AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Martin Hayes

Artist:Martin Hayes

Song:Crooked Road/The Foxhunter's Reel

Album:Under the Moon

Martin Hayes is a fiddler who plays traditional Irish music. For the most part, he is usually part of a band. But he occasionally records solo. He was born July 4, 1962 in County Clare, Ireland. His father P.J. Hayes was a noted fiddler and a founder of the Tulla Ceili Band in 1946. He led them until his 2001 death. He taught Martin to play fiddle and at age 13 he won the first of six All-Ireland Fiddle Competitions. Hayes was in the Tulla Ceili Band for seven years. He moved to Chicago in 1985 to play with the rock band Midnight Court. They never got anywhere so Hayes started playing in clubs on the local music scene. One frequent collaborator was Chicago native Liz Knowles who plays Irish fiddle. He also led the band Celtic Aires. Hayes moved to Seatlle in 1993 and signed with Green Linnet Records which is based in Nashville but specializes in Irish music. Crooked Road/The Foxhunter's Reel is from Hayes' 1995 album Under the Moon. It was his second album. It's traditional Irish music produced and arranged by Hayes and recorded in Ireland. Steve Cooney plays guitar on this track and several others. Randal Bays plays guitar on half of the album. Hayes' dad plays on one song. Hayes formed a duo with Midnight Court guitarist Dennis Cahill and they recorded three albums. Since then Hayes has been a member of The Gloaming and he just released an album as part of the Common Ground Ensemble. Irish music fans will want to check out Hayes. Here's Martin Hayes with Steve Cooney performing The Maghera Mountain/Crooked Reel/The Foxhunter's Reel at the 2018 Doolin Folk Festival in the Irish TV network TG4.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ben Webster and Oscar Peterson

Artist:Ben Webster and Oscar Peterson

Song:Sunday

Album:Four Classic Albums

Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster was best known for his stint in the 40s edition of the Duke Ellington band. After he left, he became a sideman and recorded frequently as a leader in the 50s. He recorded with all kinds of collaborators including legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. He was born Mar. 27, 1909 in Kansas City, MO. Budd Johnson taught Webster to play sax. In the 30s Webster played with Lester Young, Blanche Calloway, Bennie Moten and Count Basie. He joined the Ellington band in 1940. Webster was very close to bassist Jimmy Blanton but he argued all the time with Ellington. And after Blanton's 1942 death, it got worse and Webster left in 1943. Webster signed with Verve in 1953 and that's when he first recorded with pianist Oscar Peterson who led the Verve house band. Sunday is from the 1959 album Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson. This was at a time when Webster led a band with Gerry Mulligan and recorded with Art Tatum and Coleman Hawkins. The rest of the band on this album was Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. The album is all jazz standards. Sunday was a 1926 song that gave legendary songwriter Jule Styne his first credit. Ned Miller and Chester Cohn worked together frequently and Benny Krueger was a jazz saxophonist and friend of Miller. At the time Sunday was a hit for Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards. Frank Sinatra recorded it in the 50s and that's when jazz musicians started recording it. Webster particularly liked the song as it became part of his regular repertoire. You can get Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson as part of this 2CD budget comp from Avid. The other albums are Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster (1959) with Peterson on piano, Ben Webster and Associates (1959) with Hawkins, Budd Johnson and Roy Eldridge and The Warm Moods (1962) with Donn Trenner on piano. Webster moved to Europe in 1964 and continued to tour and record until he suffered a stroke and died on Sept. 20, 1973 at age 64. Here's Ben Webster with Oscar Peterson, Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Tony Inzalaco on drums performing Sunday at The Funkhaus in Hannover, Germany Dec. 14, 1972. This entire concert can be viewed on YouTube. There is supposed to be an album for this but it looks like the record company has closed.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Black Men United

Artist:Black Men United

Song:U Will Know

Album:Jason's Lyric: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Black Men United (BMU) was an R&B all star group that was assembled to record one song for the 1994 film Jason's Lyric. It was a top 30 hit. Jason's Lyric was a 1994 film that was clearly aimed at black viewers. Stars included Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett, Bokeem Woodbine and Forest Whitaker. It has been described as an erotic psychological drama. I haven't seen it. The director was Doug McHenry. The studio was PolyGram owned Gramercy Pictures. They had a history of producing films for the black audience. PolyGram was mainly a record company so it's not surprising that they wanted to compile an all star R&B soundtrack. The centerpiece and the lead single was U Will Know by Black Men United. The song was written by Michael Archer and his brother Luther Archer. Michael Archer would soon become famous as D'Angelo. He didn't write it for the film. He says the song was his very first demo and his publisher pitched it like any other song and someone bought it for what turned out to be a high profile project. Soon afterwards, D'Angelo signed with EMI Records and would become a big star. The other producer on this record was R&B singer songwriter Brian McKnight. No doubt he was responsible for getting all the singers to come in. Those singers were Aaron Hall, Boyz II Men, El DeBarge, Gerald Levert, H-Town, Usher, Tevin Campbell and Tony! Toni! Tone!. You'll recognize all of them in the video. Recording engineer Bob Power assembled the band musicians. The single reached #5 on the R&B Singles chart and #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The soundtrack album was certified Platinum. Black Men United looked more like a choir than a group when they performed U Will Know on the American Music Awards. The group that recorded the song was much smaller. Here's the video for U Will Know by Black Men United.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Germs

Artist:Germs

Song:Lexicon Devil

Album:What We Do Is Secret: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

In the late 70s, there were several punk bands that probably could have been successful if somebody  could get reasonable behavior from them. The Sex Pistols proved that but they imploded anyway. Germs was like that. They were popular in Los Angeles clubs but it's impossible to be successful when the music is incoherent. High school buddies Jan Paul Beahm and Georg Ruthenburg were kicked out of University High School in Los Angeles for anti-social behavior. Supposedly they were using mind control on fellow students. They decided to start a band though neither had any music experience. They were big fans of David Bowie's glam rock period. Maybe they wanted to play dress up. The band was formed in 1976. Beahm was lead singer and called himself Darby Crash. Ruthenberg played guitar and called himself Pat Smear. Lorna Doom (Teresa Ryan) played bass. The original drummer was Belinda Carlisle but she was sick at the time and brought in her friend Donna Rhea (Becky Barton). Becky left after three gigs. Belinda did not return as her new band The Go-Go's were starting to take off. She also didn't like the heroin use that was going on. They used various drummers though Don Bolles lasted the longest. At their first show, Germs were so bad they were thrown off the stage after five minutes. Their early shows verged on riots as the crowds were friends playing along with the band's shtick. Germs recorded on reel to reel tape in Smear's garage. The single went nowhere but eventually they signed with Slash Records, a label that specialized in Los Angeles punk bands. Lexicon Devil was released on a 1977 EP. It is generally considered to be their signature song. Ultimately Germs recorded the 1979 album (GI), appeared in Penelope Spheeris' documentary Decline of Western Civilization and recorded some songs with producer Jack Nitzsche for the 1980 film Cruising. So they were improving. But then they split up after conflict with Bolles and Beahm and Ruthenberg formed the Darby Crash Band. Germs reunited on Dec. 6, 1980 and on Dec. 7, Beahm committed suicide with heroin at age 22. Apparently Beahm told Ruthenberg he only wanted to do the show so he could buy enough heroin to kill himself. It was a threat that he had made several times so Ruthernberg didn't think he was serious. But this time Beahm went through with it. His death was overshadowed by John Lennon's murder the next day. Ruthenberg went on to play with Nirvana in the 90s. Director Rodger Grossman made the 2007 film What We Do Is Secret about Germs with Shane West from the ABC TV series Once and Again starring as Darby Crash. There was even a Germs reunion tour with West singing lead. The soundtrack CD has some Germs songs and other things as well. Here's the video of Lexicon Devil by Germs.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frightened Rabbit

Artist:Frightened Rabbit

Song:I Wish I Was Sober

Album:Painting of a Panic Attack

The Scottish band Frightened Rabbit were a successful album and touring act when they had just got a record deal with a major label. Just when it looked like they were getting somewhere, band leader Scott Hutchison committed suicide in 2018. Frightened Rabbit started as a Hutchison solo act. He was born Nov. 20, 1981 in Selkirk, Scotland. Frightened Rabbit was a nickname given to Hutchison by his mother because of his shyness. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art. Hutchison started writing and performing music as Frightened Rabbit. Then he turned it into a band with guitarist Billy Kennedy and his brother Grant Hutchison on drums. They recorded an album in 2006 and the indie label Fat Cat signed them after seeing them perform. Sing the Greys was released in 2007. Andy Monaghan and Gordon Skene joined the band. Skene left in 2014. They recorded three albums for Fat Cat. And though they were critically acclaimed and they were touring, they signed with Atlantic Records in 2011. After releasing an EP, Frightened Rabbit released the 2013 album Pedestrian Valve. I Wish I Was Sober is from the 2016 album Painting of a Panic Attack. The band was still critically acclaimed and they were charting higher and selling better on a bigger label. But they were still unable to cross over to pop. They never had that big hit single. Hutchison released a solo album as Owl John in 2014. In 2018, Hutchison was working on songs for a new album and building a new studio in Glasgow when he went missing on May 9, 2018. He was found dead the next day. His family revealed later that he committed suicide. That was the end of Frightened Rabbit. Here's the video for I Wish I Was Sober by Frightened Rabbit.  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-JJ Aldrich vs Liang Na

Here's the match video of JJ Aldrich vs Liang Na from today's UFC show in Singapore. This fight is at Flyweight. JJ is 30 years old. She trains at Elevation Fight Team in Denver. She has a 7-4 UFC record and she's on a two fight losing streak. JJ tries to win with defense. The problem is that doesn't usually work against decent fighters. Fortunately Liang is terrible. She's 27 years old from China. Her coach is Longyun Jiang. She's 0-2 in the UFC. And she's looked really bad. So I just think she's worse than JJ and doesn't belong in the UFC. JJ won the fight by second round ground and pound. It was her first UFC finish. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Erin Blanchfield vs Taila Santos

Here's the match video of Erin Blanchfield vs Taila Santos from today's UFC show in Singapore. I was up very early this morning. This fight is at Flyweight. These two were supposed to fight in February. But Taila's coaches couldn't get visas so Erin beat Jessica Andrade instead. Erin is 24 years old from Elmwood Park, NJ. She trains at Renzo Gracie in New York City. She is 5-0 in the UFC and she's very accomplished for a young fighter. Taila is 30 years old from Florianopolis, Brazil. She now has her own gym. She is 4-2 in the UFC. She lost to former champ Valentina Shevchenko by split decision. She was winning the fight but ran out of gas. I'm sure Erin and her coaches were aware of this and planned to tire her out. So Taila looked pretty good in round one and won the round 10-9. But then she got tired and Erin was able to take her down. And she outstruck Taila in round three. So Erin won the fight 29-28. Her strategy was what I expected. It remains to be seen what comes next. First we have Manon Fiorot vs Rose Namajunas next week. Then the rematch of Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko for the Flyweight title. Then we can determine the next challenger. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO SKY vs Zelina Vega

Here's the match video of IYO SKY defending her WWE Women's Championship against Zelina Vega. They did this match because Zelina won over IYO a few weeks ago before IYO cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Zelina should never beat IYO under any circumstances. She's not a good enough wrestler. So they needed to give IYO a successful title defense. The match is OK. IYO does her best to sell Zelina's offense. Commentary really tries to sell Zelina as a credible challenger. The end comes when Zelina hits her Code Red finisher. But IYO crawls outside the ring. Zelina goes after her but IYO is playing possum and slams her into the ring steps. IYO tosses her into the ring and finishes her with the moonsault. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-June Carter Cash

Artist:June Carter Cash

Song:Keep on the Sunny Side

Album:Ring of Fire: The Best of June Carter Cash

June Carter Cash was famous for two things. She was a member of the pioneering country group The Carter Family. And later she married Johnny Cash. She could have been a solo performer but she preferred performing with family. She was born June 23, 1929 in Maces Spring, VA. Her parents Ezra and Maybelle Carter were country music performers and with June and her sisters Helen and Anita, they started performing as The Carter Family in 1939. In 1943, they turned it into The Carter Sisters with Mother Maybelle. The Carter Sisters were all accomplished musicians. June played autoharp and frequently was lead singer. She also did comedy routines when they performed on radio. June recorded solo in the 50s but she never had a hit single on the country charts. Then she met Johnny Cash and married him and wrote the song Ring of Fire. After that she toured and performed with Cash and she didn't record solo for many years though she did record with Johnny Cash occasionally. In 2003 she signed with Dualtone Records and released the album Wildwood Flower. The album including Keep on the Sunny Side is mostly country music standards written by The Carter Family leader and June's uncle A.P. Carter. The album was produced by June's son John Carter Cash and includes appearances by family members Johnny Cash, Laura Cash on fiddle (John Carter Cash's former wife) and June's daughter Carlene Carter. Norman Blake plays guitar. The album reached #2 on the Bluegrass chart. But then June Carter Cash died after heart valve surgery on May 15, 2003 at age 73. Johnny Cash died in Sept. 2003. Dualtone released this comp in 2005. Here's the video for Keep on the Sunny Side by June Carter Cash.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Willie Brown

Artist:Willie Brown

Song:Future Blues

Album:The Rough Guide to Country Blues

Willie Brown was a pioneer of the delta blues but mostly as a sideman. Future Blues was one of six songs he recorded in 1930. And Brown is still considered to be a major influence on the blues. He was born Aug. 6, 1900 in Shelby, MS. Brown learned to play guitar as a teen. He played with Son House, Charley Patton and Robert Johnson. Though Brown could have recorded himself, he seemed to prefer being a supporting player. The one time he recorded solo was for Paramount Records in Wisconsin in 1930. He was there to record with Patton, House and singer Louise Johnson. They must have convinced him to record solo. He recorded six songs including Future Blues. That can be found on this various artists budget comp. The only other time he recorded was on a 1942 field recording by musicologist Alan Lomax. Charley Patton died in 1934 but Brown continued to perform with Son House until his death on Dec. 30, 1952 at age 52. Here's a video for Future Blues by Willie Brown.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-MAJOR.

Artist:MAJOR.

Song:Why I Love You

Album:Even More

The 2016 single Why I Love You came out of nowhere after soul legends Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle gave their stamp of approval. Then it spread online and now it's a major wedding song. MAJOR. is singer songwriter Major R. Johnson Finley. He was born Mar. 10, 1984 in Denton, TX. and he grew up in Houston in a blended family of ten kids. After graduating from Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Finley studied at Berklee in Boston and then moved to Los Angeles after graduation. After posting videos on YouTube. Finley signed with British producer Harmony Samuels and his label BOE Music Group. Samuels has produced Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Lopez among others. Then he retired in 2007. He opened his own recording studio in 2011 and produced Ariane Grande's 2013 debut single The Way. Then he started his own label. He produced Finley's 2016 debut EP I Am MAJOR. After Stevie Wonder hailed Why I Love You as wedding song of the year and Patti LaBelle sang it at one of her concerts, Why I Love You went viral and reached #12 on the R&B Singles chart. Then Finley performed Why I Love You on the Soul Train Awards broadcast. The album Even More was released in 2018. You can get it as a digital download. Finley released a couple of spoken word recordings. And he appeared on the FOX TV series Star. He recently released a new EP The Hope of My Soul produced by Samuel and Joe Sumner (Sting's son). Maybe listeners have forgotten about him. Here's the video for Why I Love You by MAJOR.

 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Josefine Knutsson vs Isis Verbeek

Here's the match video of Josefine Knutsson vs Isis Verbeek from last night's Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Both fighters are kickboxers. Josefine is 27 years old. She trains at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden. Alexander Gustafson is one of her teammates. She was a K-1 kickboxer before getting into MMA. Her MMA record is 5-0. She won a fight on Road to UFC last year in Singapore and that got her a shot at a UFC contract. Isis is 28 years old from The Netherlands but she trains at MMA Masters in Miami. She was with Glory Kickboxing before she got into MMA. Her MMA record is 4-1 including a 1-1 record in Invicta so I have seen her before. Josefine wobbles Isis with a head kick early in round one. But instead of going for a finish, she decides to clinch with her on the fence. That was a huge mistake. If she wants that UFC contract, she has to go for the finish. Josefine admitted in her post match interview that she played it safe. Very stupid. I thought Josefine won the first two rounds and faded in the third. So she won the fight but did not get a UFC contract because she chose to play it safe. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-J Mascis

Artist:J Mascis

Song:Every Morning

Album:Tied to a Star

Joseph Mascis Jr. is the leader of the popular alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. When they take a break, he records as J Mascis. The difference is his solo albums are acoustic. He was born Dec. 10, 1965 in Amherst, MA. His father was a dentist. Mascis started playing drums at age nine. He played in the high school band. He started the punk band Deep Wound in 1982 and then Dinosaur Jr. in 1985. Dinosaur Jr. became a very successful album and touring band when they were on Sire Records in the 90s. The big problem with Dinosaur Jr. is Mascis is a notorious control freak and he drove the rest of the band nuts. Guys quit the band because of his behavior. Mascis retired the Dinosaur Jr. name in 1998 and formed a new band J Mascis + The Fog. After two albums, that band ended when Mascis' house and home studio burned down in 2003. After recording in 2005 as J and Friends, Mascis reformed Dinosaur Jr. to tour to celebrate the rerelease of their first three albums. It went so well that Dinosaur Jr. continues to tour and they last recorded in 2021. Meanwhile he has recorded three albums for Sub Pop as J Mascis. Every Morning is from the 2014 album Tied to a Star. Mascis writes, produces and plays all the instruments. The music is acoustic as opposed to the rock of Dinosaur Jr. Mascis tours when Dinosaur Jr. is off the road. His latest solo album was released in 2018. I'm sure he will record again when Dinosaur Jr. takes a break. Here's the video for Every Morning by J Mascis. This video was produced by Funny or Die featuring actor and comedian Fred Armisen.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Way

Artist:The Way

Song:You're Caught in a Way

Album:The Way

Back in the early days of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) or as it was derisively called back then, Jesus Music, it was difficult for bands to find churches who would allow them to perform. Never mind signing with a record label and recording an album. The Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA was one of the few places that encouraged Christian rock bands. Chuck Girard was assistant pastor and he was in the very first Christian rock band called Love Song. And he later went on to have success as a solo artist. The Way was formed at Calvary Chapel in 1971. They signed with Maranatha! and released the album The Way in 1973. In those days, the Christian labels didn't know what to do with rock groups. And Maranatha! was probably worse because they mainly released easy listening music for an older audience. But somebody convinced them to release The Way. The band was Dana Angle, John Wickham, Bruce Herring and Gary Arthur. They all seemed to play guitar and bass. And they all sang and wrote songs. Alex MacDougall was the drummer. He joined The Way as a member after this album was released. Dana Angle was the main songwriter. He wrote You're Caught in a Way with John Wickham. Bruce Herring sang lead and Angle played the guitar solo. The music was soft country rock similar to America. This album is available as a digital download. For their 1974 album Can It Be?, The Way went for a harder rock sound. They brought in Al Perkins to produce. The change was likely his idea. Perkins is best known as pedal steel guitarist for The Flying Burrito Brothers. They split up after that and most of the band left the music business. MacDougall was in the successful CCM band Daniel Amos. It looks like The Way got tired of being on the road all the time and they weren't making money. Of course Christian music was still in its early days and The Way never benefitted from the CCM boom of the 80s. Here's The Way performing You're Caught in a Way at the Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA 1974. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Everlast

Artist:Everlast

Song:What It's Like

Album:Whitey Ford Sings the Blues

After House of Pain split up in 1996, Erik "Everlast" Schrody resumed his solo career and scored a top 20 hit with the 1998 single What It's Like. It turned out to be his only chart single which makes him a one hit wonder. He was born Aug. 18, 1969 in Long Island, NY. He attended Taft High School in Los Angeles the same time as Ice Cube and N.W.A. Schrody was in Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate and they opened for N.W.A. Schrody signed with Warner Bros. and released the 1990 album Forever Everlasting. Ice-T was executive producer. Schrody wrote most of the songs. Most of the album was produced by Ice-T associate Bilal Bashir. When the album didn't sell, Schrody formed House of Pain with high school buddies Leor "DJ Lethal" Dimant and Danny Boy O'Connor. They sold themselves as Irish American hooligan rappers and scored a top five hit with the 1993 single Jump Around. Though some of their other songs charted, Jump Around was House of Pain's only big hit and they split up after three albums in 1996. Schrody returned to a solo career and released the 1998 album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues on Tommy Boy. Unlike House of Pain, this was not rap though it had hip hop elements and was produced by veteran hip hop producers Dante Ross and John Gamble. Schrody wrote most of the songs. What It's Like reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the alternative rock chart. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. It turned out to be Schrody's only chart single. Whitey Ford Sings the Blues is available as a budget CD. His 2000 album Eat at Whitey's didn't sell. He left Tommy Boy after they were sold to Warner Bros. The 2004 album White Trash Beautiful was released on Island Def Jam. Since then Schrody has recorded for his own label, most recently in 2018. He still tours but I think I can safely label Everlast as an official one hit wonder. Here's the video for What It's Like by Everlast. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karine Silva vs Maryna Moroz

Here's the fight video of Karine Silva vs Maryna Moroz from last night's UFC show in Boston. This fight is at Flyweight. Karine is 29 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains with Gile Ribeiro. Karine is 3-0 in the UFC with all three wins by submission. So I expected a similar finish. Maryna is 31 years old from the Ukraine but she trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. Her husband is a boxer. She is 6-4 in the UFC. She's been in the UFC since 2015 and she's still on the early prelims. That doesn't seem like progress to me. Maryna beat Karine in a 2014 match for the XFC in Brazil. The broadcast made a big deal about this. It's a non factor. Karine is a different fighter today. They acknowledged that but then kept mentioning it. Karine was winning round one and then she applied a guillotine choke and Maryna tapped at 4:59 of round one. Certainly a finish right at the end of the round is unusual but I've seen it before. Karine said afterwards that she would like to fight on the Nov. 4 UFC show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This hasn't been announced yet but some fights have already been announced for this show. I would like to see Karine fight a ranked fighter on that show. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Andrea Lee

Here's the fight video of Natalia Silva vs Andrea Lee from last night's UFC show in Boston. This fight is at Flyweight. Natalia is 26 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Carlos Borracha is her coach and UFC Middlewight Paulo Costa is an owner of Team Borracha. Natalia is a former Jungle Fight champ who is 3-0 in the UFC. She is mainly a striker. Andrea is 34 years old from Bossier, LA. She is training with boyfriend and former UFC fighter Mike Kelley. She has a 5-5 UFC record and is on a two fight losing streak. Since Kelley has been coaching her, things haven't gone too well. Natalia does a lot of feinting and leg kicks. And Natalia bloodies Andrea's nose. When she returns to her corner, instead of encouraging Andrea, he goes on a profanity filled tirade. We've seen this from him in her previous fights. Andrea seems to be attracted to guys like this. Her ex-husband and former coach Donny Aaron was jailed in 2019 for domestic abuse. Natalia won the fight easily 30-27. I would like to see her fight a ranked fighter. Andrea needs to return to Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA in Houston. She looked good when he coached her. Kick Kelley to the curb or Andrea will be an ex-UFC fighter. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos

Here's the fight video of Zhang Weili defending her UFC Strawweight Championship against Amanda Lemos from last night's UFC show in Boston. For this fight, Zhang trained with the Hickman Brothers in Thailand. Amanda is from Belem, Brazil. She trains with Marajo Brothers which is former UFC fighter Iuri Alcantara and his brother Ildemar. Amanda's main offensive weapon is her striking. She's a very hard puncher who could knock anyone out given the opportunity. Zhang's strategy was to take Amanda down and not allow her to establish her striking. Zhang took Amanda down early in round one and simply dominated her for five rounds. Round four was the only close round. And by that time, Amanda wasn't the same fighter that she would have been in round one. Zhang couldn't get a finish but she dominated the fight. I scored it 50-44. So what's next for Zhang Weili? That depends. The UFC is thinking about running a show in China next year. If they do that, Yan Xiaonan is the likely challenger. Otherwise Tatiana Suarez is probably the best challenger. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alex Clare

Artist:Alex Clare

Song:Too Close

Album:The Lateness of the Hour

The 2011 single Too Close was a top ten hit in the US and England. It is too date the only chart single for British singer songwriter Alex Clare. It was a fluke hit so I think it has a good chance of being a one hit wonder. Clare was born Sept. 14, 1985 in London. He grew up in South London boroughs like Southwark and Bromley. He grew up listening to his father's jazz record collection and that drew him to soul legends Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway. Clare started out playing trumpet and drums. But eventually he started singing, playing guitar and writing. Clare studied catering at Westminster Kingsway College. A demo got Clare a record deal with Island Records in England. The 2011 album The Lateness of the Hour was produced by Major Lazer led by DJ Thomas "Diplo" Pentz and recording engineer Mike Spencer. Too Close was the second single. And after it was used in an ad campaign for Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, Too Close was a big hit across Europe. It reached #4 on the British Singles chart. Then it was released in the US on Universal Republic and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. This success allowed Clare to be a full time musician. He was working as a real estate agent. When Clare's 2014 album Three Hearts didn't sell, Island dropped Clare and he released a 2016 album on his own label. He's still working on new music. But I don't see Clare charting again. So I think it's fair to label him as a one hit wonder. Here's the video for Too Close by Alex Clare. There are two music videos for this. The first one is really stupid. The second one is not on YouTube but I found it on Vimeo. It's a lot better.  

Alex Clare "Too Close" (Official Music Video) from Keith Rivers on Vimeo.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue vs Toni Storm and Ruby Soho

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida and Skye Blue vs Toni Storm and Ruby Soho from last night's episode of AEW Rampage. This is another example of a pointless timewaster. You have a big match coming up at All In and two of the four wrestlers who will be in that match aren't in this match. This was my first time seeing Skye Blue. She takes a beating through most of the match. I've seen a lot of online slurping like "Gawrsh, she's so bee-yoo-ti-ful". She's OK but nothing special. Her real name is Skye Dolecki. She made her debut in 2017 in Chicago indies until she arrived in AEW in 2021. She's in this match strictly to take a beating. I don't see what that does for her. And that's the problem with the match. It's too one sided and then Hikaru wins over Ruby with jacknife pin. It's like they are trying to make Hikaru look like a fluke champ. And after the match The Outcasts attack and then Britt Baker makes the save. So why didn't Britt come with Hikaru and Skye to neutralize the outside interference. Shhh, they don't want you to ask logical questions. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair vs IYO SKY and Bayley

Here's the match video of Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair vs IYO SKY and Bayley from last night's episode of Smackdown. This meaningless timewaster was announced yesterday afternoon. The intros took five minutes. The match was OK but nothing special. It did nothing to advance this angle or give us any idea what the WWE is going to do with IYO at Payback. The only storyline advancement was afterwards when Damage Ctrl attacked Bianca's phony knee injury. She doesn't sell the knee at all during the match. This tells me that Bianca won't be cleared at Payback. I also think it will be another three or four way match at Payback with maybe Bayley screwing IYO out of the title. When will IYO get a one on one title defense. Maybe never. As I said, they are wasting time with pointless screwing around. They don't know what to do. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Railroad Earth

Artist:Railroad Earth

Song:Mighty River

Album:Bird in a House

Railroad Earth mixes bluegrass with country rock and jam band tendencies. This kind of music is categorized as JamGrass. I wouldn't recommend it to traditional bluegrass fans but Grateful Dead fans will like it. Railroad Earth is from Stillwater, NJ led by lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Todd Sheaffer. They do not perform bluegrass standards. He formed Railroad Earth in 2001 with Tim Carbone on violin, John Skehan on mandolin, Andy Goessling on banjo, Dave Von Dollen on bass and Carey Harmon on drums. They knew each other from other bands. But when they started rehearsing, they thought they had something special. They recorded a demo which got them a spot on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. And then they self released the 2001 album The Black Bear Sessions and that got them a deal with the bluegrass label Sugar Hill. Mighty River is from their 2002 Sugar Hill debut album Bird in a House. The band produced the album. Sheaffer wrote all the songs. The only added musician was Buck Dilly on pedal steel guitar. Bird in the House is available as a digital download. Railroad Earth has also recorded for SCI Fidelity which is home The String Cheese Incident and other jam bands. Lately they have been recording for their own label, most recently in 2022. Andy Goessling died in 2018. He has been replaced by Mike Robinson. Here's Railroad Earth performing Mighty River on a 2006 episode of the PBS TV series Bluegrass Underground. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chiwoniso

Artist:Chiwoniso

Song:Rebel Woman

Album:Rebel Woman

Fans of African music are going to want to check out singer songwriter Chiwoniso Maraire. Sadly, she died young. She certainly had the potential to be a big deal. She was born Mar. 5, 1976 in Olympia, WA. Her father was Zimbanwean mbira master Dumisame Maraire. He moved his family to the US. Chiwoniso went back and forth from the US to Zimbabwe. The main thing he did was he taught Chiwoniso to play the mbire. The mbire is similar to the kalimba. It's like a large xylophone. It's a common instrument in Africa. It has different names depending on location. Chiwoniso attended high school in Seattle and then she studied at the University of Zimbabwe where her father was a teacher. As a teen she formed the Afro fusion hip hop trio A Peace of Ebony which incorporated mbire with rap. They released a 1992 album. Then she joined The Storm led by future husband Andy Brown. She started her own group Chiwoniso & Vibe Culture. She released the solo album Ancient Voices in 1998. Rebel Woman is from the 2008 album Rebel Woman released by the Vermont based label Cumbancha. This turned out to be Chiwoniso's final album as she died from pneumonia on July 24, 2013 at age 37. Her 15 year old daughter committed suicide in 2015. So she didn't get the opportunity to be a major star. Musicians were certainly aware of her. There's a video of her performing with Kris Kristofferson. That's a pretty good endorsement. Once you see Chiwonisa perform, you may like her too. Rebel Woman is available as a budget CD. Here's Chiwonisa performing Rebel Woman.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dino

Artist:Dino

Song:I Like It

Album:24/7

The 1989 single I Like It was one of two top ten hits for singer songwriter and producer Dino Esposito. He was billed as Dino. After his brief run, Esposito got into production. He was born July 20, 1963 in Encino, CA. The family moved around until they settled in Las Vegas and his father owned a restaurant. After earning a bachelor's degree in broadcasting, Esposito would become program director at Las Vegas radio station KCEP. He also DJd in clubs. Then he became lead singer of Esquire and released the 1987 single Summergirls on his own label. It did well enough that Esposito signed with Island's dance label 4th & B'Way. His debut album 24/7 was released in 1989. I Like It was the second single and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was a big club hit. The album was certified Gold. Esposito wrote and produced and played keyboards. He used studio musicians like Jeff Lorber on keyboards, Paul Pesco on guitar and Keith Nelson on bass. Karen Stanton is the female singer. He put a band together for tours with some of the same musicians. They did the late night talk show circuit including The Arsenio Hall Show. 24/7 is available as a budget CD. Dance pop fans should check it out. The 1990 album Swingin' was recorded with the same musicians. The single Romeo reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. But there was no video. So for the 1993 album The Way I Am, Esposito started his own production company and signed with Warner Music's EastWest label. I assume Esposito got a bigger piece of the financial pie. He recorded this album with different musicians and it didn't do as well as the first two. That was Dino's final album. Esposito got into producing artists like David Cassidy and Samantha Mumba and smooth jazz guys like Paul Taylor and Walter Beasley. Here's the video for I Like It by Dino.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Eduarda Moura vs Janaina Silva

Here's the match video of Eduarda Moura vs Janaina Silva from last night's Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Both fighters are Brazilian. Eduarda is 29 years old from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She trains at Galpao da Luta coached by her older brother Yuri Moura. UFC Heavyweight Jailton Almeida is a teammate. Eduarda was inspired by Ronda Rousey to get into MMA. That's why her nickname is Ronda. Her record is 9-0 and she likes to finish on the ground. Janaina is 31 years old from Sao Paulo. She trains at Babuino Gold Team. Her record is 5-0. Her last fight was for LFA in Brazil. The problem for Janaina is she is 5'1" and Eduarda is 5'6". I didn't see how Janaina could keep her distance. And Eduarda took her down early in round one and beat her up until she finished her with a rear naked choke at 4:00 of round one. So Eduarda won the UFC contract. She has fought at Flyweight in the past but she will always have a size advantage at Strawweight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mory Kante

Artist:Mory Kante

Song:Yeke Yeke

Album:best of

Guinean singer songwriter Mory Kante scored an international hit with the 1987 single Yeke Yeke. Kante plays the kora which is a cross between a lute and a harp. It has 22 strings. He was born Mar. 29, 1950 in Albadaria, Guinea. He's from a family of griot or hereditary musicians. His mother was a singer. He was sent to Mali at seven years old to learn the griot traditions and to play the kora. Kante joined the Rail Band in 1971. Salif Keita was the singer at the time but he left in 1973. Kante was in the Rail Band for seven years. He started this huge band Les Milleus Branches and that's when Kante started incorporating soul into his music. Kante recorded his debut solo album in 1981. But then like a lot of African musicians, he moved to Paris. Kante signed with PolyGram's Barclay label. His breakthrough came with the 1987 album Akwabe Beach and the single Yeke Yeke. The song was a big hit across Europe. It was even a top 20 dance hit in the US. The album was recorded in Paris and produced by British producer Nick Patrick. He produced other African acts at the time. A 1995 remix of Yeke Yeke charted in England. Kante recorded for Barclay until Universal bought PolyGram in 1998. This comp is a good intro to his music. Kante recorded for several labels after that until he was forced to retire due to illness. Mory Kante died on May 22, 2020 at age 70. Here's the video for Yeke Yeke by Mory Kante.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Corey Kent

Artist:Corey Kent

Song:Wild as Her

Album:Blacktop

Corey Kent was a contestant on the 2016 season of The Voice. Since then he has broken through in the country market with the 2022 single Wild as Her and he could crossover to pop. He's on a major label and is working with one of Nashville's top producers. He was born Corey Kent White June 21, 1994 in Bixby, OK. He was a big Garth Brooks fan. At age 11, he started touring with a Western Swing band for five years. After he graduated from high school, Kent moved to Nashville. When that didn't work out, he moved back to Oklahoma and wrote songs while attending Oklahoma State University. He released a 2014 EP independently. That's when he got the call to appear on the 2016 season of The Voice. Though he didn't win, the exposure generated interest in a 2016 EP. He also started calling himself Corey Kent. He signed with producer Chris Farren's company Combustion Music and released the 2021 album '21. Farren has produced acts like Deana Carter and Boy Howdy. The album got Kent a deal with RCA Records. After the single Wild as Her reached #3 on the Country Airplay chart and #40 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album Blacktop was released in June 2023. Wild as Her was written by country music star Morgan Wallen, Brett Tyler and Kelly Archer. It was first recorded by Canadian country singer Tyler Joe Miller. Wallen did not record it. Kent has finally got something going. We'll see how he does in the future. Here's the video for Wild as Her by Corey Kent.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cannonball Adderley

Artist:Cannonball Adderley

Song:Work Song

Album:The Best of Cannonball Adderley:The Capitol Years

This is another in my classic jazz series for beginners. The only requirements are a performance video and a CD appropriate for beginners. Julian "Cannonball" Adderley is one of the all time greats of the alto sax. And his trumpeter brother Nat Adderley usually was in his band. Nat could have been a big star on his own but he preferred working with his brother. Cannonball Adderley was born Sept. 15, 1928 in Tampa, FL. Nat Adderley was born Nov. 25, 1931 in Tampa. Their dad was a high school guidance counselor and amateur trumpeter. The family moved to Tallahassee when both parents were hired to teach at Florida A&M University. Dad gave his trumpet to Cannonball. When he decided to play sax, Nat picked up the trumpet. Cannonball studied at Florida A&M and was a high school band teacher. Nat was in the US Army during the Korean War. They moved to New York in 1955. They went to the Cafe Bohemia to see bassist Oscar Pettiford. When Pettiford saw they had their instruments, he asked them to sit in. That got them a record deal with Savoy. But more importantly, Miles Davis heard him and hired Cannonball when John Coltrane was away. Cannonball appeared on several Davis albums including Kind of Blue in 1959. And Davis appeared on Cannonball's 1958 album Somethin' Else, Cannonball's only album on Blue Note. After recording his 1955 debut album on Savoy, Cannonball recorded several albums for Mercury's EmArcy label. Then he signed with Riverside Records and producer Orrin Keepnews in 1958. And that's when thing really took off. Work Song is from the 1960 album Them Dirty Blues. Nat Adderley wrote Work Song and recorded it on his 1960 album Work Song featuring guitarist Wes Montgomery. Cannonball's recording features Nat on cornet, Barry Harris on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. In 1962, Cannonball left Riverside for Capitol and he also hired pianist Joe Zawinul as musical director. Among other things, Zawinul wrote Cannonball's biggest hit Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. This partnership was very successful until Zawinul left to form Weather Report in 1970. And that's when Cannonball left Capitol for Fantasy Records. Cannonball Adderley suffered a stroke and died on Aug. 8, 1975 at age 48. But he is still considered today as one of the all time jazz greats. This budget comp covers Cannonball's Capitol years. This recording of Work Song was recorded live in Belgium in 1962 and released by Riverside in 1964 as Cannonball in Europe!. Zawinul is on piano along with Yusuf Lateef on tenor sax. The rest of the band is the same. Lateef didn't stay very long. Here's Cannonball Adderley with Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes performing Work Song on the 1962 TV show The Jazz Scene.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Luana Santos vs Juliana Miller

Here's the match video of Luana Santos vs Juliana Miller from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. This is Luana's UFC debut. She's 23 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at 011 MMA Team. She's been fighting for LFA in Brazil. Her dad started teaching her judo when she was eight years old. Juliana is 27 years old from San Diego. She trains at Team Hurricane Awesome. She's in the UFC because she won TUF 30. But all the fighters on that show were awful. And I had seen her in Invicta. So she's pretty bad. And she was completely outmatched. Luana kept hammering her until the ref stopped the fight at 3:41 of round one. Luana looked great. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jaqueline Amorim vs Montserrat Ruiz

Here's the fight video of Jaqueline Amorim vs Montserrat Ruiz from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Jaqueline is 28 years old from Manaus, Brazil. She trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. She looked great in the first round of her UFC debut. But she ran out of gas and lost the other two rounds. Montserrat is 30 years old from Mexico. She trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. She's 1-1 in the UFC. Jaqueline dominated the first two rounds. Both were 10-8. Jaqueline went for an armbar at the end of round one but Montserrat escaped. The ref almost stopped the fight at the end of round two due to ground and pound. Montserrat got top position in round three but Jaqueline reversed and got a ground and pound finish. I guess the main thing is Jaqueline didn't fade like she did in her last fight. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iasmin Lucindo vs Polyana Viana

Here's the fight video of Iasmin Lucindo vs Polyana Viana from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Both fighters are Brazilian. Iasmin is 21 years old. She trains at Academia Fight House in Fortaleza. She's 1-1 in the UFC. Polyana is 31 years old. She trains at Tata Fight Team in Rio de Janeiro. She is 4-4 in the UFC. Not much happened in round one. But in round two, Iasmin was able to secure top position and win with an arm triangle choke. Now I would like to see her against a ranked fighter. Polyana could be on her way out of the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Weathers

Artist:Weathers

Song:Happy Pills

Album:Now That's What I Call Music! 60

Back in 2016, Weathers looked like they were going to be the next big thing when the single Happy Pills was the most added song on Alternative radio and it was added to this Now comp which was supposed to spotlight up and coming bands. They had a major label deal with RCA. But then things went south. Let's start from the beginning. Weathers is from Los Angeles. In 2011, Cameron Boyer formed a band called One Youth and changed it to Above Seclusion. They released two albums on Apple Music. Then he met Cameron Olsen at the 2012 Manhattan Beach Battle of the Bands where he was competing with his band Colorblind. The two started working together. Boyer is lead singer. Olsen is lead guitarist. They added drummer Cole Carson and later bassist Brennan Bates. The band name was changed a couple of times. But by 2015 they were called Weathers and they signed with RCA Records. That's when Happy Pills was released and it did very well for a new band. It reached #21 on the Alternative Rock chart and appeared on this Now 60 album that was supposed to spotlight up and coming bands. What RCA should have done was send them to the studio to record an album. But instead Weathers toured and recorded a couple of EPs while on tour. Then they released the EPs as the album Kids in the Night in 2018. By that time music fans had forgotten about Weathers and the album didn't sell. This was mostly RCA's fault so they should have given them another chance. But they were dropped. After releasing music on their own label, Weathers signed with Sumerian Records and released the 2023 album Are We Having Fun?. So Weathers is starting all over. Here's the video for Happy Pills by Weathers. 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Charlotte Flair

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Charlotte Flair from last night's episode of Smackdown. Raise your hand if you thought this match would have a finish. Me neither. The WWE did the obvious and had Damage CTRL come out and interrupt the match. The match was fine. Charlotte didn't sandbag as much as usual as she can't get away with it with Asuka. Commentary pointed out that Bayley was yelling "We're the champions.". I wonder how long IYO SKY will put up with that. Bianca Belair was not on the show. I guess they are selling her knee injury. A heel turn wouldn't surprise me. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Regina

Artist:Regina

Song:Baby Love

Album:Curiosity

Baby Love was a top ten hit in 1986. Raise your hand if you think it's by Madonna. I'm sure plenty of folks did. But it's actually the only chart single by Regina Richards. So she is a one hit wonder. Soundalike hits are more common than you think. Regina is from Brooklyn, NY and she majored in theater at Marymount Manhattan College. In the late 70s she formed the New Wave band Regina Richards and Red Hot and played clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City. They got the attention of veteran producer Richard Gottehrer and he got them a deal with A&M Records. They released a 1981 album. Gottehrer produced and Regina wrote most of the songs. When the album went nowhere, Regina ended the band and decided she was going to concentrate on songwriting and studio work. The band's drummer Stephen Bray worked with her. Meanwhile Madonna was trying to get a record deal and asked Regina to help her with her demos. Bray went on to work with Madonna on Like a Virgin. So Regina figured now that Madonna is a big star maybe she will record some of her songs. And Regina and Bray wrote Baby Love for Madonna. Instead Regina's label, Atlantic Records, asked her to record it herself. Regina's recording of Baby Love reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Curiosity followed. Baby Love was produced by Bray. The sax solo is by David Sanborn. The rest of the album was produced by B.T. Express drummer Leslie Ming. The album is available as a digital download. The album was unsuccessful mainly because of the perception that Regina is a Madonna wannabe. Other than Dannii Minogue's 1991 recording of Baby Love charting in England and Australia, Regina hasn't recorded since Baby Love. So maybe recording it wasn't such a good idea in the first place. Here's the single for Baby Love by Regina. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Audioslave

Artist:Audioslave

Song:Like a Stone

Album:Audioslave

When Rage Against the Machine's lead singer Zach de la Rocha left in 2000, the rest of the band decided to remain together and find a new lead singer. They tried out several including B-Real of Cypress Hill. But they decided they didn't want a rapper or someone who was similar to de la Rocha. Producer Rick Rubin suggested they talk to Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell. After Soundgarden split up in 1997, Cornell released a 1999 solo album and he was working on his next album. Rubin thought that with the right singer, Rage Against the Machine could be a better band kind of like when The Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. The rehearsals went really well so they decided to form the band. They ultimately decided not to keep the name Rage Against the Machine and call themselves Audioslave. Also Rage Against the Machine were on Interscope and Cornell was on Epic. The labels decided to alternate releases. Rubin produced the 2002 album Audioslave. The songs are mostly songs that Cornell was planning to record solo. The marketing was to sell Audioslave as a new "supergroup". By my definition, Audioslave was not a supergroup. They were just Rage Against the Machine with a new singer, certainly a big name singer but that was the only change. Usually a supergroup is guys from different bands coming together. But the marketing strategy was very successful as the album was certified 3XPlatinum. Like a Stone reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it topped the Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts. Audioslave didn't need a hit single anyway. The album is available as a budget CD. Audioslave released two more albums and then Cornell left in 2007 to resume his solo career. There may have been some conflict between Cornell and the rest of the band. But I get the impression that Cornell never wanted Audioslave to be a long term project. The rest of the band may have thought otherwise. Rage Against the Machine reformed with De La Rocha in 2007 and they have toured occasionally. Audioslave reunited in 2017. But then Cornell died so that was the end. Here's the video for Like a Stone by Audioslave. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jay

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her AEW Women's Championship against Anna Jay from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. First of all, this should have been a non title match. Tony Khan's flawed logic is that Anna had her debut match against Hikaru on a 2020 episode of AEW Dark. Their logic is "See how much Anna has improved in three years" except Anna is not an athlete so she still isn't very good. Then they announced that this will be a qualifier for a four way title match at All In at Wembley Stadium on Aug. 27. Toni Storm has been given a bye as a title rematch. The other two matches are Saraya vs Skye Blue and Britt Baker vs The Bunny. So all three matches should be squashes. So why did Khan give Anna so much offense in this match? It's because it's the main event of the show when it probably shouldn't have been there. Plus most of Anna's offense was during the commercial break. To Hikaru's credit, she really tries to sell Anna's offense. But Anna just isn't any good. Of course Hikaru wins. We'll see what kind of idiotic swerve happens at All In. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marc Anthony

Artist:Marc Anthony

Song:I Need To Know

Album:Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony has been one of the most popular Latin music singers since the 90s. He had success in English when he scored a top five hit with the 1999 single I Need To Know. The 1999 album Marc Anthony is one of his two English album to date. He was born Marco Antonio Muniz Sept. 16, 1968 in New York City. His parents are Puerto Rican. He was named after Mexican Singer Marco Antonio Muniz. He grew up in Spanish Harlem. His father taught him to play guitar and exposed him to a variety of music. Anthony says his biggest influence is legendary Puerto Rican bandleader Tito Puente. Anthony started out as a session singer for freestyle and house music acts in New York. He changed his name to Marc Anthony to avoid confusion with his namesake. For the next few years he worked on freestyle music with guys like Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry. After Vega and Anthony opened for a 1992 Tito Puente Madison Square Garden concert, Anthony switched to Latin music. He signed with RMM Records and had immediate success in the Latin market. By the late 90s, Anthony was one of the most popular Latin Singers. RMM wanted Anthony to record in English. But he decided to leave for Sony. He thought RMM was ripping him off. He sued them and the lawsuit was settled. But while it was going on, Anthony couldn't record in Spanish. So he accepted Sony's Tommy Mottola's invitation to record in English. The result was the 1999 album Marc Anthony. Anthony wrote and produced with several guys including Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Walter Atanasieff. But about half the album including I Need To Know was produced by Cory Rooney who had worked on Jennifer Lopez' breakthrough album On the 6. I Need To Know reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Anthony released a second English album Mended in 2002 also with Rooney. When there was no hit single and the album wasn't as successful as the first one, Anthony decided to return to recording in Spanish. He's still successful in that market. He released his latest album last year. Here's the video for I Need To Know by Marc Anthony. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marisa Monte

Artist:Marisa Monte

Song:Eu Sei

Album:Mais

Brazilian singer songwriter Marisa Monte has been successful since the early 90s. In the 80s she moved to Italy to be an opera singer but was convinced to record her own music. She was born July 1, 1967 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She started singing and playing piano as a child and began to study opera at age 14. After taking the entrance exam for Escola Nacional de Musica, she decided to move to Rome at age 18 to study opera in depth. It was there that she met veteran producer Nelson Motta. He had worked with Elis Regina among others. He convinced Marisa that she could be a successful pop singer in Brazil. He got her a deal with EMI. She has recorded for them for most of her career. Mais was her second album in 1991. The album was produced by Arto Lindsay, an American who has worked with Brazilians like Caetano Veloso. The album was recorded in New York and Brazil. The musicians on the New York tracks include John Zorn and Marty Ehrlich on sax, Marc Ribot on guitar, Bernie Worrell of Parliament/Funkadelic on keyboards, Melvin Gibbs on bass and Dougie Bowne on drums. Gibbs and Bowne worked with Lindsay. Eu Sei was recorded in Brazil featuring Japanese keyboard whiz Ryuichi Sakamoto, Lindsay and session musicians Perinho Santana and Robertinho do Recife on guitar, Ricardo Feijao on bass, Gigante Brazil on drums and Armando Marcal on percussion. When this album was successful, Marisa continued to work with Lindsay. Mais is available as a budget CD. Marisa moved to Sony a couple of years ago and her latest album Portas was released in 2021. She is self producing these days. Here's Marisa Monte performing Eu Sei 2005.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kylie Minogue

Artist:Kylie Minogue

Song:Can't Get You Out of My Head

Album:Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection

Kylie Minogue was an aspiring actress who stumbled into a music career and is now the best selling Australian female recording artist of all time. Most of her success has been international especially England and Australia. The 2001 single Can't Get You Out if My Head is one of her two top ten US hits. She was born May 28, 1968 in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents are British. Her sister Dannii is also a singer. Both of them took singing and dancing lessons as children. Kylie appeared in the 1985 TV series The Henderson Kids. She only lasted one season and that's when she decided to try music. She did a demo tape for the TV show Young Talent Time. Dannii was already a regular on the show. Kylie appeared on the show once and then she was a regular on the soap opera Neighbours. She was part of a major romance storyline which got her enough attention that she performed the 60s classic The Loco-Motion at a benefit concert for the Fitzroy Football Club. Producer Greg Petherick had Kylie record a demo and the Aussie label Mushroom Records signed her mostly because of Neighbours. Producer Mike Duffy gave Locomotion a dance backbeat and the record was a hit in Australia. Kylie was sent to London to work with the dance pop production team of Stock Aitken Waterman. Their rerecording of The Locomotion was a big hit in England and that got Kylie a US record deal with Capitol. The Locomotion reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1988 album Kylie was certified Gold. Kylie continued to have success in Australia and England. But she didn't have success in the US until the 2002 album Fever and the single Can't Get You Out of My Head. The song topped the charts worldwide but it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. She worked with various producers on the album Can't Get You Out of My Head was written by Swing Out Sister lead singer Cathy Dennis and guitarist Rob Davis of the 70s group Mud. Cathy has had a lot of success writing pop songs that she wouldn't be caught dead singing herself. This is Kylie's most recent US hit. Her current label BMG released this budget comp that covers her entire career. Her albums still sell well in Australia and she has a new album coming next month. I guess Kylie is a legend in Australia. But here she's a footnote. Here's the video for Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rosa Linn

Artist:Rosa Linn

Song:Snap

Album:Now That's What I Call Eurovision Song Contest

The 2022 single Snap became a hit across Europe after Rosa Linn sang it in the Eurovision Song Contest and then it went viral on Tik Tok. Now she is signed to Columbia Records. She was born Roza Kostandyan May 20, 2000 in Vanadzor, Armenia. She started playing piano at age six and began songwriting as a teen. On 2013 her song Gitem was the Armenian selection in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Rosa signed with Nvak Collective which is owned by Armenians who live in the US. They released the single King which was a duet with Kiiara. Rosa performed it on Armenian TV. Then Rosa was chosen to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy. Eurovision is a big deal in Europe but not in North America. My buddy David Friend of Canadian Press covers it but I don't pay much attention to it. I'm interested in new Blue Note Records releases. The single Snap and the video was released in March. Rosa sang it a couple of times on the Eurovision show in May and finished 20th. Then it went viral on Tik Tok and it was a top ten hit across Europe. So though the Eurovision judges didn't like the song, European music fans liked to sing along to the chorus. Rosa wrote and produced the song with Nvak Collective co-owner Tamar Kaprelian and others. You can get it on this Eurovision various artists comp. After Snap was a hit, Columbia signed Rosa though the song didn't do that well in North America. Since then Rosa performed Snap on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Columbia released an EP earlier this year. Could Rosa Linn be a fluke? Of course because Tik Tok made Snap a hit. Time will tell. Here's the video for Snap by Rosa Linn.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bianca Belair vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Asuka defending her WWE Women's Championship vs Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair from last night's SummerSlam. Anyone who has read this blog in the past knows that I hate three way matches. I don't like the flow of the match. There's too much standing around. This one was no different. And Charlotte made too many mistakes. She even had a wardrobe malfunction. And then they did Bianca's phony knee injury. Look, if it's real, they stop the match and take Bianca out on a stretcher. And then they had her win the match with a small package. And afterwards they had IYO SKY  successfully cash in her Money In The Bank contract to become the new champ. Even that was predictable. The whole thing was telegraphed in advance. So I am happy that IYO won the title. I just think the WWE needs to stop doing three way matches. They have worn out their welcome. Meanwhile, Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported last night that Kairi Sane is returning to the WWE. She will announce this at a press conference in Tokyo today. She has some commitments in Japan. So I don't know when she is coming. We should know after her press conference. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tatiana Suarez vs Jessica Andrade

Here's the match video of Tatiana Suarez vs Jessica Andrade from last night's UFC show in Nashville. This fight is at Strawweight. Virna Jandiroba was supposed to be Tatiana's original opponent but she dropped out due to a knee injury. Jessica is probably a more aggressive fighter than Virna. And she is a former Strawweight champ though she is currently on a two fight losing streak. Tatiana is 32 years old. She trains at Millennia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Tatiana is undefeated but she had a four year injury layoff first with a neck injury than a knee injury. This is her first fight at Strawweight in her comeback. This fight is a good test for Tatiana because if she's the same fighter today that she was before her injuries, a win will put her in the title picture. Tatiana mainly uses strikes to set up takedowns. Then she goes for submissions. Jessica needs to keep the fight standing. She couldn't do do it. Tatiana took her down and passed to half guard. She easily won round one. Then in round two, Tatiana took Jessica down again and got her in a guillotine and that was it. Tatiana wins by submission. She's in the title picture. There is a title match coming up in a couple of weeks. Tatiana could be the next challenger. Enjoy the video!