AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Nichols & Elaine May

Artist:Mike Nichols & Elaine May
Song:Telephone
Album:In Retrospect





Mike Nichols is best known as a film director and you may have seen Elaine May in films but she is primarily a screenwriter. But in the early 60s the two recorded some of the funniest comedy ever recorded. They only recorded three albums. Mike Nichols was born Michael Peschkowsky Nov. 6, 1931 in Berlin, Germany. His family moved to New York City in 1939 to escape Nazi Germany and his father changed the family name to Nichols. Elaine May was born Elaine Berlin Apr. 21, 1932 in Philadelphia. Her parents were in the Yiddish theater and moved to Los Angeles in 1942. She married Marvin May in the late 40s and took his surname professionally. The two met in the early 50s at the University Of Chicago and both were members of The Compass Players which was a precursor to Second City. In 1954, Nichols moved to New York to study acting but then returned to Chicago and started working with Elaine and Shelley Berman as a trio. Compass Players founder Del Close suspected the duo were working on an act and fired Nichols in 1958. They moved to New York and in no time were on The Steve Allen Show. Their 1959 debut album Improvisations To Music featured pianist Marty Rubenstein playing classical music to their improvisations. Rubenstein was musical director at the club Mister Kelly's. Then the two opened on Broadway as An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May in 1960. And the show was such a success that a cast album was recorded for Mercury. It was very successful and won a Best Comedy Album Grammy. Telephone is from that album. Mercury released this comp in 1996 but unfortunately none of the Nichols & May albums are in print right now. I guess you'll have to find a used copy. It would be nice if Universal released a 50th anniversary CD. The thing you need to remember about Nichols & May is it was completely improvised. And despite the passage of time, it holds up very well. They recorded one other album in 1962 and then they split up and both have been very successful in their individual careers. My guess is most folks have never heard Nichols & May because this was recorded over 50 years ago. I think you'll enjoy them. Here's Mike Nichols & Elaine May performing Telephone on the Steve Allen Show 1960. The video quality is pretty bad at first but stick with it. It does improve and Elaine is very funny.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Sarah Kaufman vs Alexis Davis

Here is the match video for Sarah Kaufman vs Alexis Davis from last night's Strikeforce show. It wasn't working earlier but I contacted the guy who posted it and he fixed it. Already some are overpraising this as some sort of match of the year. Take it easy, people. It's only March. It's good but not that good. A lot of the idiots saying this are annoyed with Ronda Rousey and think Sarah got a raw deal. So let's overpraise it because we feel sorry for Sarah. Ugh! As regular readers know I get very annoyed with fighters who sabotage themselves with poor strategy. And that's what Alexis Davis did. I do not understand why a wrestler like Alexis would try to trade punches with a precision puncher like Sarah. I can understand why she did that in round one because of Sarah's takedown defense. But she waited until halfway through round three to take Sarah down to the mat and it was just too late. If she had tried that in round two, Alexis could have won the match. Instead Sarah won by majority decision because one of the judges scored round two a 10-10 tie and therefore 29-29. The other two judges scored it 29-28 Sarah and that's the correct score. Some might argue that Alexis won round three 10-8 but she waited too long and Sarah minimized things and didn't allow Alexis to do what she needed to do which was finish the fight. I thought the action was good but I think Alexis beat herself and when she watches the video, she will realize that. It's a missed opportunity. And I didn't see anything from Sarah that makes me think she can beat Ronda Rousey. Enjoy the video!

Ronda Rousey adds another arm to her collection

Here's the match video from last night's Strikeforce show with Rowdy Ronda Rousey winning the Women's 135lb Championship from Miesha Tate. That match went as I expected with Ronda winning with one of her trademark armbars. First I wanted to mention that hits on this blog have gone through the roof for my post from a few months ago about Miesha ducking Ronda. It's mostly Google searches for Ronda. I stand by my comments as I do believe Miesha was trying to avoid Ronda. Once she took the fight, Miesha exhibited some of the stupidest behaviour I have ever seen. Some of the stuff she said was just foolish. Ronda didn't seem to care much until Miesha tried to headbutt Ronda at the weigh in and then whined about Ronda's response afterwards. That just pissed Ronda off. So it didn't take long for Ronda to get Miesha in an armbar after eating a couple of punches that didn't bother her. Somehow Miesha escaped though I think her elbow was already dislocated. Ronda said afterwards that she didn't have it hooked as tight as she would have liked. But you have to give Miesha credit as most fighters would not have escaped that. Then she got Ronda's back and tried for a choke but Ronda defended it well. Ronda exhibited extraordinary athleticism during this sequence. After a perfect hiptoss, Ronda pounded Miesha until she got another armbar and it was over. Another arm for Ronda's collection. Her next opponent will be Sarah Kaufman who won her fight over Alexis Davis. The copy of the fight video for that didn't work properly. Sarah is a good puncher and has good takedown defense. But Ronda is a different animal. I haven't seen a fighter in this weight class that I think could handle Ronda. She is just way too quick. Fans always mention Sara McMann but she is under contract to Pro Elite and I haven't been impressed with her fights. If Tonya Evinger gave her trouble, then what could she do with Ronda? Sheila Bird is a fighter with potential. Very athletic. So there you have it. The Ronda Rousey era begins. Enjoy the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jason Mraz

Artist:Jason Mraz
Song:I'm Yours
Album:We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things





Jason Mraz is one of today's most popular singer songwriters. The 2008 single I'm Yours is his biggest hit to date. His new CD will be released next month. He was born June 23, 1977 in Mechanicsville, VA. He started out in musical theater and after high school he moved to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He dropped out after a year and moved to San Diego in 1999 to work the local coffeehouse circuit. Jewel was one of his early supporters. When he started doing shows in Los Angeles, record companies took note and he signed with Elektra Records in 2002. He had moderate success with his first two albums. Warners closed Elektra and moved Mraz to Atlantic in 2005. His 2005 CD Mr. A-Z reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 200. But he had his real commercial breakthrough with his 2008 CD We Sing, We Danmce, We Steal Things. I'm Yours reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for a record 76 weeks. It's his biggest hit single to date. The CD reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified Platinum. I think one of the keys to Mraz' success is he is getting better promotional support from Atlantic as Elektra had become a lame duck label. His music hasn't changed much but Atlantic got him exposed to a larger audience. His new CD Love Is A Four Letter Word will be released next month and I expect his success to continue. Here's the video for I'm Yours by Jason Mraz.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Claudio Roditi

Artist:Claudio Roditi
Song:Gemini Man
Album:Samba Manhattan Style





Trumpeter Claudio Roditi combines his Brazilian roots with his love of bop. Many jazz fans may not realize that he has lived in the US for forty years. He was born May 28, 1946 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He became a jazz fan as a child listening to his uncle's record collection. At age 20 he was a finalist in the International Jazz Competition in Vienna. Then he lived in Mexico City for a couple of years. And in 1970, he moved to Boston to attend Berklee School of Music. In 1976, he moved to New York and for years has been a sideman for a who's who of jazz including Joe Henderson, Tito Puente, McCoy Tyner and Paquito D'Rivera. Since 1989 he has been a part of Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra and has toured with the Gillespie tribute band The Jazz Masters led by Slide Hampton. Roditi was nominated for a Grammy in 1995 for his composition Symphonic Bossa Nova and for his 2010 album BrillianceX4. He has recorded as a leader since 1984. Gemini Man is from his 1995 album Samba Manhattan Style with Helio Alves on piano, Greg Abate on sax, Jay Ashby on trombone, John "Babbacombe" Lee on bass and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums. Roditi currently records for Resonance Records and his latest CD Bons Amigos was released last year. Jazz fans should check out Claudio Roditi.You don't want to overlook him. Here's Claudio Roditi performing Gemini Man with Helio Alves on piano, Leonardo Cioglia on bass and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums at Rising Stars in Beverly Hills, CA Mar. 25, 2007.

Tate-Rousey weigh in turns into a headbutt war

Zuffa stupidly didn't stream the weigh ins for Meisha Tate vs Ronda Rousey. But Casey Leyton of MMA Fighting took this video and it's pretty funny. Both fighters weighed in at 134.5lbs. I never understood the doubt about Ronda making weight. She's been an athlete since she was a child. She knows what to do. She said the lighter weight is easier on her knees. So on the staredown, Meisha headbutts Ronda and Ronda just gives it back to her in spades. I thought it was pretty funny. Don't forget to watch tomorrow night on Showtime in the US and SuperChannel in Canada.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bad English

Artist:Bad English
Song:When I See You Smile
Album:Bad English





The short lived group Bad English topped the charts with the 1989 power ballad When I See You Smile. They only recorded two albums. British singer songwriter John Waite had success with The Babys and as a solo artist. When his solo career faded, I guess he wanted to reform The Babys and he approached Babys keyboard player Jonathan Cain. Cain was a member of Journey at the time. The timing was perfect. Journey split up in 1987. Cain talked to Journey guitarist Neil Schon about forming a new band with Waite and former Babys bassist Ricky Phillips. The name Bad English came when they were playing pool together and of course "english" is a billiards term. They hired Deen Castronovo to play drums. They signed with Epic Records and their debut album reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 200 and was certified Platinum. When I See You Smile was the second single and topped the Billboard Hot 100. Though Bad English wrote most of their own songs, When I See You Smile was written by Diane Warren who has written many hit songs. Though Bad English recorded a second album, Waite and Schon were butting heads over the direction of the band. It appears that Waite didn't like arena rock very much and Schon thought it was a proven formula for success and didn't like Waite's pop tendencies. By the time their second album was released, Bad English had already split up. The Bad English album is available as a budget CD. John Waite went back to being a solo artist and released a new CD last year. Neil Schon, Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo were all part of the 1996 reformation of Journey. Ricky Phillips was a member of Coverdale-Page and is currently a member of Styx. Bad English had potential for a longer run but that's the way things go in the music business sometimes. Here's the video for When I See You Smile by Bad English.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barry White

Artist:Barry White
Song:Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe
Album:Icon 2





After Barry White had his breakthrough hit with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, he had a long string of hits as a solo artist and was one of the biggest soul stars of the 70s and probably the creator of disco. Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe was his only number one pop hit as a solo artist. He was born Barry Eugene Carter Sept. 12, 1944 in Galveston, TX and grew up singing in church. His family moved to Los Angeles and White got involved in gangs which landed him in jail for stealing tires. According to White, he woke up one day at 13 years old and had that deep voice. That's puberty for you. When he got out of jail, he worked for Del-Fi/Mustang/Bronco Records owner Bob Keane as a producer. Then he formed the girl group Love Unlimited featuring his wife Glodean and they had a top 20 hit in 1972 with Walking In The Rain With The One I Love. That was on UNI Records. When UNI head Russ Regan left for 20th Century Records, White went with him. White's Love Unlimited Orchestra topped the charts with Love's Theme in 1972. Then White looked for singers to produce. He was very reluctant to record as a solo artist. But when his best friend Larry Nunes heard his demo, he talked White into recording himself. At first he was going to call himself White Heat but then settled on Barry White. When I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby topped the R & B Singles chart and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, White was finally convinced. He had several number one R & B hits but Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe was his only number one pop hit. With his girth and deep voice, White was given the nickname The Walrus Of Love. White continued to have success until he left 20th Century for Columbia in 1979. He didn't have the same success there or at A & M Records in the 80s. He had a bit of a comeback in the 90s after appearing on the Quincy Jones album Back On The Block  and he continued to tour. You can get all his hits on this 2CD budget comp. Barry White retired due to health problems and died on July 4, 2003 at age 58. Here's Barry White performing Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe on Soul Train followed by an interview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Soul II Soul

Artist:Soul II Soul f/Caron Wheeler
Song:Back To Life
Album:Vol. IV: The Classic Singles 1988-1993





Back To Life was the biggest hit for the British soul group Soul II Soul in 1989. One of the problems with Soul II Soul was they weren't a group in the traditional sense which I think hurt them commercially. They came out of the London house music scene led by DJ Jazzie B (Beresford Romeo) along with DJ Nellee Hooper, keyboard player Simon Law and guitarist Philip "Daddae" Harvey. Buzz about Soul II Soul in the London club scene led to a contract with Virgin Records. Their first two singles didn't catch on. But then the third single Keep On Movin' reached #5 on the British Singles chart in 1989. The song featured lead singer Caron Wheeler who before Soul II Soul was mainly a backup singer. Virgin told Jazzie B they wanted another single featuring Caron. The problem was she wasn't a regular member of Soul II Soul and had only recorded one other song. Back To Life was to be on the Soul II Soul album Club Classics Vol. 1 in an a capella version. Jazzie B remixed the song and that's the version that was released as a single. It isn't on the album but you can get it on this comp. The song topped the British Singles chart and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keep On Movin' was released in the US afterwards and reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Caron Wheeler went on to a brief solo career and never recorded with Soul II Soul again though she did tour with them in 2009. They continued to have some success in England but faded and disbanded in 1997. Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper have both gone on to significant record producing careers. Jazzie B owns a clothing company and hosts a weekly radio show on BBC. It almost seems like music fans wanted to hear Caron Wheeler and Soul II Soul together because separately neither was very successful. Here's the video for Back To Life by Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler.

Aussie fighter Alex Chambers to Japan for Mar. 3 JEWELS show

Alex Chambers

Yesterday JEWELS announced a new fight for the Mar. 3 Shin-kiba 1st Ring show. In a match contracted for 53.5kg, teen fighter MIZUKI will face Aussie Alex Chambers. The 17 year old MIZUKI trains at White Heart Karate. Her MMA record is 2-1 and her last fight was a loss to Ayaka Hamasaki on the Sept. 11 JEWELS show. For the most part, she's a kickboxer for J-Girls and I think that's where her future lies. But she also beat Ai Takahashi in SHOOT BOXING on Feb. 5. She certainly keeps busy. Alex Chambers is 30 years old and trains at the VT-1 Gym in Chatsworth, New South Wales, Australia. She has also trained with Megumi Fujii at AACC. Her basic training is karate but she also has a BJJ purple belt. Her record is 2-0 and her last fight was a TKO win over Claire Fryer on the July 31, 2010 RIZE 6 show in Chandler, Queensland, Australia. I understand this was the first ever female fight held in a cage in Australia. JEWELS also added a kickboxing match and I expect a couple more matches to be added.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Climax

Artist:Climax
Song:Precious and Few
Album:Oldies But Goodies Vol. 15





The 1972 top five hit Precious and Few was the only hit for Climax. The funny part is it sat unreleased in the record company vault for two years. It was a fluke that it was even released. Sonny Geraci was the lead singer of The Outsiders who had a top five hit with Time Won't Let Me in 1966. They were from Cleveland and were an early example of Blue Eyed Soul. When they split up in 1968, Geraci moved to Los Angeles and formed a new version of The Outsiders. But guitarist Tom King successfully sued Geraci for the use of The Outsiders name. So Geraci called the new band Climax. Other members were guitarist Walter Nims, keyboard player John Stevenson and bassist Larry Cox. They didn't have a regular drummer. They used studio musicians. Marc Gordon was the manager of The Fifth Dimension and husband of Florence LaRue. He started Rocky Road Records with distribution by The Fifth Dimension's label Bell Records. He signed Climax and Precious and Few was recorded in 1970. The song was written by Walter Mims. It appears that Gordon was not happy with the recording and told Cox to re-record the song emphasizing Geraci's vocals. But the song wasn't released until a Bell Records executive heard it on a radio station in 1972 and decided to release it. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was their only chart hit. According to Geraci, The Fifth Dimension were unhappy with Gordon starting a new record company. So Gordon had to put out that fire and then Climax got lost in the shuffle when Clive Davis bought Bell and changed the name to Arista. Climax only released one album and the second album was never released. Geraci resurfaced in 1983 with The Peter Emmett Project on MCA Records. When that bombed, He moved back to Cleveland and worked for the family renovation business. Today he tours the oldies circuit as Sonny Geraci and the Outsiders. You can get Precious and Few on this various artists comp that is part of a long running series. It has original artists doing original versions. Here's Climax performing Precious and Few 1972.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hot Hot Heat

Artist:Hot Hot Heat
Song:Talk To Me, Dance With Me
Album:Make Up The Breakdown





The Canadian band Hot Hot Heat started out in 1999 as a synthesizer influenced noise punk band. They toned it down after some personnel changes and are now heavily influenced by 70s punk. The 2002 CD is probably their most successful recording to date. Hot Hot Heat are from Shawinigan Lake, BC. Lead singer and keyboard player Steve Bays and bassist Dustin Hawthorne had played together in several bands. They met drummer Paul Hawley in 1998 and he brought a keyboard with him to see if Bays could play it. Matthew Marnik was the original lead singer. The group released an EP in 1999 that could best be described as Synthpunk. Marnik left and Bays took over the vocals and guitarist Dante DeCaro was added. So they became a more 70s punk influenced band. After some touring and a few singles, they signed with Seattle based indie label Sub Pop. Make Up The Breakdown was their full length debut CD produced by veteran Sub Pop producer Jack Endino. The album got a lot of critical acclaim but Hot Hot Heat were never going to be a big chart success. Their niche was dance punk. Make Up The Breakdown is considered their best record to date. DeCaro left to join Wolf Parade in 2005 and was replaced by Luke Paquin. They also signed with Warner Bros. for their 2005 CD Elevator. They got lost in the shuffle there and that would not have happened at Sub Pop. After a two year hiatus, Hot Hot Heat signed with Toronto based indie label Dine Alone Records and their latest CD Future Breeds was released in June 2010. The group is still touring and I expect new music is on the way in the near future. Hot Hot Heat will appeal to punk music fans. Here's the video for Talk To Me, Dance With Me by Hot Hot Heat.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tevin Campbell

Artist:Tevin Campbell
Song:I'm Ready
Album:I'm Ready





As a teenager in the 90s, Tevin Campbell had a string of R & B hits and also crossed over to pop. He worked with some of the top producers in the music industry. By 1999, he was already in decline when an arrest for lewd behaviour killed his career. He is now on the comeback trail. He was born Nov. 12, 1976 in Waxahachie, TX and he grew up singing in church. Though uber-producer Quincy Jones is frequently credited with discovering Campbell, he was actually discovered in 1988 when he auditioned over the phone for flute player Bobbi Humphrey. She took his demo to Warner Bros. exec Benny Medina and he introduced Campbell to Jones. Campbell debuted on the Jones album Back On The Block singing the number one R & B hit Tomorrow in 1990. Then Campbell appeared in the Prince film Graffiti Bridge and the single Round and Round reached #3 on the R & B Singles chart and #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album T.E.V.I.N. was certified Platinum and Tell Me What You Want Me To Do was his first number one R & B hit. His 1993 album I'm Ready did even better and was certified 2XPlatinum. Can We Talk topped the R & B Singles chart and I'm Ready reached #2. Both songs reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. I'm Ready was written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and on that album he also worked with Prince and Narada Michael Walden. His 1996 album Back To The World did not do as well and the decline continued with his 1999 album Tevin Campbell. The thing I noticed about those two albums is Campbell had more input into the songwriting and production. I guess some singers should stick to singing. Then in Sept. 1999, Campbell was arrested in Van Nuys, CA for soliciting a lewd act from an undercover police officer. It was part of a sting operation. He was also in possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was fined when he pled no contest and attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Of course Warners dropped him. They released a Tevin Campbell comp in 2001 that is out of print. But I'm Ready is still available on CD. Campbell appeared in the 2005 Broadway revival of Hairspray and also appeared in the 2010 Australian production of the show. On a 2010 episode of The Mo'Nique Show, he said he was planning a comeback and this will be updated on an upcoming episode of the TV One reality show Life After. I'm sure he sounds much different from his chart topping days. Here's the video for I'm Ready by Tevin Campbell. This video is not on Youtube.
Tevin Campbell - I'm ready by welcomeback

Could Nanae Takahashi be the next opponent for Amanda Lucas

Nanae Takahashi

STARDOM owner Rossy Ogawa posted on his blog that DEEP matchmaker Shigeru Saeki wants either Nanae Takahashi or Yuzuki Aikawa to face Amanda Lucas on an future DEEP show. Ogawa not only said he would not allow either of them to do MMA but he said that Saeki has been bugging him about Takahashi for a long time. It appears that Saeki booked Yumiko Hotta for the fight after Ogawa said no to booking Takahashi. So the question is would either of them want to do MMA. Because Ogawa can say he won't allow it but if they want to do MMA, he can't stop them. I think it's very doubtful that Aikawa would be interested. She's a bikini model turned pro wrestler and she's still very inexperienced at pro wrestling. The only thing I wonder about is all these girls at STARDOM idolize Fuuka and she did MMA and SHOOT BOXING. So any of them might want to emulate her. Also, Aikawa is too small for Lucas. Takahashi is a different story. She is a 16 year veteran pro wrestler currently working for STARDOM as a wrestler and trainer. She is 33 years old. Back in 2010, she was supposed to make her SHOOT BOXING debut on the S-Girls Cup show in August. But they couldn't find an opponent for her so she did an exhibition match with Fuuka. I wrote about this at this link. http://frankp316.blogspot.com/2010/08/nanae-takahashis-shoot-boxing-opponent.html So Takahashi has shown interest in legit fighting. The other thing is she is very good friends with Yumiko Hotta and attended the DEEP show to support her. Who knows how that might have affected her thinking? Takahashi is a good size matchup for Lucas. She is 5'9" and has lost about 20lbs and weighs 140. She looks to be in better shape than I have ever seen her and I have covered her whole career. But does she want to put in the time training for MMA? And I would like to see her do at least one match before she faces Amanda Lucas. So if Takahashi wants to do MMA, I could certainly see her as a potential opponent for Amanda Lucas. Tip of the hat to Zach Arnold of Fight Opinion for the item on Ogawa's blog.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vern Gosdin

Artist:Vern Gosdin
Song:Set 'Em Up Joe
Album:Super Hits





Vern Gosdin was at the forefront of country music's return to traditionalism in the 80s. Set 'Em Up Joe was one of his three number one country hits in 1988. He was known in Nashville as The Voice. He was born Aug. 5, 1934 in Woodland, AL and grew up singing in church where his mom played piano. He was a big fan of The Louvin Brothers. After singing in the family gospel group as a teen, Gosdin and his brother Rex moved to Los Angeles in 1961. They were involved in the fledgling country rock movement with The Golden State Boys and then The Hillmen featuring Chris Hillman of The Byrds. Vern and Rex had a top 40 hit as The Gosdin Brothers with Hangin' On in 1967. In 1972, Gosdin quit the music business and opened a glass shop in Atlanta. Emmylou Harris convinced Gosdin that country music was returning to its roots and he should move to Nashville. He knew Emmylou in Los Angeles. A demo earned Gosdin a contract with Elektra Records and he had a few country music hits. But Elektra closed their country division in 1980. He recorded for Ovation Records but they closed. Then he had a few hits with Compleat Records including his first number one country hit I Can Tell By The Way You Dance but they also closed. The success of singers like Randy Travis convinced Columbia Records to sign Gosdin in 1987. Set 'Em Up Joe topped the country music singles chart in 1988. Gosdin wrote the song as a tribute to Ernest Tubb along with Dean Dillon, Hank Cochran and Buddy Cannon. He had his final number one hit in 1989 with I'm Still Crazy. Gosdin left Columbia in 1993. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. Gosdin got the rights to all his songs and released the box set 40 Years Of The Voice in on his own label in 2008. He died as the result of a stroke on Apr. 28, 2009 at age 74. Here's Vern Gosdin performing Set 'Em Up Joe at The Grand Ole Opry 1991.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lobo

Artist:Lobo
Song:I'd Love You To Want Me
Album:The Best Of Lobo





I'd Love You To Want Me was the biggest hit for singer songwriter Lobo in 1972. He had three top ten hits in the early 70s and when his career faded, he remained popular in Asia. He was born Roland Kent LaVoie July 31, 1943 in Tallahassee, FL. In 1961, his first band The Rumors included Gram Parsons and Jim Stafford. While attending the University Of South Florida in 1964, he joined The Sugar Beats and they had a regional hit with a cover of the Johnny Rivers song What Am I Doing Here?. It was here that LaVoie met Phil Gernhard who would produce his 70s hits. Gernhard had a long career in music with a knack for producing novelty songs like Jim Stafford's Spiders and Snakes and Snoopy vs The Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen. He also produced Dion Dimucci's 1968 monster hit Abraham, Martin & John. LaVoie bounced around several bands and Gernhard produced his 1969 single Happy Days In New York City for Laurie Records. Then Gernhard took a staff producer job for the new label Big Tree Records. Big Tree was founded by current Sony Music chairman Doug Morris in 1970. Morris sold the label to Atlantic Records in 1974 and became co-chairman of Atlantic. LaVoie signed with Big Tree and Gernhard produced his single Me and You and a Dog Named Boo. Supposedly, LaVoie was concerned about being labeled as a novelty act and took the stage name Lobo. I guess he thought if the song was a failure, he could still record under his own name. But Me and You and a Dog Named Boo reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. That was from his debut album Introducing Lobo. His second album was never released but his third album Of A Simple Man did much better. I'd Love You To Want Me reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 and Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend reached #8 in 1973. He had a few more chart hits and you can get them all on this Rhino comp. Lobo and Gernhart left Big Tree in 1976 and recorded an album in Europe. Then Gernhart took a job with Curb Records and took Lobo with him. Lobo recorded one single and then signed with MCA in 1979. He was so unhappy with the resulting album that he asked for his release. He moved to Nashville and started his own label. At this point, Lobo was through in the US but he was still a big deal in Asia and has recorded for labels in Taiwan and Singapore. Lobo continues to tour Asia on a regular basis. Here's Lobo performing I'd Love You To Want Me on the German TV show Melody 1972.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

Artist:Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Song:Transit
Album:Infernal Machines





Composer and bandleader Darcy James Argue made a big splash with this 2009 big band CD. It generated a lot of buzz with jazz critics and was nominated for a Grammy. The music is described as Steampunk Jazz. I'm not sure what that is because the term Steampunk is a literary term. But I guess it's supposed to label Argue's music as experimental. There are obvious influences. Argue was born May 23, 1975 in Vancouver, BC. He moved to the US in 2000 to study at the New England Conservatory Of Music to study composition with legendary jazz trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. He moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2005 and formed the big band Secret Society. The 2009 CD Infernal Machines is his only CD to date. Argue has acknowledged the influence of Maria Schneider's big band but that influence is obvious even if he didn't acknowledge her success. The trumpet solo on Transit is by fellow Canadian Ingrid Jensen who has played with plenty of bands including Maria Schneider's band. As the Wall Street Journal said about Argue's music, this ain't your Grandpa's big band music. Argue has yet to record a second CD but the band still performs mostly in the New York area but they also tour. And he premiered the multimedia production Brooklyn Babylon at the 2011 BAM Next Wave Festival. So he's keeping busy. Here's David James Argue's Secret Society performing Transit on Philadelphia PBS station WHYY's On Canvas Jan. 2010.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Frizzell & Shelly West

Artist:David Frizzell & ShellyWest
Song:You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma
Album:The Very Best Of David Frizzell & Shelly West





Though David Frizzell & Shelly West both had success as solo artists, their main success was as a duo. Both struggled as solo artists before You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma was a number one country hit in 1981. Until then they lived in the shadow of legendary relatives. David Frizzell was born Sept. 26, 1941 in El Dorado, AR and is the younger brother of country music legend Lefty Frizzell. He toured with his brother in the 60s and attempted to establish himself as a solo artist starting in 1970. He was a regular on Buck Owens' All American TV Show. Shelly West was born May 23, 1958 in Cleveland the daughter of country music star Dottie West. She started out touring with her mom and moved to California in 1977. She married her mom's guitarist Allen Frizzell who of course is David Frizzell's brother. Shelly and David started singing together and got the attention of veteran producer Snuff Garrett. He signed them to Casablanca West, an offshoot of Casablanca Records. But the label closed. So Garrett took You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma to Clint Eastwood. Eastwood was starting his new Viva label with Warner Bros. distribution and he was looking for songs for the 1981 film Any Which Way You Can. Eastwood signed them and put the song in the film. You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma topped the country music charts and Frizzell & West won ACM Duo Of The Year twice. You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma was written by the legendary songwriting team of Felice and Bordleaux Bryant along with Larry Collins and Sandy Pinkard. The Bryants have written many songs including Bye Bye Love for The Everly Brothers. Larry Collins was a teen guitar whiz in the 50s as a member of The Collins Kids. Sandy Pinkard is one half of the comedy duo Pinkard & Bowden. David Frizzell had a number one solo country hit with I'm Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home in 1982. Shelly West had a number one solo country hit with Jose Cuervo in 1983. But they are mainly known as a duo and you can get all their hits on this comp from Varese Fontana. Beware of re-recorded versions. These are the original recordings. David Frizzell still tours and is producing a TV tribute to his brother Lefty. Shelly West retired from music after her mom died. She has been on several episodes of RFD-TV's Country Family Reunion. The two have reunited occasionally and are planning a show in Branson this fall. Here's David Frizzell & Shelly West performing You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma on Austin City Limits early 80s.

Will Invicta FC survive their first show?

So it's no secret that Invicta Fighting Championships announced their debut show Apr. 28 in Kansas City headlined by Marloes Coenen vs Romy Ruyssen. It looks like their are some pretty good matches on the show. So of course you're getting a lot of the usual feel good BS from the usual suspects. But the whole show comes across as a company blowing their wad on the debut show in the hopes that their uphill battle to survive will succeed. Look, MMA is a tough business anyway and women's MMA has not proven that it has enough of a fanbase in the US to support an all women's show. And even if there was a positive track record, I'm sure we all know about MMA companies that put on one show and disappeared from the face of the earth. And I'm not impressed with Janet Martin's track record at Black Eye Promotions. Her show in October did so poorly that she left the promotion. I heard she got pushed out. Does it matter? Supposedly they told her she couldn't do any more shows with primarily women's matches. I guess she likes hitting her head against the wall. The biggest problem for this show is it will not be on TV. My understanding is they will probably do an internet PPV. That's fine but iPPV's have yet to prove to be a reliable revenue generator. Also it means that Invicta has to pay for the production of the show. And what sometimes happens is companies will cheap out on the production crew and the show is so poorly produced that it's unwatchable. That doesn't always happen but it happens enough. A poor production will kill the audience. So that means that Invicta is depending mostly on the live gate for revenue. And that's even if they have some sponsors. That's why they need a TV deal. It takes a lot of pressure off of the gate. I don't see how a main event with two European fighters will attract local fans to this show. So having a lot of fans in attendance disguised as empty seats should be a concern. I don't know what it would take to draw US fans to an all women's MMA show because no one has ever done it. And I don't see it happening with this show either. How much money can Invicta afford to lose?

Beth Phoenix retains WWE DIVAS Championship over Tamina Snuka

Here's the match video from Beth Phoenix vs Tamina Snuka from Sunday's WWE PPV. The match begins five minutes into the video but I do recommend you watch the clip featuring John Cena and some FCW guys at Cena's gym. Obviously the WWE is trying to push Tamina based on her being Jimmy Snuka's daughter. I don't really have a problem with that. But Tamina is very green and I think the gimmick is one dimensional. She has potential but it's a little early for her to be champ especially over a ten year pro wrestling veteran like Beth Phoenix. The match itself is OK. It's nothing special. The big moment was when Beth kicked out of Tamina's Superfly Splash finisher and Beth finished her soon after. Back to the drawing board for Tamina Snuka. Over the weekend, Beth did an interview with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald. It's a good interview so be sure to check it out. One thing that caught my attention is when Beth said that it's not how much TV time she gets, it's what she does with what she gets. Though I agree with her to a point, I still believe that the WWE is not using her properly. Beth has the looks, the ring skills and the verbal skills to be one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster. But she needs to be on TV every single week and she is not. It is well known that the WWE really likes the pop that Kelly Kelly gets when she comes to the ring. Beth doesn't get that same pop. And I also think the WWE dropped the ball on the beating up models storyline. A lot more could have been done with it. So now they are back to Natalya jobbing to those models along with the ridiculous farting. Ugh! One would think that Kharma would be the next opponent for Beth Phoenix. But in a recent interview, Trish Stratus expressed interest in facing Beth at Wrestlemania. And the most interesting thing about that is that Beth and Trish were both trained by Ron Hutchison at Sully's Gym in Toronto and actually trained together when Trish was recovering from a back injury in 2001. So there's your angle for that match. Enjoy the video!
WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 HDTVrip PART 4/10... by wwedailymotion