AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Firm

Artist:The Firm

Song:Star Trekkin'

Album:1987: Where Were You?

Not to be confused with the 80s supergroup The Firm led by Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page, this act called The Firm topped the British charts with the 1987 novelty song Star Trekkin'. You may have heard this if you listen to the Dr. Demento radio show. The guy behind this Star Trek spoof is British guitarist John O'Connor. He studied guitar at the London College of Music. He opened Bark Studio in North London and played sessions and produced. He also toured with Steeleye Span lead singer Maddy Prior. With his pal Grahame Lister, O'Connor wrote and produced the 1982 novelty song Arthur Daley E's Alright based on a character in the TV series Minder. It used catchphrases from the show. They decided to call themselves The Firm. The big surprise was when the record reached #14 on the British Singles chart and The Firm appeared on the TV show Top of the Pops. After follow up records didn't chart, The Firm decided to take on Star Trek in 1987. The song was written by Rory Kehoe. He was a member of an English Civil War reenactment group called The Sealed Knot. He wrote this Star Trek parody that was sung in pubs to the tune of I Am a Fine Musician from The Music Man and popularized by an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was called I Am the Star Trek Man. Lister heard the song performed in a folk club and he took it to O'Connor. They scrapped the melody and wrote a new song. When record labels weren't interested, O'Connor decided to record it in his own studio. O'Connor and Lister did the vocals. Their friends played the music. A group of art students called The Film Garage used puppetry and stop motion animation to produce a video. After Star Trekkin' topped the British charts, K-Tel picked it up and The Firm released an album. It did not chart in the US but it has been a Dr. Demento favorite for years. If you are wondering why Paramount didn't sue The Firm, the song is considered a harmless parody and it's likely a lawsuit would have been unsuccessful. I tried to find a Dr. Demento album that contained Star Trekkin' but none are in print. So you can get it on this Australian various artists comp. Soon after, O'Connor moved to California. He lives in Santa Barbara. O'Connor recorded New Age music as Eko on Higher Octave Records. He recorded four albums as Eko. Then he composed the music for the FOX TV series The King of the Hill. It looks like he's retired and living off royalties. He says he buys plenty of new gear for his home recording studio. Here's the video for Star Trekkin' by The Firm.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mocedades

Artist:Mocedades

Song:Eres Tu

Album:Nuestras 30 Mejores Canciones

The Spanish group Mocedades has been around since the late 60s. They have had success mostly in Europe. But they scored a US top ten hit with the 1973 single Eres Tu. The song finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest and it was a worldwide hit. It all began in 1967 in the Basque city of Bilbao by sisters Amaya, Isazkun and Estibaliz Uranga. They called themselves Las Hermanas Uranga. When their brothers and friends joined the group during rehearsals, the group name was changed to Voces et Guitarras. They sang mostly folk and spiritual music. After they sent a demo to producer Juan Carlos Calderon, he changed the group name to Mocedades (meaning youths) and got them a record deal with the Spanish label Zafiro. Calderon wrote and produced the songs. The membership of Mocedades has been very fluid over the years. Currently there are two "official" versions of the group. So they come and go. In 1973 they were Amaya and Isazkun Uranga, their brother Roberto Uranga, Javier Garay and Jose Ibina who both returned to the group after military service and newcomer Carlos Zubiaga. In Spain, this version of Mocedades is called "The Six Historic Ones". Calderon wrote Eres Tu and Television Espaniola (TVE) chose it as an official entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. This is organized by European broadcasters so TVE had to produce a video clip. The contest was held in Luxembourg and broadcast live across Europe. It's a big deal there. Eres Tu finished second in the contest and Zafiro released it as a single. It was released in the US by Paramount owned Famous Music. There was an English version on the B side with lyrics by British songwriter Mike Hawker. He co-wrote the Dusty Springfield hit I Only Want to Be with You. But radio stations preferred the Spanish version and it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get it on this 2CD comp. Not surprisingly, this turned out to be Mocedades' only hit in the US. They continue to have success in Europe. As I said, there are two versions of Mocedades touring. One is led by Isazkun Uranga and the other is led by Javier Garay. The split was in 2013. Both groups are legal because the two leaders were part of the original Mocedades who registered the name. Anyway, that's enough of the legal wrangling. Here's the video for Eres Tu by Mocedades.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Margery MacKay

Artist:Margery MacKay

Song:Climb Ev'ry Mountain

Album:The Sound of Music: An Original Soundtrack Recording: Deluxe Edition

Peggy Wood was a character actress who got a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for playing Mother Abbess in the 1965 film The Sound of Music. This was her final film appearance. You may recall her performance of the song Climb Ev'ry Mountain. Except her singing voice was dubbed by Margery MacKay. Disappointed? I'll get to that later. You older folks may remember Peggy starring in the CBS TV series Mama from 1948-57. She was born Mary Margaret Wood Feb. 8, 1892 in Brooklyn, NY. Her father was a journalist and her mother was a telegraph operator. Peggy studied voice in France with opera singer Emma Calve. She started out on Broadway in the chorus. Peggy starred in the 1917 musical Maytime. Her other big shows were The Merchant of Venice in 1928 and Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet in 1929. She also starred in the 1941 production of Blithe Spirit. Peggy did appear in films usually in supporting roles in films like A Star Is Born (1937), The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939) and The Bride Wore Boots (1946). Her most memorable role was in the CBS TV series Mama which was based on the film I Remember Mama. After the show ended, she did TV guest shots and had a co-starring role in the 1960 film The Story of Ruth. It's likely that The Sound of Music director Robert Wise saw Peggy in this film and cast her in the role of Mother Abbess. Of course Peggy could sing. So why did Wise have Margery MacKay dub her singing. According to Marni Nixon, who also appeared in The Sound of Music, Peggy knew she no longer had the vocal range to handle Climb Ev'ry Mountain so she was OK with it. Who was Margery MacKay? She was married to Los Angeles Civic Light Opera musical director Harper MacKay and that's where she did most of her singing. She was never a full time actress or singer. I know many fans dislike dubbing in films. But if Peggy was OK with this, so am I. The Sound of Music soundtrack is available in a Deluxe Edition. The Sound of Music was Peggy's final film role. She appeared in the daytime soap One Life to Live and retired in 1969. She died on Mar. 18, 1978 at age 86. Here's Peggy Wood with vocals by Margery MacKay performing Climb Ev'ry Mountain in the 1965 film The Sound of Music.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Artist:Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Song:In the Mood

Album:Mighty Instrumental Hits R&B Style

Jazz trombonist and bandleader Ernie Fields scored a top five hit with his 1959 instrumental cover of Glenn Miller's In the Mood. A couple of his other singles charted so he was not a one hit wonder. But In the Mood was his only memorable recording. He was born Aug. 28, 1904 in Nacogdoches, TX and raised in Taft, OK in Muskogee county. After graduating from Tuskegee University in 1924, Fields moved to Tulsa. He led what was called a "territory" band in the 30s called The Royal Entertainers. Lots of guys went through that band. And in 1939, Columbia Records producer John Hammond wanted Fields to record for Vocalion and tour nationally. Fields didn't want to leave Tulsa but he realized he couldn't make a living there. After WWII, Fields started performing standards like Tuxedo Junction and Begin the Beguine in a rocking R&B style. He moved to Los Angeles in the 50s and led the house band for Rendezvous Records owned by songwriter Leon Rene. He wrote The Ink Spots hit When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano. He usually worked with his brother Otis Rene. They owned Exclusive and Excelsior Records from 1944-51. They closed after 78rpm records became obsolete. Rene started Class Records and their biggest hit was the 1958 Bobby Day hit Rockin' Robin. Rene started Rendezvous and hired Fields to run the house band. They played on Rockin' Robin. Then Fields got to record with this band. And the big surprise was when Fields' cover of In the Mood reached #4 on the Billboard Singles chart. The band was all Los Angeles studio musicians. The lead sax is by Plas Johnson, best known as lead sax on Henry Mancini's theme for the film The Pink Panther. The other musicians were Ernie Freeman on piano, Rene Hall on guitar, Red Callender on bass and Earl Palmer on drums. You can get In the Mood on this 5CD box set of classic R&B instrumentals. This same band recorded as B. Bumble and the Stingers in 1961. After Rendezvous closed in 1963, Fields retired from music and moved back to Tulsa. His son Ernie Fields Jr. was a session saxophonist and music contractor for American Idol. He died in 2024. After he retired, Ernie Fields was a promoter and talent manager in Tulsa. He died on May 1, 1997 at age 92. Here's a video for In the Mood by Ernie Fields & His Orchestra.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chynna Phillips

Artist:Chynna Phillips

Song:One Boy

Album:Bye Bye Birdie: The New Soundtrack Recording

Most of you should recall Chynna Phillips from the trio Wilson Phillips with Carnie and Wendy Wilson. They scored three hit singles from their 1990 debut album Wilson Phillips. It sold eight million copies. When their 1992 follow up album Shadows and Light was a commercial disappointment, that ended the group and all three slipped into obscurity. This appearance in the 1995  ABC TV movie of the musical Bye Bye Birdie is probably Chynna's highest profile appearance. She was born Feb. 12, 1968 in Los Angeles. Her parents are John and Michelle Phillips of the 60s pop group The Mamas and the Papas. Chynna got into acting and appeared in the films Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Caddyshack II (1988) and Say Anything (1989). She also appeared in some TV movies. Then she formed Wilson Phillips and they had brief success. After they split up, Chynna had met actor William Baldwin and they married in 1995. They have three kids. Chynna attempted to launch a solo career with the 1995 album Naked and Scared on EMI. Chynna co-wrote most of the songs on the album. About half of the album was written and produced by veteran producer Desmond Child. So she worked with top producers and EMI paid her a million bucks. But the album flopped. Meanwhile, Chynna appeared in this TV movie of the popular musical Bye Bye Birdie. The film starred Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. Marc Kudisch played Conrad Birdie and Chynna played his love interest Kim. The film was directed by Broadway veteran Gene Saks and produced by veteran TV movie producer Robert Halmi Sr. The soundtrack is available as a digital download. She attempted to reform Wilson Phillips a few times. They released three albums that went nowhere. Recently, Wilson Phillips competed in the 2022 season of The Masked Singer. That's where nostalgia acts appear. Here's Chynna Phillips performing One Boy in the 1995 TV movie Bye Bye Birdie.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nikki Renee Daniels

Artist:Nikki Renee Daniels

Song:Summertime

Album:The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: New Broadway Cast Recording

Nikki Renee Daniels has appeared on Broadway since 2000. She is probably best known for playing Clara in the 2012 production of the Gershwin musical Porgy & Bess. In recent years she has concentrated more on concert tours. But she has returned to Broadway so I would guess she will appear there again. Nikki was born Jan. 10 but she does not disclose her year of birth. She was born in Atlanta. Her mother was a teacher and her father managed a meat packing company. After graduating from a performing arts high school, she earned a BFA in Musical Theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Nikki moved to New York City and made her Broadway debut in Aida in 2000. She was mostly an understudy. Other shows include Nine (2003), Lestat (2006) and Anything Goes (2006). She was mostly an understudy until she got her break as Clara in the 2012 revival of Porgy & Bess. The stars were Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life. The production was criticized for trying to make Porgy & Bess relevant to contemporary audiences. But the show ran for about a year and it was nominated for ten Tony awards. The original cast album is available as a digital download. After that Nikki appeared in the 2014 production of The Book of Mormon. Meanwhile, Nikki released the 2012 album Home produced by her husband Jeff Kready. So she toured to promote the album. Nikki returned to the stage in the 2019 Chicago production of Hamilton followed by Broadway revivals of Company (2021) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). Nikki has also appeared in the films Wicked (2024) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) and in the TV shows Billions (2022) and The Equalizer (2023). Like many Broadway performers, Nikki appears with regional orchestras and in New York clubs. Here's Nikki Renee Daniels performing Summertime at Birdland in New York City Dec. 19, 2020. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Camp

Artist:Steve Camp

Song:Lazy Jane

Album:Compact Favorites

CCM singer songwriter Steve Camp had success beginning with his 1985 Sparrow Records debut album Shake Me to Wake Me and debut single Lazy Jane. This was at a time when CCM labels were trying to cross their artists over to pop a la Amy Grant. I don't know if Sparrow tried to do that with Camp but Lazy Jane is a pretty good audition for that. BTW, Steve Camp is not related to CCM singer Jeremy Camp. He was born Apr. 13, 1955 in Wheaton, IL. which is west of Chicago. His parents were Christian and that's how he was raised. He was friends with Jesus music pioneers Larry Norman and Keith Green and they helped him chose music as a career. Camp attended Roosevelt University in Chicago where he majored in music composition and theory. His key collaborator in his early days was Rob Frazier formerly of Petra. Camp signed with Word's Myrrh label in 1977. He recorded four albums for Myrrh and switched to EMI's Sparrow label. He worked with Frazier on the 1985 album Shake Me To Wake Me. They wrote most of the songs together including Lazy Jane and produced. Frazier went on to a solo career. But he has had more success as a songwriter and producer. As I said, Lazy Jane almost seems like Camp is telling Sparrow that he wants to cross over to pop. It's typical of pop music fromthat time. The album was recorded with studio musicians. The Sax solo is by Jim Horn. Sparrow released this comp in 1998 which is available as a digital download. Camp left Sparrow for Warner Bros.' Warner Alliance. and he had his greatest success with the 1993 album Taking Heaven By Storm produced by Michael Omartian. The problem was Warner Alliance was soon closed. Camp hosted a radio talk show AudienceONE Ministries and last released an album in 2024 on his own label. He is currently the senior pastor at The Cross Church in Palm City, FL. Here's the video for Lazy Jane by Steve Camp.