AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Band

Artist:The Band

Song:Up on Cripple Creek

Album:Greatest Hits

The Band never had a big hit single. Underground radio had become popular by the late 60s. That's what I listened to. So they didn't need a hit single. The 1969 single Up on Cripple Creek was their biggest hit. And the B side The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down also got airplay. The Band started out as The Hawks. They backed up Ronnie Hawkins when he moved from Arkansas to Toronto in 1958. He brought drummer Levon Helm with him. The rest of The Band were Canadians Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. Hawkins was a great training ground, But by 1964, it was time to leave. At first they were called The Levon Helm Sextet which included saxophonist Jerry Penfound. After he left, it was changed to Levon and the Hawks. They called themselves The Canadian Squires when a 1965 single was released on Ware Records. They changed back to Levon and the Hawks for an Atco Records recording session. They met bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson and were planning to be his backing band. But he died. Then Bob Dylan hired them and they toured with him for a couple of years. They also recorded The Basement Tapes with Dylan. They also worked on what became the 1968 album Music from Big Pink. When it was ready, they decided to call themselves The Band as that is what musicians called them. When the album was ready, they signed with Capitol Records. And Music from Big Pink was released in 1968. The Weight was the best known song from that album as it was used in the 1969 film Easy Rider. The album was highly acclaimed. After they toured, they recorded the 1969 album The Band. Both albums were produced by John Simon. Robertson wrote most of the songs including Up on Cripple Creek. But Helm sang lead. It reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record is notable for Hudson's use of the clavinet with a wah wah pedal. The album was certified Platinum. This comp is the best single CD collection of The Band's music. But there are box sets available. And there's a 2CD 50th Anniversary edition of The Band with plenty of extras. They recorded several albums in the 70s. But I think the 1978 film The Last Waltz is considered to be the highlight of The Band's run. They split up after that. The Band reformed in 1983 without Robertson who had success as a solo artist. He was replaced by studio musician Jim Weider. After years of alcoholism, Manuel hung himself in 1986. He was replaced by Richard Bell from Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band. They continued to tour and released the 1993 album Jericho. Robertson appeared at The Band's 1994 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Helm wasn't there as he was in conflict with Robertson over songwriting royalties. They released a couple more albums. Then Danko died on Dec. 10, 1999 and The Band split up for good. Helm died on Apr. 19, 2012. Robertson died on Aug. 9, 2023. Hudson died on Jan. 21, 2025. Here's The Band performing Up on Cripple Creek on the Nov. 2, 1969 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Delltones

Artist:The Delltones

Song:Hangin' Five

Album:Walk Like a Man

If you're old enough, you may have heard this song in the early 60s and thought it was a lost Beach Boys song. It isn't by them or any of the popular surf music bands. The song is called Hangin' Five and it's by The Delltones and they were very popular in their native Australia. Hangin' Five did turn up on a few radio stations here so it was a cult hit. But it was never released here. The Delltones started out in 1958 in Sydney, Australia as a doo wop group. Lead singer Noel Weiderberg and bass singer Ian "Peewee" Wilson were lifeguards when they started the group. Other members were Warren Lucas and Brian Perkins. They auditioned for 2GB DJ Bob Rogers and he convinced promoter Lee Gordon to use them on some of his concerts. He signed them to his Leedon label and they had modest success on the Australian charts. They were a popular live act but couldn't get that hit single. The Delltones switched to the CBS label Coronet in 1960 and scored a top five hit with the 1961 single You're the Limit. Then they switched to EMI and then back to Leedon but didn't have success. Leedon had been sold to Festival Records. Then tragedy struck as Noel Weiderberg was killed in a July 1962 car crash. They were encouraged by friends to seek a replacement in Colin Loughnan formerly of The Crescents. He was friends with Lucas. They scored a top five hit with the 1963 single Come a Little Bit Closer. Surf music had become very popular in Australia. So as a gag, The Delltones recorded Hangin' Five. The song was written by police officer Ben Acton who was also in the police band and was into the surfing scene. Hangin' Five was a top five hit. So how did it become a cult hit in California? Usually a US tourist will hear the record, buy it and play it for a DJ when he got home. Sometimes if it becomes a hit, a US label will release it. That didn't happen in this case. But I'm sure there are some who heard Hangin' Five and can't find it. So you can get it on this comp. When their contract with Leedon ended, The Delltones continued to perform live. But they didn't record again until 1969. By that time, Lucas and Loughnan left. Loughnan went on to play sax in the band Ayers Rock. The Delltones went to England and recorded for EMI. They split up in 1973. They reformed in 1978. By 1981, Wilson was the only original member. But The Delltones continued until they disbanded for good in 2016. Here's the video for Hangin' Five by The Delltones filmed in 1963.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alan Jackson

Artist:Alan Jackson

Song:Livin' on Love

Album:Geniune: The Alan Jackson Story

Alan Jackson is a neo traditional country singer. He has had success since the early 90s. He only crossed over to pop once. The 1994 single Livin' on Love is one of his 35 number one country hits. Jackson recently announced he plans to retire June 2026. He was born Oct. 17, 1958 in Newnan, GA. Jackson listened mostly to gospel until a friend turned him on to country. After graduating from high school, Jackson joined the band Dixie Steel and played clubs and worked in construction. After Jackson married, he and his wife moved to Nashville. He recorded a demo album in 1987. Jackson worked in The Nashville Network's mailroom. He sat in the audience of their singing competition show You Can Be a Star. He was plucked out of the audience and asked to sing a song before the commercial break. Keith Stegall was one of the judges. At the time, Stegall was a singer. But he turned to production and produced most of Jackson's albums. But Jackson's big break came when his flight attendant wife Denise encountered Glen Campbell on a flight. She asked for advice for her husband. Campbell gave her his manager's business card and told her to call him. And that led to Jackson signing with Arista Nashville in 1989. He released his debut album in 1990. Livin' for Love is from Jackson's 1994 album Who I Am. It was one of several number one country hits for Jackson. He wrote the song and Stegall produced the album. It was certified Platinum. And that was typical of Jackson's success in the 90s. His biggest selling album was the 2002 album Drive which featured the single Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) about the 9/11 attacks. That briefly crossed Jackson to mainstream and the album sold four million copies. This 3CD box set covers Jackson's entire career and it has several bonus tracks. The last album to go Platinum for Jackson was 2008's Good Time. He started his own label in 2012 distributed by Capitol/EMI Nashville. Jackson last released an album in 2021. He continues to tour but he recently announced that his final show will be on June 27, 2026. Jackson suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease which is a neurological disorder. It affects his balance. So have a happy retirement Alan Jackson. Here's the video for Livin' for Love by Alan Jackson.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Funkadelic

Artist:Funkadelic

Song:One Nation Under a Groove

Album:Cosmic Funkers

Most music fans should be familiar with George Clinton's P-Funk collective. The two main bands were Parliament and Funkadelic. Parliament was the more successful of the two because the two bands were supposed to sound different. But it got so confusing that I don't think Clinton could keep it straight. The 1979 single One Nation Under a Groove was Funkadelic's biggest hit. Of course it all started in the mid-60s with The Parliaments. A dispute with his record company meant that Clinton couldn't use the name The Parliaments. So they moved back to Detroit and started calling themselves Funkadelic. They signed with Westbound Records in 1968 and Funkadelic added psychedelia to R&B. Funkadelic recorded some great albums in the early 70s. But they weren't successful because they were on a small label. Clinton revived Parliament in 1974 and signed with Casablanca Records. That's when it got confusing because they toured as Parliament-Funkadelic. At that point, I'm not sure there was a difference between the two bands. The core members like Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell were in both bands. Even Clinton knew it was confusing because he ended Funkadelic in 1982. They had their greatest success when they signed with Warner Bros. in 1976. The 1978 album One Nation Under a Groove was certified Platinum. And the single One Nation Under a Groove topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. Clinton produced the album and he wrote the songs with Walter "Junie" Morrison formerly of the Ohio Players and guitarist Garry Shider. The whole conglomeration was successful for a few years. But the confusion resulted in legal problems and Clinton decided to record under his own name and tour as The P-Funk All Stars. This 2CD comp covers Funkadelic's entire run in the 70s. Here' Funkadelic performing One Nation Under a Groove 1979.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Art Tatum

Artist:Art Tatum

Song:Humoresque

Album:The Art of Tatum

This is another in my series Jazz for Beginners complete with a performance video and a CD appropriate for beginners. Pianist Art Tatum is one of the greats of early jazz. Though he performed from 1932 until his 1956 death, his main body of recordings was when he recorded solo for Decca from 1933-40. Tatum was born Oct. 13, 1909 in Toledo, OH. His father was a mechanic and his mother was a maid. Tatum's vision was impaired at infancy probably by cataracts. After several operations, he had partial vision. Tatum taught himself to play piano. He played by ear and had an excellent memory. He learned songs by listening to the radio. As a teen, he played piano at parties. Tatum's main influence was the stride piano of James P, Johnson along with Fats Waller and Earl Hines. After winning a 1927 amateur competition, he got his own show on Toledo radio station WSPD. He played clubs at night. As word started to spread about Tatum, Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson stopped by to give encouragement. Then singer Adelaide Hall saw Tatum when she played Toledo and brought him to New York to be in her band. Soon after his arrival in New York, Tatum participated in a cutting contest at Morgan's in Harlem with stride piano masters Johnson, Waller and Willie "The Lion" Smith. All were impressed with Tatum and he became good friends with Waller. Tatum first recorded for Brunswick Records in 1933. His recording of Tiger Rag was a minor hit. Then he had a residency at the Three Deuces in Chicago. Then Tatum moved to California. He played clubs followed by late night sessions accompanied by heavy drinking. Tatum was diabetic so the drinking would become a problem later. So at this point, Tatum was recording for Decca and performing in major clubs. in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. He was afraid of flying so he always traveled by train. He and his wife even spent three months in England in 1938. Tatum continued to record for Decca. But many of the recordings weren't released at the time because big bands were more popular. Many of Tatum's recordings received awards decades later. But at that time, he wasn't popular. You can get Tatum's Decca recordings on this comp from the reissue label ASV/Living Era. Tatum made a good living from his club performances. He even had a trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart in the mid 40s. But his records were never big sellers. By the late 40s, he was a regular on Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series. He recorded for Capitol in 1949. The rise of bebop did him no favors as Tatum wasn't interested in it. Tatum recorded for Granz' Clef label in the 50s. All Granz did was start the tape and Tatum played what he wanted. There were 14 LPs called The Genius of Art Tatum. It generated renewed interest in him. But then his health deteriorated. After Granz had Tatum play a 1956 Hollywood Bowl show, he died on Nov. 5, 1956 at age 47. Today Tatum is considered to be one of the all time jazz greats and likely underappreciated in his prime. Here's Art Tatum performing Humoresque. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Thornley

Artist:Thornley

Song:Beautiful

Album:Come Again

Canadian singer singer songwriter and guitarist Ian Thornley is best known as a member of the 90s band Big Wreck. When they split up in 2002, he formed the band Thornley. When that didn't work out, he reformed Big Wreck and he leads them today. He was born July 21, 1972 in Toronto. While he was studying jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1993, Big Wreck was formed. They moved to Toronto and signed with Atlantic Records. When their 1997 album In Loving Memory Of.... was certified 2XPlatunum without a hit single, it looked like Big Wreck had a big future. But when the 2001 album The Pleasure and the Greed flopped, Big Wreck split up. After auditioning to be lead singer of Velvet Revolver, Thornley returned to Toronto and discussed his situation with Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger. He signed with Kroeger's 604 label and agreed to form a band. That band was Thornley. The other members were Ken Tizzard on bass and Sekou Lumumba on drums. The 2004 album Come Again was released on Roadrunner Records in the US. It's available as a digital download. Gavin Brown produced and he wrote most of the songs with Thornley. The album did OK in Canada but flopped in the US. Tizzard and Lumumba left Thornley. Thornley attempted to keep the band together and he released an album in 2009. When that went nowhere, Thornley reformed Big Wreck and he still leads a version of that band today. They released a new album a few months ago. Thornley is the only original member. Here's the video for Beautiful by Thornley.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger

Artist:The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger

Song:Moth to a Flame

Album:Midnight Sun

Sean Ono Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl formed The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (GOASTT) mainly so they could spend more time together. They haven't released an album since 2014's Midnight Sun because both have individual careers that keep them busy. Of course Sean Ono Lennon is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and he has been making music since the 90s. Charlotte Kemp Muhl was a model for Maybelline for ten years. Their relationship started in 2007 and they started GOASTT in 2008. They first met at the 2004 Coachella Music Festival. They record at their home studio on their farm in Delaware County, NY. They write and produce everything themselves on their own label. Obviously Lennon is the more experienced musician so he carries the musical load. Charlotte mostly plays bass. Moth to a Flame is from the 2014 album Midnight Sun. This was their second album. The album was reviewed favorably by critics and they toured the festival circuit in 2014 and continued to tour in 2015. I would describe the music as neo psychedelic folk rock. The album is available on CD. So why haven't they recorded since then? The main reason is in 2015, Lennon formed The Claypool Lennon Delirium with Primus drummer Les Claypool. They have released two albums and toured and are currently working on a new album. Meanwhile, Charlotte started her own band Uni and the Urchins in 2017. They released an album in 2023. Last year Charlotte toured with St. Vincent. So it's ironic that they started GOASTT to be together more and they've been too busy to do that. Maybe they will record  together down the road. Here's the video for Moth to a Flame by The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks

Artist:Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks

Song:Little Fang

Album:Enter the Slasher House

Avey Tare is a member of the popular indie band Animal Collective. He sings, plays guitar and writes most of the songs. He has recorded solo occasionally mostly to indulge in his obsession with horror films. And in 2014, he formed the one off band Slasher Flicks. Some call this a supergroup but that's one of those terms that the music business throws around very liberally. It's definitely a one off band as Tare has since recorded three solo albums. He was born Dave Portner Apr. 24, 1979 in Baltimore. He met the members of Animal Collective in high school. They all have pseudonyms. Animal Collective was formed after Tare recorded a couple of albums with Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox and Brian "Geologist" Weitz. They were attending college in New York City and that's where Animal Collective was formed. Tare recorded a couple of solo albums for the indie label Paw Tracks. For the 2014 album Enter the Slasher House, Tare signed a new record deal with Domino Records. So he decided to form the band Slasher Flicks and tour to support it. The video for Little Fang features puppets by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. It's a concept album based on Tare's obsession with horror films. Tare is lead singer and plays guitar. The other members are Angel Deradoorian formerly of Dirty Projectors on bass and Jeremy Hyman formerly of Ponytail on drums. The album was critically acclaimed and is available on CD. But it was definitely a one off. As Animal Collective continues, Tare has recorded three albums. The most recent of these were recorded at his home studio in Ashville, NC and he did everything himself. Here's the video for Little Fang by Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leslie Pintchik

Artist:Leslie Pintchik

Song:Tumbleweed

Album:True North

Leslie Pintchik was on her way to becoming an English professor when she decided to change course and become a jazz musician. Now she plays New York City clubs with her bassist husband Scott Hardy and records for her own label. Leslie was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. Her father was a jazz fan and he played tenor sax for fun. Leslie was studying 17th century English literature at Columbia University when she started playing piano and was interested in jazz. While working as a teaching assistant, Leslie decided to become a jazz pianist. She says her major influences are Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans. Her teachers were Bruce Barth and Joanne Brackeen. Leslie got a regular gig at the Greenwich Village club Bradley's. She was already playing with husband Scott Hardy. She met bassist Red Mitchell and he played some gigs with Hardy on guitar. He encouraged her and Hardy switched to bass. They have been playing clubs as part of a trio ever since. Leslie has recorded since 2003 at first for Ambient Records. But she has recorded for her own label since 2010. Tumbleweed is from her 2016 album True North. Leslie wrote most of the songs including Tumbleweed. Along with Hardy on bass, musicians are Steve Wilson on sax, Ron Horton on trumpet, Michael Sarin on drums and Satoshi Takeishi on percussion. All are regulars on the New York jazz scene. Sarin is in Leslie's trio. Leslie released her latest album Prayer for What Remains last year with the same musicians. She mostly plays New York clubs like Kitano. Here's Leslie Pintchik with Scott Hardy and Michael Sarin performing Tumbleweed at Kitano in New York City May 23, 2018.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amina Figarova

Artist:Amina Figarova

Song:On the Go

Album:Twelve

Jazz pianist Amina Figarova was born in Azerbajian. But she has lived in the US and The Netherlands since the 80s and has recorded since the 90s. She works with flutist husband Bart Platteau and they play New York clubs and tour. She was born Dec. 3, 1964 in Baku, Azerbajian. She took piano lessons as a child and started composing at age six. She studied to be a concert pianist at the Baku Academy of Music. Then while attending the Moscow Jazz Festival, Amina was invited to study at the Rotterdam Conservatory in The Netherlands. And that's where she got interested in jazz. And then she moved to the US to study at Berklee in Boston. That's where she met Platteau and they got married. She first recorded in 1993 and signed with the Dutch label Munich Records for the 1998 album Another Me. Amina and Platteau moved to Rotterdam and they lived in The Netherlands until they moved to New York in 2010 and signed with the German label In+Out. The 2012 album Twelve was her first album for that label. The album is a tribute to New York City and Amina wrote all the songs including On the Go. Along with Platteau, musicians are Ernie Hammes on trumpet, Marc Mommaas on sax, Jeroen Vierdag on bass and Chris "Buckshot" Strik on drums. These guys are all Dutch musicians. They were Amina's touring band at the time. The album was recorded in New York and produced by In+Out's Frank Kleinschmidt. This album is available on CD. Amina now records for her own label. Last year she released the album Suite for Africa featuring the Matsiko World Orphan Choir. Here's Amina Figerova with Bart Platteau, Ernie Hammes, Jeroen Vierdag and Chris "Buckshot" Strik performing On the Go at MCG in Pittsburgh May 18,2012. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Impressions

Artist:The Impressions

Song:People Get Ready

Album:Definitive Impressions

Most R&B artists of the 60s started out singing in church. And the 1965 single People Get Ready was one of the more obvious examples of that. Impressions leader Curtis Mayfield did that a lot and he wasn't the only one. Today People Get Ready has been covered by so many artists that it's easy to forget where it came from. The Impressions were from Chicago. Curtis Mayfield met Jerry Butler while both were singing in the same church choir. They formed the doo wop group The Roosters in 1957 with Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and his brother Arthur Brooks. When they got a record deal with Vee Jay, the group name was changed to Jerry Butler & the Impressions. Their first hit single was For Your Precious Love in 1958. Soon after, Butler left to go solo and Mayfield took over as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. And he also brought Fred Cash in to replace Butler. The Impressions moved to New York and got a new record deal with ABC-Paramount in 1961. Most of The Impressions' success was on the R&B charts. Their first big hit was Gypsy Woman in 1961. When subsequent singles didn't do as well, the Brooks brothers left and for the reat of the 60s, The Impressions were a three piece of Mayfield, Gooden and Cash. They returned to Chicago and started working with producer Johnny Pate. And that's when Mayfield started writing social conscience songs that were church influenced like It's All Right (1963) and Keep on Pushing (1964). I assume Pate encouraged this. People Get Ready was on the 1965 album People Get Ready. It rached #3 on the R&B Singles chart and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It wasn't their biggest hit but it's probably their most durable song. Mayfield wrote People Get Ready and also played the guitar solo. Pate wrote the the arrangement and Motown's The Funk Brothers played on the record. Mayfield has acknowledged the church roots of the song. There have been plenty of covers of People Get Ready. But the most notable was by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck in 1985. You can get People Get Ready on this comp from the British label Kent Records. The Impressions continued to have success until Matfield left to go solo in 1970. The Impressions continued with new lead singer Leroy Huston. They recorded for Mayfield's Curtom label but they weren't as successful and Huston was replaced by Ralph Johnson in 1973. Meanwhile, Mayfield had success especially with soundtrack for the film Superfly. He continued to tour even after stage lights fell on him and made him a paraplegic. Mayfield died in 1999. Cash died in 2018. Gooden died in 2022. Here's The Impressions performing People Get Ready on a 1965 Dick Clark show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charity Gayle

Artist:Charity Gayle

Song:I Believe

Album:Rejoice

Charity Gayle is a worship leader who occasionally releases albums on her own label. She says she is trying to bridge the gap between worship and gospel music. I don't think her music does that. But she has won Dove awards and the P&W faithful love her music. Charity is from Buffalo. She grew up watching her mom direct the church choir. And as a teen, she did the same thing. She became a worship pastor and music ministry leader. In 2012, she was named GMA Immerse Vocalist of the Year. Charity moved to Nashville in 2014 where she wrote for People&Songs. Then she started releasing her own music. After Charity was the featured artist at the 2017 North American Youth Congress in Indianapolis, she released her 2018 debut album Lord You Are My Song on the People&Songs label. Since then, Charity has started her own house of worship GatherHouse with her husband Ryan Kennedy. I Believe is from the 2024 album Rejoice on Blue Duck Records. The album was recorded live at The Mulehouse in Columbia, TN. Charity wrote and produced with husband Ryan Kennedy. The lead musician is Kyle Lee on keyboards. He has played with other P&W artists like Phil Wickham. This album is available as a budget CD. So if you like P&W, you should like this. Here's the video for I Believe by Charity Gayle.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Byrne

Artist:David Byrne

Song:Don't Fence Me In

Album:Red Hot + Blue: Tribute to Cole Porter

Of course David Byrne is best known as the lead singer of Talking Heads. As a solo artist, he likes to experiment with different kinds of music. He even started his own label to do that. And he has recorded on several Red Hot albums to benefit AIDS research. He was born May 14,1952 in Dumbarton, Scotland. His father was an engineer and the family moved to Hamilton, ON in the hope the job market was better. They moved to the Baltimore suburb of Arbutus, MD when dad got a job at Westinghouse. Byrne learned to play guitar, accordion and violin. His father set up a tape recorder so he could make music. After graduating from high school, Byrne attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Maryland Institute College of Art. He met Chris Frantz at RISD and after Byrne moved to New York in 1974, Frantz and his girlfriend Tina Weymouth followed and Talking Heads was formed. Byrne recorded solo albums in 1979 and 1981. But for the most part, he concentrated on Talking Heads until they split up in 1988. Byrne released the 1989 album Rei Momo on his own label Luaka Bop with Warner Bros. distribution. Byrne was never interested in mainstream music. He's never had a hit single. On Rei Momo, he brought in Latin and Brazilian musicians. It was while he was making this album that the Red Hot Organization was started to benefit AIDS research. And they decided to release a Cole Porter tribute album as the first project. They went on to make several benefit albums. Steve Lilywhite was credited as supervising producer. He recruited the participating artists but he didn't produce the individual tracks. But he produced Rei Momo so I'm sure he produced Byrne's recording of Don't Fence Me In. Byrne brought in several Brazilian percussionists to play on the song along with Louisiana accordionist Jimmy MacDonnell and fiddler Kenny Kosek. Many artists appeared on the album. They all did videos so a home video was released too. The album is available on CD. Byrne works on all kinds of things. But he just released a new album with Ghost Train Orchestra called Who Is the Sky? on Matador Records. Ghost Train Orchestra is a big band specializing in vintage early jazz. Here's the video for Don't Fence Me In by David Byrne. The Roy Rogers footage is from the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Lost Generation

Artist:The Lost Generation

Song:The Sly, Slick and the Wicked

Album:The Brunswick Years Vol. 1

The 1970 single The Sly, Slick and the Wicked was a top 30 hit. It was the only chart single for the soul group The Lost Generation. Most of their chart success was on the R&B charts. They only recorded two albums. The Lost Generation was from Chicago. Lowrell Simon was the lead singer and main songwriter. His brother Fred Simon was a member along with Jesse Dean and Brownlee who co-wrote the songs. Brownlee had been a member of the group The C.O.D's. They scored a top five R&B hit with the 1965 single Michael (The Lover). Meanwhile, Lowrell Simon was a member of The Vondrells and they had a local hit with Lenore. After those groups split up, Lowrell formed a new group with his brother Fred, Brownlee and Jesse Dean. Dean was in The Vondrells. Lowrell was childhood friends with Brunswick Records head of promotion Gus Redmond. He got them a record deal. The 1970 single The Sly, Slick and the Wicked was their first single and it reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the R&B Singles chart. The album The Sly, Slick and the Wicked soon followed. Simon, Brownlee and Redmond wrote half the songs including The Sly, Slick and the Wicked. Lowrell Simon was lead singer. Chi-Lites leader Eugene Record produced the album. The Chi-Lites were also on Brunswick. The Lost Generation continued to have success on the R&B charts and they released the 1972 album Young, Tough and Terrible. They split up in 1974. You can get The Sly, Slick and the Wicked on this 2CD budget comp of Brunswick Records soul. The Simon brothers and Brownlee formed the group Mystique with former Impressions lead singer Ralph Johnson. They released a 1977 album for Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. Brownlee died in 1978. Lowrell recorded a 1979 solo album for Liberace's AVI label. He also had success as a songwriter. Here's a video of The Sly, Slick and the Wicked by The Lost Generation. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andree Watters

Artist:Andree Watters

Song:Si Exceptionnel

Album:Tout de Moi

For the most part, the Quebec music business is on an island. Very rarely does an artist break out of the Quebec market even if there is potential as was the case for singer songwriter Andree Watters. She had success in Quebec with her 2003 debut album AW and singles like Si Exceptionnel. But this success didn't last and she last recorded in 2012. She was born Jan. 25, 1983 in Charlesbourg, PQ which is a borough of Quebec City. She started performing as a teen and won a provincial singing contest. She moved to Montreal and appeared on TV. In 2003, she signed with BMG Canada's Vik label and released her debut album AW. She wrote and produced the album with veteran producer Fred St-Gelais. He's a big fish in the Quebec music business. The album sold well in Quebec and the singles Si Exceptionnel and Ne Reste Pas did well on the charts. Andree won a Felix Award for Best Rock Album of the Year and was nominated for four other Felix awards. There were plans to release the album in France but that was cancelled. So then what? Well, unless Andree wants to sing in English a la Celine Dion, she's stuck in a limited market. She continued to have success in Quebec but nothing lasts forever. Andree last released an album in 2012. Her last two albums were country albums. This comp is available as a digital download. In recent years Andree has produced live stage productions in Quebec along with children's music. This is very typical of the Quebec music business. Here's the video for Si Exceptionnel by Andree Watters. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kathy Bates

Artist:Kathy Bates

Song:Little Girls

Album:Annie: Original Soundtrack

Kathy Bates is an Oscar and Emmy winning actress who currently stars in the CBS TV series Matlock. She doesn't sing but she appeared in the 1999 Wonderful World of Disney/ABC production of the Broadway musical Annie. She plays orphanage owner Miss Agatha Hannigan and sings the song Little Girls. As far as I can tell, this is Kathy's only major singing appearance. She was born June 28,1948 in Memphis. Her father was a mechanical engineer. After studying theater for a year at Southern Methodist University, Kathy moved to New York in 1970 to pursue an acting career. Most casting directors didn't think she was attractive enough. Kathy always knew she was a character actor but those roles tend to go to older actors. Probably her big breakthrough was in the 1982 Broadway production of the play Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and she also appeared in Robert Altman's film version. Then she was Tony nominated for the 1983 drama 'night, Mother. She also had success in the 1987 play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Kathy was also appearing on TV so casting directors knew about her. She finally got that big film break in the 1990 film Misery based on the Stephen King book and directed by Rob Reiner. After winning the Best Actress Oscar, she's been working steadily. The 1999 TV movie Annie came about because ABC and Disney aired a very successful version of the musical Cinderella in 1997. Producers Craig Zadon and Neil Meron wanted Cinderella's choreographer Rob Marshall to direct Annie for TV. Of course Annie was a successful Broadway musical and 1982 film. Annie was played by Alicia Morton. The rest of the cast were Broadway stars like Victor Garber, Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth. Kathy was better known for films at the time and I assume Disney added her for star power. The show was a success and the soundtrack is available as a digital download. Kathy has continued to work consistently. As I said, she is currently starring in the CBS TV series Matlock. Last year, The New York Times reported that Kathy planned to retire after after Matlock ends. She says she was considering retirement before the show started. Now she's not so sure and it looks like Matlock will run for several years anyway. Here's Kathy Bates performing Little Girls from the 1999 TV movie Annie. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hunter Hayes

Artist:Hunter Hayes

Song:Wanted

Album:Hunter Hayes (Encore)

Hunter Hayes is a singer songwriter who straddles the line between country and pop. He topped the country charts and crossed over to pop with the 2011 single Wanted. And the album Hunter Hayes sold over a million copies. Since then things haven't gone well and Hayes is no longer on a major label. He was born Sept. 9, 1991 in Breaux Bridge, LA. which is a borough of Lafayette. His parents are of French Cajun ancestry. Hayes began performing as a child. He appeared on the TV shows Maury, The Rosie O'Donnell Show and he performed Jambalaya on the Nickelodeon game show Figure It Out. Actor Robert Duvall gave Hayes his first guitar when he was six. Then he performed for President Bill Clinton at a White House lawn party. He performed Hey Good Lookin' on the NBC TV series America's Most Talented Kids. Hayes released five albums independently. Then he moved to Nashville and signed a publishing deal with Universal. Then he signed with Atlantic Records. And while working on his major label debut, Hayes opened for Taylor Swift in 2010. In the spring of 2011, Hayes went on tour previewing songs from the upcoming album Hunter Hayes. When it was released in Oct. 2011, Hayes headlined his own tour. The single Wanted was the second single from the album. It topped the Country Singles chart and reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The fourth single I Want Crazy had similar results. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. It was produced by Dann Huff who also produced the Rascal Flatts album that Hayes' song was on. Hayes wrote all the songs on the album with co-writers. He wrote Wanted with Troy Verges who is also from Louisiana. It's his biggest hit to date and he also co-wrote I Want Crazy. It was nominated for Grammys and other awards. (Encore) is a deluxe edition of Hunter Hayes with five bonus tracks. This should have launched Hayes to stardom. But his 2014 album Storyline didn't do nearly as well. And the 2015 album The 21 Project did even worse. The 2016 single Yesterday's Song was supposed to be on Hayes' next album. But the album was cancelled and Hayes was moved to Warner Bros. for the 2019 album Wild Blue. Hayes announced on The Today Show that it would be the first of a three album trilogy. But it didn't sell and Warners released him. Since then he has released two albums on his own label. He still tours but he is getting into production so that may be where his future lies. His failure is probably due to country music moving away from country pop and he didn't change with it. It also looks like he was butting heads with Atlantic management. Here's the video for Wanted by Hunter Hayes. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Rhea Ripley vs Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of Rhea Ripley vs Kairi Sane from yesterday's episode of RAW. This was in Australia and it aired live at 8AM Eastern. With that in mind, I expected Rhea to win this match. But it was more competitive than expected and post match Asuka got her heat back. Backstage, Asuka blamed Kairi for Saturday's loss at Crown Jewel and proceeded to slap her. Unfortunately, I am unable to post PLE matches anymore. They are on Daily Motion but embedding doesn't work anymore. I think fans were expecting Rhea to squash Kairi. But as I said, it was very competitive and Kairi got plenty of offense in. Rhea could have won easily so I give her much of the credit for allowing the match to be competitive. They gave them plenty of time. After Rhea won, she and IYO went after the Kabuki Warriors and got the jump on them. Rhea was about to use her finisher the Riptide on Asuka on the broadcast table when Kairi hit her from behind with a kendo stick. Asuka DDTd Rhea on the table to lay her out. So obviously the angle will continue. It's pretty good so far. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sniff 'n' The Tears

Artist:Sniff 'n' the Tears

Song:Driver's Seat

Album:A Best of Sniff 'n' the Tears

The 1978 single Driver's Seat was a top 20 hit. It was the only chart single for the British band Sniff 'n' the Tears. So it is a one hit wonder. You may have heard it in the 1997 film Boogie Nights. I think it's one of those songs that folks have heard but know nothing about the band. Sniff 'n' the Tears was from London led by singer songwriter, guitarist and control freak Paul Roberts. The rest of the band membership was very fluid. Roberts first formed a band in 1974. And when he couldn't get a record deal, he dissolved the band and moved to France. A couple of years later, drummer Luigi Salvoni was listening to a demo he had made with Roberts. He contacted Roberts about approaching pub rock record label Chiswick Records for a record deal. At the time, Roberts was concentrating on painting. He sells his paintings on his website. But he agreed to let Salvoni put a band together. Salvoni produced the 1978 album Fickle Heart. Roberts wrote all the songs. The rest of the band didn't matter much because they were all gone soon after. Even Salvoni left after he put things together for Roberts. They were on Atlantic Records in the US. The big surprise was when the single Driver's Seat reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It didn't do that well in England because Chiswick was a small label and didn't have a decent promotion budget. This is why bands like The Damned and Motorhead started out on Chiswick and then left. I think Sniff 'n' the Tears could have been much bigger on a better label. Chiswick closed in 1983. This Ace Records comp is a good intro to Sniff 'n' the Tears. As I said, you may have heard Driver's Seat in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and it appears on soundtrack album #2. Of course the other problem with Sniff 'n' the Tears is Roberts is a control freak and guys just wouldn't stay in the band. They split up when Chiswick closed in 1983. Roberts released a couple of solo albums in the 80s on the Danish label Sonet. He reformed Sniff 'n' the Tears after Driver's Seat was used in a European ad campaign and it charted in The Netherlands. Roberts has released occasional Sniff 'n' the Tears albums on his own label. He is also remastering recordings and releasing them. Based on his Facebook, he performs solo but he doesn't tour. Anyway, Driver's Seat is a pretty good song and I think Sniff 'n' the Tears had star potential. Here's the video for Driver's Seat by Sniff 'n' the Tears.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rockapella

Artist:Rockapella f/True Image

Song:Under the Boardwalk

Album:Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella: Soundtrack

The art of a cappella singing started on New York streetcorners and evolved into doo wop and soul. In recent years, a cappella has been successful on US college campuses. And the 1988 PBS special Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella came from the renewed interest in a cappella. You can stream it on YouTube. Spike Lee not only directed this show but he wrote it with Ernest Dickerson and hosted it with Debbie Allen. It features several a cappella legends like The Persuasions and Take 6 and the new wave of a cappella like Rockapella. There are also celebrity cameos by Samuel L. Jackson and Branford Marsalis. The concert was filmed at the BAM Majestic Theater in Brooklyn. Rockapella is one of the new a cappella groups formed in 1986 at Brown University in Providence, RI. The original members were Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, Steve Keyes and David Stix. At first they were called High Jinks. After graduation, they got together in New York City and decided to call themselves Rockapella. They started out singing in the streets for tips. But it led to private parties including one for Kathie Lee Gifford. That led to a 1988 appearance on her WABC-TV show The Morning Show. Gerald Brown saw that appearance. And he was a producer on Spile & Co. Do It A Cappella. He invited Rockapella to appear on the show. They performed three songs including Under the Boardwalk with the short lived group True Image. True Image appeared on the 1990 Monie Love single It's a Shame and then they split up. The soundtrack is available on CD. Rockapella lasted a lot longer when they appeared on the PBS kids show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? from 1991-96. That's when Scott Leonard replaced Steve Keyes. Leonard had been working in Tokyo Disneyland when the opening came up. Jeff Thatcher joined in 1993 and he and Leonard still lead Rockapella today. Otherwise the membership is fluid. Rockapella still tours and they last recorded in 2019. That's -pretty good for a group that started out singing in the streets of New York. Here's Rockapella featuring True Image performing Under the Boardwalk on the 1988 PBS special Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella,

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Latimore

Artist:Latimore

Song:Let's Straighten It Out

Album:Straighten It Out: The Best of Latimore

Soul singer Latimore topped the R&B charts with the 1974 single Let's Straighten It Out. This crossed over to pop. But he had most of his success on the R&B charts in the 70s. He was born Benjamin Lattimore Sept. 7, 1939 in Charleston, TN. He grew up singing in church and learned to play piano. He moved to Florida in 1965 and worked as a pianist for blue eyed soul singer Steve Alaimo. Alaimo had modest success as a singer. But he went on to have success as a producer working for Henry Stone. Stone is best known as owner of TK Records, home if KC & the Sunshine Band. As Benny Latimore, he recorded several singles for Stone's Dade label in the late 60s. Then in the early 70s, Stone changed his name to Latimore and moved him to his Glades label. The big surprise was when the 1974 single Let's Straighten It Out topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's from the 1974 album More, More, More, Latimore. Latimore wrote the song and Alaimo produced the album. He continued to have success on the R&B charts until he left Glades for Malaco Records in 1982. You can get this Rhino comp as a digital download. Latimore recorded seven albums for Malaco but didn't have the same success. He continued to release albums and also played sessions. Latimore last released an album in 2013 and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He still performs live. He says he will never retire. Here's Latimore performing Let's Straighten It Out. The video was produced by Malaco so it's from the 80s.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lin-Manuel Miranda

Artist:Lin-Manuel Miranda f/Christopher Jackson, Robin de Jesus and company

Song:96,000

Album:In the Heights: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Today Lin-Manuel Miranda is a world famous composer. But it all started when his first musical In the Heights debuted on Broadway in 2009. That's when I first heard of him. Since then the show Hamilton made him famous. He has also worked on plenty of Disney films. He has advanced the status of Latino composers and performers everywhere. He was born Jan. 16, 1980 in New York City. His father is a political consultant from Puerto Rico. Miranda grew up in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan. He started writing and performing in school. He wrote the first draft of In the Heights in 1999 when he was in his sophomore year at Wesleyan University. Writers John Buffalo Mailer (Norman Mailer's son) and Quiana Alegria Hudes and director Thomas Kail helped Miranda with In the Heights revisions. It premiered in Connecticut in 2005 followed by off Broadway in 2007. And In the Heights premiered on Broadway Mar. 2008. It's about the mostly Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York. Miranda not only wrote In the Heights but he played the main character of Usnavi de la Vega. The show ran until Jan. 2011 so it was very successful. It won four Tonys including Best Musical. Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. 96,000 is about what could happen if you won the lottery. The original cast album is available on CD. It was eventually turned into a 2021 film. By that time, Miranda had decided not to star in the film. He made a cameo appearance. He's been busy though. The 2015 musical Hamilton was a bigger hit than In the Heights. He has also worked on several Disney animated films including Moana (2016) and Encanto (2021). He works on so much, it makes me think that he spreads himself too thin. And though he has done a lot for Latinos in the entertainment business, it takes forever to develop projects and that must drive him nuts. Look at how long it took to turn In the Heights into a film because movie studios get cold feet. Here's Lin-Manuel Miranda and company performing 96,000 on the 2009 Tony Awards broadcast. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Coasters

Artist:The Coasters

Song:Charlie Brown

Album:50 Coastin' Classics

The Coasters were a standard doo wop group when the songwriting and production team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller got hold of them and wrote novelty songs like Charlie Brown. That was one of a string of top ten hits that are still beloved today. Bobby Nunn was the lead singer of the doo wop group The Robins. They were from San Francisco. They had some success. But they disagreed over staying in California or moving to New York. Lieber and Stoller had written and produced singles like Smokey Joe's Cafe for The Robins. Atlantic Records was going to sign Lieber and Stoller to a production deal to produce The Robins. But only Nunn and Carl Gardner were willing to move to New York. So they changed their name to The Coasters  Billy Guy soon replaced Nunn and Will "Dub" Jones and Cornell Gunter were added. The partnership with Lieber and Stoller was an immediate success. The 1958 single Yakety Yak was The Coasters' only #1 pop hit. So they crossed over to pop unlike other black groups because radio stations had to play them. Charlie Brown was their next single and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lieber says that after Yakety Yak, he was having trouble coming up with song ideas. Then the name Charlie Brown popped into his head followed by "He's a clown." And no, this has nothing to do with the Peanuts comic strip. The only reason Charlie Brown didn't top the chart is because of Frankie Avalon's Venus. King Curtis played the sax solo. Charlie Brown was only released as a single at first. But you can now get it on this 2CD comp from Rhino which includes some Robins songs. The Coasters scored six top ten hits with Poison Ivy being the final one in 1959. But by the early 60s, doo wop had faded and most doo wop groups including The Coasters became a nostalgia act. A version of The Coasters still tours the oldies circuit. Here's The Coasters performing Charlie Brown on the Dick Clark Beech-Nut Show Mar. 7, 1959. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sun Kil Moon

Artist:Sun Kil Moon

Song:Carissa

Album:Benji

Sun Kil Moon is the current band led by singer songwriter Mark Kozalek. They tour as a band but Kozalek is the only original member. Previously, Kozalek led the band Red House Painters and he also records solo. Sun Kil Moon is named after Korean boxer Sung-Kil Moon as Kozalek is a big boxing fan. The 2002 formation of Sun Kil Moon came mostly because Kozalek wasn't getting along with Red House Painters' record label 4AD. So he decided that the best way to leave them was to dissolve Red House Painters and start a new band. Kozalek named the band after a boxer because he wanted to write songs about boxers. And he did that on their 2003 debut album Ghosts of the Great Highway. But it's impractical to limit himself so he doesn't do that anymore. The other big change was Kozalek started his own label Caido Verde. That way he can do what he wants. Carissa is from the 2014 album Benji. It was the sixth Sun Kil Moon album. It appeared on several music press Best of 2014 lists including Stereogum, Pitchfork and NME. Kozalek wrote and produced all the songs. He says the album title is because he has fond memories of watching the 1974 film Benji when he was a child. Kozalek also plays most of the instruments except for Owen Ashworth of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone on Rhodes piano and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth on drums. This album is available as a digital download. I would say that similar to Iron & Wine, Sun Kil Moon is a Mark Kozalek solo act and he forms a band to tour. They are currently on a European tour. Kozalek's solo albums usually tend to be collaborative with special guests. Here's Sun Kil Moon performing Carissa at House of Music in Hungary 2023.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Max Romeo

Artist:Max Romeo

Song:Chase the Devil

Album:Ultimate Collection

Max Romeo was a Jamaican singer songwriter who became popular in the 70s with a more mature sound than we were hearing from singers at the time. It started with the sexually suggestive lyrics of the 1968 hit single Wet Dream and continued in the 70s with hits like the 1976 single Chase the Devil. Romeo wrote most of his hits with legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. He was born Maxwell Livingston Smith Nov. 22, 1944 in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. He left home at age 14 and worked at a sugar plantation in Clarendon. After winning a local talent contest, Romeo moved to Kingston to start a music career. In 1965, he formed The Emotions with Kenneth Knight and Lloyd Shakespeare while working at Caltone Records. The group was unsuccessful until Caltone owner Ken Lack heard Romeo singing to himself and offered The Emotions an audition. After a few singles, Smith was calling himself Max Romeo and he started a solo career in 1968. After a slow start, Romeo had his breakthrough hit with the single Wet Dream. After it was a hit in Jamaica, the song was banned from the BBC for overtly sexual lyrics. That always spikes record sales. Romeo always claimed that Wet Dream was about a leaky roof. Wet Dream was a top ten hit in England. Romeo released his first album and toured England. Romeo's 1971 album Let the Power Fail had some politically charged songs including the title song which was the theme for the 1972 Jamaican election. After that, Romeo started working with Perry and they wrote and produced his 1976 album War Ina Babylon featuring the single Chase the Devil. Romeo and Perry wrote Chase the Devil. You can get it on this comp. Romeo and Perry had a falling out. Romeo wasn't as successful after that. He moved to New York wrote and starred in the 1978 Broadway musical Reggae. After appearing on The Rolling Stones' 1980 album Emotional Rescue, Keith Richards produced Romeo's 1981 album Holding Out My Love to You, an unsuccessful attempt by Romeo to break into the US market. After working at a New York electronics store, John Holt convinced Romeo to return to Jamaica. Romeo continued to record and tour. His sons are known as the duo Rominal. His daughter records as Xana Romeo. Max Romeo died on Apr. 11, 2025 at age 80. Here's the video for Chase the Devil by Max Romeo. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs IYO SKY

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs IYO SKY from last night's episode of RAW. Of course this is leading to IYO and Rhea Ripley vs The Kabuki Warriors on this Saturday's Crown Jewel show in Australia. Rhea is not at RAW as she is doing media in Australia. Backstage, Asuka bullies Kairi into facing IYO later in the show. When Kairi balks, Asuka slaps her. The match doesn't really take off until the second half when Kairi bounces the back of IYO's head off the edge of the ring. It was a bad bump. The ref came out to check on IYO and she was fine. It looked really bad but IYO is really good at taking bumps like that. I guess she's like a magician. Then they hit all their signature moves and Kairi won with Asuka's help. Afterwards, The Kabuki Warriors laid IYO out. So I don't know what will happen on Saturday but I can't wait to find out. Remember Crown Jewel will start at 8AM Eastern as it is in Australia. Enjoy the video!. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Horace Silver

Artist:Horace Silver

Song:Cool Eyes

Album:Four Classic Albums

This is another in my series of Jazz for Beginners complete with a performance video and an affordable CD appropriate for beginners. Pianist Horace Silver was a pioneer of bebop. He recorded for Blue Note from 1952 to 1980. I haven't checked but I think that's that's the longest that anyone recorded for Blue Note. Plenty of great jazz musicians started out in Silver's band. Today I'm going to look at his 50s recordings and look at his 60s recordings later. He was born Sept. 2, 1928 in Norwalk, CT. His father was from Cape Verde. Silver took piano lessons as a child. His father taught him the folk music of Cape Verde. Silver got into jazz when he heard Jimmie Lunceford at age 11. His influences include Nat King Cole, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Silver started out playing tenor sax in the school band. After he was rejected for military duty due to an excessively curved spine, Silver switched to piano and moved to Hartford, CT to take a job as a regular pianist in a nightclub. After Silver's trio backed Stan Getz in a Norwalk club, he took them on tour and they played on one of his albums. After a year, Silver left the band and moved to New York. He joined alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson's band. Donaldson taught Silver bebop and signed with Blue Note. The band was Donaldson, Silver, Gene Ramey on bass and Art Taylor on drums. When Donaldson was unable to make a recording session, Blue Note recorded Silver, Ramey and Art Blakey on drums. That was Silver's 1952 Blue Note debut album New Faces New Sounds. Silver continued to work as a sideman. Then he formed The Jazz Messengers with Art Blakey. After a couple of albums, Silver left The Jazz Messengers as there was a lot of heroin abuse and he didn't want to be involved in that. Silver began recording with his own quintet in 1955. Cool Eyes is from Silver's 1956 album 6 Pieces of Silver. This was his fourth album for Blue Note with a quintet. The band was Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Doug Watkins on bass and Louis Hayes on drums. This album is available on this Avid 2CD budget comp of four of Silver's albums. Along with 6 Pieces of Silver, there is The Stylings of Silver with Art Farmer on trumpet, Mobley, Teddy Kotick on bass and Hayes, Further Exploration with Farmer, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Kotick and Hayes and Finger Poppin' with the Horace Silver Quintet with Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor sax, Gene Taylor on bass and Hayes. These four albums were released in that order from 1956-59. The band on Finger Poppin' was Silver's regular band until the 1964 album Song for My Father. And that signified a major change in Silver's music. And as I said, I plan to cover Silver's 60s recordings and the rest of his career in the future. Here's Horace Silver with Red Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor sax, Gene Taylor on bass and Louis Hayes on drums performing Cool Eyes on the Dutch broadcaster KRO 1959.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris Montez

Artist:Chris Montez

Song:The More I See You

Album:All-Time Greatest Hits

So you all know what a one hit wonder is. Chris Montez was a two time one hit wonder. What does that mean? In Montez' case, he scored a top five hit with the 1962 single Let's Dance. He signed with a different label and scored a top 20 hit with the 1966 single The More I See You. Let's Dance was written and produced by Jim Lee and released on his own Monogram label. In those days, when a single caught on, small labels would farm it out to a label with national distribution. So Lee leased it to London Records and Let's Dance reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lee produced a Chris Montez album and released additional singles. But nothing caught on. Montez was touring but he needed to find a new label. Enter Herb Alpert whose A&M Records was starting to make noise with his band The Tijuana Brass. Montez signed with A&M. But Alpert suggested a more easy listening sound that would appeal to an older audience. The 1965 single Call Me reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and The More I See You reached #16. Alpert produced the record. The More I See You was written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon and Dick Haymes performed it in the 1945 film Diamond Horseshoe. Montez' recording is probably the most memorable. Montez recorded four albums for A&M. He recorded for Columbia in the 70s. With two big hits on different labels, how do you get them on the same Greatest Hits album? Well, sometimes you can't. But in this case, enter recording engineer Steve Hoffman of the reissue label DCC Compact Classics. He got permission to include Let's Dance and The More I See You on this remastered comp. Problem solved. We got lucky. It doesn't always turn out like that. Here's Chris Montez performing The More I See You probably in the 70s. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Elizabeth Stanley

Artist:Elizabeth Stanley

Song:Smiling

Album:Jagged Little Pill: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Elizabeth Stanley is a Broadway performer who was nominated for a Tony for playing the lead in the 2019 musical Jagged Little Pill. That's right. Alanis Morissette's 1995 album has been turned into a Broadway musical. Jukebox musicals have become really prevalent on Broadway. Most jukebox musicals are songs with no story. Jagged Little Pill is different because a story was created around the songs. Alanis says when she was approached about turning Jagged Little Pill into a musical, she wasn't sure about it until she spoke to Diablo Cody and Diane Paulus. Diablo is best known for her Oscar winning screenplay for the 2007 film Juno. Diane won a Tony for directing the 2013 revival of the musical Pippin. They brought in Tom Kitt to write arrangements for the songs from Jagged Little Pill. He won a Best Original Score Tony for the 2008 musical Next to Normal. So Alanis agreed to do it. The story is about a seemingly perfect Connecticut family with underlying problems including substance abuse. So it's not a typical jukebox musical. Elizabeth Stanley plays the mother Mary Jane Healy. She was born Dec. 19, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, IA. She attended the Indiana University School of Music as a voice major. She made her Broadway debut in a 2006 revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company. She also appeared in the 2010 jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet and a 2014 revival of On the Town. And she was nominated for a Tony for Jagged Little Pill. She has also done TV guest shots but no films. Jagged Little Pill probably would have had a longer run but it was suspended when all Broadway theaters were closed due to COVID-19 in Mar. 2020. They resumed performances on Oct. 2021 but were forced to close permanently Dec. 2021. The original cast album won a Grammy and is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Smiling by Alanis Morissette and Elizabeth Stanley.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nelson Riveros

Artist:Nelson Riveros

Song:Road Song

Album:The Latin Side of Wes Montgomery

Jazz guitarist Nelson Riveros got plenty of critical acclaim when he released the 2021 album The Latin Side of Wes Montgomery. It's only his second album. For the most part, he teaches guitar and performs in New York City clubs. He was born Sept. 26, 1964 in New York City. His parents were from Colombia. He grew up listening to their record collection including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and cumbia and salsa from Colombia. Riveros started playing guitar in high school. He studied with George Bien who turned him on to guys like Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Martino and Larry Carlton. After briefly attending Berklee in Boston, Riveros worked for Nile Rodgers' Sumthing Else Musicworks before returning to school. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at City College. His teachers there included Gene Bertonconi and Pete McCann. He also studied at Mannes College of Music with Remo Palmieri. Since 2005, Riveros was on the faculty of the 92nd St. Y School of Music and he performs regularly in New York clubs. For the 2021 album The Latin Side of Wes Montgomery, Riveros signed with ZOHO Music which is owned by German producer Joachim Becker who has worked with Randy Brecker and Joe Zawinul. The main musician is Hector Martignon on piano. Martignon is from Colombia and frequently works with Riveros. He's a two time Grammy nominee. Other musicians are Andy McKee on bass, Mark Walker on drums and Jonathan Gomez on percussion. All are sidemen playing New York clubs. Riveros appears to be in the recording studio working on a new album and he is now an adjunct professor at Essex County College and Bergen Community College. Here's Nelson Riveros with Hector Martignon, Andy McKee, Mark Walker and Jonathan Gomez performing Road Song at Mozart Studios in Little Falls, NJ Apr. 17, 2021.