Month: December 2022

Sunday Brings Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” as Our AOW, and the ‘Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, December 11, 2022

It’s a Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge with the threat of what we call a ‘wintry mix’ in the air. That’s when the weather people hedge their bets because they can’t figure out if it’s going to be snow or rain or both. I’m hedging my bets with a nice day indoors listening to some great music!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Dixie Chicken by Little Feat NEW!

This was Little Feat’s third studio album, released in 1973, and certainly became a landmark for the band. The title song would go a long way toward establishing the band’s great signature sound. Little Feat also added the great guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton. Bassist Kenny Gradney was also added to replace Roy Estrada. It signaled a change of the band’s sound, moving them toward New Orleans R & B and funk.This lineup would endure until Lowell George’s death in 1979 and the band’s subsequent breakup.

3:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

This is the Grand Kahuna of our R & B/soul playlists which is all encompassing, and not just dedicated to Motown artists. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Al Green, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles and more!

Let’s get with the program, people. Sunday is a day of rest, and what better way to kick back than with great music. We’ve got it here and it won’t cost you a thing. I promise. We run 24/7, and always with more Open Stream than programming, at absolutely no cost to you. All you need is a computer and a free tab.

A Little Bit O’ Soul

On Saturday We’ve Got Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, The Final Airing of “Rumors” and The First Airing of Warren Zevon as This Week’s Singer-Songwriter, December 10, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! As the sun comes up in The Mermaid Lounge, we welcome you aboard the musical train for Saturday, for some, the first day of the weekend! My first day is tomorrow, but The Music Mermaid is here for you!

Here’s your lineup:

10:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We’ve got a multi-artist EP paying homage to the night, and we’ve got one for the morning. This morning you will hear Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to Rumors this afternoon, one of the greatest pop-rock albums ever made and certainly one that highlighted Christine McVie’s many talents. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new one for you. Stay tuned.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Warren Zevon NEW!

I remember my first time seeing Warren Zevon live. It was at the Berkelee Performance Center in Boston, and he was two hours late for the show after making us suffer through 52 versions of Year of The Cat courtesy of Al Stewart, the opening act. We were foul of mood. That was, until Zevon got on stage and blew us all away. He was an extraordinary songwriter who broke onto the scene when someone named Linda Ronstadt started singing his songs. And Zevon had a great voice to boot. He may have been a self destructive character, but nobody can ever deny the man’s talents.

Give us a listen. We’re totally free of charge, so you’ve got absolutely nothing to lose. Your money is no good here in The Mermaid Lounge where we broadcast from. Not only do we not ask for a credit card; we also don’t ask you any personal information. We’ve got nothing for sale. It’s free. 24/7. No strings. No shit.

Johnny Strikes Up The Band

One Day Away From the Weekend With Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ Multi-Artist EP and Carole King’s Final Airing as Singer-Songwriter, Friday, December 9, 2022

We are one day away from the official start of the weekend. Of course, some of us will toil in retail hell for one more day tomorrow, but we’re getting closer. We’ve got a lot of wide Open Stream today with some excellent programming tossed in for good measure.

Here’s your musical journey for today:

11:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

Stories about the road, the air, the sea, and going places from Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Asleep at The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Joan Baez, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield and more.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Carole King

Today we bid a fond farewell to Carole King as our featured Singer-Songwriter, a woman whose music has been both an inspiration and a musical career builder. Tomorrow we welcome the late, great (and often troubled) Warren Zevon.

Before, in between and after we’ve got some great wide Open Stream, which has recently been significantly bolstered. This is not the place to detail that, but I will be writing a separate blog post on that very soon, so stay tuned! We’ve added some great artists we’ve been working on and bolstered the content of many others!

Travelin’ Fever!

We Head Toward the Weekend With The Trio Sessions, Our Album of The Week, and Some ‘Live’ Laura Nyro, on Thursday, December 8, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a treat for you today as we bring you The Trio Sessions, courtesy of three of our favorite women of music: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. Tonight, we’ve got another favorite in Laura Nyro.

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Trio Sessions: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris

Once upon a time, three of the most talented women on the planet decided to get together and make a couple of albums. They just blew everyone away with this project. They called themselves Trio. Today, we have the entire sessions surrounding this event, including alternate versions, outtakes, and other assorted gems. This is one you don’t want to miss!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac

No doubt this album was biographical and referenced the personal situations going on with the members of Fleetwood Mac, hence the title. It was also one of the best pop-rock albums ever made.

7:00 p.m. Laura Nyro Live at The Fillmore East, New York, March 30, 1971

Closing out our programming is a woman who made others famous with her spectacular songwriting. But there’s nothing quite like hearing Laura Nyro sing these herself.

Before, in between, and after you’ll be treated to wide :Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid. Give us a shot and join your friends from around the globe in the spirit of camraderie. You can’t go wrong. No lie. No surprises.

The Trio Sessions!

Midweek is Here and So Is Our ‘Female Species’ EP and Some ‘Live’ Kinks Later, Wednesday, December 7, 2022

We keep it simple at midweek with our ‘Female Species’ EP, not to be confused with the ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP. You’ll see what we mean below. We’ve also got some ‘live’ Kinks later.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

Not to be confused with ‘Ladies Day Out,’ this EP consists of songs about girls, women, ladies and other terms meant to describe the fairer sex. You’ll hear songs by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Talking Heads, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, America, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Rascals, Peter & Gordon and more!

7:00 p.m. The Kinks Live at The Hippodrome Theatre, London, UK, July 14, 1974

We actually aired this on Monday, but our server had a minor meltdown and this show was never played in its entirety. We are making up for that today by repeating it this evening. This one was recorded live for airing on the BBC.

Before, in between, and after we give you that wide Open Stream under the watchful eye of The Music Mermaid who, as you know, has impeccable taste in music. Of course, you know we are totally free of charge every day. No surprises. No lies.

The Female Species!

It’s Another Tuesday Bluesday With Our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Our AOW, and Gregg Allman ‘Live’ at The House of Blues Later, December 6, 2022

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP and Gregg Allman ‘live’ at The House of Blues in New Orleans bringing up the rear. In between, we’ve got our Album of The Week.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

There’s nothing quite like the blues coming out of Chi-Town, and we’ve got some fine bluesologists today in Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac

Our second airing of this great power pop album by Fleetwood Mac is the one break from blues programming today.

7:00 p.m. Gregg Allman Live at The House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, December 31, 2012

We close out our blues programming with this fine 2012 New Years Eve Gregg Allman show at the New Orleans House of Blues. I’ve visited this venue several times. Don’t know if it’s the same now as it was the last time I was there in 2014, but it featured Fats Domino’s piano. Great space.

We’ve always got a full house on Tuesday Bluesday, and I’m sure it’ll be the same today. Don’t miss it. It only comes once a week! We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge, folks. What more could you possibly ask for? Oh, right, no commercial advertising to interrupt the mood and no chatty DJ’s to mess up the vibe. Get on it.

Tuesday Bluesday is Here!

And Boom. It’s Monday. We’ve Got ‘Live’ Kinks, Our ‘Money Honey’ Playlist, and Carole King. And Plenty of Open Stream, December 5, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists. (And haters of Monday mornings.) We cannot flirt with time and make this another day, but we can help you get through this one with some good music.

Here’s today’s musical mashup:

11:00 a.m. The Kinks Live at The Hippodrome Theatre, London, UK, July 14, 1974 NEW!

This is a brand new one to us here in The Mermaid Lounge. As I said, we shop on a bunch of venues (of which Amazon and Apple are not part) and we have access to some cool stuff once in a while. This will be an experience we have together as we’ve not had the time to preview this one.

3:00 p.m. Money, Honey: Various Artists

This one could easily become an EP. Along with love and heartache, money and wealth are popular topics for the rockers. But we try to resist making every single topic an EP and will probably settle for a volume two so we can spread the wealth. At any rate, you will hear Elvis Presley, the Guess Who, The Beatles, Warren Zevon, Monty Python (yes, that Monty Python), Tom Petty, Tom Waits, The Byrds, Slim Harpo, Rosanne Cash, Albert King, Tom Rush, The Wallflowers, Allen Toussaint, Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Laura Nyro and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Carole King

This is our second airing of this week’s featured Singer-Songwriter, and a brilliant one at that. We will have one more airing of this later in the week. Time TBD.

We begin yet another work week as we mosey through the month of December and head for a new year. But we still have the (ugh) holidays to get through. I suppose if I didn’t work in retail, I may feel differently about them. But I digress. Did I mention that we’re totally free of charge? That’s one thing you won’t have to worry about. Paying for your music. We realize we have limitations compared to Spotify and others, but this is radio, and radio is where you don’t exactly know what song is coming next. Reminds me of my youth laying in the driveway with my friends listening to my old transistor. Good times.

New ‘Live’ Kinks!

A Keep-It-Simple Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge Brings Our New AOW and The ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, December 4, 2022

It’s Sunday morning here in The Mermaid Lounge and I’m off to a bit of a later start than usual, but that’s because we’re keeping it simple today. Somehow, it’s only fitting that Rumors is our Album of The Week this week as we bid farewell to the late, great Christine McVie. We here in the Lounge believe the best stuff on this one was hers.

Here’s today’s musical magic:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac NEW!

Sometimes things just fall into place. When I add to my album list, I sometimes add ten or twenty to the list at time so I don’t have to think about it every week. That’s what happened with Rumors. I had no idea I’d be paying respects to the late, great Christine McVie this week. It’s only fitting that this great album fell into place here. One of my favorite albums of all time for sure from a band I sometimes have a love-hate relationship with. But that’s me. Big Mac is one of those bands I liked better as a blues band. I certainly don’t like everything they did as a pop-rock band, but I like enough of it. This was their eleventh studio album and it was released during a time of heavy drug use and personal relationship management problems, hence the title. I only ever saw them once live in my lifetime and that was enough. It was just that Stevie Nicks spent too much time changing outfits for me.

4:00 p.m. Music From Lauren Canyon: Various Artists

One of the best times in music was undoubtedly the sixties and seventies, when cross-pollination was king. It was during this time that country-rock was born. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayuall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Souther-Hillman-Furay, Linda Ronstadt and more!

This is Sunday, a day of rest, even for whomever The Big Person is is up there overlooking the universe. Why not kick off your shoes, pour yourself a drink and tune us in for a spell. Come on. You know you want to, so why not just do it. Seriously.

Music From Laurel Canyon

Things Are Rockin’ Today With Our AOW, an Outgoing and Incoming Singer-Songwriter, and Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, Saturday, December 3, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We have a rockin’ day here in The Mermaid Lounge today with CCR, Neil Young, Carole King and our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP all on tap! Read on for details!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of this album, which was actually the third album released by Creedence alone in 1969. To say they burst onto the music scene with a bang is an understatement. They never looked back. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection by the time you wake up!

11:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Today our favorite musicians and singers wax poetic about the night time. Because the night time is the right time. You’ll hear The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, The Doors, Poco, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Band, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Neil Young FINAL AIRING!

Today we give you the final airing of our Singer-Songwriter series featuring the great Neil Young, but don’t despair. We’ve got some new-to-the-station live Neil coming up next week!

10:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Carole King NEW!

For our final programming act of the day, we give you our new featured Singer-Songwriter in Carole King. This will repeat two more times during the upcoming week. Times TBD.

Great day to tune us in. We’ve got lots of features on tap for today, but we still spend the majority of our 24-hour continuous cycle on wide Open Stream under the watchful eye of The Music Mermaid. And did I mention that we’re totally free of charge?

Musical Grand Central Saturday!

Today Brings Our ‘Color My World’ Multi-Artist EP, and a Tribute to the Late, Great Christine McVie Who Sadly Passed Yesterday, Friday, December 2, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Today most of us learned of the passing of Christine McVie, whom we considered the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac. She was an extraordinary talent whose roots were in the blues and today we pay her homage.

British musician Christine McVie of the group Fleetwood Mac performs onstage at the Los Angeles Forum, Inglewood, California, December 6, 1979. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

Here’s today’s musical journey:

11:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Our very first EP airing of the month is about colors, all colors of the spectrum, in the title, lyrics, or both. You’ll hear songs from Linda Ronstadt, Valerie Carter, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Traveling Wilburys, Jonathan Edwards, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, 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, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Marvin Gaye, Booker T & The MGs, Lucnda Williams, John Cougar Mellencamp, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie NEW!

Although not the most flamboyant member of Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie was, without a doubt, the heart and soul of that band. Her original roots were in singing the blues, starting with a British blues band called Chicken Shack. She also had a solo career prior to her marriage to John McVie when she was known as Christine Perfect. As a member of Fleetwood Mac, she wrote many of their biggest hits, like Say You Love Me, Over My Head, You Make Loving Fun and Don’t Stop. Christine McVie passed away on November 30 at the age of 79, leaving a hole in the music world. We pay tribute to her this evening.

Join in the fun. We’ve got listeners from around the globe on 24/7. They know a good thing when they hear it. We’re nonstop with no membership or credit card required. We’re all about the music here in The Mermaid Lounge. The Music Mermaid wouldn’t have it any other way.

Farewell, Christine McVie.