AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Flume

Artist:Flume f/Kai

Song:Never Be Like You

Album:Skin

Harley "Flume" Streten is an Australian keyboardist and producer who scored a fluke international hit with the 2016 single Never Be Like You. His future is probably as a producer and remixer. He was born Nov. 5, 1991 in Sydney, Australia. His father is a filmmaker and record producer. At age 11, he started composing music with a CD that was packaged in a box of Kelloggs' Nutrigrain. Eat your cereal, boys and girls. He started releasing music in 2010 as HEDS. He got some radio play in Australia when he uploaded a song to a music discovery site. Then he sent some songs to a competition run by the record label Future Classic. He signed with them and the label owner became his manager. Streten released an album and an EP and signed international distribution deals with Mom + Pop in the US and Transgressive in England. He was successful enough in Australia that he toured in 2013. He also appeared on some international music festivals. Never Be Like You was the first single from his 2016 album Skin. The guest singer is Canadian singer Kai who had made appearances on singles by Diplo and Childish Gambino. She wrote the lyrics. The song topped the Australian charts and then spread to Europe and North America. It reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it did well on the dance charts. The single was nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy and Skin won a Best Dance/Electronic Album Grammy. The album exceeded expectations. It's available as a budget CD. Streten released an album in 2022 and has released mixtapes and EPs. He continues to chart in Australia and on the dance charts. But I don't expect him to ever repeat the success of Never Be Like You. He does a lot of producing and remixing already and I expect him to concentrate on that in the future. Here's the video for Never Be Like Me by Flume featuring Kai. The actors in the video are Aussies Sophie Lowe and Sam Reid.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Miles Davis

Artist:Miles Davis

Song:Walkin'

Album:The Classic Albums Collection

This is another in my Jazz for Beginners series complete with a performance video and an affordable album appropriate for beginners. In the case of trumpeter Miles Davis, I'm going to cover his 50s recordings on Prestige now and cover his Columbia recordings later. Davis was born May 26, 1926 in Alton, IL. which is north of St. Louis. His father was a dentist and his mother was a music teacher. He grew up in East St. Louis, IL He spent summers with his grandparents in Arkansas. In 1935, a friend of his father gave Davis a trumpet and he took lessons. As a teen, he played local clubs and in the high school marching band. After finishing high school, Davis joined Billy Eckstine's band. Many bebop musicians started out there. Davis attended Juilliard but he spent most of his time looking for Charlie Parker in New York clubs. His first record contract was with Capitol Records in 1948 and that's when he recorded Birth of the Cool. Capitol didn't seem to know what to do with Davis. They released a bunch of singles and when Davis became famous later, they put them on a 1957 album. By 1950, Davis was a heroin addict and seemed to lack direction. Things improved when he signed with Prestige Records in 1951. He remained with Prestige until he left for Columbia in 1958. He spent most of his time at Prestige arguing with Prestige owner Bob Weinstock. For example, he had an operation in Oct. 1955 to remove polyps from his larynx. Doctors told him to remain silent. Instead he got into an argument with Weinstock that left Davis with a permanently raspy voice. After Davis signed with Columbia in 1958, Davis still owed several albums to Prestige. Also, jazz labels like Prestige were known for stockpiling albums. For example, Walkin' was recorded in 1954 on two 10" LPs and combined in 1957. The song Walkin' is a jazz standard mainly because of Davis. Supposedly, a guy named Richard Carpenter stole the riff from another song and that's what Davis recorded. Musicians on the album were Lucky Thompson on tenor sax, J.J. Johnson on trombone, Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. The album was credited to Miles Davis All Stars. The best way to get this album is on the 4CD classic albums box set available at a reasonable price. It's a mix of Prestige and Columbia albums. Of course things picked up when Davis moved to Columbia and I will look at that at a later time. Here's Miles Davis performing Walkin'. It says 1957 but it looks like it was recorded in Europe in the early 60s.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Giulia vs Zelina Vega

Here's the match video of Zelina Vega defending the WWE Women's United States Championship against Giulia from yesterday's episode of Smackdown. I expected Giulia to win because the WWE clearly has big plans for her. The status difference was clear in the pre-match promos when Zelina said she was willing to die defending the title and Giulia said the title was a stepping stone. Though Zelina has improved in the ring mostly with her husband urging her, she's still mediocre at best and should be on the lower mid card. The match was OK until Zelina missed missed a moonsault. A couple of Arrivederci knees followed by her Northern Lights Bomb and Giulia is your new WWE Women's United States Champion. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Guardian

Artist:Guardian

Song:Shoeshine Johnny

Album:Smashes: The Best of Guardian 1993-1998

Guardian is a hard rock CCM band who started out in the 80s but had most of their success in the 90s when they were a CCM version of Guns 'n' Roses. They were called Fusion when they were formed in 1982 in Los Angeles by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Paul Cawley and bassist David Bach. They played local clubs wearing body armor stage outfits, an idea that Cawley got from a bible passage. Drummer Rikk Hart joined and a 1985 EP got them a record deal with EMI's Enigma label. But there was already a band called Fusion so the name was changed to Gardian. It was soon changed to Guardian. Guitarist Tony Palacios joined. They got rid of the body armor and finally released the 1989 album First Watch on Enigma. The album was produced by Oz Fox of Stryper who were a CCM version of Van Halen. Stryper was probably the most popular CCM metal band at the time. Cawley and Hart were replaced by Jamie Rowe and Karl Ney. Guardian left Enigma and started working with producers John and Dino Elefante. John was in the band Kansas but they produced CCM for their label Pakaderm with Epic/Word distribution. And that's when Guardian had success touring with Stryper. Shoeshine Johnny is from the 1993 album Miracle Mile. The problem was they kept changing their sound. They worked with producer Steve Taylor in the late 90s and had a Grunge influenced sound. They left Word in 1998 and went on hiatus. This budget comp covers the Word years. Though they continue to record and tour, Guardian is no longer a full time band. Bach works in Business Development for Apple. Palacios owns his own recording studio. Karl Ney works for a talent agency. Jamie Rowe has recorded solo and is currently a member of Kalamity Kills. Here's the video for Shoeshine Johnny by Guardian. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hollies

Artist:The Hollies

Song:He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Album:The Gold Collection

When Terry Sylvester replaced Graham Nash in The Hollies in 1968, it looked like the band was coming to an end. But then the 1969 single He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother was a surprise hit. The expectations were so low that it was only released as a single. Instead they were able to keep going for another decade. At first The Hollies were successful in England. But when the 1966 single Bus Stop was a top five hit in the US, that seemed to open a whole new market for The Hollies. Of course it didn't last And by 1968, Graham Nash was unhappy and he wanted to leave The Hollies and move to the US and join Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was basically a difference of opinion. Lead singer Allan Clarke and guitarist Tony Hicks wanted to continue to write pop songs and Nash wanted to write more serious songs. Nash was a good songwriter so he was going to be hard to replace. And the replacement was Terry Sylvester formerly of The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans. The Hollies' 1969 album Hollies Sing Dylan was a delaying tactic. It didn't sell. Their next album Hollies Sing Hollies was the first album of original songs since Sylvester joined. Not only did it do poorly but the album wasn't released in the US. So things didn't look good. Then the single He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother was released and it topped the British charts and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. I don't think much was expected or it would have been on Hollies Sing Hollies. He Ain't Heavy was written by songwriters Bobby Scott and Bobby Russell and recorded by Kelly Gordon. Scott was a jazz pianist who co-wrote the Herb Alpert hit single A Taste of Honey. Russell co-wrote Don't Get Around Much Anymore with Duke Ellington and wrote songs for films in the 50s and with Quincy Jones in the 60s. He died in 1970. The success of He Ain't Heavy came out of nowhere for both. Gordon was a Capitol Records house producer best known for producing Bobbie Gentry's monster hit Ode to Billie Joe. He released a 1969 album that went nowhere. But Hicks got a demo of the song and brought in Elton John to play piano. If you were around at the time, you probably remember seeing a Hollies album called He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother in stores. That was the US release of Hollies Sing Hollies with He Ain't Heavy added. You can get the song on this 2CD budget comp from EMI New Zealand. That hit kept The Hollies going for a while. But it wouldn't last and Clarke left in 1971 but returned in 1973. Here's The Hollies performing He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother on the British TV show Supersonic 1975. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dino, Desi & Billy

Artist:Dino, Desi & Billy

Song:I'm a Fool

Album:The Singles A's & B's

Similar to Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Dino, Desi & Billy used showbiz connections to make it in the music business. The 1965 single I'm a Fool was their biggest hit and they recorded four albums in two years. They just weren't that successful. Dean Paul Martin and Billy Hinsche were classmates in grammar school. Of course Martin was the son of Dean Martin. At first they played acoustic guitars similar to Chad & Jeremy. They decided to add a drummer and go electric. Desi Arnaz Jr. went to the same grammar school. He is the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. They played neighborhood shows and rehearsed in Dean Martin's den. Martin's wife asked Frank Sinatra if he wanted to hear them. Of course Sinatra owned Reprise Records. They got a record deal. The 1965 album I'm a Fool was their debut album. I'm a Fool was the second single and it reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. That turned out to be their biggest hit. The album was produced by Jimmy Bowen, Billy Strange, Jack Nitzsche and Lee Hazlewood. Hazlewood also produced Nancy Sinatra. I thought they made two big mistakes. They should have let Dino, Desi & Billy play their own instruments instead of using studio musicians. But the biggest mistake was having them record mostly covers. For example, I'm a Fool was written by Joey Cooper and Red West and originally recorded by Ricky Nelson. Cooper was the drummer in Shindig's house band The Shindogs. West wrote songs with Elvis Presley. Hazlewood wrote two songs for the album. But there were four Bob Dylan songs on the album. Fans already knew these songs and these versions were unnecessary. Dino, Desi & Billy opened for The Beach Boys and others and they appeared a lot on TV. This comp from Wounded Bird is available. After four albums and a bunch of singles, Dino, Desi & Billy split up in 1969. Desi Arnaz Jr. got into acting. Dean Paul Martin was a tennis player and was a captain in the California Air National Guard when he died in 1987 while piloting an F-4 Phantom jet. Hinsche was a backup musician for The Beach Boys. In 1998, Arnaz and Hinsche formed Ricci, Desi & Billy with Dean Martin's youngest son Ricci Martin. They released two albums and played shows until 2010. Hinsche died on Nov. 20, 2021. Here's Dino, Desi & Billy performing I'm a Fool on a 1965 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carolina Gaitan

Artist:Carolina Gaitan f/Mauro Castillo et al

Song:We Don't Talk About Bruno

Album:Encanto: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

We Don't Talk About Bruno topped the charts in 2021. It is from the Disney animated film Encanto. It was the first song from a Disney animated film to top the charts since A Whole New World from the 1991 film Aladdin. The songs for Encanto were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the score was composed by Germaine Franco. Miranda is one of today's most prolific songwriters for stage and screen. I first heard of him through the Broadway musical In the Heights. And I still think that's his best work because it's autobiographical. But he had already written the songs for the 2016 film Moana. So it's not surprising that Disney would want more. Encanto is set in Colombia so Miranda and the filmmakers went there to get the vibe they wanted. Then he brought in Germaine Franco to compose the score. She composed the score for the 2017 film Coco. Encanto was a big success. But We Don't Talk About Bruno topping the charts was a big surprise. At first it was a viral success. And that's probably as far as it would have gotten in the past. But Billboard has recently added streaming criteria to the Billboard Hot 100. The result will be more fluke hits like We Don't Talk About Bruno. In the context of the film, the characters led by Pepa are gossiping about Bruno. It's a group sing led by Colombian actress Carolina Gaitan. Eight singers participate in the song. Carolina mostly does TV at home in Colombia. The soundtrack album for Encanto is available in two versions. One version just has the eight songs and the other deluxe edition has the complete score. I recommend that one because it's cheaper. Here's the video for We Don't Talk About Bruno by Carolina Gaitan et al.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Holland Pepe Habichuela

Artist:Dave Holland Pepe Habichuela

Song:El Ritmo Me Lleva

Album:Hands

Flamenco fans are going to want to check out this album by Flamenco guitarist Pepe Habichuela and jazz bassist Dave Holland. Of course Holland is best known for his days in Miles Davis' band in the 70s and his many recordings as a leader. But Flamenco? Well, he did record a couple of Bluegrass albums in the 70s. Habichuela comes from a family of Flamenco guitarists. His band Ketama includes his son and two nephews. So how did Dave Holland get together with Pepe Habichuela? Of course Holland is a regular on the worldwide jazz festival circuit. I saw his band live at the 2009 Toronto Jazz Festival. So it was at a jazz festival in Spain that Manuel Ignacio Ferrand Augustin suggested that Holland record with Habichuela. He's the director of musical events for the Cultural Department of Andalusia. The big advantage of working with Holland is he owns his own record label so he can do what he wants. Holland and Habichuela met and rehearsed in 2007 and played some concerts. They added guitarists Josemi and Carlos Carmona and Juan Carmona and Israel Corrina on cajon and percussion. The album was recorded in 2009 and released in 2010. Habichuela wrote most of the songs including El Ritmo Me Lleva. Holland wrote two songs. Holland could have brought in musicians from his band like Chris Potter. But I guess he wanted to make an authentic Flamenco album. This band did play some jazz festivals. Both guys returned to what they normally do. But I don't want Flamenco fans to overlook this album because a jazz musician is on it. Here's Dave Holland and Pepe Habichuela performing El Ritmo Me Lleva at the 2010 Jazz Baltica festival in Germany. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marc Kudisch

Artist:Marc Kudisch

Song:Honestly Sincere

Album:Bye Bye Birdie: The New Soundtrack Recording

Marc Kudisch is a three time Tony nominated Broadway performer probably best known for starring as Conrad Birdie in this 1995 ABC TV adaptation of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie. Kudisch is currently on Broadway and he's done lots of TV. He was born Sept. 22, 1966 in Hackensack, NJ but he grew up in Plantation, FL. After earning a theater degree at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Kudisch moved to New York and was cast as Conrad Birdie in a 1990 touring company of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie. His co-stars included Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. TV producer Robert Halmi Sr. decided to turn it into a TV movie starring Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. Gene Saks directed from a screenplay by Michael Stewart. The songs were written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for Miniseries or Special and nominated for two others. The soundtrack album is available on CD. Since then Kudisch has appeared in plenty of Broadway musicals. His three Tony nominations were for the 2002 revival of Thoroughly Modern Millie, the 2005 adaptation of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the 2009 adaptation of the film 9 to 5. Most recently he appeared in the musical Floyd Collins which ran for two months and closed on Friday. On TV Kudisch has done mostly guest shots. But he was a regular on As the World Turns (2006-08), House of Cards (2015-18) and Billions (2017-19). Kudisch is married to dancer and choreographer Shannon Lewis and they produced a 2016 production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He directed and she choreographed. But I guess Conrad Birdie is still Kudisch's most memorable role. Here's is Marc Kudisch performing Honestly Sincere from the 1995 TV movie Bye Bye Birdie.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Morgan

Artist:John Morgan f/Jason Aldean

Song:Friends Like That

Album:Carolina Blue

John Morgan had success as a songwriter before he charted with his 2024 debut single Friends Like That. He has written plenty of songs for Jason Aldean. So it's not surprising that Aldean is helping him out. He was born Aug. 8, 1995 in Sylva, NC which in the Great Smoky Mountains southwest of Asheville. His family has a bluegrass band. Morgan toured with them for ten years before moving to Nashville. A songwriting session with Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy of Jason Aldean's band led to Morgan co-writing eight songs on Aldean's 2021 album Macon, Georgia including the hit singles If I Didn't Love You, Trouble with a Heartache and That's What Tequila Does. Aldean signed Morgan to his Night Train label with BBR Music Group distribution. Morgan represented his home state of North Carolina in the 2022 NBC singing competition series American Song Contest. You didn't hear about that one? It was only on for one season hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson based on Eurovision. Look, there's a saturation point even for singing competition shows. Morgan went to work on his debut album. The single Friends Like That was released Apr. 2024. There are two versions of the single. This is the remix featuring Jason Aldean. It reached #16 on the Country Singles chart. And I think it's fair to say that Aldean's appearance is what made it a hit. The album Carolina Blue was released Apr. 2025. Morgan wrote all the songs with various co-writers. Brent Anderson produced the album. He started out as a singer but has had success producing Chris Janson. Carolina Blue is available as a digital download. It remains to be seen if Morgan will be a successful singer. But he can always fall back on songwriting and make a good living that way. Here's the video for Friends Like That by John Morgan featuring Jason Aldean.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Alexa Bliss

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Alexa Bliss from last night's episode of Smackdown. This is a semi final for the Queen of the Ring tournament. I expected Asuka to win. She's obviously better in the ring than Alexa. But she made sure the match was competitive. Asuka does not like squash matches. Right now Alexa is going through a storyline with Charlotte Flair where both are indecisive and lacking confidence. This was shown in this match when Alexa was unsure about doing her Twisted Bliss finisher. When she actually did the move later in the match, Asuka got her knees up. And that led to Asuka winning with the butt bump. She used that as a finisher twenty years ago. I don't know why she's using it now. I have already seen some fan grumbling about it. Jade Cargill will face Roxanne Perez on Monday's RAW in the other semi final. And then the final is next Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-All Things New

Artist:All Things New

Song:Believe

Album:The Good News

Fans of CCM bands like Building 429 might enjoy All Things New as they are very similar, maybe too similar. But as I have said before, the CCM audience is not discriminating. They lap up everything. All Things New is from Deltona, FL. They are singer Garrett Hornbuckle, guitarist Jeff Stein, bassist Joshua Schou and drummer Luke Wycuff. The name is after a bible verse. It's also a song by Big Daddy Weave. They met playing junior high school baseball. They also had a band that was part of a group of bands associated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At first they covered CCM songs. But now they write their own songs. After releasing a 2009 EP, All Things New signed with the CCM label BEC and released the 2013 album All Things New. Believe is from the 2015 album The Good News. The band wrote the song with Jeff Pardo and he produced the album. He was the 2022 Producer of the Year at the Dove awards. It's available as a budget CD. The first album did well. The second album not so much. After a 2020 EP, it looks like they may have lost their record deal and then split up. Their website is kaput and they haven't posted on Facebook since 2020. I don't think they were distinctive enough. They sound too much like other CCM bands. Here's the video for Believe by All Things New.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Liz Carroll John Doyle

Artist:Liz Carroll John Doyle

Song:The Chandelier/Anne Lacey's

Album:Double Play

Liz Carroll is one of today's most popular Irish fiddlers. The only thing is she's not Irish. She was born in the US. And though her music sounds traditional, she writes a lot of her own songs. Double Play is one of two albums that Liz recorded with Irish guitarist John Doyle and it was Grammy nominated. She was born Sept. 19, 1956 in Chicago but her parents were from Ireland. And her grandfather played violin. Liz took classical music lessons from nuns at Visitation Catholic School. She went with her family to a local Irish pub that hosted a live radio show featuring traditional Irish music. Liz earned a degree in social psychology from DePaul University. Her influences include Chicago born Irish fiddler John McGreevy and Irish fiddler Sean McGuire. Liz won the 1975 All Ireland Senior Fiddle Championship. Liz has recorded mainly for two labels. She first recorded for Green Linnet, an American label that specialized in Celtic music. Then when the bluegrass label Compass bought Green Linnet, she recorded for Compass. The 2009 album Double Play was her final album for Compass. It was the second of two albums she recorded with guitarist John Doyle of the band Solas. Doyle has lived in the US since the 90s. The album was nominated for a Best Traditional World Music Album Grammy. Liz wrote most of the songs including The Chandelier/Anne Lacey's. Liz and Doyle produced the album in Nashville. Other musicians are John R. Burr of Alison Brown's band on organ and former Barefoot Jerry drummer and percussionist Kenny Malone. In recent years, Liz has recorded for her own label, most notably with The String Sisters. She doesn't seem to tour anymore. But she still plays festivals mostly during the summer. Here's Liz Carroll with guitarist Paul Meehan performing The Chandelier/Anne Lacey's on an Irish TV show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Russ Taff

Artist:Russ Taff

Song:Not Gonna Bow

Album:The Ultimate Collection

Russ Taff was the lead singer of the Southern Gospel group The Imperials from 1976-81. After he left, he had a very successful career in CCM through the 80s. When he faded in the 90s, he started performing with Bill Gaither and he still does that today. He was born Nov. 11, 1953 in Farmersville, CA which is in the San Joaquin Valley. His father was pastor of a small church. But he was also an alcoholic. And that led to abuse of Taff and his four brothers. So he listened to his mom's collection of gospel records. He wasn't allowed to listen to secular music anyway. Taff learned to play guitar and his older brother took him to see live gospel music. At age 15, Taff's family moved to Hot Springs, AR. They returned to California two years later. But Taff remained in Arkansas to attend college. This was around when the Jesus movement was starting and that led to Jesus music and later CCM. Taff formed the band Sounds of Joy with his buddy James Holihan Jr. The played local high schools and shared testimony. Sounds of Joy were covering artists like Larry Norman. And they recorded three albums with producer Gary Paxton. They got to open for The Imperials who mixed Southern Gospel with Jesus music. After touring as a singer with evangelist Jerry Savelle, The Imperials called Taff. They were holding auditions for a new lead singer. Taff auditioned in Nashville and was hired immediately. He remained with The Imperials until 1981. He left because he was on a straight salary and could potentially use his fame with The Imperials to make more money solo. Taff signed with Word's CCM label Myrrh. His solo albums are mostly pop. He was very successful in the 80s. He won two Grammys and five Dove awards. Not Gonna Bow is from the 1985 album Medals. Taff wrote and produced. His co-producer was recording engineer Jack Joseph Puig. Taff wrote all the songs with his wife Tori and various co-writers. Not Gonna Bow was co-written by film music composer James Newton Howard and guitarist Michael Landau. Both played on the song and Landau played the guitar solo. Session keyboardist Robbie Buchanan led the studio band. This comp is a good intro to Taff's music. It's available as a digital download. When Taff started to fade in the 90s, Bill Gaither invited him to join the Gaither Homecoming group. He still sings with them. Taff recorded a 1995 country album for Reprise produced by Randy Scruggs. It didn't sell. Taff recorded CCM albums for Benson and Spring Hill. He released an album on his own label last year. Taff plays occasional shows but he doesn't tour full time anymore. Here's the video for Not Gonna Bow by Russ Taff. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mobile

Artist:Mobile

Song:Out of My Head

Album:Tomorrow Starts Today

Mobile scored a top ten hit in their native Canada with the 2006 single Out of My Head. This got them a US record deal with Interscope. But like many Canadian bands, they were unable to break through in the US market. Mobile is still around. They released an album in 2023. They were called Moonraker when they were formed in Montreal in 1997. Mat Joly is lead singer and songwriter. The other members are Christian Brais and Frank Williamson on guitar and Pierre-Marc Hamelin on drums. Bassist Dominic Viola joined in 2000. Moonraker won 2001 CHOM L'Esprit from Montreal radio station CHOM-FM. They self released an album in 2002. Then they moved to Toronto because that's the center of the music business in Canada. They could have stayed in Montreal if they wanted to sing in French. They signed with Universal Music Canada and Interscope in the US. For copyright reasons, they weren't going to be able to use the name Moonraker. So the band name was changed to Mobile. That name is too generic for me. Universal must have chosen it. Mobile released their debut album Tomorrow Starts Today in April 2006. Out of My Head was the second single and it reached #6 on the Canadian Singles chart. The album was certified Gold in Canada. Joly wrote all the songs. The album was produced by Matt DeMatteo who also produces the band Danko Jones. The album is available as a budget CD. I guess Interscope didn't like the album as they palmed it off to the indie label The Militia Group and they released it in Aug. 2007. Attempts were made to place songs in movies, TV shows and video games. But the album went nowhere in the US. The 2008 album Tales from the City did not do as well as the first album. Mobile did a Canadian tour opening for Chris Cornell. Hamelin left Mobile to attend law school. When they recorded a bunch of demos for their next album, the band found they sounded too much like previous albums. Apparently, they did record an album for a 2011 release. But the decision was made to not release it and Mobile announced that they were splitting up. Mat Joly released a solo album in 2013. Mobile reformed recently and released a 2023 album. Here's the video for Out of My Head by Mobile.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Stephanie Vaquer vs Raquel Gonzalez vs Ivy Nile

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Stephanie Vaquer vs Raquel Gonzalez vs Ivy Nile from last night's episode of RAW. This was a Queen of the Ring qualifying match. Of course I would prefer a proper tournament. But the WWE never makes time for that. Of course the big thing here is Asuka's return since having knee surgery last year. For that reason alone, I expected her to win this match. She looked really good considering she's been out for a year. The big tease in this match was the possibility of a showdown against Stephanie. We may see that down the road. The end of this match came when Rhea Ripley came down and gave Raquel the Riptide on the floor as revenge for last week's interference. Asuka used a hip attack to finish Ivy. She's been using that move as long as I can remember but not as a finisher. In fact, Naomi admitted to stealing that move when she saw her wrestle in Japan. Now Asuka will face Alexa Bliss in the semi final on this Friday's Smackdown. Don't be surprised if Rhea interferes again. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Miley Cyrus

Artist:Miley Cyrus

Song:Flowers

Album:Endless Summer Vacation

A few years ago, I wrote about Miley Cyrus' beginnings as Hannah Montana and I promised that I would look at her post Disney career at some point. Her reasons for leaving Disney is though they moved her to their Hollywood label, I think she knew they weren't going to let go of Hannah Montana. So she signed with RCA Records in 2013. After some initial success, she went through a dry period and switched to Columbia for the 2023 album Endless Summer Vacation. The single Flowers topped the charts and is her biggest hit to date. So the first thing she did was hire Larry Rudolph as her manager. He managed Britney Spears so he was very familiar with this landscape. Plus Britney was on RCA. So it was no surprise when Miley signed with RCA. Miley wanted a more hip hop oriented sound. So she brought in producers like Pharrell Williams and Mike Will. The latter wrote and produced the single Wrecking Ball which not only topped the charts but was bigger than anything she recorded for Disney. The 2013 album Bangerz was certified 3XPlatinum. So she's off to a good start. Things went south while she was working on her next album with The Flaming Lips leader Wayne Coyne. When that didn't work out, Miley insisted on releasing an album for free and she would leave RCA if they wouldn't allow it. The 2015 album Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz was was released on Soundcloud for free. Meanwhile, Miley replaced Gwen Stefani as a judge on The Voice. Malibu was the first single from her 2017 album Younger Now. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. But the album was only certified Gold. Miley wrote and produced the album with Oren Yoel. Those aren't the results she wanted. She refused to tour to support it. Plus she left The Voice. When the 2020 album Plastic Hearts did worse, she must have known that it was time to leave RCA. Her contract was up anyway. So she signed with Columbia for the 2023 album Endless Summer Vacation. The single Flowers topped the charts and won a Grammy for Song of the Year. Miley prancing around in a bikini in the video didn't hurt. It's her biggest hit so far. Miley wrote all the songs with co-writers. Flowers was co-written by Gregory Hein and Michael Pollock. Hein records as Aldae but both write for Justin Bieber among others. Most of the album was produced by Thomas "Kid Harpoon" Hull and Tyler Johnson. Both have worked with Harry Styles. The album was certified Platinum. So is Miley Cyrus back on track? It's too early to say. She just released the album Something Beautiful a couple of weeks ago. Time will tell. But I don't think things have gone as smoothly as she was hoping. Here's the video for Flowers by Miley Cyrus.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Veils

Artist:The Veils

Song:Low Lays the Devil

Album:Total Depravity

Though The Veils started out as a band over 20 years ago, these days they are a Finn Andrews solo project. He writes and produces everything, sings and plays all the instruments and hires musicians for touring. This is not unusual but I think listeners want to know this. Andrews was born Aug. 24, 1983 in London, England. His father is Barry Andrews first of XTC and then Shriekback. Growing up, Andrews split his time between London and Auckland, New Zealand where his mother is a professor. While attending high school in Auckland, Andrews played in bands and recorded a demo that he sent to record companies. He signed with Blanco y Negro, a label formed by Rough Trade owner Geoff Travis as a joint venture with Warner Bros. After Travis had disagreements with Warners, he ended the label and released The Veils 2002 debut album The Runaway Found on Rough Trade. The Veils were a band for the first four albums. But Andrews was always dissatisfied with their direction and eventually forced them out. Wait a minute. Doesn't Andrews write and produce everything? Shouldn't he be dissatisfied with...himself? I know. Stop using logic. Some musicians like Andrews are control freaks. So by the 2016 album Total Depravity, The Veils were a solo act and he signed a new deal with Nettwerk Records. He now hires musicians for tours. This album is available as a budget CD. Meanwhile Andrews appeared in the 2017 season of the TV series Twin Peaks. Directors seem to like his music as guys like David Lynch, Paolo Sorrentino and Tim Burton have all used his music in their films. After releasing a 2019 solo album to complete his Nettwerk contract, Andrews signed with Universal's V2 label for The Veils' 2025 album Asphodels. The Veils already toured New Zealand. And there are plans to tour later this year. Here's the video for Low Lays the Devil by The Veils.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cannonball Adderley with Milt Jackson

Artist:Cannonball Adderley with Milt Jackson

Song:Things Are Getting Better

Album:Riverside Profiles

Of course alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley is one of the all time jazz greats. When I featured him as part of my Jazz for Beginners series, I featured his Capitol albums of the 60s. I also wanted to feature Adderley's Riverside albums from the late 50s. So this is kind of Jazz for Beginners Cannonball Adderley Part 2. I don't have a performance video for this. Though Adderley recorded two albums with Modern Jazz Quartet vibraphonist Milt Jackson, they never appeared together on film. Adderley signed with Riverside in 1958. He recorded previously for Savoy, Mercury/EmArcy and Blue Note. The way Adderley collaborated with other musicians was usually a trade off. For example, after Miles Davis appeared on Adderley's 1958 album Somethin' Else, Adderley appeared on Davis' 1959 album Kind of Blue. It had to be done that way because they were on different record companies. So Adderley was on Riverside and Jackson was on Atlantic. First, Adderley appeared on Jackson's 1957 album Plenty, Plenty Soul. Adderley appeared on three tracks. Quincy Jones was the arranger. Musicians were Joe Newman on trumpet, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Frank Foster on tenor sax, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax, Horace Silver on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. In return, Jackson appeared on Adderley's 1958 album Things Are Getting Better. Musicians are Wynton Kelly on bass, Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums. Orrin Keepnews produced. It looks like Adderley wrote Things Are Getting Better for this album and he never recorded it again. Adderley did this trade off a few times when he was on Riverside. But he didn't do it when he was on Capitol. This comp of Adderley's Riverside recordings was released in 2006. It comes with a bonus CD of various Riverside artists and is available at a reasonable price. Adderley left Riverside for Capitol in 1963. There's no question his Capitol recordings are more popular. But you don't want to overlook his Riverside recordings. Here's a video for Things Are Getting Better by Cannonball Adderley with Milt Jackson. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chick Corea

Artist:Chick Corea

Song:Spain

Album:Compact Jazz

This is another in my Jazz for Beginners series with a performance video clip and an affordable CD appropriate for beginners. Today pianist Armando "Chick" Corea is hailed as one of the pioneers of jazz fusion. This was in the 70s when he led the band Return to Forever. Spain is one of his most enduring compositions and it was first recorded on the 1972 album Light as a Feather. He was born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea, MA. He's of Italian descent. His father played trumpet in a Dixieland Jazz band and he introduced Corea to the piano at age 4. His father taught him piano but at age 8, his dad took him to concert pianist Salvatore Sullo for formal lessons. Corea was already interested in bebop but he needed that classical training as his base. Corea listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. His dad gave him a tuxedo so he could play local clubs as a teen. He moved to New York and studied at Columbia University and Julliard. Corea left school so he could concentrate on playing gigs. He started out recording and touring with guys like Mongo Santamaria, Herbie Mann and Stan Getz. He recorded his debut album for Atlantic's Vortex label in 1966. But then he really got noticed for the 1968 album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs with Miroslav Vitous on bass and Roy Haynes on drums on Sonny Lester's Solid State label. Then he recorded with Miles Davis on the pioneering jazz fusion album Bitches Brew. He toured with Davis until the 1970 Isle of Wight concert. Corea and bassist Dave Holland left the Davis band to form Circle with Anthony Braxton on sax and Barry Altschul on drums. They recorded for Blue Note and ECM. ECM owner Manfred Eicher wanted Corea to record a couple of solo albums. Then he recorded the 1972 album Return to Forever. This album was jazz fusion and Eicher thought Return to Forever should be on a label with wider distribution. So Corea signed with Polydor and he got them to distribute ECM in the US. The 1973 album Light as a Feather featured songs like Spain which has become a jazz standard. The band was the same as the first Return to Forever album with Joe Farrell on flute and sax, Stanley Clarke on bass Airto Moreira on drums and percussion and his wife Flora Purim on vocals and percussion. The album was a big success and was named Playboy Jazz Album of the Year. This is the album that established Corea as a force in jazz. Though Corea continued to record solo, he also wanted to establish Return to Forever as a force. For the 1973 album Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Farrell and Moreira were replaced by Bill Connors on guitar and Lenny White on drums. Al Di Meola replaced Connors for the 1974 album Where Have I Known You Before. Return to Forever switched to Columbia for the 1976 album Romantic Warrior. They recorded two albums for Columbia then disbanded. The 70s are considered to be the peak of Corea's career. And this Verve budget comp covers that period. While continuing to record for ECM, Corea left Polydor in 1980 and recorded for various labels until he established his own label Stretch which was distributed by Concord. He also recorded duet albums with Gary Burton and Herbie Hancock. Though he was never as popular in the new millennium as he was in the 70s, Corea continued to be a strong live draw until his death on Feb. 9, 2021 at age 79. Here is Chick Corea with Joe Farrell on flute, Stanley Clarke on bass, Airto Moreira on drums and Bill Tragesser on vocals and percussion performing Spain at the 1972 Molde Jazz Festival in Norway.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tree63

Artist:Tree63

Song:Treasure

Album:Blessed Be Your Name: The Hits

Tree63 is a South African CCM band that moved to the US when they signed with one of the major CCM labels in 2000. After some success, they split up in 2008 and reunited in 2014. A new version of Tree63 was formed last year. Tree63 is from Durban, South Africa led by lead singer, songwriter and guitarist John Ellis. The other members were Martin Engel on bass and Darryl Swart on drums. The band didn't have a name when they formed in 1996. They decided to call themselves Tree. After releasing a couple of albums in South Africa, they moved to Nashville and signed with the CCM label Inpop. That label was owned by Australians so the move to the US was likely their idea. Ellis found that there was already a band called Tree. So he changed it to Tree63 after Psalm 63. Treasure is from their 2000 debut album Tree63. It did well on the Christian charts and so did the album. The album won a Dove award for Rock Album of the Year. Ellis wrote most of the songs including Treasure. The album was produced by Andrew Philip who played keyboards for Matt Redman at the time. Their other big hit was a 2004 cover of Matt Redman's Blessed Be Your Name from the album The Answer to the Question. By this time, Tree63 was Ellis, Daniel Ornelles on bass and Theunis Odendaal on drums. Frequent personnel turnover is never a good sign. And after two more albums, Tree63 split up and this comp was released. It's available as a budget CD. Ellis returned to South Africa and released a couple of solo albums. Tree63 reunited in 2014 for a music festival in South Africa. Ornellas and Swart returned and that version of the band self released an album in 2015. Ellis released a solo album in 2017. He has now reformed Tree63 with two new guys. They are currently on tour with plans to record after the tour is over. Here's the video for Treasure by Tree63. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dobet Gnahore

Artist:Dobet Gnahore

Song:Abiani

Album:Ano Neko

Dobet Gnahore is an African singer songwriter who has been successful mostly in Europe because she lived in France. Many African musicians live there. In recent years she has returned to Africa to work with musicians there. She appears on folk festivals worldwide. She was born June 17, 1982 in Ivory Coast. Her father is percussionist Boni Gnahore. They lived in an artists collective and that's where Dobet learned her musical craft. The turning point came when French musician Colin Laroche de Feline came to the village for a three day visit and it turned into a three year residency. They have been together ever since writing songs together. He leads her band and plays guitar. Dobet moved to Marseille, France in 1999 due to the civil war in the Ivory Coast. She learned how to write songs from Congolese musician Ray Lema. Abiani is from Dobet's 2004 debut album Ano Neko. She recorded that and several more albums for the Belgian label Contre Jour. They specialize in African music. The album was produced by Contre Jour owner Michel De Bock. Dobet and de Feline  wrote all the songs. You can get this as a budget CD. In recent years,  Dobet has returned to Africa looking to learn from musicians there. She has also switched to Cumbancha Records which is based in Vermont. She just released a new album Zouzou and is currently on tour. Here's Dobet Gnahore performing Abiani. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Susan Johnson and Shorty Long

Artist:Susan Johnson and Shorty Long

Song:Big D

Album:The Most Happy Fella: Original Broadway Cast

The Most Happy Fella was a popular 50s Broadway show mostly because the cast performed on a 1956 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. And I have a clip of that. The show was written by legendary songwriter Frank Loesser based on Sidney Howard's 1924 play They Knew What They Wanted. Wisely, Loesser decided to concentrate on the songs and that really paid off as it ran on Broadway for over a year. And it's been revived several times. It has never been turned into a film. Warner Bros. tried in 1962 and wanted Shirley Jones and Fred Astaire to star. But Shirley was busy filming The Music Man and Astaire simply refused to do it. The Most Happy Fella stars Robert Weede of the New York City Opera and Jo Sullivan, a Broadway performer who would go on to marry Frank Loesser. The song Big D is performed by Susan Johnson and Shorty Long. Susan was mainly a Broadway performer. She was born July 6, 1927 in Columbus, OH. She sang with the Columbus Opera & Symphony Company. She moved to New York in 1947 and appeared in several Broadway shows of the 50s, most notably The Most Happy Fella and Oh Captain!. A 1962 motor scooter accident affected her singing voice. After marrying baseball player Chet L. Kehn Jr. in 1965, they moved to California and she retired. But she returned and appeared in the two Sister Act films. I assume she played a nun. Susan died on Feb. 24, 2003 at age 75. This is not the Shorty Long that sang Here Comes the Judge. This Shorty Long was born Emidio Vagnoni in Oct. 31, 1923 in Reading, PA. Though he studied classical music in Rome, Long preferred country music and led the band Santa Fe Rangers. They appeared in the 1948 film Powder River Gunfire. That's when he met Frank Loesser. And when it came time to cast The Most Happy Fella, Loesser remembered Long. He also played on Elvis Presley's early recordings. And he played on Janis Martin's 1956 hit single My Boy Elvis. The Most Happy Fella was Long's only Broadway appearance. He preferred going home to Reading and performing with his wife. He died on Oct. 25, 1991 at age 67. From a 1956 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show, Here's Robert Weede and Jo Sullivan performing Happy to Make Your Acquaintance followed by Susan Johnson and Shorty Long performing Big D from the Broadway musical The Most Happy Fella.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Naughton and Gregg Edelman

Artist:David Naughton and Gregg Edelman w/Shawn Elliott

Song:You're Nothing Without Me

Album:City of Angels: Original Broadway Cast Recording

James Naughton won a Tony award for the 1990 Broadway musical City of Angels. Though he had already appeared in films and on TV, he was best remembered at the time for singing and dancing in a Dr. Pepper commercial. The stage is his first love so I'm sure the success of City of Angels made him very happy. City of Angels was written by Larry Gelbart of MASH with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by David Zippel. It's a film noir from the writer's point of view. The writer is played by Gregg Edelman. Naughton plays his fictional detective. You're Nothing Without Me is their big number together. Naughton was born Dec. 6, 1945 in Middletown, CT. His parents were both teachers. His younger brother is actor David Naughton. He was in the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London. After graduating from Yale School of Drama, Naughton went looking for his big break on Broadway. When that didn't happen, he turned to TV and even commercials like that Dr. Pepper commercial. His most notable TV role was as Michael Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?. Mostly he did TV movies and guest shots. City of Angels was his return to Broadway after ten years on TV. Edelman was born Sept. 12, 1958 in Chicago. His acting debut was in a 1979 touring company of Evita. Similar to Naughton, Edelman prefers Broadway to films and TV. His big break came on a 1987 revival of Cabaret. And that led to City of Angels. Both guys were nominated for Tonys but only one could win. So I think Naughton's win overshadowed Edelman. The Broadway Cast album is available as a digital download. Naughton won another Tony for the 1996 revival of Chicago. On TV, he was a regular on the series Gossip Girl and he was the host and narrator of the CourtTV series The Greatest Trials of All Time. Like many Broadway performers, Naughton performs a one man show and he has recorded a couple of albums to promote that. Though Edelman has done film and TV, he's still a regular on Broadway. He was Tony nominated for the 1998 revival of 1776 and the 2002 revival of Into the Woods. His latest Broadway appearance was in the 2024 musical Water for Elephants. Here's James Naughton and Gregg Edelman with Shawn Elliott performing You're Nothing Without Me On Kennedy Center Honors Billy Wilder 1990.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-4 Etoiles

Artist:4 Etoiles

Song:Doly

Album:Sangonini

4 Etoiles or Les Quatre Etoiles is an African band who were successful in the 80s and 90s. They are all Congolese and their music is Soukous dance music which was popular at the time. They lived in Paris. They are sometimes described as a supergroup as all four have had careers apart from 4 Etoiles. The members are Wuta Mayi and Nyboma on vocals, Syran Mbenza on lead guitar and Bopol Mansiamina on bass. All four moved to Paris in the 80s and had previously been in popular bands at home in the Congo. 4 Etoiles recorded their debut album in 1982. While the band was active, each member recorded solo and played on sessions. The 1993 single Doly is one of their most popular songs as it has a music video. They usually recorded for the French label Syllart which was owned by Ibrahima Sylla. He was from the Congo and lived in Paris. He produced the 1993 album Sangonini. M'Benza wrote Doly but all four guys wrote songs. After 4 Etoiles disbanded in 1996, M'Benza, Mayi and Nyboma joined the band Kekele in 2000. 4 Etoiles reunited for a concert in 2010. Massiamina moved to the US and died in 2021. Here's the video for Doly by 4 Etoiles. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eric Burdon

Artist:Eric Burdon

Song:Spill the Wine

Album:Absolutely the Best

After they split up in 1966, The Animals lead singer Eric Burdon had his greatest success recording with the band War. Spill the Wine was a top five hit in 1970. They always seemed like an odd fit with Burdon. And after two albums with Burdon, they had great success on their own. Burdon was born May 11, 1941 in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. One of his high school teachers got him into Newcastle College of Art and Industrial Design. That's when he got interested in music when he met future Animals drummer John Steel. He started hanging out at the local jazz club. That's where he became good friends with Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. The Animals were formed in 1962. They were part of the first wave of British Invasion bands. The Animals were very successful until they split up in 1966. Burdon and Barry Jenkins formed Eric Burdon and the Animals. They didn't have the same success and they split up in 1969. Burdon moved to San Francisco where he met War. They started working together and released the 1970 album Eric Burdon Declares "WAR". The album was produced by Jerry Goldstein who worked with War for many years. The single Spill the Wine reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. After releasing a second album, Burdon suffered an asthma attack on stage and War decided to continue without him. Like I said, War went on to great success. Burdon started his own band but hasn't had much success. This comp has tracks from the 60s. Burdon last released an album in 2013. He still plays live shows. And he's a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Here's Eric Burdon and War performing Spill the Wine on the German TV show Beat-Club 1970.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-SONICFLOOd

Artist:SONICFLOOd

Song:Cry Holy

Album:Cry Holy

SONICFLOOd is a popular CCM band that did something very unusual but not unheard of. After two albums, they underwent a complete personnel overhaul with one original member remaining. And they kept the name. I guess that's the most unusual part. Most bands would have started over. SONICFLOOd is from Murfreesboro, TN which is a Nashville suburb. They were called Zilch when they were formed in 1997. They were dc Talk's touring band. They recorded a 1997 album for dc Talk's record label Gotee. The album was not considered to be serious CCM. Jeff Deyo was brought in as the new lead singer and they found that when they performed Praise & Worship (P&W), they got a great reaction from the crowd. Gotee suggested they record a P&W album. When some of the band didn't want to do that, Deyo started making changes including changing the band name to SONICFLOOd. When the 1999 album SONICFLOOd was released, the band was Deyo on vocals, Dwayne Larring on guitar and Aaron Blanton on drums. Otto Price played bass but he didn't want to tour so he was replaced by Rick Heil. He was in the band Big Tent Revival. Though the album did well and they topped the Christian charts a couple of times, there was conflict over the band's direction. They were going to disband except Heil wanted to continue if he could get the rights to the name. I presume he didn't want to start from scratch. But the band was completely different including Hell as lead singer. He brought in Tom Michael (guitar), Todd Shay (bass) and Brett Vargason (drums) from the John Cox Band and Big Tent Revival keyboardist David "Moose" Alan for the 2003 album Cry Holy. Marc Byrd of The Choir produced. They signed with INO Records. Heil was not only lead singer but he wrote a lot of the songs and was executive producer. So that's why on each SONICFLOOd album, the whole band turned over except for Heil. They seem more like a Rick Heil solo project than a band. SONICFLOOd recorded three albums for INO and then Heil started his own label. There is no comp of the INO recordings but Cry Holy is available as a budget CD. SONICFLOOd is still playing shows and occasional singles are released. But as I said, I think they have been a Rick Heil solo act since he took over. Here's the video for Cry Holy by SONICFLOOd.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Smoking Popes

Artist:Smoking Popes

Song:I Know You Love Me

Album:Destination Failure

Smoking Popes were part of the pop punk movement of the 90s. But they weren't as successful as Blink-182 and similar bands. That was a crowded marketplace. The 1997 album Destination Failure was their only major label album and when it was unsuccessful, at first they split up but after a reunion, they still tour and they have a new album coming out. Smoking Popes is from the Chicago suburb of Carpentersville, IL. They were called Speedstick when they were formed in 1990 by singer songwriter Josh Caterer, his brothers Eli (guitar) and Matt (bass) and drummer Mike Felumlee. They played one gig after which the Caterer parents had Eli quit the band until he graduated from high school. Felumlee switched to bass and Dave Martens joined on drums. Then they changed the band name Smoking Popes after the film The Pope of Greenwich Village. After releasing a couple of EPs, Eli returned to the band. They released another EP and continued to play local clubs. When Screeching Weasel lead singer Ben Weasel became a fan, he got them a deal to record the 1993 album Get Fired for the indie label Johann's Face. They released a second album Born to Quit in 1994. When the single Need You Around got airplay on Chicago radio stations, it appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless. Then Green Day invited them to open for them after hearing Get Fired. That's when Capitol Records signed them and re-released Born to Quit. When Need You Around became a hit in Europe, Smoking Popes toured Europe. When it came time to record a new album, it's obvious that Capitol wanted a hit single. So they brought in Blink-182 producer Jerry Finn. When Capitol execs said they didn't hear a hit single on the album, the band tried to retool it. Capitol was going to shelve the album. They finally did release it but refused to promote it. They toured and recorded an album of covers The Party's Over. Capitol refused to release it and dropped Smoking Popes. Meanwhile, Josh Caterer became a born again Christian. He tried to continue Smoking Popes but they disbanded in 1998. He's still a worship leader at a local church. Josh formed a new band Duvall and they released an album in 2003. Smoking Popes reunited in 2005. They toured in 2006 and released an album in 2008. They now record for the indie label Asian Man and they have a new album coming out soon. Here's the video for I Know You Love Me by Smoking Popes.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gary Stewart

Artist:Gary Stewart

Song:Drinkin' Thing

Album:Out of Hand/Your Place or Mine

Drinkin' Thing was one of three top ten country hits from Gary Stewart's 1975 album Out of Hand. That was the peak of his career. He had faded pretty badly by the 80s. Stewart was a throwback to honkytonk singers of the 50s. Time Magazine called him The King of Honkytonk. He was born May 28, 1944 in Jenkins, KY. and he grew up in Fort Pierce, FL. Stewart began writing songs and playing clubs in his teens. At age 17, he married Mary Lou Taylor who was three years older than him. Stewart worked in an airplane factory while playing clubs at night. It was while playing one of those clubs that Stewart met Mel Tillis. And Tillis told him to go to Nashville and pitch his songs. He recorded a few songs for a small label and wrote with partner Bill Eldridge the 1965 Stonewall Jackson hit Poor Red Georgia Dirt. Stewart signed with Kapp Records in 1968 and released a handful of unsuccessful singles. But he had success writing songs for guys like Billy Walker, Cal Smith and Nat Stuckey. He even played piano in Charley Pride's band for a while. Stewart returned home to Florida and started playing clubs again. He recorded some countryfied Motown songs which landed in the hands of Mercury Records producer Roy Dea where he produced Johnny Rodriguez. Dea was thinking of leaving Mercury. So he took Stewart to Jerry Bradley at RCA Records and got Stewart a record deal. After a cover of the Dicky Betts song Ramblin' Man went nowhere, Dea produced Stewart's 1975 album Out of Hand. The first single Drinkin' Thing reached #10 on the Country Singles chart. This was followed by Out of Hand reaching #4 and She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) topping the chart. The album reached #6 on the Country Albums chart. Drinkin' Thing was written by Wayne Carson who co-wrote Always on My Mind. So that means Stewart was an overnight success after ten years in country music. Unfortunately, Stewart's success was short lived. By the late 70s, Stewart faded to the point where RCA dropped him in 1983. There don't seem to be any Gary Stewart comps available right now. But you can get the album Out of Hand on a twofer with the 1977 album Your Place or Mine. Stewart later recorded for Hightone. He had alcohol and drug problems. And his son committed suicide. Stewart continued to play local clubs. After his wife died from pneumonia in Nov. 2003, Stewart went into a deep depression. When his daughter's boyfriend visited him on Dec. 16, 2003, he was found dead from a self inflicted gunshot. Here's Gary Stewart performing Drinkin' Thing on Pop Goes the Country 1975.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Maranda Curtis

Artist:Maranda Curtis

Song:Nobody Like You Lord

Album:Open Heaven: The Maranda Experience

Gospel music fans are going to want to check out singer songwriter Maranda Curtis. She was awarded the BMI Trailblazers of Gospel award in 2020 when Nobody Like You Lord was one of the 20 most performed gospel songs in the US. Her music is a blend of traditional and contemporary gospel. She was born Aug. 4, 1979 in Miami. Her parents were R&B singers and her father is a pastor. She grew up singing in church and also listened to R&B and jazz. Maranda married Pastor Jamal Willis in 2010 and became a worship leader at The Potter's House Church in Dallas. She released her debut single in 2012 as Maranda Curtis Willis. After she divorced Willis in 2016, Maranda left The Potter's House and started her own label with distribution by Fair Trade Services and Sony. She released her EP The Maranda Experience Vol. 1 in 2017. She says the title means she is making her private worship public and sharing her experience. Then she released the 2018 album Open Heaven: The Maranda Experience Live. Nobody Like You Lord was the breakout song from that album. The album was recorded live at the Faith City Family Church in Newark, DE. Maranda writes and produces everything. Her co-producer is Dana Sorey who also produces Bryan Courtney Wilson. She has appeared on Wilson's albums. She wrote Nobody Like You Lord with Antony Rachel. The album topped Billboard's Gospel chart and remained on the chart for 35 weeks. She was nominated for several Stellar awards. Maranda released a Christmas EP in 2018 followed by another live EP in 2020. Her latest album Die to Live was released in 2022. A lot of the album is about her mom's recent death. Her co-producer is Justin Savage formerly of Anthony Brown & Group TherAPY. He plays keyboards in Maranda's band. Maranda also appeared on Kirk Franklin's 2023 album Father's Day. Gospel music fans should check her out. Here's the video for Nobody Like You Lord by Maranda Curtis.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Percy Kilbride, Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter

Artist:Percy Kilbride, Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter

Song:Our State Fair

Album:State Fair: Original Soundtrack 1945 and 1962

The 1945 film State Fair is the only time that composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote a musical directly for film. They usually adapted their own Broadway musicals. It's based on the 1933 film which starred Will Rogers. They wrote six songs and It Might As Well Be Spring won an Oscar. The film stars Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes and Vivian Blaine. Haymes and Vivian were both accomplished singers so they carried the vocal weight. Neither Jeanne or Andrews sang so both were dubbed by Louanne Hogan and Ben Gage respectively. Obviously I am not a big fan of dubbing but it was common practice in those days. And Jeanne and Andrews were big stars at 20th Century Fox so they were needed to sell the film. Musical direction was by Alfred Newman and Charles E. Henderson. The arrangements were by Edward B. Powell. Newman was musical director at 20th Century Fox so I assume he was conducting the opening theme written by Rodgers. The other two guys worked for him. The opening theme goes straight to the song Our State Fair sung by veteran character actors Percy Kilbride, Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter. Kilbride was best known for playing Pa Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle films. Winninger appeared in many comedies. He also appeared in the 1936 film of the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein musical Show Boat. Fay won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the 1938 film Jezebel. Of course there was no such thing as a soundtrack album in those days. Besides, State Fair only had six new songs. So Decca Records had Dick Haymes record all six songs and they were released on three 78 rpm records in 1946. State Fair was remade in 1962 starring Pat Boone and Ann Margaret. And Dot Records released a soundtrack for that. So in 1999, soundtrack specialty label Varese Sarabande released the two soundtracks on one CD. They got the original recordings from the 1945 film and used the tapes from the 1962 film. That is probably the best you will get for the soundtrack of State Fair. Here's the opening credits for the 1945 film State Fair followed by Percy Kilbride, Charles Winninger and Fay Bainter singing Our State Fair.