AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oran "Juice" Jones

Artist:Oran "Juice" Jones f/Vincent Bell

Song:The Rain

Album:Juice

The 1986 single The Rain was a top ten hit. It was the only chart single for R&B singer songwriter Oran "Juice" Jones. So he is a one hit wonder. He retired in 2008 to take care of his ailing mother. He was in the news a few years ago when he announced plans to sue his record label DefJam for unpaid royalties. He was born Mar. 28, 1957 in Houston but he grew up in Harlem in New York City. The most notable thing about Jones before he got into music is that he was a Brigade Commander in the US Naval Academy and a trained Marine Corps sniper. After he left the Navy, he planned to make music with rapper Kurtis Blow. He wrote the song Daydreaming for Blow. When there was a payment dispute, Blow suggested that Jones should go to DefJam and work with Russell Simmons. So he signed with DefJam. They were strictly known for rap so Simmons started ORB Records for R&B. Rain was the first single from the 1987 album Juice. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B Singles chart. Jones wrote the song and most of the album with Vincent Bell and Bell produced the album with Simmons. It looks like Bell was a DefJam house producer at the time. Bell also does the spoken word part at the end of the song. The girl in the video is model Danita Davis. This album is available on CD. Jones recorded three albums for DefJam. He charted on R&B but was unable to chart again on the Billboard Hot 100. He released the 1997 album Player's Call on Tommy Boy but that didn't sell either. Jones wrote and produced that album with Al Green's legendary producer Willie Mitchell. Jones retired from recording in 2008 to care for his ailing mother. He composes music for commercials so I assume he works for an ad agency. When The Rain was sampled in the film Suicide Squad, Jones announced that he planned to sue DefJam for unpaid royalties. It never went to court and was settled for a reported $2M. Jones still performs live and he has other business interests. Here's the video for The Rain by Oran "Juice" Jones. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rachel Proctor

Artist:Rachel Proctor

Song:Emily and Me

Album:Where I Belong

Country music singer songwriter Rachel Proctor scored a top twenty country hit with the 2004 single Me and Emily. She has had most of her success as a songwriter and she is still doing that today. She was born Aug. 11, 1974 in Charleston, WV. She began performing as a child. As a teen, she got a manager and competed on Star Search. Then she started writing songs and played in local bands. Then she moved to Nashville in pursuit of a record deal. Rachel's big break came when Martina McBride recorded one of her songs Where Would You Be and that reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. And then she signed with BNA Records. BNA was owned by RCA and they had success in the 90s. By the time Rachel signed with them, Sony bought RCA and of course that sort of thing is always a mess. Rachel released the 2004 album Where I Belong. Emily and Me was the third single and it reached #18 on the Country Singles chart. My guess is Rachel didn't get much of a promotion budget or it would have done better. She wrote the song with Chris Tompkins who has written hits for Carrie Underwood. Emily and Me is about a woman and her daughter escaping an abusive relationship. So it resonated with listeners. It just needed better promotion. The song intro will remind you of Marc Cohn's Walking in Memphis. Rachel co-wrote six of the eleven songs on the album. The album was produced by Chris Lindsey who produced number one country hits for Chris Cagle and Mark Willis. This album is available as a budget CD. Rachel left BNA and these days she is a full time songwriter. She released a couple of albums on her own label, most recently in 2009. Rachel hasn't had a chart single since 2012. But she still takes songwriter meetings. Some of her songs have been recorded. But she hasn't charted lately. But one never knows. She could score a big hit tomorrow. Her family keeps her busy though. Here's the video for Emily and Me by Rachel Proctor. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dion

Artist:Dion

Song:Abraham, Martin and John

Album:The Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher

Most folks should be familiar with Dion DiMucci as leader of the group Dion and the Belmonts and then as a solo artist. He had several hits in the early 60s and then a long dry period until the 1968 top five single Abraham, Martin and John. This would turn out to be Dion's final big hit. But he's still around and published his memoir last year. Dion left The Belmonts in 1960 and topped the charts with the 1961 single Runaround Sue followed by the 1962 top five hit The Wanderer. Then he left Laurie for Columbia and his first single for Columbia Ruby Baby reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dion was the first Rock 'n' Roll artist on Columbia because A&R head Mitch Miller hated Rock 'n' Roll. John Hammond signed Dion. After two more hits, the British Invasion rolled over guys like Dion. Plus he had a drug addiction. After Dion stalled at Columbia, he returned to Laurie. But he wasn't having much luck until the 1968 single Abraham, Martin and John reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dion also kicked his drug habit and became a born again Christian. Abraham, Martin and John was written by Dick Holler. He led the band The Holidays. They never had a hit single. So Holler's friend and producer Phil Gernhard told him to stick to songwriting. Holler's song Snoopy vs the Red Baron reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 by The Royal Guardsmen in 1966. That was on Laurie. So they asked Gernhard if Holler had any more songs. And he came up with Abraham, Martin and John. It appeared on Dion's 1968 album Dion which was produced by Gernhard. Plus the single was released right after Bobby Kennedy was murdered. Needless to say, Abraham, Martin and John was a big hit and still resonates today. The 1968 album Dion is mostly folk music covers so I can't recommend it. But you can get it on Dion's new CD The Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher. This was released to help promote Dion's memoir also called The Rock 'N' Roll Philosopher. The CD not only has Dion's hits but guest appearances by guitarists Joe Bonamassa, Sonny Landreth, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton. This is on Bonamassa's label Keeping The Blues Alive Records (KTBA). It looks like he started this label to record his friends. Dion has recorded several recent albums for KTBA. Dion has been touring so check him out if he's coming your way. Here's Dion performing Abraham, Martin and John on a 1968 episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Check out that haircut. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rachael Yamagata

Artist:Rachael Yamagata

Song:Worn Me Down

Album:Happenstance

When she first started out twenty years ago, it was thought in the music industry that singer songwriter Rachael Yamagata would become this big global superstar. But it didn't happen and now she finances her own music through PledgeMusic. Rachael was twice the victim of corporate restructuring and she fell through the cracks. Rachael was born Sept. 23, 1977 in Arlington, VA. Her father is Japanese American and her mother is Italian. Comedian Josh Ruben is her half brother. She attended Northwestern University and Vassar College. Rachael toured for six years as lead singer of the band Bumpus. She left in 2001 and signed a record deal with Private Music. Private started out in the 80s as a new age label similar to Windham Hill. RCA bought them in 1996 and attempted to turn it into a mainstream music label. By the time Rachael signed with Private, they were part of Arista. Then Sony merged with RCA and by the time Rachael's 2004 debut album Happenstance was released, she was on RCA. They didn't seem to know how to promote her. So they placed her songs on all kinds of films and TV shows. At best that is a hit or miss strategy. Not surprisingly, it didn't work. Worn Me Down was the lead single. The song appeared on the TV shows Charmed, Miss Match, The O.C. and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. Rachael wrote the song. The album was produced by The Dave Matthews Band producer John Alagia. RCA dropped Rachael. But they probably should have let her go after the merger. The people who signed her weren't there anymore. Rachael signed with Warner Bros. and released the 2008 album Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart. The same thing happened there. There was corporate restructuring going on and the people who signed her weren't there anymore. Since then Rachael has mostly recorded for her own label. Her latest album was released on the indie label Jullian. Happenstance is available on CD. I don't think Rachael was a commercial artist anyway. She probably would have been better off on an indie label in the first place. Here's the video for Worn Me Down by Rachael Yamagata. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dan Hill

Artist:Dan Hill f/Vonda Shepard

Song:Can't We Try

Album:Love of My Life: The Best of Dan Hill

Of course most folks are familiar with Canadian singer songwriter Dan Hill for his 1977 top five hit Sometimes When We Touch. He also scored a top ten hit with the 1987 single Can't We Try. This was for the NBC daytime soap Santa Barbara. This was not the first time a soap spawned a hit like this. Vonda Shepard was unknown at the time. This was her first recording. She is best known for the TV series Ally McBeal. Vonda was born Jan. 7, 1963 in New York City but she grew up in Los Angeles. Her father was mime Richmond Shepard. Vonda started out as a backup singer in a local recording studio. Hill was recording Can't We Try which he wrote with his wife. He was looking for a duet partner and he was unhappy with the singers who were auditioning. The recording studio manager knew Vonda and she lived nearby so she could walk to the studio. She nailed the audition and Can't We Try appeared on Santa Barbara and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was from Hill's 1987 album Dan Hill on Columbia. The album was produced by John Capek who knew Hill in Canada. He also played keyboards and co-wrote much of the album with Hill. The vocals were produced by Hank Medress formerly of The Tokens. Though Vonda was unknown, she had already signed a record deal with Reprise Records. After the 1989 album Vonda Shepard was released, the A&R exec who signed her was fired. They dropped her and she recorded a couple of albums for small labels. By 1996, Vonda was still performing in local clubs. She asked Michelle Pfeiffer and her TV producer husband David E. Kelley to come see her. At the time Kelley was developing the TV series Ally McBeal. And he was looking for a singer to be the voice of the inner thoughts of the Ally McBeal character. Vonda appeared on the entire run of the show. Vonda is still around. She last released an album in 2022. And Dan Hill is still around writing occasional songs. He released his latest album in 2021. You can get Can't We Try on this Dan Hill comp which also contains Sometimes When We Touch. Here's the video for Can't We Try by Dan Hill featuring Vonda Shepard.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Two Gallants

Artist:Two Gallants

Song:Fly Low Carrion Crow

Album:Two Gallants

Two Gallants is an indie folk duo from San Francisco. They had modest success twenty years ago. They went on hiatus in 2008 and returned in 2012. After two more albums, they went on hiatus again. This time it looks more permanent but they are hedging their bets just in case. Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel knew each other while growing up in San Francisco. They were in bands while in high school. After they both learned about blues, they decided to form Two Gallants in 2002. The band name is from a James Joyce short story. They write and produce everything themselves. On stage it looks like they both play guitar which is why I label them as a folk duo. In the studio, Stephens sings lead and plays guitar and harmonica. Vogel plays drums. But they decided not to turn it into a band for live performances. At first Two Gallants performed in Sn Francisco clubs and busking outside BART stations. Then they released their 2004 debut album The Throes on the indie label Alive Records. Their big break came when Pitchfork's Jonathan Zwickel gave the album a rave review of 8.5/10. That generated interest and Two Gallants expanded their touring. They also realized that for the 2006 album What the Toll Tells, they needed to sign with a larger label with better distribution. So they signed with Omaha based indie label Saddle Creek Records owned by Conor Oberst's brother Justin Oberst. They appeared on Saddle Creek's CMJ Showcase at New York City's Bowery Ballroom and they played a couple of festivals in England. What the Toll Tells wasn't received as well as the first album. But Two Gallants toured North America so that got them out there. Fly Low Carrion Crow is from the 2008 album Two Gallants. The album got mixed reviews similar to the previous album which means the rave review for the first album was probably overpraised by this one guy. It just came at a good time for Two Gallants. The 2008 album Two Gallants is available as a digital download. They appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and continued to tour. After six years of touring, Two Gallants decided to go on hiatus in the summer of 2008. Both recorded albums and neither was received as well than when they were a duo. Two Gallants returned in 2012 with the album The Bloom and the Blight on Dave Matthews' ATO label followed by the 2015 album We Are Undone. They tried to make their music more mainstream rock. But that made some listeners wish for the sound of the early albums. After touring Two Gallants again decided to go on hiatus. And they are still on hiatus. It seems more permanent but they are not ready to admit to a permanent split. So Two Gallants was around for over a decade because of one fluke rave review. Subsequent results indicate that they weren't that good in the first place. That kind of thing can happen with indie music. Here's Two Gallants performing Fly Low Carrion Crow by Seattle radio station KEXP at the 2008 Bumbershoot Music Lounge in Seattle.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carmen Cusack

Artist:Carmen Cusack

Song:Sun Is Gonna Shine

Album:Bright Star: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Carmen Cusack is a Broadway performer who was nominated for a Tony for the 2016 musical Bright Star. She was also nominated for the 2022 musical Flying Over Sunset. She got good reviews but neither show was a hit. I guess Broadway has never fully recovered from COVID which is why we are seeing so many Jukebox Musicals playing there. She was born Apr. 25, 1971 in Denver but she grew up with her grandparents in Fountain, TX. She grew up singing in church. Carmen graduated from University of North Texas with a performing arts degree. Carmen took a job performing on the MS Queen Elizabeth 2. That's when she met her husband and moved to England. After appearing in some British musical productions like Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, Carmen returned to the US in 2006 and was a standby for the Chicago production of Wicked. Then she was cast in the touring production of Wicked. Carmen got her big break when she was cast to star as Alice Murphy in the 2016 musical Bright Star. This was a new musical written by the husband wife team of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. It's based on their 2013 album Love Has Come for You set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. So it's kind of a bluegrass musical. Carmen got positive reviews and was nominated for a Tony. But Bright Star got mixed reviews. It opened in March 2016 and closed in June. So it was not a big success. The original cast album is available as a digital download. Carmen did the national tour for Bright Star. Carmen was also Tony nominated for the 2021 musical Flying Over Sunset. But the show was adversely affected by COVID and didn't last long. Carmen hasn't done much in films or TV. She was supposed to be in the 2019 NBC series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist but was replaced by Lauren Graham. Her only film appearance was in the 2019 Fred Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. She and her husband now live in Los Angeles. She has been appearing live. But she wants to get into films and TV. Here's Carmen Cusack performing Sun Is Gonna Shine from Bright Star at From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando at the Disney Theater in Orlando, FL July 25, 2016.