Month: January 2024

‘M is For Motown’, Loggins & Messina and The McGarrigle Sisters Are All On Tap For Thursday, January 11, 2024

Morning, folks! We are on track for a great day here in The Mermaid Lounge with a trip to Motor City planned, our AOW, and some rare gems from Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  M is For Motown: Various Artists

We’ve got five hours of the music that made America dance with Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Edwin Starr, Eddie Holland, 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, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Sittin’ In by Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina

Back again for another airing of what was first intended to be a solo album by Loggins, but became Loggins & Messina’s first album together.

7:00 p.m.  Tell My Sister: The Unreleased Recordings of Kate & Anna McGarrigle

We haven’t aired this one for a while, so this is a good time to break it out. This is a rare gem for fans of the McGarrigle sisters, two of the greatest singer-songwriters ever who became fertile ground for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and others. Their covers led to Kate & Anna McGarrigle getting their first recording contract.

Get on in here. The Mermaid Lounge is open to all and we’re open all night. What better day to head toward the weekend?

Just Push Play!

We’re at Midweek With ‘The British Are Coming’, Kris Kristofferson, and Elvis’ Sun Sessions, Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got quite an eclectic lineup today as we belatedly celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The British Are Coming: Various Artists

Yes, while Britain was falling in love with American rock and roll, we were digging The British Invasion over here, and we play it for you today with The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Lulu, The Searchers, The Hollies, Electric Light Orchestra, the Dave Clark Five, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Cream, Yes, Traffic, Elton John, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Spencer Davis Group, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kris Kristofferson

Mr. Kristofferson is back this afternoon as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m.  Elvis Presley: The Complete Sun Sessions

We celebrate Elvis’ birthday just a couple of days late, but with what we believe is the absolute best of Elvis…his early stuff recorded in 1954-1955 at Sun Studios in Memphis. My favorite Elvis song? Mystery Train.

Come on, people. We are here 24/7 at no charge to you. We don’t track you. We don’t require a credit card. All you need is a computer tab and the button right below this post.

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Tuesday Bluesday Opens With Music From The Windy City and Closes With Big Mama Thornton, January 9, 2024

Good morning, Bluesologists! Today we open Tuesday Bluesday with our ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP and we close with Big Mama Thornton and the Muddy Waters Blues Band in session at Coast Recorders.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We open the day with music from the Windy City including music from 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: Sittin’ In by Loggins & Messina

What was originally a solo album by Kenny Loggins actually became the first album my Loggins & Messina. And it’s a good one at that.

7:00 p.m.  Big Mama Thornton In Session With The Muddy Waters Blues Band, Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, April 25, 1966

There’s nobody quite like Big Mama. In fact, The House of Blues in New Orleans boasts ‘Big Mama’s Lounge.’ Today we’ve got the original Hound Dog singer in session with the Muddy Waters Blues band.

It’s always jumpin’ here on Tuesday Bluesday. Today is no exception. There’s plenty of room here for everyone, so get on board the blues train!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday We Deliver Lukas Nelson and POTR, Banned Songs, and ‘Live’ Pretenders in Germany, January 8, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a great lineup that includes Willie’s boy Lukas and his band, some songs that were banned from the airwaves back in the day, and The Pretenders live from Hamburg.

Here’s today’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real

Willie’s boy is back with his band. Any band that tours with Neil Young is the real deal. If you haven’t heard them before, this is a good time.

3:00 p.m.  Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists

Yes, songs like God Only Knows by The Beach Boys were banned from the airwaves because it was the first time God was mentioned in a rock song. So was The Heartbreakers’ You Don’t Know How It Feels, and Lennon’s Imagine. The craziest one of all was My Generation by The Who because it allegedly made fun of people who stutter. They are all here today.

7:00 p.m.  The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

The great Chrissie Hynde and my favorite alternative band are live from Germany to close out the programming tonight.

Come on. It’s Monday. The beginning of another work week. And we all need a bit of a boost on Monday. If you have an office and a computer, just close your door, pretend you’re immersed in the bottom line, and hit the button below.

Just Push Play.

Another Simply Sunday Brings Our AOW by Loggins & Messina and the ‘What’s In a Name’ Multi-Artist EP, January 7, 2024

Yes, I will admit that there are times when I’m still writing ‘2023’ on stuff but, in spite of my encroaching old age, I’m doing better than I was last year at this time! (And that’s a good sign.)

Here’s your Sunday funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Sittin’ In by Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina NEW!

I have a lot of fond musical memories of these guys; put simply, they just made some great music. This was originally intended as a Loggins solo album, but Jim Messina was brought in as the producer and started writing some songs, playing instruments and singing background. The original (correct) title is Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In, by the way. However, after that? They became Loggins & Messina and put out a string of great albums. We’ve got one today.

3:00 p.m.  What’s In a Name: Various Artists

An EP with names in songs. You know, like Ode to Billie Joe. Or Alison. Or Gloria. There are many, and we’ve got a bunch from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Donovan, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Laura Nyro, Bobbie Gentry, The Kinks, Three Dog Night and many more!

The snow continues to fall outside The Mermaid Lounge, but we can’t get no respect here. Winters are not what they used to be, even in the Boston area. But it’s cozy and filled with good music here. Best of all, I don’t have to move an inch until Tuesday. Join us.

Simply Sunday!

We Celebrate the Weekend With Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Our AOW, and Kris Kristofferson, Saturday, January 6, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! Our time has arrived and we have the J. Geils Band’s final spin with our AOW, Kris Kristofferson as our featured singer-songwriter and the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ multi-artist EP!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Bloodshot by The J. Geils Band FINAL AIRING!

The final airing of Bloodshot has arrived. By the time you roll your butt out of bed on Sunday morning, there’ll be a brand new album.

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

Life on the road is a popular topic for the troubadour. You’ll hear 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, Joan Baez, Asleep At The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Del Shannon and more!

8:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kris Kristofferson NEW!

Kris Kristofferson retired from the music business in 2020, but along the way he wrote some amazing songs and helped put some great singers on the map, like Me & Bobby McGee, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, and For The Good Times, all hits for other artists. He also had a successful solo recording career, releasing more than 20 albums and reaching number one in 1972 with the brilliant Jesus Was A Capricorn. Kristofferson was also a member of The Highwaymen with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, a supergroup that was instrumental in the success of the ‘outlaw’ country music movement of the seventies. This week Kristofferson is our featured singer-songwriter.

We keep rolling along here in The Mermaid Lounge, playing the music without commercial interruption and the obnoxious chatty DJ’s. We don’t charge you either. We’re completely anti-capitalist. It’s all about the music.

Greetings Weekenders!

Friday It’s Our ‘All Fired Up’ Playlist, Jimmy Reed, and Tim Hardin Live at Max Yasgur’s Farm, January 5, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a fine lineup for you today that includes some new ‘live’ Tim Hardin music from Woodstock ’69…the only Woodstock.

Here’s your funday Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  All Fired Up: Various Artists

Not quite an EP, but very close. You’ll hear Basia, Electric Light Orchestra, The Rolling Stones, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Doors, James Taylor, Steve Winwood, Tom Petty, Ann Peebles, Johnny Cash, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Stevie Nicks, Gram Parsons, Tim Buckley, Al Green, The Neville Brothers, Poco and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jimmy Reed FINAL AIRING!

Jimmy Reed makes his final appearance as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Saturday there will be a new artist introduced.

8:00 p.m.  Tim Hardin Live at Woodstock ’69, Max Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, New York, August 15, 1969 NEW!

The only thing that kept Tim Hardin from stardom was his heroin addiction. It killed him at the age of 39. We here in The Mermaid Lounge want to introduce Tim Hardin to those who may not know him, or those who may have forgotten his body of work. Tonight we air his 11-song set from Woodstock ’69.

We’re on a roll entering the new year and we intend to keep it up with new music and features. Stick around. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. There’s no commercial advertising either. What’s not to love?

Just Push Play!

Today Brings Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, the J. Geils Band, and The Allman Brothers at Woodstock ’94, Thursday, January 4, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We head toward the weekend. It’s all downhill now and we’ve got a bunch of good music to help us get there!

Here are your musical details:

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

Yes, the earth is composed of 71% water. Perhaps that’s why there are so many songs about water in all its forms. You’ll hear Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Tom Rush, Bonnie Raitt, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Bloodshot by The J. Geils Band

Boston’s original bad boys are back with our Album of The Week.

7:00 p.m.  The Allman Brothers Band, Live at Woodstock ’94, Winston Farm, Saugerties, NY, August 14, 1994

The Brothers in a great performance at a not-so-great Woodstock ’94 event.

Blah. Blah. Blah. I could go on and on about why you should tune us in. But I won’t today. We wish you a wonderful day here from The Mermaid Lounge.

The Weekend is In Sight!

Midweek Brings Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, Bluesman Jimmy Reed and ‘Live’ Joni Mitchell, Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek and we start things off with songs about dreaming, then it’s singer-songwriter Jimmy Reed and Joni Mitchell with the concert that started Greenpeace!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  In Your Dreams: Various Artists

We start off the morning, oddly enough, with songs about sleeping and dreaming from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Parsons Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jimmy Reed

We bring back bluesman Jimmy Reed for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m.  Joni Mitchell Live at The Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, October 16, 1970 NEW!

The concert known as Amchitka is the benefit concert that launched Greenpeace. Joni Mitchell was the featured performer, although both James Taylor and Phil Ochs took part. It was held to raise money to fund Greenpeace’s protest of the 1971 nuclear weapons tests by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission at Amchitka, Alaska.

We’re back for our sixth year and we are on track for a great year here in The Mermaid Lounge! As always we are on 24/7 free of charge with no commercial advertising.

In Your Dreams!

If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Bluesday With The Ladies, the J. Geils Band and ‘Live’ Gregg Allman, January 2, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! The second day of the new year is a Tuesday Bluesday and we’ve got a blues trifecta today that includes some new ‘live’ Gregg Allman Band!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

The ladies take over the lounge to open up our programming. You’ll hear from Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Bloodshot by The J. Geils Band

We have some fine blues-rock coming up this afternoon from Boston’s original bad boys.

7:00 p.m.  The Gregg Allman Band Live at Wolfgang’s, San Francisco, CA, May 14, 1987 NEW!

Gregg Allman’s ‘other’ band when he wasn’t recording and touring with the Allman Brothers Band and when he didn’t feel like being a solo artist. Much like our friend Tom Petty with Mudcrutch. Tonight we have them live from Wolfgang’s in San Francisco.

We’re back for another year. We’ve got some changes in the works and plenty of new music coming up for 2024. Stick around. We’re still free 24/7 with no commercial interruption, and intend to stay that way.

Tuesday Bluesday!