Category: Gospel

Sunday It’s Leon Russell, Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP and Live Allman Brothers Band On December 5, 2025

Good morning once again, Weekenders and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where we start the day off with a Leon Russell ‘Spotlight’ feature and move on from there!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Leon Russell

The man’s career spanned 60 years and multiple genres, including rock n’ roll, country, bluegrass, gospel, rhythm n’ blues. Southern rock, blues rock, surf and the Tulsa sound. Today we put him in our ‘Spotlight’.

1:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

It’s Open Stream with a Theme starting early afternoon with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Rush, Buffalo Springfield, The Guess Who and more.

8:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at Macon City Auditorium, Macon, Georgia, February 11, 1972

The Brothers air it out tonight from the Macon City Auditorium as only they can.

Blah. Blah. Blah. I’d give you my usual closing, but you’ve heard it all before. No charge. No interruption. No commercial advertising. Only music. The button is below. Just do it.

The Button.

Thursday Brings ‘Travelin’ Fever,’ Live Lucinda Williams, and a Staple Singers Spotlight Feature, June 5, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re on the downslide to the weekend and we’ve got some great stuff today, including a brand new Staple Singers Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Life on the road is always a great musical subject, and that’s what we open with this morning. You’ll hear music from 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, The Guess Who, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Carole King, Cream and more!

4:00 p.m. Lucinda Williams Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX, December 5, 1998

The great singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams recorded live for Austin City Limits.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Staple Singers NEW!

The Staple Singers are an American classic, a gospel, soul and R&B group started by Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children that signed their first professional contract in 1952. They are best known for a string of hits in the seventies that included Respect Yourself, I’ll Take You There, If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) and Let’s Do It Again. The Staple Singers have also been a steady voice in the civil rights movement. The Staple Singers have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999) and The Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2018). They were also honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Drew, Mississippi and were given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

It’s always a good time to give us a listen. We’re totally free (no “free trial” bullshit), we don’t ask for a credit card, and we don’t ask for your personal information. We’re all about the music. No lie. Hit the button below and see for yourself.

Go ahead. Hit the button.

It’s Saturday and We’ve Got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, a Dylan Spotlight for His 83rd, and ‘Live’ Bobbie Gentry, May 25, 2024

Good morning and welcome to Memorial Day Weekend! We’re not going anywhere; we’re sitting tight here in The Mermaid Lounge playing music all weekend and we’ve got some great stuff lined up!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

Yes, we kick it all off with our big, bad soul and R&B extended playlist where you’ll hear 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, Joe Tex, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Dylan

The poet laureate of music turned 83 years young yesterday and we are putting him In The Spotlight where he belongs as one of the best songwriters in the history of any kind of music, among other things.

8:00 p.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC, 1968-1969

Speaking of great songwriters, we’ve got Bobbie Gentry recorded live at the BBC over year’s period. She brings along special guests Donovan and James Taylor as well.

Get in on it. We’re rolling here all day and night with absolutely no interruption and no commercial advertising. We don’t need your credit card. We’re all about the music.

Special Holiday Weekend Programming Coming!

Welcome to Monday With Ray Charles and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, April 22, 2024

Welcome to Monday, Monday. In between Ray Charles and our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, we’ve got a bunch of great wide Open Stream to kick off the week.

Here’s Monday’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ray Charles NEW!

This one has been a long time coming and it’s finally here. We kick off the program with a long-awaited Ray Charles spotlight. We have been remiss and we repent.

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

We move from Ray Charles into our big, bad soul and R&B EP, where you’ll hear more Ray Charles in addition to Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, 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, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

We are here 24/7 for your listening pleasure every single day of the year at no charge to you and with no commercial interruptions. We’re all about the music.

A Little Bit O’Soul

Today We’ve Got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, Al Green’s Final Spin, and an Emmylou Harris Spotlight, Friday, January 19, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! Hope all is well where you are and that you’re ready for another day in The Mermaid Lounge where the attitude is easy and the music is fine.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Soul from all over the spectrum 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, Percy Sledge, Wanda Jackson, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more.

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Al Green FINAL AIRING!

Speaking of the great Al Green, he takes his final spin today as our featured singer-songwriter. On Monday, we will have a brand new artist.

8:00 p.m.  In the Spotlight: The Music of Emmylou Harris

I was not a real country fan until I heard Linda Ronstadt. And it was Linda Ronstadt’s music that helped introduced me to Emmylou Harris. I heard Elite Hotel and I was hooked, and have been ever since. Emmylou Harris has deservedly won nearly every music accolade humanly possible. She helped continue to shape country music, while refusing to allow it to define her singing. Tonight she’s our Spotlight artist.

Yes, it’s Friday once again. We’ve nearly made it to the weekend. And what better way to get over the final line than right here with great music at absolutely no charge to anyone and with absolutely no commercial interruption?

A Little Bit O’ Soul

It’s Simply Sunday With Sam Cooke’s AOW and the ‘#BecomeUngovernable House Music’ EP, November 26, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are on another simple Sunday rotation today with plenty of Open Stream and minimal, but excellent, programming.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Ain’t That Good News by Sam Cooke NEW!

This was Sam Cooke’s eleventh and final studio album, released in 1964. It contained his final hit, A Change Is Gonna’ Come, which became an anthem for the civil rights movement of the sixties. The song has increased in popularity over the decades since its release and, although a modest hit compared to his earlier songs, has become one of his best-known songs. Sam Cooke was a musical genius, and his considerable influence on the development of the soul and R&B genre cannot be denied.

3:00 p.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

Primarily songs from the sixties and seventies, this is essentially the music that inspired the radio station. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, 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, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, 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 Seger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

Before, in between and after, The Music Mermaid will guide you through our big, wide Open Stream. We’re on 24/7 come hell or high water. And we’re totally free.

Simply Sunday

It’s Midweek With Our Big, Bad Soul EP, Some Dr. John and Jakob Dylan In The Spotlight, Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’re on a soul music path to start out our day, then it’s Dr. John as our featured singer-songwriter, and Jakob Dylan In the Spotlight later.

Here’s your musical lineup at midweek:

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

It’s not just Motown. It’s also the artists of Stax, Atlantic, Muscle Shoals and beyond. You’ll hear 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, Percy Sledge, The Ad Libs, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dr. John

The good Doctor returns this afternoon for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Jakob Dylan In the Spotlight

We’ve not aired this one in a while, but Bob’s boy is a bit of a chip off the old block. We like him here in The Lounge. Tonight we give you his music with and without The Wallflowers.

What could be better than starting off your day with the music that made America dance? It’s Hitsville, U.S.A. and beyond. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption, and at no cost to you. Just do it.

A Little Bit O’ Soul

It’s Simply Sunday With Ronstadt’s “Duets” AOW, and the ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ Multi-Artist EP on October 15, 2023

Good morning, weekenders. You’ve got one day left to kick back and relax and that’s today. We keep it simple here with plenty of wide Open Stream on Sundays, and this one is no exception.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Duets by Linda Ronstadt NEW!

Last week we selected Emmylou Harris’ Duets album; this week it’s Linda Ronstadt’s turn as she sings with Bette Midler, J.D. Souther, Don Henley, Carl Jackson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Laurie Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Ann Savoy and Aaron Neville.

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

This is the Big Kahuna. It’s not just Motown, it covers the full gamut of soul, R & B and (some) Gospel. You’ll hear 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, Percy Sledge, The Ad Libs, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

Far be it from me to tell you how to live, but I firmly believe that Sunday is a day of rest. That’s why I refuse to work a Sunday (unless my store is in dire straits). It’s a day to spend with family and friends enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Like good music. And we’ve got that covered at no charge to you.

It’s Simply Sunday.

Today We’ve Got Emmylou Harris, Sam Cooke and Our ‘Ode To Morning’ Multi-Artist EP, Saturday, October 14, 2023

Good morning, weekenders and welcome to the Mermaid Lounge where we have our final airing of Emmylou Harris’ AOW, the intro of Sam Cooke as our featured singer-songwriter, and our great ‘Ode to Morning’ EP!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Duets by Emmylou Harris FINAL AIRING!

This great compilation album gets its final spin today, but there’s no need to fret. These songs are all in our standard rotation. Tomorrow we’ll have a new album, and it will be Duets by Linda Ronstadt. One good turn deserves another.

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

The last EP we heard was about night. This one’s about morning with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Badfinger, Chris Hillman and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Sam Cooke NEW!

Smooth-as-silk Sam Cooke has been called the man who invented soul and the “King of Soul” because of the pioneering influence that he has had on the genre, including his unique vocals and songwriting style. He is our new featured singer-songwriter.

We’ve made it to the first day of the weekend (of course, some of us are retail slaves and have yet one more day), and that is a good thing. Now, you get to sit back and enjoy all that great music that helped get you through the week!

Welcome Weekenders!

The Final Airing of Our AOW, the Big, Bad Motown EP, and Cat Stevens as Our Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, October 7, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a great lineup for you today as we hit the weekend! Our big show is Motown, mostly centered around the sixties and seventies. Great stuff.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: New York Tendaberry by Laura Nyro FINAL AIRING!

Today will be the final airing of Laura Nyro’s middle album in a great early-career trilogy. Get on it while you can!

12:00 p.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

The sounds of Hitsville, U.S.A. The music that made America 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, 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!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Yusuf/Cat Stevens NEW!

Today, we introduce Yusuf/Cat Stevens as our featured singer-songwriter, a troubadour and songwriter who occupied my young world when he first made his debut. I played Teaser & The Firecat until the grooves were gone. He’s a fine songwriter, musician and singer who suffered unjustly because he had converted to Islam prior to the 9-11 fiasco. At one point, they wouldn’t even allow him into the U.S. for his tour. The man is an American, people. Get over it.

It’s Saturday and that makes it officially The Weekend. Brought to you by the Labor Movement. We’re on 24/7. We take our job seriously. We do not need your money or your credit card because we are 100% free. And we do not run commercial advertising. Do it.

Welcome Weekenders!