Category: Acoustic Music

Midweek Brings Our ‘Sixties Rotation, Volume Two’ EP and We Celebrate Mick Jagger’s Birthday With The Rolling Stones in the Spotlight Later, Wednesday, July 27, 2022:

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are at midweek in The Mermaid Lounge and we’ve got our focus squarely on the sixties today. We kick it off with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation’ EP.

We bring you The Sixties starting at 10:00 a.m. today!

Here’s your midweek line-up:

10:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

Today’s rotation is the second focused on the music of the sixties, and is mostly the mid-to-late timeframe. You’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, The Animals, The Yardbirds, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Zombies, Donovan, The Velvet Underground, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Rolling Stones

Today, we celebrate (albeit, belatedly) the 79th birthday of Mick Jagger, born on July 26, 1943. The Stones were founded in 1962 in London, England and have been on the music scene for six decades. That’s what I call staying power.

We’ve seen a great metamorphosis over the last month, with more and more people from the U.S. joining our international listeners. Let’s keep that up. We have no money for advertising because we get no money from advertising. We simply do not accept commercial advertising of any form, so there’s no income. We rely on word-of-mouth, so please help us out!

The Sixties Rotation 2!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and We’ve Got Our ‘Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blues’ EP and ‘Live’ Muddy Waters Later, July 26, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We are back with another outstanding day of Tuesday Bluesday programming with more than five hours of uninterrupted blues and ‘live’ Muddy Waters.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

10:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Today is the Big Kahuna of our blues playlists with blues, blues-rock and electric blues from all over the spectrum. You will hear B.B. King, Delbert McClinton, 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, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Robert Cray Band, J.J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Koko Taylor, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi, Duane Allman, Marcia Ball, Roomful of Blues, Tracy Nelson, Howlin’ Wolf, Linda Ronstadt, and more!

4:30 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin

Today is the second airing of Shawn Colvin’s debut album, and it’s the only break in our blues programming for the day. The Album of The Week must go on regardless of the playlist content! This one put her on the map pretty quickly.

7:00 p.m. Muddy Waters Recorded Live at Harry Hope’s (Cary, IL) and The Masonic Auditorium (Detroit, MI), sometime in 1979 NEW!

The great Muddy “Mississippi” Waters recorded live at two different venues sometime while on the road in 1979. This one’s a bootleg.

Another fine Tuesday Bluesday awaits, so don’t touch that dial. We’ve got Spain, Chile, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Russian Federation, Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Cali, New York, Maine, Florida, and those folks from Kansas all on this morning! Join them. You will not regret it. I promise.

Tuesday Bluesday!

The Work Week is Back and We’ve Got The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt & a Trifecta Afternoon On Tap, Monday, July 25, 2022

Good Morning, Workers! We’re facing another work week and it starts off steamy both inside and out as we’ve got some brand new ‘live’ Linda Ronstadt later on, along with The Hollies and some Trifectas.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Hollies

Formed in Salford, England, in 1962, the Hollies were a force in music throughout the sixties and into the seventies and were most known for their distinctive three-part harmonies. But let’s not get too damned technical here: They were just a great band and one of the most influential British Invasion bands.

2:00 p.m. Open Stream with Afternoon Trifectas!

We haven’t had one of these afternoons in a while, so it is about damned time.

2:00 p.m. Guy Clark

3:00 p.m. Sam Cooke

4:00 p.m. Canned Heat

5:00 p.m. Valerie Carter

6:00 p.m. Norah Jones

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY, January 29, 1975 NEW!

Linda Ronstadt was the christening act in the opening of the Calderone back in the day and Tom Rush was her opening act. This performance from 1975 was broadcast on WLIR-FM and most of the songs are from Don’t Cry Now and Heart Like a Wheel. I have seen Ronstadt perform live 39 times in my lifetime, and she never disappointed. Ever. This one is no exception.

Join your friends. We’ve got Croatia, Romania, Spain, the UK, France, Germany, Greece, The Faroe Islands, Australia, Canada, and some folks in Kansas, New York, and Florida on this morning. Make your Monday more tolerable.

It’s Monday, Monday

Today We’ve Got Visitors From Across the Pond with ‘The British Are Coming’ and Our New Album From Shawn Colvin, Sunday, July 24, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! Today is going to be a hot one, as they say, particularly in the weather sense as we anticipate tickling the 100 degree mark. Trust me. I’m a total Lounge Lizard today.

Here’s your musical programming today:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Steady On by Shawn Colvin NEW!

Today we give you Shawn Colvin’s debut album, released on October 17, 1989. Not only did it help establish Colvin as a folk force to be reckoned with, but it brought her the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1991. She either wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, and had help from folks like Bruce Hornsby, Suzanne Vega, and Rick Marotta, who also took a turn as Linda Ronstadt’s drummer. It’s a keeper and it makes its Mermaid Lounge debut today at 11:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming! Various Artists

Our friends from Across the Pond are back with some great music from The British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Beatles (of course), The Who, The Zombies, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, The Hollies, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Cream, Queen, the Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Yes, the Spencer Davis Group, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and more!

As with every Sunday, we’re mostly on Open Stream, and that’s a good thing as we’ve been adding new music over the last couple of weeks. This is a great day to find out what we’re all about, and it won’t cost you a thing to become a fan. Frankly, your money is no good here.

The British Are Coming!

It’s The Usual Saturday in The Lounge With Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, Our AOW, More of The Beatles, and LIVE DEAD! Later on July 23, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! We are finally here! (Well, some of us must endure one more retail hell day.) And you certainly are in capable hands with The Music Mermaid today!

It comprises 71% of the earth and is the subject of our musical affection today!

Here’s your musical landscape:

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

Water is essential for our survival. So is music. So, we’ll hear from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Johnny Rivers, America, Donovan, and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Hasten Down The Wind by Linda Ronstadt FINAL AIRING!

It’s the swan song for this fine album today. It was Linda Ronstadt’s seventh studio release and she stepped out from the country-rock genre just a bit to spread her wings, and many of her Laurel Canyon buddies helped her out on this one. Not to be missed.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The End Game

The Beatles were only actually in the limelight for about seven years, even though they started singing together in the fifties. They hit their stride here in America when they came to play The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, and they never looked back. By 1970, they were done as a group, having accomplished all they could together…including changing the entire face of music. They were brilliant to the bitter end.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Winterland, San Francisco, CA, February 24, 1974

This is a repeat performance, but it hasn’t been aired here since 2020. It’ll be just like new. I promise. Another great soundboard recording from a legendary band in a legendary venue, Winterland.

Saturdays are always chock full of good times here in The Mermaid Lounge. I promise. I mean, you have absolutely not one investment to make that involves money. Your money is no good here. The only investment you have to make is in time. Take a little time to join your friends from around the world, and this one person from Kansas who has been on for days. Are they dead? Or are they just in love with the station? We’ll never know.

Water, Water Everywhere

We Close Out The Work Week With Our Multi-Artist ‘House EP’ and The Beatles’ Transformation Years on Friday, July 22, 2022

Good Morning, Beatles Lovers! Not only do we have part two of our Beatles triple play a bit later, but we’ve got our very own #BecomeUngovernable House EP to get you through the day.

We’ve got our feet firmly planted in our DNA today!

Here’s what you’re listening to on this fine day:

10:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

Today we’ve got just over five hours of music that makes up this station’s DNA, including a fair amount of socially conscious music, something sorely lacking today. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, The Beatles, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, , Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone and more!

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The Transformation Years

Undoubtedly the most creative of all times in their career which, frankly, wasn’t a very long one. Wings lasted longer than The Beatles, but nobody had the influence on music that The Beatles had in a short period of time, and perhaps no band will ever repeat that feat again. We’ve got music here from about the time of Rubber Soul to the latter part of the sixties.

Great day to be here. It’s hot as Hades out there today. And not getting any less ugly either as this promises to carry into the weekend. Stay cool with us here in The Mermaid Lounge as we play the greatest music on the planet. All free of charge and free of commercial interruption.

The BU House Playlist!

We’ve Got ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP at Midweek Along With Jefferson Airplane ‘Live’ in Copenhagen, Wednesday, July 20, 2022

It is, without a doubt, a totally sixties midweek musical adventure here in The Mermaid Lounge as we give you the ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP and some ‘live’ Jefferson Airplane

Here’s your midweek musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

This is the original focusing mainly (but not completely) on the early-to-mid sixties. You will hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, Harry Nilsson, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Procol Harum, The Temptations, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and more!

7:00 p.m. Jefferson Airplane Live at The Falconer Salen, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 28, 1968

We’ve got one of the greatest bands of the psychedelic era live tonight from Copenhagen, Denmark. Not to be confused with the poppy, zippy sounds of The Jefferson Starship, thank you very much, no. This is the real deal here before Grace Slick totally lost her shit.

This is undoubtedly our favorite musical era here in The Mermaid Lounge. It’s what made us start the station to begin with. So, we’ve come full circle on this fine Wednesday. Before, in between and all night long we’ve got non-stop, commercial-free music. And our DJ’s are virtually mute. Even better. I listen to those guys on the sixties channel on that station you have to pay for and they make me cringe. We don’t do that here. And we’re totally 100%, no-strings-attached free. Every damned day.

The Original 60s Rotation!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and We’ve Got Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Heartbreakers, and Ronstadt On Tap, July 19, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We’ve got some good stuff on tap for this Tuesday Bluesday, including a visit from one of our House Bands later on. Read on for all the details!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

10:00 a.m. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, October 4, 1984

We’ve got SRV in the house to kick off the Tuesday Bluesday activities. This time around we’ve got a live performance from Carnegie Hall with his band, Double Trouble.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Hasten Down The Wind by Linda Ronstadt

The only break in the blues programming is for this great album. Although, technically, Ronstadt pays homage to the blues genre with her amazing version of the great Tracy Nelson’s Down So Low. Spectacular.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Sing The Blues

It’s no secret that Tom Petty had a vision of he and his bandmates growing old together sitting around on chairs singing the blues. He said that often, and his love for the blues showed on many albums and in many live performances where he would spontaneously add blues songs to a set list. The album Mojo was a tribute to the blues. And finally, if you listen to Tom Petty Radio, you’ll know he was also a DJ on the Buried Treasure show which featured the blues quite frequently. But the ultimate proof of The Heartbreakers’ passion for the blues is to listen to them sing the blues. So, here you have it.

Tuesday is always a good day to tune us in. Today, we’ve already got folks on from Romania, Russian Federation, Australia, the UK, France, Spain, Greece, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, and points beyond. All you need is a computer tab. We do the rest. Your money is no good here.

Tuesday Bluesday is here!

We Open The Week on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ EP and We’ve Got Ry Cooder ‘live’ at The Record Plant Later, Monday, July 18, 2022

Good Morning, Mind Travelers! Yesterday was our Linda Ronstadt birthday bash here, so The Psychedelic Express is a day late leaving the station. But climb on board because it’s ready to go!

The Psychedelic Express leaves the station promptly at 10:00 a.m.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Undoubtedly one of the most fun EP’s we have here in The Mermaid Lounge as we pay tribute to this genre with Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, the Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Tommy James & The Shondells, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more! Five hours of mind-altering tunes!

7:00 p.m. Ry Cooder Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, California, July 7, 1974

Speaking of Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder is one of her all-time favorites and she believes he’s still the best guitarist she’s ever met. If you’ve seen the Ronstadt doc The Sound of My Voice, you’ll know it’s a mutual admiration society. He’s a favorite here in The Mermaid Lounge too, and we’ve got a great performance from him at the Record Plant for you today.

Speaking of The Sound of My Voice, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should. It’s out there on YouTube. And you should tune us in today if you yearn for the days of the Summer of Love as our Psychedelic Express EP will take you back in time. Before, after and in between, we’ve got all that great wide Open Stream. Totally free of charge with no commercial interruption.

All Aboard The Psychedelic Express!

Today, We Celebrate Ronstadt’s 76th Birthday Mixed in With All That Wide Open Stream, Sunday, July 17, 2022

Today we celebrate the 76th birthday of Linda Ronstadt, a woman whose indelible mark on music is legendary. From the very beginning, Linda Ronstadt made sure she was in charge of her own career, and she did a hell of a job with it. She defied those who wanted to pigeon-hole her sound to sing just about any damned thing she wanted.

She can no longer sing, but her music is timeless.

Here’s your musical landscape for today:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hasten Down The Wind by Linda Ronstadt

This was a very tough selection. Like asking me to pick one singular favorite Linda Ronstadt song. But in the end, it made its case. Released in 1976, this was Ronstadt’s seventh studio album during a time when she was the undisputed Queen of Rock. (Some of us believe she still is, frankly.) Although the Laurel Canyon influence is all over this album, Linda Ronstadt switched gears on this one a bit and began to sing the songs of some new songwriters, like Karla Bonoff and Warren Zevon, who would soon be on the map. Two songs were also co-authored by Ronstadt, Try Me Again and Lo Siento Mi Vida, the latter being her first move into the Spanish sound.

The album became her third consecutive million-selling album, the first such feat by a female singer. Hasten Down The Wind earned Ronstadt a Grammy for the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, in 1977, her second of 13 career Grammys. It was also the second of four country #1 albums for her.

2:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, May 14, 1995

I had the absolute pleasure of being at this show in 1995. I remember it well. It was a real treat to have two brilliant women on stage that night as the late, great Valerie Carter was the opening act and joined Ronstadt on stage for a couple of beautiful songs. The best thing about Linda Ronstadt is that she was never threatened by sharing the stage with others, male or female, and that she felt like she was better as part of a bigger whole…in spite of her amazing solo career. And this brings us to our final programming for the day.

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

We close out the day with a great playlist of songs where Ronstadt shares the limelight. She’s either a back-up singer or a duet singer on these songs, sharing the duties with the likes of Glenn Frey, Valerie Carter, J.D. Souther, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Bette Midler, Emmylou Harris, The McGarrigle Sisters, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Nicolette Larson, James Taylor, Hoyt Axton and others. A fitting ending to our birthday celebration.

Before, in between and after, there’ll be all that wide Open Stream. Join us for Linda’s 76th birthday bash today. We’re sure you won’t regret it.

Happy Birthday, Linda Ronstadt!