Category: Funk

We’re Keeping It Simple on Sunday With Our Brand New Album of The Week and ‘The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two’ EP, Sunday, August 28, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! It’s another keep-it-simple Sunday with Ram as our Album of The Week and Volume Two of our ‘Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Ram by Paul & Linda McCartney NEW!

This is the only album ever attributed to the McCartney husband and wife team, and it’s one of my favorites. I remember playing the grooves out of this thing when it first came out. The album generated McCartney’s first number one U.S. single as a former Beatle with Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey. McCartney was in a very public feud with his former mates at the time and was subject to much criticism, but eventually Ram became one of McCartney’s most critically-acclaimed solo albums. It was also recognized as an early indie pop album. While we don’t give you the full 2012 expanded release here, we are including two extra songs that were part of the Ram sessions: Another Day and Oh Woman, Oh Why.

3:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This is volume two of our sixties collection where we focus mostly on the mid-to-late sixties with 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 Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Byrds, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, The Zombies, The Velvet Underground, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, Donovan and more!

Hey, it’s officially a day of rest. If there’s a Supreme Being, he or she is taking the day off today as well. Just remember that. This is the perfect landing spot for your Sunday because we’re not going to cost you a cent. No subscriptions. No credit card. No personal information. And best of all: No bait-and-switch. Just a tab and a mouse is all you need.

The Sixties Rotation!

Today It’s The Music That Inspired The Station With Our House EP, Along With Carole King In the Spotlight, Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ll be on the road a bit earlier than usual today, but you’re in good hands with The Music Mermaid pushing the buttons as we give your our #BecomeUngovernable House EP, and a brand new Spotlight featuring Carole King!

The fun starts at 10:00 a.m.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

It’s back again…the music that inspired the station. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, 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!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Carole King NEW!

Join us as we put a musical legend In the Spotlight tonight. It’s long overdue, but it’s finally here. One of the greatest singer-songwriters of her generation will close out the programming later today.

As always, we’ve got you covered 24/7 and we’re always totally free of charge. There are no surprises and no hidden charges. And we never, ever ask for your credit card or personal information. Your money is absolutely no good here.

The #BU House EP!

It’s Sunday and We Have Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, a Great Collaboration for Our AOW, and Peter Tosh In the Spotlight, August 21, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got an eclectic programming day planned for you today, starting with our great Album of The Week, then moving into our very first Sixties Rotation. We close out later with our Reggae selection.

Here’s today’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: The Union by Elton John and Leon Russell NEW!

Any album with these two guys in collaboration can only be called a tour de force. Released in 2010, the album was produced by the great T. Bone Burnett (who also contributes on electric guitar). Others who helped out include Booker T. Jones (Hammond B-3), Neil Young (vocals), Robert Randolph (pedal steel guitar), and Brian Wilson (vocal harmonies). It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and was listed at No. 3 on Rolling Stone’s 30 Best Albums of 2010.

1:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

We’ve got just over five hours of uninterrupted sixties music coming your way in the early afternoon. This particular rotation focuses on the early-to-mid years of the decade, although I can’t guarantee we don’t slip some stuff in from later in the decade. I may have been stoned when I made it. You will hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Fats Domino and more.

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

Peter Tosh has a long, storied musical history. Abandoned by his parents and shuffled among his relatives, he eventually became a self-taught singer, songwriter and musician who was a critical part of The Wailers. He eventually met Robert Nesta Marley (THE Bob Marley) and Neville O’Reilly Livingston (Bunny Wailer). They started singing together in 1962 and the rest is history. He wrote several of the Wailers hit songs including Get Up, Stand Up, 400 Years, and No Sympathy. After the Wailers, Peter Tosh went on to a successful solo career starting with his album, Legalize It. Today, we put Reggae legend Peter Tosh In the Spotlight.

Here we are again. Another Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge, and a perfect day to acquaint yourselves with our special brand of radio. Yep. It’s true. You can’t create “custom” playlists here. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about real radio. I remember the days of summer laying around in my yard with my friends tuned into our transistor radios listening to WMEX. We waited in anticipation for every song.

Sunday Funday!

It’s Saturday in The Mermaid Lounge With Our ‘Psychedelic Express’ EP, Desmond Dekker In The Spotlight, LIVE DEAD! and The Final Airing of Neil Young’s AOW, August 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We have a very full Saturday here for you but, nevertheless, our wide Open Stream dominates on the time scale. We never give you too much programming…just enough.

It’s time for our monthly trip into the land of psychedelia!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Songs for Judy by Neil Young FINAL AIRING!

We bid Neil Young an early fond farewell today as we kick this one off early for our overseas listeners. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new album for you all when you finally wake up!

12:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

We’re back with our trip to psychedelic music land where you’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Tommy James & The Shondells, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Mudrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Desmond Dekker and The Aces NEW!

Another trip down Reggae Road here with Desmond Dekker, a Jamaican Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing band, The Aces, he had one of the first international reggae hits with his song Israelites. I remember hearing that song on the radio over and over and I loved it. But I didn’t really have a total appreciation for Reggae then as I do now.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden, Boston, MA, May 12, 1980 NEW!

Another great concert from a great jam band. This one comes from my hometown back in 1980. We’ve had a few from Boston, but not from 1980 yet. Tonight, we’ve got that one too.

Well, once again, allow me to tell you that it would be a great day to spend with us here in The Mermaid Lounge if you can spare some time. It won’t take long for you to get hooked. Trust me. We’re not about charging money so you can build Internet playlists. If you want to do that, you can go pay Spotify. We’re all about being radio. And we don’t clog our airwaves with mouthy DJs and commercial advertising.

Join us in The Mermaid Lounge!

It’s Finally Friday and We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Visit From the I-Threes Coming Up, August 19, 2022

Good Morning, Reggaeologists! Yes. It’s still Reggae Week, right through to Sunday. Or Maybe Monday. We’ll see. But today, we’ve got the I-Threes coming’ at ya, and I’m pretty sure there’ll be plenty of folks out there who don’t really know who they are. We’re going to help you with that.

The I-Threes are Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music was the original musical genre of the protest generation with Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Lead Belly as the forefathers. Today, they’ll be joined by others, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Prine, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, The Carter Family, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The I-Threes NEW!

So, who are the I-Threes? The I-Threes are Rita Marley (yes, wife of Bob), Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths and it is the most influential female group in Reggae music. From 1974 right up until Bob Marley’s untimely death ten years later, they provided his rich vocal backgrounds. They also made music of their own. And today we are very excited about putting them In the Spotlight as we continue to focus on the women of music here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Come on, people. This is your chance to tune us in. We’re hear 24/7 around the clock every day trying to bring you the best of music. And that means we don’t play the same songs over and over and over. We play just enough of our house bands, but not too much. We are also advertising-free and do not require your personal information, a subscription or your credit card. Your money is absolutely no good here.

The I-Threes are here!

It’s Reggae Week With Toots & The Maytals Starting Off, Then Neil Young’s AOW, and Our ‘All About Blue’ Playlist Later, Thursday, August 18, 2022

Good Morning! We’re back to reggae every day through Sunday as we build our Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady collection and move toward a new multi-artist playlist this weekend!

Toots Hibbert of Toots & The Maytals

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Toots & The Maytals

Toots & The Maytals, led by Toots Hibbert, was one of the best known ska and rocksteady musical groups, and were instrumental in popularizing Reggae music worldwide. Today we put them In the Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Songs for Judy by Neil Young

Young’s great compilation of live acoustic set songs from his 1976 tour with Crazy Horse is an artistic tour de force. This is our second-to-last airing of this great album, so don’t let it pass you by. Our final airing will be on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. All About Blue, Volume One: Various Artists

A great little playlist here about the color blue in the title, lyrics or both with The Allman Brothers Band, Linda Ronstadt, Mudcrutch, Foreigner, Taj Mahal, Joni Mitchell, Jonathan Edwards, George Harrison, Electric Light Orchestra, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Badfinger, The Band, Elvis Presley and more!

Come on, people, get on board with us! We’re a great little radio station that puts music before money. In fact, we haven’t a cent to spend on advertising because we don’t accept any commercial advertising. Don’t pass us by. We’re free without strings (or surprises) on a 24-hour basis, rain or shine!

Cursor Here, Please!

It’s Saturday in The Lounge With Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, The Final Airing of “Aftermath” and LIVE DEAD! Bringing Up the Rear, August 13, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists, and welcome to another Saturday here in The Memaid Lounge where we put the women of music squarely in charge of today’s festivities.

The Women of Music rule The Mermaid Lounge today!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Today we put the women of music squarely in the spotlight here in The Mermaid Lounge, and they never disappoint. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Carly Simon, Chrissie Hynde, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, 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, Valerie Carter, Nicolette Larson, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Aftermath by The Rolling Stones FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to this Stones gem this evening, as we prepare to give you a brand new album for next week. It’s already lined up and ready to go. It debuts tomorrow morning.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Winterland, San Francisco, October 22, 1978

We have a repeat performance, but we haven’t aired this one since January 2021, so it’s virtually brandy new. And what does it matter anyway? It’s The Dead. The worlds ultimate jam and road band.

Before, in between, and after we have that great wide Open Stream running non-stop 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. We do this for the music, not the money. We accept no advertising, so we don’t pass that capitalistic chatter on to you. It’s all music, all day and night.

Ladies Day Out!

We Bring You The End of the Work Week With Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at The Fillmore Vintage ’99, Friday, August 12, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We have hit Friday, and that is always a good thing in my book. That means I have but one more day in retail hell. Today, we give you a little bit of soul and some live TPATH.

Today’s EP covers the entire soul and R & B spectrum, not just Motown!

Here’s today’s lineup:

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

Today we cover the spectrum of this great musical genre 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, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas and more! Five uninterrupted hours of soul and R & B!

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, March 15-16, 1999

Here we have The Heartbreakers on the High Grass Dogs Tour, making their traditional stop at San Francisco’s iconic Fillmore. One great live band at a great venue. They’re our house band for a reason, people. Find out why.

Before, in between and after, we’ve got our wide Open Stream with thousands of songs for The Music Mermaid to choose from. We never know what she’s up to. And we don’t ask foolish questions. All you need is a tab and a cursor. You don’t need a wallet. Your money’s no good here.

Friday’s Here!

We Start Off The Week With The Neville Brothers, The Soul Men, and Bonnie Raitt & Friends at Ultrasonic, Monday, August 8, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers across the globe! We’re kicking off the work week in fine style today, starting off with the musical flavor of New Orleans in The Neville Brothers.

The Neville Brothers will be here to start your day promptly at 11:00 a.m.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Neville Brothers

Aaron, Art, Cyril and Ivan are The Neville Brothers, a great R & B, soul and funk band formed in New Orleans in 1977. I may never have known this band had I not spent the better part of a decade traveling to New Orleans on business. That’s when I fell in love with the city and its music.

4:00 p.m. The Soul Men, Volume 1: Various Artists

Last week we gave you The Soul Sisters and this week we give you their male counterparts. You’ll hear Jimmy Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Ben E. King, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Stevie Wonder, Clarence Carter, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Al Green, Bill Withers, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Fats Domino and more!

8:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt, Lowell George & Friends Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, October 17, 1972

Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George were joined by John Hammond and long-time bass player Freebo (Daniel Friedberg) for a concert at the famed Ultrasonic Studios that was broadcast on WLIR-FM. Although Freebo is known mostly for his work with Bonnie Raitt, he has played with Aaron Neville, Maria Muldaur, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Dr. John and many others. He’s a Class-A session musician if ever there was one.

Your week will always start out better with great music, and we’ve got you all set up for today. Don’t squander this opportunity or you’ll have to wait until next week to start your week out right!

It’s Monday, Monday