Category: In The Spotlight

We Open Festival Week With the Sounds of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Then It’s Otis Redding and Janis Joplin, on Monday, Monday, April 5, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! Festival Week is here and we’re opening up with the sounds of the Monterey International Pop Festival from 1967, the Summer of Love no matter how many people tell you it was 1969. It was not. It was ’67, and there are no alternative facts on that.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Monterey International Pop Festival, Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA, June 16-18, 1967

The sounds of the Summer of Love abound here. This was the precursor to the big festival to beat all, Woodstock. The diversity of music and artists that flooded Monterey was astounding as you will see. We’ve got five hours of uninterrupted Monterey Pop music. This repeats beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

Otis Redding was introduced to the world at Monterey Pop. He hadn’t even released his first song yet. Sadly, he would never get to enjoy the legendary place in music history that he would eventually achieve. His chartered plane, which also carried his back-up band, The Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona while on his way to another performance in December of that year killing all on board. All of Redding’s hits were posthumous, but his gritty voice and his songwriting made him one of the legends of soul and R & B.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, February 12, 1969

Janis Joplin established herself solidified her position as one of the stars of the sixties at Monterey in 1967. Tonight we close out the programming with a great Fillmore performance. Sadly, Janis too would be gone by 1970, a member of musical folklore’s 27 Club.

We’re just getting started. All week long we’ll be featuring the sounds of some of the greatest music festivals and the artists who made them great. Don’t miss a minute. We’ll also be replaying the festival music in the late night hours for our international friends. The button is below!

Monterey Pop!

On Sunday It’s a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ Feature, ‘The Female Species’ EP & The Band Live in Japan, May 4, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today that includes our ‘Female Species’ EP sandwiched in between Christine McVie and The Band.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

From Chickenshack to Fleetwood Mac, we open with a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ feature. In my humble opinion, Christine McVie was always the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac, although Stevie Nicks got more attention.

1:00 p.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We take you through the afternoon with songs about women, some real and some imagined, from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, 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 and more!

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at Kosei Nenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan, September 2, 1983

We close out the programming today with a great performance by The Band from Kosei Nenkin Hall in Tokyo.

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow begins Festival Week here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re here 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge every single day. We do not run any commercial advertising because we do not make one penny from what we do. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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We’re Back With Our ‘House EP’, a Beatles ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Byrds Live in London, On Saturday, May 3, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re back with some great programming today as we begin the weekend and head toward ‘Festival Week’ on Monday. Read on for all the details!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

The music that inspired the radio station starts off the day. We’ve got music from Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Phil Ochs, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Tom Rush, The Band and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Beatles

This was a tough playlist to create. Ultimately, I ended up putting a bunch of sheets of paper in a bucket with songs written on them and pulling them out. There’s simply no logical way to do this in your head. There are far too many great songs from the greatest rock band on the planet.

8:00 p.m. The Byrds Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, May 13, 1971

We close it out from one of the most significant bands of the sixties whose music influenced many who followed, most notably Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Byrds were a fine band, and Roger McGuinn is a legend.

We’re here 24/7 and we play the best damned music on the planet. It’s an eclectic rotation with few duplications in even a week, let alone a day. The Music Mermaid has this down. Join us. The button is below.

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Today We Ride ‘The Psychedelic Express’, Get a New Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’, and Some Live James Brown, On May Day, 2025

Welcome to May Day, 2025! We’ve got some great stuff today as we continue to build our protest and social justice music content. We give you a Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’ today along with a free tip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and some live James Brown this evening.

Here’s your May Day lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

This morning we take a trip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ along with Vanilla Fudge, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Donovan, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Velvet Underground and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Phil Ochs NEW!

Phil Ochs is the stuff of legends, blessed with great songwriting chops and sardonic humor along with a passion for social justice. He was one of the most prolific musical social activists of his generation. Today we put him ‘In the Spotlight’ and you can read more about him here in The Guardian.

8:00 p.m. We close out May Day with a live performance from James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, from the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

We’re on 24/7 and we do not require a subscription. We also do not track. We do not play commercial advertising and we don’t buy music from Amazon. Ever. We’re all about the music and how we source it. The button is below.

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We Close the Month With All-Girl Programming Featuring Our Big EP, Ruth Brown, and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, On Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We are closing out the month in style. Most stations don’t play this much women’s music in two months as we play in a week. For us, it’s a matter of routine. Read on as we close the month in full-female mode!

Here’s your all-girl midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

We start out with our big EP featuring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, 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, Norah Jones, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Phoebe Snow, Susan Tedeschi, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles, Lulu, and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ruth Brown NEW!

We finally get this one under our belt, as we give the late, great Ruth Brown her due. She was signed to Atlantic Records and dominated the scene during the fifties with a string of huge hits. As a result, Atlantic became knows as “the house that Ruth built.” Today, she’s in our ‘Spotlight.’

8:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets & More

People who are Ronstadt watchers know that she loved singing with other people more than she enjoyed her solo career. Today she brings along her friends as we hear her duets and so much more. Her brilliant vocals dominate, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge miss her very much.

We’re here every day and today belongs to the women of music. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free, and we do not run commercial advertising. The button is below.

Ladies Day Out Indeed!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings ‘The Best of Texas Blues’, Gunsmoke Blues, and a Peter Green ‘Spotlight’ (Finally), April 29, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got some great blues programming today. Our 4:00 p.m. slot has an interesting story. Read on for details!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Texas Blues: Various Artists

We open it up with one of our great blues EPs featuring Johnny Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball, The King Bees, Freddie King, Janis Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Doyle Bramhall II, Ally Venable, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, ZZ Top, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and more!

4:00 p.m. Gunsmoke Blues: Various Artists

This is the stuff of legends. While on a filming break from the Gunsmoke TV series in November of 1971, blues lover Link Wyler and some of his friends from the production crew took to the road and documented the blues barnstorming tour of the Pacific Northwest underaken by Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and George “Harmonica” Smith. This is the result.

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

This one has been coming for a while. We give you the music of the late, great Peter Green as a solo artist, as the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac (originally a blues band before Nicks and Buckingham joined), and Peter Green’s Splinter Group.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream of more than 30,000 songs. We don’t keep playing the same hundred songs over and over ad nauseum. We also don’t cost you a thing, play commercial advertising or talk through the music. We’re anti-capitalist to the core. Join us. The button’s below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday It’s Live Derek & The Dominos, Then Our ‘Great Beginnings’ EP, and a J.J. Cale ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 28, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! It’s Monday all over again, but all is not lost. We’ve got some great programming for you today.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Derek & The Dominos Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, October 23, 1970

Yet another Supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Duane Allman and Jim Gordon. We’ve got them live from The Fillmore East to start the day.

1:00 p.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists

This is the newest of our EPs, and it features songs with great openings. You’ll hear The Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the J. Geils Band, Aretha Franklin, Yes, Chicago, The Who, Johnny Rivers, Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Temptations, CSNY, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top, Badfinger, Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Paul Simon, The Chambers Brothers and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of J. J. Cale

One of the best right here. A pioneer of the “Tulsa Sound” which blended blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz. His bluesy guitar, whispery vocals, and shuffling beat defined the genre. He also wrote some of the best: Cocaine, After Midnight, The Old Man and Me, 13 Days, and Crazy Mama are among his compositions.

We’re here 24/7 without any commercial interruption. We don’t ask for a subscription, a credit card or your personal information. We don’t track or try to sell to you. What’s not to love? The button is below.

Monday, Monday

It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Richard & Mimi Farina NEW!

Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962

We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.

We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.

Richard & Mimi Farina

Saturday It’s Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’, Then It’s Live Warren Zevon, and a Valerie Carter ‘Spotlight’, April 26, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re here again on a Saturday with a great selection of programming sprinkled in with our big, wide Open Stream! It all starts out with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation: Volume Two

We cover the mid-to-late sixties (mostly) with this one with music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Mamas & Papas, The Hollies, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blind Faith, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Vanilla Fudge, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at The Roxy, Atlanta, GA, June 15, 1993

Warren Zevon certainly had his dark side and burned a lot of bridges in his lifetime, but he was a brilliant singer-songwriter and performer. Saw him at The Berklee Performance Center in Boston after Excitable Boy was released. He was three hours late, but it was worth the wait.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

She is certainly a Mermaid Lounge musical muse. The little girl with the big voice who left us all far too soon. She opened for Linda Ronstadt once at the Orpheum here in Boston and I was lucky enough to be there. They spent some time together singing on stage and it was amazing. We’ll air that one soon.

It’s Saturday. The Orange Scourge is in Rome. We’re all stuck here with the mess he continues to make. And that’s why we’re picking up our protest music content. We’ve aired two segments this week and more are coming! Stay tuned. The button is below.

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On Friday We’re ‘Under the Sun & Moon,’ Then Live Joni Mitchell, and a Roy Orbison ‘Spotlight’ Feature, April 25, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! In between all of this great programming we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 with no commercial interruption!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Under The Sun & Moon: Various Artists

We start out with a great playlist including music from Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Norah Jones, Bill Withers, Jimmy Cliff, The Traveling Wilburys, The Rolling Stones, Nina Simone, Cream, The Beatles, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, The Animals, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rosanne Cash, Valerie Carter, Tom Rush, The Doors, Jonathan Edwards and more!

4:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, July 20, 1983

This afternoon, we give you the legendary Joni Mitchell from Red Rocks on her World Refuge Tour.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roy Orbison

We celebrate Roy Orbison’s birthday (April 23) today by putting him ‘In the Spotlight’ where he belongs covering his solo music and his music with The Traveling Wilburys.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. We’re in survival mode here, under the orchestration of The Orange Menace. It’s golf time, so the damage is minimized on the weekend. All we have to endure is his incessant, childish posting. But we’re here with great music to help you get through. The button is below.

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