AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tina Campbell

Artist:Tina Campbell f/Teddy Campbell

Song:Speak the Word

Album:It's Still Personal

Tina Campbell is one half of the popular gospel duo Mary Mary. And like her sister Erica she has recorded solo. She was born May 1, 1974 in Inglewood, CA. They started out as songwriters before forming Mary Mary in 1998. The 2000 album Thankful featuring the hit single Praise You was one of the most successful gospel albums in recent history. After six albums, they went on hiatus in 2012. Erica released her solo album Help in 2014. Tina released her solo album It's Personal in 2015. Then Erica released the album Help 2.0 in 2015. Tina released It's Still Personal in 2017. Both are not new albums. They are reworkings of the original albums. No doubt the culprit behind this is Erica's husband Warryn Campbell who produced all of Mary Mary's albums and both solo albums. I'm not a fan of this. It's too confusing. Speak the Word was released in 2016 and it did well on the gospel charts. It featrures Tina's husband Teddy Campbell who is a member of The Soul Seekers. He is not related to Warryn. Stevie Wonder makes a guest appearance on the album. Mary Mary have reunited a couple of times so it would not surprise me if they recorded together again. Here's the video of Speak the Word by Tina Campbell featuring Teddy Campbell.

 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae

Here's the match video of Iyo Sky vs Candice Lerae from last night's episode of Raw. Iyo eliminated Candice at the Royal Rumble. So she wanted a match. Michin came out with her to hopefully neutralize Damage CNTRL. That didn't work out as outside interference led to Iyo winning with a rollup. As tends to happen in the WWE, the match picked up after a commercial break. As I have said before, I fully expect Iyo to get tired of being part of this group. They have already planted the seed for this. Stay tuned and enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kai Winding

 

Artist:Kai Winding

Song:More

Album:Pop Memories of the '60s: Instrumental Gold

Jazz trombone pioneer Kai Winding scored a surprise top ten hit in 1963 with More from the film Mondo Cane. He had one other chart single so he is not a one hit wonder. But he did have a long jazz career. He was born May 18, 1922 in Aarhus, Denmark. His father was a US citizen so his family moved to New York City in 1934. After graduating high school, Winding was in bands led by Shorty Allen, Sonny Dunham and Alvino Rey. He was in the US Coast Guard during WWII. Upon his return, Winding was in Benny Goodman's band and Stan Kenton's band. He was on Miles Davis Birth of the Cool and he played with Gerry Mulligan. In 1954, producer Ozzie Cadena suggested that Winding work with another jazz trombone pioneer J.J. Johnson. They recorded several albums for Columbia. Winding moved to Verve in 1961. By this time, Norman Granz had sold Verve to MGM and Creed Taylor was put in charge. More is from the 1963 album Soul Surfin'. It is the theme from the 1963 film Mondo Cane. Winding's recording reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor produced the album with German pianist Claus Ogerman arranging it. Musicians included Kenny Burrell on guitar and Paul Griffin on electric piano. The electronic instrument that you hear is the ondioline. It was invented in France and it was an early synthesizer. The guy playing it was Jean-Jacques Perrey. After moving to New York in 1960, he recorded and appeared on TV. And I assume either Taylor or Ogerman saw him because he never appeared with other jazz artists. And they tried to keep Perrey's appearance a secret by crediting Winding with playing the ondioline. Later Perrey would take up the Moog synthesizer. After the success of More, Soul Surfin' was retitled More!!! (Theme from Mondo Cane). Your can get More on this various artists budget comp that is part of a Time/Life box set. In 1964, Winding recorded a sequel album called Mondo Cane #2. Winding continued to work with Taylor even after he left Verve and started CTI Records at A&M. After that Winding continued to tour and record for small labels. He died on May 6, 1983 at age 60. Here's a video of More by Kai Winding.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Timbaland

Artist:Timbaland f/Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian

Song:The Way I Are

Album:Timbaland presents Shock Value

Tim "Timbaland" Mosely is mainly a successful record producer. He occasionally records his own albums. With three top five hits, the 2007 album Shock Value is his most successful to date. He was born Mar. 10, 1972 in Norfolk, VA. He started out as DJ Tim or DJ Timmy Tim. His younger brother Sebastian is a rapper and appears in this video. Pharrell Williams is his cousin. Mosely's big break came when Missy Elliott started working with him. Her group Sista signed with Swing Mob and Missy brought Mosely and his rapper buddy Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff to New York to meet Swing Mob owner DeVante Swing. He gave Mosely the nickname Timbaland after Timberland construction boots. And working with Swing Mob is how Mosely got into production. He worked on Jodeci's 1995 album The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel and Sista's debut album 4 All the Sistas Around Da World. When Missy Elliott started getting recognition, that led to Mosely getting the same recognition. His first big albums as a producer were Aaliyah's 1996 album One in a Million and Ginuwine's 1996 album Ginuwine...The Bachelor. He was known for mixing R&B and hip hop. He produced Missy's debut album and then an album for his buddy Magoo. And then he started producing a who's who in hip hop like Jay-Z, Nas and many others. Then he started his own label with Interscope distribution. He got more mainstream producing Justin Timberlake, The Pussycat Dolls and Nelly Furtado. And he started releasing his own albums. The 2007 album Shock Value produced three big hits. The first single Give It to Me topped the charts. The second single The Way I Are reached #3. The fourth single Apologize reached #2. The album was certified Platinum. The Way I Are features singer Keri Hilson and rapper John "D.O.E." Maultsby. Mosely's brother Sebastian appears in the video and the remix. Mosely produced with Floyd "Danja" Hills. Other songwriters include Balewa Muhammad and Candice Nelson of The Clutch. Shock Value is available as a budget CD. Mosely released an album in 2009. And though he has released occasional singles, Mosely has mostly concentrated on production. Recently his label switched distributors to Empire and they are in the process of reissuing the entire back catalog. That should keep him busy for a while. Here's the video for The Way I Are by Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Artist:Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Song:On the Ginza

Album:Les Incontournables

Most jazz fans are familiar with the Blue Note recordings of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Blakey left Blue Note in the early 60s and he bounced around a few labels including Riverside. The band also went through several personnel changes. This wore Blakey down and though the band continued to tour especially in Europe and Japan, Blakey did not record any studio albums from 1966-72. On the Ginza is from the 1963 album Ugetsu. This was recorded live at Birdland in New York and was the first of three albums that Blakey recorded for Riverside. The band was still fairly stable at the time. The main thing was Wayne Shorter was still on tenor sax and was musical director. He wrote four of the six songs on Ugetsu including On the Ginza. The rest of the band was Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano and Reggie Workman on bass. Ugetsu was recorded at Birdland June 16, 1963. This album was reissued in 2011 with four bonus tracks and it is available as a digital download. The CD I am recommending was released by WEA in France and is a comp of the Riverside recordings and Prestige recordings from the 70s. Shorter left Blakey for Miles Davis in 1964. By that time trumpeter Lee Morgan had returned and he brought in tenor saxophonist John Gilmore from the Sun Ra Arkestra and he brought with him pianist John Hicks and bassist Victor Sproles. Thar's the band in this 1965 video clip. They also appeared on two albums that Blakey recorded for Mercury's Limelight label. But Gilmore and the others went back to Sun Ra. And the 1966 album Buttercorn Lady had an all new band with Chuck Mangione and Keith Jarrett. It was at this point that Blakey stopped recording until he signed with Prestige in 1972 though the band continued to tour. Here's Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers performing On the Ginza on the British TV show jazz sixtwofive 1965.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lori Lieberman

Artist:Lori Lieberman

Song:Killing Me Softly

Album:Truly

Singer songwriter Lori Lieberman's claim to fame is she recorded Killing Me Softly before Roberta Flack scored her breakthrough hit with the song in 1973. So what happened to Lori? She's still around. She was born Nov. 15, 1951 in Los Angeles. She attended the International School of Geneva in Switzerland and Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA. Both are private schools. She got interested in music through her sister's record collection. At age 19, she signed a management deal with the songwriting team of Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox. These two normally write songs for movies. As far as I can tell, this is the only time they ever did a management deal. They signed with Capitol Records and Killing Me Softly was on Lori's 1972 album Lori Lieberman. Gimbel and Fox wrote and produced the album. As you will see in the video clip, Lori tells the story of how she was inspired by a Don McLean concert to write a poem. Gimbel used that to write the lyrics for Killing Me Softly. But she didn't get a songwriting credit. Gimbel and Lori started an affair. And during the affair, they agreed with her account. They denied it after they split up in 1976. Lori recorded five albums for Capitol all produced by Gimbel and Fox. Capitol dropped her once the affair ended. She recorded an album for Jimmy Ienner's Millennium label. And then she retired from music to raise her family. Lori returned in the 90s and she currently records for her own label. Her Capitol albums have never been released on CD. But Lori recorded Killing Me Softly on her 2022 album Truly. This is an album of standards. Here's Lori Lieberman performing Killing Me Softly followed by an interview on The Mike Douglas Show 1973. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spose

Artist:Spose

Song:I'm Awesome

Album:Happy Medium

Rapper Ryan "Spose" Peters scored a hit single by making fun of himself on the 2010 single I'm Awesome. To date it's his only chart single. He was born July 1, 1985 in Portland, ME but he grew up in the small town of Wells, ME. He started rapping in eighth grade but he started to take it seriously after he graduated from high school and formed the band The Frothy Four. Meanwhile he attended University of New Hampshire as an English major and transferred to Suffolk University in Boston. Then he released the 2008 album Preposterously Dank on his own label called P. Dank. The turning point for Peters was when he started recording mixtapes with his friend Cam Groves. I'm Awesome is on the 2009 mixtape We Smoked It All. It started getting significant radio to the point where Peters released I'm Awesome as a single and then he signed a record deal with Universal Republic. I'm Awesome reached #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Peters released the 2011 album Happy Medium which contains a remix of I'm Awesome. All versions of I'm Awesome are available as digital downloads. So it looked like he was getting somewhere and he left Universal Republic probably because he wanted to continue doing mixtapes and his contract wouldn't allow that. And that is what he is doing today. He is happy releasing music on his own label. Here's the video for I'm Awesome by Spose. NSFW due to profanity. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coolio

Artist:Coolio f/L.V.

Song:Gangsta's Paradise

Album:The Essential Collection

Rapper Artis "Coolio" Ivey Jr. topped the charts for two weeks with the 1995 single Gangsta's Paradise. It was 1995's biggest hit. After a couple of other hits, Ivey's music career faded and he appeared on reality TV. Rap music careers usually don't last very long. He was born Aug. 1, 1963 in Los Angeles and he grew up in Compton. Ivey was severely asthmatic and a bookworm. Of course that made him an outcast so he started rapping. He earned the nickname Coolio Iglesias. He spent time in jail for larceny and at one time was addicted to crack. After attending Compton Community College, he worked in odd jobs before launching his rap career. He released a couple of singles independently. After appearing on WC and the Maad Circle's 1991 album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, Ivey signed with Tommy Boy and released the 1994 album It Takes a Thief. The video for Fantastic Voyage went into heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached # 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. When Gangsta's Paradise appeared in the film Dangerous Minds and the video got played on MTV, Ivey decided to name the album Gangsta's Paradise. Initially the song was only supposed to be on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack.The single topped the charts for two weeks and it was 1995's biggest hit. The album was certified 2XPlatinum and the Dangerous Minds soundtrack was certified 3XPlatinum. And Ivey won a Grammy. The singer was Larry "L.V." Sanders. He released one album for Tommy Boy that went nowhere and then released albums on small labels. Gangsta's Paradise was his only memorable appearance. Same with producer Doug Rasheed. He has produced other artists but Gangsta's Paradise was his only big hit. Of course Gangsta's paradise is based on the Stevie Wonder classic Pastime Paradise. I think he song is too easily recognized but that probably helped sell the record. After his next album was unsuccessful, Tommy Boy dropped Ivey. This comp is available as a digital download. He subsequently released albums on small labels that weren't successful. He appeared on reality TV like Celebrity Big Brother and Wife Swap. And he appeared in films and TV usually as himself. He died on Sept. 8, 2022 at age 59. Here's the video for Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio featuring L.V. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris McClarney

Artist:Chris McClarney f/Hollyn

Song:I'm Listening

Album:Breakthrough

Singer songwriter Chris McClarney has had success on the CCM charts since releasing his 2018 album Breakthrough. I'm Listening is his biggest hit to date. I would describe his music as P&W. He was born Nov. 30, 1979. His father was a youth pastor. So the family moved a lot until they settled in Nashville. McClarney got into music as a teen but he became worship leader at a local church. He was able to finance an album that he self released. Then he released the 2010 EP Introducing Chris McClarney on Kingsway Music. Kingsway is a religious book publisher. Music is just a small part of their business. So the EP didn't get wide enough distribution to go anywhere. But McClarney's song Your Love Never Fails got covered. Then it became a P&W anthem when Jesus Culture Music covered it. They are a youth ministry based in Sacramento, CA. So not surprisingly music is a big part of that. So they signed McClarney. Jesus Culture is distributed by Sparrow which is owned by Capitol. That's the kind of distribution McClarney needed. The 2018 album Breakthrough was McClarney's second album for Jesus Culture. The single I'm Listening is McClarney's biggest CCM hit to date. McClarney writes all his songs with co-writers that appear to work with Jesus Culture. The co-writers on I'm Listening are Benji Cowart an Josh Bronleewe. Hollyn is a CCM singer who appeared on season 12 of American Idol. She released an album on Gotee and has a new album coming on her own label. The album was recorded live at Jesus Culture in Sacramento and produced by keyboardist Ian McIntosh. McClarney released the EP Speak to the Mountains in 2021. He still lives with his family in Nashville. He isn't a regular part of Jesus Culture yet. But I would not be surprised to see him move to Sacramento to be a regular member. He already records there. Here's the video for I'm Listening by Chris McClarney featuring Hollyn. This was filmed at the Jesus Culture conference in Sacramento. The shaky camera movement was done for effect. I guess they are trying to make it look edgy or something. 

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Oldfield

Artist:Mike Oldfield

Song:Tubular Bells

Album:The Best of Mike Oldfield: Elements

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells became a top ten hit in 1973 when it was used in the hit film The Exorcist. I guess it's a one hit wonder but Oldfield's music was never intended to be commercial in the first place. It kind of gave birth to New Age music though Oldfield's roots are in the British progressive rock scene. He was born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England. His father gave him a guitar when he was ten years old. He taught himself to play by copying Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. After leaving school because he refused to cut his hair, Oldfield formed the folk duo The Sallyangie with his sister Sally Oldfield. They recorded a 1969 album for Transatlantic Records. In 1970 he became bassist for former Soft Machine singer Kevin Ayers' new band. He had to learn to play bass so he learned to play other instruments. So he started recording at home and a demo got the attention of Richard Branson who was just starting Virgin Records. He allowed Oldfield to record part one of what would become Tubular Bells. When Oldfield was finished, Branson signed Oldfield to a six record contract. Tubular Bells was Virgin's first release. The album was one 50 minute song. So how did it become a hit single? Warner Bros. hired Lalo Schifrin to score The Exorcist. Director William Friedkin hated the score and discarded it. In the soundtrack liner notes for his 1977 film Scarecrow, Friedkin said that if he had known about Tangerine Dream earlier, he would have had them score The Exorcist. So he was looking for electronic ambient music. Ultimately Friedkin hired Jack Nitzsche to compose some original music and use some modern classical pieces. Friedkin asked someone in the Warner music department to find something in the library. They had a copy of Tubular Bells. Warner owned the US rights to the album but there were no plans to release it. Friedkin found a part that he liked and he used it in the film. Of course Oldfield hated this edited version of his music. And the British single is different from the US version. But the single reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Gold. Oldfield played most of the instruments in the studio. But for live performances, he brought in Kevin Ayers and his buddies like Fred Frith, John Greaves and Steve Hillage. The Tubular Bells album is still available. But I recommend this 1995 comp which has a wide selection of Oldfield's music. Oldfield currently lives in the Bahamas. His latest album was released in 2017. But he will forever be remembered for the brief clip from Tubular Bells that appeared in The Exorcist. Here's Mike Oldfield performing a portion of Tubular Bells.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Richard White

Artist:Richard White

Song:The Mob Song

Album:Beauty and the Beast: Special Edition Soundtrack

Richard White is a stage performer who is best known as the voice of Gaston in the 1991 Disney animated musical Beauty and the Beast. He has performed mostly in regional theater. He was born Aug. 4, 1953 in Oak Ridge, TN. After graduating from high school, he moved to New York and started appearing in regional theater especially at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, NJ. He has played Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat many times including in a 1989 episode of the PBS TV series Great Performances. His first starring role was in the 1980 off-Broadway musical Elizabeth and Essex. This only ran for two months. His other major roles include the operetta The New Moon and the 1985 revival of Carousel. I assume the Disney people saw him on Great Performances and cast him as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. I guess he's the closest thing to a villain in the movie. Disney released the soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast with bonus tracks in 2001 and re-released it in 2017 with a new cover. White also voiced Gaston in the animated series The House of Mouse and the TV special Beauty and the Beast: a 30th Celebration. Here's Richard White performing The Mob Song on the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast. 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Josiane Nunes vs Zarah Fairn

Here's the match video of Josiane Nunes vs Zarah Fairn from last night's UFC show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This fight is at Featherweight. Josiane is 2-0 in the UFC. Her last fight was at Featherweight but at 5'2", she's probably better off at Bantamweight. She trains at Striker's House in Curitiba, Brazil. Of course Josiane took this fight because she wanted to fight at home. Zarah is a legit Featherweight from France. The problem is she isn't any good. Plus she hadn't fought for three years because three of her fights were cancelled. For this camp, she moved to Team Figueiredo in Para, Brazil. Apparently her mother is Brazilian. Zarah started out OK using her size advantage to land strikes. I scored round one 10-9 for Zarah. But she ran out of gas by the end of round one and had nothing left for the rest of the fight. So Josiane won rounds two and three and won the fight 29-28 by unanimous decision. Of course the UFC should close the Featherweight division but won't because Amanda Nunes likes having two belts. Ugh!. Enjoy the video! 

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Lauren Murphy

Here's the fight video of Jessica Andrade vs Lauren Murphy from last night's UFC show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This fight is at Flyweight. Jessica is a former Strawweight champ who took this fight because she wanted to fight at home. She now lives in Las Vegas and she still trains at PRVT. Lauren is a former Flyweight title contender. She now trains at Elevation in Denver with coach Carrington Banks. Her husband is also in her corner. I saw this as an easy win for Jessica. I didn't think there was any way that Lauren could keep someone as aggressive and powerful as Jessica away so she could outpoint her. And that's the way it went. It was very one sided and the only thing Jessica didn't get was a finish. I thought the ref should have stopped it. But I wasn't surprised the corner didn't throw in the towel. I'm sure Banks agreed before the fight not to do that. But he should have. A beating like that could end Lauren's career. And it was completely unnecessary. So Jessica won by unanimous decision. And afterwards she said she wanted a Strawweight title shot against Zhang Weili in Brazil. You may recall that Zhang won the title from Jessica in China. I don't know if the UFC will do that but it would be fine with me. Enjoy the video! 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-L. Spenser Smith

Artist:L. Spenser Smith

Song:The Cross Alone

Album:Hooked

Until recently, L. Spenser Smith was mainly known as a choir director. With the 2020 album Hooked, he's more of a solo artist. Smith is from Moncks Corner, SC. He's a Preacher's Kid so not surprisingly he's a preacher too. Bishop Smith leads The Impact Nation Fellowship Church in Alabama. I first heard of him in the 90s when he was at Florida A&M University leading the FAMU Gospel Choir. They recorded a 1995 album with Twinkie Clark. It was after that he founded his church and started his own choir Testament. They recorded three albums on Emtro and his own label Smith Worx. He put music on the back burner for a few years. For the 2020 album Hooked, Smith signed as a solo artist with the much larger Fair Trade Services label with Sony distribution. This is a trend towards moving gospel music out of the church to a more casual setting. So, no more choir. Smith's message is the same. He's just changed the delivery method hoping to reach a younger audience. I would not be surprised if Fair Trade suggested this approach. Smith wrote and produced the album with his brother Jamel Smith. It remains to be seen if Smith will continue with this approach. Maybe not as he hasn't posted on his Facebook page since 2020. But gospel fans should enjoy the album. Here's the video for The Cross Alone by L. Spenser Smith.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gyptian

Artist:Gyptian

Song:Hold You

Album:Hold You

Jamaican singer Windel "Gyptian" Edwards scored a worldwide hit with the 2010 single Hold You. This even charted in the US at a time when Jamaican music isn't on the radar. The song was a top 20 hit in England. Edwards was born Oct. 25, 1983 in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up singing in church. His father was a music promoter and recognized his son's talent. So he sent him to I Wayne producer Mr. Wong to develop that talent. The nickname Gyptian came from Edwards' habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his beard like an Egyptian pharaoh. After winning a 2004 talent contest, Edwards signed with VP Records. He had success with his first couple of albums. But he really broke through in a big way with the 2010 single Hold You. This is probably because of the remix featuring Nicki Minaj called Hold Yuh. An album of remixes is available as a digital download. Hold You reached #16 on the British Singles chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a big club and international hit. Edwards wrote all the songs on Hold You and the album was produced by Ricky Blaze who has produced Jazmine Sullivan. Those who enjoy the Dancehall style of Reggae will enjoy Edwards' music. His latest album was released in 2013 but he released a single a couple of months ago. I think he was having record company problems. The new single is on a new label. Here's the video for Hold You by Gyptian. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jon B.

Artist:Jon B.

Song:They Don't Know

Album:Greatest Hits

The 1997 single They Don't Know was one of two top ten pop hits for R&B singer songwriter Jonathan "Jon B." Buck. He was born Nov. 11, 1974 in Providence, RI but he grew up in Altadena, CA. His father was a music professor and his mother was a concert pianist. His siblings are all classical musicians. His grandparents owned a record store. And that's where Buck got into R&B. While writing songs and doing remixes, he sent out demos. And one of those demos got the attention of Yab Yum Records owner Tracey Edmonds. Of course she is married to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. The label was distributed by Epic. The 1995 Buck and Babyface duet Someone to Love reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it was nominated for a Grammy. The album was certified Platinum. Babyface wrote and produced that song. But Buck wrote and produced most of the album. The success gave Buck more freedom for the 1997 album Cool Relax. Buck wrote and produced most of the album. Babyface did not work on this album though Buck did use outside producers. They Don't Know reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Buck wrote and produced with the production duo Tim & Bob (Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson). He also had success with the single Are U Still Down featuring 2Pac. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. Things went south for Buck after Tracey Edmonds closed Yab Yum and started Edmonds Record Group still with Epic distribution. Buck wrote and produced most of the 2001 album Pleasures U Like. But there were no hit singles and Buck was unhappy with Epic's promotion of the album. Epic released this comp after he left. Since getting out of his contract, Buck has recorded a couple of albums for a smaller label. His latest album was released on his own label in 2012. He released a couple of singles in 2019. Buck still performs live but I think he's a nostalgia act at this point. Here's the video for They Don't Know by Jon B. This video is not on YouTube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charles & Eddie

Artist:Charles & Eddie

Song:Would I Lie To You?

Album:Duophonic

The 1992 soul single Would I Lie To You? was a top 20 hit at a time when New Jack Swing was hot. It would turn out to be Charles & Eddie's only hit in the US though it topped the British charts. They only recorded two albums. Charles Pettigrew was from Philadelphia and he studied jazz at Berklee in Boston. He was lead singer of Down Avenue. They released a single in 1985. Eddie Chacon is from Oakland, CA. He was a staff songwriter at CBS. He recorded a couple of albums for Columbia that were never released. He is also a photographer. Chacon says they met on the New York City subway in 1990. Chacon was carrying a copy of Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man. They started talking and then they began working together. I assume they sent out demos and they got a record deal with Capitol Records. Their 1992 debut album Duophonic was produced by Capitol house producer Josh Deutsch. He went on to work for Elektra/Atlantic and produce Vitamin C among others. Would I Lie To You? was the first single. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the British Singles chart. It is not to be confused with the 1985 Eurythmics hit with the same title. Though Chacon wrote several songs on the album, Would I Lie To You? was written by the British songwriting duo of Mick Leeson and Peter Vale. They wrote songs for Sheena Easton in the 80s and the Eddie Money hit Take Me Home Tonight. It was a hit at a time when soul was not popular. The album is still available. Charles & Eddie had more chart success in England but they were a one hit wonder in the US. They released the 1995 album Chocolate Milk. But when that went nowhere, they decided to split up. Pettigrew went on to tour with Tom Tom Club. Sadly, he died of cancer at Apr.6, 2001 at age 37. Chacon concentrated on photography. He lived in Germany for a while and was half of the duo The Polyamorous Affair. He released a solo album in 2020. Here's the video for Would I Lie To You? by Charles & Eddie. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bow Wow Wow

Artist:Bow Wow Wow

Song I Want Candy

Album:The Best of Bow Wow Wow

The British New Wave band Bow Wow Wow had their greatest success when the video for their 1982 single I Want Candy was played to death on MTV. I think radio was very slow to pick up on it. The guy behind Bow Wow Wow was Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Adam Ant wanted McLaren's advice when the latest Adam and the Ants album didn't sell. He persuaded the band to leave Adam Ant and form a new band. The band was Matthew Ashman on guitar, Leigh Gorman on bass and David Barbarossa on drums. They began an audition process to find a lead singer. Talent scout Dave Fishel heard 13 year old Annabella Lwin singing along with the radio while working at a dry cleaner. Fishel convinced McLaren to audition her and she was hired. A second lead singer George O'Dowd was hired but he didn't stay and of course he became Culture Club lead singer Boy George. Bow Wow Wow signed with EMI Records and released a couple of cassette singles. When they didn't sell EMI dropped them and RCA signed them. They released the 1981 album See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!. The cover had a nude pic of Annabelle. When her mother complained, McLaren was told by Scotland Yard not to promote Annabelle as a sex kitten. Bow Wow Wow scored a top ten hit in England with Go Wild in the Country. They opened for The Pretenders and The Police in the US and for Madness in Japan. Then they released the EP The Last of the Mohicans produced by Joan Jett producer Kenny Laguna. When the video started getting played on MTV, RCA in the US released the EP with some tracks from the previous album under the title I Want Candy. The record reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. In those days, a video's success did not always translate to radio play and chart success. Of course this was a cover of the 1965 hit single by The Strangeloves. After releasing the 1983 album When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going, Bow Wow Wow went on tour. They weren't getting along and Annabelle was fired and the band split up. She released a couple of solo albums. The other members formed Chiefs of Relief with Ashman as lead singer. They released an album in 1988. He was in the band Agent Provocateur when he died in 1995. Barbarossa became a session musician. His band Republica released an album in 1996. Gorman got into production and reformed Bow Wow Wow with Annabelle in 1997. Gorman continues to lead a version of Bow Wow Wow today. Here's the video for I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bryan Andrew Wilson

Artist:Bryan Andrew Wilson

Song:Turning Away

Album:The One Percent

Not to be confused with the contemporary gospel artist Brian Courtney Wilson, Bryan Andrew Wilson has been singing since he was a child. He's been recording since the 90s. But he made a big splash on the gospel charts with the 2014 single Turning Away. He was born Nov. 3, 1983 in Danville, IL. His grandfather Tommie Davis sang with B.B. King and his mother sang with a local R&B band. Wilson was 12 years old when he sang His Eye Is on the Sparrow with the Mississippi Children's Choir. When that blew up, Malaco Records gave Wilson a record deal. His 1996 album Bryan's Songs was produced by Walter Hawkins and John P. Kee among others. He was nominated for Dove and Stellar awards. But after his voice changed, Wilson did not get the same crowd reaction. After two albums for Malaco, Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in religion and philosophy at Claflin University and then he studied at Princeton Theological Seminary. He was likely headed for the ministry when he decided to try music again on his own label. Though he didn't have success at first, he finally made it with Turning Away from his 2014 album The One Percent. The song reached #15 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Wilson wrote all the songs on the album with several producers. Turning Away was written with Marcus Whitsey who also produced and played piano. This album is available as a budget CD. The success continues with his latest single The Ride reaching #5 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay chart. Wilson is also pastor at the Remnant Covering Church in Washington, DC. Here's the video for Turning Away by Bryan Andrew Wilson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kany Garcia

Artist:Kany Garcia

Song:Hoy Ya Me Voy

Album:Cualquier Dia

Latin pop singer Kany Garcia made a big splash with her 2007 debut album Cualquier Dia and the first single Hoy Ya Me Voy. She has faded but she is still a big deal in her native Puerto Rico. She was born Sept. 25, 1982 in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico which is on the north coast of Puerto Rico. Her father is a former priest born in Spain. Her mother was a choir director. Her older brother is a bassist for Sinfonia de Puerto Rico. Kany studied classical music as a child. But as a teen, she learned to play guitar and started writing songs. She studied at Puerto Rico's Conservatoria de Musica. After a successful audition for the TV talent show Objectivo Fama, Kany fell asleep at the wheel while driving home. This near fatal car accident put her in hospital for several months and she was unable to appear on the show. After her recovery, Kany signed with Sony Latin and released her 2007 album Cualquier Dia. Kany wrote all the songs on the album. The album was produced by Sony Latin house producer Guillermo "Memo" Gil. Hoy Ya Me Voy was the first single. It reached #4 on the Billboard Latin Pop Airplay chart. It was nominated for the Song of the Year Latin Grammy. Kany won Latin Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Album and Best New Artist. The album was certified Platinum. It is available as a digital download. Since then Kany not only writes all the songs but she produces usually with a co-producer. Her recent albums indicate that she may be fading. She is currently touring to support her latest album which was released last year. It may be time for Sony Latin to release a Greatest Hits album. Here's the video for Hoy Ya Me Voy by Kany Garcia.