Month: August 2024

The Ladies Are in Charge on the Final Day of the Month, Then It’s ELO and Ian & Sylvia on Saturday, August 31, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! It’s the long Labor Day Weekend and we’ve got a great start in store as we open it up with our ‘Ladies Day Out’ multi-artist EP!

Here’s your weekend kickoff lineup:

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

The women of music are large and in charge today with 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, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, February 3, 1976

You’ll hear one great band led by one musical genius this afternoon in a performance in the iconic Winterland Ballroom.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Ian & Sylvia

A great folk music duo that sometimes falls through the cracks, but shouldn’t. Ian and Sylvia also became pioneers in country-rock after they moved to Nashville.

We begin the weekend in style today and we’re in holiday mood right through Monday! We’re on 24/7 for your listening pleasure at no cost to you and with no commercial interruption to break the flow. See for yourself. The button’s below.

We Celebrate Labor!

Welcome to Finally Friday! We’ve Got ‘Great Beginnings’ and Then Two Great Live Shows From Linda Ronstadt and Van Morrison on August 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! Once again we are on the cusp of the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge, and it’s a long weekend to boot! We start off with a great multi-artist playlist. It gets better from there.

Here’s your long-weekend lineup!

9:00 a.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists.

It’s not an EP, but it’s oh, so close. We start off with songs that have great opening riffs from The Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, Edgar Winter, The Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Guess Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Linda Ronstadt, George Harrison and more!

3:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at Rai Halle, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, November 21, 1976

We give you the undisputed Queen of Rock live from Rai Halle in Amsterdam early in her illustrious career.

7:00 p.m. Van Morrison Live at The Grand Opera House, Belfast, Ireland, March 11-12, 1983

We close it out with Van “The Man” Morrison live from Belfast.

It’s a great day today here in The Lounge, partly because I have a day off from retail hell, a rare event for a Friday. And I get to listen to all this great music as I hang out here getting ready for the musical week. You should tune in too. It won’t cost you a penny, and there’s no commercial advertising…just music 24/7. No lie.

A Long Weekend of Great Music!

On Thursday It’s ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, a Visit From The Soul Men and The Stones Live in Saitama, Japan, August 29, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to another day in The Mermaid Lounge as we get closer to the weekend! We’ve got a great lineup for you today.

FILE – In this Dec. 1975 file photo, musicians Roger McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan perform the finale of the The Rolling Thunder Revue, a tour headed by Dylan. (AP Photo, File)

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We kick the day off with a bit of Americana with the pioneers and revivalists of the craft like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, The Kingston Trio, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Odetta, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Tom Rush, The Band, Eric Andersen, Judy Collins, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

4:00 p.m. The Soul Men: Various Artists

We get a visit from some the Soul Men this afternoon, including Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Al Green, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Fats Domino, Jackie Wilson and more!

8:00 p.m. The Rolling Stones Live at The Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan, April 2, 2006

We close the programming with The Stones live in Saitama, Japan.

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to you because we’re all about the music; not about the money. And we’re not kidding. See for yourself. No strings. No bait-and-switch. Nada. The button’s below.

Folk Music From A-To-Z!

It’s The Sixties at Midweek Along With The Boss and a Very Consequential Joni Mitchell Concert, Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great lineup today and once again it’s all begins with the sixties. We’ve also got Springsteen and the concert that launched Greenpeace.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got volume two of our big sixties rotation today with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Kinks, The Ronettes, Velvet Underground, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Four Tops, CSNY, Marvin Gaye, The Doors, The Box Tops, The Beatles and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bruce Springsteen

This afternoon we put The Boss squarely In the Spotlight, the man who pioneered working-class heartland rock.

8:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell with James Taylor and Phil Ochs, Live at The Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, October 10, 1970

This is the concert that launched Greenpeace. The concert featured Joni Mitchell with her boyfriend at the time, James Taylor, and folk legend Phil Ochs in a performance that funded the organization’s protests of the 1971 nuclear weapons tests conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission at Amchitka Island, Alaska.

It’s a good day to be here, people. We have what we hope to be one final summer gasp today as the temps have finally begun to moderate back into the seventies. Inside, however, we bring the heat from a musical perspective. The button’s below.

The Concert for Amchitka

We’ve Got Our Big, Bad Blues EP, a Jimmy Reed Spotlight, and Janis Joplin Live in Amsterdam on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Good morning, Tuesday Bluesday lovers! We’re back once again for another day of blues programming sprinkled in our big, wide Open Stream!

Here’s your bluesy musical lineup:

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

Our biggest, baddest blues EP is here with Robert Johnson, Delbert McClinton, B. B. King, 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, The Robert Cray Band, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Marcia Ball, Koko Taylor, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Reed

Born to a sharecropper family back in 1925, Jimmy Reed’s unique electric blues style made him a favorite of both black and white musical audiences.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin & The Kozmic Blues Band Live at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, April 11, 1969

We head into the Wayback Machine for this gem back in 1969 from one of the most consequential female artists in rock and blues music history.

Tune us in and see what Tuesday Bluesday is all about. Before, in between and after our scheduled shows, we give you our big, wide Open Stream on a 24-hour basis at no charge. No kidding. See for yourself! The button’s below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Spend Monday With Marvin Gaye, Harry Nilsson and Neil Young & The International Harvesters, August 26, 2024

The work week is back and it brings a pretty eclectic programming schedule with Harry Nilsson sandwiched between two great live shows!

Here’s your musical Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Marvin Gaye Live at The Montreux Casino, Montreux, Switzerland, July 17, 1980 NEW!

In 1980, the Prince of Soul included a stop at the Montreux Jazz Festival as part of his European tour. We’ve got it live for you this morning.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Harry Nilsson

Surely one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation who had his greatest success as an artist during the seventies.

8:00 p.m. Neil Young & The International Harvesters Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, Texas, September 25, 1984

We close out the day’s programming with Neil Young live at Austin City Limits with his mid-80’s touring band, The International Harvesters.

We’re here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, bringing you the best music on the planet free of charge and free of commercial advertising. Just hit the button below.

Monday, Monday. Again.

It’s Wayback Machine Time With JeffersonAirplane, a Ride On ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and Cream’s Farewell on Sunday, August 25, 2024

Good morning, time travelers! We’re headed back to the sixties today for some mind-bending music and two of the sixties’ biggest artists!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Jefferson Airplane Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, November 25, 1966 NEW!

With Grace Slick at the helm, certainly one of the most formidable bands of the sixties opens up our programming today. We’re not so fond of the Starship, but the good old Airplane was our preferred method of travel.

1:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

We hope you enjoy your trip this afternoon with Vanilla Fudge, the Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Cream, Procol Harum, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Tommy James & The Shondells, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

8:00 p.m. Cream Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, November 26, 1968

Cream, the very first supergroup on the planet, played their final show together as a band on this date. It was broadcast live on The BBC.

Get on board. You don’t need no stinkin’ tickets. We’re rolling all day and night long here in The Mermaid Lounge. Just hit the button below.

Hop on The Wayback Machine!

Welcome Weekenders! It’s ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, an Al Green Spotlight, and Live Norah Jones on Saturday, August 24, 2024

Good morning, Weekenders! We’ve got a soulful day all lined up for you before we head into Norah Jones territory later, our first ‘live’ Norah Jones feature ever, but it won’t be the last.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Actually a lot of soul here with 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, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Nina Simone, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, LaVern Baker, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more! Five hours of uninterrupted soul and R&B!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Al Green

We bring the Reverend Al into The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon for his particular brand of soul, some of the most soulful stuff you’ll ever hear.

8:00 p.m. Norah Jones Live at The House of Blues, Chicago, IL, August 24, 2002 NEW!

We’ve got Norah Jones, that purveyor of soulful jazz, closing out our programming for the evening.

We’re on 24/7. Tired of hearing that yet? I’m tired of saying it. So, I’m looking for a new closing. In the meantime, the button is below.

Just Push Play.

Friday Delivers The Drifters, Songs About Food and Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP at Night. No kidding. August 23, 2024

Good morning, music lovers (and foodies also). We’ve got a great lineup on the cusp of the weekend, including a brand new Spotlight featuring The Drifters!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Drifters NEW!

Here’s another one off my musical ‘to do’ list. We (luckily) pipe a sixties station in our store and I hear an awful lot of songs by this band every day. I finally got to the point where this simply had to get done. Originally assembled as the back-up band for Clyde McPhatter, The Drifters turned their fortunes into a career that spanned half a century and generated plenty of number ones. Today, they are In the Spotlight.

2:00 p.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists

Another great multi-artist list (a shorter one) with songs about food from The Rolling Stones, Little Feat, Sam & Dave, Van Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Judy Collins, The Beatles, Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson, Cream, The Guess Who, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Eagles, The Flying Burrito Brothers and more!

7:00 p.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We head into the nighttime hours with songs about the morning. Yes. But earlier in the week we opened the morning programming with songs about the night. It’s only fitting. You’ll hear Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan and more.

Wow. Plenty of name dropping today, but there’s also plenty of good listening. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge and free of commercial advertising. We’re all about the music, people. See for yourself.

The Drifters!

Past the Hump With ‘Here Comes the Night’, Ringo Starr’s All Star Band, and Curtis Mayfield, Thursday, August 22, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. Here we are headed for the weekend with songs about the night, Ringo and his All Starr Band and the still brilliantly relevant Curtis Mayfield.

Here’s today’s musical mayhem:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Yes. We know it’s morning, but we’re opening up with songs about the night from Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Doors, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

4:00 p.m. Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band Live at The Green Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, August 2, 2008

We here believe that Ringo deserves our spotlight with a full photo. The man is the best drummer on the planet and has been a popular musical artist in his own right (with more than 40 albums and sold-out shows everywhere) since the breakup of The Fab Four.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Curtis Mayfield NEW!

Tonight we finally get another one off the list with a Curtis Mayfield spotlight. He was a brilliant singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was also the one of the most consequential soul and politically conscious African-American musicians in music history.

We’re headed toward the weekend, folks, and we aim to get you there with great music. We’re on 24/7 at no charge to the listening public and with absolutely no commercial advertising. See for yourself. The button’s below.

Headed for The Weekend!