AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Francesca Battistelli

Artist:Francesca Battestelli

Song:Beautiful, Beautiful

Album:Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years

Singer songwriter Francesca Battistelli has had success in the CCM market. she has also won Grammy and Dove awards. She was born May 18, 1985 in New York City. Her parents appeared in musical theater. And that's what Francesca wanted to do. As a teen, she was in the girl group Bella. After they split up, she started writing songs. After self releasing a 2004 album, Francesca signed with the CCM label Fervent Records who were soon sold to Word Records. Beautiful, Beautiful is from the 2008 album My Paper Heart. It reached #6 on the Christian charts. The album was certified Gold. Francesca wrote all the songs. The album was produced by All Star United lead singer Ian Eskelin. He's produced most of her albums. This budget comp is a good intro to her music. Francesca won a Grammy in 2016 and she has won several Dove awards. Other than a 2020 Christmas album, her latest album was released in 2018. Curb Records now owns Word. From what I can tell, she's still under contract. She's married to NewSong drummer Matt Goodwin and they had their seventh child last year. My guess is they are keeping her busy. Here's the video for Beautiful, Beautiful  by Francesca Battistelli. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lil' Kim

Artist:Lil' Kim f/Left Eye, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez

Song:Not Tonight: Ladies Night Remix

Album:Nothing to Lose: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

Rapper Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones had success in the late 90s. The 1997 single Not Tonight was a top ten hit. She was also on the 2001 chart topper Lady Marmalade but I wouldn't say she was the leader on that song. At the time she was called The Queen of Rap. But she was used more as a guest rapper on other folks music than a lead artist. So she may have seemed like a big deal at the time. But maybe she wasn't. She was born July 11, 1974 in Brooklyn, NY. Her father was a US Marine. After her parents divorce, she lived with her father. But they didn't get along and she left home and lived in the streets. She met rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace and he got her to return to high school. He got her into the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A. That's when she started calling herself Lil' Kim. They released a couple of albums. But they split up after Wallace's 1997 murder. Kim started her own label Queen Bee and signed with Atlanic's Big Beat label. The original version of Not Tonight is from Lil' Kim's 1996 debut album Hard Core. It was produced by Jermaine Dupri and he appeared on the song. But the version of Not Tonight that reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 is from the 1997 comedy film Nothing to Lose starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence and written and directed by Steve Odenkirk. It's called the Ladies Night Remix and features Left Eye, Da Brat, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez. This was produced by remix specialist Rashad "Ringo" Smith. The obvious sample is Kool and the Gang's hit Ladies' Night. Maybe a little too obvious which is probably why it was a hit. The soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. So I guess it's a discography orphan. Lil' Kim was on the 2001 #1 hit Lady Marmalade featuring Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink from the film from the film Moulin Rouge. And her 2004 single Magic Stick featuring 50 Cent reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He was hot at the time. So Kim released four albums on Atlantic. It all came to an end after Kim served a year in prison for lying to a jury. Since then she has released music independently. These days she appears a lot on reality TV like Hip-Hop Evolution. A lot of rappers end up doing that. Maybe she wasn't that famous in the first place. Here's the video for Not Tonight: Ladies Night Remix by Lil' Kim featuring Left Eye, Da Brat, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Artist:Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Song:Speak to a Girl

Album:The Rest of Our Lives

Since she hasn't released a solo album since 2008, Faith Hill fans might think that she has retired from music. But she switched from her long time label Warner Bros. to Arista/Sony and released this 2017 album with husband Tim McGraw. Speak Like a Girl was a top ten country hit. I assume she will record solo at some point. But she has been busy with her acting career. Faith was engaged to producer Scott Hendricks when she met McGraw on a 1996 tour. They hit it off and married on Oct. 6, 1996. They have three daughters. They recorded together occasionally. Their biggest hit was when the 1997 single It's Your Love topped the Country charts. That was from McGraw's 1997 album Everywhere. Faith was on Warners and McGraw was on Curb. So it seemed unlikely that they would record an album together. Faith's latest solo album was Fireflies in 2005. She also released a 2008 Christmas album. She and McGraw toured together in 2006. She started singing the theme for NBC Sunday Night Football in 2007. In 2011, Faith recorded an album with producer Brendan O'Brien. Based on quotes from that period, she wasn't happy with it. Brian Kennedy was brought in to help finish the album. She performed a cover of the OneRepublic song Come Home on the 2011 CMA Awards broadcast. That was supposed to be the first single. She performed a couple of songs from the album at the CMA Music Festival June 2012. And she said the album was finished. After the single American Heart was released in Oct. 2012, the album which was called Illusions was never released. Meanwhile, she and McGraw continued to tour together. Then she announced in 2017 that she was leaving Warners for Arista/Sony and her first album would be The Rest of Our Life with McGraw. The album was produced by Byron Gallimore who has worked with both of them. Speak to a Girl reached #6 on the Country Singles chart. The song was written by Nashville songwriters Shy Carter, Dave Gibson and Joe Spargur. McGraw was not under contract at the time. He re-signed with Big Machine afterwards. Faith was a regular on the Paramount+ series 1883. She's deactivated her social media so she's keeping a low profile right now. There's plenty of speculation but she may just be taking a break. Here's the video for Speak to a Girl by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Joselyne Edwards vs Chelsea Chandler

Here's the fight video of Joselyne Edwards vs Chelsea Chandler from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This fight is at Bantamweight. Both fighters have missed weight in the past. They made weight this time. Joselyne is 29 years old from Panama. She trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. Her UFC record is 5-4. Chelsea is 34 years old from Stockton, CA. She trains at Cesar Gracie Ju Jitsu which is the Diaz Brothers. Her UFC record is 2-2. I don't like either fighter. The fight started out uneventfully. But Joselyne started landing better and a couple of hooks knocked Chelsea out at 2:31 of round one. I assume Joselyne will now be ranked but she needs to beat someone really good even in this very thin Bantamweight division. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jaqueline Amorim vs Polyana Viana

 Here's the fight video of Jaqueline Amorim vs Polyana Viana from last night's UFC show in Kansas City. This fight is at Strawweight. Jaqueline is 29 years old from Manaus, Brazil. She trains at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. Her UFC record is 3-1 and she's on a three fight winning streak. She's a BJJ whiz and she has finished all her wins. Polyana is 32 years old from Brazil. She trains at Chute Boxe Diego Lima in Sao Paulo. Her UFC record is 4-6. She's on a two fight losing streak. She's been in the UFC since 2018. This fight is her last shot. Jaqueline wastes no time taking Polyana down and starts hunting for a submission. Polyana barely survives as Jaqueline is quick and aggressive. She tries for a kimura but doesn't try to force the issue. Round one was close to 10-8 but I scored it 10-9. Jaqueline did the same thing in round two but this time she wins with a rear naked choke at 1:49 of round two. I expect Jaqueline to face a ranked fighter next time. Because she's very small, I could see her having trouble with some of the better fighters in the division, especially those with good takedown defense. But I like her aggression. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tori Kelly

Artist:Tori Kelly

Song:Coffee

Album:Inspired by True Events

On the surface, singer songwriter Tori Kelly should be a big star. But for some reason, her albums are not selling to a point that she decided to switch to a different record company and change her hair color. It remains to be seen if that helps. She was born Dec. 14, 1992 in Wildomar, CA. As a child, she appeared on Star Search but lost. After appearing on America's Most Talented Kid, 12 year old Tori signed with Geffen Records. But the two disagreed over creative direction so the contract was cancelled. Then she started posting videos on YouTube. Then she auditioned for the 2010 season of American Idol. When she didn't make the "Top 24", that should have told her that she is missing something. I have a theory which I will get to later. Tori signed with manager Scooter Braun and his label Schoolboy Records and he took her to Capitol Records. They released an EP in 2013 and she appeared on The Today Show. Tori went on tour and opened for Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith. Her 2015 debut album Unbreakable Smile had various producers including Tori herself. Max Martin produced three tracks. Tori wrote all the songs with co-writers. Three singles from the album charted but they didn't chart high enough to be considered as hit singles. The album was certified Gold. Considering all the hype, that's disappointing. Tori's 2018 album Hiding Place was produced by Kirk Franklin. So it did well in the CCM market and won a couple of Grammys. But it didn't do any better. Coffee is from the 2019 album Inspired by True Events. This was mostly produced by Jimmy Napes who produces Sam Smith. Tori wrote most of the songs with him. It did worse than the previous albums. Tori released a Christmas album in 2020 which finished her contract with Capitol. She announced she signed with Epic in 2023 and released the 2025 album Tori. Did she make any changes? Well, she's not a blonde anymore. But she's back to writing and producing herself which is what did in her early days. Her songs don't seem to appeal to people so doubling down is not the answer. I think she should turn over writing and producing to others and see if that helps. The other solution is go all in on CCM and work with Kirk Franklin again. She could be big in that market. Tori says she is a Christian. Maybe she should have done CCM in the first place. Here's Tori Kelly performing Coffee in Capitol Studios 2019. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coleman Hawkins

Artist:Coleman Hawkins

Song:Body and Soul

Album:A Retrospective 1929-1963

This is another in my ongoing series of Jazz for Beginners with a performance video and a comp CD appropriate for beginners. Coleman Hawkins was an important figure in jazz history. He was the first prominent jazz saxophonist. His 1939 recording of Body and Soul was a big hit. He was also a bridge from the traditional jazz of Louis Armstrong and the bebop of Dizzy Gillespie. He was comfortable playing both. Plenty of musicians weren't. Hawkins was born Nov. 21, 1904 in St. Joseph, MO. Coleman was his mother's maiden name. He took piano lessons as a child and switched to the sax at age nine. Hawkins attended high school in Topeka, KS. and studied harmony and composition at Washburn College in Topeka. Hawkins' nickname was Bean probably due to his receding hairline. Hawkins moved to New York and was in Mamie Smith's Jazz Hounds for a couple of years. Then he was in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra from 1924-34. He was a featured soloist. Then he moved to London to play with Jack Hylton's band. Hawkins moved to Paris and played with Django Reinhardt and Benny Carter. Then he returned to New York in 1939. And that's when he recorded Body and Soul for RCA's Bluebird label. Body and Soul was written in 1930 by Johnny Green and Edward Heyman for British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence. Louis Armstrong recorded it in 1930. Hawkins became familiar with the song while in Europe. He frequently used it as his encore in clubs. Hawkins' recording of Body and Soul was a big enough hit to return him to prominence in jazz. Musicians on the recording are Tommy Lindsay and Joe Guy on trumpet, Early Hardy on trombone, Jackie Fields and Eustis Moore on alto sax, Gene Rodgers on piano, William Oscar Smith on bass and Arthur Herbert on drums. This 2CD budget comp covers Hawkins' RCA recordings. In the 40s, Hawkins was involved with the development of bebop. He recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Thelonious Monk. He continued this diversity in the 50s by touring with Jazz At The Philharmonic. This continued until Hawkins got ill in the late 60s due to heavy drinking and died of liver disease on May 18, 1969 at age 64. Here's Coleman Hawkins with Einer Iversen on piano, Jarie Krogstad on bass Ole Jacob Hansen on drums performing Body and Soul at the Metropol Restaurant in Oslo, Norway Feb. 16, 1963.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Ad Libs

Artist:The Ad Libs

Song:The Boy from New York City

Album:Rock & Roll: The First 50 Years: The Mid '60s

I am willing to bet that most listeners are familiar with The Manhattan Transfer's 1981 top ten hit The Boy from New York City. But you may not be familiar with the 1965 original version by The Ad Libs. It was also a top ten hit. It was their only big hit but one of their other songs charted so they are not technically a one hit wonder. The Ad Libs began in Bayonne, NJ with big band saxophonist John T. Taylor. He was in Benny Carter's band in the 40s. By the early 60s, Taylor retired from music and was teaching. He heard a local doo wop group The Creators. They released a couple of unsuccessful singles. Hugh Harris and Danny Austin decided to form a new group with new members Dave Watt, Norman Donegan and lead singer Mary Ann Thomas. They decided to call themselves The Ad Libs. Taylor wrote and produced a demo of The Boy from New York City. He took it to Red Bird Records owners Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller and they signed then to their Blue Cat label They produced the single with Artie Butler. And it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequent singles flopped and Blue Cat dropped them after four singles. The Ad Libs recorded for AGP, Philips and Share with no success. But they continued to tour the oldies circuit for decades. You can get The Boy from New York City on this various artists budget comp from Varese. Beware of re-recorded versions. It's like I always say. One hit single is better than none. Here's a video of The Boy from New York City by The Ad Libs.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Artemas

Artist:Artemas

Song:I Like the Way You Kiss Me

Album:Yustyna

The 2024 single I Like the Way You Kiss Me came out of nowhere to top the charts worldwide everywhere but the US. It is the biggest hit to date for British producer Artemas Diamandis. He was born Sept. 23, 1999 in Oxfordshire, England. His father is Greek. He took piano lessons as a child and got interested in music after watching a documentary about Kurt Cobain. He moved to London as that's where the music business is. To date Artemas has released three mixtapes. The first single to chart was the 2023 single If U Think I'm Pretty which reached #39 on the British Singles chart and charted in Europe. The 2024 single I Like the Way You Kiss Me reached #3 on the British Singles chart, topped the charts across Europe and reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. So it was big. It is from Artemas' 2024 mixtape Justyna which is available as a digital download. Songs like this tend to start in clubs and spread virally. Most listeners will probably forget about the song next week and go on to the next viral sensation. I noticed that Artemas releases a lot of singles. I Like the Way You Kiss Me was certified Platinum. So I guess he's trying to hit the jackpot again. I don't like his chances. Here's the video for I Like the Way You Kiss Me by Artemas.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Doug and the Slugs

Artist:Doug and the Slugs

Song:Day by Day

Album:Slugcology 101: A Decade of Doug and the Slugs

Doug and the Slugs had modest success in their native Canada in the early 80s. Their downfall is they were unable to break through in the US and they split up in 1988. The leader of Doug and the Slugs was Doug Bennett. He was born Oct. 31, 1951 in Toronto. Bennett was a graphic designer but he moved to Vancouver in 1973 to form a band. Bennett was lead singer, main songwriter and producer of Doug and the Slugs. He formed Doug and the Slugs in 1977 and after some personnel changes, the band for the next decade was Richard Baker and John Burton on guitar, Simon Kendall on keyboards, Steve Bosley on bass and John "Wally" Watson on drums. The big problem in the early days is club owners hated the band name. I understand that Bennett was trying to be cheeky but I agree with the club owners. Fortunately, Bennett was very savvy and he promoted his own shows at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom. When word started to spread, RCA Canada came calling and signed them to a distribution deal. Their 1980 debut single Too Bad reached #20 on the RPM chart but it reached #2 on Vancouver radio station CKLG. So maybe most of the band's success was in Vancouver and not so much in the rest of Canada. Doug and the Slugs released two albums on RCA. When the band was unable to get anywhere in the US, RCA dropped them and they signed with A&M Canada. Day by Day is from the 1984 album Popaganda. They recorded two albums on A&M and when radio airplay and sales were disappointing, the band was dropped. This comp is a good intro to their music. Bennett released a solo album in 1986. He went on to have success as a music video director for Triumph and others. A version of Doug and the Slugs continued to perform in Vancouver clubs though they did not record. The original band reunited for a 25th Anniversary show in 2003. Bennett was a heavy drinker and this led to health problems and he died on Oct. 16, 2004 at age 52. Teresa Alfield's documentary Doug and the Slugs and Me was released in 2022 and it currently airs on CBC's Documentary Channel in Canada. Here's the video for Day by Day by Doug and the Slugs.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dwight Twilley

Artist:Dwight Twilley f/Tom Petty

Song:Girls

Album:XXI

Everyone knows what a one hit wonder is. Occasionally I run across an artist who was a one hit wonder multiple times. In this case, Dwight Twilley scored two big hits but I'm on Fire was a top 20 hit in 1975 and Girls was a top 20 hit in 1984. And they were on different record labels. In the 70s, he led the Dwight Twilley Band and I'm on Fire reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Afterwards, there were problems with Twilley's record label Shelter Records owned by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell. They weren't getting along. Plus Shelter switched distributors from MCA to ABC. Then ABC was sold to MCA and Shelter wanted out. They moved to Arista and after the 1977 album Twilley Don't Mind flopped, Phil Seymour left the band. Twilley continued as a solo act and released the 1979 album Twilley. Arista cancelled Twilley's next album Blueprint and Twilley left Arista for EMI America. The 1984 single Girls was on Twilley's second album for EMI Jungle. Girls reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold OK. Girls features Tom Petty on vocals. They were buddies from their days at Shelter. Twilley wrote most of the songs including Girls. The album was produced by former Gregg Allman Band guitarist John Hug. He also produced The Bus Boys. Both hits are on different labels but you can get both on this comp from EMI's reissue label The Right Stuff. Twilley was unhappy with EMI's promotion attempts. So he switched to Private I Records owned by radio promoter Joe Isgro with Epic distribution. Isgro was soon implicated in a payola scandal. Twilley would not record for another major label. His final album was released on his own label in 2014. Twilley died on Oct. 18, 2023 at age 72 when he suffered a stroke while driving and crashed into a tree. Here's the video for Girls by Dwight Twilley featuring Tom Petty.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO SKY vs Rhea Ripley vs Bianca Belair

Here's the match video of IYO SKY defending her WWE World Women's Championship against Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair from last night's Wrestlemania in Las Vegas. This was not only the best match on the entire two days of Wrestlemania but the best women's match in WWE history. That these three performers were in this match was not a coincidence. I normally don't like three way matches because there's a formula to the layout. They are all very similar. I don't know who produced the match, probably TJ Wilson. But I guarantee you that IYO is responsible for the match layout. Like Asuka, IYO has produced her own matches for years. She may be small but she has big talent. They probably told her that some of her ideas are crazy and impossible. She got them to trust her and this match was amazing. I'm not going to go through the match in detail because you should watch the match. But all three ladies gave great performances and the finish paid off in spades. And IYO retained the title and got her first Wrestlemania win which is the result I expected. Congratulations to all. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chicago

Artist:Chicago

Song:Beginnings

Album:Group Portrait

Beginnings is from Chicago's debut album when they were called Chicago Transit Authority. After the band name was changed to Chicago, Beginnings was a top ten hit in 1971. I'm going to discuss the jazz origins of their music and why they changed to more pop oriented sound. Chicago began at a 1967 meeting led by saxophonist Walter Parazaider, guitarist Terry Kath and drummer Danny Seraphine. They had played together in bands and were interested in starting their own band. Parazaider was a student at DePaul University and that's where he met trombonist James Pankow and trumpeter Lee Loughnane. Keyboardist and singer Robert Lamm was recruited from Bobby Charles and the Wanderers. They called themselves The Big Thing. They were a cover band playing Chicago clubs. They still needed to find a bassist and a third singer. That's when Peter Cetera joined the band.  Their manager James William Guercio wanted them to write songs and they moved to Los Angeles and changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority. While performing in Los Angeles clubs, They recorded their 1969 debut album Chicago Transit Authority. Beginnings was not a hit at first But it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was re-re-released. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Guercio produced. The songwriting was divided between Kath, Lamm and Pankow. Lamm wrote and sang lead on beginnings. The album was popular because at the time, rock bands with horns labeled as jazz rock had become popular. Blood, Sweat & Tears was already on Columbia. The name change to Chicago was for legal reasons. Chicago's next few albums were very successful. But they started to fade when the 1976 single If You Leave Me Now topped the charts. This song was written and sung by Cetera. It signaled a shift in Chicago's sound mostly because jazz rock wasn't popular anymore. Then Terry Kath died of an accidental gunshot on Jan. 23, 1978. And Chicago switched from Columbia to Warner Bros. and Phil Ramone was brought in to produce. So they reinvented themselves as a pop group and were very successful in the 80s. This 4CD budget box set covers Chicago's early years. Here's Chicago performing Beginnings at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. July 21, 1970. You can watch this entire concert on YouTube.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Artist:Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Song:What I Am

Album:Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars

The 1988 single What I Am was a top ten hit. It was the only big hit for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. One of her other songs charted so she is not a one hit wonder. She was born Mar. 10, 1966 in Dallas. Edie attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts followed by Southern Methodist University. New Bohemians was formed in 1982 as a trio and it expanded in 1985. Edie was urged to join the band onstage. It went so well that a local agent started booking them in clubs. Other members were Kenny Withrow on guitar, Brad Houser on bass, Brandon Aly on drums and John Walter Bush on percussion. New Bohemians became a local favorite and they signed with Geffen Records. Their debut album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars was released in 1988. They were billed as Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. I'm sure Geffen changed the name. What I Am was the first single and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. MTV put the video in heavy rotation which is the main reason the song was a hit. Edie and Withrow wrote most of the songs including What I Am. The album was recorded in Wales by producer Pat Moran who had worked with Robert Plant. And Plant's guitarist Robbie Blunt played the guitar solo on What I Am. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. It's available as a budget CD. The 1990 album Ghost of a Dog didn't do as well. The only change was the album was produced by Geffen A&R exec Tony Berg. Maybe Geffen didn't want to send the band to Wales again. New Bohemians split up shortly after that. Today What I Am is viewed as a one hit wonder. Not long after that Edie married Paul Simon and they are still married. Edie released a solo album in 1994. New Bohemians reformed and released an album in 2006. Edie is lead singer of The Gaddabouts led by drummer Steve Gadd. They recorded two albums. And she has performed with banjoist Steve Martin and his band Steep Canyon Rangers. Most recently she has recorded two albums with the band Heavy MakeUp. Here's the video for What I Am by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christian Howes

Artist:Christian Howes

Song:Bobby's Bad

Album:Out of the Blue

There aren't many jazz violinists around these days. So Christian Howes may be of interest to jazz violin fans. He was born Feb. 21, 1972 in Rocky River, OH which is a suburb of Cleveland. He started taking violin lessons at age five. As a teen, he competed in violin competitions and he got interested in jazz. But at age 19, he was convicted of a drug charge and sentenced to four years in prison. He continued to study jazz while in prison. And upon his release, Howes self released his first two albums. He got work as a sideman playing on albums by Greg Osby, Spyro Gyra and he joined guitarist Joel Harrison's band. This got him a record deal with the jazz label Resonance Records. The 2010 album Out of the Blue is the second of his three albums for Resonance. Special guest on this album is guitarist Robben Ford. Other musicians are Tamir Hendelman on piano, Bobby Floyd on organ (he is also from Ohio), Kevin Axt on bass and Joel Rosenblatt on drums. Howes wrote a lot of the songs including Bobby's Bad. Howes last released an album in 2015. He is still in Harrison's band. But he is an associate professor at Berklee College of Music. And he runs instructional workshops from his home in Columbus, OH. Here's Christian Howes with Robben Ford on guitar, Bobby Floyd on organ, Tamir Hendelman on piano, Ric Fierabracci on bass and Joel Rosenblat on drums performing Bobby's Bad at Spazio's in Sherman Oaks, CA Jan. 30, 2010. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blind Blake

Artist:Blind Blake

Song:He's in the Jailhouse Now

Album:The Best of Blind Blake

Though he only recorded from 1926-32 and died in 1934, bluesman Arthur "Blind" Blake is considered to be very influential because of his guitar technique. He was also a pretty good singer. The only problem is his life is a bit of a mystery. Blake was born blind in 1896 but we're not sure of his birthplace. He could have been born in Jacksonville, FL or Patterson, GA. because he has family there. But his recently discovered death certificate says that he was born in Newport News, VA. Blake recorded for Paramount Records from 1926-32. Paramount recorded many blues artists in the 20s. They were owned by Wisconsin Chair who owned United Phonograph. So they were in the recording business to sell phonographs. Paramount closed in 1935. Blake's recordings sold well and his ragtime based guitar style was very influential on other Piedmont blues musicians. Blake wrote his own songs. But He's in the Jailhouse Now was written by country music legend Jimmy Rodgers. Big Bill Broonzy was among those who admired Blake's guitar playing. Those influenced by Blake include Reverend Gary Davis, Ry Cooder and Leon Redbone. This Yazoo Records budget comp is a good intro to Blake's music. Paramount declared bankruptcy in 1932. That ended Blake's music career. For many years, it was rumored that Blake died a violent death. Recent research revealed that after Paramount closed, Blake and his wife lived in Milwaukee near the Paramount studio. Blake was hospitalized with pneumonia in Apr. 1933. He never fully recovered and died on Dec. 1, 1934 at age 38. Here's a video for He's in the Jailhouse Now by Blind Blake. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jung Joc

Artist:Jung Joc f/Nitti

Song:It's Goin' Down

Album:Norbit: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Jasiel "Yung Joc" Robinson scored a top five hit with the 2006 single It's Goin' Down. Some of his other songs charted so he is not a one hit wonder. I don't think the song is particularly memorable but I'm not a rap fan. He was born Sept. 20, 1980 in Atlanta. His father owned a hair care products company and got his teenage son to write and produce a jingle for Revlon. That's when Robinson decided to be a rapper. Atlanta is a rap hotbed. And OutKast was an influence. But when T.I. came on the scene, Robinson decided to pattern himself after him. He started his own company and recorded It's Goin' Down with producer Nitti Beatz. Block Entertainment owner Russell Spencer got Robinson a record deal with Bad Boy South and Warner Bros. It's Goin' Down reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Why was it a hit? My guess is listeners thought it was T.I. Soundalike hits are very common. But the problem with soundalike hits is it doesn't lead to long term success. The follow up single I Know You See It reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Gold. You can get It's Goin' Down on this soundtrack for the 2007 Eddie Murphy film Norbit which is available as a budget CD. The other place you might have heard Robinson was on T-Pain's 2007 single Buy U a Drink. His 2007 album Hustlenomics didn't do nearly as well. Robinson started his own label Swagg Team and signed with J Records. He recorded an album. But then J Records was closed and Robinson was moved to RCA. The album was never released. After that he did reality shows like Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. In 2020, he was filmed driving for a rideshare company which made folks think he had fallen on hard times. Robinson claimed he was volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters. But Jasiel "Yung Joc" Robinson simply wasn't distinctive enough to have long term success. Sounding like other guys leads to being a one hit wonder. Here's the video for It's Goin' Down by Yung Joc featuring Nitti.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kruger Brothers

Artist:Kruger Brothers

Song:Choices

Album:Best of the Kruger Brothers

Fans of bluegrass and folk are going to want to check out the Kruger Brothers. You may not have heard of them because they record for their own label as opposed to one of the bluegrass labels like Sugar Hill. Uwe and Jens Kruger were born in Switzerland. Uwe plays guitar and sings. Jens plays banjo. They started playing folk music at an early age influenced by Doc Watson, Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe. After busking across Europe, they got a radio show on SRG SSR which is the Swiss public broadcaster. And that's where they met American Joel Landsberg who plays bass. And they have been together since 1995. Before they teamed up, Jens Kruger was in Bluegrass Family and Uwe Kruger was in Clover Leaf. Both were in Appalachian Barn Orchestra. They now live in Chapel Hill, NC and tour the folk festival circuit and record for their own label. Choices is from the 2004 album Choices. Though they occasionally perform bluegrass standards, the Kruger Brothers write and produce most of their own songs. This comp is a good intro to their music. Apparently the late Doc Watson was a big fan. The Kruger Brothers recorded a Doc Watson tribute album in 2013. Happy Traum has also expressed his admiration for them. When the Kruger Brothers played on Late Night with David Letterman in 2013, Steve Martin played with them. So even if you haven't heard of the Kruger Brothers, those guys have and they like what they hear. The Kruger Brothers released their latest album in 2021. They will be playing folk festivals this summer. So check them out if they are coming your way. Here's the Kruger Brothers performing Choices in Ashburn, VA. June 2008. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris Rice

Artist:Chris Rice

Song:The Other Side of the Radio

Album:Short Term Memories

CCM singer Chris Rice had success as a songwriter before he got a record deal in the late 90s. After some success on the Christian charts, he went on hiatus in 2007. His attempts to return haven't been successful. He was born June 11, 1962 in Clinton, MD. His parents owned a Christian bookstore. He took piano lessons but he wasn't looking for a career in music though he was a youth group leader. After attending college and earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Communications, he got back into leading youth groups on a full time basis. He moved from his home in Washington, DC to Nashville to get into the music business. Some of his songs were recorded by artists like Kathy Troccoli. After the Christmas song Welcome to Our World was recorded by Amy Grant, John Tesh and Michael W. Smith, Smith offered Rice a record deal on his new label Rocketown. Rice recorded four albums for Rocketown all produced by Monroe Jones who had produced Third Day. The Other Side of the Radio is from is the 2003 album Run the Earth...Watch the Sky. This was Rice's final album for Rocketown. He didn't fit into the label's demographic. This comp was released after that. Rice recorded three albums for Jones' label Ebb + Flow with INO/Sony distribution. Then he went on hiatus. He returned in 2019 with the duo Ripp+Rice with Andrew Ripp. Then in 2020, there were sexual assault allegations from 1995-2003 when Rice was a youth worship leader at Tates Creek Presbyterian Church in Lexington, KY. The church hired the non profit GRACE to investigate and they found that the allegations were credible. That should end his music career. Here's the video for The Other Side of the Radio by Chris Rice.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rachael Lampa

Artist:Rachael Lampa

Song:Live for You

Album:Blessed: The Best of Rachael Lampa

Rachael Lampa was fifteen years old when she topped the Christian charts with the 2000 album Live for You. She probably should have crossed over to pop but she never did. Maybe she didn't want to. These days she is mostly a background singer. She was born Jan. 8, 1985 in Ann Arbor, MI But she grew up in Louisville, CO which is near Boulder. She started singing as a child and was good enough to appear at special events across Colorado. At age 14, she attended the Music in the Rockies Christian music conference in Estes Park, CO when Word Records producer Brent Bourgeois discovered her and signed her to a record deal. Bourgeois and Amy Grant's producer Brown Bannister produced the 2000 album Live for You. Three singles including Live for You topped the Christian Singles chart. Chris Eaton and Chris Rodriguez wrote Live for You. They played on the album. Bourgeois wrote several songs on the album. Rachael appeared on The Tonight Show and The View. She recorded a song with Aaron Neville. Her 2002 album Kaleidoscope also did well. Bourgeois and Bannister produced again. But she wanted to write her own songs. So she got to do that on the 2004 album Rachael Lampa. Tommy Sims produced and wrote several of the songs with Rachael. But the album didn't do as well and she left Word. They released this budget comp. Since then she has done background singing in Nashville studios. Rachael has toured with Hozier since 2015. She is married with two sons. She still releases occasional singles. But her time is past. She was fine until she insisted on writing her own songs. Here's the video for Live for You by Rachael Lampa.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nora Cornolle vs Hailey Cowan

Here's the fight video of Nora Cornolle vs Hailey Cowan from last night's UFC show in Miami. This fight was supposed to be at Bantamweight but Nora missed weight so it was fought at a 137lb. Catchweight. It's the second time Nora has missed weight. Nora is 35 years old from Epinay Sur Seine, France. Her UFC record is 2-1. She is a former Muay Thai champ. Hailey is 33 years old from Waco, TX. She trains at Blitz Sport MMA coached by Jake Brennan. Her UFC record is 0-1. She has had several fights cancelled due to health problems. I recall seeing her on DWCS in 2022. Though she won the fight by split decision, I don't think she deserved a UFC contract. I guess they liked her looks. In round one, Nora goes for a takedown but ends up in bottom position. She almost gets an armbar from bottom position. Hailey did nothing in top position so I scored the round 10-9 for Nora. Nora turned the tables in round 2 and won with a rear naked choke at 1:52 of round two. Nora better make weight next time. And Hailey doesn't belong in the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Virna Jandiroba vs Yan Xiaonan

 Here's the fight video of Virna Jandiroba vs Yan Xiaonan from last night's UFC show in Miami. This fight is at Strawweight. Virna is 36 years old from Bahia, Brazil. She trains at Academia Fight House. Her UFC record is 7-3 and she's on a three fight winning streak. I think she has improved in the last couple of years. She's more aggressive. Yan is 35 years old from China. She trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento with Uriah Faber and Danny Castillo. Her UFC record is 9-3 and one of those losses was a failed title shot. The winner of this fight gets the next title shot. Virna won the fight convincingly. She wasn't able to get a finish but she was in control for all three rounds. So I scored the fight 30-27 for Virna and so did all three judges. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Digital Underground

Artist:Digital Underground

Song:The Humpty Dance

Album:No Nose Job: The Legend of Digital Underground

The 1990 single The Humpty Dance was the only big hit for the rap group Digital Underground. One of their other songs charted so they are not a one hit wonder. The leader of Digital Underground was Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs. He was born Aug. 25, 1963 in New York City but he grew up in Tampa, FL. Jacobs started out playing drums. But when hip hop started, he turned his drums in for turntables. His first group was called Master Blasters. He DJd for a while and then travelled around the US. He decided to return to Tampa and learn to play piano at Hillsborough Community College. While there, he started working with DJ Kenneth "Kenny K" Waters and they worked in several groups. After Jacobs got married, he and Waters moved to Oakland, CA and they formed Digital Underground with Jimi "Chopmaster J" Dright. Jacobs' main influence was Parliament/Funkadelic. He called Digital Underground's music Rackadelic. After releasing singles on a small label, Digital Underground signed with Tommy Boy in 1989. At first, Jacobs wanted to record politically charged music. After Public Enemy and N.W.A. became popular, he decided to use humor to sell his music. And that's when he started wearing a false nose and glasses on stage and started calling himself Humpty Hump. It worked because The Humpty Dance reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Sex Packets was certified Platinum. It's considered to be one of the better rap albums of the era. The Humpty Dance has been sampled plenty of times. Digital Underground toured a lot and their albums sold OK. But radio just refused to play them. This was not unusual for rapper. This comp is a good intro to Digital Underground's music. They recorded four albums for Tommy Boy. Jacobs recorded a couple of solo albums and had success as a producer. The sampling of Humpty Dance generated plenty of money. Jacobs died from an accidental drug overdose on Apr. 22, 2021 at age 57. Here's the video for The Humpty Dance by Digital Underground.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jason Danieley

Artist:Jason Danieley

Song:I Miss the Music

Album:Curtains: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Actor Jason Danieley is mainly a Broadway performer. But he also appears in New York City clubs and makes guest appearances with regional symphony orchestras. He's not a big star but he has appeared in a few musicals that did well like Curtains. He was born July 13, 1971 in St. Louis. After classical voice training at the University of Missouri and Southern Illinois University, Danieley moved to New York. After a couple of off Broadway shows, he made his Broadway debut in the 1997 revival of the musical Candide. Then he appeared for almost two years in the musical adaptation of the film The Full Monty. Then he was cast in the 2007 musical Curtains. It's a send up of backstage murder mystery plots. It was the final musical written by Fred Ebb. He usually wrote musicals like Cabaret with John Kander. Charade screenwriter Peter Stone wrote the book. Stone died in 2003 and Ebb died in 2004. Rupert Holmes was brought in to do rewrites. Curtains premiered in Los Angeles July 2006 and then it was moved to Broadway and premiered in Mar. 2007. It was directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Ashford. Most of the Los Angeles cast led by Frasier's David Hyde Pierce was brought to Broadway. the co-stars were Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba. It ran for a year so it did well. Danieley plays Aaron Fox who wrote the show within a show. I Miss the Music is his big song in the show. Danieley claims that Ebb told him that he wrote that song especially for him. The show was nominated for Tonys but Pierce was the only winner. The original cast album is on EMI's Broadway Angel label and is available on CD. Danieley appeared in the PBS Great Performances broadcast of South Pacific. He's appeared in a few other Broadway musicals but nothing notable. Danieley has appeared in New York clubs. He was married to the late Marrin Mazzie and they appeared together a lot and recorded the 2019 album Broadway and Beyond in 2017. He also does a lot of guest appearances with regional symphony orchestras. He has not done TV and films. He seems to prefer live performing. Here's Jason Danieley performing I Miss the Music at the New York club Below 54. This is from the album Broadway and Beyond. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Young the Giant

Artist:Young the Giant

Song:Superposition

Album:Mirror Master

Young the Giant is an indie band that has had moderate success and has had critical acclaim. They just haven't been successful enough to remain on a major label. Currently they record for their own label with distribution by their music publisher. Young the Giant is from Irvine, CA. They were called The Jakes when they were formed in 2004. Sameer Gadhia is the lead singer and main songwriter. Other members were Jacob Tilley on guitar, Ehson Hashemian on keyboards, Francois Comtois on bass and Sean Fischer on drums. The band name was an acronym of the first letter of their names. They recorded an EP and the younger guys had to decide if they wanted to continue in school or stay in the band. Fischer was replaced by Jason Burger. When Burger decided to attend Manhattan School of Music, Comtois switched to drums and Gadhia's childhood friend Payam Doostzadeh was brought in to play bass. They also brought in second guitarist Eric Cannata. They played shows at the 2009 South by Southwest in Austin to try and get a record deal. They signed with Roadrunner Records. Meanwhile, Hashemian left the band and Gadhia, Tilley and Doostzadeh took turns playing keyboards. Then the band name was changed to Young the Giants. There were copyright issues and the new members didn't like the old name. Gadhia says Young the Giant has no meaning except to portray youthful energy. In other words, they want to appeal to young people. Their 2010 debut album Young the Giant was produced by The Shins producer Joe Chiccarelli. The album was favorably reviewed and two of the singles did well on the Alt Rock chart. The album was certified Gold. Young the Giant toured and appeared on the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. So they were off to a good start. Despite this, Young the Giant decided to move to the label Fueled by Ramen with Elektra distribution. They thought that success would come with moving to a larger label. But that didn't happen. The albums Mind Over Matter (2014) and Home of the Strange did OK. But they didn't do as well as the first album and none of their singles crossed over to mainstream radio which is why they switched labels. Then Elektra bought Fueled by Ramen and Young the Giant was just another band on a big label instead of being on a boutique label with major label distribution. Not surprisingly, the 2018 album Mirror Master didn't sell either though the single Superposition did Well on the Alt Rock chart probably because the song appeared on the TV show Grey's Anatomy and Young the Giant performed the song on all the late night talk shows. Two producers worked on the album, Harry Styles producer Alex Salibian and Cage the Elephant producer Jack Hill. Hill produced Superposition. Gadhia wrote Superposition. Young the Giants left Elektra and released the 2002 album American Bollywood on their own label with distribution by their publisher AWAL. They are currently on tour. This just shows that major labels aren't for everyone. Young the Giant should have stayed with Roadrunner. Here's the video for Superposition by Young the Giant. The band has produced two other videos for this song. This is the original.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bob Seger

Artist:Bob Seger

Song:Night Moves

Album:Greatest Hits

The 1976 single Night Moves was the first big hit for Bob Seger. So he was an overnight success after almost ten years in the music business. I first heard of him in 1969 when he recorded Ramblin' Gamblin' Man. He was born May 6, 1945 in Detroit but he grew up in Ann Arbor. His father was a medical technician for Ford and he played music on the side. Seger's parents argued a lot and his father abandoned the family and moved to California in 1956. After leaving high school, Seger moved to Detroit and was in several early 60s bands including The Decibels, The Town Criers and Doug Brown & the Omens. He formed Bob Seger & the Last Heard in 1966. After a single had local success, Seger signed with Cameo-Parkway Records. They had some success. But Cameo-Parkway was on their last legs and soon closed. He signed with Capitol and they changed the band name to The Bob Seger System. He has been with Capitol for his entire career. The 1968 single Ramblin' Gamblin' Man was Seger's first national hit single as it reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. But Seger brought Tom Neme in to take over as lead singer and songwriter. That did not go over well. Seger even quit the music business to attend college. He got rid of Neme for the 1970 album Mongrel. The album was praised but didn't sell. Capitol dropped him. Seger joined Teagarden & Van Winkle who had success with the 1970 single God, Love, and Rock & Roll. They recorded on Seger's manager's label. The turning point was when Seger formed The Silver Bullet Band and that brought Seger back to Capitol after the single Get Out of Denver charted. Plus his cover of Nutbush City Limits from the 1976 album Live Bullet. That album was certified 5XPlatinum without a hit single. The 1976 album Night Moves was recorded mostly in Detroit and Muscle Shoals, AL. But Seger's manager really wanted a hit single. So he sent Seger to Toronto to work with The Guess Who producer Jack Richardson. After they recorded a couple of songs, most of the band left Toronto. Seger played Night Moves for Richardson on the piano. Seger didn't think the song was good enough. But Richardson liked it and wanted to record it. The problem was most of the band had left. Bassist Chris Campbell and drummer Charlie Allen Martin were still there. Richardson brought in guitarist Joe Miquelon and Dr. Music himself Doug Riley to play organ. Once Capitol heard Night Moves, it was the album title and lead single. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 6XPlatinum. You can get it on this comp. Seger continued to have success until the late 80s. He took a sabbatical from 1997 to 2005 to spend more time with his family. Seger last released an album in 2017 and he retired in 2018. He returned last year and is currently on tour. Here's the video for Night Moves by Bob Seger. This video was produced in 1994 and features Matt Leblanc and Daphne Zuniga. The video was produced for the Greatest Hits album. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bomb the Bass

Artist:Bomb the Bass f/Lorraine

Song:Don't Make Me Wait: Maximum Frequency Mix

Album:Into the Dragon

Producer and DJ Timothy Simenon had success on the British charts as Bomb The Bass. There were three hit singles from the 1988 album Into the Dragon. He also charted in Europe and the US Dance charts despite not being released in the US. Simenon was born in 1968 in Brixton, England. He got interested in producing after studying recording engineering. Simenon and his Belgian recording engineer partner Pacsal Gabriel signed with Rhythm Kings Records. At first they were called the Rhythm Kings All Stars and they were supposed to remix songs from Rhythm Kings' back catalogue. When the 1987 single Beat Dis topped the British charts and even topped the US Dance chart, Simenon changed the group name to Bomb the Bass and recorded the 1988 album Into the Dragon. Supposedly Beat Dis was the first "acid house" single and originated the use of the smiley face on "acid house" singles. How was it a hit in the US? Apparently they convinced British clubs that the song was recorded in the US and it spread from there. There were three British top ten hits from Into the Dragon including Don't Make Me Wait. The album was certified Gold in England. Not surprisingly, Simenon used guest singers on the album including Nellee Hooper of Soul II Soul. On Don't Make Me Wait, the singer is Lorraine McIntosh. It looks like she was a studio singer. Her husband Steve McIntosh is also a studio musician. The guitar solo is the only credit for Roddy Marsh. Into the Dragon was reissued in 2010 by the British label Cherry Red and includes bonus tracks including this remix of Don't Make Me Wait. Simenon co-produced Neneh Cherry's 1989 hit Buffalo Stance. Since then, Simenon has released occasional Bomb the Bass albums and he has produced Seal, Depeche Mode and Bjork among others. Timothy Simenon retired from the music business in 2020. Here's the video for Don't Make Me Wait by Bomb the Bass featuring Lorraine. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kenny Chesney

Artist:Kenny Chesney f/Pink

Song:Setting the World on Fire

Album:Cosmic Hallelujah

Kenny Chesney scored his first number one country hit in 1997. The 2016 single Setting the World on Fire is his most recent number one country hit. What they have in common is they were on Sony. Cosmic Hallelujah was his final album on Sony. His three latest albums have been on Warner Bros. Chesney first recorded for Capricorn Records in 1994. Capricorn soon closed their Nashville office and Chesney signed with RCA's BNA label. He scored 21 number one country hits on BNA. Then Sony closed BNA in 2011 and Chesney was moved to Columbia and he started his own label Blue Chair. He continued to have success but he only had two number one country hits on Columbia. The 2016 single Setting the World on Fire was his final #1 hit on Columbia. It's from the album Cosmic Hallelujah. The album was certified Gold. Chesney and his long time producer Buddy Cannon produced the album. Setting the World on Fire was written by veteran songwriters Ross Copperman, Matt Jenkins and Josh Osborne. The record was nominated for a Grammy. The actors in the video are Joel Ezra Hebner and Abigail Kuklis. The album is available on CD. Sony hasn't released a comp since 2009. Then Chesney announced that he was leaving Sony for Warner Bros. Chesney's statement at the time was that he was impressed with the enthusiasm of Warners management. I'm sure he spoke to Warners artists like Blake Shelton. Sometimes an artist makes a change for change's sake. And that may be true of Chesney. He has released three albums for Warners. And he's still working with Buddy Cannon. Maybe he was just complacent at Sony. But the change to Warners hasn't been successful yet. Maybe Chesney is getting old and it's time to slow down. I doubt he will admit that. Here's the video for Setting the World on Fire by Kenny Chesney featuring Pink. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Celeste Holm

Artist:Celeste Holm

Song:I Cain't Say No

Album:Oklahoma!: Original Broadway Cast 75th Anniversary

Celeste Holm was an award winning actress known for films and TV. But the role that made her a star was playing Ado Annie in the 1943 production of the landmark Broadway musical Oklahoma!. She was born Apr. 29, 1917 in New York City. Her father was a Norwegian businessman and her mother was a portrait artist. The family moved a lot because of her dad's business. But she attended high school in Chicago and studied drama at the University of Chicago. Her first major role on Broadway was in the 1940 drama The Time of Your Life. Gene Kelly was her co-star. Then she did Oklahoma!. It was the first of many musicals written by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Theresa Helburn of The Theater Guild wanted to turn an unsuccessful play called Green Grow the Lilacs into a musical. It was about settlers in Oklahoma. She contacted Richard Rodgers and he bought the rights. When his composing partner Lorenz Hart wasn't interested, Hammerstein agreed to do it. The cast included Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Howard Da Silva and Celeste Holm. The show was a big hit. It ran for five years. It was also the first ever Original Broadway Cast album. And it made Celeste Holm a star. The Oklahoma Broadway cast album is available in a 75th anniversary edition with bonus tracks. Celeste signed with 20th Century Fox in 1946. Her first film was Three Little Girls in Blue. Then she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 1947 film Gentlemen's Agreement. She also appeared in All About Eve (1950), The Tender Trap (1955) and High Society (1956). She returned to Broadway and started doing TV. She did mostly guest shots on TV. She played The Fairy Godmother in the 1965 CBS production of the musical Cinderella. Though Celeste continued to work in films, she seemed to prefer Broadway and TV. Her health started failing in 2002 and she died on July 13, 2012 at age 95. Here's Celeste Holm performing I Cain't Say No on the Mar. 27, 1955 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Talita Alencar vs Vanessa Demopolous

 Here's the fight video of Talita Alencar vs Vanessa Demopolous from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Talita is 34 years old from Brazil. She trains at Fight Sports in Deerfield Beach, FL. She's a six time world BJJ champ but she is learning MMA. Her UFC record is 1-1. Vanessa is 36 years old from Columbus, OH. She's bounced around a lot of gyms. But she seems to train at Xtreme Couture and the UFC PI in Las Vegas. Her UFC record is 5-3 but she hasn't beaten anyone good yet. The big thing was Talita was much quicker than Vanessa. And once Talita took her down, Vanessa couldn't do anything. So Talita won the fight 29-28. That's the way the judges scored it too. I wasn't impressed with either of them. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loma Lookboonmee vs Istela Nunes

Here's the fight video of Loma Lookboonme vs Istela Nunes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Loma's opponent was supposed to be Ariane Carnelossi. But she got injured and Istela was moved from the recent London show. Loma is 29 years old from Thailand. She trains with John Wood at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Obviously, Muay Thai is her specialty. Her UFC record is 6-2. She's on a three fight winning streak. Istela is 32 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at American Top Team Brasil. Her UFC record is 0-4. So she really needs a win. Loma managed to win this fight with ground control. I guess she has learned how to execute takedowns but then she doesn't know what to do. We call that Lay 'n' Pray around here. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Loma So did two of the judges and the third scored it 30-27. Like all of Loma's wins, it was uneventful. She beat a fighter who is probably getting released. At some point, she needs to beat a ranked fighter. And don't forget she probably should be an Atomweight. So I am not convinced that Loma will ever be any good. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Dione Barbosa vs Diana Belbita

Here's the fight video of Dione Barbosa vs Diana Belbita from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Dione is 32 years old from Reclife, Brazil. She trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. She was supposed to fight in March but she was pulled and rescheduled. Dione is 1-1 in the UFC. Like many Brazilians, she's a BJJ whiz. Diana is 28 years old from Romania. She trains at House of Champions in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. She's 2-5 in the UFC and is on a two fight losing streak. She needs a win or she could be gone from the UFC. The first part of round one is uneventful. But Dione has a clear quickness advantage. Then Dione lands a spinning elbow with Diana against the fence. And that leads to a takedown and Dione wins with an arm triangle at 4:13 of round one. So it's like I said. I expect the UFC to release Diana. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Fall

Artist:The Fall

Song:Victoria

Album:A-Sides 1978-2016

The British band The Fall were successful mostly at home. They had a few hits like this 1988 cover of The Kinks' classic Victoria. But mostly they had a rabid cult following and never crossed over to mainstream pop. And I don't think The Fall leader Mark E. Smith wanted anything more than that. He formed The Fall in Prestwich, England with Martin Bramah, Una Baines and Tony Friel. Influences include the German band Can, The Velvet Underground and The Stooges. After watching a Sex Pistols show, the four decided to start a band. Smith wanted to call the band The Outsiders. But Friel came up with The Fall which was a 1956 novel by Albert Camus. Smith was an avid reader so he liked that. The band was Smith on vocals, Bramah on guitar, Friel on bass and Baines on keyboards. They had a drummer at their first show. But he left and Friel brought in Karl Burns who he knew from another band. Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon saw them and paid for a recording session. When he couldn't afford to release them, Boon gave the tapes to Smith. Una's friend Kay Carroll became their manager and Smith's girlfriend. Friel didn't like her and was replaced by Eric McGann. He soon left and Uma was replaced by Yvonne Pawlett after Uma overdosed on drugs. They did record their first session with BBC DJ John Peel. He became a big fan. Bramah was the last original member to leave and he formed the band Blue Orchids with Uma. Since then, It's been Smith's show and anyone else is disposable. That's how he treated people. Some guys did stay like guitarist Craig Scanlon and bassist Steve Hanley. The Fall had released a couple of albums on a small label. But then they released the 1980 album Totale's Turns on Rough Trade. And that's when things started to pick up. The problem was Smith didn't like Rough Trade. So in 1984 he switched to Beggars Banquet and they stayed there a long time. While on tour in the US. Smith met Brix Salenger. She became his wife and Brix Smith moved to England and became lead guitarist. She also wrote songs with Smith. She stayed until 1989 and that was probably The Fall's most stable period. This cover of The Kinks' classic Victoria is from the 1988 album The Frenz Experiment. It was a top 40 hit in England. Other than that, Smith wrote all the songs on the album. Simon Rogers produced. He was guitarist for The Fall for a while. You can get Victoria on this 3CD box set of singles. The Fall was not as successful after that. But Smith continued to lead the band until he died of cancer on Jan.24, 2018 at age 60. Here's the video for Victoria by The Fall. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stars Go Dim

Artist:Stars Go Dim

Song:Heaven on Earth

Album:Better

Stars Go Dim started out as a CCM band. But it is now a solo outlet for singer songwriter Chris Cleveland. He has had success on the Christian charts with singles like Heaven on Earth. Cleveland is from Tulsa. Stars Go Dim started out in 2007 as a spinoff of the CCM band Pillar. Pillar bassist Michael Wittig and drummer Lester Estelle II formed this new band with Cleveland and guitarist Joey Avalos. Avalos had been a member of the CCM band Justifide and he toured with Pillar. They released an EP in 2008 and went on tour. Wittig and Lester left Pillar to concentrate on Stars Go Dim. They left the band in 2010. Cleveland kept the name and signed with Word's Fervent label. He has released three albums and has a new album coming out in July. Heaven on Earth is from the 2017 album Better. Cleveland writes all the songs with co-writers. He wrote Heaven on Earth with producer Jeff Pardo. And Pardo produced the album. He's a Grammy winning CCM producer. I don't know why Cleveland kept the band name. But I think CCM fans will enjoy his music. Here's the video for Heaven on Earth by Stars Go Dim. I believe the video was made this way deliberately.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tribalistas

Artist:Tribalistas

Song:Carnavalia

Album:Tribalistas

Tribalistas was a Brazilian supergroup that made a big splash with the 2002 album Tribalistas. The problem was they turned out to be a one off group. Obviously they could have been much bigger if they had continued. The leader of Tribalistas was the very popular singer Marisa Monte. She was not only the lead singer but she produced the album. The other members were Arnaldo Antunes of Titas and Carlinhos Brown of Timbalada. The three were already friends when Marisa was asked to appear on Antunes' 2001 album Paradeiro. Brown was producing the album. Marisa was only supposed to stay a couple of days. She stayed for a week. And they wrote a bunch of songs together. So they decided to record an album at Marisa's home recording studio in Rio de Janeiro. They wrote and produced the album with Ale Siqueira who had worked with Marisa in the past. Dadi Carvalho of A Cor Do Som was also a major contributor. The album was released on Marisa's label EMI and it topped the Brazilian charts and did well internationally to the point where Blue Note released it in the US. The album was nominated for several Latin Grammys and Tribalistas performed on the Latin Grammys broadcast. So the album was very successful. But with Marisa very busy with her solo career, they must have known that the possibility of Tribalistas continuing was a longshot at best. So all three returned to their own careers. But I guess it nagged at them that they only recorded one album. So a second album plus a DVD was released in 2017. The original 2002 album is available on CD. Brazilian music fans should check it out. Here's Tribalistas performing Carnavalia 2018.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Geno Delafose

Artist:Geno Delafose

Song:Hey, Geno!

Album:French Rockin' Boogie

Geno Delafose is a second generation Zydeco accordionist. His father John Delafose also played Zydeco accordion. Anyone familiar with this Louisiana Bayou music will know that this is not unusual. Delafose recorded in the 90s. He hasn't recorded recently. But he still performs regularly mostly in Lafayette clubs. He was born Feb. 6, 1971 in Eunice, LA. At age eight, he started playing rubboard in his dad's band The Eunice Playboys. He continued to play in his dad's band until his 1994 death. Then Delafose started his own band and signed with Rounder Records. Hey, Geno! is from Delafose's 1994 debut album French Rockin' Boogie. That is also the name of his band. Though Rounder A&R VP Scott Billington is credited as producer, the music is mostly homemade by Delafose. This is typical of Zydeco music. Delafose wrote most of the songs including Hey, Geno!. Musicians are Shelton Broussard on lead guitar. His father was also a Zydeco musician and Broussard leads the band Zydeco Force. Steve Nash played washboard. Charles Prudhomme played rhythm guitar. He was in Delafose's dad's band. Delafose's brother Tony Delafose played bass. Jermaine Jack played drums. He was also in Delafose's dad's band. And that's the band that is on this video. This album is available as a digital download. Delafose recorded three albums for Rounder and two albums for Times Square. He last recorded in 2007. These days he raises cattle and horses on his ranch outside Eunice. But he still plays Lafayette clubs and tours the festival circuit. Go see him if he's coming your way because Zydeco music is party music. You don't have to know what it is to enjoy it. Here's Geno Delafose with French Rockin' Boogie performing Hey, Geno! on the BET show Jazz Central 1997.