AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Queen and David Bowie

Artist:Queen and David Bowie

Song:Under Pressure

Album:The Platinum Collection

The 1981 one off single Under Pressure topped the British charts. And that was big deal for Queen who hadn't topped the British charts for a while. It didn't do as well in the US probably because this was a time when radio stations resented the rise of MTV and there were songs they refused to play just for spite. So I think it did better than its chart position. Under Pressure appeared on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space but it did not appear on a Bowie album. So it is a half discography orphan. Under Pressure happened by accident. Queen was working on Hot Space at Mountain Studios Montreux, Switzerland. Bowie was also there recording vocals for the theme for the 1982 film Cat People. Bowie was between record labels. He was planning to leave RCA for EMI America. They ran into each other at the studio. After Bowie recorded background vocals for the song Cool Cat that weren't used because Bowie was unhappy with them, they decided to write a new song and perform it together. Though the songwriting is credited to Queen and David Bowie, Queen bassist John Deacon says that Freddie Mercury wrote Under Pressure and they all worked on the arrangement. It was based on the song Feel Like written by Deacon and Roger Taylor. Under Pressure was released as a one off single in 1981. It topped the British Singles chart and reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. MTV played the video in heavy rotation and that's what made the single go 4XPlatinum in the US. It was a big deal for Queen as it was their first #1 hit in England since the 1975 single Bohemian Rhapsody. Under Pressure wasn't supposed to be on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space but they decided to add it after the song was a hit. It appears on this Queen 3CD comp. Under Pressure does not appear on a Bowie album. But it does appear on Bowie comps. I just think that at the time, the success of the song was a bigger deal for Queen. Of course Under Pressure was sampled in the 1991 Vanilla Ice hit Ice Ice Baby. They had to sue him and the publishing is now shared. Here's the video for Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Passion

Artist:Passion f/Kristian Stanfill

Song:One Thing Remains

Album:3 CD Collection

Passion is the music branch of Atlanta's Passion Church. Like many Praise & Worship (P&W) groups, the church and the music go hand in hand. That is true of other P&W groups like Hillsong and Bethel Music. Passion started in 1995 when Louie Giglio moved from Texas to Atlanta to care for his sick father. Giglio is an Atlanta native but he ran a student ministry at Baylor University. After releasing a couple of albums on Star Song, Giglio and partner Chris Tomlin started sixstepsrecords with Capitol EMI distribution. As one of CCM's most popular artists, Tomlin obviously carries the load. But Passion has also had commercial success. Normally they record an album at their annual convention. One Thing Remains is from the 2012 album White Flag. This was recorded live at the 2012 Passion Conference in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with 42,000 in attendance. It's like I always say. P&W may be at the fringe of the music business. But they know their audience and how to appeal to them. One Thing Remains topped the Christian Singles chart. It is to date Passion's only #1 single. The lead singer is Kristian Stanfill who is a worship leader at Passion. The song was written by Brian Johnson and Jeremy Riddle of Bethel Music who originally recorded it. Other featured singers on the album include Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Matt Redman. Nathan Nockels is credited as producer. His wife Christy Nockels is one of the singers. They led the band Watermark but are now full time in Passion. This album is available as a budget CD. But I recommend this 3CD Collection containing White Flag, the 2013 album Let the Future Begin and the 2014 album Take It All at a reasonable price. Passion usually records a live album at each annual conference. So there is plenty of music available. Here's Passion featuring Kristian Stanfill and Brian and Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music performing One Thing Remains on the 2013 GMA Dove Awards broadcast. And that is Louie Giglio introducing them. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Gente de Zona

Artist:Gente de Zona f/Marc Anthony

Song:La Gozadera

Album:Visualizate

The Cuban reggaeton duo Gente de Zona topped the Latin charts with the 2016 single La Gozadera. For those who don't know, reggaeton is Latin hip hop. We hear Latin influences in hip hop all the time. But reggaeton is aimed at the Latin market. Alexander Delgado started Gente de Zona in Havana in 2000 as a hip hop group playing at parties. But he switched to reggaeton to appeal to Cuban fans. Gente de Zona released a couple of albums on the Italian label Planet Records. But things started to pick up when Delgado teamed up with Randy Malcom from the timba band Charanga Habanera and signed with Sony Latin. This led to their appearance on the 2014 Enrique Iglesias single Bailando. This reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by the 2015 single La Gozadera featuring Marc Anthony and that topped the Latin charts. This was followed by the 2016 album Visualizate. This was Gente de Zona's first album on Sony. Pitbull also appears on the album. Delgado and Malcom wrote all the songs with Arbise "Motiff" Gonzalez and he produced the album. Gonzalez has worked with Gloria Estefan and others. The album was certified 2XPlatinum and won a Latin Grammy for Best Tropical Fusion Album. This album is available on CD. Gente de Zona has released a couple of albums since then. But it looks like La Gozadera may turn out to be their biggest hit. Here's the video for La Gozadera by Gente de Zona featuring Marc Anthony.

 

Big Bad Blog Video-Iyo Sky vs Bianca Belair

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Bianca Belair from last night's episode of RAW. It was supposed to be Bianca vs Kairi Sane but they are still selling that cut over Kairi's eye from two weeks ago. So Iyo challenged Bianca and she accepted. The match was one of the better women's matches we have seen lately in the WWE probably because Bianca is a great athlete and Iyo knows how to put a great match together with her. Iyo's suicide dive is the best anywhere because she turns to the side when she goes through the ropes and it makes her easier to catch. Iyo won the match with a small package and this should lead to Iyo and Kairi winning the tag team titles and the inevitable split between Bianca and Jade Cargill. That feud should tell us if Jade has an aptitude for pro wrestling. I don't think she does. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie Murphy

Artist:Eddie Murphy f/Rick James

Song:Party All the Time

Album:Chart Toppers: Dance Hits of the 80s

Of course most fans are familiar with Eddie Murphy's stand up comedy, his days on Saturday Night Live and his successful film career. But he also scored a top five hit with the 1985 single Party All the Time. Most fans perceive it as a one hit wonder. But one other song charted so technically he is not a one hit wonder. Most fans will only remember Party All the Time. The big problem is that Murphy has a very thin high pitched singing voice. Richard Pryor was among those who told Murphy that he couldn't sing. They even made a $100,000 bet about his possible success. But by 1984, Murphy was a big enough star that he could do what he wanted. Murphy sang backup for The Bus Boys who appeared in the 1982 film 48 Hrs. and the comedy special Eddie Murphy Delirious. Plus he had recorded successful comedy records for Columbia. He would sometimes sing as part of his comedy act. But he was not really a singer. He convinced Columbia head of black music A&R Larkin Arnold to let him record music. The first guy he recruited to help him was Rick James. James was supposed to produce the album. But he only wrote and produced Party All the Time before they had a falling out. Fortunately the song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been named as one of worst songs of all time by VH1 and Blender among others. But a hit is a hit. Murphy brought Stevie Wonder in and supposedly Wonder brought in his cousin Aquil Fudge to produce the album. Wonder wrote and produced two songs and Fudge produced most of the album. I'm not convinced that Aquil Fudge is a real person. It may be an alias for Murphy himself. Murphy wrote three songs on the album. The album was certified Gold but even Murphy admitted that it wasn't very good. You can get Party All the Time on this various artists budget comp. Murphy released the 1989 album So Happy mostly produced by Narada Michael Walden. He also got to work with Nile Rodgers of Chic and Cameo leader Larry Blackmon. Murphy wrote several songs with David Allen Jones. He had worked with Murphy before. That album didn't sell and neither did the 1992 album Love's Alright for Motown. Murphy and Jones also produced that album. And that was Murphy's final music album. He does sing occasionally in films like Shrek and Dreamgirls. There was talk in 2014 that he was working on a new albums. And four singles were released. But the album never came out. Hopefully it never escapes. I think most of us think Murphy should stick to movies and forget about singing. Here's the video for Party All the Time by Eddie Murphy featuring Rick James.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vieux Farka Toure

Artist:Vieux Farka Toure

Song:Fafa

Album:Tondo

Vieux Farka Toure is a Malian singer songwriter and the son and the son of legendary singer Ali Farka Toure. So I guess it could be said that he is following in his footsteps. Toure made his first big appearance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and he's been doing very well since then. He was born Mar. 12, 1981 in Bamako, Mali. His father tried to discourage him from getting into music. But Toure secretly learned to play guitar and enrolled in the Institut National des Arts in Bamako. In 2005, Modiba Productions owner Eric Herman wanted to become Herman's manager and get him a record deal. But he had to get permission from his dad and other community elders. His 2006 debut album was released on World Village. for the 2009 album Fondo, Toure signed with Six Degrees Records. The album reached #5 on Billboard's World Albums chart and Village Voice named it one of the top albums of 2009. Toure appeared on the Kickoff Concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. So that was obviously a big deal. Toure wrote and produced the album. It's available on CD. Toure 2011 album The Secret featured guest appearances by Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks and John Scofield. Toure recorded six albums for Six Degrees. Toure's latest album was released in 2022. He is currently on tour in Europe. He should record a new album after that. Here's Vieux Farka Toure performing Fafa on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kickoff Concert in South Africa. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ketlen Souza vs Yazmin Jauregui

Here's the fight video of Ketlen Souza vs Yazmin Jauregui from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Ketlen is 29 years old from Amazonas, Brazil. She trains at Team Felipe Rego. Her UFC record is 1-1. Yazmin is 25 years old from Tijuana, Mexico. She trains at Entram which is the largest gym in Mexico. Her UFC record is 3-1. Ketlen knocked Yazmin down with a right cross and then pounced on her with a rear naked choke. Ketlen put her to sleep at 3:02 of round one. Ketlen gor $50,000 performance bonus. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Norma Dumont vs Irene Aldana

Here's the fight video of Norma Dumont vs Irene Aldana from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Norma is from Minas Gerais, Brazil and she trains at Gordin Fight Team. Her UFC record is 7-2 and she is on a four fight winning streak. She came to the UFC as a Featherweight. Irene is 36 years old from Guasalajara, Mexico. She trains at Lobo. Alexa Grasso is a teammate. Her UFC record is 8-5. She's a boxer. Norma's strategy was to keep moving to keep away from Irene. Irene is always coming forward and Norma used that against her. She never came close to a finish but she won easily 30-27. An accidental clash of heads caused a bad cut on Irene's forehead. Obviously that didn't help. But she was losing anyway. Is Norma a title contender? The Bantamweight division is very thin so she certainly is. I expected Norma to win this fight. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valentina Shevchenko vs Alexa Grasso

Here's the fight video of Alexa Grasso defending her UFC Flyweight Championship against Valentina Shevchenko from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Of course this is the third fight between these two. In the first fight, Valentina was winning when she made a very stupid mistake and Alexa submitted her to win the title. In the rematch, I thought Valentina won. But a really bad judge's scorecard turned the fight into a draw. So there had to be a third fight. Valentina's strategy to win this fight was lay and pray. She took Alexa down repeatedly and did enough so the ref wouldn't stand them up. So I thought Valentina pitched a shutout and I scored it 50-45. All three judges scored it the same. There were complaints that Alexa didn't get enough credit for submissions from bottom position. I didn't think it was enough to even win one round. What Alexa needed to do was get it back standing and show some urgency. It looked bad to the judges. She looked defeated very early in the fight and no one in her corner had a solution. The fight was boring but Valentina did what she had to do to get the title back. It was excellent strategy no doubt conceived by Valentina's long time coach Pavel Fedotov. I expect Manon Fiorot to be the next challenger and I think she will win the title. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Original Dixieland Jazz Band

Artist:Original Dixieland Jazz Band

Song:Tiger Rag

Album:The 75th Anniversary

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB) were the very first jazz band to record in 1917. Tiger Rag is their most popular song and they recorded it in 1918. ODJB billed themselves as the Creators of Jazz. Band leader and cornetist Nick LaRocca claimed that ODJB was the first band to record jazz commercially and the first to establish jazz as a musical genre. In 1916, a Chicago promoter approached clarinetist Alcide Nunez and drummer Johnny Stein about bringing a New Orleans style band like Brown's Band from Dixieland to Chicago. The other musicians were Eddie Edwards on trombone, Frank Christian on cornet and Henry Ragas on piano. Christian backed out and was replaced by Nick LaRocca. As Stein's Dixie Jazz band, they played Schiller's Cafe in Chicago. When they started getting better offers, they got rid of Stein and brought in Tony Sbarbaro. Stein was the only one under contract to Schiller's. Also, LaRocca and Nunez weren't getting along so Larry Shields replaced Nunez. ODJB was booked to play a club in New York City. They recorded Livery Stable Blues for Victor Talking Machine Company in 1917. This was the first jazz record. Other similar bands recorded. ODJB recorded Tiger Rag for Vocalion in 1917. They recorded it for Victor in 1918. This is the most popular version of Tiger Rag and you can get it on this budget comp. LaRocca copyrighted Tiger Rag in 1917 but there were claims that it was based on other songs. ODJB continued to record until they split up in the late 20s. They reunited occasionally. LaRocca owned the ODJB name and him and then his son led a version of ODJB for many years. But it all started in 1917. Here's a video for Tiger Rag by Original Dixieland Jazz Band. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Motherlode

Artist:Motherlode

Song:When I Die

Album:The Buddah Box

The 1969 single When I Die was a top twenty hit. But it topped the Canadian charts and the song is still a beloved oldie. I think many listeners have heard this song and don't know who the band is.  Motherlode is from London, ON. It all started in London's Blue Note club in 1964. Saxophonist Steve Kennedy was in the group The Silhouettes led by pianist Doug Riley. Riley would go on to be a major figure in Canadian music as leader of Dr. Music. Kennedy was dating the band's singer Dianne Brooks at the time. Keyboardist William "Smitty" Smith was in a different band but he and Kennedy planned to start their own band. They moved to Toronto and started The Soul Searchers in 1966 with Dianne and Eric Mercury as lead singers. After that band split up, Kennedy and Smith got together again in 1968 in Grant Smith and the Power. David Clayton-Thomas was lead singer. They released a 1968 album. But Kennedy, Smith, guitarist Kenny Marco and drummer Wayne Stone were unhappy with the album and moved back to London to form Motherlode. They signed with Revolver Records and the debut single When I Die reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Canadian charts. It was released on Buddah Records in the US. Kennedy and Smith wrote When I Die and most of the songs on the album. Doug Riley produced. Motherlode did not have a bassist so Carol Kaye of The Wrecking Crew played bass. By the time Motherlode had recorded their second album Tapped Out, the band split up and Kennedy, Marco and Stone joined Riley's new band Dr. Music. So that means When I Die is officially a one hit wonder. You can get it on this 3CD box set that is a history of Buddah Records. Revolver Records owned the name Motherlode so they formed new versions of the band. Smith was the only original member involved. Every version of Motherlode was different. That kind of thing never works. Smith went on to be a session musician. He died in 1997. Kennedy went on to be a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Lighthouse. Marco also went on to be a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. It looks like Stone quit the music business. Here's Motherlode performing When I Die on a 1970 CBC show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pete Yorn

Artist:Pete Yorn

Song:Life on a Chain

Album:musicforthemorningafter: Enhanced Edition

Singer songwriter Pete Yorn had success when his 2001 debut album musicforthemorningafter was certified Gold. He's still around and it's still his most successful album to date. He was born July 27, 1974 in Pompton Plains, NJ and he grew up in Montville. His father was a dentist and his mother was a school teacher. His older brother Rick Yorn is a Hollywood talent manager and he taught Pete to play drums. As a teen Yorn played guitar and started writing songs influenced by British bands like The Cure and The Smiths. After graduating from high school, Yorn attended Syracuse University and graduated in 1996. Yorn says the one band that influenced him was the Canadian band Sloan. He moved to Los Angeles and crashed on his brother's couch. Yorn's big break came when he wrote and recorded two songs for the 2000 film Me, Myself & Irene directed by the Farrelly Brothers and starring Jim Carrey. One of those songs Strange Condition appeared on the soundtrack, was released as a single and got enough airplay that Columbia Records gave Yorn a record deal. His 2001 album musicforthemorningafter was certified Gold. The single Life on a Chain got Alt Rock radio play. Rolling Stone named Yorn one of the Ten Best Bands to Watch in 2001. In the studio, Yorn writes, produces and even plays all the instruments himself. He has a band for touring. Liz Phair producers Brad Wood and R. Walt Vincent helped Yorn with the album. This album is available in a 2CD Enhanced Edition. Yorn recorded four albums for Columbia. But he was never able to get that big hit single. So Columbia dropped him. Yorn has recorded for Atco, Vagrant and Capitol. And he currently records for his own label. He released an album in June and is currently touring to support it. Obviously, he has a small but devoted following. I guess that's enough for him. Here's the video for Life on a Chain by Pete Yorn. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hoppers

Artist:The Hoppers

Song:Song of Moses

AlbumLife Is Good

Like many Southern Gospel groups, The Hoppers is a family group and their history goes back to the 50s. This is the current version of the group. They were called The Hopper Brothers when Claude and Connie Hopper started the group in the 50s in North Carolina. After they performed at President Ronald Reagan's 1980 inauguration, his sons Dean and Mike Hopper took a more active role in the group and the name was changed to The Hoppers. The other big move was when Dean Hopper married Kim Greene. She was in her family group The Greenes and she joined The Hoppers in 1989. So that's the group today. You have Claude and Connie Hopper, Dean and Kim Hopper and their daughter Kariye Hopper. Mike Hopper still leads the band. Nathan Kistler was in the group when this 2017 album Life Is Good was recorded but he left after that. They do a lot of the Gaither Homecoming Tours so that keeps them in front of their target audience. Song of Moses was written by Paula Stefanovich who has written songs for Bill Gaither. It looks like The Hoppers own their recordings and license them out. This album was released by Daywind. Kim Hopper is credited as producer and frequently sings lead. It appears that pianist Lari Goss does the arrangements. He does that for many groups. The Hoppers' latest album was released in 2022 and they still tour with Gaither. So if this music is for you, you will want to check them out. Here's The Hoppers performing Song of Moses at the Daywind Gospel Showcase 2017. Daywind owns their own TV network.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Giulia vs Chelsea Green

Here's the match video of Giulia vs Chelsea Green from last night's episode of WWE NXT. This was Giulia's in ring debut. The main complaint I heard about this match was too competitive. It should have been a squash. I disagree because though Chelsea is a comedy character, she's pretty good in the ring. I also know that the joshi wrestlers won't do squash matches. They want the opponent to look good. Asuka has been in the WWE for ten years and I don't think she has ever done a squash. Plus those who haven't seen Giulia get to see what she does in the ring. And she did great. Her craziest move was a neckbreaker on the floor. But she did it safely and the match continued. The one hiccup was when Chelsea was supposed to toss Giulia over the announce table. She had to do it a second time. Giulia won with a modified suplex. She showed that she is really good and she looks good too. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nicolle Callari vs Corinne Laframboise

Here's the fight video of Nicolle Callari vs Corinne Laframboise from last night's Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Nicolle is 27 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains at Thai Brasil in Florianopolis with Marcio Malka. The fighters from there tend to be strikers. Her record is 8-2. She's on a four fight winning streak. Corinne is 35 years old from Montreal. She trains at Brazilian Top Team Canada with Fabio Holanda. Her record is 8-5 and she won her last three fights for UAE Warriors. I think she is too old to be on DWCS and I think she was brought in to lose. So it did not surprise me when Nicolle won with an armbar at 4:45 of round one. Nicolle was much quicker than Corinne. So she got the win and a UFC contract. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris and Conrad

Artist:Chris and Conrad

Song:Lead Me to the Cross

Album:Chris and Conrad

Based on this 2009 album, the vocal duo of Chris Kuti and Conrad Johnson had the potential to be huge stars in the CCM market. The 2009 album Chris and Conrad got plenty of hype and did well on the charts. Then they split up in 2010. They only recorded one album. The two are from Lakeland, FL. Kuti and Johnson were performing solo but they were managed by the same guy. Kuti released a solo album in 2007 and he wrote songs for Big Daddy Weave. They started writing together and signed with VSR Music Group with EMI distribution. Chris and Conrad was released in 2009. They were named by CCM Magazine as an Artist You Oughta Know. Lead Me to the Cross was the first single and it topped the Christian charts. So they were going places. The two wrote all the songs together except for Lead Me to the Cross written by Brooke Fraser for Hillsong. That's one of the reasons the first single was a hit. Listeners were already familiar with it. They produced the album with David Ravilla Garcia who also produced Kuti's album. They toured and things looked optimistic. Then they split up in 2010. The album is available as a budget CD. Kuti and his wife are pastors at Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX. Johnson released an album in 2019. Here's Chris and Conrad performing Lead Me to the Cross on K-LOVE Radio 2009. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Fedchock New York Big Band

Artist:John Fedchock New York Big Band

Song:Havana

Album:Like It Is

John Fedchock is a jazz trombonist known for his big band compositions and arrangements. He has led his own band since the 90s. He was born Sept. 18,1957 in Cleveland. Fedchock graduated from Ohio State University and studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. In the 80s, he was in Woody Herman's band for eight years. He also toured with Gerry Mulligan, Louie Bellson and Bob Belden. He finally formed his own New York Big Band and released his debut album in 1992. Fedchock recorded for Reservoir Records for over a decade. Havana is from the 2015 New York Big Band album Like It Is on MAMA Records. Fedchock wrote and arranged the song and played the trombone solo. Mark Vinci played the flute solo and also plays alto sax. Other musicians are Charles Pillow on alto and soprano sax, Scott Robinson on baritone sax, Rich Perry and Walt Weiskopf on tenor sax, Barry Ries, Scott Wendholt and Tony Kadleck on trumpet and flugelhorn, Clark Gayton and Keith O'Quinn on trombone, George Flynn on bass trombone, Allen Farnham on piano, Dick Sarpola on bass, Dave Ratajczak on drums and Bobby Sanabria on percussion. This album is available on CD. I think this is Fedchock's most recent big band album. But he has released the 2020 album Into the Shadows by the John Fedchock NY Sextet. His most recent appearance is on the 2024 album Slush Pump Truck Stop by the Alex Heitlinger Jazz Orchestra. Fedchock makes a lot of guest appearances with regional big bands and gives seminars to local musicians. Here's John Fedchock with the Radio Television of Serbia Big Band performing Havana in Belgrade, Serbia June 23, 2018.

   

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Arletty

Artist:Arletty

Song:Coeur de Parisienne

Album:Arletty

Arletty was a popular actress and singer in France in the 30s. She got into trouble during World War II and that killed her career. She sang Coeur de Parisienne in the 1932 film Un Chien qui Rapporte and that made her a star. She was born Leonie Marie Julie Bathiat May 15, 1898 in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie, France. After her father's death, she left home to pursue a modelling career. She took the name Arlette after a heroine in a story by Guy de Maupassant. Art dealer Paul Guillaume suggested that she might want to try acting. She appeared in music halls in the 20s. After performing in Maurice Yvain's 1928 opera Yes, she made her film debut in 1930. Her next film was the 1932 film Un Chien qui Rapporte written and directed by Jean Choux. She starred with Rene Lefevre and she sang Coeur de Parisienne in the film. She appeared in several films over the next few years including the 1939 film Fric Frac with Michel Simon and the 1945 film Les Enfants du Paradis directed by Marcel Carne. She appeared in several of his films. It all came to a screeching halt in 1945 when Arletty was imprisoned for her wartime liaison with German Luftwaffe officer Hans-Jurgen Soehring. during the occupation of France. She was guilty of treason mostly because she was famous. After 18 months in prison, Arletty returned to acting though she eventually retired due to failing eyesight. This comp has her songs from the 30s. Here's Arletty performing Coeur de Parisienne from the 1932 film Un Chien qui Rapporte.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jaqueline Amorim vs Vanessa Demopoulos

Here's the fight video of Jaqueline Amorim vs Vanessa Demopoulos from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Jaqueline is 29 years old from Amazonas, Brazil. She trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. Her UFC record is 2-1. But she beat Cory McKenna in her last fight. And I think that got the UFC's attention. Jaqueline is a former BJJ world champ. Vanessa is 35 years old from Columbus, OH. She has bounced around different gyms but she's been training in Las Vegas recently. Her UFC record is 5-2. The main thing she needed to do was prevent Jaqueline from taking it to the ground. But she couldn't do that and Jaqueline won with an armbar at 3:28 of round one. Just before the finish, Jaqueline seemed to grab Vanessa's glove to transition to the armbar. Vanessa screamed about it. But ref Jacob Montalvo didn't call it and that led to the finish. This is no different than fence grabs that don't get called. Herb Dean, Montalvo and the NSAC looked at replays but nothing was called. I guess they didn't think it was a big deal. Jaqueline is elite on the ground so I think she would have won anyway. But we see a lot of this stuff not get called and some fans are tired of it. But I don't expect anything to change. I would like to see Jaqueline face a ranked fighter. Enjoy the fight! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Jessica Andrade

Here's the fight video of Natalia Silva vs Jessica Andrade from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. It is the co-main event. Natalia is 27 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She trains at Team Borracha co-owned by UFC fighter Paulo Costa. She's 5-0 in the UFC. After her win over Viviane Araujo, it was time to move Natalia up to see if she's an elite fighter. She's a great striker plus she has charisma. Jessica is 32 years old from Parana, Brazil. She trains at that new gym she started with some of her PRVT teammates. Her UFC record is 17-10. Jessica is a former Strawweight champ but she is also ranked at Flyweight. And the UFC told her that she needed to fight at Flyweight to keep her ranking. She last fought at Flyweight last year. I expected a striking battle. But Natalia has a big height and reach advantage. And we all know that Jessica's fighting style is to go forward even if she's getting hit. And Natalia hit her a lot during this fight. It was certainly a fun fight. They got the Fight Of The Night bonus. But Natalia won easily 30-27. All three judges scored it the same. Jessica needed to make adjustments and do something different and she didn't do that. Natalia used kicks to keep Jessica away and then followed with strikes. She sure looked like an elite fighter. We'll see what's next after next week's Flyweight title fight. I hope this was Jessica's final Flyweight bout and she stays at Strawweight. She could still be a contender there. Enjoy the video!  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sebastian Yatra

Artist:Sebastian Yatra

Song:Dos Oruguitas

Album:Encanto: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Sebastian Yatra is a Colombian pop singer who sang a song in the 2021 Disney film Encanto. Yatra says that singing in a Disney film about his country was a dream come true. Usually Yatra is a very popular pop singer in his native Colombia and other Latin American countries. He was born Oct. 15, 1994 in Medellin, Colombia but he grew up in Miami with his mother. His father remained in Colombia working in real estate. He studied piano, guitar and vocal technique and after attending a concert by the popular singer Juanes at age 12, he decided to become a singer. He started releasing singles in 2013 and signed with Universal Music Latino in 2016. His first number one hit in Colombia was Traicionera and he has had great success in Latin America since then. His main songwriters and producers are Andres Torres and Mauricio Rengifo. Torres produced the 2017 Luis Fonsi hit Despacito. Rengifo is half of the duo Cali & El Dandee. Encanto songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda brought Yatra in to sing Dos Orguitas after hearing his 2021 single Adios. Of course Encanto was a very successful film. I'm a big Miranda fan, especially In the Heights. There are soundtrack albums for Encanto in English and Spanish. You can stream Encanto on Disney+. It's a must watch if you haven't seen it. Yatra released his latest album Dharma in 2022 and he toured to support it. He's released a few singles. I would expect a new album in the near future. Here's the video for Dos Orguitas by Sebastian Yatra.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Winans

Artist:The Winans

Song:A Friend

Album:Gospel Greats

The Winans is a large gospel music family from Detroit. There are ten siblings and most of them record and perform gospel with varying degrees of success. The Winans were four of the Winans brothers. There was Ronald Winans (2nd oldest), Marvin and Carvin Winans (twins) and Michael Winans (5th oldest). The oldest brother David Winans II didn't sing but he was in the band. All four sang but Marvin was the best singer and frequently sang lead as he does on A Friend. The Winans were a big part of the modernization of gospel music after Andrae Crouch discovered them and got them a record deal with Light Records. I think it's fair to say that Crouch was the father of contemporary gospel music. At first The Winans worked with Crouch producing with Bill Maxwell. They topped the gospel charts and won a couple of Grammys. The thinking was that they could cross over to R&B and pop similar to Amy Grant. So they signed with Quincy Jones' Qwest label with Warner Bros. distribution. They had some commercial success. But they crossed over to R&B bigtime with the 1990 album The Return and the hit singles It's Time and A Friend. The key figure for both songs was producer Teddy Riley. Riley was already known as the producer of Guy and the creator of New Jack Swing. So they were looking to mix gospel with Riley's very popular sound. Michael J. Powell was the main album producer. He had worked with Anita Baker and Regina Belle. Riley was brought in to write and produce three songs. It's Time and A Friend were two of those songs. It's Time reached #5 on the R&B Singles chart and A Friend reached #11 on the R&B Singles chart. The album The Return was certified Gold. They didn't work with Riley on the albums All Out (1993) and Heart & Soul (1995). They did work with R.Kelly and George Duke. But the albums didn't do as well. And that was The Winans' final album. You can get their hits on this budget comp. Marvin Winans has concentrated on pastoring The Perfecting Church in Detroit. He last recorded in 2007. Ronald Winans owned an Atlanta restaurant until his 2005 death. Michael has recorded three albums with his wife Regina, most recently in 2008. Carvin Winans didn't seem to do much for years. He did appear on the Winans Family Reunion tours. But he released the 2019 album In the Softest Way mostly produced by Tommy Sims with family members making guest appearances. Here's the video for A Friend by The Winans. R&B singer Aaron Hall appears in the video.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lotte Lenya

Artist:Lotte Lenya

Song:Pirate Jenny

Album:The Threepenny Opera: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Album

Lotte Lenya is probably best known for her Oscar nominated performance in the 1961 film The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone and her villainous Rosa Klebb in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love. But she performed on stage in Europe and in nightclubs after moving to the US. She is most associated with the music of her composer husband Kurt Weill and she won a Tony for playing Jenny in the 1956 production of The Threepenny Opera. Lotte was born Karoline Blaumauer Oct. 18, 1898 in Vienna, Austria. She performed in a neighborhood circus as a child. She moved to Zurich in 1913 and took dancing and acting lessons. Then she moved to Berlin in 1921. Lotte met Weill and they married in 1926. She appeared in his 1931 production of The Threepenny Opera in Germany. With the rise of Nazism, they moved to Paris and then to New York in 1935. Lotte started singing in nightclubs in 1938 and she occasionally recorded. After Weill died in 1950, Marc Blitzstein wrote English lyrics for The Threepenny Opera and it was performed on Broadway in 1956. Lotte won a Tony for playing Jenny. Pirate Jenny is her big song in the show. Of course Mack the Knife is the best known song in The Threepenny Opera and this remastered edition of the original cast album includes a bonus track of Lotte singing Mack the Knife with Blitzstein on piano. The exposure got Lotte a record deal with Columbia and film roles in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone which got her an Oscar nomination and From Russia with Love. She also played Fraulein Schneider in the 1966 Broadway show Cabaret. Lotte continued to appear in films, record and perform in clubs until her death on Nov. 27, 1981 at age 83. Here's Lotte Lenya performing Pirate Jenny on German TV 1956. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Hayden and Sally Murphy

 

Artist:Michael Hayden and Sally Murphy

Song:If I Loved You

Album:Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel: 1994 Broadway Cast Recording

Michael Hayden is mainly a stage actor on Broadway and London. His best known role was as Billy Bigelow in the 1994 revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. He was in the London and Broadway productions. He has done TV but seems to prefer performing on stage. Sally Murphy played Julie Jordan. She doesn't have a Wikipedia page but I did dig up a little info about her. Hayden was born July 28, 1963 in St. Paul, MN. He studied at Juilliard. Hayden is a member of the Roundabout Theater Company and has appeared in several of their productions. He first played Billy Bigelow in the 1992 London production of Carousel directed by Nicholas Hytner. Joanna Riding played Julie. The show won several Olivier awards and then moved to Broadway in 1994. Hayden again played Billy and Sally Murphy played Julie. She was born Oct. 12, 1962 in Chicago. She is a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Company and has appeared in several of their productions. Like Hayden, Carousel was Sally's best known performance. The show ran for almost a year and won five Tonys. Hayden was nominated for a Tony. Hayden has appeared in several other Broadway shows including Cabaret (1999), Judgement at Nuremberg (2001), Merrily We Roll Along (2002) and Henry IV (2003). Most recently he appeared in a 2023 revival of The Light in the Piazza. Hayden has rarely done films. But he does plenty of guest shots on TV. And he played Chris Docknovich on Steven Bochco's series Murder One from 1995-97. Sally Murphy appeared in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof and the 2007 play August: Osage County which ran for two years. She also does guest shots on episodic TV and she was in the films Scent of a Woman (1992) and Fearless (1993). She still lives in New York but I don't think she is appearing in anything right now. The original cast of Carousel is available on CD. Here's Michael Hayden and Sally Murphy performing If I Loved You on a 1995 episode of PBS Great Performances. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yuneisy Duben vs Shannon Clark

Here's the fight video of Yuneisy Duben vs Shannon Clark from last night's Dana White Contender Series (DWCS) in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Yuneisy is 28 years old from Caracas, Venezuela. She trains at Team Ludus with coach Abel Herrera. Her record is 5-0 with five stoppages. She seems to be a hard puncher. All her fights were in Peru. Shannon is 32 years old from Lethbridge, AB. She trains at Canadian Martial Arts Centre. Her record is 5-0 with five stoppages. Her last two fights were in the LFA. Shannon was a big betting favorite. But Yuneisy is a hard puncher and Shannon keeps her head too high and doesn't move enough. So I was not surprised that Yuneisy knocked Shannon out with an overhand right at 1:13 of round one. Yuneisy faked a level change and landed the overhand right. I don't think Shannon even saw it. Yuneisy was immediately signed to a UFC contract. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tom Petty

Artist:Tom Petty

Song:Free Fallin'

Album:Anthology: Through the Years

Of course Tom Petty is best known as lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They were very successful in the 80s. But his biggest hit was the 1989 single Free Fallin' from Petty's debut solo album Full Moon Fever. What's the difference between a Heartbreakers and a Tom Petty solo album? Not much but I will attempt to explain it. In the 70s, Petty was lead singer of the unsuccessful band Mudcrutch. When they split up, Petty started a new band with Mudcrutch guitarist Mike Campbell. Meanwhile, Mudcrutch pianist Benmont Tench started his own band. The two bands merged and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was born. They had success in the 80s on MCA Records mostly as an album and touring band. Some of their singles charted but they only had one top ten hit in this period. Then Petty was a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne of ELO. While working with the Wilburys, Petty and Lynne started writing songs together and recorded the album Full Moon Fever. Lynne also played keyboards. Heartbreakers Mike Campbell played guitar and Phil Jones played drums. Lynne, Petty and Campbell produced. Free Fallin' reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Petty's biggest hit. The album was certified 5X Platinum. It was Petty's biggest selling album in his career. Lynne came up with the title and Petty wrote the lyrics about his frequent drives on Ventura Blvd. in Los Angeles. The only difference in this solo album is Jeff Lynne. Up until this, Heartbreakers albums were produced by Petty and Campbell. And the two continued to work with Lynne on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers albums. Some in the band were upset that Petty recorded solo and MCA Records president Irving Azoff hated the album so much that he wasn't going to release. Once he quit, everything was OK. But the music was the same and Petty never planned to end the band. You can get all of Petty's hits on this 2CD comp. Petty moved to Warner Bros. in 1994 and worked with producer Rick Rubin. Petty didn't have the same success at Warners. He continued to tour. and after his 40th anniversary tour ended at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Tom Petty died of a heart attack on Oct. 1, 2017 at age 66. Here's the video for Free Fallin' by Tom Petty. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barry Dennen

Artist:Barry Dennen f/Ted Neeley

Song:Pilate and Christ

Album:Jesus Christ Superstar: The Origial Motion Picture Soundtrack Album

Actor Barry Dennen is mainly known for playing Pontius Pilate in the Broadway and film productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. He had a long career but mostly played small roles. He was born Feb. 22, 1938 in Chicago. While living in New York, he lived with Barbra Streisand and helped her develop her nightclub act. The relationship was platonic. Dennen was gay and later he wrote a book about his relationship with Barbra. I guess Dennen wasn't having much luck on Broadway. Because he moved to London and landed the starring role of the master of ceremonies in the 1968 London production of Cabaret. And this led to the role of Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. Of course the show was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. When they were unable to get financing for a stage production, they turned it into a rock opera concept album. And the success got them the financing they needed to stage Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway and on film. Dennen played Pontius Pilate on the album, on Broadway and on film. Meanwhile, he played Mendel in Norman Jewison's 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof and Dennen suggested to Jewison that he should direct the Jesus Christ Superstar film which he did. The soundtrack is available in a 2CD deluxe edition. Those were Denen's two big roles. Other than that, he played small roles in films and TV. Films include The Shining, Ragtime and Trading Places. He also did a lot of voice work in video games starting in 1995. That kind of work is very lucrative. Dennen suffered a fall in his home in California and died on Sept. 26, 2017 at age 79. Here's Barry Dennen featuring Ted Neeley performing Pilate and Christ in the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jam & Spoon

Artist:Jam & Spoon f/Plavka

Song:Right in the Night (Fall in Love with Music)

Album:Tripomatic Fairytales 2001

The 1993 single Right in the Night was the biggest hit for the German production duo Jam & Spoon. It was a hit in Europe and in dance clubs. The song is standard Eurodisco. They are from Frankfurt, Germany. Rolf "Jam El Mar" Ellmer is a classically trained composer. Markus "Mark Spoon" Loffel is a DJ. They started working together as Jam & Spoon and released the 1991 album BreaksUnit1 on the CBS Germany owned label Dance Pool. Then the 1993 single Right in the Night was a big hit across Europe and in dance clubs. It reached #10 on the British Singles chart and #3 on the Dance chart. Ellmer based it on the song Leyenda by the Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz. Ellmer also played the Flamenco style guitar riff. The lyrics are by Nosie Katzmann who wrote songs like Mr. Vain for Captain Hollywood Project. The singer is Plavka Lonich who is from San Jose, CA. but has lived in Europe for many years. She was living in Frankfurt at the time. Plavka continued to work with Jam & Spoon. This album is available as a budget CD. It was released in the US on Epic. Two other singles from the album charted across Europe. There were five Jam & Spoon albums released from 1991-2005. The two have also released music as Tokyo Ghetto Pussy and Storm. Both guys have produced other artists. Markus Loffel died of a heart attack on Jan. 11, 2006 at age 35. Ellmer still releases music occasionally. Here's the video for Right in the Night (Fall in Love with Music) by Jam & Spoon featuring Plavka.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rossington Collins Band

Artist:Rossington Collins Band

Song:Don't Misunderstand Me

Album:Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere/This Is the Way

After three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd died in a 1977 plane crash, the surviving members wanted to keep going but were unsure if they wanted to reform Lynyrd Skynyrd. They ultimately formed Rossington Collins Band who probably would have been successful as an album and touring band but they only released two albums. Don't Misunderstand Me was their only chart single. Guitarists Allen Collins and Gary Rossington and bassist Leon Wilkeson were seriously injured in the plane crash. Keyboardist Billy Powell and drummer Artemis Pyle were the first to be released from hospital. Powell didn't want to reform Lynyrd Skynyrd. He wanted to form a new band. So Powell, Pyle, Wilkeson and former Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Jo Billingsey formed the band Alias (not the Canadian band). They played a few shows and supposedly released an album. Then the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited at Volunteer Jam V in Jan.1979. Then they got serious about forming a new band. Rossington and Collins added a third guitarist Barry Lee Harwood who had played on Lynyrd Skynyrd albums. To give them a different sound, they added .38 Special backup singer Dale Krantz. She married Rossington in 1982. Powell, Wilkeson and Pyle were still in the band. But Pyle broke his leg in a motorcycle accident and Harwood suggested Derek Hess. Rossington Collins Band released the 1980 album Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere on MCA. Don't Misunderstand Me was the first single and it reached #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. Collins, Harwood and Rossington produced the album and Dale wrote all the lyrics. As they started touring, Collins' wife Kathy died of a hemorrhage caused by a miscarriage. The tour was cancelled and Collins checked out after that. They released the 1981 album This Is the Way. But that was the end of the band. You can get both albums on this twofer from the reissue label Beat Goes On. Rossington and Collins had a falling out and Collins formed Allen Collins Band which was Rossington Collins minus Rossington and Dale. They released a 1983 album but Collins' erratic behavior killed the band. Collins was paralyzed by a 1986 car crash and he died on Jan. 23, 1990 at age 37. After the split with Collins, Rossington formed The Rossington Band with Dale and they released albums on Atlantic and MCA. They continued to tour until his death on Mar. 5, 2023 at age 71. Here is The Rossington Band performing Don't Misunderstand Me. The video is labelled Rossington Collins Band but it isn't as Dale is using her married name.