AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Julie Andrews

Artist:Julie Andrews
Song:I Could Have Danced All Night
Album:A Little Bit Of Broadway





Julie Andrews was probably the most popular star of the mid-60s with the monster film musicals Mary Poppins and The Sound Of Music. But many fans became familiar with her when she appeared in the Broadway musical My Fair Lady. I Could Have Danced All Night is from that show. But she didn't get to be in the film version of My Fair Lady. Though the film was successful, Jack Warner's decision not to hire Julie is still controversial. And what if she had done that film instead of Mary Poppins. She was born Julia Elizabeth Wells Oct. 1, 1935 in Walton-on Thames, Surrey, England. Her mom was a piano teacher. After her parents divorce, her mom married vaudevillian Ted Andrews. She started performing with them as Julie Andrews. Julie performed at a 1948 royal command performance. And as a teen, she appeared in several children's shows on the London stage. She made her Broadway debut in the 1954 musical The Boyfriend. Then she starred with Bing Crosby in the 1956 musical adaptation of the Maxwell Anderson play High Tor. This was the first filmed made for TV movie. Then she was hired for My Fair Lady. It premiered on Mar. 15, 1956 and ran for 2,717 performances. And the original cast album was a best seller. She also appeared in the London production. She also appeared in a musical adaptation of Cinderella that aired on live TV Mar. 31, 1957. And she appeared in the musical Camelot in 1960. And she recorded albums for RCA and Columbia. When it came time to cast the film version of My Fair Lady, Warner Bros. president Jack Warner decided that Julie wasn't a big enough star and he cast Audrey Hepburn. But Audrey couldn't sing and Marni Nixon was hired to dub her voice. My Fair Lady was a success. But then Disney hired Julie for Mary Poppins and the success of that film made Warner look foolish. And of course Julie had even more success with The Sound Of Music. Julie recorded enough for RCA and Columbia that Sony could do a box set. Obviously they wouldn't be able to include Mary Poppins. But they have never done that. A Little Bit Of Broadway was released in 1977 and is available as a budget CD. It contains songs from Cinderella, Camelot and the London cast of My Fair Lady. Beware of poor quality foreign CDs. Being a star for family films became a problem for Julie when she wanted to do more mature films. The late 60s musicals Star! and Darling Lili were flops and she wasn't able to revive her career until Victor/Victoria in the 80s. Julie Andrews had a vocal cord operation in 1997 that damaged her voice. She still performs occasionally. Here's Julie Andrews performing a medley of The Sound Of Music, My Favorite Things and I Could Have Danced All Night on The Julie Andrews Show 1965.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith Anderson

Artist:Keith Anderson
Song:I Still Miss You
Album:C'mon!





Hunky country singer Keith Anderson was on his way to stardom when he had his first top five country hit with I Still Miss You in 2008. He was also one of the most eligible bachelors in Nashville and has successfully written songs for others. But he left his record company in 2009 and hasn't recorded a full length CD since then. He was born Jan. 12, 1968 in Miami, OK. Growing up, he was a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan but turned to country after he listened to the Willie Nelson album Red Headed Stranger. He was also active in sports. Anderson earned an engineering degree at Oklahoma State University. He also played baseball and was scouted by the Kansas City Royals before a shoulder injury ended those aspirations. He took up body building and placed second in the Mr. Oklahoma competition. After graduation, he took an engineering job in Dallas and played clubs on the side. He quit his job and toured Texas under the management of Grapevine Opry. He also worked as a personal trainer and planned to attend the physical therapy program at the University of Texas. Instead he moved to Nashville and formed a band and recorded a CD. His big break came when he co-wrote Beer Run for George Jones and Garth Brooks in 2001. He started working with other songwriters and was spotted by producer Jeffrey Steele and signed with Arista Nashville in 2004. Steele was the lead singer of the country rock band Boy Howdy and turned to producing in the 90s. Anderson's debut CD Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll was certified Gold and Every Time I Hear Your Name reached #7 on the Country Singles chart. I Still Miss You from his second CD C'mon! reached #2 on the Country Singles chart in 2008. Anderson wrote the song with Tim Nichols and Jason Sellers. Both guys have had mediocre recording careers but have done well as songwriters. Anderson dedicated the video to his mom who died of cancer just before the single was released. C'mon is available as a budget CD. Anderson co-wrote Lost In This Moment which was a hit for Big & Rich. He also got a lot of attention for his hunky looks and was named one of Nashville's most eligible bachelors. Anderson had vocal cord surgery in Jan. 2009 and then left Sony in Oct. 2009. Between the two CDs, Sony closed Arista Nashville and moved all the artists to Columbia. Anderson may not have seen eye to eye with Columbia Nashville management. Anderson got married in 2010 (sorry girls) and his daughter was born Oct. 2011. Anderson currently hosts the syndicated radio show Cool Country Live from Ocean Way Nashville. He still tours and is supposed to be working on a new CD likely to be released on his own label. And he continues to write songs for others. He will be around Nashville for a long time even if he never has another hit single. Here's the video for I Still Miss You by Keith Anderson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bamboleo

Artist:Bamboleo
Song:Ya No Hace Falta
Album:The Best of Bamboleo





Bamboleo is a proponent of a style of Cuban music known as Timba. Timba is heavily influenced by 40s Cuban dance band music but can also include jazz, R & B and rap. La Banda NG is probably the best known Timba group. Bamboleo isn't as well known because they weren't around that long. They emphasize the showmanship of 40s dance bands with a contemporary twist. Bamboleo is from Havana and led by Lazaro Valdes. He plays piano, produces, arranges and is the main songwriter. Valdes started out as a sideman for Pachito Alonso, Bobby Carcasses and Hector Tallez. He wanted to start a band and went to Havana's National School of the Arts looking for music students. He started out with singer Haila Mompie and she recruited singer Vannia Borges. She became the lead singer of Bamboleo. Vannia had performed with the all female group D'Capo and Pachito Alonso. Mompie left and was replaced by Yordamis Megret. She had previously sung with Jose Luis Cortes. Bamboleo signed with Ahi-Nama Records. They are a Los Angeles company specializing in Cuban music. Te Gusto O Te Caigo Bien was their 1996 debut CD. Their live shows got a lot of attention and that's where you see the 40s dance band influence. And the two girls with their shaved heads makes for a striking visual. They recorded two more CDs including the 1999 CD Ya No Hace Falta. Bamboleo toured the world and appeared on the MTV series Road Rules. It looks like Bamboleo split up soon after. This comp is a good intro to their music and a couple of their live shows are available on DVD. Lazaro Valdes released a solo CD in 2003. I'm not sure about Vannia Borges. She may be active in Cuba but I'd like to see someone here sign her. It would be a shame if we never got to hear her sing again. Here's the video for Ya No Hace Falta by Bamboleo.

Rin Nakai vs Danielle West set for Queen Of PANCRASE Championship on Dec. 1

Danielle West, Rin Nakai

When PANCRASE announced their Queen Of PANCRASE tournament and Rin Nakai won her semi final match over Ultra Benkei, a second semi final match was promised with the final to be held in January. The plan was to bring in a gaijin to fight a Japanese fighter. The problem is there are very few Japanese female fighters at 61kg. So PANCRASE has decided to switch gears and have announced that Rin Nakai will face British fighter Danielle West for the Queen Of PANCRASE Championship on the Dec. 1 Differ Ariake show. PANCRASE PR rep Yasushi Sakamoto admitted they couldn't find a decent opponent to face Danielle in the semi final. Of course this is a rematch from the Sept. 4, 2001 fight that was ruled a split draw. I scored the fight 29-28 for Rin so I thought the judges messed up. I analyzed the fight in detail at the time after watching the match and posting it on the blog. Rin's big mistake in that fight was agreeing to it at 70kg and then weighing in at 67kg. This fight will be at 61.2kg (135lb) which is Rin's usual fighting weight. Rin now trains at PANCRASE Venus in Tokyo. Her record is 12-0-1 and her last win was over Ultra Benkei by TKO on the Sept. 1 PANCRASE show. Rin is short at 5'1" but she has more punching power than most Japanese female fighters and she is very quick on the ground. She competed in amateur grappling as a teen and as a child she was a competitive gymnast. Danielle trains at New Wave in London. Her record is 4-4-1 and her last fight was a loss to Julia Budd by TKO on the Oct. 6 Invicta show. Danielle was a late replacement and did not appear to be in the best shape. She normally fights at 70kg (155lb) and has also fought at 145. I'm not sure if she has ever fought at 135. Maybe once from what I could tell. I wonder what she will be like after the weight cut. Danielle has a height advantage but Rin is a lot quicker and may be stronger at 135. It looks like this will be the main event of the show so it should be very interesting.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Con Funk Shun

Artist:Con Funk Shun
Song:Got To Be Enough
Album:The Best of Con Funk Shun





Con Funk Shun were one of the top funk groups of the late 70s and early 80s. They had several top ten R & B hits including Got To Be Enough in 1980. The group was formed in the late 60s in Vallejo, CA by lead singer and guitarist Michael Cooper and drummer Louis McCall. Other members were Cedric Martin on bass, Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas on keyboards, Karl Fuller on trumpet and Paul "Maceo" Harrell on sax. Felton Pilate joined soon after when his previous band split up. He played keyboards, guitar and horns. Cooper and Pilate wrote most of the songs and shared lead vocals. At first they were called Project Soul. They backed up The Soul Children and moved to Memphis to work as Stax studio musicians. When they moved to the Audio Dimensions recording studio, studio owner Ted Sturges renamed them Con Funk Shun and became their producer. Con Funk Shun signed with Mercury Records in 1976 and and had a total of four top ten R & B hits. Ffun was their only #1 R & B hit in 1978. Got To Be Enough reached #8 in 1980. This 1993 comp has all their hits. Felton Pilate left Con Funk Shun in 1986 and went on to produce MC Hammer. The group attempted to continue but split up when Michael Cooper left to go solo. He had a big hit with To Prove My Love in 1988. Louis McCall went to work with Pilate. He was murdered in a 1997 home invasion. Con Funk Shun reformed in the 90s and a version of the band still tours today. Here's Con Funk Shun performing Got To Be Enough on Soul Train 1980.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-E.U.

Artist:E.U.
Song:Da Butt
Album:School Daze: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack




Experience Unlimited or as they are commonly known E.U. have been around the Washington, DC music scene since the 70s. Da Butt was their biggest hit in 1988. It is from the Spike Lee film School Daze. E.U. are proponents of a style of R & B unique to Washington called Go Go. Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers is the best known Go Go act. And current R & B singer Amerie is heavily influenced by Go Go. The leader of E.U. is Gregory "Sugar Bear" Eliot. The other core members are Ivan Goff and William "Ju Ju" House. They first recorded the album Free Yourself in 1977 as Experience Unlimited and as E.U. they recorded the album Future Funk in 1982. In 1986 they recorded the album 2 Places At The Same Time for Island Records. They were successful locally in Washington especially with the song Rock Yer Butt but were unknown nationally. School Daze was Spike Lee's film about conflict in an all black college. The music for the film was composed by Stevie Wonder, Return To Forever drummer Lenny White and former Miles Davis bassist Marcus Miller. You may recall that there were a couple of hit songs at the time about "the butt" like Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot. Lee wanted to create a dance for School Daze about "the butt". At the time, Miller and White had a band Jamaican Boys with singer Mark Stevens. Miller brought in Stevens to help him write Da Butt. And then E.U. were brought in to record it. Da Butt topped the R & B chart and was a top 40 pop hit. The soundtrack album did well and also features Phyllis Hyman, Kenny Barron and Pieces Of A Dream. It is available as a budget CD. E.U. signed with Virgin Records but neither of their CDs sold and they have recorded occasionally over the years. They are currently led by singer Maiesha Rashad and perform as Maiesha Rashad and the Hip Huggers featuring E.U. So E.U. is still active in the Washington music scene. Here's the video for Da Butt by E.U.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Santana

Artist:Santana f/Rob Thomas
Song:Smooth
Album:Supernatural





Of course Carlos Santana is a guitar legend. He had a lot of commercial success in the late 60s with songs like Evil Ways and Black Magic Woman. But when Smooth was released in 1999, he hadn't had a hit since the early 80s. And Smooth was his very first number one hit. The decline of Santana's career can be traced to his religious conversion to guru Sri Chinmoy. This was influenced by one of his idols John McLaughlin. He also wanted to record jazz but his attempts to do so flopped. Santana returned to the top 20 with Winning in 1981 and Hold On in 1982. Both songs were sung by Scottish singer Alex Ligertwood. He also left Chinmoy in 1982. These were mainstream rock songs but subsequent albums declined in sales to the point where he left Columbia in 1990. Short stints with PolyGram and EMI were failures. When he signed with Arista Records for the 1999 CD Supernatural, Arista president Clive Davis wanted him to record an album with all kinds of guests on it. The goal was for Santana to have a hit single. Smooth topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was a big seller too. Lead singer Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20 wrote Smooth with Ital Shur of Groove Collective. Santana also topped the charts with Maria Maria featuring Wyclef Jean. It was a very successful comeback. Supernatural is available as a budget release. In 2002, Santana had a top ten hit with The Game Of Love featuring Michelle Branch. He has recorded similar albums since then that weren't as successful. He left Arista in 2010 and his latest CD Shape Shifter was released on his own label in May. Also, Santana married drummer Cindy Blackman in 2010. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998. So he was already a legend when Smooth was a hit. Davis just wanted to prove that Santana could top the charts again just like the old days when they were both at Columbia. Here's the video for Smooth by Santana featuring Rob Thomas.

Big Bad Blog Video Theatre-Zoila Gurgel vs Casey Noland

Here is the fight video of Zoila Gurgel vs Casey Noland from Friday's Bellator show. The match was streamed live on the Spike TV website and was geo blocked so fans outside North America didn't get to see it. The big deal here was Zoila is returning from a year off after blowing out her knee. She's been yakking about how she has been working on her jiu jitsu. In previous fights, she was a glorified kickboxer terrified of takedowns. I've seen Casey before and she lacks quickness and is probably at her best in the clinch. The big controversy about this fight was that after featuring Zoila in the poster and on commercials, the match was placed on the undercard. Of course many fans were outraged and that included Strikeforce fighter Miesha Tate who is in Brazil right now. It got a lot of media coverage and some came around to my position for the last year and a half. Bellator president Bjorn Rebney isn't as supportive of women's MMA as he would like you to believe. In the last two years, there have been exactly two women's matches on the main card. Forget what he says. That's what he's done. So Zoila got it into her head to take Casey down and showcase her BJJ skills. The problem is she doesn't know what to do once she gets Casey down and Casey reverses it. Casey isn't effective either but she scores with some knees in the clinch at the end of the round. I scored it 10-9 for Casey. It was very close. Between rounds, husband and trainer Jorge Gurgel yells at Zoila. Casey lands some more knees at the beginning of round two but Zoila comes back and attempts a kimura late in the round. She didn't apply it properly so she had to let it go. But she gets the round 10-9. Again Jorge yells at her. She finally gets her act together in round three but it appears that two punches that hurt Casey may have been to the back of the head. The ref did not call it. It was very close. An elbow cuts Casey over the left eye. Zoila clearly won the fight but she admitted afterwards she wasn't very good. Her problem was in trying to showcase BJJ skills she doesn't have. It should always be secondary to her kickboxing. She needs to be comfortable enough on the ground so she can defend or even reverse the position. She ain't there yet. Enjoy the video.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Loose Salute

Artist:The Loose Salute
Song:Turn The Radio Up
Album:Tuned To Love





When I first heard The Loose Salute, I thought they must be from California. And when I saw the video with all the beach scenes and surfboards, I was sure of it. It turns out they are British but there is a clear affection for country rock of the late 60s. The Loose Salute is led by drummer and songwriter Ian McCutcheon. He was a member of Slowdrive and then Mojave 3. When Mojave 3 went on hiatus in 2005, he formed The Loose Salute. The band name was a 1970 country album by former Monkee Michael Nesmith. The other key figure is lead singer Lisa Billson. Her previous experience was singing in London clubs. The other members are Charlotte King on percussion and backup vocals and Alan Forrester on bass. They released an EP in 2004 and then signed with EMI distributed Heavenly Records in England and Savannah, GA indie label Graveface Records. Tuned To Love was their 2007 debut CD and they released Getting Over Being Under June 2011. Anyone who enjoys music influenced by the 60s West Coast sound should check out The Loose Salute. And Billson is a really good singer. Mojave 3 reformed last year. They have played some gigs and are planning to record new music. I don't know how this will affect The Loose Salute. Unlike Mojave 3, McCutcheon writes most of the Loose Salute songs so he may want to continue the band. Here's the video for Turn The Radio Up by The Loose Salute.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marlena Shaw

Artist:Marlena Shaw
Song:California Soul
Album:Spice Of Life





Jazz singer Marlena Shaw had her biggest success on the dance charts in the late 70s. California Soul was not a hit when it was released in 1969. But DJ remixes and hip hop samples have made the song a bigger hit than it ever was back in the 60s. Of course we've seen this before with classic 60s soul. She was born Marlina Burgess Sept. 22, 1942 in New Rochelle, NY. Her uncle was jazz trumpeter Jimmy Burgess. He got her to listen to jazz at an early age. Her big vocal influence was the great Al Hibbler. In 1952, she sang with her uncle at The Apollo. He wanted to take her on tour but her mom wouldn't allow it. Marlena sang with Howard McGhee in the early 60s. She worked at The Playboy Club and toured the various locations. Chess Records spotted her and she recorded a vocal version of the Cannonball Adderley hit Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. Her first album was Out Of Different Bags on Cadet in 1967. California Soul is from the 1969 album Spice Of Life. The song was written by the legendary team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson when they were working at Motown. It was first recorded by The Messengers in 1967. The 5th Dimension had a top 30 hit with the song in 1968. And Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell charted with the song in 1970 after Tammi's death. Marlena says the song was brought to her by producer and Chess house bassist Richard Evans and the recording was arranged by Charles Stepney who went on to be a big part of Earth Wind & Fire until his 1976 death. Spice Of Life is still available on CD. The revival of California Soul came when Philly DJ Diplo did a remix for the 2008 CD Verve Remixed 4. Since then the song has been featured in commercials and in the video game Driver: San Francisco. A different remix was in the 2011 film The Lincoln Lawyer. Marlena Shaw worked for Count Basie from 1968 to 1973. She left Cadet for Blue Note in 1972. She had her biggest success on Columbia in the late 70s with dance hits like Better Than Walking Out and her 1980 cover of Touch Me In The Morning. Marlena recorded for Verve in the 80s and Concord in the 90s. She last recorded in 2004 and still tours. She says she was very surprised by the renewed interest in California Soul. Here's a video for California Soul by Marlena Shaw.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glenn Close

Artist:Glenn Close
Song:With One Look
Album:Highlights From Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard: American Premier Recording Highlights



Most folks know actress Glenn Close from her long career in films and TV. But you may not know that she started out in Broadway musicals in the mid-70s. She has won three Tony Awards including one for her performance as Norma Desmond in the 1995 production of Sunset Boulevard. She was born Mar. 19, 1947 in Greenwich, CT. Her father was personal physician to the president of Zaire. Her parents joined the religious group Moral Re-Armarment (MRA) in the 50s and in the 60s, Glenn toured with the MRA musical group Up With People. She left MRA and majored in theatre at William & Mary College. She moved to New York and made her Broadway debut in 1974. She made her Broadway musical debut in the 1976 Richard Rodgers show Rex which was about Henry VIII. The show flopped and only ran six weeks. Then she was nominated for a Tony for the 1980 Cy Coleman musical Barnum. She made her film debut in the 1982 film The World According To Garp and concentrated on films and TV until she returned to musicals with Sunset Boulevard in 1993. The star of the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, Gloria Swanson, turned it into a musical in the 50s but Paramount would not allow it. Then Stephen Sondheim approached Sunset Boulevard writer director Billy Wilder about turning it into a musical. Wilder thought it should be an opera so Sondheim wasn't interested. By the 70s, veteran Broadway producer director Hal Prince owned the theatrical rights to Sunset Boulevard. Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to write the show but didn't get around to it until 1990. The show premiered in London in 1992 with Patti LuPone playing Norma. After some revisions, the show ran in London's West End for a year. Then the show premiered in Los Angeles in 1993 starring Glenn Close. It ran for a year and then Close was moved to the Broadway production. This budget CD is highlights from the Los Angeles production. Close won a Tony for her Broadway performance. Faye Dunaway replaced Close in the Los Angeles show but was fired and then sued Webber. Patti LuPone was promised the lead in the Broadway production and sued Webber when she didn't get it. Elaine Paige, Betty Buckley and Petula Clark have all played Norma Desmond either in London or on Broadway. The show was a hit but lost money because it was expensive to stage. The last time Sunset Boulevard was revived was in 2008 in London. Glenn Close continues to appear in films and TV and currently stars in the TV series Damages. Her appearance in Sunset Boulevard was controversial because she is not perceived as a singer. But I think she did well. And she did win a Tony. Here's Glenn Close performing With One Look at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Concert at Royal Albert Hall in London 1998.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Burns

Artist:Jimmy Burns
Song:Leaving Here Walking
Album:Live At B.L.U.E.S.





Jimmy Burns toiled in obscurity in Chicago blues clubs for decades. He was discovered in the mid-90s and has a very thriving music career as a senior. It's a story we have seen before from musicians who fell through the cracks in the old days. He was born Feb. 27, 1943 in Dublin, MS. his father was a sharecropper and a singer in medicine shows. His older brother is former John Lee Hooker guitarist Eddie "Guitar" Burns. He has been a fixture in the Detroit blues scene since the late 40s. When Jimmy Burns was 12, the family moved to Chicago and he started hanging around blues clubs. He first recorded in the late 50s as a member of the doo wop group The Medallionaires. In the 60s, Burns recorded R & B singles for USA Records, Tip Top, Minit and Erica and toured with The Fantastic Epics and then Jimmy Burns and the Gas Company. But Burns and his wife Dorothy needed to raise six children and music wasn't paying the bills. So Burns worked during the day and played clubs on weekends until his children were grown in the 90s. His regular gig was at Smokedaddy in Chicago. Delmark Records owner Bob Koester caught his act and signed him up. Burns recorded his debut CD Leaving Here Walking in 1996 at age 53. Since then he has been touring the world. This 2007 CD was recorded live at B.L.U.E.S. in Chicago Aug. 2006. Musicians are Tony Palmer on guitar, Greg McDaniel on bass and James Carter on drums. Carter played with Teddy Pendergrass for many years. This show was taped and is available on DVD. Burns' wife Dorothy died in Feb. 2010. He has returned to touring and released a CD last year. Blues fans should check out Jimmy Burns. Here's Jimmy Burns performing Leaving Here Walking in Mexico I think.

Let's not get too excited about women in the UFC

Last night, Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated quoted UFC president Dana White as saying that there will be women in the UFC. Though it is encouraging to see it in print, the article was published without any context. For one thing, White has said similar things in media scrums for a while now. So for those of us who follow this story closely, it's old news. And the article doesn't mention Showtime which is the main obstacle to women, or more specifically, Ronda Rousey, fighting in the UFC. It's wrong to report things like you're in a vacuum.Obviously because White is infatuated with Ronda, she will fight in the UFC. But nothing has changed with Strikeforce and Showtime so it ain't happening for a while. And it remains to be seen if White will commit to women's MMA or just Ronda. I have my doubts. It's all up to Showtime. If they pick up the option to extend their Strikeforce contract until 2014, there is nothing that Zuffa can do about it. Why it is assumed they won't pick up that option contradicts history. MMA has been on Showtime since 2007. And with everything they have had to deal with from EliteXC's bankruptcy to having to do business with a company they don't like very much, meaning Zuffa, it's obvious that the value of providing MMA to their subscribers far outweighs the shortcomings. If that wasn't true, Showtime wouldn't have renewed the Strikeforce contract last year. Zuffa has no one to blame but themselves for this situation. Shortsightedness tends to catch up to you in the fight business. So don't get too excited. We will see women in the UFC...someday.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Looking Glass

Artist:Looking Glass
Song:Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)
Album:Romancing the 70s: Lovin' You





Brandy was a number one hit for Looking Glass in 1972. It is not to be confused with the Scott English hit Brandy that later became the Barry Manilow hit Mandy. Looking Glass had one other chart hit but they are perceived as one hit wonders by most fans. They only recorded two albums. Lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Elliot Lurie, pianist Larry Gonsky and bassist Pieter Sweval formed Looking Glass in 1969 while they were students at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. They split up after graduation but then got back together and added drummer Jeff Grob. Columbia Records president Clive Davis saw them perform at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles and signed them to Epic Records. After a couple of aborted recording attempts (including one with producer Steve Cropper in Memphis), Looking Glass produced their debut album with recording engineer Bob Liftin. Brandy was released on the B-side of the single Don't It Make You Feel Good. But Washington, DC DJ Harv Moore liked Brandy better and it caught on and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Lurie based the song on the real life story of New Jersey barmaid Mary Ellis. The horn arrangement was by Larry Fallon. Brandy is considered a soft rock classic. But the band was unhappy that it was a hit because they preferred performing hard rock. They recorded a second album Subway Serenade in 1973 and Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne was a top 40 hit. Elliot Lurie left in 1974 to go solo. But the rest of the band stayed together and brought in guitarist Brendan Harkin and lead singer Michael Lee Smith (Rex Smith's brother). The band name was changed to Fallen Angels. After Gonsky was replaced by Richie Ranno, they became Starz and recorded several albums for Capitol. The music was more like the kind of hard rock Looking Glass wanted to do in the first place. You can get Brandy on this 2CD budget various artists Time Life comp. After unsuccessful albums for Epic and Arista, Elliot Lurie moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and became music department head at 20th Century Fox. He has been music supervisor for many films. He did briefly reform Looking Glass in 2003. A version of Starz still tours today. Here's Looking Glass performing Brandy (You're A Fine Girl) 1972.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cow Cow Davenport

Artist:Cow Cow Davenport
Song:Cow Cow Blues
Album:Complete Recorded Works Vol. 1





Though frequently classified as a blues artist, Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport was actually a pioneer of boogie woogie piano and was one of the first to record that style in the late 20s. Cow Cow Blues is his signature song. He was born Apr. 26, 1894 in Anniston, AL. Against the objections of his family, he started playing piano at age 12 and got into trouble for playing ragtime. His family thought that sending him to a theological seminary would straighten him out. He first toured with medicine shows but by the mid-20s, he played solo piano and accompanied singer Dora Carr. He recorded for Vocalion Records and several other labels. He first recorded Cow Cow Blues in 1925 with Carr. But he also recorded it as a solo piano recording. He was one of the first to record in the boogie woogie style and was a huge influence on the musicians who would become stars later. Davenport claimed that he wrote Mama Don't Allow and the Louis Armstrong classic I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You but he said he sold the rights. Davenport suffered a stroke in the early 30s and lost the use of his hands. In 1938, pianist Art Hodes found Davenport washing dishes at a restaurant. Hodes helped him regain the use of his hands and got him record deals. You may recall Ella Fitzgerald sang Cow Cow Boogie in the 1942 film Ride 'Em Cowboy. It turns out that Freddie Slack took Cow Cow Blues and changed the title with no credit for Davenport. He did get paid afterwards. Davenport is also credited as a major influence on Ray Charles. Document Records has released all of Davenport's recordings in chronological order on three CDs. Cow Cow Davenport continued to be active in the 40s until his death from heart failure on Dec. 3, 1955 at age 61. Here's a video for Cow Cow Blues by Cow Cow Davenport.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kathy Young & The Innocents

Artist:Kathy Young & The Innocents
Song:A Thousand Stars
Album:Girls! Girls! Girls!





Kathy Young was 15 years old when she had the top five hit A Thousand Stars in 1960. It was all downhill from there. She had one other chart hit and was out of the music business by the mid-60s. She was born Oct. 21, 1945 in Santa Ana, CA. She was discovered hanging around at Wink Martindale's teen music TV show by Indigo Records producer Jim Lee. His group The Innocents were appearing on the show. They had a top 30 hit in 1960 with Honest I Do. Lee had them sing backup on Kathy's recording of A Thousand Stars. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. A Thousand Stars was written by Eugene Pearson and recorded by his doo wop group The Rivileers in 1954. It was not a hit. Kathy also had a top 30 hit with Happy Birthday Blues in 1961. She was on one of Alan Freed's tours. She went with Lee when he moved to Monogram Records in 1962. But subsequent recordings were unsuccessful. You can get A Thousand Stars on this girl group various artists comp from Varese Records. Kathy Young moved to London and married John Maus of The Walker Brothers. When that marriage ended in 1968, she moved back to California and remarried. She raised a family and helped run the family citrus farm. Kathy moved to Los Angeles and in recent years has returned to singing and currently tours the oldies circuit. Here's Kathy Young & The innocents performing on a PBS doo wop special. It's amazing the innocence this song still projects.

Sheila Gaff pulls out of Cage Warriors title match

Andre Balschmieter, Sheila Gaff

On Friday, Sheila Gaff dropped out of next week's Cage Warriors match against Rosi Sexton due to illness. It didn't take long for accusations to start flying. You may have heard that both fighters agreed to VADA drug testing which ain't cheap. On Friday, Rosi said "Here's my bottom line. Female MMA has a drug problem. I'm not interested in taking steroids. Until something changes, I'm out." The obvious question is why would a fighter agree to VADA testing if the fighter is juicing? No fighter would do that. The other thing is that in women's MMA history, there have been a total of three positive drug tests, two for steroids. But I've noticed that any time a female fighter shows any kind of muscle definition, the steroid whispers begin. In the case of Sheila Gaff, she fought at a heavier weight when I first saw her a couple of years ago. So she has actually dropped a lot of weight and seems to be in better shape than when I first saw her. She still has the same punching power. To be fair, there is no drug testing for MMA anywhere but North America. When the UFC does testing in foreign countries, they do it themselves. I would like to see drug testing standards raised everywhere. But to make assumptions with no evidence is irresponsible. I didn't write about this on Friday because I wanted to see if Sheila Gaff would respond. Today in an interview with Mark Bergmann and Jan Grossoehmigen of Ground and Pound in The Netherlands, Sheila's trainer Andre Balschmieter responded. He said that Sheila got the flu last month and she couldn't seem to shake it. She underwent tests and the doctors don't know why the flu wouldn't go away but it wouldn't. So he decided it wasn't in her best interest for her to fight. Balschmieter didn't think much of Rosi's accusations. "Sheila is against the use of PEDs. She may look strong but it's because of genetics. Sheila doesn't want to take anything that isn't natural and I have to plead with her to take her protein shakes. We are very angry about these classless accusations. Sheila wanted to fight and we wouldn't let her." He also said this fight was supposed to happen a few months ago and Rosi got hurt. It was actually July 2011. He said nothing. He thinks Rosi should have said nothing too. Will Rosi Sexton retire? You may recall that I reported that she would retire after this fight regardless. I don't know now. Nothing would surprise me.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Connie Stevens

Artist:Connie Stevens
Song:Sixteen Reasons
Album:The Complete Warner Bros. Singles





Connie Stevens is mainly known as an actor in films and TV. But she started out as a singer and Sixteen Reasons was her biggest hit in 1960. She hasn't recorded since the early 60s. She was born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia Aug. 8, 1938 in Brooklyn, NY. Her parents Teddy Stevens (Peter Ingoglia) and Eleanor McGinley were both singers. Her parents were divorced so Connie was raised by her grandparents. When she witnessed a murder at age 12, she was moved to Missouri to live with family friends. She was part of the vocal group The Fourmost. The three guys in that group went on to be The Lettermen. She moved with her dad to Los Angeles in 1953 and was a member of the singing group The Three Debs. She also started appearing in films. Jerry Lewis spotted her in the B-movie Dragstrip Riot and cast her in the 1958 film Rock-A-Bye Baby. Then she signed with Warner Bros. Her debut album Concetta was released in 1958. Connie's big break came when she appeared in a few episodes of the hit TV series 77 Sunset Strip and also sang the hit Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb with series star Edd "Kookie" Byrnes. Warners spun her character off to the hit series Hawaiian Eye. So now she's a star and Sixteen Reasons was her biggest hit as a singer. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. The song was written by the husband wife team of Bill and Doree Post. It would be their only hit as Doree Post died of cancer in 1961. The record was produced and arranged by Don Ralke who worked at Warners and was musical director of 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye. Later on, he produced records by non-singers like Lorne Greene and William Shatner. Connie recorded a few more albums but by the mid-60s she quit recording to concentrate on her acting career. This 2CD Razor & Tie comp has all her singles. Connie Stevens has appeared in numerous films and TV shows and on stage. So it's easy to forget she had success in music in the early 60s. Here's Connie Stevens performing Sixteen Reasons on the TV show Shivaree 1965. The guy in the video is the show host Gene Weed.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grover Washington Jr.

Artist:Grover Washington Jr. f/Bill Withers
Song:Just The Two Of Us
Album:Ultimate Collection





Sax player Grover Washington Jr. was very successful in the 70s. He crossed over to the R & B charts and then crossed over to pop with the 1981 top five hit Just The Two Of Us. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Smooth Jazz. He was born Dec. 12, 1943 in Buffalo. His dad was a sax player and a big jazz fan. He bought Grover Jr. a sax when he was eight years old. Washington moved to Ohio and played with The Four Clefs and in 1964 he recorded with the Mark III Trio. He was drafted into the US Army and met drummer Billy Cobham. Cobham introduced him to New York musicians. Cobham was playing with Horace Silver at the time. Washington moved to Philadelphia in 1967 and played with organists Leon Spencer, Charles Earland and Johnny "Hammond" Smith. Smith signed a contract with Creed Taylor's Kudu label and Washington was to record with him. Also on that label was legendary sax player Hank Crawford. When Crawford was unable to make a 1970 recording session, Taylor had Washington fill in for him and that got him a deal with Kudu and Washington's debut album Inner City Blues. His first commercial success was when the 1974 album Mister Magic reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 200. And he also had success on the R & B chart. Washington left Kudu for Motown in 1977 and then signed with Elektra in 1979. Just The Two Of Us is from his 1980 Elektra debut album Winelight. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and also won a Grammy for Best R & B Song. Withers wrote the song with veteran percussionist Ralph McDonald and his partner William Salter. McDonald also co-produced Winelight with Washington and played on the album along with Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee and Paul Griffin on keyboards, Marcus Miller on bass and Steve Gadd on drums. Just The Two Of Us was also released by Columbia on Bill Withers Greatest Hits. Withers never recorded it for one of his own albums. This Hip-O comp covers Washington's entire career. Washington left Elektra for Columbia in 1985 and was still going strong when he died of a heart attack while waiting in the green room after taping a performance for the CBS show The Saturday Early Show Dec. 17, 1999 at age 56. Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers never performed Just The Two Of Us together. There is a clip on Daily Motion of Withers lip syncing the song on American Bandstand. Washington usually brought in singers to sing the words and frame it up for his solos. So here's Grover Washington Jr. featuring Zack Sanders on vocals performing Just The Two Of Us June 27, 1981 at the Schubert Theatre in Philadelphia. It also features the musicians who played on Winelight including Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Paul Griffin, Steve Gadd and Ralph McDonald.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-54-40

Artist:54-40
Song:Baby Ran
Album:The Essentials





54-40 has been around since the 80s and have been successful in their native Canada. But they were unable to convert that into success in the US despite the efforts of two major record companies. This happens a lot to Canadian bands because Canadian Content regulations provide artificial success that doesn't always translate into success outside Canada. 54-40 is from the Vancouver suburb of Tsawwassen, BC. The band name is based on the slogan "Fifty-four Forty or Fight" coined by US President James Polk about US expansion into Canada. They were formed in 1981 by lead singer and guitarist Neil Osborne, bassist Brad Merritt and drummer Ian Franey. Their 1983 independently released EP Selection got the attention of Reprise Records. They added Phil Comparelli on guitar and Darryl Neudorf replaced Franey. Matt Johnson replaced Neudorf in 1986. Baby Ran is from their second album 54-40, called The Green Album because of the cover. It got them airplay in Canada on radio and Muchmusic. Attempts to break them in the US were unsuccessful. 54-40 left Reprise for Columbia in 1991 and they had three Platinum and one Gold album in Canada. But again they failed to break the US market. The other thing was fans of their 80s music thought the band sold out and the 90s music was too commercial. This happens all the time with bands struggling for wide acceptance and have to compromise to get it. This comp covers their 80s Reprise recordings. 54-40's biggest success was when I Go Blind was covered by Hootie & The Blowfish and was on the soundtrack for the hit sitcom Friends. They made enough money from that to build their own recording studio in Vancouver. In 2005, Phil Comparelli was replaced by Dave Genn of The Matthew Good Band. 54-40 has also recorded for Nettwerk and True North and their latest CD Lost In The City was released on their own label last year. They are currently on a Canadian tour. Here's the video for Baby Ran by 54-40.