Category: Funk

Heading for The Weekend With the ‘A Little Bit O’Soul’ EP, Mudcrutch’s AOW, and Some ‘Live’ Dr. John, Thursday, May 11, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’re over the hump and the weekend is in sight! We’ve got some great programming with our usual wide Open Stream wrapped around it. Read on!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. A Liltle Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

The music that made America dance from Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Mudcrutch by Mudcrutch

Our next-to-last airing of this great 2008 debut album. Last chance sometime Saturday.

7:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, New York, November 6, 1973

Closing out today’s programming is music to take care of what’s ailing you from the good doctor from New Orleans, the Nite Tripper himself.

Great day to be here in The Mermaid Lounge with us. We’ve got great programming covering the entire musical spectrum. Before, in between and after, we’ve got our big wide Open Stream going 24/7.

Heading for The Light!

We Keep It Simple on Sundays With BeauSoleil’s Album of The Week and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, March 12, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! As usual, we keep it simple on Sundays here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great new Album of The Week and our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP. Before, in between and after, there’s plenty of wide Open Stream

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil NEW!

We here in The Mermaid Lounge are big fans of Cajun/Zydeco music, and this is one great album by the band universally called the greatest Cajun band in the world. Be sure to tune it in this morning!

4:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We’re back again with our ode to the music that made America dance and sing. This is our all-encompassing soul and rhythm & blues EP giving you five hours of uninterrupted music from Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

It’s officially a day of rest and it’s Daylight Savings Sunday as well. Kick back, take your shoes off and live. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We don’t accept advertising and we don’t spend a hell of a lot of time talking. We just play music.

Sunday Funday!

Thursday Brings Our ‘Between Heaven & Hell’ Playlist, Our AOW, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at Winterland Later, March 9, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great programming lineup for you as we move toward the weekend. Read on for the details!

Here’s Thursday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

This is not an EP, but is sweet nonetheless, a collection of songs with references to heaven and hell in the title, lyrics or both from The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Eagles, Steve Winwood, Pink Floyd, The Grass Roots, The Byrds, ZZ Top, Eddie Cochran, The Rolling Stones, Townes Van Zandt, Roberta Flack, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Presley, Maria Muldaur, Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings, the Grateful Dead, Fats Domino, Mudcrutch and more.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Bluesiana Triangle by Bluesiana Triangle

A short-lived but amazing band consisting of Art Blakey, Dr. John and David “Fathead” Newman released this great album that’s a little jazz, a little blues and a lot of funk. We’re winding down on this one. The last airing will be on Saturday. As they say in the restaurant business, get it while it’s hot.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, December 30, 1978

You heard from one of our House Bands earlier in the week, now you hear from the other in a great live performance from an iconic venue, Winterland in San Francisco. Early Heartbreakers on display here, a preview of how great this band was to become over a 40-year span.

Just do it, people. Tune us in. Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Australia, the UK, Russian Federation, Norway, Denmark, Texas, Cali, Rhode Island are all on so far. Join our international community of music appreciators! We’re on 24/7 and we’re also free of charge with no commercial advertising.

Just Push Play!

We Keep It Simple on Sunday With Our Surprising New Album of The Week and ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, March 5, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We love it when musicians refuse to be “defined” and Dr. John is one of those guys. Today we have a brand new album featuring Dr. John and two of his friends, along with our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP.

Here’s your laid-back Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Bluesiana Triangle by Art Blakey, Dr. John and David “Fathead” Newman NEW!

I stumbled upon this album several years ago because of my obsession with Dr. John, but it’s conception was really Art Blakey, an American jazz drummer. In addition to Dr. John on piano, guitar and vocals, it features David “Fathead” Newman, a jazz and rhythm & blues saxophonist, who is best known for his work with Ray Charles in the 50’s and early 60’s. The album is a collection of great jazz, blues and funk music that has become one of my favorites.

3:00 p.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

We’re back with our EP about night time (it’s the right time, according to the J. Geils Band). In addition to them, you’ll hear Warren Zevon, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, The Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, The Doors, Poco, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens and more!

Yes, it’s an official day of rest, so kick back and tune us in. Even if you’ve got stuff to do around the house, we make great background music because we run absolutely NO commercial advertising at any time. We also don’t spend a hell of a lot of time talking. We’re all about the music and we’re totally free.

Bluesiana Triangle!

Tomorrow is Officially Fat Tuesday and The Grand Finale of Mardi Gras Season, So The Mermaid Lounge Celebrates With Our ‘Down in New Orleans’ EP and The Neville Brothers In The Spotlight Later, Monday, February 20, 2023

Yes, folks, we’ve been in the midst of Mardi Gras and that is party time in party town! Since tomorrow is Tuesday Bluesday, we are celebrating today. Some of the greatest music on the planet comes from New Orleans and we’re giving it to you today!

Here’s your Mardi Gras lineup:

10:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

We start off the day with just over four hours of great music from New Orleans. We feature original cajun/zydeco bands as well as artists who were born in New Orleans. Some of the band in this EP were ‘locals’ I discovered on a 2014 trip to The Big Easy. You’ll hear Fats Domino, Lucinda Williams, Professor Longhair, Boozoo Chavis, Tony Joe White, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Neville Brothers, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, La Touche, Irma Thomas (the Soul Queen of New Orleans), Kermit Venable, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Allen Fontenot and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Neville Brothers

The Neville Brothers are an R & B, soul and funk band formed in New Orleans in 1976. The members consisted of brothers Aaron, Art, Cyril and Charles, and have also intermittently included Aaron’s son, Ivan (keyboards) and Art’s son, Ian (electric guitar). They have officially disbanded, but they have left behind a legacy of great music.

Before, in between, and after we have our wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid. We are on 24/7 uninterrupted by commercial advertising and overly-talkative DJ’s. Tune us in, folks. Join your friends from around the world.

It’s Mardi Gras!

On Saturday, We Introduce Van Morrison as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, and Give You ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ (EP) Plus the Final Airing of Our AOW, February 11, 2023

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a fine Saturday on tap for you today as some of us begin our weekend (mine doesn’t start until 5:00 p.m. this evening). But fear not. The Music Mermaid will be at the helm today.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Van Morrison NEW!

Today we premier our new singer-songwriter, Northern Irish musician and multi-instrumentalist Van “the man” Morrison (to his many fans). Morrison’s music career spans seven decades, starting with his lead singer role with Irish R&B and rock band, Them, when he recorded the great garage hit Gloria.

12:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

As you know, every month is black music history month here in The Mermaid Lounge, and today we give you five hours of uninterrupted R&B and soul music featuring Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Poet, A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt, Various Artists FINAL AIRING!

Tonight we bid a fond farewell to this great album featuring artists like Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, John Prine, the Cowboy Junkies and others paying homage to a great American singer-songwriter. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new album for you.

Yes, it’s the beginning of the weekend and this is a great place to begin life in the no-work zone. We are stress-free: No subscription, credit card or personal information are ever required. We run 24/7 circulating more than 27,000 songs from my personal collection. Why not join our worldwide listeners today?

A Little Bit O’ Soul

We’re Heading to the Weekend With Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, Our AOW Tribute to Townes Van Zandt, and Allen Toussaint In the Spotlight, Thursday, February 9, 2023

Good morning, folks! On Sunday we had our EP about the night time being the right time. Today we’ve got our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, along with our Townes Van Zandt tribute AOW and the great New Orleans R & B master, Allen Toussaint.

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Poet, A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt, Various Artists

We’re back with our AOW, this time in a fairly early morning airing for our listeners outside the U.S. You’ll hear John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith and others singing the great songs of one of America’s premier songwriters.

11:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

Today we have our ode to the sunrise, and it’s certainly a beautiful one here outside of Boston, although they are predicting rain for later today. You will hear Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleewood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Allen Toussaint

Some of the greatest music comes out of the city of New Orleans, and Allen Toussaint was certainly a great music ambassador from the city. A musician, songwriter, arranger and producer, Toussaint was a legendary figure in New Orleans R & B from the 1950’s to the end of the century. Many recorded his compositions and he produced hundreds of songs, including Right Place, Wrong Time by his good friend Dr. John, and Lady Marmalade by LaBelle.

It’s always Black History Month here in The Mermaid Lounge, but we’ll be picking up the pace even more as we move through the month of February, so keep us dialed in. We’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial advertising. What’s not to love?

Just Push Play, Baby.

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Female Species’ EP, Bobbie Gentry as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter and Ann Peebles In the Spotlight Later, Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Good morning, Musicologists! We are at midweek and we’ve got a bunch of good programming for you today. Hey, it’s always Black History Month here in The Mermaid Lounge, but we’re amping it up a bit for February as you will soon see!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

This isn’t all songs by women. That comes up soon, but not today. These are songs about women, ladies, girls, chicks, and other entreaties of the fairer (and superior) sex. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Rolling Stones, The Rascals, Peter & Gordon, and many more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bobbie Gentry

This is the second airing of Bobbie Gentry as our featured singer-songwriter. She never wanted the limelight. She truly just wanted to write songs for others to sing. But it didn’t work out that way as she charted 11 singles. In the late seventies, she decided she didn’t want to be found and retired from the business. But she left an incredible musical legacy behind.

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

To be perfectly honest, I never heard about Ann Peebles until I started listening to Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure show on Sirius. You can learn a lot about music history when Petty is the DJ. In fact, some people say his station could be a course in popular music history. Ann Peebles is a R & B and soul singer who became famous in the late seventies for her Memphis soul albums. She is also the composer of the R & B great I Can’t Stand The Rain (which she wrote with her husband Don Bryant and radio broadcaster Bernie Miller). Give her a listen. She’s fantastic.

While I’m toiling on Truck Day, at least some of us should be enjoying this great music. How about you? We’re totally free of charge. Trust me. Your money is no good here. See for yourself. all you need is a free tab and a cursor to click the button below.

We’re at Midweek, Folks!

We’re at Midweek With a Trip to Both Motown and The Legendary Fillmore With Some Legendary Musicians On Wednesday, February 1, 2023

We’re kicking off the month of February in style, musicologists! We start ot with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, followed by Stevie Wonder as our featured singer-songwriter and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ legendary 20-night residency at The Fillmore! Does it actually get any better?

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Today we take a trip to Motor City and remember the music that made us dance! You’ll hear Barrett Strong (who just passed away in the last few days), 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, Diana Ross &The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder

This is our second airing of Stevie Wonder as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Wonder signed his first record contract at the age of eleven, and released his first hit called Fingertips at the age of 13. It went to No. 1. Hence, his first stage name of ‘Little Stevie Wonder.’

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, Volume 1, San Francisco, 1997

Today we are revisiting this great new release of The Heartbreakers’ legendary 20-night residency as The Fillmore House Band, where they scrapped the script and did something new every night to everyone’s delight. They even allowed those in attendance to leave them suggestions for subsequent shows, as many in attendance had tickets to multiple nights. To a man, the members of the Heartbreakers believed they were at their best for these legendary shows where they not only sang their original songs, but paid homage to those who inspired them. Special guests during these concerts included John Lee Hooker and Roger McGuinn, among others. We’ve broken this massive offering down into three volumes. We’ll be playing volumes two and three over the next couple of days. Enjoy. This doesn’t happen every day.

We can seriously say this is a great day to tune us in. This musical combination is off the charts, so to speak. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming, by the way) and we are totally 100% free, no strings and no lies. We don’t ask for a credit card, a subscription or your personal information.

Motown & The Fillmore. What could be better?

The Weekend Has Officially Arrived! Today We Start It Off With Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, Move On To Our AOW, and Introduce Stevie Wonder as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 28, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! We’ve got some great stuff lined up for the weekend, but let’s start with today. We kick off the programming with volume two of our Sixties Rotation, and move on to Motown from there!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

This is volume two of our sixties songfest, mostly covering the mid-to-late sixties, but we can never promise there won’t be some overlap between time periods. You’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, 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, TheRonettes, The Kinks, The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, The Zombies, Donovan, Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Going To A Go-Go by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles FINAL AIRING!

Today is the swan song for this great album. Our final airing has arrived. Tomorrow when you roll (or fall) out of bed, we’ll have a brand new selection!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder NEW!

Today we intro Stevie Wonder as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. When he first started out, he was called “Little” Stevie Wonder because he was just eleven years old when he signed his first contract with Tamla Records, and just thirteen years old when his first No. 1 hit, Fingertips, was released. Wonder is widely recognized as a pioneer and major influencer in many musical styles, including rhythm & blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has won 25 Grammy awards. You can read more about Stevie Wonder here.

As always, the majority of our 24-hour periods are devoted to our great wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs. We’re totally free of charge and do not accept commercial advertising. We’re simply all about the music. Join us.

The Sixties!