Category: Power Pop

It’s Motown at Midweek, Followed by Singer-Songwriters Tom Waits and Bob Dylan on Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Welcome to midweek in The Mermaid Lounge. Today we kick it off with our ‘M is For Motown’ EP, followed by Tom Waits, and the love songs of Bob Dylan.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

We’re back with music from Motor City as we give you the best of Motown during the sixties and seventies. 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, 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. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Waits

Tom Waits and his trademark gravelly voice are back for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan: The Love Songs

We all know Mr. Dylan, our very first featured singer-songwriter, is undoubtedly the most accomplished musician and performer of his generation, even winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. In fact, his talents redefined the boundaries of literature. However, he didn’t just write social consciousness lyrics. Dylan just happened to write some of the most incredible love songs on the planet. See for yourself.

I could say this would be a great day to join us, but every day is a great day to join us. That’s because we are on 24/7 at no charge to you, we run no commercial advertising, and our D.J. is practically mute. That is every single day.

M is For Motown

It’s Simply Sunday With This Week’s AOW by The Bee Gees and Our ‘British Are Coming’ EP, November 5, 2023

It’s the Brits all the way around today as we open up with our Album of The Week by The Bee Gees and then move into ‘The British Are Coming’ EP at mid-afternoon.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Bee Gees 1st by The Bee Gees NEW!

When the Bee Gees first hit the music scene, my first reaction was “Wow, these guys are good.” And they were. Until they discovered disco. That’s when I made the break. But up until that point, The Bee Gees were a great little band. And so, we play them up until that fateful disco transition. (There are a few other bands that have met that fate, like The Doobie Brothers, but that’s a different story for a different day.) This is the band’s third studio album, but their debut album in the U.S. and UK. Their first two albums were released only in Australia and New Zealand.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

Today our programming is dedicated to music from across the pond. In this great extended playlist you’ll hear The Beatles (of course), 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, the 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, Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

It’s another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge, a day to sit back, relax and enjoy some great music. We are on 24/7 at no charge to the public, and with absolutely no commercial interruptions.

The British Are Coming!

Heading Toward the Weekend With the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Tom Rush, and Sir Paul McCartney, Thursday, November 2, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are in great company here as we roll along toward the weekend.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

There are topics, and then there are topics. There are loads of songs about life on the road and traveling in general. We’ve got them today with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller Band, 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, The Traveling Wilburys, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

We’re winding down on this great album, so get in on it while you can. The final airing will be on Saturday, time TBD.

7:00 p.m. Paul McCartney Live at Citi Field, New York, NY, July 17-21, 2009

Tonight we close the programming with Macca recorded live at Citi Field in New York City. I never got the chance to see The Beatles live, leaving a musical hole in my life. However, I did get to see Sir Paul at Fenway Park in Boston and it was everything it was cracked up to be and then some. Tonight we have his New York performance from 2009.

We’re getting closer now. The weekend is on the horizon. And we’ve got some great new music coming up in November, including an expansion of our general rotation and some of our older playlists. Stand by.

Just Push Play, People.

Back to the Working World With Bobbie Gentry, Karla Bonoff and Our Petty Month Finale, Monday, October 30, 2023

Good morning, working folks! It’s back to the real world, and we’re here to see that your transition is a more pleasant one with some great programming.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at BBC Studios, London, UK 1968-1969

The reclusive Bobbie Gentry brought along two friends in James Taylor and Donovan when she graced the studios at the BBC. Gentry was a brilliant songwriter who only ever wanted to write for others, so she was a reluctant star. She eventually just walked away, but left some great music behind.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

Here we have another brilliant female songwriter who has helped to put other singers on the map, like Linda Ronstadt. In turn, Linda Ronstadt has shone a light on Karla Bonoff. And that’s how this works. As it turns out, and as Ronstadt will tell you, Karla Bonoff can sing. She’s in our Spotlight today.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Italy, June 9, 2012

We close out Tom Petty’s birthday month with a great live performace from Lucca, Italy.

Hey, it’s Monday. It happens once a week and there’s not a damned thing we can do about it. But there is something we can do to make it less bleak, and that is to play great music. We’re here 24/7 with no commercial interruption and at no charge to you!

Just Push Play.

‘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!

The Ladies Own The Lounge at Midweek, We’ve Got Sam Cooke and New ‘Live’ Neil Young Later, Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Good morning, musicologists, we’re at midweek here in The Mermaid Lounge and the women of music are in control starting at 9:00 a.m. today.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

The ladies are in control and we’ve got all genres here for you today with 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 Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke is back for his second spin as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. An amazingly talented and respected artist, Sam Cooke was often called “The King of Soul.”

8:00 p.m. Neil Young Live at Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 19, 1971 NEW!

This was Young’s solo Journey Through The Past tour as he played in front of his native countrymen in Toronto. It’s a great performance and we’ve got it to close out the day’s programming.

We’re at midweek, kids, and everything from here on out is a downslide to the weekend. We’ll get you there with some great music, including more this week as we celebrate Tom Petty Month.

Welcome to Midweek!

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

Thursday Brings Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, Emmylou Harris and Volume One of the ‘Repeat After Me’ Playlist, October 12, 2023

Good morning, musicologists. We’re over the hump and headed for the weekend with our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, Emmylou Harris’ AOW and ‘Repeat After Me’ Volume One.

Here’s your musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Night time is the right time, baby. You’ll hear Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Doors, Emmylou Harris, Poco, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Band, the Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more.

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

This may be a compliation album, but it’s a great compilation album that attests to Harris’ elite position and longevity in country music. Get in on it while you can. Final airing is sometime on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. Repeat After Me, Volume One: Various Artists

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and our ‘Repeat After Me Series’ proves that theory out as we hear great original songs and their reboots. You’ll hear The Heartbreakers sing Lucinda Williams, Linda Ronstadt sing Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Johnny Winter sing Bob Dylan, The Eagles sing Jackson Browne, The Beatles singing The Isley Brothers, among others. This one is a lot of fun.

We’ll be hearing both volumes of the ‘Repeat After Me’ series over the next few days, plus a brand new volume three. That’s what we’re all about, so give us a shot and tune us in. We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, we run no advertising and we’re not lying.

‘Repeat After Me’ is Back!

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!