Month: July 2022

We Have Two Destinations Today: Motor City and Cajun/Creole Country. Our Tour Guides Await. On Sunday, July 31, 2022.

Good Morning, Musicologists! Our journey today is very eclectic. That’s not to say it isn’t every day, but today it’s a bit different. Read on for the details!

We’ve got five hours of Motown for you starting mid-afternoon!

Here’s your musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Creole Moon by Dr. John NEW!

We love Dr. John here in The Mermaid Lounge, and part of the reason we love him is that he’s not constrained by tradition. But with Creole Moon, he went back to his strength: New Orleans R & B, his musical roots, and we’re glad he did. I spent several years back and forth to and from New Orleans both on business and for pleasure, and I got totally hooked on its unique musical sound. Dr. John is a huge part of that. Listen in at 11:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

What could be better to follow up Dr. John than some R & B from Motown? Nothing. That’s what. We bring you back to that music that inspired so many. The Beatles just loved those great girl bands. You’ll hear Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Mary Wells, Rare Earth, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Marvelettes, The Spinners, Jimmy Ruffin, and many more. This is five hours of uninterrupted R & B and soul from Motown!

Hey, it’s Sunday Funday. Finally. A day of total rest. Remember, if there is a big guy (or girl) he or she took this day off. Everyone gets a break. Hell, I’m in favor of bring back the Blue Laws here in Massachusetts. Close all the retail establishments on Sunday and let’s get back to the stuff that’s important.

M is For Motown!

We Debut Our New ‘Color My World’ EP, Give You The Final Airing of our AOW, and LIVE DEAD! Later, Saturday, July 30, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! This morning we debut our brand new EP called ‘Color My World’ a treasure trove of songs with the colors of the rainbow in the title, lyrics or both. We also have the final airing of our Album of The Week and LIVE DEAD! on tap for later.

Today we debut our ‘Color My World’ EP!

Here’s your Saturday line-up:

10:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists NEW!

Colors aren’t new to us here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got playlist for blue and black, but this is our first covering it all. You will hear songs from Linda Ronstadt, Valerie Carter, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Traveling Wilburys, Jonathan Edwards, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young (with and without Crazy Horse), John Hiatt, Joni Mitchell, Badfinger, Donovan, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Elton John, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Amy Winehouse, The Who, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Sam & Dave, Jefferson Airplane, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Booker T. & The MGs, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John-Cougar Mellencamp, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more!

We’ve added the song list to the Playlist section of the blog. Just scroll to the bottom!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin FINAL AIRING!

This evening we bid farewell to Shawn Colvin’s great debut album as our featured AOW. Tomorrow when you rise, there’ll be a brand new selection. It’s all cued up and waiting!

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, NY, June 27, 1985

This is another repeat performance, but hasn’t been cued up since 2020. It’ll be just like new. This is one of those great music venues that I spent much of my youthful time visiting. And this is a great Dead soundboard. Don’t miss it.

Saturday is always a good day to take us for a spin. While some of us are still toiling away with the general public, you can be here listening to great music. All day. All you need is a computer and a new tab. No credit card required and nothing to fill out. Your money’s no good here. Here we have voluntary memberships only. What’s not to love?

Color My World Debuts!

We Close Out the Work Week With Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP and Pink Floyd In The Spotlight, on Friday, July 29, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are closing out the work week in fine style today with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP and Pink Floyd up later. It’s been a while for this one!

We start the morning with ‘In Your Dreams’

Here’s today’s musical offering:

11:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

We all have a dream world. Some of us live in one; others visit for short periods of time and come back to reality. I say this now after looking around at the human condition here in America. But that’s another story for another day on a different venue. You will hear from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, The Eurythmics, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, The Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimmy Buffett, The Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Pink Floyd

Tonight we spend a little time with Pink Floyd for the first time in a while. We end the drought this evening promptly at 7:00 p.m. And remember, what’s going on here? It’s not a drill, as they say.

We’re on for today, as we are every day. Although we do wish the heat would dissipate and make life livable again. It’s really just to hot for too many days on end. But we’re cool here in The Mermaid Lounge. Join us.

In Your Dreams

Heading Toward The Weekend With Our ‘Down in New Orleans’ EP, ‘Live’ Dr. John Later, and Our AOW in Between, Thursday, July 28, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers. We’ve got a veritable New Orleans extravaganza going on today with our New Orleans EP and some ‘live’ music from the Nitetripper later on.

Here’s your musical line-up:

9:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

We haven’t heard this one for a bit. Not only do we have authentic New Orleans music featured here, but music featured by those born and raised in Louisiana. You’ll hear music from Beau Soleil, Clifton Chenier, Lucinda Williams, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, Tony Joe White, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, Allen Fontenot, Aaron Neville, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Chance Bushman, The Daywalkers, The Boogaloo Swamis, Kermit Ruffins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Magnolia Sisters, The Meters, Queen Ida & The BonTemps, Boozoo Chavis and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin

This will be our next-to-last airing of this fine album before we move on. Don’t miss it. Your last chance to hear it will be sometime Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll have something brand new for you!

7:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, New York, November 6, 1973

Some great ‘live’ music here from the Nitetripper, otherwise known as Dr. John, otherwise known as Malcom John Rebbenack, Jr. No matter what you call him, Dr. John is a Mermaid Lounge favorite here as he delivers his New Orleans brand of R & B, funk, blues and jazz.

Great day to tune us in as we focus on one of our favorite musical venues today. Some of the folks you hear today, like Chance Bushman and The Daywalkers, I learned about on a trip to New Orleans where there’s practically street music on every corner. Don’t miss it!

Down in New Orleans!

Midweek Brings Our ‘Sixties Rotation, Volume Two’ EP and We Celebrate Mick Jagger’s Birthday With The Rolling Stones in the Spotlight Later, Wednesday, July 27, 2022:

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are at midweek in The Mermaid Lounge and we’ve got our focus squarely on the sixties today. We kick it off with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation’ EP.

We bring you The Sixties starting at 10:00 a.m. today!

Here’s your midweek line-up:

10:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

Today’s rotation is the second focused on the music of the sixties, and is mostly the mid-to-late timeframe. You’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, The Animals, The Yardbirds, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, The Velvet Underground, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Rolling Stones

Today, we celebrate (albeit, belatedly) the 79th birthday of Mick Jagger, born on July 26, 1943. The Stones were founded in 1962 in London, England and have been on the music scene for six decades. That’s what I call staying power.

We’ve seen a great metamorphosis over the last month, with more and more people from the U.S. joining our international listeners. Let’s keep that up. We have no money for advertising because we get no money from advertising. We simply do not accept commercial advertising of any form, so there’s no income. We rely on word-of-mouth, so please help us out!

The Sixties Rotation 2!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and We’ve Got Our ‘Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blues’ EP and ‘Live’ Muddy Waters Later, July 26, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We are back with another outstanding day of Tuesday Bluesday programming with more than five hours of uninterrupted blues and ‘live’ Muddy Waters.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

10:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Today is the Big Kahuna of our blues playlists with blues, blues-rock and electric blues from all over the spectrum. You will hear B.B. King, Delbert McClinton, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Robert Cray Band, J.J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Koko Taylor, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi, Duane Allman, Marcia Ball, Roomful of Blues, Tracy Nelson, Howlin’ Wolf, Linda Ronstadt, and more!

4:30 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin

Today is the second airing of Shawn Colvin’s debut album, and it’s the only break in our blues programming for the day. The Album of The Week must go on regardless of the playlist content! This one put her on the map pretty quickly.

7:00 p.m. Muddy Waters Recorded Live at Harry Hope’s (Cary, IL) and The Masonic Auditorium (Detroit, MI), sometime in 1979 NEW!

The great Muddy “Mississippi” Waters recorded live at two different venues sometime while on the road in 1979. This one’s a bootleg.

Another fine Tuesday Bluesday awaits, so don’t touch that dial. We’ve got Spain, Chile, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Russian Federation, Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Cali, New York, Maine, Florida, and those folks from Kansas all on this morning! Join them. You will not regret it. I promise.

Tuesday Bluesday!

The Work Week is Back and We’ve Got The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt & a Trifecta Afternoon On Tap, Monday, July 25, 2022

Good Morning, Workers! We’re facing another work week and it starts off steamy both inside and out as we’ve got some brand new ‘live’ Linda Ronstadt later on, along with The Hollies and some Trifectas.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Hollies

Formed in Salford, England, in 1962, the Hollies were a force in music throughout the sixties and into the seventies and were most known for their distinctive three-part harmonies. But let’s not get too damned technical here: They were just a great band and one of the most influential British Invasion bands.

2:00 p.m. Open Stream with Afternoon Trifectas!

We haven’t had one of these afternoons in a while, so it is about damned time.

2:00 p.m. Guy Clark

3:00 p.m. Sam Cooke

4:00 p.m. Canned Heat

5:00 p.m. Valerie Carter

6:00 p.m. Norah Jones

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY, January 29, 1975 NEW!

Linda Ronstadt was the christening act in the opening of the Calderone back in the day and Tom Rush was her opening act. This performance from 1975 was broadcast on WLIR-FM and most of the songs are from Don’t Cry Now and Heart Like a Wheel. I have seen Ronstadt perform live 39 times in my lifetime, and she never disappointed. Ever. This one is no exception.

Join your friends. We’ve got Croatia, Romania, Spain, the UK, France, Germany, Greece, The Faroe Islands, Australia, Canada, and some folks in Kansas, New York, and Florida on this morning. Make your Monday more tolerable.

It’s Monday, Monday

Today We’ve Got Visitors From Across the Pond with ‘The British Are Coming’ and Our New Album From Shawn Colvin, Sunday, July 24, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! Today is going to be a hot one, as they say, particularly in the weather sense as we anticipate tickling the 100 degree mark. Trust me. I’m a total Lounge Lizard today.

Here’s your musical programming today:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin NEW!

Today we give you Shawn Colvin’s debut album, released on October 17, 1989. Not only did it help establish Colvin as a folk force to be reckoned with, but it brought her the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1991. She either wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, and had help from folks like Bruce Hornsby, Suzanne Vega, and Rick Marotta, who also took a turn as Linda Ronstadt’s drummer. It’s a keeper and it makes its Mermaid Lounge debut today at 11:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming! Various Artists

Our friends from Across the Pond are back with some great music from The British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Beatles (of course), The Who, The Zombies, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, The Hollies, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Cream, Queen, the Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Yes, the Spencer Davis Group, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and more!

As with every Sunday, we’re mostly on Open Stream, and that’s a good thing as we’ve been adding new music over the last couple of weeks. This is a great day to find out what we’re all about, and it won’t cost you a thing to become a fan. Frankly, your money is no good here.

The British Are Coming!

It’s The Usual Saturday in The Lounge With Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, Our AOW, More of The Beatles, and LIVE DEAD! Later on July 23, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! We are finally here! (Well, some of us must endure one more retail hell day.) And you certainly are in capable hands with The Music Mermaid today!

It comprises 71% of the earth and is the subject of our musical affection today!

Here’s your musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Water is essential for our survival. So is music. So, we’ll hear from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Johnny Rivers, America, Donovan, and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Hasten Down The Wind by Linda Ronstadt FINAL AIRING!

It’s the swan song for this fine album today. It was Linda Ronstadt’s seventh studio release and she stepped out from the country-rock genre just a bit to spread her wings, and many of her Laurel Canyon buddies helped her out on this one. Not to be missed.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The End Game

The Beatles were only actually in the limelight for about seven years, even though they started singing together in the fifties. They hit their stride here in America when they came to play The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, and they never looked back. By 1970, they were done as a group, having accomplished all they could together…including changing the entire face of music. They were brilliant to the bitter end.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Winterland, San Francisco, CA, February 24, 1974

This is a repeat performance, but it hasn’t been aired here since 2020. It’ll be just like new. I promise. Another great soundboard recording from a legendary band in a legendary venue, Winterland.

Saturdays are always chock full of good times here in The Mermaid Lounge. I promise. I mean, you have absolutely not one investment to make that involves money. Your money is no good here. The only investment you have to make is in time. Take a little time to join your friends from around the world, and this one person from Kansas who has been on for days. Are they dead? Or are they just in love with the station? We’ll never know.

Water, Water Everywhere

We Close Out The Work Week With Our Multi-Artist ‘House EP’ and The Beatles’ Transformation Years on Friday, July 22, 2022

Good Morning, Beatles Lovers! Not only do we have part two of our Beatles triple play a bit later, but we’ve got our very own #BecomeUngovernable House EP to get you through the day.

We’ve got our feet firmly planted in our DNA today!

Here’s what you’re listening to on this fine day:

10:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

Today we’ve got just over five hours of music that makes up this station’s DNA, including a fair amount of socially conscious music, something sorely lacking today. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, The Beatles, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, , Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone and more!

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The Transformation Years

Undoubtedly the most creative of all times in their career which, frankly, wasn’t a very long one. Wings lasted longer than The Beatles, but nobody had the influence on music that The Beatles had in a short period of time, and perhaps no band will ever repeat that feat again. We’ve got music here from about the time of Rubber Soul to the latter part of the sixties.

Great day to be here. It’s hot as Hades out there today. And not getting any less ugly either as this promises to carry into the weekend. Stay cool with us here in The Mermaid Lounge as we play the greatest music on the planet. All free of charge and free of commercial interruption.

The BU House Playlist!