Category: Funk

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!

Welcome To Tuesday Bluesday With Some ‘Live’ James Cotton, Our AOW, and a New Spotlight Featuring the Tedeschi Trucks Band, December 13, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! It’s another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got some great stuff on tap for today, including the Tedeschi Trucks Band Spotlight feature!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. James Cotton Live at Antoine’s Night Club, New Orleans, LA, July 1987

There are just some shows we can’t nail a date down for. Trust me. I’m totally anal retentive about this stuff. I have looked everywhere. Not happening. But nevertheless, it’s a great James Cotton show. Enjoy.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Dixie Chicken by Little Feat

Not a blues album per se, but this is the album where Little Feat established its sound, moving into the realm of New Orleans rhythm & blues and funk. Sam Clayton (percussion) and the late, great Paul Barrere (guitar) became permanent members of the band on this album. This would be the final lineup before the death of Lowell George and the band’s dissolution.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Tedeschi Trucks Band NEW!

Right now, this is our premier blues-rock band with arguably the best blues guitarist in the business in Derek Trucks. His wife, Susan Tedeschi, is no slouch on that thing either. And she can sing the blues. This one has been a long time coming. We’ve also gotten hold of some great live performances that we’ll soon be featuring.

This is the place to be on Tuesday because it’s blues day. We’ve always got a global full house on this day, so why not join the club? We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free…no credit card or personal info required. It’s all about the music.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Sunday Brings Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” as Our AOW, and the ‘Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, December 11, 2022

It’s a Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge with the threat of what we call a ‘wintry mix’ in the air. That’s when the weather people hedge their bets because they can’t figure out if it’s going to be snow or rain or both. I’m hedging my bets with a nice day indoors listening to some great music!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Dixie Chicken by Little Feat NEW!

This was Little Feat’s third studio album, released in 1973, and certainly became a landmark for the band. The title song would go a long way toward establishing the band’s great signature sound. Little Feat also added the great guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton. Bassist Kenny Gradney was also added to replace Roy Estrada. It signaled a change of the band’s sound, moving them toward New Orleans R & B and funk.This lineup would endure until Lowell George’s death in 1979 and the band’s subsequent breakup.

3:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

This is the Grand Kahuna of our R & B/soul playlists which is all encompassing, and not just dedicated to Motown artists. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Al Green, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, 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 and more!

Let’s get with the program, people. Sunday is a day of rest, and what better way to kick back than with great music. We’ve got it here and it won’t cost you a thing. I promise. We run 24/7, and always with more Open Stream than programming, at absolutely no cost to you. All you need is a computer and a free tab.

A Little Bit O’ Soul

We’re at Midweek With Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP and a New Playlist Called ‘Instrumentally Speaking’ Later, Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are hitting our midweek stride and closing out November with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, plus a brand new playlist of rock instrumental music later.

Here’s your midweek musical journey:

10:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We’re back with the music that made America get up off the sofa and dance! You’ll hear Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, and many more!

7:00 p.m. Instrumentally Speaking: Various Artists NEW!

We’ve been thinking about this one for a while and finally had the time to put this together. This is an underappreciated genre, and we’ve decided to give it some shine. You’ll hear Mason Williams, the Edgar Winter Group, The Allman Brothers Band, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Little Feat, the Jeff Beck Group, the J. Geils Band, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jefferson Airplane, and more. We even toss in some great surf guitar music from Dick Dale, The Surfaris and the Blue Stingrays!

Before, in between and after, we’ve got that great wide Open Stream that runs 24/7 without interruption, endless chatter, or commercial advertising. We’re all about the music here.

M is For Motown!

The Day Before Turkey Day Brings Our House EP and New ‘Live’ Bob Marley & The Wailers Recorded for Rockpalast, Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Yes, it’s the day before Thanksgiving and today we give thanks for all the great music we get to play here in The Mermaid Lounge every day. We start the day off with our ‘House’ EP full of the generation of music that inspired this station, and give you a new ‘live’ Wailers performance later.

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

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

Yes, this is the music that inspired me to start this station from the first generation of classic rock, and those who were inspired by them to carry on the tradition. You will hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Genesis, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, George Harrison, 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 and more!

4:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, June 13, 1980 NEW!

Recorded live for viewing on Rockpalast, a popular German television show. We’ve got Bob Marley and his gang of reggaeologists at the top of their form for this one. This is a brand new airing for this station and we love it.

Once again, it’s a great day to tune us in. Take a trip on the music express that won’t cost you a penny. We don’t require a subscription or a credit card. All we ask is that you open up a tab and click on the button below. Simple. No surprises. We promise.

Cursor Here, Please!

The Work Week Rears Its Ugly Head But We’re All Set Here With John Prine, Al Green, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris With The Nash Ramblers To Get You Through Monday, November 14, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are back in The Mermaid Lounge to help you through yet another work week. And even better, the teeming masses start to follow the sales around in preparation for pissing away holiday money on gifts that will be obsolete in about an hour (if you have kids, that is).

Here’s today’s line-up:

10:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of John Prine

We’ve got our second airing of this week’s Singer-Songwriter Series featuring John Prine, one of the most amazing songwriters of all time whose Angel From Montgomery became Bonnie Raitt’s calling card. That’s what great singer-songwriters do. They create the vehicles for great vocalists.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Al Green

At mid-afternoon, we’ve got the smooth soul sound of the great Al Green who brought us so many great hits like Let’s Stay Together, Take Me To The River, You Ought To Be With Me and more!

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers Live at The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, April 30-May 2, 1991

Emmylou Harris put together an acoustic band for this event at the old home of the Grand Ole Opry over a three day period. This single event and the acclaim the resulting album brought was the impetus for renewed interest in The Ryman and led to its renovation after 20 years of being abandoned. It is now a concert hall. By the way, the resulting album from these shows won the Grammy for Best Album in 2017.

We’ve cut a wide swath here today with all kinds of musical programming coming your way, from folk to soul to country. And in between, we give you that great wide Open Stream! Close that office door pull up a tab and enhance your work environment. It’s not illegal. Yet.

Cursor Here, Please!

It’s Sunday Funday in The Mermaid Lounge and The Ladies Are In Charge, Including Janis Who Owns Our Album of The Week, November 13, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! It is officially Sunday in the Lounge and the living is easy here today. It’s rainy. It’s chilly. And the music is already rolling here as we welcome our usual Sunday morning listeners. You should join us too.

Here’s today’s musical journey:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama by Janis Joplin NEW!

Janis gets a spin for this week with her very first and only solo album released during her lifetime on September 11, 1969. This is the album she recorded right after leaving Big Brother & The Holding Company. She enlisted Sam Andrews, guitarist for Big Brother, to help with the project, as well as the Kozmic Blues Band. She also added a brass and horn section, something Big Brother would not allow when she was with them. This album was a departure from her psychedelic rock days as it was much more R & B- and blues-driven. This is the expanded 1999 release with ‘live’ tunes from Woodstock included and with a cover of Dylan’s Dear Landlord, with some new lyrics and a new arrangement by Joplin.

3:00 p.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

The women of rock own the programming today. After Janis makes her AOW debut, you’ll hear her right here along with Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

Ooooh, wheee! We’ve got a good one going today, music lovers, and you should be part of it. The Music Mermaid has chosen this day to put her sirens in charge of the music. It’s always a good choice. Join our full house of listeners from Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the UK, Germany, Japan, Australia, California, Texas and Oregon this morning!

The Ladies are Here!

It’s Officially The Weekend and We’ve Got Our AOW, the ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, and John Prine as Our New Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, November 12, 2022

We are officially now called Weekenders as we’ve made it to Saturday! We’ve got an outgoing Album of The Week, a brand new featured Singer-Songwriter, and five hours of uninterrupted soul and R & B in between!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Sweet Harmony by Maria Muldaur FINAL AIRING!

Yes, folks, we’re at the farewell stage with this week’s Album of The Week from Maria Muldaur.Tomorrow when you awake, we will have already chosen the next album!

11:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We’ve got our big, bad soul and R & B extended playlist on tap today bringing you five uninterrupted music from Soulsville, U.S.A. and beyond with 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, Diana Ross & 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 and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of John Prine NEW!

John Prine is not new to our station by any stretch, but he is our newest featured Singer-Songwriter for this coming week. Considered primarily a performer in the country-folk genre, John Prine’s stories of love, loss and social justice were often tinged with a touch of sarcasm and wit. Perhaps his most famous composition is Angel From Montgomery, which became an iconic identifier for Bonnie Raitt. We kick off his week tonight.

Let’s go, folks. Get on board The Mermaid Musical Express as we take you through your Saturday. We’ve got listeners from Ireland, the UK, Chile, Portugal, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Texas, New York, and Colorado on this morning, Join them.

A Little Bit O’ Soul!