AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cowboy Mouth

Artist:Cowboy Mouth

Song:Jenny Says

Album:Are You with  Me?

Cowboy Mouth had modest success in the 90s. Jenny Says is probably their best known song. But it wasn't a big enough hit to keep them on a major label. I don't think they should have been on a major label in the first place. They would have been better of on an indie label like Yep Roc. Cowboy Mouth is from New Orleans. They were formed in 1990 by lead singer, drummer and main songwriter Fred LeBlanc. In the 80s, LeBlanc was in the bands The Backbeats and Dash Rip Rock. Meanwhile, John Thomas Griffith was in the new wave band Red Rockers and their 1983 video for China was played a lot on MTV. After they split up in 1986, Griffith released a 1988 solo album. Meanwhile, LeBlanc signed a record deal with EMI. He got together with former Backbeats guitarist Paul Sanchez and approached Griffith about forming a band. The name Cowboy Mouth is from a play by Sam Shepherd and Patti Smith meaning loudmouth. LeBlanc was lead singer and drummer. Griffiths was lead guitarist. Sanchez was rhythm guitarist. He left in 2006. And after that, the rhythm guitarist and bassist were disposable. After releasing a couple of albums on indie labels, Cowboy Mouth signed with MCA Records and released the 1996 album Are You with Me?. Jenny Says from that album is their most popular song. LeBlanc wrote it and Dash Rip Rock recorded it in 1989. The album was produced by John Cougar Mellencamp's guitarist Michael Wanchic. MCA was disappointed with album sales. This album is available as a budget CD. After the 1998 album Mercyland was also a disappointment, MCA dropped Cowboy Mouth. Since then they have recorded for indie labels and currently on their own label. And they still tour. Last year they released an album of covers called Cover Yo' Azz. They have enough of a fanbase in New Orleans that they don't need to be on a major label and probably would have been better off if they had never recorded for MCA. Here's the video for Jenny Says by Cowboy Mouth.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ryan Follese

Artist:Ryan Follese

Song:Float Your Boat

Album:Ryan Follese

Singer songwriter Ryan Follese (pronounced Foll-eh-see) was lead singer of the band Hot Chelle Rae from 2005-14. After they went on hiatus, he signed with Big Machine and released the 2017 album Ryan Follese. He was born Feb. 16, 1987 in Nashville. His parents are Nashville songwriters Keith and Adrienne Follese. His brother Jamie was the drummer in Hot Chelle Rae. His parents lived in Los Angeles and they signed with A&M. But they never recorded. They moved to Nashville and Keith Follese has written hits for Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Lonestar. He was named 2001 Songwriter of the Year by ASCAP. As a child, Follese observed his dad in the recording studio. He started writing songs as a child. Plus his mom taught him to sing. Follese played local clubs as a teen. He formed the band Miracle Drug in 2005 with guitarist Nash Overstreet. Overstreet brought in his childhood friend Ian Keaggy to play bass. And Jamie Follese played drums. For copyright reasons, the band name was changed to Hot Chelle Rae. They signed with Jive Records and the 2011 single Tonight Tonight was a top ten hit. After two albums and constant touring, Hot Chelle Rae went on hiatus. Folese signed with Big Machine and released the single Float Your Boat. This was followed by the 2017 album Ryan Follese. The album was produced by Cameron Montgomery and Dann Huff. Huff is a veteran studio musician. Montgomery seems to have been a Big Machine house producer at the time. Follese wrote the songs with his parents, his brother and Montgomery. The album is available as a digital download. Follese left Big Machine and released singles on small labels. Hot Chelle Rae reformed in 2018. Follese decided not to return and has formed the duo Ryan and Rory with Rory John Zak. They signed with BBR Music and released an EP in 2024. We'll see how that goes but I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan Follese ended up being a songwriter for hire like his parents. Here's the video for Float Your Boat by Ryan Follese. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vicki Yohe

Artist:Vicki Yohe

Song:Because of Who You Are

Album:I Just Want You

If you read my blog, you will know that I write occasionally about gospel music. Currently there are two main kinds of gospel music; Contemporary Black Gospel and Contemporary Christian. But there is occasional crossover. For example TobyMac is a Christian rapper and his music appeals to both audiences. And there are black artists like CeCe Winans who are popular with white audiences. There are also white artists who are popular with black audiences. Martha Munizzi is a current example of that. Vicki Yohe is a traditional gospel singer who has had success with black listeners. Her music is not CCM. Her audience is older. She was born July 13, 1965 in Normal, IL. but she grew up in Rapid City, SD. Her family moved to Hammond, LA. when she was a teen. Her father was a Pentecostal minister so she was a PK. So she grew up singing in church. At age 19, Vicki became musical director at a church near Baton Rouge, LA. Her father's congregation was mainly black. Plus her main musical influences were Aretha Franklin and Tremaine Hawkins. She self released an album in 1992. This got the attention of Irving Azoff's label Giant Records. She released three albums on Giant. And at that time, it was difficult to sell gospel on a secular label. So she left Giant. Now I would like to tell you who produced those albums but I think they have been scrubbed from the internet. Even Discogs doesn't have anything about them. So I dunno. I believe that Vicki decided to reach her target audience and she needed to be on a gospel label that crossed racial borders. CeCe Winans saw Vicki on Trinity Broadcasting Network's program Praise the Lord. And CeCe was just starting her Pure Springs Gospel label with EMI Gospel distribution. So Vicki signed and that's when she started to have success with the 2003 album I Just Want You and the single Because of Who You Are. The album reached the Gospel top ten and was nominated for Stellar and Dove awards. The single topped the Gospel chart. The album was produced by Chris Harris who has a history of producing these type of crossover acts like Jaci Velasquez, Kathy Troccoli and Ron Kenoly. Because of Who You Are was written by another crossover artist Martha Munizzi. This album is available as a budget CD. Vicki released two albums for Pure Springs Gospel. Since then she released two albums on Shanachie and they are strictly a distributor. Her latest album was released in 2013. She recently teased that she might record again. But she spends most of her time appearing at various churches. But her 2017 ardent support of Donald Trump alienated a lot of blacks. So I think a comeback is a longshot at best. Her crossover success was a niche anyway and I don't know if any CCM artists would want to do that now. Of course TobyMac is an exception but he's a unicorn. Here's Vicki Yohe performing Because of Who You Are. I chose this video because it's with a live band and other videos had her performing with backing tracks which is done frequently when gospel artists perform in churches.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Doris Day

Artist:Doris Day f/Harry James

Song:The Very Thought of You

Album:Young Man with a Horn: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The 1950 film Young Man with a Horn was an important film for Doris Day because it was her first drama. Up to then, she had only done musicals. She still sang in this film but she was getting typecast and wanted to do something different. The film was "inspired" by jazz trumpet pioneer Bix Beiderbecke meaning Warner Bros. could tell any story they wanted. The screenplay was written by Carl Foreman and Edmund H. North, produced by Jerry Wald and directed by Michael Curtiz. Kirk Douglas played trumpeter Rick Martin. The trumpet solos are by big band leader Harry James. Doris plays girl singer Jo Jordan and of course she develops a romance with Martin. I'm sure Doris was comfortable with playing a girl singer as that's what she was in the Harry James band before she got into films. Other actors include Lauren Bacall, Hoagy Carmichael and Juano Hernandez. That's Carmichael on the piano in the video. The main criticism of Young Man with a Horn was it was too slick and had a phony happy ending considering that Beiderbecke died from alcoholism at age 28. In her autobiography, Doris said she felt like an outsider especially since Douglas had dated Lauren so they were friends. And Douglas was never a giving actor. So he didn't help make Doris comfortable. The one thing critics liked in this film was James' trumpet playing. So Warner Bros. got Doris' record label Columbia to release a soundtrack album. It was released as a 10" LP. They had Doris and James rerecord the songs from the film. The album was successful. But I don't think record buyers knew that the recordings were not from the film. Fortunately, the Spanish label The Soundtrack Factory released the actual soundtrack in 2016. This label specializes in reissuing soundtracks that weren't released properly in the first place. So this CD has the music that was in the film. This is available on CD. Here's Doris Day featuring Kirk Douglas and Harry James performing The Very Thought of You from the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-beabadoobee

Artist:beabadoobee

Song:Take a Bite

Album:This Is How Tomorrow Moves

Beatrice Laus is a singer songwriter who was born in the Philippines and grew up in England. She has been critically acclaimed and her latest album topped the British album chart. But she hasn't had a hit single yet or had success in the US. She has a new album coming out in Sept. But I don't know if she is distinctive enough to be successful. She was born June 3, 2000 in Iloilo City, Philippines but her family moved to London, England when she was three. She grew up listening to Filipino music and modern pop music. Her main influence is Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O. Beatrice attended the all girls Catholic school Sacred Heart High School followed by her final year at Hammersmith Academy. She was expelled from school due to failing grades and "misfit behavior". She used YouTube tutorials to learn to play guitar. She was inspired by indie artists like Elliott Smith and Kimya Dawson to make her own music. The first song she wrote was Coffee. Her friend and producer Oscar Lang suggested she use a pseudonym and she came up with beabadoobee which is her user name on Instagram. I hate the name. No one can spell it or pronounce it. As I always say "Keep it simple, stupid". And a name like that does her no favors. She posted it on YouTube in 2017 and it got 300,000 views. That got her a record deal with the indie label Dirty Hit. The popular indie band The 1975 is also on that label and Beatrice toured with them. After a couple of EPs, Beatrice was named to the NME 100 of "essential new artists". Then she appeared on the cover of NME. She was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the Brit Awards and appeared on the BBC critics poll Sound of 2020. Beatrice performed on the 2020 NME Awards and won the Radar Award. That's when she toured with The 1975. She was supposed open for them on their US tour but it was cancelled due to COVID-19. After Canadian rapper Powfu sampled Coffee on his 2019 single Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head), it went viral on TikTok and was a worldwide hit. Her 2020 debut album Fake It Flowers reached #8 on the British Album chart but there were no hit singles. Billboard and Apple named her Best New Artist. Then she toured the UK. Beatrice released her 2022 album Beatopia and the single Glue Song spread on TikTok. It didn't chart because that was before Billboard changed their metric to include viral hits. Beatopia reached #4 on the British Albums chart but again there were no hit singles. Beatrice toured Europe and she opened for Taylor Swift in 2023. The 2024 album This Is How Tomorrow Moves topped the British Album chart. But again there were no hit singles. Beatrice wrote all the songs. Rick Rubin was brought in to produce. This album is available on CD. Beatrice has an album titled Pylon set for release in Sept. So what should Beatrice do to get to the next level? She could switch to a major label. But Dirty Hit has expanded operations including an office in Los Angeles. There is nothing wrong with Beatrice but she isn't distinctive enough. It's crowded out there. Have Dirty Hit work out a distribution deal with a major label. That may be the only solution. We'll see how it goes. Here's the video for Take a Bite by beabadoobee.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tony Guerrero

Artist:Tony Guerrero

Song:Mysterie

Album:Mysterie

Smooth jazz saxophonist Tony Guerrero had success in the 90s despite never being on a major label. The 1996 album and single Mysterie is his most popular album. In recent years, he has been a sideman and musical director at his church. He was born Sept. 20, 1966 in Newport Beach, CA. He is a self taught musician. He started playing local clubs after graduating from high school. He signed with a record label owned by Lucille Hunt who left her job in computers to get into the music business. Guerrero released the 1988 album Tiara featuring special guests Merry Clayton, Phil Keaggy and Grant Geissman. Helen closed the label to become a manager and Guerrero recorded the 1989 album Different Places for Nova Records. The 1996 album Mysterie was on nuGroove Records. This was a Smooth Jazz label that was very active at the time but closed in 2004. The title song was a hit on jazz radio. The album was produced by keyboardist Rob Mullins. Guerrero wrote most of the songs. Musicians include Greg Vail on sax, Tom McCauley on guitar and Del Atkins on bass. Mullins played keyboards and drums. This album is available on CD. Guerrero's latest album is a 2024 album of duets with pianist Jeremy Siskind. He also continues to perform live in clubs and at jazz festivals. Guerrero is music director for Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. He has also been music director for John Tesh and actress Jane Lynch's 2014 cabaret tour. He also produced a 2017 Christmas album for Dick Van Dyke. And he has also worked with CCM singer songwriter Crystal Lewis. He produced the Grammy nominated album Rhythm & Soul for trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. And he teaches music production at Cal Baptist State University. When does he have time to record? He has a home recording studio. So like many jazz musicians, he keeps busy. Here's Tony Guerrero with Greg Vail on soprano sax, Chris Baron on keyboards, Daryl Williams on bass and Tom Dante on drums performing Mysterie at Campus Jax 2025.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Immature

Artist:Immature

Song:Never Lie

Album:Playtyme Is Over

Immature was a pre teen R&B boy band who scored a top five hit with the 1994 single Never Lie. It was their biggest hit. Ultimately they were unsuccessful to the point where the group name was changed to IMx. They were probably too similar to groups like New Edition and they came along later. Whichever group is first is always going to be the most successful. All three members of Immature were ten years old when the group was formed in 1991 in Los Angeles. They were Marques "Batman" Houston, Jerome "Romeo" Jones and Don "Half-Pint" Santos. Santos was replaced by Kelton "LDB" Kessee in 1994 after Santos' parents pulled him from the group after Immature appeared in the 1993 film House Party 3. Immature was managed and produced by Chris Stokes. Stokes met Jones at an acting class and he put him together with Houston and Santos and named them Immature. After they won some local talent contests, Stokes got them a record deal with Virgin Records and they released the 1992 album On Our Worst Behavior. When the album didn't sell, Stokes took them to MCA Records for the 1994 album Playtyme Is Over. They also appeared in the 1993 film House Party III. That's when Santos was replaced by Kessee. Like the first album, Stokes wrote and produced. His co-producer, co-writer and recording engineer was Claudio Cueni. Never Lie reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It turned out to be Immature's only big hit. Houston sang lead on most of the songs. This album is available as a budget CD. After subsequent albums didn't do as well, Randy Jackson of American Idol convinced Immature to change their name to IMx for the 1999 album Introducing IMx. When that didn't sell, Stokes moved them to Warner's New Line label for the 2001 album IMx. They split up after that. Houston has had solo success on the R&B charts. Jones recorded a couple of unsuccessful albums. They recorded for Stokes' TUG label. Stokes is a film producer and director for Tubi Originals. Here's the video for Never Lie by Immature. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wiz Khalifa

Artist:Wiz Khalifa f/Charlie Puth

Song:See You Again

Album: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

See You Again topped the charts in 2015. It is to date the biggest hit for rapper Wiz Khalifa. It plays over the end credits of the 2016 film Furious 7. It does not appear on a Wiz Khalifa or Charlie Puth album. The Furious 7 soundtrack is the best way to get the song. Cameron Jabril Thomaz was born Sept. 8, 1987 in Minot, ND. His parents served in the US Air Force. After they divorced, his mom settled in Pittsburgh in 1996. Thomaz started writing and performing in high school. He took the name Wiz Khalifa. Wiz is short for wisdom. Khalifa is the Arabic word meaning successor. Thomaz was already recording at a local recording studio I.D. Labs. Studio owner Eric Dan had some experience in the Pittsburgh hip hop scene so he decided to mentor Thomaz. Rostrum Records owner Benjy Grinberg heard Wiz Khalifa on a mixtape of Pittsburgh hip hop artists. Thomaz signed with Rostrum and after a mixtape and the 2006 album Show and Prove, Rolling Stone named Wiz Khalifa an artist to watch. And that led to a record deal with Warner Bros. They released a few singles. But when they delayed the release of the album First Flight, Thomaz got out of his contract. After releasing the 2009 album Deal or No Deal on Rostrum, Thomaz signed with Atlantic Records. The single Black and Yellow topped the charts in 2010. This was followed by the 2011 album Rolling Papers which was certified 3XPlatinum. Thomaz' follow up albums did OK but there were no hit singles. The one thing I will say about Wiz Khalifa is he sure releases a lot of music. A lot of rappers are like that. I would like him to be more selective. His other #1 hit was See You Again from the 2016 film Furious 7. The music for this film was produced by Justin "DJ Frank E" Franks and Andrew Cedar. They had previously produced Flo Rida. Franks and singer songwriter Charlie Puth were asked by their publisher to write a song that would pay tribute to the late Paul Walker. Puth went to Los Angeles to meet Franks and turned the song into a piano ballad. When the record was finished, Universal Pictures and Atlantic Records decided to add a rapper. Puth thought that came out of nowhere and he wasn't sure he wanted to sing on the record. After Wiz Khalifa was chosen, they considered replacing Puth with Chris Brown, Jason DeRulo or even Adele. But they ultimately went with Puth and See You Again topped the charts. The soundtrack album is available on CD. Thomaz sued Rostrum in 2016 claiming his contract was unfair. Rostrum countersued for unpaid royalties. They reached a settlement in 2017. Since then Thomaz started his own label Taylor Gang. He left Atlantic in 2021 and his latest album was released in 2026. The problem is his music doesn't sell anymore. The last time one of his singles charted was in 2018. He still releases a lot of mixtapes. And he appeared on The Masked Singer in 2021. I guess that officially makes him a has been. As I said, he releases way too much music and now no one listens to it. Here's the video for See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jonathan Nelson

Artist:Jonathan Nelson

Song:Expect the Great

Album:Better Days

Gospel music fans may already be familiar with Jonathan Nelson. Or maybe you are thinking of his twin brother Jason Nelson. Both guys have had success on the gospel charts. And Jonathan has had success as a songwriter for Donald Lawrence and Maurette Brown Clark. He was born Nov. 10, 1974 in Baltimore. His father is pastor at Baltimore's Greater Bethlehem Temple Church. He studied at Baltimore School for the Arts and Morgan State University. When Karen Clark-Sheard performed at his church, Nelson and his friends were the backup singers. They continued to perform as Purpose and Nelson self released an album. Meanwhile, Nelson met Donald Lawrence at a Washington, DC workshop. Lawrence heard the song Healed and he asked Nelson if he would allow him to record it. Nelson won a Songwriter of the Year Stellar award. Nelson signed a record deal with Integrity Music with Sony distribution. The 2010 album Better Days was his second album on Integrity. Expect the Great was the first single and that and the album did well on the Gospel charts. The album was recorded live at the Faith Center in Sunrise, FL. Nelson produced and wrote most of the songs with co-writers. Nelson wrote Expect the Great with Darien Dennis and Kenneth Shelton. Shelton was musical director and played keyboards. He is currently musical director with Anthony Brown & Group TherAPy. Special guests are Jason Nelson and Kiki Sheard. This album is available on CD. Nelson has also recorded for EMI Gospel and eOne. Nelson is currently Director of Worship and Arts at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. Nelson reformed Purpose and has released a couple of albums on his own label with MNRK distribution (formerly eOne). Here's the video of Expect the Great by Jonathan Nelson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Hudson Brothers

Artist:The Hudson Brothers

Song:So You Are a Star

Album:Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Mix Vol. 1

If you were around in the 70s, you may recall a group of brothers who sang and had their own TV show. No, I'm not talking about The Osmond Brothers. I'm talking about The Hudson Brothers. Of course they weren't nearly as successful as the Osmonds. The 1974 single So You Are a Star was their biggest hit and it didn't even break the top 20. Also, I thought they tried too hard with the comedy. Plus they bounced around too many labels. The Hudson Brothers are from Portland, OR. The oldest is Bill Hudson (b. Oct. 17, 1949), next is Mark Hudson (b. Aug. 23, 1951) and finally Brett Hudson (b. Jan. 18,1953). Their father left the family when all three were children. Mom encouraged them to sing. When they first formed a band as teens, they were called My Sirs. After winning a battle of the bands, they were at a recording studio and a local promoter offered them a contract to promote Chryslers. They were renamed The New Yorkers. They recorded a promotional single for the Chrysler 1967 Go Show. They signed with Scepter Records and released a few singles and toured with Buffalo Springfield and The Buckinghams. They released a couple of singles on the local label Jerden Records. When they signed with Decca, they changed the name to Everyday Hudson. It was shortened to Hudson when they signed with Playboy Records owned by Hugh Hefner. They released an album in 1972. Then Playboy was sold to CBS. After Hudson appeared on the TV panel show What's My Line, Elton John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin signed them to their label Rocket Records. Taupin produced the 1974 album Totally Out of Control. A few singles were released. Meanwhile they appeared on a 1974 episode of The Sonny Comedy Revue. Show producer Chris Bearde liked them enough to give them a summer replacement TV series called The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. I think that's where most folks first heard of them. They got a record deal with Neil Bogart's Casablanca label and the 1974 single So You Are a Star reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. This turned out to be their biggest hit. This was followed by the album Hollywood Situation. The Hudsons wrote and produced the album. Mark was usually lead singer. All three played instruments. The Hudsons returned to Rocket for the 1975 album Ba-Fa. Later they recorded for Arista and Elektra. Their final album was in 1980. By that time, the TV show was long gone. But they continued to do comedy in their act. I think if they had stuck to music, they could have been successful. I watched their TV show and it was pretty lame. You can get So You Are a Star on this various artists budget CD of 70s hits. After The Hudson Brothers split up, Bill Hudson appeared in a few TV shows. Mark Hudson wrote and produced for Aerosmith and Ringo Starr. Brett Hudson has produced several TV shows with his company Frozen Pictures. Here's The Hudson Brothers performing So You Are a Star on a 1974 episode of their TV show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Firm

Artist:The Firm

Song:Star Trekkin'

Album:1987: Where Were You?

Not to be confused with the 80s supergroup The Firm led by Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page, this act called The Firm topped the British charts with the 1987 novelty song Star Trekkin'. You may have heard this if you listen to the Dr. Demento radio show. The guy behind this Star Trek spoof is British guitarist John O'Connor. He studied guitar at the London College of Music. He opened Bark Studio in North London and played sessions and produced. He also toured with Steeleye Span lead singer Maddy Prior. With his pal Grahame Lister, O'Connor wrote and produced the 1982 novelty song Arthur Daley E's Alright based on a character in the TV series Minder. It used catchphrases from the show. They decided to call themselves The Firm. The big surprise was when the record reached #14 on the British Singles chart and The Firm appeared on the TV show Top of the Pops. After follow up records didn't chart, The Firm decided to take on Star Trek in 1987. The song was written by Rory Kehoe. He was a member of an English Civil War reenactment group called The Sealed Knot. He wrote this Star Trek parody that was sung in pubs to the tune of I Am a Fine Musician from The Music Man and popularized by an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was called I Am the Star Trek Man. Lister heard the song performed in a folk club and he took it to O'Connor. They scrapped the melody and wrote a new song. When record labels weren't interested, O'Connor decided to record it in his own studio. O'Connor and Lister did the vocals. Their friends played the music. A group of art students called The Film Garage used puppetry and stop motion animation to produce a video. After Star Trekkin' topped the British charts, K-Tel picked it up and The Firm released an album. It did not chart in the US but it has been a Dr. Demento favorite for years. If you are wondering why Paramount didn't sue The Firm, the song is considered a harmless parody and it's likely a lawsuit would have been unsuccessful. I tried to find a Dr. Demento album that contained Star Trekkin' but none are in print. So you can get it on this Australian various artists comp. Soon after, O'Connor moved to California. He lives in Santa Barbara. O'Connor recorded New Age music as Eko on Higher Octave Records. He recorded four albums as Eko. Then he composed the music for the FOX TV series The King of the Hill. It looks like he's retired and living off royalties. He says he buys plenty of new gear for his home recording studio. Here's the video for Star Trekkin' by The Firm.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mocedades

Artist:Mocedades

Song:Eres Tu

Album:Nuestras 30 Mejores Canciones

The Spanish group Mocedades has been around since the late 60s. They have had success mostly in Europe. But they scored a US top ten hit with the 1973 single Eres Tu. The song finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest and it was a worldwide hit. It all began in 1967 in the Basque city of Bilbao by sisters Amaya, Isazkun and Estibaliz Uranga. They called themselves Las Hermanas Uranga. When their brothers and friends joined the group during rehearsals, the group name was changed to Voces et Guitarras. They sang mostly folk and spiritual music. After they sent a demo to producer Juan Carlos Calderon, he changed the group name to Mocedades (meaning youths) and got them a record deal with the Spanish label Zafiro. Calderon wrote and produced the songs. The membership of Mocedades has been very fluid over the years. Currently there are two "official" versions of the group. So they come and go. In 1973 they were Amaya and Isazkun Uranga, their brother Roberto Uranga, Javier Garay and Jose Ibina who both returned to the group after military service and newcomer Carlos Zubiaga. In Spain, this version of Mocedades is called "The Six Historic Ones". Calderon wrote Eres Tu and Television Espaniola (TVE) chose it as an official entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. This is organized by European broadcasters so TVE had to produce a video clip. The contest was held in Luxembourg and broadcast live across Europe. It's a big deal there. Eres Tu finished second in the contest and Zafiro released it as a single. It was released in the US by Paramount owned Famous Music. There was an English version on the B side with lyrics by British songwriter Mike Hawker. He co-wrote the Dusty Springfield hit I Only Want to Be with You. But radio stations preferred the Spanish version and it reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get it on this 2CD comp. Not surprisingly, this turned out to be Mocedades' only hit in the US. They continue to have success in Europe. As I said, there are two versions of Mocedades touring. One is led by Isazkun Uranga and the other is led by Javier Garay. The split was in 2013. Both groups are legal because the two leaders were part of the original Mocedades who registered the name. Anyway, that's enough of the legal wrangling. Here's the video for Eres Tu by Mocedades.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Margery MacKay

Artist:Margery MacKay

Song:Climb Ev'ry Mountain

Album:The Sound of Music: An Original Soundtrack Recording: Deluxe Edition

Peggy Wood was a character actress who got a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for playing Mother Abbess in the 1965 film The Sound of Music. This was her final film appearance. You may recall her performance of the song Climb Ev'ry Mountain. Except her singing voice was dubbed by Margery MacKay. Disappointed? I'll get to that later. You older folks may remember Peggy starring in the CBS TV series Mama from 1948-57. She was born Mary Margaret Wood Feb. 8, 1892 in Brooklyn, NY. Her father was a journalist and her mother was a telegraph operator. Peggy studied voice in France with opera singer Emma Calve. She started out on Broadway in the chorus. Peggy starred in the 1917 musical Maytime. Her other big shows were The Merchant of Venice in 1928 and Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet in 1929. She also starred in the 1941 production of Blithe Spirit. Peggy did appear in films usually in supporting roles in films like A Star Is Born (1937), The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939) and The Bride Wore Boots (1946). Her most memorable role was in the CBS TV series Mama which was based on the film I Remember Mama. After the show ended, she did TV guest shots and had a co-starring role in the 1960 film The Story of Ruth. It's likely that The Sound of Music director Robert Wise saw Peggy in this film and cast her in the role of Mother Abbess. Of course Peggy could sing. So why did Wise have Margery MacKay dub her singing. According to Marni Nixon, who also appeared in The Sound of Music, Peggy knew she no longer had the vocal range to handle Climb Ev'ry Mountain so she was OK with it. Who was Margery MacKay? She was married to Los Angeles Civic Light Opera musical director Harper MacKay and that's where she did most of her singing. She was never a full time actress or singer. I know many fans dislike dubbing in films. But if Peggy was OK with this, so am I. The Sound of Music soundtrack is available in a Deluxe Edition. The Sound of Music was Peggy's final film role. She appeared in the daytime soap One Life to Live and retired in 1969. She died on Mar. 18, 1978 at age 86. Here's Peggy Wood with vocals by Margery MacKay performing Climb Ev'ry Mountain in the 1965 film The Sound of Music.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Artist:Ernie Fields & His Orchestra

Song:In the Mood

Album:Mighty Instrumental Hits R&B Style

Jazz trombonist and bandleader Ernie Fields scored a top five hit with his 1959 instrumental cover of Glenn Miller's In the Mood. A couple of his other singles charted so he was not a one hit wonder. But In the Mood was his only memorable recording. He was born Aug. 28, 1904 in Nacogdoches, TX and raised in Taft, OK in Muskogee county. After graduating from Tuskegee University in 1924, Fields moved to Tulsa. He led what was called a "territory" band in the 30s called The Royal Entertainers. Lots of guys went through that band. And in 1939, Columbia Records producer John Hammond wanted Fields to record for Vocalion and tour nationally. Fields didn't want to leave Tulsa but he realized he couldn't make a living there. After WWII, Fields started performing standards like Tuxedo Junction and Begin the Beguine in a rocking R&B style. He moved to Los Angeles in the 50s and led the house band for Rendezvous Records owned by songwriter Leon Rene. He wrote The Ink Spots hit When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano. He usually worked with his brother Otis Rene. They owned Exclusive and Excelsior Records from 1944-51. They closed after 78rpm records became obsolete. Rene started Class Records and their biggest hit was the 1958 Bobby Day hit Rockin' Robin. Rene started Rendezvous and hired Fields to run the house band. They played on Rockin' Robin. Then Fields got to record with this band. And the big surprise was when Fields' cover of In the Mood reached #4 on the Billboard Singles chart. The band was all Los Angeles studio musicians. The lead sax is by Plas Johnson, best known as lead sax on Henry Mancini's theme for the film The Pink Panther. The other musicians were Ernie Freeman on piano, Rene Hall on guitar, Red Callender on bass and Earl Palmer on drums. You can get In the Mood on this 5CD box set of classic R&B instrumentals. This same band recorded as B. Bumble and the Stingers in 1961. After Rendezvous closed in 1963, Fields retired from music and moved back to Tulsa. His son Ernie Fields Jr. was a session saxophonist and music contractor for American Idol. He died in 2024. After he retired, Ernie Fields was a promoter and talent manager in Tulsa. He died on May 1, 1997 at age 92. Here's a video for In the Mood by Ernie Fields & His Orchestra.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chynna Phillips

Artist:Chynna Phillips

Song:One Boy

Album:Bye Bye Birdie: The New Soundtrack Recording

Most of you should recall Chynna Phillips from the trio Wilson Phillips with Carnie and Wendy Wilson. They scored three hit singles from their 1990 debut album Wilson Phillips. It sold eight million copies. When their 1992 follow up album Shadows and Light was a commercial disappointment, that ended the group and all three slipped into obscurity. This appearance in the 1995  ABC TV movie of the musical Bye Bye Birdie is probably Chynna's highest profile appearance. She was born Feb. 12, 1968 in Los Angeles. Her parents are John and Michelle Phillips of the 60s pop group The Mamas and the Papas. Chynna got into acting and appeared in the films Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Caddyshack II (1988) and Say Anything (1989). She also appeared in some TV movies. Then she formed Wilson Phillips and they had brief success. After they split up, Chynna had met actor William Baldwin and they married in 1995. They have three kids. Chynna attempted to launch a solo career with the 1995 album Naked and Scared on EMI. Chynna co-wrote most of the songs on the album. About half of the album was written and produced by veteran producer Desmond Child. So she worked with top producers and EMI paid her a million bucks. But the album flopped. Meanwhile, Chynna appeared in this TV movie of the popular musical Bye Bye Birdie. The film starred Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. Marc Kudisch played Conrad Birdie and Chynna played his love interest Kim. The film was directed by Broadway veteran Gene Saks and produced by veteran TV movie producer Robert Halmi Sr. The soundtrack is available as a digital download. She attempted to reform Wilson Phillips a few times. They released three albums that went nowhere. Recently, Wilson Phillips competed in the 2022 season of The Masked Singer. That's where nostalgia acts appear. Here's Chynna Phillips performing One Boy in the 1995 TV movie Bye Bye Birdie.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nikki Renee Daniels

Artist:Nikki Renee Daniels

Song:Summertime

Album:The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: New Broadway Cast Recording

Nikki Renee Daniels has appeared on Broadway since 2000. She is probably best known for playing Clara in the 2012 production of the Gershwin musical Porgy & Bess. In recent years she has concentrated more on concert tours. But she has returned to Broadway so I would guess she will appear there again. Nikki was born Jan. 10 but she does not disclose her year of birth. She was born in Atlanta. Her mother was a teacher and her father managed a meat packing company. After graduating from a performing arts high school, she earned a BFA in Musical Theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Nikki moved to New York City and made her Broadway debut in Aida in 2000. She was mostly an understudy. Other shows include Nine (2003), Lestat (2006) and Anything Goes (2006). She was mostly an understudy until she got her break as Clara in the 2012 revival of Porgy & Bess. The stars were Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life. The production was criticized for trying to make Porgy & Bess relevant to contemporary audiences. But the show ran for about a year and it was nominated for ten Tony awards. The original cast album is available as a digital download. After that Nikki appeared in the 2014 production of The Book of Mormon. Meanwhile, Nikki released the 2012 album Home produced by her husband Jeff Kready. So she toured to promote the album. Nikki returned to the stage in the 2019 Chicago production of Hamilton followed by Broadway revivals of Company (2021) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). Nikki has also appeared in the films Wicked (2024) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) and in the TV shows Billions (2022) and The Equalizer (2023). Like many Broadway performers, Nikki appears with regional orchestras and in New York clubs. Here's Nikki Renee Daniels performing Summertime at Birdland in New York City Dec. 19, 2020. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Camp

Artist:Steve Camp

Song:Lazy Jane

Album:Compact Favorites

CCM singer songwriter Steve Camp had success beginning with his 1985 Sparrow Records debut album Shake Me to Wake Me and debut single Lazy Jane. This was at a time when CCM labels were trying to cross their artists over to pop a la Amy Grant. I don't know if Sparrow tried to do that with Camp but Lazy Jane is a pretty good audition for that. BTW, Steve Camp is not related to CCM singer Jeremy Camp. He was born Apr. 13, 1955 in Wheaton, IL. which is west of Chicago. His parents were Christian and that's how he was raised. He was friends with Jesus music pioneers Larry Norman and Keith Green and they helped him chose music as a career. Camp attended Roosevelt University in Chicago where he majored in music composition and theory. His key collaborator in his early days was Rob Frazier formerly of Petra. Camp signed with Word's Myrrh label in 1977. He recorded four albums for Myrrh and switched to EMI's Sparrow label. He worked with Frazier on the 1985 album Shake Me To Wake Me. They wrote most of the songs together including Lazy Jane and produced. Frazier went on to a solo career. But he has had more success as a songwriter and producer. As I said, Lazy Jane almost seems like Camp is telling Sparrow that he wants to cross over to pop. It's typical of pop music fromthat time. The album was recorded with studio musicians. The Sax solo is by Jim Horn. Sparrow released this comp in 1998 which is available as a digital download. Camp left Sparrow for Warner Bros.' Warner Alliance. and he had his greatest success with the 1993 album Taking Heaven By Storm produced by Michael Omartian. The problem was Warner Alliance was soon closed. Camp hosted a radio talk show AudienceONE Ministries and last released an album in 2024 on his own label. He is currently the senior pastor at The Cross Church in Palm City, FL. Here's the video for Lazy Jane by Steve Camp.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gaelic Storm

Artist:Gaelic Storm

Song:Johnny Jump Up

Album:Special Reserve

As you might expect given the band name, Gaelic Storm performs traditional Irish songs in a contemporary style. Their claim to fame is they were the band in the 1997 film Titanic. Gaelic Storm is still around but only one original member is still in the band. Johnny Jump Up is from their 1997 debut album so I will concentrate on their early days. Gaelic Storm was formed in 1996 in Santa Monica, CA. The plan was to play regularly at O'Brien's Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica. Lead singer Patrick Murphy was the manager there. He still leads Gaelic Storm. Guitarist Steve Twigger was the other long term member. He's from Coventry, England and he was designing movie posters when Gaelic Storm was formed. The other original members were Stephen Wehmeyer on bodhran, Samantha Hunt on fiddle and Shep Lonsdale on drums. While performing at O'Brien's, Titanic director James Cameron came in and told them he was looking for a band for Titanic. Once they appeared in the film, Gaelic Storm got a record deal from Virgin's Higher Octave label. The album did very well on the International chart. Johnny Jump Up was popularized by Irish folk singer Christy Moore in the 70s. Most of the songs on the album are traditional. Lonsdale and Twigger produced the album. Lonsdale played drums. Twigger played guitar and designed the album cover. Murphy was lead singer and played accordion. Samantha Hunt played fiddle and Wehmeyer played bodhran. You can get Johnny Jump Up on this comp which covers Gaelic Storm's early years. They recorded three albums for Higher Octave then started their own label. Murphy and Twigger were the constant members of Gaelic Storm until Twigger retired in 2025 due to health concerns. Gaelic Storm still plays live but they last released an album in 2017. Here's Gaelic Storm performing Johnny Jump Up at Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC Nov. 10, 2022.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Icehouse

Artist:Icehouse

Song:Electric Blue

Album:White Heat: 30 Hits

The Australian band Icehouse had success mostly at home until they started using synthesizers in the 80s when synth pop was very popular. They scored a top ten hit with the 1987 single Electric Blue. I think it's one of those songs that folks remember but they know nothing about the band. The band was called Flowers when they were formed in Sydney, Australia in 1977. Iva Davies was the leader. He still leads the band and is the only original member. He sings lead, writes all the songs and produces. So the other band members are disposable. Flowers had success on the local pub rock circuit playing mostly covers. They signed with Regular Records with Festival distribution in 1980. Davies started experimenting with synthesizers and released Flowers' 1980 debut album Icehouse. They had success on the Australian charts. Flowers signed with Chrysalis Records for international distribution and changed the band name to Icehouse as there was already a band called Flowers. Though Icehouse toured internationally, they didn't have much success outside Australia until the 1987 album Men of Colours probably because there were a lot of synth pop bands around at the time and it was difficult for Icehouse to distinguish themselves. But they finally had success in the US when the 1987 single Crazy reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 followed by Electric Blue which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other than that, Icehouse had little success outside Australia which makes me think that many listeners liked the song but thought it was by Spandau Ballet. This happens a lot in pop music and results in plenty of one hit wonders. Davies wrote Electric Blue with John Oates of Hall & Oates. Oates was an Icehouse fan. He said that if Icehouse hadn't recorded Electric Blue, Hall & Oates would have recorded it. The girl in the video was Paris Jefferson who had appeared in other Icehouse videos. Icehouse had very little international success after that though they were still successful in Australia. All their his are on this comp. Icehouse last released a new album in 1993. But they still tour Australia. Davies is the only original member and he has released a few solo albums. Here's the video for Electric Blue by Icehouse. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oliver Nelson

Artist:Oliver Nelson

Song:Stolen Moments

Album:The Blues and the Abstract Truth

Jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson played in several bands in the late 50s. His goal was to be a composer and arranger. And the 1961 album The Blues and the Abstract Truth and especially the song Stolen Moments was so successful that it led to Nelson moving to Los Angeles to compose music for TV and film. So Nelson's path is very similar to Quincy Jones. The difference is that Nelson died prematurely so he never had the chance to be like Jones. He was born June 4, 1932 in St. Louis. His brother was a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams and his sister sang and played piano. He took up the sax at age 11. His most notable early stint was playing alto sax and arranging for Louis Jordan in 1950. Nelson served in the US Marine Corps and played in their band. He attended a Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra concert that convinced him to become a composer. So when Nelson got home to St. Louis, he studied music composition and theory at Washington University in St. Louis and Lincoln University and graduated with a master's degree in 1958. He moved to New York City and was the house arranger at The Apollo Theater. He recorded several albums for Prestige Records. He played with Count Basie and Duke Ellington and toured with Quincy Jones. ABC-Paramount Records decided to start a jazz label. They hired Creed Taylor as a producer. He had previously worked for Bethlehem Records. Taylor was scouting for talent in New York and met Nelson. Nelson was already under contract to Prestige. So Taylor hired him to compose The Blues and the Abstract Truth and assemble an all star band. The musicians were Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Eric Dolphy on alto sax and flute, Nelson played tenor sax, George Barrow on baritone sax, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The song Stolen Moments became a jazz standard. Jazz singer Mark Murphy wrote lyrics for Stolen Moments when he recorded it in 1978. The album is available as a budget CD. Nelson continued to record his own albums. But he also worked as an arranger on big band albums. The big one was when Nelson worked with Sonny Rollins on the score for the 1966 film Alfie. Nelson moved to Los Angeles in 1967. He worked mostly on TV shows like Ironside, The Name of the Game, It Takes a Thief, Night Gallery and The Six Million Dollar Man. He also worked as an arranger on films like Lady Sings the Blues (1972). He was recording albums for former Impulse! producer Bob Thiele's label Flying Dutchman. It's likely that Nelson would have continued on this route. But he died from a heart attack on Oct. 28, 1975 at age 43. Here's a video for Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clarence Ashley

Artist:Clarence Ashley

Song:Coo Coo Bird

Album:Country Music Pioneer 1927-1935

Clarence Ashley was a country music pioneer who recorded in the late 1920s. Mostly he played the banjo. Coo Coo Bird is probably his best known song. Though he was influential, Ashley was never famous until he was rediscovered in the 60s and played folk festivals. He was born Clarence Earl McCurry Sept. 29, 1895 in Bristol, TN. His father played fiddle. Shortly before Ashley's birth, his maternal grandfather discovered that daddy was an adulterer and was forced to leave town. Ashley and his mom moved in with her parents. They ran a boarding house in Mountain City, TN. He adopted his grandparents name Ashley and his grandfather nicknamed him Tom. So as a child, he was known as Tom Ashley. His grandfather bought him a banjo when he was eight years old. His mom taught him traditional Appalachian folks songs and some of the boarders taught him techniques. In 1911, Ashley joined a medicine show that was passing through Mountain City. He played banjo and guitar and performed blackface comedy. Ashley toured with medicine shows until the early 40s. In the winter, he played local shows with fiddler G.B. Grayson. Ashley first recorded with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers in 1928 for Gennett Records. The other members were Garley Foster on harmonica and Clarence Horton Greene on fiddle. He also played guitar with The Carolina Tar Heels with Foster on harmonica and Dock Walsh on banjo. Ashley recorded solo for Columbia in 1929 followed by recordings with Blue Ridge Entertainers and some sides with Gwen Foster on harmonica in 1933. Ashley recorded Coo Coo Bird in 1929. The recording became famous after it was selected for the Anthology of Folk Music in 1952. This box set has all of Ashley's recordings. The Great Depression ended Ashley's performing career. Not only could he not record but all the places that he played for money were closed. No one had money anyway. Ashley started a trucking company in 1937 and he performed with the Stanley Brothers and The Tennessee Merrymakers. Ashley was rediscovered in the 60s because of his inclusion on the Anthology of Folk Music. Mandolinist Ralph Rinzler met Ashley at the 1960 Old Time Fiddler's Convention in Union Grove, NC. and he persuaded Ashley to start playing banjo again. Ashley toured with the great Doc Watson and played the 1963 Newport Folk Festival and New York's Carnegie Hall among other places. He recorded a 1966 album for Folkways Records. Ashley toured England with guitarist Tex Isley in 1966. He was going to go there again when he got sick and died of cancer on June 2, 1967 at age 71. Doc Watson and Roy Acuff are among those who cite Ashley as an influence. At least he got rediscovered in the 60s. This video is mostly an interview with Clarence Ashley. But he does play Coo Coo Bird in the video.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-MEW

Artist:MEW

Song:Introducing Palace Players

Album:No More Stories...

The Danish band MEW had success mostly in Europe as an album and touring band. The 2009 album No More Stories... is probably their most popular album. MEW recently retired after a farewell tour. MEW is from Copenhagen, Denmark led by lead singer and main songwriter Jonas Bjerre. They were classmates in the Copenhagen suburb of Hellerup. The other members were Bo Madsen on guitar, Johan Wallert on bass and Silas Graae on drums. When they formed in 1995, they called themselves Orange Dog. Though the band failed, Bjerre regrouped after a trip to the US. The new band was called MEW. It's supposed to be like "eeeew" which is a reaction to something disgusting. They self released the 1997 album A Triumph for Man which got them a distributor. Also, Bjerre created background animation for live shows that got them noticed. This led to a record deal with Columbia. As I said, they have been successful mostly as an album and touring band. Introducing Palace Players was first released on the 2009 EP No More Stories... The album was released a couple of months later. MEW wrote and produced with recording engineer Rich Costey. This is probably their best known album and is available as a budget CD. MEW continued until Bjerre decided to end the band. They were trying to record in 2024. And when things weren't going well, Bjerre decided to end the band. It looks like he plans to start a new band. MEW played their farewell show in February. Here's the video for Introducing Palace Players by MEW. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Yola

Artist:Yola

Song:Diamond Studded Shoes

Album:Stand for Myself

Yola is a British singer songwriter who is attempting to be a successful recording artist and avoid categorization because she can do many things. That's always going to be tough because radio station program directors like to take the easy route. Right now she's a bit of a cause celebre with music business insiders but I don't know how long that will last. She was born Yolanda Claire Quartey July 31, 1983 in Bristol, England. Her father left when she was two years old. Her mother tried to discourage her from pursuing music. Yola attended university in London and used student loans to stay afloat while making music. Of course that didn't last and she was homeless for six months until she had enough money to move back to Bristol. Yola toured with the DJ collective Bugs in the Attic and Massive Attack. And that led to studio work as a background singer. Yola formed the band Phantom Limb and they released a couple of albums. But she didn't like being part of a band. So she released a 2016 EP Orphan Offering as Yola Carter. After it was critically praised by the music press, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys signed her to his label Easy Eye Sound with Concord distribution. Yola's debut album Walk Through Fire was released. Auerbach produced the album in Nashville. They wrote all the songs together. The album did well in England and in the Adult Alternative market. She was nominated for four Grammys including Best New Artist. Yola's music was categorized as Roots or Americana and I don't think it's either of those things. Meanwhile, Yola played Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 film Elvis. Then she released the 2021 album Stand for Myself. This was also written and produced by Yola and Auerbach. It was nominated for two Grammys, Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song for the single Diamond Studded Shoes. Is that how she wants to be categorized? Meanwhile, Yola made her Broadway debut in the 2024 musical Hadestown. For the 2025 EP My Way, the sound is more synth pop and R&B. It was produced by Rihannon Giddens formerly of The Carolina Chocolate Drops who has defied stereotypes for her whole career. The EP seems to be a one off. Maybe Yola learned something. Here's the video for Diamond Studded Shoes by Yola.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ahmad Jamal

Artist:Ahmad Jamal

Song:Poinciana

Album:Priceless Jazz

Here is another in my Jazz for Beginners series complete with an affordable comp CD and a live performance video clip. Pianist Ahmad Jamal was around for decades leading small groups. The high point of his career was when his 1958 single Poinciana was a top five hit. Obviously it was a surprise hit but it certainly kept him going for decades. He was born Frederick Russell Jones July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh. He started playing at age three when his uncle challenged him to copy what he was playing on piano. He was classically trained by opera singer Mary Cardwell Dawson. He was playing in competitions at age 11. His jazz influences include Earl Hines, Mary Lou Williams and Erroll Garner. He started playing in clubs at age 14. At the time, Jamal was compared to Art Tatum. Jamal started touring after graduating high school in 1948. He moved to Chicago in 1950 and converted to Islam and took the name Ahmad Jamal. Jamal first recorded with The Three Strings in 1951 for Columbia's Okeh label. The other members were Ray Crawford on guitar and Eddie Calhoun on bass. Bassist Israel Crosby joined in 1954 and remained with Jamal until 1962. The turning point for Jamal came when he signed with Chess's Argo label and released the 1956 album Count 'Em 88. For that album, Crawford was replaced by drummer Walter Perkins. And he was replaced by Vernal Fournier for the 1958 album Ahmad's Blues. They were the house band at Chicago's Pershing Hotel. Chess decided to record there in Jan. 1958 and Jamal selected the songs for the album At the Pershing: But Not for Me. All the songs on the album were standards including Poinciana. DownBeat criticized the album as "cocktail jazz". But remember it was recorded at a cocktail lounge. The unusual thing was when Chess released Poinciana as a single and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This was at a time when Billboard was transitioning from their old system that didn't include jazz. So Poinciana was the first jazz song to chart on Billboard's singles chart. Poinciana is a Cuban folk song about a tree. Tin Pan Alley songwriters Nat Simon and Buddy Bernier adapted it to English. Steve Lawrence charted with his 1952 recording of Poinciana. But plenty of jazz musicians recorded it and that's likely where Jamal heard it. This trio was very successful until Crosby died of a heart attack in 1962. That was the peak of Jamal's career. He recorded for Cadet, Impulse!, 20th Century, Atlantic, Verve, Telarc and smaller labels. Universal owns the Chess catalog so this is the comp you should get. Ahmad Jamal died from prostate cancer on Apr. 16, 2023 at age 92. Here's Ahmad Jamal with Yusef Lateef on flute and sax, Reginald Veal on bass, Herlin Riley on drums and Manolo Badrena on percussion performing Poinciana at the Olympia in Paris Nov. 2012. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Salsa Celtica

Artist:Salsa Celtica

Song:El Sol de la Noche

Album:El Agua De La Vida

Salsa Celtica is a salsa band that happens to be from Scotland. Anyone expecting them to be a salsa version of Red Hot Chilli Pipers will be disappointed because they are a standard salsa band with occasional use of bagpipes and other Celtic instruments. Trumpeter Toby Shippey was playing Edinburgh clubs when he got the idea to form a salsa band. He visited Cuba to investigate further. When he returned, he formed Salsa Celtica and they self released a couple of albums. They toured England, Scotland and Ireland and also played the US folk festival circuit. For the 2003 album El Agua de La Vida, Salsa Celtica signed with the Celtic music label Greentrax with Compass handling US distribution. They do not record traditional salsa. Shippey writes most of the songs with co-writers. He wrote El Sol de la Noche with jazz pianist Roland Perrin who plays on the song. The album was produced by Jim Sutherland. The lead singer is Cuban Ricardo Fernandez Pompa. The other lead singer is Venezuelan Lino Rocha. This album is available on CD. Shippey has another band called Grupo Magnetico. They had a residency in Edinburgh and released an album in 2018. Salsa Celtica released an album last year. So they are still around but my guess is band membership is very fluid. Here's Salsa Celtica performing El Sol de la Noche at the Helsinki Festival Aug. 30, 2014. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lizzo

Artist:Lizzo

Song:Truth Hurts

Album:Cuz I Love You: Deluxe Edition

Melissa "Lizzo" Jefferson is a hip hop singer songwriter known for her heft. She's a big girl. Do I think that's a factor in her success? Oh, probably. At least she looks different because her music is not that distinctive. One thing is for sure. She knows how to use TikTok. The 2017 single Truth Hurts was her first #1 single. She was born Apr. 27, 1988 in Detroit. Her family moved to Houston when she was 11 years old. She trained as a classical flutist until she got into rap in high school. She was given the nickname Lizzo based on the Jay-Z song Izzo. She studied classical music at the University of Houston and played flute and sang for the jazz band Ellypseas. When that didn't go anywhere, Lizzo moved to Minneapolis and formed several bands including Lizzo & the Larva Ink, Chalice who released the 2012 album We Are the Chalice and Grrrl Prty. She self released the 2013 album Lizzobangers. That album got positive reviews and Lizzo toured to support it. Virgin re-released it in 2014. She appeared on an episode of Late Night with David Letterman. She released the 2015 album Big Grrrl Small World. After the music press also reviewed that album positively, she signed with producer Ricky Reed's new label Nice Life with Atlantic Records distribution. Reed had successfully produced Jason Derulo. So now she's getting somewhere. Lizzo released the 2016 EP Coconut Oil and the single Good as Hell reached #3 0n the Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by Lizzo's acting debut in the 2019 film Hustlers. Next was the 2019 album Cuz I Love You and her first #1 hit Truth Hurts. That song wasn't on the album. It was released as a single and it appeared in the Netflix film Someone Great. That film was popular with teens and they spread the song virally on TikTok. Like most of the songs on Cuz I Love You, Lizzo wrote and produced with Reed and co-writers. It appears that Atlantic pulled the original album and the Deluxe Edition is the only version available. She scored another #1 hit with the 2022 single About That Time from the album Special. But the album didn't sell as well as Cuz I Love You. Lizzo's new album Bitch is being released today. We'll see how that goes. Things seem to go well when she posts stuff on TikTok. Here's the video for Truth Hurts by Lizzo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Muni Long

Artist:Muni Long

Song:Made for Me

Album:Revenge

R&B singer songwriter Muni Long released her debut album in 2009. She finally had success with a couple of top 20 pop hits including the 2023 single Made for Me. If she was in her 20s, I would say she has star potential. But she's 37 and I doubt that her label DefJam can be patient with her development. She was born Priscilla Renea Hamilton Sept. 14, 1988 in Gifford, FL which is a Vero Beach suburb. She was raised by her grandparents as her father was in the US Navy. She was in the church choir as a child. After she started posting videos on YouTube, She appeared on the MTV game show Say what? Karaoke!. Priscilla signed with Capitol Records in 2009 and the album Jukebox was released. Benny Blanco was one of the producers. After the album didn't sell, she left Capitol and started writing songs for others. Among the songs she co-wrote was the 2014 single Somethin' Bad for Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood which was nominated for a Grammy. Then she released the 2018 album Coloured on the indie label Thirty Tigers. When that went nowhere, Priscilla changed her name to Muni Long (pronounced "money long"). Then she started her own label and released a couple of EPs. She got a record deal with DefJam in 2022. She told Vogue that she created a "fashion identity" with a celebrity stylist. She released an album which was a re-release of her EPs. The single Hrs. and Hrs. was a top twenty hit. Then she released the 2024 album Revenge. The single Made for Me reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Muni wrote and produced with co-writers. Made for Me was written and produced by Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri and Jordan XL Orvosh. Christopher "Tricky" Stewart produced several songs. So she's working with big name producers. It remains to be seen where Muni Long goes from here. She was on tour for all of 2025. Now I would think she would record a new album. Even if Muni Long doesn't become a big star, she has potential as a songwriter and producer. The stardom window is closing. Here's the video for Made for Me by Muni Long.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Iain Matthews

Artist:Iain Matthews

Song:Shake It

Album:The Seattle Years 1978-1984

Iain Matthews is a British singer songwriter who started out in the 60s with the legendary British folk band Fairport Convention and attempted to cross over to pop in the 70s. He was mostly unsuccessful except when he scored a top 20 hit with the 1978 single Shake It. You may have seen it play over the opening credits for the 1980 film Little Darlings. Unfortunately, there is no soundtrack album for that film. He was born Ian Matthews MacDonald June 16, 1946 in Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, England. He changed his name to Ian Mathews in 1968 to avoid confusion with Ian McDonald of King Crimson. Matthews' family moved to Scunthorpe when he was 12 years old. Matthews left school at age 16 and worked as an apprentice sign painter while he played in local bands. He moved to London in 1965 and was in the surf rock band Pyramid. They released one single on Deram Records. In 1967, he was brought into Fairport Convention by bassist Ashley Hutchings. He appeared on a couple of albums. But Hutchings and producer Joe Boyd decided that he didn't fit in the band. He signed with UNI/Decca and released the 1970 album Matthews Southern Comfort. Fairport Convention veterans Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol played on the album. The veteran songwriting team of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley produced under the pseudonym of Steve Barlby. They managed Matthews. Mathews wanted to turn it into a band. Marc Ellington suggested Matthews check out the band Harsh Reality who were about to be dropped by Philips Records. The base of that band became Matthews Southern Comfort. They topped the British carts with their cover of Woodstock. But Matthews Southern Comfort only lasted a year as most of the band hated the country influenced sound. After recording a couple of solo albums, Matthews moved to Los Angeles to join the band Plainsong. They recorded one album for Elektra and split up. Matthews bounced around including working with former Monkee Michael Nesmith. But nothing clicked until the 1978 single Shake It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's from the 1978 album Stealin' Home. After failure first at Elektra then Columbia, he signed with producer Sandy Roberton's label Rockburgh Records. They were distributed in the US by the Canadian label Mushroom Records. Heart was on that label. Roberton produced the 1978 album Stealin' Home. Matthews wrote most of the songs. But Shake It was written by Terence Boylan and he recorded it on his 1977 album Terence Boylan. Matthews heard the song on the radio and got more info about it and recorded it. Former King Crimson saxophonist Mel Collins played the sax solo. Shake It also played over the opening credits of the 1980 film Little Darlings. But there was no soundtrack album as back in those days, film producers used songs without acquiring the rights to use it. That's why it took forever for some films to show up on home video. The producers had to replace some songs. You can get Shake It on this Varese comp. Since then Matthews has bounced all over the place. His memoir was published in 2019. He last released an album in 2017. Here Shake It by Iain Matthews as it appeared in the opening credits of the 1980 film Little Darlings.