Category: REGGAE

The Week’s End Brings ‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’, Dan Fogelberg and ‘Live’ Bob Dylan in ’63, Friday, February 2, 2024

Good morning, Dylan historians. We close out the week with some brand new Bob Dylan in a historic concert right here in my state! Read on!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We start the day off with some great reggae, ska and rocksteady with Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Toots & The Maytals, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Decker & The Aces, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg FINAL AIRING!

Dan Fogelberg gets his final airing as our featured singer-songwriter for the week, but his music is in our standard rotation and you’ll hear him frequently here. A new artist will be introduced on Monday!

8:00 p.m.  Bob Dylan Live at The First Brandeis Folk Festival, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, May 10, 1963 NEW!

It is said that this was Bob Dylan’s final show before stardom; happening two weeks before the release of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Dylan (21 years old at the time) performed two seven-song sets on that day, and they were recorded. The tapes sat for half a century in the basement of Rolling Stone co-founder Ralph Gleason. Yes, it’s just seven songs, but it’s musical history in the making.

Join us today. I don’t mind telling you that, not only are we missing our winters here, but this year it has been like moving to London. It’s yet another unseasonably warm, cloudy dreary day. But it seems like, on the horizon, we have some sun coming for an extended period. Just. No. Snow. And that ain’t right in these parts.

Dylan at Brandeis ’63

We Kick Off a New Month In a Dream State, Then It’s Elton John and ‘Live’ Leon Russell, on Thursday, February 1, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Here we are at the start of a brand new month and we are beginning our programming with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  In Your Dreams: Various Artists

When I started out to make this EP, I couldn’t believe how many songs were actually made about dreaming, but here we are with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Crowded House, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Parson’s Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Miudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime Saturday as we work our way through the list of albums turning 50 years old this year.

7:00 p.m.  Leon Russell Live at The Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, August 28, 1972

We’ve got an all-time favorite here live for you this evening. Sometimes he falls through the cracks, but Leon Russell is one of the greats.

Join us today. It’s another dreary, unseasonable day here in the Boston area. We just cannot seem to get our winter on, and that should be a concern for everyone. It’s been several years now of decline. But I digress. Come on in. The music’s fine.

Just Push Play.

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Female Species,’ Dan Fogelberg and Some ‘Live’ David Crosby, Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. We are at the midweek stage and we’ve got our ‘Female Species’ multi-artist EP to kick things off!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Female Species: Various Artists

It’s not songs by women this morning, but songs about women. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Talking Heads, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg

Dan Fogelberg returns to The Mermaid Lounge as our featured singer-songwriter for this week.

8:00 p.m.  David Crosby and The Lighthouse Band Live at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, December 8, 2018 NEW!

We close out the programming portion of our music today with some new ‘live’ music from the late, great David Crosby.

Another day has arrived here in paradise. Even better, it’s Truck Day in the old hardware hellhole. But you’ll be nice and comfy here in The Mermaid Lounge with all this great music! Just hit the button below.

Midweek Music!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers, Elton John’s AOW, and Tracy Nelson, January 30, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got a great lineup today with Elton John being the one off-blues program. We open with The Allman Brothers Band and close with Tracy Nelson.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Allman Brothers Band Sing The Blues

We’ve got just over two hours of The Allman Brothers Band singing some traditional blues music, and it’s a thing of beauty. Today is Volume One; we’re working on scheduling Volume Two.

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John

I will agree that this particular album may not have been up to the standards of what Elton John produced during the 70’s, but it’s a pretty damned good album nonetheless. This one holds a few of my favorite Elton songs of all time.

7:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

She’s a little bit country and a lot of blues. Tracy Nelson started off with a band called Mother Earth. I loved them. But over the span of a career that began in 1965, Tracy Nelson evolved into a pretty great blues singer and made more than 20 albums over that span.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday. Join us in The Mermaid Lounge, where it’s always jumping on this particular week day.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Today We Head Down to New Orleans, Then It’s Jefferson Airplane and Dan Fogelberg on Monday, January 29, 2024

Welcome to another work week, and we start it out with a trip to New Orleans, where the only thing as good as the food is the music. Then we put Jefferson Airplane In the Spotlight and introduce the underrated Dan Fogelberg as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Down In New Orleans: Various Artists

This is a great playlist. Not only do you get authentic New Orleans music, but you get music from artists who were born and raised there. You’ll hear Allen Toussaint, BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Irma Thomas, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Aaron Neville, Allen Fontenot, Lucinda Williams, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, The Neville Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, Queen Ida & The Bontemps Zydeco Band, Marcia Ball, The Magnolia Sisters and more!

4:00 p.m.  In the Spotlight: The Jefferson Airplane

One of the anchor bands of the sixties, and the band that helped to advance and solidify the status of psychedelic music, led by the great Grace Slick

8:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg NEW!

Dan Fogelberg was as important an artist to seventies music as anyone, yet he remains an outsider who has not been given his due. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame like many of his peers. There is even a petition campaign out there from his fans. Today we introduce him as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 at no charge. We ask for no personal information. Simply tap the button below!

Down In New Orleans!

It’s Simply Sunday With EJ’s AOW and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, January 28, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Sundays are simple here: A couple of programs and our big, wide Open Stream. We start things off with another album celebrathing it’s 50th birthday.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John NEW!

This was Elton John’s eighth studio album, released in June of 1974. It was his fourth no. 1 album in the U.S. and his third in the UK. The critics didn’t like it much, but his fans sure did as it went double platinum. Do I think it’s his best? Nope. But there were more good than bad songs on this one, and I’m talking about good songs beyond the two singles: The Bitch Is Back (one of my favorite Elton John songs) and Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Happy 50th Birthday, Caribou.

3:00 p.m.  The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got the second volume of our great sixties rotation this afternoon with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

Sunday is the official day of rest for everyone. At one time, the stores were all closed and it was a day to stay out of the rat race. Not anymore. But I refuse to work Sundays, regardless of the time-and-a-half pay. They don’t need to shop on Sundays. And I certainly don’t need to serve. Join us.

The Sixties Rotation 2

Welcome Weekenders! We’ve Got Jackson Browne, Our House EP and ‘Live’ Dan Fogelberg, Saturday, January 27, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the weekend here! Today we say farewell to our Album of The Week, hear the music that inspired the station and ‘live’ Dan Fogelberg later.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne FINAL AIRING!

Today we say farewell to the first album in our ’50th Birthday’ series. Tomorrow we will celebrate another album’s 50th!

11:30 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

The music that has long been emblazoned in my psyche and was the impetus to start this whole thing. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, 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, 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.  Dan Fogelberg Live at The Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1985

The very first Spotlight list we built was for this guy, a most underappreciated singer-songwriter; one of the best of his generation. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that honor seems to have eluded him, in spite of the fact that they’ve managed to induct The BeeGees, Funkadelic, AC/DC, The Clash, Aerosmith, Tupac, Jay-Z and the other “stars” of music. Fogelberg has been ‘eligible’ since 1998; it’s 2024, folks. Figure it the fuck out.

Sorry. Had to get that out. It pissed me off how long it took for them to induct Linda Ronstadt. They waited until she lost her magnificent voice. Give me a break. Anyway, I digress. We are here. It’s our third day of rain. Gloomy. But not here in The Lounge where The Music Mermaid resides. She’ll be in charge today as I work my last shift of the week.

Our ‘House’ EP!

It’s Friday and We’ve Got ‘Paint It Black’, Delbert McClinton and Doris Troy On The Docket, January 26, 2024

Happy Friday, music lovers! We are on a Friday, and that means plenty of wide Open Stream from The Music Mermaid wrapped around this great programming.

Here’s your Friday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

Time to crank this one up: Songs with the color black in the title, lyrics or both with The Rolling Stones (of course), The Beatles, The Move, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, James Brown, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Them, Long John Baldry, Fairport Convention, Dr. John, The Kinks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Laura Nyro, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Linda Ronstadt, Jethro Tull and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Delbert McClinton FINAL AIRING!

Delbert McClinton takes his final spin as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. On Monday, we will introduce another!

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Doris Troy NEW!

I’ll bet some people don’t even know her name, but they just might recognize her voice. She had one very big hit here in the U.S. called Just One Look, which she also co-wrote. But Doris Troy never found an artistic footing in the U.S. for some unnamed reason. She did, however, find her mojo in the UK where she found she was a favorite of a guy named George Harrison, who signed her to a contract with Apple Records. He even gave her an office with a piano at Apple Records, and she spent time writing music with George and Ringo. Give her a listen. You’ll like her.

Yes, the weekend is just around the corner now. We’re nearly there. It’s a new year and you see we’ve got some new music with more coming your way. We’ve expanded our general rotation, adding new music and new artists. And we are going to expand our programming hours for our global audience. It gets better from here.

It’s Friday!

We’re in the Wayback Machine Heading for the Sixties, and We’ve Got Jackson Browne’s AOW, Thursday, January 25, 2024

Good morning, time travelers. We’re headed back to the early sixties today with ‘The Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, and we’ve also got some rare ‘live’ Hendrix.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Personally speaking, the sixties and early seventies were the best of times in music. It is why I started the station to begin with. This EP features 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, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne’s Late For The Sky, his third studio album, is the first album in our ‘Happy 50th Birthday’ series of albums to open up the new year.

7:00 p.m.  Jimi Hendrix Live in Maui, Hawaii, July 30, 1970 NEW!

Yes, there’s no venue in the title because this show was held on a farm on the lower slope of the Haleakala volcano on a makeshift stage. The only audience were a few hundred Maui residents who heard the show was happening and showed up. These folks got to see a rare, little-known Hendrix performance. There’s a long story behind how this show came about and why it was so “secret” to begin with. It’s explained here much better than I could ever manage.

Another day dawns here in The Mermaid Lounge, and it marks the final opening shift of my week. The Music Mermaid is fully in control and, as you know, she has impeccable taste in music. You are in good hands.

The Sixties!

We’re at Midweek With a Focus on Folk Music, and a Visit From Delbert McClinton, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Good morning, folk-ologists! We’re focused on folk today as we open and close with folk music pioneers and those who continue to support the genre.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Today we salute the pioneers of folk, those who have kept the genre flourishing, and those who pay it homage. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Led Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Delbert McClinton

Delbert stops by at 4:00 p.m. for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Ian & Sylvia NEW!

Ian & Sylvia was a true folk duo that performed together from 1959 to 1975; after moving to Nashville, they were also instrumental in helping the country-rock genre take hold. They were pretty well respected in their time, but have somehow fallen through the cracks. But today, we put them In The Spotlight where they belong.

Another day is here and we’re delivering the musical goods as usual. We’re totally free of charge and free of advertising. It’s all about the music.

Folk Music Extravaganza!