AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michele Lee

Artist:Michele Lee

Song:I Believe in You

Album:How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Actress Michele Lee is best known for appearing in every episode of the prime time soap Knots Landing. But she got her start in the 1967 film How To Succeed in Business Without Trying. She was born Michelle Lee Dusick June 24, 1943 in Los Angeles. Her father was Hollywood makeup artist Jack Dusick. Michele performed as a child and made her TV debut in a 1961 episode of the sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Then she appeared on variety shows like The Red Skelton Show and The Danny Kaye Show. She was a replacement in the 1962 Broadway musical version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She is not on the original cast album. After appearing in the Broadway musical Bravo Giovanni, United Artists paid a million dollars for the film rights of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Director David Swift cast Michele as female lead Rosemary Pilkington. Apparently, several of Michele's songs were cut from the film but she gave great performance of the song I Believe in You. Rykodisc released the original cast album on CD in 2006. Michele recorded two albums for Columbia but they didn't sell. Her other big film at the time was the 1969 film The Love Bug. Michele decided to take time off after the birth of her son. She was Tony nominated for the 1974 musical Seesaw. CBS shot a pilot for the 1974 sitcom The Michele Lee Show. It was not picked up. Michele did TV guest shots until she got the role of Karen Fairgate in the Dallas spinoff Knots Landing. That show ran from 1979-93 and Michele was on every episode. She became very popular with soap fans. And Knots Landing was a big part of Michele's career. After Knots Landing, Michele appeared in TV movies. She even directed one for Lifetime. She returned to Broadway and was Tony nominated for the 2000 play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. She played Ben Stiller's mother in the 2004 film Along Came Polly. She returned to Broadway to play Madame Morrible in the 2015 revival of the musical Wicked. Currently, Michele and her Knots Landing costars Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills do a podcast We're Knot Done Yet. There are 64 episodes which can be viewed on YouTube. Here's Michele Lee performing I Believe in You from the 1967 film How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Erasure

Artist:Erasure

Song:Oh L'amour

Album:Pop! First 20 Hits

The synth pop duo Erasure have had success mostly in their native England and on the dance charts. Oh L'amour is one of their most popular songs. Andy Bell is the lead singer. Vince Clarke plays keyboards. They write most of the songs together. Clarke was in Depeche Mode and he wrote their big hit Just Can't Get Enough. Clarke left Depeche Mode because he didn't like fame, touring and the band wasn't getting along. He formed Yazoo with Alison Moyet. After releasing two successful albums, they split up because they weren't getting along. Clarke formed The Assembly with recording engineer Eric Radcliffe. Their one single Never Never featuring Feargal Sharkey was a top five hit in England. The plan was to use guest singers on each song. Clarke decided not to continue and he placed an ad in the music paper Melody Maker. Andy Bell answered the ad and Erasure was born. They signed with the British indie label Mute Records and released three singles including Oh L'amour followed by the 1986 album Wonderland. Clarke and Bell wrote the songs. The album was produced by Mute house producer Mark "Flood" Ellis. L'amour wasn't a hit at first. But it reached #10 on the British Singles chart when a remix was on the 2003 comp Hits! The Very Best of Erasure. That comp is out of print but you can get L'amour on Pop! First 20 Hits. As I said, Erasure has had success mostly in England and in the dance market. Erasure released their 19th album in 2022. Clarke recently announced in an interview with NME that Erasure is retiring from touring. So they may continue to record. Clarke currently leads the band Doublespeak and an album was released in May. Here's the video for L'amour by Erasure.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rushlow

Artist:Rushlow

Song:I Can't Be Your Friend

Album:Right Now

When the country band Little Texas split up in 1997, lead singer Tim Rushlow recorded solo at first. He signed with Atlantic Records and released a 2001 album. He scored a top ten country hit with the single She Misses Him. After Atlantic closed their Nashville office, Rushlow said that he was uncomfortable as a solo artist. He would rather front a band as he did with Little Texas. He got together with his cousin Doni Harris and they kept an eye out for possible band members. Harris played guitar on Rushlow's solo album. They spotted guitarist Kurt Allison at a club and he brought in bassist Tully Kennedy and drummer Rich Redmond. They were roommates backing up a singer. Keyboardist Billy Welch was brought in to round out the band. They signed with Disney owned Lyric Street Records on the condition that the band is called Rushlow. The 2003 album Right Now was released and the single I Can't Be Your Friend reached #16 on the Country Singles chart. Rushlow wrote three of the songs on the album. I Can't Be Your Friend was written by veteran songwriter Rodney Clawson and Brad Crisler. Christy DiNapoli produced. The album is available as a digital download. It appears that neither the band or Lyric Street was happy with the album. So the members of Rushlow left and joined Jason Aldean's band. Rushlow and Harris formed Rushlow Harris and signed with Toby Keith's label Show Dog. After releasing two singles they split up. In 2017, Rushlow recorded a couple of albums as Tim Rushlow & His Big Band. In 2017, Rushlow formed The Frontmen with former Restless Heart lead singer Larry Stewart and former Lonestar lead singer Richie McDonald. They turned it into a full time band in 2021 and released a 2024 album on BBR Music Group. They take turns singing lead and are currently on tour. Here's the video for I Can't Be Your Friend by Rushlow.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blotto

Artist:Blotto

Song:I Wanna Be a Lifeguard

Album:Collected Works

The band Blotto were an early MTV success story when their video for the song I Wanna Be a Lifeguard was played on MTV's first day. It was never a radio hit because in those days radio stations refused to play MTV hits. Blotto is from Albany, NY. Blotto was called The Star Spangled Washboard Band when they formed in the mid 70s. They appeared on The Mike Douglas Show and the New York Times described them as a mix of Earl Scruggs and The Three Stooges. After the band split up, four of the members stayed together and named themselves Blotto after a 1931 Thorne Smith novel. Influenced by The Ramones, all the members took the surname Blotto. The leader of Blotto is Bill Polchinski on guitar. He wrote all the songs. The other members were Paul Jossman on guitar, Keith Stephenson on bass, Helena Binder on keyboards, Paul Rapp on drums and Greg Haymes on percussion. He also was the graphic designer. Blotto played local clubs and released the single I Wanna Be a Lifeguard. New York radio station WNEW DJ Vin Scelsa started playing it and I Wanna Be a Lifeguard became the theme for the Jones Beach lifeguards. Dr. Demento played the record. Blotto toured the Northeast US and self released a couple of EPs. Then with the help of students at SUNY Albany, a music video for I Wanna Be a Lifeguard was produced. Blotto sent the video to MTV and it was played on their first day broadcasting. It was the first MTV hit. Blotto released the album Combo Akimbo on the children's record label Peter Pan Records. They released two more videos which Sony released on VHS. Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult appeared in the video for Metalhead. But despite a level of fame, Blotto still couldn't get a record deal. They were going to sign with Boardwalk Records but they closed. And they talked with Atlantic Records and couldn't make a deal. Record labels viewed Blotto as a novelty act that would have limited success. So they split up in 1984 and went on to other things. Paul Rapp became a lawyer. The reissue label One Way Records released this comp in 2005. It is available as a digital download. Keith Stephenson died in 1999. Greg Haymes died in 2019. Blotto reunites occasionally for special occasions. A documentary called Hello! My Name Is Blotto: The Movie. It played at last year's Susquehanna Film Festival in Williamsport, PA. It is not streaming but you can buy a DVD on Blotto's website. Here's the video for I Wanna Be a Lifeguard by Blotto. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Georgia Brown

Artist:Georgia Brown

Song:As Long As He Needs Me

Album:Lionel Bart's Oliver!: The Original Broadway Cast Recording

British singer and actress Georgia Brown had her greatest success when she played Nancy in the 1960 London production of the musical Oliver!. She played the same role in the 1963 Broadway production and was nominated for a Tony. She also recorded and appeared in films and TV. But I don't think anything else she did was memorable. She was born Lilian Claire Klot Oct. 21, 1933 in Whitechapel, London, England. She is Jewish of Russian descent. Her father worked in a textile factory. During the London Blitz, Georgia was evacuated to Wales. When she started out as a nightclub singer, she took the stage name Georgia Brown after the song Sweet Georgia Brown. She signed with Decca Records and released a couple of songs including Sweet Georgia Brown in 1951. She played local clubs to promote them. Georgia lived with singer Annie Ross and was a member of the jazz vocal group that became Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Georgia appeared on the BBC show Variety Parade in 1955. Then she got the role of Lucy in the 1956 London revival of Kurt Weill's musical The Threepenny Opera. She also appeared in the 1957 off Broadway production. Then she got her big break when she was cast in Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! which was an adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. She got lucky. Bart was a childhood neighbor and greeted her as "Lily". Georgia auditioned and won the role. Bart said that he hoped to cast Alma Cogan as Nancy. But after Georgia auditioned, he wrote the song As Long As He Needs Me for her. Georgia also appeared in the 1963 Broadway production of Oliver! and was nominated for a Tony. The cast album is available on CD. If you are wondering about the 1969 film Oliver!. Nancy was played by Shani Wallis. They knew each other and were the same age. Supposedly director Carol Reed saw Shani on The Ed Sullivan Show and preferred her voice. Georgia returned to England and appeared in films like A Study in Terror (1965), The Fixer (1968). She also appeared in the 1970 BBC series The Roads to Freedom. Georgia returned to Broadway in 1977 and appeared in the revue Side by Side by Sondheim. Georgia got another Tony nomination for appearing in the 1989 revival of The Threepenny Opera. After that, she made concert appearances and TV guest shots on shows like Murder, She Wrote and as Carla Tortelli's spiritual advisor Madame Lazora in a 1990 episode of Cheers. That got her an Emmy nomination. She appeared in a couple of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Georgia lived in Los Angeles. She went to London to appear on a Sammy Davis Jr. tribute show. While there, Georgia underwent emergency surgery for an intestinal obstruction and died on July 5, 1992 at age 58. Here's Georgia Brown performing As Long As He Needs Me on The Ed Sullivan Show Jan. 20, 1963.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-DJ Sammy

Artist:DJ Sammy w/Yanou f/Do

Song:Heaven

Album:Heaven

Spanish DJ Samuel "DJ Sammy" Bouriah scored a top ten hit with this 2002 disco cover of the Bryan Adams song Heaven. It topped the British charts. Here he is a one hit wonder. But he's had chart success in Europe but not lately. He was born Oct. 19, 1969 in Mallorca, Spain. He started performing in local clubs in 1984. Bouriah studied as a sound technician at the Mallorca Music College. He met Dutch dancer and singer Loona in 1991. They started performing together. Bouriah released his first single Life Is Just a Game featuring Loona in 1995. It was a top ten hit in Spain. He has also had chart success in Germany. He released his debut album Life Is Just a Game in 1998. Then he started his own label and released the 2002 album Heaven. When The single Heaven started to chart across Europe, the dance label Robbins Entertainment picked it up in North America. They are distributed by Sony. The single Heaven reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the British charts. The album was certified Gold in England. Though there are a couple of covers on the album, Bouriah wrote and produced most of the album with co-writers. For Heaven, the co-producer is German DJ Yann "Yanou" Peifer. The singer is Dutch singer Dominique Rijpma van Hulst. She goes by the stage name Do. She is unknown outside The Netherlands and Belgium. This album is available on CD. Bouriah last released an album in 2005. He still releases singles, most recently in 2026. There is a sentiment in the dance music community that only singles are needed and albums are obsolete. Of course that's not true but some DJs believe that. Bouriah still produces artists like Enrique Iglesias, Marta Sanchez and David Bisbal. And he still DJs in clubs mostly in Europe. Here's the video for Heaven by DJ Sammy with Yanou and featuring Do. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ted Nugent

Artist:Ted Nugent

Song:Cat Scratch Fever

Album:Great Gonzos!: The Best of Ted Nugent

These days Ted Nugent probably gets more press for his political views than his music. But back in the 70s, he was a favorite of hard rock fans. Without that success, no one would care about his politics. The 1977 single Cat Scratch Fever was his biggest chart hit. He was born Dec. 13, 1948 in Detroit. His father was a US Army Sergeant. He was transferred to the Chicago area in 1965 and Nugent attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. He formed his first band The Amboy Dukes in 1965. They had success with the 1968 album and single Journey to the Center of the Mind. They did well enough that Nugent moved to a ranch in Michigan in 1973. Nugent signed with Epic in 1975 and dropped the Amboy Dukes name. Only bassist Rob Grange remained from The Amboy Dukes. The other members were Derek St. Holmes on vocals and guitar and Clifford Davies on drums. This was the band for the albums Ted Nugent (1975), Free-For-All (1976), Cat Scratch Fever (1977). Cat Scratch Fever was the most successful of those albums because the single Cat Scratch Fever reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. Nugent wrote Cat Scratch Fever and sang lead. But most of the songs were written by the band and St. Holmes sang lead. St. Holmes claims that Nugent took sole credit for most of the songs so he could avoid paying royalties to the band. Many bands split the royalties evenly to keep the band happy. St. Holmes left in 1976. Grange left in 1978. Davies left in 1982. The band lineup was not consistent after that. So maybe the band was more important than  Nugent would admit. Nugent's albums weren't as successful after that and he moved to Atlantic in 1982. This comp covers the Epic years and three bonus tracks were added when it was released on CD in 1999. Nugent's decline continued on Atlantic. There was a brief detour to the "supergroup" Damn Yankees featuring Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Tommy Shaw of Styx. Their 1990 album Damn Yankees was certified 2XPlatinum and the single High Enough reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. But their second album didn't do as well and they split up. Nugent left Atlantic in 1995 and signed with the video producer Eagle Rock. He last released an album in 2022. Nugent announced his retirement in 2023. But he changed his mind and is still touring. As I said, these days he's known for his political beliefs along with various TV appearances including his own reality TV shows. Here's Ted Nugent performing Cat Scratch Fever in London, England.