Category: Funk

Monday’s Back With Our ‘Friends of Mine’ EP, a Curtis Mayfield ‘Spotlight’ and Live Warren Zevon, January 13, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re back to another Monday, but the music is just fine here in The Mermaid Lounge. Great way to start the week with an EP that’s been on a short hiatus!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

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

We start it up with Open Stream With a Theme about friends, both good and bad, with The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Todd Rundgren, Amy Winehouse, The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, John Brine, Joan Baez, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beatles, The Byrds, Carole King, Steppenwolf, Paul McCartney, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Loggins & Messina, Free, Leon Russell, Talking Heads, Robert Johnson, Argent and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Curtis Mayfield

An extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer known as the “Gentle Genius.” Mayfield is recognized as one of the most influential and socially-conscious African American musicians in popular music, first known to the public as the leader of The Impressions during the civil rights movement.

8:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, January 25, 1988

We close out the Monday programming with a live performance by the late, great Warren Zevon at Hammersmith Odeon in London.

One more time: We’re totally free of charge (no strings) and completely free of commercial advertising. We’re not here to make money. We’re here to play the greatest music on the planet. The button is below.

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Today It’s Our ‘On the Map’ Playlist, Guy Clark ‘In the Spotlight’ and Live Little Feat on Monday, January 6, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. Yes. It’s Monday all over again and the Orange Blob’s election is certified today, but the music is here to get you through.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. On The Map: Various Artists

Yesterday we had songs about life on the road; today it’s destinations. You’ll hear The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Little Feat, America, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, the Grateful Dead, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Johnny Rivers, Arlo Guthrie, Scott McKenzie, The Association, Fats Domino, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Glen Campbell, James Taylor, Paul Simon and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

This guy was one of the best singer-songwriters on the planet, and I was exposed to his music quite by chance. My friends and I were out for a romp in Cambridge, Massachusetts on a very cold and snowy winter night and were looking for a place to land and get warm. We stopped at Passim’s Coffee House, paid the cover fee and watched one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen in my life. After that night, country rock was king and the fiddle was my new favorite instrument.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live From Neon Park, Various Locations Between December 12-20, 1995 NEW!

This is our very first live performance by Little Feat without the great Lowell George. Yes, they have kept the Feat’s spirit alive, but there will never be another Lowell George. The “Neon Park” is not real. It’s named after the artist who has created Little Feat’s album covers for decades. The music was recorded at Roseland Theater in Portland, The Fillmore in San Francisco, and The House of Blues in Los Angeles during their 1995 tour.

Before, in between and after our programmed selections we give you our big, wide Open Stream which continues to grow. We’re 100% free with no commercial advertising and no big-mouthed DJs. The button is below. See for yourselves.

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Today It’s Our ‘Ode to Morning’ EP, New Heartbreakers Music, and Amy Winehouse on Thursday, December 26, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and we’re over the hump and headed for the weekend. We start out with songs about morning, then it’s the new-ish deluxe edition of Long After Dark and some live Amy Winehouse.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We start out the day with songs about morning, my favorite time of day, with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Chris Hillman and more!

4:00 p.m. Long After Dark, Deluxe Edition: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers NEW!

This is a new release of one of The Heartbreakers’ sleeper albums. I say that because it was probably one of their least appreciated offerings, yet there are plenty of great songs on here beyond You Got Lucky, one of their signature hits. This release offers four never-before-heard songs, so that’s like brand new Heartbreaker music. It also contains an expanded version of one of the band’s most fun songs and a cult favorite, Heartbreakers Beach Party. A few songs appear twice because they were recorded for videos which appeared on French TV. As such, they are slightly different from each other. Enjoy. I did.

8:00 p.m. Amy Winehouse Live at Porchester Hall, London, UK, March 8, 2007

We don’t play much music from this time, but Amy Winehouse is an exception because she was a true R & B artist and we can appreciate that. Unfortunately, her demons got the best of her before she realized her true potential.

We embark on another day. Some of you will be back at work after Christmas and some will be on vacation. Either way, we remain on the air 24/7, totally free and with no commercial advertising. The button is below.

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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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Friday It’s Our ‘Banned From the Airwaves’ Playlist, Live Steely Dan & a Wilson Pickett ‘Spotlight’ on November 22, 2024

We’ve made it to Friday! Today we’re kicking it off with a bunch of songs that have one thing in common: They were all initially banned from the airwaves for one reason or another. Then, it’s live Steely Dan and a Wicked Wilson Pickett spotlight!

Here’s your freaky Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists

Songs like Kodachrome (talking about the crap you learn in high school), Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds and You Don’t Know How It Feels (references to drugs), Imagine and God Only Knows (references to God), Arnold Layne and Lola (references to transgender people), Brown Eyed Girl and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (references to sex) and more were all banned from the airwaves, although not permanently. We’ve got a great playlist here coming up first this morning.

3:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The Woodlands, Houston, TX, September 3, 1993

We’ve got a great midafternoon live performance by The Dan today, without doubt a Mermaid Lounge favorite and one of the shining lights of the seventies.

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

Here’s another one ticked off my ‘To Do’ list. This one has also been a long time coming. Wicked Wilson Pickett was one of the stalwarts of the soul music movement, charting 50 hits on the R & B charts, many of which crossed over to Billboard’s Hot 100. Today he gets his ‘Spotlight’ feature.

There’s no EP today, so there’s plenty of big, wide Open Stream before, in between and after our programmed hours. We’re totally free 24/7 and we don’t track you or try to sell you crap. We’re not grifters like today’s GOP. We’re anti-capitalist music lovers. The button is below.

Banned From The Airwaves!

We’ve Got a Lot of Soul Today With Our Big Motown EP, Sam Cooke, and James Brown on Thursday, November 14, 2024

Good morning, soul music lovers! We’ve got a lot of soul going on today here in The Mermaid Lounge, starting out with our big ‘M is for Motown’ multi-artist EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start out the day in Motor City 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

Known as ‘The King of Soul’, Sam Cooke was indeed a pioneer and remains one of the most influential soul and R&B singers on the planet because of his incredible songwriting and unique vocal style.

8:00 p.m. James Brown & The Famous Flames Live at The Apollo Theater, Harlem, New York, June 24-25, 1967

We close out the programming this evening with the hardest working man in show business, hands down, at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Here we are as we pass hump day and head for the weekend. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We never air commercial advertising and that’s because we’re not in it for the money. We’re anti-capitalist music lovers here. The button is below.

M is For Motown!

‘The British Are Coming’, The Pretenders and Dr. John are All On Tap As We Head For the Weekend, Thursday, October 10, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re over the hump and on the downslide to the weekend. We’ve got our big British music EP, live Pretenders and a Dr. John Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start with music 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, The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, Them, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann, Spencer Davis Group, Queen, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

Chrissie Hynde battled plenty of sexism before launching the Pretenders in 1978. At the time, the band didn’t have a name but recorded five tracks which eventually got them their start. She eventually named the band after the Platters song, The Great Pretender, which was a favorite song of her ex-boyfriend. The rest, as they say, is musical history. I am not what you’d call a ‘fan’ of the punk music genre, but The Pretenders under the leadership of Chrissie Hynde is one of the best bands on the planet, regardless of genre.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Dr. John

We close out the evening with Dr. John, another music master who managed to combine New Orleans-fueled blues, jazz, R & B, soul and funk into a style all his own.

I’m giving you a break from the drivel of the drill. You know what you need to know about us. Now it’s time to push the button below.

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We Head ‘Down To New Orleans’, Hear Some ‘Lost’ Cream and Neil Young at Shoreline, Monday, August 12, 2024

Good morning, music lovers, and welcome to another work week. We’ve got some great stuff lined up for you today, including some music from New Orleans to start us off!

Here’s your Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Down In New Orleans: Various Artists

We take a trip to one of the best music areas of the nation this morning to hear authentic regional music along with the music of artists born in New Orleans. You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Tony Joe White, Lucinda William, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, The Boogaloo Swamis, The Neville Brothers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Daywalkers and more.

4:00 p.m. The Lost Cream Tapes, 1967

We hear some great lost live music from the original group. If you are a Cream fan, and we are here, this is a must hear. The sound quality is excellent.

8:00 p.m. Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA, October 1, 1994

More great live music from a great road warrior and his favorite back-up band of all. Live from Shoreline.

We’re here morning, noon and night on a 24/7 basis at no charge to you and with absolutely no commercial advertising. Just use the button below!

Down In New Orleans!

At Midweek It’s Travelin’ Fever, a McCartney Spotlight and Live Little Feat On Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Today we’ve got the midweek peak with our multi-artist ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, a Macca Spotlight feature (without his Beatle mates), and some vintage live Little Feat!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We hit the road today with 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 and more! (By the way, I’m trying to cut down on the name dropping in these posts.)

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Paul McCartney

Today we have Macca without his Beatle mates as we explore his music with Wings and as a solo artist. He’ll be back with The Beatles soon!

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at Ebbets Field, Denver, CO, July 20, 1973

Tonight we’ve got a concert from one of the best damned live bands on the planet with the Lowell George version of Little Feat. (Yes, the ONLY version of Little Feat for me.)

We’re on 24/7 at no cost with great programming and our big, wide Open Stream. All you’ve got to do is hit the button below. We’re not kidding. See for yourself.

Midweek Music!