Carla Esparza vs Randa Markos added to Feb. 19 UFC show

The UFC announced today that Carla Esparza vs Randa Markos has been added to UFC Fight Night 105 Feb. 19 at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax, NS. This show will air on Fox Sports 1 in the US and TSN in Canada. The intriguing thing about this is these two don't like each other going back to TUF 20. After Randa beat Carla's best friend Felice Herrig on the show, Carla and Randa did some verbal sparring on the talk show that followed TUF. But the two have never faced each other in the cage. Of course Carla won TUF and became the first Strawweight Champion. Then she had shoulder surgery after losing the belt to current champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She successfully returned last May with a win over Juliana Lima. Recently she has been in the news for selling the Harley-Davidson motorcycle she won on TUF due to financial hardship brought on by her long layoff after her surgery. Carla is a four time All American wrestler and she trains at Alliance in San Diego. Randa is from Windsor, ON and she trains at Michigan Top Team in Dearborn, MI. She's a pretty good wrestler but she makes mistakes that cost her matches. And that's what happened when she lost to Cortney Casey in August. She went for one of those dreaded headlock takedowns and gave up her back. She can't do that against Carla. Of course the trash talk leading up to the fight could be interesting if Randa participates.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Soul Rebels Brass Band

Artist:Soul Rebels Brass Band
Song:Rebel Rock
Album:No Place Like Home: Live In New Orleans



The Soul Rebels Brass Band are an updated version of the traditional New Orleans brass band with elements of jazz, hip hop and R&B. You may have seen them on the HBO series Treme. Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss were drum majors at Texas Southern University. They met tuba player Damion Francois as members of Milton Batiste's Olympia Brass Band. In 1991, they decided to start their own band with Tannon Williams and Marcus Hubbard on trumpet and Winston Turner on trombone. While sharing a stage with The Neville Brothers, Cyril Neville called them "soul rebels" and the name stuck. They became the house band at the New Orleans club Le Bon Tomps Roule and they perform there when they aren't touring. They released their debut CD in 1995. Rebel Rock is from the 1998 CD No More Parades. It was written by Winston Turner. That CD is out of print but this live CD self released by the band is available. It was recorded at the Blue Nile Nightclub and Bar in New Orleans Feb. 13, 1999. It features a guest appearance by Trombone Shorty. Their latest CD Unlock Your Mind was released on Rounder Records in 2012. The Soul Rebels are constantly on tour. They have recently appeared with Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli and Nas. That's just the tip of the iceberg. These guys are in demand because they are a lot of fun live. They have appeared on the HBO series Treme, Later with Jools Holland, Conan and others. When they were on Later, Metallica liked them so much, they invited them on tour. So if the Soul Rebels are coming your way, be sure to check them out for a sure fire party. Here's the Soul Rebels Brass Band performing Rebel Rock and Rebelosis at the 2016 Nola Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

Marloes Coenen vs Julia Budd to headline Mar. 3 Bellator show

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported last night that Marloes Coenen will face Julia Budd for the Bellator Women's Featherweight Championship Mar. 3 at the WinStar Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK. Bellator confirmed the fight this afternoon. It will air on Spike TV. The fan reaction has been "Why has it taken so long?". It's been delayed by injuries. First Marloes was injured. Then Bellator announced the match for May 2016. Remember the kerfuffle when Bellator was going to air it on the online prelims? At least they learned their lesson and they aren't doing that again. Julia pulled out due to injury and Marloes lost to Alexis Dufresne when Marloes stupidly underestimated her. Alexis was offered this fight and turned it down. Meanwhile, the UFC is launching their own Welterweight division with Holly Holm vs Germaine De Randamie. And a rumour surfaced today that Holly broke a rib in training. And Cris Cyborg is headed for a drug suspension. All this nonsense confirms what I have said all along. There aren't enough 145lb fighters for one Welterweight division, let alone UFC, Bellator and Invicta. What a shmozzle!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sevyn Streeter

Artist:Sevyn Streeter f/Chris Brown
Song:It Won't Stop
EP:Call Me Crazy, But...





It's been a long and winding road but R&B singer Sevyn streeter is finally releasing her first full length solo CD at the end of January. It Won't Stop is her biggest hit to date but it is from the 2013 EP Call Me Crazy, But... She was born Amber Streeter July 7, 1986 in Haines City, FL. She grew up singing in church and she is a big fan of gospel singer Yolanda Adams. At age 15, she was a member of the girl group TG4. The group was signed to A&M Records. They released three singles and recorded an album. But the album was not released and TG4 split up on 2005. Then producer Rich Harrison found Amber on MySpace. At the time, Harrison was best known for producing Amerie. He signed Amber and named her Se7en. He put her in the group RichGirl who were signed to Jive Records. They released a couple of singles and they recorded an album. But when the singles didn't chart, the album was shelved and RichGirl split up in 2010. Then Amber signed with Chris Brown's CBE label and she decided to call herself Sevyn Streeter. The EP Call Me Crazy, But... was released Dec. 2013. The Single It Won't Stop reached #4 on the R&B Singles chart and #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Amber wrote the lyrics. The music was written and produced by Thomas "Diplo" Pentz and Jean-Baptiste "Free School" Kouame who has worked with Brown. Since then, Amber released a second EP. But her full length debut Girl Disrupted is coming out Jan. 27, 2017. A couple of singles have already charted in the R&B market so I think the album will do OK especially with the recent kerfuffle about Amber performing The Star Spangled Banner at a Philadelphia 76ers game. The team was stupid but it will help Amber. And if her solo career doesn't work out, she can always go back to writing songs for others as she has done in the past for Brown. Here's the video for It Won't Stop by Sevyn Streeter featuring Chris Brown.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amii Stewart

Artist:Amii Stewart
Song:Knock On Wood
Album:The Best Of & The Rest Of Amii Stewart





Amii Stewart topped the charts with this 1979 disco cover of the Eddie Floyd classic Knock On Wood. She had most of her success on the dance charts and in Europe. She was born Amy Stewart Jan. 29, 1956 in Washington DC. Her father signed her up for singing and dancing lessons when she was four years old. When she registered with Actor's Equity, there was already an Amy Stewart so she changed her name to Amii. She studied at the DC Repertory Dance Company and she was in the touring company of Bubbling Brown Sugar. It was while she was appearing in this show in London that she met producer Barry Leng who at the time was working for the German label Hansa though that label would be taken over by Ariola. Leng wrote and produced Amii's music with film and TV composer Simon May, best known for writing the theme for the popular TV show EastEnders. They produced Amii's 1979 album Knock On Wood. The single did so well in Europe, Atlantic picked it up for US distribution. It topped the charts worldwide. This was her only big hit in the US though some of her other songs did well in Europe. Her 80s albums on RCA were only released in Europe. From what I could tell, Amii has lived in Italy since the 80s. This budget comp appears to be a CD of remixes from the British label Action Replay. Beginning with the TV movie Secrets Of The Sahara, she has worked frequently with legendary film composer Ennio Morricone. Most recently she appeared on the Italian TV dance competition show La Pista. So though she is a one hit wonder here, Amii has had a long career in Italy. Here's the video for Knock On Wood by Amii Stewart.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nelly Furtado

Artist:Nelly Furtado f/Timbaland
Song:Promiscuous
Album:Loose





Nelly Furtado first became popular with hits like I'm Like A Bird which had a 60s vibe. That first album Whoa, Nelly! sold nine million copies. When her 2003 album Folklore only sold three million copies and there were no hit singles, Nelly decided she needed a musical and image makeover. This came at a time when her label DreamWorks had been sold to Universal and Nelly was moved to Geffen Records. So making a big change was a huge risk and she didn't know if Geffen would support it. Influenced by Madonna's Ray Of light album, Nelly wanted a smooth and sexy sound and image. Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine suggested Nelly work with Tim "Timbaland" Mosely who was best known for producing Missy Elliott's Get Ur Freak On. Mosely produced the album and he also appeared on the single Promiscuous which was Nelly's first number one single. Nelly wrote the lyrics with Tim "Attitude" Clayton and the music was written by Timbaland and his partner Nate "Danja" Hills. These three work together regularly so that had to give Nelly the confidence to make these very risky changes. It paid off because Nelly scored a second number one hit with Say It Right. The album Loose sold twelve million copies. Of course Nelly was criticized for her new sexy image. But the success of Loose proved her right. Loose is available as a budget CD. Unfortunately Nelly has yet to repeat that success. After she released the Spanish CD Mi Plan in 2009, the CD The Spirit Indestructible was released in 2012. That album was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. There were no hit singles and the album did not perform well. Six years is too long for fans to wait for new music. They forget and I think that's what happened to Nelly. Nelly Furtado's new CD The Ride will be released in March. I don't expect it to return her to the top of the charts. Here's the video for Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robin Trower

Artist:Robin Trower
Song:Day Of The Eagle
Album:Day Of The Eagle: The Best Of Robin Trower




Guitarist Robin Trower has had a very successful solo career since leaving Procol Harum in 1971. He's never had a hit single. His success is as a live draw and album artist. He was born Mar. 9, 1945 in Catford, London, England but he grew up in Southend-On-Sea, Essex. He formed The Raiders in 1959 who became The Paramounts in 1960. Of course the other key member of The Paramounts was pianist Gary Brooker who was a teen at the time. They scored a top 40 hit in England in 1964 with their cover of Poison Ivy. But they were otherwise unsuccessful and they split up in 1966. Then Brooker formed Procol Harum and Trower joined as lead guitarist. Of course they had great success. But Trower left in 1971 and he formed the short lived group Jude with Frankie Miller which included bassist and singer James Dewar from Stone The Crows. When Trower formed his own band, he kept Dewar and added drummer Reg Isidore from Peter Bardens' group. Trower signed with Chrysalis Records. Day Of The Eagle is from Trower's 1974 album Bridge Of Sighs. It's probably his best known album. Of course as a power trio, there's no question that Jimi Hendrix was a big influence on Trower. But Trower has been very successful in his own right. This comp is a good intro to his music. Trower had his greatest success in the 70s. In 1981, he formed BLT with Cream bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Bill Lordan who replaced Isidore in Trower's band. Then Isidore replaced Lordan and the band name was changed to Truce. Trower has recorded for V12 Records since 1994. His new CD is Where you Are Going To and he will begin a US tour in April. Here's Robin Trower with James Dewar and Reg Isidore performing Day Of The Eagle at Le Bataclan in Paris 1973.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Peter McCann

Artist:Peter McCann
Song:Do You Wanna Make Love
Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have A Nice Day Vol. 20




As a recording artist, Peter McCann scored his only hit single with the 1977 top five hit Do You Wanna Make Love. But he's been very successful as a songwriter especially in Nashville. He was born Mar. 6, 1948 Bridgeport, CT. He attended a small college in Fairfield, CT on a glee club scholarship. Then he was in the band Repairs. They recorded a couple of albums for Motown in the early 70s produced by Rolling Stones producer Andrew "Loog" Oldham. McCann left the band after they moved to Los Angeles to concentrate on songwriting. He became a staff songwriter for ABC/Dunhill Records. There he worked with producer Hal Yoergler who produced the music for the kids TV show The Bugaloos. McCann wrote Do you Wanna Make Love and recorded a demo. Yoergler liked it so much, it was released as a single and it reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then McCann recorded an album for 20th Century. On the B side was The Right Time Of The Night which became a big hit for Jennifer Warnes. That is McCann's biggest hit. That record still generates a lot of money. McCann recorded an album for Columbia in 1979. Then he moved to Nashville. Several of his songs have charted including the #1 country hit Nobody Falls Like A Fool by Earl Thomas Conley in 1985. You can get Do You Wanna Make Love on this Rhino various artists comp. These days McCann does Nashville songwriting seminars and he has occasionally recorded. But I'm sure those royalty cheques still come in the mail. Here's Peter McCann performing Do You Wanna Make Love 1977.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lukas Graham

Artist:Lukas Graham
Song:7 Years
Album:Lukas Graham





Lukas Graham made a big splash with their US debut album and the chart topping single 7 Years. They are nominated for three Grammys. They are from Copenhagen, Denmark. Lead singer Lukas Forchhammer was a child actor and singer. He formed Lukas Graham in 2011 with Morten Ristorp on piano, Magnus Larsson on bass and Mark Falgren on drums. They posted a couple of videos to Facebook and that got them a deal with Copenhagen Records. Their 2012 debut album Lukas Graham was released only in Europe. It did very well and Warner Bros. signed them for the US. They released their 2015 CD Lukas Graham (known as the blue album) in Europe. Warner Bros. released it in Apr. 2016 with a new cover. The single 7 Years topped the charts across Europe and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is autobiographical. Forchhammer wrote it after his father died. The album has been certified Gold. 7 Years has been nominated for three Grammys including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. They are currently touring the US and they have appeared on all the talk shows, most recently Good Morning America. They also appeared on the 2017 Rockin' New Year's Eve. Their music is radio friendly pop soul and of course we'll see if Lukas Graham has legs when they record their next album. Here's the video for 7 Years by Lukas Graham.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wolf Parade

Artist:Wolf Parade
Song:What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)
Album:Expo 86




Wolf Parade are a Canadian band that had some success from 2004-2010. They split up but have now reformed. Though they live in Montreal, they are all originally from British Columbia. Lead singer and keyboard player Spencer Krug is from Penticton, BC. After leaving the band Frog Eyes, Krug moved to Montreal to attend Concordia University. Grenadine Records owner Alex Megelas offered Krug a gig. The catch was he had three weeks to form a band. He contacted guitarist Dan Boeckner formerly of Atlas Strategic and they began writing songs. Drummer Arlen Thompson joined and Wolf Parade started playing gigs and they released an EP. Synthesizer player Hadji Bakara joined and they released another EP. They got the attention of Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. He signed Wolf Parade to Sub Pop and he brought them to Portland to record the 2005 CD Apologies To The Queen Mary. The album was highly acclaimed and it was nominated for Polaris Music Prize. Bakara left and former Hot Hot Heat guitarist Dante Decaro joined. Wolf Parade recorded three albums. What Did My Lover Say? is from the 2010 album Expo 86. After touring to support the album, Wolf Parade went on hiatus. Krug records solo as Moonface. Boeckner led the band Operators. Thompson operates his own recording studio. In Jan. 2016, Wolf Parade announced they were reforming. They went on tour and announced they were recording new music. There's no new album yet. It might be delayed because Operators released a CD in 2016 and also toured. We'll see what happens with Wolf Parade. Here's Wolf Parade performing What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way) on the CBC show Q 2011 followed by an interview with show host Jian Ghomeshi.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Rin Nakai vs Kanako Murata

Here's the match video of Rin Nakai vs Kanako Murata from last week's RIZIN show. We all know who Rin is. Kanako is an amateur wrestling champ recruited to RIZIN by Olympic wrestling champ Saori Yoshida. After her last fight, Kanako challenged Rin. She said she wanted to test herself. The two agreed to fight at 57kg. The first two rounds of this fight lacked any kind of aggression by either fighter. Rin has been like that for several years. she seems to not know what she wants to do at the start of fights. But Kanako just seemed to go with the flow. I would have liked to see her be more aggressive. I was disappointed with her. So nothing much happened in the first two rounds. In the third round, Kanako goes for a takedown. But it backfires on her. Rin gets her back and a rear naked choke and that's it. Couldn't she have done that in round one? Anyway, check out the fight for yourself and you'll see what I'm talking about.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mavis Staples

Artist:Mavis Staples
Song:A House Is Not A Home
Album:Mavis Staples/Only For The Lonely





Of course Mavis Staples is best known as lead singer of her family group The Staples Singers. Today she is considered a living legend still active recording and touring. But even when The Staples Singers were topping the charts back in the 60s, record labels including Stax wanted to spin Mavis off as a solo artist. Mavis recorded these two albums and they were unsuccessful but you don't want to overlook them. Mavis was born July 10, 1939 in Chicago and she began singing with her family in 1950. Her first solo recording was the single Crying In The Chapel for Epic Records in the 60s. When The Staples Singers moved to Stax in the late 60s, Stax president Al Bell decided to make a real effort to spin Mavis off as a solo artist. The 1969 album Mavis Staples was produced by Steve Cropper so the band is the MG's, Cropper on guitar, Duck Dunn on bass with Isaac Hayes on organ. The songs are pop songs sung in Mavis' trademark gospel style. A House Is Not A Home was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and it was recorded in 1964 by Dionne Warwick and Brook Benton performed it in the film A House Is Not A Home. The song was not a hit at the time but it became a standard anyway. The second album Only For The Lonely was released in 1970. That album was produced by Don Davis who at the time had success producing Johnnie Taylor. This album is a mix of standards and originals. Part of the album was recorded at Stax with Steve Cropper and the rest was recorded at Muscle Shoals led by Barry Beckett. Fortunately Stax has released these two albums as a twofer budget CD. You can't beat that. Mavis wouldn't record solo again until 1977. Her latest CD Livin' On A High Note was released Feb. 2016. And of course be sure to check out the documentary Mavis! which I reviewed on the blog Nov. 2015. Here's Mavis Staples introduced by her dad Pops Staples performing A House Is Not A Home on Soul Train in the 70s.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-RENA vs Hanna Gujwan

Here's the match video of RENA vs Hanna Gujwan from Saturday's RIZIN show. RENA is the Shoot Boxer dabbling in MMA. She trains at AACC with Invicta Atomweight Champ Ayaka Hamasaki. Hanna is a Polish fighter who likes to call herself Tyson as a tribute to Mike Tyson. RIZIN is bringing her in to lose. She lasted longer than I thought she would. RENA was winning anyway but in the third round she stepped it up and finished Hanna with a liver kick. RENA won an MVP bonus. She has potential but it's hard to take her seriously as long as she continues in Shoot Boxing. BTW, Megumi Fujii is doing commentary for Fuji TV. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Fighter Of The Year-Amanda Nunes

Happy new year! Once again it is time to name my fighter of the year. And for 2016, that will be UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes. Though she is just now getting noticed by fans and the media, I was probably the first to notice her and I interviewed her for the blog. Though Amanda has had some bumps in the road, her ascent since joining American Top Team is not surprising to me as I always thought she had it in her. Amanda was born May 30, 1988 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Her mother had Amanda and her sister take karate class to keep them busy. But as a teen, Amanda got into more serious training in Brazilian jiu jitsu and boxing. She holds a black belt in BJJ and a brown belt in judo. Though she lost her 1988 MMA debut, she started having success including a 2009 win over veteran fighter Vanessa Porto. That got my attention and when Amanda's next fight was streamed on Sherdog, I decided to check her out. She won over veteran fighter Ediane Gomes by second round TKO. That got Strikeforce's attention and she was brought to the US. At first she lived in New Jersey and trained at AMA Fight Club. Then in her Strikeforce debut, she TKOd Julia Budd in 14 seconds. That created a buzz. But in her next fight, Alexis Davis beat Amanda by second round TKO. Amanda won the first round but wound up on the bottom after initiating a takedown. Before she could fight again for Strikeforce, the UFC took it over and Amanda was not retained. She moved to MMA Masters in Miami and she went 1-1 for Invicta. But it was at this time that she met fellow UFC fighter Nina Ansaroff. Nina brought Amanda to American Top Team and the two are currently in a relationship. Amanda signed with the UFC and won her first two fights. But her next fight against Cat Zingano gave us her strengths and weaknesses in a nutshell. After almost finishing Cat in round one, Amanda ran out of gas in round three and Cat won by TKO. Since then Amanda has been on a tear including winning the title over Miesha Tate and defending it on Friday night against Ronda Rousey. Endurance is still an issue. In her March fight against Valentina Shevchenko, Amanda won the first two rounds easily and almost lost in round three when she ran out of gas. Her likely next challenger will be the winner of Julianna Pena vs Valentina Shevchenko. I like that Amanda is a finisher. But her endurance is still a question mark that may need to be answered in a five round title defense. If ATT coach and former UFC fighter and WEC champ Mike Brown can solve that riddle, Amanda could be a dominant champ. But for now, she has had a great 2016 and I'm glad I got to see her when no one knew about her. Congratulations to Amanda Nunes.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Georgia Satellites

Artist:The Georgia Satellites
Song:Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Album:Let It Rock





This 1986 Southern Rock throwback was the the only big hit for The Georgia Satellites. They are perceived as a one hit wonder but some of their other songs charted. I would say that they are a one album wonder. The Georgia Satellites are from Atlanta led by lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Dan Baird. In 1980, he formed Keith and the Satellites with lead guitarist Rick Richards, bassist Keith Christopher and drummer David Michaelson. Christopher and Michaelson were soon replaced by Dave Hewitt and Randy Delay and the band name was changed to The Georgia Satellites. A demo got the attention of Kansas producer Jeff Glixman. But the band split up before an album could be recorded. Richards formed The Hellhounds with bassist Rick Price and drummer Mauro Magellan. Baird joined The Woodpeckers. When The Georgia Satellites demo was released as an EP in 1985, Baird joined The Hellhounds and they became The Georgia Satellites. They soon signed with Elektra Records and the Glixman produced the 1986 album Georgia Satellites. Keep Your Hands To Yourself reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it went into heavy rotation on MTV. The album reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 200. The problem was subsequent singles did not do well. There was hope when their cover of Hippy Hippy Shake from the film Cocktail reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. But there were no hits from the 1988 album Open All Night and the album didn't sell. After a third album was unsuccessful, Baird left to go solo. This budget comp covers their Elektra recordings. Richards still leads The Georgia Satellites. Baird first recorded solo in 1992. He has led his current band Homemade Sin since 2005 and they released a new CD in 2015. Here's the video for Keep Your Hands To Yourself by The Georgia Satellites.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Nunes vs Ronda Rousey

Here's the match video of Amanda Nunes defending her UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship against the former champ Ronda Rousey from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. So we all know what happened but why did it happen. Even when she was winning, Ronda was always willing to eat shots to get to the clinch and her judo. That's because most of these girls don't punch hard enough to break an egg. In her loss to Holly Holm, Ronda finally got hit hard enough that she lost. Amanda Nunes punches harder than Holly. So what Ronda needed to work on was not getting hit in the face. In the first ten seconds of this fight, it was obvious her camp didn't work on avoiding Amanda's striking. She needed more head movement. It was only a matter of time before the fight would be stopped. Look, I have covered Amanda's career since before she came to the US. She's a first round finisher just like Ronda. But Ronda needed to get through the initial onslaught so she could get in the clinch. She obviously wasn't prepared to do that. Ronda complained to ref Herb Dean that she never went down. But it was a good stoppage. She wasn't defending herself. I was not surprised by the fight. This was exactly how Amanda was going to win this fight. Her weakness is her endurance. Ronda and her camp know this so we can only conclude that she was poorly coached. Will Ronda retire? We don't know yet but her mom told TMZ that she wants Ronda to retire. Keep in mind that her mom never wanted her to fight in the first place. But MMA has given Ronda all these opportunities like movies. Without fighting, she may still be a bartender living in her car. And of course we should all remember that Ronda made it possible for women to fight in the UFC. That's her real legacy. And dislike of her behaviour or her coach doesn't change that. Now we move on to Amanda Nunes. Her next likely challenger will be the winner of Julianna Pena vs Valentina Shevchenko. As I said, I have liked Amanda for several years. But if you saw her lose to Cat Zingano, she needs to work on her gas tank. Someone will exploit that weakness. Enjoy the video!
720pHD UFC 207 Ronda Rousey vs Amanda Nunes by WomensOfWrestlingNetwotk

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nicole

Artist:Nicole f/Missy Elliott & Mocha
Song:Make It Hot
Album:Loaded With Hits





The 1998 top five hit Make It Hot is the highlight of Nicole Wray's music career. Fans of the song may wonder what became of her. She's bounced around a lot but she's still around. She was born May 2, 1979 in Salinas, CA but she grew up in Portsmouth, VA. She grew up singing in the church choir. She was introduced to Missy Elliott by one of Elliott's cousins. This led to Nicole being featured on the song Gettaway from Elliott's 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly. Then she signed with Elliott's label The Goldmind. Her debut CD Make It Hot was released in 1998. At the time there was criticism of too much Missy Elliott on the album. But it didn't stop the single Make It Hot from reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Tim "Timbaland" Mosely and Elliott is featured along with rapper Mocha. It turned out to be Nicole's only big hit. In 2001, The Goldmind released a single from Nicole's upcoming album Elektric Blue. But the single stiffed and the album was cancelled. Nicole left The Goldmind. She signed with Roc-A-Fella owned by Jay-Z and Damon Dash and recorded the 2004 album Love Child. A single was released but there were problems at Roc-A-Fella when Jay-Z left to become president of Def Jam. Her album got lost in the shuffle and it was never released. Jay-Z's partner Damon Dash started a new label. Nicole continued to work with him while becoming a backup singer for The Black Keys. After recording and touring with them, Nicole formed the duo Lady with Terri Walker. They released a 2013 album but then split up. Nicole now calls herself Lady Wray and she released the CD Queen Alone on Sept. 2016. Her album Make It Hot is available on CD but it's expensive. You can get the single Make It Hot on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Here's the video for Make It Hot by Nicole featuring Missy Elliott & Mocha.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Nia Jax

Here's the match video of Asuka defending the NXT Women's Championship against Nia Jax from the NXT show in Osaka, Japan. The WWE Network aired this show on Wednesday and next week they will air the Melbourne, Australia show. Of course the big deal is Osaka is Asuka's home town. So her family and friends welcome the conquering hero. With the NXT women's division a little thin right now, monster heel Nia Jax was brought in from RAW where she has been running roughshod. Not surprisingly, this match is very similar to their match in June. Nia's overconfidence is her undoing. She thinks she can beat up Asuka like she does everyone else. But Asuka won't quit and she keeps coming back. The size difference seems to be more pronounced in this match. Asuka may have watched the first match and made appropriate adjustments to emphasize the size difference. Several times Asuka looks to be finished. But again Nia's arrogance gets the best of her. She allows Asuka to recover outside the ring instead of bringing her back into the ring for a pin. After a couple of Asuka's trademark transitions into submissions, she stuns everyone with a German suplex followed by a roundhouse kick for the win. The suplex was unbelievable considering the size difference. Everything about Asuka's performance was masterful. Her selling of Nia's offense including Asuka's facial expressions was fantastic. Too many wrestlers don't know how to sell offense properly. They forget about it sometimes. As I have said before, Asuka's attention to detail makes her matches satisfying. She won but we know it wasn't easy. Check out the video for yourself. Enjoy!
NXT Women's Championship: Asuka © vs. Nia Jax by therackattackvideos

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Melanie Fiona

Artist:Melanie Fiona
Song:4AM
Album:The MF Life





Melanie Fiona had some success on the R&B charts a few years ago with songs like 4AM. Her fans may wonder what happened to her. she's supposed to have a new album coming but there is no release date yet. She was born Melanie Fiona Hallim July 4, 1983 in Toronto. Her parents are Guyanese immigrants. Her dad played guitar in a band. Melanie began writing at age 16. In 2002, she was in the group X-Quisite. They recorded one album and they split up in 2005. She was also in the group The Renaissance with Drake. Melanie went to Los Angeles looking for a record deal. She was offered deals but she thought the labels would try to change her. So she did some writing and recorded as Syren Hall on the CD Reggae Gold 2008. Finally she signed with Universal Motown and Roc Nation. Her 2009 album The Bridge did OK and the single It Kills Me topped the R&B Singles chart. The MF Life was released in 2012 and 4AM reached #8 on the R&B Singles chart. 4AM was written and produced by Richard Butler. He raps as Rico Love and he has had some success as a producer. But Melanie was unhappy with Universal. She thought they didn't promote her enough. So she left Universal and she now has her own label with Sony distribution. Melanie has recorded a new album called Awake. The single Bite The Bullet was released last year. But there is no release date for the album. In March, she and boyfriend Jared Cotter welcomed a son so that probably delayed the album. It's just that she keeps talking about it. It's time to release it before her fans forget about her. Here's the video for 4AM by Melanie Fiona.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-J. Pat O'Malley

Artist:J. Pat O'Malley
Song:Colonel Hathi's March (The Elephant Song)
Album:Walt Disney's The Jungle Book




Though you may not know his name, I'm sure you would recognize British character actor J. Pat O'Malley if he appeared on your TV. He worked regularly for Disney including providing the voice for Colonel Hathi in the 1967 film The Jungle Book. And though he wasn't known for his singing, O'Malley started out in England as a big band singer. He was born Mar. 15, 1904 in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He started out in music halls and he recorded solo in 1925. Then in 1930, he sang with Jack Hylton's big band. Both guys came to the US to work with Ray Noble. That venture was short lived. Hylton returned to England but O'Malley stayed in the US. He called himself J. Pat O'Malley so he wouldn't be confused with the actor Pat O'Malley. O'Malley appeared on Broadway in the 1945 play Ten Little Indians and the 1952 musical Of Thee I Sing. He appeared in a few films like Lassie Come Home in 1943. He started working for Walt Disney providing voices for the 1949 film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and the 1951 film Alice In Wonderland. He worked regularly for Disney including the 1955 film Spin and Marty. O'Malley was a regular doing guest shots on TV shows like Hogan's Heroes and Green Acres. And he continued to work for Disney including the 1967 film The Jungle Book. Based on Rudyard Kipling's novel, it was the final film produced personally by Disney before his death. Disney regular George Bruns composed the score. Disney hired Terry Gilkyson to write the songs. But with the exception of Bare Necessities sung by Phil Harris, Disney thought his songs were too dark and Richard and Robert Sherman came to the rescue. O'Malley provided the voice of elephant leader Colonel Hathi and he sings Colonel Hathi's March. When the soundtrack was first issued in 1967, it just had songs from the movie. The CD is an expanded version which includes some of Bruns' score. It's available as a budget CD. O'Malley continued to appear on TV in the 70s. He was a regular on the 1973 series A Touch Of Grace and he had a recurring role on Maude. J. Pat O'Malley died on Feb. 27, 1985 at age 80. Here's J. Pat O'Malley performing Colonel Hathi's March in the 1967 film The Jungle Book.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Red Hot Chili Peppers

Artist:Red Hot Chili Peppers
Song:Under The Bridge
Album:Greatest Hits





The Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) were very popular in the 90s. Their popularity was based on live performance and album sales. But they did have a few hit singles including Under The Bridge in 1991. Though it wasn't their biggest hit, it was important in establishing RHCP as stars. When RHCP were formed in 1983, they were called Tony Flow and Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Singer Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary and drummer Jack Irons were classmates at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. They were inspired by the Los Angeles punk scene. Their performances were improvised music set to Kiedis' poems. But there was enough interest that they changed their name to Red Hot Chili Peppers. Meanwhile, Slovak and Irons had another band called What Is This?. That band signed with MCA and RHCP signed with EMI America. Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman replaced Slovak and Irons. RHCP released their debut album in 1984 but they didn't like it. They felt it was too polished. They went on tour and Sherman was fired. Slovak left What Is This? and returned to RHCP. The 1985 album Freaky Styley was produced by George Clinton and he brought funk to RHCP. The album didn't sell but at least the band was happy with it. They were heavy drug users at the time. This became a problem while trying to record their next album. Martinez left and Irons returned. Kiedis went to rehab and got clean. But then he relapsed during the recording of the 1987 album The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Both Kiedis and Slovak were out of control. And then Slovak died on June 25,1988. Irons left and years later was a member of Pearl Jam. RHCP decided to continue. D.H. Peligro of The Dead Kennedys replaced Irons and eventually John Frusciante replaced Slovak. They went on tour and Peligro was fired for drug use. He was replaced by Chad Smith. This lineup released the 1989 album Mother's Milk. Their cover of Higher Ground reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Gold. But the band was unhappy with EMI and they moved to Warner Bros. for the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Rick Rubin agreed to produce. Give It Away reached #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it became one of their signature songs. Under The Bridge reached #2 and it was their biggest hit. The album was certified 7XPlatinum. It made them big rock stars. Frusciante was uncomfortable with this fame and he was constantly arguing with Kiedis. He also had developed a drug habit. He left while RHCP was on tour in Japan in May 1992. They continued with temporary replacements. One of those replacements Dave Navarro joined in 1995. He was on the 1995 album One Hot Minute. But it wasn't working. They were all on drugs and touring was a mess. They almost split up in 1998. It was decided they needed Frusciante and he was convinced to return for the 1999 album Californication. It returned them to the top of the charts. The success continued until Frusciante left again in 2008. This budget comp was released in 2003. It is the only comp of their Warners music. I think they are due for a new comp. Josh Klinghoffer replaced Frusciante and RHCP are successfully touring today though they aren't as big as they were in the 90s. Their latest CD The Getaway was released on June 2016. Here's the video for Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mills Cavalcade Orchestra

Artist:Mills Cavalcade Orchestra f/The Dollie Sisters
Song:Lovely Liza Lee
Album:Jazzwomen: Great Instrumental Gals




Back in the 30s, female musicians were looked at as a novelty in jazz. The Mills Cavalcade Orchestra was an attempt to have a band with men and women in it. Unfortunately they only recorded four songs in 1935 and Lovely Liza Lee was the only record released. The man behind this band was probably the most powerful man in jazz at the time. His name was Irving Mills and he was best known as Duke Ellington's manager. But he was also the founder of Columbia Records. He was progressive because he was the first to promote mixed race bands. And he was also a promoter of women in jazz. He would later manage the great Ina Ray Hutton. And he also had his own bands like the Hotsy Totsy Gang. In the case of The Mills Cavalcade Orchestra, Mills was not actually in the band. He hired trombonist George Brunies as musical director. Brunies was known as King of the Tailgate Trombone. In the 20s, he was a member of the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. And then in 1924 he was a big part of the famed Ted Lewis band. When he left Lewis in 1934, Mills called him about the Mills Cavalcade Orchestra thinking a mixed gender big band could draw. But the band never got off the ground. They recorded four songs in June 1935. Lovely Liza Lee was their only record on Columbia featuring the Boswell Sisters knockoffs The Dollie Sisters. I think part of the problem was that most of the musicians were inexperienced. It was going to be tough for Brunies and drummer Frank Carlson to keep the band together. But Lovely Liza Lee is a pretty good record and you can get it on this various artists comp from Sagajazz. By the late 30s, Brunies was in Muggsy Spanier's band and Carlson was an in demand session musician. The Mills Cavalcade Orchestra was a footnote in their careers. But a cool footnote. Here's a video for lovely Liza Lee by the Mills Cavalcade Orchestra featuring The Dollie Sisters.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terell Stafford

Artist:Terell Stafford
Song:U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
Album:This Side Of Strayhorn




Trumpeter Terell Stafford made his name in the early 90s as part of sax player Bobby Watson's band. He started recording as a leader in 1995 and now he is a favourite of the jazz festival circuit. This tribute to the legendary Billy Strayhorn was released in 2011. He was born Feb. 25, 1966 in Miami but he grew up in Chicago and Silver Spring, MD. He started playing trumpet at age 13. Stafford was studying classical music at the University of Maryland in 1988 when he happened to meet Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis suggested he study with Dr. William Fielder at Rutgers to get a well rounded education in the trumpet. Stafford says his big influences are Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan. Stafford became known to jazz fans for his five years as part of sax player Bobby Watson's band. Organist Shirley Scott was in that band and she became musical director on Bill Cosby's You Bet Your Life. Stafford was in that band. It's where he met sax player and long time collaborator Tim Warfield. Stafford was also in McCoy Tyner's Latin All Star Band. He made his debut as a leader with the 1995 album Time To Let Go on Candid Records. U.M.M.G. is from Stafford's 2011 CD This Side Of Strayhorn on MAXJAZZ. This album came out of Stafford's participation in Dayton, OH's Celebrating Billy Strayhorn festival. of course Strayhorn was a songwriter and arranger with Duke Ellington. Musicians are Tim Warfield on sax, Bruce Barth on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Dana Hall on drums. The same band appears on Stafford's latest CD Brotherlee Love: Celebrating Lee Morgan released June 2015. Stafford is currently the Director of Jazz Studies at Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. Stafford and Warfield usually tour together. But Stafford is also a member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra which is the house band at New York's Village Vanguard. And he is also touring with The Clayton Brothers. Here's Terell Stafford with Tim Warfield on sax, Keith DeStefano on bass, Anam Owili-Eger on piano and Joe Falcey on drums performing U.M.M.G. at the 2015 OutBeat Jazz Fest in Philadelphia.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Rawls

Artist:Johnny Rawls
Song:I Feel So Good
Album:Here We Go





Bluesman Johnny Rawls was a sideman for many years before recording as a leader in the 90s. Here We Go was his 1996 debut album and he's been going strong ever since. He was born Sept. 10, 1951 in Hattiesburg, MS. His grandfather John Paul Newson was a local blues musician and he taught Rawls to play guitar. As a teen, he backed up Joe Tex and Z.Z. Hill when they toured the area. And in the 70s he joined the band of R&B singer O.V. Wright and Rawls became his musical director. After Wright's 1980 death, Rawls continued to lead his band backing up touring blues musicians. In the 90s, Rawls recorded two albums with guitarist L.C. Luckett for Rooster Blues. They split up and Rawls signed with the British label JSP. The 1996 CD Here We Go was Rawls' debut as a leader. He also worked as an arranger and producer for JSP. Rawls produced albums by Lonnie Shields, Percy Strother and Johnnie Marshall. He started working the blues festival circuit. JSP recently re-released Here We Go on CD. Rawls left JSP in 2002 and he released a couple of CDs on his own label. He currently records for El Paso based Catfood Records. His latest CD Tiger In A Cage was released recently. Johnny Rawls is currently touring and he's worth checking out if he's coming your way. Here's Johnny Rawls performing I Feel So Good at the 2007 Toronto Distillery Blues Festival.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patricia Kaas

Artist:Patricia Kaas
Song:Mon Mec A Moi
Album:Rien Ne S'Arrete: Best Of 1987-2001





Patricia Kaas was a very popular pop singer in France in the 90s. She has had success in Europe and Quebec but is otherwise unknown. The 1988 single Mon Mec A Moi is her biggest chart hit. But she's more of an album artist. She was born Dec. 5, 1966 in Forbach, Lorraine, France. That's near the German border. Her mother was German and she was the one who encouraged Patricia to sing at an early age. Sylvie Vartan and Mirielle Mathieu were among her favourites. She sang in local clubs as a teen and became a model at age 16. In 1985, French film star Gerard Depardieu sponsored her and he produced her first single Jalouse. The song was written by Depardieu's wife Elizabeth and veteran songwriter Francois Bernheim. The record got the attention of another veteran songwriter Didier Barbelivien. Bernheim and Barbelivien began writing songs for Patricia. She recorded the album Mademoiselle Chante... with producer Bernard Estrady for Polydor. She had three top ten hits from the album including Mon Mec A Moi which reached #5 on the French charts. The album sold 1.5M copies. Then she signed with CBS/Sony and she has recorded for them for most of her career. Patricia continued to have a lot of success through the 90s. This comp covers her career until 2001. Since then she continues to tour but her recent albums haven't sold as well. She left Sony in 2008. She just released a new CD Patricia Kaas on Warner Bros. Patricia is still a strong live draw across Europe. Here's the video for Mon Mec A Moi by Patricia Kaas.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Danielle Peck

Artist:Danielle Peck
Song:Findin' A Good Man
Album:Danielle Peck





Findin' A Good Man was the biggest hit for country singer Danielle Peck in 2006. She faded into obscurity when her second album was more or less cancelled by her record company. She was born Sept. 14, 1978 in Jacksonville, NC and she grew up in Coshocton, OH. Her dad was in the US Marines but his parents were country music performers. Her mom was in her family's gospel group. So Danielle began singing in church. She formed her own band after graduating high school. Then she moved to Nashville and got a publishing deal. This led to her signing with DreamWorks Records in 2005. After DreamWorks closed, DreamWorks Nashville head Scott Borchetta started Big Machine Records and took Danielle with him. Her 2006 debut album Danielle Peck was produced mostly by Big Machine house producer Jeremy Stover. He also produces Justin Moore. Stover produced Findin' A Good Man and he wrote it with Casey Koesel and Brian Dean Maher. The record reached #16 on the Country Singles chart and the album did well. She recorded a second album Can't Behave. After releasing two failed singles, Big Machine decided not to release the album and Danielle left Big Machine. Danielle released a CD in 2014. I'm not sure if she is still active. Danielle married her tour manager Josh Smith in 2014. Then she had a daughter. And then she announced earlier this year their separation. It is not known if Danielle will return to music. Here's the video for Findin' A Good Man by Danielle Peck.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cinderella

Artist:Cinderella
Song:Coming Home
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Cinderella




The hard rock band Cinderella had success in the late 80s because MTV put their videos in heavy rotation. They scored three Platinum albums and three top 20 hit singles. they faded in the early 90s partially due to changing musical tastes. Cinderella was from Philadelphia led by lead singer, main songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham. The other original members were guitarist Michael Smerick and drummer Tony Destra. Those two left in 1985 to form Britney Fox. Jon Bon Jovi saw them in a club and got them a deal with his label Mercury Records. Guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Jim Drnec joined. Drnec didn't last long. By the time Cinderella's debut album Night Songs was released in Aug. 1986, Fred Coury was the drummer and he would be on all the band's albums. Night Songs did great. It was certified 3XPlatinum. The single Nobody's Fool reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. MTV put their videos in heavy rotation. They worked with veteran British producer Andy Johns. They toured with Bon Jovi. Their 1988 album Long Cold Winter was also certified 3XPlatinum. The single Don't Know What You Got reached #12 and Coming Home reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1990 album Heartbreak Station didn't do as well as the first two albums. Then Keifer lost his voice and required several surgeries. This delayed Cinderella's next album until 1994. By this time, hard rock wasn't popular anymore and the album didn't sell and Mercury dropped them. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. Cinderella is still around but they haven't released new music since 1994. They signed with Sony in 1999 but the only thing that came from that was a lawsuit. Tom Keifer released a solo CD in 2013. Cinderella plays occasionally but it doesn't look like they are touring. I guess they are a nostalgia act now. Here's the video for Coming Home by Cinderella.

Analysis of Invicta FC 21 card

Today Invicta finished announcing the entire card for Invicta FC 21 Jan. 14 at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City. As seems to happens lot with Invicta, the top of the card is a little weak. Since the Invicta Welterweight Champ Cris Cyborg is obviously not returning to Invicta, the main event of Megan Snderson vs Charmaine Tweet should probably be for the title. Now I would never put Tweet in any kind of title match. I just don't think she's a very good fighter. Megan is an Aussie who now trains at Glory MMA in Missouri. But she's still a developing talent and she probably shouldn't be this high on the card. I guess it's a main event by default. In a battle of overrated fighters, DeAnna Bennett will face Jodie Esquibel. Jodie is a points fighter. DeAnna isn't as good as Invicta thinks. Pannie Kianzad from Denmark will face Hawaiian Raquel Pa'Aluhi. The last time we saw Pannie, she lost to Tonya Evinger Sept. 2015. Since then, she had knee surgery. We'll see if she can bounce back. Raquel has this bad habit of losing at inopportune times. In Jan. 2016, she lost a split decision to Coleen Schneider. She needed to win that fight to get a Bantamweight title shot. It was a bad setback. The undefeated Aspen Ladd will face Sijara Eubanks. Aspen is a fighter to watch. Andrea Lee will face Jenny Liou. Both fighters are coming off losses. Undefeated pro boxer Heather Hardy will maker MMA debut vs newcomer Brieta Carpenter. Heather trains at the fabled Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, NY. Her boxing record is 18-0-1. Everyone knows there's no money in women's boxing. That's why Heather wants to try MMA. The only problem is she's 34 years old and it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Brieta is a more typical newcomer. She's 23 years old from Sacramento with some amateur MMA experience. Amy Montenegro will face Celine Haga. Celine is from Norway but she now trains at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. This fight is at 115lb but I like Celine better at 105. Amy normally fights at 115 and that could be to her advantage. And finally, Hawaiian Rachel Ostovich and her Wonder Woman costume will face Christine Ferea. Christine is a 34 year old newcomer who trains at Syndicate in Las Vegas.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ozzy Osbourne

Artist:Ozzy Osbourne
Song:Flying High Again
Album:Memoirs Of A Madman





Before he became America's favourite reality TV dad, Ozzy Osbourne had a significant music career first with Black Sabbath and then as a solo artist. Despite never having a big hit single, Osbourne's 80s albums were consistent sellers and he was a strong concert draw. Flying High Again from the 1981 album Diary Of A Madman is representative of his music. He was born John Michael Osbourne Dec. 3, 1948 in Birmingham, England. His father was a toolmaker at General Electric. Osbourne has had the nickname Ozzy since he was a child. Hearing The Beatles sing She Loves You inspired Osbourne to quit school at age 15 to become a rock star. He worked various jobs and even got thrown in jail for robbery. In 1969, Osbourne formed Black Sabbath with Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward. They were very successful in the 70s. It was during this time he met wife Sharon who was the daughter of the band's manager. In 1978 Osbourne looked to go solo. But he returned to Black Sabbath only to be fired in Apr. 1979. They claimed it was because of his excessive drug use but it was really because of conflict with Iommi. Osbourne signed with Jet Records owned by Sharon's dad. He formed a band with guitarist Randy Rhoads of Quiet Riot, keyboardist Don Airey of Rainbow, bassist Bob Daisley of Rainbow and drummer Lee Kerslake of Uriah Heep. The 1980 album Blizzard Of Ozz was a huge seller despite the lack of a hit single. Airey left but would return later. The 1981 album Diary Of A Madman was just as successful. Rhoads became very popular during this time. After this album, Daisley and Kerslake were replaced by Tommy Aldridge and Rudy Sarzo. Aldridge was Osbourne's original choice for drums but he was unavailable at the time. Sarzo was in Quiet Riot and was good friends with Rhoads. Then on Mar. 19, 1982, tragedy struck. Rhoads was in a light airplane piloted by the band's tour bus driver. They knew where the tour bus was and as a prank, they made low passes over the bus. The plane clipped the bus and Rhoads died in the crash. After some chaos, the band continued with the 1983 album Bark At The Moon with former Ratt guitarist Jake E. Lee and the return of Don Airey. The band continued to be very popular and through all this, Osbourne was taking drugs. Lee left in 1987 and he was replaced by Zakk Wylde. Osbourne wasn't as successful in the 90s. But his albums still sold well. Then he and Sharon started Ozzfest in 1996 and that was very successful too. In 2001, Osbourne released his first album since 1995. And MTV began production of The Osbournes reality show. The show was one of the first big reality TV hits and it is the template of the many shows that followed. Osbourne continues to record occasionally. He released a live album in 2011. This 2014 budget comp is a good overview of his career. Currently Osbourne and son Jack host the History Channel show Ozzy & Jack's World Detour. Not bad for a guy whose substance abuse inspired him to bite the head off a dove at a record company promotional appearance. Here's the video for Flying High Again by Ozzy Osbourne.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Andrews

Artist: Michael Andrews f/Gary Jules
Song:Mad World
Album:Donnie Darko: Music From The Original Motion Picture Score




This cover of the Tears For Fears song Mad World was a surprise hit single. It's from the 2001 film Donnie Darko. Michael Andrews composed the score for the film and he brought in Gary Jules to sing. Andrews was born Nov. 17, 1967 in San Diego. He was childhood friends with Jules. They were in the 80s band Origin. Later, Andrews was in The Greyboy Allstars when film director Jake Kasdan asked them to score his 1999 film Zero Effect. This led to Andrews working on the TV series Freaks and Geeks. And then Richard Kelly hired him to score Donnie Darko. It was a low budget film so Andrews kept the score simple. But he wanted to include a vocal performance in the film. So he asked his old buddy Jules to sing Mad World, a favourite of both guys. What they didn't expect was that British DJs went nuts over the record and it topped the British charts. And of course it had a ripple effect and became a hit elsewhere. You can get Mad World on the Donnie Darko soundtrack or on the 2001 Gary Jules album Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets. Jules returned to obscurity. Andrews continues to score films and TV. He currently works on the HBO series Togetherness from Jay and Mark Duplass. Andrews has scored some of their films. here's the video for Mad World by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Benny Goodman Trio

Artist:The Benny Goodman Trio
Song:Body and Soul
Album:Ken Burns Jazz





For all his fame as The King Of Swing with his big band, it is frequently forgotten that Goodman started out in small bands. My guess is he preferred a trio but the big band is what made him money. This recording of Body and Soul is from a series of trio recordings from the late 30s. Of course the members of The Benny Goodman Trio were Teddy Wilson on piano and Gene Krupa on drums. And it was later expanded to a quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton on vibes. Of course Wilson is an important figure in jazz history. When he joined the Goodman band in 1935, he became one of the first black musicians to play in a white band. He and Goodman worked together for many years. Krupa was the first celebrity drummer. He joined the Goodman band in 1934. The trio played during intermissions of the big band concerts. Then the trio recorded for Bluebird. This budget comp has a good selection of Goodman recordings for beginners. Of course this trio ended when Krupa left the Goodman band in 1938. And Wilson left in 1939 to form his own orchestra. But that was short lived and Wilson returned to Goodman and they worked together for many years. Here's Benny Goodman with Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa performing Body and Soul Oct. 27, 1961 New York City.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Leslie Smith vs Irene Aldana

Here's the match video of Leslie Smith vs Irene Aldana from last night's UFC show in Sacramento. Irene is a teammate of Strawweight Alexa Grasso. But she's not as good a fighter. I thought Leslie would be a good test for her because if she beats Leslie, maybe she's better than I thought. Leslie is a good striker but she lacks a ground game or any kind of finish. The fight was competitive enough that it won both fighters Fight of the Night bonuses. For me, the big difference was Leslie landed combinations and Irene didn't. Leslie scored a knockdown with a combination in round one. And I thought she had a good chance to finish. But Leslie let her get away. That could cost her against better competition. As I said, Irene isn't that good. I guess the UFC had to take her with Alexa. But Irene needs to show something to stick in the UFC. I have my doubts. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Michelle Waterson vs Paige VanZant

Here's the match video of Michelle Waterson vs Paige VanZant from last night's UFC show in Sacramento. Of course Paige is being pushed as a star. At some point, she needs to improve as a fighter. Despite her highlight reel finish in her last fight, I don't think she's there yet. Veteran fighter Michelle would be a good test. The only question mark was a year and a half injury layoff. Michelle came out southpaw which she said after the fight was designed to confuse Paige. And Michelle used side kicks to keep Paige off her. Paige didn't do the fancy stuff she did in her last fight. Instead she closed distance and went for a head throw and gave up her back. That was her big mistake. Michelle got her against the fence and used the fence for a successful takedown. Michelle applied a bodylock and this allowed her to be patient going for a rear naked choke. After several attempts, Michelle puts Paige to sleep and it's over. Michelle got a well deserved submission bonus. It was perfect technique on the fence leading to the sub. Paige had no way to escape. All it took was one big mistake. Paige says she will get back to work. Remember she's only 22 and she has plenty of time to eliminate mistakes. Michelle moves up the ladder. I won't speculate on who she should face next. There are plenty of choices. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris Lane

Artist:Chris Lane
Song:Fix
Song:Girl Problems





After a false start as a straight country artist, Chris Lane was reworked as a country pop artist similar to Sam Hunt. Fix was his 2015 breakthrough hit. He was born Nov. 4, 1984 in Kernersville, NC. He has a twin brother Cory. Both played baseball at UNC Charlotte. But injuries forced Lane to learn to play the guitar. He moved back home and started a cover band. Lane formed a band and released a CD in 2012. Then he decided to move to Nashville. He signed with Big Loud and opened for Florida Georgia Line. When Lane's first single Broken Windshield View did not perform as well as expected, producer Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line) decided to take Lane in a country pop direction similar to Sam Hunt. Fix was released as an EP in Nov. 2015. It reached #10 in the Country Singles chart. That's the result they wanted. Fix was written by Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure and Abe Soklasa. Soklasa planned to record it himself but then he sold it to Big Loud. Veteran songwriters Buxton and Frasure were brought in to countrify the song. When I heard the record, I didn't think it was a country record. Girl Problems was released Aug. 2016 and Lane has toured with Rascal Flatts and Florida Georgia Line. When he finishes touring, I'm sure he will record his next album. Here's the video for Fix by Chris Lane.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Wariner

Artist:Steve Wariner
Song:The Weekend
Album:Ultimate Collection





Steve Wariner had a strong run on the country charts in the 80s. He had a total of ten number one country hits including The Weekend in 1987. He is also a strong guitarist and songwriter. He was born Dec. 25, 1954 in Noblesville, IN. He played in his dad's band as a teen in Indianapolis clubs. Wariner's main influences were Chet Atkins and George Jones. At age 17, Dottie West hired him to play bass. Wariner also toured with Glen Campbell, Bob Luman and Chet Atkins. Then Atkins signed him to RCA in 1976. RCA released a few singles before finally releasing Wariner's debut album in 1981. All Roads Lead To You was his first number one country hit in 1981. But it seems like RCA didn't know how to promote Wariner and he moved to MCA in 1984 to work with producers Jimmy Bowen and Tony Brown. He worked with Brown at RCA. So he liked the sound he was getting but not RCA's attempts to promote him. Wariner wasted no time as the 1985 single Some Fools Never Learn topped the country charts and this began a string of number one country hits including The Weekend in 1987. It's from his album It's A Crazy World. The Weekend was written by the husband wife team of Bill LaBounty and Beckie Foster. After LaBounty recorded three unsuccessful albums in the 70s, he turned to songwriting and has been very successful especially in Nashville. When Wariner began to fade, he moved to Arista in 1991. His first Arista album I Am Ready was his first Gold album. It appears that producers Tim Dubois and Scott Hendricks gave Wariner a more contemporary pop influenced sound and a bigger promotion budget. But after three albums, Wariner moved to Capitol for the 1998 album Burnin' The Roadhouse Down. This was after he had success singing duets with Anita Cochran. Wariner's 1999 hit Two Teardrops crossed over to pop. This budget comp covers Wariner's entire career. Wariner started his own label Selectone in 2003. In October, he released his latest CD All Over The Map. He still has some success writing songs for others and he's still in demand as a guitarist. Here's the video for The Weekend by Steve Wariner.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kacey Musgraves

Artist:Kacey Musgraves
Song:Follow Your Arrow
Album:Same Trailer Different Park





Kacey Musgraves looked like the next big thing when Same Trailer Different Park was released in 2013. But her second album didn't sell that well and there were no hit singles. But she will still have a long career as a songwriter which is what got her noticed in the first place. She was born Aug. 21, 1988 in Golden, TX and she grew up in Mineola. Her major influence was Lee Ann Womack who is from the same part of Texas. And so is Miranda Lambert. And that similarity to those singers may be part of Kacey's problem. She's just not distinctive enough. After Kacey released albums independently and a failed appearance on Nashville Star, she signed with Mercury in 2012. Same Trailer Different Park was released in 2013 produced by veteran producers Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. Merry Go Round reached #14 on the Country singles chart. Follow Your Arrow reached #10. The album was certified Gold. She also won a couple of Grammys. Kacey writes her own songs usually with McAnally or Baird and sometimes other songwriters like Brandy Clark. Kacey's second CD Pageant Material was reviewed positively but it didn't catch on as well as the first album and there were no big hits. Biscuits made the top 30. She recently released A Very Kacey Christmas and she is currently on tour. But her next album may tell us if Kacey is a flavour of the month or if she has a long career as a performer. Certainly she would make a good living as a songwriter. Here's the video for Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves.

Tecia Torres vs Bec Rawlings added to Feb. 4 UFC show

Bec Rawlings announced in an interview with the Courier Mail in Australia that she will face Tecia Torres on UFC Fight Night 104 Feb. 4 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Tecia beat Bec on TUF 20 but of course that didn't count. Regular readers of this blog will know that I haven't liked either fighter going back to their Invicta days. Tecia would be great if she was a kickboxer. But she's supposed to be an MMA fighter. We saw her weak ground game on TUF. But she remained officially undefeated until her recent loss to Rose Namajunas. And she's never finished a fight. So she's a points fighter too. But I'm not sure Bec can beat her. The Aussie's look and personality attracts some fans. But she's just not much of a fighter. Her 7-5 record reflects that. Her KO loss to Paige VanZant by random head kick was embarrassing. She really needs a win here. But as I said, I don't like either fighter and I don't expect much from this fight.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Lovenotes

Artist:The Lovenotes
Song:United
Album:Harlem Holiday:New York Rhythm & Blues Vol. 1




Here's a great doo wop song from 1957. The Lovenotes recorded two singles and then disappeared. First, there was another group called The Lovenotes in the early 50s. This group was originally called The Ivories in 1955. They were formed in New York by Johnny Earl Jackson. Johnny Hicks was lead singer. Other members were Dave Cole, Joe Shiloh, James Coney and pianist and arranger Sylvester Bradford. They recorded a couple of singles for George Bennett's Jaguar Records. But they didn't turn out very well and Bennett even had the Ivories re-record the songs. It just didn't work out. Both Cole and Jackson left and they were replaced by Lucy Cedeno. She clicked with Hicks and the group name was changed to The Lovenotes. They signed with Danny Robinson's Holiday label and United did very well in the New York market. Hicks sang lead and Lucy did the spoken word part. They made appearances in New York in 1957. There was a second single called If I Could Make You Mine. And then they just disappeared. Lucy says that James Coney was arrested for an armed robbery in New Jersey and that was the end of The Lovenotes. You can get all four of their songs on this Collectables Holiday Records comp. Lucy Cedeno recorded a couple of singles as Lucy Rivera and then Laurie Davis. Then she married Gary US Bonds and sang backup for him for his entire career. Here's a video for United by The Lovenotes. Thanks to Unca Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebook for the info about The Lovenotes.

Holly Holm vs Germaine De Randamie to main event Feb. 11 UFC show

ESPN reported today that Holly Holm and Germaine De Randamie will fight for the inaugural UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 208 Feb. 11 at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. First of all, I don't believe there are enough 145lb fighters for a division. The main reason the UFC is doing this is Cris Cyborg is a draw in Brazil and that is an important UFC market. But doing this fight without her is laughable. You could see what they were going to do when the other day, White explained that Cyborg turned down both fights. She said she could be ready in March. So White has decided to teach Cyborg the "Opportunity Knocks" lesson. He even said today that Cyborg might not get the first title shot depending on the result. Typical Dana White nonsense. You couldn't have waited a month? Geez! This fight just doesn't have the same appeal. Holly has never fought at 145lb. She really needs a win because she's starting to look like a one hit wonder. And Germaine is not an easy fight. She's a kickboxing champ who fought at 145 for Strikeforce. The only problem is she has had three fights cancelled due to injury. She trains at AKA in San Jose. Injuries seem to be an epidemic at that place. Neither fighter has a ground game and Germaine is a great kickboxer so I do favour her in this fight.
 

Heard ya missed me. Well I'm back

For those who wondered what happened to the screwy guy who runs this blog, I took a two week "vacation" to St. Joseph's Health Center. Nothing major as it turned out. I woke up Dec. 1 and immediately knew my blood sugar was too low. I keep glucose tablets on hand but they were in the other room. So I called 911 and landed in Emergency at St. Joseph's. Unfortunately I was incoherent at the time so I wasn't able to take my phone. I also have a rash on my legs that I was planning to get checked out anyway. The first couple of nights my blood sugar got really low. Doctors decided that I was taking too much medication so they have decreased it accordingly. They gave me antibiotics for the rash and after a dermatologist looked at it, a lotion called Lamosil was prescribed which I am supposed to apply twice daily. The rash was caused by not being able to elevate my legs aggravated by the diabetes. If that had been all, I would have been out in less than a week. But blood tests revealed a low blood count. So after drinking a horrible liquid to empty my bowels, they did a colonoscopy. I was supposed to have an ultrasound and a CAT scan but the tests were delayed a couple of days. After having the tests, it was determined that I had an iron deficiency and they pumped me full of iron by IV for three days and now I have to take iron tablets. I also had an MRI on my brain. They found nothing (rimshot) and an MRI on my spine to confirm what I already knew. My spinal cord injury has deteriorated. I will follow up with doctors at St. Joseph's in a month or so. I will now get back to blogging beginning with tomorrow's song of the day. I think I was very fortunate this wasn't serious.