AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brandy Clark

Artist:Brandy Clark

Song:Girl Next Door

Album:Big Day in a Small Town

Brandy Clark has been a successful country music songwriter since 2011.  She started recording in 2013 and got a record deal with Warner Bros. in 2016. Though her albums have been critically acclaimed and Brandy has been nominated for Grammys, her albums aren't selling. The 2016 single Girl Next Door is her only chart single to date and it didn't chart that high. Brandy was born Oct. 9, 1975 in Morton, WA., a logging town in the shadow of Mount Rainier. Brandy was influenced by her parents record collection to start playing guitar at  age nine. She also started writing songs and performed in school musicals. Brandy earned a basketball scholarship at Central Washington University. But instead she earned an associate degree at Centralia University. She moved to Nashville in 1998 to study music business at Belmont University. Then she got a publishing deal. Brandy's longtime songwriting partner is Shane McAnally. He used to be a performer but is now a songwriter and record producer. Her first big hits were Miranda Lambert's 2011 single Mama's Broken Heart and The Band Perry's 2012 single Better Dig Two. Then Brandy started performing. She opened for Sheryl Crow in 2012 and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. Brandy released an EP and CMT named her a Woman of Country. Then Mama's Broken Heart was nominated for a CMA award. Then she released the 2013 album 12 Stories on Slate Creek Records. She appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. She toured with Jennifer Nettles. The album did well enough that Brandy got a record deal with Warner Bros. and top producer Jay Joyce. The album Big Day in a Small Town was released in 2016. The single Girl Next Door reached #39 on the Country Singles chart. Brandy wrote all the songs with co-writers. Girl Next Door was written with McAnally and Dean Dillon's daughter Jessie Jo Dillon. The album was nominated for a Grammy. It was critically acclaimed. But it didn't sell. The excuse given for this is the record company tendency to go for streaming first instead of physical sales. Of course that doesn't explain why Brandy hasn't had a big hit single. Meanwhile Brandy and McAnally wrote the Broadway musical Shucked in 2023. Anyway, Warner Bros. doesn't seem concerned as Brandy has a new album coming in 2027. Brandy Clark wouldn't be the first successful Nashville songwriter to fail as a recording artist and that includes Shane McAnally. She's lasted longer than most. Here's the video for Girl Next Door by Brandy Clark. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Montego Glover

Artist:Montego Glover

Song:Ain't Nothin' But a Kiss

Album:Memphis: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Montego Glover is a Broadway performer who was nominated for a Best Actress Tony for the 2009 musical Memphis. That's her best known appearance. She has done TV and films and even voice work on video games. But she's appearing on Broadway now. She was born Feb. 19, 1975 in Macon, GA. but she grew up in Chattanooga, TN. Montego attended high school at the Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences. Then she attended Florida State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theater with Honors. Montego started out in regional theater. Her first Broadway appearance was in the 2006 musical The Color Purple. Memphis was written by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro and is loosely based on the life of Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips. Memphis played regional theater for several years before coming to Broadway in 2009. Most of the cast and crew including stars Chad Kimball and Montego Glover were with the show for several years. Memphis won the Tony for Best Musical and Montego was nominated for Best Actress. Memphis ran for three years so it was very successful. It was filmed and released on DVD and it can be streamed on Amazon Prime. Montego's other significant shows were Les Miserables in 2015 and Hamilton in 2017. She is currently appearing in a production of Here Are the Blueberries. Montego has done TV guest shots and a couple of films. But she seems to enjoy doing voiceover work for video games and animation. Here's Montego Glover performing Ain't Nothin' But a Kiss on the 2019 benefit show Broadway Stands Up for Freedom.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Artist:Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Song:Hooked on Classics

Albim:Hooked on Classics

London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1946 by Thomas Beecham. Though they typically record classical music, they have occasionally made detours into popular music. More symphony orchestras do this than you might think. I guess record companies are trying to boost record sales. For the most part, that kind of strategy usually fails. The most notable exception to this was when the 1981 single Hooked on Classics was a top ten pop hit. This was a classical music medley with a disco backbeat. Though classical music purists hated this, the record did revive interest in classical music. The guy behind this was Australian producer Don Reedman. He moved to England in 1969 and worked as a song plugger for ATV Music. Then he went to work for K-Tel Records. Of course K-Tel is not a typical label so Reedman had to think outside the box. With his recording engineer partner Jeff Jarratt, Reedman produced the 1978 album Classic Rock with the London Symphony Orchestra. After Reedman heard the 1981 single Stars on 45 by the Dutch band Stars on 45, he decided to do the same thing with classical music. Stars on 45 was a Beatles medley set to a disco beat and it topped the charts. So he hired the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to perform the music. Then he brought in Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist Louis Clark to arrange and conduct and Hooked on Classics was born. The big surprise was when Hooked on Classics topped the British Singles chart and reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It helped that K-Tel produced a video that was played on MTV. The Hooked on Classics album is available as a digital download. K-Tel attempted to follow up this hit. But this is the kind of thing that is the prototype for a fluke one hit wonder. So Hooked on Classics never charted again. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is still performing and recording. And Don Reedman still works with them. Here's the video for Hooked on Classics by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

   

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Anka

Artist:Paul Anka

Song:Diana

Album:Singing & Swinging

The 1957 single Diana was the first number one hit for Canadian singer songwriter Paul Anka. Of course he has had a long career. But Diana was the first single from his first album. He was born July 30, 1941 in Ottawa, ON. His parents owned a restaurant. His father was from Syria and his mother was from Lebanon. Anka sang in the church choir. In high school, he led a vocal trio called The Bobby Soxers. Anka's uncle gave him $100 to record his first single I Confess in 1956. Then he went to New York City to audition for producer Don Costa of ABC-Paramount Records. The song he sang at the audition was Diana which Anka wrote for a girl he knew from church. Costa took him into the studio and cut the record. The most notable musician who played on the record was jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Diana topped the Billboard Hot 100 and sold nine million copies. The album Paul Anka was released in 1958. Of course the big difference between Anka and many of the teen idols of the era is he wrote a lot of his own songs. But the problem at ABC-Paramount is Anka's career stalled. So he signed with RCA in 1960 and bought all his ABC-Paramount recordings. He re-recorded his Paramount-ABC hita on RCA in 1963. Can you get the original version of Diana? Sure. Anka owns them and has released them on his own label. He has also licensed them to reissue labels like Jasmine who released this 2CD comp of Anka's Paramount recordings. The 60s were a dry period for Anka. But he scored a big comeback with the 1974 #1 single You're Having My Baby. Plus he's written plenty of hit songs including My Way for Frank Sinatra. He still records for his own label. He released an album this year. And he he has been on tour all year. Here's Paul Anka performing Diana on a 1960 episode of Ameriican Bandstand.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Jones

Artist:Jimmy Jones

Song:Good Timin'

Album:I'm Your Handyman

The 1960 single Good Timin' was one of two top five hits for R&B singer Jimmy Jones. The other hit was the 1959 single Handy Man. So I guess he was a two hit wonder. He had little success after that. Jones was born June 2, 1930 in Birmingham, AL. He moved with his family to New York City and started out as a tap dancer. He joined a doo wop group The Berliners in 1954. They changed their name to Sparks of Rhythm. After Jones left to start his own group The Savoys, Sparks of Rhythm recorded Jones' song Handy Man in 1956. After recording with a couple of other groups, Jones went solo and signed with MGM's Cub label. Jones got together with veteran producer Otis Blackwell. Blackwell reworked Handy Man and produced the record. Handy Man reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. When the flutist didn't show up to the session, Blackwell whistled the solo. This was followed by the 1960 single Good Timin' which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Good Timin' was written by veteran songwriters Fred Tobias and Clint Ballard Jr. It's Tobias' best known song. Ballard wrote the Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders hit Game of Love. Blackwell produced again. Which song was the bigger hit? According to VF Music, they are about even. VF Music is the site that assigns point values to chart position. I use it for research. You can get both songs on this Aim International budget comp. Jones left Cub in 1962 and recorded for Vee-Jay, Roulette, Parkway and Bell. He continued to record occasionally and tour especially in England's Northern Soul circuit. There was renewed interest in Jones when James Taylor's cover of Handy Man topped the charts in 1977. Jimmy Jones died on Aug. 2, 2012 at age 82. Here's Jimmy Jones performing Good Timin' The Dick Clark Beech Nut Show 1960. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-DJ Skitz alongside Roots Manuva

Artist:DJ Skitz alongside Roots Manuva

Song:Where My Mind Is At

Album:The Rebirth of Cool 7

Joseph Cole is a British DJ who goes by the name DJ Skitz. This 1996 single was an important building block in Acid Jazz at the time and it launched the career of rapper Roots Manuva. The problem was Cole didn't release an album at the time. Instead Where My Mind Is At was released on this Island Records various artists CD. Cole has released albums. But he seems to prefer doing remixes and releasing the occasional single. Plenty of DJs are like that. They prefer anonymity to fame. Cole was born in Cambridgeshire in 1970. He started DJing in 1991. Then he released Where My Mind Is At in 1996 on Ronin Records owned by the band 23 Skidoo. The rapper was Roots Manuva. He was also unknown at the time. But this single launched his career as well when major DJs like Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge took notice of it. Also, producer Dallas Austin sampled Where My Mind Is At on the 1998 Monica track Gone Be Fine. You can get Where My Mind Is At on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Then Cole released the 1998 single Fingerprints of the Gods and that was the only British track to appear on Hip Hop Connection's top ten tracks of the year. Then Cole released the 2000 single Dedication featuring rapper Rodney P and it won Best Single at the 2000 UK Hip Hop awards. Cole had his greatest success with the 2001 album Countryman. And he had a lot of success with that. At the time, Cole was considered to be spearheading a renaissance in British Hip Hop. Of course nothing lasts forever. For a while, Cole had his own record label. He last released an album in 2010. He still produces and does remixes. But for a while, he was the leading light of British Hip Hop. Here's the video for Where My Mind Is At by DJ Skitz alongside Roots Manuva. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blaque

Artist:Blaque

Song:808

Album:Blaque

The 1999 single 808 was one of two top ten hits for the R&B girl group Blaque. The album was certified Platinum. And then they went into the witness protection program. Blaque is from Atlanta. Shamari Fears formed her first girl group in 1994 with high school classmate Natina Reed. A producer tried to turn them into the urban country group Buutz. When Natina's pastor father found out about this, he didn't want her performing secular music. She left the group. Vocal coach and manager Cynnamyn Robinson helped Shamari form a new group called Intrigue. 12 year old Brandi Williams joined the group. After her parents divorce, Natina started looking at secular music again. She was singing jingles when she met talent scout Ronald Lopes. He's the brother of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC. Lopes agreed to manage Natina and hired her to write songs for TLC. Natina wanted to form a girl group and she asked Shamari to join along with Brandi. The group was called Blaque after Lopes production company Blaque House. He asked his sister to help. And after working with them, she got them an audition with Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola and he gave them a record deal. They were assigned to Trackmasters owned by the production duo of Jean-Claude Olivier and Samuel Barnes AKA Poke and Tone. The other executive producers were Lisa Lopes and Cory Rooney. Outside of North America, the group was known as Blaque Ivory. As I said before, the 1999 debut album was certified Platinum. The single 808 reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the single Bring It All to Me reached #5. Poke and Tone along with Cory Rooney produced most of the album. Natina co-wrote half of the songs. Of course outside producers were brought in. 808 was written and produced by R. Kelly with Poke and Tone and Rooney. The album is available as a budget CD. Blaque toured opening for 'N Sync and then TLC. Columbia was supposed to release the 2001 album Blaque Out. But then they decided to shelve the album and drop Blaque. It's never been revealed why they released them. Then Lisa Lopes died in Apr. 2002. Blaque signed with Elektra and started recording a new album. But it was cancelled and Blaque was released. Apparently, Natina didn't like the record. There were attempts to go solo but none of them worked out. Blaque had planned to reform. But Natina Reed was killed in a Oct. 26, 2012 car accident. Shamari appeared on the 2018 season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. And she released a single with her husband Ronnie Devoe of Bell Biv Devoe. Here's the video for 808 by Blaque.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Tabbert

Artist:William Tabbert

Song:Younger Than Springtime

Album:South Pacific: Original Broadway Cast

William Tabbert was a Broadway star in the 40s. He is best known for appearing in the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific as Lt. Joseph Cable USMC. He sang the songs Younger Than Springtime and You Have to Be Carefully Taught. He was born Oct. 5, 1919 in Chicago. His father was a railroad engineer. Tabbert was attending Hirsch Metropolitan High School in Chicago when he won a three year scholarship sponsored by the Chicago Daily Tribune to study opera with Anna Fitziu. He appeared in high school shows. After graduating, Tabbert worked for the Chicago Civic Light Opera and sang in local clubs. He married dancer Evelyn Rainey in 1941. Tabbert was drafted into the US Army. But he contracted pneumonia and was discharged. He moved to New York and started to appear in Broadway shows. After appearing in a few shows, Tabbert was cast as Cable in South Pacific. The producers wanted Howard Keel but he just signed with MGM. South Pacific ran for almost five years. One would have thought that it would have launched Tabbert to stardom. But he only had one other Broadway appearance in the musical Fanny which ran from 1954-56. He even hosted his own TV show on ABC in 1954. But he never returned to Broadway. It seems that Tabbert preferred performing in nightclubs. He was a regular performer at City College of New York's Lewisohn Stadium until it was demolished in 1973. He seemed to prefer the financial stability of cabaret singing over Broadway, TV or film. Tabbert and his family moved to Dallas in 1964. But he continued to perform in clubs. He appeared in New York often enough that he kept an apartment there. Tabbert was in New York rehearsing for an upcoming show when he died from a heart attack on Oct. 18, 1974 at age 55. Here's William Tabbert performing Younger Than Springtime on a July 10, 1949 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Wilkins

Artist:Jack Wilkins

Song:Emily

Album Trioart

Jazz guitarist Jack Wilkins was mainly a sideman and he played New York clubs. He probably wasn't flashy enough to be really popular. But Wilkins didn't care about that. He just wanted to be respected by his peers. He was born Jun 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, NY. His stepfather played sax and his mother sang and played piano. His real father played guitar. But Wilkins didn't know about him until he was an adult. Wilkins started playing guitar at age 13. He listened to guys like Charlie Christian, Tal Farlow, Django Reinhardt and especially Johnny Smith. As a teen, he played with Les and Larry Elgart, Warren Covington and Sammy Kaye. In the 60s, he played with guys like Dan Armstrong, Lew Soloff, Lew Tabackin and Lloyd Wells. Wilkins played vibraphone in the band The Jazz Partners led by Barry Manilow. Then he got to record the 1973 album Windows for Bob Shad's Mainstream label. It was a trio album with Mike Moore in bass and Bill Goodwin on drums. When Buddy Rich's manager heard the album, Wilkins joined Rich's band for the next few years. He also worked on albums by Charles Mingus, Sonny Fortune and Stan Getz. Wilkins first recorded the Johnny Mandel/Johnny Mercer jazz standard Emily on his 1983 album Opal. This was Wilkins' one of two albums on CTI Records. Phil Woods appears on this album. From what I can tell, this album was only released in Japan. It's not available anyway. Wilkins also recorded Emily on the 1998 album Trioart on Arabesque Jazz. Musicians are Marc Puricelli on piano, Steve LaSpina on bass and Jeff Hirshfield on drums. This may have been Wilkins' regular band at the time. This album is available as a digital download. Wilkins also recorded for Chiaroscuro, Musicmasters and MAXJAZZ. Wilkins last recorded as a leader in 2009 and died on May 5, 2023 at age 78. Here's Jack Wilkins performing Emily at the American Institute of Guitar 1983.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Warren Hill

Artist:Warren Hill

Song:Do You Feel What I'm Feeling?

Album:The Collected Warren Hill

Smooth jazz saxophonist Warren Hill did very well on the Smooth Jazz charts when he was on RCA in the 90s. He hasn't recorded for a while. But he still performs live. He was born Apr. 15, 1966 in Toronto. Hill started playing guitar at age eight. And he fronted a rock group while in high school. He played sax in the school band. And got interested in jazz while taking a summer program at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Hill says that David Sanborn is his main influence. Hill played in a local band while studying physics at the University of Toronto. He dropped out of school to study at Berklee School of Music in Boston. On his 1988 graduation day, Hill played some solos. Producer Russ Titleman was in the audience and he hired Hill to play on a Chaka Khan session. Hill soon moved to Los Angeles and a demo got him a record deal with RCA. He also toured with Natalie Cole. Do You Feel What I'm Feeling? is from the 1994 album Truth which was his third album. By this time, Hill moved to Nashville and started playing sessions, most notably the 1993 Restless Heart single Tell Me What You Dream. For the most part, Hill writes and produces everything with outside producers. On Truth, the producers were Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff from the band Crackin'. Musicians were Dain Noel and Michael Eckart on keyboards, Freddie Fox on guitar and Lenny Castro on percussion. This comp of Hill's RCA recordings is available as a digital download. Hill has also recorded for Discovery, Narada and most recently his own Popjazz label in 2015. Hill started his own Smooth Jazz Cruise in 2004 and owns the Cancun Jazz Festival. So he's still active. Here's Warren Hill with Kristian Alexandrov on keyboards, Ian Cameron on guitar, Victor Balconi on bass and Issah Contractor on drums performing Do You Feel What I'm Feeling? in Beijing, China Sept. 8, 2024.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

Artist:Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville

Song:Don't Know Much

Album:Just One Look: Classic Linda Ronstadt

Singer Linda Ronstadt had her greatest success in the 70s. By the 80s, she wasn't chasing fame anymore. She was trying different kinds of music. But her two biggest overall hits were the 1987 single Somewhere Out There featuring James Ingram and the 1987 single Don't Know Much featuring Aaron Neville. I've already written about Somewhere Out There so now I will write about Don't Know Much. Linda met Neville at the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. After they met, the two promised to work together in the future. At the time, Linda was recording big band music with Nelson Riddle, the Trio recordings with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris and albums in Spanish. So she hadn't recorded a pop album for a while. Somewhere Out There was on the soundtrack of the 1987 film An American Tail. So Linda got together with producer Peter Asher to make plans. Producer Steve Tyrell brought them a demo of Don't Know Much. They wanted that song as one of the duets with Neville. Don't Know Much was written by the husband wife team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil along with Tom Snow. Mann recorded it on his 1980 album Barry Mann. Bill Medley and Bette Midler also recorded it. Linda's recording of Don't Know Much reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Per VF Music, it's the biggest hit of her career. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. The guitar solo was by studio musician Michael Landau. Other musicians were Don Grolnick on piano, Leland Sklar on bass, Carlos Vega on drums, Michael Fisher on percussion and The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra arranged by David Campbell. This 2CD budget comp concentrates on Linda's Elektra/Asylum recordings of the 70s & 80s. If you want a comp of Linda's early Capitol recordings, I recommend the comp Icon which is available at a budget price. Linda Ronstadt retired in 2011 due to Parkinson's disease. Her memoir was published in 2022. Here's the video for Don't Know Much by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bloodstone

Artist:Bloodstone

Song:Natural High

Album:The Ultimate Collection

Bloodstone scored a top ten hit with the 1973 single Natural High. Some of their other singles charted but Natural High was their only big hit. Bloodstone is from Kansas City, MO led by bassist, singer and songwriter Charles McCormick. When they were formed in 1962, they were a high school doo wop group called The Sinceres. By 1967 they toured with a horn band called The Smokin' Emeralds. And that's when they learned to play instruments. Then they moved to Los Angeles. They moved to England and signed a record deal with Decca Records. They were on London Records in the US. The band was McCormick on bass and vocals, Charles Love on guitar and vocals, Wllis Draffen Jr. on guitar, Eddie Summers on drums and Harry Williams and Roger Durham on percussion. The band name was changed to Bloodstone by their management. Natural High is from Bloodstone's 1973 album also called Natural High. The single Natural High reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by McCormick and he also sang lead. Al the members of Bloodstone wrote songs. Natural High underwent a revival when Quentin Tarantino used it in his 1997 film Jackie Brown. The album was produced by Mike Vernon who had previously produced John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. The album was certified Gold. After appearing in the 1975 film Train Ride to Hollywood, Bloodstone recorded for Motown and T-Neck. A version of Bloodstone continues to perform though all the original members have died. This comp was put together by the band and includes some rerecorded versions of songs. I normally don't recommend that but the band did that themselves. Charles McCormick died in 2022. Here's Bloodstone performing Natural High on a July 20, 1973 episode of The Midnight Special. BTW, The Midnight Special now has a YouTube page. So check that out.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Bongos

Artist:The Bongos

Song:Numbers with Wings

Album:Numbers with Wings/Beat Hotel

The New Wave band The Bongos had the potential to be successful with singles like Numbers with Wings in 1983. They were even on a major label. But that forced them to put pressure on themselves to get that big hit single and they split up in 1987. They were from Hoboken, NJ and came out of the New York City arts scene. The leader of The Bongos was Richard Barone. He was lead singer, guitarist and wrote all the songs. The other members were Rob Norris on bass and Frank Giannini on drums. Guitarist James Mastro joined later. The Bongos played New York clubs. A demo got them a record deal with the British label Fetish Records. The Bongos mixed new wave with dance beats. So that created dance club success. A 1981 cover of T. Rex's Mambo Sun reached #22 on the Billboard Dance chart. They toured opening for The B-52s and then Barone and Mastro recorded an acoustic album. The turning point for The Bongos came when they signed with RCA Records in 1983 and released the EP and single Numbers with Wings. Though the single never charted, MTV played the music video and it was nominated for Best Direction at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. At that time, there may still have been radio station bias against playing songs that were popular on MTV. The Bongos went on a year long tour and then released the 1985 album Beat Hotel. The album was produced by recording engineer John Jansen. The album got positive reviews. But I guess RCA was hoping for a big hit single and they didn't get it. The Bongos had a cult following. But that probably wasn't going to be enough to sustain constant touring. The Bongos left RCA for Island and were recording the album Phantom Train in The Bahamas when they decided to split up. There was too much pressure. Razor & Tie released the album Beat Hotel and the EP Numbers with Wings on one CD and it is available. Barone has had a pretty good solo career and continues to record and tour. He published his memoir in 2007. James Mastro owns a guitar shop in Hoboken and tours with the reformed Mott the Hoople. The Bongos have reformed occasionally to play live. But they aren't planning to record again. RCA did release a live album in 2025. Here's the video for Numbers with Wings by The Bongos.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Olivia Newton-John

Artist:Olivia Newton-John f/Cliff Richard

Song:Suddenly

Album:Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2: Deluxe Edition

Olivia Newton-John's 1980 single Suddenly was a much bigger deal in England than here because it featured Cliff Richard who at one time was the British Elvis. He still appears on British TV. Suddenly is from the 1980 film Xanadu. It's on the soundtrack album. But it's also on comps by both artists. After Olivia's debut film Grease made her a potential movie star, the films Xanadu (1980) and Two of a Kind (1983) were so bad that her potential was killed. Olivia concentrated more on music. The soundtrack album for Xanadu was very successful. The album was certified 2XPlatinum and the singles Magic and Xanadu were big hits. Half of the soundtrack album was produced by Jeff Lynne and Electric Light Orchestra. The other half was written and produced by Olivia's usual producer John Farrar. Along with Cliff Richard, Olivia also recorded with The Tubes and Gene Kelly. Farrar pitched the song as a duet and he suggested Richard to record it. Suddenly reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #15 on the British Singles chart. Suddenly is available on this comp which was originally released by MCA in 1982. EMI released a very similar comp in 1983 with the same cover. So you need to watch out when you are shopping for this. This Deluxe Edition which has four bonus tracks was released in 2023 by Primary Wave who owns Olivia's catalog. Olivia sold it to them in 2020. As most should know, Olivia had cancer and died on Aug. 8, 2022 at age 73. Here's the video of Suddenly by Olivia Newton-John featuring Cliff Richard from Olivia's ABC TV special Hollywood Nights that aired before the Oscar broadcast on Apr. 14, 1980. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Seduction

Artist:Seduction

Song:(You're My One and Only) True Love

Album:Nothing Matters Without Love

Seduction was a girl group that scored four chart hits from their 1989 album Nothing Matters Without Love. (You're My One and Only) True Love was not their biggest hit but their first hit. The guys behind Seduction were Robert Clivilles and David Cole who went on to be C+C Music Factory. The idea for Seduction was to create a freestyle act similar to Expose using New York studio singers. Nobody was supposed to know who was singing. The single Seduction was released in 1988. The singer on the record was A&M Records Black Music A&R Director Carol Cooper. When the single got dance club play, Clivilles, Cole and Cooper decided to turn it into a group called Seduction on A&M. But first, they had to hire singers. Meanwhile, Cole recorded the song True Love with Martha Wash of Weather Girls. It was released as a single but Martha was not credited. Cole tried to alter her voice so no one would know it was Martha. When the single became a hit, they knew they needed to hire singers. They were April Harris, Michelle Visage and Idalis DeLeon. April was the only one was was really a singer. She was Cole's sister's best friend. So he could have hired her previously. Cole did a remix with the three singing backup for Martha's vocals. The single reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The rest of the album Nothing Matters Without Love featured vocals by the three girls. Why couldn't Cole wait? You know what they say. Strike while the iron is hot. Martha sued and it was settled out of court. Seduction's biggest hit was the single Two to Make it Right which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. This album is available on CD. Of course C+C went on to have more trouble when the C+C Music Factory single Gonna Make You Sweat used uncredited Martha Wash vocals and she sued them again. As for the girls, April reformed Seduction and released a 2005 album. She owns the business Keeping You Sweet. Michelle is part of RuPaul's Drag Race and has appeared on various TV shows related to that. Idaris has worked as a TV host for Access Hollywood and Extra. And she has done acting mostly on TV. Here's the video for (You're My One and Only) True Love by Seduction. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-MoKenStef

Artist:MoKenStef

Song:He's Mine

Album:Azz Izz

The 1995 single He's Mine was a top ten hit for the R&B girl group MoKenStef. It turned out to be their only chart single as they only recorded one album. So MoKenStef is officially a one hit wonder. MoKenStef is from Los Angeles. Kenya Hadley and Stefanie Sinclair were cheerleaders at Morningside High School in Inglewood. They were also dancers and they needed a third member for their hip hop dance crew. Monifa Bethune Auditioned successfully. They started dancing on stage and in music videos by rappers AMG and Big Daddy Kane. They wanted to try singing and they discovered that Monifa is a really good singer. One day they visited AMG at the office of Outburst Records. Outburst owners Greg Jesse and Anthony Lewis were listening in the next room. And when Monifa started singing, that got their attention and got the girls a record deal. They decided to call themselves MoKenStef which is a blend of their names. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. After success with the rapper Domino, Outburst got a distribution deal with DefJam. The album Azz Izz was released in 1995 and the single He's Mine reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B Singles chart. The main feature of the song was Monifa's lead vocal. It doesn't look like the rest of the album was as good as He's Mine as follow up singles did poorly. MoKenStef wrote most of the songs with producer Marquis "Hami" Dair. He had previously worked with Klymaxx leader Joyce Irby. He's Mine sampled Prince and Roger Troutman so they got a songwriting credit. This album is available as a digital download. By the end of 1995, Outburst closed and DefJam wasn't going to sign MoKenStef to a new contract. They tried to release a few more things but nothing worked and MoKenStef split up in 2000. It looks like they all retired from the music business. They reunited in 2014 and they still have an Instagram page. I'm surprised Monifa didn't try to get a solo record deal because she has a great voice. Here's the video for He's Mine by MoKenStef. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kevin Spacey

Artist:Kevin Spacey

Song:Beyond the Sea

Album:Beyond the Sea: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Though he is now a Hollywood outcast due to 2017 sexual assault allegations, Kevin Spacey was a big star before that. Probably his most audacious achievement was writing, producing and starring in the 2004 Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea. He also did his own singing. A Bobby Darin biopic had been in development hell since 1986. So getting it done was Spacey's big achievement. He was born Kevin Spacey Fowler July 26, 1959 in East Orange, NJ. but he grew up in Southern California. His father was a neo Nazi who was abusive to Spacey and his brother. Spacey kept a low profile to avoid beatings. At Chatsworth High School, Spacey starred in a production of The Sound of Music with Mare Winningham. They were named co-valedictorians. After trying standup comedy, Spacey moved to New York to attend Juilliard's drama school. After two years, he decided to try Broadway. He appeared in the 1986 production of Long Day's Journey into Night Starring Jack Lemmon who became Spacey's mentor. After appearing in a couple of Mike Nichols films Heartbeat (1986) and Working Girl (1988), he appeared on several TV shows, most notably as arms dealer Mel Profitt in the 1988 series Wiseguy. Then Spacey won a Tony for the 1991 production of Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers. That got him larger roles in films like David Mamet's 1992 film adaptation of his play Glengarry Glen Ross. But the film that made Spacey a movie star was as Verbal Kint in Bryan Singer's 1995 film The Usual Suspects. Spacey won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. That was when Spacey went after the role of Bobby Darin. Barry Levinson was the first to take a crack at Darin in 1986. Levinson was supposed to direct. Warner Bros. optioned the Bobby Darin book Dream Lovers. James Toback was brought in to write the script and Levinson was still supposed to direct. That's when Spacey offered to play Darin. Levinson thought he was too old and planned to cast Johnny Depp. Levinson decided to pass on the film in favor of Liberty Heights (1999). Then Dick Clark Productions announced they were producing with Dodd Darin and producer Arthur Friedman and that they were working on the film. Spacey acquired the rights from Warners. And ultimately he rewrote the original Lewis Colick script himself. Spacey's decision to do his own singing was controversial because he wasn't a singer though he had sung on stage. He did train with Roger Kellaway who had worked with Darin. Not surprisingly, Beyond the Sea got mixed reviews and was a box office bomb. I'm sure even now, Spacey considers Beyond the Sea his greatest achievement. The soundtrack album was produced by Phil Ramone. It has all of Spacey's performances and is available on CD. Spacey continued to appear in films like Horrible Bosses and TV shows like House of Cards. Then Spacey was accused of sexual assault in 2017. This killed his career because he's still in exile and appears in European productions. But remember Spacey denied everything and was never convicted of a crime. I doubt he can revive his career. But Beyond the Sea is probably worth a look. Here's the video for Beyond the Sea by Kevin Spacey. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Craig Mack

Artist:Craig Mack

Song:Flava in Ya Ear

Album:FHM Presents...Bar Culture 2

Rapper Craig Mack scored a top ten hit with his 1994 single Flava in Ya Ear. Another one of his songs charted so technically he is not a one hit wonder. Also, it was the very first hit single on Bad Boy Records. He was born May 10, 1970 in Brooklyn, NY. But he grew up in the Long Island town of Brentwood. He started rapping as a teen as MC EZ and released the single Get Retarded in 1988. Then he started touring with hip hop group EPMD. After they split up, Mack met Sean "Puffy" Combs who was just starting Bad Boy Records. Combs liked Mack enough to sign him to a record deal. Mack recorded Flava in Ya Ear. The song really became popular because of the remix featuring Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes. Combs also appeared and the singing is by Keisha Spivey of the girl group Total. The single reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was produced by Osten "Easy Mo Bee" Harvey. He had already worked with Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac. Osten produced half of the album Project: Funk Da World and Mack wrote and produced the other half. The album was certified Gold. You can get Flava in Ya Ear on this 2CD various artists comp. Mack was supposed to record a second album Operation: Get Down in 1995. Mack wasn't happy that he didn't get more promotional support from Bad Boy. Combs froze Mack's contract so he couldn't sign with Death Row Records like he wanted. The album was released by Scotti Brothers in 1997. Not surprisingly, the album didn't sell and Mack's career was basically over. In 2012, Mack joined the Overcomer Ministry in South Carolina. He released a 2017 album on his own label. Mack had HIV/AIDS and refused treatment. He died on Mar. 12, 2018 at age 47. Here's the video for Flavor in Ya Ear by Craig Mack.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chicago

Artist:Chicago

Song:If You Leave Me Now

Album:The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

The 1976 single If You Leave Me Now was the first #1 hit for the band Chicago. Their biggest hit before that was the 1973 single Saturday in the Park. Most of Chicago were studying jazz at DePaul University. So they wanted to be a jazz rock band similar to Blood, Sweat & Tears (BS&T). But like BS&T, Chicago was starting to fade in the mid 70s. Chicago started to fade too and they decided to soften their sound. By that time, they had released eight albums since 1969. And all of them were 2LP sets. They were so tired that Chicago IX was a greatest hits album. The singers for Chicago were Terry Kath, Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera. Cetera turned out to be the key guy as he wrote and sang If You Leave Me Now. It topped the charts in 1976. It was a much softer pop sound than Chicago had previously done. Kath played the guitar solo. The album Chicago X was certified 2XPlatinum. If You Leave Me Now won two Grammys. Chicago had never won a Grammy. So though fans of the original Chicago may not have liked the change, lots of folks really liked it and the success continued until Cetera was replaced by Bill Champlin in 1985. After that, Chicago wasn't as successful but Cetera had a significant solo career. The other significant events were the 1978 death of Terry Kath and the split with producer James William Guercio. Kath was replaced by Donnie Dacus who was in the musical Hair. Guercio quit the music business and became a full time rancher. After that, Chicago worked with producers like Phil Ramone and Tom Dowd. And they moved from Columbia to Warner Bros. in 1982. This 2CD comp covers the Columbia years. As I said, Chicago wasn't as successful after Cetera left. But they're still around. Original members Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Lee Loughnane are still there. But now they are a nostalgia act. There is even a documentary about Chicago's Longevity. Chicago's latest album was released in 2022 on BMG. Here's Chicago performing If You Leave Me Now on the German TV show Disco 1976.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lori Bell

Artist:Lori Bell

Song:Alibi

Album:The Music of Djavan

Lori Bell is a jazz flutist who is mostly an educator. So she doesn't record frequently. But this 2009 tribute to the Brazilian musician Djavan features Tamir Handleman who was unknown back then. So I think his fans will be interested in this album. Lori was born Apr. 15, 1958 in Brooklyn, NY. Her father was jazz trumpeter Norman Bell who was in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. When Lori was ten years old, Her family moved to San Diego. She studied flute with Frederick Baker, Damian Bursill-Hall and others. She first recorded with veteran pianist Dave MacKay on the 1983 album Love Will Win on Discovery Records. Andy Simpkins was the bassist. The album was praised by legendary jazz critic Leonard Feather and was nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy. They recorded a follow up album Take Me to Brazil in 1989. After recording a couple of albums for the jazz label Beeswax, Lori released the 2009 album The Music of Djavan which is a tribute to the Brazilian musician Djavan. It's on Resonance Records which is owned by the non profit Rising Stars Jazz Foundation. This album features pianist Tamir Handelman. He recorded his own album for Resonance in 2010 and has appeared on plenty of sessions. The other musicians are David Enos on bass and Enzo Todesco on drums. Enos has played with Arturo Sandoval and Alphonse Mouzon. Todesco played with Warren Hill and James Ingram. This album is available on CD. Lori has since recorded for her own label, most recently in 2017. For the most part she has concentrated on teaching at San Diego State University. I don't think she tours much anymore. Here's Lori Bell with Tamir Handelman, David Enos and Enzo Todesco performing Alibi 2010.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melvin Crispell III

Artist:Melvin Crispell III

Song:Wonderful Is Your Name

Album:I've Got a Testimony

Melvin Crispell III is a second generation gospel artist who won season nine of BET's Sunday Best. This is the gospel version of American Idol. Kirk Franklin produces the show and the winner is supposed to get a record deal with Franklin's record label Fo' Yo' Soul. Crispell signed with Sony's gospel label RCA Inspiration and the 2020 single Wonderful Is Your Name topped the Gospel charts. He was born June 19, 1997 in Charlotte, NC. Not surprisingly, his parents were gospel artists. His father Melvin Crispell was a keyboardist and songwriter. He wrote the song Wonderful Is Your Name for Hezekiah Walker. His mother Tunesha Crispell sang with Walker. Both his parents died while he was a teenager. After his mom died of cancer in 2016, Crispell signed with Sony's gospel label RCA Inspiration. After the 2019 EP Prologue III was released, the 2020 album I've Got a Testimony was released. The single Wonderful Is Your Name topped the Gospel chart and the album reached #5 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart. He was nominated for four Grammy awards, six Stellar awards and four Dove awards. And he performed on the Stellar broadcast and the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration. The main producers on the album are Aaron Lindsay and Myron Butler. Both are veteran gospel music producers. This album is available as a digital download. Crispell released his 2023 album No Failure on his own label with Provident distribution. He was Grammy nominated for that too. Gospel music fans should enjoy Crispell's music. Here's the video for Wonderful Is Your Name by Melvin Crispell III.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Fuzz

Artist:The Fuzz

Song:I Love You for All Seasons

Album:Art Laboe's Dedicated to You Vol, 2

The 1971 single I Love You for All Seasons was a top ten R&B hit and it reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the only big hit for the R&B girl group The Fuzz. It is perceived as a one hit wonder. But a couple of their other songs charted so they aren't technically a one hit wonder. But it is a lost soul classic that I think most will enjoy. The Fuzz were from Washington, DC led by lead singer Sheila Young. She also wrote all the songs. The other two members were Val Williams and Barbara Gilliam. They were called The Passionettes when they released the 1970 single Sister Watch Yourself on Universal's UNI label. The group name was changed to The Fuzz and they signed with Calla Records. Calla was owned by Nate McCalla. He was a bodyguard for notorious mobster and Roulette Records owner Morris Levy. Among the acts on Calla were J.J. Jackson (But It's Alright), Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams and The Emotions. By the time The Fuzz signed in 1970, Calla was owned by Roulette. McCalla was murdered mobster style in 1978. Supposedly, Levy ordered the hit. After I Love You for All Seasons reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the R&B Singles chart, The Fuzz got to record an album. Sheila Young wrote most of the songs including I Love You for All Seasons. The album was produced by Washington DJ Carroll "Mr.C" Hynson and arranged by Joe Tate of Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers. A couple of their other singles charted but it wasn't enough and The Fuzz split up. You can get I Love You for All Seasons on this various artists comp from Los Angeles DJ Art Laboe's Original Sound. This song has been sampled by hip hop guys including Brand Nubian and Dr. Dre. Here's a video for I Love You for All Seasons by The Fuzz.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Daniel Barenboim and Guests

Artist:Daniel Barenboim and Guests

Song:Take the A Train

Album:Tribute to Ellington

Daniel Barenboim is a renowned classical pianist and has been around for decades. This 1999 album appears to be his only attempt to play jazz. His discography is massive. And I even used AI. But this appears to be Barenboim's only attempt to play jazz. There are some guest jazz musicians. But the album doesn't really take off which is why I'm not a fan of this kind of crossover. And I don't think record companies like it either. Barenboim was born Nov. 15, 1942 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father taught him to play piano. Barenboim's family moved to Israel in 1952. After he married British cellist Jacqueline Du Pre in 1967, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, retired from music in 1973 and died in 1987. He remarried in 1988. Barenboim started to get critical acclaim in the 50s. The turning point was when he was named director of the Chicago Symphony in 1989. He had recorded for different labels. But he had been with Deutsche Grammophon since 1973. He left in 1991 to record for Teldec. This was a lesser known German label that by the 90s was owned by Warner Bros. The idea to record an Ellington album came up after Barenboim had recorded a tango album. But he wasn't sure if he could do it. So Cliff Colnot of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago was brought in to write the arrangements. They brought in guests like singer Dianne Reeves and clarinetist Don Byron. But most of the musicians were from the Chicago Symphony. And those guys know how to play notes. But playing jazz is not just notes. And as you will see in the video, Barenboim can't play jazz. This album is available as a budget CD. At the time, Barenboim told the Los Angeles Times that he would like to play jazz again. But he hasn't. And no one else had tried to do it either. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma plays all kinds of music but not necessarily jazz. There's no audience for classical musicians playing jazz. And I would expect record companies would discourage musicians from trying it. Here's Daniel Barenboim performing Take the A Train as part of an EPK for the album.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Simple E

Artist:Simple E

Song:Play My Funk

Album:Colouz of Sound

Play My Funk was a song that made the R&B charts after it appeared in the 1993 film Sugar Hill. Then Erica "Simple E" Williams got to make an album. And that's it. Erica was born in New Jersey and grew up in Texas. She studied psychology at Texas Southern University while working as an MC. Then she moved to Los Angeles and was spotted by D'Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone!. The 1993 film Sugar Hill was produced by 20th Century Fox and they wanted a soundtrack album for it. Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard composed the score. Play My funk was the first single from the album. It reached #55 on the R&B Singles chart. It was enough that Fox let Erica record an album. It was released on Fox Records with RCA distribution. The album was written and produced by Wiggins. Erica co-wrote some songs including Play My Funk. She got positive reviews for her mix of singing and rapping. The album didn't sell but it is available on CD. The soundtrack for Sugar Hill is out of print. Erica never recorded another album but she did appear on a few, most notably Cherokee's 1999 album I Love You...Me. That was Erica's final appearance. I presume she now has a family. Some hip hop fans believe Erica should have been bigger. Maybe if she had been on a hip hop label. But Fox Records was never going to be able to promote her properly. Here's the video for Play My Funk by Simple E. Thanks to the Queen of Bars Instagram page for Erica' bio info. 

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Euge Groove

Artist:Euge Groove

Song:Get Em Goin'

Album:Just Feels Right

Tenor saxophonist Euge Groove has been a staple of Smooth Jazz for over twenty years when he was on top of the Jazz charts. He still records and tours but he doesn't record for a major label anymore. He was born Steven Eugene Grove Nov. 27, 1962 in Hagerstown, MD. He was given the nickname Euge Groove by European fans. Grove played piano as a child and then switched to sax. He graduated from the University of Miami School of Music in 1984. He played sessions in Miami and most notably on the Freestyle girl group Expose's 1987 #1 hit Seasons Change. Then Grove moved to Los Angeles and replaced Richard Elliot in Tower of Power. After four years, he got into session work. His most notable sax solo was in Richard Marx' 1991 top 20 hit Keep Coming Back. That's when he started calling himself Euge Groove. He sent demos to record companies and signed with Warner Bros. He was touring with Tina Turner at the time. He recorded two albums for Warners. They did OK on the jazz charts. But Grove thought he would be better off on a jazz label. So he signed with Narada Jazz. They were a subsidiary of the New Age label Narada. Grove recorded three albums for Narada and they did very well on the jazz charts. Get Em Goin' is from the 2005 album Just Feels Right. Grove wrote and produced everything with guitarist Paul Brown. On Get Em Goin', Grove plays sax and electric piano. Other musicians are Tony Maiden on guitar, Roberto Vally on bass, Michael White on drums and Lenny Castro on percussion. The album reached #3 on the Jazz chart. The problem was Narada was sold to Virgin/EMI in 1997 and they sold them to Universal in 2006. But you can get this album as a digital download. Grove has recorded for Shanachie since 2009. They are only a distributor so Grove has to promote himself. But he owns the recordings. His latest album The Phoenix was released July 2026. As with all his albums, Grove wrote and produced with Paul Brown. Grove is always on tour. He will be at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival in Avalon, CA. tomorrow followed by other dates. Here's Euge Groove performing Get Em Goin in Chicago. The musicians are not identified but I presume that Paul Brown played the guitar solo.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Preston

Artist:Billy Preston

Song:Nothing from Nothing

Album:Ultimate Collection

These days Billy Preston is probably best remembered for playing keyboards on Beatles albums in the late 60s. But he went on to have success in the mid 70s. The 1974 single Nothing from Nothing was one of his two #1 hits. He was born Sept. 2, 1946 in Houston but he grew up in Los Angeles with his mom. He was a self taught child prodigy who played organ with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson at age ten. Then he appeared on Nat King Cole's TV show singing Blueberry Hill with Cole. Then he appeared in the 1958 W.C. Handy biopic St. Louis Blues playing a young W.C. Handy. Preston joined Little Richard's band in 1962. And while touring Europe, he met The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany. He released his 1963 debut album 16 Yr. Old Soul on Sam Cooke's SAR label. Preston signed with Vee Jay for the 1965 album The Most Exciting Organ Ever and performed on the TV show Shindig!. Preston joined Ray Charles' band in 1967. Musicians were asking him to play on their records. But the big one was The Beatles. Preston played on the Get Back sessions. He was known as The Fifth Beatle. Preston appeared in the film Let It Be. I recommend watching the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back which features the concert on the roof of the Apple Records building. This was The Beatles' final concert. Preston plays electric piano. That documentary can be streamed on Disney+. Preston signed with Apple and released the 1969 album That's the Way God Planned It. The single That's the Way God Planned It was a hit in England. George Harrison produced that album and Preston toured with Harrison after The Beatles split up. Preston signed with A&M Records in 1971 and that's when he had his greatest success. The 1972 instrumental Outa-Space reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then he topped the charts with the 1973 single Will It Go Round in Circles. And he topped the charts again with the 1974 single Nothing from Nothing. And that was the peak of Preston's career. Nothing from Nothing is from Preston's 1974 album The Kids & Me. Preston produced and played keyboards. He wrote most of the songs with longtime songwriting partner Bruce Fisher. They wrote plenty of songs together. You can get all of Preston's hits on this Hip-O budget comp. Preston also played on The Rolling Stones albums and toured with them. Preston left A&M and signed with Motown in 1979. He also recorded for Word's CCM label Myrrh. He scored a 1979 top five hit with the single With You I'm Born Again featuring  Syreeta. He recorded for Motown until 1984. By the 80s, Preston was addicted to cocaine and alcohol. After leaving Motown, he played sessions with Luther Vandross and others. He went to jail for cocaine possession and insurance fraud. After leaving jail, Preston's health deteriorated until he died on June 6, 2006 at age 59. Here's Billy Preston and an all star band performing Nothing from Nothing in a 1975 episode of The Midnight Special. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gene Pitney

Artist:Gene Pitney

Song:Only Love Can Break a Heart

Album:Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart: The Collection

Gene Pitney was one of the top singers of the early 60s. He had several top ten hits. The 1962 single Only Love Can Break a Heart was his biggest hit. He also wrote songs. He was born Feb. 17, 1940 in Hartford, CT. and he grew up in Rockville, CT. He listened to doo wop and R&B singer Clyde McPhatter was a big influence. He had a band in high school and he recorded a couple of singles for Decca and recorded as Billy Bryan. After releasing the 1960 single I'll Find You on the Festival label in 1960, he signed with songwriter Aaron Schroeder's new label Musicor. Schroeder had written several Elvis Presley hits including Elvis' biggest hit It's Now or Never. Then Pitney had a little luck when he sang the theme for the 1961 film Town Without Pity and it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was nominated for an Oscar and Pitney sang it on the broadcast. That was followed by Pitney's first top five hit (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance and that was followed by Only Love Can Break a Heart. That song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The #1 song at the time was He's a Rebel by The Crystals. Guess what? Pitney wrote that song. The album Only Love Can Break a Heart was produced by Schroeder and his frequent partner Wally Gold. Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote Only Love Can Break a Heart and (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance and Bacharach arranged and conducted. Those two singles turned out to be Pitney's biggest hits. Musicor was sold to Gusto Records and they license Pitney's music to oldies labels. This 2CD comp is on the British label Music Club and is available as a budget CD. Pitney was actually more popular in England than the US. Like many singers of that era, Pitney career was derailed by Beatlemania. After a couple more hits, Pitney turned to the country market and recorded with George Jones. By the 70s, he was touring mostly in England, Europe and Australia. Pitney topped the British charts in 1989 when he recorded his 1967 single Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart with Soft Cell lead singer Marc Almond. Pitney was inducted into The Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Pitney was on tour in Cardiff, Wales when he died in his hotel room from a heart attack on Apr. 5, 2006 at age 66. Here's Gene Pitney performing Only Love Can Break a Heart. This is the only live footage I could find of Pitney performing this song. And yes, he is lip syncing but he would have lip synced anyway.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bill Frisell

Artist:Bill Frisell

Song:Moon River

Album:When You Wish Upon a Star

I have written about jazz guitarist Bill Frisell before. But he's so versatile and records so many different kinds of music, he's kind of hard to classify. This recording of Henry Mancini's Moon River is from the 2016 album When You Wish Upon a Star. It's an album of movie themes. Frisell studied with Jim Hall at Berklee in Boston. Hall is probably his main influence and Frisell has mostly stuck with acoustic guitar. Frisell's big break came in 1982 when Pat Metheny was unable to make a recording session and he recommended Frisell to drummer Paul Motian. Frisell became ECM Records' in house guitarist through the 80s and recorded three albums for ECM. He also worked a lot with John Zorn in his band Naked City and also Paul Motian and Joe Lovano. Then Frisell signed with Warner's Nonesuch label in 1989 and recorded for them for twenty years. And that is when most jazz fans got to hear Frisell on albums like Have a Little Faith (1992) and This Land (1994). Since leaving Nonesuch in 2009, Frisell has recorded for Savoy, OKeh and he currently records for Blue Note. He first recorded Moon River on the 2001 album Bill Frisell with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones. That album is out of print. But when I saw that Frisell recorded an album of movie themes and that was more interesting anyway. Of course Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer wrote Moon River for the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Star Audrey Hepburn sang it in the film and it won a Best Original Song Oscar. Andy Williams performed it on the Oscar broadcast. It's generally considered to be his signature song though it was never released as a single. The album When You Wish Upon a Star is on OKeh and was produced by Lee Townsend who was recommended by Charlie Haden's daughter Petra Haden who sings on this album. Other musicians are Eyvind King on viola, Thomas Morgan on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Morgan and Royston have toured with Frisell. I know there are jazz fans who like jazz versions of movie themes so this would be of interest to them. As I said, Frisell currently records for Blue Note and he released an album in Feb. 2026. He will appear at Birdland in New York with Ron Carter in October. Then he will tour Europe. Here's Bill Frisell with Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston performing Moon River at the 2025 Jarasum Jazz Festival in South Korea. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Richard Elliot

Artist:Richard Elliot

Song:When a Man Loves a Woman

Album:The Best of Richard Elliot

Saxophonist Richard Elliot was a member of Tower of Power in the 80s. Since leaving the band, he has had a lot of success in the Smooth Jazz market. Elliot recorded for Blue Note in the 90s. This 1989 cover of the Percy Sledge classic When a Man Loves a Woman is one of his most popular recordings. he was born Jan. 16, 1960 in Glasgow, Scotland but his family moved to Los Angeles when he was three. He played clarinet as a child and switched to saxophone as a teen. Elliot was a fan of Motown and Philadelphia International. So he moved to Detroit in 1972 and toured with Natalie Cole and The Pointer Sisters. Elliot returned to Los Angeles and while touring with Melissa Manchester, he also played in the fusion band Kittyhawk led by guitarist Daniel Bortz. Elliot played lyricon and saxophone. After Kittyhawk released two albums on EMI America, Elliot left to join Tower of Power in 1982. He also worked with Yellowjackets, recorded his first solo album in 1984 and played sessions. The 1989 album Take to the Skies was one of three albums that Elliot recorded for Intima Records which was owned by Enigma Records with Capitol distribution. After Elliot had success with his recording of When a Man Loves a Woman, he signed with Capitol owned Blue Note Records. Elliot wrote and produced most of the songs. Musicians were Alan Hinds on guitar, Naoki Yanai on bass and Bob Harsen on drums and percussion. I think this was his band at the time. Elliot played keyboards and sax. Bobby Caldwell and Marilyn Scott were special guests. You can get When a Man Loves a Woman on this budget comp. Elliot recorded for Blue Note until 2001. He currently records for Shanachie meaning he owns the recordings. Shanachie is strictly a distributor. Elliot's latest album was released in 2024. Like many Smooth Jazz artists, Elliot is always touring and he does a lot of Smooth Jazz Cruises. Here's Richard Elliot performing When a Man Loves a Woman on the German TV show Ohne Filter. There's a video for When a Man Loves a Woman but Elliot barely appears in it. So I prefer this.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marcin Wacilewski Trio

Artist:Marcin Wasilewski Trio

Song:Cinema Paradiso

Album:January

Polish jazz pianist Marcin Wasilewski is a protege of Polish jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. So not surprisingly, Wasilewski's music is similar to Stanko's and he also records for ECM Records. So if you like minimalist jazz, this could be for you. I find it to be a little too minimalist. But that seems to be true of ECM's music in general. ECM owner Manfred Eicher likes this style so it's not changing. Wasilewski was born Nov. 11, 1975 in Slawno, Poland. He started playing piano at age seven and studied classical music in high school. But he got into jazz and at age 13 formed the Simple Acoustic Trio with friends Slawomir Kurkicwicz on bass and Michal Miskiewicz on drums. These three have played together ever since and they are still together. After self releasing a couple of albums, Stanko hired them to tour and record. After recording three albums with Stanko, Wasilewski signed with ECM and released the 2005 album Trio. This cover of Ennio Morricone's theme from the film Cinema Paradiso is from the 2008 album January. Wasilewski wrote half of the ten songs. The covers are not standards and includes a cover of Prince's Diamonds and Pearls. This album is available as a digital download. As I said, this trio is still together. Their last two albums have been with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. Lovano has recorded for ECM since 2019. The album Homage was released last year. They are currently touring at home and in other European countries. They toured the US in 2024. Obviously, they are a much bigger deal in Poland. Here's the Marcin Wasilewski Trio performing Cinema Paradiso.