Category: Motown

It’s Sunday in The Lounge With Hot Tuna’s Album of The Week and Our Station-Launching #BecomeUngovernable House EP, March 26, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We keep it simple here on Sundays, but that doesn’t mean the music isn’t great. We’ve got a great AOW and our station-launching very first EP mixed in with all that wide Open Stream.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

12:00 p.m. #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

The music that inspired us to start the station. This was our very first playlist that grew into an extended multi-artist, hours-long event. It features 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 Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Steady As She Goes by Hot Tuna NEW!

Released in 2011, this great blues-rock album was Hot Tuna’s first studio album after a string of live albums, and came after Jorma Kaukonen released his own solo album on Red House Records. When the label showed an interest in a new Hot Tuna album, Kaukonen sprang into action. It was recorded at Levon Helm’s studio (The Band), and he used the same approach that the Jefferson Airplane used in producing their albums. Kaukonen contributed six songs to this album. All the details are here.

Before, in between and after, we’ve got that great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid. We’re on 24/7, we’re free, and there’s no commercial interruption.

Sunday Funday!

We Keep It Simple on Sundays With BeauSoleil’s Album of The Week and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, March 12, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! As usual, we keep it simple on Sundays here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great new Album of The Week and our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP. Before, in between and after, there’s plenty of wide Open Stream

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hot Chili Mama by BeauSoleil NEW!

We here in The Mermaid Lounge are big fans of Cajun/Zydeco music, and this is one great album by the band universally called the greatest Cajun band in the world. Be sure to tune it in this morning!

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

We’re back again with our ode to the music that made America dance and sing. This is our all-encompassing soul and rhythm & blues EP giving you five hours of uninterrupted music from 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, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

It’s officially a day of rest and it’s Daylight Savings Sunday as well. Kick back, take your shoes off and live. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We don’t accept advertising and we don’t spend a hell of a lot of time talking. We just play music.

Sunday Funday!

We Keep It Simple With Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” as Our AOW, and ‘The British Are Coming’ EP Later, Sunday, February 26, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! As usual, it’s a ‘keep it simple’ Sunday with plenty of wide Open Stream and modest programming. Hell, it’s a day of rest.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

12:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Innervisions by Stevie Wonder NEW!

Innervisions was singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder’s sixteenth studio album, and it is largely viewed as his transition from ‘Little’ Stevie Wonder to a more mature, socially conscious musician. It was released on August 3, 1973 on the Tamla label (a subsidiary of Motown). At the 16th Grammy Awards it won for Best Album of The Year, and Living For The City won for Best R&B Song. You can learn more about this great landmark album here.

4:00 p.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

This is a favorite EP as we give you music from across the pond from the British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Who, The Beatles, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, The Kinks, Queen, the Dave Clark Five, The (early) Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Queen and more!

We keep it simple on Sunday, and so should you. That means your decision to listen in should be a simple one. All you need to do is pull up a tab and click the link below!

Keep It Simple Sunday!

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, Kate & Anna McGarrigle as Our Featured Singer-Songwriters and The Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas, In the Spotlight, Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek as we look toward the weekend, and we’ve got a spectacular programming lineup for you today that starts off with our ode to the early sixties!

Here’s your midweek music:

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

We’re back with our homage to the early sixties, the years of the British Invasion and when American popular music was transforming itself. You’ll hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Bob Dylan, Procol Harum, The Temptations, Fats Domino, The Rolling Stones, and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle

We’ve got our second airing today of the brilliant music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle, whose compositions contributed to the success of so many artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Judy Collins.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

Irma Thomas was a contemporary of Aretha Franklin, but she never achieved the national spotlight like Aretha did. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw, because Irma Thomas is one hell of a soul and R & B singer, and is known as the Soul Queen of New Orleans. We turn our spotlight on her this evening. Give her a listen.

It’s midweek and, as they say, it’s all downhill from here but in a good way. We’re on 24/7, as our international listeners know, and we play music non-stop, not just when we have programming. We’re also totally free and totally free of commercial advertising.

It’s Midweek Madness!

We’re at Midweek With a Trip to Both Motown and The Legendary Fillmore With Some Legendary Musicians On Wednesday, February 1, 2023

We’re kicking off the month of February in style, musicologists! We start ot with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, followed by Stevie Wonder as our featured singer-songwriter and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ legendary 20-night residency at The Fillmore! Does it actually get any better?

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

Today we take a trip to Motor City and remember the music that made us dance! You’ll hear Barrett Strong (who just passed away in the last few days), 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, Diana Ross &The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder

This is our second airing of Stevie Wonder as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Wonder signed his first record contract at the age of eleven, and released his first hit called Fingertips at the age of 13. It went to No. 1. Hence, his first stage name of ‘Little Stevie Wonder.’

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, Volume 1, San Francisco, 1997

Today we are revisiting this great new release of The Heartbreakers’ legendary 20-night residency as The Fillmore House Band, where they scrapped the script and did something new every night to everyone’s delight. They even allowed those in attendance to leave them suggestions for subsequent shows, as many in attendance had tickets to multiple nights. To a man, the members of the Heartbreakers believed they were at their best for these legendary shows where they not only sang their original songs, but paid homage to those who inspired them. Special guests during these concerts included John Lee Hooker and Roger McGuinn, among others. We’ve broken this massive offering down into three volumes. We’ll be playing volumes two and three over the next couple of days. Enjoy. This doesn’t happen every day.

We can seriously say this is a great day to tune us in. This musical combination is off the charts, so to speak. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming, by the way) and we are totally 100% free, no strings and no lies. We don’t ask for a credit card, a subscription or your personal information.

Motown & The Fillmore. What could be better?

The Weekend Has Officially Arrived! Today We Start It Off With Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, Move On To Our AOW, and Introduce Stevie Wonder as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 28, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! We’ve got some great stuff lined up for the weekend, but let’s start with today. We kick off the programming with volume two of our Sixties Rotation, and move on to Motown from there!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

This is volume two of our sixties songfest, mostly covering the mid-to-late sixties, but we can never promise there won’t be some overlap between time periods. You’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, the Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, TheRonettes, The Kinks, The Beatles, Jimmy Cliff, The Zombies, Donovan, Velvet Underground, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and more!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Going To A Go-Go by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles FINAL AIRING!

Today is the swan song for this great album. Our final airing has arrived. Tomorrow when you roll (or fall) out of bed, we’ll have a brand new selection!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder NEW!

Today we intro Stevie Wonder as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. When he first started out, he was called “Little” Stevie Wonder because he was just eleven years old when he signed his first contract with Tamla Records, and just thirteen years old when his first No. 1 hit, Fingertips, was released. Wonder is widely recognized as a pioneer and major influencer in many musical styles, including rhythm & blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has won 25 Grammy awards. You can read more about Stevie Wonder here.

As always, the majority of our 24-hour periods are devoted to our great wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs. We’re totally free of charge and do not accept commercial advertising. We’re simply all about the music. Join us.

The Sixties!

We Keep It Simple on Sundays. Today It’s Smokey Robinson & The Miracles With Our AOW and We Take A Ride On ‘The Psychedelic Express’ On January 22, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! Hope you’re enjoying yours. Mine has just begun. Today we give you a great selection of programming in the midst of all that wide Open Stream. Read on for the details.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Going To A Go-Go by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles NEW!

Released on November 1, 1965, this is the first album where Smokey Robinson’s name was front and center. They went from The Miracles to Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The album also includes four of the band’s Top 20 hits: Ooh Baby Baby, The Tracks of My Tears, Going To A Go-Go, and My Girl Has Gone.

2:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

All aboard! It’s our psychedelic music extended playlist front and center today. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, the Electric Prunes, The Animals, the Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

Hell, kick your shoes off. Sit back. And tune in, turn on, and drop out. If there’s a big guy up there, rumor has it he even took Sunday’s off. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming) at no charge. Your money’s no good here. The music is never interrupted by commercial advertising because we don’t accept any. Give us a try. We don’t even ask your name. You won’t regret it.

The Psychedelic Express is Boarding!

On Thursday, We’ve Got Some Badass Guitarists, Our Album of The Week, and Volume One of The Soul Sisters On Tap, December 22, 2022

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got three great sets of programs coming up for you today starting off with those Badass Guitarists, moving on to our Album of the Week, and closing the programming out with The Soul Sisters later.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume One: Various Artists

We start out with volume one of two here. They may not be doing the singing, but they’re pretty damned important to the person who is. You’ll hear the handiwork of Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dickie Betts (The Allman Brothers Band), George Harrison (The Beatles), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Pete Townsend (The Who), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds), Bonnie Raitt, John J. Geils (The J. Geils Band), and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Goodbye and Hello by Tim Buckley

We’re winding down on this week’s great folk-rock and psychedelic folk album by Tim Buckley. Our final airing will be sometime Saturday, time still TBD. But get it in while you can! By Sunday, there’s going to be a brand new selection. Call it a Christmas present.

7:00 p.m. The Soul Sisters, Volume One: Various Artists

We’ve got volume one of two here as well. The women who made you want to dance and sing are here, including Little Eva, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, Kim Weston, Carla Thomas, the Shirelles, Ann Peebles, Mavis Staples (The Staple Singers), The Ronettes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbara Lewis, Mary Wells, Fontella Bass, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Before, in between, and after we’ve got our great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid at the helm. She has impeccable taste in music, as you well know. Join us.

Badass Guitarists!

Sunday Brings Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” as Our AOW, and the ‘Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, December 11, 2022

It’s a Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge with the threat of what we call a ‘wintry mix’ in the air. That’s when the weather people hedge their bets because they can’t figure out if it’s going to be snow or rain or both. I’m hedging my bets with a nice day indoors listening to some great music!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Dixie Chicken by Little Feat NEW!

This was Little Feat’s third studio album, released in 1973, and certainly became a landmark for the band. The title song would go a long way toward establishing the band’s great signature sound. Little Feat also added the great guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton. Bassist Kenny Gradney was also added to replace Roy Estrada. It signaled a change of the band’s sound, moving them toward New Orleans R & B and funk.This lineup would endure until Lowell George’s death in 1979 and the band’s subsequent breakup.

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

This is the Grand Kahuna of our R & B/soul playlists which is all encompassing, and not just dedicated to Motown artists. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Al Green, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, 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, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles and more!

Let’s get with the program, people. Sunday is a day of rest, and what better way to kick back than with great music. We’ve got it here and it won’t cost you a thing. I promise. We run 24/7, and always with more Open Stream than programming, at absolutely no cost to you. All you need is a computer and a free tab.

A Little Bit O’ Soul

We’re at Midweek With Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP and a New Playlist Called ‘Instrumentally Speaking’ Later, Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are hitting our midweek stride and closing out November with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, plus a brand new playlist of rock instrumental music later.

Here’s your midweek musical journey:

10:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We’re back with the music that made America get up off the sofa and 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, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes, and many more!

7:00 p.m. Instrumentally Speaking: Various Artists NEW!

We’ve been thinking about this one for a while and finally had the time to put this together. This is an underappreciated genre, and we’ve decided to give it some shine. You’ll hear Mason Williams, the Edgar Winter Group, The Allman Brothers Band, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Little Feat, the Jeff Beck Group, the J. Geils Band, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jefferson Airplane, and more. We even toss in some great surf guitar music from Dick Dale, The Surfaris and the Blue Stingrays!

Before, in between and after, we’ve got that great wide Open Stream that runs 24/7 without interruption, endless chatter, or commercial advertising. We’re all about the music here.

M is For Motown!