We Head For the Weekend With ‘M is For Motown,’ a Sam Cooke Spotlight & ‘Live’ Robert Cray, Thursday, April 11, 2024

Good morning soul and R&B lovers! We’ve got a full slate for you today, starting with our multi-artist tribute to Motown. Then, it’s the ‘King of Soul’ in The Spotlight and some live Robert Cray Band. Did you know that he’s Barack Obama’s favorite singer?

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We get the day’s programming started with Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, 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. In The Spotlight: The Music of Sam Cooke

The amazing singer-songwriter who was known as the ‘King of Soul’ became the most influential performer in soul and R&B in spite of his short, tragic life. This afternoon he’s rightfully In the Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. The Robert Cray Band Live at The Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, December 2, 1995

Why feature Robert Cray only on Tuesday Bluesday? We’ve got him today to close out our programming with a great live performance.

We’re not just here the hours we have programming. We’re on 24/7 circulating more than 27,000 songs without commercial advertising and at no cost to you. See for yourself.

It’s Midweek With ‘The British Are Coming’ EP, Live Kinks and a Great New Beatles Playlist, Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We keep it British today, beginning with our five-hour musical trip through the British Invasion and beyond. Then it’s The Kinks and The Fab Four.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Music from Britain is the order of the day, from The British Invasion and beyond with The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. The Kinks Live at The Hippodrome Theatre, London, UK, July 14, 1974

This afternoon we’ve got a great live performance by a legendary British Invasion band, led by the fighting Davies brothers.

We’ve got a fun new playlist about the Fab Four to close out the programming. We give you the Beatle tracks that open with great keyboard riffs. If we’ve missed any, please let us know!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With the ‘Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Albert King & SRV, and ‘Live’ Blues Project, April 9, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists. It’s another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we kick the programming off with five hours of uninterrupted Windy City blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We head to the Windy City today to hear blues 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. Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughn In Session, CHCH-TV Studios, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, December 6, 1983

A great blues session recorded live for television broadcast when Stevie Ray Vaughan was 29 and Albert King was 60.

7:00 p.m. The Blues Project Live at The Cafe Au Go Go, Greenwich Village, New York, November 24-27, 1965

We jump into the Wayback Machine for this one, recorded during their four-day residency at the famous Cafe Au Go Go.

We’re back with the blues today and there’s plenty of room for everyone here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re on 24/7 at no charge and with no commercial interruption.

It’s Sunday and We’ve Got Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, and The Founders All On Tap For Today, April 7, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge. We continue to air some of our EP’s in the evening hours just to ensure all this great stuff is available globally to all our listeners.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

We’ve got a great live in-studio performance of Jackson Browne with David Lindley that was broadcast on WPLI-FM in New York to start off the programming.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Stephen Stills

Yeah, there was a lot of drama with CSNY. If you were on Twitter you heard about it. But their greatness cannot be diminished. Neither can the brilliance and influence of a guy named Stephen Stills. He’s In the Spotlight today with CSNY, Manassas and as a solo artist.

8:00 p.m. The Founders: Various Artists

Just who invented rock n’ roll? That’s a tough one because all these folks played a part in that effort. It was not a one-man or -woman event. You’ll hear them all, including 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!

It’s Saturday With Joan Baez, Steely Dan & Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, April 6, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a Joan Baez Spotlight, some ‘live’ Steely Dan this afternoon and our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP playing a night shift for the first time for any EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez

We kick things off with a Joan Baez Spotlight feature. In her vast 60-year career, Baez never failed to sing the music of justice. It’s in her DNA. In 2019, Joan Baez finally retired from touring, 59 years after she made her debut at the Newport Folk Festive at the age of 18.

3:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The National City Pavilion, Cincinnati, OH, July 13, 2008

We’ve got some great live jazz-rock from undoubtedly a Mermaid Lounge favorite, and one of the best things to come out of music in the seventies.

8:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists FIRST TIME ON THE NIGHT SHIFT!

This marks the first time we’ve aired an EP in the evening, for the benefit of our global audience. You’ll hear Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Box Tops, Arlo Guthrie, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, The Doors, Tom Rush, The Byrds, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, The Traveling Wilburys, Del Shannon, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan and more!

Stop on by The Lounge today. You won’t regret it. You can come and go as you please; there are no bouncers at the door. There’s no cover charge and we don’t run commercial advertising either. We’re all about the music.

Thursday Brings Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, a Jerry Jeff Walker Spotlight and Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘Live’ on April 4, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re on the downslide to the weekend and we’ve got a great lineup, including some new ‘live’ music from Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

Here’s today’s programming:

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

There are hundreds of songs about dreaming, but some do not make the cut. In this EP you’ll hear The Everly Brothers, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Harry Chapin, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Electric Prunes, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Etheridge, John Prine, Tom Rush, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jerry Jeff Walker

Perhaps best known for writing Mr. Bojangles, Jerry Jeff Walker was so much more than that. Along with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and others, he was one of the pioneers of the outlaw country sound. I remember seeing him years ago at the old Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge as the opening act for Little Feat. I was hooked and have been ever since.

This live performance was a warm-up for his Ragged Glory Tour. This two-hour performance includes three sets and an encore, by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation who keeps on keeping on.

On Wednesday It’s Our ‘Friends of Mine’ EP, an Elton John Spotlight, and a Great Fab Four Playlist, April 3, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great lineup, including a great Beatles playlist featuring songs with time changes.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We’ve all got friends, some good friends and some not so much. There’s no shortage of songs about friends, and you’ll hear The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elton John, Argent, Maria Muldaur, Otis Redding and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Elton John

When Elton John stepped into the music world in 1969, we had no idea how good he was going to be. Over more than five decades, he and his writing mate, Bernie Taupin, have created some great music together.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles: A Change In Time

There is absolutely no debate that The Beatles are the greatest rock band in the world, bar none. They created the music that changed the world, and — encouraged by the great George Martin — employed creative techniques that set them apart from the rest. Tonight we have a playlist of Beatle songs incorporating time changes.

We’re at midweek. After today, we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend once again. So, why not get there in style with the best music on the planet. That’s what we’re all about.

It’s The First Tuesday Bluesday of a New Month With ‘Ladies Sing The Blues,’ Buddy Guy and Janis Joplin, April 2, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday! We’ve got more blues every Tuesday now and we’ve got some great plans moving forward!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

The ladies take over The Lounge this morning and into the 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. In the Spotlight: The Music of Buddy Guy

Buddy Guy takes over the spot today that was once occupied by our AOW. Spend some time with a great blues guitarist and singer starting at 4:00 p.m.

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

We jump into the Wayback Machine for this one tonight as we go back to 1969 for a great Janis Joplin performance.

It’ll be a crowded house in The Mermaid Lounge today, but there is plenty of room for everyone. We’re here 24/7 totally free of charge. We don’t ask for credit cards or personal information, and we do not run commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

The Weekend Begins With The Sixties Rotation, Linda Ronstadt, and The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saturday, March 30, 2024

Good morning, weekenders and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where we give you our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ to start, followed by Heart Like A Wheel, and closing with The Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

Nothing like The Sixties from a musical perspective, and we’ve got the early-to-mid portion of the decade this morning with The Beatles, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, Sonny & Cher, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, The Drifters, Dusty Springfield, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Them, The Left Banke and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Heart Like A Wheel by Linda Ronstadt FINAL FINAL!

Today we not only say farewell to a brilliant album but also to our Album of The Week features, which has been in place for five years. Time to move on, but we will be featuring albums as part of our standard rotation.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Tedeschi Trucks Band

What we have here is the best damned blues-rock and on the planet led by a brilliant blues singer in Susan Tedeschi, and the best blues-rock guitarist in the business in Derek Trucks.

The weekend is here, people and we are geared up for a great weekend of music as we make several programming changes. But there are things that never change: We never charge for our musical programming, and we don’t ask for your personal information. We’re all about the music, not making money.

We Head Toward The Weekend With Our House EP, Lucinda Williams & Linda Ronstadt, Thursday, March 28, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Remember that great Heartbreakers song, It’s Raining Again? Well, it is here in Boston. But we’ve got our great House EP and a couple of amazing ladies to get us through today.

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

All the music that inspired the station. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, 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, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Lucinda Williams Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, November 20-22, 2003

We’ve got a live one from the woman whom Tom Petty called one of the greatest songwriters ever, and he should know because he’s one as well. This one is live from the fabled Fillmore.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Heart Like A Wheel by Linda Ronstadt

We’re winding down on this magical album and on the AOW feature itself. The final performance will be sometime on Saturday.

We’re here rain or shine, folks, playing the greatest music on planet earth at no charge and with no commercial advertising to break up the flow. We’re streaming and dreaming.