Category: In The Spotlight

Happy Birthday, Lefty Wilbury, Plus Jefferson Airplane Live at The Matrix & The Beatles Live on The Rooftop, Monday, April 25, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got three classic rock acts lined up for you today as we head into a brand new work week!

We’ve got the complete Beatles Apple Rooftop Concert later!

Here’s your Monday, Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roy Orbison

Today we say Happy Birthday (April 23, actually), Lefty Wilbury, also known as The Big O and the Caruso of Rock. You can also call him Roy Orbison, friend of Tom, Bob, and George. Today we give you the full spectrum of Roy Orbison’s talents.

3:00 p.m. Jefferson Airplane Live at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, CA, February 1, 1968

We are truly paying homage to the bands we love so much here in The Mermaid Lounge today as we take you all the way back to 1968 for this great performance at The Matrix Club in San Francisco.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles Complete Apple Rooftop Concert, London, UK, January 30, 1969

It was short and, oh, so sweet. I would love to have been there for the final live performance ever by the Fab Four. The city was at a standstill, people were getting out of their cars to listen, and the Bobbies were clearly trying to figure out where the music was coming from. It was a great way to go out, as they say.

It’s Monday, so why not improve your prospects by tuning us in today! We’re giving you some great classic rock mixed in with all that great wide Open Stream. And it’s all for free, people. What could be better besides a long weekend?

Classic Rock Day!

It’s A ‘Repeat After Me’ Monday With The Flying Burrito Brothers ‘Live’ and Guy Clark In The Spotlight Later, April 18, 2022

The beginning of another work week is here. We’ve got volume one of our ‘Repeat After Me’ series, The Flying Burrito Brothers ‘live’ at My Father’s Place and Guy Clark bringing up the rear!

Chris Hillman, Gram Parsons, and their Flying Burrito Brothers

Here’s your Monday, Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Repeat After Me, Volume 1: Various Artists

They say imitation if the sincerest form of flattery, and that is certainly true in the music world. We prove it today with a really fun playlist. We give you the original song, then the reboot as Linda Ronstadt sings Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (not to mention Little Feat and Randy Newman), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers sing The Animals, Tracy Nelson sings Bob Dylan, Gregg Allman sings Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris covers Simon & Garfunkel, Three Dog Night covers Laura Nyro, Aretha Franklin covers Carole King, The Beatles sing Barrett Strong, and I think you get the message here. Tune this one in. We’ll have volume two on Wedesday!

3:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York, November 28,1976

We’ve got a band here that helped pioneer the marriage between country and rock playing at a legendary venue. My Father’s Place at The Roslyn Hotel opened in 1971 and “created a scene that would influence music for decades to come,” according to the New York Times. They were spot on.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

I remember seeing this guy one very cold, snowy night as my friends and I were freezing our asses off running round Harvard Square in Cambridge getting stoned. We were freezing and one of the greatest music venues, Passim’s Coffee House, was open and serving stuff that was warm. We went in. The cover wasn’t expensive, so we took a table. And when Guy Clark came out, someone we’d never heard before, we had our minds completely blown. He’s been a favorite ever since, and is certainly one of the greatest singer-songwriters I’ve ever experienced.

Tune us in, folks. We’re here 24/7 at absofuckinglutely no charge to you. Ever. We’re also commercial-free and run more open stream than programming. We make it count.

Monday, Monday

Midweek Brings Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP and Puts Creedence Clearwater Revival In the Spotlight Later, Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve hit our midweek stride and we’ve got the women of music front and center this morning. Five hours of uninterrupted music for your listening pleasure.

The chicks are in charge of the tunes today!

Here’s your midweek line-up:

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

The women of music take over The Mermaid Lounge this morning. 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, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crowe, Valerie Carter, Judy Collins, Dolly Parton, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Creedence Clearwater Revival

Closing out today’s programming we have four guys from Berkeley, California who sound like they are straight out of the Louisiana Bayou. Swamp music at its best right here.

Before, in between, and all through the night, we’ve got that wide Open Stream! It doesn’t end with the programming. In fact, the bulk of the day is our no-repeat continuous music. All of it completely free. No subscription or credit card required. What’s not to love here?

Ladies Day Out!

Spend Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge With Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan, on April 12, 2022

And that’s not all! We’ve also got our second airing of our Album of The Week, Route 66, by Asleep at The Wheel. Read on for the details!

The day belongs to Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Here’s today’s Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Johnny Winter Live at The Bottom Line, New York, September 5, 1978

Johnny Winter is one of the finest electric bluesmen on the planet. He’s also just a great blues singer. You know a guy is great when the greats want to work with him. Muddy Waters earned Grammys for his work with Winter. This guy’s the real deal.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Route 66 by Asleep At the Wheel

We’ve got one break in the blues programming today for a little bit of Texas swing, Bob Wills style, with Asleep At the Wheel.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Speaking of blues greats, we’ve got another one right here. We cover his music with both Double Trouble and as a solo artist.

Hey, it’s Tuesday Bluesday. It’s a great day to tune us in. Although, frankly, every day is a great day to tune us in. Before, in between and after, we give you all that great wide Open Stream. And the Music Mermaid will be taking care of you.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Monday, Monday Brings The Lovin’ Spoonful, BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana, and Songs About The Color Blue, On April 11, 2022

Good Morning and welcome to the work week once again! We can help you start off on a positive note with some great music today.

Today’s featured artists are The Lovin’ Spoonful and BeauSoleil!

Here’s your Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Lovin’ Spoonful

We haven’t heard this one in a bit, and it’s more than worth pulling it out so that we can all be reminded about what a great band The Spoonful actually was. They were at the forefront of the Laurel Canyon music explosion and were a hit machine. I hear them a lot at work and every time the station plays a song, all I think is, “What a great song.” They were that kind of band.

3:00 p.m. BeauSoleil Live in Louisiana!

This is a live compilation of performances by BeauSoleil culled from their 2006 Louisiana Crossroads performances. By the way, 2006 also marked the 30th year as the band’s world ambasador of authentic Cajun music.

7:00 p.m. All About Blue: Various Artists

We close out the day’s programming with songs about the color blue in the title, lyrics, or both. You’ll hear from 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!

Hey, you can tune us in right now and hear great music because we run 24/7 uninterrupted. Our European musical family has been on all night long, as usual! You don’t have to wait for the programming to start. We’re totally free of charge every day, not just when we’re trying to get you to “sign up” for a subscription because we don’t require them. What more could you want?

Monday Monday

It’s Another Rockin’ Saturday With Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, The Final Airing of “Luxury Liner,” Jeff Lynne In the Spotlight, and LIVE DEAD! Closing It Out Later, April 9, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! Saturday is always busy here in The Mermaid Lounge, and today is absolutely no exception. Read on for all the details!

We kick off the day with our great ‘Ode To Morning’ EP!

Here’s today’s line-up:

10:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

You know, we have our Here Comes The Night EP, so it was only fitting we make one for the morning. You’ll hear songs about morning from Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg,, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Luxury Liner by Emmylou Harris FINAL AIRING!

This is it, music lovers, the final airing of Emmylou Harris’ Luxury Liner, undoubtedly one of the finest albums ever made. We’ve already got a brand new one waiting in the wings, so get on board this one today before it pulls out of the station!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jeff Lynne

Friend of Tom here. Jeff Lynne is one fine musician and, as the Heartbreakers will tell you, one fine producer. Today we give you his music as a member of The Move (his earliest band), the leader of Electric Light Orchestra, and as the famous Otis Wilbury.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Matrix Club, San Francisco, December 4, 1966

A repeat performance here by request from some of our Deadhead friends overseas. We haven’t played this particular soundboard since the end of 2020, so it’ll be just like new! Then again, no two performances were every the same for this band, not even on the same tour.

Kids, you get to sit at home today if you’re a 9 to 5 worker. Some of us will be toiling for one more day in retail hell. So, as long as this begins the weekend for most, it’s a great day to sit back and tune us in! We’re free 24/7 with no commercial interruptions and no credit card required. Just do it!

It’s Saturday!

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Female Species’ EP and The Doors In The Spotlight, Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! As I plow along here to get out the door, The Music Mermaid is warming up the music maker. We’ve got a favorite EP here and The Doors up later.

The Doors. ‘Nuff said.

Here’s your midweek line-up:

9:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

This is not to be confused with ‘Ladies Day Out.’ While some songs are sung by the women of music, the subject matter is ladies, girls, and women, with the words in the title, lyrics…or both. This multi-artist EP includes Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, John Mayall, The Boogaloo Swamis, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Fleetwood Mac, Electric Light Orchestra, Percy Sledge, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, and more!

7:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Doors

This is one of those bands that seems like they were around the music scene forever, kind of like The Beatles (but not The Beatles; nobody is The Beatles but The Beatles), who were only around for seven years. The Doors? They were really only around for four years, but they made a hell of a lot of great music.

Before, in between, and after our programming, we’ve got that wide Open Stream of great music. You’d be hard pressed to hear any song more than once a day…or even every few days. So, why not give us a shot here. We’re free 24/7, require no credit card, and ask no personal information.

THE DOORS

We’re At Midweek With Our Newest EP, ‘In Your Dreams’ and Maria Muldaur In The Spotlight Later, Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’re at midweek here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got our newest EP talking about your dreams. Later, as we wind down on Women’s History Month, we’ve got Maria Muldaur In the Spotlight.

Songs about dreams today starting at 10:00 a.m. EST!

Here’s today’s line-up:

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

Today we take a trip into your dreams. There have been many songs written about dreaming, although some have been more like nightmares. You’ll hear The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, The Everly Brothers, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, Fleetwood Mac, the Electric Prunes, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nanci Griffith, John Cougar Mellencamp, Randy Newman, Laura Nyro, R.E.M., Jimmy Ruffin, The Shelters, Linda Ronstadt, Hot Tuna, Tracy Chapman, Little Feat, Jimi Hendrix, Electric Light Orchestra, Patti Smith, The Wallflowers, John Prine, Cream, Alison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Wings, and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur got her start in the coffee houses of Greenwich Village during the great folk music revival of the sixties. Since then, she’s added many more musical genres to her repertoire over a decades-long career. Tune in tonight at 7:00 p.m. to see what we mean.

Before, in between, and after we have 24/7 wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid. Who knows what she has in store! But one thing we know for certain here, she has impeccable musical taste.

Cursor Here Please!

It’s All About The Women on Tuesday Bluesday, Plus Our Album of The Week, March 29, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! Here we are again on another Tuesday Bluesday and it’s all about the women today, as we wind down International Women’s Month.

This week’s Tuesday Bluesday programming features Big Mama Thornton and Tracy Nelson!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Big Mama Thornton with The Muddy Waters Blues Band, 1966

Recorded back in 1966, Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton and the Muddy Waters Blues Band performed “in session” without the benefit of any rehearsal, and the result? Well, see for yourself. Big Mama Thornton was the original Hound Dog, baby. She sang with such passion she didn’t need rehearsal. And as for her backing band? They had enough skill to pull it off as you will see.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Southern Accents by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Our second airing of this week’s Album of The Week by The Heartbreakers is up today. This album may not have turned out as planned, but when it comes to our house band, it’s never a disappointment. A great collection of songs. My favorite after 37 years is still Rebels.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

The second half of our all-women bluesday comes from Tracy Nelson, a woman who has been around since her days with Mother Earth. That means 20 albums and five decades of music. Not to be missed.

I’m back in retail land today, but if you’ve got some time today, we’ve got the music. See for yourself, folks. We’re totally free 24/7. The Music Mermaid is never on vacation. And we do not interrupt our music with commercial advertising. Not allowed. We never ask for a credit card or your personal information. Just do it, people.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We Serve Up Our ‘For Foodies Only’ Playlist, Celebrate The Women With Irma Thomas, and Remember The Great Taylor Hawkins, Monday, March 28, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! It’s a bittersweet day today as we pay respects to Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters. That’s not all we’ve got, but it’s a day to remember one of the greatest drummers on the planet and just how fleeting life really is.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. For Foodies Only: Various Artists

Somebody suggested we make a playlist including songs about food. I’m glad they did because this is a really cool and eclectic playlist. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Judy Collins, Sam & Dave, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Four Tops, The Strangeloves, Led Zeppelin, Don McLean, Cream, The Guess Who, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Eagles, Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Harry Nilsson, Fats Domino, Steely Dan, and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

We continue our celebration of Women’s History Month with Irma Thomas, a contemporary of Aretha Franklin who could easily be right up there on the musical food chain next to Aretha. But there’s apparently room for one one Queen of Soul, so Irma Thomas had to settle for the title of Soul Queen of New Orleans.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Foo Fighters

I wish we were running this playlist for happier reasons, but we’re not. We lose another great musician far too early in his life, and another one to drugs. Tonight we pay respects to the great Taylor Hawkins, and sincerely hope Dave Grohl and his mates eventually pull out of this sadness and keep on keepin’ on, even though there will never be another Taylor Hawkins.

What are you doing on Monday? Back to work? If you are in an office and have a computer, you can simply pull up a tab and join us for the day. We have many listeners around the globe who do. We have proof. We have emails! Best of all, we run 24/7 totally free of charge with no commercial interruptions. What’s not to like here?

Put it right here.