Category: Country Blues

Songs About Water, A Zombies Spotlight Feature and Dylan & Cash ‘in Session’ Dominate Sunday, September 15, 2024

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to Sunday in The Lounge. Today we’ve got songs about water, a new Spotlight featuring The Zombies and Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash ‘in session’ in Nashville, vintage 1969.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

And it is everywhere, comprising 71% of the elements on earth. You’ll hear from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, 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, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Zombies NEW!

The Zombies are certainly one of the best of the British Invasion bands, and this Spotlight feature is long overdue. We’ve also got some live shows coming up in the future.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash “In Session” at Columbia Studios, Nashville, TN, February 17 & 18, 1969

This is a great ‘in session’ performance by two masters during the recording of Dylan’s Nashville Skyline album, one of my personal Dylan favorites. Although The Girl From The North Country was the only cut to make the album, it was a great collaboration.

Yeah, it’s Sunday Funday and we’ve got our usual great daily lineup sprinkled among all the big, wide Open Stream we offer every single day. And best of all, we’re free of charge and totally free of commercial interruption.

A Zombies Spotlight!

Thursday Brings ‘Are You Ready For the Country’, the Burrito Brothers and a Hank Williams Spotlight, September 12, 2024

Thursday is a country kind of day on the programming end as we open with our ‘Are You Ready for The Country’ EP, then it’s the Burrito Brothers at The Avalon and a Spotlight featuring country legend Hank Williams.

Here’s your country comfort for the day:

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

From the real country legends through those who helped pioneer country 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, Gram Parsons, 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 The Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 6, 1969

An opening performance with Gram Parsons at the helm as the brothers opened for The Grateful Dead on this date.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Hank Williams

We close with a true country legend, one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century, and one of the founding fathers of rock and roll.

Get on it. In between all this country we give you our big, wide Open Stream of 27,000 songs on as 24/7 basis with no commercial interruption. The button’s below.

Heading for The Weekend!

‘Ladies Sing The Blues’, EC & Friends, and James Cotton Deliver The Goods on Tuesday Bluesday, September 3, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge. We begin the festivities and the blues month with the ladies large and in charge!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday Lineup:

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

The ladies dominate The Mermaid Lounge this morning, including Billie Holliday, 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. Eric Clapton & Friends Live at The Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA, December 2, 1983

EC’s friends include Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Ray Cooper, Andy Fairweather Lowe and others in a benefit concert (The ARMS Concert) for friend Ronnie Lane, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1979.

8:00 p.m. The James Cotton Band Live at The Shaboo Inn, Willamantic, CT, December 6, 1974

We close out the Tuesday Bluesday programming with some great live James Cotton from what may seem an unlikely place called The Shaboo Inn in Willamantic, Connecticut.

Before, after and in between we give you our big, wide Open Stream. It’s a 24/7 commitment here in The Mermaid Lounge. Best of all, there’s no charge and no commercial advertising. We’re anti-capitalist.

Ladies Sing The Blues!

We Celebrate The Labor Movement With ‘Working Songs’ Then It’s The Beatles Top 100 Songs, Monday, September 2, 2024

Good morning, work-a-day people. It’s our day here and we’re celebrating in style with our expanded ‘Working Songs’ playlist. It’s not quite an EP. Yet. Then it’s on to The Beatles Top 100 songs at mid-afternoon!

Here’s your Labor Day lineup:

9:00 a.m. Working Songs: Various Artists UPDATED & EXPANDED!

Today we celebrate the American worker and the labor movement that gave us the weekend, worker protections and collective bargaining with Van Morrison, The Staple Singers, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Jim Croce, Little Feat, Woody Guthrie, Mudcrutch, Dolly Parton, Bachman Turner Overdrive, the J. Geils Band, Slim Harpo, Marvin Gaye, Lee Dorsey, Todd Rundgren, Sam Cooke, Neil Young, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band.

3:00 p.m. The Beatles Top 100 Songs

From the slums of Liverpool to laboring in clubs throughout Europe to becoming the greatest rock band on the planet. There’s no better story in music. It’s a great way to celebrate Labor Day.

Before, in between and through the night we give you our big, wide Open Stream. We’re on 24/7 and the Music Mermaid is on duty all day long. There’s no commercial interruption and no endless DJ chatter. The button is below.

Celebrate Labor Day!

Country Sunday Brings The Flying Burrito Brothers, the ‘Are You Ready For The Country’ EP & Poco, August 11, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re making it a country kind of Sunday with our big EP in between The Flying Burrito Brothers and the great little band called Poco, one of the first legit country-rock bands.

Here’s your Sunday Funday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at The Palomino Club, No. Hollywood, CA, June 8, 1969

We open with a band in the forefront of the country-rock genre; this version with both Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman.

1:00 p.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists

This afternoon, we’ve got country and country-rock filling up the airwaves with The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, The Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Rosanne Cash, Carlene Carter, Kris Kristofferson, The Desert Rose Band and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Poco NEW!

This evening we debut a Spotlight featuring one of the very first legitimate country-rock bands on the music scene. Poco was born in 1968 out of the ashes left behind by the breakup of Buffalo Springfield. This is another long-standing item we can finally check off the list.

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. No lie. If that’s not enough, we also do not run any commercial advertising. That’s because we’re not in it for the money. We’re in it for the music.

A Little Bit Country.
A Little Bit Rock n’ Roll.

The Ladies Open Tuesday Bluesday, Then It’s The Allman Brothers Band and Live Yardbirds Later, August 6, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! We open this fine Tuesday Bluesday with our multi-artist ‘Ladies Sing the Blues’ EP, then it’s The Brothers singing the blues and the 90’s version of the reformed Yardbirds playing at Bluesfest.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

The ladies are large and in charge for the morning and into early afternoon. You’ll hear Billie Holliday, 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. The Allman Brothers Band Sings the Blues, Volume One

We did this backwards, playing volume two last week. But hey, rules were made to be broken, so we did. This is also part of Martin Scorcese’s fantastic blues documentary.

8:00 p.m. The Yardbirds Live at Bluesfest, The Forum, Leverkusen, Germany, May 3, 1997 NEW!

This is a reformed Yardbirds band under the leadership of original drummer Jim McCarty. This performance was recorded for broadcast by WDR in Germany.

Always a busy day here on Tuesday Bluesday, but there’s room for one and all! We’ve got some great blues lined up and our big, wide Open Stream before, in between and after! The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Friday We’ve Got ‘Drivin’ Songs’, a Tim Hardin Spotlight, and Brand New Live Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, August 2, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the cusp of the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a pretty cool lineup here for you today, starting with a dose of driving songs.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Drivin’ Songs: Various Artists

Not merely songs about being in a car or driving somewhere, but songs that give you lead foot. There are many. Radar Love by Golden Earring comes to mind, and that’s just one of the songs you’ll hear in this great multi-artist playlist.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tim Hardin

Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction kept him from greatness, yet he remains one of the most consequential artists of the folk movement in America. Today we put him In the Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Live at The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Town Park, Telluride, CO, June 23, 1989 NEW!

This is our first-ever live performance by this enduring band that has graced the musical airwaves for more than half a century now. In this particular show, they bring along special guests Bruce Hornsby and Michael Martin Murphy.

It’s Friday. We’re nearly there, folks; just one more day. Hang in there with us all day today and your day will be better! Just hit the button below.

Friday is Here!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers Band, Long John Baldry, and Johnny Winter, July 30, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got three great acts on board for Tuesday Bluesday today, including a new live performance by British bluesman Long John Baldry.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Allman Brothers Band Sing The Blues, Volume Two

This playlist comes from Martin Scorcese’s great TV series on the subject of the genre and its artists. Here we have The Brothers singing traditional blues offerings.

4:00 p.m. Long John Baldry Live at The Down Town Blues Club, Hamburg, Germany, September 21, 1999

Brand new to the station. We’re expanding our blues offering once again and this guy has been on the list. It’s finally here, and a Spotlight is also in the works.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Johnny Winter

Mr. High Energy always remained true to the blues. Tonight he closes out the Tuesday Bluesday programming.

Before, in between and after, we’ve got that big, wide Open Stream to get you through the days and nights. We’re anti-capitalist. No fees. No memberships. No credit card required. Just hit the button. Seriously. That’s it.

Tuesday Bluesday!

The Day Opens and Closes With Country, With Five Hours of Soul and R&B in Between, Friday, July 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Today we open and close the programming with country music, but in between we’ve got our big, bad soul EP!

Here’s your country-soul programming:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Alison Krauss NEW!

We open with something that has been on the list for a very long time; an Alison Krauss Spotlight featuring her solo work along with her days with Union Station and her collaboration with Robert Plant.

1:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We break for the afternoon and spend time with the titans of soul, including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Ruffin, Carla Thomas, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, 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, Percy Sledge and more!

8:00 p.m. The Unbroken Circle: The Music of Rosanne Cash & Carlene Carter

The Johnny Cash-June Carter connection ran deeper than marriage. They were married to music as well. Tonight we give you the music of stepsisters Rosanne Cash and Carlene Carter.

We’re at the very cusp of the weekend and we’re plotting our programming for next week already when we’ll be moving into the final month of summer. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. And we do not run commercial advertising. Just hit the button below.

It’s a Country-Soul Friday!

Sunday Brings Tom Rush, ‘Music From Laurel Canyon,’ and JT and Joni Live at Royal Albert Hall, July 21, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! The weekend flies, doesn’t it? But hey, we’ve still got the day and we’ve got some great music from The Mermaid today.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tom Rush

Today we begin with the man credited with starting the whole singer-songwriter thing. I saw this guy when he was young, and I saw him as he celebrated his 79th birthday (one day after mine) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was as excellent as I remembered him.

1:00 p.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

As with all things sixties, it burned brightly and churned out a bunch of great music that was actually heard around the world. We were paying attention to the British Invasion, but most didn’t realize they were listening to us. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and more!

8:00 p.m. James Taylor & Joni Mitchell Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, October 28, 1970

Speaking of Laurel Canyon, yeah, JT and Joni were a thing for a while. And they made beautiful music together. Literally.

It is the official day of rest, even for the Big Kahuna in the sky (if you are into that stuff), so why not take his or her lead and give it a rest. Kick back. And listen to some great tunes.

Just Push Play. Right Here.