AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Livingston Taylor

Artist:Livingston Taylor

Song:I Will Be in Love with You

Album:The Middle Years (1978-1996)

Of course most music fans are familiar with singer songwriter James Taylor. But you may not be familiar with his siblings as James was the only one to have wide success. Livingston Taylor probably came the closest in the 70s. But I always thought he sounded too much like James to be successful. And there are other factors. Livingston Taylor was born Nov. 21, 1950 in Boston. He is the fourth of the five Taylor siblings in this order: Alex, James, Kate, Livingston and Hugh. His father was a physician and a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His mom studied music at Berklee in Boston. Mom led family sing a longs and even had the kids form a band. This was mostly steeped in folk music like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. She encouraged them to write by holding up a can of vegetables and telling them to write a song about it. When Alex started earning money by performing at parties, Livingston got serious about music. Livingston started performing locally in Chapel Hill in a folk music trio. They were a cover band. He started writing songs in high school. Then manager Manny Greenhill got Livingston a gig at a Worcester, MA. YMCA. That led to shows at Boston University and on one of those shows, he opened for Joni Mitchell. He was spotted by producer Jon Landau (Bruce Springsteen) and he got Livingston a record deal at Phil Walden's new label Capricorn Records. He recorded three albums for Capricorn and Landau produced the first two Livingston Taylor (1970) and  Liv (1971). By this time, James Taylor was already successful. There's nothing wrong with Livingston Taylor's music but he sounds too much like his brother. And James was on the much larger Warner Bros. Records. Livingston left Capricorn for Epic and released the 1978 album 3-Way Mirror. The lead single I Will Still Be in Love With You reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would turn out to be the highest chart placing of his career. He's done well on the Adult Contemporary chart and that's where he has been aiming his music since the late 70s. Livingston wrote all the songs o n the album. Nick DeCaro produced. He's an Easy Listening recording artist and he produced The Sandpipers and Chris Montez when he worked for A&M in the 60s. Livingston Taylor continues to record. This comp of original recordings is on his own label. He also teaches at Berklee in Boston. So Livingston Taylor has had a long career. But he was never a top star. He's done OK. Here's Livingston Taylor performing I Will Still Be in Love with You with the BBC Concert Orchestra June 2025. I think this is from his latest album.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaggy

Artist:Shaggy f/RikRok

Song:It Wasn't Me

Album:Hotshot

Lightning struck twice for Dancehall Reggae artist Orville "Shaggy" Burrell when It Wasn't Me and Angel topped the charts in the fall of 2000. He has had little success since then. He was born Oct. 22, 1968 in Kingston, Jamaica. He moved to New York City with his mom at age 18. The Shaggy nickname is from the Scooby-Doo TV show. He was in the US Marine Corps from 1988-92. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He worked on his music in his free time. The most important contact he made during this period was with radio DJ and recording engineer Shaun Pizzonia. A cover of the ska classic Oh Carolina topped the British charts and it appeared in the 1993 film Silver. It got him a deal with Virgin Records. The 1995 single Boombastic which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a hit everywhere else. He released two albums for Virgin. But Shaggy's second album was unsuccessful so they decided to release him. He signed with MCA and hit a home run with the 2000 album Hotshot. It Wasn't Me was the lead single and it topped the charts everywhere. It was followed by the single Angel which also topped the charts. Both were released in the fall of 2000. The singer on It Wasn't Me was Jamaican Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent. He was a background singer. The song is about a guy (RikRok) who was caught cheating and he goes to Shaggy for advice. He told him to tell her "It Wasn't Me". The humor sold the song. The record was produced by the same Shaun Pizzonia that Shaggy met while he was in the USMC. Shaggy based the song on an Eddie Murphy routine from the 1987 TV special Raw. The main sample was the War song Smile Happy. Pizzonia also produced the single Angel. He produced half the album. Hotshot is available as a budget CD. After the 2002 album Lucky Day was a disappointment, MCA dumped Shaggy to Geffen for the 2005 album Clothes Drop. I guess they wanted him to leave which he did. Since then he has recorded mostly for his own label. His latest album was released in 2022. Here's the video for It Wasn't Me by Shaggy featuring RikRok.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Tyler

Artist:William Tyler

Song:Gone Clear

Album:Modern Country

William Tyler is an acoustic guitarist who is a favorite of guitar geeks. These are guys who are more interested in guitar technique than the music. It's not commercial music but it's a great cottage industry. He was born Dec. 25, 1979 in Nashville. His father Dan Tyler leads the bands Lambchop and Silver Jews. But he has had success writing the 1982 #1 country hit Bobby Sue by The Oak Ridge Boys. Tyler started out as a member of his dad's bands Lambchop and Silver Jews. He recorded with the band Paper Hats. Then he released his 2010 debut solo album Behold the Spirit on the indie label Tompkins Square. The album got the attention of the larger indie label Merge Records. The 2016 album Modern Country was his second album for Merge. The album was critically acclaimed. But like I said, it's not commercial music. Tyler wrote all the songs and plays guitar. Brad Cook produced and played synthesizer. Other musicians are Phil Cook on keyboards, Luke Schneider on pedal steel guitar, Darin Gray on bass and Glenn Kotche on drums. These guys are all Nashville session musicians. Tyler left Merge in 2020. His latest album was released last year on the indie label Psychic Hotline. As I said, Tyler's music will be of interest to guitar geeks. Here's William Tyler performing Gone Clear at Studio Songgi in Seoul, South Korea. 

Accu Radio Song Of The Day-Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Artist: Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Song:Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

Album:Make It Reign

Rappers Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz scored a top ten hit with the 1997 single Deja Vu Uptown Baby). This was their only album so it was a one hit wonder. Tariq's real name is Sean Hamilton and Gunz' real name is Peter Pinkney. They started out as The Gunrunner and recorded with Whodini in 1996. Columbia Records were interested but I assume they didn't like name The Gunrunners. This was after The Gunrunners recorded with Whodini. So they changed their name to Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. The single Deja Vu reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Make It Reign was released months later. It turned out to be their only album. The obvious sample is the Steely Dan classic Black Cow. The use of that song was a big reason the record was a big hit. But it's too easily recognizable so I don't like that. Tariq & Gunz wrote and produced the record with Kevin "KNS" Streaks. This was Tariq & Gunz only album. They split up in 1999. This album is available on CD. Peter Gunz appeared in the entire run of the vh1 series Love & Hip Hop. His son is a rapper named Cory Gunz. He is signed to Young Money Entertainment. Tariq released an album in 2005 but he hasn't much since then. Here's the video for Deja Vu (Uptown Baby) by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rick Cua

Artist:Rick Cua

Song:Don't Say Suicide

Album:You're My Road

Rick Cua is a singer, songwriter and bassist who had success in CCM in the 80s. He had several hits on the Christian charts including the 1985 single Don't Say Suicide. When he faded in the late 80s, he worked as a publishing executive. He was born Dec. 3, 1948 in Syracuse, NY. His father was a music teacher. As a child, Cua played the accordion. As a teen, he tried several instruments but gravitated towards the bass. He was in several bands. Cua was raised Catholic. But his wife Diana who became a Christian in 1972 was praying that he would get saved too. And that happened in 1977. He joined the veteran country rock band Outlaws in 1979. They had success in the mid 70s. But they had faded by this time. Then Cua met former Wings drummer Joe English. After leaving Wings, he became a Christian and formed his own Christian rock band. When Cua found out about this, he left Outlaws in 1983 and released a couple of Christian rock albums on English's label Refuge. Then he signed with EMI's CCM label Sparrow and released the 1985 album You're My Road. The single Don't Say Suicide reached the Christian charts and the album did well too. Cua produced with Bob Halligan Jr. who is also from Syracuse. Cua, his wife and Halligan wrote Don't Say Suicide. Jock Guthrie played the guitar solo. A remastered version of this album was released by the CCM reissue label Girder Records. Cua recorded two albums for Sparrow. He switched to Reunion Records. Cua didn't have the same success there. He left in 1993 and started his own label. Meanwhile, he took a job as vice president of creative development at EMI Christian Music Publishing. Since leaving there in 2003, Cua has been running his own management and publishing company. He last recorded in 2007. But he rereleased all his albums on Girder. And recent Facebook posts indicate plans to release a compilation CD. Cua's music is definitely rock. But I'm not sure if mainstream rock fans would like the Christian lyrics. Here's the video for Don't Say Suicide by Rick Cua. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Primer

Artist:John Primer

Song:Poor Man Blues

Album:Call Me John Primer

Blues guitarist John Primer was a sideman for many years before going solo in 1991. Poor Man Blues is one of his most popular songs and it's from his debut album. He was born Mar. 5, 1945 in Camden, MS. It's a farming community and his parents were sharecroppers. When his dad wasn't working, he was playing guitar with a cousin. After his dad died in a truck accident, his mom moved to Chicago to earn a living and promised to bring Primer and his sister to Chicago once they turned eighteen. Living without mom was depressing and Primer cried and sang the blues. His big dream was to play with Muddy Waters someday. Just as his mom promised, Primer moved to Chicago when he turned eighteen with his guitar. His first gig was with Pat Rushing's band The Maintainers. They played clubs in West Chicago. Primer left The Maintainers in 1968 to become lead singer of the soul band The Brotherhood Band. In 1974 he was in the house band at the South Side club Theresa's. He learned to play slide guitar from former Muddy Waters sideman Sammy Lawhorn. And harmonica player Junior Wells fronted the band when he was off the road. Willie Dixon spotted Primer and brought him into the Chicago Blues All-Stars in 1979 and they toured internationally. Upon his return, Primer's dream came true when he joined Muddy Waters' new band. Primer not only played guitar but he led the band and they opened for Waters. Primer also led the Checkerboard Lounge band every Monday night. After Waters' 1983 death, Primer joined Magic Slim and the Teardrops. While in that band, he decided to record his 1991 solo debut on the Austrian label Wolf Records. Magic Slim was also on that label. The album was produced by Wolf owner Hannes Folterbauer. Poor Man Blues is probably one of Primer's most popular songs. Musicians were Junior Pettis on guitar, Nick Holt (Magic Slim's brother) on bass and Tim Taylor on drums. This comp is a good intro to Primer's music. Primer continues to record and tour. He released an album last year. He's been nominated for several awards including two Grammys. And he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. Here's John Primer performing Poor Man Blues on Chicago TV station WGN June 2025. 

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.