AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Miles Davis

Artist:Miles Davis
Song:My Funny Valentine
Album:My Funny Valentine





Here's a classic Miles Davis album recorded live in 1964. This is a must for any jazz fan and it's available as a budget CD. As I've mentioned before, Davis struggled for a few years after he split with John Coltrane in 1960. He attempted to replace Coltrane with Jimmy Heath, Sonny Stitt and then Hank Mobley. Then in 1963, his long time rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb left and Davis had to form a new band. He hired up and coming pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and teen drummer Tony Williams. Davis really wanted sax player Wayne Shorter after working with him on a Christmas song. But Shorter was musical director of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and Davis couldn't convince him to leave. Ron Carter suggested George Coleman who had been a member of Max Roach's band in the late 50s. This is the band that recorded the 1963 album Seven Steps To Heaven. It's the only studio album Coleman appeared on. But he did appear on several live albums including My Funny Valentine. This was recorded at the Philharmonic Hall of Lincoln Center in New York City Feb. 12, 1964. It was divided up into two albums. My Funny Valentine had the slow and mid tempo songs and Four & More had the uptempo songs. Four & More was released in 1966. Herbie Hancock has said the band was disappointed with their performance. But he listened to the My Funny Valentine album and thought they sounded great. The album is now considered a classic and is available as a budget CD. My Funny Valentine was a regular part of Davis' repertoire since the 50s. Coleman soon left the Davis band for Chet Baker. Davis really liked Coleman and he was sorry he left. After Sam Rivers didn't work out, Davis finally convinced Shorter to join the band. After a tour, this new band recorded the 1965 album E.S.P. featuring songs written and arranged by Shorter. This new band was soon hailed as Miles Davis' second great band. Here's Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams performing My Funny Valentine Oct. 11, 1964 in Milan, Italy. Shorter never recorded My Funny Valentine in the studio with Davis and this concert is not available on CD or DVD.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Liz Carmouche vs Lauren Murphy

Here's the fight video of Liz Carmouche vs Lauren Murphy from today's UFC show in Fairfax, VA. First, a warning. This is a terrible fight. Sometimes I think there should be a no decision given when neither fighter deserves a win. Though I thought Lauren got jobbed in her UFC debut, in this fight we see flaws in Lauren's game that weren't that noticeable in Invicta. We already knew she is a striker with no ground game. But she can't finish fights either. She's rolling the dice each time she steps into the cage hoping the judges see things her way in a close fight. That doesn't work. Liz lost her last two fights and probably isn't as good as some thought a couple of years ago. The first round is the key round because Lauren clearly won round two and Liz clearly won round three. Round one was just wretched. Neither of them did much of anything. Liz kept backing up. And instead of taking advantage of that passivity, Lauren lacked aggression too. There was way too much clinching on the fence mostly initiated by Lauren. I guess she didn't want to get taken down. So I scored the round 9-9 because neither deserved to win the round. Of course judges don't score rounds 9-9 and somehow they all scored it 10-9 for Liz. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Liz. Of course there's a big robbery outcry. Look, I scored it 29-29 so I don't think either of them won the fight. They both stunk the joint out and we were the ones who were robbed. Both coaches tried to tell their fighters what to do but neither of them listened. And if Manny Hernandez doesn't tell Liz she's losing after round two, she probably sleepwalks to a loss. Check out the fight video for yourself. You'll see what I am talking about.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Juliana Pena vs Milana Dudieva

Here's the fight video of Juliana Pena vs Milana Dudieva from this afternoon's UFC show in Fairfax, VA. Of course as we all know, Juliana won TUF 18 and then blew out her knee during gym horseplay. Then she lied and said she was attacked. She lost a year of her career by pure stupidity. So though I think she's a talented fighter, I also think she is a nut which can be a problem sometimes. Milana won her UFC debut over Juliana's teammate Elizabeth Phillips. The fight was terrible. So I wasn't surprised that Juliana wanted revenge. I expected easy pickings as Milana probably doesn't belong in the UFC. And you will see from the start that Juliana is much quicker than Milana. So even when Milana scores a takedown, she is unable to take advantage and soon Juliana is pounding her from top position. Milana is unable to get out from under and the fight is stopped with about a minute left in round one. So Juliana successfully returns from her knee injury and now I'd like to see her face someone better like maybe Amanda Nunes. That would be a good test. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wes Montgomery

Artist:Wes Montgomery
Song:Polka Dots and Moonbeams
Album:The Best of Wes Montgomery





Many jazz purists prefer guitarist Wes Montgomery's Riverside recordings from 1959-63 to his later Verve and A & M recordings because there are no strings. So I wanted to recommend a budget CD of his Riverside recordings because Montgomery's recordings are essential for jazz fans and especially aspiring guitarists. In the mid-50s, Montgomery recorded with his brothers Monk and Buddy as The Montgomery Brothers on Pacific Jazz Records. Riverside Records producer Orrin Keepnews signed Montgomery to a solo contract in 1959. Polka Dots and Moonbeams is from the 1960 album The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. It was his fourth album on Riverside and is considered by many fans to be his best album. A lot of the credit for that should go to pianist Tommy Flanagan who is probably one of the best jazz accompanists of all time. He went on to be Ella Fitzgerald's musical director. On bass is Percy Heath of Modern Jazz Quartet along with his brother Albert Heath on drums. At that time, Albert was in a band led by his other brother sax player Jimmy Heath. All three recorded as The Heath Brothers in the 70s. Of course Polka Dots and Moonbeams is a Jimmy Van Heusen song that was Frank Sinatra's first hit after he joined Tommy Dorsey. It's a jazz standard. The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is available on CD. But I suggest this 2004 budget CD The Best of Wes Montgomery for an overview of his Riverside years. Most of Montgomery's Riverside albums were straight ahead jazz because Keepnews preferred that kind of sound. When Riverside went bankrupt in 1963, Montgomery signed with Verve Records and producer Creed Taylor and Taylor produced more elaborate recordings. Though jazz fans didn't like the addition of strings, his Verve albums sold better. Either way, Wes Montgomery was very influential and it's just sad that he died prematurely in 1967. Here's a video for Polka Dots and Moonbeams by Wes Montgomery.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Otis Rush

Artist:Otis Rush
Song:I Can't Quit You Baby
Album:Double Trouble




Otis Rush is a pioneer of the West Side Chicago blues style. He scored a top ten R & B hit with his very first single I Can't Quit You Baby in 1956. It is his signature song. Though not as well known as Buddy Guy or Magic Sam, Rush is equally worthy of attention. He was born Apr. 29, 1935 in Philadelphia, MS. Rush moved to Chicago in 1948 and made his name playing clubs in the early 50s. His early recordings were on Cobra Records. Cobra was owned by record store owner Eli Toscano. Legendary producer Willie Dixon was unhappy at Chess Records. So Toscano hired him to run Cobra. I Can't Quit You Baby was Cobra's first single and it was a top ten R & B hit. Magic Sam and Ike Turner were also among those who recorded for Cobra. But Rush was probably Cobra's top artist and he recorded several singles and they are all on this budget comp. He wasn't enough to keep Cobra afloat and they closed in 1959. Dixon returned to Chess. Rush recorded a few singles for Chess. He also recorded for Duke and Vanguard. His 1969 album on Cotillion Mourning in the Morning was produced by Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites and is worth checking out. He signed with Capitol but had to buy back one of his masters when they wouldn't release the album. Rush recorded for Delmark and Sonet in the 70s but then he retired in 1979. Rush returned in 1985 and recorded for Blind Pig, Alligator and Evidence. And he was a tremendous live draw especially in Europe. He continued to tour and record occasionally until a 2004 stroke forced him into retirement. Here's Otis Rush performing I Can't Quit You Baby in the 60s probably in Europe.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Hardcastle

Artist:Paul Hardcastle
Song:19
Album:Electrofied 80s: Essential Paul Hardcastle




British producer Paul Hardcastle scored a worldwide hit especially on the dance charts with 19 in 1985. Though it was his only North American hit, he did well in England in the 80s and today does very well in Smooth Jazz. He was born Dec. 10, 1957 in London, England. He was a member of Direct Drive and First Light before going solo. When his 1984 single Rain Forest was a dance hit, he signed with Chrysalis Records. Hardcastle was inspired to create 19 after watching the ABC TV documentary Vietnam Requiem. It said that the average age of a soldier in the Vietnam war was 19. His instrumental track was nothing special. But he used samples from Vietnam Requiem and narration by veteran voice over artist Peter Thomas to get his point across. 19 topped the British charts for five weeks in 1985 and it topped charts worldwide. It reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the dance charts. MTV played the video heavily which had clips from Vietnam Requiem. Hardcastle scored some other hits in England. But in the mid-80s he started concentrating on composing music for TV along with remixing and producing. He started getting into Smooth Jazz in the 90s recording as Hardcastle and The Jazzmasters. He's done well in that market and is a regular at the top of the Smooth Jazz charts. This 2CD comp from Music Club covers Hardcastle's entire career. Hardcastle's latest CDs Moovin & Groovin and The Jazzmasters VII were released on his own label last year. Here's the video for 19 by Paul Hardcastle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Wilson

Artist:Jimmy Wilson
Song:Trouble In My Home
Album:The Bob Geddins Blues Legacy





Jimmy Wilson was an outstanding 50s blues singer who didn't quite make it and then died in obscurity way before his time. He was born in Lake Charles, LA in 1921 and he was discovered by producer Bob Geddins while performing with a gospel group in California. Geddins led his band The Cavaliers but mainly he owned several small record labels. The pattern in those days was a guy like Geddins would record a singer and then would sell his contract to a larger label if there was interest. Wilson had a beautiful voice so Geddins knew he would attract interest. In 1951, Wilson sang with Bob Geddins' Cavaliers and then Wilson recorded for Geddins' label Cavatone usually accompanied by the excellent guitarist Lafayette Thomas, best known for his many years with Jimmy McCracklin. The much larger Aladdin Records came calling and purchased Wilson's contract. After a few unsuccessful singles for Aladdin, Wilson returned to Geddins and recorded for Geddins' Big Town label for the rest of the 50s. Wilson's first single for Big Town Tin Pan Alley was a top ten R & B hit in 1953. But that was his only big hit. Most of Wilson's songs like Trouble In My Home were gloom and doom offset by Wilson's beautiful voice. That record was licensed to Goldband Records in the late 50s. This 4CD budget box set of Bob Geddins recordings contains most of Wilson's recordings. Wilson moved back to Louisiana in the early 60s and continued to record occasionally. But he had a drinking problem and this led to his death on Feb. 5, 1965 at age 44. Here's a video for Trouble In My Home by Jimmy Wilson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charlie Haden and Hank Jones

Artist:Charlie Haden and Hank Jones
Song:Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen
Album:Steal Away: Spirituals, Hymns and Folk Songs




Though mainly known for his part in creating free jazz with Ornette Coleman, bassist Charlie Haden recorded all kinds of music with all kinds of musicians. On this album, he recorded spirituals with senior citizen jazz pianist Hank Jones around the time Haden released his more famous album The Montreal Tapes. He was born Aug. 6, 1937 in Shenandoah, IA. His family performed country music on the radio as The Haden Family and Haden sang with them as a child. While recovering from polio as a teen, he got into jazz listening to Charlie Parker and Stan Kenton and then he learned to play the bass. In the late 50s, Haden moved to Los Angeles looking for pianist Hampton Hawes. This led to Ornette Coleman and that's the band that made Haden famous. Drug problems led to Haden leaving Coleman's band in 1963. His other big collaboration was in Keith Jarrett's band from 1967-76. He also worked with Coleman again and formed Old and New Dreams with members of Coleman's band. Then he formed the Liberation Music Orchestra with Carla Bley. That band was active until Haden started the Charlie Haden Quartet West in 1986. In 1989, he became a regular visitor to the Montreal Jazz Festival and he released a series of albums called The Montreal Tapes. In 1994, he heard that legendary pianist Hank Jones was coming to Montreal and a recording session was arranged. It's just the two of them. There is no band and they are recording mostly traditional spirituals including Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen. The album was nominated for a Grammy. Haden continued his activities including recording country music until his death on July 11, 2014 at age 76. Here's a video of Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen by Charlie Haden and Hank Jones.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ronda Rousey's Wrestlemania Moment

This was the best segment at last night's Wrestlemania so of course I had to post the video of Ronda Rousey's Wrestlemania Moment on my blog. And this is the complete segment. I thought it was odd that HHH and Stephanie came out during Wrestlemania as the WWE usually sticks to wrestling during PPVs. But I had heard earlier in the day that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was in town and he was to appear on the show. Stephanie and HHH cut their usual heel promo running down the fans and taking credit for everything. They should take the blame for the bad stuff too. So then The Rock comes out and does his usual thing. The only problem with this segment was it ran too long because the crowd wouldn't stop chanting. And Stephanie telling them to be quiet made it worse. When The Rock threatens to kick HHH's ass, Stephanie steps in and tells The Rock his whole family is nothing without her family. Then she slaps him. Knowing that he won't hit her, she tells him to get lost. The Rock plays this perfectly. He makes it look like he's going to the back with his tail between his legs. Then he goes around the corner of the ring. We already know that UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is in the front row and the crowd is chanting her name before The Rock gets to her. Once they get into the ring, Stephanie won't back down and tells them to get out of her ring. Ronda says that any ring she steps into is hers. HHH tries to put an end to this. But The Rock hammers him and then HHH stumbles into a Ronda Rousey hiptoss. Then when Stephanie tries to slap Ronda, she ends up in an armlock. That was Ronda Rousey's Wrestlemania Moment. Did UFC president Dana White know about this? Of course, he watched it from his hotel room in England. William Morris Endeavor agent Brad Slater represents Ronda and Johnson and he told Ariel Helwani of MMA Figthting this appearance was scheduled months ago. The result of this is we will probably see HHH vs The Rock at next year's Wrestlemania. I don't know if White would allow Ronda to wrestle in the WWE but it's not necessary. This segment got the desired results. Check it out for yourself.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Comedian Harmonists

Artist:The Comedian Harmonists f/Josephine Baker
Song:Sous le Ciel d'Afrique
Album: The Essential Collection: Recordings 1930-1938



The German vocal group The Comedian Harmonists were very popular in early 30s Europe. They were unknown in North America. They sang with the legendary Josephine Baker in the 1935 film Princesse Tam-Tam. Soon after they split up due to Adolf Hitler's dictatorship and there has been some interest in them in recent years. The Comedian Harmonists were started in 1927 by unemployed actor Harry Frommermann influenced by the US vocal group The Revelers. After auditions, the other members were singers Ari Leschnikoff, Erich Collin, Roman Cycowski, Robert Biberti and pianist Erwin Bootz. They were very popular but by 1933 there were problems because of the rising Nazi regime. Frommermann, Collin and Cycowski were Jewish. It became so difficult for the group to perform that those three moved to Austria. In the meantime, The Comedian Harmonists were hired to record with Josephine Baker who was probably the biggest star in Europe at the time. Their vocals appeared in two songs in the 1935 film Princesse Tam-Tam. Because the film was shot in Tunisia, The Comedian Harmonists don't appear in the film. But that is them singing. The members who left for Austria formed a new version of The Comedian Harmonists. The members who remained in Germany were forced to change the group name to Das Meistersextett. Neither group was successful and they weren't able to tour the US because no one wanted to hire German acts. The Comedian Harmonists split up for good in 1941. They would have remained forgotten except for a 1977 documentary that aired on German TV. In the 90s, Hannibal Records owner Joe Boyd released a Comedian Harmonists CD. I recommend this 2CD comp from the British jazz label Avid. They were also the subject of the 1997 film The Harmonists and there was even a musical written by Barry Manilow that played in Los Angeles in 1997. Today there is a tribute group called The Berlin Comedian Harmonists that recreates the original arrangement. Here's The Comedian Harmonists featuring Josephine Baker performing Sous le Ciel d'Afrique from the 1935 film Princesse Tam-Tam.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Antlers

Artist:The Antlers
Song:Putting The Dog To Sleep
Album:Burst Apart





The Antlers are one of these indie bands that started out as Peter Silberman recording in his bedroom and then later on he turned it into a band. His music is never going to be mainstream but the band has a cult following. The Antlers began in Brooklyn, NY in 2006. The group name The Antlers is a song by the 90s group The Microphones. Silberman has acknowledged The Microphones as a big influence. The Antlers first CD Uprooted was recorded in Silberman's bedroom. As he was experimenting further, Silberman signed with Frenchkiss Records and turned The Antlers into a band with the 2009 CD Hospice. Pianist Darby Cicci and drummer Michael Lerner are still members of The Antlers today. Cicci is also the recording engineer so he has had a big influence on the evolving of the Antlers by adding layers of keyboards. Putting The Dog To Sleep is from the 2011 CD Burst Apart. The album wasn't as emotionally devastating as Hospice. But The Antlers were continuing to evolve. With the 2014 CD Familiars, The Antlers signed with the larger indie label ANTI Records. That alone got them more attention and The Antlers continue to get critical acclaim. They are currently on tour and if you're a fan of lo fi indie groups, the Antlers are worth checking out. Here are The Antlers performing Putting The Dog To Sleep on KEXP in Seattle 2011.

Aisling Daly vs Randa Markos about to be added to Apr. 25 UFC show

Randa Markos

On Wednesday, Claudia Gadelha posted on Facebook that an injury has forced her out of her Apr. 11 fight against Aisling Daly in Krakow, Poland. Based on Claudia's description, it seems like a spinal cord injury. Soon after, Aisling Tweeted that she will no longer be on the Krakow show. This probably means that if Joanne Calderwood wins over Maryna Moroz on the Krakow show, she will challenge for Joanna Jedrzejczyk's UFC Strwawweight Championship on the summer's UFC show in Glasgow. This morning, Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported that Aisling Daly vs Randa Markos will be added to UFC 186 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Apr. 25. They have had to shuffle that show because the Dillashaw vs Barao fight was postponed. I expect this fight to be on the prelims. Randa is from Windsor, ON so it's not surprising they wanted to put her on a Canadian show. She was unheralded going into TUF20 but I thought she performed well and on the TUF Finale, she lost a split decision to Jessica Penne. But it was the best fight on the show. Her record is 4-2. She also has a good back story as she was born in Iran and her parents fled to Canada. She is known as Quiet Storm because she likes to do her talking in the cage. Aisling has a big experience edge but I'm not convinced she has the tools to be an elite fighter. She could win if she can keep the fight standing. But will she be able to do that? Aisling beat Alex Chambers on the TUF Finale but Randa is a much better fighter than Alex though not as highly ranked as Claudia. Aisling is from Ireland and is a teammate of Conor McGregor. If you look at their records and rankings, Aisling should be the favourite. I don't care about rankings and I see Randa as an improving fighter who hasn't reached her full potential. So you have Randa who may be underrated and Aisling who may be overrated. That makes for an interesting fight with upset possibilities.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Harry McClintock

Artist:Harry McClintock
Song:Big Rock Candy Mountain
Album:Haywire Mac




I'm pretty sure most of you think Big Rock Candy Mountain is a classic children's song as popularized by Burl Ives. But the song started out as a hobo song written by real life hobo Harry McClintock. He performed as Haywire Mac but he never recorded Big Rock Candy Mountain until 1953. He was born Oct. 8, 1882 in Knoxville, TN. He sang in church when he was a child but he also ran away from home to join the circus. By age 14, McClintock left home for good and spent most of his time riding trains as a hobo. He was also in The Philippines during The Spanish American War and was a one time union organizer. His experience as a hobo led him to write Hallelujah I'm A Bum and then Big Rock Candy Mountain. Both of these songs are considered to be traditional folk songs so McClintock didn't get credit for writing them. In 1925, McClintock got his own radio show and then recorded for RCA as Haywire Mac. He eventually sued to establish his copyright for Big Rock Candy Mountain. The song is about fantasies McClintock heard when he was a child. But the song also has hobo references that he had to remove before anyone would record the song. Big Rock Candy Mountain by Robert "Tex" Morgan topped the country charts in 1939. But the song was a huge hit when Burl Ives recorded it in 1949 and today that recording is considered a children's music perennial. Big Rock Candy Mountain was also featured in the 2000 film O Brother Where Art Thou. McClintock moved to Hollywood in 1938 and appeared as a bad guy in westerns. He moved to San Francisco in 1953 to host a radio show. And that's also when folksinger Sam Eskin interviewed him and got him to sing some of his songs. These recordings are available on CD from Folkways Records. McClintock continued with his radio show until he died on Apr. 24, 1957 at age 74. Here's a video for Big Rock Candy Mountain by Harry McClintock.

Analysis of Apr. 24 Invicta card

Yesterday Invicta finally announced the full card for Invicta FC12 Apr. 24 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. This will air on UFC Fight Pass. When the main card was announced the other day, my first thought was that Invicta just can't seem to put together solid main cards. Look, fighter popularity or appearing on TUF18 doesn't mean a fighter deserves to be on a main card. I'll get to that in a minute. The main event will have Katja Kankaanpaa defending he Invicta Strawweight Championship against Brazilian Livia Souza. Who? Yeah, I know. Souza's record is 7-0 and six of her seven wins have been by submission. Of course her competition level is low so it's a big step up for her. I watched one of her fights. She's quick but it's hard to tell how she will do against an elite fighter like Katja. I have no problem with Invicta bringing her over but she shouldn't be in the main event. How can you sell tickets when no one has heard of one of the fighters in the main event? You can't. And it's not like Katja is a draw though she is an elite fighter. The co-main event will have Roxanne Modafferi vs Vanessa Porto and I assume the winner will get a shot at Barb Honchak's Invicta Flyweight Championship. That's why it's a co-main event though it should be lower on the card as both are midcard fighters at best. Roxanne's popularity is what gets it higher on the card. Fighter popularity is a red herring especially when there is a barrage of Tweets begging for a favourite to be on an Invicta card. I'm just not crazy about either fighter and I'm not expecting a great fight and that's why it should be lower on the card. In a Featherweight bout, Amanda Bell will face Faith Van Duin. Again, this should probably be lower on the card as both are making their Invicta debuts. Amanda's claim to fame is she won by KO over Ronda Rousey's BFF Marina Shafir. But she has also lost to fighters she should beat. Faith is from New Zealand and the talent level just isn't high there. In her latest fight, she lost to Arlene Blencowe who just signed with Bellator. In a Bantamweight fight, Ediane Gomes will face Raquel Pa'aluhi. Gomes should probably be fighting at 145 and Raquel should probably be fighting at 125. Raquel usually loses when she fights above her proper weight class. I think she could be a title contender at 125. I guess Gomes wants to go to the UFC though I don't see that happening. And in a Featherweight match, Peggy Morgan will face Latoya Walker. I know Peggy was on TUF18. I didn't like her on the show and she hasn't shown me anything in Invicta. She won her last fight but both fighters gave poor performances. Latoya is 4-0 and is making her Invicta debut. She's 4-0 but hasn't fought anyone good. At least two of these fights should probably not be on the main card and that's why it's weak. In the prelims, we have Lacey Schuckman vs Jenny Liou in a Strawweight fight. Lacey is a veteran fighter who tends to lose to elite fighters. Her record is 10-8. She lost to former Invicta Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson by a controversial split decision and chose to stay at Straweight instead of getting a title shot. Hmmm. Jenny lost to Jamie Moyle in her Invicta debut. She didn't look good. She's also in her mid-30s which always sends up a red flag for me. Cassie Rodish will face Stephanie Skinner in an Atomweight fight. Cassie is from Iowa. She's 5-4 and 1-1 in Invicta. Stephanie is from Wyoming. She's a fighter that gets pimped on Twitter all the time. Her record is 4-5 and this will be her Invicta debut. I haven't seen her fight. In a Strawweight fight, Delaney Owen will face Sharon Jacobson. Delaney lost her Invicta debut in September. Sharon has fought previously at 125. Her record is 2-1 and she will be making her Invicta debut. In a Flyweight bout, Shannon Sinn will face Maureen Riordon. Shannon is an older fighter who lost to Andrea Lee in her Invicta debut in Nov. IIRC, she didn't look good. Maureen lost her MMA debut to Marion Reneau on an Aug. RFA show. It looks like she is dropping from 135 to 125. I think I saw that fight and I didn't like her. Maybe 135 is too high for her. This will be her Invicta debut. The opener will have Roma Pawelek vs Sijara Eubanks in a Flyweight bout. Both are making their Invicta debuts and Sijara is making her pro MMA debut. Roma is another fighter that gets pimped on Twitter. Her record is 1-0 and she seems to be dropping from 135 to 125 for this fight. I'm not as critical of the prelims because that should be a proving ground. I just don't agree with putting debuting fighters on the main card especially in the main event.

AccuRadio Song of The Day-Gary U.S. Bonds

Artist:Gary U.S. Bonds
Song:Quarter To Three
Album:The Very Best of Gary U.S. Bonds: The Original Legrand Masters




Gary U.S. Bonds topped the charts in 1961 with the quintessential party song Quarter To Three. Then he disappeared but he charted in the 80s with the help of Bruce Springsteen. He was born Gary Anderson June 6, 1939 in Jacksonville, FL and he grew up in Norfolk, VA. His group The Turks got the attention of local record store owner Frank Guida and Anderson signed with Guida's Legrand label. Guida gave him the name Gary U.S. Bonds hoping that radio stations would think the record was a public service announcement and the record would get more airplay. Bonds' first single New Orleans reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. And then Quarter To Three topped the charts in 1961. Quarter To Three is based on an instrumental called A Night With Daddy G by The Church Street Five and written by that group's leader Gene Barge. He recorded for Legrand. Bonds wrote the lyrics and Guida invited some teens into the studio so the record would have a party atmosphere. Bonds had other top ten hits like School Is Out, Dear Lady Twist and Twist Twist Senora. Bonds recorded two albums in the early 60s and then didn't record again until the 80s though he did co-write the 1972 Johnny Paycheck hit She's All I Got. You can get all his 60s hits on this budget comp from Varese. Bruce Springsteen played Quarter To Three in New Jersey clubs. When Steven Van Zandt approached Springsteen with the opportunity to record Bonds, they got him a deal with EMI Records. He charted with This Little Girl in 1981. The comeback lasted for a couple of years. Bonds has recorded occasionally since then and he still tours the oldies circuit and he wrote his autobiography in 2013. Here's Gary U.S. Bonds performing Quarter To Three probably in the mid-60s.

Cris Cyborg needs to stop talking and start cutting to 135lb

Yesterday it was announced that Cris Cyborg has signed with Zuffa. The catch is she needs to fight at 135lb in Invicta before the UFC will consider bringing her over. I've known about this for a while and I mentioned it in my Ronda Rousey vs Cat Zingano analysis. It's the same deal she turned down two years ago. The bottom line is she has wasted a lot of time and received a lot of bad advice. And as long as Cyborg keeps whining about this, I'm not convinced that she will ever drop to 135. That's why she needs to shut up and make the commitment that will make her a lot of money. This all started back in 2011 in Strikeforce when Ronda Rousey beat Julia Budd and announced plans to drop to 135lb and challenge Miesha Tate for her title. A month later, Cyborg beat HIROKO and said in her post match interview she would try to drop to 135 at the request of Strikeforce president Scott Coker. Then Cyborg was suspended for a year for testing positive for PEDs. In 2012, an attempt was made to reduce Cyborg's suspension so she could fight Ronda. The California State Athletic Commission denied that request. Then Zuffa closed Strikeforce and brought Ronda to the UFC. Obviously they wanted Cris Cyborg to be her first opponent. This is where things began to go south for Cyborg. At the time, her manager was Chute Boxe owner Rudimar Fedrigo. On his recommendation, she announced that she will try to drop to 135 but she would not be ready for the first women's fight in the UFC. The UFC even sent nutritionist Mike Dolce to meet with her. Then she changed management to a new company owned by UFC legend Tito Ortiz and his partner George Prajin. Ortiz made all kinds of outlandish statements including that doctors told Cyborg dropping to 135 would be hazardous to her health. Mike Dolce quickly refuted this in an interview. Zuffa offered her an eight fight deal and she would be allowed to fight in Invicta to prepare to fight in the UFC. Remember this is the same deal they are offering her now. And that was two years ago. So instead of signing two years ago, she signed with Invicta for less money. Though I have heard several excuses for this stupidity, the likely real reason is Ortiz let his animosity towards UFC president Dana White get in the way of common sense and his client's best interests. And he cost Cyborg two years of her career and a lot of money. Last year Ortiz announced he was stepping down as Cyborg's manager. But his partner Prajin is still listed as her manager. So Ortiz still manages her though he says he isn't. Obviously Lorenzo Fertitta wants to keep Cyborg away from Bellator. And it was known that her recent Invicta fight was Cyborg's final fight on her contract. So I was not surprised by the signing when I first heard about it last month. But the question still remains will she drop to 135. Her next fight in Invicta this summer will be at 145. That she keeps talking about doing this fight at a catchweight makes me doubt that she will ever drop to 135. Zuffa has even hired nutritionist George Lockhart to help her with the weight cut. And as long as Ortiz manages her, I expect his poor advice to her will continue. Two years is a long time in a fighter's career. Who has time to waste on this kind of foolishness? If Fedrigo was still Cyborg's manager, Rousey vs Cyborg would have happened already. This is mismanagement taken to a criminal level. Fighters need to know their business is handled professionally, not like this. So my message to Cris Cyborg is stop talking and start cutting weight to 135lb.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grand Funk Railroad

Artist:Grand Funk Railroad
Song:I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home)
Album:Greatest Hits





Though they were never a critic's darling, Grand Funk Railroad was one of the most popular rock groups of the 70s. I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) was their most popular early song. They softened their sound in the mid-70s and were very successful with hits like We're An American Band. Grand Funk Railroad were from Flint, MI. The group name was a goof on the Grand Trunk Railroad that goes through Flint. Guitarist Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer were members of the modestly successful band Terry Knight and the Pack. When they split up, Farner and Brewer formed Grand Funk Railroad with Question Mark & The Mysterians bassist Mel Schacher and Knight became their manager and producer. Cream was the prototype for a power trio like Grand Funk Railroad and they signed with Capitol Records in 1969 after a performance at the Atlanta Pop Festival. Though they didn't have any hit singles, their albums were an immediate success. Their 1969 debut album On Time was certified Gold and their 1970 album Grand Funk was certified Platinum. But when I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100, the 1972 album Closer to Home was certified 2XPlatinum. Farner wrote most songs including I'm Your Captain. But they fired Knight in late 1971 and Schacher was replaced by Craig Frost. Grand Funk self produced the 1972 album Phoenix. Then they decided to head in a more mainstream pop direction and they hired Todd Rundgren to produce the 1973 album We're An American Band. The singles We're An American Band and The Loco-Motion both topped the charts. So the stylistic change made them even bigger. After two albums with Rundgren, Grand Funk switched to producer Jimmy Ienner for the 1976 album All The Girls In The World Beware!!!. Some Kind Of Wonderful and Bad Time were top ten hits. But the band was burned out and wanted out of Capitol. They moved to MCA and after one Frank Zappa produced album, they split up in 1976. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. Farner recorded two solo albums for Atlantic. The other members recorded for Columbia as Flint. Grand Funk reformed briefly in the early 80s. Then Farner went solo again and Frost and Brewer joined Bob Seger's band. The original members reformed to play some gigs in 1996. After Farner returned to recording Christian music, Brewer and Schacher recruited 38 Special lead singer Max Carl and Grand Funk Railroad still play occasional gigs. I used to think Grand Funk Railroad were terrible but now I don't think they were as bad as I thought at the time. Here's Grand Funk Railroad performing I'm Your Captain (Closer To Home) at Shea Stadium in New York City 1970.

AccuRadio Song Of the Day-Isaac Carree

Artist:Isaac Carree
Song:In The Middle
Album:Uncommon Me





Gospel singer Isaac Carree is best known as a member of the group Men Of Standard. He went solo after they split up in 2010 and topped the gospel charts with the single In The Middle. He was born Apr. 29, 1973 in Greensboro, NC where his mom was a church pastor. So he grew up singing in church and later he was a member of John P. Kee's VIP Choir. That's where he met Lowell Pye and they formed Men Of Standard with Bryan Pierce. Men of Standard split up in 2010 after recording six albums. Carree joined Kirk Franklin's group and appeared on the 2007 CD The Fight Of My Life and the 2011 CD Hello Fear. Meanwhile, Carree released the 2011 CD Uncommon Me which topped the gospel charts and so did the single In The Middle. In The Middle was written and produced by Gerald Haddon and his wife Tammi. Haddon is the brother of popular gospel artist Dietrick Haddon. Gerald appears in the video for In The Middle. He has recorded albums but he is mainly a producer these days. Other producers on the album include Warryn "Babydub" Campbell and James Fortune but several tracks were written and produced by Eric Dawkins of Dawkins & Dawkins. Carree has toured with Kirk Franklin and Mary Mary among others. He released his latest CD Reset on his own Door 6 label again working mostly with Eric Dawkins and featuring guest appearances by Kirk Franklin, Lacrae, Kierra Sheard, Joe and R. Kelly. I don't see Carree crossing over to mainstream music but he's a great singer worth checking out. Here's the video for In The Middle by Isaac Carree.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lighthouse

Artist:Lighthouse
Song:One Fine Morning
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Lighthouse




One Fine Morning was the biggest hit for Lighthouse in 1971. They were very popular in their native Canada but One Fine Morning was a top 30 hit in the US. Lighthouse was from Toronto. Drummer Skip Prokop was a member of The Paupers. He met pianist Paul Hoffert on a flight from New York to Toronto. They discussed the idea of a rock band with a jazz horn section and a classical string section. This was in 1968 when the jazz rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears were emerging and a lot of similar bands would follow. Prokop recruited guitarist Ralph Cole to move from his home in Detroit to Toronto. Prokop had been on shows with Cole when The Paupers played Detroit. The other original members of Lighthouse were Grant Fullerton on bass and lead singer Vic "Pinky" Dauvin. They recruited strings from the Toronto Symphony and local jazz musicians like Freddy Stone on trumpet, Howard Shore on sax and Russ Little on trombone. Duke Ellington introduced them at their first show in Toronto. Stone had played with Ellington. Lighthouse released two albums on RCA and played some high profile gigs. But the albums didn't sell and Lighthouse went through some changes. The biggest change was Bob McBride replaced Pinky Dauvin as lead singer. Lighthouse signed with GRT Records in Canada and Evolution Records in the US. GRT was a subsidiary of GRT audio tape manufacturing but they were only active as a record company in Canada. Evolution was owned by the Longines watch company. One Fine Morning was a huge hit in Canada reaching #2 on the RPM chart. It reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. I think being on the small label in the US hurt Lighthouse and they just weren't able to break through. But they continued to have hits in Canada like Sunny Days. Hoffert left in 1973 when he tired of the road. And they started having problems with McBride. He missed a recording session and Prokop sang lead on Sunny Days. As is known now, McBride had drug problems. Prokop left in 1974. Cole attempted to continue but Lighthouse split up in 1976. They reunited briefly in 1982 and then more permanently on 1989 initially with Prokop, Hoffert, Cole and McBride. But McBride was soon replaced by Dan Clancy due to his drug problems. McBride died in 1998. This comp CD was released in 2010 and Lighthouse still plays occasional gigs. Here's Lighthouse performing One Fine Morning 2012.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sam Smith

Artist:Sam Smith
Song:Stay With Me
Album:In The Lonely Hour: Deluxe Edition





Right now British blue eyed soul singer Sam Smith is very popular. He just finished winning four Grammys. It remains to be seen if he can have longevity. One thing in his favour is he writes his own songs. But wasn't he Robin Thicke a couple of years ago? And we know what happened to him. Smith was born May 19, 1992 in London, England. He trained in musical theater but classic soul music is Smith's number one influence. He first got attention when he appeared on Disclosure's 2012 hit single Latch. Smith continues to work with Disclosure producer James Napier. Smith released the EP Nirvana May 2013 and then he signed with Capitol Records. Stay With Me is Smith's biggest hit to date. It topped the British charts and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Smith and Napier wrote and produced the song. But they were contacted by Tom Petty's publisher and told that Stay With Me is too similar to the 1989 song I Won't Back Down. Smith said he had never heard the song. But rather than go to court, they gave Petty and Jeff Lynne a 12.5% songwriting royalty. A live performance of Stay With Me featuring Mary J. Blige is on the 2014 CD Live From The Roundhouse. This Deluxe Edition of In A Lonely Hour has four bonus tracks including Disclosure's Latch. Smith performed Stay With Me on the Grammy Awards broadcast and then won four Grammys including Song of the Year. He is currently on his first world tour. We'll see if he can keep it up. But even if he doesn't, he can write and produce songs for others. Right now he seems to be a flavour of the month. Here's the video for Stay With Me by Sam Smith.