Herica Tiburcio pulls out win over Michelle Waterson to win Invicta Atomweight Championship

The main event of last night's Invicta show emphasized that bringing in an unknown for a title match can be a double edged sword. I still think it's poor matchmaking regardless of the results. In case you didn't notice, Herica wasn't on the fight poster. All of Invicta's promotion for this show was all about Michelle Waterson. Most fans interpreted this as if Invicta didn't believe Herica was a credible challenger so why should they buy tickets? Or maybe Michelle is overhyped. That's the more likely answer. That's the great thing about MMA. Grand plans can go up in smoke in a split second. The first two rounds of the fight were fairly even. I gave round one to Herica and round two to Michelle. I thought that they wouldn't be able to keep up the quick pace for five rounds. One of them was going to run out of gas. Instead Herica won with a guillotine choke in round three. Most fighters don't apply that hold properly which is why it doesn't finish most of the time. In trying to get out from bottom position, Michelle just fell into the guillotine. She still doesn't know what happened. So now Herica has to prove that it was no fluke. Because the win can be perceived as lucky. So I expect a rematch which is marketable and will sell tickets. And though Invicta will say they don't care, you can be sure this is not the result they wanted. The rest of the show was OK. Tonya Evinger earned a shot at the vacant Bantamweight Championship with a win by second round armbar over Cindy Dandois. Cindy was off for three years so we didn't know what she would be like. It's been a while since I have seen a fighter cower from punches. Roxanne Modafferi showed improved striking with a split decision win over Andrea Lee. Andrea was a late replacement for Vanessa Porto who couldn't get a visa. I scored it 29-28 for Roxanne. Andrea needs to work on her takedown defense because that's why she lost. DeAnna Bennett won by unanimous decision over Jennifer Maia. I thought it was a poor decision. I scored it 29-28 for Jennifer. Peggy Morgan won by unanimous decision over Andria Wawro. This fight was so bad, I didn't care who won. There was way too much jockeying for position on the fence. And the ref couldn't seem to prevent them from doing that. Mexican Alexa Grasso won over Alida Gray by first round TKO. Alida complained about the stoppage but a cut over her eye was bad enough that the fight would have been stopped anyway. I would like to see Alexa against a better fighter. Jinh Yu Frey won over Cassie Robb by first round rear naked choke. And in the opener, Rachael Ostovich won over Evva Johnson by split decision. I thought Rachael was quicker and more aggressive than Evva. I'm not sure how one of the judges could have scored it for Evva. Well, the show was in Texas and the judging can be weird there. Invicta says they will run six shows in 2015. The next one should be in February featuring Cris Cyborg.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patti LaBelle

Artist:Patti LaBelle f/Michael McDonald
Song:On My Own
Album:The Essential Patti LaBelle Limited Edition 3.0



Patti LaBelle has been around since the 60s. On My Own is her only number one solo hit. She was born Patricia Louise Holte May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia. She first had success as a member of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles with the 1962 hit I Sold My Heart To The Junkman. And then with Labelle and the 1974 hit Lady Marmalade. After Labelle split up in 1976, Patti recorded for Epic Records and then Philadelphia International. Her biggest hit in this period was the 1983 number one R & B hit If You Only Knew. But she wasn't crossing over to pop. After making her film acting debut in the 1984 film A Soldier's Story, Patti signed with MCA Records. New Attitude reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was her biggest pop hit to date. It was in the film Beverly Hills Cop. So then Patti recorded the album Winner In You. On My Own was written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager for the Dionne Warwick album Friends. When it didn't make the album, they brought the song to Patti. Producer Richard Perry didn't like the song but Patti thought it would be a big hit. She asked Bacharach to produce the record. He thought it could use a male voice so Michael McDonald's vocals were added later. So it's ironic for a breakup song to feature singers who didn't actually record it together. BTW, it's not unusual for duet parts to be recorded separately. The record was Patti's only number one pop hit in 1986. And Winner In You topped the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified 3XPlatinum. Though she never had another hit that big, Patti had a good run on MCA until she left in 2000. This 3CD Sony Legacy comp covers Patti's entire career. In recent years, Patti has concentrated on acting. Most recently she appeared in the FX TV series American Horror Story. She hasn't recorded in a few years but Patti still tours. Here's the video for On My Own by Parri LaBelle featuring Michael McDonald.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Al Brown

Artist:Al Brown
Song:Here I Am Baby
Album:Souled On Reggae





Some of the best reggae singles were covers of R & B hits. This 1974 cover of Al Green's Here I Am Baby was a hit in Jamaica and England. It was the only hit for singer Al Brown. He was a one time member of The Paragons probably just as they were disbanding in the late 60s. He recorded a couple of singles as Irvin Brown. Meanwhile, session bassist Lloyd Parks formed the band Skin, Flesh & Bones. Parks had previously been in The Termites and The Techniques but mostly he was a studio musician for Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid. Sly Dunbar played drums in Skin, Flesh & Bones before he started his long partnership with Robbie Shakespeare. Other band members were Ansel Collins on keyboards and Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan on guitar. When they weren't in the studio, Skin, Flesh & Bones played at the Kingston club Tit For Tat. Al Brown performed with the band occasionally. Club owner Dickie Wong liked Brown's performance of Here I Am Baby so much that he agreed to finance a recording. The single was a hit in Jamaica and then in England. UB40's 1990 recording of Here I Am Baby is a tribute to Brown's version. Skin, Flesh & Bones even toured England on the strength of the single. You can get here I Am Baby on this various artists budget CD of reggae R & B covers from Music Club. Brown recorded an album but he was never able to repeat the success of Here I Am Baby. Parks went back to studio work and he has been a significant behind the scenes figure in Jamaican music for decades. Here's a video for Here I Am Baby by Al Brown.

Review of The Ultimate Fighter 20 episode 11

There were two fights in last night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter 20 so there was no time for drama. The first fight was Carla Esparza vs Tecia Torres. Carla is still upset because Tecia got a second chance. Carla's strategy was to take Tecia down. And though Tecia defended well, she didn't generate enough offense to win. So all Carla needed was a couple of takedowns to win. One of the judges scored it a draw so it was a majority decision. I scored it 20-18 for Carla as she did just enough to win. The second fight had Rose Namajunas vs Joanne Calderwood. I expected Rose to win because she is more versatile especially on the ground. Joanne is mainly a kickboxer and I didn't think she could handle Rose on the ground. And that's how it went. Rose won with a second round kimura. So next week we will have the semi final matches of Carla Esparza vs Jessica Penne and Rose Namajunas vs Randa Markos. The final will be on Dec. 12. Last night the UFC announced the matches featuring the TUF fighters. With Justine Kish out, Korean Ham Seo Hee will make her UFC debut vs Joanne Calderwood. That's a tough draw for Ham's debut but she could surprise us all. Those thinking Ham will be at a size disadvantage don't know that she has fought most of her career at 115lb and only recently dropped to 105 when DEEP JEWELS asked her to. Ham's experience edge could be a factor. The other fights will be Bec Rawlings vs Heather Clark, Lisa Ellis vs Felice Herrig, Angela Hill vs Emily Kagan, Aisling Daly vs Alex Chambers and Tecia Torres vs Angela Magana. This show will air on Fox Sports 1 but because it's on a Friday, I don't think it will air in Canada on Sportsnet 360. That's why I'm trying to get a new TV so I can watch UFC Fight Pass on my TV with Google Chromecast. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Jimmie Vaughan

Artist:Jimmie Vaughan
Song:Six Strings Down
Album:The Essential Jimmie Vaughan





Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan is best known as the older brother of legendary guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. I guess Jimmie has lived in his brother's shadow. He's just not as flambouyant. He was born Mar. 20, 1951 in Dallas. He played in garage bands as a teen and moved to Austin in 1970. In 1974, Jimmie formed The Fabulous Thunderbirds with singer and harmonica player Kim Wilson. They had success especially in the 70s and they went in a more commercial direction in the 80s. Meanwhile, Stevie Ray Vaughan became very popular. Despite commercial success, Jimmie wasn't happy with The Fabulous Thunderbirds musical direction and he left in 1989. Jimmie recorded the album Family Style with Stevie Ray. I'm sure the two would have continued to work together but Stevie Ray died in a helicopter crash Aug. 1990. Family Style was released later that year. After a couple of years off, Jimmie signed with Epic Records and released the 1994 CD Strange Pleasures. Nile Rodgers produced the album and it featured a guest appearance by Dr. John. Jimmie wrote Six Strings Down with Art, Aaron and Cyril Neville as a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's one of Jimmie's most popular songs when he tours. You can get it on this budget comp. Jimmie recorded three albums for Epic. His recent CDs have been released by Shout! Factory. Jimmie Vaughan is on tour and he is worth seeing if he's coming to your town. Here's Jimmie Vaughan with an all star band including BB King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Dr. John and Art Neville performing Six Strings Down on the 1996 concert A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan. This is available on CD and DVD.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul & Paula

Artist:Paul & Paula
Song:Hey Paula
Album:Greatest Hits





Duets in pop music weren't that common until Hey Paula topped the charts in 1963. They had a couple of other hits but Paul & Paula are mainly known for Hey Paula. Paul & Paula were from Texas. Ray Hildebrand was born Dec. 21, 1940 in Joshua, TX. Jill Jackson was born May 20, 1942 in McCamey, TX. They were students at Howard Payne College in Brownswood, TX. when they performed Hey Paula at a local benefit show. Hildebrand was inspired to write Hey Paula by the Annette Funicello hit Tall Paul. They went to Fort Worth to see producer Major Bill Smith who had a big hit with Hey Baby by Bruce Channel. When someone didn't show up for booked studio time, he agreed to record Hey Paula and released it as Jill and Ray. It was a regional hit and was picked up by Mercury Records for their Philips label. But first Mercury exec Shelby Singleton changed their name to Paul & Paula. Hey Paula topped the charts in 1963. Their second single Young Lovers reached #6 on the Billboard hot 100. Hey Paula was rejected by several labels including VeeJay. But the song's success influenced VeeJay to pair up Jerry Butler and Betty Everett and Motown's pairing of Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells. Nino Tempo and April Stevens were another duo influenced by Paul & Paula. Hey Paula got a big boost when it appeared in the 1978 film National Lampoon's Animal House. Paul & Paula recorded three albums and most of their music is on this CD. Hildebrand didn't like touring and he returned to school in 1965. Jill Jackson recorded a couple of singles for Reprise but then she married and moved to California. Hildebrand has worked for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for years. And he recorded Contemporary Christian Music for Word Records. In the 80s, he formed Land & Hildebrand with Paul Land and the duo recorded several Christian music albums. They retired in 2004. Here's Paul & Paula performing Hey Paula in 1963.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Brubeck Quartet f/Carmen McRae

Artist:Dave Brubeck Quartet f/Carmen McRae
Song:Weep No More
Album:Tonight Only!





Of course most jazz fans should be familiar with pianist Dave Brubeck's quartet recordings. But you don't want to overlook his albums with some of the great jazz singers of the late 50s. This album with singer Carmen McRae was released in 1961. In 1959, Take Five made Brubeck a household name. So obviously Columbia Records let him do whatever he wanted. And that included the 1962 concept album The Real Ambassadors. Carmen McRae appeared on that album. But a lot of fans may not know that she had already recorded two albums with Brubeck. Carmen recorded for Decca in the 50s. Her contract was running out and Brubeck brought her to Columbia. He thought it would be a good idea to record her first album on Columbia with the Brubeck quartet. Tonight Only! is that album. Weep No More is a song that Brubeck first recorded on his 1956 solo piano album Brubeck Plays Brubeck. As with many of his instrumental compositions, Brubeck's wife Iola Brubeck wrote the lyrics. Sax player Paul Desmond plays on the album but not on Weep No More. The other musicians are Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums. Tonight Only! did well enough that Brubeck and Carmen recorded the album Take Five Live at Basin Street East in New York City in 1961. And of course Carmen also appeared on The Real Ambassadors. Tonight Only! was out of print for years. But in 2011, the Spanish label American Jazz Classics released it on CD with some bonus tracks. This CD is worth checking out especially for Carmen McRae fans who might otherwise overlook it. She's in great voice as always. Here's a video for Weep No More by the Dave Brubeck Quartet featuring Carmen McRae.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ray Charles and Betty Carter

Artist:Ray Charles and Betty Carter
Song:Baby, It's Cold Outside
Album:Christmas With Sinatra And Friends





Though not technically a Christmas song, Baby, It's Cold Outside frequently appears on Christmas CDs. I think this recording by Ray Charles and Betty Carter is the definitive version. They recorded it on the 1961 album Ray Charles and Betty Carter. Betty had success in the 50s recording with Ray Bryant. Miles Davis suggested that she go on tour with Charles. She did and he decided to record an album with her. It was released in 1961 on ABC/Paramount. It was more of a jazz album than Charles' other albums. Marty Paich was the arranger and Hank Crawford, David "Fathead" Newman and Mel Lewis were among the musicians who played on the album. They recorded all standards including Baby, It's Cold Outside which did well on the R & B charts. Baby, It's Cold Outside was written by Frank Loesser and he first performed it in Las Vegas with his wife Lynn Garland. He sold it to MGM and they used it in the 1948 Esther Williams film Neptune's Daughter. Among those who charted with the song were Dinah Shore & Buddy Clark, Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer and Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan. Hmmm, I'd like to hear that last one. There was even a parody recorded by country comedians Homer & Jethro with June Carter. These days it seems to turn up on a lot of Christmas albums. The album Ray Charles and Betty Carter is available but it's too expensive. Christmas With Sinatra And Friends is available as a budget CD. It mostly has Frank Sinatra Christmas recordings along with songs recorded by Mel Torme, Tony Bennet and Bill Evans, Rosemary Clooney and Ray Charles and Betty Carter. It's on Concord. The song also appears on several Ray Charles comp CDs. But I wanted to suggest a Christmas CD. Here's a video for Baby, It's Cold Outside by Ray Charles and Betty Carter.

Criticism of Signs Restaurant ramp removal misguided

There is a new restaurant at Yonge and Wellesley in downtown Toronto called Signs Restaurant. The concept of the restaurant is that the waiters are deaf and you order by sign language. But Signs owner Anjan Manikumar made a huge mistake by moving into a building that is not accessible. So he hired Stopgap to build a ramp. I know the owner of Stopgap. It's called that for a reason. His ramps are a temporary but perfectly acceptable solution. It's not supposed to be permanent. On Friday, the Toronto Star reported that the City of Toronto Bylaw Enforcement ordered that the ramp be taken down because it was blocking the sidewalk. So now there has been a lot of media coverage complaining that the city is insensitive and other similar nonsense. It's completely misguided. City of Toronto Bylaw Enforcement only issues these orders if there is a complaint. I have posted a picture of the ramp. That thing is huge. So no one should be surprised that a competing restaurant complained about it. The outrage is absurd and overlooks the real story. And that is that accessibility is an afterthought in the city of Toronto but more importantly in the province of Ontario. Shouldn't Manikumar have made sure the location of his restaurant was accessible before he signed a lease? Accessibility is an afterthought. Manikumar said that the building owners won't make the building accessible. He should have gone elsewhere...but he didn't. And that brings up my real point. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was enacted in 2005. According to the law, accessibility standards are supposed to be in place everywhere in Ontario by 2025. And though I appreciate the efforts of AODA Alliance head David Lepofsky in trying to hold the provincial government's feet to the fire, we need the mainstream media in Toronto to look at the bigger picture instead of one incident. Toronto Star columnist Bob Hepburn did this the other day. All three of us know that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's silence speaks volumes. The AODA is political lip service and the law itself will never be enforced. And even if it was enforced, older buildings like the one Signs is in would be grandfathered and would not be required to be accessible. There are a lot of older buildings like this in Toronto and none of the property owners want to spend the money to be accessible. The grandfathering will be allowed. It's part of the law that no one wants to discuss. So until Premier Wynne puts some teeth in the AODA and lowers the boom on recalcitrant property owners, I'm not holding my breath. I expect accessibility in Ontario to be an afterthought long after 2025.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boy Howdy

Artist:Boy Howdy
Song:She'd Give Anything
Album:Today's Country At Its Best





She'd Give Anything was one of two top five country hits for Boy Howdy. They were together from 1990 to 1996 so they split up before they could have any kind of longevity. Boy Howdy were from Los Angeles. Jeffrey Steele was lead singer, bassist and songwriter. He recorded a song for the 1987 various artists CD A Town South Of Bakersfield produced by Dwight Yoakam's producer Pete Anderson. He formed Boy Howdy in 1990 with brothers Cary (guitar, fiddle, mandolin) and Larry Park (guitar). They are the sons of bluegrass musician Ray Park. The Parks had worked with Randy Meissner and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Hugh Wright was the drummer. An independent release of When Johnny Comes Marching Home got them a record deal at Curb Records. Chris Farren was hired to produce and he wrote most of Boy Howdy's songs with Steele. Curb wanted to change the group name to New Frontier but Nashville Now host Ralph Emery liked the name Boy Howdy and he convinced Curb to let them keep it. Their 1992 CD Welcome To Howdywood didn't sell. The single A Cowboy's Born With A Broken Heart reached #12 on the Country Singles chart. Hugh Wright was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. He was in a coma for five months. After rehab, he returned to Boy Howdy July 1993. Curb released the single She'd Give Anything and it reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Curb wanted to release an album but Boy Howdy hadn't recorded enough songs for a full album. So Curb released an EP instead. The second single from the EP They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. Curb never released those songs on a full length CD. That's why I am suggesting you get She'd Give Anything on this K-Tel various artists budget CD. The EP is available but too expensive. Boy Howdy's next full length CD Born This Way in 1995 just didn't do well and there was no hit single. Boy Howdy split up and Steele moved to Nashville to start a solo career. He recorded an album for Curb but it wasn't released. He released a CD on Monument in 2001 and has released several CDs since then with no success. But he has had success writing songs for Rascal Flatts and others. And he was a judge on the TV talent show Nashville Star. Cary and Larry Park are session musicians. Here's the video for She'd Give Anything by Boy Howdy.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blood Sisters

Artist:Blood Sisters
Song:Ring My Bell
Album:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Official Soundtrack




I think most music fans are familiar with the 1979 Anita Ward hit Ring My Bell. I actually like this reggae cover of Ring My Bell better than the original. It went nowhere when it was released in 1979 but was rediscovered when it appeared on the 2003 CD Hustle! Reggae Disco. That led to it appearing in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Of course the music that appears in those games can amass a big following. And this record is really obscure. I'm not sure who the Blood Sisters are but I have my suspicions. The man behind this record is British record producer Neville King. He owned a couple of labels including NK Records and Sound City in the mid-70s. One of the groups he produced was One Blood with brothers Errol, Ewan, Paul and Trevor Robinson. They recorded singles as One Blood and were also King's studio band. So they backed up anyone recording for King. There was a girl group called Simplicity. They were London schoolgirls Sandra Blake, Millicent Taffe, Yvonne Webley and Patricia Rowe. They scored a hit in 1977 with To Be In Love for Jamaican producer Coxsone Dodd. King stole them away from Dodd and produced a couple of singles. But continuing to release them as Simplicity probably wasn't a good idea in case Dodd sued him for using the name. So I think he changed the name to Blood Sisters to avoid Dodd. They were also known as Nairobi Sisters. They only recorded a few singles. Ring My Bell got a boost when it appeared on the various artists CD Hustle! Reggae Disco and then in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The soundtrack for the game is available and it is currently the only place you can get Blood Sisters recording of Ring My Bell. Later on, Neville King discovered Maxi Priest. The group Simplicity still performs in England. I could be way off on my thinking. But it's odd that the members of Blood Sisters were never identified and I don't think that was an accident. Here's a video for Ring My Bell by Blood Sisters.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dianne Reeves

Artist:Dianne Reeves
Song:Christmas Waltz
Album:Christmas Time Is Here





So if you're going to buy a Christmas CD, you might as well buy one by one of today's great jazz singers. I have been a Dianne Reeves fan since the early 80s. She's from Denver. Trumpet legend Clark Terry and her cousin George Duke got her started and she recorded for Blue Note from 1987 to 2005. Christmas Time Is Here was released in 2004 around the time that Dianne was working on the George Clooney film Good Night and Good Luck. She records Christmas standards in her own style. So even Dianne Reeves fans should enjoy the CD just for the music. The Christmas Waltz was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne for Frank Sinatra. It was the B-side of Sinatra's 1954 recording of White Christmas. Sinatra later recorded it on his 1957 album A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra. The song was never a hit but it has been recorded by many singers including Peggy Lee, Mel Torme and Harry Connick Jr. who charted with his 2003 recording of Christmas Waltz. Dianne produced Christmas Time Is Here with long time pianist Peter Martin. Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo plays the guitar solo. Other musicians are Steve Wilson on sax, Joe Locke on vibes, Reuben Rogers on bass, Gregory Hutchinson on drums and Munyungo Jackson on percussion. It's available as a budget CD. Dianne Reeves currently records for Concord. Her latest CD Beautiful Life was released Feb. 2014. Here's a video for Christmas Waltz by Dianne Reeves.

Review of The Ultimate Fighter 20 episode 10

Though there wasn't any drama in this episode of The Ultimate Fighter, there was an overlong Harley-Davidson commercial. The fight on this episode was Jessica Penne vs Aisling Daly in the quarter finals. They're not buddies but they don't hate each other. So other than Aisling getting a visit from her teammate Conor McGregor, this episode emphasized the boredom of the TUF house. So I guess the drama comes out of boredom. I'm not crazy about either fighter. Jessica Penne is a really good 105lb fighter. But in the past she has been overmatched at 115. I don't think she's strong enough to compete with the top fighters in that weight class. Aisling Daly should be able to outmuscle Jessica if she keeps it standing. But she has no ground game and I've seen her stuck in bottom position in the past. Round one was very close but Aisling scored enough to win it 10-9. Jessica couldn't take her down. She did better in round two and I thought it was tied after two rounds. In the extra round, Jessica finally did what was needed to beat Aisling. She took her down and trapped her in bottom position. She was active enough so the ref didn't stand them up. By the time Aisling got out from under, it was too late in the round. Lay and pray is not my favourite strategy by any means. But it's the exact strategy Jessica needed to win. I was not surprised that she went that route. Jessica Penne wins and moves on to the semi final. Next week will be the other two quarter final matches with Carla Esparza vs Tecia Torres and Joanne Calderwood vs Rose Namajunas. I am looking forward to those fights. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Greg Lake

Artist:Greg Lake
Song:I Believe in Father Christmas
Album:A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas





Greg Lake is best known as the lead singer and bassist for Emerson Lake & Palmer and a founding member of King Crimson. He released I Believe In Father Christmas as a one off single in 1975 and it was a big hit in England. It is now a Christmas perennial. Lake was born Nov. 10, 1947 in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. Growing up, his big hero was Cliff Richard & The Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin. Lake played in a few bands in the 60s until his childhood pal Robert Fripp asked him to play bass in King Crimson. That group were innovators of progressive rock with Court Of The Crimson King. Lake left King Crimson in 1970 and Keith Emerson was putting together a progressive rock band. He liked Lake's singing in King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer was born. Lake wrote and sang ELP's biggest hit Lucky Man. After touring to support the 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery, ELP went on hiatus. During that hiatus, Lake released the single I Believe In Father Christmas. It reached #2 on the British Singles chart. Lake wrote the song with King Crimson lyricist Peter Sinfield. The song protests the commercialization of Christmas and the loss of innocence. It was a one off single. Lake didn't record an album at the time and the song was added to ELP shows when they returned in 1977. ELP recorded a different version of the song on Works Vol. II. I Believe In Christmas is now a Christmas classic in England. Plenty of artists have covered it. You can get it on many various artists Christmas CDs. A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas is very cheap and recommended to those looking for a rock Christmas CD. ELP first split up in 1979 and the band has reformed frequently over the years. Lake was also a member of the 80s band Asia. He has only recorded solo a couple of times and he is currently working on a live theater presentation of his life and career. I Believe In Father Christmas is an interesting sidebar of Greg Lake's career. Here's the video for I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake.

Keep On Keepin' On Review

Yesterday I went to see the documentary Keep On Keepin' On at The Bloor Cinema in downtown Toronto. The film is about legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and his nurturing of young jazz musicians. While growing up in St. Louis, 12 year old Clark Terry went to jazz clubs to talk to jazz musicians. When they wouldn't help him, he vowed that if he ever became famous, he would devote his life to teaching jazz to young people and encourage them as much as he could. His latest student is 23 year old blind pianist Justin Kauflin. And this film is about Terry encouraging Kauflin despite serious health problems. The film was directed by Australian jazz drummer Alan Hicks who is also a Clark Terry student. And one of the producers is maestro Quincy Jones. But the interesting thing is when Jones was 12 years old, he was the first to be mentored by Terry. And how many musicians has Jones discovered? So even after Terry is gone, his legacy will continue for generations. We see clips of Terry helping a teenaged Terri Lyne Carrington who is now a world renowned jazz drummer. We also see clips of Jones, Herbie Hancock, the late Mulgrew Miller, Diane Reeves and Arturo Sandoval giving their thoughts about Terry. Technically, Kauflin is a talented musician. My observation is that he seems to lack focus and is probably his own worst enemy. He is invited to participate in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in Washington, DC. This is a very important competition that can lead to a record deal. Of course Kauflin is stressing and Terry is trying to help him. But Terry is very sick and can only do so much. Kauflin doesn't do well in the competition. And Terry has to have his legs amputated due to diabetes. He realizes Kauflin needs help that he can't give anymore. So he invites both Kauflin and Jones to his home in Arkansas. He wants Jones to listen to the kid. We also see that Kauflin can perform as he accompanies Dianne Reeves in a club. Jones decides to showcase Kauflin at the Montreux Jazz Festival. It goes well and Jones signs Kauflin to a record deal. And in the final scene, we see Clark Terry mentoring another musician. Though I know jazz fans will enjoy Keep On Keepin' On, you don't have to be a jazz fan to enjoy this human interest story. And you might even buy a Clark Terry CD. A lot of the funding for Keep On Keepin' On was raised through Kickstarter. That's how things are done these days. A friend of mine, KC Marsh, is trying to fund a documentary about his father, legendary sax player Warne Marsh. It's important that jazz history be preserved and I am hopeful that KC makes his film. I certainly want to see it and review it. Check out the trailer for Keep On Keepin' On.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Essex

Artist:The Essex
Song:Easier Said than Done
Album:Only Rock 'n' Roll 1955-1965





I'm sure you have all heard Easier Said Than Done as it topped the charts in 1963 and is still a staple of oldies radio. But you probably don't know anything about The Essex. The most interesting thing about The Essex is they were all active Marines when they recorded Easier Said Than Done. Guitarist Walter Vickers and drummer Rodney Taylor were stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After being transferred to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, they formed The Essex with fellow marines Billy Hill, Rudolph Johnson and lead singer Anita Humes. Another Marine, William Linton, wrote Easier Said Than Done. A demo got them a record deal with Roulette Records. Easier Said Than Done topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. It was released as a B-side to Are You Going My Way but DJs flipped it over and the rest is history. The Essex weren't happy with the record. They thought it was too short. They recorded three albums but weren't able to score another big hit. You can get Easier Said Than Done on this various artists budget CD from Rhino. Because they were Marines, the Essex couldn't tour and then Johnson was transferred to Japan. Roulette attempted to record Anita Humes as a solo artist but that was unsuccessful. She performed occasionally until her 2010 death. Rodney Taylor was murdered in 1966. Here's a video for Easier Said Than Done by The Essex.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mark Wills

Artist:Mark Wills
Song:Jacob`s Ladder
Album:The Definitive Collection





Though Jacob's Ladder wasn't country singer Mark Wills' biggest hit, it was his first top ten hit in 1996. I would describe him as a second tier neo traditionalist country singer. He had some chart success but didn't reach the heights of the big stars of the era. He was born Daryl Mark Williams Aug. 6, 1973 in Cleveland, TN and grew up in Blue Ridge, GA. He grew up listening to country music but got into hard rock as a teen. Then he got back into country and won a local talent contest. While playing a local club, he was spotted by veteran producers Carson Chamberlain and Keith Stegall. They brought him to Nashville and Wills signed with Mercury Records. They produced his 1996 debut CD mark Wills. Jacob's Ladder was the second single and it reached #6 on the Country Singles chart. The song was written by veteran songwriter Tony Martin and Cal & Brenda Sweat. Martin wrote the Joe Diffie hit Third Rock From The Sun. Though Places I've Never Been also hit the top ten, the album sales were disappointing. Wills' 1997 album Wish You Were Here got him established. It was certified Platinum and the single Wish You Were Here was his first number one hit single. His 2000 CD Permanently also did well and Wills' cover of Brian McKnight's Back At One was a top five hit. Wills was starting to fade. The duet with Jamie O'Neal I'm Not Going To Do Anything Without You was disappointing. He had one final hurrah when 19 Somethin' from Wills' 2003 Greatest Hits CD became his second and final number one country hit. After one more CD, Wills left Mercury. You can get all his hits on this budget comp. Since then Wills has recorded for small labels. His latest CD was released in June 2011. He still tours but Mark Wills is not heading back to the top of the country charts anytime soon. Here's Mark Wills performing Jacob's Ladder on Deep Rock Drive April 2008.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Phillip Phillips

Artist:Phillip Phillips
Song:Home
Album:The World From The Side Of The Moon





Phillip Phillips won season 11 of American Idol in 2012. He's a singer songwriter similar to guys like Dave Matthews. Home was released right after AI and is his biggest hit to date. He was born Sept. 20, 1990 in Albany, GA and his family moved to Leesburg, GA when he was 12. His brother-in-law Benjamin Neil got him into music and they formed a band. Phillips says his favourite singer is Jonny Lang and he is also a big Dave Matthews fan. A major criticism of Phillips is he sounds too much like Matthews. After winning a local talent contest, Phillips unsuccessfully auditioned for America's Got Talent and then successfully auditioned for American Idol in Savannah, GA. He had kidney stones while on AI and had that taken care of after he won. There was concern that he might have to leave the show. Phillips writes most of his own songs. But Home was chosen by AI mentor Jimmy Iovine as Phillips' AI coronation song. The song was written by Greg Holden who planned to record it himself. His publishing company brought in songwriter Drew Pearson who wrote The Zac Brown Band hit Where The River Goes to help him. They submitted the song to AI. Pearson produced the record and Home reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was played on TV a lot. Phillips wanted to use one of his own songs for his coronation so he wasn't happy with the decision to use Home. But it was successful. Phillips wrote most of the songs on his debut CD The World From The Side Of The Moon. The CD was produced by Gregg Wattenberg who has worked with other AI artists. The CD sold over a million copies and was certified Platinum. Phillips' second CD Behind The Light was released May 2014 and it didn't do nearly as well as the first one. And there were no hit singles. This kind of brief success only to be forgotten is typical of AI winners. There's nothing wrong with him but he sounds too much like other successful singer songwriters. And that's why I have always said American Idol is a double edged sword. It can get an artist to the top of the charts but it can't keep him there. Here's the video for Home by Phillip Phillips.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Paige VanZant vs Kailin Curran

Here's the video of Paige VanZant vs Kailin Curran from last night's UFC show in Austin, TX. The fight was on UFC Fight Pass so a lot of fans missed it and it was Fight of the Night so I know you want to see it. Paige was one of the Invicta contracts Zuffa purchased to stock The Ultimate Fighter 20. But Paige was too young to be on the show. Kailin is from Hawaii and has fought a couple of times for PXC in Guam. Both fighters lack experience. This fight was originally set for the Halifax UFC show in October. But Paige was recovering from a back injury so the fight was delayed for six weeks. The other thing is for the last couple of years, Paige trained at Team Alpha Male in California. Urijah Faber said he hadn't seen Paige recently. It turns out she moved back to her home town of Reno, NV and switched to Reno Academy of Combat. You know who else trains there? Amateur female fighter Taylor Stratford. In Paige's corner was RAC owner and former heavyweight fighter Rick Collup and Bellator fighter Hector Ramirez. Maybe Paige needed a change and sleeping in your own bed at home can be very reassuring for a young fighter. The first round was very close. Kailin got a couple of takedowns and though Paige defended well and came back late in the round. I scored it 10-9 for Paige but the judges could have scored it the other way especially in Texas. I thought they both looked tired but who would be fresher in round two? Though Kailin got a couple of takedowns, Paige did a lot of damage in the clinch with punches and knees. Her gymnastics background really came in handy. Kailin didn't have an answer for any of that so I scored the round 10-9 for Paige. The fight is close enough that both fighters should try for a round three finish. But Paige went back to the clinch which was very effective in round two. Kailin had nothing for her and Paige took her down near the fence and pounded her until the ref stopped the fight. The stoppage might have been a little early but not by much. Kailin was not defending herself. Paige VanZant won her UFC debut and looked good enough that the fight was named Fight of the Night. Paige won't be on UFC Fight Pass prelims anymore. A star is born...maybe. I want to see how she does against a higher level fighter. Remember Tecia Torres beat Paige in Invicta. And Paige wants revenge. It shows that sometimes moving home to familiar surroundings can calm a fighter and give her renewed focus. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gallery

Artist:Gallery
Song:So Nice To Be With You
Album:Nice To Be With You: All Time Greatest Performances




Gallery scored a top five hit in 1972 with Nice To Be With You. Though they are perceived as a one hit wonder, they had a couple of other hits so they technically aren't one hit wonders. But most fans will only remember Nice To Be With You. The lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Gallery was Jim Gold. He was born Jan. 12, 1947 in Detroit. He started writing songs and playing guitar as a teen. In 1971, Gold was working as a welder during the day and playing clubs at night. He was spotted by Funk Brothers guitarist Dennis Coffey and was signed to Sussex Records which was also the home of Bill Withers. Gold wrote Nice To Be With You and Coffey produced the record. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gold thought he was a solo artist. But Sussex wanted a band and gave the act the name Gallery. Gold formed a band and went out on tour. They scored two more top 30 hits with a cover of the Mac Davis song I Believe In You and Big City Miss Ruth Ann. Gallery recorded a second album Gallery Featuring Jim Gold that didn't sell. Sussex ran into financial problems after Bill Withers won a lawsuit for back royalties. They closed in 1976 and that was the end of Gallery. This comp from Fuel 2000 has most of the two albums. When Sussex owner Clarence Avant started his new label Tabu, Gold recorded a couple of solo albums in the late 70s. He hasn't recorded since then but he still plays locally in Detroit. And I'm sure he gets plenty of royalty cheques for Nice To Be With You. Here's Gallery performing Nice To Be With You 1972.