AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Thin Lizzy

Artist:Thin Lizzy
Song:The Boys Are Back In Town
Album:Dedication: The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy




Thin Lizzy was probably one of the most underrated bands of the 70s. Their biggest hit was The Boys Are Back In Town in 1976. They had other hits in England but that was their one big hit in the US. Thin Lizzy were from Dublin, Ireland. In 1969, former Them guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixton were looking to form a new band. They saw the band Orphanage with singer Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. Lynott agreed to form Thin Lizzy on the condition that he play bass and writes the songs. That turned out to be a very good decision because Lynott turned out to be a great songwriter. They released a single in 1970 and Wrixton left Thin Lizzy to return to Them. They didn't replace him at the time and Thin Lizzy signed with Decca Records in 1971. They moved from Dublin to London. Their first two albums didn't sell. Then they toured England with the popular band Slade and Suzi Quatro. At the same time, Decca released their recording of the Irish folk song Whiskey In The Jar. it was a top ten hit in England and Thin Lizzy appeared on the popular TV show Top Of The Pops. Subsequent singles didn't chart and Eric Bell left in 1973. After a couple of short term replacements, the band hired guitarists Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham through auditions. The twin guitars turned out to be Thin Lizzy's trademark. Then they signed a new record deal with Phonogram in England and Mercury in the US. They toured the US for the first time with Bob Seger and then toured Europe with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Then Thin Lizzy finally broke through with the 1976 album Jailbreak. The Boys Are Back In Town reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is still very memorable today especially when it was used in the hit Disney film Toy Story. But then Lynott got sick with hepatitis and they were forced to cancel their tour. Then Brian Robertson got into a bar fight. Lynott was upset about this and eventually replaced him with Gary Moore. Though they continued to be a good live draw, Thin Lizzy's albums weren't selling well. Moore left in 1979. Lynott started working on solo projects and he left in 1981 and Thin Lizzy split up in 1985. You can get all their hits on this comp. Phil Lynott died in 1986 as a result of his heroin addiction. Brian Downey and Scott Gorham have led a touring band of Thin Lizzy. But they released a CD in 2013 as Black Star Riders. They didn't want to use the Thin Lizzy name out of respect to Lynott's memory. They still tour as Thin Lizzy. Here's Thin Lizzy performing The Boys Are Back In Town on Top Of The Pops 1976.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington

Artist:Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington
Song:In A Mellow Tone
Album:The Great Summit: The Master Takes





When Duke Ellington's career was revitalized in the late 50s, he decided to be more open to collaborating with other jazz legends including Count Basie, John Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins. After all, he wasn't getting any younger. One would have thought that over the years Ellington must have recorded with Louis Armstrong. But Ellington never did that with anyone and he had never recorded with Armstrong. So it was a big deal when producer Bob Thiele got them to record together on Apr. 3, 1961 in New York City. This was for Roulette Records. The two days of recording sessions were released by Roulette on two LPs. Together For The First Time was released in 1961 and The Great Reunion was released in 1963. Fortunately you can get them all on one CD. The band on these recording was the current edition of Louis Armstrong and his All Stars. There was Barney Bigard on clarinet, Trummy Young on trombone, Mort Herbert on bass and Danny Barcelona on drums. All the songs are from Ellington's catalog. In A Mellow Tone aka In A Mellotone was first recorded by Ellington in 1939. Because Ellington was under contract to Columbia at the time, this led to Roulette allowing Count Basie to record with Ellington soon after. And Bob Thiele produced Ellington's albums with Coltrane and Hawkins at Impulse Records. So Thiele deserves a lot of credit for getting Ellington to record these important albums. The current version of The Great Summit available on CD as The Master Takes was released by Blue Note in 2001. In 1990, a Complete Sessions CD was released with a second CD of outtakes. But that version is out of print. This album is obviously a must for any jazz fan as it is the only time these legends recorded together. Here's a video of In A Mellow Tone by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Meiko Satomura

This is the match video of Io Shirai defending her World Of STARDOM Championship against Meiko Satomura. This was the main event of the July 11 show at Korakuen Hall. Though STARDOM really tries to sell Meiko as a legit title challenger, she really isn't anymore. There was no way Meiko was going to win this match. But she can still go and she has great chemistry with Io. Io sells a knee injury during the match. She's not really injured. I like the 619 that Io does around the ring post. I don't think I have seen her do that before. Midway through the match, Io is in trouble. But Meiko wastes time and just stands there instead of going for the pin. Then she takes Io to the floor and gives her what John Cena calls an Attitude Adjustment. But Meiko doesn't bring her back into the ring for the pin. And then when Io is back in the ring, Meiko goes to a rear chinlock rest hold. Look, if STARDOM wants fans to think Meiko can win, they have to have her show some urgency. Of course the tide turns and Io uses some of her trademark moves like moonsaults and German suplexes to win and retain her title. Yoshiko won a four way contender's match earlier in the show. She will get the next title shot. Despite my nitpicking, I enjoyed the match and I think you will too.
World of Stardom Title Match by cmrankin

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kindred the Family Soul

Artist:Kindred The Family Soul
Song:Everybody's Hustling
Album:A Couple Friends





They may not be as well known as Neo Philly Soul acts like The Roots and Jill Scott. But if you're a fan of that kind of music, you're going to want to check out Kindred The Family Soul. Everybody's Hustling is from their brand new CD A Couple Friends. Kindred The Family Soul is the husband wife team of Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon. Both grew up in Philadelphia. Dantzler started out writing songs for Bell Biv Devoe. Aja was a backup singer. They met and married and Dantzler worked as an appliance salesman while the two worked local clubs. Jill Scott spotted them and took them to her label at the time Hidden Beach and they released their debut CD Surrender To Love in 2003. Kindred The Family Soul have had modest R & B chart success. They just haven't been able to break through to a larger audience. They recorded three albums for Hidden Beach. A Couple Friends is their second CD on Shanachie Records and it was released last month. They work with all the top producers in Philadelphia including Vidal Davis, Andre Harris and James Poyser. Kindred the Family Soul write all their own material. Everybody's Hustling was co-written and produced by Steve McKie who is the drummer for singer Vivian Green. Kindred The Family Soul are currently touring to promote their new CD. If you are a fan of Neo Philly Soul, they are a hidden gem worth checking out. Here's the video for Everybody's Hustling by Kindred The Family Soul.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Claudia Gadelha vs Tina Lahdemaki

Here's the match video of Claudia Gadelha vs Tina Lahdemaki from last night's UFC show in Atlantic City. The fight was on UFC Fight Pass so I assume a lot of fans didn't see it. I expected a mismatch as Claudia is a lot more experienced and is a BJJ champ. Both are undefeated but Tina hasn't faced the same level of competition. Most of Claudia's fights have been at 125lb. She cuts a lot of weight to get to 115. This was an issue when her last Invicta fight was canceled because she got sick after weigh ins. And then it was decided that she would skip TUF20 because it would be tough for her to make 115 three times in six weeks. That's why we got the first UFC Strawweight fight. Claudia seems to be much bigger than Tina. I understand she puts on about 20lbs after weigh ins. She uses this size advantage to dominate Tina in round one. But Tina shows good defense and Claudia is unable to finish her. Claudia won the other two rounds as well. I scored the fight 30-27 for Claudia. But like a lot of Brazilian fighters, she doesn't pace herself well and has endurance problems. She's going to have to work on that because there are elite fighters in the UFC Strawweight division who will be able to tire her out especially over five rounds. And as good as Claudia is, that is a major achilles heel. I expect Claudia to get a UFC Strawweight Championship shot against whoever wins TUF20. As for Tina, I don't think good defense is enough for her to hang in the UFC. Maybe she needs to move to the US to get a higher level of training. She needs to raise her game but I don't know if she can do that. In her next fight, I would like to see Claudia face stiffer competition. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Leslie Smith vs Jessamyn Duke

Here's the fight video of Leslie Smith vs Jessamyn Duke from last night's UFC show in Atlantic City. A few days ago, Jessamyn admitted that she wasn't aggressive enough in her loss to Bethe Correia. She said that would be fixed in this fight against Leslie Smith. It wasn't. She didn't look any different in this fight. And with something to prove to UFC brass, Leslie was going to finish or crash and burn trying. And Leslie proved once again that her record is misleading because she has improved tremendously over the last couple of years. And she likes to fight top fighters. Some people think Jessamyn is a top fighter but maybe she isn't. I think some like her story that she could have been a model and chose fighting instead. And some assume her height is an advantage. It would be an advantage if she knew how to use her height. And of course she is part of the Four Horsewomen and they are very popular. And I think we all remember her fight vs Raquel Pennington on TUF18. But the girl who fought Berthe Correia and Leslie Smith doesn't look like the same fighter. She is very tentative and she needs to get that aggression back or she won't be in the UFC very long. What's wrong with her? Usually when a fighter's problem seems puzzling, it's not a physical problem. To me, she looks like she is thinking too much about what she wants to do instead of just using her instincts. And a lot of fighters won't admit they aren't thinking straight. Jessamyn said she solved her problem. This fight proved otherwise. She needs to stop kidding herself and figure it out. She also broke her hand blocking one of Leslie's kicks so she will have plenty of time to think about things. The fight was almost over at that point so it meant nothing. One thing is for sure. It was a great win for Leslie Smith. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Louis Armstrong

Artist:Louis Armstrong
Song:A Kiss To Build A Dream On
Album:The Complete Collection





Though jazz trumpet legend Louis Armstrong always sang, by the 60s he was singing more than playing trumpet. A lot of this was because his recording of Hello, Dolly topped the charts in 1964. I think most folks will be familiar with Armstrong's recording of A Kiss To Build A Dream on from the 1993 film Sleepless In Seattle. Armstrong recorded A Kiss To Build A Dream On in 1951 and he had a top twenty hit with the song. A Kiss To Build A Dream On was originally titled Moonlight on the Meadow. Legendary songwriters Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar wrote it for the 1935 Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera. But it wasn't used. It sat in the MGM vault until Oscar Hammerstein II wrote new lyrics for the melody and changed the title to A Kiss To Build A Dream On in 1949. The song was used in the 1951 film The Strip starring Mickey Rooney. Louis Armstrong and his All Stars appeared in The Strip. They recorded A Kiss To Build A Dream On but it wasn't used in the film and was not released by Decca. But then Armstrong recorded the song with Sy Oliver's orchestra and that version reached #16 on the pop charts in 1951. And that's the version you will get on this 2CD British comp. Armstrong also performed the song with Bing Crosby on the TV show The Chesterfield Hour. I wish there was a video clip of that. In 1952, A Kiss To Build A Dream On by Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra featuring vocals by Johnny Parker reached #10 on the pop charts. The song became a regular part of Armstrong's shows and it is on plenty of 60s live recordings. Of course you can always get the soundtrack for Sleepless In Seattle. I think that's where a lot have heard Armstrong's recording of the song. Here's Louis Armstrong performing A Kiss To Build A Dream On in Sweden 1962.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patsy Gallant

Artist:Patsy Gallant
Song:From New York To L.A.
Album:Greatest Hits





Patsy Gallant had success mostly in her native Canada. But From New York To L.A. was a worldwide hit mostly in dance clubs. Patsy's music was never released in the US and that's why the song never charted there. She was born Aug. 15, 1948 in Campbellton, NB. As a child, she sang with her sisters as The Gallant Sisters. She moved to Montreal and in her early days, she mostly sang jingles. But she also starred in the Radio-Canada TV variety series Smash. This led to a record deal with Columbia Records Canada. She recorded the 1972 album Upon My Own with producer Yves Lapierre and musicians like Doug Riley and Steve Kennedy of Dr. Music. The single Get That Ball charted in Canada. She recorded a couple of French albums and then recorded the 1974 album Power in Nashville with producer Bob Gallo. Columbia dropped her and Patsy signed with the Canadian label Attic Records. The 1976 album Are You Ready For Love was distributed worldwide by EMI but the US branch chose not to release it. The album was produced by percussionist Ian Robertson and pianist Dwayne Ford, drummer Marty Simon and guitarist Robert Cohen played on the album. Patsy arranged the vocals. From New York To L.A. was a top ten hit in Canada, England, Ireland, South Africa, Norway and Australia. And it was a big dance hit. But there was also controversy. The song is based on the Quebec separatist anthem Mon Pays written and recorded in 1964 by Gilles Vigneault. The vapid English lyrics were credited to Gene Williams. When the record was released, folks in Quebec were outraged that someone would do this to an iconic song like Mon Pays. And Vigneault disowned it. Patsy writes a lot of her own songs. They had to know that this would be controversial in Quebec. So it wouldn't surprise me if Gene Williams is a phony name. Sugar Daddy was Patsy's other top ten hit in Canada. This comp from Unidisc has all her hits. Patsy married Dwayne Ford and the two produced more music. But disco was dead by the mid-80s and Patsy moved to Paris to appear in musical theater. She had a successful run in the 90s appearing in the Luc Plamondon show Starmania. She moved back to Canada in 2005 and it looks like she also has a residence in France. She has appeared as a mentor on the French TV talent contest show Star Academy. Here's the video for From New York To L.A. by Patsy Gallant.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jon Secada

Artist:Jon Secada
Song:Just Another Day
Album:Greatest Hits





Just Another Day was the biggest hit for Jon Secada. It was the first single from his 1992 debut CD Jon Secada. It was all downhill from there. He's done well in the Adult Contemporary market and especially in the Latin market. He was born Juan Francisco Secada Martinez Oct. 4, 1962 in Havana, Cuba. His family moved to Hialeah, FL when Secada was age 8. He attended the University of Miami and planned to become a jazz singer. This changed when Gloria Estefan hired him as a backup singer in the late 80s. Gloria and her husband Emilio Estefan discovered that Secada had a real knack for songwriting. He wrote several songs for Gloria's 1991 CD Into The Light including the smash hit Coming Out of the Dark. This led to a contract with the Capitol/EMI label SBK. SBK was owned by EMI but run by veteran music executive Charles Koppelman. SBK had a lot of hits at that time but they were absorbed by Capitol and SBK has been inactive since 1998. It was at this time that Juan Secada legally changed his name to Jon Secada. His 1992 debut CD Jon Secada was produced by Emilio Estefan. It reached #15 on the Billboard 200 and was certified 3XPlatinum. The debut single Just Another Day reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Latin music chart and it was a big hit worldwide. Secada wrote the song with his frequent songwriting partner Miguel Morejon. When a debut is that big, it's hard to maintain. And though Secada never had another top ten pop hit, he continued to have success mostly in the Latin music market. You can get all his EMI hits on this budget comp. Secada moved to Sony in 2000 and after three CDs, he started his own production company. His most recent CD was released in 2011 but according to Secada's Twitter, he is working on new music. It was also rumoured late last year that he would have a residency at Wynn Las Vegas. But it's not clear if that actually happened. Here's the video for Just Another Day by Jon Secada. There are two videos for this song. This one was posted by EMI Music on Youtube. Gloria Estefan briefly appears in the video.

Jessica Andrade vs Valerie Letourneau set for Sept. 13 UFC show in Brazil

Jessica Andrade

The UFC announced today that Jessica Andrade vs Valerie Letourneau has been added to UFC Fight Night 51 Sept. 13 in Brasilia, Brazil. This will be Jessica's first time fighting in Brazil since she joined the UFC. She's looked good in her last couple of fights and I expect her to be the favourite in this fight. She has looked more like the fighter I saw fight in Russia last year. Valerie is from Montreal. She won her UFC debut over Elizabeth Phillips last month. Both fighters were injury replacements but Valerie had earlier notice. I have seen Valerie several times over the last few years and this win didn't convince me that she is more than a midcard fighter. And I thought she was terrible in TUF 18. It's interesting because for most of her career, Valerie has fought in Canada and has had the crowd behind her. Now she is going into enemy territory and the crowd will be behind Jessica. And one bit of advice for Valerie. Be sure to get visas for your corner guys. I like Jessica in this fight. She has more tools.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keni Burke

Artist:Keni Burke
Song:Risin' To The Top
Album:Changes





Risin' To The Top is a song that is frequently sampled by hip hop guys and today is hailed as an R & B classic. You've probably heard it but I'm sure you don't know who recorded it. Keni Burke has been in the music business since he was a child. He's an in demand session musician who had brief success as a solo artist in 1982 with Risin' To The Top. He was born Sept. 28, 1953 in Chicago. As a child, he was a member of The Five Stairsteps. They were a family group and of course they had a smash hit with Ooh Child in 1970. Burke played bass. The group disbanded and Burke went on tour with Billy Preston. He introduced Burke to George Harrison. The Five Stairsteps reformed and released the 1976 album 2nd Resurrection on Harrison's Dark Horse label. They split up again but Burke signed as a solo artist for Dark Horse and released the 1977 album Keni Burke. Burke also became a session musician working with all kinds of acts. Burke signed with RCA Records and the 1982 album Changes was the second of his two RCA albums. Risin' To The Top hit the R & B charts but it didn't do well enough for Burke to remain at RCA. But the song has become a cult hit and has been sampled by many hip hop guys. The most notable example is the 1988 Doug E. Fresh hit Keep Risin' To The Top. Burke wrote the song with his pal Allen Felder and Chic singer Norma Jean Wright. Changes is available as a budget CD. Though Burke wouldn't record again until 1998, he remained active as a session musician and producer with acts like The Jones Girls, The O'Jays, Mavis Staples and The Whispers. He is still doing that today. And I'm sure royalty cheques for Risin' To The Top still roll in. Here's a video for Risin' To The Top by Keni Burke.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bebo & Cigala

Artist:Bebo & Cigala
Song:Viente Anos
Album:Lagrimas Negras





Before Fernando Trueba's 2000 documentary Calle 54, most of us only knew that Bebo Valdes was the father of legendary Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes. We also knew that Bebo lived in Sweden for many years. But Bebo's performance with his son in Calle 54 showed that Bebo could really play. So Trueba started his own Calle 54 label with RCA distribution. And his first signing was Bebo Valdes. Trueba brought in Spanish singer Diego El Cigala to record with Valdes. Cigala was born Diego Ramon Jimenez Salazar Dec. 27, 1968 in Madrid, Spain. The nickname El Cigala means Little Prawn. He was very thin so the name was a gag. He was unknown outside of Spain. Trueba brought him to New York City to record the 2003 album Lagrimas Negras. It seems like an odd pairing because Valdes is old enough to be El Cigala's grandfather. But it sure turned out great. They perform mostly Cuban standards like Viente Anos which was written by Cuban music pioneer Maria Teresa Vera. And there are guest appearances by Cuban sax player Paquito D'Rivera, Cuban percussionist Changuito, Spanish guitarist Nino Josele and Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso. The album was highly acclaimed. It did so well that Trueba decided to record a live CD and DVD with the duo. It's pretty cool for a guy like Bebo Valdes who was 83 years old at the time. Of course Diego El Gigala is still very successful in Europe. Bebo Valdes continued to enjoy a career renaissance including a 2008 album with his son Chucho. But he started suffering from Alzheimer's and died on Mar. 22, 2013 at age 94. Here's Bebo & Cigala performing Viente Anos from their DVD.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Don Drummond

Artist:Don Drummond
Song:Roll On Sweet Don
Album:The Best Of Don Drummond





As a studio musician and founding member of The Skatalites, trombonist Don Drummond was a key figure in the development of Jamaican music in the early 60s. Sadly, mental health issues led to his 1969 death. So he is somewhat of a forgotten legend. He was born Mar. 12, 1932 in Kingston, Jamaica. He started out as a jazz musician in the early 50s. But by the late 50s he was a studio musician working for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. Drummond wrote over 300 songs and played on hundreds of records in the early days of ska. And he was a member of The Skatalites when they were formed in 1964. And they were one of the most important groups in Jamaican music history. Occasional songs like Roll On Sweet Don were released as Don Drummond as opposed to The Skatalites. The guys never knew what Dodd would do with the songs. Drummond wrote Roll On Sweet Don with Skatalites sax player Roland Alphonso and there may have been some debate about whose name would be on the record label. You can get it on this comp that was first released in 1989 and re-released in 2011. There is a different song originally called Heaven and Earth that was retitled Roll On Sweet Don after Drummond's death. Drummond suffered from manic depression and his erratic behaviour earned him the nickname Cosmic Don. The Skatalites and Drummond's career came to an end when Drummond was arrested on New Year's Day 1965 for the murder of his exotic dancer girlfriend Marguerita Mahfood. Her body was found in his home with mutiple stab wounds. Drummond was declared legally insane and committed to a mental hospital. He died there on May 6, 1969 at age 37. There have been various theories about Drummond's death. But in the 2013 biography Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist, author Heather Augustyn says Drummond's death was caused by his medications. So of course the hospital wanted to cover it up. BTW, Delfeayo Marsalis wrote the forward to this book. So a sad and premature end to a musical pioneer. Here's a video for Roll On Sweet Don by Don Drummond.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie Rabbitt

Artist:Eddie Rabbitt
Song:I Love A Rainy Night
Album:The Platinum Collection





I Love A Rainy Night was Eddie Rabbitt's biggest hit and signature song. It topped the pop and country charts in 1980. Rabbitt is from New Jersey and first came to Nashville in 1968. He had success as a songwriter with the 1969 Elvis Presley hit Kentucky Rain and the 1974 Ronnie Milsap hit Pure Love. He signed with Elektra Records in 1975. His first number one country hit was Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind) in 1976. From then, he started appearing regularly in the country top ten. The song that crossed him over to pop was the theme to the 1979 Clint Eastwood film Every Which Way But Loose which topped the country charts and reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. The next single Suspicions reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1980 album Horizon would turn out to be the most successful album of Rabbitt's career. It was certified Platinum. And I Love A Rainy Night was the biggest hit single of his career as it topped the country and pop charts. The song recalls Rabbitt's truck driving days in the 60s. Rabbitt kept all his old demo tapes in his basement. He would sometimes listen to them looking for songs he could use. He brought the demo of I Love A Rainy Night to producer David Malloy and frequent songwriting partner Even Stevens and they helped him finish it. The rest is history. Stevens recorded a solo album in 1977 but turned to songwriting and wrote many hits with Rabbitt. Some of you may have heard I Love A Rainy Night on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Horizon was Rabbitt's final album for Elektra. He continued to have success recording for Liberty, RCA and Capitol until the late 80s. His final number one country hit was On Second Thought in 1989. You can get all of Rabbitt's Elektra hits on this budget comp. Warners chose not to license his post-Elektra hits but they have licensed them for other comp CDs. Also be aware that Rabbitt re-recorded his hits for Intersound Records in the 90s. Watch out for that. It was after recording that album that Rabbitt was diagnosed with lung cancer and died on May 7, 1998 at age 56. Here's Eddie Rabbitt performing I Love A Rainy Night on Solid Gold 1980.

Analysis of Invicta 8 full card for Sept. 6

Michelle Waterson

As was already announced, all future Invicta shows will be on UFC Fight Pass. So if you already subscribe to it like I do, there is no extra charge for Invicta shows. The UFC says they will still attempt to get foreign broadcast deals for Invicta. But Fight Pass is available everywhere so I don't know why any foreign broadcaster would pay for Invicta. The first show will be Sept. 6 in Kansas City and they are claiming that they will run shows every other month. That seems a little ambitious to me but we'll see. The biggest news is not who is on this show but who isn't. And that of course is Cris Cyborg. The original plan was for her to face Ediane Gomes for the Invicta 145lb title and then Cyborg planned to drop to 135. So I guess Cyborg has accelerated those plans. Here's the thing about Cyborg. Has she ever said she wants to drop to 135? Nope. She treats it like an unpleasant obligation and she plans to fight as few fights as possible at 135. But as UFC president Dana White said on the weekend, last year they offered the same deal to Cyborg that they offered to Ronda Rousey. That was an eight fight deal. And until Cyborg wants to commit to 135 long term, I don't know if she will be able to make 135. So the UFC has Cyborg front and center on the Fight Pass website and she's not on this first show? Most fans will be disappointed with that. The show has two title fights. Michelle Waterson will defend her Invicta Atomweight Championship against former Valkyrie Featherweight Champion Yasuko Tamada. I will assume the original plan was a rematch with Jessica Penne but she's on The Ultimate Fighter 20. Though Tamada has been around a long time, most fans here will not be familiar with her because all her fights have been in Japan. Her record is 15-8-3 and she trains with Megumi Fujii at AACC. The key phrase is she used to be a champ but not since Valkyrie closed. So she's an OK fighter but I think she's past her prime. She's also very thin even for a 105lb fighter. I always look at her and think she should eat something. I don't know what makes Invicta think she deserves a title shot. The other title match is for the vacant Invicta Strawweight Championship. It will be Stephanie Eggink vs Katja Kankaanpaa. Stephanie trains at Gracie Tampa and her record is 4-1. She's worked for the XFC for the last couple of years. I guess her visibility makes Invicta think fans are familiar with her so she deserves a title shot in her debut. She's a decent fighter but no. Katja is from Finland and her record is 9-1-1. She's also a decent fighter. I guess the main question is do they really need to fill this title vacancy immediately. How about a tournament? Ediane Gomes will face Tanya Evinger at 135lb. Gomes recently announced plans to drop to 135. But I thought that would happen after the Cyborg fight. She's bigger than Tanya but Tanya is very crafty. They are doing a rematch from several years ago. It will be Roxanne Modafferi vs Tara LaRosa. I understand that both fighters are very popular. But as I have said in the past, I don't like nostalgia booking and that's what this is. Peggy Morgan will face Irene Aldana at 135lb. Peggy was on TUF18. I didn't think much of her. She's tall. Aldana is an unknown from Mexico. Her record is 4-1 but she lost her last fight in Brazil. Veronica Rothenhausler will face Charmaine Tweet at 155lb. Some think Veronica has potential but she had trouble making 145lb the last time she was supposed to fight in Invicta. Charmaine is a Canadian kickboxer with a 5-4 MMA record. She normally fights at 145lb. She's game but that doesn't mean she's good. I don't think there are enough 155lb fighters for a weight class. So at some point, Veronica will have to come to terms with making a lighter weight. In the other fight on the main card, Michelle Ould will face DeAnna Bennett. Michelle is a great fighter. But she hasn't fought for almost two years mostly due to illness. DeAnna is from Utah and has a 4-0 record but this will be her first fight for a national promotion. In the prelims, Alexa Grasso will face Ashley Cummins. Alexa is from Mexico. Her record is 4-0 but this will be her first fight outside Mexico. She's 20 years old so there's that. Ashley is from St. Louis. Her record is 3-2. I think a lot of fans remember her getting clobbered by Joanne Calderwood a couple of years ago. That kind of loss is tough to get over. Jodie Esquibel will face Jinh Yu Frey. In 2013, Jodie won a split decision over Liz McCarthy that a lot of fans thought she lost. Then she lost by submission to Alex Chambers. Jinh is from Alington, TX and has a 2-0 record. This will be her major promotion debut. And finally J.J. Aldrich will face Delaney Owen. J.J. is from Denver. She has had several amateur fights but this will be her pro debut. Delaney is from Clearwater, FL and is 2-0. This will be her major promotion debut. I'm not crazy about the main card. I don't think Michelle Waterson's popularity as The Karate Hottie is enough for the main event when most fans have not heard of her challenger. And though I know ACs don't like one night tournaments, I think a 115lb one night tournament could have added some sizzle to this show. This show lacks sizzle.

Cat Zingano vs Amanda Nunes added to UFC 178 Sept. 27 in Las Vegas

So everyone has been asking me who will be the next challenger for Ronda Rousey's UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. This morning we got the answer when Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports reported that number one contender Cat Zingano will face Amanda Nunes. The winner is likely to face Ronda at the UFC's annual New Year's show in Las Vegas. This will be on UFC 178 Sept. 27 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This was the show that was supposed to be in Toronto but I guess Nevada forked over plenty of cash to get the show. I expect this fight will be on the main part of the PPV. Of course the big question is what will Cat be like post knee surgery. Not to mention her husband's suicide. I know she wanted the title match she was promised. But I always thought it would be better for her to take another match first. Since Ronda broke her hand on Saturday, she finally decided to take a different match. Of course this isn't a gimme. Amanda Nunes is from Bahia, Brazil and she currently trains at MMA Masters in Miami. She has won both her fights in the UFC by TKO. I think this has the potential to be a barnburner. And whoever wins deserves a title shot.

Three matches added to Aug. 9 DEEP JEWELS show

Shizuka Sugiyama, Song Hyo Kyung

DEEP JEWELS has added three matches to their Aug. 9 Shinjuku FACE show. This show will be headlined by a DEEP JEWELS Lightweight Championship match between MIZUKI and Emi Tomimatsu. Shizuka Sugiyama will drop to Welterweight to fight Korean kickboxer Song Hyo Kyung. Sugiyama previously fought at Bantamweight. So she's dropping from 135 to 125. Someone asked me if she would ever drop to 115. I don't think so. She's too big. Song is yet another CMA Korea sacrificial lamb kickboxer with an 0-4 MMA record. And those fights were at 115. This fight does nothing for Sugiyama because she hasn't won over a credible opponent in years. I guess the dirty old men still like her. In a Lightweight match Amiba will face Sachiko Fujimori. Amiba is 7-3. With the DEEP dojo closing, she is now training at AACC. Fujimori is 3-0 and trains at Brightness Monma which is owned by veteran fighter Hidetaka Monma. Her last win was over Shiori Hori on the Feb. 16 DEEP JEWELS show. In a Featherweight match, veteran Masako Yoshida will face relative newcomer Mina Kurobe. Yoshida has been around for years. She trains at Fight Chix and her record is 18-19. Kurobe is 2-0 and now trains at Master Japan which is owned by one time UFC fighter Kuniyoshi Hironaka. The now retired HIROKO trained there. Kurobe's last win was over Tomo Maesawa at the Mar. 30, 2013 JEWELS show. So this is kind of a restart for her as she has moved to a new dojo. They also added a couple of grappling matches including one with Saori Ishioka vs Yukiko Seki. I guess that one is also for the dirty old men. The last DEEP JEWELS show was on UStream iPPV. Last week on The Fight Network podcast Bauer & Pollock, former WWE writer and current Ring Of Honor staffer Court Bauer said that UStream is getting out of the iPPV business because when things go wrong, they don't have the customer service to handle problems. This is a potential problem for DEEP JEWELS, Dragon Gate and New Japan Pro Wrestling who all use UStream. The website Voices Of Wrestling posted further info this morning. As of Oct. 1, 2014, UStream will no longer carry individual iPPVs. I guess they are going to encourage these companies to use their Enterprise Pro service. So it appears they are changing their iPPV service as opposed to ending it. I'm sure we will get the next DEEP JEWELS PPV on UStream but we don't know what will happen after that. But I don't think iPPVs on Ustream are going away completely.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charley Pride

Artist:Charley Pride
Song:Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'
Album:The Essential Charley Pride





Today Charley Pride is hailed as a pioneer for blacks in country music. But back in the 60s, RCA Records was so skittish about Pride being accepted by country music fans, they issued no publicity photos of him when they released his early records. Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' is Pride's signature song and the only one of his hits to cross over to pop. He was born Mar. 18, 1938 in Sledge, MS one of eleven children of sharecroppers. Pride played guitar but his dream was to play professional baseball. He pitched for the Memphis Red Sox of the Negro American League in 1952. He signed with the New York Yankees Class C farm team the Boise Yankees in 1953. An arm injury derailed Pride's baseball career. After two years in the US Army and failed tryouts with the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Mets, Pride turned to music. Red Sovine brought Pride to Nashville and Chet Atkins signed him to RCA in 1966. Pride's manager Jack D. Johnson was concerned that Pride wouldn't be accepted by country music fans because he's black. So no publicity photos were released with Pride's early singles. When his third single Just Between You And Me was a top ten country hit, they decided it was safe to take the covers off of Pride. In 1967, he was the first black to perform on the Grand Ole Opry since the 40s. Then Pride had a string of number one country hits and was one the biggest country music stars of the 70s. Kiss An Angel Good Mornin' was the biggest of those hits as it crossed over to pop and reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Ben Peters. Peters wrote several Pride hits and also wrote the 1975 Freddy Fender hit Before The Next Teardrop Falls. When Pride's career slowed down in the 80s, he left RCA in 1986. You can get all his RCA hits on this budget comp. Since then Pride has recorded for small labels. His latest CD was released in 2011. His autobiography was published in 1994. Pride still tours. He has had to slow down a bit after he had vocal cord issues in 1997. He's still a big baseball fan and is a minority owner of the Texas Rangers. Pride and his wife Rozene live in Dallas. There have been plans to do a Charley Pride biopic for some time, first starring Terence Howard, then Dwayne Johnson announced plans to star and produce a Pride biopic in 2011. There has been no progress since then. Here's Charley Pride performing Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Daryle Singletary

Artist:Daryle Singletary
Song:I Let Her Lie
Album:Now and Again





Neo-traditional country singer Daryle Singletary owes most of his success to country music star Randy Travis who got him a record deal. Singletary had three top five country hits in the mid-90s including I Let Her Lie in 1995. Singletary is still around but he hasn't recorded since 2009. He was born Mar. 10, 1971 in Cairo, GA and he grew up singing in church. He moved to Nashville after graduating from high school. Singletary became a demo singer and one of those demos got the attention of Randy Travis. Travis recommended Singletary to his management team and soon after, Singletary signed with Giant Records. Giant president James Stroud produced Singletary's 1995 debut CD Daryle Singletary. I Let Her Lie was the second single and it reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. The song was written by Tim Johnson who worked frequently with Rory Lee Feek of Joey + Rory. The two produced teen country singer Blaine Larsen. Johnson died in 2012. Singletary's two other top five hits were Too Much Fun in 1995 and Amen Kind Of Love in 1996. Giant dropped him after none of the singles from his 1998 CD Ain't It The Truth were hits. Singletary signed with Audium/Koch and released Now and Again in 2000. This is a greatest hits CD with some new music. He continued to record for Koch until E1 bought them in 2005. Singletary last recorded in 2009 but he still tours. It's doubtful that he can return to his 1995 success. Here's the video for I Let Her Lie by Daryle Singletary.

How a minor part failure turned into a major repair

Occasionally I need repairs for this powerchair and for the most part, I am very happy with H.M.E.'s service. But this latest repair was such a headscratcher that I must write about it. The picture I am posting simply shows where the battery compartment is on a Quickie Xperience powerchair. It's a metal box that holds two batteries. I was going down Lakeshore in April when I heard something dragging behind me. It turned out that the rear door of the battery box opened on its own. Obviously I have to get that repaired. For one thing, I can't see it or reach it so when that happened, I had to get someone to close it. A repair guy from H.M.E. came out and said the door is spring loaded and shouldn't open like that. A part inside the door failed. He used plastic ties so the door would stay closed. So I thought that they could order the appropriate parts and it's a small repair. No big deal. Then we discover that the manufacturer doesn't sell these parts separately. They don't even sell the rear door separately because it is permanently attached to the battery box. But they do sell the front door separately. So in order to fix this, they would have to replace the entire battery box. So now it's a much bigger and more expensive repair. And the problem is that it's a time consuming repair. They want to take it into the shop and give me a loaner. After having one of their loaners in January for a major repair, that's something I want to avoid because their loaners are terrible. I told them the only way I would allow this repair would be on my terms. It's not an emergency repair but I want it done. Part of the problem was I was getting mixed signals about whether this repair could be done in the field. One issue is they give their service techs too many calls with too little time for a lengthy repair like this. There is also the question about whether the field techs have the knowledge to do this repair. So finally I was called by Steve. He is not a field tech. He does repairs at the shop. He wanted to pick up the chair early on July 4, take it back to the shop and return it to me later that day. He would leave me a manual chair to get around my apartment. But he was sick on Friday. Yesterday I was told that someone would come to my place and do the repair here. I questioned that because of what I was previously told. But David, who is apparently a new service manager at H.M.E., arrived at 1PM. He looked at the chair and said the repair would take less than an hour. He took it down to his truck and brought it back in less than an hour. He also replaced the batteries. So why was there so much wrangling over this repair? David said that if they had decent loaners, it would never have been a problem. He's already thrown some of their loaners in the garbage. So he will improve that. Part of the problem is this is a very unusual repair and some field techs have never done it. He agrees that the length of time a repair takes should be considered when scheduling field techs. Now they just load them up with calls. He plans to change that. So why doesn't the manufacturer sell the inside door parts? That would save a lot of time and money. He says those parts just don't fail very often so there's no call for them. I wonder about that. The box itself is just a box and shouldn't need replacement. The failure was a part inside the door, not the battery box. I am told the box is not built by the chair manufacturer. I guess that would explain it. At least the repair was finally done.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Cardigans

Artist:The Cardigans
Song:Lovefool
Album:Best Of





The Swedish group The Cardigans are best known in North America for Lovefool from the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet. They are a much bigger deal in Europe. The Cardigans were formed in Jonkoping, Sweden in 1992. Guitarist Peter Svensson and bassist Magnus Sveningsson were tired of heavy metal music and decided to form a pop group with singer Nina Persson, keyboard player Lars-Olof Johansson and drummer Bengt Lagenberg. After their first two CDs were successful in Europe, The Cardigans signed a US record deal with Mercury Records for the 1996 CD First Band on the Moon. Romeo + Juliet director Baz Luhrmann asked The Cardigans to write a song for the film. He didn't like the first song they sent. He said it was too dark. Nina wrote the words for Lovefool while sitting in an airport waiting room. Lovefool was a big hit internationally and it was certified Gold. They continued to have success in Europe with the 1998 CD Gran Turismo. But Lovefool was their only big hit in North America. This comp is a good intro to their music. The Cardigans went on hiatus in 1999 and returned with the 2003 CD Long Gone Before Daylight. They split up again after the 2005 CD Super Extra Gravity. That is their most recent CD. The Cardigans have toured Europe recently but have no plans to record new music. Nina Persson released her debut solo CD in Feb. 2014 and has recorded with A Camp, Sparklehorse and The Cake Sale. Peter Svensson is mainly a producer these days and he formed Brothers Of End with Lagerberg. They have released two CDs and have a new one coming out this year. Here's the US video for Lovefool by The Cardigans. There is a UK video but I like this one better.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sarah Moras vs Alexis Dufresne

Here's the video for Sarah Moras vs Alexis Dufresne from last night's The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. This match was on UFC Fight Pass so I would assume that many folks didn't get to see it. Both fighters were making their UFC debuts but Sarah has more experience and has fought a higher level of competition. She was on The Ultimate Fighter 18 but was injured for the finale. Alexis was 5-0 but hadn't fought anyone notable. There have also been concerns in the past about her making weight. And those concerns were validated when Alexis couldn't make 135lb. The fight was fought at a Catchweight of 143lb. Alexis is bigger than Sarah and is supposed to be accomplished at Brazilian Ju Jitsu. So I expected her to control the fight. But in MMA, when a fighter gets top position, she is supposed to advance that position. Long time readers will know how much I hate lay and pray. Of course the problem is who knows how judges are going to interpret that sort of thing. So Alexis took Sarah down but never advanced her position. She didn't seem to be trying to advance her position. Meanwhile Sarah was very active from the bottom and wore Alexis out by the end of round one. So I scored round one 10-9 for Sarah. Getting top position is not enough for me. Alexis needed to do more and didn't. She wasn't any better in round two and Sarah got top position herself a couple of times. So I scored round two 10-9 for Sarah too. Alexis got top position again in round three. Sarah wasn't as effective from the bottom so I scored that round 10-9 Alexis. The judges gave the fight to Sarah Moras by unanimous decision. So they didn't like Alexis Dufresne's performance either. She needed to do more in top position and she just didn't do it. In the future, Alexis needs to make weight and it doesn't look like her conditioning is the best. She will have to prove that she is better than her performance in this fight. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Derwood Brown and his Musical Brownies

Artist:Derwood Brown and his Musical Brownies
Song:Bring It On Down To My House
Album:Wizards of Country Guitar: Selected Sides 1945-1955


Derwood Brown was a guitarist in the band led by his older brother Milton Brown. Along with Bob Wills, Milton Brown was a pioneer of Country Swing. When Milton Brown died in a 1936 car crash, Derwood Brown attempted to keep the Musical Brownies going but was ultimately unsuccessful. Melvin Derwood Brown was born Sept. 29, 1915 in Stephenville, TX. At age 12, he started playing guitar professionally with older brother Milton Brown. Derwood was in the Aladdin Laddies, the Light Crust Doughboys and then the Musical Brownies. After Milton Brown's death, he took over the Musical Brownies and recorded for Decca in 1937. But he wasn't able to keep the band together. Guitarist Bob Dunn left and was replaced by Lefty Perkins. Derwood shared lead vocals with Jimmie Davis and banjo player Ocie Stockard. All three of them sing on Bring It On Down To My House. The Decca recordings didn't sell so the band split up. All 14 Derwood Brown and his Musical Brownies songs are on this 4CD box set featuring Country Swing guitarists like Lefty Perkins and Bob Dunn. Perkins and Brown joined Billy Boyd & his Cowboy Ramblers. And Brown attempted to reform the Musical Brownies in the 40s. Derwood Brown led a dance band that had a weekly radio show in Denton, TX in 1946. When that ended, he quit the music business and worked in Colorado oil fields. Derwood Brown died on Dec. 24, 1978 at age 63. Here's a video for Bring It On Down To My House by Derwood Brown and his Musical Brownies.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Davis

Such as it is, here's the video for Ronda Rousey vs Alexis Davis from last night's UFC show. Though I expected Ronda to win this fight in the first round, a sixteen second finish is extraordinary. Afterwards, Ronda said the overhand right knocked Alexis out but she didn't go down. After a knee to the body, Ronda woke her up with a judo throw and pounded her in the head until ref Yves Lavigne stopped the fight. So Ronda has learned to keep going until the ref steps in. Alexis woke up and thought the fight was still in progress. She tried to grab Ronda and then Lavigne. She has to watch the video because she doesn't know what happened. She literally didn't know what hit her. There was some controversy during the post match interview. Joe Rogan was told by the UFC production truck to ask Ronda if she would be willing to fight again in three weeks at UFC 176. The main event was scrapped when Jose Aldo got hurt. I had heard a rumour a few days ago that the UFC was going to ask Ronda to fight at UFC 176. This was fueled by Ronda saying this week that she would be willing to step up on short notice if asked. You can see in the background that UFC president Dana White is furious. He said afterwards he was upset that Ronda was put on the spot and that somebody in the truck is in big trouble. Ronda is not fighting at UFC 176. She has minor knee surgery planned and a gash on her knuckle needed nine stitches. Apparently her overhand right caused that. That's why she wanted a quick finish. I expect we will see her fight at the year end UFC show in Vegas against Cat Zingano. I don't know who she'll face after that. A lot of these girls are like Alexis Davis. They are good fighters but none can compete with Ronda. She's at a higher level and she's improving. Who would have thought two years ago that she could get a knockout finish? Maybe she has silenced all her haters. Nah, you can't silence morons. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rosemary Clooney

Artist:Rosemary Clooney
Song:Why Shouldn't I
Album:The Reprise Years





Though Rosemary Clooney was very successful recording novelty songs like Come On-a My House for Columbia Records producer Mitch Miller in the 50s, she hated those songs and really wanted to be a jazz singer. So she left Columbia in 1958 for MGM. At the same time, she became addicted to prescription drugs and her marriage to Jose Ferrer was headed for a 1961 divorce. After recording a few albums for MGM and then Coral Records, she moved to RCA in 1959. RCA tried several things with Rosemary including pairing her with Bing Crosby on the 1960 album How The West Was Won. They also had her record children's songs and country songs. While she was going through her divorce, Rosemary began a relationship with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle who was best known for his work with Frank Sinatra. They first worked together on the 1961 album Rosie Solves The Swingin' Riddle!. They recorded the album Love in 1961 but RCA decided not to release it and they dropped Rosemary. Riddle asked Frank Sinatra to sign Rosemary to his new label Reprise. He did that and bought the masters for Love from RCA. Why Shouldn't I is a Cole Porter song written for the 1935 musical Jubilee. Reprise released Love and Rosemary recorded two more albums for Reprise. Then she split up with Riddle and remarried Ferrer and left Reprise. She divorced Ferrer again in 1966 and suffered a nervous breakdown in 1968. This Rhino comp covers Rosemary's Reprise recordings. Rosemary Clooney's career was revived when she signed with Concord in 1977 and they let her record jazz. She re-recorded Why Shouldn't I on the 1985 album Rosemary Clooney Sings Ballads featuring jazz musicians like Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton and Ed Bickert. Rosemary Clooney continued to record for Concord until her 2002 death. Here's Rosemary Clooney performing Why Shouldn't I on the March Of Dimes show 1961. I may look at her jazz albums in the future but the video influenced my look at her 60s recordings.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Rodriguez

Artist:Johnny Rodriguez
Song:You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)
Album:Introducing Johnny Rodriquez/All I Ever Meant To Do Was Sing




Johnny Rodriguez was probably the first Latino country music star in the 70s. He was also one of the youngest. You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) was the first of his six number one country hits in 1973. He was born Dec. 10, 1951 in Sabinal, TX which is near the Mexico border. Rodriguez grew up singing in church and was captain of his high school football team. After his father died of cancer and then his older brother Andres died in a car accident, Rodriguez got into trouble and landed in jail in 1969 for an unpaid fine. He sang while in his cell and Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson told local promoter Happy Shahan about him. Rodriguez was hired to perform at the local tourist attraction Alamo Village. He was spotted by Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare and they brought him to Nashville. Rodriguez toured with Hall's band for a couple of years and they started writing together. Hall got Rodriguez a record deal at Mercury Records and Rodriguez recorded his 1973 debut album Introducing Johnny Rodriguez with veteran producer Jerry Kennedy. Rodriguez and Hall wrote several songs together for the album including You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me). Rodriguez was not only the first Latino to top the country charts but at the time he was the youngest male artist to top the country charts. That's a record that stood until it was eclipsed by Hunter Hayes in 2012. Rodriguez had six number one country hits. But he faded by the late 70s and left Mercury for Epic in 1979. He didn't have the same success at Epic and after a 1986 album for Capitol, he recorded for smaller labels. Normally I would recommend a Johnny Rodriguez comp CD but the Mercury released comps are all less than a half hour long. And Rodriguez has re-recorded his hits for labels like K-Tel so you don't want that. So I suggest this twofer of Rodriguez' first two albums from the British reissue label Hux Records. Johnny Rodriguez still tours and released the CD Live From Texas in 2012. But obviously he's now a nostalgia act. Here's Johnny Rodriguez with Tom T. Hall performing You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me) on Pop Goes the Country 1979.

Analysis of The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast

The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast

Yesterday the UFC announced the sixteen Strawweight female fighters who will be on The Ultimate Fighter 20. The coaches will be Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis. Late last year, the UFC bought 11 fighters from Invicta. The April tryouts were to fill out the remainder of the cast. Three of the 11 fighters will not be in TUF. Paige Van Zant is under 21 so she is too young. Didn't they notice that? Brazilian Juliana Lima doesn't speak English but based on her age and record, they probably shouldn't have signed her. The biggest blow is that Claudia Gadelha, who could possibly win the whole thing, was excused over concerns she would have difficulty making 115 on a quick turnaround. Because she has fought most of her career at 125, I think Claudia safely making 115 still has a question mark after it. Remember she got sick after weigh ins for her last Invicta fight. Look, she has a lot of talent. She's a BJJ champ. But she probably shouldn't fight at 115 if making weight is going to be a regular problem. She has a fight in a couple of weeks so we'll see how that goes. The other fighters who were bought from Invicta were Emily Kagan, Carla Esparza, Felice Herrig, Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood, Bec Rawlings, Rose Namajunas and Tecia Torres. Obviously Carla was the Invicta champ and should be the favourite. But remember it's a crapshoot so anything is possible. I would have picked Claudia if she was part of TUF. So now let's look at the other eight fighters. I've seen Heather Jo Clark several times. She has fought mostly for the XFC. Her record is 6-4. Sometimes she's good and sometimes she's not so good. She hates Felice Herrig so expect a lot of drama from her. Aisling Daly is from Ireland. She has fought recently for Cage Warriors. Her record is 14-5. She usually fights at 125 but has also fought at 115. Lisa Ellis is a veteran who normally fights at 105. She could be overmatched at 115 at this level of competition. And she hasn't fought since she gave birth. She would be annoyed with me that I even mentioned either of those things but somebody has to. She's a badass at 105 but maybe not a badass at 115. Same thing with Jessica Penne. She was the Invicta Atomweight Champion. She's really good at 105 but I haven't liked her at 115. I just watched Justine Kish vs Randa Markos from the Jan. RFA show. Both of them have fought heavier but are trying to make 115. And Justine missed weight for that fight. She won the fight. Justine is mainly a kickboxer. Randa is from Windsor, ON. Angela Magana has been around for several years but she seems to get hurt at the worst times. She's a decent fighter but has never fought for a national promotion. And finally, Angela Hill is a 22 year old kickboxer trying to break into MMA. Her MMA record is 1-0 but she has a 14-0 amateur Muay Thai record. She has potential but because she lacks MMA experience, I don't know if she should be in TUF. Going to Invicta to gain experience might be a better spot for her. TUF will film for the next six weeks and then debut on Fox Sports 1 and Sportsnet 360 in Sept. The winner of TUF 20 will be the UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. It should be fun.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fantasy

Artist:Fantasy
Song:You're Too Late
Album:The Best Of Fantasy: You're Too Late





Fantasy had a brief run on the dance and R & B charts in the early 80s. You're Too Late was their biggest hit in 1981. It topped the Dance chart. Fantasy was put together in a New York City recording studio by producer Tony Valor. Valor was born in Sicily but he grew up in Brooklyn. He started out singing on street corners. But by the mid-70s, he was an executive at Brunswick Records, a once proud label now trying to hang on by producing disco records. Valor's first big hit was Maryann Farra & Satin Soul's Do Those Little Things in 1976. He also recorded as Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra which was supposed to be similar to what Barry White was doing at the time. He discovered that this kind of music was very popular in Europe. Valor left Brunswick and worked with Carol Douglas (Doctor's Orders) at Paula Records in 1978 and the group Soccer in 1979. Valor started Pavillion Records in 1980 with Columbia Records distribution and formed Fantasy. Disco music was becoming more R & B based and Fantasy's music reflected that. You're Too Late topped the Dance chart in 1981 was named the top disco record of the year by Billboard. Fantasy was never intended to perform live. They were strictly a studio group. Tamm E. Hunt was lead singer. Other members were Ken Roberson, Rufus Jackson and Carolyn Edwards who were all dancers. Roberson is still a choreographer in New York. Fantasy recorded two albums and this comp covers those albums. Valor attempted to revive the Fantasy name in 2003 with some of the same songs but it's not the same group. Tony Valor doesn't produce much music anymore but he still owns a publishing company. Here's a video for You're Too Late by Fantasy. Thanks to Bernard Lopez of discomusic.com for the Tony Valor info.

Sara McMann vs Lauren Murphy set for Aug. 16 Bangor show

Sara McMann

The UFC announced today that Sara McMann will face Invicta veteran Lauren Murphy on UFC Fight Night in Bangor, ME Aug. 16. Sara is hoping to rebound from losing to UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey. We all know that Sara has a silver medal in wrestling from the 2004 Olympics. We all know how tough that can be. But I haven't seen enough aggression or intensity from her to think she will ever be an MMA champ. I understand she is a very nice person and a great mom and all that stuff. But she needs to be nasty in the cage. And I don't know if she has that in her. Lauren Murphy is the Invicta Bantamweight Champion. I guess she's not anymore. She's from Alaska and has a 8-0 record. She's a pretty good striker but she wasn't tested on the ground in her three Invicta matches. And she was actually losing her championship match to Miriam Nakamoto when Miriam blew out her knee and the match was stopped. I'm not sold on her yet. I would favour Sara to win if she takes Lauren down. it also shows why I would have preferred that Zuffa buy Invicta because the pretense of Invicta being anything but a UFC feeder would be over. Instead they will keep telling us that Invicta contracts are worth the paper they they are printed on when they obviously are not. That whole charade should end.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins

Artist:Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins
Song:The Way You Look Tonight
Album:The Definitive Sonny Rollins on Prestige, Riverside, and Contemporary




Jazz legends Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins recorded together when Monk was briefly on Prestige Records in the early 50s. Rollins wasn't as well known as Monk at the time but would soon become a major player on the jazz scene. The Way You Look Tonight is from the 1954 album Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins. Monk went from Blue Note to Prestige in 1952. His first album The Thelonious Monk Trio featured Max Roach and Art Blakey on drums. Meanwhile Rollins signed with Prestige and released Sonny Rollins and the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1953. The Way You Look Tonight was one of three songs recorded for the 10 inch mini-LP Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk Quartet and then later on the LP Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins. There are two songs on that LP that do not include Rollins. Other musicians on The Way You Look Tonight are Tommy Potter on bass and Art Taylor on drums. Monk also appeared on one song on the 1954 Rollins album Movin' Out. And Rollins appeared on three songs on the 1954 album Monk. Later Rollins appeared on the 1956 Monk album Brilliant Corners. This was Monk's final album for Prestige as he had already left for Riverside Records. You would think that some enterprising record company would license the Monk/Rollins recordings and release a Complete Sessions CD. But that hasn't happened. Until it does, I suggest you check out this 2CD Sonny Rollins comp. It's a very good intro to his 50s recordings. There is a similar Thelonious Monk Prestige Records comp but it is too expensive. And Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins is available on CD but is also too expensive. With the exception of Brilliant Corners, the recordings they made together are spread across several albums and a complete recordings CD is in order. Jazz labels did this kind of random stuff all the time. Here's a video for The Way You Look Tonight by Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Belinda Carlisle

Artist:Belinda Carlisle
Song:Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Album:Her Greatest Hits





Belinda Carlisle became famous as the lead singer of the all girl band The Go-Gos. She had success as a solo artist after she left the group. Heaven Is A Place On Earth was her only number one hit in 1987. She was born Aug. 17, 1958 in Hollywood, CA. She was the oldest of seven siblings. Her mother remarried after her father abandoned the family. But she didn't get along with her stepfather. So she left home after graduating high school and got into the local punk music scene. She was supposed to be lead singer of The Germs as Dottie Danger. But she got sick and dropped out of the band. She formed The Go-Gos with Jane Weidlin in 1978 and they had success with songs like We Got The Beat. But Weidlin left in 1984 and then Belinda left and The Go-Gos split up in 1985. Her 1986 solo debut Belinda did well and Mad About You reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her 1987 album Heaven On Earth did even better. For one thing, Belinda changed to a more mature look with longer darker hair. And this appealed to older listeners and she not only did well in pop but in Adult Contemporary. Heaven Is A Place On Earth topped the charts and was a worldwide hit. The album was produced by Rick Nowels who had worked with Stevie Nicks. He wrote Heaven Is A Place On Earth with Ellen Shipley. She recorded three albums from 1979-83 and then became a backup singer and songwriter. BTW, the guy in the video is Belinda's husband. That album was so successful, it was going to be difficult to follow it up. The 1989 album Runaway Horses did OK but Belinda was starting to fade. She never had another big hit after this though she continued to release new music until 1997. You can get all her hits on this budget comp. Belinda Carlisle still tours and has also reunited The Go-Gos occasionally. Her latest CD Live From Metropolis Studios is a re-recording of her hits. Obviously she is now a nostalgia act. Here's the video for Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlisle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bireli Lagrene

Artist:Bireli Lagrene
Song:Daphne
Album:My Favorite Django





French guitarist Bireli Lagrene started out as a teenage Django Reinhart impersonator. He has played other kinds of music including fusion. But he always returns to Reinhardt as he did with this 1995 CD My Favorite Django. He was born Sept. 4, 1966 in Soufflenheim, France in a gypsy family. His father played guitar and was a big Django Reinhardt fan. Lagrene started playing guitar at age five. After winning a music competition in Strasbourg, Germany, he went on tour and recorded his debut album in 1980. By the mid-80s, Lagrene moved to the US. His biggest influence there was guitarist Larry Coryell who got him working with guys like Miroslav Vitous and Jaco Pastorius. He recorded four albums for Blue Note from 1988-92. Though he continued to play jazz fusion, Lagrene always returned to his first love Reinhart. This 1995 album My Favorite Django was Lagrene's first album of a long relationship with Dreyfus Jazz. It's a jazz fusion interpretation of Reinhart with arrangements by keyboard player Koono with veteran sidemen Anthony Jackson on bass and Dennis Chambers on drums. This is available as a budget CD. In 2001, Lagrene returned to a more traditional style with The Gipsy Project with Hono Winterstein on guitar, Diego Imbert on bass and frequently with accordionist Richard Galliano. Thomas Dutronc, the son of french pop stars Jacques Dutronc and Francoise Hardy, also appears occasionally. Lagrene's latest CD Mouvements was released Sept. 2012. He is currently touring Europe. He is recommended to those who enjoy the Reinhardt style. Here's Bireli Lagrene with accordionist Richard Galliano performing Daphne at the 2002 Montreux Jazz Festival.