AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frank Sinatra Count Basie

Artist:Frank Sinatra Count Basie

Song:The Best Is Yet to Come

Album:The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings

It's likely that if Frank Sinatra had stayed with Capitol Records, he would have never recorded with Count Basie's band. He recorded two studio albums with Basie and The Best Is Yet to Come is probably Sinatra's best known recording from those two albums. The song was a regular part of Sinatra's repertoire despite not being released as a single. Sinatra was feuding with Capitol Records VP Alan Livingston over creative control. He tried to buy Verve Records from Norman Granz. But they couldn't work out a deal and Granz sold Verve to MGM. So he started Reprise Records in 1961. He ran the company himself at first. But most of the artists signed to Reprise were nostalgia acts and didn't sell. So Sinatra sold Reprise to Warner Bros. in 1963 and Mo Ostin made the label successful by signing contemporary artists. Sinatra still recorded for Reprise and he continued to have commercial success until his first retirement. Creative control was the main reason Sinatra started Reprise in the first place. So he got to do what he wanted. And what he really wanted to do was record with jazz bandleader Count Basie and his orchestra. The album Sinatra-Basie: A Historical Musical First was released in 1962. Neal Hefti was Basie's arranger at the time. The songs are mostly standards including a couple that Sinatra had previously recorded. The Best Is Yet to Come is from the 1964 album It Might As Well Be Swing. This is generally considered to be the better album of the two mostly because Quincy Jones was brought in to write the arrangements. This was the first time Jones had worked with Sinatra. Sinatra and Basie did some shows together and a live album was released in 1965. The Best Is Yet to Come was written by jazz pianist and composer Cy Coleman and his longtime partner Carolyn Leigh for Tony Bennett's 1962 album I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Others to record the song were Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Blossom Dearie. Sinatra continued to perform The Best Is Yet to Come and and it was the last song in his final performance on Feb. 25, 1995 at the Palm Desert Marriott Ballroom. It was also etched on Sinatra's original tombstone though that was changed a few years ago. Both Sinatra Basie albums were released on one CD and that is available as a digital download. Here's Frank Sinatra performing The Best Is Yet to Come on the CBS TV special The Milestone Birthday Special. This was filmed at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sinatra's birthday Dec. 12, 1979.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ralph Alessi

Artist:Ralph Alessi

Song:Chuck Barris

Album: Baida

Jazz trumpeter Ralph Alessi straddles the line between progressive jazz and avant garde. He currently records for ECM Records. The 2013 album Baida is probably his best known album. He is also a very busy sideman and an educator. He was born Mar. 5, 1963 in San Francisco. His parents met as performers at the Metropolitan Opera. His father Joseph Alessi Sr. was principal trumpet for 15 years. His mother Maria Leone sang in the chorus. His brother Joseph Alessi plays trombone in the New York Philharmonic. The Alessi brothers took trumpet lessons as children. As a teen, Ralph Alessi played with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera. He attended the California Institute of the Arts where he studied with legendary bassist Charlie Haden. Alessi earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz trumpet and a Master of Fine Arts in bass. He played with Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra and saxophonist Bill Perkins and pianist Ralph Strazzeri. Alessi moved to New York City in 1990. He recorded as a sideman with avant garde saxophonist Steve Coleman. After releasing a 1999 album on his own label, he released three albums on Ravi Coltrane's RKM label. The two became friends in school. Alessi also recorded for the European labels CAM Jazz and Clean Feed. Meanwhile, Alessi founded The School for Improvisational Music in Brooklyn and has taught at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. Alessi signed with ECM for the 2013 album Baida. ECM owner Manfred Eicher produced the album. Musicians are Jason Moran on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Watts on drums. Supposedly, Alessi named the song Chuck Barris after The Gong Show host because Barris wrote in his autobiography that he was a secret CIA operative. So the title is a joke. This album is available as a digital download. Alessi left ECM for a while. But he returns to the label with the 2026 album A Sun That Never Sets featuring his brother Joseph Alessi on trombone. Alessi is not touring right now. He was on tour earlier this year. I am sure he will tour in 2027. Here's Ralph Alessi with Gary Versace on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Nasheet Watts on drums performing Chuck Barris in Muri, Switzerland Mar. 20, 2016.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oscar Peterson

Artist:Oscar Peterson

Song:Sweet Georgia Brown

Album:Genesis

Most jazz fans are familiar with pianist Oscar Peterson's recordings on Norman Granz' labels Verve and Pablo. But you may not be familiar with Peterson's recordings before he signed with Verve. This recording of Sweet Georgia Brown was released in 1949 on RCA. Fortunately, these early recordings are easy to find and cheap too. As most folks know, Peterson was born and raised in Montreal. He was classically trained but Peterson loved jazz and boogie woogie. And if you've ever watched Peterson play, no one can keep up with him. He was known as The Brown Bomber of Boogie Woogie. He practiced four to six hours a day. So he wasn't messing around. His big break came when he won a 1940 national music competition organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He dropped out of high school and played in a band with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. He had a weekly radio show and performed in local hotels. RCA Records' Canadian office heard Peterson and offered to record him. So he recorded for RCA from 1945-49. This recording of Sweet Georgia Brown was released on a 78rpm disc in 1949. Musicians are Austin Roberts on bass an Clarence Jones on drums. Sweet Georgia Brown is a jazz standard written by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey. Bernie was the first to record it. But Bing Crosby was the first to score a hit with the song in 1932. But Sweet Georgia Brown really became popular when Brother Bones and His Shadows recorded it in 1949. That's Brother Bones AKA Freeman Davis doing the whistling. This recording was adopted by the basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters as their theme. Sweet Georgia Brown became a jazz standard played by many jazz musicians. You can get Peterson's 1949 recording on this 4CD comp from the British label Proper Records. All of Peterson's early recordings are here. And it's available at a budget price. Norman Granz was in a cab on the way to the Montreal airport and heard Peterson on the radio. Granz told the cab driver to take him to the club. Granz brought Peterson to New York to appear on Jazz at the Philharmonic. And the rest is history. Granz became Peterson's manager and Peterson recorded for Granz' labels Verve and Pablo for most of his career. Here's Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass performing Sweet Georgia Brown at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival. I think this is a changing of the guard with NHOP taking over from Brown. NHOP played with Peterson for the next decade.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robert Plant/Alison Krauss

Artist:Robert Plant/Alison Krauss

Song:Please Read the Letter

Album:Raising Sand

At first most folks will think that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are an odd couple. But in recent years Plant has experimented with different kinds of music. And their 2007 album Raising Sand was very successful. The album won five Grammys. According to American Songwriter magazine, Plant and Alison met when both appeared on a 2004 Lead Belly tribute show in Cleveland. He already knew about Alison as he heard her on the radio. He contacted her a year later to see if she would like to record with him. Alison suggested that T-Bone Burnett should produce the album. And she also brought in her record label Rounder Records. Plant told the Guardian that Alison taught him how to sing duets. The 2007 album Raising Sand is mostly folk and bluegrass standards. Please Read the Letter is a song written by Plant and Jimmy Page. They recorded it as Page and Plant on the 1998 album Walking into Clarksdale. As I said, the album won five Grammys including Record of the Year for Please Read the Letter and Album of the Year. As you will see in the video, Alison played a fiddle solo. T-Bone Burnett produced and played guitar. The other musicians are session men Marc Ribot on guitar, Dennis Crouch on bass and Jay Bellerose on drums. This album is available on CD. They toured to support it. A follow up album was planned in 2009 and they did record. But it didn't work out. The two released the 2021 album Raise the Roof and toured to support it. Here's the video of Please Read the Letter by Robert Plant/Alison Krauss. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Stella Lefty

Artist:Stella Lefty

Song:Boston

Album:Long Way Home

I guess it could be said that singer Stella Lefty is the next big thing. She scored a top five hit with the 2026 single Boston and she released her debut album last month. Will she take the country pop queen crown from Taylor Swift? That remains to be seen but I have my doubts which I will express later. Besides, isn't Ella Langley supposed to inherit that crown? I'll get to that too. She was born Stella Lefkofsky Aug. 13, 2002 in Los Angeles and grew up in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe, IL. Her father is Groupcon co-founder Eric Lefkofsky so he's a billionaire. Stella started writing songs and playing guitar as a child. But she suffered from stage fright so she didn't perform. Not surprisingly, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus are big influences. After graduating from high school, Stella studied public health at Tulane University in New Orleans. At the time, she had no plan to do anything in music. While studying in Amsterdam, Stella started posting videos of her music on TikTok. After posting her 2024 debut single on TikTok, she was contacted by producer Jacob "J Kash" Hindlin who has worked with many pop singers. Stella released the 2025 EP Tragic, Really and the single Thinkin' 'Bout You charted. And then she signed with Atlantic Records' country label Atlantic Outpost. So they were going to market her as a country singer. Then she released the EP Is This Heaven? and the single Boston topped the Country Singles chart and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stella wrote the song with her friend Grace Enger, the album producer Joe Reeves and J Kash. The record is based on the 2022 Noah Kahan single Stick Season so he got a songwriting credit. Stella posted a snippet of herself performing the chorus of Boston on TikTok. She hadn't even finished the song and it spread virally. The main criticism of Boston is it is too similar to Stick Season. But now she's a big deal. The album Long Way Home was released in August. Stella wrote most of the songs with Grace Enger and Joe Reeves produced. So can Stella Lefty inherit Taylor Swift's crown? First, I don't think Taylor is giving up that crown. Second, Ella Langley is her main competition and is already a bigger star than Stella. Plus there are already accusations about "industry plants" and that Stella is a "nepo baby". Her manager Adam Alpert categorically denied this. I think her big mistake was basing Boston on Stick Season. It was so similar that Noah Kahan's manager contacted her about it. That's how Kahan got a songwriting credit. That's a big red flag. So we'll see how Stella does. She could be a star or a one hit wonder. Here's the video for Boston by Stella Lefty. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mercedes Sosa

Artist:Mercedes Sosa

Song:Todo Cambia

Album:Oro

Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa was popular throughout Latin America and Europe for over 40 years. Her roots are in Argentine folk music but she liked to record songs by young songwriters. She won a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. She was born July 9, 1935 in Tucuman, Argentina which is in Northwest Argentina. She was of Spanish, French and Diaguita descent. Her nickname La Negra is because of her darker complexion due to her indigenous (Diaguita) heritage. Mercedes was 15 years old when she started singing for the local Peronist Party as Gladys Osorio. Then she won a singing competition at a local radio station. Mercedes recorded her debut album in 1965. Folksinger Jorge Cafrune brought her onstage at the 1965 Cosquin National Folklore Festival. That got her enough attention so she could record an album of Argentine folk songs. This got her a record deal with Philips Records for the 1966 album Hermanos. She recorded for Philips, Polydor and Mercury for over 30 years. Mercedes started touring in the US and Europe. She recorded albums with Ariel Martinez and Felix Luna and popularized Brazilian songwriter Milton Nascimento and Cuban Silvio Rodriguez. She recorded women's songs in the 70s along with songs about political and social issues. After the military junta of Jorge Videla came to power in 1976, the atmosphere in Argentina became increasingly oppressive. After Mercedes was barred from performing in 1979, she moved to Europe and lived mostly in Spain. She returned to Argentina in 1982 just before the regime collapsed due to the Falklands War. This is when Mercedes became very popular in Argentina for recording young songwriters. Todo Cambia is from her 1984 album Sera Posible El Sur. The album songs are about political and social change. The song Todo Cambia was written by Chilean singer songwriter Julio Numhauser. The album was produced by her husband Fabian Matus. You can get Todo Cambia on this comp which is available as a budget CD. Philips, Polydor and Mercury are all now Universal labels. She left Universal in 1999 for RCA. Mercedes received many lifetime achievement awards in her final years. She died on Sept. 18, 2009 at age 74. Here's the video for Todo Cambia by Mercedes Sosa.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Randy Scruggs

Artist:Randy Scruggs

Song:Lonesome Reuben

Album:Crown of Jewels

Randy Scruggs was the son of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs. Mostly he was a Nashville studio musician, songwriter and producer. The 1998 album Crown of Jewels was Scruggs' only solo album and it has an all star cast. So most country music fans will want to get it. Scruggs was born Aug. 3, 1953 in Nashville. He recorded two albums with his brother Gary Scruggs for Vanguard Records in the early 70s. Meanwhile, he played bass on John Hartford's 1971 album Aereo-Plain. He played with his dad on a couple of Flatt & Scruggs records. After they split up, he was a member of The Earl Scruggs Revue. Scruggs was also a member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and played with Tom T. Hall and Waylon Jennings. In 1980, Scruggs opened his own recording studio Scruggs Sound Studio in Berry Hill, TN. Among the albums recorded there were Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 2 by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1989 and the 2002 follow up album and the 1994 album Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album. Scruggs sold the studio just before his 2018 death. He also got into songwriting and wrote two top ten country hits; the 1986 single Right Hand Man by Eddy Raven and the 1989 single Call on Me by Tanya Tucker. So he was probably too busy to record his own album. And the 1998 album Crown of Jewels on Reprise Records was an all star extravaganza. Of course the instrumental Lonesome Ruben was written by his dad Earl Scruggs and an all star band performed it on the 1998 CMA Awards show broadcast. Other guests on the album include Vince Gill, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, Bruce Hornsby, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Douglas, Joan Osborne and Rosanne Cash. This album is available as a digital download. Scruggs returned to his studio activities including playing on albums by Sara Evans, Lee Ann Womack and Rodney Crowell. As I said, Randy Scruggs sold his studio in 2018 and died on Apr. 17, 2018 at age 64. Here's Randy Scruggs with an all star band including his dad Earl Scruggs and Chet Atkins performing Lonesome Ruben on the 1998 CMA Awards broadcast. All the musicians are identified on screen.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The 5.6.7.8's

Artist:The 5.6.7.8's

Song:Woo Hoo

Album:Bomb the Rocks: Early Days Singles 1989-1996

If you have seen the 2003 film Kill Bill Vol. 1, you will be familiar with a fight scene featuring the Japanese band The 5.6.7.8's performing the rockabilly song Woo Hoo. I am posting video of the scene as a reminder. The 5.6.7.8's have been around since the 90s. They are unknown outside Japan. But their appearance in Kill Bill made them famous for a while. The 5.6.7.8's were formed in Tokyo in 1986 by sisters Yoshiko "Ronnie" Fujiyama on guitar and Sachiko Fujii on drums plus bassist Akiko Omo. They all sing. Their music is a mix of rockabilly and garage rock. They sing mostly in Japanese. The 5.6.7.8's record for the Osaka based label Time Bomb Records. But occasionally US indie labels have released their records here. This cover of the rockabilly song Woo Hoo was released on The 5.6.7.8's 1996 EP Bomb the Twist. This was released in the US by the indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry. It was first recorded by the rockabilly group The Rock-A-Teens in 1959 and it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. They only released one album as they were on Roulette Records and Roulette owner Morris Levy had mob connections and was notorious for not paying bands. Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino was on his way to the Tokyo Airport when he heard The 5.6.7.8's in a clothing store. He didn't have time to go to a record store. So he paid double for the CD. Woo Hoo reached #26 on the British Singles chart. It also was used in a couple of commercials. The Kill Bill soundtrack is out of print. But you can get Woo Hoo on this 5.6.7.8's comp. The 5.6.7.8's are still around. They just released a new album in June. They will be going on a European tour in October. Here's The 5.6.7.8's performing Woo Hoo in the 2003 film Kill Bill Part 1. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Reik

Artist:Reik

Song:Levemente

Album:Reik

The band Reik has been very popular in their native Mexico since their 2005 album Reik. They started out as a pop band and in recent years have gone to a more urban sound. Producer Adelarbo Vazquez had another band called Reik. When that didn't work out, he asked singer Jesus Navarro and guitarist Julio Ramirez to record demos in 2003. They were released through the Mexican underground music scene. When the song Levemente spread across Mexico, he invited guitarist Julio Marin Espinoza to join the band. The band name Reik means raking the guitar strings. The spelling is so it is pronounced correctly. Reik signed with Sony and released the 2005 album Reik. The album was certified 4XPlatinum in Mexico and several singles including Levemente did very well. The album also sold well in Latin America. Vazquez produced the album with Kiko Cibrian who has produced Luis Miguel and others. Vazquez wrote half of the album songs including Levemente. The album is available as a budget CD. For their first few albums, Reik had a pop sound that was comparable to a boy band. When they started to fade, Reik decided to reinvent themselves. And they brought in Reggaeton singer Nicky Jam to record a remix of Ya Me Entere for the 2016 album Des/Amor. The single and the album were very successful in Latin America. So Reik did reinvent themselves and they continue to collaborate with Reggaeton artists. They released their latest album in 2025 but it didn't do as well as previous albums. Maybe Reik will reinvent themselves again. Here's the video for Levemente by Reik. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-One Sonic Society

Artist:One Sonic Society

Song:Forever Reign

Album:Forever Reign

One Sonic Society was a CCM supergroup who had success with their 2012 album and single Forever Reign. Though they are categorized as CCM, the music is more Praise & Worship (P&W) than CCM. They were categorized as a supergroup because the band members came from different well known CCM bands. Since most CCM and P&W comes from a church, a supergroup is kind of unusual. Plus many supergroups are short term and I think these guys planned to remain together. The leader of One Sonic Society is lead singer, songwriter and producer Jason Ingram. He released a solo album in 2002 and was lead singer of the band The Longing. But he has won Dove Awards for his songs. The other members were Stuart Gerrard on guitar and Jonathan Thatcher on bass from the British band Delirious? and Paul Mabury on drums from Hillsong UNITED. Delirious was a very successful band. After they retired in 2009, Gerrard was looking for Christian artists to work with and he met Ingram. Gerrard brought Thatcher with him and Ingram knew Mabury. They were going to call themselves Christian Music Collective. But when they signed with Sony's CCM label Essential Records, they changed it to One Sonic Society. After releasing three EPs, they released the 2012 album Forever Reign. The single Forever Reign reached #17 on the CCM chart. The song was written by Ingram and Reuben Morgan of the Australian P&W collective Hillsong. Hillsong released it first and it was a big enough hit that their fans picked up on the One Sonic Society version. The album was reviewed positively and did very well in the CCM market. Ingram co-wrote all the songs and produced the album. This album is available as a budget CD. They released a live album soon after followed by a 2015 EP. It looks like there were plans for another album because they released a couple of singles. But Ingram decided to end One Sonic Society in 2019. He just got too busy as a songwriter and producer to continue the band. He says now that One Sonic Society was never supposed to be a full time band but just a side project. Ingram still works on songs with Mabury. But I think the other two guys thought it was a full time band. Here's the video for Forever Reign by One Sonic Society.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aaron Lewis

Artist:Aaron Lewis

Song:Granddaddy's Gun

Album:The Road

Fans of the hard rock band Staind may be surprised to learn that Staind's screaming lead singer Aaron Lewis has been a country music singer songwriter since 2011. His songs are patriotic so that can be polarizing. I guess he's trying to be the new Lee Greenwood. He has had modest success on the country charts. Staind is active again. So it looks like Lewis is going to split his time between the two. He was born Apr. 13, 1972 in Rutland, VT. His family lived in a log cabin. When his parents split up, he moved with his father to Longmeadow, MA and attended high school there. He helped form Staind in 1995 and I guess his screaming lead vocals distinguish them from similar hard rock bands. While Staind was touring with Kid Rock in 1999, Lewis reignited his love for country music that he listened to as a child spending summers with his grandparents. He released the 2011 EP Town Line on James Stroud's Stroudavarious label and the single Country Boy featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels charted in Country and was certified Platinum. He followed this with the 2012 album The Road also produced by Stroud. Lewis wrote all the songs except his cover of the Rhett Akins song Granddaddy's Gun. The album is available as a digital download. The success of the album led him to signing with Big Machine. His patriotic tone in the Granddaddy's Gun video convinced Lewis to continue that tone in subsequent albums. Is the patriotism real or a gimmick? Probably both as it distinguishes Lewis from other country artists. It also divides Staind fans as some of them like it and some don't. Lewis released his most recent country album in 2024. Meanwhile, Staind has reformed. They are currently touring and will release a new album in 2027. At first, Lewis said he would record with Staind but not tour. So now he is doing both. How long before Aaron Lewis burns out? Here's the video for Granddaddy's Gun by Aaron Lewis. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tad

Artist:Tad

Song:Throat Locust

Album:Inhaler

The band Tad were pioneers of the Seattle grunge scene of the 90s. They were popular locally. But unlike some of the other bands of that era, Tad was unable to attain a level of fame. The 1993 album Inhaler was on a major label. They tried to tone Tad down. But it didn't work and they split up. Tad was formed in 1988 by Tad Doyle who was formerly a drummer with the band H-Hour. His full name is Thomas Andrew Doyle. Tad is his nickname. Doyle recorded a demo and played all the instruments. When the demo got him a deal with the indie label Sub Pop, Doyle realized he needed a band for live shows. So he brought in bassist Gary Danielson from the band Bundle of Hiss, drummer Steve Weid from the band Skin Yard and guitarist Gary Thorstenson from the band The Tree Climbers. Doyle was lead singer and played guitar. Tad released their 1989 debut album God's Balls and opened for Nirvana on a European tour. They released the album 8-Way Santa in 1991 and the single Jack Pepsi. They were sued over the album and single cover and Sub Pop had to change them. Then Tad got a big break. They appeared in Cameron Crowe's 1992 film Singles about the Seattle grunge scene and that got them a record deal with Irving Azoff's Giant Records with Warner Bros. distribution. Weid was replaced by Josh Sinder. The 1993 album Inhaler was released to positive reviews and Tad opened for Soundgarden's 1994 tour. The album was produced by J Macsis AKA Dinosaur Jr. After Inhaler failed to catch on, Azoff dropped Tad. The album is available on CD. They released a live album and then they signed with Warner's Elektra label. They released the album Infrared Riding Hood. Thorstenson left and was replaced on the album by Doyle. Mike Mongrain of Foil was brought in to play drums on the tour. Unfortunately, Tad's A&R rep was fired and all the bands he signed were dropped. Tad continued to tour and released one more single before splitting up in 1999. Doyle led several bands after that. But none of them were successful. There was a Tad reunion at the Sub Pop Records 25th Anniversary show in 2013 in Seattle. These days Doyle owns his own studio and released a solo album in 2023. His music these days is electronic music suitable for films. There are no plans for a Tad reunion. Here's Tad performing Throat Locust on The Spud Goodman Show. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ricardo Montaner

Artist:Ricardo Montaner

Song:Si Tuviera Que Elegir

Album:20 Grandes Exitos

Singer songwriter Ricardo Montaner has had success in his home country of Venezuela and other Latin American countries since the 90s. He records mostly love songs like Si Tuviera Que Elegir. It was a top ten hit in 2002. He was born Hector Eduardo Regiero Montaner Sept. 8, 1957 in Valentin Alsina, Argentina. His family moved to Maracaibo, Venezuela when he was six years old. He sang in the church choir and performed at a festival in Peru. He chose his maternal family name Ricardo as his stage name. I guess Ricardo sounds more romantic than Hector. Montaner first recorded in 1976 produced by Venezuelan singer Roberto Luti. Most of Montaner's early records were on the Venezuelan label Rodven. When he started to have success, he signed with EMI. Probably his biggest hit of that time was Un Mundo Ideal which was the song A Whole New World from the film Aladdin in Spanish. He also performed at Madison Square Gardens in New York City and was nominated for three Lo Nuestro Latin Music Awards in 1993. When things slowed down at EMI, Montaner switched to Warner Music in 1997. He had a lot of success with a 1999 album he recorded with the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Si Tuivera Que Elegir is from Montaner's 2002 album Suma. It reached #8 on the Latin charts. Montaner wrote that song for his daughter with Yasmil Marrufo. The album was produced by Argentine Bebu Silvetti who also plays piano on most of the album. You can get Si Tuivera Que Elegir on this comp which is available on 2CDs. Montaner switched to Sony in 2012. He last released a an album of new music in 2022. He has been busy recording new versions of his old albums. And of course, Montaner is always on tour. Here's the video for Si Tuivera Que Elegir by Ricardo Montaner.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cerrone

Artist:Cerrone

Song:Supernature

Album:Culture: Best of Cerrone

French drummer Marc Cerrone was probably the most popular disco artist in Europe in the 70s. For the most part, his music did not cross the pond except when the 1977 single Supernature topped the Dance chart. And dance clubs is where you would normally find Cerrone's music. He was born May 24, 1972 in the Paris suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine, France. His parents were Italian immigrants. Cerrone started playing drums at age 12 and listened to Otis Redding and other soul singers. Then he got interested in Jimi Hendrix and other psychedelic music. Cerrone convinced the owner of Club Med to hire rock bands for their tours. He became their A&R director at age 17. He joined the band Kongas in 1972. They were on Barclay Records and Atlantic's Cotillion label in the US. After the 1974 hit single Boom Cerrone started recording for his own label while still in Kongas. But he decided to leave Kongas after Barclay's continued attempts to get them to be more commercial. And that's when he recorded his 1977 album Supernature. It was his third album. The big difference with Supernature from his first two albums was the addition of electronics. The single Supernature was a hit across Europe. It reached #8 on the British Singles chart. It also topped the US Dance chart. There aren't any credits on the album. But we do know that Cerrone wrote and produced the album with film and TV composer Alain Wisniak and disco producer Don Ray. The lyrics for Supernature were written by British singer songwriter Lene Lovich who would soon have success with her brand of New Wave music. The vocals are by session singer Kay Garner. Supernature is still Cerrone's biggest hit and you can get it on this comp which is available as a digital download. Cerrone has continued to record. He last released an album in 2020. He just hasn't had the same success that he had in the 70s. He even tried to sing in the 80s but that didn't help. Here's the video for Supernature by Cerrone. This video is NSFW.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kellie Coffey

Artist:Kellie Coffey

Song:When You Lie Next to Me

Album:When You Lie Next to Me

Country singer songwriter Kellie Coffey scored a top ten Country hit with the 2001 single When You Lie Next to Me. And it crossed over to pop. The album did well. And she won Best New Female Artist at the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards. She was on RCA's BNA label. So she seemed to have a bright future. She recorded a second album but it was never released and BNA dropped her. Kellie last recorded in 2009 and I don't think she tours anymore. She was born Apr. 22, 1971 in Moore, OK. She started performing as a child and performed in musicals while attending the University of Oklahoma. Kellie moved to Los Angeles and sang demos and backed up Barbra Streisand in Las Vegas. Then she appeared for a few years at Disney theme parks. After a Los Angeles showcase, Kellie signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. Then she moved to Nashville and signed with RCA's country label BNA. Her 2001 debut single When You Lie Next to Me reached #8 on the Country Singles chart and #54 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album When You Lie Next to Me reached #5 on the Country Albums chart. Plus Kellie won Top New Female Vocalist on the 2003 Academy of Country Music Awards. The album was produced by veteran Nashville producer Dann Huff and he also played guitar on the album. Kellie wrote seven songs with co-writers including When You Lie Next to Me. Her co-writers were veteran Nashville songwriter J.D. Martin and Trina Harmon who seems to specialize in writing for female pop vocalists. This album is available as a budget CD. Kellie was touring with Kenny Chesney and George Strait. So she seemed to be on her way. She recorded the 2004 album A Little More Me. Two singles were released and both charted. But then BNA pulled them and dropped Kellie from the label. The album has never been released. We don't know why BNA dropped Kellie. I saw a 2018 interview with Kellie and she still doesn't discuss it. So that tells me that there is a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and she can't discuss it. So we will never know or hear the unreleased album. Since then Kellie self released a 2007 album and a 2009 EP. She seems to be retired but she hasn't said anything. She does have a family. Here's the video for When You Lie Next to Me by Kellie Coffey. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-hellogoodbye

Artist:hellogoodbye

Song:Here (In Your Arms)

Album:Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! and More

The 2006 single Here (In Your Arms) was a top twenty hit and was the only chart single for the band hellogoodbye. Their music is pop with electronic elements. I would also say that they are a one man band and the rest of the band is disposable. Forrest Kline leads hellogoodbye. He's lead singer and writes all the songs. He attended high school in Huntington Beach, CA with Jesse Kurvink and they decided to start a band mostly to entertain their friends. After recording some songs on Kline's home computer, Kline decided to call the band hellogoodbye after a line from Screech on Saved by the Bell about how fast life moves. A band was assembled to play local clubs and they toured with the band Peachcake. After sending out demos, hellogoodbye signed with the indie label Drive-Thru Records and released a 2004 EP. They toured until they released the 2007 album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!. The big surprise was when the single Here (In Your Arms) reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Why was it a hit? I think in this case, Kline deserves much of the credit as he promoted the band on the internet and that got them a grass roots following that bombarded radio stations with requests. Normally, a band would need to be on a major label to chart that high. But Kline was a very good self promoter. The problem was Kline couldn't keep hellogoodbye together. By 2008, Kurvink was the only remaining original member and he left to return to school. I think the instability prevented hellogoodbye from getting a major label record deal. In 2008, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! was re-released with bonus demos and a live DVD. This is available. hellogoodbye last released a new album in 2018 and a couple of singles since then. They are touring England in October and plan to tour Australia in 2027. Here's the video for Here (In Your Arms) by hellogoodbye. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris Tomlin

Artist:Chris Tomlin

Song:Holy Forever

Album:Always

In the music business, if an artist is going to remain relevant for a long time, the artist has to keep an eye on musical trends and change things if necessary. Chris Tomlin has been a popular CCM singer songwriter since 2004. When his record sales started to decrease, he decided to incorporate Praise & Worship (P&W) into his music. And he's working with some of the popular P&W artists. This started when he led a tour called Worship Night in America in 2015. When the 2015 single Good Good Father topped the CCM charts, he knew he was going in the right direction. For the 2022 album Always, he went even farther in the P&W direction featuring appearances by Elevation Worship, Steffany Gretzinger of Bethel Music and Brandon Lake of Maverick City Music. Though veteran producer Ben Glover produced most of the album, Jonathan Smith produced a couple of songs including Holy Forever. He has worked with P&W artists like Elevation Worship. Tomlin wrote Holy Forever with Brian and Jenn Johnson of Bethel Music, veteran CCM songwriter Jason Ingram and Phil Wickham who is probably the most popular P&W artist right now. And you'll notice that Wickham appears in the video clip. So for me, it looks like Tomlin is aiming some of his songs at the P&W crowd. Of course Tomlin won't admit to this. But Holy Forever topped the Christian charts and that and the album were nominated for Grammys. Always is available on CD. His 2025 album The King Is Still the King was very similar. Jonathan Smith produced and Wickham and Ben Fielding of Hillsong made guest appearances. I don't think he will alienate his existing fanbase because he hasn't changed his music that much. But it is a significant shift though he will never admit it was done for commercial reasons. Here's Chris Tomlin featuring Phil Wickham performing Holy Forever live in Nashville.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Small Brown Bike

Artist:Small Brown Bike

Song:See You in Hell

Album:Dead Reckoning

Small Brown Bike is a post hardcore punk band who were active mostly from 1999-2004. They had modest success. Their music is not commercial. But there is an audience for this kind of music. Small Brown Bike is from the small town of Marshall, MI. They were formed in 1996 by Mike Reed on vocals and guitar, his brother Ben Reed on bass, Travis Dopp on guitar and Dan Jaquint on drums. They grew up together and one of the things they liked to do is work on their bicycles. So they called themselves Small Brown Bike. After self releasing a couple of singles and touring, the band signed with the indie label No Idea Records and released the 1999 album Our Own Wars. The band wrote and produced everything with the help of recording engineer Ed Rose at his Kansas City studio. Dopp left and was replaced by Scott Flaster. See You in Hell is from the 2002 album Dead Reckoning. This album is available as a digital download. After that album was released, Jaquint returned to school and was replaced by Jeff Gensterblum. Small Brown Bike released the 2003 album The River Bed on Lookout! Records. At this point, Small Brown Bike weren't getting anywhere so they split up in 2004. The thing that might have helped was if they had gotten positive reviews from the music press. But they got mixed reviews and the following they did have wasn't enough for them to make a living. The members went on to form other bands but nothing notable. After some 2007 benefit shows, Small Brown Bike reformed and released the 2011 album Fell & Found. When that went nowhere, Small Brown Bike split up for good. Travis Dopp died in 2023. Here's the video for See You in Hell by Small Brown Bike. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cynthia Erivo

Artist:Cynthia Erivo

Song:I'm Not That Girl

Album:Wicked: The Soundtrack

British actress Cynthia Erivo is already on her way to being one of the biggest stars on earth. The measuring stick used for this is EGOT meaning the performer has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. Cynthia has won all but an Oscar. And she has several films coming soon. She was born Jan. 8, 1987 in London, England. Her parents are Nigerian immigrants. Her parents separated and her mom worked as a nurse to support Cynthia and her sister. She attended a Catholic girls school and started appearing on TV as a teen. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and graduated with a bachelor's degree in acting in 2010. Cynthia started out on TV. Then she started appearing in stage musicals. But the big one was as Celie Harris in the 2013 musical adaptation of The Color Purple. She also appeared in the 2015 Broadway production of The Color Purple and won a Best Actress Tony. Then the Color Purple cast won a Daytime Emmy for an appearance on The Today Show. I was just saying the other day that there are way too many Emmy awards. Then she started doing films. The big one was the 2019 film Harriet where she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Cynthia got Best Actress and Best Original Song Oscar nominations. Then she appeared in the 2020 HBO miniseries The Outsider. This was an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. And she started her own production company. Then she played Aretha Franklin in the third season of the National Geographic series Genius. She was nominated for an Emmy. And that brings us to Wicked. Of course both Wicked films were big hits and Cynthia was nominated for another Oscar. The soundtrack album is available as a budget CD. Defying Gravity was a top ten hit in England. So now she has to figure out what she will do next. She appeared in a couple of limited run stage shows. And she released the 2025 album I Forgive You on Verve Records. She recorded this during breaks in the Wicked filming schedule. Cynthia wrote and produced the album with keyboardist Will Wells. The main complaint I have heard about the album is it's too long at 60 minutes and it's not focused. She tries to do too many kinds of music. Well, she's not a musician so what do you expect? As I said at the top, Cynthia has several films in the works. The one that really stood out to me is The Road Home. I think it is currently filming in South Africa and no release date has been set. The film is produced by the French company STUDIOCANAL and directed by Dreamgirls director Bill Condon. The film is about the controversy in South Africa surrounding Paul Simon's 1980 album Graceland. Cynthia will play Miriam "Mama Africa" Makeba. John Legend will play Harry Belafonte. We'll see how that goes. Here's Cynthia Erivo performing I'm Not That Girl in the 2024 film Wicked. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Living Colour

Artist:Living Colour

Song:Cult of Personality

Album:Super Hits

The 1988 single Cult of Personality was a top twenty hit. It was the biggest chart hit for the band Living Colour. It was probably a bigger hit than that as the album Vivid was certified 2XPlatinum. But some radio stations want to avoid controversial records and they wouldn't play it. Living Colour is still around mostly because Cult of Personality is WWE wrestler CM Punk's theme song. The original band split up in 1995. For the most part, Living Colour is a metal band. The main difference between them and other metal bands is they are black. There are other influences but mostly, they are metal. Band leader, guitarist and main songwriter Vernon Reid was born in England but he grew up in New York City and attended New York University. He started out with avant garde jazz drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson's band The Decoding Society from 1980-86. He formed Living Colour in 1984 using the British spelling of "colour". He called it Vernon Reid's Living Colour. He experimented with different musicians and different styles of music including jazz. In 1986, he brought in actor Corey Glover to sing lead, bassist Muzz Skillings and drummer Will Calhoun. They started working on their music performing regularly at the New York club CBGB's. After Reid auditioned for Mick Jagger's album Primitive Cool, Jagger went to see Living Colour at CBGB's and produced two demos. This got Living Colour a deal at Epic Records a lot quicker than if Jagger didn't help them. Living Colour's debut album Vivid was released in May 1988. Things started to pick up when MTV started playing the video for Cult of Personality. The single reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 but the album Vivid reached #6 on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2XPlatinum. So the success was because of MTV. The album was produced by Ed Stasium who had worked with The Ramones and Talking Heads. Reid wrote most of the album songs. But Cult of Personality was credited to the entire band. Of course Living Colour's success was a fluke. What if Jagger doesn't get them a record deal? What if MTV doesn't play the video? So their other two albums didn't do that well. Skillings was replaced by Doug Wimbish in 1992. After three albums, Living Colour split up in 1995. This budget comp covers their Epic albums. But you might want to consider buying the remastered version of Vivid. Living Colour first reunited in 2000. They record occasionally and continue to perform. Reid says they will release a new album next year. The main thing that keeps Living Colour relevant today is that WWE wrestler CM Punk (Phil Brooks) uses Cult of Personality as his theme song. He's been using it since his pre-WWE Ring of Honor days. So who pays for the use of Cult of Personality? Of course the WWE pays for it. This is why most WWE themes are produced in house these days. It's a whole lot cheaper but the music is mostly terrible. It's one of several things that WWE fans lament about these days. I stopped watching WWE after this year's Wrestlemania was so bad, I stopped watching cold turkey. And I've watched wrestling since I was a little kid watching with my grandfather. Day 2 was really bad. My favorite wrestlers Asuka and Kairi Sane have gone home to Japan. There are still a couple of wrestlers that I may watch like former MMA fighter Lola Vice and IYO SKY. But the current booking is so bad, I can't watch pro wrestling anymore. Here's the video for Cult of Personality by Living Colour.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Carl Carlton

Artist:Carl Carlton

Song:She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)

Album:Everlasting: The Best of Carl Carlton

R&B singer Carl Carlton is best known for the 1974 top ten hit Everlasting Love. But you may not know that he scored a top five R&B hit with the 1981 single She's a Bad Mama Jama. What the two records have in common is that Carlton had terrible record company problems that killed his career. Despite that, he recorded two big hits though I would guess that many folks are familiar with She's a Bad Mama Jama, they may not know that Carlton recorded it. Of course the funny part is that both records are now owned by the same record company so you can get them on this comp. Carlton was an up and coming singer when he recorded for Back Beat Records in the late 60s. This label was owned by Don Robey who also owned Duke and Peacock. Carlton recorded an album for Back Beat. Then Robey sold everything to ABC Records in 1972. ABC picked up Carlton's contract and the 1974 single Everlasting Love reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Everlasting Love was a cover of Robert Knight's 1967 hit single. What Carlton was concerned about was royalties for his Back Beat album. Rather than go to court, ABC froze Carlton out until his contract expired. That wasn't going to be for a year and a half. Remember Carlton just had a big hit. So he couldn't get a record deal until singer songwriter Leon Haywood threw him a lifeline and got Carlton a record deal with 20th Century Records in 1981. The single She's a Bad Mama Jama reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also nominated for a Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male Grammy. Of course the song is memorable but I dunno if most folks know who recorded the song. Heywood produced the album, wrote She's a Bad Mama Jama and played keyboards on the album. So did George Duke and James Ingram and Ingram arranged the backup vocals. The problem was that 20th Century closed in 1982. And though Carlton recorded for RCA and Casablanca, his recording career was over in 1986. Both hits are owned by Universal so they are on this Hip-O Select comp. Carlton continued to perform live until he died on Dec. 12, 2025 at age 73. Here's Carl Carlton performing She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked) on Solid Gold 1981. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Natalie MacMaster

Artist:Natalie MacMaster

Song:Catharsis

Album:No Boundaries

Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster had chart success in Canada partially because of her looks. But mostly because the CRTC's Canadian Content (CanCon) regulations force broadcasters to play a percentage of CanCon. And they have to pay employees to keep track of it. Natalie was born June 13, 1972 in Troy, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island which has a long musical history. So she comes from a musical family including her uncle Buddy MacMaster. She took fiddle lessons with her cousin Ashley MacIsaac. She started performing at age nine. After self releasing a couple of albums, Natalie signed with Rounder Records in the US and Warner Bros. in Canada. Of course Rounder is a roots music label so they know how to sell this kind of music. But in Canada, Warners was counting on CanCon to get Natalie radio play and have her videos played on MuchMusic and CMT. Catharsis is from Natalie's 1997 album No Boundaries. It was her third album on Rounder/Warners. It was released as a single and as you can see, there's a video for the song paid for by VideoFACT which was funded by MuchMusic's parent company. The album was produced by recording engineer Chad Irschick meaning that Natalie produced it. Most of the songs including Catharsis are traditional. The musicians on that song are Ray Parker on keyboards, Michael Francis on guitar, Tom Szczesniak on bass and Brian Leonard on drums. Francis, Szczesniak and Leonard are all session musicians and they play on about half of the album. Guest vocalists include Runrig lead singer Bruce Guthro and Cookie Rankin from The Rankin Family. This album is available as a budget CD. Natalie has won two Juno awards and was named East Coast Music Association Artist of the Year several times. She is a member of the Order of Canada and was inducted into the Canadian Fiddle Hall of Honor in 2023. Natalie married fiddler Donnell Leahy of The Leahy Family in 2002 and they moved to Lakefield, ON which is near Peterborough. They have seven children and they record and tour together. They released a 2023 album on their own label distributed by Linus Entertainment. Here's the video for Catharsis by Natalie MacMaster.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Celso Fonseca

Artist:Celso Fonseca

Song:Slow Motion Bossa Nova

Album:Juventude/Slow Motion Bossa Nova

Singer songwriter Celso Fonseca has been a significant player in the post Bossa Nova era in Brazil since the 80s. At first he was an accompanist and a songwriter. He started recording as a solo act in the 90s. Slow Motion Bossa Nova from the 2002 album Juventude/Slow Motion Bossa Nova. At the time he was writing a lot of songs with Ronaldo Bastos. That's why Bastos' name appears on the cover despite the fact that he doesn't appear on the album. But he does own the record label Dubas Musica so he's executive producer of the album. Fonseca was born Nov. 16, 1956 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started playing guitar at age 12. His main influence was Baden Powell. Fonseca joined Gilberto Gil's band in 1981. For the next few years he recorded and toured with Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento and many others. And he produced Vinicius Cantuaria, Gilberto Gil and others. He recorded his first solo album in 1986. He started writing songs with Bastos in 1983. They wrote so many songs together that it took up three albums including the 2002 album Juventude/Slow Motion Bossa Nova. They wrote all the songs together and Fonseca produced the album. As I said, it is on Bastos' label Dubas Musica with Universal distribution. It's available as a digital download. Slow Motion Bossa Nova is probably Fonseca's best known song. So you should be able to find it on various artists collections of Brazilian music. Fonseca is still around. His 2015 album Like Nice was nominated for three Latin Grammys. That was his final album for Universal. He released the 2021 CD Nossa Musica on Joia Moderna. He still performs live in Brazil. Here's the video for Slow Motion Bossa Nova by Celso Fonseca.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melissa Manchester

Artist:Melissa Manchester

Song:Skylark

Album:Too Marvelous for Words: The Songs of Johnny Mercer: A Public Television Special

Of course Johnny Mercer is one of the all time great songwriters. Melissa Manchester's performance of Skylark is from the 1997 PBS TV special Too Marvelous for Words: The Songs of Johnny Mercer. This was released on VHS by MPI Home Video and they also released it on CD. The entire show can be streamed on YouTube. The show was produced and directed by Bob Marty who also produced Victor Borge shows. I think he worked a lot with PBS. The musical direction was by Peter Nero who also appears in the show. Among the performers are Johnny Mathis, Melissa Manchester, Margaret Whiting, The John Pizzarelli Trio and Peter Nero and His Trio. All perform multiple songs in different combinations except for Nero who led the band. The musicians are not identified so I don't know who played the trombone solo. Mercer wrote Skylark with legendary songwriter, pianist and actor Hoagy Carmichael. Mercer wrote the lyrics after his affair with Judy Garland. Carmichael based the melody on a Bix Beiderbecke cornet improvisation Bix Licks. There were plans at the time to turn the novel Young Man with a Horn into a Broadway musical. When that project failed, Carmichael contacted Mercer to write the lyrics. It took a while for Mercer to write the lyrics. Carmichael kept reminding him. He got the title Skylark from a billboard. Of course the lyrics are about Judy Garland. As tended to happen in those days, several artists recorded Skylark. Dinah Shore scored the biggest hit when her 1942 recording reached #5 on the Billboard pop charts. Other charted recordings were by Harry James with Helen Forrest on vocals, Glenn Miller with vocals by Ray Eberle and Bing Crosby. Today Skylark is a jazz standard. Carmichael recorded it on his 1956 album Hoagy Sings Carmichael. Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers recorded it on his 1962 album Caravan featuring Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Carmen McRae recorded it on her 1958 album Birds of a Feather. Here's Melissa Manchester performing Skylark on the 1997 TV special Too Marvelous for Words. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Martin Briley

Artist:Martin Briley

Song:The Salt in My Tears

Album:The Mercury Years

Occasionally, a record charts because it sounds like a big star. I call it "soundalike". British musician Martin Briley is mainly a studio musician. But in the early 80s, Briley recorded a couple of solo albums and scored a top 40 hit with the 1983 single The Salt in My Tears because it sounded like Phil Collins. It ain't just me. In his review of Briley's 1983 album One Night with a Stranger, Allmusic's William Ruhlmann said that Briley sounded like either Phil Collins or Sting. And that could be why Briley's attempt at a solo career failed. Briley was born Aug. 17, 1949 in London, England. He started playing and writing music when he was ten years old. He formed the band Mandrake and they signed with Parlaphone/EMI. But they only released two singles. Legendary producer George Martin hired Briley to work at his AIR Studio in London and Briley became an in demand session guitarist. Briley joined the progressive rock band Greenslade for two years. They recorded four albums for Warner Bros. and split up in 1976. Then Briley moved to New York and became a session and touring guitarist. The most notable act he toured with was Meat Loaf when the album Bat Out of Hell was hot. Then he signed a solo record deal with Mercury Records. He recorded three albums for Mercury. One Night with a Stranger was the second album in 1983. Briley sang, played guitar and wrote all the songs. Peter Coleman is credited as producer. But he's a recording engineer. So I assume that Briley produced the album too. The Salt in My Tears reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 mainly because MTV played the music video featuring actress Marie-Elise Grepne to death. She had recently appeared in the James Bond film Octopussy. Why didn't it chart higher? I think some thought it was a Phil Collins song. And when they found out it wasn't a Phil Collins song, they didn't want to here it anymore. The album One Night with a Stranger is out of print. You can get The Salt of My Tears on this comp which is available as a digital download. After his Mercury albums, Briley returned to songwriting and session work and he still does that today. I don't think he was distinctive enough to be successful as a solo act. The only reason this song charted is MTV liked the video. Here's the video for The Salt in My Tears by Martin Briley. 

 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jay Goede

Artist:Jay Goede f/Mark Linn-Baker

Song:Alone

Album:A Year with Frog and Toad: Original Cast Recording

Actor Jay Goede is probably best known as the voice of Mewtwo in the 1998 animated film Pokemon: The First Movie. He has also appeared in several Broadway musicals including the 2003 Tony nominated musical A Year with Frog and Toad. These days he teaches and seems to appear on a lot of fan conventions. Remember actors get paid to appear on them and also can make money on the side. He was born Nov. 2,1963 in Mound, MN. He liked to draw and he saved up enough to buy the book The Art of Walt Disney. He wanted to be an animator. So he attended the University as an art major. Then he switched to costume and set design. He started auditioning for plays during college. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Goede went to Yale School of Fine Arts and earned a Master of Fine Arts. Goede first appeared on Broadway in the 1993 play Angels in America. This was followed by the 1995 plays Sex and Longing and The Play's the Thing. He was looking to get into films. So he appeared in the 1998 film 54. And then he got the role of Mewtwo in the 1998 film Pokemon: The First Movie. He used the alias Philip Bartlett probably because the job was non union. That was not unusual in those days. It was rumored for years that the real Philip Bartlett died in 2001. But after fans contacted Goede, He confirmed using the alias. Then he appeared in the 2003 Broadway musical A Year with Frog and Toad. This was based on the children's books written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. His daughter Adrienne Lobel wanted to turn it into a musical. Her husband is actor Mark Linn-Baker who is best known for the 1982 film My Favorite Year and the sitcom Perfect Strangers. He wrote the script and appeared as Toad in the musical while Goede played Frog. The songs were written by Robert and Willie Reale. There was only five in the cast which is very small for a Broadway musical. It only ran on Broadway for two months. But it was enough to get the show a Tony nomination for Best Musical. The original cast album is available on CD. A national tour of the show was produced in 2007. Goede has done other Broadway shows like Miracle Brothers (2005). But these days he appears on a lot of Pokemon fan conventions. So I guess Mewtwo is his claim to fame. Here's Jay Goede with Mark Linn-Baker performing Alone on the 2003 Tony Awards broadcast. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cachao

Artist:Cachao

Song:Mambo

Album:Master Sessions Volume 1

Israel "Cachao" Lopez was a legendary Cuban bassist who is best known as the co-creator of the mambo and a master of the improvised jam sessions known in Cuba as descargo. After moving to the US in the 50s, he was mostly a studio musician until Cuban American actor Andy Garcia produced a documentary and got Lopez a record deal with a major label. This 1994 album was the first album of that deal. He was born Israel Lopez Valdez Sept. 14, 1918 in Havana, Cuba. He was from a musical family. His older brother Orestes "Macho" Lopez taught him to play bass and together they created the mambo. Lopez started out playing music for silent films and played bass with the Orquestra Filarmonica de La Habana. Then he joined the danzon band Arcano y sus Maraviillas and helped compose many danzone songs including the song Mambo. They wrote plenty of songs and also played standards like Somewhere Over the Rainbow. This band was very popular on radio in the 40s. But Lopez got tired of writing sheet music for every band member and left in 1949. He joined the orchestra for the Broadway style theater Blanquita Theater. In 1957, Lopez was part of an all night recording studio jam called descargas. This was the start of Cuban jazz and the resulting albums were very successful. But this was the height of Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution. Lopez' wife moved to New Jersey in 1958 and Lopez went to Madrid, Spain in 1962. After performing with Perez Prado, Lopez reunited with his wife in 1963 in New York and became an in demand sideman playing with Tito Puente and others. After a decade in New York, Lopez moved to Las Vegas and played in clubs. After releasing a couple of 1977 albums as a leader on Salsoul Records, Lopez moved to Miami and recorded with pianist Paquito Hechevarria. Then at the 1989 San Francisco Jazz Festival, Lopez was playing with Carlos Santana when Cuban American actor Andy Garcia asked him if he was interested in a tribute concert and a documentary. The concert was held on July 31, 1992 in Miami and the documentary Cachao...como su ritmo no hay dos was released in 1993. You can watch it on YouTube. Garcia directed the documentary and he contacted Miami Sound Machine leader Emilio Estefan Jr. and got him a record deal with Estefan's Crescent Moon label with Epic Records distribution. And that's when this 1994 album was released. Garcia produced the album but Lopez was musical director. All kinds of musicians played on the album including Paquito D'Rivera, Chocolate Armenteros and Jimmy Bosch. Volume 2 was released in 1995. Lopez recorded a couple more albums and received Grammy and Hall of Fame awards. He appeared with Bebo Valdes in Fernando Trueba's 2000 concert film Calle 54. That can be streamed on the Russian website ok.ru. Lopez' final appearance was on Gloria Estefan's 2007 album 90 Millas. Lopez died of kidney failure on Mar. 22, 2008 at age 89. His final concert was in Miami in 2007 and Sony released it as The Last Mambo in 2011. Here's the video for Mambo by Cachao. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Madness

Artist:Madness

Song:Our House

Album:Our House: The Best of Madness

The 1982 Madness single Our House was a top ten hit. It was the biggest hit in the US for the late 70s British Ska revival. It's probably more pop than many of the songs of that movement. The Specials were more successful in England but not elsewhere. Both are great bands. And for the record, I don't consider UB40 to be part of the Ska revival. They were straight Reggae. Madness was called The North London Invaders when they formed in 1976. They are from the North London area of Camden Town. The main band was Mike Barson on keyboards, Chris Foreman on guitar and Lee Thompson on sax. They added John Hasler on drums, Cathal "Chas Smash" Smyth on bass and Dikran Tulane on lead vocals. Graham "Suggs" McPherson took over as lead singer after seeing the band perform. Smyth left after arguing with Barson. McPherson was fired for watching soccer instead of rehearsing. Thompson left after Barson criticized his sax playing. Thompson and McPherson returned. Bassist Mark Bedford and drummer Dan Woodgate were added. They changed the band name to Morris and the Minors. Then it was changed to Madness as a tribute to Jamaican music legend Prince Buster. Then Chas Smash rejoined as a backup vocalist and dancer. Madness started playing London clubs and they released the single The Prince on 2 Tone Records owned by Jerry Dammers of the Ska band The Specials. After touring with The Specials and The Selecter, Madness released their 1979 album One Step Beyond on the New Wave label Stiff Records. They scored three top ten hits on the British charts and the album did well too. Stiff owner Dave Robinson got them to record an EP followed by the 1980 album Absolutely. The single Baggy Trousers reached #3 on the British Singles chart. Though they were successful, Madness thought that if they changed to a more pop direction, they could be more successful. And though they were criticized for that, the 1981 single It Must Be Love reached #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Up to this point, Stiff released Madness albums in the US. But when the 1982 album The Rise and Fall... did not get a US release and the single Our House reached #5 on the British Singles chart, Geffen Records signed Madness for the US and released the comp Madness. Our House was on that album and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Our House was written by Foreman and Chas Smash. McPherson sang lead. Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley were the producers. The horn and string arrangements were by David Bedford who had previously worked with Kevin Ayers and Mike Oldfield. You can get Our House on this comp. The decline of Madness started after Barson left in 1983. He was living with his wife in Amsterdam and had become reclusive from the band. Though he went along with Madness' changes at the time, he didn't like them any more than the critics. Barson was replaced by James Mackie and he appeared with Madness on a 1984 episode of Saturday Night Live. Then Madness left Stiff for Virgin and they just weren't as successful after that. They split up in 1986. McPherson led a regrouping of Madness. But it was unsuccessful and they split up again in 1988. Madness reunited throughout the 90s. There was even a jukebox musical called Our House which ran at London's Cambridge Theatre from Oct. 2002-Aug. 2003. They started performing as The Dangermen in 2004 and released an album in 2005. Then Madness started their own label in 2007. They currently have a distribution deal with BMG and they released their latest album in 2023. Madness still tours but they are a nostalgia act at this point. Here's the video for Our House by Madness.