AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Ruffin

Artist:David Ruffin

Song:My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)

Album:The Ultimate Collection

Of course David Ruffin was best known as a member of The Temptations from 1964-68. After he was fired from the group, Ruffin scored a top ten hit with his first single My Whole World Ended. It was his first of two top ten hits. Ruffin's big problem was drug addiction. It made him erratic and that's why he was fired by The Temptations. He was born Jan. 18, 1941 in Whynot, MS. Ruffin's mother died due to complications caused by his birth. His father was a Baptist minister but violent and abusive at home. Ruffin and his two brothers and sister traveled with dad's gospel group opening for Mahalia Jackson and others. Jimmy Ruffin was his brother. Ruffin was taken to Memphis as a teen to go into the ministry. But he moved to Hot Springs, AR. and sang with The Dixie Nightingales and The Soul Stirrers. When Ruffin saw gospel singers like Sam Cooke go secular, his guardian Eddie Bush took him to Detroit. Jimmy was already there and both worked at Ford while pursuing a singing career. After recording a 1958 single for Vega Records, Ruffin met Berry Gordy Jr. who would start Motown Records in the near future. Ruffin recorded for Anna Records which was owned by Gordy's sister. He was also in the doo wop group The Voice Masters with Lamont Dozier and guys who would go on to be The Originals. That's when he met The Temptations and he joined in 1964. He started using cocaine in 1967 and his behavior became a big problem and he was fired in June 1968. Dennis Edwards of The Contours replaced him but Ruffin continued to show up unannounced when Edwards sang his songs. Ruffin was friends with Edwards. Edwards claimed that The Temptations considered rehiring Ruffin. But Otis Williams has always denied that. My Whole World Ended was Ruffin's first single in 1969. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B Singles chart. The song was written and produced by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol and arranged by Paul Riser. The song was written for The Temptations. The Originals did the background vocals and the piccolo is by Dayna Hartwick. The album topped the R&B chart. After that, Ruffin didn't do well to the point where the 1971 album David was shelved. It was released on CD in 2010. His only other top ten hit was the 1975 single Walk Away from Love written and produced by Van McCoy. This budget comp covers Ruffin's Motown recordings. Obviously Motown stopped promoting Ruffin as his cocaine addiction made him erratic and unreliable. He left Motown in 1977 and recorded two unsuccessful albums for Warner Bros. That was Ruffin's final solo album. He recorded two albums with Eddie Kendricks on RCA in the 80s. He also recorded and toured with Ruffin/Kendricks/Edwards in the 90s. Ruffin died on June 1, 1991 of an accidental cocaine overdose at age 50. Here's David Ruffin performing My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) in the 80s when he toured with Kendricks and Edwards.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glen Campbell

Artist:Glen Campbell

Song:Southern Nights

Album:My Hits and Love Songs

Of course most music fans are familiar with Glen Campbell's string of 60s hits and his variety show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. After a significant dry period, Campbell topped topped the charts with Rhinestone Cowboy and Southern Nights. The comeback was very shortlived and Campbell left his longtime label Capitol in the 80s. Most music fans probably know that Campbell started out as a Los Angeles studio guitarist. He was part of The Wrecking Crew. Campbell signed with Capitol in 1962. He had little success until the 1967 single Gentle on my Mind. And then the 1968 single Wichita Lineman crossed over to pop. That song was written by Jimmy Webb and produced by Capitol house producer Al De Lory with Los Angeles studio musicians. Of course most country music was produced in Nashville. So Campbell was an outsider. And his music was more pop than country anyway. The only thing country about Glen Campbell was his voice. Then his variety show started and he also did movies. After the 1969 single Galveston topped the pop and country charts, things dried up and he wasn't having much success in 1972. By that time he was recording with producer Jimmy Bowen and just didn't have the same success. He was still appearing a lot on TV. But obviously he wanted to return to the top of the charts. That's when he found Rhinestone Cowboy. The song was written by Larry Weiss about an over the hill cowboy and it appeared on Weiss' 1974 album Black and Blue Suite. Campbell heard it on the radio while on tour in Australia and when he played the song for Capitol VP Al Coury, the songwriting and production team of Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter were brought in to record an album. They produced The Four Tops at ABC Dunhill and had recently come to Capitol. Rhinestone Cowboy topped the country and pop charts. And Campbell was back where he thought he belonged. When the 1976 album Bloodline wasn't as successful, Larry Klein was brought in to produce the 1977 album Southern Nights. He wrote and produced the 1974 Mac Davis hit Stop and Smell the Roses. Southern Nights was written by New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint and it appeared on his 1975 album Southern Nights. Songwriter Jimmy Webb played it for Campbell and it topped the pop and country charts. And that was Campbell's final big hit. You can get all of his hits on this 2CD budget comp. Campbell left Capitol in 1981 and recorded for Atlantic, MCA and he recorded a couple of religious albums for Word. He returned briefly to Capitol in 1990. Then he recorded for New Haven and Laserlight. His most recent albums were for Big Machine. But Campbell never had another big hit. Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2010. And after a 2012 retirement tour, Glen Campbell died on Aug. 8, 2017 at age 81. Here's Glen Campbell performing Southern Nights on the 1977 American Music Awards. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Twenty One Pilots

Artist:Twenty One Pilots

Song:Ride

Album:Blurryface

Ride was one of two top five hits from the 2015 Twenty One Pilots album Blurryface. That album was certified 6XPlatinum. They haven't been as successful since then. The leader of Twenty One Pilots is Tyler Joseph. He was born Dec. 1, 1989 in Columbus, OH. He is lead singer, songwriter and producer. He formed Twenty One Pilots in 2009. But before that, he uploaded the 2008 album No Phun Intended to his PureVolume account. These were recorded in his basement. He decided to turn it into a band as he would have had to hire musicians to tour anyway. Joseph knew bassist Nick Thomas in school. And he met drummer Chris Salih at a party at Ohio State University. Salih built a recording studio in his home. They started playing local clubs and released the album Twenty One Pilots in 2009. Salih and Thomas left in 2011. Josh Dun replaced Salih. He had planned to move to Nashville to pursue a music career. Thomas attended school in North Carolina for a year. He returned to Twenty One Pilots as more of a tour and merchandise manager. The second Twenty One Pilots album Regional at Best was released in 2011. After they played a show at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, record companies came calling. They signed with Atlantic's alternative music label Fueled by Ramen, released an EP and went on a short tour with Neon Trees and Walk the Moon. They returned to the studio and recorded the 2013 album Vessel. The album was certified 2XPlatinum mostly on the strength of Alt Radio airplay and MTV playing their videos. They toured the festival circuit and made a few TV appearances. They finally broke through with the 2015 album Blurryface. The third single Stressed Out reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the next single Ride reached #5. Statistically they are even but Stressed Out charted higher in England. The album was certified 6XPlatinum. As with all Twenty One Pilots albums, Joseph wrote, produced and played all the instruments except for Dun on drums. While they were still a big deal, the 2016 single Heathens from the film Suicide Squad reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. I guess this is a discography orphan as there is no Twenty One Pilots comp yet. Blurryface is available on CD. Since then Twenty One Pilots have released three albums and album sales have gradually declined. The likely reasons for this include MTV not being a factor anymore and listeners and radio programmers always looking for the next big thing. So I think the band has been forgotten though they still are on a heavy tour schedule. They released the album Clancy in May and started a new world tour that will end in May 2025. So I expect Twenty One Pilots to continue until Atlantic drops them and then maybe they retire. They've had a pretty good run. Here's the video for Ride by Twenty One Pilots.

  

Accu Radio Song Of The Day-Justin Townes Earle

Artist:Justin Townes Earle

Song:Ain't Waitin'

Album:Harlem River Blues

Justin Townes Earle was the son of country music legend Steve Earle. He was a singer songwriter like his dad. And also like his dad, he had his demons. Sadly, Justin was unable to overcome them and he died in 2020. He was born Jan. 4,1982 in Nashville. Steve Earle named him after one of his heroes Townes Van Zandt. He grew up with his mom as dad had an alcohol problem and left in 1984. After recovery, dad returned in 1994. Earle began using drugs at age 12 and battled addiction for his whole life. He went to rehab nine times but always relapsed. Earle dropped out of school and was in a couple of bands and toured with his dad. He signed with the Chicago based roots music label Bloodshot Records in 2007. Ain't Waitin' is from the 2010 album Harlem River Blues. Earle wrote and produced everything himself. This album is available on CD. Earle left Blooshot in 2012 and recorded two albums for Vagrant Records and two for New West Records. His final album The Saint of Lost Causes was released in 2019. Justin Townes Earle could have been successful for many years. But he just couldn't kick his drug habit. He died on Aug. 20, 2020 at age 38 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl laced cocaine. A tribute concert was held Jan. 4, 2023 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Performers included Steve Earle, Shooter Jennings, Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell and many others. Here's the video for Ain't Waitin' by Justin Townes Earle.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Talk Talk

Artist:Talk Talk

Song:It's My Life

Album:The Essential Talk Talk

Talk Talk was an 80s synth rock band who were successful mostly in their native England and Europe. Their 1984 single It's My Life is probably their best known song because it topped the dance chart. Mark Hollis was the leader of Talk Talk. He was lead singer, main songwriter and played guitar and keyboards. He was born Jan. 4, 1955 in Tottenham, London, England. His older brother Ed Hollis produced the band Eddie and the Hot Rods. He encouraged Mark to form his own band The Reaction in 1977. They were a punk band. They released a couple of singles but split up when they were unable to get a record deal. He formed Talk Talk in 1981 with Simon Brenner on keyboards, Paul Webb on bass and Lee Harris on drums. Webb and Harris became friends in school and were in the reggae band Eskalator. Talk Talk signed with EMI and released the 1982 album The Party's Over. It did OK. A couple of singles charted in England. The problem was Talk Talk was frequently compared to Duran Duran. They even toured together and worked with Duran Duran's producer Colin Thurston. Hollis probably thought they were a little too similar. After Brenner left, Hollis met Tim Friese-Greene. He's a recording engineer who produced Thomas Dolby's 1982 album The Golden Age of Wireless featuring the hit single She Blinded Me with Science. He could also help Hollis with songwriting. So Friese-Greene was the fourth member in the studio. But he didn't tour with them so he was not an official member. Talk Talk's first album with Friese-Greene was the 1984 album It's My Life. It's My Life was the first single. It did very well in Europe and topped the dance chart. The song is still memorable so it's probably the closest Talk Talk got to a hit single. The chorus is very memorable. Talk Talk released two more albums for EMI. They did OK but relations with EMI were strained. Talk Talk's manager sued EMI to get them out of their contract so they could sign elsewhere. They were successful and they signed a new deal with Polydor. This budget comp has all their hits. Meanwhile Webb left Talk Talk. Hollis recorded the 1991 album Laughing Stock mostly with studio musicians. Then he ended Talk Talk. Hollis recorded a solo album in 1998 and then retired and died on Feb. 25, 2019 at age 64. Webb and Harris formed the band .O.rang. They released three albums. Since 2002, Webb has recorded three albums as Rustin Man. Harris has done mostly producing in recent years. Here's the video for It's My Life by Talk Talk.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robert Cray

Artist:Robert Cray

Song:Right Next Door (Because of Me)

Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Robert Cray

Robert Cray returned the blues to mainstream in the 80s. Right Next Door was one of three chart singles from the 1986 album Strong Persuader. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Since then, Cray hasn't been as successful but he's still a popular touring act. He was born Aug. 1, 1953 in Columbus, GA. His father was stationed at Fort Benning. Cray had his first band in high school. His family moved to Tacoma, WA and he finished high school there. Cray was influenced by Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters to form his own band and tour the west coast. By the late 70s, he lived in Eugene, OR and formed a band with Curtis Salgado. That band released the album Who's Been Talkin' on Tomato Records. The album died when Tomato went bankrupt. But the producer of that album Bruce Bromberg started HighTone Records. And the 1983 Robert Cray album Bad Influence was their first release. Bromberg and Dennis Walker produced the album. After the 1985 album False Accusations, Bromberg thought that with wider distribution, Cray could be a star. So he made a deal with Mercury Records to distribute the album. It was the same as previous albums. Bromberg and Walker produced and most of the songs were written by them and Cray. There were three chart singles including Right Next Door and the album was certified 2XPlatinum. It also won a Grammy. Cray was on Mercury until 1997. Since then he has recorded for Rykodisc and Sanctuary. His latest album That's What I Heard was released in 2020 on his own label with Universal distribution. This comp covers Cray's Mercury recordings. Robert Cray is always on tour. Check him out if he's coming your way. Here's the video for Right Next Door (Because of Me) by Robert Cray.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater- Wang Cong vs Victoria Leonardo

Here's the fight video for Wang Cong vs Victoria Leonardo from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Wang is 32 years old from Shanghai, China. She trains at the UFC PI in Shanghai. I saw Wang on the Road To UFC show in May in a non-tournament fight. She won the fight in the first round. And the UFC signed her immediately afterwards. They didn't even bother with Contenders Series. Victoria is 34 years old from Shreveport, LA. She trains at Elite Combat Academy. Her UFC record is 1-3. She was the biggest betting underdog on this show. This fight didn't last long. Wang nailed Victoria with a punch and it was over at 1:02 of round one. And Wang's post fight interview was very entertaining. She complained about being on the curtain jerker when she belongs on the main card. She called out Casey O'Neill. I'm sure she watched her last week. And she recalled beating Valentina Shevchenko in a 2015 kickboxing match and she'll beat her again. Wang should have got a performance bonus. But I guarantee that Dana White hadn't arrived to the show yet. He's always late. I expect Wang to get a big push. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs Josiane Nunes

Here's the fight video for Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs Josiane Nunes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Jacqueline is 26 years old. She was born in Brazil but she trains at Reborn Fight Team in Portugal. She won her UFC debut last year over a terrible fighter who was released afterwards. Josiane is 30 years old. She trains at Striker's House in Curitiba, Brazil. Her UFC record is 3-1. Josiane was brought into the UFC as a Featherweight. She's a hard puncher. But she's 5'2". And Jacqueline is 5'7". And Jacqueline won the fight by keeping Josiane at a distance. I scored the fight 30-27 for Jacqueline. One judge scored it the same. A second scored it 29-28 for Jacqueline. And the third inexplicably scored it 30-27 for Josiane. So Jacqueline won by split decision. I doubt that either fighter should be in the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tabatha Ricci vs Angela Hill

Here's the fight video of Tabatha Ricci vs Angela Hill from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Tabatha is 29 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil and she trains at Paragon BJJ in Santa Barbara, CA. Her UFC record is 5-2. Angela is 39 years old. She trains at Alliance MMA in San Diego. Her UFC record is 12-13 and she's on a two fight winning streak. She's a kickboxer. I expected this fight to be close as neither does enough to win fights decisively. Both are midcard fighters popular for reasons other than fighting skills. This was a co-main event. But I thought Tabatha's strategy to clinch on the fence to tire Angela out did not make for an exciting fight. But it worked and Tabatha won the first two rounds. Angela probably won the third round but she needed a finish. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Tabatha and so did all three judges. It doesn't make me think that Tabatha can be a title contender. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gerry Mulligan's New Sextet

Artist:Gerry Mulligan's New Sextet

Song:Out Back of the Barn

Album:Idol Gossip

Of course Gerry Mulligan is the main proponent of the baritone saxophone. There haven't been many guys who have played it over the years. After playing on Miles Davis' classic album Birth of the Cool, Mulligan moved to Los Angeles and had his greatest success playing with trumpeter Chet Baker in the 50s for Pacific Jazz Records. They changed their name to World Pacific in 1957. They were sold to Liberty Records in 1965. Like many jazz musicians, Mulligan went through a dry period in the 60s. He recorded for Verve, Philips and Mercury's Limelight label. It was a time when jazz was looking for a new direction that could also have commercial potential. That came with the 1969 album Bitches Brew by Miles Davis and the creation of jazz rock fusion. But Mulligan was one of many bebop or cool jazz musicians who weren't interested in fusion. So Mulligan bounced around a lot especially in the 70s. After Dave Brubeck's quartet split up in 1967, he formed a new band with Mulligan that lasted until 1973. They recorded for Columbia. After that, Mulligan recorded usually for small labels. This 1976 album by Gerry Mulligan's New Sextet was recorded for Chiaroscoro Records. This label was owned by Hank O'Neal. He started out a photographer and he started Chiaroscuro in 1970. He was good friends with Eddie Condon and those are the kind of musicians who recorded for Chiaroscuro. From what I could tell, Idol Gossip was Mulligan's only album for Chiaroscuro. The album cover is awful. The songs are mostly original compositions. The band is Dave Samuels on vibraphone, Tom Fay on piano, Mike Santiago on guitar, George Duvivier on bass and Bob Rosengarden on drums. Fay and Santiago worked regularly with Mulligan during this period. Samuels was just starting his career. Duvivier was a veteran sideman since the late 40s. Rosengarden was leading The Dick Cavett Show band at the time. It's easy to overlook an album on a small label. Mulligan seemed to prefer working with big bands and symphony orchestras in the 80s. He recorded occasionally except for 90s run on Telarc. He died on Jan. 20, 1996 at age 68. Here's Gerry Mulligan and his Big Band performing Out Back of the Barn at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, The Netherlands July 16, 1982.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Collingsworth Family

Artist:The Collingsworth Family

Song:Not One Word

Album:Just Sing!

The Collingsworth Family is a Southern Gospel group that is also a family group. They have been successful for almost twenty years because of constant recording, touring and professionally produced videos. This kind of music is aimed at a specific audience and The Collingsworth Family seems to fit that bill very nicely. It starts with the husband wife duo of Phil and Kim Collingsworth from Mt. Orab, OH. They met in high school and married once Kim graduated. They started out in a music ministry in Petersburg, MI in 1986. Phil worked at an insurance agency and Kim raised their four kids. When the kids were old enough to tour, they decided to take the act on the road. They released albums on their own label until they signed with Stowtown Records for the 2011 album Part of the Family. Stowtown is owned by Southern Gospel artist Ernie Haase and producer Wayne Haun. As part of this deal, Gaither Music produces videos for them. They've been going strong ever since. The group is Phil and Kim Collingsworth and their children Brooklyn Blair, Courtney Metz, Phillip Collingsworth Jr. and Olivia Aichholz. They take turns singing lead. Not One Word is from the 2018 album Just Sing!. Phil Collingsworth Jr. sings lead. The song was written by Jeff and Brad Steele of the Southern Gospel group The Steeles. Melissa Chambers is credited as producer. She's Wayne Haun's assistant. This album is available as an audio DVD or a digital download. The Collingsworth Family released a new album in July. And they are currently on tour. So this is a very well oiled machine. Here's The Collingsworth Family performing Not One Word at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Trey Songz

Artist:Trey Songz

Song:Heart Attack

Album:Chapter V

Though he has had a couple of top ten pop hits, Trey Songz has been very successful on the R&B charts for the last twenty years. He's fading now but a comeback is always possible. He's had a pretty good run. He was born Tremaine Neverson Nov. 28, 1984 in Petersburg, VA. His stepfather was in the military. Songz was shy as a child. But he had singing talent. So his stepfather introduced him to his high school buddy Troy Taylor. Taylor recorded for Motown in 1990. Then he got into songwriting and production mostly with the production collective The Characters. They wrote and produced the 1999 Tyrese hit Sweet Lady. After The Characters split up in 2002, Taylor started his own company Songbook Entertainment with Atlantic distribution. Songz was Songbook's first signee. After Songz graduated from high school, he moved to New Jersey to work closely with Taylor. Taylor produced other artists. But he was building Songz from scratch. So he was his main project. Though Songz' first couple of albums did OK, he broke through with the 2009 album Ready. The single Say Aah was a top ten pop hit and he routinely topped the R&B charts. The album was certified Platinum. That was followed up by the 2010 top ten pop hit Bottoms Up from the album Passion, Pain & Pleasure. Songz and Taylor wrote and produced most of the songs together though Taylor brought in outside producers as well. This continued with the 2012 album Chapter V. The single Heart Attack reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B Singles chart. Though Taylor produced most of the album, Heart Attack was produced by veteran producers Benny Blanco and Rico Love and Blanco directed the video. Chapter V is available as a budget CD. Taylor must have been busy with other projects because he didn't work on Songz' next two albums. Record sales slumped. Taylor returned for the 2020 Back Home but that didn't help. Songz has had legal problems in recent years mostly with assault charges. So maybe he's keeping a low profile right now. But he has been on tour and it's time for a new album. Here's the video for Heart Attack by Trey Songz. Kelly Rowland appears in the video but she does not sing. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bran Van 3000

Artist:Bran Van 3000 f/Curtis Mayfield

Song:Astounded

Album:Discosis

The 2001 single Astounded was a top five hit in Canada and was popular in dance clubs and in Europe. It is the best known song by the Montreal based DJ collective Bran Van 3000. In 1994, DJ James Di Salvio received a royalty cheque for a remix he had done for Quebecois singer songwriter Jean Leloup. He asked his producer friend E.P. Bergen to go with him to New York and help him spend the money. DiSalvio then asked Bergen to teach him how to produce using a sampler and turntables. And that's how Bran Van 3000 was born. The name is a joke about Bergen's Volkswagen van that supposedly was powered by the Swedish liquor Brannvin. They released the single Johnny Go with Leloup that topped the Quebec charts. Di Salvio rapped and directed the music video. They produced more tracks with Leloup and that led to Bran Van 3000 getting a record deal with his label Audiogram in Quebec and Capitol in the rest of Canada. They released the 1997 album Glee and the single Drinking in L.A. was a hit in Canada and Europe. It was a top five hit in England. Bran Van 3000 was still just the two of them in the studio but they formed a band to tour. They won a Juno for Best Alternative Album. The album Discosis was released in 2001. The single Astounded reached #3 on the Canadian Singles chart and it also charted on the dance chart and in Europe. The video was played in heavy rotation on MuchMusic and that probably sold the song more than anything. So the big thing is Curtis Mayfield's vocal. Di Salvo approached Mayfield before his 1999 death. He was too ill to contribute a vocal. But he gave Di Salvo permission to find something in his archives. And DiSalvo found an unused Mayfield vocal from the 80s. Mayfield gave him permission to use it. Astounded was written and produced by The Brothers Grand (Dominique & Sylvain Grand). They released an album in 1998. They produced five tracks on the album.. DiSalvio produced the album with Ric Ocasek of The Cars. Other guest vocalists on the album include Youssou N'Dour, Big Daddy Kane, Eek-A-Mouse and Jean Leloup. This album is available on CD. Bran Van 3000 wouldn't release another album until 2007. And by that time, they were forgotten. They also released albums in 2010 and 2015. They haven't recorded since then but they toured last year to celebrate their 25th anniversary. I think that's the end for Bran Van 3000. Here's the video for Astounded by Bran Van 3000 featuring Curtis Mayfield. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sidney Bechet

Artist:Sidney Bechet

Song:I've Found a New Baby

Album:Runnin' Wild

Like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet was a jazz pioneer but he played mostly the clarinet. He also played the sax but in his heyday the clarinet was more popular. Bechet wasn't as popular as Armstrong mostly because he preferred living in France and Armstrong lived in New York. So he was easier to talk to. Also, Bechet was known for having a bad temper and he could be difficult to get along with. These recordings were for Blue Note in the late 40s and early 50s. They were released on 10" LPs but Blue Note released them on CD in 1997. Bechet lived in Chicago during the 40s. But he had a bad record deal at the time that restricted where he could perform. It got so bad that he opened a tailor shop. Then he signed with Blue Note and moved to Paris. I've Found a New Baby is a jazz standard that was written in 1926 by Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams and first recorded by Clarence Williams' Blue Five. Bechet was in that band. It was also recorded by Ted Lewis and Ethel Waters. Sidney Bechet and his New Orleans Feetwarmers recorded the song in 1932. An appearance at a jazz festival in Paris convinced Bechet to move for good. Bechet formed Sidney Bechet and his Blue Note Jazz Men with trumpeter Wild Bill Davison. These recordings were released on two 10" LPs followed by a full length LP. They were recorded in 1949 and 1950 in New York around the time Bechet decided to move to Paris. Musicians on I've Found a New Baby are Wild Bill Davison on cornet, Art Hodes on piano, Walter Page on bass and Fred Moore on drums. As I said, this budget CD seems to have all this band's recordings. Bechet's Blue Note recordings didn't do well because bebop was hot at the time. So he signed with the French label Vogue and recorded for them until his death on May 14, 1959 on his 62nd birthday. Here's Sidney Bechet performing I've Found a New Baby at the 1958 Cannes Jazz Festival on the French TV network INA. The musicians are all French guys that I have never heard of. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Proyecto Uno

Artist:Proyecto Uno

Song:Tiburon

Album:In Da House

Proyecto Uno started out as a merengue band and then added hip hop elements for the 1993 album In Da House. Tiburon is probably their best known song because it uses a very well known sample in the intro. Plus it was a fresh sound. Other bands picked up on this so it was very influential. Proyecto Uno was formed in 1989 in New York City by Nelson Zapata. He was born in the Dominican Republic but he moved to New York City with his family and started listening to hip hop while he was in high school. After releasing a couple of albums as a merengue band,  Zapata asked rapper John "Magic Juan" Wilson if he was interested in mixing rap and merengue. Wilson was born in New York of Dominican descent. He was planning to study marketing at the New York Institute of Technology when Zapata approached him about joining Proyecto Uno. Wilson can rap in English and Spanish. Tiburon first appeared on the 1993 album In Da House. It was remixed in 1997 and the album was re-released by EMI Latin. That remix is more popular than the original. The intro which is repeated several times is sampled from the 1978 Cheryl Lynn hit Got to Be Real. That's a frequently sampled riff that immediately hooks listeners. The album is available on CD. There have been other bands to mix merengue with hip hop so Proyecto Uno was very influential. Wilson left to go solo in 2000. Zapata still leads a version of Proyecto Uno. They last recorded in 2018. Here's the video for Tiburon by Proyecto Uno.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Wolfe Tones

Artist:The Wolfe Tones

Song:God Save Ireland

Album:Greatest Hits

The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel band meaning they perform politically charged songs like God Save Ireland. I noticed that their US record label Shanachie tones that down as fans of Celtic music in North America may not be interested in that. The band name is taken from Theobald Wolfe Tone who was one of the leaders of the 1798 Irish Rebellion. So I think Irish fans know exactly what The Wolfe Tones are about. They were formed in 1963. They were all childhood friends from the same Dublin neighborhood. The original band was Brian Warfield, Noel Nagle and Liam Courtney. Warfield/s brother Derek Warfield joined. And Tommy Byrne replaced Courtney. That was the lineup until 2001. After recording three albums for Fontana Records, The Wolfe Tones signed with Dolphin Records. God Save Ireland was on the 1970 album Rifles of the I.R.A. It was their first album on Dolphin. Sometimes the Irish government banned The Wolfe Tones' music. That didn't stop them. And I always find that those kind of bans spikes record sales. God Save Ireland is an Irish rebel song from the 1870s. The Wolfe Tones didn't have a US record deal until they signed with Shanachie in 1989. The problem was they weren't allowed to record new music. Apparently Shanachie wanted to concentrate on releasing old records and compilations. Derek Warfield signed this contract without telling the others. He left The Wolfe Tones in 2001. They became a nostalgia act after that and announced their retirement last year. The Wolfe Tones will play their final show in October. This comp is a good intro to their music. Here's The Wolfe Tones performing God Save Ireland.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Casey O'Neill vs Luana Santos

Here's the fight video of Casey O'Neill vs Luana Santos from last night's UFC show in Perth, Australia. This fight is at Flyweight. Casey is 26 years old from Queensland, Australia. She trains at Fight Ready in Arizona. Her UFC record is 4-2 and she's on a two fight losing streak. When her original opponent Tereza Bleda pulled out, Luana was brought in. She's 24 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at 011 Fight Team. She's 3-0 in the UFC But Casey is a big step up in competition level. I think Luana is better than Tereza but not that much better. And the UFC wants Casey to win at home in Australia. So the fight went as expected. Casey had a big reach advantage and used that to keep Luana away. I thought Casey won easily. But I would have liked to see a finish. I scored the fight 30-27 for Casey. Two of the three judges scored it the same and the third scored it 30-26. There was not a 10-8 round in this fight. I need to see Casey beat a ranked fighter. She hasn't done that yet. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Toby Love

Artist:Toby Love

Song:Tengo un Amor

Album:Mis Favoritas

Toby Love was a member of Aventura when he decided to go solo in 2006. Tengo un Amor was was his first of several hits on the Latin charts. He is currently attempting to reinvent himself as a Christian artist. He was born Octavio Rivera Oct. 20, 1985 in The Bronx, NY. His parents are from Puerto Rico. His father sang for the salsa group Conjunto Clasico. When his mother married a Dominican man, that got him into bachata. The members of Aventura lived in the same neighborhood so Max "Mikey" Santos asked Love to join the group. He started out singing backup vocals. But by the 2002 album We Broke the Rules, he was singing leads most notably on a bachata cover of NSYNC's Gone. Love left Aventura in 2006 and signed with Sony Latin. His debut single Tengo en Amor reached #2 on the US Latin chart. The album was certified Platinum. Love wrote Tengo en Amor and most of the songs with producer Edwin Perez. Love recorded three albums for Sony and this budget CD has all of his hits. After leaving Sony, Love recorded for Top Stop and Elegante. He wrote all the songs and self produced. He has converted to Christianity and released the 2021 single Jesus te Amo as Tobiah. That's his latest recording. Here's the video for Tengo en Amor by Toby Love. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Crystal Lewis

Artist:Crystal Lewis

Song:Only Fools

Album:Fearless

Singer Crystal Lewis was popular in CCM in the late 90s. Several singles topped the Christian charts and she won Dove awards. The 2000 album Fearless was an attempt to cross over to mainstream pop. Though it was nominated for a Grammy, the album was unsuccessful and Crystal returned to CCM. She was born Sept. 11, 1969 in Corona, CA. Her father was a minister and she grew up singing in his church. Crystal appeared in the 1985 movie musical Hi-Tops. This was an independent film aimed at the Christian market. While working on the film, she met a member of the band The Lifers. She joined the band and they changed their name to Wild Blue Yonder. They released a 1986 album on the CCM label Frontline. The album was produced by Daniel Amos leader Terry Scott Taylor and Crystal appeared on the 1986 Daniel Amos album Fearful Symmetry. When Wild Blue Yonder split up, Frontline signed Crystal to a solo contract. She was 17 years old. She recorded three albums for Frontline. On the 1989 album Joy, Brian Ray played guitar on a couple of tracks. For the 1990 album Let Love In, Ray and Crystal wrote songs together. They married, left Frontline and started their own Metro One label. Only Fools first appeared on the 1992 album Remember. Ray wrote the song and produced the album. Meanwhile Crystal appeared in the 1992 Nickelodeon sketch comedy series Roundhouse. Crystal started having success in the late 90s when her albums were distributed by Word's Myrrh label. After several #1 Christian hits, they must have thought they could cross over to pop. Because for the 2000 album Fearless, Crystal signed with Interscope. This could have been Kirk Franklin's idea as Crystal appeared on a couple of his albums. Ray produced and wrote most of the songs with Crystal. Franklin wrote and produced one song. Though Fearless was nominated for a Grammy, the album didn't sell and Crystal returned to CCM. Crystal hasn't been as successful in CCM since then. She and Ray divorced after 28 years of marriage. She started her own label for the 2019 album Rhapsody. The album was produced by jazz trumpeter Tony Guerrero. So I guess she's a jazz singer now. Crystal's daughter Izzi Ray and son Solomon Ray have both written songs for mom. Here's Crystal Lewis performing Only Fools.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Local Natives

Artist:Local Natives

Song:Ceilings

Album:Hummingbird: Deluxe Edition

The indie band Local Natives have had success mostly through a heavy tour schedule. They have never had a chart single and they've been around for ten years so that's not happening. The touring can be a grind and familiarity breeds contempt. But they just released a new album so I guess they will be around for a while. They were called Cavil At Rest when they first formed in 2005 in Orange County, CA. Taylor Rice, Ryan Hahn and Kelcey Ayer grew up in the same neighborhood. Bassist Andy Hamm joined in 2005 and drummer Matthew Frazier joined in 2006. Cavil At Rest opened for Jimmy Eat World in 2005. They all went to college but decided to focus on the band full time in 2008. The band name was changed to Local Natives. They self financed their 2010 debut album Gorilla Manor. They played the 2009 SXSW Festival in Austin and got favorable reviews usually comparing them to other bands like Arcade Fire. After the album was released, Local Natives signed with indie label Frenchkiss. Andy Hamm left in 2011 and was replaced by Nik Ewing. Ceilings is from the 2013 album Hummingbird. The album was produced by The National guitarist Aaron Dessner. Local Natives toured with The National. The album was positively reviewed and did OK. The album is available in a Deluxe Edition with three bonus tracks and is available as a digital download. For the 2016 album Sunlit Youth, Local Natives signed with Concord's Loma Vista label. Concord is a big label if you're talking about jazz. But not this kind of music. Again, the album did OK but it doesn't look like they are getting anywhere. Their problem is they sound too much like other bands. They are not distinctive enough. Ayer released a solo album in 2017. He left Local Natives right after they released the 2024 album But I'll Wait for You. He will leave once they finish touring. Ayer has already released three solo albums. He was lead singer and one of the songwriters. We don't know if Local Natives will stay together. A split would not surprise me. Here's the video for Ceilings by Local Natives. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Da Brat

Artist:Da Brat f/Jermaine Dupri

Song:Funkdafied

Album:Funkdafied

The 1994 single Funkdafied was a top ten hit. It was the biggest hit for rapper Shawntae "Da Brat" Harris. The album was certified Platinum. That was her debut album and single and the peak of her career. It was all downhill from there. She was born Apr. 14, 1974 in Chicago. Her parents never married so she lived sometimes with her mother and sometimes with her grandmother who sent Shawntae to church. Actress LisaRaye McCoy of the sitcom All of Us is her half sister. After graduating from high school, Shawntae got her big break in 1992 when she won a local rap contest sponsored by Yo! MTV Raps. Part of her prize was to meet the rap duo Kris Kross and that led to meeting their producer Jermaine Dupri. She signed with his SoSoDef label and she's been working with Dupri ever since. He produced the 1994 album Funkdafied and Dupri wrote the songs with Shawntae. The debut single Funkdafied reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Funkdafied was the first solo album by a female rapper to be certified Platinum. The main sample used is from the 1983 Isley Brothers hit Between the Sheets. This album is available as a budget CD. Shawntae's 1996 album Anuthatantrum didn't do as well as the first album. The biggest hit single was Ghetto Love featuring T-Boz of TLC and it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also appeared in the 1996 Shaquille O'Neal film Kazaam!. Shawntae didn't record again until 2000 and I think that cooled her off. She did make some guest appearances with Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey. Her 2000 album Unrestricted had no hit singles. Also, Shawntae went from her tomboy look to a sexier look that was popular in rap at the time. After her 2003 album Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, she wouldn't record again until the 2018 album The Return. She still works with Dupri on SoSoDef. So I assume she can record again if she wants to. Like many former rap stars, Shawntae has done plenty of reality TV. She is currently in the cast of the syndicated show Dish Nation. She has also been in prison a couple of times for assault. So I guess she has a bad temper too. She is currently in a relationship with Kaleidoscope Hair Products CEO Jesseca Dupart and they had a son last year. Shawntae could return to music if she wants but I don't know if she wants to. Here's the video for Funkdafied by Da Brat.

 

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Daniele Silvestri

Artist:Daniele Silvestri

Song:Sempre Di Domenica

Album:Uno-Due

Singer songwriter Daniele Silvestri has been successful in his native Italy since the 90s. He is unknown outside Europe. He was born Aug. 18, 1968 in Rome. His father is writer Albert Silvestri. As a teen he played keyboards in a Duran Duran cover band. When Silvestri's 1994 debut album won a couple of awards at the San Remo Festival, he signed with Sony and he has recorded for them for his entire career. Sempre Di Domenica is from the 2002 album Uno-Due. He returned to San Remo to promote the album and it won couple of awards. So the album was very successful. Silvestri wrote all the songs and plays keyboards and guitar. The producer is Enzo Miceli who has produced all of Silvestri's albums and first suggested he go to San Remo. On Sempre Di Domenica, Mauricio Filardo plays guitar, Nicola "Faso" Fasani plays bass and Antonella Pepe and Emanuela Cortesi are on background vocals. This album is available as a budget CD. It looks like Silvestri is self producing his albums now. That's what he did on his 2023 album Disco X. Here's the video for Sempre Di Domenica by Daniele Silvestri. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Madonna

Artist:Madonna

Song:Like a Prayer

Album:Finally Enough Love

Even after all these years, the 1989 single Like a Prayer is still one of Madonna's biggest and most enduring hits. There isn't much to the song. It's very repetitive. But Patrick Leonard's arrangement and especially Andrae Crouch's choir really hit the spot. I knew Madonna was a gospel fan but Like a Prayer really hammered that home. The album Like a Prayer came at the end of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn. I don't know if Penn has mellowed over the years but he sure had a bad temper at the time. She also appeared on Broadway in the David Mamet's play Speed The Plow and it was critically panned. She hadn't released a new album since 1986. She was getting older and music was changing. So she wanted a more mature sound. For the most part, she wrote the songs and produced with Patrick Leonard including Like a Prayer. He seemed to encourage the more mature attitude as opposed to Madonna's long time producer Stephen Bray who produced two songs. Prince produced one song. Like a Prayer was the first single and it set the tone for the rest of the album. The gospel influence is really prominent including a choir led by gospel music legend Andrae Crouch. The song topped the charts worldwide. Leonard and Bray were in competition for every song and Leonard won probably because of his more mature arrangements. That's what Madonna wanted, right? Of course the religious lyrics and the video was very controversial at the time. I thought that director Mary Lambert did a very cheeky thing by saying at the end that it was a play. The saint was played by Leon Robinson (usually credited in films as Leon). As I said before, there's not much to the song. It's basically a couple of bridges and a repeated chorus. But the song was well arranged by Leonard and the use of the choir was perfect. And Like a Prayer perfectly set up Madonna's 90s music. It's still one of her biggest hits. In the past I have recommended Madonna's 2CD comp Celebration. Warner Bros. replaced it in 2022 with Finally Enough Love. This single CD version is available as a budget CD. Or you can get a 3CD version that has all 50 of Madonna's #1 hits. Here's the video for Like a Prayer by Madonna. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aurra

Artist:Aurra

Song:Are You Single?

Album:Anthology

The soul group Aurra had success in the early 80s on the R&B and Dance charts with singles like Make Up Your Mind and Are You Single?. Internal strife hurt them more than anything. Aurra were from Dayton, OH. They were a spinoff of the band Slave who were very successful in the late 70s. Trumpeter Steve Washington was a founding member of Slave. Starleana Young was a backup singer. She also writes. Washington formed Aurra with him and Starleana handling the vocals. The other members were Curt Jones on guitar, Philip Field on keyboards and Tom Lockett on sax. All but Field were members of Slave. Field wrote the songs with Starleana and backup singer Jennifer Ivory. Field had been a member of Mtume. Aurra released three albums on Salsoul Records. Are You Single? reached #16 on the R&B Singles chart and Make Up Your Mind reached #6. Both were released in 1981. You can get everything on this 2CD comp. Internal strife led to Jones and Starleana leaving Aurra and recording as Deja in 1987. Then Starleana released a solo album in 1989. Mysti Day replaced her in Deja. A couple of lost Aurra albums surfaced in recent years. It's a band that could have lasted longer but they couldn't get along. Here's the video for Are You Single? by Aurra. Excuse the amateur camera work.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Stephanie Luciano vs Talita Alencar

Here's the fight video for Stephanie Luciano vs Talita Alencar from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. These same fighters fought to a draw in Contenders Series last September. Both were given contracts. I would have passed on both. Stephanie is 24 years old. She trains at Gordin Fight Team in Minas Gerais, Brazil. She was suppose to fight in March but she got sick so this is her UFC debut. Talita is 33 years old from Brazil but she trains at Fight Sports in Deerfield Beach, FL. She won her UFC debut. Her big problems is she's too small at 5'1" and too old to be a UFC debutante at 33. Stephanie is 5'6" and she used that to win this fight by unanimous decision. The fight was awful. Like I said before, I didn't like either fighter when I saw them last year. This didn't change my tune. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Karol Rosa vs Pannie Kianzad

Here's the fight video of Karol Rosa vs Pannie Kianzad from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is Bantamweight. So I have some scoop for you about Karol Rosa. She did an interview this morning with my Brazilian buddy Ag Fight. As some fans may be aware, Karol, Jessica Andrade and Denise Gomes recently left PRVT. Karol announced in the interview that their new gym in Sao Paulo is called The Gaia Project. Remember you read it here first. Karol is 29 years old. Her UFC record is 6-3. Pannie is 32 years old from Sweden. She is training these days at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Her UFC record is 5-5 and she's on a two fight losing streak. She came to the UFC as part of TUF 28 which was supposed to be for Featherweights. Except most of the fighters including Pannie were Bantamweights. It's likely that Pannie would have never made the UFC any other way as she's a midcard fighter at best. Karol used calf kicks to destroy Pannie's left leg. She could barely stand. But she survived three rounds. Karol won easily 30-27. It was great strategy. Congratulations on Karol's new dojo. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yana Santos vs Chelsea Chandler

Here's the fight video of Yana Santos vs Chelsea Chandler from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. This fight is representative of how bad the Bantamweight division is. Both fighters are ranked and neither belongs in the UFC. Yana is 34 years old from Russia but she now trains at ATT in Florida. She's 4-5 in the UFC and she's on a three fight losing streak. She doesn't do anything particularly well. She was brought to the UFC to fight Cris Cyborg at Featherweight. And Yana is still here. The sad part is that Chelsea is worse than her. She's 33 years old from Stockton, CA and she trains at Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu with the Diaz brothers. For the second straight fight, Chelsea missed weight. When asked about this, I explained that Chelsea is a Featherweight and the UFC knows she can't make weight. That's called promotional malpractice. She's 2-1 in the UFC. And again, she was brought in for a Featherweight division that was axed. And she was awful in this fight. It's not like Yana is a great fighter. But Chelsea looked like she didn't want to be there. She's probably upset because the UFC knew she would miss weight but we're blaming her. Well, I know the solution to that. Get rid of her. Enjoy the video!  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Curb Congregation

Artist:Mike Curb Congregation

Song:Burning Bridges

Album:Greatest Hits

The 1970 single Burning Bridges was the biggest hit for the Mike Curb Congregation. At the time, Curb was head of MGM Records and this group was part of purging MGM of drug culture and promoting squeaky clean acts. Curb was born Dec. 24, 1944 in Savannah, GA. but he grew up in Los Angeles. He started his own label Sidewalk Records and produced music for biker films like Devil's Angels, The Born Losers and several others. MGM bought Sidewalk in 1969 and named Curb President of MGM Records. The first thing he did was get rid of acts that he believed promoted drug culture like The Velvet Underground and The Mothers of Invention and replace them with The Osmonds, The Cowsills and The Mike Curb Congregation. In Frank Zappa's case, his MGM contract had lapsed and he started Bizarre Records. Zappa never took drugs and spoke out against them. So the purge was mostly nonsense. The Mike Curb Congregation was influenced by acts like Up with People which was a chorus of young people singing positive songs. The biggest thing about the Mike Curb Congregation is they appeared on the weekly variety show The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. Of course their appearances fueled record sales. Burning Bridges is from the 1971 album Sweet Gingerbread Man. It was their second album. Burning Bridges reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on Adult Contemporary. Curb wrote the song with Lalo Schifrin for the 1970 film Kelly's Heroes. The singers were never identified. Obviously they were disposable and interchangeable. The album was produced by Perry Botkin Jr. who went on to write and produce Nadia's Theme. Arranger Don Peake went on to work with Love Unlimited Orchestra. There were six Mike Curb Congregation albums released on MGM. They produced It's a Small World for Disney. But Polydor bought MGM and kicked Curb out and it was never released. This comp is on Curb Records. That label is still active producing mostly country and CCM. Curb has been involved with Christian music since it was called Jesus Music in the 70s. He is currently chairman of Word Entertainment. Curb was Lieutenant Governor of California from 1978-83. And he has been a NASCAR sponsor since the 80s. He currently sponsors the #98 Craftsman Truck driven by Ty Majeski. Here's the Mike Curb Congregation performing Burning Bridges on a 1972 episode of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Valentin

Artist:Bobby Valentin

Song:Papel de Payaso

Album:Bobby's Best

Bassist Bobby Valentin is probably best known for his early 70s stint with The Fania All Stars. He has led his own band since the 60s. He was born June 9, 1941 in Orocovis, Puerto Rico. His father taught him to play guitar. After his mother's 1947 death, Valentin moved to Coamo to live with his older sister. That's where he was raised. Valentin formed a trio at age 11 and they won a local talent contest. Valentin played guitar and sang. He attended the Jose I. Quinton Academy of Music and learned to play the trumpet. Valentin moved with his family to New York City in 1956. After graduating high school, Valentin played in bands led by Joe Quijano and Willie Rosario. He joined Tito Rodriguez' band in 1963 and started writing arrangements. Valentin started his own band in 1965 and signed with Fania. His debut album Young Man with a Horn was released in 1966. The album was produced by Fania co-owner Johnny Pacheco. His singer was Marcelino Morales. Morales was replaced by Frankie Hernandez and then Victor Santiago. Santiago is the singer on Papel de Payaso. The 1971 album Rompecabezas was Santiago's first full album in the band. By this time, Larry Harlow was Fania's musical director. He produced this album and played vibraphone. Valentin wrote the arrangements and played bass. Valentin also toured with The Fania All Stars. In 1975, Valentin left Fania to start his own Bronco label. This comp has all of his Fania hits. Valentin still performs live. He last recorded in 2018. Here's Bobby Valentin with Victor Santiago on vocals performing Papel de Payaso.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Al Hirt

Artist:Al Hirt

Song:Java

Album:All Time Greatest Hits

Java was a top five hit in 1964. It was the biggest hit for trumpeter Al Hirt. His albums were very successful in the Easy Listening market in the 60s. He was born Nov. 7, 1922 in New Orleans. His father was a police officer and he bought a trumpet for six year old Hirt at a pawnshop. Hirt played in the Junior Police Band. And by age 16 he was playing professionally with high school classmate Pete Fountain. Hirt studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He was a bugler in the US Army during WWII. After the war, he played in bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Ina Ray Hutton. In the 50s, Hirt was a featured soloist in Horace Heidt's Orchestra. He returned to New Orleans and led his own Dixieland jazz band. Hirt always said that he's not a jazz musician. He reminds me of the Dorseys. Like them, Hirt had the ability to be a jazz musician. He just chose not to play jazz. By the 60s, Dixieland was watered down to the point where it wasn't jazz anymore. But it could still be sold as jazz to listeners who didn't like bebop. So that's the market that Hirt and Fountain were in. Hirt signed with RCA Victor in 1961 by RCA Nashville A&R head Steve Sholes. Sholes produced Hirt's albums too. Sometimes Hirt recorded with his own band. But he also recorded with an orchestra led by Marty Paich. For the 1964 album Honey in the Horn, Sholes took Hirt to Nashville to work with Chet Atkins. The album was recorded with Nashville session musicians like Boots Randolph on sax, Floyd Cramer on piano, Grady Martin on guitar and Bob Moore on bass. Java was written by New Orleans music legend Allen Toussaint. He recorded it in 1958. Floyd Cramer charted with his 1962 cover. Hirt's recording reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Hirt's biggest hit. It was enough to get him regular TV appearances. And his albums sold well for the rest of the 60s. Hirt also recorded the theme for the TV show Green Hornet. Hirt left RCA in 1969. You can get all of his RCA hits on this budget comp. Hirt rerecorded his hits in the 80s. Stay away from those. This album has the original recordings. Hirt got ill in the late 80s and died on Apr. 27, 1989 at age 76. Here's Al Hirt performing Java from a 1964 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Slade

Artist:Slade

Song:Cum On Feel the Noize

Album:Get Yer Boots On: The Best of Slade

Slade was probably the most popular band in England in the early 70s. The 1973 single Cum On Feel the Noize was one of six #1 hits in England. But they were so desperate to make it in the US that they even moved there in 1975. Not only did that not help them in the US but it hurt them in England and I don't think they ever recovered. A version of Slade is still around. Slade was formed in 1966 in what is known as The Black Country in England. Guitarist Dave Hill, bassist Jim Lea and drummer Don Powell are all from Wolverhampton and lead singer Noddy Holder is from nearby Caldmore. This is a working class area in the West Midlands. In 1964, Hill and Powell were in The Vendors. They self released an EP. Holder was in Steve Brett & the Mavericks and they released three 1966 singles on EMI's Columbia label. The Vendors changed their name to the 'N Betweens. The two bands met on a ferry to Germany and ultimately Holder joined the 'N Betweens. Lea was a classically trained musician who auditioned to get into the 'N Betweens. They released a few singles but none of them went anywhere. Then they signed with Fontana Records and the band name was changed to Ambrose Slade. While recording the 1969 album Beginnings, their agent John Gunnel brought in his business partner to listen to them. That turned out to be The Animals bassist Chas Chandler and he became their manager. Beginnings didn't sell and Chandler hated it anyway because it was mostly covers. He wanted them to write their own songs. He also got them to adopt a tough guy image. They looked like skinheads. And he changed the band name to Slade. Then Chandler moved them from Fontana to Polydor. Though the 1970 album Play It Loud didn't sell, Slade finally was getting somewhere when their cover of the 1964 Little Richard hit Get Down and Get with It reached # 16 on the British Singles chart. With the early 70s rise of Glam Rock, Chandler changed Slade's look again. He had them grow their hair long and wear elaborate costumes. This was influenced by T. Rex. Lea and Holder wrote the 1971 single Coz I Love You. After Slade appeared on BBC's Top Of The Pops, the song topped the British charts. Then the 1972 album Slade Alive! was a hit. This was followed by the singles Take Me Bak 'Ome, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Cum On Feel the Noize and Skweeze Me, Please Me. All four topped the British charts and all four were written by Lea and Holder and produced by Chandler. So now Chandler wanted Slade to take over America. But it didn't happen. Mama Weer All Crazee Now reached #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 and they never got any higher. Then Powell was seriously injured in a 1973 car crash that killed his girlfriend. Lea's brother Frank Lea filled in and and Powell returned in time to record Slade's final British #1 single Merry Xmas Everybody. BTW, that song is a Christmas perennial in England. Slade's decline in England was signified by the failure of the 1974 film Slade in Flame. And that's when Slade decided to move to the US. Not only did they not get over in America but they alienated their British fans who accused them of selling out. And that was it for Slade. They never really recovered though they had a couple of chart singles after Quiet Riot scored a big hit with their 1983 cover of Cum On Feel the Noize. That's when they had their highest charting single in America. You can get all of Slade's 70s hits on this budget comp. Slade split up in 1992. But Dave Hill reformed them and is the only original member. Powell remained with Slade until 2019. He currently leads his own band. Jim Lea and Noddy Holder got into production. They produced the 80s band Girlschool. Holder was a regular on the ITV sitcom The Grimleys and has made other TV appearances. Here's Slade performing Cum On Feel the Noize on the Dutch TV show TopPop Mar. 5, 1973.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Pretty Reckless

Artist:The Pretty Reckless

Song:Take Me Down

Album:Who You Selling For

Did you ever watch the TV show Gossip Girl? It was mostly aimed at teens. If so, you probably remember that one of that show's stars Taylor Momsen is lead singer of the band The Pretty Reckless. Normally when we see an actor get into music, we don't take them too seriously. But since Gossip Girl ended, Taylor hasn't done any acting. She leads the band full time. So maybe she deserves to be taken more seriously. She was born July 26, 1993 in St. Louis. As a child, she was with Ford Models and she played Cindy Lou in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She auditioned for Hannah Montana but didn't get it. Then she got the role of Jenny Humphreys in the TV series Gossip Girl. The character was a regular at first. She was also successful modelling for IMG Models. When Taylor formed her band in 2009, it was called The Reckless but it was changed to The Pretty Reckless for copyright reasons. She wanted to work with producer Kato Khandwala because he was a rock producer who worked with Paramore. He introduced her to guitarist Ben Phillips and the three started writing together. The other two members are Mark Damon on bass and Jamie Perkins on drums. They signed with Interscope and released an EP and then the 2010 album Light Me Up. They toured and promoted the album. But it didn't sell and Interscope dropped them. The problem with The Pretty Reckless is they aren't pop enough to be really popular and not hard rock enough for that crowd. So they are in the middle somewhere. Taylor left Gossip Girl and announced she was quitting acting to concentrate on music. She wasn't appearing on the show much anyway. The Pretty Reckless signed with Razor & Tie for the 2012 album Going to Hell. The album did better probably because Razor & Tie spent more money to promote it. But they still weren't able to go to the next level. It was the same story for the 2017 album Who You Selling For. They are doing OK as a touring band. But it's a grind. Then producer Kato Khandwala died in a 2018 motorcycle crash. Taylor was ready to give up. But she got over it and signed a new record deal with the indie label Reckless Records. The 2021 album Death by Rock and Roll did OK. I expect that The Pretty Reckless will continue to tour and record. But they could have been much bigger. Here's the video for Take Me Down by The Pretty Reckless. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaun Martin

Artist:Shaun Martin

Song:Madiba

Album:7 Summers

Until his recent death at age 45, pianist Shaun Martin was best known as gospel artist Kirk Franklin's long time musical director. Both guys are from Dallas. He was also a member of the popular jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy. The 2015 album 7 Summers was one of three he recorded for the jazz label Ropeadope. He was born Aug. 23,1978 in Dallas. His mom started him on piano lessons at age four. He learned about gospel music in church. He attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. That's where he met Kirk Franklin. Franklin was already a choir director and Martin started working with him back then. Martin earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences at University of North Texas. He also co-wrote and played piano on a couple of songs from Erykah Badu's 2000 album Mama's Gun including the top ten hit Bag Lady. That was nominated for two Grammys. Martin was Franklin's musical director since the 90s including his 1997 breakthrough album God's Property. He has been nominated for several Grammy awards. He has also played on albums by Fred Hammond, Tamela Mann, James Fortune & FIYA and other gospel artists. Snarky Puppy leader Michael League must have seen Martin play somewhere because he joined them in 2010. The record deal with Ropeadope was something new for Martin. No doubt League encouraged that too. Martin wrote and produced most of the album including Madiba. The musicians are guys he works with at either Kirk Franklin or Snarky Puppy including Jason "Da Mayor" Davis on tenor sax, Alcedrick Todd on trumpet, Keith Taylor on bass, Robert "Sput" Searight on drums and Frank Moka on percussion. Michael League and members of Snarky Puppy appear on a couple of songs. This album is available as a digital download. Martin's latest album was released in 2020. Then Martin suffered a stroke in Apr. 2023 and died on Aug. 3, 2024 at age 45. Here's Shaun Martin performing Madiba in the recording studio 2015.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-CeU

Artist:CeU

Song:Lenda

Album:CeU

Brazilian singer CeU (pronounced say-you) mixes Brazilian traditions with contemporary jazz and pop. And since 2016 she has added electronics. Lenda is from her 2005 debut album CeU so she's still acoustic at that point. She was born Maria do Ceu Whitaker Pocas Apr. 17, 1980 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. CeU is the Portuguese word for sky or heaven. Her father is a composer and musicologist. So obviously she grew up listening to Brazilian music and decided to become a singer at age 15. While living in New York for a while, she picked up jazz influences and met composer Antonio Pinto. He scored the Oscar nominated films Central Station (1999) and City of God (2002). He brought in keyboardist Beto Villares and CeU signed with the Brazilian label Urban Jungle. The album CeU was released in 2005. The album was picked up in the US by Six Degrees in 2007 and they made a deal with Starbucks to sell the album in stores. Too bad they don't do that anymore. The increased distribution got them deals with JVC in Japan and Harmonia Mundi in France.  CeU was nominated for a Best Contemporary World Music Album Grammy. This album is available on CD. Since then CeU has been doing very well on Billboard's World Music charts. With the 2016 album Tropix, CeU changed direction by adding electronics from French keyboardist Herve Salters AKA General Elektriks and CeU's drummer husband Pupillo (Romano Menezes de Oliveira Jr.). They produced the album. The album was very successful especially in clubs. So CeU has continued in that musical direction and her latest album Novela was released in April. Here's CeU performing Lenda on a French TV show 2005.