AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keller Williams

Artist:Keller Williams 

Song:West L.A. Fadeaway

Song:More Than a Little Funk

Keller Williams can best be described as a one man jam band. He leads his own band and frequently makes guest appearances with bands like The String Cheese Incident and Umphrey's McGee. All are Grateful Dead influenced jam bands. These jam bands are OK. But there are too many of them and they are too similar to each other. And they all record for the same record label. Well, at least they have fun. Williams was born Feb. 4, 1970 in Fredericksburg, VA. He started playing guitar in his early teens and earned a degree in theater at Virginia Wesleyan College. He moved to Boulder, CO and met the guys behind the jam band The String Cheese Incident. He started touring with them and he records for their record label SCI Fidelity. He has also toured with Yonder Mountain String Band, Umphrey's McGee and the late Bob Weir's band Ratdog. What all these bands have in common is the Grateful Dead influence and they all play the big summer music festivals. Williams has recorded solo since 1994. He has recorded bluegrass as Grateful Grass and Keller & the Keels with the husband and wife duo of Larry and Jenny Keel. This version of the Grateful Dead song West L.A. Fadeaway is from the 2013 album More Than a Little Funk. This was recorded live in Norfolk and Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC. The album is mostly Williams originals. Williams sings and plays guitar. Other musicians are Gerard Johnson on keyboards, E.J. Shaw on bass and Toby Fairchild on drums. This album is available as a budget CD. Williams' latest album Deer was released in 2024. Williams' music is OK. But he records a lot and too much of it sounds the same. I think even he knows that which is why he records bluegrass and tries other things. Maybe he gets bored with the jam band thing. Here's Keller Williams with the band Old Shoe performing West L.A. Fadeaway at the 2016 Shoe Fest in Manteno, IL. Old Shoe is a Chicago based jam band. Jeremy Garrett plays the violin solo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lauren Bacall

Artist:Lauren Bacall

Song:One of the Boys

Album:Woman of the Year: The Original Broadway Cast

Lauren Bacall was a top Hollywood star for two decades. And of course she was married to legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. When things slowed down in the 60s, she went to Broadway and won a Best Actress Tony for the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. She was born Betty Jean Perske Sept. 16, 1924 in The Bronx, NY. Her parents were European Jewish immigrants. After her parents divorced, her mother reverted to her maiden name Bacal and so did Lauren. After attending a private boarding school financed by wealthy uncles, she went to Julia Richman High School in Manhattan. After graduating, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, worked as an usher at the St. James Theater and modeled in department stores. She also dated classmate Kirk Douglas. Lauren made her Broadway debut in a bit part in the 1942 show Johnny 2x4. Then she was crowned Miss Greenwich Village. Then she appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and in fashion magazines like Vogue. At the time, director Howard Hawks was casting the 1944 film To Have and Have Not. His socialite wife Nancy "Slim" Keith saw Lauren on the Harper's Bazaar cover and urged Hawks to give her a screen test. That audition got her a seven year Warner Bros. contract. He changed her name to Lauren Bacall but everyone called her Betty. Hawks sent her to a voice coach so she would speak with a deeper tone. If you are familiar with To Have and Have Not, you'll know that it was very loosely based on an Ernest Hemingway novel. But the main feature of the film was Lauren's sex appeal and the on screen sparks between her and Bogart. Of course the sparks flew off screen as well and the two married once Bogart's divorce from Mayo Methot was final. They starred together in the films The Big Sleep (1946), Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948). They were even parodied in Bob Clampett's 1946 cartoon Bacall to Arms. Key Largo was Bogart's final film at Warners. Meanwhile, Lauren was suspended several times when she rejected scripts given to her by Warners. She got out of her contract and then accompanied Bogart when he filmed The African Queen in Africa. She signed with 20th Century Fox and the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire was a big hit. Things didn't go so well after that. She made a couple of good films like Written on the Wind (1956) and Designing Woman (1957). Plus Bogart died in 1957. Lauren thought her film career had stalled. So she returned to Broadway for the 1959 show Goodbye, Charlie. She won a tony for the 1965 comedy Cactus Flower and starred in the 1970 musical Applause. Her next big show was the 1981 musical Woman of the Year. This was based on the 1942 film Woman of the Year starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The book was written by Peter Stone and the music was by the veteran team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Lauren's co-star was veteran TV actor Harry Guardino. Lauren won a Tony for this show. The original cast album is available on CD. After that Lauren continued to appear in films and on TV but she mainly did supporting roles in those days. Her last big film was the 1996 film The Mirror Has Two Faces as Barbra Streisand's mother. Lauren Bacall suffered a stroke and died on Aug. 12, 2014 at age 89. Here's Lauren Bacall performing One of the Boys from the musical Woman of the Year on the 1981 Tony awards broadcast.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Diamonds

Artist:The Diamonds

Song:Little Darlin'

Album:Complete Singles As & Bs 1955-1962

The 1957 single Little Darlin' was the biggest hit for the vocal group The Diamonds. They had some other hits but Little Darlin' was the most memorable. Like another vocal group The Crew Cuts, The Diamonds were from Toronto. The lead singer of The Diamonds was Dave Somerville. He was born Oct. 2, 1933 in Guelph. But he went to high school at Central Tech in Toronto. After graduating, he got a job as a radio operator in the engineering department at the CBC. And he was studying voice at the Royal Conservatory of Music. At the CBC, Somerville met Ted Kowalski, Phil Leavitt and Bill Reed. They formed The Diamonds. An appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts got them a record deal with Decca's Coral label. Four singles were released with no success. They auditioned for Cleveland DJ Bill Randle who discovered another Canadian vocal group The Crew Cuts. And as he did with The Crew Cuts, Randle got The Diamonds a record deal with Mercury's Wing label. Their first single for Wing was a cover of Frankie Lymon's Why Do Fools Fall in Love?. It reached #12 on the singles charts. So now Mercury and musical director David Carroll knew they had something. Though The Crew Cuts had success, they were similar to vocal groups like The Four Lads. The Diamonds had more flair. After a few more singles, Mercury hit the jackpot when the 1957 single Little Darlin' reached #2 on the pop charts. It was another doo wop cover of a song by the Memphis based group The Gladiolas. The original was never a hit. And I know it's blasphemy to say this but The Diamonds' version is better than the original, especially Somerville's lead vocal and the spoken word part by Reed. So Producer Carroll imitated the original and also improved on it. The Diamonds' other big hit was the 1957 single The Stroll. By the late 50s, Somerville was the only original member remaining with three new guys. They left Mercury in 1962. All their singles are on this 2CD comp from the British reissue label Acrobat. After Somerville left The Diamonds in 1961, they became a fixture in Las Vegas. There were even two versions of The Diamonds which ended in a lawsuit. The original Diamonds reunited for the 2000 PBS show Doo Wop 51. A version of The Diamonds continues to tour today with no original members. Here's The Diamonds performing Little Darlin' on the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show Feb. 21, 1959.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Neil Diamond

Artist:Neil Diamond

Song:Cherry, Cherry

Album:In My Lifetime

The 1966 single Cherry, Cherry was singer songwriter Neil Diamond's very first top ten hit. Of course he has had plenty of hits but it allows me to talk about his early days. He was born Jan. 24, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia. He attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn where he sang in a chorus along with classmate Barbra Streisand. His family moved to Brighton Beach and Diamond attended Abraham Lincoln High School. Diamond was given a guitar for his 16th birthday. While at summer camp, he saw Pete Seeger perform. And that gave Diamond the idea that he could write songs too. After taking guitar lessons, he started writing songs. After graduating high school, Diamond attended New York University on a fencing scholarship. He was on the 1960 NCAA men's fencing championship team with future Olympic fencer Herb Cohen. Diamond was bored in college and left in his senior year to take a songwriting job at a publisher. After that job ended, Diamond wrote and recorded demos. He released a couple of 1962 singles with friend Jack Parker as Neil and Jack. They were similar to The Everly Brothers. This led to Diamond getting a record deal with Columbia. When the 1963 single Clown Town failed to chart, Columbia dropped him and he returned to freelance writing. He was in the Brill Building with all the other freelance songwriters and publishers. His first success was the 1965 Jay and the Americans top 20 hit Sunday and Me. Then The Monkees' 1966 single I'm a Believer topped the charts. This got Diamond a record deal with Bang Records owned by Bert Berns. Solitary Man was Diamond's first single. After it charted, Berns let Diamond record the 1966 album The Feel of Neil Diamond. Then the single Cherry, Cherry reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was produced by the Brill Building husband and wife songwriting team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Diamond says that he worked on Cherry, Cherry with Barry and Greenwich and they recorded a demo with Artie Butler on piano and organ. A full band version was recorded in the studio. But it was decided that the demo version would be released as a single. Berns tells a different story. But considering that the demo version was used, I believe Diamond's story. You can get both versions on this 1995 Columbia 3CD box set available at a reasonable price. It contains Bang, UNI, MCA and Columbia recordings along with alternate takes and demos. After two albums for Bang, Diamond sued to get out of his contract with Bang and signed with UNI Records in 1968. They were owned by Universal Pictures and the name was changed to MCA Records. And that's when Diamond's career really began. Here's Neil Diamond performing Cherry, Cherry on the Oct. 6, 1966 episode of the TV show Where the Action Is. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-33Miles

Artist:33Miles

Song:There Is a God

Album:33Miles

33Miles was a CCM band that had an alt rock sound that CCM labels were looking for twenty years ago. They had some success on the CCM charts and then faded away. But now it seems that the band may return. Jason Barton was lead singer of the CCM band True Vibe from 1999-2003. They released two albums on the CCM label Essential. They lived in Nashville. After they split up, Barton formed 33Miles with Collin Stoddard on piano and Chris Lockwood on guitar. Their sound will remind you of Switchfoot and other alt rock bands. They started playing Nashville clubs and signed with the CCM label INO Records. As I said, it's the kind of sound that CCM labels were looking for at the time. 33Miles is a reference to Jesus Christ's age when he died. There Is a God was on 33Miles 2007 debut album 33Miles. The album was produced by veteran CCM producers Nathan Nockels and Sam Mizell and Mizell wrote There Is a God. 33Miles did OK on the CCM charts. The album is available on CD. Stoddard left in 2009 to become a pastor. Lockwood left in 2014. They released three albums on INO. Barton became a Nashville background singer. It looks like the original 33Miles reformed last year. They have played reunion shows but it's not clear if it's going anywhere. Here's the video for There Is a God by 33Miles. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grant-Lee Phillips

Artist:Grant-Lee Phillips

Song:Mona Lisa

Album:Virginia Creeper

Singer songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips was the leader of the 90s band Grant Lee Buffalo. Since they split up in 2000, Phillips has recorded and toured as a solo artist. He was born Bryan G. Phillips Sept. 1, 1963 in Stockton, CA. He started playing guitar as a teen. After graduating from high school, Phillips moved to Los Angeles and worked as a roofer during the day while taking classes at UCLA at night. He left UCLA for CalArts where he lived with his future wife Denise Siegel. He also got reacquainted with an old friend friend from Stockton Jeffrey Clark. They formed the band Shiva Burlesque in 1987. Clark was lead singer. Phillips was guitarist. After releasing two albums, the band split up in 1990. Three of the band members including Phillips formed the band Grant Lee Buffalo. Phillips was lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. They released four albums for Slash Records with Warner Bros. distribution. When they were unable to get significant radio play despite critical acclaim, Grant Lee Buffalo disbanded in 1998. Phillips signed with Rounder's Zoe label and released the 2000 album Ladies Love Oracle. Mona Lisa is from Phillips' 2004 album Virginia Creeper. Phillips writes and produces everything. Mona Lisa appeared in an episode of the TV series Smallville. This album is available as a budget CD. The major criticism of Phillips is he sounds too much like Nebraska era Bruce Springsteen. And as I have said before, that kind of criticism goes both ways as some listeners may like that. Phillips switched to the indie label Yep Roc with the 2008 album Little Moon. He still records for them and released his latest album in 2025. Phillips is not on tour right now. But he is appearing in Los Angeles clubs. Here's Grant-Lee Phillips performing Mona Lisa at City Winery in New York City Oct. 3, 2013. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nilsson

Artist:Nilsson

Song:Everybody's Talkin'

Album:One: The Best of Nilsson

The 1969 single Everybody's Talkin' was not Harry Nilsson's biggest hit. But it was his breakthrough hit and it allowed him to do whatever he wanted. It was the theme for the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. Though Nilsson wrote most of his own songs, his two big hits were not original songs. He was born June 15, 1941 in Brooklyn, NY. He was of Swedish descent. He was raised by his mom and her parents after his father abandoned the family. Nilsson wrote about this in the song 1941. He moved to Los Angeles and worked at a bank while developing his music. He started performing in the early 60s and learned to write songs. He started out singing demos. In 1964, songwriter Perry Botkin Jr. (Nadia's Theme) gave Nilsson a key to his office so he could write songs in private. While working for Botkin, Nilsson met George Tipton. He financed Nilsson recordings that were released on Capitol's Tower label. After Tower released the 1966 album Spotlight on Nilsson and it went nowhere, Nilsson signed with RCA and released the 1967 album Pandemonium Shadow Show. Though there were no hit singles and the album didn't sell, it was critically acclaimed and after The Beatles press officer Derek Taylor gave copies of the album to The Beatles, they became Nilsson fans and they wanted to sign him to their new label Apple. And later Nilsson became friends with John Lennon. Plus the Nilsson song Cuddly Toy was a hit for The Monkees. Nilsson never toured. He didn't like performing live. He preferred the recording studio. The Fred Neil song Everybody's Talkin' first appeared on Nilsson's 1968 album Aerial Ballet. It was the only song on the album that Nilsson did not write. Nilsson was searching for a hit single when his producer Rick Jarrard played Everybody's Talkin' for him. Neil recorded it on his 1966 album Fred Neil. RCA released Everybody's Talkin' as a single but it didn't chart. Meanwhile, director John Schlesinger was working on Midnight Cowboy. Derek Taylor recommended that Nilsson should write and perform the theme for the film. Nilsson wrote and recorded the song I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City. But Schlesinger preferred Nilsson's recording of Everybody's Talkin'. Of course the film was a big hit and Everybody's Talkin' reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. BTW. I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City appeared on Nilsson's 1969 album Harry. The songwriting royalties allowed Fred Neil to retire from music. So now Nilsson was a big star. This 2CD budget comp from the British oldies label Music Club has all of Nilsson's Hits. I will look at the second half of Nilsson's career in the future. Here's Nilsson performing Everybody's Talkin' on the German TV show Beat Club 1968. Yes, he's lip synching. As I said, Nilsson hated performing live.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Buffalo Bills

Artist:The Buffalo Bills

Song:Sincere

Album:The Music Man: Original Soundtrack

No, I'm not talking about the Buffalo Bills NFL football team. This is about The Buffalo Bills barbershop quartet. They appeared on 50s TV and are best known for appearing in the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man and the 1962 film version. Of course the name barbershop music is because even today, the local barber shop is a community hub. It's similar to other types of four part harmony including offshoots like doo wop. The Buffalo Bills were formed in 1947 in Buffalo. Members were tenor Vern Reed, lead Al Shea, baritone Herschel Smith and bass Bill Spangenberg. None were professional musicians. They were introduced as The Buffalo Bills at an appearance and the name stuck. In those days, barbershop quartets competed in competitions. It's similar to what is seen today in college a cappella competitions. Smith left The Buffalo Bills when he got a job in Wisconsin. Dick Grapes replaced him and The Buffalo Bills won the 1950 Barbershop Harmony Society International Quartet Contest. They appeared on radio and TV shows like The Faye Emerson Pepsi-Cola Show on CBS. They toured military bases and even got a record deal with Decca. In the early 50s, The Music Man composer Meredith Willson hosted the radio show Music Today. He heard The Buffalo Bills records and went to Buffalo to meet them. In 1957, The Buffalo Bills competed on the TV show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and appeared on Godfrey's morning show. Willson asked The Buffalo Bills to appear in his Broadway musical The Music Man. They moved to New York. Grapes stayed behind and was replaced by Scotty Ward of the Great Scotts quartet from Steubenville, OH. After The Music Man was a big hit, The Buffalo Bills continued to appear on TV and signed a record deal with Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. They recorded four albums for Columbia and also recorded for Warner Bros. and RCA. And they appeared in the 1962 film of The Music Man. That soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. Spangenberg died in 1963 and was replaced by Jim Jones of The Sta-Laters. The Buffalo Bills continued to tour until they disbanded in 1967. Here's The Buffalo Bills performing Sincere in the 1962 film The Music Man.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Horse Feathers

Artist:Horse Feathers

Song:Curs in the Weeds

Album:House with No Name

Horse Feathers is another case of a solo artist using a group name to retain his anonymity. Justin Ringle writes and produces everything and he has been bringing in musicians to help him since 2006. Ringle is from Idaho. And after he was in several short lived rock bands, he moved to Portland, OR. and started performing as Horse Feathers. Peter Broderick was born in Maine but he grew up in Carlton, OR. He plays violin, banjo and mandolin and he became a session and touring musician. After Broderick heard a couple of Ringle's demos, he offered to help record them. And that led to Horse Feathers 2006 debut album Words Are Dead on the local label Lucky Madison. Broderick's sister Heather Broderick joined Horse Feathers on cello and the band started touring. They signed with the major indie label Kill Rock Stars and that meant they could tour everywhere. Curs in the Woods is from the 2008 album House with No Name which was Horse Feathers' first album on Kill Rock Stars. As I said, Ringle writes and produces everything but he brings in outside musicians to help record and also for tours. Personally, I don't care for Ringle's singing. But obviously enough people like him that he has recorded six Horse Feathers albums. The most recent of these was released in 2018. Horse Feathers is active on Instagram and Facebook. Kill Rock Stars has released a 20th anniversary edition of Horse Feathers' debut album Words Are Dead. And they are playing a show in Portland in August. But It's not clear if Ringle intends to continue Horse Feathers or do something else. Here's the video for Curs in the Woods by Horse Feathers. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Sugarcubes

Artist:The Sugarcubes

Song:Birthday

Album:The Great Crossover Potential

Of course the Icelandic band The Sugarcubes is best known as the launching pad for the popular singer Bjork. I guess she had to start somewhere. They only recorded three albums. So they weren't around very long. I guess she got too big for the band. Bjork had been in bands as a teen. She even recorded a solo album in 1977 when she was 11 years old. The band was called Puki when it was formed in 1986 out the ashes of two bands. Bjork had just given birth to a son. She wanted a cute band name so it was changed to The Sugarcubes. Bjork and singer Einar Orn were in The Sugarcubes' entire run along with guitarist Por Eldon Jonsson. Bassist Bragi Olafsson and drummer Siggi Baldursson were the other main members. The Sugarcubes signed with the British indie label One Little Indian and Elektra Records in the US so they could tour everywhere. Birthday is from their 1988 debut album Life's Too Good. It's probably their best known song. The Sugarcubes did well on the British charts. But they never had a big hit single. But Life's Too Good was highly acclaimed by the music press including Album of the Year by the British music papers NME and Melody Maker. Plus Bjork got plenty of attention from the music press. So one would have thought that the album's success would lead to stardom for The Sugarcubes. But it really didn't and they split up in 1992. Fans were interested in Bjork but not The Sugarcubes. This comp covers all three albums. So The Sugarcubes were most notable as a launching pad for Bjork. Here's the video for Birthday by The Sugarcubes.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Muse

Artist:Muse

Song:Hysteria

Album:Absolution

The British band Muse have had success at home. But with the 2004 album Absolution, they started to get attention in the US and they have a new album coming in June. The main criticism of Muse is they sound too much like Coldplay. But that kind of criticism could also be used as a recommendation. So if you like Coldplay, you should like Muse. Muse was formed in 1994 while all three guys were attending Tergnmouth Community School in Devon County in England. They were all in different bands. Drummer Dominic Howard was looking for a singer for his band Carnage Mayhem. Matt Bellamy auditioned for guitarist. But he also sang and Howard wanted him for that. They renamed the band Gothic Plague. They asked Fixed Penalty drummer Chris Wolstenholme if he wanted to be the bassist. He joined and the band was renamed Rocket Baby Dolls. After they smashed their equipment at a local battle of the bands, they actually won the contest and decided to take themselves more seriously. They changed the band name to Muse. Bellamy thought the name was inspirational and it looked good on a poster. They moved to London and opened for the band Skunk Anansie. They met with recording studio owner Dennis Smith and he started a record label for them. Smith knew the boys when they were kids. They released a couple EPs and got some radio play. Despite that, British labels were reluctant to sign Muse because...wait for it..they sounded too much like Coldplay. So Muse went to New York to play a showcase for several labels and they signed with Maverick Records owned by Madonna and Guy Oseary with Warner Bros. distribution. The 2003 album Absolution was Muse's third album. There were problems at Maverick. And after a lawsuit, Madonna and Oseary left and Warners took over the label. Muse is still on Warner Bros. and have a new album coming in June. Absolution is the album that got Muse worldwide attention. They write and produce all the songs. Bellamy writes all the lyrics, is lead singer and he plays guitar and keyboards. They hire keyboardists for tours. There is no Muse single CD comp. So you should check out Absolution if they interest you. Muse continue to tour and record. They will release their tenth album The WOW Signal! in June. They will begin touring in July to support it. Here's the video for Hysteria by Muse.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Skye Sweetnam

Artist:Skye Sweetnam

Song:Tangled Up in Me

Album:Noise from the Basement

Canadian singer songwriter Skye Sweetnam was sixteen years old when Capitol Records attempted to turn her into a teen pop star. When that didn't work out, she formed the punk metal band Sumo Cyco which is still active today. She was born May 5, 1988 in Bolton, ON which is northwest of Toronto. She began singing as a child and she took singing and dancing lessons. She started writing songs and a demo got the attention of Capitol Records Canada and they put her together with producer James Robertson. He's a local guy from Guelph and other than Skye, he hasn't produced anything notable. He currently lives in Hamilton and plays local clubs. The two wrote and produced the 2004 album Songs from the Basement. The album was ready in 2002 and Capitol kept postponing it. Skye was supposed to tour with Britney Spears but Britney injured her knee and the tour was postponed. Capitol tried other things to promote Skye but none of them worked. Critics thought Skye sounded too much like Avril Lavigne and that didn't help. This album is available as a digital download. For the 2007 album Sound Soldier, Capitol brought in the production team The Matrix who had produced...ahem...Avril Lavigne. When that album did worse, Skye left Capitol and formed the punk metal band Sumo Syco. Skye is lead singer and co-writes all the songs. They have released four albums on the Austrian label Napalm Records. They last released an album last year. They just started a US tour. So for Canadian music fans wondering what happened to Skye Sweetnam, there ya go. Here's the video for Tangled Up in Me by Skye Sweetnam.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clifford Brown

Artist:Clifford Brown

Song:Memories of You

Album:Ultimate Clifford Brown

Here is another of my Jazz for Beginners series complete with a live video clip and an affordable comp intended for beginners. Though trumpeter Clifford Brown died in 1956 at age 25, he has had a lasting impact on jazz and is considered an all time great despite his brief career. He was born Oct. 30, 1930 in Wilmington, DE. His father played trumpet. He tried to organize his four sons into a vocal group. But Brown was fascinated by his dad's shiny trumpet and started blowing. At age 13, Brown's dad bought him a trumpet and had him take lessons. He was in a jazz band in high school that made trips to Philadelphia. Though Brown attended college after graduating from high school, he was more interested in jazz. After being injured in a June 1950 car crash, Dizzy Gillespie visited Brown in the hospital and encouraged him to start a music career. Brown's main influence was bebop trumpeter Fats Navarro. He moved to New York and played with Art Blakey and J.J. Johnson before forming a band with drummer Max Roach. He was a member of Blakey's first band with Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver and Curley Russell. At the time, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker were among Brown's admirers. Roach had moved to Los Angeles and Brown followed him. The original Brown/Roach band was formed in 1954 with Harold Land on tenor sax, Richie Powell (Bud Powell's brother) on piano and George Morrow on bass and signed with Mercury's jazz label EmArcy. Most of Brown's recordings were on EmArcy. Brown alternated recording with Roach and recording as a leader of his own band. He also recorded with singers Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington. And he also recorded the 1955 album Clifford Brown with Strings. Of course this was influenced by Charlie Parker's album with strings. Record companies thought an album with strings would reach a wider audience when all it really did was annoy the established jazz fanbase. I guess Brown just went along with it because if it was OK with Parker, it's OK with him. The album was produced by EmArcy house producer Bob Shad. The string arrangements were by Neal Hefti who was working with Count Basie at the time. The band was Brown's usual band of Powell, Roach and Morrow plus guitarist Barry Galbraith. The songs are all standards including the 1930 Eubie Blake song Memories of You. This song was first recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1930. You can get it on this Verve comp CD compiled by trumpeter Nicholas Payton. So Brown was just getting started when on June 26, 1956, Brown and Powell were driving to a gig in Chicago. Powell's wife drove and the guys slept in the back. It was raining and she lost control on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and that was it. Clifford Brown died at age 25. Brown didn't drink, smoke or take drugs. So it's likely he would have lived a long life. But his music still sounds great. I listen to him all the time and so should you. Here's Clifford Brown performing Lady Be Good and Memories of You on the TV show Soupy's On hosted by Soupy Sales. This is the only live video clip of Clifford Brown.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lowell Fulson

Artist:Lowell Fulson

Song:Reconsider Baby

Album:Reconsider Baby: The Complete Checker Singles 1954-1962

The 1954 single Reconsider Baby is the best known song written and performed by bluesman Lowell Fulson. It was also influential in developing the West Coast blues style pioneered by T-Bone Walker. He was born Mar. 31, 1921 on a Choctaw reservation in Atoka, OK. His father died when he was six years old. So his mom moved the family to nearby Clarita, OK where her father owned land. As a child, Fulson sang in church. He took up the guitar at age 12 influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Boy Fuller. He played local dances as a teen. Then he moved to Ada, OK and joined a band led by local bluesman Texas Alexander. Then he moved to Gainesville, TX and played dances for a couple of years. He was drafted into the US Navy in 1943. He was stationed in Oakland, CA and that's when Fulson saw T-Bone Walker And decided he wanted to play like him. Fulson settled in Oakland after WWII and played local clubs until Swing Time Records owner Bob Geddins signed him to a record deal and bought him a new guitar and amplifier. Fulson recorded for Swing Time until he signed with the Chess Records label Checker. So now he's on a national label and that's when Reconsider Baby was released and reached #3 on the R&B charts. Fulson wrote the song and Leonard and Phil Chess produced it. Musicians were Paul Drake on piano, Bobby Nicholson on bass and Chick Booth on drums. Plus a horn section with Philip Gilbeaux on trumpet, Phatz Morris on trombone, Julian Beasley on alto and baritone sax and Choker Campbell on tenor sax. But the most important thing about Reconsider Baby is that it was covered by many performers including Elvis Presley in 1960. And that led to other covers of Fulson songs. So that made him a big influence. You can get all of Fulson's Checker recordings on this comp from the reissue label Jasmine Records. Fulson switched to Kent Records in 1962 probably because they were more of an R&B label. His biggest hit for Kent was the 1967 single Tramp which was a big hit for Otis Redding & Carla Thomas. After that, Fulson recorded for smaller labels. But he continued to be a great live performer until he died on Mar. 7, 1999 at age 77. Here's Lowell Fulson performing Reconsider Baby in Los Angeles 1983.

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Robert Maxwell, His Harp and Orchestra

Artist:Robert Maxwell, His Harp and Orchestra

Song:Shangri-La

Album:Hard to Find Orchestral Instrumentals

Robert Maxwell was a harpisr who is best known for writing two big hits, Ebb Tide and Shangri-La. He recorded plenty of easy listening albums. But the big surprise was when his 1964 recording of Shangi-La was a top 15 hit. He had one other chart single so he's not even a one hit wonder. But I think it's fair to say that Maxwell didn't depend on chart success anyway. He was born Max Rosen Apr. 19, 1921 in New York City. He started playing the harp as a child. His two brothers play the harp too. Abe Rosen played on Broadway and Myor Rosen was with the New York Philharmonic for thirty years. After Maxwell won a scholarship at Juilliard, he became the youngest member of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington at age 17. During WWII, Maxwell played in the 11th Naval District Coast Guard led by Rudy Vallee. So that got him to play popular music on the harp. So that got him thinking about writing and recording. He didn't have to be part of an orchestra. So for most of the 50s, Maxwell recorded for MGM Records. But the big surprise was when Frank Chacksfield scored a top five hit with his 1953 single of Ebb Tide. Maxwell wrote Shangri-La with violinist Matty Malneck in 1946. Malneck recorded it in 1946 featuring a Maxwell harp solo. The 1957 recording by the vocal group The Five Coins was a top 15 hit. Maxwell signed with Decca and reached #15 with his 1964 single Shangri-La. Jackie Gleason used Shangri-La on his early 60s variety show for his Reginald Van Gleason character. Plus Vic Dana recorded a vocal version. Maxwell's version had a "Space Age" arrangement led by sax and organ solos. So it had a pop music sound as opposed to classical. You can get Shangri-La on this various artists comp from the oldies label Eric Records.Maxwell recorded as Bobby Maxwell for Command/ABC in the 70s. And he continued to appear with orchestras until his death on Feb. 7, 2012 at age 90. Here's a video for Shangri-La by Robert Maxwell, His Harp and Orchestra.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Future Islands

Artist:Future Islands

Song:Seasons (Waiting on You)

Album:Singles

Future Islands is a synth pop band and they have been around for almost twenty years. They are an indie band on an indie label. The 2014 album Singles is their biggest seller to date. Chances are pretty good that if you like synth pop, you should like Future Islands. The band was formed in Greenville, SC in 2006 and moved to Baltimore in 2008. Lead singer Sam Herring and keyboardist Gerrit Weimers were friends growing up in Morehead City, NC. Guitarist William Cashion started hanging out with them. He had already been in a couple of bands. So he thought they would be interested. They called the band Art Lord and the Self-Portraits. They were influenced by art classes they took in school. They recorded four albums and then split up because high school was over and they were going in different directions. Herring, Weimers and Cashion formed a new band Future Islands. They got rid of the art class gimmick. The fourth member of Future Islands was Erick Murillo. He didn't stay long. The drummer for most of their history has been Michael Lowry. They signed with the indie label Thrill Jockey. After three albums, they switched to the indie label 4AD for the 2014 album Singles. The single Seasons was singled out as 2014's best single by the music press including Pitchfork, Spin and NME. So that helped generate sales and Future Islands appeared on Late Show with David Letterman. Seasons became an internet hit before Billboard included online airplay in results. Future Islands writes and produces all the songs. Future Islands is still around. They released their latest album in 2024. They are playing some shows in May. I think if Future Islands was on a major label, they could cross over to pop with a decent promotion budget. But they seem happy with the freedom they have at 4AD who will release a comp CD next month. Here's the video for Seasons (Waiting on You) by Future Islands.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-El Perro Del Mar

Artist:El Perro Del Mar

Song:Party

Album:El Perro Del Mar

Swedish singer songwriter Sarah Assbring records and tours as El Perro Del Mar (The Dog of the Sea). Her albums have sold reasonably well at home. But she will never be a mainstream artist. Her voice has a unique sound so that might attract listeners. She was born Aug. 6, 1977 in Gothenberg, Sweden. Sarah says the name El Perro Del Mar came about while she was on vacation in Spain. She was alone and depressed when a stray dog approached her on the beach and was nice to her and it inspired her to write and record songs as El Perro Del Mar. At first she recorded for the Swedish label Hybris. There was a single followed by a couple of EPs in 2005. After the cute animated video for the song You Gotta Give to Get got some interest in England. Hybris gathered her music on the full length CD Look! It's Perro Del Mar. She signed with the British label Memphis Industries. Dungen and The Go! Team are on that label. She reworked her previous recordings for the 2006 album El Perro Del Mar. It got enough attention in England that The Control Group picked up the album for North American release. Sarah writes, produces and plays all the music herself. She occasionally brings in outside musicians. But she's really a solo artist. El Perro Del Mar was released in 2008 with a bonus track and that is available on CD. Sarah has released six albums, most recently in 2024. She signed with the German label City Slang for Europe but she is still on Memphis Industries in England and The Control Group in America. She last toured to support her 2024 album Anonymous. I understand she is working on a new album. Here's the video for Party by El Perro Del Mar.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roy Ayers

Artist:Roy Ayers

Song:Everybody Loves the Sunshine

Album:The Best of Roy Ayers

Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers became a hip hop icon when the 1976 song Everybody Loves the Sunshine was picked up by radio stations and then became the most sampled song in hip hop history despite not being released as a single. I'll get to that last part in a minute. Ayers was born Sept. 10, 1940 in Los Angeles. His father played trombone and his mother played piano. Jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton gave him his first mallets at age five. Ayers lived in South Central Los Angeles and attended Thomas Jefferson High School which was a breeding ground for jazz musicians. He led a high school band where he played steel guitar and piano. After graduating high school, he started playing clubs and released the 1963 album West Coast Vibes on United Artists. He had been playing the vibraphone at home but that was always his preferred instrument. After dropping out of Los Angeles City College, Ayers joined flautist Herbie Mann's band in 1966. And that's how he got a record deal with Mann's label Atlantic Records. He recorded three albums for Atlantic followed by two for Columbia. Then he signed with Polydor Records in 1970. At first, Ayers wanted to record jazz fusion music pioneered by the Miles Davis album Bitches Brew along with Weather Report and Return to Forever. The band was called Roy Ayers Ubiquity. By the mid-70s, Ayers had decided to add funk to his music. This was no doubt influenced by guys like George Clinton. Ayers didn't think he was abandoning jazz. He was just adding funk elements to his music. The high point of this period was when the 1979 album Everybody Loves the Sunshine was a top ten R&B album. The single Don't Stop the Feeling was his highest charting single. Believe it or not, Everybody Loves the Sunshine was never released as a single. Ayers didn't think the song was a potential hit. So it was a big surprise to Ayers and Polydor when radio stations played it. We don't know how big it was because Billboard doesn't keep track of songs that aren't released as singles. The residual effect was when hip hop guys started sampling the song. It's been sampled over 200 times including My Life by Mary J. Blige and Book of Life by Common. Ayers wrote and produced the album. Musicians are Philip Woo on piano, Ronald "Head" Drayton on guitar, Shaun Solomon on bass, Doug Rhodes on drums and Chano O'Ferral on congas. The background vocals are by Deborah "Chicas" Darby. This was Ayers' band at the time and they are in the video clip. This comp covers the Polydor years. Ayers left Polydor in 1982 and mostly recorded for smaller labels and toured until his death on Mar. 4, 2025 at age 85. Here's Roy Ayers performing Everybody Loves the Sunshine on Soul Train 1979. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Malajube

Artist:Malajube

Song:Luna

Album:Labyrinthe

Malajube was an indie rock band very similar to Super Furry Animals except for one thing. They are from Quebec and sing in French. That's probably too much of a barrier for most folks. But they almost broke through in English Canada and internationally. Too bad they aren't around anymore. They could have been the French Coldplay. Malajube lived in Montreal. But they were from the Southwestern Quebec city of Sorel-Tracy, PQ. The band members were Julien Mineau on vocals and guitar, his brother Francis Mineau on drums, Mathieu Cournoyer on bass and Thomas Augustin on keyboards. Julien Mineau wrote the song lyrics. They signed with the local indie label Dare to Care Records and released their 2004 debut album Le Compte complet. The album was produced by Marrtin Delland of The Dears. The album was positively reviewed and well received by Quebec radio stations. Malajube toured Quebec to support it. With the 2006 album Trompe-l'oeil, Malajube was starting to get attention in English Canada and the US. They were nominated for a 2006 Polaris Music Prize and they won three Felix awards in Quebec. Pitchfork positively reviewed the album. They signed a European deal with the German label City Slang. There was always talk about Malajube possibly releasing an English album. That was music industry wishful thinking as Julien Mineau always said that the band had no interest in recording in English. Their albums were released on the indie label Sub Pop and they toured in the US. Luna is from the 2009 album Labyrinthes. By this time, the band was self producing. The album is available as a digital download. Could Malajube make it in English speaking countries? We're never going to know because after the 2011 album La Caverne, Malajube went on hiatus. Part of the problem was Dare to Care was sold. They did a reunion concert in 2015. But Malajube is finished. Francis Mineau released an album in 2013 and has been in the band Axlustade. Julien Mineau released a 2014 album as Fontarable. Thomas Augustin is in the band Penny Diving. They released an album in 2020. Here's the video for Luna by Malajube. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass

Artist:Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass

Song:Take the A Train

Album:Again!

Canadian jazz trombonist Rob McConnell is best known as leader of the big band The Boss Brass. Of course they were famous in Canada. But they toured the world for many years. The cream of the Toronto jazz and studio scene was in The Boss Brass. McConnell was born Feb. 14, 1935 in London, ON. He took up the valve trombone in high school and started playing professionally in the 50s. He studied with Clifford Brown, Canadian jazz bassist Don Thompson, Canadian bandleader Bobby Gimby and trumpeter Maynard Ferguson who is also Canadian. In the 60s, he was in the band Nimmons 'n' Nine led by clarinetist Phil Nimmons. The formation of The Boss Brass in 1968 came out of the Toronto studio scene. There were originally 16 pieces with a horn section but no saxophones and a rhythm section. Saxophones were added in 1970. By 1976, there were 22 members. McConnell conducted the band and also played trombone solos. McConnell first recorded for the Canadian Talent Library (CTL). They were a non profit that were supposed to help radio stations meet CRTC Canadian Content regulations. Peter Appleyard and Moe Koffman recorded for CTL. Though CTL records were available in stores, there was no promotion budget. In the mid-70s, McConnell recorded for United Artists and Attic Records. When McConnell had difficulty signing with a label, The Guess Who producer Jack Richardson started Umbrella Records and produced the 1979 Boss Brass album Again!. Of course McConnell was arranger and conductor and played valve trombone. Other musicians were Ian McDougal, Bob Livingston and Dave McMurdo on trombone, Ron Hughes on bass trombone, Sam Noto, Arnie Chycoski and Erich Traugott on trumpet, Bruce Cassidy and Guido Basso on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rick Wilkins and Eugene Amaro on tenor sax, Moe Koffman and Jerry Toth on alto sax and flute, Gary Morgan on baritone sax, Jimmy Dale on piano, Ed Bickert on guitar, Brad Warnaar and George Stinson on French horn, Don Thompson on bass, Terry Clarke on drums and Marty Morell on percussion. These are all veteran jazz and studio musicians. This album is available on CD. McConnell recorded for a few other labels until he signed with Concord in 1986. He remained with Concord until 1998. McConnell recorded and toured with a stripped down version of The Boss Brass called The Rob McConnell Tentet for the Canadian jazz label Justin Time. It looks like he retired in 2005 and died on May 1, 2010 at age 75. Here's Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass performing Take the A Train at Ontario Place in Toronto 1980. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glen Hansard

Artist:Glen Hansard

Song:Winning Streak

Album:Didn't He Ramble

Irish singer songwriter Glen Hansard is best known for winning an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly from the 2007 film Once. That was when he was one half of the duo The Swell Season with Marketa Inglova. Since they split up, Hansard has recorded as a solo act and has had success as an album and touring act in Ireland and other European countries. He was born Apr. 27, 1970 in the Dublin suburb of Ballymum, Ireland. Hansard wasn't a very good student. So one of his teachers who knew of his interest in music thought he might be a good musician. So he quit school and busked on the Dublin streets for five years. He formed the band The Frames in 1990 and they had success in Ireland. Hansard appeared as guitarist Outspan Foster in the 1991 film The Commitments. The Frames continued until Hansard formed The Swell Season with Marketa and they starred in the 2007 film Once. He was only supposed to write songs for the film. But the film producers talked Hansard into appearing in the film. The film was a big success and Hansard won an Oscar. But as with The Commitments, Hansard thought the film distracted from his music career. So he ended The Swell Season and started working on a solo album. He signed with the indie label Anti- Records and has released five albums. Winning Streak is from the 2015 album Didn't He Ramble which was Hansard's second album. Hansard wrote all the songs. The album was produced by David Odlum and Thomas Bartlett. Bartlett played piano on the album. Other musicians are Rob Moose on mandolin, Brad Alberta on bass and Ray Rizzo on drums. They all seem to be studio musicians. There are strings and horns on some songs which were arranged by Moose. This album is available on CD. The album won a Best Folk Album Grammy. Hansard's latest album All That Is East Is West of Me Now was released in 2023. Odlum is still his producer. Meanwhile, Hansard had promised Marketa that he would produce another Swell Season album. That album was released in 2025. Hansard has a new album coming on Apr. 24 called Don't Settle. He's just finishing up some US dates and will tour Europe after that. Here's the video for Winning Streak by Glen Hansard.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-White Lung

Artist:White Lung

Song:Below

Album:Paradise

The Canadian band White Lung started out as an all female punk band or as it is called "Riot Girrl". By the time the 2016 album Paradise was released, they weren't really a punk band anymore nor were they all female. White Lung disbanded in 2022. They were formed in Vancouver in 2006 by lead singer Mish Barber-Wray, Natasha Reich on guitar and Anne-Marie Vassilou on drums. They hired bassists for touring. The band name White Lung is slang for the disease that bakers get when they inhale flour. A friend who worked in a bakery suggested the name. After releasing two albums for the local punk label Deranged, White Lung signed with the much larger British indie label Domino. Meanwhile, Natasha left the band in 2008 and was replaced by Kenneth Williams. The 2010 album It's the Evil was named punk album of the year by Exclaim! magazine. They were also named Punk Group of the Year at the 2011 Canadian Music Week Indie Awards. The 2014 album Deep Fantasy was their first album for Domino. Though they were still receiving critical acclaim, Mish believed White Lung was stereotyped as a punk band and they should soften their style to increase record sales. Domino may have also suggested this. Mish also wanted to show musical growth and that she could really sing. I don't think she liked the punk stereotype. So the 2016 album Paradise is not a punk album. They also brought in producer Lars Stalfors who produced Cold War Kids. He helped White Lung with songwriting. The album received mixed reviews. The main criticism was they sounded like just another pop band. Paradise is available on CD. I think the album is way too short. White Lung recorded the album Premonition in 2019. The release was delayed by the pandemic until 2022. And by that time, the decision was made for White Lung to disband. Mish Barber-Wray now lives in Los Angeles with husband Austin Barber of Saviours and their kids. They keep her busy. She has been writing for Vice and Penthouse. So none of them have continued in the music business. Here's the video for Below by White Lung.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aerosmith

Artist:Aerosmith

Song:Come Together

Album:Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 1973-1988

Aerosmith recorded this cover of The Beatles classic Come Together for the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They also performed it in the film and the film's DVD distributor Shout Factory has posted that clip on YouTube. Come Together charted but it was only released on the soundtrack album. So that means it's a discography orphan. It was also Aerosmith's final hit single before leaving Columbia for Geffen in 1984. At the time, there was trouble in Aerosmith mostly due to lead singer Steve Tyler's drug addiction. It got so bad that Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left Aerosmith. Columbia was also unhappy and they declined to renew Aerosmith's contract in 1984. Of course that looked like the end for Aerosmith. But Tyler went to rehab, Perry and Whitford returned and later they had a career resurgence. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was a jukebox musical saluting The Beatles. It was based on an off Broadway musical. The film was produced by RSO Records owner Robert Stigwood. Of course he managed The Bee Gees and they had just had a lot of success with the film Saturday Night Fever. So he let them do whatever they wanted. The problem was when the film was released, the critics lambasted it and no one went to see it. Aerosmith's recording of Come Together was the most successful thing in the film as it reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also their final hit single on Columbia before they went to Geffen. So the best place to get this discography orphan is on the 1980 comp Aerosmith's Greatest Hits. This album was rereleased and expanded in 1997 and is now called Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 1973-1988. It's available as a budget CD. Here's Aerosmith performing Come Together in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charles Brown

Artist:Charles Brown

Song:Black Night

Album:The Charles Brown Collection 1947-57

Singer songwriter and pianist Charles Brown was an important bridge between the blues and R&B in the early 50s. I'm sure most folks have heard his Christmas classic Merry Christmas Baby as as it is still played on radio today. Of course there's more to him than that and many experts consider Brown to be very influential. He was born Tony Russell Brown Sept. 13, 1922 in Texas City, TX. His mom died shortly after his birth so he was raised by his grandparents. Brown took piano lessons as a child. After graduating from high school, he earned a degree in chemistry at Prairie View A&M College in 1942. He worked as a chemistry teacher, a mustard gas worker and an apprentice electrician before moving to Los Angeles in 1943. At the time, a lot of blacks were moving to Los Angeles. And there was a need for clubs to entertain them. Nat King Cole started out performing in Los Angeles clubs. When he began to tour nationally, he was replaced by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers featuring Brown on piano and vocals. The Three Blazers signed with Exclusive Records and the 1945 single Drifting Blues was on the Billboard R&B chart for six months. The problem was Moore refused to sign an exclusive contract with anyone and records were released by Exclusive, Philo and Modern. The Three Blazers had some success but it was limited by not having an exclusive record deal. So Brown left the band and signed with Aladdin Records (formerly Philo). Brown's trio was with Eddie Williams on bass and Charles Norris on guitar. Brown immediately had success on the R&B charts with hits like Trouble Blues in 1949 and Black Night in 1951. Black Night topped the Billboard R&B chart for 14 weeks. The songwriting is credited to Jessie Mae Robinson. But most experts believe Brown wrote the song. It was not unusual in those days for songwriting credits to be hidden to avoid declaring it as income. Jessie Mae Robinson was a legit songwriter. Brown continued to have chart success until Rock 'n' Roll became popular in the mid 50s. Brown continued to play clubs. But he didn't want to perform Rock 'n' Roll. This 2CD comp from the British reissue label Acrobat has all his Aladdin hits. Brown recorded for Imperial and King and continued to perform until the 90s. But he never charted again. But his influence looms large. Charles Brown died on Jan. 21, 1999 at age 76. Here's Charles Brown performing Black Night in the 90s.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Neal Francis

Artist:Neal Francis

Song:Can't Stop the Rain

Album:In Plain Sight

Neal Francis is an R&B influenced singer songwriter who has had success in the Adult Alternative market. He hasn't had any hit singles and fortunately he's on a record label that doesn't require hit singles. He was born Neal Francis O'Hara Sept. 4, 1988 in Livingston, NJ. But he grew up in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, IL. He learned piano by mimicking sounds he heard on TV. Then he took classical piano lessons followed by lessons from boogie woogie pianist Erwin Helfer. He had a band in high school called Reverend Funk Connection and he sat in at Chicago blues clubs. After briefly attending college, Francis continued to play clubs most notably with Muddy Waters' son Larry "Mud" Morganfield. He joined the band The Heard and got fired when drank too much. After getting sober, he recorded his debut solo album Changes and released it on the indie label Karma Chief in 2019. The album was praised by critics and that led to Francis signing with Dave Matthews' label ATO Records. Matthews is not looking for hit singles and that's good for the kind of music that Francis wants to record. Can't Stop the Rain was the first single from the 2022 album In Plain Sight. Francis wrote all the songs. And the album was produced by guitarist and recording engineer Sergio Rios who produced Francis' first album. Musicians were Kellen Boersma on guitar, Mike Starr on bass and Collin O'Brien on drums. This was Francis' band at the time. Derek Trucks played the slide guitar solo on Can't Stop the Rain. This album is available as a budget CD. Francis released his latest album Return to Zero last year. He is working with the same musicians. He is currently on tour until November. So if you like his music remember there is no pressure on him to go mainstream. Here's the video for Can't Stop the Rain by Neal Francis. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Florence Henderson

Artist:Florence Henderson

Song:I Have To Tell You

Album:Fanny: Original Cast Recording

Of course Florence Henderson was best known for starring as Carol Brady on the popular ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch. But she had a significant history on Broadway before that. The 1954 musical Fanny was her first starring role. And I have a vintage video clip of Florence performing a song from that show. She was born Feb. 14, 1934 in Dale, IN. which has a population of 1,000. Her father was a sharecropper. Florence was the youngest of ten children. Her mom taught her to sing. And by age 12, she was singing at local grocery stores. After graduating from high school, Florence moved to New York City and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She started out in a touring production of Oklahoma! and South Pacific at Lincoln Center. She made her Broadway debut in the 1952 musical Wish You Were Here. The guys behind that show were Joshua Logan and Harold Rome. And they were also behind the 1954 musical Fanny. Fanny is a musical based on Marcel Pagnol's trilogy of Marius (1929), Fanny (1931) and Cesar (1936). Logan wrote the book with S.N. Behrman and also directed. Rome wrote the songs. Florence played the title role of Fanny. But she wasn't top billed. You'll notice her name isn't on the album cover. The stars were opera singer Ezio Pinza (South Pacific) and German actor Walter Slezak who was a Hollywood star. The show ran for two years so it was a success. The original cast album is available on CD. Florence appeared in the 1954 TV special General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein and a 1958 CBS musical production of Little Women. Florence made sporadic appearances on TV and on Broadway. But she wasn't a household name until she played Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969-74. After that Florence appeared on TV game shows because she enjoyed doing them. She was the spokeswoman for Wesson cooking oil from 1974-96 and she hosted the TNN cooking show Country Kitchen. As she got older, she hosted talk shows on Retirement Living TV. And that's what she did until her death on Nov. 24, 2016 at age 82. So though Florence Henderson was never a big star, she was beloved because of The Brady Bunch mostly as a nostalgia figure. Here's Florence Henderson performing I Have to Tell You on a 1954 episode of the show Coke Time hosted by Eddie Fisher.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Conor Oberst

Artist:Conor Oberst

Song:Cape Canaveral

Album:Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst is best known as the leader of Bright Eyes. He has also led other bands like Commander Venus and Monsters of Folk. And starting in 2008, he started recording as Conor Oberst. It seems to depend on who he's working with and where he's recording. He writes and produces everything anyway. He was born Feb. 15, 1980 in Omaha. His father worked at Mutual of Omaha and his mother worked in the public school system. His older brother Matthew was a teacher and part time musician. Oberst self released his first album at age 13. That's when he started performing live. After releasing two albums, he joined The Faint in 1994 and formed Commander Venus in 1995. He started his own label Saddle Creek Records. Oberst was also in The Magnetas and Park Ave. He formed Bright Eyes in 1995. This was supposed to be a solo project. And he usually recorded in his basement. Some solo artists want to hide behind a name to stay anonymous. Oberst started Bright Eyes after Commander Venus split up. He says he just wanted it to be perceived as a new band. But in the studio, Bright Eyes was perceived as a Conor Oberst solo project and he hired musicians to tour. Meanwhile, Oberst formed Desaparedos as a more punk oriented band. In 2008, he decided to record an album as Conor Oberst. He did this because his main Bright Eyes collaborator Mike Mogis was not part of this solo project. Cape Canaveral is the lead track on Conor Oberst. Nate Walcott played keyboards. He was also in Bright Eyes. Nik Frietas played guitar. Macey Taylor played bass. Jason Boesel of Rilo Kiley played drums. The album was recorded in Mexico. Oberst claims that the music is different from Bright Eyes. Most critics disagreed and wondered why he released it under his real name in the first place. This album is available on CD. By the time the 2009 album Outer South was released, the band name changed to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Oberst was also in Monsters of Folk which was a one off supergroup. Bright Eyes was still recording though that ended in 2011. Bright Eyes reformed and toured last year. Even Oberst is confused by all this and he has said interviews that he wished he had never used all those names. Anyway, his music is pretty good. Supposedly, his solo albums are more introspective than Bright Eyes. I don't see much difference and I think one name for all his music would be preferable. Here's Conor Oberst performing Cape Canaveral on The Craig Ferguson Show on Dec. 23, 2008.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lalah Hathaway

Artist:Lalah Hathaway

Song:Somethin'

Album:Lalah Hathaway

As the daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway, one would think that singer Lalah Hathaway would be a surefire success. I'm sure that's what Virgin Records thought when they signed her. But that never happened and Lalah now records for her own label. She was born Eulaulah Hathaway Dec. 16, 1968 in Chicago. Of course her dad was soul legend Donny Hathaway. Her mom is session singer Eulaulah Hathaway. Lalah is a childhood nickname. Her sister Kenya Hathaway is also a singer. So Lalah grew up with the label First Daughter of Soul. That is very difficult to live up to. The name only goes so far. Lalah learned piano at the American Conservatory of Music. She started writing songs while attending the Chicago Academy for the Arts. And she attended Berklee in Boston. Lalah released her 1987 debut single Inside the Beat on Alllegiance Records with Capitol distribution. It went nowhere but Virgin A&R director John Brown liked Lalah enough to sign her to a record deal. On the 1990 album Lalah Hathaway, she worked with top producers. Somethin' was the third single. The song was written by David Foster and Brenda Russell and Brenda recorded it on her 1983 album Two Eyes. The song was produced by Andre Fischer who is best known for producing Chaka Khan. He produced three songs on the album. Angela Winbush was among the other producers. Four singles reached the R&B charts. But they didn't cross to pop so the album didn't sell. It's available as a budget CD. After Lalah's 1994 album A Moment did worse, Virgin released her. Since then she has recorded for Mesa/Bluemoon, GRP, Concord owned Stax Records and currently she writes and records for her own label. She released her latest album in 2024. She has won five Grammys including one for her 2013 performance of Somethin' on jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy's album Family Dinner. Unfortunately, that album is not available so I can't post the video. Here's the video for Somethin' by Lalah Hathaway. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Prem Joshua & Band

Artist:Prem Joshua & Band

Song:Funky Guru

Album:In Concert

Prem Joshua is a German musician who has had success in India and other eastern countries with his eastern influenced music. He was born in Germany in 1958 and started out playing flute and sax in local bands. At age 18, he traveled overland to India so he could learn about music from the countries along the way. When he got to India, Joshua learned to play the sitar. It's his main instrument today and he cites Ravi Shankar as his main influence. His spiritual master Osho gave him the name Joshua and has encouraged him to spread his music everywhere. Though the sitar is dominant in his music, Joshua mixes it with contemporary music. So it's not traditional Indian music. Joshua started recording in the early 90s as leader of Terra Incognita. They released two albums. Then he led Hamsafar for one album. Since then he has recorded solo and he has led Prem Joshua & Band since 2007. Because the song appeared on a Putomayo collection, Funky Guru is one of Joshua's better known songs. It is from the 2004 album Yatri: Mystics of Sound. It was released on the German label Spice Records. Joshua wrote and produced the album. The arranger is German musician Rishi and he also plays bass and keyboards. Kit Walker plays keyboards. He usually plays Smooth Jazz. The lead singer is Sandhya Sanjana from India. That album is not available. But Funky Guru was recorded on the 2008 album Prem Joshua & Band In Concert. It is on the German label Medial Music. Joshua's music is distributed in the US by meditational music company White Swan. Musicians are Satgyan Fukuda on vocals and bass, Chintan Relenberg on keyboards and Raul Sengupta on drums and percussion. Joshua last released an album in 2021. They just finished touring. So they may be working on a new album. Here's Prem Joshua & Band performing Funky Guru in Mumbai, India.