AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Plus One

Artist:Plus One

Song:Written on My Heart

Album:The Promise

I have said for years that most of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is an attempt to produce Christian versions of popular mainstream bands. Plus One is one the most obvious examples of this as it is a CCM boy band. The 2000 single Written on My Heart topped the Christian chart. But I think the plan was to cross over to pop and that was unsuccessful. The idea to form a CCM boy band came from manager Mitchell Solarek in 1999. He owned a modelling agency and he moved to Nashville to get into the music business. As a Christian, he didn't like the overtly sexual trend in boy bands. After meeting 18 year old Sacramento native Nate Cole at a talent show, he decided to put a CCM boy band together. Combs knew 20 year old Pittsburg, CA. native Gabe Combs from the Northern California music scene. 21 year old Nathan Walters from Lakeland, FL heard about it from a friend of Cole's. 19 year old Jeremy Mhire of Springfield, MO was studying vocal at Southwest Missouri State University. 17 year old Jason Perry of Madison, IN was playing high school football. The name Plus One was a God reference. Atlantic Records was interested in them as a boy band like Backstreet Boys. I don't think they cared if they were CCM. I think Atlantic forgot that the 90s boy band craze was fading by then. They brought in veteran producer David Foster to supervise the 2000 album The Promise. The good news was the singles Written on My Heart and God Is in This Place topped the Christian chart and the album was certified Gold. The bad news was it didn't cross over to pop as Atlantic was hoping. So I think they were disappointed. Foster produced a couple of songs. But he brought in several producers like Buster & Shavoni, Harvey Mason Jr., Rodney Jerkins and Robbie Nevil. Written on My Heart was produced by Eric Foster White and he wrote the song with Stephanie Lewis. White had previously produced Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. Stephanie usually writes lyrics for CCM acts and she wrote a few songs on the album. Plus One recorded three albums for Atlantic including a Christmas album. After the 2002 album Obvious, Perry and Mhire left Plus One. Atlantic released them in 2003. The Promise is available as a budget CD. The remaining three members of Plus One signed with the CCM label Inpop. The 2003 album Exodus was produced by Peter Furler and Jeff Frankenstein of the CCM band Newsboys. Plus One split up after that. Plus One briefly reunited and released a single in 2014. Considering the way Atlantic handled them, Plus One would have been better off on a CCM label in the first place. Here's the video for Written on my Heart by Plus One. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clinton Kane

Artist:Clinton Kane

Song:Chicken Tendies

Album:Maybe Someday It'll All Be OK

After having viral success, Filipino singer songwriter Clinton Kane signed with Columbia Records. He has had success internationally. But after a dispute with an ex-girlfriend, he left Columbia and he just released a new album independently. He was born Clinton Kane Talabis Concon Nov. 26, 1999 in The Phillippines. Kane's father is an aircraft mechanic and his mother is a Pentecostal pastor. So the family moved a lot. He sang in church as a child. His parents split up when he was 14 and Kane and his two brothers were raised by their mother. Kane taught himself to play guitar and keyboards. He started posting videos on YouTube in 2016. Then he started writing songs as therapy and he released an EP in 2019. This got the attention of Dutch producer Martin Garrix. Kane appeared on Garrix's 2020 single Drown and that got Columbia's attention and they signed Kane to a record deal. Kane moved to Los Angeles and released the EP This Is What It Feels Like. Maybe Someday It'll All BE OK was first released as a 2021 EP. When the singles Chicken Tendies and I Guess I'm in Love both charted, It was expanded to a 2022 album. This is available as a digital download. Kane's music career unraveled when ex-girlfriend Brooke Schofield claimed that Kane lied about several things including his family. She is the co-host of the Cancelled podcast. The end result was Kane left Columbia and he is releasing a new album on his own label. It remains to be seen if Kane can recover from this. Here's the video for Chicken Tendies by Clinton Kane.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steel Breeze

Artist:Steel Breeze

Song:You Don't Want Me Anymore

Album:The Real '80s

You Don't Want Me Anymore was a top 20 hit in 1982. It was the only big hit for the band Steel Breeze. One of their other songs charted so they are not a one hit wonder. But I think I might be hard pressed to find anyone who remembers them. Steel Breeze was from Sacramento, CA. The band name is from the Pink Floyd song Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Band members were Ric Jacobs on vocals, Ken Goorabian and Wayne Carpenter on guitar, Rod Toner on keyboards, Vinnie Pantaleoni on bass and Barry Lowenthal on drums. Goorabian wrote most of the songs including You Don't Want Me Anymore. Toner first formed a band while in college in the late 70s. Steel Breeze was a more serious attempt than that. They started out playing California and Nevada. They recorded a demo. And they got their big break when veteran producer Kim Fowley (The Runaways) found their demo in a stack he found at a Hollywood nightclub. At the time, he was looking for a band that was similar to Journey. So he went to Sacramento to sign them and got them a deal with RCA Records. Fowley produced their 1982 debut album Steel Breeze and the single You Don't Want Me Anymore reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video for You Don't Want Me Anymore was frequently played on MTV. And in those days, many radio stations refused to play songs that were popular on MTV. So it was probably a bigger hit than its chart position. The album only reached #50 on the Billboard 200 So I think folks watched the video but weren't motivated to buy the album. BTW, this was Kim Fowley's final album of his long career. You can get You Don't Want Me Anymore on this 3CD various artists comp available at a reasonable price. Steel Breeze recorded a second album called Heart on the Line. But as sometimes happens, RCA went through a management shuffle. So the album was shelved and RCA released Steel Breeze. Heart on the Line was released by Toner in 1996. Though Steel Breeze last recorded in 1994, Toner still leads a version of the band in clubs. Gorrabian became a photographer. Lowenthal played for KBC Band which was a Jefferson Starship spinoff. It appears the others quit the music business. Here's the video for You Don't Want Me Anymore by Steel Breeze. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmie Davis

Artist:Jimmie Davis

Song:You Are My Sunshine

Album:The Jimmie Davis Collection 1929-47

Jimmie Davis was a pioneering country music performer who also served two terms as Governor of Louisiana. He is best known for the song You Are My Sunshine which he owned but did not write. I will explain. He was born Sept. 11, 1899 in Quitman, LA. His parents were sharecroppers. Davis was one of 11 children and he wasn't sure what year he was born. After graduating from high school. Davis graduated from Louisiana State University in 1927 with a Master of Arts in psychology. Davis started out teaching history and social studies at Dodd College for Girls in Shreveport. He also performed on the local radio station. Davis first recorded in 1929 in a style similar to Jimmie Rodgers. At first he recorded raunchy blues songs. He signed with Decca Records in 1934. By the late 30s, Davis was a fixture at the top of the country charts. Of course Davis' best known song is You Are My Sunshine. Davis and his partner Charles Mitchell owned the song. But they did not write or originally record it. You Are My Sunshine was written by Oliver Hood of The Rice Brothers Gang and owned by group leader Paul Rice. It was first recorded by The Pine Ridge Boys in 1939 and then The Rice Brothers Gang. But Rice did not copyright it. Mitchell heard You Are My Sunshine and played it for Davis. They contacted Rice and offered to buy the song. Rice needed money for his wife's medical bills. So he sold it and they copyrighted it in 1940. Davis' recorded You Are My Sunshine before he copyrighted it so his recording was not eligible for charts. But You Are My Sunshine has been covered by many artists including Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Ray Charles. Buying and selling songs was common practice in those days. Of course folks thought Davis wrote it but he never claimed that. Davis continued to record for Decca until the late 40s. You can get everything on this 2CD budget comp from the British reissue label Acrobat. These are original recordings. Davis was first elected Governor of Louisiana in 1944. He was elected again in 1960. Davis continued to perform until he retired in the 90s. He died on Nov. 5, 2000 at age 101. Here's Jimmie Davis performing You Are My Sunshine 1956.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dorothy Collins

Artist:Dorothy Collins

Song:Losing My Mind

Album:Follies: Original Broadway Cast

Dorothy Collins was a singer best known for her many appearances in TV, most notably on the 50s series Your Hit Parade. But the highlight of her career was when she was nominated for a Tony for playing Sally Durant Plummer in the 1971 Broadway musical Follies written by Stephen Sondheim. Losing My Mind was her big song. This was her only Broadway appearance. She was born Marjorie Chandler Nov. 18, 1926 in Windsor, ON. As a child, she sang on radio stations in Windsor and Detroit. Then at age 14, she was introduced to composer and bandleader Raymond Scott in Chicago. She became his protege and soon joined his band and toured with Scott. After Scott was hired to conduct the orchestra on the CBS radio show Your Hit Parade in 1949, Dorothy came with him. When Your Hit Parade moved to NBC in 1950, Scott continued to lead the band and Dorothy auditioned for and won a spot as a regular on the show. Meanwhile they married in 1952. Your Hit Parade was very popular in those days until it ended in 1959. Dorothy was so good at doing the Lucky Strike commercials that she became The Lucky Strike Girl. Dorothy also appeared on The Steve Allen Show and she co-hosted Candid Camera in the early 60s. Dorothy recorded for Coral Records in the 50s. She had three top 20 hits but Rock 'n' Roll ended her recording career. In the 60s, she continued to appear on TV variety shows like The Bell Telephone Hour and Hollywood Palace. She also worked with Scott when he wrote jingles for ad agencies when his TV work dried up. Some of these have been released on CD. They divorced in 1965. Dorothy had never appeared on Broadway when she was hired for Follies. But composer Stephen Sondheim and producer director Hal Prince knew Dorothy could sing because of Your Hit Parade. Remember they also hired Alexis Smith for Follies though she was not known as a singer. So I think they were thinking outside the box which is not surprising for Sondheim. It worked out and Dorothy was nominated for a Tony. The original cast album is available on CD. Dorothy retired in 1980 due to asthma and she died on July 21, 1994 at age 67. Here's Dorothy Collins performing Losing My Mind on the 1975 MDA Telethon. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clean Bandit

Artist:Clean Bandit f/Demi Lovato

Song:Solo

Album:What Is Love?

Clean Bandit is an EDM trio that mixes dance and pop with chamber music. They have had success mostly at home in England. None of them sing so they bring in big name vocalists. The 2018 single Solo features Demi Lovato and it topped the British charts. They have recently switched record labels and have a new album on the way. Jack Patterson writes and produces the music. His brother Luke plays drums. While attending Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in 2012, Patterson met cellist Grace Chatto who was in a string quartet. He told her he was interested in recording them and incorporating it into his own music. He recorded with his brother Jack and singer Love Ssega. Grace and violinist Neil Armin-Smith from the quartet joined the band known as Clean Bandit. Patterson says it's a rough translation of a Russian phrase meaning "complete bastard". Love Ssega soon left to return to school. Clean Bandit released a few singles and an EP on their own label. They did well enough to get them a record deal with Atlantic Records. The album New Eyes was released in 2014. The single Rather Be topped the British charts, was top ten in the US and charted worldwide. After Ssega left, Clean Bandit started using guest singers. The singer on Rather Be was Jess Glynne who soon signed a record deal with Atlantic. Rather Be won a Grammy for Best Dance Record. Clean Bandit should have made Jess permanent lead singer. They may not have offered it but she had solo aspirations anyway. So Clean Bandit continued to use guest singers on the 2018 album What Is Love?. There were several hit singles including Solo featuring Demi Lovato, It topped the British Singles chart. The album was certified Platinum in England. Patterson co-wrote and produced with Grace and various writers and producers. Producer Mark Ralph co-produced most of the album. He is an EDM veteran. Fred Gibson and Kamille also worked on the song. Interestingly, the album didn't do as well in the US. I believe Atlantic in New York pulled back on promotion because they wanted Patterson to make changes in the band. Patterson told the BBC he only dealt with British staff. But I assure you they were under orders from New York. They told them to remove the strings and be more EDM than pop. The reason for this is Clean Bandit does not have a full time lead singer. Atlantic believes, and I agree with them, that the lead singer is the personality of the group. Patterson is the group leader but most listeners don't know who he is. Patterson attempted to make the adjustments Atlantic requested. But Clean Bandit left Atlantic and have a new album coming soon from their new label B1/Ministry of Sound distributed by Sony. In recent interviews, Patterson has joked with media about hiring a permanent lead singer. But that's something he should have done ten years ago. Here's the video for Solo by Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glenn Miller

Artist:Glenn Miller f/Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke and The Modernaires

Song:Jukebox Saturday Night

Album:A Legendary Performer

Jukebox Saturday Night was a top ten hit for Glenn Miller in 1942. Miller had plenty of hits in those days. But the main reason I am writing about this song is there is a great video clip and I want to talk about the singers. Because that's who was featured on the record. Jukebox Saturday Night was written by Al Stillman and Paul McGrane. Stillman was a lyricist whose other big hits were the 1954 Perry Como Christmas perennial Home for the Holidays and the 1957 Johnny Mathis hit Chances Are. Jukebox Saturday Night was McGrane's only big hit. Marion Hutton and Tex Beneke are best known for their days with Miller. They both floundered after his death. Beneke attempted to start his own band but was unsuccessful. Marion was the sister of actress Betty Hutton. The Modernaires started out in their hometown of Buffalo. The three main members were Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein and Bill Conway. Dickinson married Paula Kelly in 1939 and she joined The Modernaires. They split up after Miller's death. This video has different performers on it as it was produced for the Panoram video jukebox manufactured by Mills Novelty. They were commonly called Soundies. Soundies were produced from 1939 to 1947. This Soundie was produced in 1944. The recording is not original. It was by The Soundies Orchestra under the direction of Jack Shandlin. The members of The Modernaires in this video were Tommy Morgan, Hal Dickinson, Harriet Clark, Fran Scott and Ralph Brewster. The most notable feature of Jukebox Saturday Night is The Modernaires imitating The Ink Spots and that is on the video. I may try to feature other Soundies in the future. I think many are lost but one never knows. I am always on the prowl for vintage videos. You can get Jukebox Saturday Night on this Glenn Miller budget comp. Here's the Soundie of The Modernaires performing Jukebox Saturday Night.