Category: Power Pop

‘M is For Motown’, Loggins & Messina and The McGarrigle Sisters Are All On Tap For Thursday, January 11, 2024

Morning, folks! We are on track for a great day here in The Mermaid Lounge with a trip to Motor City planned, our AOW, and some rare gems from Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We’ve got five hours of the music that made America dance with Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Edwin Starr, Eddie Holland, 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, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Sittin’ In by Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina

Back again for another airing of what was first intended to be a solo album by Loggins, but became Loggins & Messina’s first album together.

7:00 p.m.  Tell My Sister: The Unreleased Recordings of Kate & Anna McGarrigle

We haven’t aired this one for a while, so this is a good time to break it out. This is a rare gem for fans of the McGarrigle sisters, two of the greatest singer-songwriters ever who became fertile ground for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and others. Their covers led to Kate & Anna McGarrigle getting their first recording contract.

Get on in here. The Mermaid Lounge is open to all and we’re open all night. What better day to head toward the weekend?

Just Push Play!

Another Simply Sunday Brings Our AOW by Loggins & Messina and the ‘What’s In a Name’ Multi-Artist EP, January 7, 2024

Yes, I will admit that there are times when I’m still writing ‘2023’ on stuff but, in spite of my encroaching old age, I’m doing better than I was last year at this time! (And that’s a good sign.)

Here’s your Sunday funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Sittin’ In by Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina NEW!

I have a lot of fond musical memories of these guys; put simply, they just made some great music. This was originally intended as a Loggins solo album, but Jim Messina was brought in as the producer and started writing some songs, playing instruments and singing background. The original (correct) title is Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In, by the way. However, after that? They became Loggins & Messina and put out a string of great albums. We’ve got one today.

3:00 p.m.  What’s In a Name: Various Artists

An EP with names in songs. You know, like Ode to Billie Joe. Or Alison. Or Gloria. There are many, and we’ve got a bunch from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Donovan, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Laura Nyro, Bobbie Gentry, The Kinks, Three Dog Night and many more!

The snow continues to fall outside The Mermaid Lounge, but we can’t get no respect here. Winters are not what they used to be, even in the Boston area. But it’s cozy and filled with good music here. Best of all, I don’t have to move an inch until Tuesday. Join us.

Simply Sunday!

Happy New Year From The Mermaid Lounge Where It’s a Beatles Top 100 Day, Monday, January 1, 2024

Good morning, fans of the fab four. And we definitely are here. Today we have one piece of musical programming and it’s our Beatles Top 100 countdown!

Here’s the fab four details:

11:00 a.m. The Beatles Top 100 Songs

It’s a great way to kick off the new year, folks. We celebrated Christmas with Dr. Petty’s Top 100, and we kick off the New Year with our ‘other’ House Band. Before and after this airing, it’s our big, wide Open Stream. Enjoy!

The Beatles Top 100!

Thursday Brings Our EP About Friendship, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, December, 28, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we have songs about friends, Emmylou Harris and her AOW, and Linda Ronstadt drops by with some of her friends.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We open with songs about friendship from The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris

We’re winding down on this one; Saturday will be our final airing. This would be a good time to tune this one in before it goes away.

8:00 p.m.  Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

Linda Ronstadt drops by to close things out and brings along a few friends, like Emmylou Harris, Hoyt Axton, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Don Henley, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, James Taylor and others! Not to be missed!

Don’t know what’s going on with the weather where you are, but here we are in December and it’s raining in the mid forties. We won’t need a “January thaw” this year. But hey, we’re good rain, snow or shine. See for yourself.

Friends of Mine

It’s Simply Sunday With Emmylou Harris’ “Evangeline” as the New AOW and the #BU House EP, December 24, 2023

Good morning, musicologists. It’s officially Christmas eve day and we are laying back here in The Mermaid Lounge as we always do on Sundays. We’ve got a great AOW to kick off the day’s programming.

Here’s today’s musical menagerie:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris NEW!

Released in January of 1981, this was Emmylou’s eighth studio album and was created from previously-recorded songs not used on her earlier albums. Most notable was a remake of Mr. Sandman with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, originally recorded during the Trio sessions. The two are also featured on the title song. All-in-all, it’s an album of great tunes by one of the greatest country artists of her generation.

3:00 p.m.  The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

It’s wide Open Stream before and after this great extended playlist featuring 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!

Tonight is Christmas Eve and we here in The Mermaid Lounge wish all our listeners a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or a happy and healthy whatever you call it. We’ll be spending the last week preparing for our seventh year here broadcasting great music. Thanks for tuning in.

The House EP!

On Wednesday It’s Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, Don Henley & Glen Frey, and ‘Live’ Bonnie Raitt Later, December 20, 2023

We are here at midweek and The Music Mermaid is getting things ready here in The Lounge to help get you through the midweek doldrums.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Know any other radio station that plays five uninterrupted hours of women’s music? I didn’t think so. Today you’ll 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!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Don Henley & Glen Frey

The songwriting duo that made magic for The Eagles is back for a second spin this afternoon.

8:00 p.m.  Bonnie Raitt, The Wonderland Tape, Recorded Live at Vara Studios, Hilversun, The Netherlands, August 5, 1977

Some great, early ‘live’ Bonnie Raitt here from The Netherlands.

We’re at midweek. From here on out, we’re on the downslide to the Christmas holiday weekend! We’ll help you get there with some great music as we gear up for a brand new year!

Ladies Day Out!

Welcome to Monday, Monday With The Beatles, David Crosby and Our ‘Out In The Cold’ Playlist, December 11, 2023

Good morning, workers! We’ve got a great day lined up for you musically starting with one of our House Bands known as The Beatles.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Beatles: Songs With John Lennon on Keyboards NEW!

A listener suggested we expand our Beatles horizon with some new playlists, so we’re doing just that. Today we kick one off with Beatle songs with Mr. Lennon playing all kinds of keys, like piano, electric piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ and any other kind of keyboard instrument you might find.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of David Crosby

Haven’t cued this one up in a bit, so we’ve got it lined up for mid-afternoon. Personality conflicts abound in musical groups, and CSNY was no exception. Yet they managed to leave us an incredible body of music, and David Crosby was an influence for more than half a century as a solo artist, with CSNY and as a founding member of The Byrds.

7:00 p.m. Out In The Cold: Various Artists

Not an EP, but a great playlist about the weather with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marshall Tucker Band, Bill Withers, The Beatles, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Monday’s always better with good music, and we’ve got plenty of that here. We’re on 24/7; not just when we have scheduled programming. And we’re totally free to the public with no commercial interruption. Get on it! Don’t be left out in the cold (he, he, he).

Monday, Monday. (Sigh.)

The British Invasion is Back, So is Maria Muldaur. And Happy Birthday, Little Richard, Thursday, December 7, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! As I prepare to depart for my final opening morning of the week, I give you our musical lineup for the day. The Music Mermaid is in charge.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

I made reference to The British Invasion in the opening, but this playlist goes beyond that. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, Dave Clark Five, Bee Gees, 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, Spencer Davis Group, Cream, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Richland Woman Blues by Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur is another of those female singers of the sixties and seventies who refused to be pigeon-holed into one style of music. She drops by today with a great blues album with help from Bonnie Raitt, John Sebastian and others.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Little Richard HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the founders of rock and roll, Little Richard, who influenced so many of the British artists you’ll hear in today’s EP (including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones).

Well, kids, it’s another day of great music here in The Mermaid Lounge and we think you should take full advantage of it. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge. Get on it!

Just Push Play!

It’s Bob Marley & The Wailers, ZZ Top and Linda Ronstadt (& Some Stone Poneys) on This Rainy Monday, December 4, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! If you have Monday off like I do and it’s rainy where you are like it is here, this is the perfect day to hunker down with some great music. And we’ve got it here.

Here’s your musical Monday:

10:00 a.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

We start out the day with some Reggae vibes from the singer-songwriter who helped put Reggae on the map worldwide and his great band, The Wailers.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of ZZ Top

We haven’t heard this one in a while. We’ve dusted this great ZZ Top Spotlight off and are ready for it this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. A Linda Ronstadt Retrospective: The Stone Poneys & The Early Solo Years

We take a trip in the Wayback Machine for this one as we feature the Queen of Rock’s early years with and without the Stone Poneys. Ronstadt paved the way for women, controlling her own career from the very start and defying those who told her what she should or should not sing. I think we can all agree it was quite a career.

We’re ready for the music today. I’m in The Lounge all day. No retail hell; no pushy, nasty Christmas customers (thankfully, we don’t get many of those). The festivities start at 11:00 a.m. but the music is 24/7.

Monday, Monday.

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?