AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keiko Matsui

Artist:Keiko Matsui

Song:Safari

Album:Sapphire

Japanese jazz pianist Keiko Matsui has been very successful in the smooth jazz market since the 90s. She writes and produces everything with husband Kazu Matsui. She's bounced around a lot of labels but she currently distributes through Shanachie. She was born Keiko Doi July 26, 1961 in Tokyo. Keiko began taking piano lessons at age six. At first she studied classical piano. But she got interested in jazz as a teen and she started writing. Keiko studied children's culture at Japan Women's University and then she studied at the Yamaha Music Foundation. She started the band Cosmos and recorded several albums for the Japanese label Pony Canyon. Then she met and married Kazu Matsui. He plays the Japanese Bamboo Flute. You have probably heard him in films. Keiko signed a solo deal with Passport Records. They were soon taken over by MCA. Her husband produces all her albums. She moved to the Japanese label White Cat in 1992. They were distributed in the US by Unity. Safari is from the 1995 album Sapphire. It topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart. She's been popular in the smooth jazz market since then. The album includes guest vocals by Karla Bonoff and Valerie Carter. Musicians include Paul Taylor on sax, Rob Mullins on keyboards, Derek Nakamoto on bass and Lenny Castro on percussion. This album is available on CD. Shout Factory has the rights to Keiko's 90s albums. Keiko recorded for Narada in the 00s. Since 2011 she has recorded for Shanachie. Her latest CD was released in 2023. Keiko will begin a tour in August that will run through November. And she will do a couple of jazz cruises in Feb. 2026. Keiko puts on a pretty good show so I recommend her to smooth jazz fans. Here's the video for Safari by Keiko Matsui.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Richard Bona

Artist:Richard Bona

Song:Te Dikalo

Album:Scenes from My Life

Richard Bona was born in Cameroon but he now lives in New York City. He's mainly a bassist but he plays other instruments. And he also sings. His albums are usually a mix of jazz and African music. These days he's mainly a sideman. He last recorded as a leader in 2016 and he seems to prefer being part of a band anyway. He was born Bona Pinder Yayumayalolo Oct. 28, 1967 in Minta, Cameroon into a family of musicians. His grandfather was a singer and so was his mother. Bona learned to play the balafon which is an African xylophone. And he made his own instruments. He started playing in French clubs as a teen. And that's when he learned about jazz. As a tribute to Jaco Pastorius, Bona made the bass his main instrument. Bona moved to Dusseldorf, Germany to study music and then he moved to Paris. As I have said before, there is a significant community of African musicians in Paris. While in Paris, Bona played jazz clubs with guys like Manu Dibango, Salif Keita and Didier Lockwood. Bona moved to New York in 1995 and played with Joe Zawinul, The Brecker Brothers, Branford Marsalis and many others. Then he signed with Columbia Records and released his 1999 debut album Scenes from My Life. Bona wrote, produced and arranged everything and it looks like he played most of the instruments too. He toured with Pat Metheny in 2002. Bona recorded two albums for Columbia. He has also recorded for Universal, EMI and Qwest. His latest album was released in 2016. He still plays shows but he's mostly a sideman these days. He's a member of Mandoki Soulmates which is an all star band led by drummer Leslie Mandoki. Here's Richard Bona performing Te Dikalo at the 2006 North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Larry Fleet

Artist:Larry Fleet

Song:Where I Find God

Album:Stack of Records

Country music singer songwriter Larry Fleet got a record deal after appearing on the TV talent competition show Real Country. The 2021 single Where I Find God is his biggest hit to date. He was born Feb.14,1986 in White Bluff, TN. His great grandfather and uncle had a bluegrass band. He played with them as a child. His uncle taught him to play guitar. Fleet played local clubs for a couple of years before he decided to move to Nashville to try and get a record deal. Jake Owen saw Fleet perform at a wedding. Owen was a judge on the USA Network singing competition show Real Country. Fleet finished second on the show and that got him a record deal at Big Loud Records and producer Joey Moi who produced Florida Georgia Line. Where I Find God was the first single and it reached #43 on the Country Singles chart. This was followed by the album Stack of Records. Fleet wrote all the songs with co-writers. For Where I Find God, Connie Harrington discovered Fleet through social media where he posted a gospel song every Sunday. She asked him if he wanted to write with her and Where I Find God is the song they wrote. Connie has written hits for Terri Clark and Blake Shelton. This album is available as a digital download. The 2023 album Earned It did not do as well. It makes me wonder if Fleet will have long term success. He might be better off sticking to songwriting. He doesn't seem distinctive enough for me. Judge for yourself. Here's the video for Where I Find God by Larry Fleet.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chip Zien

Artist:Chip Zien f/ Tom Aldredge

Song:No More

Album:Into the Woods: Original Broadway Cast

Actor Chip Zien is best known for playing The Baker in the 1987 production of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical Into the Woods. He's appeared in films and TV. But he seems to prefer Broadway. He recently returned to Broadway in a new musical Harmony. He was born Mar. 20, 1947 in Milwaukee. After studying at the University of Pennsylvania, Zien moved to New York. In the 70s, he appeared in shows like All Over Town and Redemption Center. His most significant TV role was in the NBC sitcom Love, Sidney as Tony Randall's boss. He finally got his big break on Broadway playing The Baker in the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. He appeared in that show from 1985-89 and he also appeared in a 2012 revival of the show. Other significant shows include Falsettos in 1992 and most recently in the Barry Manilow musical Harmony. His most significant film was the 2006 film United 93. On TV, other than the series I mentioned, he does plenty of guest shots. He lives in New York and is married to dance instructor Susan Pilarre. They have two kids. Into the Woods is still the biggest show Zien appeared in and the Original Broadway Cast is available on CD. Here's Chip Zien featuring Tom Aldredge performing No More in the Broadway musical Into the Woods. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Postal Service

Artist:The Postal Service

Song:The District Sleeps Alone Tonight

Album:Give Up: Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition

Most music fans should be familiar with Ben Gibbard as the leader of the very popular band Death Cab for Cutie. The Postal Service was a side project that Gibbard formed with producer Jimmy "Dntel" Tamborello and Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley. The 2003 album Give Up was certified Platinum. That's excellent for an indie release. But Gibbard is so busy with Death Cab for Cutie that he never got around to recording a second Postal Service album. The band was formed after Gibbard appeared on a Dntel song called (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan from 2001 Dntel album Life Is Full of Possibilities. The song was so well received that both guys wanted to collaborate more. Jenny Lewis was brought in to contribute vocals. The name The Postal Service was because the collaboration was long distance. They sent recordings back and forth via FedEx and UPS. The album Give Up was released in 2003 on Sub Pop and it did really well. Songs were used in commercials and on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. They toured to support it. The US Postal Service sent a cease and desist letter to stop using the name. Gibbard worked out a licensing deal. So Gibbard had every intention of continuing The Postal Service. Gibbard started working on a new album in 2007. But Gibbard and Tamborello had difficulty working around their busy schedules. Gibbard finally admitted in 2012 that there wasn't going to be a second Postal Service album. He just didn't have the time. In 2013, The Postal Service released a 10th Anniversary 2CD Deluxe Edition of Give Up. They even toured to promote it. After the tour, Gibbard announced that The Postal Service had officially disbanded and there would be no second album. Well, almost. A documentary was released in 2014. And a live album was released in 2020. Except The Postal Service reunited for a 20th anniversary tour with Death Cab for Cutie in 2023. At the end of the tour, Gibbard admitted that Death Cab for Cutie takes up too much of his time to record a second Postal Service album. Maybe he should have said that twenty years ago. Here's the video for The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by The Postal Service.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Diana Ross & The Supremes

Artist:Diana Ross & The Supremes

Song:Someday We'll Be Together

Album:Anthology

The 1969 single Someday We'll Be Together was significant for two reasons. It was The Supremes final #1 hit and Diana Ross' final single with The Supremes before she went solo. Changes like this always drove Motown owner Berry Gordy nuts. The big problem with The Supremes was Florence Ballard wanted to sing lead and Gordy wouldn't allow it. Diana was the star. Florence suffered from depression and started drinking heavily and showing up inebriated. So who was going to  replace her? Gordy ultimately went with Cindy Birdsong of Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles. She was already used to being a backup singer. She was still under contract to The Blue Belles so Gordy eventually bought out her contract. Gordy tried to get Florence to quit voluntarily. But after a drunken incident at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Cindy permanently replaced her and Florence was fired. By 1968, there were already plans in place for Diana to leave The Supremes. Gordy had even decided that Jean Terrell would replace her. While performing with The Supremes at night, Diana was recording solo during the day. Someday We'll Be Together was supposed to be Diana's first solo single. But Gordy wanted a final Supremes #1 hit. So he released it as a Diana Ross & The Supremes record. Of course it topped the charts. It was not a new song. Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol and Jackey Beavers wrote it and she sang it with her brother Johnny in 1961. Bristol unearthed the song and produced this new version with Fuqua who was the leader of The Moonglows and a Motown house producer. On the record, you can hear Bristol singing along with Diana. Since it was supposed to be a Diana Ross record, the background vocals were by Julia Waters, Maxine Waters and Merry Clayton. After they performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show, that was it. Jean Terrell was introduced at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 14, 1970. Gordy was so jittery that he wanted to replace Jean with Syreeta Wright. But Mary Wilson put her foot down and wouldn't allow it. The new version of The Supremes probably would have been more successful if Gordy had liked them. But they had some success until they disbanded for good in 1976. You can get all of The Supremes' hits on this 2CD budget comp. Here's The Supremes performing Someday We'll Be Together on The Ed Sullivan Show Dec. 21, 1969.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-My Brightest Diamond

Artist:My Brightest Diamond

Song:To Pluto's Moon

Album:A Thousand Shark's Teeth

My Brightest Diamond is another case of a solo act hiding behind a band name to retain her anonymity. Shara Nova writes and produces everything. The music is not commercial but the band has a loyal fanbase. She was born Apr. 22, 1974 in El Dorado, AR. Her father played accordion and her mother played organ in the local church. She was taught piano by her pianist uncle Donald Ryan. Shara earned a BA in vocal performance from the University of North Texas. She released a 1998 album under the name Shara. After a year in Russia, Shara moved to Brooklyn and started recording music that can best be described as chamber rock. She started playing in clubs as AwRy. She also toured with Sufjan Stevens in 2003. After that Shara decided to record as My Brightest Diamond. It looks like Stevens may have told her to be more focused if she wanted to be a professional musician. Her 2006 album Bring Me the Workhorse was released on the indie label Asthmatic Kitty. She formed a touring band and opened for Stevens. The music was more rock oriented and less experimental. This got her enough of a fanbase that she released the 2008 album A Thousand Shark's Teeth and the band toured again. So that's where she's at now. Shara writes, produces and plays all the instruments. So her albums are solo albums. Then she forms a band for touring. The music is accessible enough so Shara can do as she pleases. And that seems to be all she wants. The latest My Brightest Diamond album was released last year. Here's My Brightest Diamond performing To Pluto's Moon 2010. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jenni Rivera

Artist:Jenni Rivera

Song:Aparentemente Bien

Album:Mision Cumplida

Jenni Rivera was one of Mexico's most popular singers until her tragic 2012 death. Since her death, she has been even more popular as this 2019 single Aparentemente Bien is her biggest hit. It's not unusual for record sales to spike after death. She was born Dolores Janney Rivera July 2, 1969 in Long Beach, CA. Her parents are Mexican. Jenni is a childhood nickname. She grew up listening to Mexican music and her brothers are musicians. She was a 15 year old high school sophomore when she became pregnant with the first of her five children. Normally you would expect that she would drop out of school. But Jenni was a straight A student so her counselors wouldn't allow her to do that. She performed on weekends and sold CDs at flea markets. Jenni earned a degree in business administration at Cal State Long Beach. She worked in real estate until her father started a record label in 1987. Then she signed with Capitol Latin in 1992. When her debut album didn't sell, she switched to Balboa and then Sony Latin. But things didn't pick up until she signed with Fonovisa in 2000. They saw Jenni's potential and that paid off when the 2005 album Parrandera Rebelde y Atrevida was certified 2XPlatinum and the single De Contrabando topped the Mexican chart. She got into TV in Mexico and was selling out shows when she died in 2012. Jenni and her band were traveling to a concert in Monterrey on Dec. 9, 2012. Even after an investigation, no one knows what happened except the plane crashed and everyone died. And that brings me to the 2019 single Aparentemente Bien. Jenni's brother Juan Rivera found the song on a hard drive and he was just waiting for the right time to release it. It was certified Platinum making it the biggest hit of Jenni's career. At first it was released only as a single. But the album Mision Completa was released in 2023. It's a Jenni Rivera memorial album and it's available as a budget CD. It's an appropriate ending to Jenni Rivera's career. Here's the video for Aparentemente Bien by Jenni Rivera. I suggest you keep a hanky handy for this one. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Everly Brothers

Artist:The Everly Brothers

Song:Cathy's Clown

Album:All-Time Original Hits

The Everly Brothers were one of the most popular groups of the late 50s. The 1960 single Cathy's Clown was their first hit after they switched from Cadence Records to Warner Bros. It's also their biggest hit because not only did it top the Billboard Hot 100 but it topped the R&B and British charts. It was also their final number one hit as by the mid 60s, the British Invasion had taken over. Don and Phil Everly grew up in the music business. Don was born in Brownie, Muhlenberg County, KY on Feb. 1, 1937 and Phil was born Jan. 19, 1939 in Chicago. Their dad Ike Everly played guitar and they were in his band when he performed. They were performing in Knoxville when Chet Atkins spotted them and had them record the 1956 single Keep a-Lovin' Me for Columbia. It went nowhere. Things picked up after Atkins introduced The Everly Brothers to Acuff-Rose Music owner Wesley Rose. He told them that if they signed a publishing deal, he would get them a record deal. That deal was with Cadence Records owned by Arthur Godfrey's musical director Archie Bleyer. The 1957 single Bye Bye Love was their first big hit. That song was written by Felice and Bordleaux Bryant. They wrote several hits for The Everly Brothers over the next couple of years. After three years with Cadence, The Everly Brothers moved to Warner Bros. It was a much bigger deal. Plus there was the possibility of film opportunities. At  the time, Warner Bros. Records was a new label. Cathy's Clown was the first single in 1960. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, the R&B Singles chart and the British chart. Don Everly wrote Cathy's Clown. Wesley Rose produced. Musicians were Hank Garland on guitar, Floyd Cramer on piano, Floyd Chance on bass and Buddy Herman on drums. Cathy's Clown was their final #1 single. They had some other top ten hits. But they had a falling out with Rose so they avoided Acuff-Rose. By the mid 60s, the British Invasion had taken over and most artists including The Everly Brothers weren't selling. This Rhino budget comp covers the Warner Bros. years. The boys were in the US Marines for a couple of years. After that they had drug problems. They made peace with Rose. But by that time it was too late. Then they left Warner Bros. for RCA. After recording two early 70s albums for RCA, The Everly Brothers split up and recorded separately until 1983. They reunited but by that time, they were a nostalgia act. Phil Everly died on Jan. 3, 2014 at age 74. Don Everly died on Aug. 21, 2021 at age 84. Here's The Everly Brothers performing Cathy's Clown on the Dick Clark Beechnut Show July 9, 1960. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Zach Top

Artist:Zach Top

Song:I Never Lie

Album:Cold Beer & Country Music

The 2024 single I Never Lie was a top ten country hit and a top 30 pop hit for Zach Top. It's from his debut album Cold Beer & Country Music. He has a new album coming next month. He was born Sept. 26, 1997 in Sunnyside, WA. which is near Yakima. He grew up on a ranch and he played in a bluegrass band with his siblings called Top String. After Top studied mechanical engineering for a year at the University of Colorado, he dropped out and moved to Nashville. At first Top played with several bluegrass bands until he signed a publishing deal in 2021. He also released an EP in 2022. Then Top was the first artist signed by a new label Leo33 owned by former Universal Nashville execs Katie Dean and Rachel Fontenot. I Never Lie was the second single and it reached #6 on the Country Singles chart and #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. That's a pretty good result for a new artist on a new label. The album was produced by former Mercury A&R exec Carson Chamberlain. Top and Chamberlain wrote all the songs with co-writers. I Never Lie was co-written by veteran songwriter Tim Nichols. Top won the ACM award for New Male Artist of the Year. Top's sound is retro 90s which is not surprising as that's when Chamberlain had success as a producer. Top's new album Ain't in It for My Health will be released next month. Obviously Leo33 is trying to strike while the iron is hot. They have already signed a few other artists and Top's continued success would help them grow and get a better distribution deal. Here's Zach Top performing I Never Lie on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-X-Ray Spex

Artist:X-Ray Spex

Song:Oh Bondage Up Yours!

Album:Let's Submerge: The Anthology

Though the British punk band X-Ray Spex only released one album and a handful of singles, they were influential on the bands that followed. For one thing, they had a female lead singer named Poly Styrene. She wrote all the songs so I will start with her. She was born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said July 3, 1957 in Bromley, England but she grew up in the south London area of Brixton. Her mother was a legal secretary and her father was a Somali born dock worker. As a teen, she ran away from home and hitchhiked to music festivals. She recorded a demo in 1976 as Mari Elliott. It was a ska song. It was released as a single on GTO Records. Then she attended a Sex Pistols concert and placed an ad in the music papers looking for "young punx who want to stick it together". And before you laugh, many bands in those days were formed that way. She got the name Poly Styrene from the Yellow Pages. The other main member of X-Ray Spex was guitarist Jack Stafford AKA Jak Airport. He wrote the music for Poly Styrene's lyrics. Plus they had a saxophonist. Susan Whitby AKA Lora Logic was the first sax player hired because the band's manager liked the idea of two girls fronting a punk band. She answered the ad but she didn't know how to play. So Rudi Thompson played sax most of the time. That's him in the video. Other members were Paul Dean on bass and B.P. Hurding on drums. X-Ray Specs were a sensation in London at the time because it was the only punk band with a female lead singer. Not that Poly Styrene could sing. It wasn't necessary in a punk band. They signed with EMI and Oh Bondage Up Yours! was released as a single. Then they released the album Germfree Adolescents in 1978. They even played a couple of weeks at the New York club CBGB's. And they appeared on the all star Rock Against Racism concert. It all ended when Poly Styrene was exhausted by touring and decided to quit the band in 1979. She went on to record solo and reformed X-Ray Spex in 1988. You can get all her recordings on this comp which is available as a digital download. Poly Styrene died of cancer on Apr. 25, 2011 at age 53. Here's X=Ray Spex performing Oh Bondage Up Yours! on Top Of The Pops 1978.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Barton

Artist:Steve Barton w/Sarah Brightman

Song:All I Ask of You

Album:The Phantom of the Opera: Original London Cast

Steve Barton was a stage performer best known for playing Raoul in the London and Broadway casts of the musical The Phantom of the Opera. Of course the problem was he wasn't the star of that show. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were the stars. So in the biggest role of his career, Barton is overshadowed and forgotten. Oh, well. Some actors are meant to be supporting players. He was born June 26, 1954 in Hot Springs, AR. and he grew up in Nederland, TX. Barton won a scholarship to the University of Austin where he majored in theater, dance and voice. He appeared in thirty productions while attending school. After graduating, Barton moved to Europe. It looks like he lived in Germany. Over the next decade, he appeared in several shows in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. And he also worked as a choreographer. The Phantom of the Opera composer Andrew Lloyd Webber heard about Barton and asked him to audition. Webber has scouts everywhere. Barton won the role of Raoul and played it in London and on Broadway. Of course the show was an international success. But it didn't make Barton a star. He appeared in various productions of The Phantom of the Opera. But he never appeared in another hit show. And he rarely appeared on TV. Barton lived in Germany until he committed suicide on July 21, 2001 at age 47. Here's Steve Barton with Sarah Brightman performing All I Ask of You on the 1988 TV special America Salutes Bob Hope.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Djelimady Tounkara

Artist:Djelimady Tounkara

Song:Sigui

Album:Sigui

Guitarist Djelimady Tounkara has been a big part in the development of West African music. He probably hasn't got the credit he deserves. But he probably doesn't record enough. He seems to prefer being part of a band. He was born in 1947 in Kita, Mali. He started out learning about music from family members. He moved to Mali's capital Bamako in the 60s. He planned to become a tailor. But music was a stronger calling and he played in the band Misira and L'Orchestre Nacional du Mali. In the 70s he was lead guitarist for Rail Band led by Salif Keita. Tounkara was in other bands before he recorded his debut solo album Sigui in 2002 for the French company Label Bleu. As I have said before, there is a large African music community in Paris. Tounkara wrote most of the songs including Sigui and he plays lead guitar. And his guitar is what you should focus on and he has gotten worldwide attention for his guitar skills. Tounkara still records for Label Bleu as his latest album for them was in 2016. He plays on a lot of sessions and he has a trio called Bajourou with singer Lafia Diabate who he has worked with since the Rail Band. Tounkara was supposed to go to Cuba and appear in the documentary Buena Vista Social Club. But when his visa didn't arrive, World Circuit owner Nick Gold had a mix of Malian and Cuban musicians record the 2010 album AfroCubism. I already featured that album. Here's Djelimady Tounkara with Bill Frisell on guitar, Greg Leisz on pedal steel guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin and Sidiki Camara on drums performing Sigui at the Barbican Theater in London Feb. 29, 2004.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Evan Craft

Artist:Evan Craft f/Danny Gokey and Redimi2

Song:Be Alright

Album:Desesperado

CCM singer songwriter Evan Craft is interesting because he records in English and Spanish. He has been very successful in both markets including this 2021 single Be Alright. He was born Apr. 18, 1991 in Conejo Valley, CA. He started playing guitar and writing songs at age 12. He studied Spanish and attended schools in Spain and Costa Rica. Craft released his first couple of albums through Dream Records. When he wasn't happy with that, he signed with Universal for the 2012 album Yo Soy Segundo. This was his first Spanish album and it topped the Billboard Latin Christian Album chart and even reached the top ten of the Latin Pop Album chart. Since then, things have been going well. For the 2021 album Desesperado, Craft released it in English and Spanish versions. You can get both as digital downloads. The single Be Alright is bilingual and features Danny Gokey and Redimi2. Most should be familiar with Gokey as an American Idol contestant. These days he's a CCM artist. Redimi2 is a Christian rapper from the Dominican. It's Alright reached #2 on the Hot Christian Songs chart. Desesperado won a Dove award for Spanish Language Album of the Year. Since then he has released English and Spanish albums simultaneously. That's what he did in 2023 with Chances and Miss Rico del Mundo. Either way I think CCM fans will enjoy Craft's music. Here's the video for Be Alright by Evan Craft featuring Danny Gokey and Redimi2.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cyre

Artist:Cyre

Song:Last Chance

Album:Freestyle Explosion Volume 4

The music business is so weird sometimes. Here's a singer who had a hit on the dance charts in 1987. She never recorded an album and she never recorded for the label again. The kind of music is Freestyle and a lot of the artists have short term success. But this is odd even for that kind of music. Of course a lot of these singers are still around doing Freestyle nostalgia shows. Cyre was born Laura Cyre Rodriguez in The Bronx, NY. She majored in Science at Marymount University in Tarrytown, NY and studied music at Mozartina Music Conservatory. After graduation, it looks like she did a lot of background vocals and jingles in studios. She also performed at local clubs. And it was at one of these clubs that she was approached by Fresh Records producer Jose "Animal" Diaz. Fresh was a subsidiary of the Freestyle label Sleeping Bag Records. Diaz was a radio DJ known for his remixes. It looks like he was working for Fresh as a house producer. He wrote and produced the 1987 single Last Chance. The song is nothing special and the video is terrible. But the record was played in clubs and it reached #4 on Billboard's Dance chart. It remained on the chart for twelve weeks. So it did pretty well. You can get it on this Thump Records comp. Logic would suggest that Cyre should have recorded an album or at least a follow up single. But that didn't happen. The likely reason was that Sleeping Bag was in financial trouble. They closed in 1992. Cyre released the single The Life in 1992 on Island's 4th & Broadway label. But it was too late by then and it went nowhere. Cyre continues to perform mostly on Freestyle nostalgia shows. But it could have been much more. Here's the video for Last Chance by Cyre. Thanks to the blog Rare and Obscure Music for the Cyre info.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pastor Mike Jr.

Artist:Pastor Mike Jr.

Song:Big

Album:Live Free

The 2019 single Big topped the Billboard Gospel charts and so did the album Live Free. He has also won Stellar and Dove awards. He just signed a new distribution deal with Capitol and released a new album last week. He was born Michael DeWayne McClure Jr. June 15, 1983 in Birmingham, AL. Not surprisingly, his dad is a pastor and Pastor Mike Jr. leads the Rock City Church. They have locations in four states. He started his own label with distribution by the gospel label Blacksmoke. The 2019 single Big topped the US Gospel Airplay chart and the album Live Free topped the US Gospel chart. Pastor Mike Jr. writes and produces everything. He won two Stellar awards including Best New Artist and he also won a Dove award. The album is available as a digital download. Since then McClure has had difficulty finding decent distribution as he outgrew Blacksmoke. Last fall he signed a distribution and publishing deal with Capitol and his new album Confetti and Conspiracies: The Amen Mixtape is the first album of that deal. Pastor Mike Jr. has a very energetic sound. So gospel music fans should check him out. Here's the video for Big by Pastor Mike Jr.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charlie & Inez Foxx

Artist:Charlie & Inez Foxx

Song:Mockingbird

Album:Best of the Sue Years

The 1963 top ten hit Mockingbird was the only big hit for the brother sister duo of Charlie & Inez Foxx. Some of their other songs charted so it is not technically a one hit wonder. But most listeners will only remember this song. And they may be more familiar with the 1974 cover of Mockingbird by Carly Simon & James Taylor. Charlie & Inez Foxx were from Greensboro, NC. Charlie was born in 1933. Inez was born in 1937. They grew up singing in church. Inez moved to New York City in 1960 and recorded for Brunswick Records under her married name Inez Johnston. Charlie came to New York in 1963 and they auditioned for Sue Records owner Henry "Juggy" Murray. He already had success with Ike & Tina Turner and Barbara George. They sang an arrangement of the traditional lullaby Hush, Little Baby and retitled it Mockingbird. The record was released in 1963 and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B Singles chart. Charlie wrote the arrangement with veteran arranger Bert Keyes. As I said, Carly Simon & James Taylor's cover of Mockingbird was a top five hit in 1974. Apparently Taylor saw Charlie & Inez at the Apollo in New York and he used to sing Mockingbird with his sister Kate when they were teens. BTW, no royalties for Charlie Foxx as Mockingbird is public domain. Subsequent Charlie & Inez Foxx records were unsuccessful and they moved to Musicor's Dynamo label in 1966. They didn't have much success there and left in 1968. They did re-record Mockingbird for Musicor and most of the comps have the Musicor version. This comp which is only available as a digital download is the original version of Mockingbird as Juggy Murray sold the Sue catalog to United Artists in 1968 meaning that the original recording of Mockingbird is owned by EMI Capitol. What's out there mostly even on various artists comps is the Musicor version. Inez married producer Luther Dixon and he produced some of their Dynamo recordings. Inex recorded for Stax's Volt label in the 70s. Then they went out of business. Charlie became a songwriter and producer on 70s Gene Pitney recordings. He died from leukemia in 1998. Inez died in 2022 at age 84. Here's the video for Mockingbird by Charlie & Inez Foxx.

  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO SKY vs Rhea Ripley

Here's the match video of IYO SKY defending the WWE RAW Women's Championship against Rhea Ripley from last night's Evolution. The story going into this match is that Rhea has never beaten IYO. Well, she still hasn't beaten IYO. But there was a title change because Naomi used the Money In The Bank (MITB) briefcase to win the title. First, I don't like MITB in the first place. It's a gimmick that has outlived its usefulness. In recent years, it's been a prop more than anything else. The WWE doesn't use it to advance storylines anymore. They just delay storylines. In this case, the only reason to have Naomi cash in MITB is it's a surprise. She's involved in a completely different storyline with Jade Cargill so no one was expecting this. That doesn't make it a good idea because what they actually did was ruin a five star match with a one star finish. Obviously this all started with the ref bump. So I could see there was going to be a screwy finish. But this was worse. Most of the match was about as great as I would expect from these two. I don't want to give away too much because you should watch it. But I especially liked when they went into the arena seats and did what I call a Korakuen Hall callback. I don't know if Rhea has ever been there. Of course it's the famed Tokyo arena where IYO and Kairi Sane performed plenty of crazy stunts from the balcony. I guess when IYO was planning this stuff, the agents must have thought she was nuts. WWE wrestlers don't do what IYO does. And that's what makes her the best. Now that they have done this ridiculous finish, let's see what happens on RAW tonight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jenny Lewis

Artist:Jenny Lewis

Song:Just One of the Guys

Album:The Voyager

Jenny Lewis is the former lead singer of the indie band Rilo Kiley. Since they split up in 2014, she has recorded solo and had success as an album and touring act. She has also been acting mostly on TV since the 80s. She was born Jan. 8, 1976 in Las Vegas. Her mom was a singer and her dad was a member of The Harmonica Gang. Jenny was a child actor in commercials. She was cast as one of Lucille Ball's grandchildren in the shortlived 1986 sitcom Life with Lucy. She did a couple of films like the 1989 film Troop Beverly Hills. But mostly she made one shot TV appearances. Jenny switched to music in 1998 when she became lead singer of Rilo Kiley in 1998. She has done very little acting since Rilo Kiley. Rilo Kiley released two albums for Warner Bros. They did OK for an indie band. But I'm sure Warners wanted more commercial success. Besides, Jenny wasn't getting along with boyfriend and lead guitarist Blake Sennett. Rilo Kiley split up in 2011. Jenny had already recorded a 2008 album for Warners through Rough Trade. So they signed her to a new record deal for the 2014 album The Voyager. Most of the album was produced by Ryan Adams of Whiskeytown. Though Just One of the Guys was produced by Beck. Jenny wrote all the songs. Similar to Rilo Kiley, Warners had high commercial expectations for Jenny. When she didn't meet those expectations, they dropped her after two albums. She has since released the 2023 album Joy'All on Blue Note. The album was produced by Nashville session musician Dave Cobb. Of course Blue Note is a jazz label. But they have had success with female singers like Norah Jones who aren't really jazz. Maybe they think lightning can strike twice. I doubt it. It seems that record labels have higher commercial expectations for Jenny than she merits. She might be better off on a smaller label that has lower commercial expectations. Here's the video for Just One of the Guys by Jenny Lewis.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Banda Los Recoditos

Artist:Banda Los Recoditos

Song:Vas A Llorar Por Mi

Album:Las Bandas Romanticas

Banda Los Recoditos is the same as Banda el Recodo. Both are abbreviations of Banda Sinaloense El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga. They are from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico and have been around since 1938 in one form or another by the Lizarraga family. Like many Mexican regional bands, they have been successful in Mexico and sometimes they perform internationally. The music is OK for those who grew up with it. I just find that many of these bands sound the same. Cruz Lizarraga founded Banda El Recodo. El Recodo is his hometown. They were strictly instrumental until they added a singer in 1989. After Cruz Lizarraga died in 1995, clarinetist Luis Alfonso Lizarraga Lizarraga took over as musical director and they signed with Fonovisa. They have been very successful since then. They have won nine Latin Grammys and in 2003 they were the first Mexican band to perform on the Grammy broadcast. Vas A Llorara Por Mi is from the 2013 album Haciendo Historia. The title is this is their 200th album. Alphonso and Joel Lizarraga produced the album at their own recording studio. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. They continue to be successful mostly in Mexico. They last released an album in 2021. Here's the video for A Llorara Por Mi by Banda Los Recoditos.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gil Scott-Heron

Artist:Gil Scott-Heron f/Brian Jackson

Song:Angel Dust

Album:The Best of Gil Scott-Heron

The 1978 single Angel Dust was a top twenty R&B hit. It was gil Scott-Heron's biggest commercial success though I wouldn't say it was his best known song. But early in his career he was on a jazz label. Flying Dutchman Records owner Bob Thiele had no illusions about the possibility of Scott-Heron being a mainstream success. He wasn't selling to that audience. Of course in retrospect, we know how influential Scott-Heron was on black music in general and hip hop in particular. But when Clive Davis signed him to his new label Arista, Scott-Heron seemed like a square peg in a round hole. Remember, Barry Manilow was also on Arista. Davis went to see Scott-Heron live in New York. Davis had just left Columbia Records and was planning to start his own label. He went backstage after the show to meet Scott-Heron. Though Davis acknowledged Scott-Heron's cultural significance, he also thought Scott-Heron could be commercially successful. Considering Davis' track record at Columbia, it's not surprising that Davis believed this. It was probably misguided. But at the time, he was just starting Arista. And he wanted to show the record business that he wasn't messing around. So he convinced Scott-Heron that he had something special. He was the first new Arista signing. Remember Davis bought Bell Records so he had their roster including Manilow. Ultimately Davis didn't get the results he wanted because Scott-Heron was never a commercial artist. The single Angel Dust reached #15 on the R&B Singles chart. That was Scott-Heron's biggest hit. It was from the 1978 album Secrets which was the fifth album he recorded with pianist Brian Jackson. This comp covers Scott-Heron's Arista recordings. The bottom line is that Scott-Heron's Arista recordings weren't as good as his Flying Dutchman recordings. And the Arista recordings weren't commercially successful which was the whole point of Davis signing him in the first place. It doesn't change Scott-Heron's influence on black music. After he left Arista in 1985, Scott-Heron recorded sporadically because he was a cocaine addict and was in and out of prison. XL Recordings owner Richard Russell revived Scott-Heron's career with the 2010 album I'm New Here. Scott-Heron died on May 27, 2011 at age 62. Here's Gil Scott-Heron performing Angel Dust 1978. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marcia Ball

Artist:Marcia Ball

Song:The Party's Still Going On

Album:Roadside Attraction

Singer songwriter and pianist Marcia Ball has been recording since the 80s. I would categorize her music as contemporary blues. She does not record blues standards. And she writes her own songs. And she's an excellent pianist. She's been very successful performing in clubs and on the festival circuit. She was born Mar. 20, 1949 in Orange, TX and she grew up in the Lake Charles suburb of Vinton, LA. Marcia's grandmother and aunt both played piano. She took piano lessons at school. Influenced by Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, Marcia showed an interest in New Orleans style piano. She says that Irma Thomas is her main vocal influence. Marcia studied English at Louisiana State while playing in the band Gum. She was lead singer of Freda and the Firedogs and they recorded an album. And she released the 1978 album Circuit Queen on Capitol Records. This was an attempt at a country album featuring Rodney Crowell and Nashville session musicians like Buddy Emmons on steel guitar and David Briggs on keyboards. Things picked up for Marcia when she signed with Rounder Records for the 1984 album Soulful Dress. Stevie Ray Vaughan played guitar on that album. She recorded for Rounder until 1998 and was nominated for a Grammy for the 1998 album Sing It! featuring Irma Thomas and Tracy Nelson. Marcia has recorded for Alligator Records since 2001. The Party's Still Going On is from the 2011 album Roadside Attraction. Marcia wrote all the songs. She wrote The Party's Still Going On with album producer Gary Nicholson and Tom Hambridge. The album was recorded at Nicholson's studio in Nashville. He won two Grammys for producing Delbert McClinton. Musicians include Mike Schermer on guitar, Don Bennett on bass, Damien Llanes on drums, Wendy Moten on backup vocals, Thad Scott on sax and the Mingo Fishtrap Horns. This album is available on CD. Marcia last released an album in 2018. But she said on Facebook that she is still on Alligator. Look at your watch. It's time for a new album. She still tours so be sure to check her out if she's coming your way. Here's Marcia Ball performing The Party's Still Going On on the internet radio show eTown in Boulder, CO 2013. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Seekers

Artist:The Seekers

Song:I'll Never Find Another You

Album:Hits, B-Sides & the 90's

There was a time in the mid 60s that the Australian folk group The Seekers were on the same level as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones mostly because of the success of the 1966 single Georgy Girl. But if they hadn't had success with the 1964 single I'll Never Find Another You, they probably don't get to record Georgy Girl. So I'll Never Find Another You really put The Seekers on the radar especially in the US. The Seekers were formed in 1962 in Melbourne, Australia by Keith Polger and Bruce Woodley on guitar and Athol Guy on bass. They attended Melbourne Boys High School. All three were in other bands. They had a lead singer. But when he left to get married, he was replaced by jazz singer Judith Durham. Guy met her at an ad agency and eventually convinced her to join The Seekers full time. They recorded a couple of folk music albums for W&G Records. Former lead singer Ken Ray rejoined The Seekers when Polger's day job would not allow him to remain in the group. The Seekers took a year long position on a cruise line. After a ten week trip to England, they were offered bookings in England and signed with World Record Club. They were on a show opening for Dusty Springfield and they met her songwriter and producer brother Tom Springfield. He and Dusty had their own group The Springfields. He wrote and produced I'll Never Find Another You. It was released on EMI's Columbia label. It was only released as a single in Dec. !964. The Seekers had no contract with EMI. After the song was played frequently on the offshore radio station Radio Caroline, I'll Never Find Another You topped the British and Australian charts. Then it was picked up in the US by EMI's Capitol label and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Seekers had yet to record an album for EMI. That means that Tom Springfield took a risk on an unknown group and it paid off big time. The Seekers continued to have success in England and Australia. But the theme from the 1966 film Georgy Girl was their only other top five hit in the US. That means that if Tom Springfield doesn't take that risk on an unknown group, they probably wind up back in Australia working day jobs. You can get all of The Seekers' hits on this comp. Here are The Seekers performing I'll Never Find Another You on a 1968 TV special. This is supposed to recreate the original recording session.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Great Northern

Artist:Great Northern

Song:Home

Album:Trading Twilight for Daylight

With a name like Great Northern, you might think this band is Canadian. But no, they are from Los Angeles. Solon Bixler was guitarist for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. You may recall that band was led by actor Jared Leto. He met Whirlpool lead singer Rachel Stolte and they started working together. They signed with the indie label Eenie Meanie and recorded the 2007 album Trading Twilight for Daylight with Ashley Dzerigia on bass and Davey Latter on drums. The album was produced by Matthias Schneeberger at his recording studio in Arcadia. Bixler and Rachel write all the songs together. They released an EP in 2008 followed by the 2009 album Remind Me Where the Light Is produced by Michael Patterson. Since then Great Northern has released music in dribs and drabs because they aren't really a band anymore. It's just the two of them. After announcing plans for a new album in 2010, they eventually released an album to iTunes and Bandcamp in 2015. They released a couple of singles in 2023. An album was supposedly in the works but it has not been released. They have been married since 2014. The delays probably drive their fans nuts. But Rome wasn't built in a day. Here's the video for Home by Great Northern.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Roxanne Perez

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Roxanne Perez from last night's episode of RAW. With Evolution coming up this Sunday and a spot open in the four way WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match, the predictable result of this match was the reunion of the Kabuki Warriors and they fill that slot in the title match. And that's exactly what they did. Meanwhile, Roxanne set up a Liv Morgan memorial in the Judgement Day clubhouse which could lead to a split between Roxanne and Raquel. The match was reasonably entertaining. Kairi won with a backslide. Then Roxanne and Raquel attacked Kairi and Asuka came out to even the odds. Don't be surprised if they win the titles. Enjoy the video and Evolution this Sunday! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Darude

Artist:Darude

Song:Sandstorm

Album:Before the Storm

The 1999 single Sandstorm was a hit in Europe and dance clubs. It is to date the biggest hit for Finnish DJ Darude. Aside from from recording his own music, Darude does a lot of remixes and represented Finland in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. He was born Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen July 17, 1975 in Eura, Satakunta, Finland. He got interested in music while studying at Turku Polytechnic. He made music using his PC's tracker software. When he played the song Rude Boy repeatedly at a party, it earned him the nickname Rude Boy which became Darude. He started DJing in clubs in 1995. Then he started releasing demos to radio stations. And that led to a record deal with RCA Finland. Darude usually works with producer Jaakko "JS16" Salovaara who also produces the group Bomfunk MC's. He decided that Sandstorm should be the first single from the upcoming album Before the Storm. Once Sandstorm was a hit in Finland, it spread across Europe and dance clubs. Sandstorm sold two million copies worldwide and was the biggest selling 12 inch single in 2000. Since then, Darude has had some success on the Finnish charts but not lately. He released his latest album in 2023 on his own label. It looks like he's not working with JS16 anymore. He also represented Finland in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. And he does plenty of remixes. Like a lot of EDM, I think this song is repetitive and monotonous. But I think most EDM is like that. It ain't for me. Most of the time there's no music video for this kind of music. At least the video for this is pretty good. Here's the video for Sandstorm by Darude. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Craze

Artist:The Craze

Song:Just My Luck

Album:One Man, Two Guvnors: Original Cast Recording

One Man, Two Guvnors is a musical comedy that was successful in England and then came to Broadway and was nominated for several Tony awards. The show was written by Richard Bean who started out as a comedy writer and directed by Nicholas Hytner who is mainly a theater director but has also done films. The show stars comedian James Corden who was host of the CBS show The Late Late Show with James Corden. The story is about an unemployed musician who goes to work for two different employers and he doesn't want them to know about each other. So it's a comedy of errors. The most interesting aspect of this show is that Hytner decided to assemble a live skiffle band to perform the music. You don't know what skiffle is? You're not as old as me. Skiffle is a form of folk music that became very popular in England in the 50s. Lonnie Donegan's 1959 single Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight?) was a big hit. So I think in England there is nostalgia for skiffle. So Hytner got his friend Grant Olding to not only write the songs for the show but put together a band called The Craze to perform live during the show. The band is Olding on lead vocals and guitar, Philip James on guitar and banjo, Richard Coughlan on bass and Ben Brooker on washboard and percussion. As you will see in the video, The Craze is good enough that they could make a lot of money on tour like a real band. But they aren't a real band and Olding usually works in musical theater. The show was a big success in England. Then it played on Broadway in 2012 and Corden won a Tony. Since then, there have been several revivals in England. And in 2023 Hytner announced that he and Corden were planning a new revival of the show in London. It hasn't happened yet. The original cast album is available as a budget CD. This album could make you a skiffle fan. Here's The Craze performing Just My Luck on a 2012 episode of the Irish TV show The Late Late Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Noam Pikelny

Artist:Noam Pikelny

Song:Old Banjo

Album: Universal Favorite

Fans of the popular band Punch Brothers have heard banjoist Noam Pikelny. But you probably don't know that Pikelny has recorded four solo albums. He was born Feb. 27, 1981 in Chicago and was raised in the Chicago suburb of Skokie. He started playing banjo when he was eight years old and took lessons at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. He also studied with Greg Cahill of the bluegrass band Special Consensus. Pikelny joined the band Leftover Salmon in 2002. He left in 2004 to join the John Cowan Band. Then Chris Thile started Punch Brothers in 2006 and Pikelny has been in that band ever since. They released their debut album on Nonesuch in 2008. In 2010, Pikelny won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Then he appeared on a 2010 episode of Late Night with David Letterman with Martin performing a comedic version of Dueling Banjos. And later in the show, he appeared with Punch Brothers. Pikelny released three albums for the Bluegrass label Compass. They were all band albums. One had special guests like Martin and one was a Bill Monroe tribute. So when he signed with Rounder for the 2017 album Universal Favorite, Pikelny and producer Greg Witcher decided Pikelny should record solo. Half are instrumental and he sings on the rest. Half of the songs are traditional like Old Banjo and the rest are originals. Witcher was a fiddler for Punch Brothers until he left the band in 2023 due to his busy Nashville studio work schedule. He has produced all of Pikelny's albums. Universal Favorite is available as a budget CD. That is Pikelny's latest solo album. The Punch Brothers are very busy. But I'm sure Pikelny will record again when he has time. Here's the video for Old Banjo by Noam Pikelny. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jocelyn Brown

Artist:Jocelyn Brown

Song:Somebody Else's Guy

Album:Somebody Else's Guy

The 1984 single Somebody Else's Guy was an R&B and dance hit for Jocelyn Brown. She's probably better known for guest appearances on other folks records than her own music. She was an in demand studio singer for many years. She was born Nov. 25, 1950 in Kinston, NC. Her aunt Barbara Roy was in the 70s disco group Ecstasy, Passion & Pain. Jocelyn started out singing in gospel choirs in Brooklyn. And she was a featured singer at her uncle's church in Washington, DC. In the 70s Jocelyn got into the studio scene and sang with Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, Musique, Cerrone, Inner Life, Change, Salsoul Orchestra, Luther Vandross and Incognito. She also toured with Bette Midler and appeared in Bette's 1980 concert film Divine Madness. When Jocelyn was in the group Musique, that group's producer Patrick Adams suggested to Musique's label Prelude Records that Jocelyn should record solo. Prelude started a new label Vinyl Dreams for Jocelyn. The 1984 single Somebody Else's Guy reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart and #13 on the Dance chart. Jocelyn wrote the song and produced with Fred McFarlane and Allen George. McFarlane played the piano solo. Those two guys have worked together for years. They wrote and produced the 1993 Robin S. hit Show Me Love. The problem was Prelude closed in 1986. That was the end of Jocelyn's own label. The Somebody Else's Guy album was picked up by the Canadian reissue label Unidisc and it's available on CD. Jocelyn signed with Warner Bros. and released the 1987 album One From the Heart produced mostly by John "Jellybean" Benitez. It didn't sell and Jocelyn has struggled to release records for years. But she has performed regularly with the British band Incognito. Jocelyn has lived in England since 1990. She released the gospel album True Praises in 2010. Jocelyn produced with Nicky Brown formerly of the London Community Gospel Choir. Jocelyn still performs live and appears on reality TV in England. But she should have been a much bigger star. Here's the video for Somebody Else's Guy by Jocelyn Brown. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Righteous Brothers

Artist:The Righteous Brothers

Song:(You're My) Soul and Inspiration

Album:Retrospective 1963-1974

The 1966 single Soul and Inspiration topped the charts. It was The Righteous Brothers' second of two number one hits. The most interesting thing about this record is it was a hit after The Righteous Brothers split with producer Phil Spector and left his Philles label for MGM/Verve. Look, there's no question that Spector was a musical genius. But now we know that he is insane and his weird behavior eventually landed him in prison for murder. But he was exhibiting odd behavior back then. Plus he was a notorious control freak. The relationship between The Righteous Brothers and Spector seemed to unravel after the success of the 1965 single Unchained Melody. For one thing, Spector seemed to prefer Bill Medley as lead singer to Bobby Hatfield. That not only caused friction between the two. But Medley addressed it with Spector. When that didn't help, The Righteous Brothers signed with MGM/Verve in 1966. Spector sued MGM and they settled with Spector for $600,000. Soul and Inspiration was their first single for MGM and it topped the Billboard Hot 100. I know what you're thinking. It sure sounds like a Phil Spector production. But it was actually produced by Bill Medley. In fact, he produced the entire album Soul and Inspiration. The song was written by husband and wife Brill Building songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was arranged by Jack Nitzsche to sound like a Spector record using some of The Wrecking Crew musicians like Don Randi on keyboards and Jimmy Bond on bass. They played on the Spector records. Nitzsche was a great producer known for his work with The Beach Boys. Of course the success didn't last and The Righteous Brothers split up in 1968. They returned in 1974 to score a top five hit with the 1974 single Rock and Roll Heaven. This comp has all their hits including Rock and Roll Heaven. A lot of the Universal comps don't have that song because Capitol owns it. There are also 2CD comps that have too much on it. Retrospective is an hour long. It seems about right and it contains Rock and Roll Heaven. Bobby Hatfield died in 2003. Of course Bill Medley had success with 1987 single Time of My Life from the film Dirty Dancing. He recently released what seems to be a country album and he appeared on The Grand Ole Opry. The lead single from the album is a duet with country singer Vince Gill. Here's The Righteous Brothers performing (You're My) Soul and Inspiration 1966. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carl Anderson

Artist:Carl Anderson f/Gloria Loring

Song:Friends and Lovers

Album:Carl Anderson

The single Friends and Lovers was a top five hit in 1986 after it appeared on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. It's like I said recently. Those soap opera fans sure love their music. It was the only big hit for Carl Anderson. Gloria Loring was a regular on Days of Our Lives at the time. Though Anderson recorded several albums in the 80s, I would say his voice is more suited for Broadway and that's where he started out. He was born Feb. 27, 1945 in Lynchburg, VA one of 12 children of James and Alberta Anderson. Anderson dropped out of high school to enlist in the US Air Force. After two years as a communications officer, Anderson was discharged. After graduating from high school, Anderson toured military bases as part of the World Wide Air Force Talent Contest. He moved to Washington, DC in 1969 to study psychology at Howard University. He also led a cover band and they appeared on a 1971 episode of The Today Show performing songs from Jesus Christ Superstar. A producer for the upcoming Broadway production of that show offered Anderson an audition. He shared the role of Judas with Ben Vereen and appeared in the film version and was nominated for two Golden Globes. While appearing in touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Anderson was a background singer on Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. He also appeared on TV shows like The Rockford Files and Hill Street Blues. Anderson signed with Epic Records in 1982. He recorded four albums but Friends and Lovers was his only hit. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. That makes him a one hit wonder. I would describe Gloria Loring as an actress who sings. At that time she was married to talk show host Alan Thicke and she is Robin Thicke's mother. She played lounge singer Liz Chandler on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1980-86. So she performed on the show. She performed Friends and Lovers with Anderson on the show and it became a theme for one of the couples on the show. The song was released as a single in 1986 and it appeared on Anderson's 1986 album on Epic and Gloria's 1986 album on Atlantic. The song was written by Jay Gruska and Paul Gordon. Both write music for TV shows. Anderson produced the record with French producer Yves Dessca. Most of his album was produced by Richard Rudolph who was married to Minnie Riperton and wrote and produced her 1978 hit Lovin' You. Anderson's album is available on CD. Anderson left Epic and also recorded for Polydor and GRP. In 1992, he appeared in the 20th Anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. It was supposed to run for three months and lasted for five years. Anderson continued to play that role for the next decade until he died from leukemia on Feb. 23, 2004 at age 58. Here's the video of Friends and Lovers by Carl Anderson featuring Gloria Loring. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Ames Brothers

Artist:The Ames Brothers

Song:The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane

Album:Hits Collection 1948-60

The vocal quartet The Ames Brothers had chart success in the early 50s with hits like the 1954 single The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane. Not surprisingly, their career was killed by the rise of Rock 'n' Roll. The Urick brothers were from Malden, MA. They were Joe Urick (born May 3,1921), Gene Urick (born Feb. 13, 1924), Vic Urick (born May 20, 1925) and Ed Urick (born July 9, 1927). At first they were called The Amory Brothers and changed it to The Ames Brothers. Their parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who taught all nine children to enjoy classical music. Three of the brothers formed a quartet with a cousin and they toured military bases. They were offered a job at the popular Boston nightclub The Fox and the Hounds. It was supposed to be a one week engagement. But positive reviews turned it into several months. Then Joe returned to the group and they started calling themselves The Amory Brothers. Amory was Vic's middle name. They moved to New York and took a job with bandleader Art Mooney. They were looking for a song that their mom asked them to sing called Should I. When record store owner and Decca Records house producer Milt Gabler heard them, he signed them to Coral Records. That's when the name was changed to The Ames Brothers. They topped the charts with the 1950 singles Rag Mop and Sentimental Me. Rag Mop was their biggest hit. They moved from Coral to RCA in 1953 because they wanted to be on a larger label. I don't know why they weren't moved to Decca. They had immediate success on RCA when they topped the charts with the 1953 single You, You, You followed by the 1954 single The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane which reached #3 on the charts. Most of The Ames Brothers RCA recordings were produced by Herman Diaz Jr. with Hugo Winterhalter's orchestra. Diaz was an RCA house producer in the 50s. The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane was the biggest hit for the songwriting team of Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. The had previously written the 1948 Guy Lombardo hit Red Roses for a Blue Lady. The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane was their biggest hit. They went on to write songs for Elvis Presley movies in the 60s. The Ames Brothers had chart success for the next couple of years until Rock 'n' Roll took over. RCA and Decca have licensed The Ames Brothers recordings to reissue labels like Acrobat who have released this 2CD comp. The Ames Brothers continued to appear on TV until they disbanded in 1963. Ed Ames had a significant singing and acting career. The other three retired. Vic died in a 1978 car accident. Gene died in 1997. Joe died in 2007. Ed died in 2023. Here's The Ames Brothers performing a medley of their hits including The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane on a 1956 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show.