AccuRadio Song Of The Day-A.A. Bondy

Artist:A.A. Bondy

Song:Killed Myself When I Was Young

Album:American Hearts

Augeste Arthur Bondy started out as a Southern rocker. But then he moved to upstate New York and became an introspective folksinger. American Hearts was his 2007 debut album. Bondy was born in Mountain Brook, AL which is a suburb of Birmingham. He was in bands in high school as Scott Bondy. The band was called Volume and then the name was changed to Verbena. They released a 1997 album on Merge that got the attention of Dave Grohl. He got them a deal with Capitol. Grohl produced the 1999 album Into the Pink. The music was a mix of blues rock and grunge. The problem with Verbena was personnel problems. By the time they released the 2003 album La Musica Negra, Verbena was a trio. They split up in late 2003. Bondy moved to Palenville, NY in the Catskills. He changed his stage name to A.A. Bondy and recorded American Hearts in his barn and released it on the indie label Superphonic. The album got enough attention that Bondy signed with the larger indie label Fat Possum. You may have heard Killed Myself When I Was Young on the series Friday Night Lights and the song appeared on the Friday Night Lights Vol. 2 soundtrack. On the two albums that followed, Bondy opted to record with a band. The 2011 album Believers was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Rob Schnapf who produced the Verbena album La Musica Negra. After taking a break, Bondy returned with the 2019 album Enderness. He returned to recording solo at home. But now he is experimenting with electronic instruments. It remains to be seen where Bondy's music goes in the future. Here's A.A. Bondy performing Killed Myself When I Was Young on St. Louis radio station KDHX Nov. 20, 2009.

 

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fats Waller

Artist:Fats Waller

Song:Ain't Misbehavin'

Album:Stormy Weather: The Classic Series

Thomas "Fats" Waller was the first really important black songwriter. This performance of Ain't Misbehavin' from the 1943 film Stormy Weather came just before his death. He was born May 21, 1904 in New York City. His father was a preacher and his mother taught him to play piano. Stride piano legend James P. Johnson was one of his teachers. Waller started out recording ragtime. But by the late 20s he was writing musicals with lyricist Andy Razaf. Ain't Misbehavin' is from the 1929 show Hot Chocolates. Waller signed with RCA in 1926 and recorded for them his entire career. In addition to all his great songs, Waller was a great performer. So unlike many black artists of this era, there is plenty of video footage of Waller. He had two fatal flaws. He was obese and he liked to drink. Waller appeared in several short films known as Soundies. But he also appeared in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. This is based on the story of legendary tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Robinson stars with Lena Horne. Waller performs along with Cab Calloway, dancer Katherine Dunham and The Nicolas Brothers dance duo. Stormy Weather can be streamed on The Criterion Channel and the soundtrack is available on CD. The band performing with Waller includes Teddy Buckner, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Jo Jones, Taps Miller, Zurtty Singleton and Slam Stewart. Soon after Stormy Weather's success, Waller was travelling to New York on the train Super Chief when he contracted pneumonia and died on Dec. 15, 1943 at age 39. His legacy endures. Here's Fats Waller performing Ain't Misbehavin' from the 1943 film Stormy Weather. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paul Chambers Sextet

Artist:Paul Chambers Sextet

Song:We Six

Album:Four Classic Albums

Bassist Paul Chambers was mainly a sideman best known for his days with Miles Davis from 1955-63. That's him on So What. Of course John Coltrane was also in that band. Chambers appeared on several of Coltrane's Prestige albums. But you may not be aware that Coltrane appeared on a Paul Chambers album. Chambers recorded three albums for Blue Note. The 1957 album Whims of Chambers was his Blue Note debut. Of course Coltrane played tenor sax. Other musicians are Donald Byrd on trumpet, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Horace Silver on piano and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Byrd wrote We Six. This album is available as a digital download. But this Four Classic Albums CD from Avid is good value. You get all three of Chambers' Blue Note albums. The second is Bass On Top with Burrell, Hank Jones on piano and Art Taylor on drums. The third is Paul Chambers Quintet with Byrd, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano and Elvin Jones on drums. The fourth album is Go which was Chambers' first album for VeeJay. This has a very early appearance by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard along with Cannonball Adderley on alto sax, Wynton Kelly on piano and either Philly Joe Jones or Jimmy Cobb on drums. Chambers was in Kelly's 60s band. Blue Note has occasionally released Coltrane's sideman recordings separately but they are out of print. Paul Chambers did not record as a leader in the 60s. He was a drug and alcohol addict until his death on Jan. 4, 1969 at age 33. Here's a video of We Six by Paul Chambers Quintet.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tenille Arts

Artist:Tenille Arts

Song:Somebody Like That

Album:Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between

Canadian country singer songwriter Tenille Arts is trying to make it in Nashville. The 2019 single Somebody Like That is her biggest hit to date. She was born Apr. 19, 1994 in Weyburn, SK. She started singing as a child and writing as a teen. A 2009 YouTube cover of Taylor Swift's Fifteen got her a manager. After graduating high school, Tenille moved to Nashville and signed a publishing deal. She has released three albums on what appears to be her own label. After having success in Canada, Tenille appeared on the 2018 season of the popular reality show The Bachelor. This got her a distribution deal with Reviver Records. The 2019 single Somebody Like That was the first single of that deal. It reached #3 on the Country Airplay chart. The album Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between followed. Tenille wrote all the songs. She wrote Somebody Like That with Alex Kline and Allison Veltz. Kline produced most of the album. She has worked with similar singers. Tenille's latest album Girl to Girl was released in 2021. Can Tenille Arts make it in Nashville? Her appearance on The Bachelor gave her a boost. And she's attractive. But country pop is a crowded field and Canadian country artists have had a tough time making it in Nashville in recent years. The last Canadian act to achieve anything was Emerson Drive in 2007. Plus she's not on a major label. So I think Tenille has an uphill climb. Plenty of rising stars wind up making a living writing or doing studio work. We'll see how her next couple of albums do. Here's the video for Somebody Like That by Tenille Arts.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chakachas

Artist:Chakachas

Song:Jungle Fever

Album:Funk Gold

Jungle Fever was a top ten pop hit in 1971. The most notable thing about this song is the moaning and heavy breathing which is probably why it was a big dance club hit. Chances are pretty good you heard it in the 1997 film Boogie Nights. Chakachas were a band of Belgian studio musicians. They started out in the late 50s as a cha cha band led by Gaston Bogaerts. After some local success, they split up in 1965. They reformed in 1970 and that's when they recorded Jungle Fever. By this time it looks like Chakachas was led by a guy who called himself Bill Ador. He also used the name Willy Albimoor. His real name was Willy Noel de Moor. He wrote and arranged Jungle Fever. He liked to record Cuban dance music. The singer doing the heavy breathing was Kari Kenton. I'm not sure about the rest of the band as I don't have detailed credits and I think this version of Chakachas was different from the early 60s version. Jungle Fever was on Polydor. After the heavy breathing got the song banned by the BBC, it became a big hit in Europe and in US dance clubs. Jungle Fever reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chakachas last recorded in 1977 and Bill Ador died in 2004. But Jungle Fever has had a long life. It appeared in the 1997 film Boogie Nights and the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It is also frequently sampled by hip hop guys. You can get Jungle Fever on this 2CD various artists budget comp. Here's a video for Jungle Fever by Chakachas.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Vanessa Demopoulos vs Jinh Yu Frey

Here's the match video of Vanessa Demopoulos vs Jinh Yu Frey from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Vanessa trains at Fight Ready in Phoenix. She won her UFC debut over an inept opponent. Jinh is on a two fight winning streak since training with Saif Saud at Fortis MMA in Houston. This is another fight where I will talk more about the judges than the fight itself. I didn't think either fighter was very effective but I scored each round marginally for Jinh. So I scored it 30-27. But this was another case of a fighter fooling judges. Like Maria Oliveira last week, Vanessa throws a lot of punches but most of them did not land. The worst was Jerin Velel who has reffed in the past. He scored the fight 30-27 for Vanessa. So he got completely fooled. Sal D'Amato scored the first two rounds for Jinh. Ron McCarthy scored the last two rounds for Vanessa. So Vanessa won by split decision. The media scores are a good gauge for a close fight and all but one scored it 29-28 for Jinh. It was a close but not very good fight. Vanessa got credit for looking busy. That's not how things are supposed to work. Check out the video for yourself. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Train

Artist:Train

Song:Hey, Soul Sister

Album:Greatest Hits

After the success of the 2001 top five single Drops of Jupiter, things didn't go so well for Train. When it looked like Pat Monahan was going to end the band, they scored another top five hit with the 2009 single Hey, Soul Sister. Train's big problem is a common one with bands and that is Monahan is a control freak. This drove guitarist Rob Hotchkiss from the band in 2003 as he wanted to contribute more songs to Train. Hotchkiss released a 2004 solo album but he doesn't appear to be in the music business anymore. Then bassist Charlie Colin was fired due to substance abuse. He is currently a member of The Side Deal. After the disappointing sales of the 2006 album For Me, It's You, Monahan decided to disband Train. He released the 2007 solo album Last of Seven. When that didn't sell, Monahan decided to reform train but strip it down to a trio with guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood. The band name Train had equity. Pat Monahan had none. Swede Martin Terefe was brought in to produce. He had previously worked with Ron Sexsmith. Songwriters were brought in to work with Monahan. The single Hey, Soul Sister reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Save Me, San Francisco was certified Platinum. So the reformation of Train was a big success. Monahan wrote Hey, Soul Sister with the Norwegian production duo Espionage (Espin Lind, Amund Bjorkland). They wrote Beyonce's Irreplaceable. Train also had success with the 2012 album California 37 and the top ten hit Drive By. Most of that album was also produced by Espionage. Train just released a new album AM Gold in Feb. 2022. Monahan wrote and produced with current band member Jerry Becker. It's unlikely that Monahan as a solo artist would have had the same success or longevity. And Monahan is the only original member of Train. So reforming Train turned out to be a very smart business move. Sony released a Train comp in 2018. It is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Hey, Soul Sister by Train. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kaoma

Artist:Kaoma

Song:Lambada

Album:The Non-Stop Party Album

The 1989 single Lambada topped the charts worldwide except North America. My guess is you have heard this record but know nothing about Kaoma. They are from Paris, France led by keyboard player and producer Jean-Claude Bonaventure. He had been around since the late 70s but Lambada was his one big hit. The lead singer was Brazilian Loalwa Braz. The background vocals were by Senegalese singer Fatou "Fania" Niang. The other musicians were guys who worked previously with Bonaventure including Jacky Arconte on guitar, Roger "Chyco" Dru on bass and Michel Abihissira on drums. When the 1989 single Lambada became a worldwide sensation, Columbia picked up the 1988 album Worldbeat for distribution. Kaoma recorded two albums for Columbia but Lambada was their only hit. The only problem was Lambada was an unauthorized cover of the 1981 single Charando se Foi by the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas. They sued successfully. Lambada also inspired the 1990 film The Forbidden Dance and the song appeared in the film. Though Worldbeat is available, you can get Lambada on this various artists budget CD. After the two Columbia albums, Bonaventure left Kaoma and the 1998 album A La Media Noche was produced by Abihissira. Braz was murdered in Brazil in 2017. Here's the video for Lambada by Kaoma. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Velvet Revolver

Artist:Velvet Revolver

Song:Fall To Pieces

Album:Contraband

Velvet Revolver was a hard rock supergroup who had success mostly as an album and touring band. They recorded two albums when lead singer Scott Weiland returned to Stone Temple Pilots and the band were unable to replace him. Most of Velvet Revolver were members of Guns N' Roses. After guitarist Saul "Slash" Hudson left Guns N' Roses in 1996, the departure of bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum followed shortly afterwards. Sorum rejoined The Cult. Slash and McKagan attempted to lead bands that didn't work out. After appearing at a 2002 benefit concert for drummer Randy Castillo, the three decided to work together again. McKagan was still playing shows with his band Loaded. He reintroduced Slash to guitarist Dave Kushner who he knew in high school. Kushner was in Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro's solo band. They invited Kushner to jam and they liked him. Then they had to find a lead singer. This was filmed by VH1 and aired as VH1 Inside Out: The Rise of Velvet Revolver. Slash had become friends with Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland. They attended the same gym. After going back and forth, Weiland decided to remain with Stone Temple Pilots. But after they split up in 2003, he joined the band. They decided to call themselves Velvet Revolver. While they were recording Contraband with producer Josh Abraham, there was interest from several labels. They signed with RCA. Contraband was released in 2004 and immediately topped the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. The album sold four million copies and was certified 2XPlatinum. The singles Slither and Fall to Pieces charted but were not hits. Fall to Pieces is about Weiland's heroin addiction. Velvet Revolver toured for over a year. The 2007 album Libertad didn't do nearly as well. They toured but Weiland wasn't getting along with the rest of the band. At a Mar. 20, 2008 Glasgow show, Weiland announced that this would be Velvet Revolver's final tour. He didn't know that the band was going to fire him and continue without him. Ultimately Weiland returned to Stone Temple Pilots. Attempts were made to find a replacement but were ultimately unsuccessful. Velvet Revolver did not continue. Eventually Slash started his own band. There was talk about a Velvet Revolver reunion but it never happened. And then Weiland died in 2015. And his heroin addiction was the main reason that Velvet Revolver was short lived. Here's the video for Fall to Pieces by Velvet Revolver.

The Big Topic in WMMA

UFC review and preview. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

Artist:Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

Song:Rock Island Line

Album:Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad

Billy Bragg is a throwback to 60s protest singers. But he also has great respect for the traditions of folk music and that includes songs about trains. So in 2016 Bragg booked a train ride from Chicago to Los Angeles aboard the Texas Eagle 421 train. And the idea was to record while in transit. Bragg's intent was to "reconnect with the culture of American railroad culture and the music it inspired". He brought singer songwriter Joe Henry along for the ride. Henry has recorded 15 albums but he has won three Grammys as a producer. Henry produced Bragg's 2013 album Tooth & Nail which is when this idea was hatched. They left Chicago's Union Station on a 2,700 mile 65 hour train ride. They performed in waiting rooms and train stations with Henry's recording engineer Ryan Freeland. Rock Island Line was the first song on the album so it must have been recorded in Chicago. They even had an overnight stop in San Antonio and they recorded at the Gunter Hotel because that was the location of Robert Johnson's only recording session. So they tried to add historical significance to the recording. And they even toured to support it. But the criticism of the album at the time was that it's an interesting idea but the execution is nothing special. I think the lack of planning was deliberate. Bragg and Henry wanted to record on the fly as a tribute to the transitory nature of railroads. The concept is compelling to them. It may not be compelling to listeners. So clearly they recorded it for themselves. Here's Billy Bragg & Joe Henry performing Rock Island Line at Seattle radio station KEXP Oct. 21, 2016.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jerry Rivera

Artist:Jerry Rivera

Song:Vuela Muy Alto

Album:Amores Como El Nuestro...Los Exitos

Jerry Rivera is a very successful Puerto Rican Salsa singer. He shifted to a more romantic sound with hits like Vuela Muy Alto in 2002. He still performs live but he hasn't recorded much recently. He was born July 31, 1973 in Humacao, Puerto Rico but he grew up in the Tor Baja suburb of Levittown. His father Edwin Rivera is a guitarist and leader of Los Barones Trio. His mother sings with him. As a child, Rivera performed with his parents. He was performing with his dad in 1986 at a hotel when he was spotted by famed Salsa singer Frankie Ruiz. Then famed bandleader Tommy Olivencia heard Rivera sing and suggested to his dad that he should sing solo. A demo was recorded and Rivera signed with CBS Latin (now Sony Latin). Rivera was with Sony Latin for the first part of his career. At first Rivera was known as El Bebe de la Salsa (the baby of Salsa). By the late 90s, Rivera was the best selling Salsa artist of all time. For his 2000 album Jerry Rivera, Rivera moved to BMG and turned his music in a more romantic direction. The 2002 single Vuela Muy Alto from the album of the same name reached #3 on the Latin chart and it topped the Latin Tropical chart. In recent years, Rivera has recorded tributes to Frankie Ruiz and Argentine legend Carlos Gardel. He last recorded in 2015. This comp is a good intro to his music. Here's the video for Vuela Muy Alto by Jerry Rivera.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Becky Lynch

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Becky Lynch from last night's episode of RAW. It was announced at the start of the show that Rhea Ripley would not be medically cleared for her RAW Women's Championship match at Money in the Bank (MITB). They didn't say why but Rhea had some dental work recently. The new challenger was determined by a five way match with Becky Lynch, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and the returning Carmella. I was not surprised Carmella won though she's awful in the ring. Bianca Belair will have a tough time getting a decent match out of her. After Becky whined to Adam Pierce backstage, he said she would qualify for MITB by beating Asuka. Of course Becky just wanted him to hand it to her. That match was the main event of the show. Unlike the match from a few weeks ago, Asuka was given enough time to put together a high quality match. And she certainly delivered. I won't give details because I want you to watch the match. But Asuka won and Becky had a big temper tantrum afterwards. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Neil Diamond

Artist:Neil Diamond f/Barbra Streisand

Song:You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Album:The Essential Neil Diamond

You Don't Bring Me Flowers topped the charts in 1978. It was Neil Diamond's biggest hit when he recorded for Columbia Records. Diamond wrote the song with Alan and Marilyn Bergman as the theme for Norman Lear's sitcom All That Glitters. When Lear decided not to use the song, Diamond recorded You Don't Bring Me Flowers on his 1977 album I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight. Then Barbra Streisand covered the song on her 1978 album Songbird. Louisville, KY radio station WAKY program director Gary Guthrie spliced the two recordings together as a farewell gift to his wife who he was divorcing. When this mashup was played on the air, listeners went nuts. This story was covered by Good Morning America, People Magazine and the BBC. Other radio stations did their own mashups and it became so popular that Diamond and Barbra recorded a duet version which topped the Billboard Hot 100. The duet appeared on Diamond's 1978 album You Don't Bring Me Flowers. It did not appear on a Barbra Streisand album. The aftermath was that Guthrie sued CBS as he felt he wasn't properly compensated for making the song a hit. This was settled out of court. CBS sent Guthrie a gold record plaque and Diamond sent him flowers. Barbra thanked Guthrie by telegram. Of course Diamond and Barbra performed You Don't Bring Me Flowers on the 1980 Grammy Awards broadcast. There were even plans to turn You Don't Bring Me Flowers into a film. But this was canceled after Diamond's 1980 film The Jazz Singer bombed. It was certainly the high point of Diamond's run at Columbia. You can get You Don't Bring Me Flowers on The Essential Neil Diamond or The Essential Barbra Streisand. Both are available as budget CDs. Here's Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand performing You Don't Bring Me Flowers as it aired on Casey Kasem's American Top 40. The footage is from the Grammys but the recording is Guthrie's mashup. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tatyana Ali

Artist:Tatyana Ali

Song:Daydreamin'

Album:Kiss the Sky

Tatyana Ali is best known for playing Ashley Banks on the 90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After the show ended, she scored a top ten pop hit with the 1998 single Daydreamin'. She ultimately decided not to pursue a music career. She is still acting. She was born Jan. 24, 1979 in North Bellemore, NY which is on Long Island. Her parents are Afro-Caribbean. At age six, Tatyana was a regular on Sesame Street. Then she appeared on Star Search. Then in 1990 she was cast as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Of course the show was a hit until it ended in 1996. Tatyana sang on the show a few times. So after the show ended, Will Smith asked Tatyana if she was interested in pursuing a music career. Though she planned to attend Harvard, she agreed to record an album for Michael Jackson's MJJ and Tommy Mottola's Work Group with Sony distribution. Smith was executive producer. She worked with several producers including Kelly Price, Narada Michael Walden and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. Daydreamin' reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and his frequent partners LaShawn Daniels and Fred Jerkins. The rap is by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz. The main sample is from Steely Dan's Black Cow. By the time the record was a hit, Tatyana was attending Harvard and wasn't able to promote the album to Sony's satisfaction. Kiss the Sky is available as a budget CD. Tatyana released an EP on her own label in 2014. But for the most part she has stuck to acting mostly on TV. She was on The Young and the Restless from 2007-13, the BET show Buppies, the TV One sitcom Love That Girl! and the BET show Second Generation Wayans. She has done several made for TV movies recently. Tatyana married Dr. Vaughn Rasberry in 2016. He's an associate professor of English at Stanford. They have two sons which I am sure keeps her busy. So I don't expect her to return to music. Here's the video for Daydreamin' by Tatyana Ali. 

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maria Oiveira vs Gloria de Paula

Here's the match video of Maria Oliveira vs Gloria de Paula from last night's UFC show in Austin, TX. This fight is at Strawweight. This was a terrible fight between two terrible fighters. Maria trains at PRVT. Jessica Andrade was in her corner. I first saw her in the Brazilian Contender Series. It's likely that if PRVT was still in Brazil, she would not be in the UFC. But accessibility is one of the reasons Gailard Parana moved PRVT to Las Vegas. Gloria is from Curitiba. She and her girlfriend Mayra Buena Silva own their own gym. I thought Gloria won the fight. Maria reminded me of Katlyn Chookagian. She throws a lot of punches but most of them don't land. And that can fool judges. Meanwhile as in all of her fights, Gloria doesn't do enough. So I thought Gloria won the first two rounds and Maria won round three. All three judges scored round one for Maria. So they got fooled. They all scored round two for Gloria. And two scored round three for Maria. She won by split decision. So it was a lousy fight with a poor decision. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Natalia Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius

Here's the match video of Natalia Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius from last night's UFC show in Austin, TX. This fight is at Flyweight. Natalia is 25 years old from Minas Gerais, Brazil. She trains at Team Borracha which is owned by UFC Middleweight Paulo Costa. Natalia is a former Jungle Fight champ. She was supposed to make her UFC debut last year but she broke her arm during training. She hasn't fought since 2019. Similar to Viviane Araujo, she seems undersized for Flyweight. Jasmine is 33 years old from St. Catharines, ON. She trains at Niagara Top Team with Chris Prickett. She beat Kay Hansen in her UFC debut. Because Natalia hadn't fought recently, she's an unknown quantity. Daniel Cormier mentioned this during the broadcast. Despite the size difference, Natalya completely outclassed Jasmine. She was much quicker. Jasmine couldn't touch her. She couldn't take her down. She couldn't do anything with her. I scored it 30-27 for Natalya. Two of the judges scored it the same. The third scored it 30-26. So is Natalya that good or Jasmine that bad? Probably the latter though I would like to see Natalya against better competition. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Western

Artist:Johnny Western

Song:The Ballad of Paladin

Album:My Rifle, My Pony and Me

Here's a song that was written for the 50s TV western Have Gun, Will Travel. Johnny Western wrote and recorded the song which played over the end credits of the show. Though Western's recording career was brief, he has had success as an actor and a DJ. He was born Johnny Westerlund Oct. 28, 1934 in Two Harbors, MN. His father was an officer for the Civilian Conservation Corps so Western spent his early years in those camps. At age five, Western saw the 1936 Gene Autry film Guns and Guitars. From that day on, Western wanted to be a singing cowboy. He started singing on local radio as a teen and by age 16, he was opening for The Sons of the Pioneers. After graduating high school, Western recorded a few singles and hosted his own TV show in Minnesota. Then he moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream. Of course by the early 50s, there was no need for singing cowboys. He did play in Gene Autry's band just before Autry retired from performing. Western appeared in several TV westerns. After being cast in Have Gun, Will Travel, Western wrote The Ballad of Paladin. After showing it to the show's star Richard Boone and the show's creator Sam Rolfe, they had Western record the song and it played over the end credits. Western got a record deal with CBS's record label Columbia. After recording a few unsuccessful singles and the 1962 album Have Gun, Will Travel, Western joined Johnny Cash's band for several years. Though Western would occasionally record over the years, he became a DJ in 1986 for KFDI in Wichita, KS until his 2010 retirement. Western is in the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame and the Western Music Association Hall of Fame. Bear Family has released a Johnny Western box set. But you can get The Ballad of Paladin on this Bear Family various artists CD of songs from western movies, some performed by actors like Dean Martin and James Stewart. There is also a Time Life 2CD comp Treasury of the West 1 that is recommended. Take your pick. Here's Johnny Western performing The Ballad of Paladin on The Marty Stuart Show Mar. 28, 2013. The French horn is a nice touch. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dubliners

Artist:The Dubliners

Song:Seven Drunken Nights

Album:The Best of the Dubliners

The Irish folk group The Dubliners have been around since the 60s. The 1967 single Seven Drunken Nights was their first number one hit in Ireland. They were formed in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group playing O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin. Drew was lead singer along with Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke and Barney McKenna. But Drew didn't like the group name and Kelly was reading James Joyce's Dubliners so the group name was changed to The Dubliners. After an appearance at the 1963 Edinburgh Festival got them an appearance on the BBC show Hootenanny, The Dubliners signed with Transatlantic Records and released their 1964 debut album The Dubliners. After Kelly briefly moved to England, he was replaced by Bobby Lynch and John Sheahan joined. When Kelly returned, Lynch left and Sheahan remained. The Dubliners signed with Major Minor Records with Decca distribution for their 1967 debut studio album A Drop of the Hard Stuff. The album was produced by Decca house producer Tommy Scott. The songs are mostly traditional. When Seven Drunken Nights topped the Irish charts, the album was re-released as Seven Drunken Nights to take advantage of that. Seven Drunken Nights is based on the traditional Scottish song Our Goodman or The Merry Cuckold and the Kind Wife. It eventually became known as Seven Drunken Nights as each verse is one night. The Dubliners version is the best known version. This one hit kept them going for many years. They have recorded for EMI and Polydor. This 3CD budget comp seems to be original recordings. The Dubliners are still around led by John Sheahan as of 2020. Drew left in 1995 and died in 2008. Kelly died in 1984. Bourke left in 1974 and died in 1988. McKenna died in 2012. Here's The Dubliners performing Seven Drunken Nights in 1987.