Month: December 2024

Sunday Brings The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Who ‘In the Spotlight’ and Music From Laurel Canyon, December 22, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! It’s a balmy 8 degrees here in the Boston area, where we seem to have wildly fluctuating temperatures. But it’s cozy here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, August 18, 1976 NEW!

A new live performance by The Flying Burrito Brothers starts us off today. Although best known for their connection to their legendary founder, Gram Parsons, and Chris Hillman formerly of The Byrds, the lineup underwent a never-ending cycle of changes. The Burritos’ lineup for this show was Skip Battin and Gene Parsons alongside Gib Guilbeau, Joel Scott Hill, and pedal steel legend “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow. Ever changing but always great.

1:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Who

Formed in London in 1964, The Who became one of the most influential bands of the 20th Century, making many contributions to rock music and pioneering the rock opera with Tommy.

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

We move into the evening hours with one of our most popular EPs featuring the artists that helped to launch the country-rock genre, including The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

We’re on it today and every day. We’re a 24/7 operation 365 days a year, and we’re totally free of charge and free of commercial advertising. The button’s below.

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Saturday Delivers ‘Color My World’, a New Nicolette Larson ‘Spotlight’ and Some Live Moody Blues, December 21, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We finally made it. We’re excited today to finally have a ‘Spotlight’ feature for Nicolette Larson, who left us far too soon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

It’s Open Stream with a Theme about colors with The Beatles, James Taylor, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nicolette Larson NEW!

We finally put together a ‘Spotlight’ feature for an artist who left us far too soon. Some of her music is already in our stream, but much more will be in there by this evening.

8:00 p.m. The Moody Blues Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, March 19, 1993

We close it out today with the Moody Blues live in concert with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater.

I head for work today and look forward to a week of vacation time. There’ll be new music coming and we’ll get our plans together for the next year of programming. In the meantime, the button is below.

Nicolette Larson!

The End of the Work Week Brings The Linda Ronstadt-Neil Young Connection, Live Joni Mitchell, the Neville Brothers and ‘Wheels’, On Friday, December 20, 2024

We’ve got a busier Friday than usual today, adding one extra playlist on a day when we generally don’t run an extended playlist. It starts with the Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young connection.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Linda Ronstadt-Neil Young Connection NEW!

Whether covering Neil Young’s songs or singing back-up on his recordings, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young have a musical connection.

1:00 p.m. Wheels: Various Artists

Songs about getting around town and traveling across the miles from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who, T. Rex, Wings, Joni Mitchell, Mudcrutch, The Beatles, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Alice Cooper, Golden Earring, Chuck Berry and more!

5:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Club 47, Cambridge, MA, January 10, 1968

Now known as Passim’s, Club 47 once played host to some of the best and the brightest who became the stars of the sixties and seventies. Joni Mitchell was one of them.

8:00 p.m. The Neville Brothers: In the Spotlight

We close out the day’s programming with some authentic New Orleans R & B, funk and soul courtesy of The Neville Brothers.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. Next week it’s time for friends and family and, of course, my vacation when we’ll be putting together some new music ideas for the station. In the meantime, the button is below. We’re totally free. See for yourselves.

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On Thursday We Celebrate ‘The Founders’, Then The Band ‘In the Spotlight,’ and Live Dr. John, December 19, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are once again headed for the weekend! We’re starting the day with a tribute to the founders who pioneered rock and roll, then it’s The Band and live Dr. John.

Here’s your Thursday music:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We start off with music from Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Band

They started out as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and he referred to him as “The Band.” The name stuck, and they proceeded to become one of the greates and most influential music acts in popular music. A definite Mermaid Lounge favorite.

8:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, November 6, 1973

From Wikipedia, which says it best: Active as a session musician from the late 1950s until his death, he gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album Gris-Gris (1968) and his appearance at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music (1970). He typically performed a lively, theatrical stage show inspired by medicine shows, Mardi Gras costumes, and voodoo ceremonies. Rebennack recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums, as well as contributing to thousands of other musicians’ recordings. In 1973, he achieved a top-10 hit single with “Right Place, Wrong Time“. We simply love Dr. John here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We get closer to the weekend today and I get closer to my vacation, when we’ll be introducing some new music and playlists to our ever-growing offering. In the meantime, the button is below.

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On Wednesday It’s ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, Bob Dylan & George Harrison ‘In Session’ and a Stone Poneys ‘Spotlight’ December 18, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re at midweek and soon headed for the weekend, but today we’ve got a full slate of great music to get us through midweek.

Here’s your midweek music:

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

The earth is 71% water, so it’s only fitting that we have a playlist about water. It features Valerie Carter, Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, Bonnie Raitt, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m. Bob Dylan & George Harrison ‘In Session’ at Columbia Studios, May 1, 1970

On May Day, Dylan and Harrison headed into Columbia Stuios in New York and made music together. We’ve got the result for you today.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Stone Poneys

This was Ronstadt’s first gig after arriving in LA from her home in Tuscon, Arizona, laying the groundwork for a brilliant career that spanned decades and made her the Queen of Rock.

We’re at midweek. Once we are through today, we’re on the downslide to the weekend and I’m on the way to a week’s vacation from hardware hell. The button is below.

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On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Best of Louisiana Blues,’ Live Howlin’ Wolf and a Slim Harpo ‘Spotlight’, December 17, 2024

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday and we kick it off with blues from the bayou and beyond, Howlin’ Wolf live in Chicago and blues harp maestro Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight’.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We head to Louisiana to hear Slim Harpo, Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Ray Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Little Walter, Big Boy Myles, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more.

4:00 p.m. Howlin’ Wolf Live at Alice’s Revisited, Chicago, IL, January 26, 1972

We’ve got some live Howlin’ Wolf coming up this afternoon in a performance from Alice’s Revisited in Chicago.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Slim Harpo

We close it out with blues harp maestro, guitarist and proponent of the swamp blues, Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight.’

Another Tuesday Bluesday rolls around and we’ve got great music here for you today. It’s pouring rain here in the Boston area. It’s supposed to be snowing by now, but it has been more than three years since the New England area has seen its ‘normal.’ Nevertheless, we keep on keeping on here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Tuesday Bluesday!

It’s Monday, Monday With Jefferson Airplane, Our ‘More Cowbell Please’ Playlist and Live Neil Young On December 16, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re back at the work week, but I’m one more week away from a week’s vacation from hardware hell. It’s my Christmas present to myself! In the meantime, we’ve got a great lineup for you today.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Jefferson Airplane

A great band that helped cement the San Francisco sound with the great Grace Slick on lead vocals. This band would also spawn Hot Tuna with Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, a band still in play today.

2:00 p.m. More Cowbell Please: Various Artists

I would never have thought there would be so many songs that used the cowbell as an instrument, but this one is nearly an EP! You’ll hear The Beatles, The Alan Parson’s Project, Blind Faith, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Edgar Winter, Electric Light Orchestra, Grateful Dead, The James Gang, Harry Nilsson, Journey, Led Zeppelin, The Pretenders and more!

8:00 p.m. Neil Young and Crazy Horse Live at The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA, November 13, 1990

We close out the evening with a great Neil Young concert with his number one back-up band, Crazy Horse.

It’s back to Monday. But it doesn’t have to be all bad because we’re here with the best damned music on the planet. The button is below.

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On Sunday It’s The Staple Singers, Live Leon Russell and Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP. It’s December 15, 2024.

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Sunday in The Lounge. We’ve got a Staple Singers ‘Spotlight’, some live Leon Russell and our ‘M is For Motown’ EP to bring us through late afternoon and into the evening hours.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Staple Singers

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B group with a civil rights emphasis founded by Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children Cleotha, Pervis, and Mavis. They left us a great library of music.

1:00 p.m. Leon Russell Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, August 7, 1972

To put it bluntly, Leon Russell was a musical legend. Over a sixty-year career he had multiple hits covering many genres, including rock and roll, country, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. He won two Grammys, was named the top concert attraction of 1973 by Billboard, and in 2011 he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

4:00 p.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We close out the day with our great multi-artist Motown EP featuring Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, 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!

It’s damned cold here today, and it’s a great day to be inside enjoying the world from a window with some great music coming from my speakers. Join me. The button is below.

The Sunday Funday Button!

It’s a Country Kind of Day With Our Big EP, Live Flying Burrito Brothers, and Willie Nelson on Saturday, December 14, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where we spend the day with some ‘real’ country musicians and the pioneers of country-rock!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists

We’re back with our real country EP (none of those bad pop bands with fiddles) of the traditional pioneers and those who pioneered the marriage of country and rock. You’ll hear The Eagles, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

4:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY, November 28, 1976

Gram Parsons, a country-rock pioneer who passed from this world far too soon, and The Burrito Brothers are live from My Father’s Place this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Willie Nelson

We close out the day’s programming with a Willie Nelson ‘Spotlight’ feature.

We’re on 24/7 and we play the best music on the planet completely free of charge and free of commercial advertising. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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Today It’s All About Luck, Followed By the All-Girl Revue Too, and Alison Krauss & Robert Plant on Friday, December 13, 2024

Yes, it’s Friday. It’s also Friday the 13th, which brings us to today’s opening playlist about luck…good, bad or just plain dumb. Then we’ve got the second volume of our All-Girl Revue as well as Alison Krauss & Robert Plant live in Manchester.

Here’s your Friday the 13th lineup:

10:00 a.m. Good Luck, Bad Luck, Dumb Luck: Various Artists

Is it good luck or bad luck? Or just plain dumb luck? You’ll find out from Cream, Taj Mahal, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Albert King, Jethro Tull, Genesis, The Wallflowers, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney & Wings, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Joe Walsh, Stevie Wonder, Loggins & Messina, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The All-Girl Revue Too: Various Artists

We haven’t heard this one for a bit, so let’s take a spin with Amy Winehouse, Linda Ronstadt, Chi Coltrane, Carlene Carter, Emmylou Harris, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Maria Muldaur, Nicolette Larson, Janis Ian, Stevie Nicks, Joan Baez, Susan Tedeschi, Mary Wells, Grace Slick, Carole King and more!

8:00 p.m. Alison Krauss & Robert Plant Live at Manchester Apollo Theatre, Manchester, UK, May 7, 2008 NEW!

I’m not sure anybody knew what to expect from this musical pairing, but it surely was an unlikely pairing. Nevertheless, it has produced two amazing albums and together live they are outstanding.

We’ve got a great lineup today, music lovers. It’s the perfect time to climb aboard! There is nothing required: No subscription. No credit card. See for yourselves. The button is below.

Freaky Friday?