AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eric Clapton

Artist:Eric Clapton

Song:Forever Man

Album:Complete Clapton

Of course British guitarist Eric Clapton became famous as a member of The Yardbirds, Cream and Derek and the Dominos. He finally launched his solo career in 1970 and topped the charts with his 1974 cover of Bob Marley's I Shot the Sheriff. He had success for a while. But by the late 70s, he was starting to look like a has been. Clapton's big problem was heavy drinking. So though he looked good at The Secret Policeman's Ball in 1981 teaming up with Jeff Beck for the first time, he admitted to his manager in Jan. 1982 that he was an alcoholic. He checked into the Hazelden Treatment Center in Center City, MN. Upon his discharge, the doctors told him to avoid activities that would trigger his alcoholism. Though Clapton relapsed once in 1987, he has been sober since then. Meanwhile, he signed a new record deal with Warner Bros. and recorded the 1983 album Money and Cigarettes with producer Tom Dowd. The album was unsuccessful. Warners wanted a more commercial album from Clapton and they asked Phil Collins to get it from him. The album was called Behind the Sun. Warners rejected the album because it didn't have a hit single. So they commissioned three songs from New Orleans based songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams. Forever Man was one of those songs. It reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Mainstream Rock chart. It was produced by Lenny Waronker and Ted Templeman. Waronker was president of Warner Bros. Records and Templeman produced The Doobie Brothers. Behind the Sun was certified Platinum. Musicians included Michael Omartian on keyboards, Steve Lukather on rhythm guitar, Nathan East on bass, Jeff Porcaro on drums and Lenny Castro on congas. All are session musicians. Lukather and Porcaro are in Toto. You can get it on this 2CD comp available at a reasonable price. This revived Clapton's career and his next few albums were successful. He didn't really need hit singles though he did return to the top of the charts with the 1992 single Tears in Heaven from the soundtrack of the film Rush. I may do that as a discography orphan. Here's the video for Forever Man by Eric Clapton.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Perfect Gentlemen

Artist:Perfect Gentlemen

Song:Ooh La La (I Can't Get Over You)

Album:Rated PG

Most music fans should be familiar with Maurice Starr as the man who created and produced New Edition and New Kids on the Block in the 80s. He attempted to create a third group with Perfect Gentlemen in the late 80s. Though they did score a top ten hit with the 1990 single Ooh La La, They only recorded two albums. Starr formed Perfect Gentlemen as a vehicle for his son Maurice Starr Jr. The other two members were Corey Blakely and Tyrone Sutton. They toured with New Kids on the Block and released the 1990 album Rated PG on Columbia. The single Ooh La La reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Starr wrote and produced the album and played all the instruments. This album is available as a budget CD. Despite the success, Starr wasn't satisfied. For the 1993 album PG, he switched to Warner Bros. Maybe he wasn't happy with the promotion budget. And for the 1993 album Perfect Gentlemen, Tyrone Sutton was replaced by new lead singer Miles "Masspake Miles" Wheeler and Stephen Reeves. Starr again wrote and produced though he did bring in outside producers for a couple of tracks. The album didn't do as well as the first one so Starr decided to pull the plug. Maurice Starr Jr. went on to make music with his brother Stephen Starr as The Muzik Makerz. They don't appear to be active. Miles Wheeler also continued in music. Maurice Starr has had little success since the 80s. I guess he couldn't change with the times. Here's the video for Ooh La La (I Can't Get Over You) by Perfect Gentlemen.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Delbert McClinton

Artist:Delbert McClinton

Song:Giving It Up for Your Love

Album:Ultimate Collection

Giving It Up for Your Love was a top ten hit in 1980. It is to date the biggest hit for blues rocker Delbert McClinton. Before that he was probably best known for playing harmonica on Bruce Channel's 1961 hit Hey! Baby. He was born Nov. 4, 1940 in Lubbock, TX. His family moved to Fort Worth when he was 11. McClinton played harmonica in the local band The Straitjackets in the late 50s. He played with blues legends like Sonny Boy Williamson II and Howlin' Wolf. Then he played harmonica on Hey! Baby and toured with Channel. While in England, he gave John Lennon harmonica lessons. McClinton formed The Ron-Dels with Ronnie Kelly and Billy Wade Sanders and they charted with the 1965 single If You Really Want Me To, I'll Go. The first time I heard of McClinton was when he formed the duo Delbert & Glen with Glen Clark. They released two albums on Atlantic and split up. McClinton released three albums for ABC Records before they were swallowed by MCA. His song Two More Bottles of Wine was a 1978 country hit for Emmylou Harris. After two albums for Capricorn, McClinton signed with Capitol for the 1980 album The Jealous Kind and the single Giving It Up for Your Love reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. That album was recorded at Muscle Shoals and produced by Barry Beckett who also played keyboards. The band was the Muscle Shoals regulars like Billy Sanders on guitar, David Hood on bass and Roger Hawkins on drums plus the Muscle Shoals Horns. Giving It Up for Your Love was written by Jerry Lynn Williams who wrote several songs for Eric Clapton. McClinton recorded two albums for Capitol. McClinton also recorded for MCA, Alligator, Curb and Mercury. McClinton won a Grammy in 1991 for his duet with Bonnie Raitt Good Man, Good Woman and he scored a top five country hit with a duet with Tanya Tucker called Tell Me About It. This 1999 budget comp from Universal's Hip-O label covers McClinton's entire career up until that point. After that he had his best run on the blues charts with a series of albums on New West Records. McClinton wrote and produced with Nashville session guitarist Gary Nicholson. He won a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for his 2006 album Cost of Living. His latest album was released on his own label in 2022. McClinton looks to be retired but it looks like he appears on the Big Easy Cruise every January. Here's Delbert McClinton performing Giving It Up for Your Love at Farm Aid in Champaign, IL Sept. 22, 1985.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Urban Dance Squad

Artist:Urban Dance Squad

Song:Deeper Shade of Soul

Album:Mental Floss for the Globe

The Dutch band Urban Dance Squad were mostly successful at home. But they scored a surprise hit when the 1989 single Deeper Shade of Soul almost cracked the US top 20. It was their only chart single in the US. Urban Dance Squad first got together in 1986 at a club in Utrecht, The Netherlands. They were a rock band with a rapper. The name Urban Dance Squad is from the Parliament Funkadelic song Urban Dancefloor Guerillas. The band members were Patrick "Rudeboy Remington" Tilon on vocals, Rene "Tres Manos" van Barneveld on guitar, Silvano "Silly Sil" Matadin on bass, Michel "Magic Shoots" Schoots on drums and Arjen "DJ DNA" de Vreede on turntables. They signed with Triple X Records and released the 1989 album Mental Floss for the Globe. The album was produced by Jean-Marie Aerts who is the guitarist for the band TC Matic. Ariola Records was the European distributor. Arista picked it up in the US. Deeper Shade of Soul was the first single and it charted across Europe before it reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. MTV played the video in heavy rotation and that was probably a big factor in the song's success. The main sample on the record is the 1968 Ray Barretto song A Deeper Shade of Soul. I wouldn't even call it sampling. It's really a cover version with rapping. To be fair, the average listener would not be aware of the original. The sax solo is by Luther Francois. The album is available on CD. Urban Dance Squad released six albums from 1989-99. They switched to Virgin after three albums. They had modest success in Europe. But Deeper Shade of Soul was their only memorable song. They split up in 1999 and have reunited occasionally. Here's the video for Deeper Shade of Soul by Urban Dance Squad.

 

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Eddi Reader

Artist:Eddi Reader

Song:Simple Soul

Album:Simple Soul

Scottish singer songwriter Eddi Reader is probably best known as the lead singer of Fairground Attraction. They had success in the late 80s. She has recorded as a solo act since the 90s. She was born Sadenia Reader Aug. 29, 1959 in Glasgow, Scotland. Her parents nicknamed her Edna. She started playing guitar at age ten. She started out busking in Glasgow and traveled to London and Europe. She returned to Scotland in 1985 looking for a job in music. She found it as a backing vocalist with the British band Gang of Four. She toured England and the US with them. Afterwards, she worked as a session singer. She signed with EMI and released two singles with the group Outbar Squeak. Then she met guitarist Mark E. Niven and they formed Fairground Attraction with bassist Simon Edwards and drummer Roy Dodds. They signed with RCA and topped the British chart with the 1988 single Perfect. It won a Brit Award for Best Single. The 1989 album The First of a Million Kisses also did well. After Eddi took time off to give birth to a son, Fairground Attraction was supposed to record their second album. But there some sort of disagreement and Niven left to form a new group. He says now that he was immature. and overreacted to something. Eddi returned to Scotland and started a solo career with the 1992 album Mirmana for RCA. She recorded three albums for Blanco y Negro owned by Geoff Travis of Rough Trade with Warner Bros. distribution. She then switched to Rough Trade for the 2001 album Simple Soul. Eddi produced the album with Fairground Attraction drummer Roy Dodds. Eddi wrote most of the songs with Boo Hewerdine from the band The Bible. He's worked on most of her albums. Simple Soul is available as a budget CD. Eddi left Rough Trade in 2009, recorded two albums for Reveal and her latest album in 2022 for Vertical. I believe she owns the masters. She is just licensing them for distribution. Eddi self produces. Fairground Attraction reunited to tour last year. Eddi is currently on tour in Ireland and England. Here's Eddi Reader with Boo Hewerdine performing Simplle Soul. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buster Poindexter

Artist:Buster Poindexter

Song:Hot Hot Hot

Album:Buster Poindexter

David Johansen was lead singer of the 70s Glam Rock band The New York Dolls. After they split up, Johansen recorded solo in the late 70s. Then he created this lounge lizard character Buster Poindexter and that's when he had his greatest success with the 1987 single Hot Hot Hot. I'm sure folks have heard this record and have no idea who is behind it. Johansen was born Jan. 9, 1950 in Staten Island, NY. His father was a one time Norwegian opera singer who sold insurance. His mother was a librarian. After graduating from high school, he got into the New York theater and music scene and became lead singer of The New York Dolls. Glam Rock was a thing in the mid 70s. But after releasing two albums for Mercury, the band split up and Johansen signed a solo deal with Columbia's Blue Sky label. After recording three unsuccessful albums, he created the Buster Poindexter character in 1982. Johansen wanted to have some fun performing in a local club. The music is based on Louis Jordan Jump Blues. He decided to call himself Buster Poindexter because he didn't want New York Dolls fans coming to the shows. His band started as a three piece band. It grew to a nine piece band complete with horn section called Banshees of Blue. After they appeared on Saturday Night Live, Poindexter signed with RCA Records and released the 1987 album Buster Poindexter. The single Hot Hot Hot reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and originally recorded by Soca artist Arrow. The album was produced by Hank Medress. He was a member of The Tokens who turned to production after they split up. The arrangements were written by pianist Joe Delia. Johansen recorded two albums as Poindexter. He said in an interview that Hot Hot Hot was the bane of his life due to its pervasive popularity. But it's his biggest hit so I don't think he can complain too much. Johansen also got into acting mostly in bit parts. But you may remember him as Eli Zavitz on three episodes of the HBO series Oz. The New York Dolls reunited in 2004 to tour and they recorded three albums. And Johansen even recorded a couple of Buster Poindexter albums. Showtime released a Martin Scorsese documentary about Johansen called Personality Crisis: One Night Only. Johansen was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. He died on Feb. 28, 2025 at age 75. Here's David Johansen performing Hot Hot Hot on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 1988.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jack Wagner

Artist:Jack Wagner

Song:All I Need

Album:Chart Toppers: Romantic Hits of the 80s

Actor Jack Wagner is best known for his runs on several TV soap operas. But while he was on the daytime soap General Hospital in the 80s, he scored a top five hit with the 1984 single All I Need. This was his only big hit though some of his other songs charted so he is not technically a one hit wonder. He was born Oct. 3, 1959 in Washington, MO. which is a St. Louis suburb. His dad was a car salesman. He played sports as a teen. Wagner got a full scholarship in drama at the University of Arizona. Wagner auditioned five times before he got the role of Frisco Jones on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital. During the final audition, they discovered that Wagner could sing and play guitar. They sent him to Quincy Jones who signed Wagner to his Qwest label with Warner Bros. distribution. The 1984 album All I Need was produced by Glen Ballard and Clif Magness. The single All I Need reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ballard and Magness wrote the song with David Pack of Ambrosia. Though Wagner played the guitar solo in the video, Magness played the guitar solo on the record. Though All I Need turned out to be a footnote in Wagner's acting career, it was the first big hit for Ballard and Magness. Ballard went on to produce Wilson Phillips and Alanis Morissette. Magness went on to produce Avril Lavigne. You can get All I Need on this Sony various artists CD. Wagner recorded three albums for Qwest. But he wasn't able to score another hit. He last recorded in 2014. Most of Wagner's success as an actor has been on daytime soaps like General Hospital, Santa Barbara and The Bold and the Beautiful plus the primetime show Melrose Place. These days he's doing a lot of Hallmark movies as an actor and executive producer. He appeared in all The Wedding March films. Here's Jack Wagner performing All I Need on a 1984 episode of Solid Gold.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Giulia vs Charlotte Flair vs Zelina Vega

Here's the match video of Giulia vs Charlotte Flair vs Zelina Vega from last night's episode of Smackdown. This was a Money in the Bank (MITB) qualifying match. They started the show with WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte and Zelina came out and bragged about winning MITB and cashing in on Tiffany. Then Giulia came out and had a staredown with Tiffany. This is Giulia's first match since being brought up to Smackdown. Conventional thinking would have Charlotte win this match. But it looks like the WWE is having her go through some rough times which might be good for her character. The match is OK but Zelina is still awful in the ring. The finish was very similar to what IYO Sky did at Wrestlemania where they had Charlotte apply her figure eight on Zelina and Giulia came out of the sky and land on Charlotte's knee. She then finished Zelina with the northern lights bomb. Can Giulia win MITB? Right now Rhea Ripley seems like the obvious winner though Roxanne Perez could win as well. But it should establish Giulia as a main eventer in the WWE which is why they signed her in the first place. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tyler Hubbard

Artist:Tyler Hubbard

Song:5 Foot 9

Album:Tyler Hubbard

Tyler Hubbard is one half of the very popular country duo Florida Georgia Line. Since going on hiatus in 2021, Hubbard has had success as a solo act. He was born Jan. 31, 1987 in Monroe, GA. As a child, he played sports and attended church several times a week. As a teen, he led the worship service in church and that's when he got interested in music. After graduating from high school, Hubbard attended Belmont University in Nashville and that's when he met Brian Kelley and they formed Florida Georgia Line. They had a lot of success until Kelley wanted to record solo in 2021 and they decided to go on hiatus. Hubbard signed with EMI Nashville and 5 Foot 9 was his debut single. It reached #5 on the Country Singles chart. Then he released the 2023 album Tyler Hubbard and it was certified Gold. Hubbard produced the album with Jordan Schmidt who had previously produced Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard wrote all the songs with co-writers. He wrote 5 Foot 9 with Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three and Chase McGill. McGill has written hits for Morgan Wallen. The song was originally intended for Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard wrote the song for his wife Hayley who is 5'10". Hubbard also wrote songs with Keith Urban, Russell Dickerson, Thomas Rhett, his father Rhett Akins, Bebe Rexha and Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion. Hubbard continued his success with the 2024 album Strong. It hasn't done as well but it's done OK. Hubbard again wrote and produced with Schmidt. Will Florida Georgia line reunite? Kelley has said that he is open to it. But Hubbard has said that he prefers being solo and isn't interested. Of course that could change if someone throws enough money at them. Here's the video for 5 Foot 9 by Tyler Hubbard.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cymarron

Artist:Cymarron

Song:Rings

Album:Rock Artifacts Vol. 2

The 1971 single Rings was a top 20 hit. It was also a top 10 Adult Contemporary hit. It was the only big hit for the vocal group Cymarron. They had one other chart single so technically it's not a one hit wonder. They only recorded one album. The formation of Cymarron and the recording of Rings came out of the Memphis music scene. Rick Yancey, Sherrill Parks and Richard Mainegra were all singers working for producer Chips Moman at his Memphis recording studio American Sound. Yancey and Mainegra also played guitar and wrote songs. Rings was written by Eddie Reeves and Alex Harvey. Reeves was a songwriter who at the time was running United Artists Records' Los Angeles office. Harvey worked there as a songwriter. Reeves wanted to write a song for the wedding of his buddy Bob Hamilton. Rings is about a couple whose relationship was estranged and they reconciled and married. They recorded a demo and gave it as a wedding gift to Hamilton and his bride. Hamilton played it for Marty Lacker of the Memphis Mafia as a possible song for Elvis Presley. Lacker played it for Moman and he wanted Cymarron to record it. They had recently signed with Columbia's short lived Entrance label. Mainegra sang lead and Rings reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Moman produced the album using Memphis studio musicians like Reggie Young and Bobby Emmons. The problem was Cymarron only recorded one album. There may have been creative differences between Yancey and Mainegra. You can get Rings on this Sony various artists CD. Rings was recorded by Tompall & the Glaser Brothers and they scored a top ten country hit. Lobo charted with his 1974 recording. And Alex Harvey recorded Rings on his 1972 album Souvenirs. Yancey and Mainegra were both members of the 90s country group The Remingtons. And Mainegra co-wrote the song Separate Ways which was a 1972 hit single for Elvis Presley. Here's a video for Rings by Cymarron.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roberta Flack

Artist:Roberta Flack f/Maxi Priest

Song:Set the Night to Music

Album:Softly with These Songs: The Best of Roberta Flack

Set the Night to Music was a top ten hit in 1991. It was Roberta Flack's final top ten hit and her first since 1977. Back then Roberta scored several top ten hits including a couple with the late great Donny Hathaway. After Hathaway's 1979 death form suicide, Roberta was devastated and the 1980 album Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway was released as a tribute. Eric Mercury worked on that album and then recorded a couple of duets with Roberta. Then Roberta released a 1980 live album with Peabo Bryson. That album was successful enough that she recorded the 1983 album Born to Love with Bryson. That album was certified Gold and the single Tonight, I Celebrate My Love reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by a 1985 album that Roberta recorded with producer Ahmet Ertegun that was never released. After the failure of the 1988 album Oasis, Arif Mardin took over and produced the 1991 album Set the Night to Music. The title song was a duet with Maxi Priest who was pretty hot at the time. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Diane Warren and recorded by Starship on their 1987 album No Protection. It appeared in the 1988 film Vice Versa and released as a single. It was not a hit. The album Set the Night to Music didn't sell that well. So I think Priest is what made the single a hit on the radio. You can get it on this 1993 budget comp. Roberta left Atlantic after the 1994 album Roberta which was an album of standards. She continued to tour until she was diagnosed with ALS and couldn't sing anymore. She retired in 2022 and died on Feb. 24, 2025 at age 88. Here's the video of Set the Night to Music by Roberta Flack featuring Maxi Priest. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Midnight Star

Artist:Midnight Star

Song:Slow Jam

Album:The Very Best of Midnight Star

Midnight Star had success in the 80s mostly on the R&B charts. Though the 1983 album No Parking on the Dance Floor was their most successful album and the single No Parking on the Dance Floor was their biggest hit, supposedly Slow Jam was their most requested song live. Maybe it should have been released as a single. Midnight Star formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University in Frankfort, KY by Reggie Calloway, Belinda Lipscomb, Melvin Gentry, Kenneth Gant, Bill Simmons, Bo Watson and Jeff Cooper. They were self contained. They produced and wrote everything themselves. They later added Calloway's brother Vincent Calloway. A 1978 New York City showcase got them a record deal with Dick Griffey's label SOLAR Records. His partner was Soul Train owner Don Cornelius and they were distributed by RCA. No Parking on the Dance Floor was Midnight Star's fourth album. The single No Parking on the Dance Floor reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Though Slow Jam was never released as a single, it became one of their most requested songs. As I said, Midnight Star was self contained. Reggie Calloway was credited as producer. And they all wrote. Lead singers Belinda Lipscomb and Bo Watson wrote Slow Jam with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Supposedly this was his first songwriting credit. You can get all their hits on this budget comp from the British label Castle. Midnight Star continued to have success until Reggie and Vincent Calloway left in 1986. They went on to form the band Calloway and have had success as producers. Midnight Star wasn't as successful after they left and they went on hiatus after losing their record deal with SOLAR. They reunited in 2000 and released an album in 2002. That's the last time Midnight Star released an album but they still perform live usually with other similar bands from the 80s. Here's Midnight Star performing Slow Jam. It looks like this is from the 80s. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-George Winston

Artist:George Winston

Song:Thanksgiving

Album:December

Back in the 1950s, there was a significant market for easy listening instrumental music aimed at an older audience. These are people who listened to Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey in the 40s. When swing faded, they needed something to listen to. They weren't going to listen to bebop or Rock 'n' Roll. Probably the main easy listening instrumental artist of the 50s was Percy Faith. He was a house arranger for Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. All the major labels released this kind of music. And it was a consistent seller until the market for it dried up in the late 60s. That's when guitarist William Ackerman saw a need in the marketplace and started Windham Hill Records. Windham Hill's best selling artist was pianist George Winston. His albums from the 80s like December are still consistent sellers today. It's much different from Percy Faith but it's aimed at a similar audience. Winston was born Feb. 11, 1949 in Hart, MI. but he grew up in Miles City, MT. His big musical influence was Vince Guaraldi's music for the 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. He was influenced by jazz legends Fats Waller and Earl Hines to play solo piano. Winston first recorded in 1972 for guitarist John Fahey's Takoma label. Guitarist William Ackerman started Windham Hill Records in 1975 to record his own solo acoustic guitar. He invited some of his like minded friends to record. The big difference between Takoma and Windham Hill is Windham hill had major label distribution through A&M Records. And that's when Winston sent a demo to Ackerman. Winston would soon become Windham Hill's best selling artist. The 1980 album Autumn and the 1982 album Winter into Spring were both certified Platinum. And the 1982 album December has been certified 3XPlatinum. December is technically a Christmas album. But Winston said it's a tribute to the winter season influenced by his upbringing in Montana. It's all solo piano and Winston wrote most of the songs including Thanksgiving. This album is available on CD. So now the music business had to find a label for this music. At first Billboard called it "soft jazz" but ultimately called it New Age because it was ambient and much different from the easy listening music of the past. Winston and Windham Hill had continued success in the 80s. Winston was nominated for a Grammy for his 1984 album The Velveteen Rabbit narrated by Meryl Streep. He also composed the music for the 1988 miniseries This Is America, Charlie Brown. And he recorded a Vince Guaraldi tribute album. After PolyGram purchased A&M in 1989, Ackerman sold Windham Hill to BMG in 1992. They closed Windham Hill in 2007. After that, Winston recorded for RCA and Sony Classical until his death from cancer on June 4, 2023 at age 74. Here's George Winston performing Thanksgiving.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nick Heyward

Artist:Nick Heyward

Song:Whistle Down the Wind

Album:The Greatest Hits of Nick Heyward & Haircut One Hundred

Nick Heyward was the lead singer and songwriter of the British band Haircut One Hundred. After they had success mostly in England, Heyward left to go solo. Haircut One Hundred's biggest hit in the US was the top 40 single Love Plus One. Heyward was born May 20, 1961 in Beckenham, Kent, England but he grew up in South London. Heyward studied art in school and he has worked as commercial artist since he left school at age 16. So music is a sideline for him. He formed Haircut One Hundred with friends from school and their 1982 album Pelican West on Arista did very well in England. They were about to record their second album when Heyward announced he was going solo. He said he had already recorded with Abbey Road Studios recording engineer Geoff Emerick and session musicians. He was still on Arista. The 1983 album North of a Miracle featured the single Whistle Down the Wind. It reached #13 on the British Singles chart. Fans here may have heard the song in the 1983 film Sixteen Candles and it appears on the soundtrack album. This comp has a mix of solo and Haircut One Hundred songs. Heyward has also recorded for Reprise, Epic, Creation and most recently on his own label in 2017. But he hasn't had the same success that he had with Haircut One Hundred. Commercial art is still his main business. But he continues to perform and has reunited with Haircut One Hundred occasionally. Here's the video of Whistle Down the Wind by Nick Heyward. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tecia Pennington vs Luana Pinheiro

Here's the fight video of Tecia Pennington vs Luana Pinheiro from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Tecia is 35 years old. She trains at Pound 4 Pound Muay Thai in Colorado Springs, CO. with coach Justin Houghton. Her UFC record is 10-7. She's a striker with no ground game or punching power. So she tends to be in close fights. Look, she's been in the UFC since 2015 and she was in last night's curtain jerker. Shouldn't that send a message to her? Luana is 31 years old from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She trains at BH Rhinos with coach Christiano Lazzarini. Her UFC record is 3-3 and she's on a three fight losing streak. She said in interviews this week that she was going to take Tecia down and submit her. But she didn't do that. Instead it was three rounds of nothing. Neither was any good. The judges gave Tecia rounds one and three and Luana round two. It could have gone the other way. If Luana had shown any aggression, she would have won the fight. Instead, they both stunk out the joint. Afterwards, Tecia complained about not being ranked higher. But when she wins by a questionable decision, she doesn't deserve to be ranked at all. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Denise Gomes vs Elise Reed

Here's the fight video of Denise Gomes vs Elise Reed from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Denise is 25 years old. She's a former PRVT fighter who now trains at The GAEA Project with Jessica Aguilar. Her UFC record is 4-2. In her last fight, she beat former title contender Karolina Kowalkeiwicz. Elise is 32 years old. She trains at Kickside Martial Arts in Princeton, NJ with coach John Kanabay. Her UFC record is 4-4. I never thought she belonged in the UFC so a release wouldn't surprise me if she loses. Denise wins round one easily 10-9. Then in round two, she nails Elise with a left hook and pounds her until the ref stops it at 30 seconds of round two. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Luana Santos vs Tainara Lisboa

Here's the fight video of Luana Santos vs Tainara Lisboa from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Luana is 25 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is now training with John Wood at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Her UFC record is 3-1. She lost her last fight and was so unhappy that she moved to Vegas. The move to Bantamweight is because it's an easier path to the top of the division. Tainara is 34 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at DAMAS 013 with coach Bruno Polengo. Her UFC record is 2-0. We haven't seen her since 2013 because she had knee surgery. Luana didn't waste any time taking Tainara down. She controlled from top position but wasn't able to advance her position. Luana won round one 10-9. She did the same in round two and at the end of the round, she submitted Tainara with an Americana at 4:59 of round two. This was the first Americana submission in a UFC women's match. Luana said afterwards that she plans to continue to fight at Bantamweight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robert Lindsay

Artist:Robert Lindsay w/Maryann Plunkett and Company

Song:Lambeth Walk

Album:Me and My Girl

Actor Robert Lindsay is best known for his many appearances on the London stage and on TV. He has appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has been awarded two Olivier awards and a British Academy Television award. But in his only Broadway appearance, he won a Tony for the 1986 production of the musical Me and My Girl. He was born Dec. 13, 1949 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England. He attended Clarendon College and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and graduated in 1970. After appearing in a couple of films and TV episodes, he was a regular on the ITV sitcom Get Some In! (1975-77) and then he starred in the BBC sitcom Citizen Smith (1977-80). This was followed by several appearances in the BBC Television Shakespeare series. And that's when he got the starring role of Bill Snibson in the 1985 revival of the musical Me and My Girl. Emma Thompson was his co-star. Me and My Girl was written by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and was first performed in 1937 starring Lupino Lane. The show clearly is based on the British music hall scene of the early 1900s. Though the show was a hit at the time, attempted revivals failed until Stephen Fry wrote a revised version and brought it it to the London stage. After the show won two Olivier awards including one for Lindsay, The producers decided to bring it to Broadway in 1986. Lindsay was the only original cast member. The other stars were Maryann Plunkett, George S. Irving and Jane Connell. Me and My Girl was nominated for 13 Tonys and won three including one for Lindsay. The show ran for over three years and Jim Dale and Tim Curry were among those who replaced Lindsay during the run. The Original Cast album is available as a budget CD. A 70th Anniversary production of Me and My Girl toured England in 2006. This was Lindsay's only Broadway appearance. He continues to appear on the London stage in the shows Beckett (1995), Oliver! (1997). He also appears on lots of British TV. The one film you may recognize is the 1997 John Cleese film Fierce Creatures. Most recently he has been a regular on the BBC drama Sherwood and the Channel 4 miniseries Generation Z. Here's Robert Lindsay with Maryann Plunkett and company performing Lambeth Walk from the musical Me and My Girl on the 1987 Tony Awards broadcast.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Galactic

Artist:Galactic

Song:Something's Wrong with This Picture

Album:Crazyhorse Mongoose & Cooling Off

Galactic is a modern funk band heavily influenced by legends like The Meters. They are known for playing extended jams in New Orleans clubs and on tour. Guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio were childhood friends growing up in Chevy Chase, MD. They moved to New Orleans in 1994 to attend college. But they really wanted to form a band. At first it was called Galactic Prophylactic and then shortened to Galactic. For the 1996 album Coolin' Off, the rest of the band was lead singer Theryl DeClouet, Richard Vogel on organ, Stanton Moore on drums, Ben Ellman on sax and harmonica and Eric Gordon on trumpet. The only departure was when DeClouet left in 2004 due to health problems caused by the band's heavy tour schedule. He died in 2018. When Galactic isn't touring, Moore is recording in all kinds of bands. Something's Wrong with This Picture is from Galactic's 1996 debut album Coolin' Off. The album was produced by Dan Prothero and released on his Fog City label. When Galactic signed with Capricorn for the 2008 album Crazyhorse Mongoose, they re-released Coolin' Off. These albums were released as a twofer by Floating World in 2017. For the most part, Galactic writes all their own songs. And though they are mainly influenced by New Orleans funk, they have incorporated other styles of music and bring in guest vocalists. Though the famed New Orleans club Tipitina's is Galactic's home base, they tour a lot. For a while, they were an instrumental band. But Angelika "Jelly" Joseph has been lead singer since 2019. It looks like Galactica's early albums are owned by Sony, they have recorded for Anti-, Sanctuary and the Dutch label Provogue. They last released a new album on their own label in 2019. But Galactica recently released an album with Irma Thomas on Thirty Tigers. In the jam band tradition, Galactica releases plenty of unauthorized live CDs. They recently released a deluxe edition of Crazyhorse Mongoose. I expect them to do that for Coolin' Off as well. Here's the video for Something's Wrong with This Picture by Galactic featuring vocals by Ivan Neville and Angelika "Jelly" Joseph.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ozuna

Artist:Ozuna f/Cardi B

Song:La Modelo

Album:Aura

Puerto Rican singer songwriter Ozuna is a big star in Latin America. But he crossed over to pop with the 2017 single La Modelo mostly because the popular rapper Cardi B was the guest artist. He was born Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado Mar. 13, 1992 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His father is Dominican and his mother is Puerto Rican. Ozuna listened to salsa and bachata. But mostly he listened to reggaeton artists like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar and American artists like Jay-Z and Usher. He was raised by his paternal grandmother after his father was fatally shot and his mother didn't have the financial means to raise him. Ozuna decided to pursue a singing career at age twelve. He called himself J-Oz. Producer Fernando "Damian" Acevedo suggested he call himself by his surname Ozuna. He moved to New York's Washington Heights area in 2010. And though Ozuna learned a few things there, he returned with his family to Puerto Rico in 2013. Ozuna released a few singles starting in 2012. He signed with VP Entertainment and they decided to sign with Sony Latin to get Ozuna's music better distribution. He released the 2016 album Odisea and it was a big hit in Latin America. Several singles did well on the Latin charts. For the 2018 album Aura, Sony decided that the single La Modelo featuring Cardi B could take Ozuna to the next level because of her fame in the US. The single reached #3 on the Latin American chart and #52 on the Billboard Hot 100. That's as high as he was going to get in the US as plenty of radio stations won't play foreign language music. Aura reached #7 on the Billboard 200 so the album did well. Most of the album including La Modelo was produced by Chris Jeday (real name-Carlos Ortiz). He has produced reggaeton artists like Daddy Yankee. La Modelo has a Jamaican Dancehall vibe and the video was shot in Jamaica. Other guests include Wisin & Yandel, Romeo Santos, J Balvin, Natti Natasha and Akon. The album is available as a digital download. Ozuna released his latest album in 2023. He also releases non album singles and makes a lot of guest appearances. He still does well in Latin America. But I think maybe he releases too much music. Sometimes less is more and overexposure is possible. Listeners can get tired of him. Here's the video for La Modelo by Ozuna featuring Cardi B. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Larnelle Harris

Artist:Larnelle Harris f/Sandi Patty

Song:I've Just Seen Jesus

Album:Songs 4 Life: Renew Your Heart

Gospel singer Larnelle Harris is best known for his long association with Bill Gaither. He toured with Gaither for many years. I've Just Seen Jesus was his 1984 debut album and this duet with Sandi Patty was the first of many. Harris is a good singer. But if you're looking for contemporary black gospel, look somewhere else. He was born July 6, 1947 in Danville, KY. He started playing drums at age nine. But he got vocal training at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. After he graduated in 1969, Harris joined the gospel group The Spurrlows. They were led by Thurlow Spurr. He started out in a group led by his brother Theron Spurr. Harris was a featured singer with First Gear. They recorded two albums for Word's Myrrh label in the 70s. Spurr produced both albums. I guess he had big plans for Harris. So He took him to Bill Gaither who was just beginning his empire. He didn't have his own record company yet. Harris' 1985 album I've Just Seen Jesus was on Benson's Impact label. Spurr was still Harris' manager. Gaither was executive producer. The album was produced by Greg Nelson. Harris' duet with Sandi Patty I've Just Seen Jesus was the only duet on the album and the first time they sang together. And it won a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance by Duo or Group. Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote I've Just Seen Jesus with pianist Danny Daniels. You can get I've Just Seen Jesus on this Time Life 2CD various artists budget comp. It is also on a Sandi Patty duet comp. Say what you want about Gaither's music. But he was smart enough to know that Harris and Sandi duets were money. I'm surprised he hasn't released an album of all their duets. Harris was a regular part of the Gaither shows for about thirty years. At that point, it looks like he decided to stay close to his home in Kentucky. Harris last recorded in 2017 and he has also written his autobiography. So it looks to me like he's retired. Here's Larnelle Harris featuring Sandi Patty performing I've Just Seen Jesus on a 2012 Gaither Homecoming show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Faith No More

Artist:Faith No More

Song:Epic

Album:Who Cares a Lot?: Greatest Hits

Faith No More was mostly an album and touring band. But they scored a top ten hit with the 1990 single Epic. Their music was hard rock with rap and punk elements. They were called Sharp Young Men when they formed in San Francisco in 1979. They were Mike Morris on lead vocals, Wade Worthington on keyboards, Billy Gould on bass and Mike Bordin on drums. Bordin suggested a name change to Faith. No Man. And they released a 1983 single recorded with their long time producer Matt Wallace. He had set up a recording studio in his parents' garage. But he would go on to produce all of the band's albums. Worthington was replaced by Roddy Bottum and Gordin, Gould and Bottum quit the band and started Faith No More. They tried out several singers and guitarists but they settled on singer Chuck Mosley and guitarist Jim Martin. After releasing the 1985 album We Care a Lot on the indie label Mordam Records, Faith No More signed with Slash Records in 1986. Slash was soon sold to Warner Bros. and Faith No More was moved to London Records. After the 1987 album Introduce Yourself was released, Faith No More went on tour. Their videos were played on MTV. They were having trouble with Mosely on a European tour he was fired and replaced by Mike Patton. Martin heard him on a demo of his old band. What they didn't know at the time was that Patton was a good lyricist. So he wrote all the lyrics on the 1989 album The Real Thing. The big surprise was when the single Epic reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and The Real Thing was certified Platinum. They had a very successful tour. This was the peak of Faith No More's success. This budget comp covers their entire history with London. Subsequent albums were experimental in nature. And that's not what fans want. They want the same music all over again. Album sales decreased and Martin left because he didn't like the musical direction. He was replaced by Dean Menta. After two more albums, Faith No More split up in 1998. They reformed in 2009 to tour. They released a new album in 2015. Faith No More continued to tour. But they went on hiatus when Patton refused to be in the band anymore. Bottum says they are on a "semi permanent hiatus". But never say never. Another Faith No More reunion would not be surprising. Here's the video for Epic by Faith No More. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith Washington

Artist:Keith Washington

Song:Kissing You

Album:Make Time for Love

R&B singer songwriter Keith Washington topped the R&B Singles chart with his 1991 debut single Kissing You. He was nominated for a Grammy and a Soul Train award. Subsequent singles did not do as well and Washington was active as a songwriter and producer. He was born Nov. 15, 1960 in Detroit. After co-writing the 1988 Freddie Jackson #1 R&B hit Hey Lover, Washington got a record deal with Qwest Records owned by Quincy Jones and distributed by Warner Bros. Kissing You is from Washington's 1991 debut album Make Time for Love. It topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was used on the ABC daytime soap General Hospital. Those soap fans love their music. Washington wrote Kissing You with Rodney Shelton and Marsha Jenkins. It was the biggest hit for all three. Washington produced with General Caine guitarist Trey Stone. He also played guitar on the record. Washington wrote and produced the album with various producers including Barry Eastmond. Not surprisingly, Kissing You was a fluke hit because it was on General Hospital. Those are very difficult to repeat. And none of Washington's singles did very well. The Album is available on CD. Washington's 1993 album You Make It Easy didn't sell and Washington left Qwest. Washington returned in 1999 with the album KW on MCA's Silas label owned by Louis Silas Jr. Silas produced along with Fred Jerkins III but it didn't sell. Washington continued to write and produce. He released a single in 2012 but the promised album never came out. Washington has done some acting. And he has been a radio DJ in Detroit. Based on his Facebook page, he does a lot of concert appearances with R&B one hit wonders like Glenn Jones and Karyn White. There's always a market for nostalgia acts. Here's the video for Kissing You by Keith Washington. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Geoff Moore & The Distance

Artist:Geoff Moore & The Distance

Song:A Friend Like U

Album:Greatest Hits

By the early 90s, CCM record companies were interested in crossing artists over to the mainstream. So they tried to make the music and videos as mainstream as possible. So when you watch the video for the 1992 single A Friend Like U by Geoff Moore & The Distance, it looks like a mainstream pop music video. Moore even looks like Huey Lewis. This actually helped record sales in the CCM market. But Moore never crossed over to mainstream. He was born Feb. 22, 1961 in Flint, MI. His father played for the minor league baseball team the Toledo Mud Hens and then owned a steel fabrication plant. Moore got interested in music while attending the Christian college Taylor University in Upland, IN. He was friends with future White Hearts lead singer Rick Florian and he sang in his roommate's band. After his 1983 graduation, Moore married and moved to Nashville to get into the music business. While working in a clothing store, he met CCM star Michael W. Smith and got a publishing deal with Paragon Music. He met another CCM star Steven Curtis Chapman and the two have been writing songs together ever since. Moore recorded three albums for Benson's Power Discs label in the 80s and then switched to Capitol/EMI's Sparrow label. This when he formed the band The Distance. After two albums, he switched to ForeFront owned by Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo & Key and he seemed to have a better handle on how to market CCM. The 1992 album A Friend Like U was Moore's second album for ForeFront. The title song got Moore his first taste of Christian radio play. Moore wrote the song A Friend Like U with Chapman. The band was Roscoe Meek on guitar, Geof Barkley on keyboards, Gary Mullett on bass and Greg Harrington on drums. Moore had his best run on ForeFront until they were sold to Capitol/EMI in 1996. This included a couple of Grammy nominations. Moore ended The Distance in 1998 and recorded a couple of solo albums for Sparrow. This 2CD budget comp has all of Moore's hits. He released his latest album on his own label in 2016. He last posted on Facebook in 2020. I would say that he is semi-retired. He says he is open to performing but he hasn't done that lately. Here's the video for A Friend Like U by Geoff Moore and The Distance. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Jessica Andrade

Here's the fight video of Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Jessica Andrade from last night's UFC show in Montreal. This fight is at Flyweight. Jasmine is 36 years old from St. Catharines, ON. She trains at Niagara Top Team with coach Chris Prickett. Her UFC record is 7-2 and she's on a four fight winning streak. Jessica is 33 years old from Parana, Brazil. She owns her own gym The GAEA Project. Jessica Aguilar is head coach. Her UFC record is 17-11. She probably shouldn't be fighting at Flyweight anymore. But she needs to fight to finance her gym. Jasmine had a big size advantage and she used that to take Jessica down and finish her with a rear naked choke at 2:40 of round one. Like the Natalia Silva fight, I thought this was set up to lead to Jasmine vs Natalia headlining an upcoming Fight Night show. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Alexa Grasso

Here's the fight video of Natalia Silva vs Alexa Grasso from last night's UFC show in Montreal. This fight is at Flyweight. Natalia is 28 years old from Minais Gerais, Brazil. She trains at Team Borracha with coach Carlos Borracha. She's 6-0 in the UFC. Her main attribute is quickness and foot movement. She also has a ton of charisma and sex appeal. She's mainly a striker. Alexa is 31 years old from Guadalajara, Mexico. She trains at the family gym Lobo owned by her father and her brother is coach. She's a boxer with limited skills otherwise. Her run as champ did her no favors because it made her look better than she is. Natalia won this fight by bouncing around so much that Alexa couldn't keep up with her. There was an obvious difference in quickness. Fans started booing Natalia because it looks like she's just avoiding contact. But she never stops moving and she is landing punches and kicks. And she doesn't seem to get tired. I wonder if she can do this for five rounds. We may get to find out as Natalia won the fight easily 30-27 and she could be up for the next Flyweight title shot. Alexa looked lost. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valentina Shevchenko vs Manon Fiorot

Here's the fight video of Valentina Shevchenko defending the UFC Flyweight Championship vs Manon Fiorot from last night's UFC show in Montreal. Valentina had just come off this series of matches against Alexa Grasso. She made a stupid mistake and lost the first match. The second fight was a draw because of a terrible Mike Bell scorecard. He should have been fired but judges aren't accountable in Nevada. She finally took care of business in the third fight and then she tried to avoid fighting Manon because there's more money in a Zhang Weili superfight. The UFC thought Manon had been kept waiting long enough. Manon had gone 7-0 in the UFC. She looked like a killer but in last night's fight, she simply wasn't the same fighter. The aggression that we had seen previously was gone. Sometimes I think fighters think too much and it affects performance negatively. So what we got was a blah points fight. Very disappointing. The fight was close enough that if Manon had shown any kind of aggression, she could have won easily. Instead, all three judges scored it 48-47 for Valentina. I scored it 48-47 for Manon. And the judges could have scored it that way too. There was nothing definitive about the result. A different score on one scorecard would have changed the result. That's how close it was. Call this Manon Fiorot's missed opportunity. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Merril Bainbridge

Artist:Merril Bainbridge

Song:Mouth

Album:The Garden

The 1994 top five hit single Mouth was the only big hit for Australian singer songwriter Merril Bainbridge. One of her other songs charted so she was not technically a one hit wonder. But Mouth is the only song you will remember. Subsequent singles did poorly so ultimately Merril quit the music business. She was born June 2, 1968 in Melbourne, Australia. She started performing as a child. She was in a few bands and hung around recording studios when she met producer George "Siew" Ooi and Owen Boiwell and Stan Paulzen of the band Tlot Tlot. They started working together and Merril signed with Gotham Records owned by Litlle River Band lead singer John Farnham. The album The Garden was released in Oct. 1994. When it got lost in the Christmas rush, Gotham re-released the album in Feb. 1995 and the single Mouth topped the Australian charts for six weeks. The album was produced by Siew and Boiwell and Merril wrote most of the songs including Mouth. Universal picked up the album in the US and Mouth reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album is available as a budget CD. The 1998 album Between the Days didn't do nearly as well even in Australia. So she seemed to have stalled. Merril recorded an album that was supposed to be released in 2004. But Merril decided to shelve the album, stay home with her family and quit the music business. She had just had her son. She also believed that illegal streaming would kill the music business. Instead the main culprit Napster went out of business. Merril only had the one hit single anyway. Success in the future would have been questionable. Merril created a maternity clothing line Peachy Mama in 2011. She says on her website that she sold Peachy Mama in 2021 for a whole heap of money. So it all worked out in the end. Here's the video for Mouth by Merril Bainbridge.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ed Shaughnessy

Artist:Ed Shaughnessy w/The Buddy Rich Big Band

Song:Shawnee

Album:Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to The Music of Buddy Rich

Ed Shaughnessy is best known as the long time drummer in The Tonight Show band for 29 years. Other than that, he was a very popular sideman. He recorded one album as a leader. Not surprisingly, he was good friends with Buddy Rich. So it's not surprising that Shaughnessy appears on this Rich tribute album. He was born Jan. 29, 1929 in Jersey City, NJ. He started playing drums as a teen and played in bands led by George Shearing, Jack Teagarden and Charlie Ventura. In the 50s, he played with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. Shaughnessy was in Count Basie's band when Doc Severinsen hired him for The Tonight Show in 1963. He remained until Jay Leno took over The Tonight Show in 1992. He appeared on a lot of albums. One of the most notable was the 1962 album Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith featuring the hit single Walk on the Wild Side. Oliver Nelson wrote the arrangements. While living in New York, Shaughnessy was the house drummer at Birdland. And after The Tonight Show moved to Los Angeles, he played clubs there. And that's where he discovered singer Diane Schuur and premiered her at the 1976 Monterey Jazz Festival. Shaughnessy was good friends with Buddy Rich. They used to have drum battles on The Tonight Show. So he appeared on this Rich tribute concert organized by Neil Peart of Rush. The album is available as a budget CD. Shaughnessy appeared as a sideman on almost 500 albums. His only album as a leader was the 1990 album Jazz in the Pocket. It's a small band album with guys he played with on The Tonight Show. Shaughnessy was married to Ilene Woods. She was the voice of Cinderella in the 1950 film. When she became ill with Alzheimer's in 2008, Shaughnessy reduced his schedule to take care of her. Then he died from a heart attack on May 24, 2013 at age 84. Here's Ed Shaughnessy and The Buddy Rich Big Band performing Shawnee from The Buddy Rich Big Band Tribute Album 1994. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lifehouse

Artist:Lifehouse

Song:You and Me

Album:Greatest hits

The 2005 single You and Me was one of two top five hits for the band Lifehouse. They have been on hiatus since 2021. They were called Blyss when they were formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by lead singer and songwriter Jason Wade. He formed the band with his next door neighbor bassist Sergio Andrade. They started playing local high schools and producer Ron Aniello introduced Wade to singer songwriter Jude Cole. Cole produced all of Lifehouse's albums. He got them a record deal at Dreamworks Records and they financed a demo that was released as the 1999 EP Diff's Lucky Day. Wade rerecorded and remixed all the demos and released it as the 2000 album No Name Face. He also changed the band name to Lifehouse After the album was recorded, Wade and bassist Sergio Andrade remained from the original band. Rick Woolstenhulme was the new drummer. Wade hired musicians for touring. The single Hanging by a Thread reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite never topping the chart, Hanging by a Thread was still named by Billboard as 2001's biggest hit. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. The 2002 album Stanley Climbfall sold about half what the first album sold. Then Dreamworks closed and Lifehouse was moved to Geffen Records for the 2005 album Lifehouse. Andrade was replaced by Bryce Soderberg. The single You and Me reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was on the soundtrack for the TV series Smallville. It didn't seem to help album sales. Lifehouse recorded three more albums for Geffen. This comp was released in 2017.  Lifehouse released the 2018 album Out of the Wasteland on ironworks owned by Jude Cole and actor Kiefer Sutherland. Lifehouse went on hiatus in 2021. Wade has formed a new band OZWALD. He seems to be concentrating on that and Lifehouse is not likely to return. Here's the video for You and Me by Lifehouse.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jose Jose

Artist:Jose Jose

Song:Lo que No Fue, No Sera

Album:Lo Mejor de Lo Mejor

Jose Jose is a Mexican singer known as El Principe de la Cancion (The Prince of Song). He first had success in the late 70s and was very successful in the 80s and 90s. His decline was mostly due to health problems. He was also a successful actor especially on TV. He was born Jose Romero Sosa Ortiz Feb. 17, 1948 in Claveria, Mexico. This is a suburb of Mexico City. His father was an opera singer and his mother was a pianist. When Jose showed an interest in singing, his parents tried to discourage him claiming it was too difficult. But after his alcoholic father abandoned the family that forced Jose to work to support the family. Jose formed the band Los Peg in 1967. They released two unsuccessful albums. Then Jose was asked to perform at a friend's sister's birthday. She turned out to be secretary the managing director of Orfeon Records. This led to a contract with RCA Records. He decided to call himself Jose Jose as his father was also named Jose. His debut album was released in 1970. He performed at the Il Festival de la Cancion Latina. Then Frank Sinatra wanted to record with him but RCA would not allow it. He was moved to Ariola Records in 1976. RCA was still the distributor. That's when he started having success. Lo que No Fue, No Sera was one of four hit singles from the 1978 album Lo Pasado, Pasado. The song was written by singer songwriter Jose Maria Napoleon. Jose usually produced al his albums. Most of his success was in the 80s and 90s. You can get all his hits on this 2CD budget comp. His decline was he was having trouble with his voice and he was drinking too much. He attempted to continue recording. But he probably should have retired. He died from pancreatic cancer on Sept. 28, 2019 at age 71. Here's Jose Jose performing Lo que No Fue, No Sera on a 1978 TV show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cesaria Evora

Artist:Cesaria Evora

Song:Cintuaro Tem Mele

Album:Anthologie: Momas & Coladeras

Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora became an international success in the early 90s almost by accident. A decade earlier she quit singing because she couldn't make a living. The success was short lived due to health problems that led to her 2011 death. She was born Aug. 27, 1941 in Mindelo, Cape Verde one of seven children. Her father was a violinist. But he died and Cesaria's mom worked as a cook and a maid to support the family. She was raised by her grandmother and then moved to an orphanage. At age 16, Cesaria began a romantic relationship with a guitarist who thought she could make money performing in bars. She became the headliner at Mindelo's Cafe Royal and performed on radio. She probably could have performed in Europe but chose not to. It got so bad that she retired from music in the 70s and sunk into alcoholism and depression. Cesaria returned to music in 1985 when the Organization of Cape Verdean Women asked her to appear on an album of women's music. She toured the US and performed with singer Bana at a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal. And that's when she was discovered by Lusafrica owner Jose da Silva, a Cape Verdean native living in Paris. Cintuaro Tem Mele is from her 1991 album Mar Azul. The album was picked up in the US by Nonesuch. So now she's touring internationally. She even won a Grammy for the 2004 album Voz d'Amor. That's when Cesaria's health started to decline. She suffered a stroke in 2008 while on tour in Australia. And she suffered a heart attack and died on Sept. 17, 2011 at age 70. This 2CD budget comp covers her music. Here's Cesaria Evora performing Cintuaro Tem Mele in Paris 1995. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-India

Artist:India

Song:Ese Hombre

Album:Grandes Exitos

The single Ese Hombre was one of several hit singles from India's 1994 breakthrough album Dicen Que Soy. She was very popular in the Latin market for a couple of decades. Back then she was known as the Princess of Salsa. She was born Linda Bell Viera Caballero Mar. 9, 1969 in Rio Pedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico but she grew up in the South Bronx area of New York City. She started singing as a child. The name India was given to her by her grandmother because of her straight black hair. India was 16 years old when she was a member of the freestyle group TKA. She appeared on a couple of singles then she signed with Warner Reprise. Their idea was to turn her into the Latin Madonna. John "Jellybean" Benitez and Little Louie Vega were among the producers brought in for the 1990 album Breaking Night. The album was unsuccessful. India decided she wanted to sing Salsa. She recorded with Eddie Palmieri and again Vega (her husband). But India's big break came when she signed with Ralph Mercado's label RMM and started working with his house producer Sergio George. He produced the 1994 album Dicen Que Soy. Ese Hombre was one of five chart singles from the album. India became one of the top selling Latin artists. She continued to work with George until RMM closed in 2001. Since then, India has recorded for Sony, Universal and a couple of albums for George's new label Top Stop. She last recorded in 2015. You can get all of India's RMM hits on the 2CD comp. Here's the video for Ese Hombre by India. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-James "Stump" Cross

 

Artist:James "Stump" Cross

Song:What the Well-Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear

Album:Composers on Broadway: Irving Berlin

Most classic film fans have probably seen the 1943 film This Is the Army. The film is Public Domain so it can be viewed on YouTube. This is Irving Berlin's all star WWII tribute to the US Army. It was a Broadway show and then a film. The film stars George Murphy and Joan Leslie with musical appearances by Kate Smith, Frances Langford and Berlin himself. If you have seen the film, you probably remember the all black number What the Well-Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear. But you know nothing about James "Stump" Cross who performed it. That's who I'm going to discuss. Back in those days, most black performers were anonymous anyway. And don't forget when this film was shown in the segregated South, the scene was deleted. This was common practice. James Cross was one half of the duo Stump and Stumpy with Harold J. Cromer. Cromer was replaced in the film by William Wycoff probably because Cromer refused to appear in drag. Heavyweight boxing champ Joe Louis makes a special appearance. Cross was born Jan. 17, 1902 in Clarksville, TN. Both guys were great tap dancers. So Stump and Stumpy were a mix of tap dancing, music and comedy. They were very popular on the chitlin circuit. But they were never big stars as they had a limited audience. After Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis became popular, Lewis admitted that he stole many of their routines from Stump and Stumpy. And in his autobiography, Sammy Davis Jr. wrote that Cross was supposed to be part of The Rat Pack. But he was an alcoholic so Frank Sinatra chose Davis instead. So I guess Cross is an example of great talent killed by racism. Cross appeared in a few other films. But this appearance in This Is the Army is his most memorable appearance. He died on Dec. 5, 1969 in St. Louis. This Is the Army is available on CD but expensive. Decca released a Composers on Broadway 6CD box set in 2000. That is available on CD. But this individual album featuring Berlin from that collection is available as a digital download. Here's James "Stump" Cross performing What the Well-Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear from the 1943 film This Is the Army. The audio is very low on this clip.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Juliana Miller vs Ivana Petrovic

Here's the fight video of Juliana Miller vs Ivana Petrovic from last night's UFC show in Des Moines, IA. This fight is at Flyweight. Juliana is 28 years old from San Diego. She trains at Team Hurricane Awesome with coach Manny Hernandez. Her UFC record is 1-2. She won TUF 30. Remember that? Me neither. Ivana is 30 years old from Norway. I think her brother is her coach. They are a traveling road show. I know she trained some with Valentina Shevchenko. Her UFC record is 1-2. I haven't seen enough of these two to see if they have potential. But based on this fight, they both stink. So little happened in the first two rounds that when Ivana scored a takedown, I scored round one 10-9 for Ivana. Round two was the same but this time Juliana got a takedown. So I scored it 10-9 for Juliana. Round three wasn't any better but all three judges scored it 10-9 for Juliana. So she won it 29-28. Just an awful fight.