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.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaboozey

Artist:Shaboozey

Song:A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Album:Where I've Been Isn't Where I'm Going: The Complete Edition

The 2024 single A Bar Song topped the charts for nineteen weeks. Apparently that's some sort of record. It's the biggest hit for Collins "Shaboozey" Chibueze. The question is can he follow it up or is it a fluke. He was born May 9, 1995 in Woodbridge, VA. which is south of Washington, DC. His father was a farmer in Nigeria and he attended college in Texas. He dressed like a cowboy and was a country music fan. Shaboozey picked up on that and watched hip hop videos on BET. He started taking music seriously after graduating high school. He was also looking to make music videos and films. The name Shaboozey is how his real name is mispronounced. After self releasing a couple of singles, Shaboozey signed a deal with Hopeless Records owner Terence Sheldon that gave him shared rights to Shaboozey's music. He assigned Shaboozey's contract to his company Kreshendo and the 2018 album Lady Wrangler was released by Interscope. Though the album didn't sell, Shaboozey appeared on Duckwirth's song Start a Riot which appeared in the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Shaboozey terminated his deal with Kreshendo in 2019. For the 2022 album Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die, he signed with indie label Empire Distribution. Shaboozey's idea was to mix hip hop with cowboy music. That album didn't sell either. But then he got a big break after the release of his 2024 album Where I've Been Wasn't Where I'm Going. This was around the time that Beyonce released the album Cowboy Carter. One of her people heard A Bar Song and Shaboozey appeared on two Cowboy Carter songs followed by an appearance on Saturday Night Live followed by an appearance on Beyonce's Christmas Day NFL halftime show. That's when A Bar Song topped the charts. A Bar Song is based on J-Kwon's 2004 single Tipsy. Shaboozey wrote and produced most of the album including A Bar Song with Nevin Sastry and Sean Cook. Both guys played guitar on the album. A Bar Song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks. The album was certified Platinum. The Complete Edition of the album has six bonus tracks and is available on CD. None of Shaboozey's other songs have charted. So A Bar Song could be a fluke one hit wonder. Time will tell. Here's the video for A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Elevation Rhythm

Artist:Elevation Rhythm

Song:I Was, But God

Album:Victory Lap

Elevation Rhythm is yet another offshoot of Elevation Worship from the Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. It started in their youth ministry. They started sharing the stage with Elevation Worship and they toured with Lecrae. They released a few singles and the 2019 single Never Walk Away topped the CCM charts. That led to the 2022 album Growing Pains and the 2023 EP This Is the Gospel. I Was, But God is from the 2025 album Victory Lap. The album producer is Josh Holiday and he also plays keyboards. Elevation Church leader Stephen Furtick is executive producer. He co-wrote several songs including I Was, But God. The other writers were Sydney James, Leeland Mooring and Davide Mutendji. It looks like Nate Diaz is lead singer on most of the songs and he also co-wrote some songs and arranged the vocals. Guest singers include Joe L. Barnes, Gracie Binion, Tiffany Hudson, Charles Weems, Abbie Gamboa and Zach Webb. Holiday claims that Elevation Rhythm's sound is supposed to be different from their other groups. It is also supposed to focus on the overarching theme of triumph. It's supposed to be aimed at a younger audience. I dunno. To me, it sounds like their other music. I don't hear anything different. But I know the faithful will love it. Victory Lap is available as a digital download. Here's the video for I Was, But God by Elevation Rhythm.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Five Americans

Artist:The Five Americans

Song:Western Union

Album:Their Greatest Hits

The 1967 single Western Union was a top ten hit and the biggest hit for The Five Americans. Some of their other songs charted. But most listeners will only remember Western Union. The members of The Five Americans were from Dallas. They were called The Mutineers when they formed in 1962 at  Southeastern State College in Durant, OK. The band members were Mike Rabon on lead vocals and lead guitar, John Durrill on rhythm guitar, Norman Ezell on keyboards, Jim Grant on bass and Jimmy Wright on drums. They started out as a cover band and they released a 1963 single that was popular at school. The key acquisition was when Ezell got a Vox Continental electronic organ which gave them a unique sound. They got the attention of Abnak Records owner John Abdnor Sr. he signed them and changed the band name to The Five Americans. Abdnor was a Fort Worth insurance man who started Abnak for his son's musical act Jon & Robin. They were distributed by Hanna-Barbera who were in the record business at the time. The Five Americans were Abnak's only successful act. A couple of The Five Americans' songs charted. But Western Union was the biggest hit. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Western Union was produced by swamp rocker Dale Hawkins. Rabon, Durrill and Ezell usually wrote songs together. According to Ezell, Rabon was messing around with his guitar when he came up with the unique sound effect featured on Western Union. They wrote the song around that. The Five Americans stalled after that plus Abdnor had control of the band's finances and got a little greedy. This budget comp has all their hits. The Five Americans split up Rabon continued to use The Five Americans name on the 1969 album Now and Then. The rest of the band was all new members. He continued to tour until he returned to school and earned a degree in public school administration. Then he worked in the Oklahoma school system for 28 years. He died in 2022. Durrill is the only surviving member. Grant died in 2004. Ezell died in 2010. Wright died in 2014. Here's The Five Americans performing Western Union on The Steve Allen Show 1968. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Safaris

Artist:The Safaris

Song:Image of a Girl

Album:The Rock 'n' Roll Era: 1960

Not to be confused with The Surfaris (Wipeout), The Safaris were a white doo wop group who scored a top ten hit with the 1960 single Image of a Girl. It was their only big hit. But a couple of their songs charted so they are not technically a one hit wonder. But Image of a Girl is their only memorable song. The Safaris were from Los Angeles led by Sandy Weisman, Marv Rosenberg and Richard Clasky. They were called The Mystics when they formed in 1959. When a group called The Mystics had a hit with Hushabye, the group name was changed to The Enchanters. They released a couple of singles and changed their name again to The Dories. Weisman was replaced by Jim Stephens and the group name was changed to The Angels. They signed with Johnny Otis' label Eldo Records and released the single Image of a Girl. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Rosenberg and Clasky. They split up after having problems with their manager. Stephens formed a new version of The Safaris. They split up after a couple of singles. You can get Image of a Girl on this Time Life various artist budget comp. Rosenberg and Clasky formed The Suddens and they released a 1961 single. Then they recorded as The Four Evers. Then The Safaris reformed and released a 1963 single. It looks like they all quit the music business though they reformed for a 1989 album. Here's The Safaris performing Image of a Girl on a 1960 episode of a Dick Clark show. But I don't think it's American Bandstand because it's not in the studio in Philadelphia. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Crawford

Artist:Michael Crawford

Song:The Music of the Night

Album:The Ultimate Collection

British actor Michael Crawford is best known for playing the title character in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera. He also appeared in the 1969 film Hello, Dolly! and in the 70s British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. But he is mainly known for The Phantom. He was born Michael Patrick Smith Jan. 19, 1942 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He was raised by his mother and her parents. Her husband died during The Battle of Britain in 1940. Crawford was the result of a subsequent short lived relationship and she gave the child her married name. They moved in with her parents on the Isle of Shippey near Kent. She remarried after WWII and moved to London. He started to appear on stage in school. He was known as Michael Ingram. His stepfather was named Ingram. While appearing in a production for the English Opera Group in 1958, Crawford decided to be an actor. He changed his name to Michael Crawford to avoid confusion with a newsman named Michael Ingram. He appeared in a variety of stage and TV shows. His first film was the 1962 film The War Lover starring Steve McQueen followed by the 1963 film Two Left Feet. His appearance in the TV comedy show Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life got the attention of director Richard Lester (A Hard Day's Night) who cast him in the 1965 film The Knack...and How to Get It followed by the 1966 film adaptation of the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and the 1967 films How I Won the War and The Joker. Then Crawford made his Broadway debut in the 1967 show Black Comedy with Lynn Redgrave. Gene Kelly spotted him and cast him in the 1969 film of the musical Hello, Dolly!. That film was generally considered to be a failure at the time. Crawford's career stalled and he returned to England. After appearing in the stage comedy No Sex Please, We're British, Crawford was cast as Frank Spencer in the sitcom Some Mothers Do 'ave 'em after Ronnie Barker and Norman Wisdom both turned it down. The show was very popular in England but it only lasted two seasons because show creator Raymond Allen chose to end it. But it led to opportunities for Crawford like the musical Billy based on Billy Liar and the 1981 film Condorman. That was followed by the 1981 musical Barnum as P.T. Barnum. And that's when The Phantom of the Opera came up. Andrew Lloyd Webber was developing the show as a vehicle for his wife Sarah Brightman. He showed Crawford a pitch video featuring Sarah and Cockney Rebal lead singer Steve Harley. Crawford didn't like it as being too "rock opera". But Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh were having second thoughts about Harley and replaced him with Crawford. Of course The Phantom of the Opera was a huge success not only in London but also on Broadway. Crawford won an Olivier and a Tony. He left the show in 1990 but he has returned to the role several times. This 2CD budget comp covers Crawford's entire career. It was sold on TV in England. He has appeared in other shows like as Professor Marvel in the 2011 revival of the musical The Wizard of Oz. But Michael Crawford will always be remembered for The Phantom of the Opera. He hasn't appeared anywhere lately but he's not retired. He recently announced plans to produce a documentary about his career. Here's the video for The Music of the Night by Michael Crawford.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rupee

Artist:Rupee

Song:Tempted to Touch

Album:Classic Caribbean: The Classic Collection Vol. 2

Raise your hand if you know what soca music is. I didn't think so. Soca is an offshoot of calypso that originated in the 70s in Trinidad and Tobago. So it has a following in the Caribbean. The 2003 single Tempted to Touch by soca artist Rupert "Rupee" Clarke may be the biggest soca hit of all time. It was a big club hit in 2003 and it still gets played today especially at Carnival celebrations worldwide. The song was a bigger hit than it's chart position and also Clarke's biggest hit. He was born Sept. 10, 1975 in Germany. His mother is German and his father is from Barbados and was in the British Army. The family moved to England then settled in Barbados in 1985. Clarke won the 1993 Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition. Clarke joined the band Coalishun in 1997. They were mostly a dancehall band. But Clarke got interested in calypso and soca and started self releasing singles. And he released three albums. He won Road March titles at Carnival parades. Tempted to Touch was first released on Clarke's 2002 album Leave a Message. It won Road March titles and started getting club play. This led to Atlantic Records signing Clarke and releasing the 2004 album 1 0n 1. Tempted to Touch was particularly successful on Billboard's Dance charts and the sound is unique enough that it still gets club play today. The song reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it was a bigger hit than that. Clarke wrote Tempted to Touch with Barbadian Darron Grant and he produced. He's a soca producer with his own studio. You can get Tempted to Touch on this Warner Bros. various artists comp. Daddy Yankee recorded a reggaeton remix of Tempted to Touch that also got club play. Clarke still releases occasional singles. But Tempted to Touch has had a long shelf life. As I said, it should have been a much bigger hit in 2003. Here's the video for Tempted to Touch by Rupee. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John McSherry

Artist:John McSherry

Song:The Slide from Grace

Album:Soma

Uilleann Piper John McSherry is a founding member of the Irish band Lunasa. The band was formed in 1997 but McSherry got so busy with other projects that he left Lunasa and has led his own band ever since. He was born in 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He started playing the Uilleann Pipes as a child. And by age 14 he had won two All Ireland piping championships. And he was the youngest ever winner of the 1988 Oireachtas Piping Championships. After that he started turning up in all kinds of bands including the family folk rock band Tamalin, Donal Lunny's band Coolfin, At First Light, Uliad and of course Lunasa. McSherry and fellow piper Michael McGoldrick left Lunasa because they didn't want to tour and would rather play sessions. The Slide from Grace is from McSherry's 2010 solo debut album Soma on Compass Records. McSherry produced the album and wrote most of the songs including The Slide from Grace. Musicians include Donal O'Connor on fiddle and keyboards and Ruben Bada on bouzouki. O'Connor regularly plays with McSherry. This album is available on CD. McSherry won awards for this album in Ireland. And maybe you heard him playing on the 1998 film Waking Ned Devine. McSherry leads the band The Olilam with Tyler Duncan. They self released a 2022 album and toured. Fans of Irish music should check him out. Here's John McSherry with Niall Murphy on fiddle, Donal O'Connor on piano, John Joe Kelly on bodhran, Paul Meehan on guitar and Alan Docherty on whistle performing The Slide from Grace.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sierra Boggess

Artist:Sierra Boggess

Song:Part of Your World

Album:The Little Mermaid:Original Broadway Cast Recording

Sierra Bogess is best known for playing Ariel in the 2008 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. She still appears on Broadway. She was born May 20, 1982 in Denver. She grew up in a family of musicians. She got into performing in high school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Milliken University in Decatur, IL. Sierra started out performing in regional theater. She starred in a production of The Phantom of the Opera at The Venetian Las Vegas. That's when The Little Mermaid came up. Disney had already produced successful Broadway adaptations of some of their animated films when they decided to do The Little Mermaid. Songwriter Alan Menken was brought in to write some new songs. He wrote the songs for the 1989 film with Howard Ashman. But Ashman died in 1991. So Glenn Slater was brought in. He wrote songs with Menken for the 2004 film Home on the Range. Along with Sierra, the other stars of the show were Sherie Rene Scott, Sean Palmer and Norm Lewis. Sierra was hired to play Ariel after a lengthy audition process. She first auditioned in Oct. 2006 and the final audition was in Jan. 2007. Sierra was at her dentist's office in Las Vegas when she got the role. The Little Mermaid had a trial run in Denver before opening on Broadway Nov. 2007. The show did OK but Disney was disappointed as it wasn't a big smash hit and it closed in Aug. 2009. The original cast album is available as a digital download. Sierra's performance was positively reviewed. She left in May 2009. Since then she has appeared in several productions of The Phantom of the Opera and the sequel Love Never Dies in London. So that's what I noticed. She always returns to Phantom. The other big Broadway show she appeared in was School of Rock in 2016. And she appeared in the 2022 Barry Manilow musical Harmony. Sierra hasn't done films or TV. But she does perform her one woman show in clubs. Here's Sierra Boggess performing Part of Your World on a 2007 episode of ABC's Good Morning America.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tawanda

Artist:Tawanda

Song:Bridges

Album:Smile

Jazz singer Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim caused a commotion when she won the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Jazz Competition. It got her a record deal followed by the release of her 2022 debut album Smile. I think jazz vocal fans will want to check her out. Tawanda was born and raised in New Mexico. Her mother is German and her father is from Mozambique. She grew up listening to all kinds of music. While earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, her teachers taught her about standards by songwriters like Irving Berlin and The Gershwins. Then she got interested in jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and started playing clubs and that led to a record deal with the jazz label Resonance Records and the release of the album Smile. The album was produced by Resonance owner George Klabin. Musicians include Gary Meek on sax, Anthony Wilson on guitar, Josh Nelson on piano, Kevin Axt on bass and Gene Coye on drums. Tawanda records a mix of standards like Charles Chaplin's Smile and recent songs like Bridges written by Brazilian Milton Nascimento. This album is available on CD. Tawanda appeared on Ivan Lins' 2023 Grammy nominated album My Heart Speaks and she toured with the band Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Tawanda is currently working on a new album. Jazz fans should check her out. Here's the video for Bridges by Tawanda.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Posner

Artist:Mike Posner

Song:I Took a Pill in Ibiza: SeeB Remix

Album:All Night, Alone

The 2015 single I Took a Pill in Ibiza was a top five hit. It was one of two big hits for singer, songwriter and producer Mike Posner. He hasn't had any success since then. He was born Feb.12, 1988 in Detroit. His father was a criminal defense lawyer. His sister is also a lawyer. Posner was on the track team in high school and earned a BA in Sociology at Duke University. He started recording music in college and released the 2009 mixtape A Matter of Time. When that topped the digital music chart, that got the attention of Clive Davis' label J Records and they signed Posner to a contract. After he finished college, Posner's debut album 31 Minutes to Takeoff was released in 2010. The single Cooler Than Me reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then RCA closed J Records and Posner was moved to RCA. While working on his second album titled Pages, Posner was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight and was struggling with depression. He took a break from recording to produce other artists. After he finished recording the album, RCA released a couple of singles. And when they were unsuccessful, RCA decided not to release the album. That is called being "shelved". Remember he was on J Records. Those people weren't there anymore. So when you hear of an artist being shifted to a different label owned by the same company, that's not usually good news. Posner requested RCA for his release and he signed with Island Records. They released the EP The Truth in 2015 and the single I Took a Pill in Ibiza. Originally the song was acoustic. But then Island A&R VP Mike D'Arduini sent the EP to the Norwegian duo SeeB (Simen Eriksrud, Espen Berg) and they remixed the song with electrobeats, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a worldwide hit. Posner said when he wrote the song, he was drinking a lot. That's reflected in the video. Posner wrote and produced the album At Night, Alone. Both version of I Took a Pill in Ibiza are on the album and it's available as a budget CD. This is the last time Posner charted. He released two more albums on Island. In recent years he has concentrated on walks across America and climbing Mount Everest. He did recently release what seems to be a gag single I Went Back to Ibiza. But music seems to be secondary these days. Here's the video for I Took a Pill in Ibiza: SeeB Remix by Mike Posner.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roberto Occhipinti

Artist:Roberto Occhipinti

Song Marta

Album:A Bend in the River

Canadian jazz bassist Roberto Occhipinti started out as a classical musician. So he is equally comfortable in an orchestra or a small band. He's a two time Juno nominee. He was born Mar. 25, 1955 in Toronto. His brother Michael Occhipinti is a jazz guitarist and co-founder of the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra. Occhipinti studied music at the University of Toronto with classical bassist Joel Quarrington and jazz bassist Dave Young. After graduating, he played with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra and Arraymusic. In the 90s he started working with Toronto based jazz musicians like Hilario Duran and Jane Bunnett. Since then he has worked with jazz and classical musicians and worked as a session musician. Occhipinti started his own label Modica Music in 2003. Marta is from the 2009 album A Bend in the River for the Canadian label Alma Records. The musicians are Luiz Deniz on alto sax, Cuban pianist David Virelles and Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto. Occhipinti wrote most of the songs but Deniz wrote Marta. This album was nominated for a Juno and is available on CD. Occhipinti's latest album The Next Step was released in 2021. He plays regular shows in Toronto clubs including as a part of Deniz's band. Here's Roberto Occhipinti with Luis Deniz on alto sax, Uli Geissendoerfer on piano and Jeremy Klewicki on drums with The Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas conducted by Yuniro Lopez performing Marta 2017. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Ritenour

Artist:Lee Ritenour f/Joao Bosco

Song:Latin Lover

Album:Collection

Recently I wrote about a charity album that jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour had recorded that had a hit single on it. And I promised a friend that I would write about his career and recommend a comp. Ritenour has been around since the 70s. He had his greatest success when he recorded for GRP Records from 1985-95. He still tours, records and plays sessions. But he's not as successful today. He was born Jan. 11, 1952 in Los Angeles. He started playing guitar at age eight and at age 16 he played on a Mamas & the Papas recording. Ritenour was influenced by Wes Montgomery to get into jazz. Then he played with Lena Horne and Tony Bennett. Ritenour studied classical guitar at the University of Southern California. Meanwhile, he was already regularly playing sessions in Los Angeles recording studios and in clubs. And that led to a contract with Epic Records and his 1976 debut album First Contact. The album was produced by Skip Drinkwater who had produced jazz fusion artists. And Epic wanted Ritenour's music to sound like Return to Forever or Miles Davis. They were disappointed when he didn't sound like that. Dave Grusin played keyboards on both Epic albums. Meanwhile, Ritenour was brought in to play guitar on Pink Floyd's The Wall. He left Epic and recorded for the Japanese label JVC. These were straight ahead jazz because that's what Japanese fans like. He signed with Elektra and recorded for them from 1978-84. Ritenour wrote and produced everything with Grusin. He also brought in guest singers like Patti Austin and Bill Champlin. He probably knew that Grusin was planning to start his own label. So when Grusin and recording engineer Larry Rosen started GRP Records in 1985, Ritenour wasted no time in signing with them. He recorded for GRP until 1995 after Grusin and Rosen sold the label to MCA. While he was at GRP, Ritenour could record whatever he wanted. Latin Lovers is from the 1988 album Festival. It's a tribute to Brazilian music featuring guest singers Joao Bosco and Caetano Veloso. Bosco wrote Latin Lovers and sings lead. Other musicians are Dave Grusin on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, Omar Hakim on drums and Carlinhos Brown on djembe, The orchestra was arranged by Johnny Mandel and conducted by Randy Kerber. You can get Latin Lovers on this comp which covers Ritenour's GRP years. Ritenour was in Bob James' band Fourplay from 1991-97. Ritenour still tours and records. He just doesn't have a major labe behind him anymore. His 2024 album Brasil is on Candid Records. He is currently on tour in Europe. Here's Lee Ritenour featuring Joao Bosco performing Latin Lovers with Bob James on piano, Anthony Jackson on bass, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion and Harvey Mason Sr. on drums at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles 1990. This entire concert can be streamed for free on YouTube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aimee Mann

Artist:Aimee Mann

Song:Save Me

Album:Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture

I'm sure most music fans remember Aimee Mann as lead singer of the band 'Til Tuesday. They scored a top ten hit with the 1985 single Voices Carry. And the video was memorable. They split up when she left to go solo in 1990. She is mostly an album and touring artist. She has never had a hit single. She had her greatest success with the songs she wrote and performed for the 1999 film Magnolia. Save Me was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy. The score for Magnolia was composed by Aimee's long time collaborator Jon Brion. She was born Sept. 8, 1960 in Richmond, VA. Her parents divorced after Aimee's mother had an affair and got pregnant. Aimee was kidnapped by her mom and her new boyfriend and taken to Europe. Her dad hired a private detective. He got her back after a year. He had remarried with two stepsons. Not surprisingly, Aimee still suffers from PTSD. Most thought she was just weird. Aimee learned to play guitar. She was a big fan of David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Then she was encouraged when Patti Smith became popular. She studied bass guitar at Berklee College of Music. She left and joined the punk band Young Snakes. They didn't like her songs. She was in the band Ministry for a while. Then she formed 'Til Tuesday as lead singer and bassist. They signed with Epic and the 1985 single Voices Carry reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Til Tuesday recorded three albums and split up after Aimee left to go solo in 1990. She says there was a management change at Epic and they stopped promoting the band. That happens all the time in the music business. Epic wouldn't release Aimee from her contract until 1993. She started working with 'Til Tuesday touring band member Jon Brion. She signed with Imago Records owned by Terry Ellis of Chrysalis Records. After he had financial problems, Aimee's contract was sold to Geffen. Her two albums for Geffen went nowhere. She kind of drifted around until director Paul Thomas Anderson hired Brion to compose the score for the 1999 film Magnolia and he brought Aimee in to write and perform songs for the film. Anderson knew Brion and Aimee from the Los Angeles club Largo and the script for Magnolia is based on her songs. Not only was Magniolia a big success but the album was certified Gold and Aimee was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar. The soundtrack album is available. Brion's score is on a separate album. Once Aimee got out of her Geffen contract, she started her own label SuperEgo and her latest album was released in 2021. Aimee still tours but no sign of new music. Here's the video for Save Me by Aimee Mann

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bishop Briggs

Artist:Bishop Briggs

Song:River

Album:Church of Scars

The 2016 single River was streamed over 485M times on Spotify. But it never reached the Billboard Hot 100. It's highest chart placing was #3 on the Alt Rock chart. In those days, streaming did not count towards radio play or the Billboard Hot 100. They have changed that. But it's probably too late for British singer songwriter Bishop Briggs as River is her only hit to date. She was born Sarah Grace McLaughlin July 18, 1992 in London, England. Her parents are from Bishopbriggs, Scotland. That's where she got her stage name. Her family moved to Tokyo and she grew up singing karaoke. Then she moved to Hong Kong to attend school. And after graduating from Hong Kong International School, she studied at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. Bishop performed in local clubs and released the 2015 single Wild Horses. After that was used in an Acura commercial during the Super Bowl, it got streamed a lot. Then she released the 2016 EP Bishop Briggs on her own label. The single River became a viral hit through streaming. The problem was Bishop wasn't going to be a star on her own label. So she met with Island Records CEO David Massey and he got her to sign. The first thing Island did was re-release the EP Bishop Briggs. Then they expanded it and released the 2018 album Church of Scars. They released several singles from the album. But River was the only big hit. It just wasn't a big enough hit. And that's because of how Billboard handled streaming. Bishop wrote all the songs on the album. It was produced by Ian Scott and Mark Jackson who used to produce music for MTV TV shows. So she's on her way, right? Then the wheels fell off. She ended her deal with Jackson and Scott due to "constant verbal abuse". Supposedly, they weren't happy that she signed with Island. They sued each other and it appears that both lawsuits were dropped. I couldn't find a resolution. Then Island released the 2019 album Champion. Bishop worked mostly with producer Andrew Wells of the band Eidola. And the album was less than a half hour long. It didn't sell. Then when Massey left Island, Bishop got out of her contract and signed with Arista Records. They released the 2023 EP When Everything Went Dark. It looks like this may have been pulled from release. Her latest album is Tell My Therapist I'm Fine in 2024. It seems to be on her own label with Arista distribution. Wells also produced this album. I think Bishop Briggs has cooled off considerably and it's unlikely she will have another hit. Here's the video for River by Bishop Briggs. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-RAYE

Artist:RAYE

Song:Where Is My Husband!

Album:This Music May Contain Hope

Singer songwriter Rachel "RAYE" Keen has already had success in her native England. She has already had success in the US with the single Where Is My Husband! and she is looking to break through in a big way with her new album This Music May Contain Hope. She was born Oct. 24, 1997 in Tooting, London, England. Her mother is from Ghana. She is the oldest of four sisters. It looks like all of them will be musicians. Rachel attended church as a child. He father was musical director and her mother sang in the choir. After her father taught her piano, Rachel started writing songs. She attended the performing arts high school the BRIT School. But she "felt confined" so she dropped out after two years. She learned about songwriting at recording sessions. Then she uploaded her 2014 EP Welcome to the Winter to SoundCloud. She wrote and produced it. Singer Olly Alexander heard it and sent it to his record label Polydor and they signed her. They released a couple of EPs. Rachel worked with Charli XCX and wrote songs for others including Beyonce. She was also getting positive reviews for her live shows. She recorded an album. But Polydor refused to release it until she had a big hit single. Of course an album is required to support that. Rachel finally had a showdown with Polydor and she was released from her contract. She had a five album deal. Rachel signed with Human Re Sources owned by Julius Erving III. That's right. He's the son of NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving. The label is distributed by Sony owned The Orchard. So that's when things turned around for Rachel. Her 2023 album My 21st Century Blues was certified Gold in England and she topped the British charts with the single Escapism. So the next step is to take over the US. The 2025 single Where Is My Husband! topped the British charts and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her new album This Music May Contain Hope will be released on Mar. 29. The album can be pre-ordered on Amazon. Both of Rachel's albums were produced by Mike Sabath. The two write and produce everything. He's a veteran producer. But he's really hitching his star to RAYE. We'll see how it goes. It's a crowded marketplace out there. Here's the video for Where Is My Husband! by RAYE. 

AccuRadio Song O The Day-Scotty Inman

Artist:Scotty Inman 

Song:Motel Bible

Album:My God

Southern Gospel fans are likely to be interested in this 2024 album by second generation star Scotty Inman. He was born May 13, 1982 in Morgantown, KY. His father is Clayton Inman who is leader of The Triumphant Qhartet. Scotty started out in 2001 with the group Poet Voices. He quickly became a big favorite and he joined The Triumphant Quartet in 2007. After fifteen years of performing with his dad Inman went solo in 2023 and signed with Daywind Records. The 2024 album My God features the single Motel Bible. The song was written by Levi Bowman, Jimmy Yeary and Liz Hengber of the Southern Gospel group The Isaacs. They performed the song with Inman at The Grand Ole Opry. The song is from the point of view of a hotel bible. The album was produced by Daywind A&R director Dusty Wells. This album is available on CD. And I would say that Motel Bible is a better than average Southern Gospel song. So if you are a Southern Gospel fan, You should check out Scotty Inman. Here's the video for Motel Bible by Scotty Inman. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Colin Donnell

Artist:Colin Donnell f/Laura Osnes

Song:It's De-Lovely

Album:Anything Goes: Original New Broadway Cast Recording

Colin Donnell has played supporting roles on Broadway and TV. He played Billy Crocker in this 2011 revival of the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes. I don't know if it's his biggest Broadway role but the video clip is really good. He was born Oct. 9, 1982 in St. Louis. He got interested in performing while in high school. He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington in 2005. He started out doing regional tours of musicals like Mamma Mia! and Jesus Christ Superstar. His first Broadway role was as Hank Majewski in the 2007 jukebox musical Jersey Boys. After more regional theater, he landed the role of Billy Crocker in the 2011 revival of Cole Porter' Anything Goes. It was still a supporting role but more significant than Jersey Boys. Anything Goes was first produced on Broadway in 1934. It's been revived many times. This 2011 revival was based on the 1987 revival. It was directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall. The stars are Sutton Foster and Joel Grey. The original cast album is available on CD. Though Donnell is in a supporting role, it got him TV work on the series Arrow followed by the Showtime series The Affair. His biggest TV role to date was as Dr. Connor Rhodes on the NBC series Chicago Med from 2015-19. He continues to appear in Broadway musicals and is currently appearing in the Broadway revival of Ragtime. He still does regional theater. He hasn't had a regular TV role since Chicago Med and he hasn't done films. Here's Colin Donnell and Laura Osnes performing It's De-Lovely on a 2011 episode of CBS Early.