AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chita Rivera

Artist:Chita Rivera

Song:Kiss of the Spider Woman

Album:Legends of Broadway

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Hazeltine

Artist:David Hazeltine

Song:My Ship

Album:For All We Know

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alice Deejay

Artist:Alice Deejay

Song:Better Off Alone

Album:Housemix 2000

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Odetta

Artist:Odetta

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

Album:Best of the Vanguard Years

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Saigon Kick

Artist:Saigon Kick

Song:Love Is on the Way

Album:The Lizard

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Livingston Taylor

Artist:Livingston Taylor

Song:I Will Be in Love with You

Album:The Middle Years (1978-1996)

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaggy

Artist:Shaggy f/RikRok

Song:It Wasn't Me

Album:Hotshot

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Tyler

Artist:William Tyler

Song:Gone Clear

Album:Modern Country

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

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

Artist: Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Song:Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

Album:Make It Reign

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rick Cua

Artist:Rick Cua

Song:Don't Say Suicide

Album:You're My Road

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Primer

Artist:John Primer

Song:Poor Man Blues

Album:Call Me John Primer

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Plus One

Artist:Plus One

Song:Written on My Heart

Album:The Promise

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clinton Kane

Artist:Clinton Kane

Song:Chicken Tendies

Album:Maybe Someday It'll All Be OK

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steel Breeze

Artist:Steel Breeze

Song:You Don't Want Me Anymore

Album:The Real '80s

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmie Davis

Artist:Jimmie Davis

Song:You Are My Sunshine

Album:The Jimmie Davis Collection 1929-47

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

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dorothy Collins

Artist:Dorothy Collins

Song:Losing My Mind

Album:Follies: Original Broadway Cast

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clean Bandit

Artist:Clean Bandit f/Demi Lovato

Song:Solo

Album:What Is Love?

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glenn Miller

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

Song:Jukebox Saturday Night

Album:A Legendary Performer

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

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Yazoo

Artist:Yazoo

Song:Situation

Album:Only Yazoo The Best of

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

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bedouin Soundclash

Artist:Bedouin Soundclash

Song:When the Night Feels My Song

Album:Sounding a Mosaic

Bedouin Soundclash is an indie band that have had success mostly in their native Canada. The 2004 single When the Night Feels My Song topped the Canadian singles chart. Their music is a blend of reggae, ska and punk. Band leader Jay Malinowski and bassist Eon Sinclair were attending Queen's University in Kingston, ON when they met and decided to form the band Bedouin Soundclash. The band name is after a dub record by Badawi. They thought it represented a mix of musical styles which is what they aspire to. Malinowski writes everything and sings and plays lead guitar. They usually have a drummer. Pat Pengelly was the original drummer. Bedouin Soundclash released their debut album Root Fire in 2001. Then they signed with the Canadian indie label Stomp Records for the 2004 album Sounding a Mosaic. This got them on the radar of Canadian radio and the music video channel MuchMusic as they are obligated to play Canadian content. Malinowski wrote all the songs. The album was produced by Darryl Jenifer of the punk band Bad Brains. They produced a music video for When the Night Feels My Song which was funded by VideoFACT. And that got them radio and MuchMusic airplay and it topped the Canadian Singles chart. Sounding a Mosaic was released internationally by the indie label SideOneDummy. It is available as a budget CD. When the Night Feels My Song charted in England. I am happy the band had success. But I don't like that they were completely dependent on CRTC CanCon regulations. I don't think Bedouin Soundclash was looking to be world famous. They just wanted to tour and record and make a few bucks. Bedouin Soundclash is still around. They last released an album in 2022 on the Canadian indie label Dine Alone. They have made good use of CRTC regulations. But it doesn't look like they had any illusions about how far they would get. Here's the video for When the Night Feels My Song by Bedouin Soundclash. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lovemongers

Artist:Lovemongers

Song:Battle of Evermore

Album:Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Most music fans should be familiar with the band Heart led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. After success in the 70s, they made a big comeback in the late 80s. After the 1990 album Brigade and the subsequent tour, Heart decided to take a break. Ann and Nancy were approached to play a Red Cross benefit for the troops during The Gulf War. The problem was the members of Heart were scattered. So they decided to put together a new band to play one time only. They convinced their long time friend and songwriting partner Sue Ennis to play keyboards and former Heart guitarist Frank Cox to join the band. They called themselves Lovemongers as opposed to warmongers. Lovemongers played a wrap party for the film Singles which was directed by Nancy's husband Cameron Crowe. They were backed up by the band soon to be known as Pearl Jam. It went so well that they decided to record an EP produced by former Heart guitarist Scott Olson. This cover of the Led Zeppelin song Battle of Evermore appeared on the Singles soundtrack. The album is available on CD. After the 1993 Heart album Desire Walks On didn't do that well, it was clear that the grunge movement had taken hold and maybe it was time for Heart to take a break. They owed Capitol one more album and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones was brought in to produce the album The Road Home. The Lovemongers released the 1997 album Whirlygig on a small label. And after Nancy composed the music for Crowe's 2000 film Almost Famous, Heart returned to touring and eventually recording with the 2004 album Jupiters Darling. Here's the video for Battle of Evermore by Lovemongers.