AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Headpins

Artist:Headpins

Song:Don't It Make Ya Feel

Album:Turn It Loud

The Canadian band Headpins had success in the early 80s mostly in Canada. But they also gained a following in the US when MTV played their videos. They only released three albums. Headpins were from Vancouver. They were a spinoff of the popular band Chilliwack led by guitarist Brian MacLeod. He saw singer Denise McCann perform and wanted to build a band around her. He brought in Chilliwack bassist Ab Bryant and drummer Matt Frenette of Streetheart. They swapped Frenette for drummer Bernie Aubin of Loverboy. Headpins started playing Vancouver clubs in 1981. Denise soon left and she brought in Steelback lead singer Darby Mills as her replacement. Headpins' debut album Turn It Loud was released om Solid Gold in Canada and Atco in the US. Solid Gold was also Chilliwack's label. The album was certified 2XPlatinum in Canada. The album did OK in the US when MTV played the videos. MacLeod wrote most of the songs and produced with Chilliwack lead singer Bill Henderson. Guitarist Scott Reid and keyboardist Darcy McDonald were added to the band. Turn It Loud is available as a digital download. Headpins opened for bands like Kiss and ZZ Top. While they were recording the 1985 album Head Over Heels, Solid Gold went bankrupt. Darby left to go solo in 1986 and was replaced by Chrissy Steele. They recorded an album. After MacLeod was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1990, the album was released as a Chrissy Steele album by Charisma. MacLeod died in 1992. Bryant and Aubin still lead a version of Headpins and they are touring Canada with Bachman-Turner Overdrive starting next week. Here's the video for Don't It Make Ya Feel by Headpins.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loopy Godinez vs Julia Polastri

Here's the fight video of Loopy Godinez vs Julia Polastri from last night's UFC show in Mexico City. This fight is at Strawweight. This fight was supposed to be Yazmin Jauregui vs Dione Barbosa. Julia replaced Dione who is fighting next week. Then Yazmin got injured and Loopy replaced her. Loopy is 31 years old from Guadalajara, Mexico and she lives in Vancouver. She trains at Lobo in Mexico. Her UFC record is 7-5 and she's on a two fight losing streak. She comes from a wrestling background. Her two losses were to Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern. Those are the kind of fighters she needs to beat to get anywhere. Julia is 27 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She trains at CWB Fighter. Her UFC record of 1-1. She's a striker. Loopy was able to win the first two rounds by scoring several takedowns. She tried to advance her position in round two. I scored both rounds 10-9 for Loopy. Julia's striking was much better in round three. I scored the round 10-9 for Julia. But she needed a finish and she doesn't have the power to KO anyone. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Loopy and so did all three judges. The win does nothing for Loopy in the rankings. But a win in Mexico is a big deal. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-SoulDecision

Artist:SoulDecision f/Thrust

Song:Faded

Album:No One Does it Better

The Canadian pop group SoulDecision topped the Canadian charts with the 2000 single Faded. It also charted in the US. They probably could have been more successful except for some very poor decisions made by group leader Trevor Guthrie. SoulDecision was a band and they played their own instruments. Guthrie was lead singer and he wrote and produced everything. He was born Feb. 11, 1973 in North Vancouver, BC. He's been playing piano since he was a child. He was attending Capilano College in Vancouver when he formed the band Indecision with David Bowman and Ken Lewko. After releasing a couple of singles, they signed with MCA Records. They were told to find a new band name as Indecision was already being used. Their manager chose SoulDecision. They went to Australia to record the 1999 album Nobody Does it Better with Savage Garden producer Charles Fisher. Guthrie wrote most of the songs. Faded was the fourth single. It topped the Canadian charts and reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rapper is Thrust from the Canadian rap group Rascalz. The album was certified Platinum in Canada. So they did OK. This album is available as a budget CD. After touring, Guthrie decided to leave MCA and start his own label. He wanted to make his own decisions. The 2004 album Shady Satin Drug was released. Guthrie even brought in Nile Rodgers of Chic to produce. The problem was their record distributor went bankrupt so the album never got to stores. So leaving MCA was a very poor decision. I guess Guthrie thought having control was more important than the success SoulDecision could have had with MCA. Guthrie still releases the occasional single but I wonder if he ever thinks about what could have been. Here's the video for Faded by SoulDecision. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Katie Dey

Artist:Katie Dey

Song:Fleas

Album:Flood Network

Katie Dey records music in her home that has gotten a following online. It's not commercial music but it shows that any kind of music can get a following these days. Katie is from Melbourne, Australia and she is autistic. She was messing around with electronic keyboards in her bedroom. She posted songs on her blog. Mat Cochran of the band Elvis Depressedly brought her music to the attention of indie label Orchid Tapes owner Warren Hildebrand and he asked Katie if she wanted to record an album. She agreed because she was a fan of the label. The 2015 album Asdfasdf got a seven out of ten from Pitchfork. And that's how Katie's music has spread. Fleas is from the 2016 album Flood Network on the indie label Joy Void. Then she recorded a couple of albums for the indie label Run for Cover. And she has recorded a couple of albums with Devi McCallion of the Canadian noise pop duo Black Dresses. Katie self released her latest album in 2023. I guess Katie's music might appeal to fans of noise pop or neo psychedelia. Her music has been described as "digitally warped" with "distinctive vocal effects". It's not my kind of music. Look, there are plenty of people recording in bedrooms these days. It's even called "bedroom pop". I don't know if any of it should be released commercially. And I don't think Katie intended to release her music commercially. Someone else thought it was marketable. I don't believe that it is marketable. Decide for yourself. Here's the video for Fleas by Katie Dey.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Fast Automatic Daffodils

Artist:New Fast Automatic Daffodils

Song:Fishes Eyes

Album:Pigeonhole

The British band New Fast Automatic Daffodils (NFAD) were part of the Madchester sound of the late 80s but not as successful as bands like Happy Mondays. The main criticism of NFAD is they were too similar to Happy Mondays. The band was formed in 1988 by Dolan Hewison on guitar, Justin Crawford on bass, Perry Saunders on drums and Icarus Wilson-Wright on percussion. They were students at Manchester Polytechnic. They found lead singer and songwriter Andy Spearpoint at a local drama school. The band name came from a poem by Adrian Henri that was used in an ad for DAF Trucks. Spearpoint has said that all the other Madchester bands had short names and they wanted to be different. They later shortened the band name to New FADS. NFAD released the 1989 single Playtime on the Scottish label Postcard Records. It was followed by a 1990 EP. Then they signed with the Belgian label Play It Again Sam (PIAS) who had an office in London. They were on Mute Records in the US with Elektra distribution. Fishes Eyes is from their 1990 debut album Pigeonhole. The album was written and produced by FADS. Pigeonhole is available as a budget CD. The band had a good reputation as a live band. But it didn't convert to record sales or radio airplay. PIAS brought in outside producers like Martin Hannett (Joy Division) and Craig Leon (The Ramones, Blondie). And of course the band name was shortened to New FADS. But nothing seemed to work and NFAD split up in 1995. Spearpoint attempted to return to acting. But he is now living in Ireland and has self released music. Hewison is managing director of an ad agency. Wilson-Wright has had success as a percussionist with the electronic music duo Basement Jaxx. Crawford is one half of the DJ duo Unabomber and he records solo as Only Child. Saunders was doing remixes. But he doesn't seem to be in the music business anymore. The lesson to be learned is bands need to have names that are easy to remember. Even the record label saw that which is why the name was shortened. Here's the video for Fishes Eyes by New Fast Automatic Daffodils.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Diahann Carroll

Artist:Diahann Carroll

Song:A Sleepin' Bee

Album:House of Flowers: Original Broadway Cast

Diahann Carroll is probably best known for her TV and film appearances. But she also recorded and appeared on Broadway. So she was very versatile. House of Flowers was her first Broadway show in 1955. It didn't do well but there is an original cast album and a clip of Diahann performing A Sleepin' Bee. So I thought that was interesting. She was born Carol Diann Johnson July 17, 1935 in New York City. She grew up in Harlem. Diahann remembered her parents enrolled her in singing and dance lessons. By age 15, she was modeling at Ebony Magazine. She attended Music and Art High School. She entered TV talent contests as Diahann Carroll while studying sociology at New York University.  He big break came when she appeared on a 1954 episode of Chance of a Lifetime and won top prize of $1,000. She started singing in nightclubs and appeared in the 1954 film Carmen Jones as a friend to the lead character played by Dorothy Dandridge. Then she was cast in the 1955 Broadway musical House of Flowers. House of Flowers was based on a Truman Capote short story. Capote wrote the songs with Harold Arlen. Pearl Bailey was the star. Diahann was billed fourth. It's about two neighboring bordellos. A Sleepin' Bee was Diahann's big song in the show. Barbra Streisand performed the song on her 1961 TV debut on The Jack Paar Show. And jazz pianist Bill Evans performed it regularly. Though House of Flowers was panned by critics and failed at the box office, Columbia Masterworks released an original cast album which was released on CD in 2003. A Sleepin' Bee was included on Diahann's 1957 album Diahann Carroll Sings Harold Arlen Songs with The Ralph Burns Orchestra. Diahann did record occasional albums but she was better known for TV and film especially the late 60s show Julia. But House of Flowers is where her career began. Here's Diahann Carroll performing A Sleepin' Bee 1955.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-P.O.D.

Artist:P.O.D.

Song:Sleeping Awake

Album:Greatest Hits

P.O.D. is a Christian metal band that had success when they signed with Atlantic Records in 2000. Most of their success has been as an album and touring band. Sleeping Awake is one of their more popular songs as it appeared in the 2003 film Matrix Reloaded and was released as a single. P.O.D. is short for Payable on Death. They are from San Diego. They were formed in 1991 when lead singer Sonny Sandoval led a rap act called Unlicensed Product. Guitarist Marcos Curiel, bassist Gabe Portillo and drummer Wuv Bernardo had a thrash metal band called Eschatos but they needed a singer. Sandoval joined the band and it was renamed Payable on Death or P.O.D. for short. The name was suggested by Bernardo's girlfriend who worked in a bank. They released two studio albums and a live album on Rescue Records owned by Bernardo's father and Sandoval's uncle. Bernardo's father was also their manager. Portillo left in 1993 and was replaced by Trea Daniels. After the third album, CCM label Essential Records offered P.O.D. a record deal. They turned it down for a much bigger deal from Atlantic Records. And that's when P.O.D. really started to take off. The 1999 album The Fundamental Elements of Southtown was certified Platinum and the 2001 album Satellite was certified 3XPlatinum without a big hit single. The 2002 single Youth of the Nation reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. That is their highest chart single. P.O.D. wrote all the songs. Howard Benson produced most of their Atlantic albums. Curiel was replaced by Jason Truby and that's when P.O.D. was asked to record Sleeping Awake for the 2003 film Matrix Reloaded. It was the lead single. The song was not on P.O.D.'s 2005 album Payable on Death but it is on this budget comp. Things cooled off at Atlantic and P.O.D. left after the 2006 album Testify. Since then they have recorded for INO, Razor & Tie and Universal. They currently record for the Dutch label Mascot and released an album last year. Bernardo went on hiatus in in 2021 and P.O.D. hire drummers for touring. Obviously albums aren't selling like 20 years ago. But P.O.D. is currently on a European tour. That's where the money is though touring is a grind. Here's the video for Sleeping Awake by P.O.D.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Modjo

Artist:Modjo

Song:Lady (Hear Me Tonight)

Album:Kiss House Nation 2001

The 2000 single Lady (Hear Me Tonight) was a big hit in Europe and on the dance charts. The French duo who recorded this split up soon after the album was released in 2001. Romain Tranchart produced the music and Yann Destal was the singer. Both guys were born in Paris. Tranchart grew up in Brazil and learned to play guitar. When he returned to Paris, he was in a rock band. After they split up, he got interested in house music and released a single as Funk Legacy. Then he attended the American School of Modern Music in Paris. That's where he met Destal who was influenced by rock acts and learned to play drums. He was also in a few bands before he met Tranchart. They decided to call themselves Modjo. The 2000 single Lady (Hear Me Tonight) was released on Universal's Barclay label. It samples the 1982 Chic song Soup for One. The single topped the charts across Europe and in England. Then it was picked up by MCA in the US and topped the dance charts there. The album Dodjo was released in 2001. By that time, most listeners had forgotten about Modjo. So attempts to score another hit single that could sell the album were unsuccessful. You can get Lady (Hear Me Tonight) on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Dodjo only released one album. Tranchart has been a producer with various partners ever since. Destal released albums in 2003 and 2013. Here's the video for Lady (Hear Me Tonight) by Modjo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coro

Artist:Coro

Song:Where Are You Tonight

Album:Freestyle Explosion Volume 2

Like many Freestyle singers, Jose Coro had very brief success on the dance charts with Where Are You Tonight and a couple of other songs. He only recorded one album. He still performs today on the Freestyle nostalgia circuit. Coro was born in New York City but he grew up in Miami. He is of Cuban and Dominican descent. Coro started out in acting. But he really wanted to sing. His attempts to put a group together were unsuccessful. Then he met Freestyle singer Stevie B who was just starting to have success and was getting ready to tour. So Coro joined Stevie B's band as a backup singer. After a while, Coro decided to move to New York and try to get a record deal. He signed with Aldo Marin's Freestyle label Cutting Records. Marin put Coro together with producer Zahid Tariq and the 1989 single Where Are You Tonight reached #25 on the dance chart. They decided to record an album and they got Charisma Records to distribute. Tariq wrote and produced everything and a couple of singles did well on the dance charts. Coro continued to record for Cutting until 1998 but nothing caught on. They tried different producers and that didn't work either. Coro's album is not available but you can get Where Are You Tonight on this Thump Records various artists comp. Coro released a single in 2011. And he continues to perform today on the Freestyle nostalgia circuit. Here's Coro performing Where Are You Tonight on a TV show. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Shauna Bannon vs Puja Tomar

Here's the fight video of Shauna Bannon vs Puja Tomar from last night's UFC show in London, England. This fight is at Strawweight. Shauna is 31 years old from Dublin, Ireland. She trains at Holohan Martial Arts owned by former UFC fighter Paddy Holohan. Her UFC record is 1-1. Puja is 31 years old from India. She trains at Soma Fight Club in Bali. The UFC made a big deal about her signing as the first female fighter from India. But she seems inexperienced not to mention a little small. Shauna is a points fighter who likes to use a side kick like Tecia Pennington to keep fighters at distance. I hate that. So I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC. Not much happened in round one. Then in round two, Toma nailed Shauna with a head kick. I thought the fight was over. But the ref didn't stop it. And in a moment of indecision, Toma hastily jumped right into an armbar and tapped out at 3:22 of round two. Shauna got a $50,000 performance bonus. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexia Thainara vs Molly McCann

Here's the fight video of Alexia Thainara vs Molly McCann from last night's UFC show in London, England. This fight is at Strawweight. Istela Nunes was supposed to be Molly's opponent. But she had visa problems and Alexia was brought in on a week's notice. Istela will fight in a couple of weeks. Alexia is 27 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She trains at Academia Ribas Family in Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil so Amanda Ribas is her teammate. She won a DWCS fight in September. This is her UFC debut. She has charisma too. She trains at a great camp so I like her chances. Molly is 34 years old from Liverpool, England. She trains at Next Generation MMA. Her UFC record is 7-6. She's a fan favorite in England. But I have never liked her much. If she was really good, her record would be better. But she tends to underperform when she's not fighting at home. And Alexia was looking to make a good first impression in the UFC. By the middle of round one, Alexia took Molly down and eventually finished her with a rear naked choke at 4:32 of round one. Alexia got a $50,000 bonus. So that's an excellent UFC debut. Afterwards, Molly announced her retirement. She might have been released anyway. But I think she decided that she would retire if she lost the fight. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stan Kenton

Artist:Stan Kenton

Song:Intermission Riff

Album:The Stan Kenton Story

This is another in my series of Jazz for Beginners with an affordable CD appropriate for beginners and a live video clip. Stan Kenton was a jazz pianist who started his big band in the 40s when there was plenty of competition. But Kenton's sound was more progressive which was why he remained popular after the rise of bebop in the late 40s. And he continued to tour and record for decades. He was born Dec. 15, 1911 in Wichita, KS. His family moved to Colorado and then in 1924 to Bell, CA near Los Angeles. He learned to play piano in high school and heard Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines. Kenton started playing local clubs with his band The Bell-Tones. He played with Gus Arnheim, Vito Musso and the NBC House Band. Kenton formed his first orchestra in 1940. They played regularly at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach influenced by Benny Carter and Jimmie Lunceford. He recorded for Decca but the recordings didn't sell. He also was Bob Hope's radio backup band. But that didn't go well and Les Brown replaced him. Things started to pick up when Kenton signed with Capitol Records in 1943 and the record Eager Beaver was successful. Kenton spent most of his career with Capitol. The success continued after singer Anita O'Day was brought in. The turning point was when Pete Rugolo was brought in as chief arranger followed by June Christy replacing O'Day. Rugolo was a jazz fan and a fan of contemporary classical composers like Stravinsky and Bartok. And Kenton encouraged Rugolo to bring those influences into the band. And this led to Kenton's 1946 album Artistry in Rhythm. This would be very successful. This was a different sound from most WWII big bands and would serve Kenton well for many years. The song Intermission Riff is typical of Kenton's music of the late 40s. It was released as a single in 1946 and then on the 1950 album Stan Kenton's Milestones. The song was written by trumpeter Ray Wetzel who was in the Kenton band at the time and had also been in Woody Herman's band. Rugolo wrote the arrangement. This 4CD box set from the British label Proper is available as a budget comp. As I said, Kenton's success continued for many years and this is a good place for beginners to start. Here's Stan Kenton and his band performing Intermission Riff in London, England Feb. 6, 1972. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Andy Gtammer

Artist:Andy Grammer

Song:Keep Your Head Up

Album:Andy Grammer

The 2011 single Keep Your Head Up is probably a song you remember hearing but you don't know who recorded it. The chorus is a memorable earworm. Singer songwriter Andy Grammer has had most of his success in the Adult Contemporary market. But Keep Your Head Up crossed over to pop. It was probably a bigger hit than its chart position. He was born Dec. 3, 1983 in Los Angeles and he grew up in Chester, NY. His father Red Grammer is a singer songwriter known for children's songs. Grammer moved to Los Angeles at age 20 and earned a BA in music industry at Cal State Northridge. He signed with S-Curve Records in 2009. Keep Your Head up was his debut single. It reached #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart but #53 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record was certified Platinum so it probably should have charted higher. The song became popular due to the music video and over a million streams. And it appeared in the 2012 hit film Pitch Perfect. Billboard's criteria at the time was still based on radio airplay. They have changed things in recent years to account for streaming. Half of the 2011 album Andy Grammer was produced by Matt Wallace who worked with Maroon 5. Keep Your Head Up was produced by The Lion's share. It looks like they were brought in by S-Curve owner Steve Greenberg. Grammer wrote all the songs. The album is available on CD. For his 2014 album Magazines and Novels, Honey, I'm Good reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. So technically it's his biggest hit but Keep Your Head Up may be more memorable. As with the first album, Grammer wrote all the songs. Most of the album was produced by Canadian Jon Levine of The Philosopher Kings. Grammer still records for S-Curve and he released an album last year. But he isn't having the same success. Here's the video for Keep Your Head Up by Andy Grammer.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Rolling Stones

Artist:The Rolling Stones

Song:Jumpin' Jack Flash

Album:The Very Best of The Rolling Stones 1964-1971

After the success of the 1966 single Paint it Black, one would think that The Rolling Stones would be on top of the world. But they wouldn't reach the top of the charts again until the 1968 single Jumpin' Jack Flash. There were a couple of reasons for this. But at the time, psychedelic music was on the rise and a lot of the British Invasion bands disappeared. The other big problem was the British authorities were hounding them after News of the World ran a three part feature called Pop Stars and Drugs: Facts That Will Shock You. The first part focused on Donovan and he was arrested. The second part focused on The Rolling Stones. A week after the article was published in Feb. 1967, police were tipped off about a party at Keith Richards' house. Mick Jagger and Richards were charged and they realized that they needed to be more careful. Then Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones along with Marianne Faithfull and Jones' girlfriend Anita Pallenberg went to Morocco. While there, Jones and Pallenberg split up and she went home with Richards. That rift would have to be addressed. When they got home, Jagger and Richards were found guilty of the charges and Jones' house was raided and he was charged. Then producer Andrew Loog Oldham left during the recording of the 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. The album was an attempt to address psychedelia. It sold OK but was criticized as a poor man's version of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. And there were no hit singles. So they started working on the 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Jagger and Richards went to Richards' country house to write songs. And they were awoken one morning by the footsteps of gardener Jack Dyer. Jagger asked what it was and Richards said "Oh, that's Jack, Jumpin' Jack". The song evolved from there. Also they were working with new producer Jimmy Miller who worked with Steve Winwood of The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic. Beggars Banquet wasn't due to be released until late 1968. So Decca decided to release Jumpin' Jack Flash as a single. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it has been one of The Rolling Stones' most popular songs ever since. You can get it on this 2CD comp available at a reasonable price. By the time Beggars Banquet was released, Brian Jones decided to leave the band and he drowned in his swimming pool on July 3, 1969. His replacement was Mick Taylor of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers on Mayall's recommendation. The Rolling Stones topped the charts again with the 1969 single Honky Tonk Women. Then they really hit it big with the 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Jimmy Miller deserves much of the credit as he produced all the albums from that era. I don't know if they make a comeback without him. Here's the video for Jumpin' Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dane Cook

Artist:Dane Cook

Song:Benson's Animal Farm

Album:Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden

As I have said before, there was a time when comedy albums were big sellers. Those days are long gone and even a really successful comic like Dane Cook doesn't record anymore. When he was working for Comedy Central, they would release his TV specials on CD. But he left Comedy Central in 2009. Cook still performs live. He's starting a new tour next week. But I don't think he's as popular today as twenty years ago when he was on Comedy Central. Cook was born Mar. 18,1972 in Cambridge, MA. He was shy as a child. But he started doing stand up comedy while he was in high school. He studied graphic design in college in case he didn't make it in comedy. Cook moved to New York and then Los Angeles. His big break came when he appeared on a 1998 episode of Comedy Central's Premium Blend. Then he started appearing regularly on Comedy Central. At the time, they were releasing a lot of their comedy specials on CD. Benson's Animal Farm is from the 2007 album Rough Around the Edges. First, filling Madison Square Garden is a big deal. I don't know if he could do that today. The album comes with a bonus DVD of the concert. Cook became so popular at the time that he appeared in a series of films. The most popular of these was Good Luck Chuck in 2007. Cook's success really ended when he left Comedy Central in 2009. And he really hasn't been able to get to that level again. In 2012, NBC announced that  Cook would star in the sitcom Next Caller. After four episodes were produced, NBC cancelled the show and they never aired. He still does the occasional comedy specials. He has a podcast. Who doesn't? And like I said, he's starting a new tour next week. He's made lots of money so he'll be OK. But he's not riding high like he was twenty years ago. Maybe Cook should retire from stand up comedy. Here's Dane Cook performing Benson's animal Farm from the 2007 Comedy Central show Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Heights

Artist:The Heights

Song:How Do You Talk to an Angel

Album:The Heights TV Soundtrack

The Heights was a 1992 TV series about a fictional rock band trying to make it. The show aired on FOX from August to November in 1992. There were 13 episodes and it was cancelled due to low ratings. Capitol Records released a soundtrack album and the single How Do You Talk to an Angel topped the charts. The song appeared on the debut episode. The Heights was created by Tony Spiridakis and he wrote most of the episodes. He wrote the 1991 film Queens Logic. For the cast, he hired a mix of actors and musicians. The lead singer of How Do You Talk to an Angel was Jamie Walters. He appeared in the 1991 film Shout starring John Travolta as a music teacher. Walters sang in the film. Shawn David Thompson was lead singer of The Heights. He is now a film editor. Cheryl Pollak played sax. She was in eight episodes of Melrose Place in 1994. She seems to be retired. Charlotte Ross played guitar. She was a regular on NYPD Blue from 2001-04. Zachary Throne played keyboards. He was in the band Alley Cats LV. Alex Desert played bass. He was a regular on the sitcom Becker. Ken Garito was the drummer. He does bit parts in films and TV. The soundtrack was produced by Steve Tyrell, his wife Stephanie, Guy Moon and Barry Coffing. Tyrell is a jazz singer and songwriter. Moon and Coffing compose for TV and films. Though the cast sang the songs, session musicians played the music. On How Do You Talk to an Angel, session musician Brandon Fields played the sax solo and session musician Bob Mann played the guitar solo. This album is available as a budget CD. Jamie Walters was a regular on Beverly Hills 90210 in 1994. Then he released three unsuccessful albums on Atlantic. He became a firefighter in 2002. Steve Tyrell produced the first two albums. And Tyrell and Moon produced music for the kids show California Dreams from Saved By the Bell creator Peter Engel. This show ran from 1992-96. So there's a one hit wonder for you. Here's the video for How Do You Talk to an Angel by The Heights. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blue October

Artist:Blue October

Song:Home

Album:Home

Blue October have had success mostly as an album and touring band since they formed in 1995. They are from Houston led by singer songwriter guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, his drummer brother Jeremy Furstenfeld, keyboardist Ryan Delahoussaye, guitarist Steve Schiltz and bassist Matt Noveskey. They signed with Universal Motown and had success when the 2006 album Foiled was certified Platinum and the single Hate Me was a top 30 hit. The success was mostly because VH1 played the video in heavy rotation. And Blue October appeared on all the late night talk shows. I guess Universal loved them at the time. But by 2011, Universal didn't like them much anymore as they offered Blue October what is known as a 360 deal. The label offers financial support in return for an increased share of band revenues. The idea is Universal wants to get paid back quickly and indie bands like Blue October don't generate enough revenue. So the band rejected that and started their own label Up/Down with distribution by Sony owned RED Music which used to be The Orchard. So they just distribute. There is no promotion like there is with a major label. So this means Blue October has more control over their music. The 2016 album Home was produced by Justin Furstenfeld with recording engineer Tim Palmer. Furstenfeld wrote all the songs. By this time Schiltz was spending more time with his other band Longwave. So C.B. Hudson was brought in to replace him. Schiltz returned in 2023. Blue October last released new music in Dec. 2024 and they are on tour to support it. Here's the video for Home by Blue October. 

Accuradio Song Of The Day-Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn

Artist:Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn

Song:If This World Were Mine

Album:The Essential Luther Vandross

Of course everybody wanted to sing with Luther Vandross. And he recorded plenty of duets. But this 1982 cover of If This World Were Mine appeared on Cheryl Lynn's 1982 album Instant Love. So for Vandross fans, this record is a discography orphan. Fortunately, it's easy to find. Most fans should be familiar with Cheryl Lynn for the 1978 R&B hit Got to Be Real. She recorded several albums for Columbia and that turned out to be her biggest hit. Columbia had her work with producers like Ray Parker Jr. and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. But nothing seemed to work, Vandross had recently signed with Epic and topped the R&B charts with the 1981 single Never Too Much. So they asked him to produce Cheryl's 1982 album Instant Love. If This World Were Mine was written by Marvin Gaye and he recorded it with Tammi Terrell in 1967. It was not a hit. But I'm not surprised that Vandross knew the song. The average fan would not have known about the song. The good news is the single reached #4 on the R&B Singles chart. But it wasn't enough to elevate Cheryl to an elite level. For some reason, Columbia chose not to put the song on a Vandross album. But Luther Vandross fans can get it on this 2CD budget comp. Here's Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn performing If This World Were Mine on Soul Train 1982. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Carli Judice vs Yuniesy Duben

Here's the fight video of Carli Judice vs Yuniesy Duben from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Carli is 26 years old from Lafayette, LA. She trains with Aaron Phillips at Headkicks MMA. She lost her DWCS fight. But the UFC signed her anyway and she lost her UFC debut. Yuniesy is 28 years old from Venezuela and she trains at Team Dubus in Pittsburgh. she won her DWCS fight with an overhand right KO. So obviously she got a UFC contract. She obviously has power. But Carli has a significant height advantage. And Yuniesy didn't seem to be prepared for that. Carli was able to keep her distance and avoid Yuniesy's power until she Carli nailed her with a head kick which led to a TKO at 1:40 of round one. Carli earned a $50,000 bonus. Chalk that one up to poor fight preparation. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog video Theater-Priscila Cachoeira vs Josiane Nunes

Here's the fight video of Priscila Cachoeira vs Josiane Nunes from last night' UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Bantamweight. Priscila is 36 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She used to train at PVRT but she now trains with Amanda Nunes in Florida. Her UFC record is 4-6. Josiane is 31 years old from Curitiba, Brazil. She trains at Striker's House. Her UFC record is 3-2. I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC. But Priscila had a big height advantage and I expected that to be a big factor. These two just like to swing away. There's no concept of defending. So Priscila knocked Josiane out with an uppercut at 2:45 of round one. She got a $50,000 bonus for that. Thankfully, the fight was short. I don't if I could have watched these two for three rounds. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sam Hughes vs Stephanie Luciano

 Here's the fight video of Sam Hughes vs Stephanie Luciano from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Sam is 32 years old from Seattle. She's improved since she began training with Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA in Houston. But she will never be anything more than a prelim fighter. Her UFC record is 4-5. She tends to alternate wins and losses. Stephanie is 25 years old from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She trains at Gordin Fight Team. She won her UFC debut after her DWCS fight was a draw. I expected this fight to be close as neither is a finisher. Round one was close. Sam started out OK but Stephanie came back in the second half of the round. I scored it 10-9 for Stephanie but it could go the other way. Sam won round two 10-9. It was borderline 10-8. But it shows that Sam has no idea how to finish fights. Stephanie won round three 10-9. If she had fought that way earlier in the fight, she would have won easily. I scored the fight 29-28 for Stephanie. Sam won by split decision. Two of the three judges scored round one 10-9 for Sam and one judge scored round two 10-8 for Sam. It was also Sayif Saud's 100th victory. So congratulations to him. I guess it could be said that Stephanie let this one get away. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coi Leray

Artist:Coi Leray

Song:Players

Album:COI

The single Players was a top ten hit in 2022. It is to date the biggest hit for rapper Coi Leray. Some of her other singles charted but Players got a big boost when it spread through TikTok. This kind of viral marketing tends to lead to a lot of one hit wonders. Coi has this hot rapper chick with attitude vibe. But it's questionable if that is enough for her to have long term success. I doubt it. She was born Coi Leray Collins May 11, 1987 in Boston and she grew up in Hackensack, NJ. Her father is Raymond "Banzino" Scott who started out as a rapper but was once one of the owners of the hip hop magazine The Source. Coi has five brothers. After her parents divorced and her father left The Source, Coi and her brother posted music on YouTube. She stopped rapping, dropped out of high school and worked in retail. But she started rapping again and released a mixtape in 2018. She appeared on the song Save the Day from the 2018 film Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse. And that led to a record deal with Republic Universal. They released her next mixtape and sent her on tour with rapper Tripple Redd. She appeared as a guest artist and released her EP Now or Never in 2020. A couple of singles from her 2020 album Trendsetter charted. Coi was out there performing. But she wasn't getting great crowd reaction plus her album wasn't selling. She was nominated for BET Awards too. Things started to pick up when her single with Nicki Minaj Blick Blick reached #10 on the R&B Singles chart and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. And this was followed by Players, the first single from her 2023 album COI. It reached #4 on the R&B Singles chart and #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Coi released a snippet of the song on TikTok and said it was dedicated to women being players. It samples a very famous song The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. She met with Grandmaster Flash and he supported the single. Remember he's getting paid too. Frequently listeners will gravitate to a record that sounds familiar. And that's true of Players. The opening riff sells the song. Most of the album was produced by Israeli producer Johnny Goldstein. He has worked with Black Eyed Peas. Can this lead to big things for Coi Leray? Well, it hasn't because she hasn't charted since Players. So it's starting to look like a fluke. Here's the video for Players by Coi Leray. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The O'Jays

Artist:The O'Jays

Song:Love Train

Album:The Ultimate O'Jays

The 1972 single Love Train topped the charts and was the breakthrough hit for the legendary Philly Soul group The O'Jays. Though The O'Jays are closely identified with Philly Soul, they are from Canton, OH. Lead singer Eddie Levert grew up singing in church. He and the other members of The O'Jays met at Canton McKinley High School. The other members are Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. At first they were called The Mascots then The Triumphs. They started calling themselves The O'Jays in 1963 after Cleveland DJ Eddie O'Jay. In the 60s, The O'Jays recorded for Imperial, Minit and Bell. They had some success but they weren't able to break through to a larger audience. They were bouncing around different labels. They recorded the 1970 album The O'Jays in Philadelphia on Neptune Records owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and distributed by Chess. Gamble and Huff started a new label Philadelphia International (PI) with Columbia distribution. The O'Jays were thinking of quitting the music business and Massey and Isles did leave. But they signed with PI and Back Stabbers was the first album in 1972. The first single Back Stabbers reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Love Train topped the charts. The album was certified Gold. The O'Jays had great success for the rest of the 70s. It also established Gamble and Huff's PI formula. They wrote and produced everything with studio musicians like Bunny Sigler, Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, Earl Young and Thom Bell. This is why the Philly Soul sound is so consistent. These guys worked on all the records. You can get all of The O'Jays PI hits on this budget comp. After William Powell died in 1977, he was replaced by Sammy Strain of Little Anthony and the Imperials. Neither The O'Jays or PI were as successful after that. PI moved from Columbia to Capitol and The O'Jays left PI for EMI America. The O'Jays are still around. They released an album in 2019. Philadelphia International still exists for licensing purposes. But PI hasn't released any records since the 90s. It's a good thing we still have all that great music. Here's the video for Love Train by The O'Jays. I didn't know there was a video for this. I thought I would have to use The O'Jays' Soul Train appearance. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Q-Tip

Artist:Q-Tip

Song:Vivrant Thing

Album:Amplified

After A Tribe Called Quest split up in 1997, rapper Q-Tip released the 1999 album Amplified and the single Vivrant was a top ten R&B hit. This is his biggest hit to date. He last released an album in 2009. He keeps promising new music but none of it has been released. He is involved in production and other things. He was born Jonathan Davis Apr. 10, 1970 in New York City. He goes by the Muslim name Kamaal Ibn John Fareed. It's easier to just call him Q-Tip. His father is from Monserrat and his mother is from Alabama. He and rapper Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest have been friends since childhood. That's who got Q-Tip into rapping. He listened to his dad's record collection and started DJing as a teen. He became friends with another A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad in high school. The two started recording together in 1985 and were joined by Phife and Jacobi White. They were called Quest. He was given the name Q-Tip by Afrika Baby Bam of Jungle Brothers and he also suggested the name A Tribe Called Quest. After appearing with Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest signed with Jive Records. They released five albums. Most of their success was on the Rap and R&B charts. But they were critically acclaimed. Q-Tip got into producing and he appeared in the 1993 film Poetic Justice. As Q-Tip got more into his outside activities, it became clear that A Tribe Called Quest was heading for breakup. After the 1997 split, a fire destroyed Q-Tip's home recording studio. The final A Tribe Called Quest album was released in 1999. Meanwhile, Q-Tip signed with Arista and released the 1999 album Amplified. The single Vivrant Thing reached #7 on the R&B Singles chart. The album was certified Gold. Q-Tip wrote and produced with Jay Dee. These two worked together on A Tribe Called Quest. This album is available as a budget CD. Since then Q-Tip has had record company problems since LA Reid took over Arista in 2000. He got his release and signed with DreamWorks. They were sold to Universal. He bounced around different labels Universal didn't seem to know what to do with him. And that's why we haven't seen much music from Q-Tip. He signed with different labels and they won't release his albums. He's still an active producer and A Tribe Called Quest released an album and toured. But in 2019, Q-Tip announced he was working on three different albums and none have been released. Here's the video for Vivrant Thing by Q-Tip. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-King Tuffy

Artist:King Tuffy

Song:The Other

Album:The Other

Kyle Thomas is lead singer and guitarist for the band Witch and he was in Ty Segall's band. When he isn't doing that, King Tuff is a home recording project that he turns into a band for tours. Thomas is from Brattleboro, VT. He grew up listening to his father's record collection and learned to play keyboards and drums. His father bought him a Fender Stratocaster guitar when he was seven and that's when Thomas got serious. After high school, he wrote songs and played in bands. Then he started recording at home and self released a CD. Meanwhile J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr started the band Witch and brought Thomas in to play guitar. Witch released an album and toured. But it was never intended to be a full time band. So Thomas started recording at home as King Tuff. He signed a record deal with Sub Pop. Thomas writes and plays all the instruments himself and puts a band together for tours. Thomas was also in Witch and the band Feathers who released an album in 2006. Then he joined Ty Segall's band The Muggers in 2016. Remember these are all part time bands. The Other is the title song from King Tuff's 2018 album The Other. The music has been categorized as Garage Rock. I guess it's music that is recorded in a garage. It's an offshoot of neo psychedelia. Thomas wrote all the songs and played all the instruments except for Ty Segall on drums. It's available on CD. On the latest King Tuff album released in 2023, Thomas brought in Sasami Ashworth to help with writing, production, vocals and keyboards. Thomas has played on her albums. Witch hasn't recorded since 2012. So it looks like King Tuff is a full time band now. Here's the video for The Other by King Tuff.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joe Williams

Artist:Joe Williams

Song:Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You

Album:Four Classic Albums

Jazz singer Joe Williams is best known for singing with the Count Basie Orchestra in the 50s. He sang with other bands but you should check out his recordings with Basie first. He was born Joseph Goreed Dec. 12, 1918 in Cordele, GA and he grew up in Chicago. He sang in church and was a member of the gospel group The Jubilee Boys. He got into jazz after listening to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. He started singing professionally in 1937. He toured with among others Jimmie Noone, Les Hite, Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, Red Saunders and Andy Kirk. After some time off the road due to illness, Williams returned to Red Saunders' band in 1950. And that's where Basie heard him. Williams was in the Basie band from 1954-61. Probably his best known song from that era was Every Day I Have the Blues. He first recorded it in 1955. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You is from the 1959 album Everyday I Have the Blues on Roulette Records. This is a solo album with the Basie band backing Williams up. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You was written by Andy Razaf and Don Redman and first recorded by Redman's band McKinney's Cotton Pickers in 1929. The song was popularized by Nat King Cole in 1943 on a session produced by Capitol owner Johnny Mercer. It's been a jazz standard since then. The album Everyday I Have the Blues is available on this budget comp of four classic Joe Williams albums from Avid. The other albums are A Night at Count Basie's (1955) which was recorded at Basie's nightclub but Basie isn't on it, A Man Ain't Supposed to Cry (1958) which is with strings led by Jimmy Mundy and Just the Blues (1960) with Basie. After leaving Basie, Williams led his own band and recorded for RCA. He continued to tour and record until he died on Mar. 29, 1999 at age 80. Here's Joe Williams with The Count Basie Orchestra performing Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You at Palais des Beaux Arts in Charleroi, France 1961.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tait

Artist:Tait

Song:Lose This Life

Album:Back 2 Back Hits

Tait was a CCM band that probably would have been successful if they had remained together. They only recorded two albums. It's hard to keep a band going when guys keep leaving. The leader of Tait was former dc Talk lead singer Michael Tait. He was born May 18, 1966 in Washington, DC. Tait met Toby McKeehan in high school and they met Kevin Max at Liberty University. They formed the very successful band dc Talk. Tait met Chad Chapin in 1996 and they started writing together. They decided to turn it into a band after dc Talk went on hiatus in 1999. Guitarist Pete Stewart had worked with dc Talk so he was brought in. Chapin brought in his brother and former Petra bassist Lonnie Chapin. They signed with ForeFront Records which by this time was owned by EMI. They released the 2001 album Empty. Tate and Chad Chapin wrote most of the songs and Tait and Stewart produced the album. For the 2003 album Lose This Life, Stewart left to go solo and was replaced by Justin York. Mark Heimermann was brought in to help Tait produce. He had worked with dc Talk. Again, Tait and Chad Chapin wrote most of the songs including Lose This Life. It was at this point the band started falling apart. Lonnie Chapin and York left. If the replacements had stayed, Tait could have continued. But it became a revolving door and Tait ended in 2007. ForeFront released this budget comp in 2012. There were plans for a third Tait album but it was not finished. Tait joined Newsboys as lead singer in 2009. He recently announced on Facebook his departure from Newsboys It remains to be seen what he will do next. Here's the video for Lose This Life by Tait.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jeremih

Artist:Jeremih f/YG

Song:Don't Tell 'Em

Album:Late Nights: The Album

The 2014 single Don't Tell 'Em was the third of three top ten hits for R&B singer songwriter Jeremih. You haven't heard much from him lately because he was in an ongoing dispute with DefJam Records. That seems to have ended recently so we'll see what he does next. He was born Jeremy Felton July 17, 1987 in Chicago. He started playing drums at age three and by the time he was in high school, he could play several instruments. He studied music business at Columbia Music Chicago and while there, he met Mick Schultz and the two have worked together for Jeremih's entire career. He signed with DefJam in 2009 and the single Birthday Sex reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second top ten hit was the 2010 single Down on Me from the 2010 album All About You. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then he started having trouble with DefJam. Jeremih announced he was planning an album for a 2012 release. But it was never released possibly because DefJam didn't like it. So instead Jeremih released a 2012 mixtape Late Nights with Jeremih. Then he released an EP through his Twitter account. The single Don't Tell 'Em was released June 2014 and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Late Nights: The Album was released Jan. 2015. The single features rapper YG. Jeremih wrote and produced with Schultz and DJ Mustard. The main sample is from the 1992 single Rhythm Is a Dancer by Snap!, There was no music video because Jeremih was unhappy with DefJam. This album is available as a budget CD. That's his latest solo album. He did release the 2018 album MihTy with Ty Dolla Sign. Then he went on hiatus. Jeremih left DefJam last year and plans future releases on his own label. We'll see if anything comes from that. Here's a video for Don't Tell 'Em by Jeremih featuring YG.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Lemos vs Iasmin Lucindo

Here's the fight video of Amanda Lemos vs Iasmin Lucindo from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Amanda is 37 years old from Belem, Para, Brazil. She trains at Marajo Brothers which is the Alcantara brothers who both fought in the UFC. Her UFC record is 8-4. Amanda hits very hard. She's not quite an elite fighter but she's a pretty good gatekeeper. Iasmin is 24 years old from Fortaleeza, Brazil. She trains at Academia Fight House with coach Renato Velame. Her UFC record is 4-1 and she's on a four fight winning streak. Amanda is a big step up in competition for Iasmin. It's a big test which she failed miserably. Amanda took her down in round one and kept her down. And she did the same thing in round two. It sure didn't look like the Iasmin I saw in her previous fights. She looked better after Velamo yelled at her after round two. Iasmin won round three but she needed a finish. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Amanda. Iasmin didn't look ready to fight. And that made the fight very boring. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mel Tillis

Artist:Mel Tillis

Song:Coca Cola Cowboy

Album:Greatest Hits

Country singer Mel Tillis had his greatest success in the 70s. He had a long string of country music chart toppers including the 1979 single Coca Cola Cowboys which was a hit after it appeared in the 1978 film Every Which Way But Loose. He was born Aug. 8, 1932 in Tampa, FL. but he grew up in Pahokee near West Palm Beach. A bout of malaria gave Tillis with a stutter and he used it as part of his act. Tillis learned to play drums and guitar and he won a talent contest as a teen. Tillis attended the University of Florida but left to join the US Air Force. While stationed as a baker in Okinawa, Tillis started the band The Westerners and played local clubs. After leaving the Air Force in 1955, Tillis got a job with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Tampa. He used his rail pass to go to Nashville and audition for Wesley Rose of Acuff-Rose Music. He moved to Nashville and after some success as a songwriter, Tillis signed with Columbia Records in 1958. He switched to Kapp Records in 1965 and that's when he started having chart success. Tillis also wrote the song Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town which was a big hit for Kenny Rogers & the First Edition. Tillis left Kapp for MGM in 1970 and scored his first #1 country hit with the 1972 single I Ain't Never. He had several top ten hits on MGM probably because they spent more money promoting him. But he switched again to MCA Records in 1976. And that's when Tillis had his greatest success. #1 hits included Good Woman Blues (1976), Heart Healer (1976) and I Believe in You (1978). The 1979 single Coca Cola Cowboy was probably the biggest of those hits because it appeared in the 1978 film Every Which Way But Loose starring Clint Eastwood. Tillis also appeared in the film. The song was written for the film by Steve Dorff, Sandy Pinkard, Sam Atchley and Bud Dain and appeared on the soundtrack album. After Coca Cola Cowboy was a hit, MCA put it on the 1979 album Mr. Entertainer. You can get the song on this Curb Records budget comp which covers Tillis' late 70s hits. Mr. Entertainer was Tillis' final album on MCA. He moved to Elektra Records. He had some success there including the 1980 #1 hit Southern Rains. But he returned to MCA and later recorded for RCA. Tillis continued to record and tour until he died on Nov. 19, 2017 at age 85. Here's Mel Tillis performing Coca Cola Cowboy on Austin City Limits 1979.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Evans

Artist:Paul Evans

Song:Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat

Album:Happy Go Lucky Me: The Paul Evans Songbook

The 1959 single Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat was one of two top ten hits for singer songwriter Paul Evans. He went on to have his greatest success as a songwriter. He was born Mar. 5, 1938 in Queens, NY. His mother was a piano teacher and his sister taught him to play guitar. Evans performed in high school shows and attended Columbia University on an engineering scholarship. He also hosted a radio show and that gave him the music bug and he quit school. He started singing in clubs. But what really got him into the music business was singing on demos and pitching songs to publishing companies in The Brill Building. He got a publishing deal which led to a record deal with RCA. When that didn't work out, he recorded for Decca and Atco. Then Evans was hired by veteran songwriters Bob Hilliard and Lee Pockriss to record a demo of Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat and that led to a record deal with Carlton Records. Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat was released on Carlton's Guaranteed label and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. They released the demo with no changes. This was followed by a second top ten hit Happy-Go-Lucky Me. Evans continued to record and perform as a folksinger. But he already had success as a songwriter with the 1958 Kalin Twins top five hit When. Then he hit the jackpot when Bobby Vinton topped the charts with the 1962 single Roses Are Red written by Al Byron and Paul Evans. That is his most memorable song. Evans continued to record. He charted in country music in the late 70s. This budget comp from the British label Castle is like an audio biography and includes an interview. Evans published an autobiography in 2021. Here's Paul Evans performing Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat on American Bandstand 1959. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Magazine

Artist:Magazine

Song:Shot by Both Sides

Album:Rays & Hail 1978-1981

Buzzcocks lead singer Howard Devoto formed the band Magazine after leaving Buzzcocks. The British punk scene was volatile at the time and band memberships were very fluid. So not surprisingly, Magazine was only around for a couple of years. They have reunited in recent years. Devoto says he left Buzzcocks to form a more progressive punk band. I'm not sure what that means. With Devoto's voice, the band will always sound the same. Soon after leaving, he met John McGeoch and they started writing songs together. McGeoch was an art student at the time. They added Bob Dickinson on keyboards, Barry Adamson on bass and Martin Jackson on drums and Magazine was born. All these guys are from Manchester, England. After signing with Virgin Records, they started playing live gigs. Pretty soon it was decided that Dickinson didn't fit in. So he was replaced by Dave Formula of the 60s band St. Louis Union. Meanwhile, their debut single Shot By Both Sides was released and it reached #41 on the British Singles chart. Devoto wrote all of Magazine's songs usually with McGeoch. But the chord progression for Shot by Both Sides was lifted from the Buzzcocks song Lipstick. So Pete Shelley got a songwriting credit. Devoto wrote the song after a political argument with his girlfriend and she said he would be shot by both sides. Then they released the album Real Life and toured. Jackson left during the tour and was replaced by Paul Spencer. Then Spencer was replaced by John Doyle. Magazine's 1979 album Secondhand Daylight featured an increased use of synthesizers which were becoming more prevalent in British pop music. McGeoch, Adamson and Formula briefly joined the synth pop band Visage. Then after the release of the 1980 album The Correct Use of Soap, McGeoch left to join Siouxsie and the Banshees because he didn't think Magazine was going anywhere. Devoto tried to keep the band going. But this kind of music was dying anyway. So Magazine split up in 1981. This budget comp covers their history. Devoto formed the band Luxuria then quit the music business to become a photo archivist. The others bounced around various bands. McGeoch died in 2004. Magazine reunited in 2009 to play a few gigs. They released a 2011 album and split up soon after. Devoto seems to be retired. Here's Magazine performing Shot by Both Sides on the Belgian TV show Follies July 2, 1979.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Uncle Acid

Artist:Uncle Acid

Song:Melody Lane

Album:The Night Creeper

Uncle Acid is a British neo psychedelic band with heavy metal overtones. The unusual thing about this band is the visual imagery is deliberately controversial. They have built a following by appearing at European music festivals. This band is also known as Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. The band is from Cambridge, England led by Kevin Starrs who uses the moniker Uncle Acid. He's the lead singer, lead guitarist and he writes all the songs. He also tries to look like Charles Manson. Uncle Acid was formed in 2010 and Starrs is the only original member. So I guess it's a one man band and the rest of the band is disposable. The first couple of Uncle Acid albums were self released. Then he signed with the indie label Rise Above owned by Lee Dorman of the death metal band Cathedral. So that's when Uncle Acid started touring and Starrs turned it into a band. Melody Lane is from the 2015 album The Night Creeper. And if you watch the video, it's obvious that he is aiming this at a particular audience that enjoys exploitation films. Beware to the easily offended. There's nothing unusual about Uncle Acid's music. They sound like other neo psychedelic bands. This is why Uncle Acid tours so much. Radio stations would never play the music. And the videos are for mature audiences only. They released a new album last year and just finished a North American tour. I expect them to tour Europe this summer. Here's the video for Melody Lane by Uncle Acid. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barbara Lewis

Artist:Barbara Lewis

Song:Baby, I'm Yours

Album:Hello Stranger

The 1965 single Baby, I'm Yours was one of three memorable hits for R&B singer songwriter Barbara Lewis. She was born Feb. 9, 1943 in Salem, MI. She began to write songs at age nine. As a teen, she met Ollie McLaughlin who was a DJ at Ann Arbor radio station WHRV. He started out as a concert promoter for jazz musicians like Dave Brubeck and Chet Baker. But McLaughlin's breakthrough was producing hits like Runaway for Del Shannon. Then he started his own label Karen Records and Barbara was his first artist. When the single Hello Stranger had regional success in Michigan, Atlantic Records picked up the album for distribution and Hello Stranger reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Barbara wrote the song and McLaughlin produced. When follow up singles didn't do as well, Atlantic brought in Bert Berns to produce the 1966 single Baby, I'm Yours. Van McCoy wrote the song and wrote the arrangement. Barbara didn't like the song and gave a poor performance so Atlantic would leave it off the album. But McLaughlin convinced her to redo her vocal and that's the version that reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Barbara had one more hit with the 1965 single Make Me Your Baby. And then she faded. She left Atlantic and recorded a 1968 album on Stax's Enterprise label. This European comp seems to be the only Barbara Lewis comp available right now. She seemed to retire in the 70s. But after Yvonne Elliman charted with her 1977 cover of Hello Stranger, Casey Kasem tracked her down and got her to appear on TV. Barbara toured the oldies circuit until health issues forced her to retire in 2017. Here's Barbara Lewis performing Baby, I'm Yours on Hullaballoo 1965.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-IYO SKY vs Rhea Ripley

Here's the match video of Rhea Ripley defending the WWE World Women's Championship vs IYO SKY from last night's episode of RAW. This was set up last month when IYO lost an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match after Rhea interfered. So Rhea promised IYO a title shot. The WWE telegraphed the finish by repeating several times that Rhea had never beaten IYO. The match is excellent. What fans need to understand about IYO is she is used to wrestling girls who are much bigger than her. And though the WWE has not booked her as an elite wrestler over the last year,  IYO as champ going into Wrestlemania is credible because she is an elite performer. Of course Bianca will be the challenger at Wrestlemania so she watched the match from ringside. Rhea's mistake was allowing Bianca to distract her and that led to IYO winning the title with her moonsault. We'll see what happens at Wrestlemania. A three way match wouldn't surprise me. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Outlaws

Artist:The Outlaws

Song:Ambush

Album:Joe Meek: The RGM Sound

Not to be confused with the 70s country rock band Outlaws, the British band The Outlaws was produced by the same guy responsible for The Tornados smash instrumental hit Telstar, British producer and recording engineer Joe Meek. He was almost able to repeat this with The Outlaws 1961 single Ambush. I think the record would have been a hit without the screwy sound effects. Meek was known to be flaky. The other problem with The Outlaws was the band lineup was always changing. The Outlaws came about when Meek fired the backing band for singer Mike Berry in 1960. The original lineup of The Outlaws was guitarist Chas Hodges, drummer Bobby Graham along with Reg Hawkins and Billy Kuy. This is the band that recorded the 1961 single Ambush which reached #43 on the British Singles chart. I think it would have been a bigger hit minus the sound effects because the song is pretty good. The Outlaws recorded until 1966. The only member who was in the band for the entire time was Hodges who was later a member of Chas and Dave. When The Outlaws were not recording their own music, they were backing up other Meek acts in the studio. After Graham left, Meek hired drummer Mick Underwood who recommend his guitarist buddy Ritchie Blackmore. Of course Blackmore went on to be guitarist for Deep Purple. And Underwood was a session drummer and member of Gillan after he he left Deep Purple. So The Outlaws had potential but it's like I said. He tended to be flaky anyway. This 2CD comp from the British reissue label Jasmine covers Meek's history. Meek suffered from schizophrenia and on Feb. 3, 1967, he shot his landlady after she complained about the noise coming from the studio and then he shot himself. Meek is hailed in England today as a recording pioneer. But that's tempered by his mental illness. Here's The Outlaws performing Ambush 1961.