Category: In The Spotlight

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 Tuesday Bluesday With Our Chicago Blues EP, Elvis Presley, and Jimmy Reed In The Spotlight, November 14, 2023

It’s a bluesy kind of day here. I’m back on the floor in retail hell, unfortunately. And The Music Mermaid is holding down the fort here.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

It’s the blues from the Windy City with Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley

Elvis is back with his debut album. (By the way, we did give you the expanded edition of this album.) This is undoubtedly our favorite time for Elvis music, when he was immersed in the Nashville and Sun sessions.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Reed

This is a full Chicago blues day, as the great Mr. Reed was also in our Chicago blues EP today. Jimmy Reed was born in Mississippi in 1925 to a sharecropper family. He was a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who was active from the 1940’s up until 1976, when he passed at the age of 50. His guitar style attraced both blues audiences and non-blues audiences.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to tune us in, folks. It’s blues programming all day with our big, wide Open Stream in between. Give it a try. You need no money or credit cards. And we do not interrupt the music with commercial advertising.

Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday, It’s Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and a New Beatles Playlist, November 13, 2023

Good morning, worldwide workers! We’re back to Monday and we’ve got just what the doctor ordered for your day, including a brand new Beatles playlist in the evening slot.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Neil Young

Neil Young turned 78 yesterday, and today we are celebrating his infinitely brilliant career by putting him In the Spotlight, where he belongs.

4:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, February 28 & March 1, 1978

This afternoon we’ve got a Dylan concert from Budokan, recorded on February 28 and March 1 of 1978. We haven’t heard this one in a while, so it’s time to break it out.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The Love Songs NEW!

Yes, it’s a new playlist for the station, and it also includes the Beatles’ brand new and final single together, Now And Then, which has shattered a number of records since its release on November 3. It is the fastest-selling single of the century as it skyrocketed to the number one slot in England, over a half century after the legendary band broke up. It’s a thing of beauty, and so is this playlist.

We’ve got it all here for you today: Three totally legendary performers to kick off your week. What more could you ask for? (Except another day off, which we cannot grant.) Get in on it. It all starts at 11:00 a.m. and, as always, before, after and in between our programming it’s Open Stream time.

The Beatles Are Back!

Monday, Monday Brings Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP and Puts Carole King In The Spotlight Tonight, November 6, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We start out our day dreaming while awake, and later on this evening we put the legendary Carole King In the Spotlight.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

We start out in deep dream mode with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Parsons Project, Allman Brothers Band Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widesread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Carole King

Tonight we close out our programming with the legendary singer-songwriter Carole King in a Spotlight feature.

Come on in to The Mermaid Lounge and join the fun! We’re on 24/7 at no charge and with no commercial interruption. See for yourself. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

In Your Dreams

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers Band, Roomful of Blues and Tom Rush’s AOW in Between, October 31, 2023

Good morning, Bluesologists! We close out the month of October with a Tuesday Bluesday on tap, and that is a fitting way to exit the month.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at A & R Studios, New York, NY, August 26, 1971

The brothers get together at A & R studios for a live session, and we’ve got it here to start your programming day.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

It’s fitting that Tom Rush is this the owner of this week’s AOW because Tom Rush just happens to be a hell of a blues artist in addition to being a folk artist.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roomful of Blues

Roomful of Blues is in its sixth decade making some of the most innovative blues music on the planet. Check it out for yourself tonight!

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to get a flavor for what we are. In the hours between all the great blues, you’ll hear rock, rock n’ roll, reggae, folk, Americana, country, country-rock and more (just no rap, hip hop or disco). See for yourself.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Back to the Working World With Bobbie Gentry, Karla Bonoff and Our Petty Month Finale, Monday, October 30, 2023

Good morning, working folks! It’s back to the real world, and we’re here to see that your transition is a more pleasant one with some great programming.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at BBC Studios, London, UK 1968-1969

The reclusive Bobbie Gentry brought along two friends in James Taylor and Donovan when she graced the studios at the BBC. Gentry was a brilliant songwriter who only ever wanted to write for others, so she was a reluctant star. She eventually just walked away, but left some great music behind.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

Here we have another brilliant female songwriter who has helped to put other singers on the map, like Linda Ronstadt. In turn, Linda Ronstadt has shone a light on Karla Bonoff. And that’s how this works. As it turns out, and as Ronstadt will tell you, Karla Bonoff can sing. She’s in our Spotlight today.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Italy, June 9, 2012

We close out Tom Petty’s birthday month with a great live performace from Lucca, Italy.

Hey, it’s Monday. It happens once a week and there’s not a damned thing we can do about it. But there is something we can do to make it less bleak, and that is to play great music. We’re here 24/7 with no commercial interruption and at no charge to you!

Just Push Play.

We’ve Got Mudcrutch to Celebrate Tom Petty Week, Followed By the J. Geils Band and The Yardbirds, Monday, October 23, 2023

Good morning, working world! It’s back to Monday today, but we’re also back celebrating Tom Petty’s birthday week with a great Mudcrutch playlist. We’ve also got some J.Geils Band and Yardbirds to round things out.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Mudcrutch: The Best of the 2016 U.S. Tour

From Mudcrutch, to the Heartbreakers to the Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty’s musical quest never slept. I skipped this 2016 tour and I’ve been kicking myself in the ass ever since because on this playlist is the best damned live version of Hungry No More, and it was recorded at Boston’s House of Blues on this very tour. This is a great playlist. Not to be missed as we continue on with Petty week.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of the J. Geils Band

The original bad boys from Boston right here (actually Worcester if you want to get technical about it, but it’s close enough). J. Geils was a badass Boston band and I saw them more than once. Today we put them In the Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. The Yardbirds: The BBC Sessions 1965-1968

We close out the programming with some Yardbirds recorded live at the fabled BBC Studios between 1965 and 1968.

Monday’s here and so are we! We’ll get you through the day, and then we’ll roll along and get you through the week! Before you know it, we’ll all be weekenders!

Monday, Monday

Spend Monday With Gram Parsons, and ‘Live’ Music From Both Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and The Beatles, October 16, 2023

Good morning, worker bees! We’re all back in the trenches except for those of us who have Sunday and Monday as our weekends (that would be me). We’ve got some great stuff today including ‘live’ music from our two House Bands!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Gram Parsons

When we lost Gram Parsons tragically at the age of 26, we lost a real pioneer of the country-rock genre. He had just begun to make his mark, having spent time with The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The International Submarine Band, working with Emmylou Harris and as a solo artist popularizing what he called “Cosmic American Music”, a hybrid of country, rhythm & blues, soul, folk and rock. Today we put him In the Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, October 5, 1995

We continue on with Tom Petty Month with a great live performance from the University of Alabama, vintage 1995. This is one of the best set lists from any show that the Heartbreakers performed during this time phase.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles Live at The Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden, October 24, 1963

The year was 1963. The Beatles had not yet landed in America. And concerts were short. This one was just about 20 minutes long. But it’s 20 minutes of rock n’ roll musical history.

This is our plan to help make your Monday more palatable. And we’re on 24/7 at no charge. That means that you are free to listen continually at no charge and with absolutely no commercial advertising. What could be better?

Monday, Monday

Monday Brings Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, and Our ‘Between Heaven & Hell’ Playlist, October 9, 2023

It’s the beginning of another work week, and we’re here to make this day at least a bit more pleasant for you all. We start off today with the late, great Valerie Carter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

We open up with the little girl with the big voice, who was so loved and respected by her musical peers. Aside from her own brilliant collection of albums, she sang with Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Little Feat, Jackson Browne, the Outlaws and James Taylor. She wrote the song Cook With Honey (a hit for Judy Collins) and co-wrote songs with Jackson Browne and several other artists. Carter left the planet way too soon, and today we put her In the Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. Bob Dylan: Rare Performances From the Copyright Collection (1962-1966)

Some early live performances from the amazing Mr. Dylan, including recordings from the artist’s coffeehouse era (Gerde’s Folk City, 1962), his mythic 1963 breakout concerts at New York’s Town Hall and Carnegie Hall, a duet with Joan Baez from the historic March on Washington (August 28, 1963), definitive performances from his European and world tours of 1965 and 1966, and moments from the 1964 and 1965 Newport Folk Festivals and more. Not to be missed.

7:00 p.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

Not an EP, but a good one. You’ll hear the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Tom Petty, The Eagles, Steve Winwood, Lucinda Williams, John Lee Hooker, Fats Domino, the Grateful Dead, Foo Fighters, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Van Morrison, Roberta Flack, The Byrds, The Grass Roots and more!

Monday, Monday all over again but, hey, it isn’t all bad when you’ve got this great music floating around you all day. We’re not just on when we have programs to run. We are here all the time for your listening pleasure at absolutely NO charge and with no commercial advertising. See for yourself. Your ticket to musical nirvana is right below this line.

Free Music Every Day!

We Hit Our Midweek Stride with ‘House’ EP, the Music of John Sebastian and a Toots & The Maytals Spotlight on Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We are at the midweek point and we’ve got our ‘House’ EP all cued up and ready to go, followed by John Sebastian and Toots & The Maytals.

Here’s your musical landscape for today:

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

Ah, yes. One of the first playlists we ever put together here. It started with two hours and became an EP very quickly. 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, 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, Janis Joplin and more!

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

A fixture in Laurel Canyon and a pioneer in folk-rock, John Sebastian takes his second turn as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Toots & The Maytals

We get into some great ska and rocksteady tonight with Toots & The Maytals. Formed in the early 1960’s, the Maytals were a major influence in the popularization of Reggae music.

Jump in! The music’s fine! We play the best 60’s and 70’s music (not just the hits) on a 24/7 basis at no charge to you. And we do not accept commercial advertising. See for yourself. All you need to do is hit the button below.

Midweek in the Mermaid Lounge!