AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Academy Is...

Artist:The Academy Is...

Song:About a Girl

Album:Fast Times at Barrington High

The pop band The Academy Is... was on their way to success when the 2008 album Fast Times at Barrington High and single About a Girl charted. But they couldn't seem to get along and they split up in 2011. They have reunited a couple of times but they missed their big opportunity. The Academy Is... is from Chicago. In 2003, lead singer James Beckett and bassist Adam T. Siska were classmates at Barrington High School. They decided to start a band and recruited guitarist Mike Carden after his previous band split up. They added lead guitarist AJ LaTrace and drummer Michael DelPrincipe. They released the 2004 EP The Academy on the local label LLR. Beckett and Carden had recorded solo projects for the label. When Fall Out Boy leader Pete Wentz liked the EP, he took them on tour and they signed with Atlantic's Fueled by Ramen label. The band name was changed to The Academy Is... to avoid legal problems. They recorded the 2004 album Almost Here in Florida with Dashboard Confessional producer James Paul Wisner. After a summer tour, La Trace and DelPricipe were replaced by Thomas Conrad and Andy Mrotek. Then they toured again with Fall Out Boy. The album was finally released Feb. 2005 and The Academy Is... went out on their first headline tour. The album didn't do very well. Conrad was replaced by Michael Guy Chislett. For the 2007 album Santi, The Academy Is... went to Los Angeles to record with producer Butch Walker of Garbage. The album did better so at least they made progress. For the 2008 album Fast Times at Barrington High, The Academy Is... worked with the production team of S*A*M and Sluggo (Sam Hollander, Dave Katz) who had success with Cobra Starship. This album did a lot better as it reached #17 on the Billboard 200. The single About a Girl reached #88 on the Billboard Hot 100. I'm sure the video helped. It was really good. As with all their albums, Beckett wrote all the songs. So now they are getting somewhere. After the 2009 EP Lost in Pacific Time, Mrotek and Chislett left and Beckett announced plans for a new album. But instead they split up. Apparently they weren't getting along and after two guys left, it didn't make sense to stay together. After Beckett recorded solo, The Academy Is... reunited for a 2015 concert and they reunited again in 2022. Based on Beckett's Facebook, a permanent reunion seems unlikely though one offs could happen. I think their time is past anyway. Here's the video for About a Girl by The Academy Is... 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ivana Petrovic vs Na Liang

Here's the fight video of Ivana Petrovic vs Na Liang from Saturday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Ivana is 29 years old from Croatia and she trains at Orion MMA Academy in Norway. She lost her UFC debut. Na is 27 years old from China. She trains at Longyun MMA. She's 0-3 in the UFC. She starts out OK but she runs out of gas quickly. That's what happens in this fight. Na has nothing left in the third round anyway. But Ivana submits her with a triangle choke. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ketlen Souza vs Marnic Mann

Here's the fight video of Ketlen Souza vs Marnic Mann from Saturday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Ketlen is 28 years old from Amazonas, Brazil. She trains at Team Felipe Rego. She lost her UFC debut. Ketlen says the fight was at Flyweight and Strawweight is her natural weight. Marnic is 31 years old from Bozeman, MT. She trains at Montana Mixed Martial Arts. She also lost her UFC debut. Based on this fight, she doesn't belong in the UFC. Marnic was very tentative and Ketlen won easily 30-27. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karine Silva vs Ariane da Silva

Here's the fight video of Karine Silva vs Ariane da Silva from Saturday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Karine is 30 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. Her coach is Gile Ribeiro. She's 3-0 in the UFC. She likes to finish fights. Ariane is 30 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains at the UFC Gym in Miami. She's 6-5 in the UFC. She's been a disappointment but she's on a three fight winning streak. These two used to be teammates so I expected Karine to be more conservative than usual. She didn't get a finish. But I thought Karine won the fight 30-27. One judge scored it the same. The other two gave Ariane round three and scored the fight 29-28 for Karine. It doesn't matter as Ariane needed a finish. So Karine is on the way up. We'll see who she fights next time. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dee Clark

Artist:Dee Clark

Song:Raindrops

Album Golden Classics

The 1961 single Raindrops was the biggest hit for Dee Clark. He had some other hits mostly on the R&B charts. He was born Delecta Clark Jr. Nov. 7, 1938 in Blytheville, AR. His mom was a gospel singer so she encouraged him to sing. Then he was in The Hambone Kids who recorded Hambone for Okeh in 1952. Then he joined the vocal group The Goldentones who became The Kool Gents. After winning a talent contest, Chicago DJ Herb Kent got them a deal with Vee Jay's Abner label. Vee Jay suggested to Clark that he go solo. When Little Richard gave up Rock 'n' Roll for gospel, Clark filled his dates. Four of Clark's singles were top ten R&B hits including Nobody but You, Just Keep It Up, Hey Little Girl and How About That. He was also making inroads on the pop charts. So Vee Jay moved Clark up to the main label so he would get better promotion. And it paid off when the 1961 single Raindrops reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B Singles chart. Clark wrote the song and it was produced by Vee Jay house producer Calvin Carter and arranged by Riley Hampton. Raindrops is still an oldie radio staple. Things didn't go well for Clark after that. When Ewart Abner left Vee Jay in 1963, he took Clark with him to start his new Constellation label. Things didn't go well there either. The label closed in 1966. You can get all of Clark's hits on this Collectables comp. Clark recorded for Columbia, Wand, Liberty and United Artists. And he even recorded an updated version of Raindrops in 1973. Clark performed on the oldies circuit until he suffered a 1987 stroke and died on Dec. 7, 1990 at age 52. Here's a video for Raindrops by Dee Clark.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ed Ames

Artist:Ed Ames

Song:My Cup Runneth Over

Album:The Very Best of Ed Ames

The Ames Brothers were a very popular 50s vocal group. After they split up in 1959, Ed Ames launched an acting career. After some success on TV, his acting career stalled and Ames turned to singing. Though most of his success was in the Adult Contemporary market, a couple of his singles were pop hits. He was born Edmund Urick July 9, 1927 in Malden, MA. His parents were Ukranian Jews. They had nine children. Four of the Urick brothers formed a quartet and won singing contests in the Boston area. They moved to New York and called themselves the Amory Brothers. Famed playwright Abe Burrows suggested a name change to Ames Brothers. They signed with Decca's Coral label and had several hits in the 50s. They also appeared on TV a lot. Like many 50s pop singers, Rock 'n' Roll killed The Ames Brothers and they split up in 1959. It looks like Ed Ames was the only one to remain in entertainment. First he studied acting at the Herbert Berghof School. Ames appeared in the off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible followed by The Fantasticks followed by the Broadway musical Carnival!. Ames' dark complexion led to him playing Chief Bromden in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He was spotted by 20th Century Fox and they cast him as the Cherokee tribesman Mingo on the TV series Daniel Boone. This was his biggest acting role. He appeared on the show from 1964-68. Of course he also made a famous 1965 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and a tomahawk. You can watch that on YouTube. Ames decided to get back into music by signing with RCA Records. When the 1965 single Try to Remember from The Fantasticks reached #17 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #73 on the Billboard Hot 100, Ames must have been surprised. He thought his singing career was over. The 1967 single My Cup Runneth Over did even better. It topped the Adult Contemporary chart and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. My Cup Runneth Over is from the Broadway musical I Do! I Do! written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. The Broadway show starred Mary Martin and Robert Preston. The album My Cup Runneth Over was mostly showtunes produced by veteran Nashville producer Jim Foglesong. That was Ames' biggest hit. He continued to have success in Adult Contemporary until he left RCA in 1972. This comp from the British reissue label Tarragon covers Ames' RCA recordings. Ames returned to acting. He did TV guest shots and appeared in Summer Stock musicals until he retired in the 90s. Ed Ames died on May 21, 2023 at age 95. Here's Ed Ames performing My Cup Runneth Over on The Ed Sullivan Show Sept. 24,1967. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lincoln Brewster

Artist:Lincoln Brewster

Song:Today Is the Day

Album:Today Is the Day

Lincoln Brewster started out as a session guitarist in the 90s. But he felt Christian music was his calling. So he has been a successful CCM artist mostly as an album and touring act since the 00s. He could probably cross over to mainstream rock but he chooses not to do that. He was born July 30, 1971 in Fairbanks, AK and he grew up in the nearby town Homer. His mother got him into music as a child. And by age 12 he was leading the band Lincoln and the Missing Links which included his mother on bass. Brewster's family moved to Modesto, CA. He attended high school there and played in the high school band. Brewster was already getting contract offers when he started attending church with his girlfriend. He became a born again Christian and turned down the record deals. Journey lead singer Steve Perry asked Brewster to work on his 1994 album For the Love of Strange Medicine. He toured with Perry but decided to go home to Modesto become music minister of the local church. The Brewsters moved to Nashville in 1997 and became music ministers at The Oasis Church. He was approached by the Christian label Integrity Music and he was ultimately signed to a record deal. Brewster released his 1999 debut album Lincoln Brewster. Brewster toured with Michael W. Smith. And he moved back to California to become the pastor at Bayside Church in Granite Bay near Sacramento. By the time Brewster released the 2008 album Today Is the Day, Integrity was distributed by Sony. That alone has increased the label's sales and Brewster's as well. Today Is the Day was the first single and it reached #14 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. This was Brewster's first single since 2002. The hiatus was mostly due to his growing family and commitment to his church position. Brewster wrote Today Is the Day with songwriter Paul Baloche, best known for the 2002 Michael W. Smith song After All. Brewster wrote and produced the album. He usually writes with a lyricist. For this album, he wrote several songs with Hillsong's Mia Fieldes. Israel Houghton and Hillsong leader Darlene Zschech make guest appearances. Brewster's latest album Perfect Love was released in 2021. He seems to release a new album every three years so he might be due for a new one soon. Brewster still writes frequently with Mia Fideles. And his co-producer is Colby Wedgeworth. Wedgeworth plays keyboards as well and he has produced other CCM artists. He is from Sacramento. That keeps things close to home. Here's the video for Today Is the Day by Lincoln Brewster. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-James Booker

Artist:James Booker

Song:Gonzo

Album:Raunchy! Volume 2: More Instrumentals: Rockin' Into the Sixties

Pianist James Booker was a legend of New Orleans R&B. He was known as The Black Liberace. For the most part he was a sideman and studio musician. But he occasionally he recorded as a leader. The 1960 single Gonzo was an R&B hit. Maybe you heard it on the AMC TV series Mad Men. He was born Dec. 17, 1939 in New Orleans. Booker's father and grandfather were Baptist ministers who played piano. He started playing at age six and played piano in his father's church. He spent part of his childhood with his aunt due to his father's health problems. In school he became friends with Art Neville, Charles Neville and Allen Toussaint. Then Booker was hit by an ambulance and broke his leg in eight places. He recovered but was left with a permanent limp. Booker learned to play trumpet and sax and played organ on radio station WMRY every Sunday. Booker first recorded for Imperial Records in 1954. His recordings were produced by Dave Bartholomew. Though his own recordings were unsuccessful, Bartholomew frequently had Booker play piano on Fats Domino records. At the same time, Booker adopted a flamboyant stage persona similar to Little Richard. He became known as The Black Liberace. In the late 50s, Booker recorded for Chess and Ace and as a sideman with Huey "Piano" Smith, Shirley and Lee, Joe Tex, Larry Davis, Junior Parker, Earl King, Smiley Lewis and Lloyd Price. In the early 60s, Booker recorded several singles for Don Robey's Peacock Records. These were all instrumental. Gonzo was the most successful of these. It reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B Singles chart. This was the only time Booker charted. As I said, you may have heard Gonzo on the AMC TV series Mad Men. And you can get it on this 2CD various artists comp from the reissue label Jasmine. The musicians on this record are not identified. But I believe Booker played all the instruments including the flute solo. Heroin landed Booker in jail. After his mother's 1967 death, Booker was convicted of heroin possession and sentenced to a year in Angola. He was assaulted while there and lost an eye. After his release, Booker returned to session work. He recorded an album for Paramount in 1973. But the master tapes were lost. They were found in the 90s and released. Then he signed with Island Records and had success touring Europe. Booker returned to New Orleans in 1978 and continued to play clubs until his death on Nov. 8, 1983 at age 43. Though James Booker was never famous, he was certainly revered by the New Orleans music community. Here's a video for Gonzo by James Booker.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brian d'Arcy James

Artist:Brian d'Arcy James

Song:Blue Skies

Album:Irving Berlin's White Christmas: The Musical

Actor Brian d'Arcy James is mainly known for his work on Broadway. He has been nominated for four Tonys. He has done films and TV. But he is mostly known for Broadway musicals. He was born June 29, 1968 in Saginaw, MI. His uncle was Brian Kelly from the TV series Flipper. After graduating from Northwestern University's School of Communication, he moved to New York and started to appear in shows like Carousel and Titanic. The 2002 musical Sweet Smell of Success was his first Tony nomination. This was based on the 1957 film. His other Tony nominations are for Shrek the Musical (2009), Something Rotten! (2012) and Into the Woods (2023). Blue Skies is from the 2007 musical White Christmas. Of course everyone knows it as a 1954 film starring Bing Crosby with songs by Irving Berlin. It was produced as a musical in 2000 mostly as a touring show. It played briefly on Broadway in 2008. But by that time James left the show to appear in Shrek the Musical. James starred as Bob Wallace which was the character that Bing Crosby played. There's an original cast album for this which is unusual as most cast albums are for Broadway shows. James continues to appear on Broadway currently in the musical Days of Wine and Roses. Probably his most notable film role was as Officer Krupke in the 2021 film West Side Story. BTW, I loved that film. On TV he was in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. But like I said, James prefers the stage and that's where I expect him to stay. Here's Brian d'Arcy James performing Blue Skies at The White House Nov. 2010.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band

Artist:C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band

Song:Turn Around and Say Goodbye

Album:Step It Up!

C.J. Chenier is the son of The King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier. C.J. continues that tradition and is known as The Crown Prince of Zydeco. He was born Clayton Joseph Thompson Sept. 28, 1957 in Port Arthur, TX. He grew up knowing about his father's music but was a fan 0f 70s funk and soul. When he first listened to his father's music, Chenier thought all the songs sounded the same. He played sax in local bands in Texas and studied music in college. In 1978, Chenier was asked to play sax in his father's band. By the time Clifton Chenier died in 1987, C.J. was ready to take over the band. And he's been recording and touring ever since. You may have heard Chenier when he appeared on Paul Simon's 1990 album Rhythm of the Saints and he also toured with him. Chenier recorded several albums for Alligator Records. Turn Around and Say Goodbye is from the 2001 album Step It Up!. This was his final Alligator album. He has since recorded for World Village. C.J. Chenier performs at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and he records his set and sells it. Zydeco is great party music so I suggest you check it out. Here's C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band performing Turn Around and Say Goodbye on The Artie Lange Show 2012. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Josh Gracin

Artist;Josh Gracin

Song:Nothin' to Lose

Album:Josh Gracin

After a fourth place finish on season two of American Idol (AI), Josh Gracin topped the country charts with the 2004 single Nothin' to Lose. Things didn't go so well after that especially when his record label closed. Now I guess he's the subject of "Whatever happened to" articles. That happens to many AI contestants. He was born Oct. 18, 1980 in Westland, MI which is a Detroit suburb. He listened to rock as a child. But when his radio station switched to country, he got into Garth Brooks and George Strait. Gracin performed locally as a teen and performed at a national talent show at the Grand Ole Opry. After graduating from high school, Gracin joined the US Marine Corps, got married and was assigned to Camp Pendlton in California as a supply clerk. He still had the music bug so he successfully auditioned for AI in 2003. After finishing fourth in the finals, Gracin wasn't able to go on the AI tour because of his Marines commitment. They sent him on a recruitment tour. Gracin was honorably discharged in 2004. So how did he get a record deal? When he sang the Rascal Flatts song I'm Movin' On on AI, that band was watching him on their tour bus. Rascall Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus was so impressed that he hooked Gracin up with producer Marty Williams who had produced a couple of Rascal Flatts albums. This led to a record deal with Disney owned Lyric Street Records. Gracin's 2004 debut album Josh Gracin was certified Gold and the single Nothin' to Lose topped the Country Singles chart. A couple of other singles were top five. Nothin' to Lose was written by Marcel Chagnon and Kevin Savigar. It appeared on Chagnon's 1993 album on Mercury Records. He recorded as Marcel. When Chagnon's music career was unsuccessful, he turned to  directing music videos. Savigar is a British session musician who was in Rod Stewart's band in the 80s. Gracin did not write any of the songs. For Gracin's 2008 album We Weren't Crazy, Williams brought in veteran songwriter Brett James to work with Gracin on developing songwriting skills. James wrote Carrie Underwood's Jesus, Take the Wheel. James wrote several songs on the album including a couple with Gracin. But the album didn't do as well as the first one. The criticism of both albums was Gracin was not distinctive enough to be successful long term. In other words, he sounded too much like other country singers. Then Disney closed Lyric Street in 2010. He released the 2012 album Redemption on Average Joes Entertainment. Gracin wrote all the songs and co-produced. But he didn't have the Disney machine behind him anymore. So of course the album was unsuccessful. Since than, Gracin has released a few singles on his own label and he still tours. The closing of Lyric Street really hurt him. So that's what happened to Josh Gracin. Here's the video for Nothin' to Lose by Josh Gracin. The video was shot at a Nashville high school so Anne Marie Kovacs was probably a student there. It's her only credit.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Limblifter

Artist:Limblifter

Song:Tinfoil

Album:Limblifter

Ryan and Kurt Dahle of the Canadian band Age of Electric (AOE) started Limblifter in 1994 when AOE went on hiatus and they had surplus songs they wanted to use in a side project. The Dahle brothers are from Vancouver. Ryan plays guitar and Kurt plays drums and sings. AOE signed with MCA in Canada and Mercury in the US which was also AOE's label. The album Limblifter was released in 1995. The third member of Limblifter was Taste bassist Ian Somers. The Dahle brothers wrote and produced the albums. Singles like Tinfoil were played on Canadian radio. When AOE returned with the 1997 album Make a Pest a Pet, the Dahles put Limblifter on the backburner. When AOE split up in 2008, the Dahles revived Limblifter and replaced Somers with Todd Fancey. After the 2000 album Bellaclava, Kurt Dahle and Fancey left to join The New Pornographers. Ryan Dahle formed a new band Alarm Bell with former members of The Matthew Good Band. When that didn't work out, Dahle revived Limblifter. Limblifter has since released three albums. The latest was Little Payne in 2022. They are playing some shows in May. Here's the video for Tinfoil by Limblifter. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Daniel Boone

Artist:Daniel Boone

Song:Beautiful Sunday

Album:Hard to Find 45s on CD Volume 8: Seventies Pop Classics

British singer songwriter Daniel Boone scored a top 20 hit with the 1972 single Beautiful Sunday. He is perceived as a one hit wonder but one of his other songs charted so he is technically not a one hit wonder. Boone has had a long career in England. He was born Peter Charles Green July 31, 1942 in Birmingham, England. He was guitarist for The Beachcombers who played local clubs from 1958-62. The band met Tommy Bruce who had a top five hit with the 1960 single Ain't Misbehavin'. He was billed as Tommy Bruce and the Bruisers. But there was no band as the music was recorded by studio musicians. So The Beachcombers became The Bruisers. Green started writing and recording as Lee Stirling with Bruce's manager Barry Mason. Green had little success as Lee Stirling. But The Bruisers continued to chart until they split up in 1967. In 1971, Green joined Larry Page's Penny Farthing label as a singer songwriter. He decided to call himself Daniel Boone. Page produced The Troggs hit Wild Thing. Green started writing with another staff songwriter Rod McQueen. They wrote several songs for an upcoming Daniel Boone album. But the song they thought would be a hit was Beautiful Sunday. After hearing the song, Page thought so too. Beautiful Sunday reached #21 on the British Singles chart. But when it was licensed to Mercury Records in the US, it reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Boone continued to write and perform for many years. But Beautiful Sunday was his only big hit. You can get it on this various artists CD from the oldies label Eric Records. This song is on a lot of various artist CDs. But I know Boone re-recorded it I know that this CD has the original recording. Daniel Boone died on Jan. 27, 2023 at age 80. Here's the video for Beautiful Sunday by Daniel Boone. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Suede

Artist:Suede

Song:Animal Nitrate

Album:The Best of Suede: Beautiful Ones 1992-2018

Suede was successful in their native England in the 90s. The 1993 single Animal Nitrate was their first top ten hit in England. They were known as The London Suede in the US and they weren't as successful there. Lead singer and main songwriter Brett Anderson and guitarist Justine Frischmann met in 1988 while studying at University College London and soon became a couple. They started jamming with Anderson's childhood friend Mat Osman on bass. They placed an ad in NME for a lead guitarist. That brought them 19 year old Bernard Butler. They decided on the name Suede. There was no drummer. They used a drum machine. Suede was influenced by The Smiths and The Cure among others including 70s glam rock. They started playing gigs. A demo was sent to the BBC radio show Demo Clash. They won five straight weeks and that got them a record deal with the small label RML. They weren't happy with the drum machine and placed an ad for a drummer. They ultimately hired Simon Gilbert who spoke to their manager at the time Ricky Gervais. Anderson and Justine split up and she started dating Blur lead singer Damon Albarn. She thought she could stay in the band. But there was tension so she was kicked out. Anderson and Butler started writing songs together. They had trouble getting a record deal because they sounded too much like The Smiths and grunge was popular at the time. They finally signed with Saul Galpern's Nude label for two singles. That's when the buzz started and record companies offered to buy their contract from Galpern. Instead he signed a distribution deal with Sony that gave Suede creative control. Their debut album Suede was released in 1993. Animal Nitrate was the third single and it reached #7 on the British Singles chart. The album topped the charts. Anderson and Butler wrote all the songs and former Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Ed Buller produced the album. Not surprisingly, Animal Nitrate was about drugs. Suede still sounded like The Smiths but that didn't matter anymore. When the album was released in the US, some lounge singer threatened to sue about the name. So they were forced to call themselves The London Suede. Meanwhile, Anderson and Butler weren't getting along and Butler left in 1994. A lot of the 1994 album Dog Man Star had already been recorded. Anderson continued to write on his own. Richard Oakes was the new guitarist. They also added Gilbert's cousin Neil Codling to play keyboards. Suede continued to have success in England until Nude closed in 2001 and Sony stopped promoting them. Anderson decided to disband Suede in Oct. 2003. Suede reunited for one time only in 2010. But they decided to make it permanent and they have released three albums. This 2CD budget comp covers Suede's entire career. Suede toured with the Manic Street Preachers in 2022 and they are currently on tour with them again. Here's the video for Animal Nitrate by Suede. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Anita Kerr

Artist:Anita Kerr

Song:The Fool on the Hill

Album Favorites

Anita Kerr was a very important part of the Nashville music scene mostly providing backup singers for sessions. Her group The Anita Kerr Singers recorded many easy listening albums. She moved to Europe in the 70s. She was born Anita Grilli Oct. 13, 1927 in Memphis. She married Al Kerr in 1947 and they moved to Nashville so he could be a DJ at radio station WKDA. Anita was performing with her vocal group in clubs when a WSM radio program director hired her to arrange and conduct a choir for the show Sunday Down South. She got into providing session singers for producer Owen Bradley at Decca Records. By 1955 they were doing eight sessions per week. Anita and her singers won on the TV show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and they became regulars on his daily TV show. When they weren't in New York doing that, they were still doing sessions in Nashville. The Anita Kerr Singers signed with RCA Records in 1961. They recorded easy listening covers of hits similar to The Ray Charles Singers. They won a Grammy for the 1965 album We Dig Mancini. Anita also arranged and produced Living Voices albums. Plus Anita and her singers continued do do sessions. After Anita divorced her husband in 1965, she moved to Los Angeles with new husband Alex Grob. She left RCA for Warner Bros. and formed a new version of The Anita Kerr Singers. She continued to record albums, was choral director for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and recorded several albums with poet Rod McKuen. After switching to Dot Records in 1969, Anita moved to her husband's native Switzerland in 1970. She formed a new group with British singers Anne Simmons, Ken Barrie and Danny Street and recorded for Philips Records and later Word Records. She slowed down in the 80s and didn't record much. This recording of The Fool on the Hill was on the 1994 album Favorites on Bainbridge Records. I was surprised she didn't record this song in the 60s. The album is mostly 60s covers recorded in England. Anita Kerr died on Oct. 10, 2022 at age 94. Here's Anita Kerr performing The Fool on the Hill Dec. 14, 1974.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Guetta

Artist:David Guetta f/Sia

Song:Titanium

Album:Nothing but the Beat: Special Edition

French DJ David Guetta is a songwriter and producer who has been very successful bringing in guest singers like Sia Furler for the 2011 single Titanium. It's one of his biggest hits. He's recorded a lot of music. But he sold his catalog in 2021 and seems to be slowing down a bit. It's not like he needs the money. He was born Nov. 7, 1967 in Paris. He started out as a DJ in the Broad Club in Paris in 1984. He got into house music in 1987 and released Nation Rap with rapper Sidney Duteil. He continued to DJ at local clubs and released the 1994 single Up & Away featuring Fingers Inc. singer Robert Owens. He formed Gum Productions in 2001 with DJ Joachim Garraud and they released the single Just a Little More Love featuring gospel singer Chris Willis who was on vacation in France when he met Guetta. The single did well enough to get Guetta a record deal with Virgin Records and his 2002 debut album Just a Little More Love. Guetta was in demand to do remixes of David Bowie's Heroes among other things. But things picked up for Guetta with the 2009 album One Love and the single When Love Takes Over featuring Kelly Rowland. This topped the British Singles chart. Then the single Sexy Bitch featuring Akon reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. So now Guetta is really in demand. He produced the 2009 Black Eyed Peas single I Gotta Feeling which topped the charts and won Grammys. And that led to the 2011 album Nothing but the Beat. He scored three top ten hits from that album. Titanium featuring Sia Furler was probably the biggest hit as it topped the British Singles chart and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album is his biggest seller to date and it's available in a 3CD deluxe edition at a budget price. Since then things have slowed down for Guetta. He's recorded two albums and a few of his singles have charted. In 2021, Guetta sold his back catalog to Warner Music for $100M. He still records singles occasionally and produces and does remixes. But it seems like he's winding down his career. He's made his money. Maybe it's time to relax. Here's the video for Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia. Yes, that is Rob Lowe as a cop. And the boy is played by British actor Ryan Lee. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andrea Bocelli

Artist:Andrea Bocelli f/Jennifer Lopez

Song:Quizas, Quizas, Quizas

Album:Passione: Deluxe Edition

Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli started crossing over to pop in 1994. He's never had a hit single so his record sales is to an older mostly female audience. He also records in multiple languages. This 2013 album Passione was released in English and Spanish versions. He may be the only one doing that today. He was born Sept. 22, 1958 in Lajatico, Italy which is in Tuscan. He was born with congenital glaucoma. He grew up on the family farm which today is run by his brother Alberto. Bocelli's father died in 2000. Bocelli started piano lessons at age six. After he heard Franco Corelli, Bocelli wanted to sing. He was completely blind at age 12. He performed locally and won singing contests. After graduating high school, Bocelli studied law at the University of Pisa and sang in local clubs at night. After graduation, he worked as a court appointed lawyer. In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero was looking for a tenor to record a demo of his song Miserere to send to famed tenor Luciano Pavarotti. When Pavarotti heard the demo, he urged Zucchero to use Bocelli on the record and take him on tour. Miserere was a hit across Europe and Bocelli signed with the label Sugar Music. He sang Miserere in the Sanremo Music Festival and made a big splash there. So obviously Bocelli was going to be very popular in Italy. The turning point came when British singer Sarah Brightman heard Bocelli sing Con te partiro and wanted to sing the English version Time to Say Goodbye as a duet for the retirement bout of German boxer Henry Maske. The record was a hit across Europe. It reached #2 on the British Singles chart. That's when Bocelli started singing in different languages. After making his US debut on PBS in 1997, his albums started selling and he became even bigger after touring the US and appearing on various TV shows. Probably his best selling album in the US was the 2009 Christmas album My Christmas. It was certified 2XPlatinum. He's very consistent. One of the producers on his Christmas album was David Foster. Foster also works with Josh Groban. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas is from Bocelli's 2013 album Passione. It's a duet with Jennifer Lopez. There is also a duet with Nelly Furtado and a virtual duet with Edith Piaf. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas was written by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farres and recorded in 1947 by Bobby Capo. It was first recorded in English by Desi Arnaz in 1948. Nat King Cole sang the song regularly in the late 50s. But the song has never been a hit. Passione was certified Gold in the US and the Latin version topped the Latin charts. Passione is available in a Deluxe Edition with four bonus tracks. So that's where Bocelli is at right now. He's recording different kinds of music in various languages. And I'm sure his back catalog makes Universal a lot of money. His latest album A Family Christmas which he recorded with his kids was released in 2022. Lately he has performed with his son Matteo including on this year's Oscar telecast. Here's Andrea Bocelli featuring Jennifer Lopez performing Quizas, Quizas, Quizas on Dancing With The Stars 2013. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amy Winehouse

Artist:Amy Winehouse

Song:Rehab

Album:Back to Black

British singer songwriter Amy Winehouse had the potential to be a huge star. But she wasn't able to stay sober and died of alcohol poisoning at age 27. The 2007 single Rehab was her biggest hit. And I guess it tells her story in a nutshell. Keep in mind that a lot of this played out in the British press and that just made things worse. She was born Sept. 14, 1983 in Southgate, London, England. They way she got into music is her grandmother was a singer who once dated jazz saxophonist Ronnie Scott. And her uncles were jazz musicians. Her parents encouraged her interest in music. She attended the Susi Earnshaw Theater School for four years followed by the Sylvia Young Theater School. She dropped out of school at age 16 and in 2000 became the featured vocalist for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. One of her demos got her a development deal with Simon Fuller. He tried to keep her secret. But eventually Island Records found out about her. Amy had already signed a publishing deal with EMI and was working with producer Salaam Remi. Amy released her 2003 debut album Frank produced by Remi. Amy wrote most of the songs. Amy's voice was compared favorably with Sarah Vaughan. The album did well in England. When I first heard of Amy, I thought she was OK but nothing special. There is a history in the music business of racism. If a white singer sounds black, the record company would push her because a white singer can be sold to a larger audience. That's what I thought was happening with Amy. Of course I didn't know at the time that Amy would blow up worldwide with the 2007 album Back to Black. Amy was sent to New York to record with Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings. Mark Ronson produced half the album. Remi produced the other half. Rehab was the first single and it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the British Singles chart. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. By this time, Amy was drinking heavily. Ronson says she told him about her dad trying to get her to go to rehab and her refusal. That was the song Rehab. I guess the song could be ironic if things improved for Amy. But instead they got worse. She got a mixed reaction at live shows because she wasn't in any condition to perform. Amy's next album was scheduled for a 2011 release but it was not finished. And she continued to have problems performing live. Amy made her final public appearance in support of her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield who was backing up The Wanted at Camden's Roadhouse in London July 20, 2011. She died three days later. There was not only the alcoholism but she was suffering from bulimia too. Her final recording was a duet of Body and Soul with Tony Bennett for his album Duets II. This was released on Amy's 28th birthday in September. There was a documentary released in 2015 and now there's a feature film being released soon. The sad thing is I don't think we have learned anything from the demise of Amy Winehouse. We just go on to the next big thing. I guess everyone is disposable. Here's the video of Rehab by Amy Winehouse.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steven Pasquale

Artist:Steven Pasquale

Song:Streets of Dublin

Album:A Man of No Importance: A New Musical

Actor Steven Pasquale is probably best known for playing New York City firefighter Sean Garrity on the popular FX TV series Rescue Me. But he started out on stage. And he seems to prefer it though he has a busy TV schedule. He hasn't done a lot of films. He was born Nov. 18, 1976 in Hershey, PA. Pasquale was a theater major at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Texas for one semester. Then he moved to New York. He started out in national tours of West Side Story and Miss Saigon. Then he appeared in the musicals The Spitfire Grill and A Man of No Importance in 2002. A Man of No Importance is a musical based on the 1994 film A Man of No Importance starring Albert Finney. It's about a Dublin theater group attempting to stage Salome over the objections of local church authorities. The music was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty who also wrote the musical Ragtime. Lynn also wrote plenty of songs for the popular TV show Schoolhouse Rock. Stars include Roger Rees, Jessica Molaskey and Faith Prince. The show ran at Lincoln Center from Sept.-Dec. 2002. But I think it was only intended for a short run. But there is an original cast album available on CD. Pasquale played Robbie Fay and The Streets of Dublin is his big song. Since then, A Man of No Importance has been produced a few times in small runs. Pasquale was supposed to appear in the 2003 Broadway production of The Light in the Piazza But his Rescue Me schedule wouldn't allow it. He appeared on that show from 2004-11. He's had a few other roles on TV but that's the big one. He returned to Broadway in The Bridges of Madison Country in 2013. And he currently appears in the Stephen Sondheim musical Here We Are. Here's Steven Pasquale performing The Streets of Dublin at a benefit. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez

Here's the fight video of Jessica Andrade vs Marina Rodriguez from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Jessica is 32 years old. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas. Jessica is a former Strawweight champ. She's 16-10 in the UFC. Marina is 36 years old. She trains with Marcio Malko at Thai Brasil in Florianopolis, Brazil. She's 7-3 in the UFC. She loses every time she is a position for a title shot. And beating Jessica could get her that title shot. Her problem is she is a kickboxer with no ground skills. But she has a significant height advantage. So if she could keep Jessica at a distance, she could win this fight. She wasn't able to do that in round one. Jessica got her down and won the round 10-9. Marina was better in round two and I thought she won the round 10-9. But two of the three judges scored it 10-9 for Jessica. I scored round three 10-9 for Marina. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Marina. Because two of the three judges scored round two for Jessica, she won the fight by split decision. It was close so it could have gone either way. But this is the price Marina pays for not being a complete fighter. Enjoy the video!  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kayla Harrison vs Holly Holm

Here's the fight video of Kayla Harrison vs Holly Holm from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Kayla is 33 years old. She trains with Mike Brown at American Top Team in Florida. She's a two time Olympic judo champion. She's been fighting in PFL at a much higher weight. This is her UFC debut. Making weight was the big question and she did make weight. Holly is 42 years old from New Mexico. She trains at Jackson Wink with Mike Winklejohn. Holly is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. But she's always been limited as a fighter. And now she's older and should probably retire. So I expected Kayla to win easily and she did exactly that with a rear naked choke at 1:47 of round two. The Bantamweight division is weak right now. So it shouldn't take long for Kayla to get a title shot possibly by the end of the year. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan

Here's the fight video of Zhang Weili defending her UFC Strawweight Championship against Yan Xiaonan from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Zhang is 34 years old from China. She is training with John Wood at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Zhang is 8-2 in the UFC. this is her second run with the UFC Strawweight Championship. Yan is also 34 years old from China. She trains with Danny Castillo at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. She's on a two fight winning streak. Yan is a striker. Zhang's big advantage is her grappling. I thought she could win the fight easily by getting it to the ground. And that's pretty much what happened. Yan started out OK in round one by keeping Zhang at a distance. But Zhang took her down and by the end of the round had gotten her in a rear naked choke. I thought she was out and the fight should have been stopped. But ref Jason Herzog ruled that Yan was saved by the bell. I scored the round 10-9 for Zhang because Yan did well in the first half of the round. Zhang continued to dominate on the ground in round two and I scored the round 10-8 for Zhang. Zhang looked like she was out of it in round three. And she said afterwards that she was. So I scored round three 10-9 for Yan. But Zhang won the final two rounds. So I scored the fight 49-45 for Zhang and so did all three judges. As I said, I expected Zhang to win so there were no surprises. The next challenger should be a hopefully healthy Tatiana Suarez. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Merrilee Rush

Artist:Merrilee Rush

Song:Angel of the Morning

Album:Sixties Classics

Most listeners should be familiar with Juice Newton's 1981 top five hit Angel of the Morning. But you may not know that it was a cover of Merrilee Rush's 1968 top ten hit recording. That record is perceived as a one hit wonder though some of Merrilee's other songs charted. It was her only big hit. She was born Merrilee Gunst Jan. 26, 1944 in Seattle. She learned to play piano as a child. In 1960, she became lead singer of The Amazing Aztecs led by saxophonist Neil Rush. The band didn't last. But the two married and formed Merrilee and her Men and performed covers in Seattle clubs. They were also in Tiny Tony and the Statics who had a regional hit with the song Hey Mrs. Jones. In 1965, the pair formed Merilee Rush and the Turnabouts. They toured Washington and Oregon. One of their road crew also worked for Paul Revere and the Raiders and got them a spot opening for that band's 1967 tour of the southern US. While in Memphis, Raiders leader Mark Lindsay introduced the Rushes to veteran producer Chips Moman. He owned American Studio in Memphis. Moman and another veteran producer Tommy Cogbill took Merrilee into the studio to record Angel of the Morning. The song was written by Chip Taylor. He is the brother of actor Jon Voight and wrote The Troggs hit Wild Thing. Taylor offered the song to Connie Francis but she turned it down. Taylor produced Evie Sands recording of Angel of the Morning but Cameo-Parkway couldn't promote it due to financial problems. Cogbill was looking for a singer to sing Angel of the Morning. And that's when Moman introduced him to Merrilee. She recorded the album Angel of the Morning With Moman's house band. Moman and Cogbill sold it to Bell Records who had success with acts like Syndicate of Sound and James and Bobby Purify. Angel of the Morning reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. Merrilee was nominated for a Grammy. You can get Angel of the Morning on this 3CD various artists comp. So it looks she's on her way. But she gets divorced. After a few more singles didn't do well, Merrilee left Bell for Scepter. But she only recorded one single for them. She eventually released a 1977 album on United Artists. Merrilee found a new husband and they moved back to Seattle. I assume she is now retired. Here's Merrilee Rush performing Angel of the Morning on American Bandstand 1968.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cathie Ryan

Artist:Cathie Ryan

Song:Somewhere Along the Road

Album:Somewhere Along the Road

Cathie Ryan is a former member of the folk group Cherish the Ladies. She went solo in 1995 and has recorded and toured since then. Cathie was born in Detroit but her parents were Irish immigrants. Her father was a singer and her mother played the fiddle. They frequently traveled to Ireland to visit family. At age 17, Cathie moved to New York to attend Fordham University. She joined Cherish the Ladies in 1987. She went solo in 1995. She has mostly recorded for Shanachie Records. They are mostly a distributor of music that is not commercial enough to get a major label deal. Basically it's her label and Shanachie distributes it to stores. Cathie recorded her first two albums in the US. But she has moved to Ireland and since the 2001 album Somewhere Along the Road, she has recorded in Ireland or Scotland with local musicians. This album was produced by fiddler John McCusker and he also plays fiddle. Other musicians include Phil Cunningham on accordion, Kris Drever on bass, Malcolm Stitt on bouzouki, Iain MacDonald on flute, John Doyle on guitar, Andy Seward on Jew's Harp, Michael Aharon on organ and James Mackintosh on percussion. Though Carrie writes her own songs and also records traditional songs, Somewhere Along the Road was written by Steeleye Span bassist Rick Kemp and first recorded by Steeleye Span lead singer Maddy Prior in 1993. Cathie last recorded in 2012 on her own label but she still tours Europe and the festival circuit. Here's Cathie Ryan with Patsy O'Brien on guitar and Patrick Mangan on fiddle performing Somewhere Along the Road at Fiddler's Green in Austria Dec. 20, 2012.

   

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bette Davis

Artist:Bette Davis

Song:They're Either Too Young or Too Old

Album:Did You Know These Stars Also Sang?

Of course Bette Davis was one of the all time Hollywood greats mostly during her days at Warner Bros. in the 30s and 40s. She made her only singing appearance in the 1943 all star extravaganza Thank Your Lucky Stars. She made some other singing appearances later on including an album in the 70s. She was born Ruth Elizabeth Davis Apr. 5, 1908 in Lowell, MA. Betty was a childhood nickname which she changed to Bette after the main character in the novel La Cousine Bette. Bette got into acting while attending the boarding school Cushing Academy. She went to see a play starring British actress Peg Entwistle. Bette made her Broadway debut in the 1929 play Broken Dishes. Of course with the advent of sound, Bette wanted to move to Hollywood. At first she worked for Universal and things didn't go well. She was going to return to New York when actor George Arliss cast her in the 1932 film The Man Who Played God. Warner Bros. signed her to a five year contract and she stayed for 18 years. Bette's breakthrough as a star was the 1934 film Of Human Bondage. She was loaned out to RKO. Despite her stardom, Bette had a contentious relationship with Warner Bros. mostly about wanting more money to appear in films that she didn't want to do. This led to Bette signing to do a film in England which led to a lawsuit which she lost. Bette's career picked up when she appeared in the 1938 film Jezebel. She had a lot of success for the next few years in films like The Letter (1940), All This, and Heaven Too (1940) and The Little Foxes (1941). Bette was Warner Bros.' most profitable star and she was successful until she left the studio in the late 40s. During WWII, all the studios made all star extravaganzas. That's what Thank Your Lucky Stars was. It starred Edward Everett Horton and S.Z Sakall as producers forced to allow Eddie Cantor to take over an all star show. Many Warner Bros. stars made cameos. Some of them sang. It was the only singing film appearance for Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland and Ida Lupino. Normally the studio dubbed their singing. But Bette Davis did her own singing. So there was a lot of buzz about that. They're Either Too Young or Too Old was written for the film by Frank Loesser and Arthur Schwartz. It was never a hit. It's mainly known as the song Bette Davis sang in a movie. She does a pretty good job. You can get it on this 2CD various artists CD from the oldies label Jasmine Records. Bette sang in a couple of 60s films, appeared in the Broadway musical Two's Company and even recorded an album in the 70s. But this was her only memorable singing performance. Here's Bette Davis performing They're Either To Young or Too Old in the 1943 film Thank Your Lucky Stars.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Snarky Puppy

Artist:Snarky Puppy

Song:GO

Album:Culcha Vulcha

Snarky Puppy is a jazz fusion band successful mostly as an album and touring band. I guess they are somewhat similar to Umphrey's McGee. Snarky Puppy won a Grammy for the 2016 album Culcha Vulcha. They are an instrumental band that occasionally brings in guest singers. The leader of Snarky Puppy is bassist Michael League. He's from California but he was studying jazz at North Texas State when he formed Snarky Puppy in 2004. The band membership is fluid as guys get jobs touring with big name bands and return when the tour is over. Some of the guys who have been in Snarky Puppy since the start and are still there include Bill Laurence, Bobby Sparks and Shaun Martin on keyboards, Bob Lanzetti, Chris McQueen and Mark Lettieri on guitar, Larnelle Lewis and Robert "Sput" Searight on drums, Nate Werth on percussion and Bob Reynolds, Chris Bullock and Justin Stanton on horns. Snarky Puppy moved to New York in 2009 and signed with Ropeadope Records. They have their own label GroundUPmusic. They were distributed by Universal and they now distribute themselves. So Michael League has turned Snarky Puppy into a successful cottage industry. GO is from Snarky Puppy's 2016 album Culcha Vulcha. It won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. League wrote half the songs including GO and he produced. Their latest album Empire Central was released in 2022. It was recorded live in Dallas. Snarky Puppy won a Grammy for this album too. Snarky Puppy is currently on tour and they are going to Europe next week. Check them out if they are coming your way. Here's Snarky Puppy performing GO for The Furious Sessions at Sol de Sants Studio in Barcelona, Spain 2018. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Koz and Friends

Artist:Dave Koz and Friends

Song:Before I Let Go

Album:Summer Horns II: From A to Z

Saxophonist Dave Koz has been a fixture at the top of the jazz charts since the 90s. He's at the forefront of the Smooth Jazz movement. Smooth Jazz is for people who don't listen to jazz. It's become what Easy Listening was in the 50s. Koz was born Mar. 27, 1963 in Tarzana, CA. His brother Jeff Koz is also a musician. Koz played sax in his high school jazz band. In 1986, he graduated from UCLA with a degree in mass communication. Then he decided to become a musician. He started out touring with Bobby Caldwell and then Jeff Lorber and Richard Marx. He signed with Capitol Records and released his 1990 debut album Dave Koz. Koz was a regular guest on The Arsenio Hall Show and he was in Tom Scott's band on The Pat Sajak Show. He appeared on the daytime soap General Hospital and wrote a theme song. It's those kind of appearances that made Koz a popular jazz artist. He has hosted several radio shows over the years. And he has run the Dave Koz & Friends Jazz Cruise since 2005. Kox moved from Capitol to Concord in 2010. This cover of Frankie Beverly's Before I Let Go is is from the 2018 album Summer Horns II: From A to Z. It's a sequel to the 2013 album Summer Horns featuring Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot. This was used to promote a tour and they appeared on the entire album. It was so successful that Koz decided to do a Summer Horns II tour and album with Albright, Elliot, Rick Braun and Aubrey Logan. They did tour but Albright, Elliot and Logan only appeared on a couple tracks each. Braun produced so he's on the whole album. This was Koz's final album for Concord. Since then he has released three albums on his own label, most recently in 2021. Koz is not on tour right now. He is running his cruise in May. Maybe he's looking to wind down his career. Here's Dave Koz featuring Gerald Albright and Rick Braun performing Before I Let Go in Atlanta 2019.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Yellow Balloon

Artist:The Yellow Balloon

Song:Yellow Balloon

Album:The Yellow Balloon

In the late 60s, a real band wasn't necessary to have hit single. The Kasenetz-Katz factory was based on recording with studio musicians and then form a band. That's kind of what The Yellow Balloon was. They scored a top 30 hit with the 1967 single Yellow Balloon. And that was it. They only recorded one album. And as you will see, there was a celebrity involved in this. The guy behind The Yellow Balloon was producer and songwriter Gary Zekley. His biggest success was writing the 1970 Grass Roots hit Sooner or Later. In 1966, Yellow Balloon was on a Jan & Dean album that was never released. Zekley liked the song but he hated the recording. So he pitched the song to record companies. Canterbury Records owner Ken Handler liked the song so much that he wanted to record it immediately. So he brought in studio musicians like guitarist Mike Post and keyboardist Daryl Dragon. When the record started getting radio airplay, Zekley realized he would have to put a band together. Fortunately, Handler had a solution. He had under contract actor Don Grady from the popular sitcom My Three Sons. Grady gathered some friends to record an album. They were Alex Valdez on lead vocals, Frosty Green on keyboards, Paul Canella on guitar and Don Braucht on bass. Grady played drums under a phony name. And you'll notice in the video he's wearing a disguise though Dick Clark clearly knows who he is. The single Yellow Balloon reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band could have been successful but they split up soon after the album was released. The reissue label Sundazed has released The Yellow Balloon album with bonus tracks. Here's The Yellow Balloon performing Yellow Balloon on American Bandstand 1967.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Das EFX

Artist:Das EFX

Song:They Want EFX

Album:Dead Serious

The rap duo Das EFX scored a top 30 pop hit with the 1992 single They Want EFX. They had short lived success on the Rap and R&B charts. But that was their biggest hit. Willie "Skoob" Hines is from Brooklyn, NY and Andre "Dray" Weston is from Teaneck, NJ. They met at Virginia State University in 1988 and started performing together. They got the attention of another rap duo EPMD and they got Das EFX a record deal with Atlantic's EastWest label. DAS stands for Dray and Skoob and EFX is "effects". They Want EFX was the first single from their 1992 debut CD Dead Serious. It topped the Rap chart, reached #5 on the R&B Singles chart and reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. On the strength of that single, Dead Serious was certified Platinum. Hines and Weston wrote and produced They Want EFX. Samples include Buffalo Gals by Malcolm McLaren and Blind Man Can See It by James Brown. Dead Serious is available on CD. Das EFX recorded four albums for EastWest. They continued to have success on the Rap chart. It's always been difficult for rap acts to have longevity and Das EFX was no different. After their final EastWest album in 1998, they went on hiatus and released a 2003 album on their own label. They haven't recorded since then but they still tour occasionally. Weston released a solo album in 2012 and he makes guest appearances. Here's the video for They Want EFX by Das EFX. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nora Cornolle vs Melissa Mullins

Here's the fight video of Nora Cornolle vs Tanya Mullins from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was supposed to be at Bantamweight. But both fighters missed weight so it was done at a catchweight. Nora is 34 years old from France. She won her UFC debut last Sept. I think she owns her own gym. Melissa is 32 years old from Coventry, England. She won her UFC debut last Oct. I haven't seen enough of either fighter to know if they are any good. But the bottom line is Nora won by TKO with a head kick and a couple of knees to the body at 3:06 of round two. The fight was fairly competitive up until that point. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Norma Dumont vs Germaine De Randamie

Here's the fight video of Norma Dumont vs Germaine De Randamie from yesterday's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Norma is 33 years old from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She trains at Gordin Fight Team. She's 6-2 in the UFC and is on a three fight winning streak. She was brought in as a Featherweight and this is her first fight at Bantamweight. Like many Brazilians, she's pretty good on the ground. Germaine is 39 years old from Utrecht, The Netherlands. We haven't seen her since 2020 because she took time off to have a baby. She's 7-2 in the UFC and is a former Featherweight champ. Germaine is a great kickboxer but is terrible on the ground. So she needs to keep it standing to win the fight. She couldn't do that. Norma took her down in round one. She was unable to advance her position but the ground control was enough for me to score the round 10-9 for Norma. Germaine was able to keep it standing in round two and landed enough to win the round 10-9. But Norma was able to take her down again in round and again controlled her enough to win the round 10-9. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Norma and al three judges scored it the same. And though the fight was uneventful, it was a big win for Norma that should move her up in the rankings especially since the Bantamweight division is weak right now. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Run The Jewels

Artist:Run The Jewels

Song:Walking in the Snow

Album:RTJ4

Run The Jewels is a hardcore rap act from two rap music veterans. They will never be mainstream because they use too much profanity. In fact, I don't think I can post this video on the blog. It will give you a link to watch it on YouTube. The two guys behind Run The Jewels are Jaime "El-P" Meline and Michael "Killer Mike" Render. Both have been in rap since the 90s. They were introduced to each other in 2011 by Cartoon Network executive Jason DeMarco and they joined forces and released their 2013 debut album Run The Jewels on the indie label Fool's Gold. The name Run The Jewels is from the 1990 LL Cool J song Cheesy Rat Blues. They have released four albums. They currently record for their own label with BMG distribution. Walking in the Snow is from RTJ4. This was released in 2020 and is their latest album. Meline produced the album with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. As I said, Run The Jewels will appeal to those who enjoy this kind of rap. It's not mainstream music but there is a market for it. Here's the video for Walking in the Snow by Run The Jewels. You'll probably have to click on the link to watch it on YouTube. YouTube didn't used to do this. But they started a couple of years ago. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sidewalk Prophets

Artist:Sidewalk Prophets

Song:The Words I Would Say

Album:Three Simple Truths: Deluxe Edition

The CCM band Sidewalk Prophets made a big splash when their 2009 debut single The Words I Would Say zoomed to the top of the Christian charts and they won a Dove award for Best New Artist. Today they are more of an album and touring band. Sidewalk Prophets is from Anderson, IN. Lead singer Dave Frey and guitarist Ben McDonald were attending Anderson University in 2003 when a demo they recorded was sent to a campus recording contest. This led to a showcase at Lancaster Christian Academy in Smyrna, TN and a record deal with Word Records. When they released the 2009 album Three Simple Truths, Sidewalk Prophets was Dave Frey on lead vocals, Ben McDonald on guitar, Shawn Tomczak on lead guitar, Cal Joslin on bass and Justin Nace on drums. The Words I Would Say was the first single. It reached #3 on the Christian chart and was certified Gold. Frey and McDonald wrote all the songs. Most of the album including The Words I Would Say was produced by All Star United lead singer Ian Eskelin. Sidewalk Prophets won the Dove award for Best New Artist. The album is available in a deluxe edition with two bonus tracks. It's available as a budget CD. Since then, Sidewalk Prophets has released four albums including a Christmas album. The latest album was released in 2020. According to their Facebook, they just finished a new album. And they are currently on a west coast tour. Here's Sidewalk Prophets performing The Words I Would Say at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville 2022. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-PVRIS

Artist:PVRIS

Song:You and I

Album:White Noise: Deluxe Edition

PVRIS (pronounced PARIS) started out as a post hardcore band and went in a more commercial direction for the 2014 album White Noise. I don't think the changes have helped them much but White Noise is their biggest selling album to date. They were called Operation Guillotine when they were formed in Lowell, MA in 2009. They started out as a metalcore band but when the original lead singer was replaced by Lynn Gunn, the name was changed to PVRIS and she changed their musical style. The spelling of the band name is for copyright reasons. I figured that. The other band members were Alex Babinski on guitar, Brian Macdonald on bass and Brad Griffin on drums. They released an EP and toured in 2013. Griffin left at the conclusion of the tour. PVRIS now hires drummers for tours. For the 2014 album White Noise, PVRIS signed with Rise Records and brought in producer Blake Harnage who wrote and produced with Lynn. This album introduced electronic instruments and was more pop than previous recordings. Lynn claimed the change was subconcious. But she writes the songs and brought Harnage in. So I'm not buying that. And later she admitted the changes were Harnage's idea. He played the keyboards on the album. The album did OK. But I don't think the changes helped much. PVRIS toured with Mayday Parade. The single You and I was released in 2016 along with a deluxe edition of White Noise. This is available as a budget CD. For the 2019 album Use Me, PVRIS signed with Warner Bros. After the album was released, Babinski was fired due to sexual misconduct allegations. These were later recanted. But Warners dropped PVRIS and they signed with Hopeless Records for the 2023 album Evergreen. Lynn claimed the change was good for the band as it allowed them to take more control of their music. Based on the credits, PVRIS looks more like a Lynn Gunn solo act than a band. Maybe that is her future. Here's the video for You and I by PVRIS. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shoes

Artist:Shoes

Song:Too Late

Album:Double Exposure

Shoes is a power pop band that should have been much bigger especially when they had a major label record deal in the late 70s. They were critically acclaimed. They had a loyal fanbase. And MTV played their videos. But similar to Big Star, radio stations simply would not play them. Shoes is from Zion, IL led by Jeff Murphy on guitar and his brother John Murphy on bass. Guitarist Gary Klebe was a high school classmate and they formed Shoes in 1974. According to John Murphy, they liked the name Shoes. They started jamming and made a series of home recordings which they sold at gigs. Drummer Skip Meyer joined in 1977. They recorded the album Black Vinyl Shoes in the Murphy family living room, pressed a thousand copies and sold them at shows. Then they released the single Tomorrow Night on Bomp! Records and Black Vinyl Shoes was released on PVC Records. Then they signed with Elektra in 1979. They released the album Present Tense. The single Too Late reached #75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album reached #50 on the Billboard 200. That was their highest chart position. The album was produced in England by recording engineer Mike Stone. The members of Shoes all wrote songs. Klebe wrote Too Late. All three Elektra albums were basically self produced. And then Elektra dropped them and Meyer left Shoes. Even with MTV playing their videos, it wasn't enough to keep them on Elektra. Shoes continued to release albums on their own label including this 2CD comp. They still play shows but they last recorded new music in 2012. These days they are mostly managing their back catalog. As I said, Shoes should have been much bigger. If I had to guess, there may have been too many similar bands at the time. Here's the video for Too Late by Shoes.