Month: March 2023

It’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge With Our Biggest Blues EP, Our AOW, and Jimmy Reed In the Spotlight, March 21, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists! Another Tuesday Bluesday is upon us and we’re ready to go here in The Lounge with our biggest, baddest blues EP across the spectrum.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

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

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Venus And Mars by Paul McCartney & Wings

The second airing and our only non-blues programming for today. This is a great album. Get in on it while you can.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Reed

Jimmy Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter. His easily accessible style of electric blues made him popular among non-blues listeners as well. His hits Honest I Do, Big Boss Man, Baby What You Want Me To Do and Bright Lights, Big City appeared on both the Billboard magazine rhythm & blues and Hot 100 singles charts.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a popular day here in The Lounge, so join your blues-loving friends from around the globe! We’re on 24/7 and we are completely free. We never accept advertising and we don’t employ DJ’s who like to hear the sound of their own voices.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Monday, Monday Brings ‘Live’ Bonnie Raitt, Badfinger In The Spotlight, and Some ‘Live’ Doors Later, March 20, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a smorgasboard of stuff for you today with two live performances and a spotlight sandwiched in between.

Here’s Monday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Bonnie Raitt Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, December 9, 1973

Some early Bonnie Raitt to get your day going. The Record Plant was a proving ground for young musical artists back in the day.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Badfinger

Badfinger was the first signing to the Beatles’ Apple Records. They were originally called The Iveys, but their name was changed by The Beatles’ road manager, Neil Aspinall. Under The Beatles, Badfinger began to take off with hits like No Matter What, Come And Get It, and Day After Day. By this time, Pete Ham was establishing himself as a major songwriter. My favorite all-time Badfinger song is Baby Blue, which was never released in the UK, because during that time, Apple Records was in turmoil and the Beatles were breaking up. It was at this point that things went south for Badfinger and they became the victim of their new manager’s greed, winding up in financial ruin. Things got worse from there for the band, but they left us some great music. If you’re interested in the full story, the book Without You: The Tragic Story of Badfinger by Dan Matovina is worth the read.

7:00 p.m. The Doors Live at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, May 8, 1970

The Lizard King and his mates live at Cobo Arena in Detroit closes out the day’s programming.

Hey, it’s Monday. The beginning of yet another work week. What better way to start it out than with some great music?

Just Push Play!

It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge and We’ve Got ‘Venus And Mars’ as Our AOW and ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ Later, on March 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and weekenders! Sundays are quite simple here as we give you plenty of wide Open Stream and some excellent programming.

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Venus And Mars by Paul McCartney & Wings NEW!

This was the fourth studio album by Wings and McCartney’s sixth solo album after the breakup of The Beatles in 1970. It was a follow-up to the great Band On The Run album, and the first to be released on Capitol as opposed to Apple Records. It was recorded in London, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and released in May of 1975. It also resulted in the launch of a massive worldwide tour. I damned near wore this vinyl out, and my favorite song? Call Me Back Again, hands down.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Our big folk music extravaganza is back! We’ve got some classic folk artists as well as bands and artists who have embraced the musical genre and done their part to keep its spirit alive. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin and more!

What’s better than great music for free? It is true that we can’t accommodate requests, and you can’t build your own playlists here, but this is radio. You don’t know what song is coming next. It’s a throwback to my childhood without the commercial advertising. We’re not all things to all people, but we’re trying to be great music for all people.

Folk Music From A-To-Z

Good Morning, Weekenders! We’ve Got the Final Airing of Our AOW, the ‘Are You Ready for The Country’ EP and a Brand New Singer-Songwriter Feature on Saturday, March 18, 2023

Yes, we’ve made it to Saturday, and that can only be a good thing. We’ve got some great stuff lined up, including the late, great Christine McVie as this week’s singer-songwriter.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil FINAL AIRING!

We’re bidding a very fond farewell to BeauSoleil’s great album of Cajun and Zydeco music today, but there’s more where that came from. We promise. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new album for you.

11:00 a.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists

We’re back with our great EP of real country (not bad pop bands with fiddles) and country-rock pioneers today, including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, The Eagles, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep At The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, the Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, John Prine, Chris Hillman & The Desert Rose Band and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Christine McVie NEW!

Many people consider Stevie Nicks the driving force behind Fleetwood Mac, but we consider that force to be Christine McVie the writer and singer, of many of their biggest hits (Say You Love Me, Little Lies, Over My Head, You Make Loving Fun). Rolling Stone magazine calls her ‘the beating heart of Fleetwood Mac.’ She was was part of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (before Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham; when they were a blues band) and a woman who was a fixture in the mid-60’s British blues scene. She is this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

This is an excellent day to join us (not literally, because there are absolutely no ‘joinng’ requirements). See for yourself. Just pull up a tab and click the button below.

Welcome, Weekenders!

We’ve Made It to Friday and We’re ‘Under The Influence’ for Several Hours Plus the Final Turn for Tom Rush, March 17, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve made it to Friday and I know a ton of you will be celebrating St. Patrick’s day. It’s big here in Boston, but we don’t talk much about that since they don’t allow LGBT people to march in their ugly parade. They might catch it. But here in the lounge, we’ve got something better going on.

Here’s Friday’s musical madness:

10:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Yes, we have all been here at one time or another. Some of us with legal substances, some with illegal substances, and some of us with both. You will hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more! Five hours of mind-bending madness.

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

The great Tom Rush, whose career has spanned more than sixty years, and who has launched several other singer-songwriter’s careers, takes his last turn as our featured singer-songwriter. Tomorrow, we’ll have a new selection.

Lots of good music today, and plenty of wide Open Stream before, in between, and after courtesy of The Music Mermaid. She takes care of things around here while I’m laboring in retail hell. We’re running 24/7 totally free with no commercial interruption. Get on it, people.

Under The Influence

We’re Over the Hump and Heading for the Weekend With Our AOW, Some Wide Open Stream and the Final Summer Of Love Playlist on Thursday, March 16, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are over the midweek hump and heading for nirvana as we give you plenty of wide Open Stream sandwiched between some excellent programming.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil

We’re on the downslide with this great Cajun and Zydeco album by BeauSoleil, often called the greatest Cajun band in the world. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday, so don’t miss your opportunity!

10:00 a.m. Open Stream with The Music Mermaid

Right after the airing of our AOW, we begin several hours of wide Open Stream courtesy of our Music Mermaid. Who knows what she’ll get you into, but she’s got 30,000 music files to choose from, so there will be no repeats.

7:00 p.m. Summer of Love, Volume Three: Various Artists

Tonight we give you the final installment of our Summer of Love Series. For the record, the SOL was not 1969. I believe that myth exists because of Woodstock. The actual Summer of Love was in 1967, but no matter because you will hear The Mamas & The Papas, The Rascals, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Jackie Wilson, Donovan, The Turtles, Vanilla Fudge, The Association, The Doors, The Youngbloods, Lulu, Buffalo Springfield and more!

Speaking of love. What’s not to love here? We are on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We’re also free of commercial advertising. Get on board.

Cursor Here, Please.

Midweek Brings Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, Tom Rush, and Summer of Love, Volume 2 on Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! It’s fitting that right around mid-month of International Women’s History Month we start out with our great ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Today we start it all off with five hours of programming from the women of music, including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter and many more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Rush

The great Tom Rush gets his second airing as our featured singer-songwriter this week.

7:00 p.m. The Summer Of Love, Volume Two: Various Artists

As we continue our series of music from the Summer of Love, you’ll hear Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, Buffalo Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Spencer Davis Group, The Byrds, Bobbie Gentry, The Turtles, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, The Rascals and more!

Tune us in. You won’t regret it. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. We’re devoid of commercial advertising. And we’ve got The Music Mermaid.

LADIES DAY OUT!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Louisiana Blues EP and Johnny Winter Playing Around Our AOW on This Rainy Day, March 14, 2023

Good morning, Bluesologists! We’ve got our multi-artist ‘Best of Louisiana Blues’ EP kicking off Tuesday Bluesday and Johnny Winter closing it. In between, it’s our Album of The Week by BeauSoleil!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Louisiana Blues: Various Artists

This is our newest multi-artist blues EP introduced for the first time in January. You’ll hear Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo. Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Roy Brown, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Dave Bartholemew and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil

Today is the second airing of this great album by a band that is often called the greatest Cajun Zydeco band in the world. It may not be the blues, but we’re still in the right geographical vicinity!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Johnny Winter

No question about it, Johnny Winter was the most high-energy blues guitarist on the planet, and as we all know, he was true to the blues. But he was more than just that. He was the guy who produced grammy-winning albums for blues great Muddy Waters. Tonight we put Johnny Winter In the Spotlight.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a full house here, so why not join in? We’re totally free and we play some of the best blues on the planet from all over the place. See for yourself. It won’t cost you anything but time.

Tuesday Bluesday

The Work Week is Back, and We’ve Got Peter Tosh, Volume One of Summer of Love, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, Monday. March 13, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! The work week is back for a return engagement and we’ve got a great eclectic collection of programs for you today.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter Tosh

Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh was one of the core founding members of The Wailers before he embarked on a successful solo career. Today we put him in the spotlight.

3:00 p.m. The Summer of Love: Various Artists

We look back at the Summer of Love starting today with volume one of this series. You will hear Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Grace Slick & The Great Society, Cream, The Doors, The Grass Roots, Donovan, The Association, The Spencer Davis Group, Marvin Gaye, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Electric Prunes, The Yardbirds, The Box Tops and more.

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York, September 14, 1976

Tonight we end our programming with Emmylou Harris in a very early concert from My Father’s Place on Long Island. This is Emmylou before her meteoric rise to the top of the country rockpile.

We’re on 24/7 and we’re free. We accept no commercial advertising, and I am the only DJ. The only thing you’ll hear from me is occasional station I.D.’s. Give us a listen. It won’t cost you anything.

Monday, Monday

We Keep It Simple on Sundays With BeauSoleil’s Album of The Week and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, March 12, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! As usual, we keep it simple on Sundays here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great new Album of The Week and our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP. Before, in between and after, there’s plenty of wide Open Stream

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil NEW!

We here in The Mermaid Lounge are big fans of Cajun/Zydeco music, and this is one great album by the band universally called the greatest Cajun band in the world. Be sure to tune it in this morning!

4:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We’re back again with our ode to the music that made America dance and sing. This is our all-encompassing soul and rhythm & blues EP giving you five hours of uninterrupted music from Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, 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, Al Green and more!

It’s officially a day of rest and it’s Daylight Savings Sunday as well. Kick back, take your shoes off and live. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We don’t accept advertising and we don’t spend a hell of a lot of time talking. We just play music.

Sunday Funday!