Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Toni Storm vs Hikaru Shida

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her AEW Women's Championship against Toni Storm. I am posting this match on the blog for those who didn't buy the PPV. I hate this match and not because Hikaru lost as I expected her to lose. It's the same thing that happened two years ago when Tony Khan got it into his head that Britt Baker is an ace. And we all know how disappointing her championship run was because she was limited in the ring. He obviously loves Toni's Timeless gimmick and that's why he did a title change. But I don't think it's a gimmick that can survive a title run. It's a one note gimmick. And unless he can do different things with it, it could get stale very quickly. I know you all like the gimmick now but will you like it in six months? I could be wrong but I doubt it. Hikaru had new gear which was a video game tribute. I liked the gear she was wearing before. They were chopping each other too much. I don't know why they did that. You had to know the stuff Toni brought with her would be part of the finish. When hitting Hikaru with the shoe couldn't finish her, she stuffed a tray down her butt and that did it. A lousy finish for a lousy match. Check it out for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David "Honeyboy" Edwards

Artist:David "Honeyboy" Edwards

Song:Sweet Home Chicago/Dust My Broom

Album:Mississippi Delta Bluesman

David "Honeyboy" Edwards' claim to fame is he was the last surviving bluesman who actually hung out with Robert Johnson and other blues pioneers. So whenever there was a documentary about Johnson, Edwards was usually interviewed. But he didn't record commercially until 1951 and became more active recording and touring in the 90s. Sweet Home Chicago is one of several songs that Edwards claimed he wrote but were stolen from him. He was born June 28, 1915 in Shaw, MS. His father taught him to play guitar. At age 14, Edwards left home to tour with bluesman Big Joe Williams. And he toured for the next 20 years. He became close friends with Johnson and was present when Johnson drank the poisoned whiskey that killed him. That's why Edwards is interviewed frequently. He hung out with guys like Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson and Johnny Shines. He lived the life of a traveling bluesman going from town to town trying to make a buck and not get thrown in jail. Folklorist Alan Lomax recorded Edwards for the Library of Congress in 1942. And he recorded a few songs in the 50s and 60s. The 60s blues revival didn't help him much because he hadn't recorded much. Edwards recorded the album Mississippi Delta Bluesman for Folkways Records in 1979. Smithsonian Folkways released the album on CD in 2001. Edwards recorded more frequently in the 90s because he hired a manager and got a record deal with Earwig Records and got him to tour. I guess all those interviews paid off. He won a Grammy in 2008 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 2010. When his health started to fail, Edwards retired and died on Aug. 29, 2011 at age 96. Here's David "Honeyboy" Edwards performing Sweet Home Chicago in Sheffield, England 2009.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Allin Perez vs Lucie Pudilova

Here's the fight video of Allin Perez vs Lucie Pudilova from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Allin is 29 years old from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She trains at The Goat Shed in Miami. Her UFC record is 1-1. Lucie is 29 years old from the Czech Republic. She trains with John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland. She's gone 1-1 in her second UFC stint. She does well outside the UFC. Some fighters are at a talent level that is OK for regional MMA but not the UFC. That may be the case with Lucie. Allin won the first two rounds by taking Lucie down and keeping her there. Lucie held her close so Allin couldn't posture up and hit her with ground and pound. Maybe the ref should have broken them up. I scored both rounds 10-9 for Allin. I don't think she did enough to get a 10-8. Lucie won round three but she needed a finish and didn't get it. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Allin. She won by unanimous decision. I don't see either fighter getting far in the UFC. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Ribas vs Luana Pinheiro

Here's the fight video of Amanda Ribas vs Luana Pinheiro from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Both fighters are from Minas Gerais, Brazil. As teens, they lived together in judo camp. Amanda is 30 years old. She trains with her father Marcello Ribas. Her UFC record is 6-3. She has fought at Flyweight and Strawweight. I like her at Strawweight and I hope she stays there as she has a size advantage. Luana is 31 years old. She trains at BH Rhinos with Cristiano Lazzarini.. She got into the UFC via Contender Series. She's 3-0 in the UFC but Amanda is at a higher competition level. Luana started out well in round one. She was swinging hard and landed enough to win the round 10-9. But She looked tired when she came out for round two and Amanda roared back and landed a spinning wheel kick to the head that should have knocked Luana down but the fence held her up. A couple more punches knocked Luana down and the ref stopped the fight. Amanda wins by TKO and she gets a $50,000 bonus. A couple of wins against top fighters and I could see Amanda as a Strawweight title contender. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kim Mitchell

Artist:Kim Mitchell

Song:Patio Lanterns

Album:Shakin' Like a Human Being

Kim Mitchell is frequently described as the quintessential Canadian rock singer. He had success in Canada first as lead singer of the band Max Webster then as a solo artist in the mid-80s. He was never able to break through in the US. So most American music fans have probably never heard Mitchell. He was born July 19, 1952 in the Western Ontario city of Sarnia. He played in bands as a teen and he moved to Toronto after finishing high school. He brought lyricist Pye Dubois with him. Dubois is not a musician but he wrote lyrics for all of Mitchell's songs with Max Webster and as a solo artist. That kind of relationship is unusual in a band but not unheard of. Robert Hunter was not a member of The Grateful Dead but he wrote lyrics for Jerry Garcia songs. Max Webster was formed in 1972 and they had success until the band ended in 1981. Mitchell didn't actually leave Max Webster. Other guys left until Mitchell was the only one left. So he decided to go solo and signed with Tom Berry's Alert Records with EMI Canada distribution. Mitchell was on Atlantic in the US. Berry had worked for Max Webster's label Anthem. Mitchell was his first signing when he started Alert. Mitchell wrote and produced all his albums. Dubois wrote the lyrics. Patio Lanterns is from the 1986 album Shakin' Like a Human Being. It reached #12 on the Canadian Singles chart. The album is available as a budget CD. Mitchell had several hits in Canada but only one chart single in the US. This is because CRTC regulations for radio and TV in Canada create an artificial market for Canadian content. So no one knows what will do well outside Canada. Mitchell recorded five albums for Alert. In 2004, he worked as a DJ for Toronto Radio station Q107. Mitchell still performs live and records occasionally. He has slowed down considerably since a 2016 heart attack. Mitchell was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020. Here's the video for Patio Lanterns by Kim Mitchell. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leahy

Artist:Leahy

Song:The Call to Dance

Album:Leahy

Leahy is a family group who had success in their native Canada with their energetic brand of Celtic music. Their 1996 album Leahy went Platinum in Canada. They are from the Eastern Ontario town of Lakefield. When they started out in the 80s, they were known as The Leahy Family. They released three albums. One was for RCA Canada. They sold them at their concerts. They relaunched themselves as Leahy with the 1996 album Leahy on Virgin Records in Canada and Narada in the US. The album is instrumental though vocals are part of the band. As I said, Leahy is a family group led by fiddler Donnell Leahy. He is married to fiddler Natalie MacMaster. The other fiddlers are Angus and Doug Leahy. Erin Leahy plays piano and guitar. Maria Leahy plays guitar and banjo. Siobheann Leahy plays bass. Frank Leahy plays drums. The step dancing in the video is by Agnes Leahy. She is currently not touring with the band. There are eleven siblings so they come and go. The video for The Call to Dance was played on MuchMusic and that got Leahy radio airplay mostly on Adult Contemporary and Country radio. The album was certified Platinum in Canada. The Call to Dance was written by Cape Breton musician Howie MacDonald. This album is available as a budget CD. Leahy released three albums on Virgin/Narada followed by a 2006 live album. They self released the album Good Water in 2021. Leahy is still a popular live act across Canada. Here's the video for The Call to Dance by Leahy. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jack Garratt

Artist:Jack Garratt

Song:Worry

Album:Phase

Singer songwriter Jack Garratt has had success in his native England. Worry is his only chart single to date. He's a one man band in the recording studio. So his future might be as a producer of others. He's done some of that already. He was born Oct. 11, 1991 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England and he grew up in the village of Little Chalfont. His mother was a primary school music teacher. So when Garratt showed that he liked making noises, his mom enrolled him in music lessons. He started writing songs when he was twelve and learned to play several instruments. He attended London's University of Roehampton for one year. In 2005, Garratt entered a song in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Then he started working on an acoustic blues album. His music was played on BBC Three Counties Radio as part of BBC Introducing. He decided to abandon the album because he didn't like the songs. He was just writing them to get a reaction. After self releasing the 2014 EP Remnants, the song Worry was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 and Garratt headlined the BBC Introducing stage at the Reading and Leeds festivals. He also opened for Mumford & Sons on their UK tour. Garratt signed with Island Records and Interscope in the US. And that's when the 2016 album Phase was released. The single Worry charted in England but it was not a hit. The album reached #3 on the British Album chart. The album is available as a budget CD. As I said, Garratt writes and produces everything and plays all the instruments. He won the Critics Choice Award at the BRIT Awards. Garratt recorded a second album. But he hated it and decided to scrap it. He wrote and produced the 2017 Katy Perry song Power. Garratt decided to get together with producers Jacknife Lee and James Flannigan and they produced the 2020 album Love, Death & Dancing. The album charted in England but none of the singles charted. Since then Garratt has released an EP and played festivals. He seems to have anxiety issues when making his own music. He might be better off just producing others so he doesn't worry so much. Here's the video for Worry by Jack Garratt. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Blackout Allstars

Artist:The Blackout Allstars

Song:I Like It

Album:I Like it Like That: Music from the Motion Picture Vol.1

Most Latin music fans should be familiar with 1967 classic I Like it Like That by Pete Rodriguez. The producers of the 1994 film I Like it Like That asked record producer Sergio George to make a new version of the song to be used as the film's theme. It's a romance film aimed at the Latino market written and directed by Darnell Martin. She directed the 2008 film Cadillac Records about Chess Records owner Leonard Chess. For the theme, George assembled an all star collection of Latin jazz musicians including Tito Nieves on lead vocals, Paquito D'Rivera, Grover Washington Jr. and Luis Disla on sax, Jose "Ite" on trumpet, William Cepeda on trombone, Dave Valentin on flute, Ruben Rodriguez on bass and Ray Barretto, Shiela E., and Tito Puente on percussion. George called them The Blackout Allstars. It was a one off. They never recorded together again. Except for Nieves, they didn't appear in the video. Though the soundtrack album did well enough for Columbia to release a second volume of music from the film, I like It was not a hit at the time. Then in 1996 Burger King used a remix of I Like It in a commercial. And the record got enough radio airplay to reach #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. So I guess this fluke hit single was also a one hit wonder. The soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. If you are wondering why Washington is on this, Columbia released the soundtrack and was on Columbia at the time. Washington died in 1999 and Puente died in 2000. So The Blackout Allstars never recorded again. But I like It is pretty good and I also suggest you check out the original by Pete Rodriguez. Here's the video for I Like It by The Blackout Allstars.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Natalie Grant

Artist:Natalie Grant

Song:In Better Hands

Album:Relentless

CCM singer songwriter Natalie Grant has had success since signing with Curb Records over twenty years ago. She won the Dove award for Female Vocalist of the Year four straight years and she has been nominated for eight Grammys. She was born Dec. 21, 1971 in Seatlle. She sang in church and she thought her musical talent was only to be shared with her local church. She changed her mind while studying to be a teacher at Northwest University in Kirkland, WA. She joined the Christian group Truth which was more of a travelling road show. Natalie moved to Nashville and signed with Benson Records in 1997. She released the 1999 album Natalie Grant on Benson's Silverstone label. The album was produced by veteran CCM producer Brown Bannister. At this point, Natalie was not writing songs. It was around this time she met Canadian producer Bernie Herms. They married and he has produced all of Natalie's albums. She released her 2001 album Stronger on Pamplin. When they closed, Natalie signed with Curb and things have gone well since then. In Better Hands is from her 2008 album Relentless. In Better Hands reached #5 on the Christian charts. Relentless is available as a budget CD. Her albums have been consistent sellers in the CCM market. Though she wrote most of the songs on the album, In Better Hands was written by veteran Nashville songwriters Jim Daddario and Catt Gravitt. Both have written songs for country artists like Collin Raye and Jake Owen and CCM Artists. Natalie won the Dove award for Female Vocalist of the year from 2006-09 and again in 2012. She has been nominated for eight Grammy awards. Her latest album Seasons was released this year. It is mostly duets with Dolly Parton, Mary Mary, CeCe Winans, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and others. CCM fans should eat it up. Here's the video for In Better Hands by Natalie Grant.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Larry Graham

Artist:Larry Graham

Song:One in a Million You

Album:The Best of Larry Graham and Graham Central Station

As bassist for legendary funk group Sly and the Family Stone, Larry Graham invented the slapping bass technique used by many bassists today. After the band split up, he led the funk group Graham Central Station. And then he reinvented himself as a crooner with the 1980 top ten hit single One in a Million You. This was his biggest hit. He was born Aug. 14, 1946 in Beaumont, TX. His parents were musicians. He is the uncle of Aubrey "Drake" Graham. He played bass in his parents' band and the slap technique on the bass came about so the band wouldn't need a drummer. He brought this technique with him when he joined Sly and the Family Stone in 1967. Bassists from Bootsy Collins to Stanley Clarke adapted this technique. Of course we all know how successful Sly and the Family Stone was. When they disbanded in 1972, Graham joined the Santana spinoff band Azteca led by Coke and Pete Escovedo and Neil Schon. After one album, Schon left to form Journey and Graham started the funk band Graham Central Station. They signed with Warner Bros. and had success mostly on the R&B charts through the 70s. Graham ended the band and transitioned to a solo career. One in a Million You was Graham's debut single and it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B Singles chart. The album One in a Million You also did well. Graham had successfully reinvented himself as a crooner. Graham produced, wrote most of the songs and played all the instruments on the album. One in a Million You was written by veteran songwriter Sam Dees. Subsequent albums did OK on the R&B charts but not as well as the first album. Graham left Warner Bros. in 1985. This comp was released in 1996 and is available as a digital download. Graham first reformed Graham Central Station in the early 90s. They released the occasional album and continued to tour. He hasn't toured since 2018 so it looks like Graham may have retired. Here's Larry Graham performing One in a Million You on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert 1980.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sarah Harmer

Artist:Sarah Harmer

Song:Silver Road

Album:All of Our Names

Singer songwriter Sarah Harmer has had modest success in her native Canada. She is similar to but not as successful as fellow Canadian Sarah McLachlan. Sarah took a few years off to concentrate on environmental activism. She returned with a new album on a new label in 2020. She was born Nov. 12, 1970 in Burlington, ON which is near Hamilton. She was a big fan of The Tragically Hip as a teen. She joined the Toronto based band The Saddletramps while studying philosophy and women's studies at Queen's University in Kingston. Sarah lives in Kingston. Sarah formed the band Weeping Tile in 1992. After releasing a 1994 EP on cassette, they signed with Warner Music Canada. The problem was most of the band jumped ship after one album. Sarah tried to keep Weeping Tile going but Warner dropped them in 1998. Sarah recorded some Christmas songs as a gift for her father. Her family convinced her to release it and that's when she started her own Cold Snap label. For the 2000 album You Were Here, she signed a distribution deal with Universal Canada. Her albums were released on Rounder's Zoe label in the US. Her albums have done well in Canada. She hasn't had any hit singles. The song Silver Road appeared in the 2002 film Men with Brooms. This comedy about curling was directed by and starred Paul Gross. There's this misconception that The Tragically Hip appear on the recording. They are in the video but they aren't on the record. Silver Road appeared on Sarah's 2004 album All of Our Names. Sarah wrote and produced the album with Martin Kinack and Gavin Brown. Kinack produced the band Broken Social Scene. The album did OK and it won a 2005 Juno award for Best Adult Alternative Album. This album is available as a budget CD. Sarah continued to work with Kinack and Brown on subsequent albums. After the 2010 album Oh Little Fire, she went on hiatus to concentrate on environmental activism especially in protecting the Niagara Escarpment from development. Sarah returned to music with the 2020 album Are You Gone on the Canadian label Arts & Crafts. They have also released her back catalog. Here's the video for Silver Road by Sarah Harmer. This video is not on YouTube.  

SARAH HARMER & THE TRAGICALLY HIP - SILVER ROAD from Ante Kovac on Vimeo.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loopy Godinez vs Tabatha Ricci

Here's the fight video of Loopy Godinez vs Tabatha Ricci from last night's UFC show in New York City. This fight is at Strawweight. Loopy is 30 years old from Mexico. She was training in Canada but she is now back in Mexico at Lobo. So she is a teammate of Flyweight champ Alexa Grasso. Her UFC record is 6-3 and she is on a three fight winning streak. The UFC likes her because she will fight whenever she is asked. Tabatha is 28 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She trains at Paragon BJJ in Santa Barbara, CA. Her UFC record is 4-1 and she's on a four fight winning streak. This fight was close but it didn't make me think that either fighter can be a contender. Round one could have gone either way but I scored it 10-9 for Tabatha. I scored the other two rounds 10-9 for Loopy. So I scored it 29-28 for Loopy. Two of the judges scored it the same. And the third judge inexplicably scored the fight 30-27 for Tabatha. So Loopy won by split decision. It doesn't make me think that she can be anything more than a midcard fighter. She needs to do something to stand out from the crowd. A close win like this is not enough. On the broadcast they made a big deal about Loopy fighting four times this year. It doesn't mean she's getting anywhere. She needs to fight better competition. Then if she wins, she will have accomplished something. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern

Here's the fight video of Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern from last night's UFC show in New York City. This fight is at Strawweight. Jessica is 32 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas. Her UFC record is 15-10. She's a former Strawweight champ but she's on a three fight losing streak. So she needs a win. Mackenzie is 30 years old. Her UFC record is 8-3. She's been alternating wins and losses. She needs a win to get into the title picture. She has elite BJJ. Her striking was improving under coach Jason Parillo. But he's not coaching her anymore. She did train some with Henry Cejudo but her dad was in her corner. And it's unlikely that he can help her with her striking against Jessica. And that's how it went. Jessica won round one with her striking. And she knocked Mackenzie down at the end of the round. She was even more dominant in round two. And after three knockdowns, the ref stopped the fight. So Jessica won by TKO. Can Jessica be a title contender again? I don't know. Her losses were against top contenders. All this win shows is that Mackenzie is not a top contender. That makes Jessica a gatekeeper. We'll see if she can be more than that. I have my doubts. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jewel

Artist:Jewel

Song:Sleigh Ride

Album:Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection

Jewel Kilcher was a very popular singer songwriter in the 90s with hits like You Were Meant for Me (1996) and Foolish Games (1997). After she faded, she had success on the country charts. She released an album last year but she has also released albums of children's music and two Christmas albums. Sleigh Ride is from her 2013 album Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection. It's Jewel's second Christmas album. The first one Joy: A Holiday Collection was released in 1999 on Atlantic while Jewel was still riding high. The album was certified Platinum so it did very well. Since leaving Atlantic in 2006, Jewel signed with Valory and had success in country music. She has also released children's music through Fisher-Price. She said she wanted this album to be similar to her first Christmas album. Even the album name and cover is similar. Does this seem like a cash grab to you? Well, most Christmas albums are cash grabs anyway. This one seems to be aimed at country music fans who weren't listening to Jewel when she released her first Christmas album. It was released by Somerset who release specialty music through retail stores. Target and Bed Bath & Beyond carried special editions of the album. As with the first album, Jewel records mostly standards like Sleigh Ride with her usual band of Steve Skinner on keyboards, Robbie Kondor on bass and Joe Mardin (Arif Mardin's son) on drums. Kondor produced Sleigh Ride and also played the penny whistle solo. I expect that Jewel's fans would enjoy this album. But I don't know about anyone else. The album is available as a budget CD. Here's Jewel performing Sleigh Ride on CMA Country Christmas Dec. 3, 2015.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair vs Bayley, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of Asuka, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair vs Bayley, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane from last night's episode of Smackdown. The match doesn't really matter much. The main things are Kairi Sane's return and Asuka's heel turn. Asuka never appeared in the match. Bianca was getting beat up and Asuka is reaching for the tag. She looks so eager. And then she pulls her hand back, gives Bianca a big smile and sprays her with the mist. The match was ruled a no contest and the heels beat up the faces. Asuka and Kairi hugged and IYO is very happy. Shotzi came down but she got laid out too. And the most intriguing part is Bayley still looks uncertain about all this. Obviously this is going to lead to the War Games match at Survivor Series. There is already talk that Becky Lynch will team up with Charlotte and Bianca. This could be very entertaining. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ella Fitzgerald

Artist:Ella Fitzgerald

Song:The Man I Love

Album:Gold

This is part of my series of Jazz for Beginners. The only requirements are a live performance clip and a CD for beginners. If you are going to talk about jazz singers, you need to start with the First Lady of Song Ella Fitzgerald. She didn't invent scat singing but she certainly perfected it. She started recording in the 30s and was active in the 80s. Mostly she recorded for Decca and Verve. She was born Apr. 25, 1917 in Newport News, VA. Her parents were never married. And then her mother moved in with a new partner and her family moved to Yonkers, NY. Ella first listened to Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby as a teen. She especially enjoyed The Boswell Sisters lead singer Connee Boswell. After Ella's mother died in 1932 after being in a car crash, Ella moved in with her aunt. Ella started skipping school and worked as a lookout for a bordello. This landed her in reform school. Then on Nov. 21, 1934, she sang at Amateur Night at The Apollo and won. Her career began when she was introduced to Savoy Ballroom drummer and bandleader Chick Webb. He was looking to add a female singer to his band. He tested her out and made her part of the band after getting positive audience response. While still in Webb's band, she had her first big hit in 1938 with her recording of the nursery rhyme A-Tisket A-Tasket. After Webb's 1939 death, the band was renamed Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Orchestra. The band ended in 1942. It wasn't doing well financially. Another turning point was when Norman Granz became her manager and he made Ella the focal point of his Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series. This coincided with the rise of bebop. And Ella started scat singing while in Dizzy Gillespie's band. Ella moved from Decca to Granz' label Verve in 1956. Granz wanted her to sing more than bebop. He suggested she sing what is now known as The Great American Song Book. The first of eight albums was Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book in 1956. This was followed by Rodgers & Hart, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer. The Man I Love is from the 1959 album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book. The Man I Love was from the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band. Ella usually recorded the Song Book albums with an orchestra. In this case, Nelson Riddle was the arranger and conductor. This 2CD comp is a good intro to Ella's music and it's available at a reasonable price. After Granz sold Verve to MGM in 1960, Ella recorded for Capitol, Reprise and Atlantic until Granz started his new label Pablo in 1972. The band in this video is from the Pablo years featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Joe Pass on guitar, Keter Betts on bass and Bobby Durham on drums. For Ella, it was a welcome return to jazz. Ella recorded for Pablo for the rest of her career. Ella was diabetic and her health got progressively worse in the late 80s. She died of a stroke on June 19, 1996 at age 79. Here's Ella Fitzgerald with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Roy Eldredge on trumpet, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on sax, Joe Pass on guitar, Keter Betts on bass and Bobby Durham on drums performing The Man I Love on German TV 1974. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Control

Artist:Control

Song:Cumbia Con La Luna

Album:Historia

Control, or as they are sometimes called Grupo Control, is a norteno band. I guess norteno is Texican music. Most of the audience is Mexicans who live in Texas. There is an audience for it in Mexico but it's more popular in Texas. Control is known as The Kings of Cumbia. They are from Houston led by lead singer Sergio Alberto Degollado and his brother Jose Guadalupe Degollado. Their sister Jennifer Degollado plays accordion. The band name is because they are from the Mexican town Control. They signed with EMI Latin and released the album Cumbias Sin Control in 1999. Cumbia Con La Luna was their first big hit. After six albums on EMI did well in the Mexican regional charts, they switched to Univision in 2006. Things didn't go too well there and they ended up recording for their own label. They are still around. Those interested in checking them out can get this budget comp of their EMI recordings. Here's the video for Cumbia Con La Luna by Control.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ivo Robic

Artist:Ivo Robic

Song:Morgen

Album:Teen Time: The Young Years of Rock 'n' Roll: Volume 3: A Very Special Love

Morgen was a top 20 hit in 1959. It was the first song sung in German to chart in the US. Not surprisingly, Croatian singer Ivo Robic never had another hit that big though he had a long career in Europe. He was born Jan. 28, 1923 in Garesnica, Croatia. He started out singing with the Radio Zagreb Orchestra  during WWII and he sang at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb. He started his recording career in the 50s. For most of his career, Robic recorded for Polydor Records. And he had plenty of hits in Europe over a thirty year career. But Morgen was the only time his music crossed the pond. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Morgen was written by German songwriter Peter Moesser. He seemed to specialize in writing German lyrics for English songs. Robic's 1959 recording of Morgen was produced and arranged by a familiar name, German bandleader Bert Kaempfert. Not long after, Kaempfert had success with hits like Wonderland by Night. After Morgen became a hit across Europe, Laurie Records picked it up in the US. My guess is a US tourist bought the record while on holidays in Europe and gave it to a DJ when he returned home. I guess it spread from there. Noel Sherman (Ramblin' Rose) wrote English lyrics for Morgen. The song was retitled One More Sunrise and recorded by Leslie Uggams. It was not a hit but it was a top 20 hit in England for Dickie Valentine. As I said, Robic had a long career in Europe. Probably his biggest hit was the Bert Kaempfert song that would become known as the Frank Sinatra hit Strangers in the Night. The best way to get Morgen is on this various artists CD from the oldies label Eric Records. The song is hard to find on English comps. Obviously it's a forgotten record today. I had never heard it before. Ivo Robic died on Mar. 9, 2000 at age 77. Here's Ivo Robic performing Morgen in 1985. Robic was lip syncing on the three clips that I saw. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lupe Fiasco

Artist:Lupe Fiasco f/Matthew Santos

Song:Superstar

Album:The Cool

The 2007 single Superstar is one of two top ten hits for rapper Lupe Fiasco. He's still around. He released an album last year. But like a lot of rappers, he had a couple of years of success and he just faded. He's doing other things like he has a clothing line. He was born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco Feb. 18, 1982 in Chicago. His parents are from West Africa. His father was a drummer and karate teacher so Jaco developed an interest in music and martial arts. Jaco didn't like the vulgarity in rap. So he listened to jazz. But when he had difficulty finding an instrument he could play, he started writing poetry. And then he started rapping. His nickname was Lu so at first he called himself Little Lu or Lu tha Underdog. He changed it to Lupe Fiasco. Fiasco came from the song Firm Fiasco by the rap group The Firm. Jaco started to create music in his basement. He started the "gangsta rap" group Da Pak. They released one single on Epic and split up. The song was about cocaine, guns and women and Jaco didn't like rapping about that stuff. Then he signed with Arista but was dropped after Arista president LA Reid was fired. While there, he met Jay-Z and he got Jaco a deal at Atlantic Records. After remixing the Kanye West song Diamonds from Sierra Leone, West asked Jaco to appear on the 2005 single Touch the Sky. Then he released his 2006 debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. Superstar is from the 2007 album The Cool. Superstar reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of the album including Superstar was written and produced by Rudolph "Soundtrakk" Lopez and Jaco. Lopez also worked on the first album. The chorus is sung by singer songwriter Matthew Santos. Never heard of him? He's known for appearing on Lupe Fiasco records. He is otherwise unknown. The album was certified Platinum. The 2011 album Lasers also did well. The single The Show Goes On reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. After that Lupe Fiasco gradually faded until he lost his record deal with Atlantic. Since 2017 Jaco has recorded for Thirty Tigers and they just don't have the promotion budget that Atlantic has. Jaco released an album last year. The Cool is available as a budget CD. The last time one of his singles charted was in 2013. Mostly he has concentrated on a couple of clothing lines that he owns. Here's the video for Superstar by Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dolores Keane

Artist:Dolores Keane

Song:Caledonia

Album:The Best of Dolores Keane

Dolores Keane is one of Ireland's most popular singers, first as lead singer of the popular group De Dannan and then as a solo artist. Caledonia appears to be one of her most popular songs. She was born Sept. 28, 1953 in Sylane, County Galway, Ireland. She was raised by her aunts Rita and Sarah Keane who were well known singers. And her brother Sean Keane is a singer. Dolores was five years old when she first sang on the radio. So I guess it was inevitable that she would have a career in music. Dolores was one of the founders of the folk group De Dannan in 1975. She was only in the band for a couple of years. She married singer songwriter John Faulkner and they moved to London. Delores recorded with The Chieftains and Richard and Linda Thompson. Then she recorded her 1978 debut solo album There Was a Main and she recorded a couple of albums with Faulkner. Dolores returned to De Dannan in 1985. And after recording a couple of albums with them, she recorded the 1988 album Dolores Keene. Caledonia was a very popular song from that album. It was written by Scottish singer songwriter Dougie MacLean. The album was produced by Scottish musician Phil Cunningham and Faulkner played guitar on the album. Caledonia appears on this budget comp. Dolores and Faulkner divorced soon after. Since then, Dolores recorded a few solo albums. And she appeared on John Prine's 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves. Dolores retired at that point due to depression and alcoholism. She is also a cancer survivor. Dolores makes occasional appearances but for the most part, she is retired. Here's Dolores Keane performing Caledonia 1988.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Black Grape

Artist:Black Grape

Song:A Big Day in the North

Album:It's Great When You're Straight Yeah

Fans of The Madchester Sound are going to want to check out Black Grape. This band was formed after Happy Mondays split up. The big difference was Black Grape included guys from Ruthless Rap Assassins. Happy Mondays split up because of lead singer Shaun Ryder's drug addiction. Plus they were arguing about money. Ryder and Ruthless Rap Assassins percussionist Mark "Bez" Berry decided to form a new group with rapper Paul "Kermit" Leveridge of Ruthless Rap Assassins. He brought in rapper Paul "Psycho" McCarthy and Ruthless Rap Assassins drummer Ged Lynch. The guitarist was Paul "Wags" Wagstaff of the band Black Angels. They brought in producer Danny Saber for the 1995 album It's Great When You're Straight Yeah. They signed with Radioactive Records which at first was distributed by BMG and then switched to MCA. Producer Stephen Lironi of the band Altered Images was brought in. Ryder wrote all the songs. The album topped the British charts and they had three singles chart. The big problem was there were plans for Black Grape to tour the US but they weren't allowed in because of Ryder's drug addiction. Obviously that would limit them financially. Black Grape released two albums and then Ryder had a temper tantrum and fired everyone. Ryder and Leveridge reunited and released a 2017 album. They toured to celebrate Black Grape's 25th anniversary in 2021. And a new album is coming soon. Here's Black Grape performing A Big Day in the North on the British TV show TFI Friday 1996. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Eduarda Moura vs Montserrat Conejo Ruiz

Here's the fight video of Eduarda Moura vs Montserrat Conejo Ruiz from last night's UFC show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This fight is at Strawweight. Eduarda is 29 years old from Bahia, Brazil. She trains with her brother Yuri Moura. This is her UFC debut but she looked great in Contender Series in August. Eduarda missed weight but her manager explained that she had her period this week and that can complicate weight cutting. Montserrat is 30 years old from Mexico. She trains at 10th Planet in San Diego. Her UFC record is 1-2. She's too small for Strawweight. She should fight at Atomweight. And the size difference was noticeable. Eduarda almost finished Montserrat in round one and I scored it 10-8 for Eduarda. She continued in round two and Eduarda won by Ground and Pound at 2:14 of round two. So obviously I would like to see her against better competition. But she could be really good. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Angela Hill vs Denise Gomes

Here's the fight video of Angela Hill vs Denise Gomes from last night's UFC show in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This fight is at Strawweight. Angela is 38 years old. She trains at Alliance in San Diego. Her UFC record is 10-13. She's a striker with no power. She'll never be a top fighter but she's OK as a gatekeeper. Denise is 23 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT in Las Vegas. Her UFC record is 2-1. She's a striker with power and she beat her last opponent in 20 seconds. So the UFC wants to test her. I thought Denise won the first round 10-9. But she seemed to run out of gas after that and Angela won both rounds 10-9. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Angela. So Denise needs to work on her endurance. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO Sky vs Bianca Belair

Here's the match video of IYO Sky defending her WWE Women's Championship against Bianca Belair at yesterday's Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia. This is a very good match that tells a good story. The finish is great especially for IYO fans like me. IYO works on Bianca's knee a lot. When it looks like Bianca is gaining steam, Bayley comes out and distracts the ref. Bianca makes the mistake of going after Bayley. And then the surprise return of Kairi Sane. After hitting Bianca with a spinning back fist and slamming her into the ring post, IYO finishes Bianca with her moonsault. Then Kairi comes in and hits her with her elbow drop. And the best thing was Bayley's surprised look. I liked that. Of course it has been rumored for a while that Kairi is returning. It turns out the WWE signed her several months ago and they were waiting for a start date. Now I hear they are interested in bringing Sareee back. If so, I hope the WWE has learned that they should let joshi wrestlers do their own character work. They know what they are doing. And remember they can't make WWE money anywhere else. Enjoy the video!  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charlene

Artist:Charlene

Song:I've Never Been to Me

Album:The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

When I've Never Been to Me was first released in 1977, it fizzled. Then in 1982, it came out of nowhere to be a top five hit. The story of how it became a hit is pretty funny especially if you know the radio business. Though this song is perceived as a one hit wonder, some of Charlene's other songs charted so technically it's not a one hit wonder. Charlene D'Angelo was born June 1, 1950 in Los Angeles. She signed with Motown in 1973. By this time, Motown had moved to Los Angeles. They released a couple of singles that went nowhere. And then they released the 1976 album Charlene on Prodigal Records. Prodigal was formerly known as Rare Earth Records. Any white Motown artists were released on that label. Three singles barely charted including I've Never Been to Me. In 1977, Motown released a reworked version of Charlene called Songs of Love and that didn't sell either. Charlene recorded a 1978 album but Motown never released it and then they released her. This all changed in 1982 when I've Never Been to Me reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Motown had to re-release the 1976 album with a new cover. The story goes that Tampa radio station WRBQ DJ Scott Shannon played I've Never Been to Me at the behest of his girlfriend. Listener response was so good that Shannon phoned his former boss at Motown Jay Lasker and they tracked down Charlene and signed her to a new contract. Charlene was living in England by this time. The original 1976 album was written and produced by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch. Miller was the only white staff songwriter at Motown. He has written several songs for Stevie Wonder including For Once in my Life. Hirsch is Miller's frequent songwriting partner. I've Never Been to Me was his biggest hit. Don Costa wrote the arrangements. I've Never Been to Me was Charlene's biggest hit. You may have heard it in the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. Charlene convinced Motown to let her record the 1982 gospel album The Sky's the Limit. The 1984 album Hit & Run Lover was a disco album. After an appearance in the 1985 Motown produced film The Last Dragon, they released her. Since then Charlene has occasionally released music on her own label. She is yet another artist known for one big hit. And as I always say, one big hit is better than none. Here's the video for I've Never Been to Me by Charlene. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boys Don't Cry

Artist:Boys Don't Cry

Song:I Wanna Be a Cowboy

Album:Modern Rock 1986-1987

I Wanna Be a Cowboy was a top 20 hit in 1986. It was the only chart hit for the British group Boys Don't Cry. So it is a one hit wonder. I think a lot of folks remember seeing the video on MTV. But they may not know the band name or think it's by a different band. That kind of confusion happens a lot more than you think. Nick Richards was the lead singer and keyboardist for Boys Don't Cry. He released a few singles in the late 70s. Then he bought a London recording studio in 1983. He hired session musicians to record as Boys Don't Cry. The misconception is the band name came from The Cure song. Richards says that Boys Don't Cry is a line from the 10cc classic I'm Not in Love. The musicians were Brian Chatton on keyboards, Nico Ramsden on guitar, Mark Smith on bass and Jeff Seopardi on drums. All were session musicians and Chatton had been around since the 60s. Boys Don't Cry released a few singles and DJ Paul Oakenfold got them a record deal with the hip hop label Profile Records. The single I Wanna Be a Cowboy was released in 1986 and it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a dance floor success before charting. Richards was watching the Clint Eastwood film For a Few Dollars More and the line I Wanna Be a Cowboy got stuck in his head. When he arrived at the studio the next day and told Chatton, the song was written and recorded in an hour. The album Boys Don't Cry was released later in 1986. It didn't sell and neither did the band's second album. Boys Don't Cry split up in 1987. You can get I Wanna Be a Cowboy on this Time Life 2CD various artists budget comp. Richards and Chatton moved to Los Angeles and reformed Boys Don't Cry in 2009. Smith was supposed to be involved but he died before he could come over from England. They toured and released an album in 2014. At this point, Richards is the only original member. So it's his choice if the band is active or not. Here's the video for I Wanna Be a Cowboy by Boys Don't Cry. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oscar Peterson

Artist:Oscar Peterson

Song:Bags' Groove

Album:Jazz 'Round Midnight

This is another in my series of Jazz for Beginners of all time jazz greats. The only requirements are a performance video clip and a CD for beginners. Oscar Peterson is one of the all time jazz greats. His main contributions was as leader of the Verve Records house band in the 50s. He was born Aug. 15, 1925 in Montreal. His parents were from the West Indies. His father was a railway porter and an amateur musician. His dad taught him to play piano. In 1940 Peterson won a national music competition organized by the CBC. He started playing local clubs as a teen and recorded for RCA Victor in the late 40s. Peterson's big influence was Teddy Wilson. The key figure in Peterson's career was Norman Granz. He promoted the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series and owner of Verve Records. Granz said he was in a cab heading to the Montreal airport when he heard a live radio broadcast of Peterson. He was so impressed that he had the cabbie take him to studio to meet Peterson. Granz became Peterson's manager and brought him to New York to debut with Jazz at the Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in 1949. Peterson started out with bassist Ray Brown and then they added guitarist Barney Kessel. When Kessel tired of touring, he was replaced by Herb Ellis in 1953. This band not only toured for several years but they were Verve's house band in the recording studio. They recorded with everyone who recorded for Verve including Fred Astaire and Roy Eldredge. When Ellis left in 1958, he was replaced by drummer Ed Thigpen and Peterson, Brown and Thigpen is the band on this recording of Bags' Groove from the 1963 album Night Train. By this time Granz sold Verve to MGM. He produced this album but Peterson left Verve shortly afterwards. You can get Bags' Groove on this budget comp which is a good intro to Peterson's music. Peterson recorded for Mercury's Limelight label and BASF's MPS label until Granz started Pablo Records in 1972. By this time Peterson's band was Joe Pass on guitar and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. Drummer Martin Drew was added in 1974. Peterson did the same stuff at Pablo that he did at Verve. He led the Pablo house band until Granz sold Pablo to Fantasy Records in 1987. Those recordings are now owned by Concord and the Verve recordings are owned by Universal. After that Peterson recorded for Telarc. He suffered a stroke in 1993 and he continued to record and tour though it did affect his ability to play. He also had mobility problems because of his weight. In 1997 Peterson received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. Peterson's health continued to decline until he died on Dec. 23, 2007 at age 82. Here's Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums performing Bags' Groove on German TV 1963.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Adrian Bailey, Frederick B. Owens, Ken Ard, Victor Trent Cook

Artist:Adrian Bailey, Frederick B. Owens, Ken Ard, Victor Trent Cook

Song:On Broadway

Album:Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Lieber and Stoller

Jukebox musicals seem to be very popular on Broadway these days. They have been around in different forms for decades. But I guess the current definition is a tribute to a musical artist with no story. It's basically a series of musical numbers by an ensemble cast. There are no stars. The songs are the stars. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a tribute to the songs of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. It was successful on Broadway in the late 90s. The original cast album won a Grammy in 1997 and it was nominated for several Tonys but didn't win any. Smokey Joe's Cafe had a two month run in Los Angeles before premiering on Broadway in Mar. 1995. Jerry Zaks was the director with choreography by Joey McKneeley and vocal arrangements by Chapman Roberts. The show ran until 1999 and then toured. There have been several revivals, most recently in 2018. The original cast album was produced by Arif Mardin with Lieber and Stoller for Atlantic Records. The critics didn't like the show because it didn't have a story. Audiences didn't care and jukebox musicals are more common today. There were nine actors in the cast and none are well known. On Broadway is performed by Adrian Bailey, Frederick B. Owens, Victor Trent Cook and Ken Ard. Today, Ard is a dance teacher and choreographer. Cook is in the vocal group Three Mo' Tenors. Bailey still appears on Broadway. Owens does video game acting like in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I don't know if anyone has become famous after appearing in a jukebox musical. But they sure are popular. Here's Devin Richards, Adrian Bailey, Frederick B. Owens and Victor Trent Cook performing On Broadway on The Today Show July 31, 1999. Richards replaced Ard in the show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Durante

Artist:Jimmy Durante

Song:Frosty the Snowman

Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Season's Greetings

Today when most folks think of Jimmy Durante, the first thing that comes to mind is when he narrated the 1969 Rankin Bass animated TV special Frosty the Snowman. That show still airs during Christmas season so I'm sure plenty of kids know about Durante through that show. But I'm sure you don't know that Durante scored a chart hit with his 1950 recording of Frosty the Snowman. The song was written by the team of Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson. They also wrote the Smokey the Bear theme. Rollins seemed to specialize in holiday songs as he also wrote Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Frosty the Snowman was written for Gene Autry one year after his smash hit Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Autry's recording of Frosty the Snowman reached #7 on the Pop Singles chart and #4 on the Country Singles chart. Back in those days, it was not unusual for several artists to chart with the same song at the same time. Frosty the Snowman was recorded by Jimmy Durante, Nat King Cole and Guy Lombardo. Durante's version reached #7 on the Pop Singles chart and it was #44 on Rolling Stone's 2019 US Top 100. Durante's recording was released on MGM and was arranged and conducted by Al Bargy from Paul Whiteman's band. The reason Durante's recording of Frosty the Snowman has had such longevity is the Rankin Bass 1969 production of the animated TV special Frosty the Snowman that first aired on CBS. Rankin Bass were known for these holiday specials and they are still very popular. The big thing is they hired Durante to narrate and had him re-record Frosty the Snowman. Other voices included Billy De Wolfe, Jackie Vernon, Paul Frees and June Foray. As was typical of Rankin Bass productions, the animation was done in Japan. This was Durante's final film role as he retired after a 1972 stroke and died in 1980. There is a soundtrack album for Frosty the Snowman. But Universal has produced a great video for Durante's 1950 recording and that version is on this 3CD various artists budget comp of Universal Christmas songs starting with Bing Crosby's White Christmas. Here's the video for Frosty the Snowman by Jimmy Durante. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Vanity Project

Artist:The Vanity Project

Song:Wilted Rose

Album:The Vanity Project

You all know what a vanity project is. There have been plenty of albums and even record labels that have been vanity projects. Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page released this 2005 album while he was still in the band. He recorded it with Tin Tin leader Stephen Duffy. So Page gave the album the ironic name The Vanity Project. Page was born June 22, 1970 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, ON. He attended Woburn Collegiate and became friends with Ed Robertson after running into him at a Peter Gabriel concert. That was when Barenaked Ladies was born. Of course they had great success in Canada and internationally. Stephen Duffy was a founding member of Duran Duran. He is probably best known as the leader of the 80s band Tin Tin. He has recorded solo but he seems to prefer being part of a band. Page started writing with Duffy in the early 90s. After a few songs appeared on Barenaked Ladies albums, the band decided to keep songwriting within the group. The 2005 album The Vanity Project was for songs Page wrote with Duffy. Duffy came from England to Toronto to record the album. They mostly played all the instruments and Page sang lead. Ironically, Page even started his own label for The Vanity Project distributed by Barenaked Ladies label Warner Bros. The album is available as budget CD. Page and Duffy never toured though Page has performed The Vanity Project songs solo. Since leaving Barenaked Ladies in 2009, Page has recorded five solo albums, most recently in 2022. So The Vanity Project was a one off project. Here's the video for Wilted Rose by The Vanity Project.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grover Washington Jr.

Artist:Grover Washington Jr.

Song:Mister Magic

Album:Ultimate Collection

Of course most music fans are familiar with Grover Washington Jr.'s 1981 top five hit Just the Two of Us featuring Bill Withers. But in the 70s he had success mostly on the jazz charts. The 1975 single Mister Magic was a top 20 R&B hit. Washington's 70s albums on CTI's Kudu label established what became known as Smooth Jazz. Washington's record deal with Kudu came about by accident. He was supposed to play on a Hank Crawford session. When Crawford was unable to make it, producer and CTI owner Creed Taylor asked Washington to fill in. This became Washington's 1972 debut album Inner City Blues. The album reached #4 on the Jazz Albums chart. After that, all of Washington's albums topped the jazz charts. He was CTI's most popular artist. A lot of the credit should go to pianist Bob James who arranged most of Washington's Kudu albums including the 1975 album Mister Magic. When the single Mister Magic reached #16 on the R&B Singles chart and #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, it took Washington to a new level. The Mister Magic album reached #10 on the Billboard 200. Ralph MacDonald wrote Mister Magic and he plays percussion on the album. Other musicians are Bob James on piano, Eric Gale on guitar, Gary King on bass, Harvey Mason on drums, Phil Bodnar and Jerry Dodgion on sax, Tony Studd and Wayne Andre on trombone and Jon Faddis and Marvin Stamm on trumpet. Washington recorded seven albums for Kudu. He left for Motown for the 1978 album Reed Seed because he wanted to record with his own band. When Washington signed with Elektra, he started a new band with guys he worked with at Kudu. That's the band in this video. Of course Washington had his greatest success at Elektra. He moved to Columbia in 1986 and remained there until his 1999 death. This budget comp covers Washington's entire career. Here's Grover Washington Jr. with Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee on Fender Rhodes piano, Paul Griffin on synthesizer, Anthony Jackson on bass, Steve Gadd on drums and Ralph MacDonald on percussion performing Mister Magic in Philadelphia June 27, 1981.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Abadon

 Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her AEW Women's Championship against Abadon on last night's episode of Collision. Abadon won a #1 contender's match on Rampage because it's Halloween and AEW owner Tony Khan wanted to do a Halloween match. Abadon hadn't been seen much since she was injured in 2022. So a qualifying match was only done to justify giving Abadon a title shot when a non title match would have been sufficient. I guess Khan doesn't like non title matches. It was a standard weapons match but the weapons were lame. Both wrestlers did video game cosplay. The match was not very good. And I don't know what Hikaru was trying to do with that broom. At least the finishing spot with the Jack O Lantern worked but the rest of the match wasn't very good. Then they had Toni Storm come out afterwards with her new gimmick so it's obvious where they are going with this. Except instead of Hikaru just standing there with a stupid look on her face, they need to have her attack Toni. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kurt Vile

Artist:Kurt Vile

Song:Baby's Arms

Album:Smoke Ring for my Halo

Singer songwriter Kurt Vile has had success as an album and touring artist. It's unlikely that he will ever have mainstream success. My guess is he doesn't want that anyway. His music might appeal to those who like similar artists like Jeff Buckley. He was born Jan. 3, 1980 in the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdowne, PA. Believe it or not, Kurt Vile is his real name. His father gave him a banjo at age 14. He worked on his music at home. Influences include minimalist acts like Pavement, Beck and Smog. Vile worked on his music while working day jobs until he met Adam Granduciel in 2003 and they formed the band The War on Drugs. They had modest success with a couple of albums. But Vile thought that was Granduciel's band. And he wanted to do his own music. So he started his own band Kurt Vile and the Violators and signed with Matador Records. Granduciel was in that band at first. Vile's debut album for Matador was Childish Prodigy in 2009. They toured with Dinosaur Jr. and Thurston Moore. Vile's main collaborator with The Violators is Jesse Trbovich. He plays guitar, bass, sax and keyboards. Trbovich started out with Vile in 2006 and he's still in the band. Baby's Arms is from Vile's 2011 album Smoke Ring for my Halo. Vile wrote and produced. Vile says the songs on this album are more introspective than previous albums. Because of constant touring, Vile's albums have charted on the Billboard 200. And he gets airplay on Alternative Radio. But I don't think Vile will ever have a hit single. He may not want one. After six albums with Matador, Vile moved to Verve Forecast for the 2022 album Watch my Moves. He says The Velvet Underground being on Verve in the 60s influenced him to sign there. The album did not do as well commercially probably because they weren't touring during the pandemic. I think leaving Matador will turn out to be a big mistake. Here's the video for Baby's Arms by Kurt Vile. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Wakelin

Artist:Johnny Wakelin

Song:Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)

Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day Vol. 15

This 1974 tribute to Muhammad Ali was a top ten hit in England and a top 30 hit in the US. It was Johnny Wakelin's only big hit. He did have a second hit in England. You might think this was a fluke hit but I will explain why it wasn't. Wakelin was born in Brighton, England in 1939. He was performing in local clubs when Pye Records producer Robin Blanchflower heard Wakelin perform the song Black Superman and thought it could be a hit. Blanchflower was the producer of the worldwide hit Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas. That shows that Blanchflower had good instincts and why Black Superman was not a fluke. Blanchflower wisely released Black Superman in Oct. 1974 after Ali beat George Foreman in Rumble in the Jungle. So most listeners thought the record was a tribute to Ali's Rumble in the Jungle win. But Wakelin wrote it in 1972. Black Superman reached #7 on the British Singles chart and #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wakelin's single In Zaire reached #4 on the British Singles because he performed it on Top of the Pops. Wakelin called his band The Kinshasa Band so he wanted an African vibe. Wakelin released three albums on Pye. They have not been released on CD. You can get Black Superman on this Rhino various artists CD. Wakelin released an album in 2006 but it looks like he's retired. Here's a video for Black Superman (Muhammad Ali) by Johnny Wakelin.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patsy Cline

Artist:Patsy Cline

Song:Crazy

Album:Crazy: The Collection

Despite Patsy Cline's career being curtailed due to a 1963 plane crash, she is still considered to be one of the all time greats of country music. The 1961 single Crazy is her signature song. It was a top five country hit and a top ten pop hit. She was born Virginia Patterson Hensley Sept. 8, 1932 in Winchester, VA. Her mother was 16 when Patsy was born. Her father was a blacksmith who couldn't find work. So they were poor. Patsy told Loretta Lynn that her father sexually abused her. Patsy was 13 years old when she was hospitalized with rheumatic fever. Upon her recovery, she suddenly had this big booming voice. So she started performing at local clubs and the local radio station. Patsy auditioned unsuccessfully for the Grand Ole Opry at age 15. She joined Bill Peer's Melody Boys and Girls in 1952. That was when she met her first husband Gerald Cline and changed her stage name to Patsy Cline. Patsy signed with Four Star Records in 1954. Four Star was a small label that leased recordings to Decca. So Decca house producer Owen Bradley was brought in to produce. The problem was Four Star owner Bill McCall chose all the songs. And except for the 1957 single Walkin' After Midnight, Patsy's Four Star recordings were unsuccessful. This has mostly been blamed on mediocre songs. Patsy met her second husband Charlie Dick in 1956. And he seemed to have a better handle on what kind of songs she should be recording. After Patsy sang Walkin' After Midnight on a 1957 episode of Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, it was a big hit. Subsequent singles did not do well. After marrying Charlie Dick and having a daughter, Patsy moved to Nashville in 1960 and signed with manager Randy Hughes. He helped her become a Grand Ole Opry member. Then she left Four Star for Decca. Owen Bradley was still her producer. But he chose better songs. I Fall to Pieces was a top five country hit in 1961. Then on June 14, Patsy almost died in a car accident. After her recovery, Crazy was released and reached #2 on the Country Singles chart and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Crazy was written by Willie Nelson. It was his first hit. Nelson recorded a demo. Dick really liked the song and insisted Patsy record it. Patsy recorded three albums for Decca. And then she died in a plane crash on Mar. 5, 1963 at age 30. Randy Hughes was the pilot and the weather was bad. They probably shouldn't have been flying. There are tons of Patsy Cline comps out there. I recommend this 2CD budget comp from the British reissue label Edsel, Here's Patsy Cline performing Crazy on a 1961 episode of Grand Ole Opry.  

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Ruby Soho

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida defending her AEW Women's Championship from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. The match was OK but nothing special. The biggest and most glaring booking issue was when Ruby did her Eddie Guerrero homage trying to get Hikaru DQd. Somebody forgot to tell Ruby that she can't win the title by DQ. I'm sure in Tony Khan's mind, it seemed like a fun idea but he forgot about that last part. As usual with AEW, there were far too many false finishes along with the ref looking like a moron too frequently. So now they have already taped a four way women's match for Friday''s Rampage with Willow Nightingale, Skye Blue, Anna Jay and Abadon. The winner gets a title shot on Saturday's Collision. I won't tell you who won but think Halloween. Ugh!. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ron Jackson

Artist:Ron Jackson

Song:Technophile

Album:Flubby Dubby

If you're a fan of what was known in jazz circles back in the 70s as "burners", you should like guitarist Ron Jackson. This 2009 album attempts to reproduce "burners". And the album was produced by 70s guitar legend Melvin Sparks. Jackson was born July 27, 1964 in Manila, Philippines. His father served in the US Marines in Vietnam. Jackson started playing guitar at age 11. He attended Berklee on Boston and moved to Paris for a couple of years. Jackson moved to New York in 1987 and started playing live clubs. Jackson first recorded as a leader with the 1992 album A Guitar Thing on Muse Records. Musicians were Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico and Cecil Brooks III. Since Muse closed, Jackson records for his own label. Technophile is from Jackson's 2009 album Flubby Dubby. This was recorded live at Cecil's in West Orange, NJ. It looks like it was taped too as all the clips are on YouTube. Musicians are Kyle Koehler on organ and Otis Brown III on drums. Saxophonists Don Braden and Bruce Williams appear on two songs. Koehler is usually in Braden's band. Brown is in Joe Lovano's band. The album was produced by 70s guitar legend Melvin Sparks. It's supposed to sound like one of his albums from the 70s. Flubby Dubby is available as a budget CD.  Jackson's latest album was released in 2022. He still plays New York clubs. Here's Ron Jackson with Kyle Koehler and Otis Brown III performing Technophile at Cecil's in West Orange, NJ 2009.