Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Carmella

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Carmella from last night's episode of RAW. The problem with Carmella's overconfident heel behavior is she is so bad in the ring that her overconfidence is unbelievable. She should have been fired when she was in NXT. It's hard for Asuka because it is difficult to get a good match from Carmella. So Asuka tried to let her have some offense but it didn't work. A squash would have worked better to finish Carmella's delusions. But after Asuka won, Carmella shoved Asuka into Bianca Belair. And then later in the show, Carmella had a meeting of the minds with Chelsea Green. So after Bianca beats Carmella next week, I expect Bianca and Asuka to face Carmella and Chelsea. That's called killing time. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Goldfrapp

Artist:Goldfrapp

Song:Ooh La La

Album:The Singles

Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have had success in England and the dance charts. The 2005 single Ooh La La is their biggest hit to date. I would describe their music as similar to trip hop like Portishead but more danceable. Alison was born May 13,1966 in Enfield, London, England. She toured with the group Dreadzone and was featured on Tricky's 1995 single Pumpkin. Gregory was born Sept. 17, 1959 in Bristol, England. He studied orchestral music at the University of York. Gregory recorded and toured with Tears for Fears, Portishead and Peter Gabriel. The two met in 1999 and started working together after Gregory heard Alison's vocal on Pumpkin. She had already signed a record deal with Mute Records with EMI distribution. They decided to call themselves Goldfrapp. She writes the lyrics and he writes the music and produces. They had success in England but didn't have a big hit single until Ooh La La reached #4 on the British Singles chart. It also topped the US Dance chart. It's from the 2005 album Supernature which was their third album. And most of Goldfrapp's success has been in dance clubs. They have recorded seven albums, most recently in 2017. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. They were fading so it was probably a good time for a hiatus. Alison has been concentrating on her photography. She recently released a couple of singles with producer Paul Woolford. Gregory recently composed the music for the 2022 BBC/Amazon Prime series Chloe. I would not be surprised if Alison goes solo. Here's the video for Ooh La La by Goldfrapp.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Newsboys

Artist:Newsboys

Song:I'm Not Ashamed

Album:Shine: The Hits

Newsboys has been a very popular CCM band since the 90s. The 1992 single I'm Not Ashamed was their first #1 CCM hit. It set them up for success. Newsboys were formed in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. They went to high school together. John James and Sean Taylor were two more high school pals who joined. They were going to call themselves The News. But it was changed to Newsboys to avoid confusion with Huey Lewis and the News. They released a cassette in 1987. After signing with the CCM label Refuge, Newsboys moved to the US and released the 1988 album Read All About It. Though Perdikis co-wrote most of the songs on the album, he didn't move to the US. He was replaced by Phil Yates. After signing with Star Song, Newsboys released two albums that went nowhere. Their fortunes changed when Steve Taylor came in to write and produce. Taylor was a successful CCM artist in the 80s. He turned to production in the 90s. Previously James was the lead singer. On Not Ashamed, Furler sang lead on about half the album. Plus he wrote and produced with Taylor. The single I'm Not Ashamed topped the CCM charts. It would lead to bigger hits. It would also lead to James' departure in 1997. He was replaced by Jody Davis who is the current leader of Newsboys. The band continued to have great success in the 90s. They left Star Song in 1999 for EMI owned Sparrow Records. They have continued to have success. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Newsboys lead singer since 2009 is former dc talk lead singer Michael Tait. Furler left Newsboys in 2009. Here's the video for I'm Not Ashamed by Newsboys. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Gabriella Fernandes

Here's the match video of Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Gabriella Fernandes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This match is at Flyweight. Jasmine is from St. Catherines, ON. She trains at Niagara Top Team with coach Chris Prickett. She came through Contender Series. She's 1-1 in the UFC. She is probably a midcard fighter. Gabriella is from Natal, Brazil. She trains at Kimura Team with former Shooto fighter Jorge Fernandez. She is on a three fight winning streak in LFA. Her nickname is Gabi. She's a striker and as long as the fight is standing, Gabi is winning. But her takedown defense is terrible. And once Jasmine takes her down, that's pretty much it. So Jasmine won on my scorecard 30-27. So if Gabi is going to get anywhere, she needs to work on her takedown defense. Jasmine seemed to be content to lay on her. So I'm not convinced she can beat anyone good. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tatiana Suarez vs Montana De La Rosa

Here's the match video of Tatiana Suarez vs Montana De La Rosa from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Tatiana is an elite fighter who has been out with injuries since June 2019. During that fight, she injured her neck. After recovering from that, she was supposed to return in 2021. But she blew out her knee. So now we need to see if she is the same fighter. Tatiana trains at Milennia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Montana is from Texas but she trains at Elevation in Denver. She's an OK fighter but Tatiana was the favorite. And Tatiana passed the test with a second round rear naked choke. Tatiana looked great. She says she is returning to Strawweight. She's already a title contender. She talked about facing Rose Namajunas but Amanda Lemos could be an interesting opponent. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Main Source

Artist:Main Source

Song:Looking at the Front Door

Album:Breaking Atoms

Though the rap group Main Source weren't around very long, today they are considered to be highly influential due to the production techniques used by rapper Paul "Large Professor" Mitchell. He was born Mar. 21, 1972 in New York City and he grew up in Flushing, Queens. He was already producing by the time he was in high school. DJs Kevin "K-Cut" McKenzie and his brother Shawn "Sir Scratch" McKenzie were born in Toronto but they grew up in Queens, NY. They met Mitchell in high school and started working together. After releasing a couple of singles independently, Main Source got a record deal with Wild Pitch Records with EMI distribution. Their debut album Breaking Atoms was released in 1991. Looking at the Front Door topped the Rap chart. Mitchell wrote it about a recent breakup. He samples Donald Byrd's Think Twice. Though all three were credited with producing, it looks like Mitchell was the main producer. He was also producing other artists like Nas, Busta Rhymes. He left Main Source for "financial reasons". He must have figured he was doing most of the work so he should be getting more money. Rapper Michael "Mikey D" Deering was brought in for the 1994 album F**k What You Need. A single was released but it looks like Wild Pitch cancelled the album release. It was released in 1999. That was the end of Main Source. Though Mitchell has occasionally recorded solo, he has had a long career producing Nas, A Tribe Called Quest and many others. Kevin McKenzie has also produced The Fu-Schnickens and moved back to Toronto in the late 90s. Choclair is among the acts he has produced. Here's the video for Looking at the Front Door by Main Source. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Rance Allen Group

Artist:The Rance Allen Group

Song:Do Your Will

Album:All the Way

Rance Allen was a pioneer of contemporary black gospel. He may have been the first to mix traditional quartet music with soul and R&B in the early 70s. And as gospel changed with the times, Allen kept up with hits like this 2002 hit single Do Your Will. Allen was born Nov. 20, 1948 in Monroe, MI. He began playing piano at age nine. He became a licensed minister at age 12 and preached throughout the midwest. He formed The Rance Allen Group with his brothers Steve and Tom. Rance was lead singer and wrote all the songs. After recording for a local label, Allen's mix of gospel and soul got him a record deal with Stax's new gospel label Gospel Truth. They appeared in the 1973 concert film Wattstax. Allen was having success on the R&B charts but then Stax went bankrupt. He recorded a 1977 album for Capitol and then returned to the revived Stax. But that didn't last and Allen recorded for Word's Myrrh label in the 80s. In 1985, Allen was named pastor at the New Bethel Church in Toledo, OH and he was consecrated as a bishop. And he continued to tour and record for Belmark in the 90s. Then he signed with Tyscot Records for the 2002 album All the Way. And the single Do Your Will was a big hit on the Gospel charts. It appeared on the 2003 WOW Gospel CD. So it was one of the top gospel hits of 2002. Allen wrote and produced Do Your Will with Chris Byrd. Byrd is a Toledo native who worked with Allen since the early 90s. Allen continued to tour and record for Tyscot until his death on Oct. 31, 2020 at age 71. Here's the video for Do Your Will by The Rance Allen Group. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir

Artist:Bishop Paul S. Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir

Song:Let It Rain

Album:Let It Rain

Bishop Paul S. Morton is a preacher and singer who has recorded regularly since the mid-90s. The 2003 single Let Him In was a big hit on the Gospel chart. He was born July 30, 1950 in Windsor, ON. His father pastored churches in Windsor and Detroit. Morton and his brothers grew up singing in church. Morton's son PJ Morton is a successful musician. Morton moved to New Orleans in 1972 and he became senior pastor of Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church. After he founded the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship in 1992, the church name was changed to Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church. He is also pastor of Changing a Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta. Morton first recorded in 1985 and he started recording regularly in 1993. In 2002, he started his own label Tehillah with Light Records distribution. The 2003 album Let It Rain was his second album under that arrangement and the title song was a big hit on the Gospel chart. He usually records with this massive choir and he usually records live. Guest singers include Desmond Pringle. Morton attempts to straddle traditional and contemporary gospel. For me, the problem is he doesn't have a great voice. So he's popular but I don't care for him. Let It Rain is available as a budget CD. Morton latest CD was released in 2016. Here's the video for Let It Rain by Bishop Paul Morton & The FGBCF Mass Choir. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ginger

Artist:Ginger

Song:Everything You're Missing

Album:Suddenly I Came to My Senses

Ginger was a spinoff of the popular Canadian band The Grapes of Wrath. Ginger had modest success in the mid 90s. The 1996 single Everything You're Missing was their highest charting single. The Grapes of Wrath are from Kelowna, BC. They had pretty good success in the 80s. When lead singer Kevin Kane decided to leave the band in 1991, the rest of the band wanted to continue but Kane owned the rights to the Grapes of Wrath name. So guitarist Tom Hooper took over as lead singer. He wrote all the songs. His brother Chris Hooper played drums and Vincent Jones played keyboards. Ginger released three albums on Nettwerk Records which was The Grapes of Wrath's label. The albums were only released in Canada. Everything You're Missing is from the 1996 album Suddenly I Came to My Senses. It reached #23 on the Canadian RPM chart. Canadian radio stations and TV networks like the MuchMusic video channel are obligated to play Canadian content. They have to reach a monthly quota. So bands like Ginger are going to get airplay. But it wasn't enough as Ginger split up after three albums. Fans of Grapes of Wrath should enjoy their music. Kevin Kane wasn't doing much at the time. So when he approached Tom Hooper about reuniting The Grapes of Wrath, they recorded a 2000 album and with the addition of Chris Hooper, they still play occasional shows. They last recorded in 2014. Because the band is part time, Kane is now a member of The Northern Pikes. Here's the video for Everything You're Missing by Ginger.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Michaels

Artist:Lee Michaels

Song:Do You Know What I Mean

Album:Heighty Hi: The Best of Lee Michaels

The 1971 top ten hit Do You Know What I Mean was the only big hit for singer songwriter and organist Lee Michaels. Some of his other songs charted so he was not technically a one hit wonder. He was born Michael Olsen Nov. 24, 1945 in Los Angeles. He was a member of the surf rock band The Sentinals along with drummer and future member of The Turtles and Jefferson Starship John Barbata. It looks like Michaels was in that band just before they split up in 1966. Michaels and Barbata went on to a band led by guitarist Joel Scott Hill. Then Michaels moved to San Francisco. He was in an early version of guitarist Bob Segarini's band The Family Tree. They recorded an album for RCA in 1968. Before that Michaels left when he signed to a producer's contract with A&M Records. He convinced the guy who hired him Larry Marks to let him record as Lee Michaels. He released his debut album Carnival of Life. At first Michaels used a standard band of studio musicians. But by the 1969 album Lee Michaels, it was a two man band. It was Michaels playing Hammond B3 organ and a drummer. On the 1971 album 5th, the drummer was Joel Larson of The Grass Roots. Michaels played live like this too. Marks was still credited as producer but I doubt he was in the studio much. Apparently Michaels was upset that A&M did not promote his previous albums. So he recorded the commercially successful single Do You Know What I Mean. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single was a cover of the Marvin Gaye classic Can I Get a Witness. It reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. A&M wanted more of the same. But instead Michaels recorded the 1972 album Space and First Takes. The title track was 16 minutes long. It was deliberately non-commercial. He was sticking it to A&M for not supporting his early albums. A live album ended Michaels' A&M contract and he signed with Columbia. After two unsuccessful albums, Michaels retired from music and opened the restaurant chain Killer Shrimp. Michaels now owns the rights to his recordings which he has released on Manifesto Records. 5th is available but it's less than a half hour long. This comp is available but you can also get Do You Know What I Mean on plenty of various artist comps. Here's a video for Do You Know What I Mean by Lee Michaels.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Nikki Cross

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Nikki Cross from last night's episode of RAW. So the idea here is to set up Asuka for Wrestle Mania. With this new Evil Clown character, I don't expect her to talk. As you will see, she has other ways to express herself. The main complaint I saw about this match is it was too competitive. It should have been a squash. For one thing, Asuka won't do squash matches. And she has respect for and good chemistry with Nikki. So the match was about what I expected. Nikki got to do a few things. Asuka landed a DDT from the middle turnbuckle. That's the first time she has done that. She finished with the flying armbar into the Rings of Saturn submission. Unlike Michael Cole, Corey Graves did not call it The Asuka Lock. I guess there is no name for it yet. Bianca Belair came out to watch the match. She was not on commentary. Afterwards, she entered the ring and Asuka spit blue liquid to successfully unnerve Bianca. Next week Asuka will face Carmella who I expect will use chickenshit heel tactics unsuccessfully. Do you want to know if Asuka is a heel or a face? I guess it depends on the opponent. But fans love her character so it doesn't matter. Enjoy the Video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pete Fountain

Artist:Pete Fountain f/Al Hirt

Song:Jazz Me Blues

Album:The Very Best of Pete Fountain

Dixieland jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain became very popular in the early 60s making regular appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show. He also recorded frequently with trumpeter Al Hirt. Obviously this was aimed at an older audience who didn't like bebop. So there was a market for Dixieland. Fountain was born Pierre LaFontaine Jr. July 3, 1930 in New Orleans. His father was a truck driver and part time musician who changed the family name to Fountain. As a child, Fountain suffered from respiratory infections. A doctor suggested to Fountain's father the unorthodox treatment of buying a musical instrument he could blow into. So they bought a clarinet and believe it or not, it helped. Fountain took private lessons. But he learned jazz by playing along to Benny Goodman records. As a teen, he played Bourbon Street clubs. In 1950 Fountain founded the Basin Street Six. They recorded for Mercury until they split up in 1954. He moved to Chicago to play with Dukes of Dixieland. Then he returned to New Orleans to start a band with trumpeter Al Hirt and they played a the Pier 600 club. Fountain was spotted by a Lawrence Welk talent scout who brought him to Welk's son Larry Welk. Welk convinced his dad to hire Fountain who moved to Los Angeles to become a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show. He also recorded for Welk's record company. Fountain was a featured soloist on the show for two years. He left in 1959 because Fountain wanted to play more jazz and Welk didn't like it. Fountain signed with Decca's Coral label and returned to New Orleans. Fountain recorded for Coral for almost two decades. His prime was the early 60s. Jazz Me Blues is from the 1961 album Bourbon Street. It is one of four songs on the album that feature Al Hirt. The rest of the band is Abe Lincoln on trombone, Eddie Miller on tenor sax, Stan Wrightsman on piano, Bobby Gibbons on guitar, Morty Corb on bass and Jack Sperling and Ray Bauduc on drums. Jazz Me Blues is a Dixieland jazz standard that was recorded by guys like Bix Beiderbecke in the 20s. It is on this budget comp which is a good intro to Fountain's Coral recordings. Fountain opened his own club The French Quarter Inn in 1960. After he left Coral, Fountain continued to tour and record. He retired in 2010 and died on Aug. 6, 2016 at age 86. Here's Pete Fountain performing Jazz Me Blues.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Artist:Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Song:Good Vibrations

Album:Energy for the 90's

Before he was an actor, Mark Wahlberg rapped his way to the 1991 chart topper Good Vibrations. The group was called Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. When their second album flopped, the group split up. Wahlberg was born June 5, 1971 in Boston. His older brother is Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block. When both were offered spots in New Kids on the Block, Donnie said yes. Mark went to jail for assault. It's likely he was going to be there long term if Donnie hadn't got him to try music. Mark could rap and Donnie helped him make the 1991 album Music for the People. The group had a DJ and dancers. The Wahlberg brothers produced the album with recording engineer Leo Okeke who also plays piano. Good Vibrations was the first single and it topped the charts. It samples heavily the 1980 Loleatta Holloway hit Love Sensation. She also appears in the video. Marky Mark isn't much of a rapper so I think Loleatta's hook sold the record. The second single Wildside reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sampled Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side. The album was certified Platinum. When the 1992 album You Gotta Believe didn't sell, the group split up. And of course Wahlberg would go on to be a movie star. Music for the People is available. But I think most listeners only want Good Vibrations. You can get it on this various artists comp. Here's the video for Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mercedes Mone vs KAIRI

Here's the match video of Mercedes Mone vs KAIRI from last night's New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) show in California. This was for this NJPW Women's Championship. The match was fine. It was probably about ten minutes too long. I don't think they ever turned up the pace of the match. The question that I am asked a lot is about NJPW's commitment to joshi. And the answer is they are trying to minimize it as they are concerned that their Japanese fans will turn on them. So they put this match on this US show and after the show sold out, NJPW decided to not make this match the main event. I know fans are hoping NJPW will start a women's division. But they aren't doing that. You'll see title matches on big shows. Again they are concerned about Japanese fans turning on them. So why did they bring in Mercedes? The original plan was for her to appear in STARDOM. But when they tried put her salary on STARDOM's budget, STARDOM GM Rossy Ogawa refused. So she will appear on one STARDOM show in April. He told them they were spending too much money on her. I know what you're thinking. Bushiroad owns STARDOM. Can't they force him to take her? Apparently autonomy is part of Ogawa's deal. He can run STARDOM as he chooses and they can't force him to do anything. So occasional women's title matches on NJPW shows is what you have to look forward to. The whole thing is a waste of money. But the match is pretty good so enjoy the video. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Mayra Bueno Silva vs Lina Lansberg

Here's the fight video of Mayra Bueno Silva vs Lina Lansberg from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Mayra is 31 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is now training at ATT in Coconut Creek, FL. She's 2-0 since moving up to Bantamweight. Lina is 40 years old from Malmo, Sweden. She trains with former UFC fighter Akira Corassani. She's on a three fight losing streak. Lina is a kickboxer with no ground skills. And she showed in this fight a low fight IQ by stumbling into a kneebar for a second round finish. It may be time for her to go. Afterwards, Mayra called out Julianna Pena and Raquel Pennington. I don't know if she will get either of them. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Erin Blanchfield vs Jessica Andrade

Here's the match video of Erin Blanchfield vs Jessica Andrade from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Erin's opponent was supposed to be Taila Santos. But she has recently opened her own gym with her husband and her corner guys were unable to get visas. So Jessica stepped in on a week's notice. That's possibly a tougher fight for Erin. But I believe she's an elite fighter and watching her interviews during the week, she didn't seem to care who the opponent is. Erin is 23 years old and she trains at Renzo Gracie in Elmwood Park, NJ. Of course Jessica is from Brazil and she trains at PRVT which is now in Las Vegas. I understand she just signed a new UFC contract. Round one looked like a feeling out process. I scored it 10-9 for Erin for landing slightly better strikes. But in round two she immediately went for a takedown and won with a rear naked choke. I assume her coach told her to do that. Erin said afterwards that she wants the winner of the Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso Flyweight title match next. Erin was a bit of an underdog but I expected her to win. She could be the next champ. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-2023 Women's Elimination Chamber

Here's the 2023 Women's Elimination Chamber match video with Asuka, Carmella, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan and Natalya. The match was fine. Of course the best thing about it is that Asuka won and will challenge Bianca Belair for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania. Fans have asked me if this is her Evil Clown character. And I guess the answer so far is it's a variation of it. The main thing is she sure seems to be having a lot of fun. The big move during the match was Liv Morgan doing a Sunset Flip powerbomb from the top of the pod. I could go through a lot of other stuff. But I do recommend that you watch it. The fans love Asuka. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Enrique Iglesias

Artist:Enrique Iglesias

Song:Bailamos

Album:Greatest Hits

Of course Enrique Iglesias is the son of Julio Iglesias. He has had success in Spanish and English. The 1999 single Bailamos was his first English number one hit. He was born May 8, 1975 in Madrid, Spain the youngest of Julio Iglesias' three children. After attending a private high school in Miami, he studied business at the University of Miami. He dropped out after one year to launch his music career. Iglesias didn't want his dad to know about his music career and he didn't want to use his family's name. So he recorded a demo as Enrique Martinez from Guatemala and got a record deal with the Mexican label Fonovisa. Though he had success in the Spanish language market, Iglesias wanted to record in English. So he left Fonovisa for Interscope. After Bailamos appeared on the soundtrack of the 1999 film The Wild Wild West, it topped the Billboard Hot 100. It was the first single from the 1999 album Enrique. The album was certified Platinum. Bailamos was written and produced by the British writing and production team of Paul Barry, Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling. They produced a lot of the album. The guitar solo is by British session musician Adam Phillips. Iglesias has continued to have success. He currently records for Sony. He released his latest album in 2021. This comp covers his Interscope hits. Here's the video for Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Liv Morgan

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Liv Morgan from last night's episode of Smackdown. Of course this is supposed to set up tonight's Elimination Chamber match. Liv was salty about losing to Asuka on Monday. On Twitter, Carmella goaded Liv into challenging Asuka to a match. Of course the WWE sends Carmella out to do commentary and naturally everyone else comes out. It's predictable and unnecessary and it distracts from the match. I really hate Kevin Dunn's quick cuts. Asuka tried to put a competitive match together. But there was so much nonsense going on that the match was rushed. Asuka does win of course with the Rings of Saturn which Michael Cole called the Asuka Lock. Asuka looks to be having a lot of fun out there. I think it's time for her Wrestlemania moment. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Loverboy

Artist:Loverboy

Song:Heaven in Your Eyes

Album:Playlist: The Very Best of Loverboy

Long time readers of this blog will know that I occasionally like to feature what I call discography orphans. This is a song that is not part of an artist's main discography. Most commonly the song will be on a movie soundtrack. And that is the case with Heaven in Your Eyes from the soundtrack of the 1986 film Top Gun. The Canadian band Loverboy were very successful in the early 80s with albums like Loverboy (1980) and Get Lucky (1981) and singles like Working for the Weekend (1981) and Hot Girls in Love (1983). Their first four albums were certified 2XPlatinum. But by the time the 1987 album Wildside was released, things weren't going so well and Loverboy split up in 1988. Heaven in Your Eyes appeared on the soundtrack of the 1986 film Top Gun. The single reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack album sold over 9M copies. But it was in Loverboy's contract with Top Gun producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer that they weren't allowed to put the song on their next album. Both Toto and Judas Priest had issues with that. Heaven in Your Eyes was written by John Dexter and Mae Moore along with Loverboy's Paul Dean and Mike Reno. Reno and Tom Allom produced the track while producing the 1985 album Lovin' Every Minute of It. And keyboardist Doug Johnson refused to appear in the video as an anti war protest. Dean and Reno weren't getting along during the recording of Wildside. When it didn't do well, Loverboy split up. Heaven in Your Eyes appears on most Loverboy comps including this budget comp. So it is a discography orphan but easy to find. Here's the video for Heaven in Your Eyes by Loverboy. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Depp

Artist:Johnny Depp w/Helena Bonham Carter

Song:My Friends

Album:Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: The Motion Picture Soundtrack: Deluxe Edition

Of course Johnny Depp is a famous actor best known for the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Some fans might be surprised that he has long history in music but not as a frontman. He has been in several bands. The 2007 film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of two musicals he has done in his film career. He was born June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, KY. His family moved to Miramar, FL in 1970. Depp's mother gave him a guitar at age 12. He was in bands in high school but he dropped out of high school at age 16. He was in the band The Kids. They moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to Six Gun Method in an attempt to get a record deal. Depp married Lori Anne Alison in 1983. She was the sister of the band's bassist. When they were unable to get a record deal, the band split up. Lori Ann introduced him to Nicolas Cage who set up an audition for Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street. After he got that role, he did a few more films. But I think he was first noticed by the average viewer in the FOX TV series 21 Jump Street. Depp hated the teen idol nature of his role. So he started taking more interesting roles and had success with the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. He also appeared in the 1993 film Benny and Joon and the 1994 film Ed Wood. Meanwhile he was still trying to make it in music. His band P released an unsuccessful album in 1995. Music went to the back burner after that though he would continue to make guest appearances on albums. Of course the film that made Depp a big star was the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The success of those films is likely what got Depp the 2007 film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was his first time singing in a film. Even in music, he's mostly a guitarist. He doesn't sing much. So I think his performance in the film was a pleasant surprise. The Special Edition of the soundtrack is simply the complete songs. The Highlights version is missing songs. A big UGH! to Nonesuch Records for that nonsense. Depp continued to have success until the 2013 film The Lone Ranger which was a big flop. He also appeared in the 2014 film of the musical Into the Woods. He returned to music in 2015 with Hollywood Vampires with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. They have released two albums for Republic and they will tour later this year. With Depp being in the news these days for that lurid trial with his former wife Amber Heard, Hollywood Vampires seems like a way for Depp to have fun again. Producers seem to be reluctant to cast Depp and the films he has been doing recently won't return him to stardom. Last year he released the album 18 with Jeff Beck on Rhino. It did OK and they toured. So maybe we'll get more music from Depp. Here's Johnny Depp with Helena Bonham Carter performing My Friends from the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jonathan King

Artist:Jonathan King

Song:Everyone's Gone to the Moon

Album:Jonathan King/Hedgehoppers Anonymous

Jonathan King was still in college when Everyone's Gone to the Moon was a top 20 hit in the US and a top five hit in England and Canada. I remember hearing this song when I was a kid. Some of his other songs charted so he's not a one hit wonder. But this is his only memorable song. He was born Dec.6, 1944 in Marylebone, London, England. His father was from New Jersey and moved to England as a teen. He died in 1954. His mother was an actress so King grew up in boarding schools in Surrey. He went to London to see musicals. Then he heard Guy Mitchell's Singing the Blues and became addicted to pop music. Buddy Holly was his number one addiction. King started attending Trinity College in Cambridge but he was still trying to figure out a way into the music business. He convinced Decca Records to let him record Everyone's Gone to the Moon which King wrote and produced. King plugged it relentlessly and after DJ Tony  Windsor accidently played the song three times in a row, the record shot up the charts and King performed it on BBC's Top of the Pops. It reached #5 in England. Then Decca released it in North America. It reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 in Canada. King's other records didn't do well. But he produced the group Hedgehoppers Anonymous and their single It's Good News Week went top five in England. By this time, King started his own publishing company and management office. He heard a teen group called Anon, got them to change their name to Genesis and the rest is history. King produced their debut album From Genesis to Revelation. Then they left for Charisma Records. In the 70s, King released records under pseudonyms and also produced an early version of The Bay City Rollers including the hit Keep on Dancing. And he also produced the 1974 Blue Swede hit Hooked on a Feeling. Then he started his own label UK Records. Of course the big act to record for that label was 10cc. He was also one of the original backers of the musical The Rocky Horror Show. After closing UK Records, King moved to New York and got into broadcasting. He wrote and produced the Brit Awards and the Eurovision Song Contest. He was also sent to prison for sexual assault though now the charges seem like they might have been incorrect. He has also written books and made movies. This CD from the reissue label Wounded Bird has albums by King and Hedgehoppers Anonymous. Here's Jonathan King performing Everyone's Gone to the Moon on Top of the Pops 1965. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tristan Prettyman

Artist:Tristan Prettyman

Song:Hello

Album:HELLO...x

Singer songwriter Tristan Prettyman came out of the San Diego surfing scene to record for a major label. She last recorded in 2014 and I would describe her as semi retired. I will explain in a minute. She was born May 23, 1982 in Del Mar, CA which is near San Diego. Tristan took surfing as an elective in junior high school and finished fifth in the state championship. Then she was given an Ani DeFranco album and she started messing around with her dad's guitar. She started modelling and she was still surfing. When one of her songs appeared in the 2001 surfing film Shelter, Tristan decided to try to get a record deal. After touring with Jason Mraz and recording a demo. Tristan signed with Virgin Records and released the 2005 album 23 Enigma. Hello is from the 2008 album HELLO...x. Tristan wrote most of the songs with producers Sacha Skarbek and Martin Terefe. Skarbek played piano on the album. He co-wrote the James Blunt hit You're Beautiful. Terefe has produced Jason Mraz and others. Tristan never had a hit single but her albums did OK. HELLO...x reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 200. Tristan was moved to Capitol for the 2012 album Cedar + Gold. The songs on the album were about her tumultuous relationship with Jason Mraz. Tristan left Capitol and self released a 2014 EP. Meanwhile she married Google Ventures founder Bill Maris and had a son in 2015. They divorced in 2018. Though she played a show last year, Tristan told The San Diego Union-Tribune that she likes being a full time mom and she has no plans to record or tour until her son is older. She is still writing and one of her songs appeared on a 2021 episode of the TV series Love Island. She is writing songs for others. All it takes is one big hit to make a load of cash. That's why I describe her as semi retired. Here's Tristan Prettyman performing Hello at San Francisco radio station KFOG 2008.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka, Nikki Cross and Carmella vs Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan

Here's the Match video of Asuka, Nikki Cross and Carmella vs Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan from last night's episode of RAW. This pointless timewaster was a RAW vs Smackdown with the Elimination Chamber competitors. Asuka finished kicking everyone including her partners in the head and finished Liv with a flying armbar turned into the Rings of Saturn. We'll see what happens on Saturday. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wu-Tang Clan

Artist:Wu-Tang Clan

Song:C.R.E.A.M.

Album:Wu: The Story of the We-Tang Clan

The rap group Wu-Tang Clan were successful in the 90s despite the fact that radio stations didn't want to play anything that wasn't family friendly. C.R.E.A.M. was one of their biggest hits. They were very influential on the East Coast rap sound. And several of the group members went on to solo success. Cousins Robert Diggs, Gary Grice and Russell Jones formed the rap group Force of the Imperial Master. They started getting noticed in the New York rap scene. Their nicknames were the Scientist, the Genius and the Specialist. Diggs and Grice released unsuccessful albums in 1991. Both were dropped from their labels. Diggs became RZA. Grice became GZA. Jones became Ol' Dirty Bastard. They started working with Dennis "Ghostface Killah" Coles and they decided to form a group based on "Eastern philosophy picked up in Kung-Fu movies and comic books". The name Wu-Tang Clan came from a movie. Diggs was the group leader and music producer. The 1993 single Protect Ya Neck got record company attention. But they wanted to record solo for different label. Loud Records with RCA distribution were OK with that. Their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was released in late 1993. The album was considered at the time to be the best hip hop album of all time. C.R.E.A.M. was the third single. It reached #8 on the Rap chart. And despite the lack of mainstream radio play, the album was certified 3XPlatinum. C.R.E.A.M. means Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Among the rappers were Clifford "Method Man" Smith, Corey "Raekwon" Woods and Jason "Inspectah Deck" Hunter. At the same time, they all released solo albums on different label. Diggs produced everything. Wu-Tang Clan's 1997 album Wu-Tang Forever was even more successful. It was certified 4XPlatinum. There was also a second round of solo albums. The 2000 album The W was certified Platinum and Gravel Pit was their only top ten pop hit. Then things started to decline with the the 2001 album Iron Flag. This was mostly due to oversaturation and tension within the group. There were stories of Diggs abusing his control. And then there was Jones' 2004 death. Wu-Tang Clan continued to record. But they weren't as successful. They last recorded in 2014. This comp covers the Loud/RCA years. Wu-Tang Clan has never disbanded. So they could return. But I think it's doubtful. Here's the video for C.R.E.A.M. by Wu-Tang Clan. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sticks McGhee

Artist:Sticks McGhee

Song:Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee

Album:1947-1951

Though not as well known as his legendary brother Brownie McGhee, Granville "Sticks" McGhee will forever be known for writing the R&B classic Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. And his 1949 Atlantic recording charted. He was born Mar. 23, 1918 in Knoxville, TN. His brother Brownie contracted polio. The Stick nickname was because he pushed Brownie's wagon with a stick. In reference I have seen him referenced as Stick and Sticks. I am calling him Sticks as that's what it says on the CD. McGhee learned to play guitar at age 13. McGhee dropped out of high school and moved to New York. While in the US Army during WWII, he heard someone sing the original profane version of Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. After the war, McGhee returned to New York and rewrote the song and recorded it for Harlem Records in 1947. Harlem owner J. Mayo Williams took a songwriting credit. When that didn't sell, McGhee took the song to Atlantic Records and the 1949 recording and it reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart and #26 on the hit parade. Both recordings are on this CD. The Atlantic recording includes pianist Wilbert "Big Chief" Ellis and bassist Gene Ramey. Brownie is the second voice. Lionel Hampton and Wynonie Harris covered Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. The Harris version is really good. McGhee didn't have any other hits. He recorded for Essex, King and Savoy. He recorded with Sonny Terry in 1960 and then he died on Aug. 15, 1961 at age 43. That's when Brownie McGhee started performing with Terry. Here's a video for Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee by Sticks McGhee.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loma Lookboonmee vs Elise Reed

Here's the match video of Loma Lookboonmee vs Elise Reed from last night's UFC show in Perth, Australia. This fight is at Strawweight. Loma is 27 years old from Phuket, Thailand. George Hickman is her coach. She grew up training Muay Thai and now she is adapting to MMA. That's an uphill climb. But she is also small for a Strawweight. She probably should be an Atomweight. She's gone 4-2 in the UFC and there has been no indication that she can finish fights. Elise is 30 years old. She trains at Kickside Martial Arts in Princeton, NJ. She has gone 2-2 in the UFC. She is mainly a striker. So both fighters are at similar places. Round one was fairly even until Elise got Loma's back at the end of the round. She didn't get close to a finish but I still scored it 10-9 for Elise. In round two, Loma did something we hadn't seen before. She went for a takedown. It must have surprised Elise too because when Loma took her back, she didn't defend the rear naked choke properly. So Loma got her first UFC finish. I still think she will have problems with ranked Strawweights because of her size. I wish the UFC would start an Atomweight division. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vampire Weekend

Artist:Vampire Weekend

Song:Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Album:Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is a very successful album and touring band. They have never had that big hit single but at this point they don't need one. The members of Vampire Weekend were all students at Columbia University in New York. Bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson had been in a band together. Tomson met lead singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig and they recorded some rap. Koenig became friends with keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and he was studying music at Columbia. Vampire Weekend was the title of a film that Koenig made but never released. Koenig wrote the songs and Rostam produced. Vampire Weekend are a standard indie band with African music elements. Koenig is a big African music fan. They started playing shows locally. They signed with the British label XL Recordings which is also the home for Adele. Their New York office actively seeks out acts. After graduation, the guys worked day jobs while recording the 2007 album Vampire Weekend. The album was released in 2008 and was highly acclaimed by Time Magazine and Rolling Stone. The album did very well for and indie band on an indie label. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa is typical of Vampire Weekend's music which they jokingly describe as Upper West Side Soweto. The song name checks Peter Gabriel. He liked it enough to record a cover. After appearing on Late Night with David Letterman and Saturday Night Live, Vampire Weekend toured. I guess they were the "it" band for a while. They became famous without a hit single. That alone was a big plus. After three albums for XL, Vampire Weekend signed with Columbia in 2016. This is when Rostam left the band. He wasn't replaced but the band hires musicians for touring. Koenig took over as producer for the 2019 album Father of the Bride. The album was successful. After releasing an EP in 2021, it may be time for Vampire Weekend to record a new album. Here's the video for Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-OMI

Artist:OMI

Song:Cheerleader

Album:Me 4 U

The 2015 single Cheerleader was a worldwide smash hit for Jamaican singer Omar "OMI" Pasley. It remains to be seen if he can top it but I think it was a fluke. He was born Sept. 3, 1986 in Clarendon, Jamaica. He moved to Kingston after Clifton "Specialist" Dillon discovered him. He also discovered Shabba Ranks. Pasley first wrote and recorded Cheerleader in 2012 with legendary producers Sly & Robbie and sax player Dean Fraser. It was a hit in Jamaica. Ultra Music president Patrick Moxey heard Cheerleader while he was vacationing in Montreal. He was interested in the song but he thought it would need a remix to appeal to a wider audience. With interest from other producers, Moxey signed Pasley to Ultra. The label has Sony distribution. He sent the record to a couple of DJs and German DJ Felix Jaehn got the job. Jaehn liked the vocals but he sped them up and added a house beat. He replaced Fraser's sax with a sample of a trumpet. But I think adding the beat was a big factor. The remix of Cheerleader was released in May 2014. It took a year for the record to get really big. They also shot a new music video. At first the record was a hit in Europe. And then Sony really started to push it by naming it their Song of the Month in Jan. 2015. They made a deal with Simon Cowell's Syco label to promote it in England. And then it spread to the US. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in July. Spotify was also a big factor in the early success of the record. As of 2019, Cheerleader has attracted 910M plays on Spotify. You can get the remix on Pasley's 2015 album Me 4 U which is available as a budget CD. Subsequent singles haven't charted and there has yet to be a second album. I can't say how Pasley will do in the future. But as I said, I think Cheerleader is a fluke. Here's the video for Cheerleader by OMI.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cyndi Thomson

Artist:Cyndi Thomson

Song:I Always Liked That Best

Album:My World

Cyndi Thomson made a big splash in country music with her 2001 debut album My World. And then she quit the music business. So I guess the big question is why did she quit. She was born Oct. 19, 1976 in Tifton, GA. Along with her sisters, she grew up singing in church. She was inspired by Trisha Yearwood to want to be a country singer. After attending Kennesaw State University, Cyndi moved to Nashvile to study music business at Belmont University. She left school to work during the day and sing in clubs at night. She was working at a party for Deana Carter's album Did I Shave My Legs for This? going Platinum when she was introduced to Tommy Lee James who had written hits for Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn. He taught Cyndi to write and she got a songwriting deal at Sony-ATV. James introduced Cyndi to Capitol Nashville head Mike Dungan. And after an audition, he signed her. Cyndi recorded her 2001 debut album My World with James and veteran producer Paul Worley. Her debut single What I Really Meant to Say topped the Country Singles chart and reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. I Always Liked That Best was the second single. It reached #21 on the Country Singles chart. The album was certified Gold. Cyndi wrote most of the songs with James. So she's off to a good start, right? After marrying musician Daniel Goodman, Cyndi announced in late 2002 that she was quitting the music business. She has always said the marriage wasn't why she quit. I doubt that. She did try to return and record a second album for Capitol in 2006. But that didn't work out. She has since released an EP and a couple of singles on her own label. She had the potential to be a big star. Cyndi sure left a lot of money on the table. Here's the video for I Always Liked That Best by Cyndi Thomson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Talking Heads

Artist:Talking Heads

Song:Burning Down the House

Album:The Best of Talking Heads

New Wave music pioneers Talking Heads were already well established when the 1983 single Burning Down the House became their only top ten pop hit. I guess that put an exclamation point on their run. Lead singer David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz were attending the Rhode Island School of Design in 1973 when they decided to form the band The Artistics. Frantz's girlfriend Tina Weymouth drove them to gigs. After the band split up, they moved to New York. Frantz taught Tina to play bass. The name Talking Heads came from an article in an issue of TV Guide explaining the term. After Talking Heads signed with Sire Records, they added keyboardist Jerry Harrison from The Modern Lovers. Their debut album Talking Heads 77 featured the song Psycho Killer which listeners thought was about Son of Sam but Byrne denied that. He said it was an old song. The 1978 album Songs About Buildings and Food was Talking Heads' first album with producer Brian Eno of Roxy Music. They recorded three albums with Eno. And though they were successful, they still couldn't get that big hit single. The band went on hiatus. Frantz and Tina recorded as Tom Tom Club. Byrne recorded solo. Upon their return for the 1983 album Speaking in Tongues, Talking Heads parted ways with Eno and self produced the album. Burning Down the House reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified 2XPlatinum. This was the height of their commercial success. Talking Heads recorded three more albums and went on hiatus after the 1988 album Naked. Byrne left in 1991 and they split up. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Byrne has had a successful solo career. The other three toured as Shrunken Heads and Tom Tom Club had success. Harrison has had a lot of success as a producer. They reunited for a 2002 show. But Byrne still wasn't getting along with Frantz and Tina. So that was it. Here's the video for Burning Down the House by Talking Heads. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ozomatli

Artist:Ozomatli

Song:Cumbia de los Muertos

Album:Ozomatli

Ozomatli is a Latin music group that incorporates other kinds of music especially rap. The music is not based on traditional Latin music but what people listen to while driving in Los Angeles. The name Ozomatli comes from an astrological symbol on the Aztec calendar. They met in 1995 while trying to form a workers union in Los Angeles. They weren't able to do that but they were given an abandoned building to use as rehearsal space which was turned into a cultural center. Cumbia de los Muertos is from Ozomatli's self titled 1998 debut album on Almo Sounds. Band members were Wil-Dog Abers on bass and vocals, Ulises Bella on clarinet and tenor sax, Raul Pacheco on guitar, Asdru Sierra on trumpet, Justin Poree and Jiro Yamaguchi on percussion along with rapper Charles "Chali 2na" Stewart and turntablist Lucas "Cut Chemist" MacFadden. Cumbia de los Muertos was written by Pacheco, Sierra and Stewart. Most of the songs are written by band members. The album was successful after Ozomatli appeared on the late night talk show Vibe!. Since then they have released albums on Interscope, Real World, Concord, Downtown and currently Blue Elan. The band grew in membership when they were on Concord. They stripped it down with Poree becoming the MC and Abers doing more singing. Recent years have had more songs in English. And they have composed music for films and video games. Ozomatli is a really good live band. So check them out if they are coming your way. Here's Ozomatli performing Cumbia de los Muertos at Do512 Lounge in Austin, TX May 29, 2012. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Chelsea Green

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Chelsea Green from last night's episode of RAW. As expected, Asuka returned at the Royal Rumble with a new look that seems to be inspired by her long time hero The Great Muta. She did well at the RR and this was her first match on RAW. Chelsea was supposed to be another RR surprise. But a lot of us have known for a while that she was returning. She lasted about ten seconds in the RR. And last week we learned that her gimmick is she is high maintenance but delusional somewhat similar to Carmella but Chelsea loses all her matches. Earlier in the show, Carmella won an Elimination Chamber qualifier. Chelsea complained to GM Adam Pierce that she should be in EC and she also complained that she had Belgian chocolate instead of Swiss chocolate in her locker room. She wanted a match to prove herself. But she didn't know Asuka would be her opponent. So when Asuka came out, Chelsea looked very perturbed. The other EC competitors came out and Chelsea attacked Asuka from behind while Asuka was distracted by Raquel Rodriguez. But then Chelsea got distracted herself and Asuka finished her with what looked like the Rings of Saturn. It was a two minute match and I wouldn't have let Chelsea have any offense. And then Bianca Belair came out and gave a big speech to all the EC competitors. This segment was terrible. The whole point was to establish Chelsea's character. But I think her RR appearance did that perfectly. Completely unnecessary. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Radicals

Artist:New Radicals

Song:You Get What You Give

Album:Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too

The 1997 single You Get What You Give was a top 40 hit. It was the only chart single for New Radicals. Group leader Gregg Alexander chose to end the band after one album to concentrate on writing and producing for others. He hasn't recorded as a solo artist. He was born Gregory Aiuto May 4, 1970 in Grosse Pointe, MI. He was in a band as a teen and at age 16, he signed with A&M Records producer Rick Nowels. They still work together. Alexander moved to Los Angeles and released a 1989 album on A&M and a 1992 album for Epic. Both were unsuccessful. That's when he met former child actor Danielle Brisebois. You remember her from All in the Family. By this time she was trying to make it in the music business. Alexander produced Danielle's 1994 album Arrive All Over You on Epic. She recorded a second album but it was shelved and Epic dropped her. In 1997, Alexander signed with MCA and decided to market himself as the band New Radicals. It wasn't really a band. Alexander still wrote and performed everything himself. He just brought in musicians to play solos. You Get What You Give was the first single. It reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the British Singles chart. MTV played the video in heavy rotation. The album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too was certified Gold. The song was a bigger hit than the chart position but I suspect radio station programmers didn't like the song's political commentary or the diss of Marilyn Manson and Beck and refused to play it. Then Alexander turned New Radicals into a real band to tour. I guess he didn't like touring because on July 12, 1999, he announced he was disbanding New Radicals to concentrate on writing and producing for other artists. He has stuck to that. Alexander has produced artists like Ronan Keating and Sophie Ellis-Bextor frequently with long time partner Rick Nowels. They won a Grammy for the 2002 single The Game of Love recorded by Santana featuring Michelle Branch. Danielle Brisebois has had success as a songwriter. She co-wrote the 2008 Natasha Bedingfield hit Pocketful of Sunshine. Alexander reunited New New Radicals for President Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration. You Get What You Give was the campaign theme song. Here's the video for You Get What You Give by New Radicals.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cain

Artist:Cain

Song:I'm So Blessed

Album:Rise Up

Cain is a CCM group that made a big splash with their debut album Rise Up and singles like I'm So Blessed. I have seen them described in the media as country but I think they are pop. Cain is a family group from Hartselle, AL which is near Decatur. Taylor, Logan and Madison Cain are PKs meaning their dad is a pastor. Taylor started writing songs as a child and the three have always sung together. They all attended Troy University. In 2012, they entered a contest to open for singer songwriter Dave Barnes. After winning the contest, they moved to Nashville. They released an EP independently in 2015. After signing with the CCM label Essential, a 2020 EP did well and so did the single Rise Up (Lazarus). Cain was named Best New Artist by the We Love Christian Music awards. They have been nominated for Dove and American Music Awards. The album Rise Up was released in 2021. All the singles including I'm So Blessed have done well on the CCM charts. It's a very upbeat happy song. I just don't think it's country. Cain writes all their songs usually with co-writers and several producers worked on the album. They wrote I'm So Blessed with veteran singer songwriter Matthew West and Jonathan Smith who played keyboards on the album. The producers are David Leonard from the group All Sons and Daughters along with Brad King and Seth Talley. They have produced needtobreath among others. Cain is currently on tour and they have released a couple of singles. I expect them to record a new album after touring. Here's the video for I'm So Blessed by Cain.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Les Amazones d'Afrique

Artist:Les Amazones d'Afrique

Song:Power

Album:Amazones Power

African music fans and fans of gender equality will be interested in the all female group Les Amazones d'Afrique. It looks like they were formed as a one shot deal to play a few shows. When the live shows got them a record deal with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records and the 2017 album Republique Amazone was successful, three of the singers decided to record a second album and they brought in new singers. Sometimes scheduling can be a problem when dealing with a lot of singers. Les Amazones d'Afrique was formed in 2015 by Kandia Kouyate, Angelique Kidjo, Mamani Keita, Rokia Kone, Mariam Doumbia of Amadou & Mariam, Nneka, Mariam Kone, Massan Koulibaly, Madina N'Daiye, Madiare Drame, Mouneissa Tandina and Pamela Badjogo. The group name refers to Dahomey Amazons who were female elephant hunters. The idea was to encourage women to come together and fight injustice because we are all equal. After playing a 2015 show in Marseilles, France, they released the single I Play the Kora. Profits were donated to The Panzi Foundation which provides healing support to African women who are victims of sexualized violence and female genital mutilation. After playing the 2016 WOMAD festival in England, they signed with Real World and released the 2017 album Republique Amazone. It looks like the album was supposed to be a one shot deal. But when it was successful on Billboard's World Music chart, producer Liam Farrell decided they would continue with a core of four singers and several guests. Farrell is an Irish drummer turned producer who lives in Paris. He has produced other African artists like Tony Allen. The result was the 2020 album Amazones Power. Each song has a different lead singer and the song Power has numerous singers. They toured to support the album and it looks like Les Amazones d'Afrique will continue. Here's the video for Power by Les Amazones d'Afrique.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marcia Griffiths

Artist:Marcia Griffiths

Song:Electric Boogie

Album:Slide On: Let the Party Begin

Marcia Griffiths is probably the best known female singer from Jamaica. She's been around since the 60s. Electric Boogie is her best known song because it popularized the dance known as the Electric Slide. She was born Nov. 23, 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica. She grew up singing in church. She was singing at a friend's house in 1964 when her friend's boyfriend Phillip James of The Blues Busters spotted her and encouraged her to perform with Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. She signed with Coxsone Dodd and his Studio One label. Marcia was used as a backup singer and duet partner for Bob Marley among others. Her most successful duet partner was Bob Andy. They would have several hits in the early 70s as Bob and Marcia. In 1974 she joined Bob Marley and the Wailers as one of the backup singing trio I Threes. Marcia recorded Electric Boogie in 1983. The song was written and originally recorded by Bunny Wailer in 1976. It was a hit in Jamaica. But in 1989 a Washington, DC DJ started playing the record. And a remix of Electric Boogie started getting dance club play. It turned out to be a perfect song to dance the Electric Slide. It reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Island Records sent Marcia to Miami to record the 1990 album Carousel. The original 1983 recording of Electric Boogie and the remix are on the album. The album was produced by the production team The Jerks (Rafael Vigil, Lawrence Dermer, Joe Galdo). They had worked with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. Galdo was an Island house producer. You can get Electric Boogie on this various artists CD geared towards Electric Slide fans. Marcia is still around. She still tours and she last recorded in 2018. Here's the video for Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Afro Celt Sound System

Artist:Afro Celt Sound System f/Peter Gabriel

Song:When You're Falling

Album:Pod

Afro Celt Sound System (ACSS) is a mix of West African music, Gaelic music and electronic dance music. The 2001 single When You're Falling is probably their best known song. Simon Emmerson was Grammy nominated for producing a 1994 album for Senegalese musician Baaba Maal. While working on the album in Senegal, Emmerson was struck by the similarities between an African melody and a traditional Irish air. Upon his return to London, Irish musician Davy Spillane told Emmerson about a belief that nomadic Celts lived in Africa before migrating to Western Europe. Emmerson decided to mix the two music styles. He brought in two members of Baaba Maal's band and Irish musicians. The core of ACSS was Emmerson on guitar, Martin Russell on keyboards, James McNally on accordion and bodhran, singer Iarla O Lionaird and Jo Bruce (Cream bassist Jack Bruce's son) on keyboards. There were a lot of guest musicians. The album Sound Magic was remixed with electronic dance beats and released on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records in 1996. The album was a surprise hit. Guinean musician N'Faly Kouyate was added as a permanent member. As they were about to start recording, Jo Bruce died from a severe asthma attack. The album was put on hold. When they returned to the studio, guest artist Sinead O'Connor wrote lyrics for the title song Release. McNally said that really got the band out of their funk. That was released in 1999. When You're Falling is from the 2001 album Further in Time. Of course Peter Gabriel is the guest vocalist. Emmerson said they wanted to emphasize the African sound so Kouyate was a significant contributor. Other guest singers include Robert Plant and the Irish sisters called Screaming Orphans. After two more albums, ACSS went on hiatus. This 2CD comp is a good intro to their music. They returned to live performing in 2010. Then there was a split in 2015 and two bands toured as Afro Celt Sound System. This was resolved and Emmerson owns the rights to the name. ACSS till tours and their latest album was released on Emmerson's own label in 2018. McNally and Russell were supposed to start a new band but they haven't done that. Here's the video for When You're Falling by Afro Celt Sound System featuring Peter Gabriel.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marty Stuart

Artist:Marty Stuart f/Johnny Cash

Song:Doin' My Time

Album:Compadres: An Anthology of Duets

I guess it could be said that Marty Stuart is the renaissance man of country music. This is an album of duets. Some were not previously released. Of course it's not surprising that Stuart would want to record with his musical hero Johnny Cash. He was in Cash's band before going solo. And he even left Columbia Records in the 80s after they unceremoniously dropped Cash. This recording of the prison song Doin' My Time is from Stuart's 1992 album This One's Gonna Hurt You. The title song was a duet with Travis Tritt and was a top ten country hit. Doin' My Time was written by country singer songwriter Jimmie Skinner. He had chart success on Mercury Records in the late 50s. Cash recorded Doin' My time on his 1957 debut album Johnny Cash with his Hot and Blue Guitar. He has recorded the song with his wife June Carter Cash and also Marty Robbins. Of course the Tritt duet is also on this album and so are duets with Merle Haggard, Lester Flatt, Steve Earle, Earl Scruggs, Connie Smith, The Staple Singers, George Jones, B.B. King, Del McCoury and Mavis Staples. They are all from various sources so it's this album is a good place to get them in one place. Stuart compiled it himself. There are two previously unreleased tracks. The first is a duet with Loretta Lynn called Will You Visit Me on Sunday. The second is a cover of The Who's I Can See for Miles with Old Crow Medicine Show. So obviously this is not the typical comp. Here's Marty Stuart and Johnny Cash performing Doin' My Time on the 1995 TNN TV special Marty Party.