AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jay & The Americans

Artist:Jay & the Americans

Song:This Magic Moment

Album:Come a Little Bit Closer: The Best of Jay & the Americans

Considering that they were a doo wop throwback group, Jay & the Americans had a pretty good run in the 60s. After the top ten singles She Cried (1962), Come a Little Bit Closer (1964) and Cara Mia (1965), they went through a dry spell. Just when it looked like they were through, Jay & the Americans scored their final top ten hit with the 1968 single This Magic Moment. Of course in their initial run, they had to compete with British Invasion bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They even opened for those bands. The group in those days was Jay Black, Howard Kane, Kenny Vance, Sandy Deanne and Marty Sanders. Black was usually lead singer and Sanders played guitar. They never wrote their own songs. After Cara Mia was a hit in 1965, they didn't have much success. Cara Mia was produced by DJ Gerry Granahan. After United Artists released a 1965 Greatest Hits album, Jay & the Americans released the 1966 album Sunday and Me. Granahan produced this album and Artie Butler wrote the arrangements. As with their previous albums, the songs were mostly covers. But with the exception of Roy Orbison's Crying, none of the songs were hits elsewhere. They did score a top 20 hit with the Neil Diamond song Sunday and Me. That was Diamond's first chart hit as a songwriter. Meanwhile, Jay & the Americans appeared in the 1966 film Wild Wild Winter. And they decided to start their own production and publishing company. They had the same problem with the albums Livin' Above Your Head (1966) and Try Some of This! (1967). They even brought in Jeff Barry and Lieber and Stoller to write and produce some songs on Try Some of This!. It didn't help. So for the 1969 album Sands of Time, Jay & the Americans decided to return to recording classic covers. Their cover of The Drifters classic This Magic Moment reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. That song was written by the legendary team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Jay & the Americans produced the album. But Thomas Jefferson Kaye arranged and conducted. He had previously produced The Shirelles at Scepter Records. He brought in Donald Fagan and Walter Becker to write arrangements. And of course they went on to lead Steely Dan in the 70s. But they couldn't keep it going. The 1970 album Wax Museum was again produced by Kaye. The single Walkin' in the Rain reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. After Black took over and wrote and produced most of the 1970 album Capture the Moment and it was a failure, Jay & the Americans split up though Black continued to lead a version of the group. Due to gambling debts, Black filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and lost the rights to the name Jay & the Americans to Sandy Deanne. He continues to lead a version of the group today. They have released a couple of albums and tour the oldies circuit. The new lead singer John Reincke led a Jay & the Americans tribute band for 30 years. Sanders is also in the band. Kenny Vance leads his band The Planotones. Jay Black died in 2021 and Howard Kane died in 2023. You can get all of Jay & the Americans hits on this comp. Here's Jay & the Americans performing This Magic Moment.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Layla Zoe

Artist:Layla Zoe

Song: You Won't Call

Album:Shades of Blue

Layla Zoe is a Canadian blues rocker who has recorded mostly for her own label since 2006. I call her a blues rocker because though she performs in the blues style, she writes her own songs. She is similar to women like Susan Tedeschi and Bonnie Raitt but not as successful. She was born May 26, 1970 in Nanaimo, BC. By age four, she was performing in her father's band. Then she led his band as a teen and started writing poetry. Then she moved to Toronto because that's capital of the music business in Canada. After releasing a 2005 EP, she released her 2006 debut album Shades of Blue on her own label. She wrote and produced everything with guitarist Chris Raines. It seems to be his only credit. She even produced a video for You Won't Call. The album is available on CD. She played with Jeff Healey in his Toronto club. It's just that this kind of music is a crowded marketplace and if an artist is not on a label like Alligator, it's an uphill climb. So Layla has played a lot of European blues festivals. Guitarist Henrik Freischlader liked her and released a couple of her albums on his Cable Car label. She also released albums on Ruf Records owned by Luther Allison's manager Thomas Ruf. She moved to Germany in 2013 mainly because she was touring Europe a lot. She currently lives in The Netherlands. Her latest album Back to the Spirit of 66 was released in 2023. It's a 2CD set. She wrote and produced it. I think the move to Europe is a good move for Layla as there are more opportunities there for her brand of blues rock. Here's the video for You Won't Call by Layla Zoe.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jan Bradley

Artist:Jan Bradley

Song:Mama Wouldn't Lie

Album:Time Life Rhythm & Blues 1963

The 1963 single Mama Didn't Lie was a top 20 hit and the only big hit for singer Jan Bradley. One of her other singles charted so she was not technically a one hit wonder. But it's Jan's only memorable record and it still gets radio play on oldies stations. Of course music fans have heard this song. But they don't know who sings it. Addie "Jan " Bradley was born July 6, 1943 in Byhalia, MS. but she grew up in the Chicago suburb of Robbins, IL. She met guitarist Phil Upchurch at a high school talent show. He referred her to his manager Don Talty. Talty wanted to sign her to his record label Formal Records. But her parents wanted her to graduate from high school first. After Jan graduated, Upchurch sent her to The Impressions leader Curtis Mayfield to audition. He wrote some songs for her. And when one of those songs We Girls was a regional hit in the Midwest, Talty and Mayfield knew they had to get national distribution for Jan. So they sold her contract to Chess Records and the single Mama Didn't Lie reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #8 on the R&B Singles chart. Mayfield wrote the song and Talty produced. You can get Mama Didn't Lie on this Time Life various artists comp. Soon after that, Mayfield got into a dispute with Chess over publishing rights. The result was that Jan could no longer work with Mayfield. So she and Talty started writing songs together. The only other single that charted was I'm Over You in 1965. After Jan left Chess, She recorded unsuccessfully for several small labels. Jan retired from music in the early 70s to become a social worker and to raise a family. She still sings in her church choir. But her music heyday is a distant memory. Mama Didn't Lie is certainly a great record. Here's a video for Mama Didn't Lie by Jan Bradley.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Teddy Swims

Artist:Teddy Swims

Song:Lose Control

Album:I've Tried Everything But Therapy Part 1

The 2023 single Lose Control topped the charts. It's from Teddy Swims' debut album so it's all downhill from there. We'll see if he has staying power. He got a record deal after posting videos on YouTube. He was born Jalen Dimsdale Sept. 25, 1992 in the Atlanta suburb of Conyers, GA. Swims is an acronym for Someone Who Isn't Me Sometimes. His grandfather was a Pentacostal minister so he grew up in church. His father introduced him to soul music. Swims played football in high school. One of his teachers suggested he enroll in musical theater class. And that's how he got into performing. Plus he studied singers on YouTube. And he started playing piano. After appearing with several local bands, Swims formed a rap duo with his friend Addy Maxwell and they toured with singer Tyler Carter in 2019. Then he started posting cover videos on YouTube. After posting the original song Night Off on YouTube, Swims got a record deal with Warner Bros. They released the single Picky in Jan. 2000. The single My Bad was released Feb. 2021 and Swims performed it on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Rolling Stone magazine named Swims An Artist You Need to Know. He continued to release singles and EPs and perform on TV. He also appeared on singles by Meaghan Trainor and others. Supposedly Warners was going for the slow build with Swims. But I would counter that three years is too long. They even sent him on tour in fall 2022. Finally, Lose Control was released as the lead single of the album I've Tried Everything But Therapy. Swims had recorded two albums of material. But Warners only released one album as Part 1. Lose Control was released in June 2023. But it didn't top the Billboard Hot 100 until Mar. 2024. Apparently that's some sort of record. Lose Control was on the Billboard Hot 100 for 112 weeks which is also a record. The album was certified Platinum. Swims co-wrote most of the album songs including Lose Control. His main collaborators were Joshua "Ammo" Coleman and Julian Bunetta. Both have produced all kinds of singers. Warners then released I've Tried Everything But Therapy Part II and even released both albums in a 2CD set. They are available together but buying the albums individually is cheaper. Also, the second album didn't do as well. But that may have been a flaw of Warners' release strategy. Swims has been off the road as his girlfriend gave birth to a son. But he's back on tour in April. I would expect him to record a new album after the tour is done in July. We'll see if he has staying power. Music fans have short memories. Here's the video for Lose Control by Teddy Swims. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Swedish House Mafia

Artist:Swedish House Mafia f/John Martin

Song:Save the World

Album:Until Now

Swedish House Mafia is another one of these DJ groups that produce EDM for dance clubs. They have been successful mainly in Europe. EDM fans should like them. Swedish House Mafia are from Stockholm, Sweden with Axel "Axwell" Hedfors, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. Before forming Swedish House Mafia in 1998, they each performed solo. Angello and Ingrosso knew each other growing up in Stockhom and they would collaborate under aliases. They met Axwell by chance and started performing with a fourth DJ Eric Prydz. They were given the name Swedish House Mafia in 2008 but Prydz chose not to join. Prydz describes himself as a control freak in the studio. Swedish House Mafia signed with Universal. Swedish House Mafia normally do not release albums. They will release singles and maybe put them on an album later. That's what they did with the 2011 single Save the World. The guest singer on Save the World is Swedish singer John Martin. He has also worked with Avicii and Martin Garrix. He is also a member of the duo VCATION and sometimes records solo. So he wrote Save the World with Swedish House Mafia and Swedish DJs Michel Zitron and Vincent Pontaire. BBC Radio One DJ Pete Tong premiered it in May 2011. It reached #5 on the British Dance charts and #10 on the British Singles chart. From there it spread across Europe. Then it topped the US Dance Club chart. It was certified Platinum mostly through digital downloads. It was on EMI in most of the world and Astralwerks in the US. The album Until Now was released in 2012. I guess the album is a best of recent hits. As I said, they like to release singles first and put them on an album. Until Now is available as a digital download and it includes their biggest hit Don't You Worry Child which also features John Martin. Swedish House Mafia split up in 2012 but they continue to tour and release occasional singles. Their recent singles haven't been as successful. Meanwhile Axwell & Ingrossio formed their own group in 2014. They also produce other artists like The Weeknd. Swedish House Mafia is still a big live draw in Europe. Here's the video for Save the World by Swedish House Mafia.   

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dianne Reeves

Artist:Dianne Reeves

Song:Better Days

Album:The Palo Alto Sessions 1981-1985

Singer Dianne Reeves recorded for Blue Note for years. So I think most jazz fans are familiar with those albums. But I first heard her on her 1982 debut album Welcome to My Love on Palo Alto Records. They didn't last very long. But Dianne signed with Blue Note in 1987. So I wanted to talk about her early days. She was born Oct. 23, 1956 in Detroit. Her father sang and her mother played trumpet. Bassist Charles Burrell was a cousin and so was keyboard wizard and producer George Duke. Her father died when she was two years old so Dianne moved to Denver with her mom to live with her family. Dianne started singing and playing piano in 1971 and was in her high school band. While performing at a convention in Chicago, jazz trumpeter Clark Terry spotted her and invited her to sing with him. And that got her into jazz. Dianne studied classical voice at the University of Colorado. She moved to Los Angeles and sang with Stanley Turrentine, Lenny White and the fusion band Caldera. Then she started working regularly with pianist Billy Childs. And that led to a record deal with Palo Alto Records and the 1982 album Welcome to My Love. Childs played piano and produced the album. Better Days was the big song from that album. Dianne wrote it with Tony Lorrich. It seems to be his only credit. Musicians were guitarist Nick Kirgo who played with Les McCann, Billy Carroll on bass, Joe Heredia on drums and Luis Conte on percussion. Conte is a veteran sideman. But Carroll and Heredia were in Childs' band and soon quit the music business. The problem was Palo Alto closed in 1985. They were owned by trumpeter Jim Bernham. They released plenty of music but none of it sold so they closed. It's difficult for an independent jazz label to survive. Dianne's cousin George Duke got her a record deal with Blue Note and he produced the 1987 album Dianne Reeves. Better days was the big hit from that album. Blue Note released The Palo Alto Sessions in 1996. It's the Welcome to My Love album with bonus tracks and is available as a budget CD. Dianne recorded for Blue Note until 2008 then a 2014 album for Concord. She says on her website that she has a new record deal with Candid and a new album and tour with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo. She has also recorded a John Coltrane 100th birthday tribute album with Branford Marsalis and that will be released on Blue Note in September on Coltrane's 100th birthday. Here's the video for Better Days by Dianne Reeves.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Trevor Daniel

Artist:Trevor Daniel

Song:Falling

Album:Nicotine

Singer songwriter Trevor Daniel scored a top 20 hit when the 2018 single Falling spread through TikTok. He hasn't been successful since then. He was born Trevor Daniel Neill Sept. 28, 1994 in Houston. He started playing drums as a child. During high school, Daniel recorded using Mixcraft 5 in his bedroom and posted videos on Youtube. He started posting music to SoundCloud in 2017. After the 2017 single Pretend was uploaded to a popular YouTube channel, Internet Money Records owner Taz Taylor signed Daniel with distribution by Alamo Records and Interscope. The EP Homesick was released and the single Falling spread through TikTok and then Spotify added it. That led to radio play and it reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Daniel wrote the song with Taylor and Charlie Handsome and they produced it. Daniel co-wrote all the songs on the EP. A second EP Restless was released. So the two EPs were combined and released as the album Nicotine. It's available as a digital download. After Daniel charted with the 2020 single Past Life, Internet Money had a falling out with Alamo and Alamo switched distributors to RCA. An EP was released in 2021 but it went nowhere and Daniel left Alamo in 2024. He signed a new record deal with Fearless Records. After releasing the 2024 single Tempo, he announced that he was leaving Fearless in May 2025. He has yet to sign a new record deal. Trevor Daniel's career could be over before it even starts. Here's the video for Falling by Trevor Daniel. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boots Randolph

Artist:Boots Randolph

Song:Yakety Sax 

Album:Yakety Sax

Most of you are probably familiar with Yakety Sax as the theme of The Benny Hill Show. But what you don't know is that Homer "Boots" Randolph scored a top 40 pop hit with Yakety Sax in 1963. He also wrote it so The Benny Hill Show made him a lot of money. Most of the time, Randolph was a Nashville session musician. He was born June 3, 1927 in Paducah, KY. His brother gave him the nickname Boots because their father was also named Homer and he wanted to avoid confusion. Randolph learned to play music in his father's band. He started out playing ukulele and trombone. But he switched to sax when his dad unexpectedly brought one home. After graduating from high school, Randolph served in the US Army and played in the US Army Band until his 1946 discharge. He settled in Decatur, IL. and played with Dink Welch's Kopy Kats from 1948-54. Then he started his own band. He called himself Randy Randolph. Randolph moved to Nashville in 1957 and signed with RCA in 1958. Legendary guitarist Chet Atkins was the head of RCA's Nashville office. Though Randolph's recordings weren't commercially successful, Atkins put him to work in the recording studio and he played on records by Brenda Lee, Al Hirt, Roy Orbison and many more. Most notably he played on the Elvis Presley hit Return to Sender. He worked a lot with Atkins. Meanwhile, Randolph signed with Monument Records in 1961. Monument was owned by producer Fred Foster. His best known artist was Roy Orbison. Randolph first recorded Yakety Sax on the 1961 album Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax. In 1963, it reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Randolph rerecorded it on the 1963 album Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax. Foster produced the album. Yakety Sax was inspired by King Curtis' sax solo on The Coasters 1958 single Yakety Yak. In 1969, British comedian Benny Hill adopted Yakety Sax as the theme of The Benny Hill Show. That's where most folks heard the song. It made him money while he was playing on hundreds of albums and on TV. Randolph recorded for Monument for most of his career. You can get Yakety Sax on this comp from Bear Family. Randolph owned his own Nashville club from 1977-94. He continued to tour and record until he died on July 3, 2007 at age 80. Here's Boots Randolph performing Yakety Sax on Nashville Now.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-James Taylor

Artist:James Taylor

Song:How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

Album:The Essential James Taylor

James Taylor's 1975 cover of the Motown classic How Sweet It Is was his final top ten hit before he left Warner Bros. for Columbia in 1979. At the time, Taylor took some time off after he married Carly Simon and Warners was bugging him to get back into the recording studio. The 1974 album Walking Man was a commercial failure with no hit singles. Taylor decided his 1975 album Gorilla would be more polished and commercial with a lighter tone. Warners house producers Russ Titleman and Lenny Waronker were brought in to make sure the album would be successful. How Sweet It Is was the first single and it reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course that song was originally a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1964 and written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland. It was lighter in tone than Taylor's previous hits. Carly Simon was on harmony vocals. Musicians were Danny Kotchmar on guitar, Clarence McDonald on electric piano, Leland Sklar on bass and Russ Kunkel and Jim Keltner on drums. David Sanborn plays the sax solo and he plays it on the video. It is believed that Taylor recorded this song as a tribute to Carly. So all was well with Taylor and Warner Bros., right? Wrong. Taylor was unhappy at Warners and he had one album left on his contract. While he was recording the 1976 album In the Pocket, Taylor talked to labels and settled on Columbia. They offered him a whole lot more money and promised a more attentive production. Taylor's Columbia debut album was the 1977 album JT. And his cover of the Jimmy Jones classic Handy Man was a top five hit. The album was produced by Peter Asher who worked with Taylor when he was at Apple. This 2CD comp contains a mix of Warners and Columbia hits. Taylor sued Warner Bros. in 2012 for $2M of unpaid royalties mostly from digital downloads. After an audit was done, Warners settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. So I guess Taylor got his pound of flesh. Here's James Taylor performing How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) at the Blossom Music Festival at Cuyahoga Falls, OH. July 18, 1979. And that is David Sanborn on sax. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ali Gatie

Artist:Ali Gatie

Song:It's You

Album:You

Ali Gatie is an R&B singer songwriter whose 2019 single It's You had chart success. It remains to be seen if he can cross over to pop. I have my doubts. He was born May 31, 1997 in Aden, Yemen. His family moved to Abu Dhabi. Then they settled in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, ON. Gatie was influenced by Ed Sheeran, J. Cole and Frank Ocean. He started posting videos on YouTube in 2016. He was in university at the time and he decided to drop out of school and pursue a music career. His big break came in 2017 when he won an online competition called RhymeStars. That got him a manager followed by a record deal with Warner Bros. An EP was released in 2019 followed by the single It's You. It reached #25 on the R&B Singles chart and charted worldwide. Gatie wrote It's You in fifteen minutes. It's obviously about a girl. He performed it on Instagram to a positive response and then posted it on YouTube. Then he brought in producers Happy Perez, Pop Wansel and Sam Wish to record it. Warners took two previously released EPs and turned them into an album. The album was released as a digital download. The 2020 single What If I Told You That I Love You was from the same album and got similar results. Subsequent singles haven't done as well. We'll see how his next album does. The songs I have heard all sound the same to me. I could see that getting old very quickly. I would like to see him write about different topics and perform the songs in different ways. He can't do the same thing all the time. Folks will tire of that. Here's the video for It's You by Ali Gatie. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chita Rivera

Artist:Chita Rivera

Song:Kiss of the Spider Woman

Album:Legends of Broadway

Chita Rivera was an all time great of the Broadway stage. She worked in films and TV. But she is mainly known for Broadway musicals. Her Tony winning performance in the 1993 musical Kiss of the Spider Woman cemented her legacy. She was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Jan.23, 1933 in Washington, DC. The Chita nickname was because her real name is a mouthful. Her father was born in Puerto Rico and he played clarinet and sax in the US Navy Band. He died in 1940. Chita was one of five children so her mom worked as a clerk at The Pentagon to support the family. In 1944, mom enrolled Chita at the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet. A teacher from George Balanchine's School of Ballet visited the school. Chita auditioned and won a scholarship. She started appearing on Broadway shows in 1950. Her breakthrough was in the 1956 musical Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. And she danced on the 1956 TV show The Maurice Chevalier Special. And that led to West Side Story which made her a star. Keep in mind Chita was the only Latino actor in West Side Story and there were plenty of Latino characters. Chita got her first Tony nomination for the 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie. She finally appeared in her first film. Bob Fosse cast her in the 1969 film of the Broadway musical Sweet Charity. Then Fosse cast her in the 1975 musical Chicago and she was nominated for a Tony. She was also Tony nominated for the 1983 musical Merlin. And she finally won a Tony for the 1984 musical The Rink. It all came to a halt when Chita broke her leg in 12 places in a 1986 car accident. After she recovered, she continued to perform. But I think some on Broadway must have thought that Chita had retired. Because when Garth Drabinsky was casting the 1993 musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, New York Times drama critic Frank Rich thought the title role needed a Chita Rivera type. Of course she played the role. The other stars were Brent Carver and Anthony Crivello. Kiss of the Spider Woman was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb who also wrote Chicago and The Rink. Harold Prince directed and Vincent Patterson and Rob Marshall choreographed. It won seven Tonys including one for each of the three stars. The show ran for two years and it made Chita Rivera a star all over again. The original cast of Kiss of the Spider Woman is available on CD. But I recommend this budget comp which is one of a Columbia Masterworks series. After that, Chita made occasional appearances. But she was winding down her career. In 2009, President Barack Obama gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She returned to Broadway in the 2015 musical The Visit and was nominated for a Tony. In 2018, she received a Lifetime Achievement Tony. Chita Rivera died on Jan.30, 2024 at age 91. Here's Chita Rivera performing Kiss of the Spider Woman on the 1993 Macy's Parade broadcast. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Hazeltine

Artist:David Hazeltine

Song:My Ship

Album:For All We Know

Jazz pianist David Hazeltine has been performing in New York City clubs since 1993. He has recorded for jazz labels since 1995 and he also tours. He has never recorded for one of the big jazz labels so he's gone under the radar. He usually performs and records with a trio. He was born Oct. 27, 1958 in Milwaukee. He began studying piano at age nine. And by age 13 he was playing local clubs. After studying at the Wisconsin College Conservatory of Music, he started playing midwest clubs and was the house pianist at the Milwaukee Jazz Gallery. He played with visiting jazz musicians. After Hazeltine played with Chet Baker, Baker told him to move to New York which he did in 1981. He returned to Milwaukee to be chairman of Wisconsin College Conservatory of Music's jazz department from 1985-92. Then he returned to New York. Hazeltine first recorded in 1993. He has recorded for jazz labels like the Dutch label Criss Cross, Sharp Nine Records and the Japanese label Venus Records. My Ship is from the 2014 album For All We Know on Smoke Sessions. Musicians are Seamus Blake on tenor sax, David Williams on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums. All three are veteran sidemen. Hazeltine wrote most of the songs. But My Ship was written by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin for the 1941 Broadway musical Lady in the Dark. It did not appear in the 1944 film version but was in the 1954 TV production. It was first recorded by jazz singer Ernestine Anderson in 1958. Plenty of jazz singers have recorded it. The most significant recent recording was on the 2002 album Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall by Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove. My guess is that's where Hazeltine heard it. I don't think it's been recorded enough to be a jazz standard. This album is available on CD. Hazeltine's latest recording as a leader was in 2022. He is currently on a European tour. He will return to New York in May. Here's David Hazeltine with Aldo Zunino on bass and Bernd Reiter on drums performing My Ship in Cologne, Germany Mar. 2, 2023.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alice Deejay

Artist:Alice Deejay

Song:Better Off Alone

Album:Housemix 2000

The Dutch EDM group Alice Deejay has had success mostly in European dance clubs. But the 1998 single Better Off Alone was a top five hit in England and a top 30 hit in the US. The guys behind Alice Deejay are Wessel van Diepen AKA DJ Delmundo and Dennis van den Dresschen. These two were also behind Vengaboys. Jurgen Rijkers and the duo known as Dash Berlin (Sebastian Molijn and Eelke Kalberg) also worked on this. They are all Dutch DJs. The singer is Judith Pronk. van Diepen and van den Dresschen first had success with the 1991 L.A. Style single James Brown Is Dead. This was followed by Nakatomi, Alice Deejay and Vengaboys. The pattern on this kind of music is it's designed to be played in dance clubs. Sometimes that turns into chart success but not usually. That's why these guys come up with new names all the time. They can sell it as new and fresh to club DJs. When I heard Alice Deejay, I thought it sounded like Vengaboys. It turns out it's by the same guys. Better Off Alone started out as a 1997 instrumental by Jurgen Rijkers AKA DJ Jurgen. Then they brought in Judith Pronk to sing the vocal. There's nothing to the song. It's one line repeated and a refrain. And Judith wasn't a singer. She was a makeup artist which is how they knew her. The original instrumental was written by Rijkers and released on his own label Violent Music. When the decision was made to add a vocal, Rijkers disagreed and wasn't involved. But he let them use the song. That's when Alice Deejay was formed. After the vocal was added, clubs went crazy over it and then it became a hit across Europe. It reached #2 on the British Singles chart. Then when it started getting played in US clubs, Republic Records wanted Alice Deejay to record an album. The single reached #3 on the US dance chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a bigger hit than the chart position which frequently happens with club hits. Alice Deejay released the 2000 album Who Needs Guitars Anyway? but it didn't sell and it's not available anyway. You can get Better Off Alone on this various artists budget comp. This was Alice Deejay's only album. The guys reunited in 2014 with a different singer and they toured. Judith Pronk performed as Alice Deejay twice in 2021. She is now a photographer. So Alice Deejay was supposed to be a one shot deal. van Diepen and van Driesschen went on to have success with Vengaboys. They continue to produce music. Here's the video for Better Off Alone by Alice Deejay. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Odetta

Artist:Odetta

Song:He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Album:Best of the Vanguard Years

Odetta Holmes was a big part of the 60s folk music boom. She was called The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement. Among her biggest fans were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Though she never had a hit single, her 60s albums on Vanguard and RCA were very consistent sellers. She was born Dec. 31, 1930 in Birmingham, AL. Her father died when she was young. And she moved to Los Angeles with her mother in 1937. One of Odetta's teachers told her mother that she has a good voice and maybe should study music. She started studying at age 13. And after graduating from high school, she studied music at Los Angeles City College. She worked as a maid to pay for that. Odetta's mom was hoping she could be a big opera star like Marian Anderson. Odetta had her doubts so in 1944, she took a job at the Hollywood Turnabout Puppet Theatre. So I guess Odetta was thinking she might make it on Broadway. She joined the national touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949. While on tour, she got into folk music in San Francisco. She started performing at local clubs like the hungry i. She formed a duo with Larry Mohr and they recorded a 1954 album at San Francisco's Tin Angel nightclub. They performed mostly traditional folk songs. Odetta went solo after that and signed with Vanguard Records in 1959. Vanguard was a folk music specialty label at the time. Harry Belafonte heard Odetta and they appeared in a 1959 TV special. Plus he got her a record deal on RCA. So he really helped her and in 1961, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called her The Queen of American Folk Music. And she appeared at the 1964 Washington Civil Rights march. Odetta recorded the traditional spiritual He's Got the World in His Hands on the 1962 album Odetta at Town Hall. She performed a mix of folk, blues and spirituals accompanied by jazz bassist Bill Lee. That's right. He's Spike Lee's father. Lee was mainly a session musician. He worked with other folk music artists like Bob Dylan and Judy Collins. This comp is a good intro to Odetta's Vanguard recordings. I may look at her RCA recordings in the future. When folk music was replaced by psychedelia in the late 60s, she didn't adjust her style and stopped recording. She still toured and appeared on TV. But with the end of folk music, Odetta immediately became a nostalgia act. She continued to tour until 2008 and died on Dec. 2, 2008 at age 77. Here's Odetta performing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands in Germany 1993. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Saigon Kick

Artist:Saigon Kick

Song:Love Is on the Way

Album:The Lizard

The 1992 single Love Is on the Way was a top 20 hit. It was the only chart single for the hard rock band Saigon Kick. So it is a one hit wonder. They were formed in 1988 in Coral Springs, FL. The band leader is Jason Bieler. He was lead guitarist, one of two lead singers, wrote most of the songs and produced. The other members were the other lead singer Matt Kramer, bassist Tom Defile and drummer Phil Varone. The band name came from a discussion about late 80s Vietnam War films and they wanted an edgy name. After playing the local club scene, Saigon Kick signed with Third Stone Records with Atlantic distribution. Third Stone was owned by actor Michael Douglas and record producer Richard Rudolph. Saigon Kick released their 1991 self titled debut album produced by veteran hard rock producer Michael Wegener. Bieler wrote most of the songs. Kramer wrote a couple. Saigon Kick toured to support it but it didn't sell. When Saigon Kick went to Sweden to record The Lizard, Bieler convinced the label to let him produce. The end result was a more diverse album. Love Is on the Way was the lead single and it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold. The album was also certified Gold. It's available as a budget CD. So Saigon Kick had success. Shouldn't they be happy? Apparently not. Love Is on the Way is an acoustic song commonly known as a Power Ballad. The band was unhappy that they softened their hard rock sound to achieve commercial success. The most notable example of a heavily criticized Power Ballad is Aerosmith's 1973 single Dream On. So there were problems in Saigon Kick. Tom Defile was replaced by Chris McLennon in 1992. They returned to Sweden to record the 1993 album Water. Matt Kramer was upset about the band's direction and there were financial disputes. This is why some bands split the royalties evenly. He returned to Florida during recording and was not replaced. Bieler took over as lead singer. Atlantic released Saigon Kick after the 1993 album Water didn't sell. Bieler is the only original member remaining. They recorded for the Japanese label Pony Canyon as Saigon Kick had success in Japan. They last recorded in 1999. The original members of Saigon Kick reunited for a tour in 2012. Bieler still leads a version of the band. They will tour in the spring. Here's the video for Love Is on the Way by Saigon Kick. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Livingston Taylor

Artist:Livingston Taylor

Song:I Will Be in Love with You

Album:The Middle Years (1978-1996)

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaggy

Artist:Shaggy f/RikRok

Song:It Wasn't Me

Album:Hotshot

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Tyler

Artist:William Tyler

Song:Gone Clear

Album:Modern Country

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

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

Artist: Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Song:Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

Album:Make It Reign

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rick Cua

Artist:Rick Cua

Song:Don't Say Suicide

Album:You're My Road

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Primer

Artist:John Primer

Song:Poor Man Blues

Album:Call Me John Primer

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Plus One

Artist:Plus One

Song:Written on My Heart

Album:The Promise

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clinton Kane

Artist:Clinton Kane

Song:Chicken Tendies

Album:Maybe Someday It'll All Be OK

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steel Breeze

Artist:Steel Breeze

Song:You Don't Want Me Anymore

Album:The Real '80s

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmie Davis

Artist:Jimmie Davis

Song:You Are My Sunshine

Album:The Jimmie Davis Collection 1929-47

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dorothy Collins

Artist:Dorothy Collins

Song:Losing My Mind

Album:Follies: Original Broadway Cast

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clean Bandit

Artist:Clean Bandit f/Demi Lovato

Song:Solo

Album:What Is Love?

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glenn Miller

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

Song:Jukebox Saturday Night

Album:A Legendary Performer

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Yazoo

Artist:Yazoo

Song:Situation

Album:Only Yazoo The Best of

The British duo Yazoo weren't around very long. But they were very important in the early 80s development of synth pop. They were very successful in England. And Situation was one of two US chart singles. They only recorded two albums. Singer Alison Moyet and former Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke attended the same Saturday music school in Basildon, Essex, England. After Clarke heard the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, he formed Depeche Mode and released a 1981 album on Mute Records. Meanwhile, Alison bounced around various bands and she placed a1981 ad in the music magazine Melody Maker looking for musicians to form a band. By that time, Clarke had left Depeche Mode and answered the ad. Despite being from the same home town, they didn't know each other though Alison knew other members of Depeche Mode. Clarke wanted Alison to record a demo for Mute so he could get a solo record deal. Mute agreed to release the demo Only You as a single. They recorded Situation and it was the B side. Alison is a blues fan so the name Yazoo is after the blues label Yazoo Records. They threatened to sue so for the US release, the name was shortened to Yaz. After Only You reached #2 on the British Singles chart. Mute told Clarke to record an album. Meanwhile, the second single Don't Go reached #3 on the British Singles chart. Situation was the B side and it had become a hit in New York City clubs. That got them a US deal with Sire Records The 1982 album Upstairs at Eric's was released. Sire wanted Situation as the first single but it wasn't on the album. It reached #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold very well in England but not so well in the US. Yazoo wrote and produced. After releasing a stand alone single, they released the 1983 album You and Me Both. By this time, the two weren't getting along and they didn't even want to record another album. Soon after the album release, the split was announced. You can get all their hits on this comp. Of course Alison had a significant solo career in the late 80s. Clarke seemed to bounce around a lot. His most significant band was Erasure, Yazoo reunited for a 2008 tour and a live album was released. But as I said, Yazoo was a synthpop influence in the 80s. Here's Yazoo performing Situation on the German TV show Popcorn 1983.