Thursday, April 30, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jawbox

Artist:Jawbox
Song:Savory
Album:For Your Own Special Sweetheart





Jawbox was a post hardcore band that built a significant fanbase on the indie label Dischord. In an attempt to expand their fanbase they signed with Atlantic Records for the 1994 album For Your Own Special Sweetheart. But the move alienated their established fanbase to the point that they were forced to leave Atlantic after two albums. Jawbox are from Washington, DC. Lead singer and songwriter J. Robbins was bassist for the popular punk band Government Issue. After they split up in 1989, Robbins formed Jawbox with Kim Coletta on bass and Adam Wade on drums. After releasing a single, Jawbox signed with the local label Dischord. They were based in Washington and they specialized in punk music. After releasing an album and touring, Adam Wade was replaced by Zach Barocas and guitarist Bill Bardot was added. After the 1992 album Novelty was well received by fans and critics, Jawbox signed with Atlantic for the 1994 album For Your Own Special Sweetheart. This move alienated fans to the point that they refused to give the album a chance. The video for Savory was played on MTV. But that wasn't enough to help and the album was a commercial failure. Jawbox released a second album called Jawbox on Atlantic in 1996. Though they got college radio airplay with the single Mirrorful, it wasn't enough and Atlantic dropped Jawbox. They split up and Robbins and Bardot formed Burning Airlines. They split up after two albums. Bardot owns DeSoto Records and they bought the Jawbox albums from Atlantic. For Your Own Special Sweetheart is available on CD. A 2009 release with three bonus tracks is available as a digital download. Last year Jawbox did a reunion tour. Robbins currently leads the band Channels and he produces several artists. Here's the video for Savory by Jawbox.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lulu

Artist:Lulu
Song:The Man With The Golden Gun
Album:The Best of Bond...James Bond





Of course Lulu is best known for appearing in the 1967 film To Sir With Love and singing the chart topping theme for the film. Though she never scored another big hit, Lulu continued to record and in England she appeared on TV. And she got to sing the theme for the 1974 James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun. Though Lulu appeared on TV a lot in England after To Sir With Love, she had a tough time coming up with another hit single. She hosted several BBC shows. That visibility didn't seem to help her much. Her one big hit was Boom Bang-a-Bang from the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest. Lulu left Epic and producer Mickie Most for Atco. After two unsuccessful albums with producer Jerry Wexler including one recorded at Muscle Shoals, Lulu moved to Wes Farrell's Chelsea label. Farrell was best known as the producer of The Partridge Family. He started Chelsea in 1972. While working on the 1976 album Heaven and Earth and the Stars, Lulu got the call to record The Man With The Golden Gun. At the time she was still appearing regularly on the BBC. James Bond composer John Barry wrote the song with Don Black who also wrote Thunderball and Diamonds Are Forever. Barry said he didn't like the song. Supposedly the selling point of the song was raunchy lyrics. But that didn't help as the song didn't chart. It will be of interest mostly to James Bond fans and they can get it on this budget comp. You can also get it on the Lulu comp Her Greatest Hits. Soon after this, Farrell sold Chelsea to RCA. Though she did score a top 5 hit in England with her 1974 cover of David Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World which Bowie produced, Lulu wouldn't record again until 1979 on Elton John's Rocket label. She continues to record regularly and appear on TV and radio. Here's Lulu performing The Man With The Golden Gun 1975.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nia Jax vs Asuka vs Shayna Baszler

Here's the match video of Nia Jax vs Asuka vs Shayna Baszler from last night's episode of RAW. This is supposed to set up the Money In The Bank match that will happen in a couple of weeks. The match never gets started. Shayna never enters the ring. Instead she drags Asuka to the floor and the three brawl outside the ring and start messing around with the ladders. The segment ends when Nia bowls both of them over with the ladder. Obviously the WWE is trying to sell Nia as a monster. But Asuka and Shayna have the ability to handle Nia and it would help the MITB match if that was shown. It's stupid one dimensional booking that helps no one. And as I said last week, it convinces me that Nia won't win MITB despite her supposed dominance. Check out the video for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terry Cashman

Artist:Terry Cashman
Song:Talkin' Baseball
Album:Passin' It On: America's Baseball Heritage in Song




Terry Cashman has had a long career as a songwriter and producer usually working with partner Tommy West. But he is best known for his 1981 single Talkin' Baseball which saw him honored at the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. He was born Dennis Minogue July 5, 1941 in New York City. He was lead singer of The Chevrons who had a hit with Lullabye in 1960. After they split up, Cashman played baseball in the Detroit Tigers minor league system. In 1967 he formed Cashman, Pistilli and West with Gene Pistilli and Tommy West. They released an album but their song Sunday Will Never Be The Same was a top ten hit for Spanky & Our Gang. After Pistilli left to join The Manhattan Transfer, Cashman and West continued to record as a duo. They also produced Jim Croce who was very successful until his 1973 death. They also wrote and produced the Henry Gross hit Shannon. They started the label Lifesong in 1976 and Cashman and West released solo albums. Cashman released Talkin' Baseball as a single in 1981. As he says in the video, he recorded twenty different versions of Talkin' Baseball and he released American League and National League albums. The original recording of Talkin' Baseball has the "Willie, Mickey and The Duke" hook. And at the time there was a baseball strike. So the nostalgia of Talkin' Baseball really struck a chord with fans. Cashman has turned it into a cottage industry. He recorded a Talkin' Baseball parody for The Simpsons in 1992. And he was honored at the 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This 1995 CD is all baseball songs written by Cashman. It's available as a budget CD. Looking at his credits, Talkin' Baseball has been Cashman's life since 1981. I'm not sure if that was his intention but those royalty cheques keep rolling in. Here's a 1982 CBS Evening News report by Bernard Goldberg about the success of Talkin' Baseball. It's not the sort of thing I normally post but Cashman has never performed live or done a Talkin' Baseball video.

Monday, April 27, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boubacar Traore

Artist:Boubacar Traore w/Ali Farka Toure
Song:Duna Ma Yelema
Album:Je Chanterai Pour Toi





Boubacar Traore is a very popular singer songwriter from Mali. Like many African musicians, he lives in Europe. He was born in 1942 in Kates, Mali. His nickname Kar Kar is because he dribbles a lot when he plays soccer. In the 60s he had success as a live performer. But he didn't record so he made a living doing odd jobs. He and his wife had six kids. After his wife died in 1987, Traore moved to France and continued to work construction until a producer from the British label Stern's Africa saw one of Traore's live performances and signed him for the 1990 album Mariama. Since then he has recorded fairly regularly. Duna Ma Yelema is from Traore's 1999 album Macire. It was his first album for the French label Indigo. Traore also performed this song on the 2003 documentary Je Chanterai Pour Toi (I Sing For You) with Ali Farka Toure. The soundtrack is available as a digital download. The documentary can be streamed for free on Archive.org. It is not available on DVD. Traore currently records for the French label Lusafrica with Sony distribution. His latest CD Dounia Tabolo was released in 2017. Fans of African music should check him out. Here's Boubacar Traore with Ali Farka Toure performing Duna Ma Yelema from the 2003 documentary Je Chanterai Pour Toi.

Sunday, April 26, 2020

AcciRadio Song Of The Day-Nancy McCallion

Artist:Nancy McCallion
Song:On We Go
Album:Opossum and Praties





Nancy McCallion has been a fixture of the Tuscon music scene since the 90s first as leader of the folk group The Mollys and then as a solo act. On We Go is her best known song because it appeared in the popular Netflix show Living With Yourself. Nancy and Catherine Zavala went to high school together in Tuscon. They started the band The MoPhonics. While attending the University of Arizona, they started a new band The Mollys. They liked the name because it sounded Irish. So that was the whole concept of the band; to sound like an Irish folk group. They released their first album in 1992. Other members were Kevin Schramm on accordion, Dan Sorenson on bass and Gary Mackender on drums. Nancy wrote most of the songs including On We Go on the 1995 album This Is My Round. The song appeared on a Putomayo comp CD of Celtic women. I can only assume that listeners thought The Mollys were Irish though of course they aren't. The Mollys split up in 2004. Since then Nancy has released several albums. She re-recorded On We Go on the 2016 album Opossum and Praties. I recommend that album because This Is My Round is out of print. The Mollys play a reunion concert each year. And the members still perform in other bands. There has been renewed interest in The Mollys since On We Go appeared on the Netflix sitcom Living with Yourself starring Paul Rudd. That's how songs are discovered these days. Here's The Mollys performing On We Go on the PBS series Texas Music Cafe 1998.

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Apr. 25, 2020

Kairi Sane, Asuka and UFC update.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Catalina

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Catalina from this week's episode of Main Event. Catalina has been in the WWE since the 2018 Mae Young Classic. She has not appeared on NXT TV but she did make a couple of RAW appearances last year doing an angle with Zelina Vega. Her real name is Catalina Garcia from Santiago, Chile. Back home she wrestled as Jessy. She's pretty green and watching this match you might think she looks pretty good. Keep in mind that Asuka could squash her. But she doesn't like squashes. She prefers to make her opponent look good. And she probably makes Catalina look much better than she actually is. It's very similar to Asuka's other recent enhancement talent matches. I would describe it as a semi competitive squash. I always think Asuka is a little too generous and maybe she should just beat the crap out of her. But she won't do that. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Les Brown and his Orchestra

Artist:Les Brown and his Orchestra f/Betty Bonney
Song:Joltin' Joe DiMaggio
Album:Baseball: Original Soundtrack Recording





Here's a great novelty song that was a 1941 hit for bandleader Les Brown. Most baseball fans have probably heard Joltin' Joe DiMaggio but don't know the song's history. This was very early in Les Brown's recording career. The band would become a much bigger deal a few years later when Doris Day was the lead singer. Of course the inspiration for this song was when New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio went on a 56 game hitting streak. New York disc jockey Alan Courtney wanted to write a song about DiMaggio and he asked Brown to help him. It was Courtney's first attempt at songwriting though he subsequently wrote a few other songs. Courtney wrote the lyrics and the music was written by Ben Homer who also wrote Brown's biggest hit Sentimental Journey. The singer is Betty Bonney. She appeared on several other songs for Brown until she left to go solo and was replaced by Doris Day. She ended up doing a lot of regional stage work. Joltin' Joe DiMaggio reached #16 on the hit parade. But the song is still popular today with baseball fans. You can get it on the soundtrack of the Ken Burns documentary series Baseball. Like I said, this was at the start of a long string of hits for Brown. After much success as a songwriter, Ben Homer quit the music business in the 50s and became a Jehovah's Witness minister. Here's a video for Joltin' Joe DiMaggio by Les Brown and his Orchestra featuring Betty Bonney.

Friday, April 24, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Darrell

Artist:Johnny Darrell
Song:Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
Album:The Complete Gusto/Starday/King Recordings





I'm sure most music fans are familiar with the 1969 Kenny Rogers and the First Edition top ten hit Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town. But two years earlier Johnny Darrell scored a top ten country hit with the same song. This seemed to happen a lot to him. Darrell would record a song and someone else would have a bigger hit with the same song later. Darrell had most of his success in the late 60s. He was born Eddie Ray White July 23, 1940 in Hopewell, AL and he grew up in Marietta, GA. Darrell moved to Nashville to manage a Holiday Inn while trying to get into the music business. He met legendary singer songwriter Bobby Bare who got him a deal with United Artists Records and veteran producer and former Cricket Bob Montgomery. His first single Green, Green Grass of Home had already been a country hit for Porter Wagoner. And then in 1966 Tom Jones topped the charts with his version. Then Darrell released Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town. The song was written by Mel Tillis and first recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1965. Darrell's 1967 recording reached #9 on the Country Singles chart. The 1969 Kenny Rogers and the First Edition version reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. This happened a third time when his 1967 country hit The Son of Hickory Hollar's Tramp was covered by O.C. Smith and it was a top 40 pop hit in 1968. And it happened a fourth time when Darrell's recording of the Bobby Goldsboro song With Pen in Hand reached #3 on the Country Singles chart and covers by Billy Vera and Vikki Carr were top 40 pop hits. I sense a pattern here. Through his friendship with Bobby Bare, Darrell got involved in Willie Nelson's fledgling outlaw country movement. So he toured with Nelson. The problem was Darrell lost his record deal. He recorded a couple of singles for Cartwheel Records. But they were swallowed by ABC and then closed. And he recorded a couple of singles for Monument. He finally recorded the 1975 album Water Glass Fill of Whiskey for Capricorn Records. But it had been too long since he had a hit so it went nowhere. Darrell's UA recordings were acquired by Gusto which explains the title of this comp. It's available as a digital download. Darrell continued to perform in the 80s. But diabetes led to failing health and he died on Oct. 7, 1997 at age 57. Here's a video for Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town by Johnny Darrell.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

The Big Topic in WMMA-episode 7

How did Ronda Rousey change WMMA?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Green River Ordinance

Artist:Green River Ordinance
Song:Come On
Album:Out of My Hands





Green River Ordinance have had modest success but they haven't had that big hit single to launch them to stardom. They will probably remind you of successful bands like The Fray. They are from Fort Worth, TX. The band name is a local law prohibiting door to door sales unless the homeowner agrees to it. The lead singer and main songwriter is Josh Jenkins. Other members are Jamey Ice on lead guitar and his brother Geoff Ice on bass, Joshua Wilkerson on guitar and Denton Hunter on drums. They toured with Collective Soul and they released a 2005 album and a 2007 EP. They signed with Virgin Records for the 2009 album Out of My Hands produced by Mark Endert who also produced The Fray. So Virgin knew what they wanted from this band. Come On was the second single. It reached the Billboard Bubbling Under chart but didn't get any farther. There is nothing wrong with their music. With the frequent comparisons to The Fray and other similar but more successful bands, they aren't distinctive enough. After releasing some EPs and the 2012 album Under Fire on their own label, they signed with Universal for the 2016 album Fifteen. That's their latest album. They are still around but Jenkins moved to Nashville and he released a couple of 2018 singles. I assume there is an album but it hasn't been released. He is also trying to launch a career as a songwriter. It also wouldn't surprise me if Green River Ordinance switched to Contemporary Christian Music as they started out playing in church back home in Texas. So the future seems uncertain for Green River Ordinance. Here's the video for Come On by Green River Ordinance.


Wednesday, April 22, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Burl Ives

Artist:Burl Ives
Song:Big Rock Candy Mountain
Album:Lavender Blue: Songs of Charm, Humor and Sincerity




Burl Ives had a long career as a folksinger and actor. But I guess he is mostly remembered today for children's music. And I guess that comes from those Rankin-Bass TV specials he did in the 60s. But he recorded children's music since the 40s. Big Rock Candy Mountain was recorded in 1945. He was born June 14, 1909 in Hunt City, IL. He sang as a child and played football in college. After dropping out of college, he traveled the US as an itinerant singer. After appearing on a Terre Haute radio station, Ives returned to school including Juilliard in New York. He made his Broadway debut in the 1938 show The Boys From Syracuse. Eddie Albert was also in that show and when it closed, they moved to Los Angeles. Ives started his radio show The Wayfaring Stranger in 1940. And it was through that show he would popularize his signature songs like Blue Tail Fly and Big Rock Candy Mountain. Big Rock Candy Mountain was written by real life hobo Harry McClintock. Ives cleaned up the lyrics so it would be appropriate for children. He first recorded that and Blue Tail Fly for Decca Records in 1945. Ives scored a hit when he later recorded Blue Tail Fly with The Andrews Sisters. Both songs would later appear on the 1949 album A Collection of Ballads, Folk and Country Songs Vol. 3. The producer and arranger was Elie Siegmeister who usually worked with symphony orchestras on the radio. Big Rock Candy Mountain never charted but it was popular in the children's music market. And today it is considered to be one of Ives' signature songs. This comp from Jasmine covers Ives' Decca recordings. After his HUAC testimony, Ives moved to Hollywood and won an Oscar for the 1958 film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He scored a country hit in 1961 with A Little Bitty Tear. Then he did those Rankin-Bass TV specials. And those are what most remember Ives for today. Ives continued to appear on TV until his 1989 retirement. He died of cancer on Apr. 14, 1995 at age 85. Ives was a heavy smoker. Here's a video of Big Rock Candy Mountain by Burl Ives.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane from last night's episode of RAW. Supposedly Kairi asked for a rematch though I don't think that was mentioned on air. I sure didn't ask for it. We saw an example of how bad Nia is in the ring when she was supposed to give Kairi a buckle bomb and missed the mark when she dropped Kairi on the bottom turnbuckle. Kairi did get some offense in by attacking Nia's knee followed by a spinning back fist. I'm surprised they had her sell that. Kairi went for her Insane Elbow a little too soon. After missing, Nia won with her Samoan Drop finisher. The WWE is trying to sell Nia as the favorite in MITB. But they showed in this match there are ways to get to her. So I doubt that Nia will win. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Arthur Smith Trio

Artist:The Arthur Smith Trio
Song:Paris Waltz
Album:Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners





There are two major country music figures named Arthur Smith. The better known of the two was Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. "Fiddlin'" Arthur Smith was a pioneer in bluegrass fiddle. He recorded for RCA's Bluebird label in the 30s. He had a couple of bands. Paris Waltz was recorded in 1938 with The Delmore Brothers as The Arthur Smith Trio. He was born Apr. 10, 1898 on a farm in Bold Springs, TN. He married at age 16 and he played locally with his wife Nettie, his cousin Homer Smith and fiddler Floyd Ethredge. Smith entered fiddle contests across Tennessee and won most of them. At the same time, he worked as a logger and lineman for the railroad. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1927. He formed The Dixieliners with The McGee Brothers (Sam on guitar, Kirk on banjo) with his daughter Lavonne Smith on piano. They went on tour with Uncle Dave Macon. One of the acts on those tours was The Delmore Brothers, Rabon and Alton. Smith recorded several singles for Bluebird with The Delmore Brothers as The Arthur Smith Trio. Paris Waltz was recorded in 1938. Though this is an instrumental, Smith and The Delmore Brothers sang on some songs. Smith returned to using the Dixieliners name in 1938 with Billy Byrd on guitar and Joe Forrester on bass. In the early 40s, he played with The Shelton Brothers and The Bailes Brothers. And he formed The Band of Arthurs where all the members were named Arthur. He even went to Hollywood in 1944 and appeared in several Jimmy Wakely westerns though he did appear in the 1945 Abbott and Costello film The Naughty Nineties. Smith signed with Capitol in 1948. And to avoid confusion with Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, he recorded as The Original Arthur Smith and his Dixieliners. Smith retired in the early 50s. But he returned in 1957. And probably the highlight of his career was when he appeared with The McGee Brothers at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. This comp covers Smith's 30s recordings and is available as a digital download. Smith continued to perform until he died on Feb. 28, 1971 at age 72. Here's a video for Paris Waltz by The Arthur Smith Trio.

Monday, April 20, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Loketo

Artist:Loketo
Song:Extra Ball
Album:Extra Ball





Loketo was a short lived soukous band that was discovered several years after they split up when Extra Ball appeared on a various artists CD. Loketo was led by guitarist Diblo Dibala, a leading figure in soukous which is native to Zaire. He was born Aug. 9, 1954 in Kisangani, Zaire. As a teen he was in Franco Luambo's band TPOK and several other bands. And then he met Kanda Bongo Man and both guys moved to Europe. Dibala settled in Brussels, Belgium. Along with being in Kanda Bongo Man's band, Dibala worked as a session musician. The 1986 formation of Loketo came out of that. Lead singer Aurius Mabele recorded solo before Loketo was formed. Dibala appeared on his albums.The other members were bassist Remy Saloman and drummer Mack Macaire. They signed with the French label Jimmy's Production. In 1989 they signed a US record deal with Shanachie. By the time Extra Ball was released in 1991, Saloman had been replaced by Miguel Yamba and some other musicians were added. Extra Ball turned out to be Loketo's final album. They split up and Dibala started his new band Matchacha with some of the same musicians. Dibala still leads that band. Apparently the conflict in Loketo was Dibala's easygoing nature as opposed to Mabele's flamboyance. They didn't get along. Loketo reformed to record a 2007 album. In 1999 Shanachie included Extra Ball on the various artists CD African Ambience: The Ultimate African Dance Party. Loketo was unknown and those who heard Extra Ball wanted to know more about them. All their albums are now available as digital downloads. One thing is for sure. By anyone's standards, Diblo Dibala is a killer guitarist. Here's the video for Extra Ball by Loketo.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Riley Green

Artist:Riley Green
Song:There Was This Girl
Album:Different 'Round Here





Riley Green started out as a reality show contestant. But his goal was to get into country music and he scored with his 2018 album Different 'Round Here and the single There Was This Girl. He was born Oct. 18, 1988 in Jacksonville, AL. His grandfather owned a local club and taught him to play guitar. After attending Jacksonville State University, Green moved to Nashville and released a 2013 EP. He then appeared on season four of the CMT competition show Redneck Island. This show was hosted and produced by Stone Cold Steve Austin from the WWE. I don't watch these kind of shows but I gather that it was similar to Survivor. It ran for five seasons. Season five was an alumni edition which Green won. He released a couple more EPs and he signed with Big Machine for the 2018 album Different 'Round Here. The album was produced by session guitarist Dann Huff who also played guitar on the album. There Was This Girl reached #11 on the Country Singles chart. Green wrote that and most of the songs on the album with frequent songwriting partner Erik Dylan. He says the video was shot by real fans at a club in his home state of Alabama. His single I Wish Grandpas Never Died reached #12 on the Country Singles chart. Green wrote it with both of his grandfathers. The album is available as a digital download. He was on tour but obviously that has been cancelled. He recently performed live from his home on Facebook. When this pandemic is over, I'm sire Green will return to touring and recording. He's off to a good start. Here's the video of There Was This Girl by Riley Green.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Apr. 18, 2020

Asuka, Kairi Sane and WWE and UFC updates.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Damien Rice

Artist:Damien Rice
Song:Cannonball
Album:O





Singer songwriter Damien Rice has been successful in his native Ireland and England. The 2002 single Cannonball was a top ten hit in England. He was born Dec. 7, 1973 in Kildare, Ireland. In 1991, Rice formed the band Juniper with Paul Noonan. In 1996 they signed a six album deal with Polydor. But only two singles were released before they disagreed with Polydor about Juniper's creative direction. Rice quit Juniper and the rest of the band reformed as Bell X1. He moved to Italy for a while. When he returned to Ireland, he gave a demo to his cousin film composer David Arnold. Arnold liked it so much he gave Rice a mobile recording studio. After his 2001 single The Blower's Daughter did well in England, he recorded is debut album O. The single Cannonball reached #13 in Ireland and #9 in England. The album did very well. It even went Gold in the US without any promotion. His main collaborator was Lisa Hannigan. They were in a relationship at the time. She left Rice's band to go solo in 2007. Rice has released three albums. The latest My Favorite Faded Fantasy was released in 2014. O is available as a digital download. Rice still tours but it is not clear when he plans to record a new album. He does appear on the benefit album Songs for Australia to raise money for charities following the brush fires. Here's the video for Cannonball by Damien Rice.

Friday, April 17, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bad Veins

Artist:Bad Veins
Song:The Lie
Album:Bad Veins





As is common these days, Bad Veins is a solo act hiding behind a group name. He turned it into a band for a few years but he's currently a solo act. Benjamin Davis is from Cincinnati. He started Bad Veins as a home recording project. Davis is mainly an acoustic act but he uses electronic instruments in the recording process. After meeting drummer Sebastian Schultz in 2006, Davis turned Bad Veins into a duo. After releasing a 2007 EP, Bad Veins released their 2009 debut album on Dangerbird Records. The album was reviewed positively. They got some attention when one of their songs appeared on the Good Morning America's Your Three Words segment in 2010. ABC News correspondent Dan Harris named Bad Veins one of his top albums of 2009 on ABC's Amplified blog. It also got high praise from USA Today's Pop Candy blog. Davis writes and performs everything except drums. He might bring in outside musicians of he needs to like horns on this album. On stage Bad Veins wore vintage military clothing and Davis likes to use oddball audio video effects. Bad Veins released three albums and an EP. The most recent was in 2015. Schultz left in 2013. He moved to Scotland to join The Twilight Sad. Jake Bonta replaced him on the 2015 album The Mess Remade. Davis still performs as Bad Veins but he hasn't recorded lately. I guess he could always turn it into a band again. Right now he's a solo act. Here's Bad Veins performing The Lie on Tripwire Acoustic Sessions at Levi's FADER Fort in Austin, TX Feb. 2008.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

The Big Topic in WMMA-episode 6

Should the UFC buy Invicta?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Drake

Artist:Drake f/Wizkid & Kyla
Song:One Dance
Album:Views





Aubrey Drake Graham is one of today's most successful recording artists especially here in Toronto because he's from Toronto. The 2016 single One Dance was his first number one hit in the US. He was born Oct. 24, 1986 in Toronto. His father Dennis Graham is from Memphis. He played drums with Jerry Lee Lewis. Legendary Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham and Al Green guitarist Teenie Hodges are his uncles. Drake's mother is Jewish so he attended Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah. He lived with his mom after his parents divorced and his dad moved back to Memphis. While in high school at Forest Hill Collegiate, he was a regular on the TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001-08. His mom was sick so he was the main source of income. He then started releasing mixtapes in 2006. Drake's main influence was Jay-Z. His three mixtapes started a label bidding war. Drake signed with Young Money and injured his knee while on tour. That delayed his debut album Thank Me Later until 2010. The album did well. It was certified Platinum and the single Best I Ever Had reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake continued to have success especially at home in Canada. But One Dance from the 2016 album Views was his first number one hit in the US. By this time he was working with producers Paul "Nineteen85" Jefferies and Noah "40" Shebib who is the son of film director Donald Shebib. One Dance is based on British singer Kyla Smith's 2008 single Do You Mind. This was a hit in England. Drake asked her if he could sample the song and she agreed if she could appear on the record. He also brought in Nigerian rapper Ayodeji "Wizkid" Balogun to mix his Afrobeat sound with the Jamaican dance hall sound of One Dance. There was no music video at first but one was produced in 2017. Kyla and Wizkid do not appear in the video. Since then Drake has topped the Billboard Hot 100 several times including his latest single Toosle Slide from his upcoming album. Here's the video for One Dance by Drake.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billie & De De Pierce

Artist:Billie & De De Pierce
Song:Married Man Blues
Album:The Music of New Orleans Vol. 3: Music of the Dance Halls




Singer and pianist Billie Pierce was best known for performing in New Orleans dance halls with her cornet playing husband Joseph "De De" Pierce. A 1958 appearance on this Smithsonian Folkways field recording led to a record deal and touring with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band in the 60s. Billie was born Wilhelmina Goodson June 8, 1907 in Marianna, FL. Billie was a childhood nickname. Her parents and her five sisters all played piano. Her father was deacon at the local baptist church. They all played piano and sang in church. The girls weren't allowed to play secular music. Of course Billie would sneak out of the house and see Bessie Smith perform. One time Bessie's pianist Clarence Williams suffered a heart attack and Billie stepped in and backed up Bessie for two weeks. Billie then played with Ida Cox and played Florida clubs. She moved to New Orleans in 1930 and worked with several bands until she net De De Pierce in 1933. He was born Feb. 18, 1904 in New Orleans. He was in the house band at Luthjens Dance Hall when he met Billie. They married on Mar. 28, 1935. They played that same dance hall for 24 years. Smithsonian Folkways recorded blues, jazz and folk music in the field. Billie & De De recorded three songs in 1954 at New Orleans clubs. The album was released in 1958. By the time the album was released, DeDe was suffering from glaucoma and Billie had suffered a stroke. So they were looking to retire. Instead Riverside Records signed them and eventually they toured with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band through the 60s. On the original album the Billie Pierce song Married Man Blues was mislabeled as the blues standard Married Woman Blues. This has been corrected and the album is available as a digital download. De De Pierce retired due to failing health and died in Nov. 1973 at age 69. Billie Pierce died on Sept. 29, 1974 at age 67. Here's a video for Married Man Blues by Billie & De De Pierce.

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane from last night's episode of RAW. This is a Money in the Bank qualifying match. I laughed when this match was announced. It was about what I expected. Kairi bumps for a couple of minutes and that's it. They obviously want to sell Nia as a monster heel. She can win MITB if she can get up the ladder. But she's so slow that could be a problem. Check out the match for yourself.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Ruby Riott

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Ruby Riott from last night's episode of RAW. This is a Money in the Bank qualifying match. I guess Ruby doesn't like Asuka's dancing because the first thing she does is demand the real Asuka. Asuka works on Ruby's arm as Ruby is just returning from two shoulder surgeries. It's a good hard hitting match. Ruby gets some near falls. But Asuka does a slick transition into the Asuka Lock and it's over. As I said, the match is very good so be sure to check it out. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rachel's

Artist:Rachel's
Song:The Last Night
Album:Selenography





Rachel's was a contemporary incarnation of chamber music. The music is instrumental but I guess when most think of chamber music they think of classical music. There have been other bands like this. It's an acquired taste and difficult to classify. Rachel's were from Louisville, KY. Jason Noble played guitar in the post hardcore band Rodan. One day he met violinist and Juilliard graduate Christian Frederickson and they released a 1991 Christmas tape. When Rodan split up in 1994, Noble formed Rachel's with Frederickson and pianist Rachel Grimes. The band is named after Noble's car. They signed with Quarterstick Records and released their debut album Handwriting in 1995. So like I said, the music is instrumental. It's been described as contemporary chamber music. Noble, Frederickson and Grimes wrote all the songs. The Last Night is from the 1999 album Selenography which is the scientific study of the moon's topography. By this time the band grew to include Eve Miller on cello, Edward Grimes on drums and Greg King on percussion and he also added visual elements at live shows. He moved to Los Angeles to get into film in 2006. Sometimes they brought in extra strings and the occasional vocalist. Rachel's recorded six albums and they last recorded in 2005. Noble started the band Shipping News and he was in that band until he died from cancer on Aug. 4, 2012. Rachel Grimes has recorded several albums and Frederickson works with her sometimes. All of Rachel's albums are available as digital downloads. Here's a video for The Last Night by Rachel's.

Monday, April 13, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Georgia White

Artist:Georgia White
Song:I'll Keep Sittin' On It (If I Can't Sell It)
Album:Trouble In Mind 1935-1941





Blues singer Georgia White was known for recording risque songs in the late 30s for Decca. Supposedly the 1936 song I'll Keep Sittin' On It is about prostitution. She was born Mar. 9, 1903 in Sandersville, GA. She sang in Chicago clubs in the late 20s and she recorded When You're Smiling with Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra. Georgia signed with Decca and recorded regularly from 1935-41. Most of her songs were about sex including You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now, Hot Nuts, Mama Knows What Papa Wanrs When Papa's Feeling Blue and I'll Keep Sittin' On It. I'll Keep Sittin' On It was recorded on May 12, 1936 accompanied by pianist and Decca house producer Richard M. Jones. The guitar solo is by a very young Les Paul and veteran session musician John Lindsay plays bass. The song was written by Alex Hill and Andy Razaf who are obviously using the word "chair" to substitute for sex. Remember plenty of Bessie Smith's recordings were about sex too. This comp from the French label EPM covers Georgia's entire Decca run. In the 40s Georgia formed an all female band and she also worked with Bumble Bee Slim and Big Bill Broonzy. In the 50s she performed in Chicago clubs until her 1959 retirement. Georgia White died in 1980 at age 77 but the exact date is unknown. Here's a video for I'll Keep Sittin' On It (If I Can't Sell It) by Georgia White.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The U.M.C.'s

Artist:The U.M.C.'s
Song:One To Grow On
Album:Funkin' It Up





The rap duo The U.M.C.'s had very brief success with the 1991 single One To Grow On and a second single Blue Cheese. They split up when a second album didn't do well and they have gone on to other things. The U.M.C.'s are Kim "Kool Kim" Sharpton and Carlos "Haas G" Evans from Staten Island. The name means Undisputed Masters of Charisma. They signed with the hip hop label Wild Pitch with EMI distribution. Their debut album Fruits of Nature was released in 1991. The singles Blue Cheese and One To Grow On did very well on the rap charts but One To Grow On crossed over to be a top 40 pop hit. As you can see in the video, both guys rap but Evans produced the music. They sample a couple of jazz songs, the 1968 song Ursalena by Bill Cosby and the 1968 song Good Humour Man by trumpeter Blue Mitchell. Bill Cosby? He did occasionally record music. Cosby usually sang. The album Hooray For The Salvation Army Band! was produced by Fred Smith and The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band. Ursalena is a pretty obscure song to be used as a main sample in a rap song. After the 1994 album Unleashed didn't do well, The U.M.C.'s split up. Evans has gone on to a long career as a producer. He is known as Fantom of the Beat. He produced the 2003 single Magic Stick for Lil Kim and 50 Cent which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also worked with Ghostface Killah and Inspectah Deck of Wu Tang Clan. Sharpton calls himself NYOIL (New York's Original International Lover). He released the controversial song Y'All Should All Get Lynched in 2006 which called for the lynching of big name rappers. I guess he thinks rap is like a modern minstrel show. I don't disagree but YouTube banned his video. It got Sharpton some media attention. He's recorded a couple of albums since then. You can get One To Grow On on this K-Tel various artists CD. Here's the video for One To Grow On by The U.M.C.'s.







Saturday, April 11, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Apr. 11, 2020

Asuka, Hikaru Shida and the Kabuki Warriors.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss vs Kabuki Warriors

Here's the match video of Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss vs Kabuki Warriors from last night's episode of Smackdown. It's typical of the WWE to do a Wrestlemania rematch as a blowoff. So I did not expect a title change. The big difference in this match is Alexa performed a lot better than last week and she let Nikki get the fall. So I guess she was yelled at for whuffing all her moves. If they insist on using her as a wrestler, they need to wrangle her better so she doesn't screw up so much. The Kabuki Warriors got so much offense in early in the match I knew they were losing. There also seemed to be some timing issues. There seemed to be a lot of waiting around for something to happen. So now that this is over a Kabuki Warriors split wouldn't surprise me. How about reuniting Kairi Sane with Io Shirai? Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Omarion

Artist:Omarion f/Timbaland
Song:Ice Box
Album:Playlist: The Very Best of Omarion





Omari "Omarion" Grandberry was the lead singer of the popular group B2K. They split up after he went solo in 2004. The 2006 single Ice Box is his biggest hit to date. He was born Nov. 12, 1984 in Inglewood, CA. His younger brother O'Ryan is also a singer. Grandberry started out as an actor in commercials and a dancer with the girl group Before Dark. He joined B2K in 1999 and took the name Omarion. After recording two successful albums and starring in the 2004 film You Got Served, B2K split up. They weren't getting along. Omarion also appeared in the 2004 film Fat Albert. His debut album O was released in 2005. The single O was a top 30 pop hit. His second album 21 was released in late 2006. Ice Box was the second single. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the R&B Singles chart. Ice Box was written and produced by Tim "Timbaland" Mosely and his production crew called The Royal Court. Other producers on the album included Eric Hudson, Bryan-Michael Cox, Pharrell Williams and Eric Dawkins. His next album was One on One with rapper Bow Wow was released in 2007. He was also acting in the UPN sitcom One on One and the spinoff Cuts. He also starred in the 2007 BET film Somebody Help Me which did well enough that there was a 2010 sequel. Omarion left Epic for Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in 2009. But that didn't work out and he started his own label StarrWorld at EMI. When the 2010 album Ollusion didn't do well, Omarion moved to Maybach owned by Rick Ross and distributed by Atlantic for the 2014 album Sex Playlist. The single Post To Be featuring Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though he has released a few EPs, that is Omarion's latest album. This digital download covers his Epic albums. Omarion starred in the reality series Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. Last year B2K reformed for a brief tour. He released a new single in Feb. so it looks like he might have a new album on the way. Here's the video of Ice Box by Omarion featuring Timbaland.

Friday, April 10, 2020

The Big Topic in WMMA Podcast-episode five

How can up and coming female fighters improve?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Wrens

Artist:The Wrens
Song:Come Back My Love
Album:The Doo-Wop Era Part 2: Harlem, N.Y.




The 1956 single Come Back My Love was the only memorable song by the doo wop group The Wrens.They split up soon after the song's success. The Wrens were all students at Morris High School in The Bronx. The first incarnation of the group was in 1950. They split up but Francis "Frenchie" Concepcion recruited George Magnezid and James "Archie" Archer. After singing as a trio for a couple of months they added Bobby Mansfield who was not only a great singer but he could write too. He was 15 years old. The Wrens entered a contest held by pianist Freddy Johnson. He was a jazz musician in Europe in the 30s. By this time he was teaching piano and he was looking to manage talent. Johnson became The Wrens' manager. He got them an audition with Rama Records owner George Goldner. They signed and Johnson played piano on the recording session. Come Back My Love was the second single. It had success in the New York market. Mansfield wrote the song. He sounded enough like Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows that music fans probably thought it was a Moonglows song. The Wrens released a total of six singles. And then Mansfield left to go solo. It looks like he also recorded with a doo wop group called The Supremes. Mansfield led a version of The Wrens in the 90s to tour the nostalgia circuit until he died on Sept. 15, 2013 at age 76. Here are The Wrens performing Come Back My Love on a 2008 PBS TV special.

Thursday, April 09, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-NXT six woman match

Here's the match video for last night's NXT six woman ladder match. The winner gets a shot at Charlotte Flair's NXT Women's Championship. In this match we have Io Shirai, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai with Raquel Gonzalez and Chelsea Green with Robert Stone. The main thing I wanted to see was what crazy stuff Io would do. Chelsea was trying to avoid contact. One key spot had Raquel hoisting Dakota on her shoulders. She launches Io off the ladder which Io turns into a cross body to the floor. And another key spot has Mia nail Chelsea's knee with a chair. It's a phony injury but it leads to Stone climbing the ladder for her. Io and Candice knock him off and them climb the ladder. They fight at the top but Io rakes Candice's eyes and dumps her onto another ladder. Them Io grabs the briefcase for the win. So now she gets a title shot which I presume will be taped this week. Can Io beat Charlotte. Of course but will the WWE let her win. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. This match gets off to a slow start but it picks up steam and overall it's really good. I'm not sold on Britt Baker. I don't think she is good enough in the ring. And she needs work on her facial expressions. And maybe that's why AEW turned her heel. In the ring she was behaving like a heel anyway. The turning point of the match was when Hikaru gave Britt a bloody nose. The intensity increased from that point. Hikaru won with a Shining Wizard. We don't know where this is going because AEW Women's Champion Nyla Rose hasn't been on TV lately and I don't think she was at these tapings. But it's a big win for Hikaru and the match was good too. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Gates

Artist:David Gates
Song:Never Let Her Go
Album:The David Gates Songbook





Of course David Gates is best known as the leader of the very successful 70s soft rock group Bread. He was lead singer and he wrote and produced most of the songs. But he also had solo success after Bread split up with the 1975 single Never Let Her Go and the theme from the 1977 film Goodbye Girl. He was born Dec. 11, 1940 in Tulsa. His father was a band director and his mother taught piano. He started his first band The Accents in high school. The pianist was Leon Russell. Gates married his high school sweetheart while studying pre-law and pre-med at University of Oklahoma. Then he moved to Los Angeles in 1961 and got into the music business as a studio musician, songwriter and producer. He wrote and produced The Murmaids 1964 top five hit Popsicles and Icicles. He also produced and arranged the theme for the 1965 film Baby, The Rain Must Fall for Glenn Yarbrough. After releasing a few unsuccessful singles, Gates formed Bread with Jimmy Griffin and later Larry Knechtel. That band was very successful until they split up in 1973. Gates released two solo albums. Never Let Her Go is from the 1975 album Never Let Her Go. It reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The guitar solo is by veteran session musician Dean Parks. After Bread reunited to release the 1976 album Lost Without Your Love, Gates released the theme for the 1977 film Goodbye Girl. It reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1977 album Goodbye Girl was that single and songs from the first two albums. He toured with Knechtel and sax player Warren Ham of Bloodrock and his brother Bill Ham as David Gates and Bread. Griffin sued and Gates couldn't use the name Bread. After a couple more albums, Gates retired to his cattle ranch that he financed with songwriting royalties. He still runs that today. This comp covers Gates' solo recordings and his recordings with Bread. Here's David Gates performing Never Let Her Go on the BBC show The Old Grey Whistle Test 1975.

Wednesday, April 08, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chad Brock

Artist:Chad Brock
Song:Yes!
Album:More Country Fun





The 2000 single Yes! was the only number one country hit for Chad Brock. After three albums for Warner Bros. he returned to obscurity. He was born July 31, 1963 in Ocala, FL. Brock played football in high school. But he also sang in the school choir. So he turned down a football scholarship and moved to Nashville. He signed with Warner Bros. in 1994. Warners knew his athletic background and they owned World Championship Wrestling (WCW). They thought they could cross promote him. He was sent to the WCW Power Plant in Atlanta. Brock was forced to retire from pro wrestling due to injury. He returned to Nashville and released his 1998 debut album Chad Brock. All three of Brock's Warner albums were produced by veteran producers Buddy Cannon and Norro Wilson. The single Ordinary Life reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. He was also briefly involved in a 1999 WCW angle with Curt Hennig. That's when Hennig was doing "Rap is Crap". The 2000 album Yes! did better than the first album. The single Yes! topped the Country Singles chart. It also reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brock wrote the song with veteran songwriters Stephony Smith and Jim Collins. The guitar solo is by veteran session musician B. James Lowry. The featured fiddle player is Rob Hajacos. When Brock's 2001 album III did not do well, Brock left Warners for Broken Bow Records. When none of his singles caught on, he never released an album for Broken Bow. He last recorded in 2008. He hosted the morning show at WQYK in Tampa for several years. And then he was director of programming for the cable network The Country Network until 2011. He announced plans to run for United States Senate in 2014 but I don't think he actually ran. He seems to have returned to performing in the last couple of years. Based on his Twitter page, he's a Trump and NRA supporter. You can get Yes! on this various artists budget CD. Here's the video for Yes! by Chad Brock.

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Liv Morgan

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Liv Morgan from last night's episode of RAW. Liv beat Natalya on the Wrestlemania pre show. I guess they have plans for her probably with Ruby Riott. But they haven't done much with that yet. I would describe this match as semi competitive. Liv gets enough offense to look good. But I don't think anyone expected her to win though commentary tries hard to sell that possibility. Asuka's selling including a couple of near falls is as good as usual. But in the end Asuka wins with the Asuka Lock. The purpose was to put Liv over for the future. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-UNKLE

Artist:UNKLE f/Thom Yorke
Song:Rabbit in Your Headlights
Album:Psyence Fiction





UNKLE is the recording and performing name for British producer James Lavelle. He's had various partners over the years. His 1998 debut album Psyence Fiction should be of interest because of all the guest vocalists including Thom Yorke of Radiohead on Rabbit in Your Headlights. Lavelle started his own label Mo' Wax in 1992 and for the first couple of years he was producing mostly remixes. Then he brought in Josh "DJ Shadow" Davis for Psyence Fiction. The setup was Davis was responsible for executing Lavelle's concepts. Davis wrote and produced the music. Lavelle was the recording engineer and supervised the project. The album did well in England because of guest vocalists like Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Ian Brown of The Stone Roses, Richard Ashcroft of The Verve and Badly Drawn Boy. Rabbit in Your Headlights is based on the 1990 film Jacob's Ladder and it samples from that film among other things. The video stars French comic actor Denis Lavant and it was highly praised at the time. The single Be There featuring Ian Brown was a top ten hit in England. The album is available as a budget CD. After UNKLE toured to support the album, Davis left and was replaced by turntablists The Scratch Perverts. Rich File was brought in to produce the music for the 2003 album Never, Never, Land. He remained with UNKLE until 2008. Lavelle still records and tours as UNKLE. He brings in musicians and guest vocalists as needed. I think most fans will be interested in Psyence Fiction and not his other albums. Here's the video for Rabbit in Your Headlights by UNKLE featuring Thom Yorke.

Monday, April 06, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Apr. 6, 2020

Wrestlemania review.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jennifer Paige

Artist:Jennifer Paige
Song:Crush
Album:Jennifer Paige





Crush was a top five hit in 1998. It is to date the only chart single for Jennifer Paige. She's still around but I think it's fair to call her a one hit wonder. She was born Jennifer Paige Scoggins Sept. 3, 1973 in Atlanta. She sang in local coffee houses with her brother. She moved to Los Angeles after touring with the cover band Vivid Image. She performed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta with Joe's Band. Then she got together with producer Andy Goldmark for a dance cover of the Aretha Franklin classic Chain of Fools. This got her a deal with the German label Edel. Goldmark produced the 1998 album Jennifer Paige. He wrote most of the songs including Crush. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It looks like the song was a hit because she sounds a lot like Mariah Carey and fans may have thought Crush was a new Mariah Carey song. Also MTV played the music video to death. After releasing an album in 1973, Goldmark worked with legendary producer Richard Perry on Pointer Sisters albums in the 80s. He also wrote and produced the 1986 Jeffrey Osborne hit You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song). Crush is his biggest hit as a producer. The album Jennifer Paige is available as a budget CD. Jennifer released the album Positively Somewhere in 2001 When it didn't do well, she lost her record deal. Her latest album was released in 2017. She's still around but Crush is the only song most fans will remember. Here's the video for Crush by Jennifer Paige.

Sunday, April 05, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs Kabuki Warriors

Here's the match video of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs the Kabuki Warriors from last night's first night of Wrestlemania. I told you guys there would be a title change. Vince McMahon loves Alexa though she can't wrestle. Her biggest problem is she has a bad habit of whuffing moves at inopportune times. This happened last summer when Alexa whuffed a punch at the finish of the match. The same thing happened here. Her Twisted Bliss finisher is so off target maybe they should have had her do it over. But Kairi Sane sold it anyway so they let it go. She will get yelled at for missing that move. But Vince loves her. And the other thing is Nikki did most of the work in this match but Alexa gets the fall because Vince loves her. Fans are not stupid. They know Alexa can't work. But Vince loves her. Asuka has more trouble working with her than anyone else because she has zero athletic ability. It's hard to make her look good. The match was OK. But once Kairi hit her Insane Elbow and there was no finish, I knew what would happen. There were three, count 'em, three false finishes that could have given the Kabuki Warriors the win. But Vince loves Alexa. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brandy

Artist:Brandy
Song:Sittin' Up In My Room
Album:Absolute R&B





Brandy Norwood made a big splash with her 1994 debut album Brandy. It sold six million copies and spawned three top ten hits. While she was waiting around to record her next album, Brandy got into acting with the sitcom Moesha. But she also recorded songs for movies like Batman, Set It Off and Sittin' Up In My Room for the 1996 film Waiting To Exhale. The film was a hit but the soundtrack was a huge success. It sold seven million copies. This album had five top ten hits including Sittin' Up In My Room. It would turn out to be Brandy's biggest solo hit. Remember This Boy Is Mine was a duet with Monica. The man behind the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack was Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. He wrote and produced everything. After the Whitney Houston single Exhale (Shoop Shoop) topped the charts, Sittin' Up In My Room was the second single. The main sample used is Larry Graham's bass riff from Sly and the Family Stone's Thank You (Falettinme Be Micelf Again). Brandy was excited to work with Babyface and really wanted to impress him with her vocals. But he told her to calm down and just keep her vocals simple. Great advice as the record reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song does not appear on a Brandy album. So I guess it's an orphan. Unfortunately the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack is too expensive. And so is the one Brandy comp released by Atlantic. But you can get Sittin' Up In My Room on this various artists CD from the British label Crimson. Brandy returned to Moesha and starred in the 1997 remake of the Rodgers & Hammerstein TV musical Cinderella. Her second album Never Say Never was released in 1998. Here's the video for Sittin' Up In My Room by Brandy.

Saturday, April 04, 2020

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Apr. 4, 2020

Asuka, Hikaru Shida and Wrestlemania preview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-BORNS

Artist:BORNS
Song:Electric Love
Album:Dopamine





Garrett Borns started BORNS as a home studio project. But he got a major label deal and the 2015 single Electric Love was a surprise hit. I would classify his music as a mix of electro pop, neo psychedelia with glam rock overtones. He was born Jan. 7, 1992 in Muskegon, MI and he grew up in Grand Haven. As a child, he performed as Garrett the Great professional magician. He won a Gold Key Award and a scholarship from the National Scholastic Art Awards. This was for his artwork. He studied music at Grand Rapids Community College and Muskegon Community College. He formed The Garrett Borns Trio in 2012 and released an EP on a local label. Borns moved to Los Angeles and the 2014 EP Candy got him a record deal with Geffen Interscope. The 2014 EP Candy was released. This is when he started calling himself BORNS. He made several TV appearances and performed at music festivals. Electric Love was released as a single May 2015. It reached #6 on the Alternative Rock chart. It was certified Platinum. The album Dopamine was released Nov. 2015. It was certified Gold. Borns writes and produces all his music with Tommy English. His 2018 album Blue Madonna didn't do as well as the first album. I don't think BORNS is a mainstream artist anyway. But he should do well enough to continue recording for Interscope. Here's the video for Electric Love by BORNS.

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Big Topic in WMMA-episode 4

This week's topic is when will WMMA be consistently at an elite level.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Teddy Pendergrass

Artist:Teddy Pendegrass f/Whitney Houston
Song:Hold Me
Album:Bedroom Classics Vol. 1





Hold Me is an interesting song because it was Whitney Houston's first chart appearance. I'll get into the significance of that in a minute. Hold Me is from Teddy Pendergrass' 1984 album Love Language. It was his first album on his new label Asylum. Pendergrass was one of the most successful singers of the 70s. And I think as most fans know, he suffered injuries in a 1982 car crash that made him a paraplegic. This is detailed in the Showtime documentary If You Don't Know Me which I reviewed on the blog. So Love Language was his comeback album. Hold Me was the first single from the album. It reached #5 on the R&B Singles chart and #46 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. It's also notable as one of two appearances Whitney made before her debut album was released. Hold Me was written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed. Masser produced most of Love Language. He had previously produced the 1982 Diana Ross album Electric Silk. Hold Me is a reworking of In Your Arms from that album. Masser also wrote and produced several songs for Whitney's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston including Saving All My Love For You and Greatest Love of All. We all know how big that album was. But Whitney was ruled ineligible for the Best New Artist Grammy because she made her recording debut on Hold Me and Take Good Care of My Heart a duet with Jermaine Jackson. Arista Records owner Clive Davis complained that Whitney was an unknown singer making a guest appearance and this rule should not be applied literally when in the past it had been applied liberally to past Best New Artist winners like Cyndi Lauper and Luther Vandross. NARAS stuck to their guns but they are inconsistent in applying it. So that was the big story that came out of the success of Hold Me. Here's a video for Hold Me by Teddy Pendergrass featuring Whitney Houston. This is pretty good for a fan made video.

Thursday, April 02, 2020

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jayy

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida vs Anna Jayy from last night's episode of AEW Dynamite. Similar to a couple of weeks ago, this was taped in an empty arena with AEW wrestlers sitting ringside. Tony Schiavone and Cody Rhodes were terrible on commentary. I have never heard of Anna. Apparently she is from Georgia. She's very green and she probably got more offense in than I would have allowed. Britt Baker was sitting ringside and she has a staredown with Hikaru. And then Hikaru wins the match with the Falcon Arrow. Afterwards she has another confrontation with Britt who is eating a hot dog. Hikaru said on Twitter that Britt told her her match was boring. Hikaru threw a kick at her. So I guess we will see a match between these two. The AEW Women's Champion Nyla Rose hasn't been on TV lately. I don't know why. All I will say is they like Britt a lot more than I do. So I think Hikaru should beat her. AEW may have a different plan. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lisette Melendez

Artist:Lisette Melendez
Song:Together Forever
Album:Greatest Hits





Freestyle dance music was fading in the early 90s when the 1991 top 40 hit Together Forever by Lisette Melendez gave it a big boost. She had a few more hits but Together Forever was her most memorable song. She was born in East Harlem, NY in 1967. Her mother was from Puerto Rico and sang in the church choir. Lisette was influenced by Barbra Streisand but her big influence was Lisa Lisa who had several 80s hits and was also of Puerto Rican descent. Lisette formed a group and she was spotted by Carlos "After Dark" Berrios. He had success with the Corina single Temptation. Berrios released a couple of singles on Profile Records as Only In The Dark with Lisette on lead vocals. They signed with Fever Records and after Together Forever moved up the dance charts, Columbia picked it up for distribution and Together Forever reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Three songs from the 1991 album Together Forever charted. On her 1994 album True To Life, Lisette worked with producers Tony Moran and Kenny Diaz. Her cover of Goody Goody charted. It was very successful in Japan. She recorded a third album in 1997 and then a Spanish album in 1998. And that's the last time Lisette recorded an album as a solo act. You can get her hits on this comp which is available as a digital download. She released a single in 2002 as Lelah Paine. In 2005 she formed the duo LisCyn with Cynthia Todino and released a single. She also appeared on the 2008 Carlos Berrios album Don't Look Back. Her latest single Rise was released in 2018 on her own label. She wrote and produced it with Ernesto and Luis Santana AKA The Santana Twins. Lisette tours the Freestyle nostalgia circuit doing cruises etc. Here's the video for Together Forever by Lisette Melendez.

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Artie Shaw

Artist:Artie Shaw
Song:Begin the Beguine
Album:Begin the Beguine





Artie Shaw was one of the top bandleaders of the swing era. The 1938 single Begin the Beguine was his first big hit. It led to much success through the 40s. Because Shaw played clarinet, he was probably overshadowed by Benny Goodman. Certainly there was enough room for both of them in the early 40s. He was born Arthur Arshawsky May 23, 1910 in New York City. He grew up in New Haven, CT. His parents were European immigrant Jews. Shaw started playing sax as a teen and then switched to the clarinet and went on the road. He was music director for Austin Wylie's band in Cleveland from 1927-29. He returned to New York in 1931 and got into session work. He recorded with Roger Wolfe Kahn's orchestra. Shaw liked to mix classical elements into his band and that distinguished him from other big bands. But he wasn't getting anywhere until Begin the Beguine was a surprise number one hit in 1938. That success allowed Shaw to experiment with classical elements. Among those who worked for Shaw were Billie Holiday, Buddy Rich and trumpeter Billy Butterfield. He played the solo on Stardust and was later replaced by Roy Eldredge. He also formed a smaller band The Gramercy Five featuring pianist Johnny Guarnieri. One Shaw habit is he formed bands and then get tired of them, split them up and go on sabbaticals usually in Mexico. He didn't seem to like touring either. Shaw could have been more successful bit he didn't like what came with the success like playing Begin the Beguine every night. Shaw was musical director on the Burns and Allen radio show in the 40s. And he continued to have hits like Stardust and Frenesi. Shaw served in the US Navy during WWII. He had a band that toured bases. And then he got a medical discharge due to exhaustion. He left music for writing after WWII and went into psychoanalysis. So for the most part Shaw was retired from music though he returned occasionally. He married eight times. He was a handful to deal with. Much of this is detailed in Brigitte Berman's 1985 documentary Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got. Artie Shaw died on Dec. 30, 2004 at age 94. Here's Artie Shaw and his Orchestra performing Begin the Beguine in the 1939 Vitaphone short Artie Shaw and his Orchestra.