Month: January 2021

Good Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/19/2021

We return to retail slavery, so we’re getting a jump on the day today

The Pretenders have their first #1 hit with Brass In Pocket.

Here’s your lesson:

January 19, 1957: Fats Domino’s Blueberry Hill moves up to #2 on the charts.

Also on this day, Elvis Presley recorded It’s No Secret, Blueberry Hill (speak of the devil), Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, and Is It So Strange.

January 19, 1962: Jackie Wilson spent a sixth week at #1 with Lonely Teardrops.

January 19, 1963: The Beatles made their first national TV appearance in the UK, performing Please Please Me on Thank Your Lucky Stars.

January 19, 1966: Simon & Garfunkel released Homeward Bound.

January 19, 1967: The Beatles began recording A Day In The Life at Abbey Road Studios. They lay down the rhythm track, John Lennon’s vocal, and the alarm clock sound used in the song.

Also on this day, Pink Floyd and Marmalade play a bill at The Marquee Club in London.

January 19, 1970: The Easy Rider soundtrack, featuring The Byrds (The Ballad of Easy Rider) and Steppenwolf (Born To Be Wild) is certified Gold.

January 19, 1971: The Beatles song Helter Skelter is introduced as evidence and played at Charles Manson’s murder trial. He claims it’s about a race war and led to his murderous acts.

January 19, 1973: The Moody Blues released I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock n’Roll Band).

January 19, 1974: Jim Croce is still at #1 with You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.

Also, two shows by Bob Dylan and The Band are so popular that they cause a nine-mile traffic jam.

January 19, 1976: The Beatles turn down a $30 million offer by promoter Bill Sargeant to reunite. By now they don’t need the money.

January 18, 1980: The Pretenders have the new #1 song in the UK with the great Brass In Pocket.

And Pink Floyd reaches #1 with The Wall after just six weeks of release.

January 19, 1998: Rock & Roll legend Carl Perkins (who wrote Blue Suede Shoes) dies at the age of 65 after suffering three strokes over two days.

Born On This Day

January 19, 1939: Phil Everly (of the Everly Brothers) was born in Chicago, Illinois.

January 19, 1943: The great Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas.

January 19, 1946: Dolly Parton (the fourth of twelve children) was born in Sevier County, Tennessee.

January 19, 1952: Dewey Bunnell of America was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

And that is it for today, my friends. We’ll be back with the line up soon.

Good Afternoon From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/18/2021

Good afternoon, music trivia addicts! Here’s today’s lesson, and I know it’s late. But it’s better late than never. Better still, it’s easy peasy.

Bill Haley & The Comets.

Here’s your lesson for today:

January 18 1956: Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & The Comets became the first rock n’ roll album to enter the charts.

January 18, 1964: Another historical day in rock music: I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles debuts at #45, their first chart hit in the U.S. It becomes the fastest-selling song in Capitol Records history.

January 18 1965: The Rolling Stones recorded The Last Time and Play With Fire at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California.

January 18, 1969: The Beatles (aka, The White Album) spends a fourth week in the #1 slot.

Also on this day, Dusty Springfield makes her way back to the Top 10 with the great song, Son of a Preacher Man.

January 18, 1975: George Harrison scored another Top 10 album with Dark Horse.

January 18, 1990: 90,000 people in Brazil saw Bob Dylan at his first show in South America when he plays in Sao Paulo.

January 18, 2016: Glenn Frey, co-founder, guitarist, songwriter and singer for the Eagles died in New York City of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia at the age of 67.

Born On This Day

January 18, 1933: Ray Dolby, inventor of the Dolby noise reduction system, was born in Portland, Oregon.

January 18, 1941: David Ruffin, vocalist for The Temptations, was born in Whynot, Mississippi.

And that is the end of your lesson!

Both Macca and Booker T. & The MG’s In the Spotlight Today, Emmylou Harris Sings With The Desert Rose Band, and The Shadow Later, Monday, January 18, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are working in reverse today because there’s a lot of shit going on in The Mermaid Lounge today. Our music trivia will appear after this a bit later on. Sorry to upset your mojo.

Booker T. & The MG’s. One of the best. Unfortunately, there are people who have no idea what the fuck instruments actually sound like today. Yet they still call the shit they produce music.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Paul McCartney

With the Beatles, with Wings, and as a solo artist, Paul McCartney has stood the test of time. Yeah, he was the most commercial of The Beatles. Without that, there would not be the opportunity to create the other shit. Record companies don’t support people who don’t create revenue. That’s how capitalism works, like it or not.

3:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band

One of our favorites, Emmylou Harris, takes a turn with the Desert Rose Band, founded by ex-Byrd Chris Hillman. Other members include Herb Pederson, John Jorgenson, Bill Bryson, JayDee Maness, and Steve Duncan.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Booker T. & The MG’s

Ah yes, remember when instruments mattered in music? Now, according to Kanye West, Yeezy, Ye, Assclown of the Century, you can make all that shit sound with a computer and a program. Progress. Ain’t it great?

10:00 p.m. The Shadow: 08 Murder By The Dead NEW!

A convicted man sentenced to death vows retribution from the grave. A judge and a D.A. are murdered shortly after his execution. They better call The Shadow fast because the jury foreman is next unless someone figures this shit out.

Tune us in, people. You are wasting valuable hours of ear candy. Get on it.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Bob Dylan Owns the Album of The Week, and The Sixties Playlist Returns on Sunday, January 17, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists. This is one of my favorite days here in The Mermaid Lounge because the Sixties are back once again with all the great music that goes with it.

Bob Dylan never ceases to amaze.

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan NEW!

Bob Dylan released his 39th album a bit earlier this year at the age of 79. The man never ceases to amaze. He has been at this for nearly 60 years, and he remains as in touch with the world around him now as he was when he was young. I include this review because it says it all perfectly, and prevents me from writing a tome here.

3:00 p.m. The Sixties, Volume Two: Various Artists

This is, without a doubt, my favorite playlist (along with Volume One, which we aired last time around. You can sing along with The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Zombies, Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Otis Redding, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and all the rest of the artists that inspired the creation of #BecomeUngovernable Radio.

Tune in. Turn on. Drop out. Good advice for a Sunday. Do it.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s Sunday Funday From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/17/2021

Happy Sunday, Musicologists! We are here in The Mermaid Lounge where we never sleep and the music never stops. It has been running 24/7 since February of 2017.

Joni Mitchell released the amazing album, Court & Spark, on this day in music history.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lesson:

January 17, 1963: The Beatles played their usual lunchtime gig at The Cavern Club, and then at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead in the evening. The Majestic tickets all sold in advance. With literally hundreds of fans turned away, it was definitely time to look for a bigger venue.

January 17, 1964: The Rolling Stones released their first EP, which included You Better Move On, Poison Ivy, Bye Bye Johnny, and Money.

January 17, 1966: The Turtles released the song You Baby on this day. By the way, The Turtles were a great little band.

January 17, 1967: The Daily Mail ran a story about a local council survey finding 4,000 holes in the road in Lanashire, inspiring John Lennon’s contribution to the Beatles’ amazing A Day In The Life.

Also on this day, the Jimi Hendrix Experience recored a session for Radio Luxembourg’s Ready Steady Radio. The band ran up a $6.21 bar bill which they could not afford to pay. That would change soon.

January 17, 1970: The Doors performed the first of several concerts at the Felt Forum in New York City.

Also on this day, Led Zeppelin II would take over the #1 Album spot from Abbey Road after an 11-week run.

January 17, 1972: Neil Young released the great single Heart of Gold, with friends Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor singing background vocals.

Meanwhile, Paul Simon released his hit Mother and Child Reunion.

And a section of Highway 51 in South Memphis, Tennessee, was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. It was intended to be the entire road, but a church objected to their section being named after Elvis the Pelvis. No sense of humor.

January 17, 1974: Joni Mitchell’s amazing album, Court and Spark, was released on this day.

Bob Dylan also released Planet Waves on this day.

January 17, 1975: Bob Dylan released another great album on this day a year later called Blood On The Tracks.

Born On This Day

January 17, 1927: The amazing Eartha Kitt was born on this day in North, South Carolina.

January 17, 1949: Mick Taylor, guitarist for both John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones, was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England.

January 17, 1955: Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Steve Earle was born in Fort Monroe, Virginia. Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Gretchen Peters, and Shawn Colvin have covered his tunes.

And that is it for today’s lesson. Back with the line-up soon.

We Have BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana, The Final Airing of Ronstadt’s WE RAN, Maria Muldaur In the Spotlight, and Live Dead, on Saturday, January 16, 2021

Good Morning From The Mermaid Lounge. Outside the wind is high and and it’s pouring rain…when it should clearly be snowing. But who am I to complain.

Today we have BeauSoleil live from Louisiana, one of the most well respected Cajun/Zydeco bands today.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana!

BeauSoleil was founded in 1975, and released their first album in 1977. The band plays traditional and original music rooted in the folk music of the Cajuns and Creoles of Louisiana. Consider this a warm-up for our Mardi Gras event.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: We Ran by Linda Ronstadt FINAL AIRING!

This is the last chance for you to give a listen to this great album. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new album featured when you drag your butts out of bed.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur is a folk and blues singer who has been around since the folk revival of the sixties, playing with John Sebastian, the Even Dozen Jug Band, and the Jim Kweskin Jug Band as vocalist and sometimes violinist. Later, she’d lend her considerable talents to the Jerry Garcia Band. She’s in the spotlight here today.

10:00 p.m. Live Dead! The Grateful Dead Live at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, June 30, 1995 NEW!

Again, more great music from the world’s premier jam band. Even on the same tour no two shows sound the same. What else can we possibly say about them except tune ’em in!

Yeah. I can say it until my eyes bleed. This is the station you should be listening to. But hey, if you’d rather pay for the stuff you used to get for free, go on. Some folks just don’t get it.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s The Weekend at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/16/2021

Gooooood Morning, Musicologists! Here we are at the beginning of the weekend, which is meaningless to we here in The Mermaid Lounge. Duty calls.

The Cavern Club opened its doors on this day in 1957. A band called The Beatles played there 292 times.

Here’s today’s not-too-taxing lesson:

January 16, 1957: The famed Cavern Club in Liverpool opened its doors on this day. It is where The Beatles launched their historic career. They played The Cavern Club a total of 292 times.

Also on this day, a man the Beatles considered an inspiration, Little Richard, recorded Lucille.

January 16, 1961: Shop Around by The Miracles (eventually Smokey Robinson & The Miracles) hit #1 on the R & B charts.

January 16, 1964: The Beatles played two shows at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, France, the first of an 18-night stint.

Also on this day, The Dave Clark Five hit #1 on the UK charts with Glad All Over. Mike Smith was their lead singer, one of the great rock n’ roll voices on the planet (John Lennon was another).

January 16, 1965: The Guess Who released their debut album, Shakin’ All Over.

On this day, The Supremes had their third consecutive #1 song with Come See About Me.

January 16, 1967: The Rolling Stones released their single, Ruby Tuesday.

January 16, 1992: Eric Clapton recorded his MTV Unplugged show, including the song Tears In Heaven and an acoustic version of Layla. It would win six Grammys, including Record of the Year.

January 16, 1988: George Harrison hits #1 with Got My Mind Set On You, his first #1 in 24 years.

January 16, 1996: Jamaican Police mistake Jimmy Buffett’s seaplane (The Hemisphere Dancer) as a drug-smuggler’s seaplane and begin firing on it when it lands in the water. U2’s Bono and his family are also on board. Nobody is injured, and the event inspires Buffett’s new song, Jamaica Mistaica. It was a close call for the Parrotheads of the world.

January 16, 2016: Bruce Springsteen kicks off The River Tour in Pittsburgh. His 1980 album, The River, is the centerpiece of the tour and is played from start to finish in many locations. The tour is the most successful of the year, grossing more than $268 million.

Born On This Day

Nobody we give a shit about here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Hope you all have a great day. We will be back with the line-up soon.

J.J. Cale & Leon Russell at Paradise Studios, The Pretenders In The Spotlight, and The Shadow Returns, Friday, January 15, 2021

Good Morning from The Mermaid Lounge, where we play the best music on the planet. And it’s all free. Every fucking day.

The Pretenders.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. J.J. Cale and Leon Russell in Session Live at Paradise Studios, Los Angeles, June 1979 NEW!

Back in 1979, J.J. Cale and Leon Russell go together in Russell’s Paradise Studios for a session of great music. We have it here for you today.

3:00 p.m. The Shadow: 07 League of Terror

The final airing of this week’s episode of The Shadow. Get it while you can. We will have a new episode come Monday.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Pretenders

To be honest, this is one of the few bands I enjoyed at this time (aside from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers). The Pretenders made some great music, and Chrissy Hynde is often overlooked as a pioneer female rocker. Forget Joan Jett. Chrissie Hynde is where it’s at.

Come on, people. This is your opportunity to get in on some great music for free. Totally free. Absofuckinglutely no strings attached of any kind. No shit.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s Friday in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/15/2021

Good Morning from The Mermaid Lounge! It is Friday here, and we’ve got some great music coming your way! But first, our lesson.

The Original Supremes, formerly known as The Primettes. That’s Barbara Martin on the left, the only one that was legally ‘of age’ to sign the Motown contract in 1961. Find out more below.

Here’s your lesson!

January 15, 1958: Elvis Presley records Hard Headed Woman, Trouble, New Orleans, King Creole, and Crawfish. All in a day’s work for The King.

January 15, 1961: The Supremes sign on with Motown Records. At this time there are four Supremes (once called The Primettes): Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Barbara Martin. All but Martin are under 18 and require parental permission before signing. Diana Ross was just sixteen. Martin sings on their first album, but leaves the group after a year and is not replaced.

January 15, 1964: The Beatles play live at Cinema Cyrano in Versailles, France, in front of an audience of 2,000 people. It’s a warm up for a three-week engagement at the Olympia Theatre that would begin the following night.

Meanwhile, back in Chicago, a legal shitshow is taking place between Capitol Records and Vee Jay Records. Capitol filed an injunction that prohibited Vee Jay from manufacturing or distributing any more Beatles records. Vee Jay, in turn, files suit against both Capitol and Swan Records, which owned the rights to She Loves You. Most of the contracts in the early days of rock n’ roll revolved around individual releases. You can read all the details here in The Beatles Bible, which is my personal bible for Beatles information.

January 15, 1965: Bob Dylan recorded Maggie’s Farm at Columbia Recording Studios in New York.

Also on this day, The Who’s first single, I Can’t Explain, is released in the UK. Jimmy Page helps The Who out on guitar on this one.

January 15, 1966: The Supremes song My World Is Empty Without You enters the charts.

January 15, 1967: Before The Rolling Stones appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, Mick Jagger agrees to change the line “let’s spent the night together” to “let’s spend some time together.” He is obviously visibly annoyed when he is sings the altered lyrics.

January 15, 1971: George Harrison released My Sweet Lord in the UK.

January 15, 1972: Don McLean’s epic American Pie hits #1 in the US. It runs 8:36 seconds long, and you have to flip the 45 record over to hear the whole thing. (I remember that.)

January 15, 1977: Hotel California by The Eagles goes to #1 on the Album charts.

Born On This Day

January 15, 1941: Don Van Vliet, also known as Captain Beefheart, was born in Glendale, California.

January 15, 1948: Ronnie Van Zant, vocalist with Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Jacksonville, Florida.

January 15, 1952: Melvin Gayle, cellist with Electric Light Orchestra, was born in London.

And that is today’s lesson from the college. We’ll be back shortly with the line-up.

New Song Additions to The Standard Rotation Completed

We’ve just completed a new round of upgrades to the Standard Rotation, adding some brand new artists and bolstering the song collection of others.

We’ve added the music of Harry Chapin to our standard rotation.

Here’s the breakdown:

New Additions: Harry Chapin, Mitch Ryder, John Hartford, Glen Campbell, The Move (pre-ELO for Jeff Lynne), Eric Andersen, Cilla Black, Brenda Lee, Dion & The Belmonts, The Blues Project, The James Gang, Basia, Solomon Burke, and Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Additional Material: Cat Stevens, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Buddy Guy. We’ve also now put Bob Dylan’s entire catalogue in with the exception of his Christmas album. This includes his latest release, Rough and Rowdy Ways, which is coming up soon as our Album of The Week.

We are already working on pulling together material for another update and will keep you informed.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio