Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jamey-Lyn Horth vs Hailey Cowan

Here's the match video of Jamey-Lyn Horth vs Hailey Cowan from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Both fighters are making their UFC debuts. Jamey-Lyn is 33 years old from Squamish, BC. Her record is 5-0 with all finishes. She last fought in the LFA in 2021. Hailey is 31 years old from Waco, TX. She trains at Blitz Sport with her boyfriend Jake Brennan. Her record is 7-3. She won her fight on Contender Series by split decision. I thought she was signed because of her looks. She had two fights cancelled at the last minute. Then she missed weight for this one. She probably shouldn't be cutting weight that frequently. This was a close fight. I thought Jamey-Lyn won round one with more effective striking. And Hailey won round two. I would have scored round three for Jamey-Lyn except she grabbed the fence while Hailey was taking her down. I thought in that situation ref Chris Tognoni should have deducted a point as it was during a takedown. He just warned her which was a big mistake. So Jamey-Lyn won the fight. Al three judges scored it 29-28. If the point had been deducted it would have been a draw. And that's how I scored it. It was a very poor officiating decision. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Irina Alekseeva vs Stephanie Egger

Here's the match video of Irina Alekseeva vs Stephanie Egger from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Irina is making her UFC debut. She is 32 years old from Russia. Her nickname is Russian Ronda. When asked about this, Irina said when she was young she resembled Ronda Rousey. Irina is a Russian judo champ. Her record is 4-1. She fought for Bellator last year at a catchweight of 130lbs. It's unknown why she left Bellator. Irina missed weight. She says she had an allergic reaction to something the UFC gave her for hydration. Stephanie is 34 years old from Switzerland. She is 3-2 in the UFC. I don't think she belongs in the UFC. And she shows that in this fight by bumbling her way into a first round armbar. We'll see how Irina does against better competition. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Corbett

Artist:John Corbett

Song:Good to Go

Album:John Corbett

John Corbett is best known as an actor in TV series like Northern Exposure and Sex in the City. But apparently his first love is country music. He had modest success with the 2006 album John Corbett. He was born May 9, 1961 in Wheeling, WV. His uncle owned a club and Corbett went to see Buck Owens and others when he was a child. He had a band in high school. After graduating from high school, Corbett moved with his family to Bellflower, CA. He worked at Kaiser Steel for six years but was forced to leave due to injury. Corbett trained as a hairdresser during the day and took acting lessons at night. He also worked on music. After he appeared in some commercials, Corbett started taking acting more seriously. After appearing in a 1988 episode of The Wonder Years, Corbett landed the role of Chris Stevens in the CBS series Northern Exposure. The show ran from 1990-95 and Corbett was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He also appeared in the short lived FOX sci-fi series The Visitor. After appearing in some films, Corbett landed the role of Aidan Shaw in the HBO series Sex in the City from 2000-03. That got him a Golden Globe nomination. He also starred in the FX series Lucky and appeared in the films Raising Helen and Raise Your Voice. This is when he started his own record label with Broken Bow distribution. The album John Corbett was released in 2006. The single Good to Go reached #43 on the Country Singles chart. The album was produced by Nashville session guitarist D. Scott Miller and Tara Novick who was in Corbett's band in California. Both played guitar on the album. Special guests include Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie on harmonica, George McCorkle of The Marshall Tucker Band on guitar and Steve Gorman of The Black Crowes on drums. Good to Go was written by veteran songwriters Rodney Clawson and Tim Nichols. Corbett did not write any songs. Then Corbett's acting career got busy. He appeared in the 2008 film Street Kings followed by My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Baby on Board in 2009. He starred in the Showtime series United States of Tara and appeared in Sex in the City 2. And he had a recurring role in the NBC series Parenthood. Corbett finally released the 2013 album Leaving Nothin' Behind. At this point he's probably too busy to devote much time to music. Corbett has been in a relationship with Bo Derek since 2002. They married in 2020. She took the album cover photo. He currently has recurring roles the HBO Max series And Just Like That... and the Hulu series How I Met Your Father. Here's the video for Good to Go by John Corbett. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leonard Frey

 

Artist:Leonard Frey

Song:Miracle of Miracles

Album:Fiddler on the Roof: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording

Leonard Frey was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Motel in the 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof. He was also in the Broadway production. Miracle of Miracles is his big number in the show. Frey was mostly a Broadway performer but he also appeared in films and TV. He was born Sept. 4, 1938 in New York City. After graduating from high school, Frey studied art at Cooper Union and then switched to acting at Neighborhood Playhouse under coach Sanford Meissner. He first appeared off Broadway in 1962. He was an understudy and replacement in the Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. Frey was first noticed when he appeared in the 1968 off Broadway production of The Boys in the Band. He also appeared in the 1970 film version. I'm sure those two things got him the role of Motel in the 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof. And as I said, he was nominated for an Oscar. Frey stayed in New York. So though he did some films and TV, he was mainly a Broadway performer. Frey was nominated for a Tony for the 1975 comedy The National Health. His film credits include Where the Buffalo Roam, Up the Academy and Tattoo. It looks like he may have moved to Hollywood in 1980 as he had more TV credits at that time. He even appeared on some game shows like Super Password. Other TV credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Barney Miller, Moonlighting and Murder She Wrote. He was a regular in the short lived ABC series Best of the West and the short lived NBC series Mr. Smith. Frey died of AIDS on Aug. 24, 1988 at age 49. Here's Leonard Frey performing Miracle of Miracles in the 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie Gomez

Artist:Eddie Gomez

Song:Homesick

Album:Per Sempre

Eddie Gomez is best known as bassist for legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans. Though he has occasionally recorded as a leader, he is mainly known as a sideman. He was born Oct. 4, 1944 in Santurce, Puerto Rico but he grew up in New York City. Gomez started playing bass as a teen. He attended the High School of Music & Art and was in the Newport Festival Youth Band. After graduating from Juilliard in 1963, Gomez played with Rufus Jones, Marian McPartland, Paul Bley, Gerry Mulligan and Gary McFarland. He joined Bill Evans' trio in 1966 and remained until 1977 shortly before Evans' death. Gomez was very important in bringing Evans back from what seemed like terminal depression after Evans' previous bassist Scott LaFaro died tragically in a car crash. After Evans' death, Gomez was in the bands Steps Ahead, Manhattan Jazz Quintet and Great Jazz Trio and played with Joanne Brackeen, Jack DeJohnette, Eliane Elias and Chick Corea. Gomez first recorded as a leader in 1976. In the late 80s he recorded three albums for Columbia with guys like Michael Brecker, Jeremy Steig and Steve Gadd. Since then he has recorded for various labels. Homesick is from the 2012 album Per Sempre on BFM Jazz with Varese distribution. Gomez recorded it in Italy with Italian musicians. The main guy seems to be Marco Pignataro on soprano and tenor sax. He wrote Homesick. Gomez appeared on Pignataro's 2011 album Sofia's Heart. Other musicians are Teo Ciavarella on piano, Matt Marvuglio on flute and Massimo Manzi on drums. Gomez played some shows with this band. Most recently Gomez has worked a lot with pianist Mark Kramer. Here's Eddie Gomez with Marco Pignataro on tenor sax, Mike Orta on piano and Carlomagno Araya on drums performing Homesick. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Poe

Artist:Poe

Song:Angry Johnny

Album:Hello

Singer songwriter Anne "Poe" Danielewski looked like she was going to be a star when the 1995 album Hello was certified Gold. But she only recorded two albums and was dropped by Atlantic Records. She hasn't recorded since 2000. She was born Mar.23, 1968 in New York City. Her father is film director Tad Z. Danielewski and her brother is novelist Mark Z. Danielewski. The family moved around a lot until settling in Provo, UT and that's where Anne attended high school. After her parents divorced, Anne moved to New York City. After graduating high school, she attended Princeton University where she started her first band. Anne started experimenting with samplers and sequencers and signed with Stevie Nicks' label Modern with Atlantic distribution. The album Hello was released in 1995. Angry Johnny was the first single and it reached #7 on the Modern Rock chart. The album was certified Gold. The video for Angry Johnny was heavily played on MTV's Alternative Nation. Anne wrote and produced all the songs with co-writers. For Angry Johnny, it was RJ Rice. He produced four songs on the album. Rice was the leader of the 80s R&B group R.J.'s Latest Arrival. He went on to found Barak Records which is the home of hip hop group Slum Village. Anne released her second album Haunted in 2000. It did not do as well. And then the AOL/Time Warner merger happened. It was discovered that Atlantic didn't own any of the Modern Records masters. So the label and in turn Poe was dropped. They had just picked up her option for three more albums. They had big plans for her. But without owning the masters and new ownership, it didn't make sense for Atlantic to keep her on their roster. Modern ultimately sold the masters which are now owned by eOne which was sold to Hasbro. Anne sued Atlantic hoping for a settlement that never happened. Then she sued the law firm and nothing came from that either. Anne announced in 2012 that she would be releasing music on a new mobile platform that never materialized. Her only recording was a 2014 cover of Imagine to benefit UNICEF. If she has done anything else, it's under a pseudonym. Here's the video for Angry Johnny by Poe. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jody McBrayer

Artist:Jody McBrayer

Song:To Ever Live Without Me

Album:This Is Who I Am

Jody McBrayer is a member of the popular CCM group Avalon. He recorded a successful solo album in 2002. Since then he retired from music and then returned in 2016. He was born June 25, 1970 in Tampa, FL. After graduating from Liberty University, he joined the CCM group Truth and toured with Ray Conniff. Then he joined Avalon in 1995. The idea of Avalon came from Sparrow Records A&R Director Grant Cunningham. McBrayer knew Avalon's Greg Long from Truth. Since Long recorded a couple of solo albums while still a member of Avalon, McBrayer asked Cunningham if he could record an album. This Is Who I Am was released in 2002. The album was produced by session drummer Mark Hammond. He also produced Cindy Morgan and Nichole Nordeman among others. To Ever Live Without Me was the biggest hit from the album. Though McBrayer did write some of the songs on the album, To Ever Live Without Me was written by veteran CCM songwriter Brian White and former DC Talk drummer Chad Chapin. McBrayer remained with Avalon until he retired in 2008 due to a rare heart disease. So he never pursued a solo career though I'm sure he would have been successful. When McBrayer's condition improved, he returned in 2016 and formed the trio Cana's Voice. They have released three albums. Then he returned to Avalon in 2018. They have released two albums and now call themselves Avalon Worship. McBrayer has also released two solo albums including a Christmas album. So I guess Jody McBrayer is busier than ever. Here's Jody McBrayer performing To Ever Live Without Me on an Avalon Live DVD 2003.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terri White

Artist:Terri White

Song:Thank God I'm Old

Album:Barnum: The New Musical

Thank God I'm Old was Terri White's big number in the 1980 Broadway show Barnum. Things didn't go well after that and she ended up homeless. But then she made a big comeback. Terri was born in 1948 in Palo Alto, CA. Her parents were vaudeville performers Bill White and Gertrude Hughes. So she grew up in show business. She was playing New York City clubs when she auditioned for and got the role of Joice Heth in the 1980 Broadway musical Barnum. Thank God I'm Old was her big number. Of course Barnum was about the showman P,T, Barnum. The music was written by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart. Jim Dale starred as Barnum with Glenn Close playing his wife. The show was a big hit and it is probably Dale's signature role. The Original Cast album is available on CD. But after that things didn't go well for Terri. Before Barnum, she made her living playing piano bars. But when those bars closed in the 80s and she split up with her longtime partner, Terri lost her apartment. Too embarrassed to seek help from social services, she mostly slept on a park bench in Washington Square Park. One chilly night in Oct. 2008, NYPD officer David Taylor, who knew Terri from walking his beat, didn't like her appearance. He called a friend in Jersey City and had Terri stay there for a few days. He helped get her a job at a nightclub in Key West, FL. And that began Terri's comeback. She met her now partner Donna Barnett and they moved in together. Terri heard about a revival of the musical Finian's Rainbow. She got the job and she also appeared in a 2011 revival of Follies. After that she performed in local clubs until she retired in 2015 due to health problems. Here's Terri White with The Fred Barton Orchestra performing Thank God I'm Old in American Showstoppers: Cy Coleman at Michael Schimmel Center Oct. 18, 2014.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Emily Jane White

Artist:Emily Jane White

Song:Never Dead

Album:Victorian America

Folk music fans are going to want to check out Emily Jane White. Basically, she sings, plays guitar and writes her own songs. On recent albums she is expanding her sound with strings and electronics. She was born in 1982 in San Francisco. She grew up in Fort Bragg where her father was a Merchant Marine. Her father taught Emily to play guitar and she started writing songs as a teen. While studying at UC-Santa Cruz, Emily was in a couple of bands and then led her own band Diamond Star Halos. She graduated with a degree in American Studies in 2003. Emily moved to France and started performing as a solo artist. She signed with the French label Talitres. She's probably their biggest selling artist. Talitres started as a distributor. But owner Sean Bouchard got into signing his own roster and handling their bookings. Emily started recording after she returned to San Francisco in 2006. Never Dead is from her 2009 album Victorian America. It was released in the US on the film music label Milan. Talitres now has a US distributor. Emily wrote and produced the album with recording engineer Wainwright Hewlett. He worked on three of her albums. This is available as a budget CD. On her recent albums including the 2022 album Alluvion, Emily is working with producer Anton Patzner of the band Foxtails Brigade. He composes film scores so he has been adding strings and synthesizers to Emily's music. Here's Emily Jane White performing Never Dead in a Paris laundromat Apr. 21, 2008. This guy has a YouTube channel and all his videos are made in the laundromat. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Norma Dumont vs Karol Rosa

Here's the match video of Norma Dumont vs Karol Rosa from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Featherweight. Norma is 32 years old from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She trains at Gordin Fight Club. Karol is 28 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT who are now in Las Vegas. She normally fights at Bantamweight. The fight was awful. Both fighters did so little in the first two rounds that I scored both rounds 9-9. Norma probably won the third round and the fight. Amanda Nunes would destroy her if she got a Featherweight title shot. Of course the solution is to close the Featherweight division but Amanda likes carrying two belts. This title hasn't been defended in three years. It's a joke. Check out the fight for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iasmin Lucindo vs Brogan Walker

Here's the match video of Iasmin Lucindo vs Brogan Walker from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Iasmin is 21 years old from Fortaleza, Brazil. She is the youngest fighter in the UFC. She trains at Academia Fight House so she is a teammate of Virna Jandiroba. She came into the UFC on short notice last year and lost. That fight was at Strawweight. Flyweight is her natural weight. Iasmin is mainly a striker. Brogan is 33 years old from Guam. She was runner up in TUF 30. I remember her from Invicta and I just don't think she belongs in the UFC. So I expected Iasmin to get an easy win which she did. She is much quicker than Brogan throwing combinations while Brogan threw one at a time. The one thing I didn't like is that Iasmine is a head hunter. She would get better results and probably would have got a finish if she had attacked the body first. Her coach tried to get her to do that but I guess she's stubborn. She may have to learn the hard way against better competition. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jonathan Pryce

Artist:Jonathan Pryce

Song:You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two

Album:Oliver!: The 1994 London Palladium Cast Recording

Jonathan Pryce is a very versatile actor in stage, screen and television. He has won Tonys and Olivier for his stage performances and has been nominated for Oscars and Emmys. He was born John Price June 1, 1947 in Carmel, Flintshire, Wales. His father was a former miner who owned a small grocery shop. After attending art college, he was training to be a teacher at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, England when he took part in a college theater production. A tutor suggested he become an actor and he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). When joining Actors Equity, there was already a John Price so he called himself Jonathan Pryce. While in school he sold velvet paintings door to door. RADA told Pryce that he would only play TV villains. After graduating, he became artistic director at Everyman Theater in Liverpool. His big break came when he starred in the 1976 play Comedians at the Old Vic an London and then won a Tony for the Broadway production. His first film was Voyage of the Damned in 1976. Pryce continued performing on stage. He won an Olivier for Hamlet in 1980. I think when most of us first noticed Pryce was in Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil. After watching Patti LuPone in Les Miserables, Pryce decided he wanted to do musicals. He played The Engineer in the West End musical Miss Saigon and won an Olivier award. When Miss Saigon was brought to Broadway, there was some controversy over Pryce as a Caucasian playing an Asian. But a deal was worked out and Pryce won an Oscar. Then he was nominated for an Emmy for the 1993 HBO film Barbarians at the Gate. That's when he played Fagin in the London Palladium revival of Oliver!. This show ran for a year and the cast album is available as a budget CD. Since then, notable appearances include as Henry Higgins in a 2001 London production of My Fair Lady, the 2004 London production of The Goat or Who Is Sylvia which earned him an Olivier nomination, a couple of the Pirates of the Caribbean films and the HBO series Game of Thrones. Probably his latest role that most will recognize was as Prince Philip in the Netflix series The Crown. Pryce is still very busy and as I said, he is very versatile. Here's Jonathan Pryce performing You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two from Oliver! at the 1994 Royal Variety Show in London.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alicia Morton

Artist:Alicia Morton w/Orphans

Song:It's a Hard-Knock Life

Album:Annie: Original Soundtrack

Alicia Morton appeared on Broadway as a child and then starred in this 1999 TV production of the Broadway musical Annie. She continued acting as an adult but is no longer in show business. She was born Apr. 29,1987 in Gonzales, LA which the Jambalaya Capitol of the World. She was 7 when she played Cosette in the 1996 Broadway production of Les Miserables. Of course Annie is the Broadway musical based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip. It was turned into a 1982 film. After the success of the 1996 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, Disney asked producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to do the same thing with Annie. Zadan and Meron were so impressed with Rob Marshall's choreography on Cinderella that they wanted him to direct Annie. Marshall has gone on to a successful directing career. Alicia beat 3,000 girls to win the role of Annie. The cast included Victor Garber as Daddy Warbucks, Audra McDonald as Grace Farrell and Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan. Annie did well in the ratings when it aired on Nov. 7, 1999. It is generally considered to be better than the 1982 film. A soundtrack album is available on CD. Alicia returned home and graduated from high school in 2005. She studied music at Tulane University and appeared in regional theater. Alicia appeared in a couple of Lifetime films and the 2007 film The Thirst. But she ultimately returned home to teach high school drama. She currently works as a veterinary technician in nearby Prairieville, LA. Here's Alicia Morton with Orphans performing It's a Hard-Knock Life  on the 1999 TV production of Annie.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Box

Artist:The Box

Song:Ordinary People

Album:The Best of...The Box

The Box is a French Canadian band that sings mostly in English. They had success in Canada in the 80s. The 1987 single Ordinary People was their biggest hit. The Box is from Montreal. Lead singer and songwriter Jean-Marc Pisapia was briefly a member of Men Without Hats. When he left, he started the band Checkpoint Charlie with guitarist Guy Florent and bassist Jean-Pierre Brie. They usually hired drummers for tours. After the band name was changed to The Box, a single was played on Montreal radio station CKOI and The Box signed with Alert Records distributed by Capitol. Pisapia's brother Guy Pisapia joined the band on keyboards. Alert was owned by former Anthem Records president and Max Webster manager Tom Berry. Max Webster's Kim Mitchell was also on Alert. Marc Durand was brought in to produce. He worked with Men Without Hats. The Box released four albums on Alert from 1984-90. They charted in Canada but I wouldn't say were a big success. Ordinary People from the 1987 album Closer Together reached #16 on the Canadian Singles chart. Closer Together was successful enough that it convinced Capitol to release the 1990 album The Pleasure and the Pain in the US. But when that album was a big disappointment, The Box split up. It looks like Pisapia owns The Box recordings and he licensed this comp of their 80s recordings to Unidisc in 2007. Pisapia released a solo album in 1995. He revived The Box with an all new lineup in 2004. They have released a couple of albums, an EP and several singles. Pisapia says he only plans to release singles in the future. Albums are no longer necessary. The Box currently tours Quebec and Ontario. Here's the video for Ordinary People by The Box. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lainey Wilson

Artist:Lainey Wilson

Song:Heart Like a Truck

Album:Bell Bottom Country

Country music singer songwriter Lainey Wilson's career really picked up when she signed with Broken Bow Records and started working with producer Jay Joyce. She has shown pop crossover potential. She was born May 19, 1992 in the small town of Baskin, LA. As of today it has a population of 210. Her dad is a farmer and her mom is a teacher. She grew up  listening to her parents' country music record collection. Then at age nine, she attended a performance at The Grand Ole Opry and decided she wanted to be a singer. Her dad taught her to play guitar and she started writing songs. She posted an EP on MySpace in 2006. And she took a job as a Hannah Montana impersonator and played birthday parties etc. throughout the south. She even performed for child cancer patients at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. You can laugh about the job but that professional performance experience is very important. After graduating from high school, Lainey moved to Nashville in 2011. She lived in a camper trailer next to a recording studio and the studio owner paid for water and electricity to help her out. After releasing an album on an indie label, she signed a publishing and management deal with SONY/ATV in 2018. Then she signed with BBR Music Group or as it used to be known, Broken Bow Records. They are distributed by BMG. They brought in producer Jay Joyce who has worked with Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood and plenty of others. An EP was released in 2019 followed by the 2021 album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'. The single Things a Man Oughta Know was a top five country hit. This was followed by the 2022 single Heart Like a Truck and the album Bell Bottom Country. The single was also a top five country hit and it reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. So she may have crossover appeal. Lainey writes all of her songs with co-writers. She wrote a lot of the album songs including Heart Like a Truck with Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson. Wilson is the son of Nashville session drummer Lonnie Wilson. He has worked with Mitchell Tenpenny. He could replace Joyce as producer. The guitar solo is by studio musician Rob McNelly. Lainey recorded the single Never Say Never with Cole Swindell and it topped the country charts. She was nominated for six CMA Awards. And she joined the cast of the Paramount+ series Yellowstone. So big things are happening for Lainey Wilson. Here's the video for Heart Like a Truck by Lainey Wilson.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lexi

Artist:Lexi

Song:Abide

Album:Phenomenal

Lexi Allen is a Stellar nominated gospel singer who is probably better known today as a talk show host and a YouTuber. Abide was a hit single from her 2012 album Phenomenal. She was born Alexis Marie Nucklos Oct. 2, 1967 in Columbus, OH. She grew up singing in her grandfather's church. After graduating from high school in Toledo, she attended Bowling Green State University majoring in communications. She also won the Ms. Bronze Pageant. After touring as a backup singer, Lexi recorded a demo and took it to Michael Brooks of Commissioned. He got her a record deal at PolyGram's gospel label Lection. Brooks produced her 1990 album Call Her Lexi. She left the music business to get into teaching and she married producer Michael Allen who had worked with Keith Sweat and Gerald Levert among others. She signed with Real Deal Records owned by boxer Evander Holyfield. Bet you didn't know he owned a record label. It was strictly gospel music and was only around for a couple of years. Lexi recorded two albums for Real Deal. Allen produced both. She got a Stellar nomination for the 2004 album A Praise in the Valley. Michael Allen died of cancer in 2004. Lexi recorded a couple of albums. But she was more active on the religious broadcaster The Word Network hosting her own talk show. For the 2012 album Phenomenal Lexi signed with Malaco. Abide reached #14 on the Gospel Singles chart. The album was produced and written by Marcus Cole of Commissioned. She moved to Motown Gospel for the 2018 album Just Listen produced by Eric Dawkins. Lexi currently appears regularly on The Yolanda Adams Morning Show and she produces comedy videos on YouTube. Here's the video for Abide by Lexi.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Public Enemy

Artist:Public Enemy

Song:Fight the Power

Album:Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits

Public Enemy were an important rap group because of political and social commentary. They were a big success despite the lack of mainstream exposure. The 1989 single Fight the Power should have topped the charts. But radio stations refused to play it. Fortunately, it was the theme for Spike Lee's 1989 landmark film Do the Right Thing. That's why the song was a hit. Public Enemy was formed in 1985 at Adelphi University in Long Island, NY by Carlton "Chuck D" Ridenhour and William "Flavor Flav" Drayton. Other guys have gone through the group but they are the main guys. At first they were called Chuck D and Spectrum City. Ridenhour was working at local radio station WBAU. He thought he was being treated as Public Enemy #1 on the local rap scene so that's where he got the name from. Rick Rubin had just started DefJam Records. WBAU program director Bill Stephney thought it was time for a rap act similar to RUN-DMC but with political commentary. Rubin heard Public Enemy #1 so he was interested in Ridenhour. The other guys in Spectrum City were Hank Shocklee, his brother Keith Shocklee and Eric "Vietnam" Sadler. They handled production as The Bomb Squad. When Stephney went to work for DefJam, he brought Public Enemy with him. Their debut album was Yo! Bum Rush the Show in 1987. Things started to pick up when the 1988 single Don't Believe the Hype was a top 20 R&B hit. Fight the Power is from the 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet. The album was supposed to be released in 1989 but was delayed when Fight the Power became a hit and was added to the album. Spike Lee approached Public Enemy about recording a song for his film Do the Right Thing. He told them he wanted an angry song and he would make it the opening theme of the film. The song is obviously based on Fight the Power by The Isley Brothers but with political commentary. The music was made mostly with sampling and looping. The only live music is Branford Marsalis' sax solo. Fight the Power appeared on the soundtrack of Do the Right Thing. It topped the rap chart and reached #20 on the R&B Singles chart. Fear of a Black Planet was certified Platinum and so was the 1991 album Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Back. This budget comp covers Public Enemy's DefJam recordings. They faded after that and Public Enemy left DefJam in 1994. Since then they have mostly recorded for their own label and they still tour. They did return to DefJam in 2020 with an album featuring a remix of Fight the Power with updated lyrics. They got some attention a few years ago when Drayton was fired as a publicity stunt. Other than Ridenhour and Drayton, Public Enemy is a different group today. Here's the video of Fight the Power by Public Enemy.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeldt

Artist:Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeldt

Song:Ohio

Album:Wonderful Town: The New Broadway Cast Recording

Donna Murphy is a two time Tony award winning actress. She has been nominated for five Tonys including the 2003 musical Wonderful Town. She has done films and TV but Broadway musicals are her main thing. She was born Mar. 7,1959 in Queens, NY but she grew up in Hauppage, Long Island. She took voice lessons as a child and put on shows in the neighborhood. Donna was attending New York University's drama program when she dropped out when she was cast to understudy on the 1979 show They're Playing Our Song. Her breakthrough role on Broadway was as Fosca in the 1994 musical Passion. She won a Tony for that and then she won a second Tony for playing Anna in the 1996 revival of The King and I. Wonderful Town was her next big show. This was a 2003 revival of a 1953 musical written by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green which starred Rosalind Russell. It's based on the film My Sister Eileen about two sisters who move from Ohio to New York to make it big on Broadway. Donna and Jennifer Westfeldt play the sisters. Jennifer was making her Broadway debut. She was known for her 2001 film Kissing Jessica Stein. Even avid Broadway musical fans might be at a loss as to why Wonderful Town isn't as well known as other shows by the same composers. The answer is it's not as good as West Side Story or On the Town. Go through the songs to see if any are memorable. This show ran from Nov. 2003 to Sept. 2005 and Donna and Jennifer were both nominated for Tonys. So it did OK. Donna continues to perform on Broadway. She is currently in a revival of the musical Dear World. Films include Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), The Nanny Diaries (2007) and Tangled (2010). She has mostly done guest shots on TV. She has a recurring role on the HBO series The Gilded Age. Here's Donna Murphy and Jennifer Westfeldt performing Ohio from Wonderful Town on CBS' The Early Show June 5, 2004. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Puilova

Here's the fight video of Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Pudilova from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This fight is at Bantamweight. Joselyne is 27 years old from Panama but she trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. She's 3-2 in the UFC. She is mainly a striker. And she missed weight for the second straight time. Lucie is 28 years old from the Czech Republic. This is her second time around in the UFC. They brought her back because she is now training at SBG Ireland and coach John Kavanagh has made significant improvements. So this was a case where all three judges were local Kansas City guys working their first UFC show. One was a newcomer. He had only judged two fights previously. The other two used to to do Invicta shows when they were doing Kansas City regularly. Both have been inactive since 2018. I thought Lucie won the first two rounds with ground control. But all three judges scored round one for Joselyne and round two for Lucie. The rounds are similar so I don't know why they were scored differently. I thought Joselyne won round three so I scored the fight 29-28 for Lucie. Joselyne won by split decision. After the fight, I speculated that these guys must have worked for Invicta as the judging for those shows was pretty bad. When I checked their records on MMA Decisions, that turned out to be true. How did I know that? Honestly, the UFC needs to be tougher on ACs supplying unqualified judges. This is getting to be a habit. It should not be acceptable. BTW, this fight was the only controversial decision in the whole show. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Denise Gomes vs Bruna Brasil

Here's the match video of Denise Gomes vs Bruna Brasil from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This Fight is at Strawweight. Denise is 23 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas so she is a teammate of Jessica Andrade. She came through Contender Series and lost her UFC debut. Bruna is 29 years old from Parana, Brazil. She is one of the owners of Insanis MMA. She won in Contender Series with a highlight reel head kick. This is her UFC debut. Though Bruna had a significant size advantage, Denise was much more aggressive and rattled Bruna several times until finishing her with a second round TKO. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Gillian Robertson vs Piera Rodriguez

Here's the match video of Gillian Robertson vs Piera Rodriguez from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This fight is at Strawweight. Gillian is 27 years old from Niagara Falls, ON. But she has trained with Din Thomas in Florida for over ten years, first at ATT and when Thomas left ATT, she went with him. Her home gym is The Goat Shed in Miami. She is dropping from Flyweight to Strawweight because at the end of last year she beat Rose Namajunas in a grappling match. Cutting that extra weight gives her a size advantage over most Strawweights. Piera is 30 years old from Venezuela but she trains in Panama. She got into the UFC through Contender Series. She is a striker. The way for her to beat Gillian was to avoid takedowns. She couldn't do that. Gillian took Piera down in round one. Watching Gillian work was like watching a cat play with her food. Gillian took her down again in round two and finished her with an armbar. We will see if Gillian can be a contender at Strawweight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dua Lipa

Artist:Dua Lipa

Song:New Rules

Album:Dua Lipa

British singer songwriter Dua Lipa was already a worldwide superstar when New Rules was her first US top ten hit in 2017. She has ambition to do more than singing. She was born Aug. 22, 1995 in London, England. Her parents are from Kosovo and her dad was lead singer and guitarist in a rock band. Her family moved back to Kosovo when it got independence in 2008. Dua moved back to London in 2010. The idea to get into music came from posting videos on YouTube. She also started modelling. Just like Human League's Don't You Want Me, she was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when she signed with Tap Management who paid her a monthly salary to concentrate on music. A demo for a song she wrote Hotter Than Hell got her a record deal with Warner Bros. Why did they sign her? They didn't have a female pop star on the roster at the time. She thought they would spend a lot of money to promote her. Look, I shouldn't have to tell you that she is like other popular singers. Warners released a series of singles starting in 2015. But they didn't release the album Dua Lipa until 2017. New Rules was the eighth single. The first few singles did OK in Europe. But I assume Warners wanted her to have a big chart hit in the US before the album release. Two years is ridiculous though. The album was released June 2017 and the single New Rules was released in July 2017. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Platinum. So the strategy didn't work. New Rules was a late addition to the album anyway. Dua announced in Jan. 2017 that the album release was postponed to add new songs. She went to Los Angeles to see veteran producer Ian Kirkpatrick and he played her a demo of New Rules. He wrote it with Emily Warren and Caroline Ailin for X Factor. The song had been kicking around for a while as it doesn't have a strong hook. Dua wrote most of the album with co-writers. The main producer was Stephen "Koz" Kozmeniuk. Dua scored another top ten hit when Don't Stop Now reached #2 on her second album Future Nostalgia. That album did better in the US than the first album. The big question is will she stay with music. She's already playing a mermaid in the new Barbie film. Here's the video for New Rules by Dua Lipa.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andy Montanez

Artist:Andy Montanez

Song:Payaso

Album:The Greatest Salsa Ever

Since leaving El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico in 1977, singer Andy Montanez has had great success as a solo artist. He was born May 7, 1942 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He first gained fame as lead singer of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. He was in that group from 1962-77 and established himself as one of the most powerful voices in salsa music. Montanez joined the Venezuelan group La Dimension Latina. Then he went solo in 1980. Montanez had great success recording for the Venezuelan label Rodven. Payaso is from the 1985 album Andy Montanez. The Album was produced by Rodven house producers Frank Torres and Julio Cesar Delgado. You can get that and Montanez' other hits on this 2CD budget comp. Rodven was sold to PolyGram in 1995. So most of Montanez' recordings are owned by Universal. Of course Montanez is now 80 so he isn't as active as he was in the 80s. But he's still a great singer. Here's Andy Montanez with percussionist Diego Gale and Grupo Gale performing Payaso. It doesn't give a date but it looks recent. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amy Adams

Artist:Amy Adams

Song:True Love's Kiss

Album:Enchanted: Original Soundtrack

Actress Amy Adams was considering quitting acting when she starred as Giselle in the 2007 Disney animated film Enchanted. Things have been going great since then. It was her first time singing in a film. She was born Aug. 20, 1974 in Vicenza, Italy. Her father was stationed there in the US Army. After he left the army, her family moved to Castle Rock, CO. He sang in local nightclubs and Amy enjoyed watching him perform. After her parents divorced in 1985, Amy's mother became a bodybuilder. So she spent a lot of time at the gym. While in high school, Amy trained as a dancer and decided to pursue a career in musical theater. While working at a Minnesota dinner theater, Amy auditioned for the 1999 film Drop Dead Gorgeous. Kirstie Alley was one of the film's stars and she told Amy to move to Los Angeles which she did. For the next few years, Amy played small roles mostly on TV. The exception to this was her co-starring role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Speilberg's 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. She got positive reviews but that didn't seem to help her get work. She landed a recurring role in the 2004 TV series Dr. Vegas. But the show was cancelled after five episodes. Amy considered quitting but she starred in the 2005 film Junebug and got an Oscar nomination. Then things really picked up when she played Giselle in the 2007 Disney animated film Enchanted. This was an homage to classic Disney films like Snow White and Cinderella. Over 250 actresses auditioned for Giselle. The studio wanted a big name to star. But director Kevin Lima insisted on casting Amy. It was her first time singing in a film. She sings three songs including True Love's Kiss which opened the film. All three songs are on the soundtrack album which is available as a budget CD. Since then Amy has received several Oscar nominations including Best Actress in the 2014 film American Hustle. She appeared on Broadway. And she sang in the 2011 film The Muppet Movie. She also reprised the role of Giselle in the 2022 Enchanted sequel Disenchanted. You can stream it on Disney+. Amy continues to appear in films and now has her own production company. But there's no question that Enchanted turned her career around. Here's the video for True Love's Kiss by Amy Adams from the film Enchanted. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Digaable Planets

Artist:Digable Planets

Song:Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

Album:Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

Rebirth of Slick was a top twenty hit in 1992. It was the only big hit for Digable Planets. They only recorded two albums. Digable Planets was an attempt to incorporate jazz samples into rap. The leader of Digable Planets was Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler. He was interning at Sleeping Bag Records in Brooklyn in 1988. While visiting his grandmother in Philadelphia, Butler met Craig "Doodlebug" Irving who was rapping with Dread Poets Society. Irving called his friend Mariana "Ladybug" Vieira who he met while attending Howard University in Washington, DC. The three started working together and a demo got them a record deal at Elektra's Pendulum label. They all moved to Brooklyn. The single Rebirth of Slick reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the rap chart. The album was certified Gold. The appeal of Digable Planets is they sounded different and more laid back than other rap acts. A lot of that was the jazz influence from Butler listening to his dad's record collection when he was a kid. Rebirth of Slick sampled Stretching by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Most of the album sampled jazz. For the 1994 album Blowout Comb, Pendulum switched distributors to EMI. The album had a harder and more political edge. And though this album was critically acclaimed, there were no hit singles and the album didn't sell. Then Digable Planets split up. The reason given was "creative differences". And even in interviews, Butler refuses to be specific. Obviously, somebody wasn't happy. Digable Planets has reunited a couple of times. They toured but never recorded though a live album was released in 2017. Part of the problem is Butler moved back to Seattle in 2003 to take care of his sick mother. It's hard to do business long distance. Butler has recorded as Cherrywine and more recently with Tendai "Baba" Manaire as Shabazz Palaces on Sub Pop Records. Butler also works in Sub Pop's A&R department. Irving has released two albums as Cee Knowledge & the Cosmic Funk Orchestra. Mariana is a member of the hip hop groups Dino 5 and BROOKZILL!. Here's the video for Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) by Digable Planets. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Flook

Artist:Flook

Song:Asturian Way

Album:Haven

If you are a fan of flutes, the British folk music group Flook may be right up your alley. They have been around since 1995 and they seem to be unknown outside of England and Ireland. They were called Three Nations Flutes when they were formed in Bath, England in 1995 by Becky Morris and three flutists; Sarah Allen, Brian Finnegan and Michael McGoldrick. Becky left and then McGoldrick left in 1997 to join Capercaillie. Sarah had been in the groups Barely Works and Bigjig. Finnegan was in Upstairs in a Tent. The group name was changed to Flook after a comic strip character, Guitarist Ed Boyd was brought in along with John Joe Kelly on bodhran. Flook do not record traditional music. They wrote and produced everything on their own Flatfish label. Asturian Way is from the 2006 album Haven. Finnegan wrote that and a lot of the other songs. Boyd produced with recording engineer Mark Tucker. Flook split up in 2008. But they reformed in 2013, released a 2019 album and still tour. They will be in Japan next month. So as I said, if you like flute music, you might like Flook. Here's Flook performing Asturian Way at the 2013 Fleadh Festival in Ireland.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Piper Niven vs Michin

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Piper Niven vs Michin from last night's episode of RAW. This match will determine the number one contender for the WWE RAW Women's Championship. In a backstage segment, Bayley told Iyo and Dakota Kai that she would be in this match. When the two were unhappy about this, Bayley got Iyo to replace her to satisfy them. The WWE continues to tease a Damage CTRL split. The match was OK. The main thing was Iyo got to showcase her skills and then win with a moonsault on both opponents. Her top turnbuckle hurricanrana earlier in the match was even better. So now Iyo gets a title shot probably at Backlash. As I said, I still expect Damage CTRL to split up. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grimes

Artist:Grimes

Song:Flesh Without Blood

Album:Art Angels

Clare "Grimes" Boucher has been an indie music darling for the last few years. She was poised to make her major label debut but that seems to have gone sour and she is trying to get out of her contract. She was born Mar. 17, 1988 in Vancouver. After graduating from high school, she moved to Montreal to study neuroscience at McGill University. She started posting music on MySpace as Grimes in 2007. The name is because she said her favorite type of music was "grime" without knowing that "grime" was a type of dance music that was once popular in England. So the name is a joke. She starts taking music more seriously and self released a couple of albums. There's enough interest in her music that Clare decides to leave school, have her albums released on a small label to get better distribution and open for Swedish singer Lykke Li on her North American tour. Then she signs with the major indie label 4AD and releases the 2012 album Visions. She got a lot of critical acclaim and a Juno nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year. She signs with Jay-Z's management company Roc Nation. Flesh Without Blood is from Clare's 2015 album Art Angels. Like her previous albums, Clare wrote and produced everything herself. She has resisted bringing in outside producers. but it seemed inevitable that she would sign with a major label and then what. It's a chicken and egg thing. To keep her independence she would have to stay with 4AD. But if she wants to be a big star, she needs the major label. But they call the shots. Clare's music has commercial potential. Billboard reported in Mar. 2021 that Clare signed with Columbia Records. She was a judge on the FOX music competition show Alter Ego. And she has had two children with Elon Musk though the relationship has ended. After a couple of singles were released, Clare's album Book 1 was scheduled for a 2023 release. Then she announced a couple of months ago that she is getting out of her Columbia contract. Who knows if the album will ever be released or what will happen to Clare "Grimes" Boucher. Here's the video for Flesh Without Blood by Grimes.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buddy Jewell

Artist:Buddy Jewell

Song:Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)

Album:Buddy Jewell

Buddy Jewell hung around Nashville for years until he won the TV talent show Nashville Star. This got him a record deal and two top five country hits. But after two albums he was discarded. He was born Apr. 2, 1961 in Lepanto, AR which is a suburb of Jonesboro. He bought a guitar from a classmate and taught himself to play using instruction books. After graduating from high school, Jewell attended Arkansas State University majoring in radio and TV. After getting married, he left school. The marriage didn't last but Jewell got the music bug and joined the band White Oak. After four years in that band, Jewell moved to Dallas and took a job in a gunfighting show at Six Flags Over Texas. He won a talent contest sponsored by Alabama. The prize was opening for them. After competing on Star Search, Jewell moved to Nashville in 1993. He was a demo singer for the next few years and he also self released a couple of albums. Then Jewell competed in the first season of the USA Network TV talent show Nashville Star. After he won, Jewell signed with Columbia Records and his debut album was released in 2003 produced by Clint Black. Help Pour Out the Rain was the first single. It reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. Jewell wrote the song for his daughter. The second single Sweet Southern Comfort also reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. The album was certified Gold. When the 2005 album Times Like These didn't do as well, Columbia dropped Jewell. Since then Jewell has recorded mostly for his own label and he still tours. So why did Columbia drop him? Jewell was a new artist at 42 years old. They aren't going to give him the kind of leeway that they would give to someone younger. Here's the video for Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song) by Buddy Jewell.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sam Hughes vs Jaqueline Amorim

Here's the fight video of Sam Hughes vs Jaqueline Amorim from last night's UFC show in Miami. This fight is at Strawweight. Sam is 30 years old from Everett, WA. She trains with Saif Saud at Fortis MMA in Houston. She came to the UFC as a late replacement. She's gone 2-4. Saud has helped her but I don't think she is a UFC caliber fighter. Jaqueline is 27 years old from Manaus, Brazil. She trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. She's 6-0 and all her wins were by first round submission. And Jaqueline looked like she was going to do that in her UFC debut. She tried for several submissions but she just couldn't quite finish Sam. And then she got tired and Sam won the other two rounds. I scored the first round 10-8 for Jaqueline. But all three judges scored it 10-9. So I scored the fight a draw and the judges scored it 29-28 for Sam. Jaqueline had better do something about her gas tank or she won't last very long. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loopy Godinez vs Cynthia Calvillio

Here's the fight video of Loopy Godinez vs Cynthia Calvillo from last night's UFC show in Miami. This fight is at Strawweight. Loopy is from Mexico but she trains at Titan MMA in Langley, BC. She's 3-3 in the UFC. Cynthia is 35 years old from San Jose. She has been training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. At one time she was thought to be a hot prospect. But she had trouble making Strawweight and she wasn't successful at Flyweight. She's on a four fight losing streak and the move back to Strawweight seems a little desperate. It was a close fight but I scored the first two rounds 10-9 for Loopy and round three 10-9 for Cynthia. So I scored it 29-28 for Loopy. One judge scored it that way. The second judge scored it 30-27 for Loopy. The third judge scored round two for Cynthia so he scored it 29-28 for Cynthia. So Loopy won by split decision. It was a close fight so I was not surprised. I would also not be surprised if Cynthia was released. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Luana Pinheiro vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez

 Here's the fight video of Luana Pinheiro vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez from last night's UFC show in Miami. This fight is at Strawweight. Luana is 29 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She has trained with her father since she was a little girl. She's a former BJJ champ. She appeared in Contender Series in 2020 and won her first two UFC fights. Michelle is 37 years old. She trains at Jackson Wink in Albuquerque. Despite her 6-6 UFC record, she just signed a new six fight contract. She is popular because of her sex appeal. The problem is she is an Atomweight fighting at Strawweight. I had Luana winning the first two rounds and Michelle winning round three. Michelle had a big problem with Luana's calf kicks. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Luana. Two of the three judges scored it the same. The third judge scored round two for Michelle. Luana won by split decision. We'll see how she does against better competition. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dublin City Ramblers

 Artist:Dublin City Ramblers

Song:The Rare Old Times

Album:20 Great Irish Ballads, Rebel Songs & Instrumentals

The folk group Dublin City Ramblers have been around since the 70s. They have a big following in Ireland and they are still around. They started out in the mid-60s as The Jolly Tinkers and the name was changed to The Quare Fellas. The members were Patsy Watchorn, Sean and Matt McGuiness and Pat Cummins. After recording a couple of albums for CBS, they decided to change the band name to Dublin City Ramblers. They signed with the Irish label Dolphin Records. In 1972 the band was Watchorn, Sean McGuiness, Philip McCaffery and Kevin Molloy. The 1972 album A Nation Once Again went top ten in Ireland. For the most part the Dublin City Ramblers record traditional songs. Occasionally they get political as they did with the 1978 album Irish Republican Jail Songs. The Rare Old Times was written by Pete St. John and the Dublin City Ramblers released it as a single in 1977. It's turned out to be one of their most popular songs. Danny Doyle topped the Irish charts with his 1978 recording. It doesn't look like the Dublin City Ramblers ever put it on an album. But you can get it on this comp. Sean McGuiness is the only original member of the Dublin City Ramblers. McCaffery and Molloy left in 1989. Watchorn left in 1995. Paddy Sweeney replaced Molloy and left in 2002. Since then the membership has been a revolving door. Though they haven't recorded for a while, McGuiness still leads the Dublin City Ramblers on tour. Here's the Dublin City Ramblers performing The Rare Old Times on an 80s TV show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Artist:El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

Song:Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso

Album:Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico is one of Puerto Rico's top salsa bands. They have been around for sixty years. They have had ups and downs. But they underwent a big revival when the 2011 album Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso was nominated for a Grammy and the single was a top ten tropical hit. El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico was formed in 1962. Rafael Ithier was a member of Rafael Cortijo's band when singer Ismael Rivera was arrested on drug charges. Ithier and some of the other musicians left the band. Gema Records owner Rafael Alves Guedes needed a band for an album he was recording with Dominican singer. Joseito Mateo. Ithier brought in some musicians. After the recording, they decided to form a band. El Gran Combo released their debut album in 1963. Roberto Roena and Andy Montanez were the singers in the early days. They were replaced by Charlie Aponte and Jerry Rivas in the early 70s. That's when they started their own label. They were very popular in Puerto Rico and other Latin countries. Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso was first recorded in 1983. When El Gran Combo signed a new record deal with Sony Latin, they decided to record some of their old songs for the 2011 album Sin Salsa No Hay Paraiso. The album was nominated for a Grammy and a Billboard Music Award. They are still going strong. They released their latest album in 2021. There have been plenty of changes but Ithier and Rivas still lead the band. Here's the video for Sin Salsa no Hay Paraiso by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Reel 2 Real

Artist:Reel 2 Real f/The Mad Stuntman

Song:I Like To Move It

Album:Move It!

The 1993 single I Like To Move It was an international hit. It was the only big hit for the duo Reel 2 Real. They had some success on the dance charts. The man behind Reel 2 Real was New York City DJ Erick Morillo. He was born Mar. 26, 1971 in New York City. He lived in Colombia as a child and got into salsa music. At age 11, he moved back to the US with his family and got into reggae and hip hop. And he also started DJing at weddings. They lived in Union City, NJ. Morillo took a studio engineering course at New York City's Center for the Media Arts and he also started DJing in clubs. He recorded with Latin Reggae star El General, Little Louie Vega and Marc Anthony. Morillo signed with the dance label Strictly Rhythm. Reel 2 Real's first single was The Real Anthem in 1992. When that topped the dance charts, Morillo recorded the album Move It! with Trinidadian toaster Mark "The Mad Stuntman" Quashie. I Like To Move It was the second single. It was a worldwide hit. Most notably, the record reached #5 on the British Singles chart. There's not much to the song except for the hook. I Like To Move It was revived when Sasha Baron Cohen covered it on the 2005 film Madagascar and it's the theme for the film series. The album Move It! is available. Morillo only recorded two albums as Reel 2 Real. He started his own label Subliminal and produced the 1999 #1 dance hit Fun by Da Mob featuring singer Jocelyn Brown. He had plenty of success. But he died from a drug overdose at his home in Miami Beach on Sept. 1, 2020 at age 49. He was likely heading for jail as he was charged with sexual assault in Aug. 2020. Here's the video for I Like To Move It by Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman.     

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Everclear

Artist:Everclear

Song:Wonderful

Album:Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004

Everclear was a successful album and touring band when they were on Capitol Records from 1995-2003. The 2000 single Wonderful was their biggest chart hit and their signature song. The band is still around but well past their prime. Everclear is from Portland led by lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Art Alexakis. Alexakis was born Apr. 12, 1962 in Los Angeles. He had a troubled childhood after his father left the family. Alexakis was a drug addict as a teen. His brother died of an overdose. Then his girlfriend committed suicide. Alexakis tried to commit suicide by jumping off the Santa Monica Pier but a vision of his brother changed his mind. He quit drugs cold turkey in 1989 and took film classes at Los Angeles Community College. Then he got into music and moved to Portland in 1992. He placed an ad in a local paper and formed Everclear with bassist bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Scott Cuthbert. Everclear is grain alcohol. They released a couple of EPs and signed with Capitol in 1994. Cuthbert was replaced by Gregg Eklund. Everclear released their debut album Sparkle and Fade in 1995. Most of their success was through alternative radio airplay and MTV playing their videos. Because many of Alexakis' songs have drug references, Everclear was frequently compared to Nirvana. Alexakis produced Sparkle and Fade. It was certified Platinum. When Alexakis wasn't happy with the follow up album, veteran producers Neal Avron and Lars Fox were brought in and they worked on the next few albums. After the success of the 1996 album So Much for the Afterglow, Alexakis recorded a solo album which turned into the 2000 album American Movie Vol. 1: Learning How To Smile. The album was again certified Platinum and the single Wonderful reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Alexakis felt he had enough songs that he could release another album quickly. So Songs from An American Movie: Good Time for a Bad Attitude was released four months after Vol. 1. It turned out to be not a good idea as that album didn't sell. And it led to Montoya and Eklund leaving Everclear and Everclear leaving Capitol in 2014. That's when this comp was released. Since then Alexakis continues to lead Everclear and record for smaller labels They last released an album in 2015. So Everclear is now a 90s nostalgia act. And with that in mind, Alexakis started the Summerland Tour featuring Everclear and other 90s bands. The most recent tour was in 2021 but I would not be surprised if Alexakis revived it now that the pandemic is over. Here's the video for Wonderful by Everclear. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Walker Hayes

Artist:Walker Hayes

Song:Fancy Like

Album:Country Stuff the Album

It took three tries but Walker Hayes finally scored a big country hit and even crossed over to pop with the 2021 single Fancy Like. And he owes it all to Tik Tok. He was born Dec. 27, 1979 in Mobile, AL. Hayes graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in music. Hayes and his wife moved to Nashville in 2005 looking to make it in country music. He signed a publishing deal. A demo he recorded for Keith Urban got him a record deal. It looks like Mercury and Capitol fought over him but Hayes recorded for Capitol. He released the 2011 album Reason to Rhyme. The singles Pants and Why Wait for Summer charted but not high enough for Hayes to keep his record deal. In 2016, Hayes signed with producer Shane McAnally's label SMACK/Rare Spark. After a couple of EPs, McAnally and partner Jason Owen signed a deal with Sony to revive Monument Records. The single You Broke Up with Me from the 2017 album boom was a top ten country hit. So finally Hayes is getting somewhere. After the 2021 EP Country Stuff was released, the single Fancy Like not only topped the country charts but reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was after Hayes did a series of Tik Tok videos of his kids dancing for fun. The Tik Tok for Fancy Free went viral. Hayes wrote and produced the song with McAnally. Hayes' music will remind you of Florida Georgia Line. He released the single Y'all Life in 2022 so he may have a new album coming soon. Here's the video for Fancy Like by Walker Hayes. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Caetano Moreno Zeca Tom Veloso

Artist:Caetano Moreno Zeca Tom Veloso

Song:Deusa Do Amor

Album:Ofertorio

Ofertotio is a 2018 live album recorded by Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso and his sons Moreno, Zeca and Tom. Moreno Veloso first recorded Deusa Do Amor in 2001. He was born Nov. 22, 1972 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He started singing and playing guitar as a child. His dad recorded his 1982 song Um Cando de Afoxe Bioco do Ile. As a teen, he toured as a percussionist with his dad and Gilberto Gil. Then he played cello with Carlinhos Brown. Moreno built his own recording studio and remixed music for TV shows and plays. Deusa Do Amor is from Veloso's 2001 debut album Music Typewriter. The band is called Moreno + 2. The music is a mix of Brazilian and electronic music. The band is Alexandre Kassin on bass and Domenico Lancellotti on percussion. The album was released on Luaka Bop in the US and is available as a digital download. It was a hit in Brazil. This live album was released in the US on Verve in 2018. It was recorded at Theatro NET in Sao Paulo Oct. 27, 2017. There was a DVD but it does not appear to be available. The album is available on CD. As for the other two brothers, Zeca recorded with Gal Costa. Tom was in the band Donica and they released a 2015 album. Moreno Veloso's latest album was released in 2022. It's a duet album with singer Beatriz Azevedo. Here's Caetano Moreno Zeca Tom Veloso performing Deusa Do Amor at Theatro NET in Sao Paulo, Brazil Oct. 27,2017.