as the Hispanic face of Coors. Her success continued with the 1997 album Los Besos No Se Dan Rn La Camisa. This album was produced by singer Marco Antonio Solis. The songs including Como Me Haces Falta were written by his brother Chepe Solis of Los Bukis. The guitar solo is by Brazilian Junior Carlos. It was a big hit. Ana Barbara's success continued until she took a break in 2005 to spend more time with her family. When she returned, she wasn't as successful and then she left Fonovisa for Sony Latin. Ana Barbara last recorded in 2013. This comp has all her Fonovisa hits. It is available as a digital download. She moved to Los Angeles and in recent years has appeared in TV talent contest shows. Currently there are media reports that she plans to announce her retirement. Here's the video for Como Me Haces Falta by Ana Barbara.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sarazino

Artist:Sarazino

Song:Cochabamba

Album:Ya Foy!

Lamine "Sarazino" Fellah was born in Algeria but he has lived all over the world. So it's not surprising that his music is a global melting pot. He was born Mar. 3, 1970 in Constantine, Algeria. His father was a career diplomat so his family lived in Spain, Switzerland and other countries. Fellah started showing an interest in music as a teen. After his father was assassinated by Algerian Islamic radicals, Fellah's family was forced into exile. After living in Ecuador, Fellah moved to Montreal to study economics and political science at the University of Montreal. That's when he got the idea for Sarazino. He has recorded three albums for the Vermont based world music label Cumbancha. Cochabamba is from the 2009 album Ya Foy!. Most of the musicians are from Ecuador like guitarist Pablo Estrella. The singer is Revelino Aguidissou who was born in Benin, Africa but lives in the Andes mountains. The big guest star on this album is Jamaican music legend Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals. Other guests include Blanquito Man from the Latin music group King Chango and Klezmer musician Max Epstein. This album is available as a digital download. The latest Sarazino album was released in 2018. Fellah still plays live and he has been doing DJing on YouTube. Here's the video for Cochabamba by Sarazino.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rainer Maria

Artist:Rainer Maria

Song:Artificial Light

Album:A Better Version of Me

Rainer Maria was an indie band that had modest success with a small but rabid fanbase in the early 00s. Their music is a cross between emo and slowcore. Rainer Maria is from Madison, WI. Guitarist Kaia Fischer and drummer William Kuehn were in a band named after poet Ezra Pound. After that band split up, they formed a new band with bassist and lead singer Caithlin De Marrais and named it Rainer Maria after German poet Rainer Maria Riike. They started playing gigs and sent out a demo which got them a record deal with the indie label Polyvinyl. They released their debut album Past Worn Searching in 1997. At some point the band moved to Brooklyn, NY probably so they could perform at a wider variety of venues. They usually returned to Madison to record with recording engineer and studio owner Mark Haines. Artificial Light is from the 2001 album A Better Version of Me. This is available as a digital download. After releasing the 2006 album Catastrophe Keeps Us Together, Rainer Maria announced that they were splitting up at the end of the year. Caithlin released two solo albums. They played a reunion show in 2014. They played more shows and released a 2017 album. I think they split up again. They last posted on Facebook in 2018. And Caithlin released a solo album in 2021. Here's Rainer Maria performing Artificial Light at Seattle radio station KEXP Oct. 5, 2017. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kris Kross

Artist:Kris Kross

Song:Jump

Album:Non Stop Hip Hop

The pre teen rap duo Kris Kross topped the charts with the 1992 single Jump. It was their only big hit and they quickly faded. Atlanta preteens Chris Kelly and Chris Smith were friends since first grade. They were performing at a mall when 19 year old Jermaine Dupri spotted them. Of course Dupri has been a successful producer for years but Kris Kross was his first big act. Dupri signed them to Ruffhouse Records with Columbia distribution and he wrote and produced their their 1992 debut album Totally Krossed Out. the album was certified 4XPlatinum and the single Jump topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks. There were several samples on Jump but the big one was I Want You Back by The Jackson 5. Totally Krossed Out is available on CD but it's too short. So I recommend this various artists comp from Razor & Tie. Some other Kris Kross singles charted and their 1993 album Da Bomb was certified Platinum. But the problem was the boys had reached puberty and their voices had changed. They tried to record more mature songs. But with deeper voices they are like any other rapper. They aren't unique anymore. So after a 1996 album, Kris Kross split up and both guys returned to school. Sadly, Chris Kelly died on Apr. 29, 2013 at age 34. He had just been released from drug rehab. He died from a drug overdose. Here's the video for Jump by Kris Kross. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ciara

Artist:Ciara f/Missy Elliott

Song:1, 2 Step

Album:Playlist: The Very Best of Ciara

Ciara Harris made a big splash with her 2004 debut CD Goodies. The album was certified 3XPlatinum and 1, 2 Step was one of three big hits from the album. That was the height of her career. She was born Oct. 25, 1985 in Fort Hood, TX. Her dad was in the US Army. Believe it or not, she was named after a Revlon perfume. After her dad left the army, the family moved to Riverdale, GA. She formed a girl group as a teen. Though they didn't last, Ciara's demos got her a publishing deal. Her songs were recorded by Blu Cantrell and Fantasia Barrino. And that's when she met producer Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander. His parents are Bar Kays bassist James Alexander and singer Deniece Williams. Alexander started out as a rapper in the 90s but when he wasn't successful, he got into songwriting and production. Their demos got them a record deal with LaFace. Goodies was Ciara's debut album and Goodies was the first single. It topped the charts. That was written and produced by Lil Jon. 1, 2 Step was the second single. It was one of the demos that got them the record deal. Ciara wrote and produced it with Alexander. And of course Missy Elliott wrote her rap. It was #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Mario's Let Me Love You topped the charts at the time. Though 1, 2 Step didn't top the chart, it was a bigger seller than Goodies. The album was a big success. Ciara didn't work much with Alexander after that. Her second album Ciara: The Evolution sold over a million copies. But her albums since then haven't come close to that. This budget comp covers the LaFace years but Goodies is also available as a budget CD. Ciara is still around. She has recorded for Jive and Epic and she released her latest album on her own label in 2019. She has signed with Republic and Uptown and is working on a new album. Of course Ciara is married to Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson so she doesn't need the money. Plus she wasn't great in the first place. She made a big splash with her debut and then faded. Here's the video for 1, 2 Step by Ciara featuring Missy Elliott. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Michael Morgan

Artist:William Michael Morgan

Song:I Met a Girl

Album:Vinyl

Country singer William Michael Morgan was 19 years old when he signed with Warner Bros. After the 2015 single I Met a Girl was a top ten country hit, it looked like he was going to be the next big thing. But he only released one album for Warners and now he's on the comeback trail. He was born May 13, 1993 in Vicksburg, MS. His parents listened to classic country music and Morgan especially enjoyed the music of Marty Robbins. At age nine his parents bought him a guitar. Morgan taught himself to play and by age 12, he was performing in public. Then he formed a band and released an album in 2006. He moved to Nashville at age 18 and signed with Warner Music Nashville. His producer was Scott Hendricks who is EVP of A&R at Warner. He is best known for producing Brooks & Dunn. Jimmy Ritchey was co-producer and played guitar on the album. I Met a Girl was released Aug. 2015. It reached #8 on the Country Singles chart. This was followed by an EP in Mar. 2016 and then the album Vinyl in Sept. 2016. That was probably too lengthy of a lag time and I suspect listeners forgot about Morgan by the time the album came out. Morgan wrote a couple of songs on the album. I Met a Girl was written and originally recorded by Sam Hunt on his 2013 mixtape Between the Pines. His co-writers were Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion and veteran songwriter and producer Shane McAnally. Morgan recorded a second album. But after releasing a few singles, Warners decided to shelve the album. They told Morgan he needed a more commercial sound. But he didn't want to change and he left in 2019. Morgan is still around. He has released a few singles on his own label. He may be reluctant to sign with a major label. Here's the video for I Met a Girl by William Michael Morgan.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tommy McCook &the Supersonics

Artist:Tommy McCook & the Supersonics

Song:Doctor Zhivago

Album:Soul Rocksteady

Though most music fans will not know his name, sax player Tommy McCook was an important figure in the development of Jamaican music. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and he played on many recordings. And as an offshoot of that he recorded instrumentals. He was born Mar. 3, 1927 in Havana, Cuba but he moved with his family to Jamaica in 1933. He learned to play sax while attending Alpha Cottage School which was a school for wayward boys in Kingston. After leaving school, McCook started touring with dance bands. He moved to The Bahamas in 1954. McCook returned to Jamaica in 1962. Jackie Mittoo approached him about recording for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One and leading a band which was called The Skatalites. Though they were only around for a year, The Skatalites were a major influence on Jamaican music. After they split up, McCook formed The Supersonics and they became the house band at Duke Reid's Treasure Island. So McCook played on many hits of the rocksteady era. And he recorded his own instrumental records. The music on this comp is from the late 60s. It is available as a digital download. McCook continued to play sessions in the 70s with producer Bunny Lee. And in the 80s he was part of The Skatalites reunion and he toured and recorded with them until he died on May 5, 1998 at age 71. Here's a video of Doctor Zhivago by Tommy McCook & the Supersonics. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-CAB

Artist:CAB

Song:Dennis

Album:CAB 2

Fans of jazz fusion are going to want to check out CAB. The band was formed in 2000 by veteran jazz bassist Bunny Brunel. Brunel was born in Nice, France. He moved to the US in the late 70s to join Chick Corea's band. Tone Center Records approached Brunel about forming a band with guitarist Tony MacAlpine and drummer Dennis Chambers. MacAlpine is a rock guitarist who was interested in getting into jazz. Chambers is a veteran sideman best known for his days with John Scofield in the 80s. Brunel called the band CAB. It's supposed to be an acronym but Brunel thought Tony's last name was Alpine. The fourth member of the band was veteran British pianist Brian Auger. He led the excellent fusion band Oblivion Express in the 70s. Brunel wrote most of the songs including Dennis from the 2001 album CAB 2. This album was nominated for a Best Contemporary Jazz Album Grammy. The album is available as a digital download. Auger was replaced by Patrice Rushen and Chambers was replaced by MacAlpine's buddy Virgil Donati. CAB's most recent album was released in 2011. Brunel recently released a Christmas single. He's still a busy sideman but I would not be surprised to see him revive CAB at some point. Here's CAB with Bunny Brunel, Tony MacAlpine, Patrice Rushen and Virgil Donati performing Dennis 2005.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Trent Willmon

Artist:Trent Willmon

Song:Home Sweet Holiday Inn

Album:Trent Willmon

Trent Willmon had modest success on the country charts with songs like the 2005 single Home Sweet Holiday Inn. But it wasn't enough to keep his record contract. He continues to have success as a songwriter and he may have a big future as a producer. He was born Mar. 6, 1973 in Amarillo, TX and raised on a farm in nearby Afton. His mother gave him a guitar when he was 16. But Willmon's farm skills earned him an animal science scholarship at South Plains College. But he was bit by the music bug and he moved to Nashville in 1995. While working on a farm during the day, he sent out demos and got a publishing deal in 1998. Then he started his own band and that led to a record deal with Columbia. His 2004 album Trent Willmon was produced by Brad Paisley's producer Frank Rogers. Willmon co-wrote all the songs. The first single Beer Man reached #30 on the Country Singles chart. Home Sweet Holiday Inn reached #49. Willmon's co-writers were Chris Stapleton and Jameson Clark. He probably didn't chart high enough for Columbia. And when his 2006 A Little More Livin' didn't do any better, Columbia dropped Willmon. I don't think there was anything distinctive about Willmon. He got lost in the shuffle. After two more albums on small labels, Willmon returned to songwriting. And now he has started producing. And that is paying off as Willmon produced Cody Johnson's 2021 album Human: The Double Album and the #1 country single Til You Can't. Willmon says on his website he is concentrating on producing and isn't performing right now. Looks good to me. Here's the video for Home Sweet Holiday Inn by Trent Willmon.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lisa Fischer

Artist:Lisa Fischer

Song:How Can I Ease the Pain

Album:So Intense

Legendary background singer Lisa Fischer topped the R&B chart and scored a top 20 pop hit with the 1991 single How Can I Ease the Pain. Then she returned to background singing. So Intense is her only album to date though she tours with her band Grand Baton. I saw her a few years ago. She was born Dec. 1, 1958 in Brooklyn, NY. She started singing backup in the late 70s with groups like Kleeer. And she was a one time member of Change which also included Luther Vandross. Lisa toured with Vandross and appeared on all his albums. She began touring with The Rolling Stones and she still tours with them. Meanwhile Vandross got Lisa a record deal at Elektra. The album So Intense was released in 1991. The single How Can I Ease the Pain topped the R&B chart and reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lisa wrote and produced the song with Narada Michael Walden. He produced three songs on the album and Vandross produced four. A second single charted so Lisa is not a one hit wonder. And Lisa won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance. So Intense is available as a budget CD. There was supposed to be a second album. But record company management changes forced Lisa to leave Elektra with the expectation she would sign with another label. When that didn't come through, Lisa simply returned to backup singing. She continued to tour with The Rolling Stones, And after Vandross died, Lisa began touring with Tina Turner. When Lisa appeared in the 2013 Oscar winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, she decided to start touring as a solo act with JC Maillard and Grand Baton. I saw her a few years ago and she is currently on tour. Go see her if she's coming your way. Lisa still tours with The Rolling Stones and she works on other stuff. I would like to see her record an album with Grand Baton for Concord or Blue Note. I know it would be great but I don't see it happening. Here's the video for How Can I Ease the Pain by Lisa Fischer. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bob & Doug McKenzie

Artist:Bob & Doug McKenzie f/Geddy Lee

Song:Take Off

Album:One Hit Wonderful

Believe it or not, Take Off was a top 20 pop hit in 1982. Like many novelty songs, it was a one hit wonder. Of course the success came when NBC aired SCTV in the early 80s. The guys behind Bob & Doug McKenzie were Rick Moranis (Bob) and Dave Thomas (Doug). They had been part of the SCTV series since it began on 1976. When the show moved to CBC in 1980 and was sold to NBC, the CBC told the producers they needed extra identifiable Canadian content because fewer commercials air in Canada. The entire show was produced in Edmonton so everything is CanCon. After they finished laughing at this request, Moranis and Thomas created a talk show parodying common false stereotypes about Canadians. These segments were improvised with one camera operator at the end of the day's shooting. They thought the segments were stupid. They were shocked when they became the most popular part of SCTV. And when some of them aired in the US, NBC wanted more because of positive affiliate feedback. Meanwhile, Anthem Records promotion director Perry Goldberg thought Bob & Doug could do a comedy album. Anthem is owned by Rush. Moranis went to grade school with Rush lead singer Geddy Lee. The album The Great White North was released on Mercury Records in the US. Except for Take Off, the album was all skits like the TV show. Take Off featuring Lee reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Producers Kerry Crawford and Jonathan Goldsmith wrote the song with Moranis, Thomas and Lee. Those two went on to produce Bruce Cockburn albums. So the album was a big success. It's available as a budget comp. But you can also get Take Off on this PolyGram various artists budget comp. This led to the 1983 film Strange Brew which became a cult film through home video. The characters have resurfaced on a 2007 CBC retrospective. And Thomas produced an animated series in 2009. There is even a Bob & Doug McKenzie statue erected near Rogers Place in Edmonton. SCTV was taped in Edmonton. So it did well considering that Moranis and Thomas thought it was stupid. Here's a video for Take Off by Bob & Doug McKenzie featuring Geddy Lee. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alesso

Artist:Alesso f/Tove Lo

Song:Heroes (We Could Be)

Album:Forever

The 2014 single Heroes is to date the biggest hit for Swedish DJ Alesso. It topped the dance charts and was a top 40 pop hit in the US. He was born Alessandro Lindblad July 7, 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden. He started playing piano at age seven and got into Electronic Dance Music (EDM) as a teen. After releasing an EP in 2010, Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia taught Alesso to DJ. MTV named Alesso an EDM Rookie to Watch in 2012. He also opened for Madonna on her European tour. Alesso was getting acclaim for his remixes and he appeared on the 2013 music festival circuit. He signed with Def Jam and released the album Forever in 2015. Heroes was the second single and it topped the dance chart, was a top ten hit in England and reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is to date his biggest chart hit. Tove Lo fans will be interested to know that Heroes appears as a bonus track on the International Blueprint edition of her album Queen of the Clouds. This is Alesso's only album to date. He has released several singles. Most of them did not chart. The main criticism of Alesso is his instrumentals sound the same. That could be said about a lot of EDM. He seems to have more success when he works with guest singers. So maybe he would be better off concentrating on producing and not produce his own music. Fame is fleeting so he'll probably end up doing that anyway. Here's the video of Heroes (We Could Be) by Alesso featuring Tove Lo. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai vs Becky Lynch and Michin

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai vs Becky Lynch and Michin from last night's episode of RAW. This started with Bayley bragging about beating Becky recently. Becky came out and agreed to face Iyo and Dakota. Iyo wore new gear. She hung in there for a while. But the numbers game caught up to her and Michin came out. The match was competitive and while Michin hit Dakota with Eat Defeat, Iyo made a blind tag and won with her moonsault. This match was supposed to set things up for down the road. It was reasonably entertaining so check it out. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Liberacion

Artist:Liberacion

Song:La Burbuja

Album:Las Mas Bailables de...Liberacion

Liberacion have been successful on the Mexican regional charts since the 70s. They were particularly successful in the 80s with singles like La Barbuja. When I am looking at music like this, I am looking for older songs. I don't want anything too recent especially if the group has been around for decades. Liberacion was formed in Nuevo Leon in 1976 by keyboardist Virgilio Canales and lead singer Juan Tavares. They started out as a rock band. But by the early 80s, Canales shifted to the Mexican Regional tradition. They signed with Disa Records in 1984. From there they had a strong twenty year run. This was done mostly through live performances. Their first few albums for Disa were numbered volumes. La Burbuja was on the 1988 album Vol. VI. It was later re-released as La Burbuja. You can get the song on this comp. Liberacion's success continued in the 90s with several gold records and other awards. After Disa reissued their entire catalog and Liberacion went on a two year long tour to support it, Canales decided to go on hiatus in 2011. They returned in 2017 and are still going strong. Canales continues to modernize Liberacion to reach younger listeners. Here's the video for La Burbuja by Liberacion.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robyn

Artist:Robyn

Song:Show Me Love

Album:Robyn Is Here

The 1997 single Show Me Love was one of two top ten singles for the Swedish teen pop singer Robyn. After much conflict with her record company, she started her own label in 2005. She was born Robin Carlsson June 12, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden. She travelled around Europe with her parents theater group. She wrote her first song at age 11 about her parents divorce and performed it on TV. When Swedish pop singer Meja did a workshop at Robyn's school, she was impressed enough to get Robyn a record deal with BMG Sweden. She wrote and produced most of the 1995 album Robyn Is Here with the production duo known as Ghost (Ulf Lindstrom and Johan Ehke). After the single Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect) reached #2 on the Swedish chart, RCA Records in the US expressed interest. The problem was they didn't like the album. They only liked the one song. This changed when Show Me Love was released as a single in 1997. They decided to release Robyn Is Here in a reworked version and a different cover. Do You Really Want Me and Show Me Love both reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Platinum. What those two songs had in common was producer Max Martin who would soon have success producing Britney Spears. So obviously RCA wanted Robyn to be more like Britney Spears. When she refused to remove two songs about her abortion from the 1999 album Truth, RCA did not release the album in the US. Robyn got out of her RCA contract and signed with Jive. But then RCA bought Jive's parent company. She left RCA after the 2002 album Don't Stop the Music and started her own label with Interscope distribution. She hasn't had the same commercial success but she probably is happier with artistic control. She released her latest album in 2018. Her music is more electropop than the kind of teen pop that RCA wanted. I think she works with different producers than those early days. Here's the video for Show Me Love by Robyn. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Technotronic

Artist:Technotronic

Song:Pump Up the Jam

Album:This Beat Is Technotronic

The 1989 single Pump Up the Jam was the biggest hit for Technotronic. This was a product of a Belgian recording studio and used deceptive marketing tactics similar to Black Box. The guy behind Technotronic was Belgian producer Jo Bogaert. He released a couple of albums and produced acts for the Belgian label Clip Records. After producing the single Spin That Wheel for the rap group Hi Tek 3, He decided to start Technotronic with the featured rapper on that single Manuela "Ya Kid K" Kamosi. Bogaert called himself Thomas De Quincey so no one would know he was European. Manuela was born in Zaire but grew up in Belgium. She lived in the US for a while before returning to Belgium. Pump Up the Jam was Technotronic's first single. After success in Europe, it was picked up by Capitol's SBK label in the US. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Manuela was the rapper on the record, she wasn't on the album cover or the video. It was Congolese model Felly Kilingi who couldn't speak English. It was similar to the Black Box song Everybody Everybody which was sung by Martha Wash but a model was used in the video. After Bogaert admitted he did this as a marketing gimmick, Capitol pulled the album and released it with Manuela on the cover. The second Technotronic single Get Up! reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. Bogaert released three Technotronic albums. This budget comp has all their hits. Bogaert returned to producing local acts. Manuela went solo and released a 1992 album on SBK. It went nowhere and she is still best known for Technotronic. Here's the video for Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic.