AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Livingston Taylor

Artist:Livingston Taylor

Song:I Will Be in Love with You

Album:The Middle Years (1978-1996)

Of course most music fans are familiar with singer songwriter James Taylor. But you may not be familiar with his siblings as James was the only one to have wide success. Livingston Taylor probably came the closest in the 70s. But I always thought he sounded too much like James to be successful. And there are other factors. Livingston Taylor was born Nov. 21, 1950 in Boston. He is the fourth of the five Taylor siblings in this order: Alex, James, Kate, Livingston and Hugh. His father was a physician and a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His mom studied music at Berklee in Boston. Mom led family sing a longs and even had the kids form a band. This was mostly steeped in folk music like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. She encouraged them to write by holding up a can of vegetables and telling them to write a song about it. When Alex started earning money by performing at parties, Livingston got serious about music. Livingston started performing locally in Chapel Hill in a folk music trio. They were a cover band. He started writing songs in high school. Then manager Manny Greenhill got Livingston a gig at a Worcester, MA. YMCA. That led to shows at Boston University and on one of those shows, he opened for Joni Mitchell. He was spotted by producer Jon Landau (Bruce Springsteen) and he got Livingston a record deal at Phil Walden's new label Capricorn Records. He recorded three albums for Capricorn and Landau produced the first two Livingston Taylor (1970) and  Liv (1971). By this time, James Taylor was already successful. There's nothing wrong with Livingston Taylor's music but he sounds too much like his brother. And James was on the much larger Warner Bros. Records. Livingston left Capricorn for Epic and released the 1978 album 3-Way Mirror. The lead single I Will Still Be in Love With You reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would turn out to be the highest chart placing of his career. He's done well on the Adult Contemporary chart and that's where he has been aiming his music since the late 70s. Livingston wrote all the songs o n the album. Nick DeCaro produced. He's an Easy Listening recording artist and he produced The Sandpipers and Chris Montez when he worked for A&M in the 60s. Livingston Taylor continues to record. This comp of original recordings is on his own label. He also teaches at Berklee in Boston. So Livingston Taylor has had a long career. But he was never a top star. He's done OK. Here's Livingston Taylor performing I Will Still Be in Love with You with the BBC Concert Orchestra June 2025. I think this is from his latest album.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Shaggy

Artist:Shaggy f/RikRok

Song:It Wasn't Me

Album:Hotshot

Lightning struck twice for Dancehall Reggae artist Orville "Shaggy" Burrell when It Wasn't Me and Angel topped the charts in the fall of 2000. He has had little success since then. He was born Oct. 22, 1968 in Kingston, Jamaica. He moved to New York City with his mom at age 18. The Shaggy nickname is from the Scooby-Doo TV show. He was in the US Marine Corps from 1988-92. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He worked on his music in his free time. The most important contact he made during this period was with radio DJ and recording engineer Shaun Pizzonia. A cover of the ska classic Oh Carolina topped the British charts and it appeared in the 1993 film Silver. It got him a deal with Virgin Records. The 1995 single Boombastic which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a hit everywhere else. He released two albums for Virgin. But Shaggy's second album was unsuccessful so they decided to release him. He signed with MCA and hit a home run with the 2000 album Hotshot. It Wasn't Me was the lead single and it topped the charts everywhere. It was followed by the single Angel which also topped the charts. Both were released in the fall of 2000. The singer on It Wasn't Me was Jamaican Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent. He was a background singer. The song is about a guy (RikRok) who was caught cheating and he goes to Shaggy for advice. He told him to tell her "It Wasn't Me". The humor sold the song. The record was produced by the same Shaun Pizzonia that Shaggy met while he was in the USMC. Shaggy based the song on an Eddie Murphy routine from the 1987 TV special Raw. The main sample was the War song Smile Happy. Pizzonia also produced the single Angel. He produced half the album. Hotshot is available as a budget CD. After the 2002 album Lucky Day was a disappointment, MCA dumped Shaggy to Geffen for the 2005 album Clothes Drop. I guess they wanted him to leave which he did. Since then he has recorded mostly for his own label. His latest album was released in 2022. Here's the video for It Wasn't Me by Shaggy featuring RikRok.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William Tyler

Artist:William Tyler

Song:Gone Clear

Album:Modern Country

William Tyler is an acoustic guitarist who is a favorite of guitar geeks. These are guys who are more interested in guitar technique than the music. It's not commercial music but it's a great cottage industry. He was born Dec. 25, 1979 in Nashville. His father Dan Tyler leads the bands Lambchop and Silver Jews. But he has had success writing the 1982 #1 country hit Bobby Sue by The Oak Ridge Boys. Tyler started out as a member of his dad's bands Lambchop and Silver Jews. He recorded with the band Paper Hats. Then he released his 2010 debut solo album Behold the Spirit on the indie label Tompkins Square. The album got the attention of the larger indie label Merge Records. The 2016 album Modern Country was his second album for Merge. The album was critically acclaimed. But like I said, it's not commercial music. Tyler wrote all the songs and plays guitar. Brad Cook produced and played synthesizer. Other musicians are Phil Cook on keyboards, Luke Schneider on pedal steel guitar, Darin Gray on bass and Glenn Kotche on drums. These guys are all Nashville session musicians. Tyler left Merge in 2020. His latest album was released last year on the indie label Psychic Hotline. As I said, Tyler's music will be of interest to guitar geeks. Here's William Tyler performing Gone Clear at Studio Songgi in Seoul, South Korea. 

Accu Radio Song Of The Day-Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Artist: Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz

Song:Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)

Album:Make It Reign

Rappers Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz scored a top ten hit with the 1997 single Deja Vu Uptown Baby). This was their only album so it was a one hit wonder. Tariq's real name is Sean Hamilton and Gunz' real name is Peter Pinkney. They started out as The Gunrunner and recorded with Whodini in 1996. Columbia Records were interested but I assume they didn't like name The Gunrunners. This was after The Gunrunners recorded with Whodini. So they changed their name to Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. The single Deja Vu reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Make It Reign was released months later. It turned out to be their only album. The obvious sample is the Steely Dan classic Black Cow. The use of that song was a big reason the record was a big hit. But it's too easily recognizable so I don't like that. Tariq & Gunz wrote and produced the record with Kevin "KNS" Streaks. This was Tariq & Gunz only album. They split up in 1999. This album is available on CD. Peter Gunz appeared in the entire run of the vh1 series Love & Hip Hop. His son is a rapper named Cory Gunz. He is signed to Young Money Entertainment. Tariq released an album in 2005 but he hasn't much since then. Here's the video for Deja Vu (Uptown Baby) by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rick Cua

Artist:Rick Cua

Song:Don't Say Suicide

Album:You're My Road

Rick Cua is a singer, songwriter and bassist who had success in CCM in the 80s. He had several hits on the Christian charts including the 1985 single Don't Say Suicide. When he faded in the late 80s, he worked as a publishing executive. He was born Dec. 3, 1948 in Syracuse, NY. His father was a music teacher. As a child, Cua played the accordion. As a teen, he tried several instruments but gravitated towards the bass. He was in several bands. Cua was raised Catholic. But his wife Diana who became a Christian in 1972 was praying that he would get saved too. And that happened in 1977. He joined the veteran country rock band Outlaws in 1979. They had success in the mid 70s. But they had faded by this time. Then Cua met former Wings drummer Joe English. After leaving Wings, he became a Christian and formed his own Christian rock band. When Cua found out about this, he left Outlaws in 1983 and released a couple of Christian rock albums on English's label Refuge. Then he signed with EMI's CCM label Sparrow and released the 1985 album You're My Road. The single Don't Say Suicide reached the Christian charts and the album did well too. Cua produced with Bob Halligan Jr. who is also from Syracuse. Cua, his wife and Halligan wrote Don't Say Suicide. Jock Guthrie played the guitar solo. A remastered version of this album was released by the CCM reissue label Girder Records. Cua recorded two albums for Sparrow. He switched to Reunion Records. Cua didn't have the same success there. He left in 1993 and started his own label. Meanwhile, he took a job as vice president of creative development at EMI Christian Music Publishing. Since leaving there in 2003, Cua has been running his own management and publishing company. He last recorded in 2007. But he rereleased all his albums on Girder. And recent Facebook posts indicate plans to release a compilation CD. Cua's music is definitely rock. But I'm not sure if mainstream rock fans would like the Christian lyrics. Here's the video for Don't Say Suicide by Rick Cua. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Primer

Artist:John Primer

Song:Poor Man Blues

Album:Call Me John Primer

Blues guitarist John Primer was a sideman for many years before going solo in 1991. Poor Man Blues is one of his most popular songs and it's from his debut album. He was born Mar. 5, 1945 in Camden, MS. It's a farming community and his parents were sharecroppers. When his dad wasn't working, he was playing guitar with a cousin. After his dad died in a truck accident, his mom moved to Chicago to earn a living and promised to bring Primer and his sister to Chicago once they turned eighteen. Living without mom was depressing and Primer cried and sang the blues. His big dream was to play with Muddy Waters someday. Just as his mom promised, Primer moved to Chicago when he turned eighteen with his guitar. His first gig was with Pat Rushing's band The Maintainers. They played clubs in West Chicago. Primer left The Maintainers in 1968 to become lead singer of the soul band The Brotherhood Band. In 1974 he was in the house band at the South Side club Theresa's. He learned to play slide guitar from former Muddy Waters sideman Sammy Lawhorn. And harmonica player Junior Wells fronted the band when he was off the road. Willie Dixon spotted Primer and brought him into the Chicago Blues All-Stars in 1979 and they toured internationally. Upon his return, Primer's dream came true when he joined Muddy Waters' new band. Primer not only played guitar but he led the band and they opened for Waters. Primer also led the Checkerboard Lounge band every Monday night. After Waters' 1983 death, Primer joined Magic Slim and the Teardrops. While in that band, he decided to record his 1991 solo debut on the Austrian label Wolf Records. Magic Slim was also on that label. The album was produced by Wolf owner Hannes Folterbauer. Poor Man Blues is probably one of Primer's most popular songs. Musicians were Junior Pettis on guitar, Nick Holt (Magic Slim's brother) on bass and Tim Taylor on drums. This comp is a good intro to Primer's music. Primer continues to record and tour. He released an album last year. He's been nominated for several awards including two Grammys. And he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. Here's John Primer performing Poor Man Blues on Chicago TV station WGN June 2025. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Plus One

Artist:Plus One

Song:Written on My Heart

Album:The Promise

I have said for years that most of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) is an attempt to produce Christian versions of popular mainstream bands. Plus One is one the most obvious examples of this as it is a CCM boy band. The 2000 single Written on My Heart topped the Christian chart. But I think the plan was to cross over to pop and that was unsuccessful. The idea to form a CCM boy band came from manager Mitchell Solarek in 1999. He owned a modelling agency and he moved to Nashville to get into the music business. As a Christian, he didn't like the overtly sexual trend in boy bands. After meeting 18 year old Sacramento native Nate Cole at a talent show, he decided to put a CCM boy band together. Combs knew 20 year old Pittsburg, CA. native Gabe Combs from the Northern California music scene. 21 year old Nathan Walters from Lakeland, FL heard about it from a friend of Cole's. 19 year old Jeremy Mhire of Springfield, MO was studying vocal at Southwest Missouri State University. 17 year old Jason Perry of Madison, IN was playing high school football. The name Plus One was a God reference. Atlantic Records was interested in them as a boy band like Backstreet Boys. I don't think they cared if they were CCM. I think Atlantic forgot that the 90s boy band craze was fading by then. They brought in veteran producer David Foster to supervise the 2000 album The Promise. The good news was the singles Written on My Heart and God Is in This Place topped the Christian chart and the album was certified Gold. The bad news was it didn't cross over to pop as Atlantic was hoping. So I think they were disappointed. Foster produced a couple of songs. But he brought in several producers like Buster & Shavoni, Harvey Mason Jr., Rodney Jerkins and Robbie Nevil. Written on My Heart was produced by Eric Foster White and he wrote the song with Stephanie Lewis. White had previously produced Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. Stephanie usually writes lyrics for CCM acts and she wrote a few songs on the album. Plus One recorded three albums for Atlantic including a Christmas album. After the 2002 album Obvious, Perry and Mhire left Plus One. Atlantic released them in 2003. The Promise is available as a budget CD. The remaining three members of Plus One signed with the CCM label Inpop. The 2003 album Exodus was produced by Peter Furler and Jeff Frankenstein of the CCM band Newsboys. Plus One split up after that. Plus One briefly reunited and released a single in 2014. Considering the way Atlantic handled them, Plus One would have been better off on a CCM label in the first place. Here's the video for Written on my Heart by Plus One. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clinton Kane

Artist:Clinton Kane

Song:Chicken Tendies

Album:Maybe Someday It'll All Be OK

After having viral success, Filipino singer songwriter Clinton Kane signed with Columbia Records. He has had success internationally. But after a dispute with an ex-girlfriend, he left Columbia and he just released a new album independently. He was born Clinton Kane Talabis Concon Nov. 26, 1999 in The Phillippines. Kane's father is an aircraft mechanic and his mother is a Pentecostal pastor. So the family moved a lot. He sang in church as a child. His parents split up when he was 14 and Kane and his two brothers were raised by their mother. Kane taught himself to play guitar and keyboards. He started posting videos on YouTube in 2016. Then he started writing songs as therapy and he released an EP in 2019. This got the attention of Dutch producer Martin Garrix. Kane appeared on Garrix's 2020 single Drown and that got Columbia's attention and they signed Kane to a record deal. Kane moved to Los Angeles and released the EP This Is What It Feels Like. Maybe Someday It'll All BE OK was first released as a 2021 EP. When the singles Chicken Tendies and I Guess I'm in Love both charted, It was expanded to a 2022 album. This is available as a digital download. Kane's music career unraveled when ex-girlfriend Brooke Schofield claimed that Kane lied about several things including his family. She is the co-host of the Cancelled podcast. The end result was Kane left Columbia and he is releasing a new album on his own label. It remains to be seen if Kane can recover from this. Here's the video for Chicken Tendies by Clinton Kane.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steel Breeze

Artist:Steel Breeze

Song:You Don't Want Me Anymore

Album:The Real '80s

You Don't Want Me Anymore was a top 20 hit in 1982. It was the only big hit for the band Steel Breeze. One of their other songs charted so they are not a one hit wonder. But I think I might be hard pressed to find anyone who remembers them. Steel Breeze was from Sacramento, CA. The band name is from the Pink Floyd song Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Band members were Ric Jacobs on vocals, Ken Goorabian and Wayne Carpenter on guitar, Rod Toner on keyboards, Vinnie Pantaleoni on bass and Barry Lowenthal on drums. Goorabian wrote most of the songs including You Don't Want Me Anymore. Toner first formed a band while in college in the late 70s. Steel Breeze was a more serious attempt than that. They started out playing California and Nevada. They recorded a demo. And they got their big break when veteran producer Kim Fowley (The Runaways) found their demo in a stack he found at a Hollywood nightclub. At the time, he was looking for a band that was similar to Journey. So he went to Sacramento to sign them and got them a deal with RCA Records. Fowley produced their 1982 debut album Steel Breeze and the single You Don't Want Me Anymore reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The video for You Don't Want Me Anymore was frequently played on MTV. And in those days, many radio stations refused to play songs that were popular on MTV. So it was probably a bigger hit than its chart position. The album only reached #50 on the Billboard 200 So I think folks watched the video but weren't motivated to buy the album. BTW, this was Kim Fowley's final album of his long career. You can get You Don't Want Me Anymore on this 3CD various artists comp available at a reasonable price. Steel Breeze recorded a second album called Heart on the Line. But as sometimes happens, RCA went through a management shuffle. So the album was shelved and RCA released Steel Breeze. Heart on the Line was released by Toner in 1996. Though Steel Breeze last recorded in 1994, Toner still leads a version of the band in clubs. Gorrabian became a photographer. Lowenthal played for KBC Band which was a Jefferson Starship spinoff. It appears the others quit the music business. Here's the video for You Don't Want Me Anymore by Steel Breeze. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmie Davis

Artist:Jimmie Davis

Song:You Are My Sunshine

Album:The Jimmie Davis Collection 1929-47

Jimmie Davis was a pioneering country music performer who also served two terms as Governor of Louisiana. He is best known for the song You Are My Sunshine which he owned but did not write. I will explain. He was born Sept. 11, 1899 in Quitman, LA. His parents were sharecroppers. Davis was one of 11 children and he wasn't sure what year he was born. After graduating from high school. Davis graduated from Louisiana State University in 1927 with a Master of Arts in psychology. Davis started out teaching history and social studies at Dodd College for Girls in Shreveport. He also performed on the local radio station. Davis first recorded in 1929 in a style similar to Jimmie Rodgers. At first he recorded raunchy blues songs. He signed with Decca Records in 1934. By the late 30s, Davis was a fixture at the top of the country charts. Of course Davis' best known song is You Are My Sunshine. Davis and his partner Charles Mitchell owned the song. But they did not write or originally record it. You Are My Sunshine was written by Oliver Hood of The Rice Brothers Gang and owned by group leader Paul Rice. It was first recorded by The Pine Ridge Boys in 1939 and then The Rice Brothers Gang. But Rice did not copyright it. Mitchell heard You Are My Sunshine and played it for Davis. They contacted Rice and offered to buy the song. Rice needed money for his wife's medical bills. So he sold it and they copyrighted it in 1940. Davis' recorded You Are My Sunshine before he copyrighted it so his recording was not eligible for charts. But You Are My Sunshine has been covered by many artists including Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Ray Charles. Buying and selling songs was common practice in those days. Of course folks thought Davis wrote it but he never claimed that. Davis continued to record for Decca until the late 40s. You can get everything on this 2CD budget comp from the British reissue label Acrobat. These are original recordings. Davis was first elected Governor of Louisiana in 1944. He was elected again in 1960. Davis continued to perform until he retired in the 90s. He died on Nov. 5, 2000 at age 101. Here's Jimmie Davis performing You Are My Sunshine 1956.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dorothy Collins

Artist:Dorothy Collins

Song:Losing My Mind

Album:Follies: Original Broadway Cast

Dorothy Collins was a singer best known for her many appearances in TV, most notably on the 50s series Your Hit Parade. But the highlight of her career was when she was nominated for a Tony for playing Sally Durant Plummer in the 1971 Broadway musical Follies written by Stephen Sondheim. Losing My Mind was her big song. This was her only Broadway appearance. She was born Marjorie Chandler Nov. 18, 1926 in Windsor, ON. As a child, she sang on radio stations in Windsor and Detroit. Then at age 14, she was introduced to composer and bandleader Raymond Scott in Chicago. She became his protege and soon joined his band and toured with Scott. After Scott was hired to conduct the orchestra on the CBS radio show Your Hit Parade in 1949, Dorothy came with him. When Your Hit Parade moved to NBC in 1950, Scott continued to lead the band and Dorothy auditioned for and won a spot as a regular on the show. Meanwhile they married in 1952. Your Hit Parade was very popular in those days until it ended in 1959. Dorothy was so good at doing the Lucky Strike commercials that she became The Lucky Strike Girl. Dorothy also appeared on The Steve Allen Show and she co-hosted Candid Camera in the early 60s. Dorothy recorded for Coral Records in the 50s. She had three top 20 hits but Rock 'n' Roll ended her recording career. In the 60s, she continued to appear on TV variety shows like The Bell Telephone Hour and Hollywood Palace. She also worked with Scott when he wrote jingles for ad agencies when his TV work dried up. Some of these have been released on CD. They divorced in 1965. Dorothy had never appeared on Broadway when she was hired for Follies. But composer Stephen Sondheim and producer director Hal Prince knew Dorothy could sing because of Your Hit Parade. Remember they also hired Alexis Smith for Follies though she was not known as a singer. So I think they were thinking outside the box which is not surprising for Sondheim. It worked out and Dorothy was nominated for a Tony. The original cast album is available on CD. Dorothy retired in 1980 due to asthma and she died on July 21, 1994 at age 67. Here's Dorothy Collins performing Losing My Mind on the 1975 MDA Telethon. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clean Bandit

Artist:Clean Bandit f/Demi Lovato

Song:Solo

Album:What Is Love?

Clean Bandit is an EDM trio that mixes dance and pop with chamber music. They have had success mostly at home in England. None of them sing so they bring in big name vocalists. The 2018 single Solo features Demi Lovato and it topped the British charts. They have recently switched record labels and have a new album on the way. Jack Patterson writes and produces the music. His brother Luke plays drums. While attending Jesus College at the University of Cambridge in 2012, Patterson met cellist Grace Chatto who was in a string quartet. He told her he was interested in recording them and incorporating it into his own music. He recorded with his brother Jack and singer Love Ssega. Grace and violinist Neil Armin-Smith from the quartet joined the band known as Clean Bandit. Patterson says it's a rough translation of a Russian phrase meaning "complete bastard". Love Ssega soon left to return to school. Clean Bandit released a few singles and an EP on their own label. They did well enough to get them a record deal with Atlantic Records. The album New Eyes was released in 2014. The single Rather Be topped the British charts, was top ten in the US and charted worldwide. After Ssega left, Clean Bandit started using guest singers. The singer on Rather Be was Jess Glynne who soon signed a record deal with Atlantic. Rather Be won a Grammy for Best Dance Record. Clean Bandit should have made Jess permanent lead singer. They may not have offered it but she had solo aspirations anyway. So Clean Bandit continued to use guest singers on the 2018 album What Is Love?. There were several hit singles including Solo featuring Demi Lovato, It topped the British Singles chart. The album was certified Platinum in England. Patterson co-wrote and produced with Grace and various writers and producers. Producer Mark Ralph co-produced most of the album. He is an EDM veteran. Fred Gibson and Kamille also worked on the song. Interestingly, the album didn't do as well in the US. I believe Atlantic in New York pulled back on promotion because they wanted Patterson to make changes in the band. Patterson told the BBC he only dealt with British staff. But I assure you they were under orders from New York. They told them to remove the strings and be more EDM than pop. The reason for this is Clean Bandit does not have a full time lead singer. Atlantic believes, and I agree with them, that the lead singer is the personality of the group. Patterson is the group leader but most listeners don't know who he is. Patterson attempted to make the adjustments Atlantic requested. But Clean Bandit left Atlantic and have a new album coming soon from their new label B1/Ministry of Sound distributed by Sony. In recent interviews, Patterson has joked with media about hiring a permanent lead singer. But that's something he should have done ten years ago. Here's the video for Solo by Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Glenn Miller

Artist:Glenn Miller f/Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke and The Modernaires

Song:Jukebox Saturday Night

Album:A Legendary Performer

Jukebox Saturday Night was a top ten hit for Glenn Miller in 1942. Miller had plenty of hits in those days. But the main reason I am writing about this song is there is a great video clip and I want to talk about the singers. Because that's who was featured on the record. Jukebox Saturday Night was written by Al Stillman and Paul McGrane. Stillman was a lyricist whose other big hits were the 1954 Perry Como Christmas perennial Home for the Holidays and the 1957 Johnny Mathis hit Chances Are. Jukebox Saturday Night was McGrane's only big hit. Marion Hutton and Tex Beneke are best known for their days with Miller. They both floundered after his death. Beneke attempted to start his own band but was unsuccessful. Marion was the sister of actress Betty Hutton. The Modernaires started out in their hometown of Buffalo. The three main members were Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein and Bill Conway. Dickinson married Paula Kelly in 1939 and she joined The Modernaires. They split up after Miller's death. This video has different performers on it as it was produced for the Panoram video jukebox manufactured by Mills Novelty. They were commonly called Soundies. Soundies were produced from 1939 to 1947. This Soundie was produced in 1944. The recording is not original. It was by The Soundies Orchestra under the direction of Jack Shandlin. The members of The Modernaires in this video were Tommy Morgan, Hal Dickinson, Harriet Clark, Fran Scott and Ralph Brewster. The most notable feature of Jukebox Saturday Night is The Modernaires imitating The Ink Spots and that is on the video. I may try to feature other Soundies in the future. I think many are lost but one never knows. I am always on the prowl for vintage videos. You can get Jukebox Saturday Night on this Glenn Miller budget comp. Here's the Soundie of The Modernaires performing Jukebox Saturday Night.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Yazoo

Artist:Yazoo

Song:Situation

Album:Only Yazoo The Best of

The British duo Yazoo weren't around very long. But they were very important in the early 80s development of synth pop. They were very successful in England. And Situation was one of two US chart singles. They only recorded two albums. Singer Alison Moyet and former Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke attended the same Saturday music school in Basildon, Essex, England. After Clarke heard the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, he formed Depeche Mode and released a 1981 album on Mute Records. Meanwhile, Alison bounced around various bands and she placed a1981 ad in the music magazine Melody Maker looking for musicians to form a band. By that time, Clarke had left Depeche Mode and answered the ad. Despite being from the same home town, they didn't know each other though Alison knew other members of Depeche Mode. Clarke wanted Alison to record a demo for Mute so he could get a solo record deal. Mute agreed to release the demo Only You as a single. They recorded Situation and it was the B side. Alison is a blues fan so the name Yazoo is after the blues label Yazoo Records. They threatened to sue so for the US release, the name was shortened to Yaz. After Only You reached #2 on the British Singles chart. Mute told Clarke to record an album. Meanwhile, the second single Don't Go reached #3 on the British Singles chart. Situation was the B side and it had become a hit in New York City clubs. That got them a US deal with Sire Records The 1982 album Upstairs at Eric's was released. Sire wanted Situation as the first single but it wasn't on the album. It reached #73 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album sold very well in England but not so well in the US. Yazoo wrote and produced. After releasing a stand alone single, they released the 1983 album You and Me Both. By this time, the two weren't getting along and they didn't even want to record another album. Soon after the album release, the split was announced. You can get all their hits on this comp. Of course Alison had a significant solo career in the late 80s. Clarke seemed to bounce around a lot. His most significant band was Erasure, Yazoo reunited for a 2008 tour and a live album was released. But as I said, Yazoo was a synthpop influence in the 80s. Here's Yazoo performing Situation on the German TV show Popcorn 1983.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bedouin Soundclash

Artist:Bedouin Soundclash

Song:When the Night Feels My Song

Album:Sounding a Mosaic

Bedouin Soundclash is an indie band that have had success mostly in their native Canada. The 2004 single When the Night Feels My Song topped the Canadian singles chart. Their music is a blend of reggae, ska and punk. Band leader Jay Malinowski and bassist Eon Sinclair were attending Queen's University in Kingston, ON when they met and decided to form the band Bedouin Soundclash. The band name is after a dub record by Badawi. They thought it represented a mix of musical styles which is what they aspire to. Malinowski writes everything and sings and plays lead guitar. They usually have a drummer. Pat Pengelly was the original drummer. Bedouin Soundclash released their debut album Root Fire in 2001. Then they signed with the Canadian indie label Stomp Records for the 2004 album Sounding a Mosaic. This got them on the radar of Canadian radio and the music video channel MuchMusic as they are obligated to play Canadian content. Malinowski wrote all the songs. The album was produced by Darryl Jenifer of the punk band Bad Brains. They produced a music video for When the Night Feels My Song which was funded by VideoFACT. And that got them radio and MuchMusic airplay and it topped the Canadian Singles chart. Sounding a Mosaic was released internationally by the indie label SideOneDummy. It is available as a budget CD. When the Night Feels My Song charted in England. I am happy the band had success. But I don't like that they were completely dependent on CRTC CanCon regulations. I don't think Bedouin Soundclash was looking to be world famous. They just wanted to tour and record and make a few bucks. Bedouin Soundclash is still around. They last released an album in 2022 on the Canadian indie label Dine Alone. They have made good use of CRTC regulations. But it doesn't look like they had any illusions about how far they would get. Here's the video for When the Night Feels My Song by Bedouin Soundclash. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lovemongers

Artist:Lovemongers

Song:Battle of Evermore

Album:Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Most music fans should be familiar with the band Heart led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. After success in the 70s, they made a big comeback in the late 80s. After the 1990 album Brigade and the subsequent tour, Heart decided to take a break. Ann and Nancy were approached to play a Red Cross benefit for the troops during The Gulf War. The problem was the members of Heart were scattered. So they decided to put together a new band to play one time only. They convinced their long time friend and songwriting partner Sue Ennis to play keyboards and former Heart guitarist Frank Cox to join the band. They called themselves Lovemongers as opposed to warmongers. Lovemongers played a wrap party for the film Singles which was directed by Nancy's husband Cameron Crowe. They were backed up by the band soon to be known as Pearl Jam. It went so well that they decided to record an EP produced by former Heart guitarist Scott Olson. This cover of the Led Zeppelin song Battle of Evermore appeared on the Singles soundtrack. The album is available on CD. After the 1993 Heart album Desire Walks On didn't do that well, it was clear that the grunge movement had taken hold and maybe it was time for Heart to take a break. They owed Capitol one more album and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones was brought in to produce the album The Road Home. The Lovemongers released the 1997 album Whirlygig on a small label. And after Nancy composed the music for Crowe's 2000 film Almost Famous, Heart returned to touring and eventually recording with the 2004 album Jupiters Darling. Here's the video for Battle of Evermore by Lovemongers.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Laufey

Artist:Laufey

Song:I Wish You Love

Album:A Night at the Symphony

Laufey is an Icelandic singer songwriter who is having success today as a 40s style pop singer. She's had success mostly in Europe. But she's making inroads in the US. She is on tour now. She has had success on the Jazz chart but her music is not jazz. Her music is aimed at an older audience who don't listen to current music. She was born Laufey Lin Bing Jonsdottir Apr. 23, 1989 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her father is from Iceland and her mother is Chinese and comes from a musical family. Her twin sister is her creative director. Laufey learned piano and cello as a child. She graduated from the Reykjavik College of Music in 2018. She was playing cello for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra when she participated in the 2014 edition of what we will call Iceland's Got Talent and she was a semi finalist on the 2015 edition of The Voice Iceland. You guys know how much I love those shows. Excuse the sarcasm. Laufey was supposed to study economics. But instead she studied at Berklee School of Music in Boston with cellist Mike Block. She graduated in 2021 and now lives in Los Angeles. Laufey released a single in 2020 and then an EP in 2021. That's when she first recorded the song I Wish You Love written and originally performed by French singer Charles Trenet. That EP Typical of Me was listed as an album of the year by American Songwriter magazine. Posting jazz standards on TikTok got her more attention and a record deal from AWAL which stands for Artists Without A Label. Kobalt Music founded AWAL and it's supposed to be like Shanachie and similar labels where the artist owns the recordings. The tradeoff is those labels don't spend money on promotion. The problem is Kobalt sold AWAL to Sony. Supposedly AWAL still operates the same way. The difference is the artist has access to the Sony machine. This deal likely would not have gone through if Sony tried to change too much. Then Laufey signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. A good introduction to Laufey's music is this 2023 live album A Night at the Symphony with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. It's kind of a greatest hits album available as a digital download. Laufey has done well on Jazz and Classical charts. Her 2025 album A Matter of Time reached #4 on the Billboard 200. Producers Spencer Stewart and Aaron Dessner of The National moved the emphasis from jazz to singer songwriter. There were no hit singles so some adjustments may be necessary. It remains to be seen how far Laufey will go to be a mainstream success. Here's Laufey performing I Wish You Love with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra 2023.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wisin & Yandel

Artist:Wisin & Yandel f/Romeo Santos

Song:Aullando

Album:Los Campeones Del Pueblo-The Big Leagues

Wisin & Yandel are probably the most popular Reggaeton act over the last twenty years. After going on hiatus in 2013, they returned with the 2018 album Los Campeones Del Pueblo and the hit single Aullando. It sold over 15 million records. Then they split up after a final 2023 tour. Wisin & Yandel are from the same hometown in Puerto Rico. They started working together in 1998 after both appeared on the albums No Fear 3 and La Mision Vol. 1. The record label Fresh Productions thought they should record together and produced their 2000 debut album Los Reyes del Nuevo Milenio. After the success of a couple of albums, they started their own label with Universal distribution. The success continued until they went on hiatus in 2013. They said at the time they were not disbanding. After each recorded a couple of solo albums, they reunited for the 2018 album Los Campeones Del Pueblo. The album was a big success. It was certified 4xPlatinum. The single Aullando was certified 22xPlatinum but it only reached #10 on the Latin chart. There was likely a viral element as at the time, Billboard did not count anything viral. Romeo Santos was one of several guest singers on the album. Wisin & Yandel wrote and produced everything with several producers. Aullando was written and produced with Chris Jedi who has worked with several Reggaeton artists. Much of the album was produced by the team known as Los Legendarios. This album was only released as a digital download. After they toured, they announced in 2022 that after a final album and tour, Wisin & Yandel would disband permanently. And that's what they did. They said the split was amicable. They just wanted to work on different projects. We'll see how long that lasts. Here's the video for aullando by Wisin & Yandel featuring Romeo Santos. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Five

Artist:Five

Song:When the Lights Go Out

Album:Greatest Hits

The British boy band Five scored a top ten hit in the US with the 1998 single When the Lights Go Out. It was their only big hit in the US. They were much more successful at home. This was at the tail end of the boy band craze. of the 90s. The guys behind this group were Bob and Chris Herbert of Heart Management who also created The Spice Girls. They placed an ad in the performing arts newspaper The Stage. After 3,000 auditions, They narrowed it down to fourteen and then five. They were Ritchie Neville, Scott Robinson, Sean Conlon, Jason "J" Brown and Richard Breen. Breen took on the name Abz Love so no one would confuse the two Richards. They were named Five or sometimes 5ive. They are called Five on all the album covers. They signed a six album record deal with Simon Cowell and RCA. When the Lights Go Out was the second single from the 1998 album Five. It reached #4 on the British Singles chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. That may have been a surprise to the group's management as early 90s British boy band Take That never charted in the US. Why was the song a hit in the US? My guess is fans thought it was a new Backstreet Boys single. I think they were supposed to be a soundalike act. The record was produced by Eliot Kennedy, Mike Percy and Tim Lever. Kennedy produced Take That. Percy and Lever are from the band Dead or Alive. Those three wrote the song with Westlife songwriter John McLaughlin. Five co-wrote several songs on the album. Five released three albums. They continued to have success in England. But When the Lights Go Out was their only US hit. My guess is when the target audience figured out they were fooled, they rejected Five as imitators of real boy bands. After the 2001 album Kingsize, Five split up. You can get all their hits on this comp. They reunited in 2006 and released an album in 2022. They will tour again in May. Here's the video for When the Lights Go Out by Five.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Brubeck

Artist:Dave Brubeck

Song:Blue Rondo a la Turk

Album:Ken Burns Jazz

This is another in my jazz for beginners series complete with a performance video and a comp CD appropriate for beginners. Pianist Dave Brubeck was a great musician. But more importantly, he was very important in widening the audience for jazz. The 1959 album Time Out and the singles Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk opened the door for other jazz artists. And we are still seeing that in the success of Smooth Jazz. So Brubeck's music is important in the history of jazz. He was born Dec. 6, 1920 in Concord, CA but grew up in Ione, CA. His father was a cattle rancher. His mother studied piano and wanted to be a concert pianist. She taught piano to earn extra money and she taught her sons too. Brubeck attended Colege of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. to study veterinary science. One of his teachers urged him to switch his major to music. There was concern that Brubeck couldn't read music. But he was allowed to graduate as long as he promised never to teach. After his 1942 graduation, Brubeck was drafted into the US Army and served in Europe in the Third Army. After playing piano on a Red Cross show, Brubeck was taken off combat duty. He started the band The Wolfpack and met Paul Desmond in 1944. After WWII, Brubeck studied with composer Darius Milhaud at Mills College in Oakland. Brubeck first recorded in 1949 with Coronet Records. But they were having money problems and they were taken over by Fantasy Records. That's when Brubeck formed his first quartet with Desmond. They took up residency at San Francisco's Black Hawk nightclub and successfully toured college campuses. Brubeck thought that he had an ownership stake in Fantasy. And he brought other jazz artists like Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker to Fantasy. But he was lied to and Brubeck left Fantasy for Columbia. The 1954 album Jazz Goes to College was his first album for Columbia. The musicians were Desmond, Bob Bates on bass and Joe Dodge on drums. After the album was a success, Brubeck appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. Brubeck was embarrassed by this as he thought Duke Ellington should have been on the cover. Brubeck and Desmond continued ton play with various musicians until drummer Joe Morello was hired in 1956. He was playing with pianist Marian McPartland. Them bassist Eugene Wright joined the band for Brubeck's 1958 Department of State tour of Europe and Asia. At the time, a racially integrated band was unusual. But he cancelled shows when promoters objected to Wright. He cancelled a TV appearance when the show producers wanted to keep Wright off camera. Then Brubeck recorded the 1959 album Time Out. The album was West Coast jazz but with unconventional time signatures. All the songs were written by Brubeck except for Take Five written by Desmond. Columbia president Goddard Lieberson agreed to this as long as Brubeck also recorded a standards album in case Time Out was a failure. Teo Macero produced the album. The big surprise was when Take Five got radio play and was a top 40 hit. Time Out was the first jazz album to sell a million copies. Rondo a la Turk was based on Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 mixed with rhythms Brubeck heard in Turkey. It was Brubeck's most successful album. But most importantly, it helped other jazz artists by introducing jazz to a new audience. So that's Brubeck's legacy. This budget comp is a great intro to Brubeck's music. He recorded for Columbia until 1968 and also recorded for Decca and Atlantic and other labels. He continued to tour and record until he died on Dec. 5, 2012, a day before Brubeck's 92nd birthday. He was going to a doctor's appointment. Here's Dave Brubeck with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright and Joe Morello performing Rondo a la Turk on a 1959 episode of Playboy After Dark.