AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Artist:The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Song:Anemone

Album:The Singles Collection 1992-2011

The Brian Jonestown Massacre got attention in their early days mostly because the band name was controversial. Normally it's not a name I would recommend. But they were never supposed to be commercially successful. They just wanted to be around for a long time. It's likely that if they had a generic name, they wouldn't have lasted. Anton Newcombe formed The Brian Jonestown Massacre in 1990 when he lived in San Francisco. He's the lead singer, main songwriter and guitarist. He's also the only original member of the band. Everyone else is disposable. He's a control freak which is not unusual in bands like this. The band name is supposed to be a lexicon. It's a tribute to Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones mixed with the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. Well, it got the band noticed. There's nothing unusual about the band's sound. They are similar to other bands of the era like My Bloody Valentine. Anemone is from the 1996 album Their Satanic Majesties Second Request. Newcombe wrote and produced everything. These days he records for his own label. They recorded one album for a major label in 1998 and it didn't go well. Their deal was supposed to be for multiple albums and after disappointing sales, it was cancelled. This 2CD comp has all their singles up until 2011. The Brian Jonestown Massacre released their latest album in 2023 and they tour regularly. So they are a successful indie band which may be all Newcombe wanted in the first place. Here's The Brian Jonestown Massacre performing Anemone at the 2025 Glastonbury festival. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rude Boys

Artist:Rude Boys f/Gerald Levert

Song:Written All Over Your Face

Album:Rude Awakening

The 1990 single Written All Over Your Face topped the R&B charts and crossed over to the pop top twenty. It was the only big hit for the R&B band Rude Boys. They were from Cleveland and formed in 1987. Members were Larry Marcus, Melvin Sephus and brothers Edward Lee "Buddy" Banks and Joe Little III. They were discovered by Gerald Levert and he got them a record deal with Atlantic Records. Of course Levert was a Cleveland native and son of Eddie Levert of The O'Jays. Not only was he a successful recording artist but he had an eye for talent and liked to develop new artists. Rude Boys debut album Rude Awakening was released in 1990. Written All Over Your Face was the second single and it topped the R&B Singles chart and reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next single Are You Lonely for Me also topped the R&B charts. Billboard named Written All Over Your Face the top R&B single of 1990. Larry Marcus wrote and produced Written All Over Your Face and played guitar. Banks and Little sang lead. Levert made a guest appearance to give the song a boost. Marcus wrote half the songs on the album. That didn't seem to sit too well with Little. So for the 1992 album Rude House, he wrote more of the songs. But the album wasn't successful and Little left Rude Boys and released a solo album on Atlantic in 1994. Atlantic dropped Rude Boys but they released an album on the British label Warlock in 1997. And that was the end for Rude Boys. Here's the video for Written All Over Your Face by Rude Boys. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Tossers

Artist:The Tossers

Song:No Loot, No Booze, No Fun

Album:The Valley of the Shadow of Death

The Tossers is a Celtic punk band from Chicago. They call themselves The World/s Loudest Folk Band. They have been around since the early 90s. The leader of The Tossers is lead singer, songwriter and mandolinist Anthony "T" Duggins. He had been playing Irish folk songs in Chicago pubs since he was a teen. But he was a big fan of The Pogues and he started the similar band The Tossers in 1993 with his brother Aaron Duggins who plays tin whistle and accordion. Guitarist Brian Dwyer suggested the band name The Tossers which is Irish slang for a worthless person. After self releasing a couple of albums, they signed with the Chicago based indie label Thick Records. They were on that label from 2000-05. Then they switched to another Chicago based indie label Victory Records. No Loot, No Booze, No Fun is from the 2005 album The Valley of the Shadow of Death. It was their first album on Victory. The band membership is fluid. But the core members are the Duggins brothers and guitarist Mike Pawula. T. Duggins writes all the songs. The other members on this album were Rebecca on fiddle, Clay Hansen on banjo, Dan Shaw on bass and Anthony "Bones" Broderick on drums. The producer is Andy Gerber who is a guitarist and owns a recording studio. He has produced several Tossers albums. This album is available as a budget CD. The Tossers have toured with Murphy's Law, The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. And they even got to open for The Pogues on St. Patrick's Day in New York 2007. The Tossers last released new music in 2017. They still have a Facebook page. And Anthony Duggins has a new band called The Banshees. They just released a new album and played Chicago's Riotfest festival. So I guess The Tossers are no more. Here's the video for No Loot, No Booze, No Fun by The Tossers.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Ravyns

Artist:The Ravyns

Song:Raised on the Radio

Album:Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Music from the Motion Picture

Most folks should remember the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High as it was very successful. So was the soundtrack album. One of the singles from the album was Raised on the Radio by The Ravyns. You don't remember them? You shouldn't as that song was their most significant recording. They don't even have a Wikipedia page. The Ravyns were from Baltimore formed in 1979 by singer and guitarist Rob Fahey and keyboardist and singer Kyf Brewer. Both guys wrote songs. Fahey was in the band Hollis Ferry and they released an album in 1977. Brewer led the band Climbadonkey. They recorded an album but it wasn't released. The other members of Climbadonkey were Bobby Hird on guitar, Lee Townsend on bass and John Tracey on drums. So The Ravyns were Climbadonkey with a new lead singer. By the time The Ravyns released a 1981 EP, Vince Crist replaced Tracey. Then they split up. But Fahey, Brewer and Townsend reformed The Ravyns with David Bell on guitar and Tim Steele on drums. And that's the lineup that recorded Raised on the Radio. A demo landed in the hands of Full Moon Records owner Irving Azoff. And he liked the song enough to put it on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack. It was the third single released and it did well enough that The Ravyns signed with MCA Records. They released an album in 1985 which contained Raised on the Radio. But the album didn't sell and MCA dropped The Ravyns. Fahey's attempts to reform The Ravyns over the years have gone nowhere. They last released an album in 2014. Brewer was a member of Company of Wolves in the 90s. These days he leads the band Barleyjuice which is rock with an Irish twist. Here's the video for Raised on the Radio by The Ravyns. Thanks to 4AD Wiki for The Ravyns bio. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Edwards

Artist:Bobby Edwards

Song:You're the Reason

Album:20 Greatest Country Hits 1961

Bobby Edwards scored a top five country hit with the 1961 single You're the Reason. It crossed over and was a top 20 pop hit. Edwards had one other chart single so he is not technically a one hit wonder. He was born Robert Edward Moncrief Jan. 18, 1926 in Anniston, AL. His father was a preacher. As Bobby Moncrief, he recorded Long Gone Daddy for Pappy Daly's D Records in 1958. Then he covered Tex Ritter's 1945 hit Jealous Heart for Bluebonnet Records. Then Edwards went to Los Angeles to try and get a record deal. He met songwriter Terry Fell who got him a deal with Crest Records. They were owned by Gary Walker and Slim Williamson. Williamson was a musician so he produced the music. Edwards wrote You're the Reason with Fell. Fell wrote the Red Steagall classic Truck Drivin' Man. Then Edwards got together with Darrell Colton, Gib Guilbeau and Ernie Williams. They called themselves Darrel, Gib & Ernie. Once Wayne Moore was added, they backed up Edwards on You're the Reason and they were billed as Bobby Edwards & the Four Young Men. You're the Reason reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Then it crossed over to pop and it reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get You're the Reason on this various artists budget comp. In those days, when small labels scored a hit, they usually sold the contract to a major label. Crest sold Edwards' contract to Capitol Records. They chose to release the soundalike record What's the Reason and it reached #71 on the Billboard Hot 100. Edwards had no success after that. Edwards went home to Anniston and opened a recording studio. He recorded a couple of gospel albums in the 70s. Edwards moved to Smyrna, TN. in 2000 and he died on July 31, 2012 at age 86. Here's a video for You're the Reason by Bobby Edwards.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Marvelettes

Artist:The Marvelettes

Song:Please Mr. Postman

Album:Deliver: The Singles 1961-1971

The Marvelettes topped the charts with the 1961 single Please Mr. Postman. This was also Motown's very first number one hit. So it's unfortunate that The Marvelettes became an afterthought once The Supremes became popular. But that's because Motown owner Berry Gordy had a thing for Diana Ross. Everyone else got the leftovers. Well, Gordy was the boss. He could do what he wanted. The Marvelettes were formed in 1960 at Inkster High School in the Detroit suburb of Inkster, MI by Gladys Horton. She formed the group with fellow glee club members Katherine Anderson, Geoergeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart and high school graduate Georgia Dobbins. They called themselves The Marvels. And after finishing fourth in a local talent show, they auditioned for Motown. After the first audition for Brian Holland and Robert Bateman, they auditioned for Gordy and Smokey Robinson. Gordy asked them to come up with a song. Georgia contacted local songwriter William Garrett. He wrote a blues song called Please Mr. Postman. He told Georgia she could use the song as long as he got credit if it was a hit. She turned it into a song appropriate for teens. Then Georgia left the group under pressure from her father. That left Gladys in charge and Wanda Young was brought in to replace Georgia. They signed with Motown but Gordy changed the group name to The Marvelettes so people would know they are a girl group. Holland, Bateman and Motown songwriter Freddie Morgan reworked Please Mr. Postman. Holland and Bateman produced the record and it topped the charts. As I said, this was Motown's first number one single. The Marvelettes had mixed success after that. The 1962 single Playboy was a top ten hit. But they weren't all that successful other than that. Plus they were always on tour doing The Motortown Revue. Juanita Cowart left in 1963 and Georgeanna Tillman left in 1964. So now they are down to a trio. In 1965, The Marvelettes made a comeback with the top ten hit Don't Mess with Bill written and produced by Smokey Robinson. That was their final hit and The Marvelettes disbanded in 1970. This 2CD budget comp has all their singles. Juanita Cowart is the only surviving member of The Marvelettes. Georgeanna Tillman died in 1980. Gladys Horton died in 2011. Georgia Dobbins died in 2020. Wanda Young died in 2021. Katherine Anderson died in 2023. Here's The Marvelettes performing Please Mr. Postman. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Stephanie Vaquer vs Kairi Sane

Here's the match video of Stephanie Vaquer vs Kairi Sane from last night's episode of RAW. This began with the contract signing of the WWE Women's Championship match with Stephanie vs IYO SKY on this Saturday's Wrestlepalooza. Asuka interjects and volunteers Kairi vs Stephanie later in the show. Well, obviously Stephanie won't lose before this weekend but Kairi got her offense in. Asuka got involved too. The match was very good and Stephanie won with the Devil's Kiss followed by the SVB. Afterwards, Asuka confronted Stephanie and IYO came down to separate them. I don't know who will win on Saturday. But I expect Asuka to get involved what happens afterwards should be very interesting. So far, Asuka's heel work has been excellent. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wadsworth Mansion

Artist:Wadsworth Mansion

Song:Sweet Mary

Album:AM Gold: Early '70s Classics

Sweet Mary Was a top ten hit in 1971. It was the only chart single for Wadsworth Mansion. So it is a one hit wonder. They only recorded one album. I think it's one of those songs that folks remember but they know nothing about the band. Wadsworth Mansion was from Providence, RI led by Steve Jablecki on guitar, keyboards, lead vocals and he wrote Sweet Mary. His brother Mike Jablecki played drums. Other member were Wayne Gagnon on guitar and John Poole on bass. Wadsworth Mansion is in Connecticut. They signed with Sussex Records which was owned by Clarence Avant. Bill Withers was the best known artist on Sussex and he successfully sued Avant for royalties. There's a documentary about Avant on Netflix. Sweet Mary was the first single and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in Feb. 1971. You can get it on this Time Life various artists comp. This was followed by the album Wadsworth Mansion. Jablecki wrote most of the songs on the album including Sweet Mary. The album was produced by Jim Calvert and Norm Marzano. It doesn't like either produced anything else of note. Subsequent singles failed to chart. Wayne Gagnon was replaced by Howie McDonald in Jan. 1972. They recorded four songs for the next album when Mike Jablecki was replaced by Charlie Flannery. After a brief tour, Wadsworth Mansion split up in Aug. 1972. Steve Jablecki and Howie McDonald moved to Los Angeles to reform Wadsworth Mansion. A producer asked them to change the name to Slingshot but the band never recorded. Other than that, the members of Wadsworth Mansion left the music business. Here's a video for Sweet Mary by Wadsworth Mansion.