Kaori Yoneyama announces retirement

After today's JWP Kinema Klub show, Kaori Yoneyama announced she plans to retire in December. Yoneyama has been a wrestler for over a decade but it was only in the last year that she finally became JWP Open Weight Champion. She recently returned from an injury so I can only assume her retirement is related to that. As small as Yoneyama is, she can only take a pounding for so long that she needs to get out while she can still walk. She was loyal to JWP despite owner Commando Bolshoi's reluctance to give her a title run until recently. Here's a video of her announcement.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Left Banke

Artist:The Left Banke
Song:Walk Away Renee
Album:Hard To Find 45's on CD Vol. 6: More Sixties Classics





Here's a 60s classic that everyone knows. But you probably don't know anything about The Left Banke. Walk Away Renee was the highlight of their brief and tumultuous history. The leader of The Left Banke was keyboard player and songwriter Michael Brown (born Michael Lookofsky Apr. 25, 1949 in New York City). The lead singer was Steve Martin (born Carmelo Esteban Martin Caro Oct. 12, 1948 in Spain). Both grew up in the music business. Brown's father was veteran session violinist Harry Lookofsky. Martin is the son of Flamenco guitaist Sarita Heredia. Other members were guitarist Jeff Winfield, bassist Tom Finn and drummer George Cameron. The Left Banke's biggest problem was Harry Lookofsky was the group's manager, producer and publisher. He sold Walk Away Renee to Mercury's Smash label and it reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. The second single Pretty Ballerina reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then they recorded the rest of the album. The album didn't do that well. So is there a real Renee? Remember Michael Brown was 16 at the time. So Walk Away Renee, Pretty Ballerina and several other songs were about Tom Finn's girlfriend Renee Fladen. She was even at the Walk Away Renee recording session. So he was quite infatuated with her. She disappeared for decades and was found a few years ago teaching music on the West Coast. Lots of groups have covered Walk Away Renee but The Four Tops version is as good as the original. You can get The Left Banke's recording of Walk Away Renee on this Eric Records various artists comp. Problems in The Left Banke began when Lookofsky started using session musicians instead of the band. They sued and ultimately Michael Brown left. The rest of the band recorded a second album that didn't sell. There have been reunions over the years and Finn and Cameron still lead a version of The Left Banke today. Michael Brown was a member of Ian Lloyd's Stories and they had a #1 hit with Brother Louie in 1973. Here's The Left Banke performing Walk Away Renee 1966.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Orleans

Artist:Orleans
Song:Dance With Me
Album:Dance With Me: The Best Of Orleans





Dance With Me was the first of two top ten hits for 70s group Orleans. These days group leader John Hall is better known for his political career. In the late 60s, he was just another aspiring songwriter living in New York trying to make a living in the music business. In 1972, he formed Orleans with guitarist Larry Hoppen and percussionist Wells Kelly. Hoppen's brother Lance Hoppen played bass and drummer Jerry Marotta completed the group. They signed with ABC Records and their 1973 debut album Orleans was produced in Muscle Shoals by Barry Beckett & Roger Hawkins. Hall produced their 1974 album Let There Be Music himself. ABC rejected it and dropped Orleans. They were signed to Asylum Records by recording engineer and producer Chuck Plotkin. He reworked the album and it was released in 1975. Dance With Me reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like a lot of Orleans songs, Hall wrote Dance With Me. Still The One was their other top ten hit in 1976 and is the better known song because ABC and other TV networks used it in promotional campaigns. Hey, royalties are royalties. Soon after, Hall left Orleans to go solo. The band continued without him and had a top 20 hit with Love Takes Time. They split up after MCA Records closed the Infinity label in 1980. You can get all of Orleans' hits on this budget comp. Orleans reformed after Wells Kelly died from a 1984 drug overdose. Lance Hoppen still leads them today. John Hall was part of some of those reunions. But he got into political activism as one of the organizers of the No Nukes concert. His involvement in opposing a nuclear plant in the Mid-Hudson area of New York led to his election to the US House Of Representatives in 2006. He was defeated in 2010. Here's Orleans performing Dance With Me on The Midnight Special 1975.

It looks like Cris Cyborg has agreed to contract terms with Strikeforce

So a lot of people who should have more sense have used Cris Cyborg's Strikeforce contract status to accuse Zuffa of not being interested in women's MMA. These people are out to lunch. Though Cris' contract expired, Chute Boxe owner Rudimar Fedrigo has been negotiating with Scott Coker for months and always insisted that Cris would re-sign. When the contract expired, he announced that she would fight in Brazil in August and that he may have a couple more things going. There were reports that negotiations with Strikeforce had broken off but Fedrigo denied that and said he was still talking with them. Yesterday Fedrigo told Full Contact Fighter that Cris Cyborg has re-signed with Strikeforce. Is he her manager? He's also her trainer and it's not unusual for foreign fighters to have someone like that handle these kind of negotiations. MMA Junkie attempted to get some sort of clarification from Strikeforce. Not surprisingly, they were non-committal. Well, they didn't deny it. The likely status is Cris has agreed to terms but hasn't actually signed the contract yet. I thought this kind of semantic nonsense would have ended when Zuffa bought Strikeforce. I guess not. Old habits die hard. When you're dealing with an important fighter like Cris Cyborg, maybe Strikeforce should respond to a report like this with some candor for a change. I would expect yesterday's report to turn out to be accurate.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joey + Rory

Artist:Joey + Rory
Song:Cheater, Cheater
Album:The Life Of A Song





The husband and wife country music duo Joey + Rory had been around Nashville with separate careers for over a decade when they emerged from the CMT talent contest Can You Duet in 2008 with a record contract and a hot single in Cheater, Cheater. Rory Lee Feek is from Atchison, KS. He moved to Nashville in 1995 and signed a publishing deal with legendary songwriter Harlan Howard. Several of his songs have been hits including Blake Shelton's 2004 number one hit Some Beach. Joey Martin Feek is from Alexandria, IN. She moved to Nashville in 1998 and signed with Sony. She recorded two albums that were never released though the second album was released as a digital download in 2008. They decided to team up and finished third in the CMT talent contest Can You Duet. They signed with Vanguard/Sugar Hill and recorded The Life Of A Song with veteran producer Carl Jackson. Back in the 60s, Jackson was a banjo player for Jim & Jesse and then Glen Campbell. He's been producing since the 70s. Joey + Rory's debut single Cheater, Cheater reached #30 on the Country Singles chart. The Life Of A Song reached #10 on the Country Album chart. Joey + Rory wrote Cheater, Cheater with songwriter Wynn Varble and Kristy Osmonson of the female country duo Bomshel. Bomshel recorded the song on their 2006 EP Bomshel Stomp and released Cheater, Cheater as a single but it did not chart. Obviously "cheatin'" songs have been a big part of country music for decades. Joey + Rory's decision to have fun with that kind of song was a great idea. Joey + Rory also released a Christmas version of Cheater, Cheater and the proceeds went to charity. Joey + Rory were nominated for several Academy of Country Music Awards and won 2010 Top New Vocal Duo Of The Year. Their second CD Album Number Two reached #9 on the Country Album chart. Joey + Rory are more Bluegrass oriented than a lot of today's country acts. And Joey is a tremendous singer with a lot of personality. If they stick with that, they'll have a long career as long as they're married. Here's the video for Cheater, Cheater by Joey + Rory featuring a cameo by Naomi Judd. She was a judge on Can You Duet.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jeanne & The Darlings

Artist:Jeanne & The Darlings
Song:Soul Girl
Album:Stax/Volt The Complete Singles Vol. 9





I don't know why but Stax Records didn't seem to have much luck with female groups. Jeanne & The Darlings were used mainly as backup singers. But they recorded a few singles for Stax that probably deserved a better fate. Soul Girl is an obvious variation on the Sam & Dave hit Soul Man but it sounds great on its own merit. Jeanne & The Darlings were from Little Rock, AR featuring lead singer Jeanne Dolphus, sister Dolores "Dee" Dolphus, Jeanne's daughter Paula Cotton and Phefe Harris. They were mainly a gospel group and Jeanne and Dee recorded for Avant Records as The Dolphus Sisters. Jeanne also used the name Mary Jean Cotton. Stax brought them to Memphis to work as backup singers working with Isaac Hayes and David Porter. They liked the girls enough that they wrote a couple of songs for them including Soul Girl. It was released on Volt in 1967 but went nowhere. It's too bad because it's much better than just a variation of the hit Soul Man. The girls also worked with producers Homer Banks and Don Davis. But none of their six singles were successful and they left Stax in 1969. You can get three Jeanne & The Darlings songs on this single CD which is part of the 9CD Complete Stax/Volt Singles box set. Both sisters returned to Little Rock and while they continued to sing, both became mental health professionals working with at risk youth. I think Dee is deceased but Dr. Jeanne Dolphus Cotton still does that today. Her five daughters sing as Sisters Cotton. Here's a video for Soul Girl by Jeanne & The Darlings.

Nagisa Nozaki announces indefinite leave of absence, possible retirement

So you may recall last month that DIANA owner Kyoko Inoue fired 20 year old Nagisa Nozaki for no showing a show. Nozaki asked Pro Wrestling WAVE owner GAMI if she could continue to participate in the Catch The Wave league. Nozaki said she would address her future after she was finished working for WAVE. So after today's show when she lost to Ayumi Kurihara, Nozaki addressed the media. When she was fired, she said she was leaning toward retirement. But so many fans have pleaded with her to stay that she can't make a final decision yet. Of course the big problem with Nozaki is her shoulder. She has already had reconstructive surgery once and it's not getting any better. She plans to discuss with her doctor if she is going to have a second surgery. She is calling this an indefinite leave of absence. If she decides to have more surgery, she could return down the road. But if the decision is against having surgery, she knows that will be the end of her wrestling career. The chances are pretty good she is through anyway. But for now, she wants to leave the door open for a return.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Leo Sayer

Artist:Leo Sayer
Song:When I Need You
Album:The Very Best Of Leo Sayer





When I Need You was one of two number one hits for British singer songwriter Leo Sayer in 1976. He had some other hits but that and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing are the two most folks remember. He still does well in England today. He was born Gerard Hugh Sayer May 21, 1948 in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England. He was leader of the Terraplane Blues Band in the late 60s. He formed Patches with drummer David Courtney. Courtney used to play with British pop star Adam Faith. At the time, Faith was transitioning into being an artist manager. Courtney brought Patches to Faith. Faith didn't like Patches but he liked Sayer and got him a recording contract with Chrysalis Records. Sayer started recording at Roger Daltrey's studio and Daltrey used several of Sayer's songs on his solo album. And Sayer's song And The Show Must Go On was a hit in the US for Three Dog Night in 1973. So Warner Bros. signed him to a contract for the US. Long Tall Glasses was Sayer's first US top ten hit in 1975. Meanwhile, Sayer split with Courtney and started working with former Supertramp member Frank Farrell. For the 1976 album Endless Flight, Faith hired high powered producer Richard Perry. It was the first album Sayer recorded in Los Angeles with LA studio musicians. And unlike Sayer's previous albums, Perry used songs by outside writers instead of Sayer's own songs. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and When I Need You both reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. When I Need You was written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager and Hammond recorded it on his 1976 album When I Need You. It borrows the melody from the Leonard Cohen song Famous Blue Raincoat. Cohen's publisher sued and it was settled out of court. The sax solo was by Steve Madaio. This Rhino comp is a good intro to his music. Sayer faded in the US but continued to chart in England. He now lives in Australia. Here's Leo Sayer performing When I Need You on The Midnight Special 1976.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Naked Eyes

Artist:Naked Eyes
Song:Always Something There To Remind Me
Album:Burt Bacharach & Friends: Gold





Though the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song Always Something There To Remind Me charted in the 60s, this 1982 cover by the British synthpop duo Naked Eyes is the only version of the song to reach the US top ten. Bacharach has said it's his favourite version of the song. Unfortunately, Naked Eyes only recorded two albums before they split up. Singer Pete Byrne and keyboard player Rob Fisher were childhood pals from Bath, England. They were in Neon with future Tears For Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. When that group split up, Byrne and Fisher continued as Naked Eyes. Obviously Fisher liked messing around with electronic keyboards, synthesizers and samplers. These were just starting to become popular in pop music. Producer Tony Mansfield was the leader of the group New Musik. He turned to production when they split up and I think Naked Eyes was his first producing gig. While Byrne and Fisher wrote songs for their debut album, they toyed with recording a cover of Always Something There To Remind Me. It was the only cover on the album. EMI released their 1983 debut album Burning Bridges. But Capitol titled it Naked Eyes and gave it a different cover for the US release. Always Something There To Remind Me reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second single Promises, Promises reached #11. Always Something There To Remind Me was first recorded by Lou Johnson in 1964 and reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Sandie Shaw topped the British charts with her 1965 recording. That version was a hit everywhere but the US. Dionne Warwick charted with her 1967 version. But until the Naked Eyes hit, the biggest chart success for the song was when R.B. Greaves reached #27 with it in 1970. So no wonder Bacharach likes the Naked Eyes cover. It made him the most money in royalties. You can get it on this various artists 2CD comp from Hip-O. When Naked Eyes' album Fuel For The Fire didn't do that well, they split up. Rob Fisher formed Climie Fisher with Simon Climie and they had success in England. Fisher died on Aug. 25, 1999 at age 42 after cancer surgery. Pete Byrne moved to California and became a session musician. He reformed Naked Eyes in 2005 and has been touring and recording since then. Here's the video for Always Something There To Remind Me by Naked Eyes.

Ronda Rousey vs Sarah D'Alelio added to main card of Aug. 12 Strikeforce show

Ronda Rousey

So when Gina Carano dropped out of her fight a couple of weeks ago, Strikeforce attempted to bring in Ronda Rousey to replace her. She was already committed to another fight which she won easily. Now she has replaced Gina as Sarah D'Alelio's opponent. It was originally booked for the July 30 undercard but has now been moved to the main card of the August 12 Strikeforce Challengers show in Las Vegas. So what's the big deal about Ronda Rousey? She has had a total of five amateur and professional MMA matches with a combined total elapsed time of less than three minutes and won them all by armbar submission. Her background is judo. She won a Bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games and won the Gold medal at the 2007 Pan Am Games. She is trained by Armenian judo guru Gokor Chivichyan at Team Hayastan in Santa Monica, CA. And I understand the legendary Judo Gene LeBell teaches there too. So obviously we know she can take opponents down. Many fans have asked what she will be like when gets hit in the face. That's not even the right question. The question is can anyone match her quickness. As an amateur, Ronda beat Taylor Stratford in 24 seconds. Taylor is no scrub. And though I think Sarah is an upgrade over Ronda's previous pro opponents, I doubt she has the quickness to handle Ronda. And until someone can neutralize that quickness, she won't need to exchange punches. Of course her likely destiny is a fight against Cris Cyborg. But of course as you already know, Cris' Strikeforce contract expired recently. I expect Strikeforce to re-sign her when they need to. She will fight in Brazil in August. I've heard half a dozen rumours already and they all seem like baloney. Remember Strikeforce can beat any significant offers if they want to. And one of the rumours I heard won't happen for that reason. Others just seem like people are making stuff up. Just take all those rumours with a grain of salt. If certain companies got serious, Zuffa would throw enough cash at Cris to make them go away. This could get more interesting after Ronda Rousey makes her Strikeforce debut.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Josh Turner

Artist:Josh Turner
Song:Why Don't We Just Dance
Album:Icon





The main thing Josh Turner has to distinguish himself from run of the mill country singers is that deep bass voice. And he has much better vocal range than one would think. He has been a fixture on the country music charts since his 2003 debut. Why Don't We Just Dance is his biggest hit to date and his biggest pop crossover hit. He was born Nov. 20, 1977 in Hannah, SC which is near Florence. He grew up singing in church and led the gospel group Thankful Hearts. In 1999, Turner developed a lesion on his vocal cord. He didn't require surgery but had to rest it for a year. He hasn't had any problems since then. He moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and continue vocal training at Belmont University. Turner got some attention when he performed Long Black Train on the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 21, 2001. This led to a contract with MCA Nashville with producer Frank Rogers. Interestingly, Rogers is from Florence, SC. Turner's 2003 debut CD Long Black Train reached #4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #29 on the Billboard Hot 200. And the single reached #13 on the Country Singles chart. The CD set the stage for Turner's future success. Your Man was his first #1 country single in 2005 and the album topped the Country Album chart and was certified 2XPlatinum. His third CD Everything Is Fine didn't do as well but was still certified Gold. Why Don't We Just Dance was the debut single from his 2010 CD Haywire. It topped the Country Singles chart and reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Nashville songwriters Jim Beavers, Darrell Brown and Jonathan Singleton. Turner said he liked the song immediately. Singleton's band Jonathan Singleton and the Grove are signed to Toby Keith's Show Dog label. This Icon budget comp is a good intro to Turner's music. Josh Turner is married and has three children. His next CD is scheduled for release later this year. I think that deep voice will take Josh Turner a long way. Here's the video for Why Don't We Just Dance by Josh Turner.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Vinton

Artist:Bobby Vinton
Song:Mr. Lonely
Album:16 Most Requested Songs





Beatlemania killed a lot of music in 1964. But throwback crooner Bobby Vinton was already a star and went on to a lot of success slugging it out in the charts with The Beatles. Mr. Lonely was a number one hit in 1964. And when his career as a crooner faded in the 70s, he turned to his Polish heritage to remain on the charts. He was born Stanley Robert Vinton Jr. Apr. 16, 1935 in Canonsburg, PA, the same birthplace as Perry Como. His dad's original surname was Vintula and he changed it to Vinton. His parents were Polish immigrants. As a teen, he played in Pittsburgh clubs and earned a degree in musical composition at Duquesne University. His dad was also a musician. So to avoid confusion, it was suggested the younger Vinton use his middle name professionally. After two years in the Army, an appearance on Guy Lombardo's Talent Scouts TV show earned Vinton a contract with Epic Records as a bandleader. His first two albums and several singles didn't sell. Epic was about to release him when he found Roses Are Red in a reject pile. He recorded it and promoted it himself. He made sure radio stations got it and played it. It was his first number one hit in 1962. Three more number one hits followed; Blue Velvet, There! I've Said It Again and Mr. Lonely. Though Vinton wasn't known as a songwriter, he wrote Mr. Lonely based on his Army experiences. And with the US sending young boys to Vietnam, the song struck a chord with people. Vinton recorded Mr. Lonely on his 1962 album Roses Are Red but it wasn't released as a single. Buddy Greco recorded a version that flopped. Epic released Mr. Lonely as a single in 1964 to promote a Greatest Hits comp. Beatlemania didn't seem to affect Vinton and he continued to have hits through the early 70s. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. Epic dropped him in 1972 when he started fading. Vinton spent $50K to record My Melody Of Love with lyrics partially in Polish. After several record companies rejected it, ABC Records released it and it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973. This led to his own TV variety show. Vinton also got a big boost when David Lynch's film Blue Velvet became a big hit. Bobby Vinton had his own theater in Branson, MO for several years. He doesn't own it anymore but still performs there occasionally. He hasn't recorded since 1992 so I would describe him as semi-retired. Here's Bobby Vinton performing Mr. Lonely on Shindig 1964.

My new powerchair is a much smoother ride

Me in my new Quickie Xperience

So I received my new powerchair on Thursday but I wanted to test drive it before I write about it. Last week I got a call from Mike D'Angelo of H.M.E. to tell me that John Crawford had left the company. He wanted to know what I knew about the status of my new powerchair. Sometimes this can be a sign that something has gone wrong. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I told him the chair was approved and the service department told me it was on order. He told me last Friday the chair had arrived and they were waiting for the seating and I should receive it in the next week. And he called me on Wednesday and said one of their service guys would deliver it on Thursday. So I got a call from Moe and he delivered it. I took it outside for a quick spin while he was here to see if there were any immediate adjustments. While navigating a curb, I found the footplates were too low and Moe raised them up about an inch. He also adjusted the backrest as I wanted to sit a little farther back in the seat. And that was about it. I gave them my old chair to donate. And I went out the next morning as usual to give it a real test. The big difference with the Quickie Xperience as opposed to my old chair is the mid wheel suspension makes for a much smoother ride. With the old chair, I would get heavy bumps even from an average sidewalk to the point where my lower back started bothering me and I was having problems transferring. These same bumps are now absorbed by the Quickie Xperience suspension and I don't feel them anymore. That's a big deal. With the different sidewalks and curbs and streetcar tracks, a powerchair user will receive some bone rattling bumps from seemingly innocent looking sidewalks. Not with this chair. The footplates are high enough that they seem to handle all curbs smoothly and I'm sitting low enough to get underneath tables. There must be something about the design because my height has been an issue in the past. I haven't taken it on the bus or subway yet but I don't anticipate any issues. And of course I don't know how it will do in rain or snow. It does need a couple of things. They were supposed to deliver a backpack to hang on the back of the chair and they didn't do that. The hand control has a golf ball instead of a joystick and I prefer a joystick because my hand will cramp from the golf ball. I would like it to turn a little quicker in tight spaces. I know the electronics can be reprogrammed but I don't know if that can be changed. Those are minor things. I will call Mike on Tuesday to discuss that stuff. I chose H.M.E. because of their service department and all the guys there have been great. It all went very smoothly even with the personnel change. So thanks to H.M.E. I hope I won't need to see them too often.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roy Brown

Artist:Roy Brown
Song:Let The Four Winds Blow
Album:Good Rocking Tonight: The Best Of Roy Brown





Roy Brown was one of the pioneers of Rock 'N' Roll and is best known for writing Good Rockin' Tonight. But he was also an excellent singer but never had a lot of success. the 1957 hit Let The Four Winds Blow was his biggest hit and Fats Domino had a bigger hit with it later. He was born Sept. 10, 1925 in New Orleans. His mom was church organist so he grew up singing in church. His dad was a bricklayer and the family moved around Louisiana with his work. Brown was only allowed to listen to spirituals. He never heard the blues until the early 40s. His mom died when he was 14 and after Brown finished high school, he moved to Los Angeles in 1942 to become a boxer. He was 16-2 as a pro welterweight but he didn't like the sight of blood. So he quit and won a 1945 talent contest by imitating his favourite singer Bing Crosby. He got a singing gig in Galveston, TX. By this time he was already performing Good Rockin' Tonight and tried to sell it to R & B superstar Wynonie Harris when he came to town. Harris rejected it. But after Brown signed with Deluxe Records and Good Rockin' Tonight reached #13 on the R & B chart in 1948, Harris topped the charts with the song. Lots have covered it including Elvis Presley in 1954. Brown continued to have decent success in the early 50s when King Records bought Deluxe. But after he sued King for unpaid royalties in 1952, it appears Brown may have been blacklisted. He also spent time in prison for tax evasion. Brown signed with Imperial Records in 1957 and Dave Bartholomew produced some recordings including Let The Four Winds Blow. It reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 but Fats Domino, who wrote the song with Bartholomew, would have a much bigger hit with it later. This 1994 Rhino comp is the only one that has Brown's Deluxe and King recordings and Let The Four Winds Blow. Roy Brown didn't record much after that and made a good living selling encyclopedias. He attempted a comeback with Johnny Otis at the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival but it was not as successful as hoped and he returned to his day job. Roy Brown died of a heart attack on May 25, 1981 at age 55. He is a forgotten great of black music. Here's a video for Let The Four Winds Blow by Roy Brown.

Mika Nagano and Saori Ishioka on being underdogs

Mika Nagano on top of Saori Ishioka

JEWELS held an open workout today at the DEEP dojo to promote the July 9 Shinjuku FACE show which I believe is sold out. There are still standing room seats available. Saori Ishioka and Mika Nagano have been touring the media rounds all week. Ishioka will face the returning Yuka Tsuji and Nagano will face Megumi Fujii. So they did some grappling and then spoke to the media. Obviously they don't usually train together but both said they were looking forward to it and were motivated to have fun. Nagano says she expects to have butterflies in her stomach before her fight with Fujii. She says she's been working on her defense but she has no illusions about Fujii. It will be difficult. Ishioka says she has always wanted to face Tsuji. She has only fought under Special Rules once and that was against Fujii. She went to train at the Zendokai branch in Laos for a month. She says she worked on her striking and would like to get a knockout. Both know they are underdogs and have mixed feelings about fighting two legends of women's MMA. But they also said that they are motivated when they find out the show is sold out. They appreciate the fan support and vow to put on a good show. JEWELS also added another kickboxing match and a couple of amateur matches to round out the card.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Simply Red

Artist:Simply Red
Song:If You Don't Know Me By Now
Album:Greatest Hits





The British group Simply Red may not have invented blue eyed soul. But they sure perfected it with a string of hits. If You Don't Know Me By Now was one of their two number one hits. They were much bigger for a longer time period in England. The leader of Simply Red was Mick Hucknall (born June 8, 1960 in Denton, Lancashire, England). He led the punk band The Frantic Elevators for several years. Like a lot of British groups of the late 70s, they were heavily influenced by The Sex Pistols. But the punk scene was very crowded and The Frantic Elevators were unsuccessful. So Hucknall got together with manager Elliott Rashman and put together a group of session musicians. They were going to call the group Red, Hucknall's nickname. When a promoter got confused about the name, it became Simply Red. Bassist Tony Bowers, drummer Chris Joyce and trumpeter Tim Kellett were all members of The Durutti Column. Other members were keyboard player Fritz McIntyre and guitarist Sylvan Richardson. They signed with Elektra in 1985. At first they had success in England but were unable to break through in the US. The 1989 cover of the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes classic If You Don't Know Me By Now topped the Billboard Hot 100. Holding Back The Years also reached #1. Richardson left and was replaced by Heitor Pereira. As I said, they were much bigger in England but Simply Red's success continued until 1995 when everyone left and Hucknall formed a new Simply Red. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. Hucknall continued to record and tour as Simply Red until he retired the name after a 2009 tour. Hucknall has also recorded solo but Simply Red had become a solo act with session musicians. I suppose he could have used the name forever. Maybe he felt guilty about that. I don't know. Here's the video for If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red.

Eliane Elias concert review

Last night I went to see Brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias at the Enwave Theater as part of the Toronto Jazz Festival. Eliane moved to New York in the early 80s after meeting the great bassist Eddie Gomez when she was on tour with a Brazilian group in Europe. She joined the group Giant Steps and it was there that she met her first husband, trumpeter Randy Brecker. They recorded an album together and have a daughter Amanda. Eliane made her solo recording debut in 1989 and she has been a big concert draw ever since. She is currently touring to promote her new CD Light My Fire. It is her debut on Concord Picante. Of course her band features her husband bassist Marc Johnson. He started out in the 80s with the great Bill Evans and has recorded several albums on ECM. He writes a lot of the arrangements. On guitar was Brazilian Rubens de la Corte. He is best known as musical director for Angelique Kidjo. And on drums was Chicago native Mark Walker. He has been a member of Oregon and Caribbean Jazz Project and has also worked extensively with Cuban sax legend Paquito D'Rivera. In fact I saw Mark with Paquito when he came to Toronto Nov. 2009. You have to be on your toes to hang with Paquito. He also appeared in Paquito's segment of the documentary Calle 54 and of course Eliane was in the film too. Eliane Elias is a very unique musician. She brings with her the traditions of Brazil and pays tribute to legends like Antonio Carlos Jobim. And she mixes this with contemporary jazz riffs no doubt influenced by her husband and her mentor Eddie Gomez. It 's an excellent way to educate the audience about Brazilian music and they don't even know they are being educated. I like her better as a pianist than a vocalist. And since her daughter Amanda Brecker sang on mom's latest CD, I was a little disappointed she didn't come. The band was great. Walker got a lot of solo time and showed how versatile he really is. They performed several songs from Eliane's new CD along with Brazilian standards like Girl From Ipanema and Desifinado. A very enjoyable show from a great band.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christine Kittrell

Artist:Christine Kittrell
Song:Sittin' Here Drinkin'
Album:Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970





Christine Kittrell is an outstanding underexposed R & B singer who recorded some great singles in the 50s. When things didn't work out, she turned to gospel music. Her songs on this 2CD comp Night Train To Nashville generated renewed interest in her music and Bear Family has released a Christine Kittrell comp last year. She was born Aug. 11, 1929 in Nashville and grew up singing in church. Influenced by Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith, she became a professional singer. She first recorded in 1951 with Louis Brooks and then the small Tennessee label released her first solo single Sittin' Here Drinkin' in 1952. She recorded one more single for Tennessee and then recorded for Republic Records through the late 50s. Among those who played on her records were Little Richard, Earl Gaines and believe it or not, John Coltrane. He was on the 1953 single Slave To Love. From what I can tell, she wrote most of her own songs including Sittin' Here Drinkin'. She never had a hit probably because neither label she recorded for had national distribution. She toured quite a bit but wasn't happy with the results and returned to gospel in 1954. She toured with the Simmons-Akens Singers. Christine moved to Columbus, OH in 1962 and recorded the Lieber/Stoller song I'm A Woman for VeeJay. Unfortunately, it was not a hit and Peggy Lee would have a big hit with the song later. Christine sang for the troops in Vietnam in 1965. She has already been there for eight months and planned to stay longer but was injured by shrapnel and returned home. This 2CD various artists comp is a must for any R & B fan. Christine Kittrell continued to perform in Columbus blues clubs until her death on Dec. 19, 2001 at age 72. Thanks to Rob Whatman's Brown Eyed Handsome Soul blog for Christine Kittrell's bio. Here's a video for Sittin' Here Drinkin' by Christine Kittrell.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bertie Higgins

Artist:Bertie Higgins
Song:Key Largo
Album:Classic Soft Rock: Summer Breeze





Key Largo was the only significant hit for singer songwriter Bertie Higgins. He had another chart hit so technically he is not a one hit wonder. But most folks will only remember Key Largo. He was born Dec. 8, 1944 in Tarpon Springs, FL. In the 60s, he was drummer for Tommy Roe's touring band The Roemans. They released a few unsuccessful singles but mostly toured the world with Roe. By 1968, Higgins was burned out and returned home to Florida. He moved to Atlanta in 1980 and met producer Sonny Limbo. Limbo was a recording engineer who was a part of the early career of country music group Alabama. He set up a meeting with veteran music publisher Bill Lowery. Lowery liked Key Largo and got Higgins a recording deal with Kat Family Records with distribution by Epic. Key Largo topped the Adult Contemporary chart and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is obviously about the 1948 film Key Largo starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. There's also a song Casablanca on his album Another Day In Paradise and that song was a big hit in Japan. He recorded one more album for Epic in 1984. Bertie Higgins continues to record on his own label and tour with his group The Band Of Pirates. His son Damian Higgins is a DJ and producer known as Dieselboy. His son Julian Higgins is an aspiring film director and dad has been helping him get established. You can get Key Largo on this 2CD Time Life various artists comp. Here's the video for Key Largo by Bertie Higgins.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ace Of Base

Artist:Ace Of Base
Song:The Sign
Album:Playlist: The Very Best Of Ace Of Base





Though I understand the similarities and comparisons, I don't think Ace Of Base sounds anything like Abba. The Sign was their biggest of a string of hits in the 90s. I would describe their music as very basic and simple pop music. There's nothing complicated about their music. Of course like Abba, they are Swedish. Jonas Berggren was part of the Swedish punk scene. He led the band Konrad G in 1987. His sisters Linn and Jenny joined as singers. They went through several names and music styles but were called Kalinin Prospect in 1990. Berggren was getting into techno. The other two members left and Berggren asked Ulf Ekberg to join and they changed the name to Ace Of Base. They struggled until they heard the Swedish hit Another Mother by Kayo and sent a demo to the group's producer Denniz PoP. He produced their first hit All That She Wants. The Reggae influence set the stage for most of their other hits. And though All That She Wants was a big hit in Europe, they were turned down by US record companies until Arista Records signed them in 1993. Some tracks were added to their Happy Nation including The Sign and that was also the new title of the album. The Sign topped the charts worldwide and was the biggest hit of 1994. Ace Of Base had a total of four US top ten hits and faded in 1997. But they remained popular in Europe for several years. You can gwt all their hits on this budget comp. Ace Of Base took a hiatus in 2003. Linn and Jenny have both left and Ace Of Base continues with two new singers. Here's the video for The Sign by Ace Of Base.