Category: Pop

Saturday Brings Sam Cooke, Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP and Randy Newman Later On, December 2, 2023

We’ve successfully gotten to Saturday and we’ve got the final airing of our AOW, songs about water (which comprises 71% of planet earth), and Randy Newman is our new featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s today’s musical extravaganza:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Ain’t That Good News by Sam Cooke FINAL AIRING!

It’s the final airing of Sam Cooke’s featured album. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new selection here.

11:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Once again, we’ve got songs about water…one of the most important components of human existence in all its forms. You’ll hear Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Randy Newman NEW!

Truly one of the most prolific writers of his generation, he is like Laura Nyro in the sense that he has provided material for many, many singers. Linda Ronstadt recorded Feels Like Home and Sail Away, Three Dog Night recorded Mama Told me Not To Come, Irma Thomas recorded Baby Don’t Look Down, and there were many others. He has also scored nine Disney-Pixar movies. On top of all that, Randy Newman has had his own successful solo career writing songs about the human condition and with some wry sarcasm at times. He’s a favorite here.

The weekend is here and this is your landing spot for excellent music 24/7 at no charge to the human race. Just push the button below and see for yourself.

Just Push Play. Ok?

‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, Steve Winwood, and ‘Live’ Laura Nyro are All In the Plan, Thursday, October 26, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We are over the hump and on the way to the weekend! We have some great music today, including brand new ‘live’ Laura Nyro!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We cover the early-to-mid sixties here with 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, The Temptations, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Bob Dylan, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Procol Harum, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Roll With It by Steve Winwood

The legendary Steve Winwood stops by with his Album of the Week this afternoon.

7:00 p.m. Laura Nyro Live at Kintetsu Hall and On Air West, Osaka, Japan, February 22, 1994 NEW!

We’ve got some great new Laura Nyro recorded ‘live’ in two locations in Japan tonight. We know the great Laura Nyro is mostly known for writing hits for others, like The Fifth Dimension, Barbra Streisand, Blood, Sweat & Tears and so many more. But there is nothing like hearing Laura Nyro sing her own songs. It’s a whole new dimension.

Stop by today on your way to the weekend and we’ll make you smile. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption and at no charge to the public. No shit.

The Sixties are Back!

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!

Today It’s Laura Nyro With Our AOW and Some Folks Who Want to Sing to You About Travelin’ Fever, Sunday, October 1, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We’re here on another keep-it-simple Sunday with Laura Nyro’s New York Tendaberry and our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: New York Tendaberry by Laura Nyro NEW!

In her third studio album, Nyro sings about the romantic experience and past lovers in a darker tone than on Eli & The Thirteenth Confession (which has already been on our AOW roster), but New York Tendaberry would prove to be the most commercially successful album of her career. As we have said in previous write-ups about Laura Nyro, she spent most of her career making others successful with her great compositions, but there is nothing like hearing Laura singer her own stuff.

3:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

Life on the road has to be one of the most popular subjects in rock n’ roll (perhaps second only to the broken heart). You’ll hear from Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Asleep at The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Del Shannon, and more!

It is an official ‘day of rest’ here in the U.S. of A. or so they tell us, even though I know some are toiling away in retail hell. I say we bring back the Blue Laws. This was all done for greed. But I digress. Tune us in. We’re anti-capitalist. We don’t charge you to listen, and we don’t play commercial advertising of any kind. See for yourself. The button’s below.

Sunday Funday!

We’ve Got Linda Ronstadt In the Spotlight, Our ‘Looks Like Rain’ Playlist, and Roy Orbison on Monday, September 25, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re back to the work week and we’ve got a great lineup today with a couple of programs we haven’t aired in a while!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Linda Ronstadt

The Queen of Rock (and our resident favorite female artist) was a bit of a misnomer after the seventies because Ronstadt could sing just about any genre she wanted in an impressive manner. This playlist proves it.

3:00 p.m. Looks Like Rain: Various Artists

It’s pouring here today, so this is appropriate. Who’s singing about the rain? You’ll hear The Rascals, Willie Nelson, the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, Poco, James Taylor, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Carole King, Irma Thomas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Melanie, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eurythmics, Fats Domino, America, Linda Ronstadt, ,The James Gang, Joni Mitchell, The Searchers, The Eagles, Electric Light Orchestra, The Lovin’ Spoonful and more!

8:00 p.m. Roy Orbison & Friends: The Original Black & White Concert

On September 30, 1987 at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove Nightclub, Roy Orbison and his friends got together for a concert of his many hits and it was filmed entirely in black & white. Those who participated included Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, and Tom Waits. These folks sang background on many of the songs and played guitar as well. The backing band was the TCB band, who backed Elvis from 1969 until his death in 1977: Glen D. Hardin on piano, James Burton on lead guitar, Jerry Scheff on bass, and Ronnie Tutt on drums. A splendid time was had by all.

It’s a perfect day to tune us in. We’re here and we’re ready to rock and roll, as they say. So, let’s get our shit together and get this show on the road.

Monday, Monday

A Ride on ‘The Psychedelic Express,’ a Farwell to “Cahoots,” and John Sebastian is the Featured Singer-Songwriter, on Saturday, September 23, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are here in The Lounge preparing for another day of great music starting with an extended journey on ‘The Psychedelic Express.’

You don’t need no stinking tickets:

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

Certainly a favorite musical genre here in The Mermaid Lounge. We look forward every month to hearing Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Cahoots by The Band FINAL AIRING!

Today is our final airing of this great album by a great Americana music band. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new selection.

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of John Sebastian NEW!

A big, big favorite here in The Mermaid Lounge who founded one of the best fucking folk-rock bands on the planet in The Lovin’ Spoonful. John Sebastian was a definer of the sixties sound and a fixture in Laurel Canyon. Today he’s our featured singer-songwriter.

Great day to tune us in. We’re on 24/7 every day of the week with no commercial interruptions and at no cost to you. No lie. No strings. No shit.

All Aboard The Psychedelic Express!

It’s Crazy in The Lounge Today! We Say Farewell to Our AOW and Jagger/Richards, and Welcome the Ladies of Music and Garcia/Hunter, Saturday, September 16, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! It’s an unusually busy day here on a Saturday because we dedicated Friday to The Beatles, our big-ass House Band. We’ve got some cramming to do today!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Red Rose Speedway by Paul McCartney & Wings FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to this week’s album. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection for you.

11:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

We’ll have an update coming soon but, in the meantime, you can hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, 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, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

6:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Mick Jagger & Keith Richards FINAL AIRING!

We say our goodbyes to this week’s featured singer-songwriting duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

10:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter NEW!

And we ring in our featured singer-songwriters for the coming week! While it’s true that Robert Hunter didn’t “sing” we like to bend the rules here. They started out as a folk duo during the sixties and wound up writing some classic Grateful Dead tunes, like Dark Star, Shakedown Street, Casey Jones, Fire On The Mountain and many others.

Yeah, it’s busy, but the living is easy and the music is outstanding. Kick off those shoes and tune us in. It’s Saturday!

Ladies Day Out!

It’s a Blue Monday Here in The Mermaid Lounge, and We’ve Got Booker T. & The MG’s In the Spotlight, September 11, 2023

Fats Domino sang about hating Blue Mondays, but here in The Mermaid Lounge, we love them. Today we’ve got our ‘All About Blue’ playlists and the Stax House Band, Booker T. & The MG’s In the Spotlight later!

Here’s your Blue Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. All About Blue, Volume One: Various Artists

Songs about my personal favorite color in the title, lyrics or both. You’d be amazed at how many there are. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, The Allman Brothers Band, Mudcrutch, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Badfinger, Jonathan Edwards and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Booker T. & The MG’s

Booker T. & the MG’s were an American instrumental R&B/funk band that was not only the Stax Records House Band, but was also influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg, and Al Jackson Jr. Today we put them In the Spotlight.

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

We continue on the blue theme this evening with a whole new set of characters including Laura Nyro, Robert Johnson, Steve Earle & The Dukes, The Doors, Van Morrison, Cream, Guy Clark, Canned Heat, The Smithereens, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, Little Feat, B. B. King, Buddy Guy and more!

We’re on the way to another music extravaganza here on Monday as we head into the fall season. We’ve got some new ideas up our sleeve. Stay in touch.

Welcome To Blue Monday

Onward With the ‘Color My World’ EP, Jimmy Buffett’s AOW and CSNY In the Spotlight, Thursday, September 7, 2023

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend! We start it all off with our ‘Color My World’ multi-artist (and very musically eclectic) EP today!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Songs with colors in the title, lyrics or both. Even the whiff of color puts it on this list with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, 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, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Changes In Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes by Jimmy Buffett

We’ve got one more airing for you after today and that’ll be sometime on Saturday. Get on it while you can!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Right there behind The Traveling Wilburys on my Supergroup Meter, although quite dysfunctional compared to The Wilburys. They are the original drama llamas of music, but that didn’t stop them from making some of the best stuff on the planet.

We’ve passed the midweek point now. It’s all downhill to the weekend from here. This is your opportunity to get there in style. We’re on 24/7 at no charge and turning on the tunes is hassle-free. Just push play.

PLAY.