AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter

Artist:Herbie Hancock Wayne Shorter

Song:Aung San Suu Kyi

Album:1+ 1

Though tenor sax legend Wayne Shorter has recorded as a leader since the 60s, I think he prefers being part of a band. I don't know enough about him to know the reason for this. He must be a naturally shy person. I doubt he would agree to it but we need a Wayne Shorter documentary. Paging Kasper Collin who convinced Shorter to appear in his Lee Morgan doc I Called Him Morgan. Did you know that Shorter did not tour as a leader until 2000. He always toured as part of a band. And this 1997 album is Shorter's only duet album. The song Aung San Suu Kyi won a Grammy. Of course Shorter and Hancock have worked together since Shorter joined the Miles Davis band in 1964. Hancock was already there. Davis tried to recruit Shorter for two years. He remained in that band until 1970. Shorter recorded many albums for Blue Note as a leader but he never toured as a leader. Of course after he left the Davis band, Shorter formed Weather Report with Joe Zawinul. Shorter was in Weather Report from 1971-86. Shorter also toured and recorded with V.S.O.P. in the late 70s. Hancock was in that band too. It was a tribute to the 60s Davis band. Shorter and Hancock also did a 1991 Miles Davis tribute album and tour with Wallace Roney playing Davis. Both guys signed with Verve in 1995. So it may have been their idea for them to record a duet album. Shorter had never recorded a duet album with anyone. They also toured to support it and Shorter won a Grammy. Shorter toured as a leader in 2000. I saw him on his 80th birthday tour. Shorter retired from performing in 2018 but he's been working on an opera with Esperanza Spalding. Here's Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock performing Aung San Suu Kyi at the Tokyo City Opera Concert Hall 1998.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes

Here's the match video of Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Piera is from Venezuela. She was on Contender Series and won her UFC debut in April. She is a pretty good striker. She likes to go to different gyms. For this camp, she trained at Black House in Los Angeles. Sam is from Everett, WA. Before her last fight, she moved to Fortis MMA and Saif Saud and that seemed to light a fire under her. We'll see how long that lasts. I don't think she belongs in the UFC. I scored the fight 30-27 for Piera. The judges scored it 29-28 for Piera but two of the judges gave round five to Sam and the third gave her round one. Saud yelling at Sam between rounds didn't seem to help much. I would like to see Piera face better competition. She looked pretty good though. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo

Here's the match video of Alexa Grasso vs Viviane Araujo from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. It was five rounds. Alexa is from Guadalajara, Mexico. She trains at Lobo Gym owned by her father. She is mainly a striker. She's been on a winning streak since moving to Flyweight. Viviane is from Brasilia, Brazil. She trains at Cerrado MMA. He coach is Daniel Evangilista. She's probably a more complete fighter than Alexa. But I was wondering about her endurance. I would have liked to see her go for an early finish. But instead she stayed on her feet and that played into Alexa's strategy to outpoint her. Like many strikers, Alexa throws a lot of volume but misses a lot. And I think that fools judges. Two of them scored it 49-46 for Alexa and the third scored it 50-45. I thought the fight was closer than that but I thought Alexa won. She says she wants another five round fight before getting a title shot. I don't think she won dominantly enough to get a title shot. Besides, next week Manon Fiorot is fighting Katlyn Chookagian. And if Manon wins as I expect, she should get a title shot. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ministry

Artist:Ministry

Song:N.W,O.

Album:Greatest Fits

Though Nine Inch Nails were more commercially successful, It's unlikely that they are successful if Ministry doesn't pave the way for the popularization of industrial dance music. What's that? It's heavy metal with a beat. The 1992 single N.W.O. is probably Ministry's biggest hit. The leader of Ministry is Al Jourgensen. He was born Alejandro Ramirez Casas Oct. 9, 1958 in Havana, Cuba but he grew up in Chicago and Breckenridge, CO. He moved back to Chicago in 1978 to attend University of Illinois Chicago and that's when he got into music. He was in the new wave group Special Affect. After they split up in 1980, Jourgensen started making music in his apartment with an ARP Omni synthesizer, a drum machine and a reel to reel tape recorder. He gave a demo to Wax Trax! Records co-owner Jim Nash and he suggested that Jourgensen record a single, form a band and play gigs. Jourgensen called the band Ministry. When he couldn't find a decent singer, Jourgensen decided to sing himself. And he ended up doing everything himself. There was a band and they did tour, But the members were disposable. Ministry was really a solo act. When Ministry's single I'm Falling made the dance chart, that got the attention of Arista Records owner Clive Davis. He signed them and planned to make them the next Joy Division. The 1983 album With Sympathy did OK. Two singles made the dance charts. But despite the success, Jourgensen butted heads with Davis and left Arista. He was unhappy that Davis brought in outside producers. And he claimed that Davis tried to turn Ministry into a synth pop band. That's what happens when two control freaks try to work together. Ministry returned to Wax Trax!. And while on tour, Sire Records owner Seymour Stein offered Ministry a record deal. Jourgensen was reluctant to sign at first. But he did sign. Stein has enough sense to leave bands alone. After Ministry's 1985 Sire debut album Twitch, Ministry's success was as an album and touring band. Their biggest hit was when the 1992 single N.W.O. reached #11 on the Billboard Alternative chart and the album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs was certified Platinum. N.W.O. is obviously a protest song. MTV played the video in heavy rotation. Ministry recorded with Sire/Warner Bros. until 1999. This budget comp was released in 2001. In 2001, Jourgensen almost lost his arm due to a venomous spider bite. During recovery Jorgensen recovered from substance abuse. Ministry signed with Sanctuary Records in 2003. But the two albums they recorded were disappointing. Since then Jourgensen has recorded for his own label. Ministry went on a retirement tour in 2008. But they returned in 2011 and they still tour and record. A new album was released last year. Here's the video for N.W.O. by Ministry. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ernest Ranglin

Artist:Ernest Ranglin

Song:Surfin'

Album:Live in Tokyo

Guitarist Ernest Ranglin is a very important figure in the development of Jamaican music. Though he occasionally recorded his own music like his signature song Surfin', for the most part he played guitar on hundreds of records. He was born June 19, 1932 in Manchester, Jamaica but he grew up in Kingston. His uncles played guitar. He played in local bands as a teen and that's where he met pianist Monty Alexander and they have been lifelong friends. In the 50s he played on many calypso and mento records. He worked for the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation from 1958-65. And he started working with producer Coxsone Dodd. For the 1962 film Dr. No, Ranglin was asked to compose music for some of the Jamaican scenes. He played bass on many of Prince Buster's hits. And he arranged and played guitar on Millie Small's smash hit My Boy Lollipop. Ranglin worked for Duke Reid's Treasure Island as an A&R man. Then he got into jazz appearing at Ronnie Scott's in England. He has released jazz albums ever since. Ranglin worked as A&R and a session musician for producer Coxsone Dodd from 1965-72. Among other things he produced the 1967 classic Rivers of Babylon by The Melodians. He released Surfin' in 1971 and it is his signature song. In the 70s Ranglin toured with Jimmy Cliff. And in the 80s he got into playing jazz festivals usually with Alexander. This 2011 album was recorded live at the Blue Note in Tokyo with Monty Alexander on piano and Sly and Robbie on drums and bass. It is  available as a digital download on Amazon as Jamaican Legends Live in Tokyo. It's also available on Bandcamp via a YouTube link. Here's Ernest Ranglin with Monty Alexander, Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar performing Surfin' at the Blue Note in Tokyo 2011.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Junior Reid

Artist:Junior Reid

Song:Boom-Shack-A-Lack

Album:Boom-Shack-A-Lack

Dancehall singer songwriter Delroy "Junior" Reid had his greatest success with the 1985 international chart hit Boom-Shack-A-Lack. It's probably his signature song. He was born June 6, 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in the Waterhouse district which is notorious as one of the most dangerous places in Jamaica. At age 13, Reid released the single Speak the Truth. This was produced by Hugh Mundell for Augusto Pablo's Rockers International label. For a while he had his own band The Voice of Progress and he scored a minor hit with Mini-Bus Driver. Then he signed with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion label and released singles like Foreign Mind which became an anthem for ghetto youth. But Reid really seemed to find his groove when he started working with Lloyd "King Jammy" James. James was a dub mixer for King Tubby. He had recently opened his own studio. Boom-Shack-A-Lack was a hit in England. Greensleeves Records released an album. Reid wrote all the songs. Reid then started his own production company. In 1986 Reid was offered the opportunity to replace Michael Rose as lead singer of Black Uhuru. At the time Reid thought it would be a good opportunity to reach an international audience. In retrospect, Reid would probably admit that he should have remained a solo artist. He was criticized for sounding too much like Rose. After three albums with Black Uhuru, Reid returned to his own label and scored an international hit with the 1989 single One Blood. Reid continues to record and produce artists on his own label. And he has appeared internationally with Alicia Keys and Rick Ross among others. Reid does a lot of guest shots. Greensleeves re-released the album Boom-Shack-A-Lack in 2003 with a different cover and a bonus remix of Boom-Shack-A-Lack. When the album was reissued in 2016, it had the original cover. This is available as a budget CD. Here's Junior Reid performing Boom-Shack-A-Lack at Reggae Sunsplash 1991. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker

Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm vs Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker from last night's AEW show in Toronto. The setup for this was Hikaru looking to get revenge for a backstage attack a couple of weeks ago. Except the whole thing was phony as Hikaru was in Japan appearing in a Makai show. And for those wondering, it's in her contract that she can do that. The match was OK. The fans are chanting Jamie's name. So that makes me wonder when she will turn on Britt. Or vice versa. The match breaks down at the finish. As is typical of AEW, the ref loses control. I also hated the reversing rollup finish. They want to protect Britt so they have her lose in a halfassed way. Next week Toni will defend her interim title against Hikaru. Tony Khan likes to do dumb stuff like that. Have babyfaces team up and then have them wrestle each other. Ugh! Speaking of dumb, there is no place for interim titles in pro wrestling. Like rankings, Khan thinks stuff like that makes the product more realistic. He's wrong. It just confuses fans. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Selah

Artist:Selah

Song:You Raise Me Up

Album:Hiding Place

Selah is a popular CCM group that is known for adapting traditional hymns with contemporary arrangements. The 2004 single You Raise Me Up is their highest charting single to date and Hiding Place is their biggest selling album. And I know that You Raise Me Up is not a traditional hymn. Selah was formed by Todd Smith, his sister Nicol Smith and friend Allan Hall. The Smiths grew up in Africa. Their parents were missionaries. As I said, they became known for adapting hymns with contemporary arrangements. Selah signed with Curb Records and their 1999 album Be Still My Soul and 2001 album Press On both won Dove awards as Inspirational Album of the Year. Meanwhile Todd and Nicol recorded solo albums. But things went to a whole new level with the 2004 single You Raise Me Up reached #2 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart. The 2004 album Hiding Place was certified Gold. You Raise Me Up was written by Rolf Lovland of the Norwegian group Secret Garden and Irish lyricist Brendan Graham. The song was popularized by opera singer Josh Groban and producer David Foster. Obviously it's not a gospel hymn. But I have seen secular songs adapted to CCM before. Believe me. The faithful ate it up. They love CCM versions of songs like this. Nicol went solo and Selah used guest singers for a while. After auditions, Amy Perry joined Selah in 2012. Selah left Curb in 2017 and they continue to record for their own label. But nothing has had the impact of You Raise Me Up. Hiding Place is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for You Bring Me Up by Selah. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Edwyn Collins

Artist:Edwyn Collins

Song:A Girl Like You

Album:Gorgeous George

Scottish singer songwriter Edwyn Collins scored his only US chart hit when A Girl Like You appeared in the 1995 film Empire Records. The song was a top ten hit in England. Some of his other songs have charted in England. I don't think Collins has ever recorded for a major label. He was born Aug. 23, 1959 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He formed The Nu-Sonics in 1976 and changed the name to Orange Juice in 1979. They recorded three albums for Polydor. Their 1983 single Rip It Up was a top ten hit in England. But for the most part, Polydor was unhappy with the band's lack of success and dropped them in 1985. Then Orange Juice split up. This experience may explain why Collins doesn't record for major labels. Collins signed a solo deal with Creation Records' Elevation label. After one EP, Collins had a falling out with Creation owner Alan McGee. He released his first two albums on Demon Records. The first album did OK. But Demon was unhappy with the second album. For the 1994 album Gorgeous George, Collins signed with Setanta Records and Bar/None in the US. The big surprise was when A Girl Like You appeared in the 1995 film Empire Records and was released as the second single. It reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the British Singles chart. The film was a flop but the soundtrack was a success. It's available but too expensive. Gorgeous George is available as a budget CD. In recent years, Empire Records has developed a cult following. Collins continued to release albums until a 2005 cerebral haemorrhage led to surgery and a lengthy recovery. He had to learn to talk again. By 2007, Collins had recovered enough that he could record again. He currently records for his own label and his latest album was released in 2019. Here's the video for A Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jarabe de Palo

Artist:Jarabe de Palo

Song:El Lado Oscuro

Album:En La Vida Conoci Mujer Igual a La Flaca: 20 Anos

Jarabe de Palo were very successful in their native Spain and other Latin speaking countries. The 1996 single El Lado Oscuro was one of their earliest hits. They were from Barcelona led by singer songwriter guitarist Pau Dones. The name Jarabe de Palo translates in English as "wooden stick syrup". It's actually a Spanish expression for taking a beating. They signed with Virgin Records in 1996. La Flaca was their debut album produced by Joe Dworniak. He is a Brit who moved to Spain in the 80s. It looks like he was a house producer for Virgin. Other band members were Jordi Mena on guitar, Joan Gene on bass, Alex Tenas on drums and Daniel Forcada on percussion. The album became a success when the title track was used in a commercial. El Lado Oscuro reached #25 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. They continued to have success until they left Virgin to start their own label in 2009. This 20th anniversary comp is available as a digital download. They did release new music on their own label. But they also rerecorded their hits and changed their name to jarabedepalo because Virgin owned the rights to everything. Sadly Pau Dones died of colon cancer on June 8, 2020 at age 53. Jarabe de Palo disbanded after that. Here's the video for El Lado Oscuro by Jarabe de Palo. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Baillie & the Boys

Artist:Baillie & the Boys

Song:(Wish I Had A) Heart of Stone

Album:The Best of

Baillie & the Boys had a successful run on the country charts in the late 80s. They had seven top ten country hits. The 1989 single Heart of Stone was the highest charting of those hits. Baillie & the Boys are from New Jersey. Alan LeBoeuf and Michael Bonagura had a band called London Fog. After hearing her sing, Bonagura married Kathie Baillie and the trio became Baillie & the Boys. They moved to Nashville and were backup singers until RCA Records signed them in 1987. Their three RCA albums were produced by Kyle Lehning who was best known for producing Randy Travis. They scored seven top ten country hits. Heart of Stone was their highest charting single at #4 on the Country Singles chart. Though the trio wrote, Heart of Stone was written by veteran songwriters Wayland Holyfield and Richard Leigh. LeBoeuf left (he didn't like touring) and Lance Hoppen of Orleans appeared on the 1990 album The Lights of Home. That was Baillie & the Boys' final album for RCA. Their contract was up and they left. RCA released this comp in 1991. Since They have recorded for small labels with their 2018 CD I Will Run on their own label. Bonagura produced so I guess control is what he wanted. Here's the video for (Wish I Had A) Heart of Stone by Baillie & the Boys.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Curly Moore

ArtistLCurly Moore

Song:Get Low Down

Album:Sehorn's Soul Farm: 50 New Orleans Soul Classics

Fans of legendary New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint are going to want to check out this collection of 60s recordings from Sansu Records which he owned with Marshall Sehorn. June "Curly" Moore was a decent singer who could also write and play instruments. But he was never able to find that hit single that he wanted. Moore was born in New Orleans in 1943. He grew up singing in church. As a teen, he formed a group with his friends called The Blue Jays and they competed on local talent shows. This was obviously influenced by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers who were the first teen pop group. In 1960 he joined Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns. After touring and recording with them for three years, Moore decided to go solo. He released the single Soul Train on Wardell Quezergue's Nola label and he was renamed Curley "Soul Train" Moore. That's why you see a variation of the spelling of Moore's name. Moore moved to Sansu which was owned by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn. The big thing is they had national distribution with Bell Records. And Moore got to write with Toussaint. Get Low Down was the first of three singles. All the Sansu recordings are on this 2CD comp from Charly Records. When R&B went to a hard edged funk sound in the 70s, Moore struggled with that. Moore also had drug and gun issues. He rejoined Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns at the 1979 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. After serving prison time in the early 80s. Moore was murdered on Dec. 14, 1985 at age 42. Here's a video for Get Low Down by Curly Moore.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dirt Band

Artist:The Dirt Band f/Linda Ronstadt

Song:An American Dream

Album:Fishin' in the Dark: The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The year was 1978 and the decision was made to rebrand The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to The Dirt Band. After four albums, they returned to calling themselves The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. An American Dream was their biggest hit of The Dirt Band period. The change coincided with John McEuen deciding to take a reduced role in the band so he could concentrate on managing comedian Steve Martin's career. That left Jeff Hanna in charge and he wanted a more pop oriented band. So he changed the name to The Dirt Band. Other changes included the departure of Jimmy Ibbotson and the addition of guitarist John Cable, bassist Jackie Clark and pianist Bob Carpenter. The biggest hit to come from this period was the 1980 single An American Dream which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Linda Ronstadt was the featured singer. Rodney Crowell wrote the song and he recorded it on his 1978 album Ain't Living Long Like This. The Dirt Band also charted with the 1981 single Make a Little Magic featuring Nicolette Larson. After four albums, as of the 1983 album Let's Go, they returned to calling themselves The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. This may have been record company motivated. The band's label United Artists was sold to EMI and The Dirt Band was placed on EMI's country label Liberty. Maybe EMI preferred the old name and I think McEuen did too. The band still performs An American Dream and it appears on this comp. Here's The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Rodney Crowell performing An American Dream on a 1990 episode of the TNN show American Music Shoppe.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tammy Cochran

Artist:Tammy Cochran

Song:Angels in Waiting

Album:Tammy Cochran

Singer songwriter Tammy Cochran scored a top ten country hit with the 2001 single Angels in Waiting. It turned out to be her biggest hit. She does not appear to be in the music business anymore. She was born Jan. 30, 1972 in Austinburg, OH. This is a very small town in the northeast part of Ohio. She grew up singing in church and led her own band as a teen. After graduating high school, she trained to be a secretary. In 1991, Tammy moved with her parents to Nashville. After five years of frustration, Tammy got married in 1996 with plans to retire and start a family. But the marriage didn't last. She returned to performing in 1998. After one of her shows, she was introduced to Warner-Chappell staff songwriter Shane Decker. He got her a job at Warner-Chappell and agreed to help her record demos. When record labels came calling, Tammy signed with Epic. Her 2001 debut album Tammy Cochran was produced by Sony Nashville executive vice president Blake Chancey. He won Grammys for producing The Dixie Chicks. Angels in Waiting was the third single and it reached #9 on the Country Singles chart. It was one of two songs on the album that Tammy wrote. She wrote it with veteran songwriters Stewart Harris and Jim McBride. She dedicated it to her two brothers who both died from cystic fibrosis. I wouldn't normally recommend that Tammy introduce the video but I actually think it helped when VJs played it. Her 2003 album Life Happened didn't do as well. It looks like Chancey left Sony during production. And that change in management hurt Tammy and she ended up leaving Epic. Since then Tammy released two albums on small labels, most recently in 2009. I think she quit the music business. Here's the video for Angels in Waiting by Tammy Cochran.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA

Artist:New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA

Song:I'll Tell It

Album:At Their Best

Though I'm pretty sure most of you have never heard of the New Jersey Mass Choir, I know you have heard them because this is the choir that appeared on Foreigner's smash hit I Want To Know What Love Is. The choir is led by Donnie Harper from San Antonio, TX. He moved to New Jersey and his choir Voices of Tomorrow appeared on a 1977 episode of Saturday Night Live. He formed New Jersey Mass Choir in 1981 with the assistance of gospel music legend Rev. James Cleveland and Gospel Music Workshop of America. He got them a record deal with Savoy and they released the 1982 album Soon I Will Be Done with the Troubles of the World. Harper moved the choir to Light Records as he wanted the choir to have a contemporary sound and Light was better suited to handle that. And that's when they appeared on I Want To Know What Love Is. So that kept them active for a long time. I'll Tell Him is from the 1986 album Look Up & Live. The lead singers are Harper and Aletha Carlette Watson-White though she does not sing in the video. This choir also appeared on albums by Patti LaBelle and Stevie Wonder among others. They left Light in 1991 and that's when Light released this budget comp. Harper was ordained in 1991 and he is minister of music at Good Neighbor Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. The New Jersey Mass Choir last recorded in 1995. I assume Harper concentrates on his ministry because he rarely appears on anything. He did play piano at Whitney Houston's funeral as he has worked with her mom Cissy Houston. Here's the New Jersey Mass Choir of the GMWA performing I'll Tell It. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Critters

Artist:The Critters

Song:Mr. Dieingly Sad

Album:Younger Girl: The Complete Kapp & Musicor Recordings

Mr. Dieingly Sad was a top 20 hit in 1966. It was the only big hit for The Critters. They were a soft rock group that should remind you of groups like The Lovin' Spoonful. I don't think that was a coincidence. The Critters are from Plainfield, NJ. Singer songwriter guitarist Don Ciccone went to see a band called The Vibratones because his saxophonist friend Bob Podstawski was in the band. He liked the band enough that he asked to audition and they liked that he could write. The band name was changed to The Critters. Other members were Chris Darway on keyboards, Jimmy Ryan on guitar and vocals, Ken Gorka on bass and Jack Decker on drums. After one 1964 single on Musicor, The Critters signed with what would become Kama Sutra Records. At first Kama Sutra licensed acts to other labels. The Critters were licensed to Kapp Records. The producer was Kama Sutra co-owner Artie Ripp who also produced The Lovin' Spoonful. The Critters' first single was the John Sebastian song Younger Girl. The Critters recorded it first. It reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mr. Dieingly Sad was the second single and it reached #17. Ciccone wrote it. Listeners may have thought it was by The Lovin' Spoonful. By the time the song was a hit, Ciccone had been drafted and spent the next four years in Vietnam with the US Air Force. After Podstawski and Decker were also drafted, Ryan attempted to keep the band going. They recorded a couple of albums for Enoch Light's Project 3 label. After that went nowhere, The Critters split up. This CD from the reissue label Now Sound is the 1966 album Younger Girl plus bonus tracks. Ryan recorded and toured with Carly Simon and became a session musician. Ciccone was in The Four Seasons in the 70s. He sang lead on the 1975 hit December 1963. He died in 2016. Here's The Critters performing Mr. Dieingly Sad on the 1966 Dick Clark TV series Where The Action Is. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Alexa Bliss

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Alexa Bliss from last night's episode of RAW. During the contract signing of Bianca Belair vs Bayley, Iyo and Dakota Kai attacked Asuka and Alexa Bliss. Alexa challenged Iyo to a match. They made it look like Asuka was injured because they wanted to save Asuka vs Iyo for later. The match is pretty good with Iyo winning with what the WWE is calling the Over the Moonsault. She got a decent match out of Alexa which can be tough to do sometimes. Of course it all leads up to this Saturday's ladder match. We'll see how that goes. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christian Bland & The Revelators

Artist:Christian Bland & The Revelators

Song:Brian Wilson

Album:The Unseen Green Obscene

Christian Bland is the guitarist for the popular neo psychedelic band The Black Angels. He leads The Revelators when The Black Angels are off the road. They don't stray far from neo psychedelia so I think Black Angels fans will enjoy the music. Bland is from Austin, TX which has always been a breeding ground for psychedelic music going back to 60s bands like The 13th Floor Elevators. Plus Bland says his major influence is Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett. Bland attended Florida State University on a track scholarship. He was a high jumper. After Bland injured his knee, he looked seriously into music. He is a founding member of The Black Angels and they have been recording and touring since 2004. When The Black Angels are off the road, Bland is involved in the Austin based The Reverberation Appreciation Society. They produce the Levitation music festivals. When they started a record label in 2010, Bland formed The Revelators and released the first album on the label. The other band members are Chris Catalena on vocals and guitar and Bob Mustachio on drums. Mustachio does multimedia for The Black Angels but he is not a member of the band. Brian Wilson is from the 2014 album The Unseen Green Obscene. It's obviously s tribute and Catalena tries to sound like Wilson. This is available as a budget CD. This is the most recent of the band's three albums. They have released a couple of singles and played a few gigs last year. The Black Angels released a new album and are on tour. I'm sure Bland will reform The Revelators after they finish touring. Here's the video for Brian Wilson by Christian Bland & The Revelators.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kid Bailey

Artist:Kid Bailey

Song:Rowdy Blues

Album:40 Delta Blues Gems

Kid Bailey was one of the most enigmatic early blues musicians because he only recorded one record. But that record is good enough that fans want to know more about him. There isn't much. What we do know is Bailey was friends with legendary blues singer Charley Patton. We don't know his real name but he is from Sunflower County in northwest Mississippi. He recorded Rowdy Blues and Mississippi Bottom Blues on Sept. 25, 1929 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. There is an unidentified second guitarist. Brunswick Records released it. Bailey continued to perform in Mississippi until the 50s but he never recorded again. But plenty of blues artists have covered the song. Legendary bluesman Son House once claimed that Willie Brown and Charley Patton recorded Rowdy Blues under a pseudonym. First, it wouldn't make sense for Brown to do that. Second, Brown and Bailey sound nothing alike. So I think Kid Bailey will remain enigmatic except that Rowdy Blues is a pretty good song. You can get Rowdy Blues on this 2CD various artists comp. Here's a video for Rowdy Blues by Kid Bailey. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Chelsea Chandler vs Julija Stoliarenko

Here's the match video of Chelsea Chandler vs Julija Stoliarenko from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight was at 140lb Catchweight because Julija was a late replacement for Leah Letson. I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC but Julija is particularly bad. Other than an armbar, she's useless. Chelsea is an Invicta veteran. She trains at Gracie Barra in Stockton, CA which is the Diaz brothers. What can I say? Julija folded like a cheap suitcase and Chelsea won with ground and pound. This fight was a waste of time. Check it out for yourself. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yan Xiaonan vs Mackenzie Dern

Here's the match video of Yan Xiaonan vs Mackenzie Dern from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Yan is from China but she trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento with Urijah Faber and Danny Castillo. She is mainly a striker. She throws a lot but most of it misses. Mackenzie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champ. Her striking is sub par. Her coach is Jason Parillo in Huntington Beach. He has trained Cris Cyborg among others. So obviously Yan wants to keep the fight standing and Mackenzie wants to take her down. For the most part, Yan was successful and that's why she won the fight. I scored rounds one, three and four 10-9 for Yan. She only rocked Mackenzie once in round three but she landed enough to win. Mackenzie did take Yan down in round two and five but she wasn't able to finish and afterwards Mackenzie expressed disappointment in not finishing. I scored round two 10-9 but I thought round five was 10-8. So I scored the fight a draw and so did one of the judges and that's why it was a majority decision. The point is when Mackenzie gets that position, she needs to finish. And her striking still needs to be better. This one got away from her. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ini Kamoze

Artist:Ini Kamoze

Song:Here Comes the Hotstepper

Album:Pret-A-Porter: Music from the Motion Picture

Jamaican singer Ini Kamoze's career was going nowhere when the 1994 single Here Comes the Hotstepper topped the charts for two weeks. Not only was this a surprise hit but it is a one hit wonder. Maybe you heard it on Tik Tok recently. Kamoze was born Cecil Campbell Oct. 9, 1957 in Saint Mary, Jamaica. After releasing a couple of singles, he released a 1984 EP on Island followed by a couple of albums on Island's Mango label. Sly and Robbie produced. Though he had some hits in Jamaica like Shocking Out, by 1988 Kamoze wasn't happy and he took a break from the music business. He returned in 1994 with Here Comes the Hotstepper. This was produced by Fugees producer Salaam Remi. After Epic put it on the various artists album Stir It Up and it was used in the film Pret-A-Porter, Here Comes the Hotstepper topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks. Columbia then released an Ini Kamoze album. There are several samples on Here Comes the Hotstepper but the big one is Chris Kenner's Land of a Thousand Dances. You can get Here Comes the Hotstepper on plenty of various artists CDs but the soundtrack for Pret-A-Porter is available as a budget CD. Kamoze is still around. He released his latest album in 2016. But I think it's fair to say that another chart hit is unlikely. However, after the song appeared on a Tik Tok video, Here Comes the Hotstepper charted again. Here's the video for Here Comes the Hotstepper by Ini Kamoze.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Moon Taxi

Artist:Moon Taxi

Song:Two High

Album:Let the Record Play

Moon Taxi is an alternative rock band who scored their biggest hit with the 2017 single Two High when they went for a more commercial pop sound. Lead singer and guitarist Trevor Terndrup and bassist Tommy Putnam attended high school together in the Birmingham, AL suburb of Vestavia Hills. They were in the band Apex. After graduating high school, they moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University. That's where all aspiring musicians go. There they met guitarist Spencer Thomson and drummer David Swan and they formed Moon Taxi. After graduating from Belmont, Swan left the band to become a US Army aviator. he was replaced by Terndrup and Putnam's high school buddy Tyler Ritter. They also added keyboard player Wes Bailey. At first they were a jam rock band similar to Gov't Mule. They released three albums on their own label and then signed a distribution deal with BMG which is more of a publishing company. Most of their success was touring and opening for Gov't Mule and Umphrey's McGee. For the 2015 album Daybreaker, they decided to go with a more commercial sound. Rolling Stone said they sounded like Kings of Leon. This led to a new deal with Sony's RCA label for the 2017 album Let the Record Play. The single Two High reached #3 on the Adult Alternative chart. And yes, the song sounds like Imagine Dragons. Moon Taxi write and produce everything so this more commercial approach is self motivated. My guess is listeners thought it was an Imagine Dragons song. I guess the bottom line is the change worked as it got Moon Taxi on a major label. And touring with more commercial bands. There was no hit single from the 2021 album Silver Dream so maybe the success was short lived. Here's the video for Two High by Moon Taxi. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Cash Box Kings

Artist:The Cash Box Kings

Song:Tried So Hard

Album:I-94 Blues

Though they write original songs, The Cash Box Kings are clearly a tribute to 50s Chicago blues. Joe Nosek was teaching at the University of Wisconsin when he started The Cash Box Kings in 2001. Nosek sings, plays harmonica and writes a lot of the songs. The band is named after the defunct music industry publication Cashbox. Nosek released four albums on his own label. But the turning point was when Oscar Wilson was brought in to split lead vocals with Nosek. The 2010 album I-94 Blues on Blue Bella was Wilson's first album as a full time member of the band. He sings lead on Tried So Hard. That was written by lead guitarist Billy Flynn. He plays bottleneck guitar in the video. Other band members are Barrelhouse Chuck Goering on piano, Chris "CB" Boeger on bass and Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith on drums. There are a couple of classic blues covers. But Nosek wrote most of the songs. Since then The Cash Box Kings recorded for Blind Pig and their last two albums are on Alligator. Their latest album Hail To The Kings! was released in 2019. Wilson does most of the singing so Nosek can concentrate on the harmonica. Wilson is also more involved in the songwriting. Flynn and Smith are still in the band. They are probably due for a new album. Here's The Cash Box Kings performing Tried So Hard 2010.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Russ Brown

Artist:Russ Brown f/Nathaniel Frey, Jimmie Komack, Albert Linville

Song:Heart

Album:Damn Yankees: Original Cast Recording

Russ Brown was a veteran character actor who won a Tony for playing Washington Nationals manager Benny Van Buren in the 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees. He was also in the 1958 film version. Brown was a stage and screen veteran since the 30s. He was born May 30, 1892 in Philadelphia. He first appeared on Broadway and then in short films in the early 30s and then features like the 1934 films Moulin Rouge and The Love Captive. He returned to New York in the 40s and didn't appear in anything noteworthy until he played Captain George Brackett in the Broadway musical South Pacific. He was also in the 1958 film version. That success led to playing Benny Van Buren in Damn Yankees. Brown won a Tony and he was also in the 1958 film version. Brown also played park caretaker George Lemon in the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder. James Komack would go on to produce the sitcoms The Courtship of Eddie's Father and Welcome Back Kotter, Nathaniel Frey appeared mostly on TV after Damn Yankees. Albert Linville appeared on Broadway but Damn Yankees was his only film. Both the soundtrack and original cast of Damn Yankees are available on CD but the original cast CD is cheaper. After appearing in the 1963 film The Cardinal, Russ Brown died on Oct. 19, 1964 at age 72. Here's Russ Brown featuring Nathaniel Frey, Jimmie Komack and Albert Linville performing Heart from the 1958 film Damn Yankees.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sandi Patty

Artist:Sandi Patty f/Larnelle Harris

Song:More Than Wonderful

Album:The Definitive Collection

Sandi Patty was one of the early success stories of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) though I think her music was aimed at an older audience than much of the music that would follow. More Than Wonderful was one of her early hits and it won a Grammy. She was born July 12, 1958 in Oklahoma City. Her father was minister of music at Phoenix First Church of God and her mother played piano. They toured as The Ron Patty Family. Sandi attended high school in San Diego and studied voice at Anderson University in Indiana. She could have been an opera singer. But instead she got into studio work singing jingles and background vocals until she met Christian music mogul Bill Gaither who convinced her that there was a growing market for what would become CCM. After recording for a small label, Sandi signed with Benson's Impact label and started touring with Gaither. Benson was Word's main rival for Christian music supremacy in the 80s. They petered out in the 90s and sold themselves off in pieces. Sandi was probably their biggest seller. More Than Wonderful is from Sandi's 1983 album More Than Wonderful which was recorded live at a couple of churches. Her duet partner Larnelle Harris also toured with Gaither. Other black singers like Jessy Dixon and Candi Staton toured with Gaither too. It's probably the most successful song written by Lanny Wolfe. The record won a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group. Sandi switched to Word in 1985 and continued to have success until she divorced her husband and manager John Helvering in 1992. When it was learned that Sandi had an affair with backup singer Don Peslis, you know that won't go over well with the faithful. They married in 1995. Remember she was the highest paid CCM concert draw in the 80s. Patti eventually returned and she still tours and records. This comp is a good intro to her music. Here's Sandi Patty featuring Larnelle Harris performing More Than Wonderful on a Gaither Family DVD.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky

Here's the match video of Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky from last night's episode of RAW. They began the show with a long yakking segment where the end result is that Bianca vs Bayley at Extreme Rules will be a ladder match. Then they did this match which started during a commercial break and picked up after the second break. Obviously I expected Bianca to win. But I'm sure it won't surprise you that I thought Iyo should get more offense in. Look, Iyo should not be booked like a jobber. It's OK to make her a lackey at first. But she's much better than that and HHH is well aware of that. For that reason, I expect Iyo to get tired of taking a back seat to Bayley and that has potential to be a main event program. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kesha

Artist:Kesha

Song:Tik Tok

Album:Animal

Kesha Rose Sebert topped the charts with her 2009 debut single Tik Tok and had a good run for a few years. Her career was interrupted by a lawsuit against producer Dr. Luke. She hasn't been as successful since then. She was born Mar. 1, 1987 in Los Angeles. Her mother is a songwriter who moved her family to Nashville in 1991 when she got a publishing deal. Kesha's mom taught her to write and she started recording demos. A demo landed in the hands of producer Max Martin and he convinced her to move to move to Los Angeles. Martin launched Britney Spears' career. Kesha signed with Sony's Kemosabe label in 2005. She's working as a waitress while Sony is trying to figure out what to do with her. Her big break came when she appeared on rapper Flo Rida's 2009 single Right Round. This led to a deal with RCA and her debut album Animal. She appeared on the Flo Rida record by accident. She was hanging around the recording studio and Flo Rida needed a female voice for the record. Kesha's debut single Tik Tok went through the roof. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and set download records for a debut single. Kesha wrote the song with Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald and Benny Blanco and they produced. Dr. Luke was an owner of Kemosabe and he produced half of the album. He was also the main producer on her 2010 EP Cannibal and the 2012 album Warrior. And he produced her other #1 single We R Who We R in 2010. Kesha then sued Dr. Luke in Oct. 2014 for sexual assault and battery among other things. Dr. Luke always claimed that the real goal of the lawsuit was for Kesha to get out of her record deal. He denied the sexual assault allegations. Kesha is still on RCA but Dr. Luke's Sony contract was terminated. He has returned to Germany and he has his own label with Republic. Kesha has released two albums and she has toured. But she just hasn't been as successful with other producers. It remains to be seen if she can return to the top of the charts. Here's the video for Tik Tok by Kesha.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Galliano

Artist:Galliano

Song:Twyford Down

Album:The Plot Thickens

Galliano was part of England's Acid Jazz movement of the 90s. Acid Jazz was a marketing term coined by British DJ Gilles Peterson. The music was a mix of R&B with jazz and hip hop elements. The Brand New Heavies and Incognito were probably the most successful Acid Jazz acts. This was successful in England but Acid Jazz never crossed the pond. I'm sure most of you have never heard the term. Galliano was the first act to sign with Peterson's Talkin' Loud label in 1988. Talkin' Loud was distributed by PolyGram. Galliano was led by DJ Rob Gallagher who renamed himself Roberto Galliano. Gallagher was lead singer. He also rapped. And he wrote most of the songs with former Style Council keyboard player Mick Talbot. Others included Valerie Etienne and Constantine Weir on vocals, Mark Vandergucht on guitar, Ernie McKone on bass, Crispin Taylor on drums and Crispin Robinson on percussion. At first they were more of loose collective than a band. Their first single was a reworking of Curtis Mayfield's Freddie's Dead called Frederick Lies Still in 1988. After a couple more singles, the released the 1991 album In Pursuit of the 13th Note followed by the 1992 album A Joyful Noise Unto the Creator. The 1994 album The Plot Thickens was their most successful. It was also the only album released in the US on Mercury. The first single was a cover of the Crosby Stills and Nash song Long Time Gone. It reached #15 on the British Singles chart. Twyford Down was the second single and it reached #37. The album reached #8 on the British Album chart. So it did OK. Gallagher wrote most of the songs including Twyford Down. You will note the political commentary. Gallagher produced the album with recording engineer Adam Moseley. After the 1996 album :4, Galliano split up. Since then Gallagher has recorded in several bands under different names. He seems to like the name Earl Zinger. Most recently he has released a couple of albums as The Diabolical Liberties. Here's the video for Twyford Down by Galliano. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bunny Berigan

Artist:Bunny Berigan

Song:I Can't Get Started

Album:The Pied Piper 1934-40

It's likely that if trumpeter Roland "Bunny" Berigan had lived, he could have been a success in the big band boom of the 40s. He did have success in the late 30s with hits like I Can't Get Started. He was born Nov. 2, 1908 in Hilbert, WI. Having learned the violin and trumpet, Berigan played in local bands as a teen. He joined Hal Kemp's band in 1929 and recorded and toured with them. Upon his return to the US, Berigan moved to New York to become a studio musician with CBS Radio. He was also in Paul Whiteman's band and then Abe Lyman's band. Berigan recorded with The Dorsey Brothers and most notably Benny Goodman. He was a featured soloist on some of Goodman's early hits. After returning to New York, Berigan was featured on some of Tommy Dorsey's hits. He started his own band in 1937 and recorded I Can't Get Started first for Vocalion and then for RCA Victor. It wasn't Berigan's biggest hit but it turned out to be his signature song. The song was written by Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin for the film Ziegfeld Follies of 1936 and sung in the movie by Bob Hope and Eve Arden. The second version was a hit. It features Berigan's vocal and his trumpet. Today the song is a jazz standard. You can get the Victor recording on this comp. Though Berigan had some success, the stress caused him to drink heavily and sink into alcoholism. He declared bankruptcy in 1939. While Berigan formed a new band in 1940, his health continued to deteriorate until his death on June 2, 1942 at age 33. Here's a video for I Can't Get Started by Bunny Berigan. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sean Nowell

Artist:Sean Nowell

Song:For All Intensive Purposes

Album:The Seeker

Sean Nowell currently plays sax in New York City jazz clubs with several bands. Though he has recorded as a leader in the past, I don't think he is leading a band right now. He seems to prefer a large band which can be hard to make work logistically. Nowell is from Birmingham, AL and he grew up singing in church. Nowell went on a world tour with an a capella choir. After earning a BA in composition at Berklee and an MA from Manhattan School of Music, Nowell has spent most of his time playing New York jazz clubs. He has toured with Donny McCaslin and Anton Fig and worked on the score for the film Soul Men with Stanley Clarke and George Duke. The 2009 album The Seeker is the second of three albums Nowell recorded for Posi-Tone. He calls his band The Kung Fu Masters and he uses video footage of Bruce Lee in his presentation. Musicians on The Seeker are Art Hirahara on piano, Nir Felder on guitar, Dave Eggar on cello, Thomson Kneeland on bass and Joe Abbatantuono on drums. This album is available as a digital download. Nowell's latest album as a leader was in 2011. He has recorded with Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra which is big band arrangements of Bjork songs. He regularly performs in all the NYC jazz clubs and he tours internationally. He's just not leading a band right now. Here's Sean Nowell and The Kung Fu Masters performing For All Intensive Purposes at Shapeshifter Labs Aug. 13, 2012.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shelley Plimpton

Artist:Shelley Plimpton

Song:Frank Mills

Album:Hair: The Original Broadway Cast Recording

Shelley Plimpton's claim to fame is she played Crissy in the original production of the musical Hair and she sang the song Frank Mills. She didn't have much of an acting career other than that. And in fact, her daughter Martha Plimpton is better known than her. She was born Feb. 27, 1947 in Roseburg, OR. Her father owned an auto parts store and her mother was a medical researcher. Her parents divorced when she was five and her father died when she was twelve. Then her mom took a job in New York City. After graduating high school, Shelley worked as a nightclub cashier. Hair co-writer James Rado says that the inspiration for Hair was young people that he and Gerome Ragni met in the streets of New York. Shelley was one of several cast members who were recruited off the street. So like most of the cast, she had no acting experience. Shelley played Crissy in the off-Broadway and the Broadway productions of Hair. And if you have heard the Original Cast album, you have heard Shelley sing Frank Mills. Shelley also appeared in a scene with Arlo Guthrie in the 1969 film Alice's Restaurant and she appeared in Robert Downey Sr.'s classic satire film Putney Swope. She starred in Jim McBride's 1971 film Glen and Randa. And after a small role in John G. Avildsen's 1975 film Foreplay, she retired from acting to raise her daughter Martha Plimpton who has had a very successful acting career. Shelley returned in an episode of the 1986 sitcom Throb. That was her final appearance. She moved to Seattle in 1990. She was married to Seattle Repertory Theater director Daniel Sullivan. He was an assistant director on Hair. According to a 2017 Vanity Fair article about the 50th anniversary of Hair, Shelley has returned to Oregon. Here's a video of Frank Mills by Shelley Plimpton. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hoobastank

Artist:Hoobastank

Song:The Reason

Album:Icon

The Reason was a top five hit in 2003. It was the only hit single for the hard rock band Hoobastank. They are still around so that one hit gave them longevity. Hoobastank is from the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills, CA. Lead singer Doug Robb and guitarist Dan Estrin knew each other in high school. After competing in a battle of the bands, they decided to join forces. Bassist Markku Lappallainen and drummer Chris Hesse were brought in to form Hoobastank. What does the name mean? Apparently Robb's brother works for BMW in Germany and Hoobastank is a mispronunciation of the street where he lives. The band had difficulty coming up with a name that wasn't already in use. At least the name is memorable. They started playing local clubs and they released a 1998 album independently. At the time sax player Jeremy Wasser was in the band. But when Island Records signed Hoobastank, they decided to let him go. Their 2001 Island debut album Hoobastank was produced by recording engineer Jim Wirt. It was certified Platinum. For the 2003 album The Reason, the more experienced Howard Benson was brought in to produce. The big bonus was when the single The Reason reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Reason appeared on the May 2004 season finale of Friends. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Hoobastank released four albums on Island. That was the height of their success. This comp covers the Island years. Since then Hoobastank has recorded for smaller labels. Their 2018 album Push Pull on Napalm Records has a more mainstream rock sound. They are currently on an international tour. Here's the video for The Reason by Hoobastank. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Song Spinners

Artist:The Song Spinners

Song:Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer

Album:Your Hit Parade: 1943

Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer topped the pop charts in 1943. It was the only WWII song to appear on the top twenty best selling songs of that year. The Song Spinners were backup singers who were used frequently during the musicians strike from 1942-44. That's why the record is a capella. The Song Spinners were led by Margaret Johnson and husband Travis Johnson. She was born Oct. 24, 1907 in La Grange, MO. After graduating from Baylor in 1928, she married Travis and they moved to New York to get into radio. Margaret played Honey Chile on the Bob Hope radio show. The Song Spinners first appeared on The Wayside Cottage radio show. During the musicians strike, Decca Records hired Margaret to arrange and provide backup vocals for Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. Most notably they appeared on the Dick Haymes hit You'll Never Know. Then they recorded Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer. The song was written by Harold Adamson and Jimmy McHugh based on a Feb. 26, 1943 incident when a B-17 was damaged by anti aircraft fire and the pilot was able to land it safely in England. The record topped the charts and the B side Johnny Zero reached #7. The Song Spinners never recorded again and once the musicians strike was over, they returned to radio and background singing. You can get Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer on this Time Life various artists budget comp. Margaret Johnson got into writing and performing jingles in the 50s. The Johnsons retired in the late 60s. After Travis died in 1970, Margaret sang in seniors homes until her 2007 death. Here's a video for Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer by The Song Spinners.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amos Lee

Artist:Amos Lee

Song:No More Darkness, No More Light

Album:My New Moon

Fans of folksingers are going to want to check out singer songwriter Amos Lee who has been successful as an album and touring act since 2005. He will never be mainstream but he doesn't need it. He was born Ryan Massaro June 20, 1977 in Philadelphia. His family moved to Cherry Hill, NJ and he attended high school there. Lee earned a degree in English at University of South Carolina. It was there that he developed an interest in music by listening to John Prine. Lee returned to Philadelphia and worked as a second grade teacher while moonlighting as a bartender in clubs so he could work open mic nights. His manager Bill Eib got him to open for Mose Allison and B.B. King. Then Eib shopped a demo to record labels. Norah Jones heard it and that got Lee a record deal with Blue Note. Norah and her band worked on Lee's albums and Lee opened for Bob Dylan in 2005. Lee's songs appeared on Grey's Anatomy and he appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This kind of exposure gave Lee a pretty good run. His 2011 album Mission Bell topped the Billboard 200. After five albums on Blue Note, for the 2016 album Spirit, Lee signed with a vanity label owned by menswear designer John Varvatos and distributed by Republic. For the 2018 album My New Moon, Lee signed with the indie label Dualtone which is probably a better label for Lee's music. This album and especially No More Darkness, No More Light was greatly affected by the high school shooting in Parkland, FL. The music may have a darker tone than usual. Lee's latest album Dreamland was released in February. Folk music fans should check him out. Here's the video for No More Darkness, No More Light by Amos Lee.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jay-Z

Artist:Jay-Z f/Alicia Keys

Song:Empire State of Mind

Album:The Hits Collection Vol. 1

For all the success that rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has had, you might be surprised that the 2009 single Empire State of Mind is his only #1 hit to date. I know I was surprised. Carter has been very successful since the late 90s. He was born Dec. 4, 1969 in New York City. He was raised by his mom in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant area. He got interested in music when his mom bought him a boombox. He was known as Jazzy in the neighborhood. The name Jay-Z was after 80s rapper and mentor Jaz-O. Carter got into rap battles in the early 90s and then he appeared on the 1994 album Show and Prove and he appeared on stage with Kane. Carter recorded an album but he didn't have a label so he sold them out of his car. His 1996 album Reasonable Doubt was on Roc-A-Fella and the 1997 album In My Lifetime Vol. 1 was on DefJam. Carter had his first really big hit when the 1998 single Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified Platinum. He appeared on Mariah Carey's 1999 chart topper Heartbreaker. So now Carter is a consistent seller. The only problem is he can't seem to stay out of trouble. He got three years probation for a 1999 stabbing at a club. He even claimed he was retiring in 2003. It was nonsense. So he was continuing along and BTW, he married Beyonce in 2008. Then in 2009, he left DefJam and started his own company Roc Nation. The Blueprint 3 was his first album. Empire State of Mind was his first and to date only #1 hit. The song was written by Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ullepic who had written it as a tribute to New York City. They were shopping it around but I guess the key was getting Alicia Keys to sing the hook. Carter continues to have success and he was inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Here's the video for Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Gillian Robertson vs Mariya Agapova

Here's the match video of Gillian Robertson vs Mariya Agapova from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Flyweight. Gillian is from Niagara Falls, ON but she has trained with Din Thomas in Florida for years. She can submit anyone if she can get them on the mat. But her striking isn't good enough to set up takedowns. She has lost fights because of that. She is now training with Asim Zaidi at Goat Shed. Maybe he can improve her striking. Mariya probably shouldn't be in the UFC. She lost when she was on Contender's Series in 2019. She got into the UFC as a short notice replacement. Her record is 2-2 in the UFC. She trains at ATT. In round one, Gillian immediately tried for a takedown and was met with elbows to the head. That's typical of how she loses fights. So Mariya won round one. But in round two, Gillian set up her takedown a lot better and she put Mariya to sleep with a rear naked choke. So we saw the good and bad of Gillian Robertson. I hope her new coach can improve her striking. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Loma Lookboonmee vs Denise Gomes

Here's the match video of Loma Lookboonmee vs Denise Gomes from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This fight is at Strawweight. Denise was a short notice replacement for Diana Belbita. Denise appeared on Contender's Series last month. She trains at PRVT which means she's Brazilian but trains in Las Vegas. She's typical of PRVT fighters but I think coach Gailard Parana needs to smarten her up. Loma trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand with George Hickman. She has two problems. She's not really an MMA fighter. And she should probably be an Atomweight. She looked awful in her last fight. The story of this fight was Denise just made way too many mistakes. It seemed like every time she tried for a takedown she ended up on the bottom and Loma nailed her with elbows. So it wasn't that Loma did much to win the fight but Denise handed her too many opportunities. So that's fight IQ. Denise is only 22 so there is plenty of time for Parana to wise her up. She could have won this fight if she had fought smarter. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tiny Bradshaw

Artist:Tiny Bradshaw

Song:The Train Kept A-Rollin'

Album:Walk That Mess!: The Best of the King Years

Myron "Tiny" Bradshaw was a bandleader in the 30s. But it was in the pre Rock 'n' Roll early 50s when Bradshaw had real success and a lasting legacy similar to Louis Jordan. He was born Sept. 23, 1907 in Youngstown, OH. After graduating with a degree in psychology from Wilberforce University, Bradshaw moved to New York and played drums and sang with several bands including Luis Russell. Then as a leader he recorded eight sides for Decca in 1934. Bradshaw wouldn't record again until 1944. One of his songs Jersey Bounce was a hit for Benny Goodman so I'm sure the royalties kept him going. When Bradshaw recorded in 1944 for Regis, Manor and Savoy, his music was similar to the R&B popularized by Louis Jordan. Bradshaw had his greatest success when he recorded for King Records from 1949-55. Several songs made the R&B charts. Well Oh Well was probably his biggest hit. Though it didn't chart at the time, The Train Kept A-Rollin' became Bradshaw's most popular song when Johnny Burnette recorded it in 1956. Then The Yardbirds recorded it in 1965. And Jimmy Page claims that The Train Kept A-Rollin' was the first song Led Zeppelin played in their first rehearsal. The song was also covered by Aerosmith and others. This comp of  Bradshaw's King recordings from the British label Westside is available as a digital download. Sadly, health problems meant that Bradshaw was not able to enjoy his legacy. After several strokes, he died on Nov. 26, 1958 at age 51. Here's a video for The Train Kept A-Rollin' by Tiny Bradshaw.