AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billie Holiday

Artist:Billie Holiday

Song:Strange Fruit

Album:Lady in Autumn: The Best of the Verve Years

This is another in my series of jazz classics for beginners complete with a performance video clip. Billie Holiday was one of the greatest singers of all time. And her recording of Strange Fruit was her greatest accomplishment. She was born Eleanora Fagan Apr. 7, 1915 in Philadelphia. Her father was musician Clarence Haliday. Her mother Sadie was Irish. Both were teenagers when they married. And Sadie's mom kicked them out of their Baltimore house once she got pregnant. Haliday abandoned the family to go on the road. Billie and her mom moved back to Baltimore to live with Sadie's sister. Sadie worked on passenger trains. So she wasn't home much. Truancy led to reform school. After Sadie opened a restaurant, Billie left school at age 11. Sadie came home one night to find a neighbor attempting to rape Billie. After he was thrown in jail, Billie worked in a brothel where she heard Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. After Billie moved to New York, she started singing in nightclubs. The name Billie is from Billie Dove and Holiday is a variant of her father's name. Benny Goodman first heard Billie in 1931. And she made her recording debut with Goodman in 1933. Billie was 18 years old. John Hammond was the producer. He signed Billie to Brunswick Records in 1935 and she recorded with Goodman's pianist Teddy Wilson. This is also when she met tenor saxophonist Lester Young. They had a great rapport. Brunswick couldn't afford to promote Billie. She left and sang briefly with Count Basie and Artie Shaw. Things went poorly at both. Billie first performed Strange Fruit in 1939. It was written by poet Abel Meeropol under the pseudonym Lewis Allen. It's a protest about lynchings of blacks. So obviously the song is very controversial. When Billie wanted to record it, Hammond told her she should record happy songs like Ella Fitzgerald. She took it to Commodore Records owner Milt Gabler and he produced a recording of Strange Fruit in 1939 and 1944 with pianist Sonny White. It's probably Billie's signature song. She recorded it for Verve Records in the 50s. And that's the version that is on this 2CD budget comp of Billie's Verve recordings. It's from the 1956 album Lady Sings the Blues with Paul Quinchette on tenor sax, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Tony Scott on clarinet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Aaron Bell on bass and Lenny McBrowne on drums. As you have probably heard, Billie had drug problems and spent time in prison. Her health deteriorated in the 50s and she died on July 15, 1959 at age 44. Here's Billie Holiday performing Strange Fruit 1959.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Womack

Artist:Bobby Womack

Song:I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much

Album:I Still Love You

Of course R&B legend Bobby Womack is best known for his 70s recordings on United Artists. But he had success in the 80s on MCA. The 1985 single I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much was Womack's final top ten R&B hit and it was also his first music video. After Womack left UA in 1975, he recorded two albums for Columbia. The 1976 album Home Is Where the Heart is was recorded in Muscle Shoals. So was the 1978 album Pieces. This was when Womack's son Truth died. He decided to start his own label distributed by Arista. He hired Patrick Moten as his musical director. Moten learned the music business from Ike Turner who introduced the two. The 1979 album Roads of Life was again recorded in Muscle Shoals. After recording the 1980 single (No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still Be Looking Up To You with Crusaders saxophonist Wilton Felder, Womack signed with Beverly Glen Records with MCA distribution. Beverly Glen was owned by former Dunhill Records exec Otis Smith. The 1981 album The Poet gave us the single If You Think You're Lonely Now which reached #3 on the R&B Singles chart. Then the 1984 single Love Has Finally Come At Last reached #3 on the R&B Singles chart. That was a duet with Patti LaBelle from The Poet II. Of course Patti was a big star at the time. But I also think that MCA gave Womack a larger promotion budget. So now he has momentum for the 1985 album So Many Rivers and the single I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart. Though Womack produced the album with drummer James Gadson and wrote most of the songs, I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much was written by Harold Payne, James Eubanks and Peter Luboff. Payne had worked with Womack in the past. It was Womack's final big hit. At this point, it looks like Smith closed Beverly Glen. After two more albums on MCA, Womack left. You can get his MCA hits on this budget comp. After that, Womack recorded for Solar, Ronnie Wood's Continuum label, The Right Stuff and the British label XL. But mostly he concentrated on session work for Rod Stewart, Ronald Isley, The Rolling Stones and others. He continued to perform until his death on June 27, 2014 at age 70. Here's the video for I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much by Bobby Womack. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-GloRilla

Artist:GloRilla f/Cardi B

Song:Tomorrow 2

Album:Anyways, Life's Great...: Bonus Edition

The 2022 single Tomorrow 2 was a top ten hit for rapper Gloria "GloRilla" Woods. She has yet to record a full length album so who knows if she has staying power. She was born July 28, 1999 in Memphis. She grew up singing in church. But she lost her voice so decided to try rapping. She released a mixtape in 2019 followed by the self released EP P Status in 2020. When the 2022 single F.N.F. (Let's Go) went viral on TikTok and was certified Gold, that led to a record deal with rapper Yo Gotti's CMG label with Interscope distribution. Tomorrow 2 was released in September and it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then the EP Anyway, Life's Great... was released in November. Tomorrow 2 was produced by Macaroni Toni. Gloria mostly works with producers she knows from Memphis. Anyway, Life's Great.. is available as a digital download. This Bonus Edition has four extra tracks. Even then, it's less than forty minutes long. There is only one song longer than three minutes. The whole recording looks like it was rushed to strike while the iron is hot. So it remains to be seen if Gloria can sustain that success. Meanwhile she has released a couple of singles and she won a BET Hip Hop Award for Best New Artist. Here's the video for Tomorrow 2 by GloRilla featuring Cardi B. This video is NSFW due to profanity. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hondells

Artist:The Hondells

Song:Little Honda

Album:Go Little Honda/The Hondells

The 1964 single Little Honda was a top ten hit. It was the only big hit for The Hondells. A couple of their other songs charted so technically they are not a one hit wonder. But Little Honda is the only song most will remember. They also weren't really a band. Brian Wilson wrote Little Honda and it appeared on The Beach Boys 1964 album All Summer Long. But it was not released as a single. Gary Usher worked frequently with Wilson and he thought Little Honda could be a hit. He sent Little Honda to The Castells lead singer Chuck Girard and asked him to learn the song. Usher then assembled studio musicians and recorded Go Little Honda for Mercury Records. Little Honda reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. My guess is most listeners thought it was a Beach Boys record. Usher produced the album with Beach Boys producer Nick Venet and wrote most of the songs with longtime songwriting partner Roger Christian. Among the musicians who played on the album were Glen Campbell, Al DeLory, Tommy Tedesco, Richard Podolor, Wayne Edwards and Richard Burns. The liner notes claimed that Burns was the leader of The Hondells. And when Little Honda became a hit, a group was invented so The Hondells could perform on American Bandstand and Shindig. They are lip syncing on both clips. There was a second Hondells album. Both are on this twofer CD. The Hondells appeared in the films Beach Blanket Bingo, Ski Party and Beach Ball. Usher went on to produce several fictional bands. But The Hondells was the only successful band. Mike Curb took over The Hondells and released several unsuccessful singles. Chuck Girard was a pioneering CCM artist. Here's The Hondells performing Little Honda on American Bandstand Oct. 17, 1964.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amy Spanger

Artist:Amy Spanger w/Michael Berresse

Song:Always True To You (In My Fashion)

Album:Kiss Me, Kate: The New Broadway Cast Recording

Amy Spanger is mainly a Broadway performer. She made her first big splash playing Bianca in the 1999 revival of the Cole Porter musical Kiss Me, Kate. She was born May 21, 1971 in Newbury, MA. After graduating high school, she moved to New York and was an understudy and replacement in the musicals Sunset Boulevard and Chicago. Of course Kiss Me, Kate is a Cole Porter musical about the backstage doings at a performance of The Taming of the Shrew. It was first performed on Broadway in 1948. And it was a big enough hit to turn into a 1953 film. This 1999 production was the first Broadway revival. It won a Tony for Best Broadway Revival and Brian Stokes Mitchell won a Best Actor Tony. The original cast album is available as a budget CD. The show established Amy on Broadway and she's appeared in musicals since then. The most notable of these were The Wedding Singer and Rock of Ages. On TV, she has done mostly guest shots. Most recently she has been appearing in the off-Broadway production of the Jonathan Larson musical tick, tick...BOOM! with her husband Brian Shepherd. I'm sure they enjoy working together. My guess is we will see Amy on Broadway again in the future. Here's Amy Spanger with Michael Beresse performing Always True to You (In My Fashion) on The Rosie O'Donnell Show Nov. 1, 1999. Sorry it's missing the ending. But this gives a good idea of what Amy was like performing in the show. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tabatha Ricci vs Gillian Robertson

Here's the match video of Tabatha Ricci vs Gillian Robertson from yesterday's UFC show in Jacksonville, FL. This fight is at Strawweight. Tabatha is 28 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at Paragon BJJ in Santa Barbara, CA. She's 3-1 in the UFC. Gillian is 28 years old from Niagara Falls, ON. She trains at The Goat Shed in Florida with her longtime coach Din Thomas. She is 9-5 in the UFC as a Flyweight. I don't know why she is fighting at Strawweight. Gillian is a great wrestler and her striking is awful. And that's her problem in this fight. She can't seem to get the fight where she can get in control and finish the fight. Thomas told her what to do but she didn't do it. Tabatha fought a good defensive fight. But I didn't see anything that would make me think she could beat anyone good. It wasn't a very good fight and it was Gillian's fault. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maycee Barber vs Amanda Ribas

Here's the match video of Maycee Barber vs Amanda Ribas from yesterday's UFC show in Jacksonville, Fl. This fight is at Flyweight. Maycee is 25 years old from Fort Collins, CO. She is 8-2 in the UFC. She's on a four fight winning streak. She seems to have improved a lot since moving to Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, CA. She seems to have really clicked with coach Danny Castillo. She's always been an aggressive striker but he has got her to channel her aggression more productively. Amanda is 29 years old from Varginha, Brazil. She has trained with her father Marcello Ribas since she was a little girl. She also trains at American Top Team in Florida. She is 6-2 in the UFC. She fights at Strawweight and Flyweight. I like her better at Strawweight. And Maycee had a big size and strength advantage. But she took her time and again, that's Castillo getting her to control herself. By round two, Maycee was clearly in control and a hard shot led to a ground and pound finish. A big win for Maycee. It gets her closer to the title. Amanda should stay at Strawweight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-White Fence

Artist:White Fence

Song:Sandra (When the Earth Dies)

Album:For the Recently Found Innocent

Tim Presley started White Fence as a home recording project. When he started having success, he decided to turn White Fence into a touring band. Presley still records most of the instruments himself. Presley started out in hardcore punk bands like The Nerve Agents. Then he was lead singer and guitarist of the neo psychedelic band Darker My Love. He also joined The Fall in 2006. While still a member of Darker My Love, Presley recorded in his bedroom. Rather than use his name, Presley released a 2010 album as White Fence. He wanted the option of turning White Fence into a band if there was interest. After his 2011 album Growing Faith generated positive reviews, Presley turned White Fence into a band so the songs could be performed live. He also started working with Ty Segall mainly so he could record in Segall's studio. They have recorded a few albums together. For the 2014 album For the Recently Found Innocent, Presley signed with the larger Drag City label. As with the other White Fence albums, Presley played all the instruments except drums. Segall and Nick Murray from his live band played drums. Segall and his recording engineer Eric Bauer produced. Presley last recorded as White Fence in 2019. He has recorded with Segall and with Welsh musician Cate Le Bon as DRINKS. She's in the White Fence live band. I don't know if White Fence is still active. But Presley can revive it at any time and hire musicians to play live. Here's White Fence performing Sandra (When the Earth Dies) Live at the Moonlight Motel 2014. This video is not on YouTube. 

White Fence - Live at The Moonlight Motel - Sandra from Christopher George Slater on Vimeo.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Verve

Artist:The Verve

Song:Bittersweet Symphony

Album:This Is Music: The Singles 92-98

The 1997 single Bittersweet Symphony was the only big hit for the British band The Verve. And unfortunately it came with a ridiculous royalty dispute. The Verve was a bigger deal at home. But they are a one hit wonder in the US. The Verve members were all students at Winstanley College in Wigan, England. They formed in 1990 led by lead singer and main songwriter Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe on guitar, Simon Jones on bass and Peter Salisbury on drums. After playing local clubs, The Verve signed with Virgin's Hut label in 1991. After releasing a 1992 EP, they recorded their 1993 debut album A Storm in Heaven with producer John Leckie. Though the album was critically acclaimed, neither The Verve or Virgin were happy with the album's commercial performance. When the 1995 album A Northern Soul didn't do much better, The Verve split up. Ashcroft was known to be a hothead and he didn't think things were working. They continued to work together in the studio minus McCabe. And keyboardist Simon Tong was added. McCabe did return for the 1997 album Urban Hymns. The album was produced by Martin "Youth" Glover of Killing Joke. The big surprise was when Bittersweet Symphony reached #2 on the British Singles chart and crossed the pond and reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. The repeated symphonic refrain was sampled from a Rolling Stones instrumental album recorded by Andrew Loog Oldham. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote the song Last Time. But the rights were owned by their former manager Allen Klein. That money grubbing weasel refused clearance for the sample. You can imagine how much money was involved. This behavior was typical of Klein. After his 2009 death, his son Jody and Jagger and Richard returned all the royalties to Ashcroft. Though they continued to tour, there were rumors of problems and The Verve split up in 1999. You can get all their singles on this comp. Ashcroft released a couple of solo albums. The Verve reunited for the 2008 album Forth. After touring to support the album, The Verve split up for good. Ashcroft continues to record with little success. Why was Bittersweet Symphony a hit? Maybe listeners thought it was an Oasis song. Here's the video for Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kent Jones

Artist:Kent Jones

Song:Don't Mind

Album:Now That's What I Call Music! 94

Rapper Kent Jones scored a top ten hit with the 2016 single Don't Mind. I hesitate to call him a one hit wonder so quickly. But he started as a producer and that is likely where his future lies. He was born Apr. 14, 1993 in Tallahassee, FL. He went to church as a child and his aunt taught him to play drums. He took piano lessons and listening to Quincy Jones got Jones into jazz. He then moved to Miami to work with the production duo Cool & Dre (Marcello Valenzano, Andre Lyon). Jones signed with their label Epidemic and worked with Fat Joe, The Game, Queen Latifah and others. Cool & Dre introduced Jones to DJ Khaled in 2015 and Khaled signed Jones to his We the Best label with Epic distribution. Don't Mind is from Jones' 2015 mixtape Tours. The idea was to release a single and it would be on Jones' debut album. Jones took the single to a DJ friend in Orlando and the song caught fire so quickly that I think it caught Jones off guard. It reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jones wrote and produced with Cool & Dre and DJ Khaled. The main sample is the 1994 Barry White song Practice What You Preach. The song is notable for its use of greetings in foreign languages. Jones says he was inspired by Miami's multiculturalism. It also has profanity which means Epic had to release a clean version for radio. And that's the version that is on various artists budget CDs for the NOW series. Jones still hasn't released an album. He has released a couple of mixtapes and a few singles. He says in interviews that he still plans to record an album. I believe his future is as a producer and he will concentrate on that. Here's the video for Don't Mind by Kent Jones. This video is not on YouTube because it is NSFW. 

Kent Jones Dont Mind EXPLICIT from Haitianbeatz.com on Vimeo.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sam Price

Artist:Sam Price

Song:Rib Joint

Album:Rockin' the Joint

For most of his long career, Sam Price was a session musician. He recorded as a leader occasionally but he was too busy to care about commercial success. Today he is considered to be highly influential on Rock 'n' Roll with his jump blues style. He was born Oct. 6, 1908 in the small North Texas town of Honey Grove. Price is so obscure that he isn't listed as a famous Honey Grove native. After studying piano, he moved to Dallas to work in a music store. Price started out playing in local clubs. His big break came in 1938 when Decca Records hired him as a session musician. He worked for Decca from 1938-54. Though he would occasionally record as Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians, he was usually a sideman for among others Cow Cow Davenport, Trixie Smith, Joe Turner, Delta Rhythm Boys, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sidney Bechet and plenty more. Price also worked with Lester Young, Jimmy Rushing and Henry "Red" Allen. After Price left Decca, he recorded for various labels. Rib Joint was released as a single by Savoy Records as Sam Price and his Texas Bluesicians. It says on the cover of this 2019 Jasmine Records release that it contains two Price albums. Rib Joint was on the 1956 album Rock with Sam Price and his Orchestra. It's a killer band with a young Mickey Baker on guitar and an even younger (22 years old) King Curtis on tenor sax. So this is a must for fans of both guys. The rest of the band is jazz bassist Leonard Gaskin and former Benny Goodman drummer Bobby Donaldson. Guitarist Kenny Burrell also appears on this album. Though Price continued to record occasionally, he was a big civil rights activist in the 60s. And in the 70s, he headlined at New York's Roosevelt Hotel at their New Orleans themed restaurant Crawdaddy. Sam Price died on Apr. 14,1992 at age 83. Maybe he shouldn't be so obscure. Here's a video of Rib Joint by Sam Price. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-A.R. Rahman

Artist:A.R. Rahman f/The Pussycat Dolls

Album:Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)

Album:Now: The Very Best of Dance

A.R. Rahman is famous in his native India. Here in North America, he is mainly known for his music from Danny Boyle's 2009 film Slumdog Millionaire. A remix of the closing theme from the film featuring The Pussycat Dolls was a top 20 hit. He was born A.S. Dileep Kumar Jan.6, 1967 in Madras, India. His father was a film composer. Rahman studied piano as a child and as a teen he studied with other film composers. He started composing for films in the 80s. He's been very successful in India. Boyle says he chose Rahman to compose the music for Slumdog Millionaire because Rahman draws on all kinds of music including hip hop and R&B. The score and the song Jai Ho both won Oscars. After watching the film, Interscope Records execs Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair wanted to turn Jai Ho into a pop song. At the time, The Pussycat Dolls latest EP Doll Domination was tanking. So they thought using them in a remix of Jai Ho would help. Fair and Iovine asked Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger to write English lyrics. But they hired several songwriters to work on the song and used bits and pieces from all of them. There are nine credited songwriters not including Rahman. Fair produced the record which is called The RF Remix. The video recreates the closing scenes in Slumdog Millionaire. The single reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jai Ho was released only on an EP. It was never on a Pussycat Dolls album or the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. But you can get it on this various artists budget CD. After Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman returned to Indian films. So I guess it was an interesting sidetrip for him. Here's the video for Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) by A.H. Rahman featuring The Pussycat Dolls.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Atlas Genius

ArtistAtlas Genius

Song:If So

Album:When It Was Now

Positive online buzz is a new way to get a record deal. That's what happened to the Australian band Atlas Genius. Unfortunately it didn't last but that's another story. Atlas Genius is from Adelaide, South Australia led by Keith Jeffery on lead vocals and guitar and his brother Michael Jeffery on drums. Darren Sell was the original keyboardist but he was later replaced by a third brother Steven Jeffery. Michael says the band name Atlas Genius came to him in a dream. They are a pop band influenced by other pop bands. Their debut single Trojans was released in May 2011. After it was played on Australian radio, Andrew Hwang of Neon Gold posted a rave review on his blog. The song was played on Sirius XM's Alt Nation channel and a homemade video was played on MTV2's 120 Minutes. This buzz grew to a point where Atlas Genius signed with Warner Bros. Trojans did well on the Alternative Rock chart. After an EP was released in 2012, Atlas Genius' debut album When It Was Now was released in Feb. 2013. If So was the first single and it reached #8 on the Alternative Rock chart. Then the worm started to turn. There was criticism that after the two hits, the album was mediocre. Atlas Genius toured to support the album. The 2015 album Inanimate Objects didn't do as well. And then Warner Bros. dropped Atlas Genius. By this time, the band was living in Los Angeles. They moved back to Australia and announced they signed with Caroline Records. They have released a couple of singles but no album as yet. Well, I guess fame is fleeting especially when the music doesn't live up to the hype. Here's the video for If So by Atlas Genius.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jessica Lea Mayfield

Artist:Jessica Lea Mayfield

Song:We've Never Lied

Album:With Blasphemy So Heartfelt

Folksinger Jessica Lea Mayfield's 2008 self released debut album got a lot of attention because it was produced by The Black Keys leader Dan Auerbach. I guess the goal was to get her a record deal. Mission accomplished. She was born Aug. 25, 1989 in Kent, OH. As a child, she toured with her family bluegrass band One Way Rider. She began to write songs at age 11 and played a weekly gig at a local bar. Then she recorded in her brother's bedroom. The album was called White Lies and Jessica called herself Chittlin'. There were limited copies but one of them landed in the hands of Dan Auerbach and he offered to produce her next album. He had her record the 2008 album With Blasphemy So Heartfelt with her brother and then Auerbach added the backing instruments. He says he enjoyed working with Jessica because her music is dark and moody similar to Nick Cave. There was a lot of buzz around the album because of Auerbach's involvement. Pitchfork among others ranked it high. It's unlikely the album gets anywhere otherwise. Jessica recorded her 2011 album Tell Me for Warner's Nonesuch label. Again, Auerbach produced but then she signed with Dave Matthews' ATO label for the 2014 album Make My Head Sing... Jessica produced it with husband and bassist Jesse Newport. At this point, she doesn't need Auerbach. ATO is the perfect label as there is no pressure on Jessica to have hit singles. Matthews is perfectly happy with her as she is. Since then, Jessica recorded a 2015 Elliott Smith tribute album with Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers. Her 2017 album Sorry Is Gone was produced by Patrick Damphier. Jessica recently released a vinyl only special edition of With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. She is currently on tour. But I don't see any indication of new music. Here's Jessica Lea Mayfield performing We've Never Lied on Folk Alley Apr. 7, 2008.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes

Here's the match video of Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Tereza is 21 years old from Prague, Czech Republic. Her coach is Andre Reinders. After a Contender Series appearance, she was knocked out by Natalia Silva in her UFC debut. Tereza is a wrestler. Gabi is 29 years old from Brazil. She trains at MMA Masters in Florida. She lost her UFC debut. She is a striker. When she's on her feet, she's fine. But Tereza kept taking her down and Gabi couldn't get out from under. Gabi got some good shots in round three but then she got taken down again. So I scored the fight 30-27 for Tereza and she won by unanimous decision. Her striking isn't good enough to handle better competition. It's not always going to be this easy. Gabi needs to improve her takedown defense or she won't last very long. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tribal Tech

Artist:Tribal Tech

Song:Face First

Album:Face First

Tribal Tech was a jazz fusion band that was formed in the 80s but had their greatest success in the 90s when they signed with a new label. Tribal Tech was formed by guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis in 1984. Henderson is from Florida. After studying at Florida Atlantic University, Henderson moved to Los Angeles. Willis is from Texas. After studying at The University of North Texas College of Music, he moved to Los Angeles. Both guys were working as sidemen when they decided to work together as Tribal Tech. They released their 1985 debut album Spears on Passport Jazz. The rest of the band was Bob Shepherd on sax, Pat Coil on keyboards, Steve Houghton on drums and Brad Dutz on percussion. They recorded three albums for Passport but everything got put on hold when the label went bankrupt. After Relativity took over Passport, Tribal Tech recorded a 1991 album to complete their contract. Then they signed with Bluemoon Records, a new label owned by the guys who owned Passport. They brought in Scott Kinsey on keyboards and Kirk Covington on drums. Willis knew Covington in school. They recorded three albums for Bluemoon including the 1993 album Face First. Willis wrote the song Face First but they all wrote songs. After two more albums on European labels, Tribal Tech split up in 2000. Though they reunited to record a 2012 album, all four guys have recorded as leaders and sidemen. Willis and Covington are long time friends and work together a lot. Jazz fusion fans should check out Tribal Tech. Here's Tribal Tech performing Face First in Japan, I think.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Yngwie Malmsteen

Artist:Yngwie Malmsteen

Song:Black Star

Album:The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection

Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is known for his neo classical heavy metal style popular with guitar nerds especially in Japan. Black Star is from his 1984 debut album Rising Force. He's a very successful touring act. He was born Lars Johan Yngwie Lannerback June 30, 1963 in the Stockholm suburb of Hasselby-Vallingby, Sweden. He started his first band at age ten. Malmsteen is his mother's maiden name. He was a big fan of classical composers like Paginini and Bach. His main guitar influence is Ritchie Blackmore. A demo got the attention of Shrapnel Records owner Mike Varney. He brought Malmsteen to the US to play guitar on Steeler's 1983 album. Malmsteen didn't like the band and joined Graham Bonnet's band Alcatrazz. After a fight with Bonnet, Malmsteen was fired and signed with Polydor for his 1984 solo debut Rising Force. This was intended to be an instrumental album but it featured vocals by Jeff Scott Soto. The rest of the band was Jens Johansson of Rainbow on keyboards and Barriemore Barlow of Jethro Tull on drums. The album was critically acclaimed and won Best Rock Album at Guitar Player magazine. Malmsteen named his band Rising Force and recorded five albums for Polydor. This comp covers those albums. After one album for Elektra, Malmsteen signed with the Japanese label Pony Canyon. More recently he has recorded for his own label and the Dutch label Mascot. As I said, Malmsteen is admired for his technical skills by other guitarists and what I call guitar nerds. His music is not affected by changes in music or the music business. So Malmsteen will continue to successfully tour and record until he retires. Here's Yngwie Malmsteen performing Black Star.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Danny Williams

Artist:Danny Williams

Song:White on White

Album:Hard to Find 45s on CD Volume 7: More Sixties Classics

The 1964 single White on White was a top ten hit. It was the only big hit in the US for singer Danny Williams. He was a much bigger deal in England where he was known as Britain's Johnny Mathis. He was born Jan. 7, 1942 in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He grew up singing in church. After winning a talent contest, he joined a touring act called Golden City Dixies. When they toured England in 1959, Williams was spotted by EMI producer Norman Newell and signed to a contract. Williams topped the British charts with his 1961 cover of Moon River from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Of course in the US, Andy Williams had the big hit with the song. After a couple more hits in England, EMI thought Williams could be successful in the US. So they sent him to the US to record with United Artists house producer Jack Gold and arranger Don Costa. The 1964 single White on White reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It flopped in England. Williams was way too young to sing a song like this. In the song, it's a father giving his daughter away to get married. Williams was 22 years old. It was written by the songwriting team of Bernice Ross and Lor Crane. They also wrote hits for Patty Duke including the 1965 top ten hit Don't Just Stand There. You can get White on White on this various artists CD from the oldies label Eric Records. Not surprisingly, Williams was swept up in the British Invasion with all the other smooth voiced pop singers. Williams continued to perform and record occasionally. After declaring bankruptcy in 1968, Williams resumed his career and scored a top 30 hit in England with the 1977 single Dancin' Easy. He also did a Nat King Cole tribute show in the 80s. Danny Williams died of lung cancer on Dec. 6, 2005 at age 63. Here's a video of White on White by Danny Williams. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Zora Young

Artist:Zora Young

Song:Til the Fat Lady Sings

Album:Sunnyland

Though jazz and blues are both male dominated, I always like to bring some attention to female artists like blues singer Zora Young. Chicago blues fans should check her out. She was born Jan. 21, 1948 in West Point, MS but she grew up singing in church in Chicago. She is a cousin of Howlin' Wolf. She started hanging around blues clubs performing with guys like Junior Wells, Bobby Rush and Buddy Guy. She first recorded in the 80s with guys like Hubert Sumlin, Willie Dixon and Sunnyland Slim. And then she recorded her solo debut album in 1992. She's bounced around a couple of different labels. She wrote Til the Fat Lady Sings and it first appeared on her 2005 album Tore Up from the Floor Up on Delmark Records. But she also recorded it on the 2009 album Sunnyland on Airway Records. I prefer this album because Howlin' Wolf's long time guitarist Hubert Sumlin is the producer. He not only plays guitar on the album but sings a couple of songs with Zora. The rest of the band is Barrelhouse Chuck on piano and organ, Bob Stroger on bass and Kenny Smith on drums. They are all veteran blues musicians. Zora last recorded in 2016. Based on her Facebook page, she toured Europe last fall. But she doesn't have a website anymore. So maybe she is retiring. Here's Zora Young performing Til the Fat Lady Sings at the Delmark Records 55th Anniversary Blues Bash at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago Mar. 7, 2008.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ann Sothern

Artist:Ann Sothern

Song:The Last Time I Saw Paris

Album:Academy Award Winners

Actress Ann Sothern Was mainly known for comedy like her Maisie films and her 50s sitcom. But she was a very versatile performer on stage as well. The Last Time I Saw Paris is from the 1941 film Lady Be Good. She was born Harriette Arlene Lake Jan. 22, 1909 in Valley City, ND but she grew up in Minneapolis. Her mother was a concert singer. Ann started taking piano lessons at age five and attended McPhail School of Music where her mother taught piano. She went on concert tours with her mother. She continued to study in high school. After graduating, After graduating, her mom moved to Los Angeles and worked as a vocal coach at Warner Bros. Ann studied at University of Washington for a year. She moved to Los Angeles and while appearing in bit parts at MGM, she met producer Flo Ziegfeld at a party and he took her to Broadway. She starred in the musicals America's Sweetheart and Everybody's Welcome. Ann signed with Columbia Pictures in 1934. Columbia head Harry Cohn changed her name to Ann Sothern after her mom and Shakespearean actor E.H. Sothern. At Columbia and RKO, Ann appeared in B movies. Then she signed with MGM and got her big break when she starred in the 1939 film Maisie. Maisie was based on the 1935 Wilson Collison novel Dark Dame. MGM acquired it as a vehicle for Jean Harlow. She died before a script was completed. The Maisie films were very successful. MGM did ten of them from from 1939-47. So now they want to turn Ann into a musical star. She was cast in the 1941 film Lady Be Good with Eleanor Powell and Robert Young. Ann sang The Last Time I Saw Paris and the song even won an Oscar. You can get her performance on this Rhino various artists budget comp. It was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and originally recorded by Kate Smith in 1940. So it shouldn't have been eligible for an Oscar. Kern was so upset about this that he got the Motion Picture Academy to change the rules. Though Lady Be Good was a hit, it didn't help Ann and she returned to Maisie films. She left MGM in 1947 and appeared in the 1949 film A Letter to Three Wives. In the 50s she had success on TV with the sitcoms Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show. Then in the 60s Ann appeared in Here's Lucy and My Mother, The Car. She starred with Henry Fonda in the 1964 film The Best Man. At that point she did mostly TV guest shots. After a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 1987 film The Whales of August, Ann retired and moved to Idaho. Ann Sothern died on Mar. 15, 2001 at age 92. Here's Ann Sothern performing The Last Time I Saw Paris in the 1941 film Lady Be Good. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sailcat

Artist:Sailcat

Song:Motorcycle Mama

Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day Vol. 8

The 1972 single Motorcycle Mama was a top 20 hit. It was the only chart single for Sailcat. So this is a one hit wonder. Sailcat recorded one album and split up. The formation of Sailcat came out of the Muscle Shoals studio scene in Alabama. That's where John Wyker and Court Pickett met. Both guys wrote songs, sang and played guitar. They had written songs for others before teaming up. A demo of Motorcycle Mama got them a record deal with Elektra. The album Motorcycle Mama was a concept album produced at Muscle Shoals by guitarist Pete Carr. Wyker and Pickett wrote and sang all the songs. But there wasn't really a band. The other instruments were played by Muscle Shoals studio musicians. Motorcycle Mama reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and then they split up. Pickett recorded the 1973 solo album Fancy Dancer. Then he quit the music business. Wyker worked as a studio musician and wrote songs for others. He died in 2013. You can get Motorcycle Mama on this Rhino various artists comp. Here's Sailcat performing Motorcycle Mama on a 1972 episode of American Bandstand. This was their only TV appearance. I wish the video quality was better.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aicha Kone and the Alloco-Band

Artist:Aicha Kone and the Alloco-Band

Song:Kanawa

Album:Mandingo Live from Cote d'Ivoire

Singer songwriter Aicha Kone is from The Ivory Coast and she sings in Senufo and Dioula. She's been recording since the 80s and most of her albums have been released in Africa and France. This 1993 album is an exception. She was born May 21, 1957 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. She was influenced by Miriam Makeba to get into music. But her doctor father was against it. Aicha was hired by RTI Television to be a choral director. She was introduced by RTI TV host Georges Tai Benson to Cameroonian music legend Manu Dibango. And he helped her record. So Aicha has been recording since the early 80s. From 1988-97 she recorded for the French label EMI Pathe. Kanawa is from the 1993 album Mandingo Live from Cote d'Ivoire. The album is not live and it was not recorded in Africa. The album was financed and released by the German label Weltmusik and it was recorded at their studio in Berlin. Weltmusik recorded World Music for the large German label WERGO in the 90s. They don't seem to be active anymore. It looks like The Alloco-Band credited on the album cover was assembled for this album led by guitarist Briscard Kouadio. He's the musical director and wrote the arrangements. Kouadio is an Ivory Coast native who is mainly a sideman. He has worked on some of Aicha's other albums. Aicha currently records for her own label. Her latest album was released in 2019 but it could be hard to find as it was only released in Africa. Here's the video for Kanawa by Aicha Kone and the Alloco-Band. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Diana Belbita vs Maria Oliveira

Here's the match video of Diana Belbita vs Maria Oliveira from last night's UFC show in Vancouver. This fight is at Strawweight. Diana was born in Romania. She trains at House of Champions in Stoney Creek, ON which is near Hamilton. She's 1-3 in the UFC. Maria is 26 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas. She's 1-2 in the UFC. Neither fighter is very good and the fight is terrible. But Diana won by unanimous decision. I don't think either belongs in the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Miranda Maverick

Here's the match video of Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Miranda Maverick from last night's UFC show in Vancouver. This fight is at Flyweight. Jasmine is 34 years old. She trains at Niagara Top Team in St. Catherines, ON with Chris Prickett. She is 2-1 in the UFC. Miranda is 25 years old originally from Missouri but she now trains at Elevation in Denver. She's 4-2 in the UFC. She's ranked and a step up in competition for Jasmine. Jasmine is Canadian and they wanted a good enough opponent to put her on the prelims as opposed to the early. Unfortunately Miranda suffered an eye injury during the match and faded in round three. It looks like she may have a detached retina. But it's a big win for Jasmine and she should get ranked. Now we'll see if she's really any good. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana

Here's the match video of Amanda Nunes defending her UFC Bantamweight Championship against Irene Aldana from last night's UFC show in Vancouver. Julianna Pena was supposed to be Amanda's original opponent but she broke a rib in training. Irene was supposed to fight Raquel Pennington a couple of weeks ago. I guess the UFC flipped a coin and gave Irene the title shot. Of course she would be a big underdog in this fight. Though some fans liked the notion of Irene winning the title, I didn't think there was any way she could win. Of course this was influenced by Irene's teammate Alexa Grasso upsetting Valentino Shevchenko for the Flyweight Championship recently. But Irene isn't as good as Alexa. Obviously some are going to bet on Irene and cross their fingers. The fight went pretty much as expected. Amanda didn't get a finish but she dominated for five rounds and won by unanimous decision. She was like a cat playing with her food. Wishful thinking doesn't always work out. Irene was awful. She took a defensive posture and never got going. Her coach Francisco Grasso told her what to do. But I guess she wanted to survive five rounds. Afterwards, Amanda announced her retirement. She said she wouldn't have retired if Julianna had been the opponent. She wanted to fight someone new. She said her mother has been after her to retire for a while. Amanda and Nina already have a daughter and they are having another one. She made her money and retired a double champ. You can't ask for more than that. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sheena Easton

Artist:Sheena Easton

Song:For Your Eyes Only

Album:The Best of

This is yet another discography orphan. Sheena Easton's theme for the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only was a top ten pop hit. It appeared on the soundtrack album and did not appear on one of Sheena's albums. That's the definition of a discography orphan. Sometimes these can be difficult to find but not in this case. Of course James Bond themes are a separate genre. Bill Conti composed the For Your Eyes Only score. He is best known for composing the score for the 1975 film Rocky. Bond's usual composer John Barry was unable to work in England for tax reasons and he recommended Conti. The original plan was to have Blondie perform the For Your Eyes Only theme. They wrote a song and it was rejected as the producers wanted Conti to write the song and Deborah Harry to sing it in the film. She refused to sing it without the band. The Blondie song appeared on their 1982 album The Hunter. Conti thought about writing the theme for Donna Summer or Dusty Springfield. But the studio United Artists suggested Sheena who had just topped the charts with the single Morning Train. She was on UA's sister label EMI. So they could keep it in house and keep costs down. The lyrics were written by Mike Leeson who usually wrote songs for Sheena with partner Peter Vale. The record was produced by Sheena's producer Christopher Neil. For Your Eyes Only was Sheena Easton's first big hit after Morning Train. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sheena appeared in the film singing over the opening credits. This is the only time a James Bond theme singer appeared in the film. Of course there was a soundtrack album. The song did not appear on Sheena's 1981 album You Could Have Been with Me but it was added as a bonus track when EMI released it on CD. It appears on a few comps including this one from the Dutch label Simply the Best. This was Sheena's only big hit from a soundtrack. As I said, this is a discography orphan but not difficult to find. Here's the video for For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Monica

Artist:Monica

Song:Everything to Me

Album:Still Standing

When she was a teenager back in the late 90s, Monica Arnold was on fire especially with her 1998 duet with Brandy This Boy Is Mine. She's still around recording for her own label. But she's not charting anymore. The 2010 single Everything to Me was her most recent #1 R&B hit. So what happened? Monica was discovered by producer Dallas Austin and he supervised her first two albums just as he did for TLC. Obviously they had a lot of success. But then Austin clashed with Arista Records owner Clive Davis. Davis took over and eventually moved Monica to his new label J Records. Monica also appeared in a couple of films but her acting career never took off. The thing to keep in mind is that Alicia Keys was the biggest star on J. So she's going to get most of the promotion budget. And that probably hurt Monica more than anything. You gotta spend money to make money. So the 2002 album All Eyez On Me didn't do that well. Monica made a bit of a comeback with the 2003 album After the Storm. The single So Gone topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. This was her final top ten pop hit. So the writing is on the wall. Monica's days as a million seller are over. She continued to record for J. But she got into doing reality TV. While working on her 2010 album Still Standing, she did the show Monica: The Single for Peachtree TV followed by the BET reality series Monica: Still Standing. The album Still Standing did OK. It was certified Gold and the single Everything To Me topped the R&B Singles chart. Everything to Me was written by singer songwriter Jazmine Sullivan with her producer Missy Elliott and Cainon Lamb. Those two produced. Still Standing is available as a budget CD. Sony still hasn't released a decent Monica comp. When Sony closed J Records in 2011, Monica was moved to RCA. Her most recent album was released in 2015. She released a few singles on her own label. Her latest single featured gospel artist James Fortune. I know she has always wanted to record a gospel album. It might a good way for her to go. Here's the video for Everything to Me by Monica. The guy in the video is Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Prozzak

Artist:Prozzak

Song:Omobolasire

Album:Hot Show

The music of the animated duo Prozzak went over big in Canada when their 1998 debut album Hot Show was certified 3XPlatinum. It looks like Prozzak started as a gag and took on a life of its own. The guys behind Prozzak were Jay Levine and James Bryan McCollum of the popular band The Philosopher Kings. They had a physical altercation while on tour and decided to write together to smooth things over. They created a song called Europa where Levine sang in a British accent. They liked the song but they didn't think it would work with The Philosopher Kings. So they decided to create a separate entity. Sony Canada liked it so Prozzak was born. It's obviously named after the drug Prozac but spelled differently so they wouldn't get sued. It is not known why Levine chose to sing with a British accent. They created the animated characters Simon and Milo and hired artist Scott Harder to create the characters and animate them. The ideas came from Philosopher Kings members while on tour. The album Hot Show was released in 1998. Omobolasire was the first single. It reached #50 on the Canadian charts. Sucks To Be You was the biggest hit. It reached #25. The album was certified 3XPlatinum in Canada. Prozzak was nominated for four Juno. The album was released on Hollywood Records in the US but went nowhere. The 2000 album Saturday People didn't do as well. They have reunited occasionally and even played a few live shows. Here's the video for Omobolasire by Prozzak. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Juliet Prowse

Artist:Juliet Prowse and dancers

Song:Maidens Typical of France

Album:Can-Can: Original Soundtrack Album

Dancer Juliet Prowse made a big splash in her 1960 debut film Can-Can. This was a film adaptation of a 1953 Broadway musical. The film was considered to be a disappointment but Juliet was highly praised. She was born Sept. 25, 1936 in Bombay, India. Her father was British and her mother was South African. After her father died, she moved with her mother to South Africa. Juliet started studying dance as a child. While performing in a Paris club, she was spotted by a 20th Century Fox talent scout and signed to play Claudine in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Can-Can. The show was written by Abe Burrows with music by Cole Porter. Michael Kidd won a Tony for his choreography. Star Gwen Verdon also won a Tony. There were no other name actors in the show. It ran for a year but it wasn't highly praised. The main reason 20th Century Fox turned Can-Can into a film was as a vehicle for Frank Sinatra. The other stars were Maurice Chevalier, Shirley MacLaine and Louis Jourdain. Critics hated the film but praised Juliet's performance. The soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. Juliet went on to have a brief engagement to Sinatra and appear on TV with him. Juliet went on to star with Elvis Presley in the 1960 film G.I. Blues. She continued to appear in films and TV but she was never a big star. She did have success on Broadway in shows like Sweet Charity. Juliet appeared on plenty of Las Vegas shows. She says she got paid well and the work was satisfying. The relationship with Sinatra ended because she refused to quit show business. She was married twice but neither marriage lasted. Juliet Prowse died of pancreatic cancer on Sept. 14, 1996 at age 59. Here's Juliet Prowse and dancers performing Maidens Typical of France from the 1960 film Can-Can.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-George Benson

Artist:George Benson

Song:Stella by Starlight

Album:Original Album Classics

For most of his time on Warner Bros. in the 70s and 80s, George Benson spent so much time chasing hit records that most folks forgot that he is a great jazz guitarist. The 1989 album Tenderly was Benson's return to real jazz. Look, Benson had a great run with Warners with top ten pop hits like This Masquerade (1976), On Broadway (1978) and his biggest hit the 1980 single Give Me the Night followed by Turn Your Love Around in 1981. All his albums including the 1981 comp The George Benson Collection were big sellers. But the hits stopped coming and albums weren't selling anymore. And he was still criticized for being too pop. So for the 1989 album Tenderly, he decided to get back to jazz to remind us that he was still a great jazz musician. He brought in jazz legends pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Ron Carter. The drummer for most of the album is Herlin Riley from Wynton Marsalis' band. Benson does sing on half the songs. But this cover of Stella by Starlight is instrumental. The song was written by Victor Young and Ned Washington and was the theme for the 1944 film The Uninvited. Both Harry James and Frank Sinatra charted with the song. But it is most notable as a jazz standard especially after Miles Davis performed it live in the 60s. Then Benson took Tyner on tour. You can get the album Tenderly on this 5CD box set of Benson's Warner Bros. recordings. After two more Warners albums, Benson left Warners for GRP and more recently has recorded for Concord and the European label Provogue. Here's George Benson with McCoy Tyner and his trio performing Stella by Starlight at the 1989 Montreux Jazz Festival. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rufus Wainwright

Artist:Rufus Wainwright

Song:April Fools

Album:Vibrate: The Best of Rufus Wainwright

For most of his 25 year career, singer songwriter Rufus Wainwright has been critically acclaimed but commercially disappointing. His albums sell OK and he's a good concert draw. April Fools is from his 1998 debut album Rufus Wainwright. He was born July 22, 1973 in Rhinebeck, NY. His parents are singer songwriter Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folksinger Kate McGarrigle. His sister is singer songwriter Martha Wainwright. After his parents divorced, Wainwright grew up in Montreal with his mom. Wainwright has dual citizenship. He started playing piano as a child. And as a teen, he toured with his mom's group The McGarrigle Sisters and Family. His song I'm a-Runnin' from the 1988 film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler got him a Best Song Genie nomination and a 1990 Best New Artist Juno nomination. Wainwright identified as gay as a teen. He said his father knew it too but he never discussed it with his parents. While playing the Montreal club circuit, Wainwright recorded demos with producer Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan). Wainwright's dad liked them and sent them to his buddy Van Dyke Parks in Los Angeles. Parks sent them to DreamWorks Records exec Lenny Waronker. Wainwright signed with DreamWorks and he and Marchand moved to Los Angeles to record the 1998 album Rufus Wainwright with former 'Til Tuesday member Jon Brion. There was a video for April Fools but it was never released as a single. And that was Wainwright's history with DreamWorks. His albums did OK but it's like DreamWorks didn't know what to do with Wainwright. After DreamWorks closed, Wainwright was moved to Geffen, Decca and Deutsche Grammophon. All are Universal labels. This comp covers the Universal years. After leaving Universal in 2016, Wainwright signed a publishing deal with BMG. Since selling RCA to Sony, BMG is not a record company anymore. But they do release occasional albums. They just released Wainwright's new album Folkocracy last week. It's mostly covers of folk music standards with several guests. Wainwright's primary deal with BMG is publishing. So I don't think there is any pressure to sell records. He still has a pretty good fanbase and is a good concert draw. But he's never going to be a star. And that may have been the expectation when Waronker signed him to DreamWorks. Here's the video for April Fools by Rufus Wainwright. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fat Family

Artist:Fat Family

Song:Gulosa

Album:Fat Family

Fat Family was a Brazilian vocal group that had success with soul and R&B in the Brazilian market in the late 90s. The name Fat Family is they are a family group and they are all fat. I guess they were a Brazilian version of The Weather Girls. Fat Family were from Sorocaba, Sao Paulo Brazil. The leader and the oldest of the group is Sidney Cipriano. The others are Celinho, Celinha, Simone, Suzete, Katia and Deise. Sidney was a big gospel music fan so that's what he wanted to perform. They signed with EMI and worked with producer Guto Graca Mello. They recorded a mix of originals and covers of US songs with Portuguese lyrics. One of the most popular hits was a cover of Diana King's Shy Guy with Portuguese lyrics. Gulosa was the theme for the 1999 telenovela Andando nas Nuvens. This album sold over 250,000 copies in Brazil. So it was a big deal. The 1999 album Fat Festa was very similar to the first and included Portuguese versions of We Are Family and Oh Happy Day. But it didn't do as well and neither did the 2001 album Pra Ond For, Me Leve. After losing their record deal, Sidney left Fat Family to record gospel as Sidney Sinay. He released his only solo album in 2007 and then he had health problems and died in 2011. Fat Family has continued to release occasional singles. Plus Deise Cipriano died from cancer in 2018. But they did have that one big album. That's better than nothing. Here's the video for Gulosa by Fat Family. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Elise Reed vs Jinh Yu Frey

Here's the match video of Elise Reed vs Jinh Yu Frey from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Elise is 30 years old. She trains at Kickside Martial Arts in Princeton, NJ with coach John Kanabay. She has gone 2-3 in the UFC. She has not looked good. Jinh is 38 years old from Arlington, TX. She trains with her husband Doug Frey and Saif Saud at Fortis MMA. She's gone 2-4 in the UFC. She's not aggressive enough. They are both points fighters. I expected this fight to go the distance. Jinh won round one and Elise won round three. Round two was close enough that it could have gone either way. The judges gave it to Elise and she won by unanimous decision. Was it a robbery? Nope. It was what I expected. I don't think either of them can beat anyone good. It could have been called a draw and that would have been perfect. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karine Silva vs Ketlen Souza

Here's the match video of Karine Silva vs Ketlen Souza from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Karine is 29 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. Her coach is Gile Ribeiro. She won her UFC debut last year. She was supposed to fight in April but her opponent missed weight and the fight was cancelled. She likes to finish fights. Ketlen is 27 years old from Manaus, Brazil. Her coach is Felipe Rego. This is her UFC debut. She won the Invicta Flyweight Championship in January. She seems to be a striker. Once Karine gets it to the ground, she wastes no time getting a kneebar and finished the fight at 1:45 of round one. Now we have to see Karine against ranked competition. She sure looked great here. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tunng

Artist:Tunng

Song:Hustle

Album:...And Then We Saw Land

Tunng is a British band sometimes classified as folktronica. Never heard of it? Me neither. Tunng is a folk band that uses electronic keyboards and sampling. Folktronica has been around since the early 90s. But I can't say it is widespread or commercially successful. Mike Lindsay and Sam Genders started out composing music for soft core porn movies. They decided to turn it into a band. Though Genders was OK with recording, he didn't want to perform live. So Lindsay had to bring in musicians so Tunng could tour. This included Becky Jacobs on melodica, Ashley Bates on guitar and banjo and Dave Lewis Lloyd. Lindsay handled the electronic elements. They record for the indie label Full Time Hobby and US distribution is by Thrill Jockey. Hustle is from the 2010 album ...And Then We Saw Land. But the time this album was released, Genders left Tunng. He recorded three albums as Diagrams and returned to Tunng in 2018. By this time Tunng was also a solo act with Lindsay bringing in musicians for recording and touring. Lindsay moved to Iceland so that made things more difficult. Tunng's latest album Dead Club was released in 2020. It's based on an eight part podcast about death. They don't appear to be active right now. I guess folktronica is not a viable business though Tunng seem to be critic's darlings. Here's the video for Hustle by Tunng. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bazzi

Artist:Bazzi

Song:Mine

Album:COSMIC

Mine was Andrew Bazzi's 2018 debut single and it was a top 20 hit. The big question is can Bazzi sustain that or will he be a one hit wonder. I have my doubts and I will explain. He was born Aug. 28, 1997 in Canton, MI. His father is a Lebanese immigrant. Bazzi learned to play guitar and started posting videos on YouTube in 2012. Then he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a music career. He attended high school in Santa Monica. Bazzi became a viral sensation. He had 1.5M followers on Vine. Mine was one of two singles he released independently. It got the attention of Atlantic Records and they signed him to a contract. Mine became a meme through a Snapchat slide show. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bazzi wrote and produced the album COSMIC with the production duo of Rice N' Peas (Mike Woods, Kevin White). The album was released only as a digital download. So now what? Bazzi appeared on a remix of the Camila Cabello single Beautiful. He released an EP in 2019 and his new album Infinite Dreams in 2022. The problem I see is he's not charting. Maybe he's a viral fluke. Bazzi has admitted to drug and alcohol problems mostly due to boredom. It looks like he wrote and produced the new album alone. He may not know if his songs are any good. Atlantic shouldn't leave him alone. Here's the video for Mine by Bazzi.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dexter Gordon

Artist:Dexter Gordon

Song:Cheese Cake

Album:The Classic Blue Note Recordings

This is another in my ongoing series introducing classic jazz to newcomers. My only requirement is I have a performance video clip. Even non jazz fans should be familiar with tenor sax legend Dexter Gordon from his Oscar nominated performance in the 1986 film Round Midnight. Gordon had recorded since the early days of bebop. But the best introduction to his music is his Blue Note recordings from the early 60s. Cheese Cake from Gordon's 1962 album Go! is one of his signature songs. He was born Feb. 27, 1923 in Los Angeles. Gordon's father was one of the first black doctors in Los Angeles and jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton were among his patients. Gordon started playing clarinet at age 13 and eventually he switched to tenor sax. He was playing in local clubs with guys like Chico Hamilton and Buddy Collette. Gordon was in Lionel Hampton's band from 1940-43. After stints with Fletcher Henderson and Louis Armstrong, Gordon moved to New York to join Billy Eckstine's band. And that's where bebop really started. Gordon was a featured soloist with Eckstine and in Dizzy Gillespie's band. And he recorded as a leader for Savoy. After returning to Los Angeles, Gordon recorded for Dial Records. He was also a busy sideman. The 50s saw Gordon in and out of prison and addicted to heroin. He first went to prison in 1953 and was released in 1959. Gordon signed with Blue Note in 1961. He moved to New York as recording was at Van Gelder in New Jersey. Gordon recorded for Blue Note from 1961-64. Cheese Cake is from his 1962 album Go! with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Go! may be Gordon's best Blue Note album and this 2 CD comp is a good intro to those recordings. By the time Gordon signed with Prestige in 1965, he moved to Europe. He recorded for Prestige until 1973 and then he recorded for the Danish label SteepleChase. Gordon returned to New York in 1976 and signed with Columbia. There was renewed interest in Gordon and this led to the film Round Midnight. By this time Gordon was having smoking related health problems and this led to his death on April 25,1990 at age 67. Here's Dexter Gordon with Kirk Lightsey on piano, David Eubanks on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums performing Cheese Cake. It doesn't give a date or location but it looks like the 80s.