Today It’s an Al Green ‘Spotlight’, Live Rolling Stones and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP on Saturday, December 28, 2024

Good morning, soulful revelers! We’ve got a great lineup today that includes our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP that combines the best of Motown, Stax, Atlantic and others to deliver the best of soul and R & B during the sixties and seventies.

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Al Green

One of the absolute best here, the Reverend Al. Here’s a little treat to whet your whistle, as they say. Al Green joins with Chicago on a TV special from back in 1978 for Tired of Being Alone. A gem.

This performance is new to our station. We’ve never aired it before. I saw the Stones live in Boston around this time back in the day. One of the best I’ve seen.

4:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We’ve got our big, bad soul and R & B EP to take us into the evening tonight with Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Sam & Dave, The Four Tops. The Ronettes, The Temptations, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Ray Charles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Ann Peebles, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Otis Redding, The Drifters and more!

Once again, we’re here 24/7 at no charge. Ever. We don’t run any commercial advertising. No bait and switch operation here. See for yourselves. The button is below.

It’s Our Big Folk Music EP, Live Steely Dan, and The Roches ‘In the Spotlight’ on Friday, December 27, 2024

Good morning, folkies! We begin the day with our Folk Music From A-to-Z EP, then it’s Steely Dan at The Record Plant and The Roches ‘In The Spotlight’.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We’ve got all the great artists who have defined the genre plus others who have kept it alive, including Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, The Beatles, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin and more!

Live performances at The Record Plant was like a requirement for bands back in the day. This one was broadcast on KMET-FM in Los Angeles, which was active from May 2, 1966 until it went off air on February 14, 1987,

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Roches

Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche were a trio of American folk singers who started modest and stayed modest, never really hitting the big time. The closest they came was when Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow performed Maggie’s composition, The Married Men, on Saturday Night Live. A few months later in 1979 they appeared on Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon’s prodding. Simon himself had used the trio as backup singers on his 1973 album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon.

We’re here 24/7 with no interruption all year long, and we do not run commercial advertising. We don’t ask for money. We don’t track our listeners. We’re anti-capitalist and we’re all about the music. The button is below.

Today It’s Our ‘Ode to Morning’ EP, New Heartbreakers Music, and Amy Winehouse on Thursday, December 26, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and we’re over the hump and headed for the weekend. We start out with songs about morning, then it’s the new-ish deluxe edition of Long After Dark and some live Amy Winehouse.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We start out the day with songs about morning, my favorite time of day, with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Chris Hillman and more!

This is a new release of one of The Heartbreakers’ sleeper albums. I say that because it was probably one of their least appreciated offerings, yet there are plenty of great songs on here beyond You Got Lucky, one of their signature hits. This release offers four never-before-heard songs, so that’s like brand new Heartbreaker music. It also contains an expanded version of one of the band’s most fun songs and a cult favorite, Heartbreakers Beach Party. A few songs appear twice because they were recorded for videos which appeared on French TV. As such, they are slightly different from each other. Enjoy. I did.

8:00 p.m. Amy Winehouse Live at Porchester Hall, London, UK, March 8, 2007

We don’t play much music from this time, but Amy Winehouse is an exception because she was a true R & B artist and we can appreciate that. Unfortunately, her demons got the best of her before she realized her true potential.

We embark on another day. Some of you will be back at work after Christmas and some will be on vacation. Either way, we remain on the air 24/7, totally free and with no commercial advertising. The button is below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Big Blues EP, Canned Heat and John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, December 24, 2024

Happy Tuesday Bluesday and Merry Christmas eve day! We’re giving you a great Christmas gift today with a new Canned Heat ‘Spotlight’ feature and some new live Bluesbreakers recorded by a Dutch fan in a bunch of London clubs in 1967!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Our biggest, baddest blues EP with the old, the new and the many who pay homage to the craft. You’ll hear Robert Johnson, Delbert McClinton, B. B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Elmore James, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Robert Cray Band, J. J. Cale, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

When we were kids, my friends and I just loved Canned Heat, and this was before we even realized they played the blues. They were simply one of the very best of the sixties bands. They still are.

8:00 p.m. John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Live in London Clubs, 1967

This series of shows was recorded by a Dutch fan back in 1967 (the actual dates are not available anywhere) and was eventually cleaned up and released. This particular lineup included John Mayall (vocals, harmonica, organ), the great Peter Green (guitar), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums).

Tuesday Bluesday is always a busy day, but there’s plenty of room for everyone! We’re on 24/7. We’re free. We don’t run commercial advertising. We’re all about the music. The button is, of course, below. See for yourselves.

Monday It’s ‘The Original Sixties’ EP, Live Bonnie Raitt and a Harry Nilsson ‘Spotlight’ Feature, December 23, 2024

It’s Monday, Monday once again and we start off another week in style with our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, followed by some live Bonnie Raitt and Harry Nilsson bringing up the rear.

Here’s your Monday musical mayhem:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

The music that inspired me comes from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Little Eva, Simon & Garfunkel, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, Blues Image, Booker T & The MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more.

4:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito CA, December 9, 1973

We’ve got some early Bonnie this afternoon, live from the famous Record Plant.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Harry Nilsson

We all called him Nilsson. No Harry. He was a character and he was also a brilliant artist who achieved most of his fame in the early seventies.

We’re here every day playing the absolute best music on the planet at no cost. We’re totally free. We’re global. We do not run commercial advertising to interrupt the flow. And the button is, of course, below.

Sunday Brings The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Who ‘In the Spotlight’ and Music From Laurel Canyon, December 22, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! It’s a balmy 8 degrees here in the Boston area, where we seem to have wildly fluctuating temperatures. But it’s cozy here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

A new live performance by The Flying Burrito Brothers starts us off today. Although best known for their connection to their legendary founder, Gram Parsons, and Chris Hillman formerly of The Byrds, the lineup underwent a never-ending cycle of changes. The Burritos’ lineup for this show was Skip Battin and Gene Parsons alongside Gib Guilbeau, Joel Scott Hill, and pedal steel legend “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow. Ever changing but always great.

1:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Who

Formed in London in 1964, The Who became one of the most influential bands of the 20th Century, making many contributions to rock music and pioneering the rock opera with Tommy.

4:00 p.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We move into the evening hours with one of our most popular EPs featuring the artists that helped to launch the country-rock genre, including The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

We’re on it today and every day. We’re a 24/7 operation 365 days a year, and we’re totally free of charge and free of commercial advertising. The button’s below.

Saturday Delivers ‘Color My World’, a New Nicolette Larson ‘Spotlight’ and Some Live Moody Blues, December 21, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We finally made it. We’re excited today to finally have a ‘Spotlight’ feature for Nicolette Larson, who left us far too soon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

It’s Open Stream with a Theme about colors with The Beatles, James Taylor, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

We finally put together a ‘Spotlight’ feature for an artist who left us far too soon. Some of her music is already in our stream, but much more will be in there by this evening.

8:00 p.m. The Moody Blues Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, March 19, 1993

We close it out today with the Moody Blues live in concert with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater.

I head for work today and look forward to a week of vacation time. There’ll be new music coming and we’ll get our plans together for the next year of programming. In the meantime, the button is below.

The End of the Work Week Brings The Linda Ronstadt-Neil Young Connection, Live Joni Mitchell, the Neville Brothers and ‘Wheels’, On Friday, December 20, 2024

We’ve got a busier Friday than usual today, adding one extra playlist on a day when we generally don’t run an extended playlist. It starts with the Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young connection.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

Whether covering Neil Young’s songs or singing back-up on his recordings, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young have a musical connection.

1:00 p.m. Wheels: Various Artists

Songs about getting around town and traveling across the miles from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who, T. Rex, Wings, Joni Mitchell, Mudcrutch, The Beatles, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Alice Cooper, Golden Earring, Chuck Berry and more!

5:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Club 47, Cambridge, MA, January 10, 1968

Now known as Passim’s, Club 47 once played host to some of the best and the brightest who became the stars of the sixties and seventies. Joni Mitchell was one of them.

8:00 p.m. The Neville Brothers: In the Spotlight

We close out the day’s programming with some authentic New Orleans R & B, funk and soul courtesy of The Neville Brothers.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. Next week it’s time for friends and family and, of course, my vacation when we’ll be putting together some new music ideas for the station. In the meantime, the button is below. We’re totally free. See for yourselves.

On Thursday We Celebrate ‘The Founders’, Then The Band ‘In the Spotlight,’ and Live Dr. John, December 19, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are once again headed for the weekend! We’re starting the day with a tribute to the founders who pioneered rock and roll, then it’s The Band and live Dr. John.

Here’s your Thursday music:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We start off with music from Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and more!

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

They started out as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and he referred to him as “The Band.” The name stuck, and they proceeded to become one of the greates and most influential music acts in popular music. A definite Mermaid Lounge favorite.

8:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, November 6, 1973

From Wikipedia, which says it best: Active as a session musician from the late 1950s until his death, he gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album Gris-Gris (1968) and his appearance at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music (1970). He typically performed a lively, theatrical stage show inspired by medicine showsMardi Gras costumes, and voodoo ceremonies. Rebennack recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums, as well as contributing to thousands of other musicians’ recordings. In 1973, he achieved a top-10 hit single with “Right Place, Wrong Time“. We simply love Dr. John here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We get closer to the weekend today and I get closer to my vacation, when we’ll be introducing some new music and playlists to our ever-growing offering. In the meantime, the button is below.

On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Best of Louisiana Blues,’ Live Howlin’ Wolf and a Slim Harpo ‘Spotlight’, December 17, 2024

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday and we kick it off with blues from the bayou and beyond, Howlin’ Wolf live in Chicago and blues harp maestro Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight’.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We head to Louisiana to hear Slim Harpo, Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Ray Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Little Walter, Big Boy Myles, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more.

4:00 p.m. Howlin’ Wolf Live at Alice’s Revisited, Chicago, IL, January 26, 1972

We’ve got some live Howlin’ Wolf coming up this afternoon in a performance from Alice’s Revisited in Chicago.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Slim Harpo

We close it out with blues harp maestro, guitarist and proponent of the swamp blues, Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight.’

Another Tuesday Bluesday rolls around and we’ve got great music here for you today. It’s pouring rain here in the Boston area. It’s supposed to be snowing by now, but it has been more than three years since the New England area has seen its ‘normal.’ Nevertheless, we keep on keeping on here in The Mermaid Lounge.