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:

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!

The Original Sixties Rotation, Carlene Carter and Hank Williams Are On Tap for Saturday, December 23, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are on the sixties path this morning as we open up with music from the early-to-mid part of the decade, Carlene Carter gets her final AOW airing, and we introduce the late, great Hank Williams as our singer-songwriter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Jump into the Wayback Machine with us and hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Beatles, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, 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, The Temptations, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, The Who, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Procol Harum, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Two Sides To Every Woman by Carlene Carter FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of Carlene Carter’s featured album. There’ll be a new selection tomorrow.

Hank Williams was a musical genius, and remains the most revered country music artist in spite of the fact that he died six decades ago at the age of 29. The volume of songs he wrote and left behind in a short period of time is amazing, and his contribution to the development of rock and roll cannot be denied. Today he becomes our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

Friday Brings Our Big Folk Music EP, Henley & Frey’s Swan Song, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, December 22, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! Are we in the Christmas spirit yet? We’ll make your day better with our big folk music EP, the final airing of Don Henley & Glen Frey and Emmylou Harris bring up the rear.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Yes, citizens, the music that helped spread social justice and consciousness. You’ll hear Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, 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, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and many more!

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

We bid a fond farewell to Don Henley and Glen Frey today, the musical songwriting genius behind The Eagles.

8:00 p.m.  Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 8, 1986

Emmylou Harris has traveled the world both assembling great bands and joining others. This time she’s on stage with Byrds founding member Chris Hillman and his Desert Rose Band.

We’re getting closer to both the weekend and the Christmas holiday! What better way to take the edge off than with great music. Hell, here we are. Give yourself a Christmas gift. It won’t cost you a penny.

Today We’re Riding On ‘The Psychedelic Express’, Listening to Our AOW and Some Driving Songs, December 21, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’re closing in on Christmas 2023 here and making plans for our 2024 roll-out. We hope you’ll continue listening over the holidays!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Truly one of our favorite genres here in The Mermaid Lounge. It was a wondrous time in music that even those who came after continued to emulate, as you will see by songs from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, among others. In addition, you’ll hear The Beatles (who, as always, led the way here) Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Donovan, 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!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Two Sides To Every Woman by Carlene Carter

We’re winding down on this great selection, so get on it! Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday.

7:00 p.m.  Drivin’ Songs: Various Artists

Another multi-artist playlist (a short one, this time) featuring songs not only about driving, but also songs that give you lead-foot while driving. This time, you’ll hear Golden Earring, The Eagles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Little Feat, Rare Earth, Bruce Springsteen, The Allman Brothers Band, Bob Dylan, The Pretenders and more!

We know this is not a time when most people relax. Everyone’s out playing Capitalism. But when you get the chance to kick your shoes off and sit back, we’re the place to be.

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!

It’s ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues’, Carlene Carter and ‘Live’ Johnny Winter on Tuesday Bluesday, December 19, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists! Here we are on another fine Tuesday Bluesday with our big Louisiana bayou blues show and Johnny Winter closing out the night. In between, it’s our Album of The Week with Carlene Carter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Best of Louisiana Blues: Various Artists

Some names you may know; others you should. Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Ray Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Dave Bartholomew, Marcia Ball, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Two Sides To Every Woman by Carlene Carter

Carlene Carter drops by the lounge for the second airing of her album.

7:00 p.m.  Johnny Winter Live at Parker’s Place, Seattle, WA, March 9, 1985

There’s nothing like some live ‘high-energy blues’ from one of the greatest bluesmen around. This time we have Johnny playing at Parker’s Place in Seattle.

Tuesday Bluesday is the day to hang in The Lounge. Great music all day because we have our great Wide Open stream in between this great programming. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge.

Monday Brings Us Janis Joplin, Our ’27 And Gone’ Playlist and The Byrds Live at Royal Albert Hall, December 18, 2023

Good morning, and welcome back to the work week. But hey, for those traveling to Christmas celebrations, it’ll be a short one. As we head toward another year, we’re busy little elves planning some changes here.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Janis Joplin

We start off the day with Janis In the Spotlight giving us her special brand of blues-rock.

3:00 p.m.  27 And Gone: Various Artists

The members of the ’27 Club’ pay us a visit mid-afternoon. Hey, this is the stuff of conspiracy theories, almost like the ‘Paul is Dead’ stuff. Is it coincidence that all of these people died at the age of 27? Jimi Hendrix. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Pete Ham (Badfinger). Blind Al Wilson (Canned Heat). Amy Winehouse. Brian Jones. Robert Johnson. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (The Dead). They’re all here singing to you from the grave this afternoon.

8:00 p.m.  The Byrds Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, May 13, 1971

We’ve got some ‘live’ Byrds closing out the programming tonight. This one’s from Royal Albert Hall in London.

Drop by when you get a chance. We’re on 24/7 (not just during programmed hours), uninterrupted by commercial advertising. And we don’t ask you for a thing. Your money’s truly no good here.

It’s Simply Sunday With Carlene Carter’s AOW and Our ‘A Little Bit O’Soul’ Multi-Artist EP, December 17, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re here on another lighter-than-usual programming day with plenty of our great wide Open Stream. We kick things off with June Carter’s daughter and Johnny Cash’s stepdaughter, Carlene Carter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

Carlene Carter boasts the lineage of The Carter Family. She’s the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, the stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, and the stepsister of country great Rosanne Cash. She’s had a rough-and-tumble life with multiple failed relationships (including a marriage to Nick Lowe, and a long-standing relationship with late, great Heartbreaker Howie Epstein), and plenty of drug offenses, but she has made some supremely good music over the years. Much of her early stuff, like this album, has been overlooked and we hope to change that here.

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

We’re back with our big, bad soul and rhythm & blues EP with music from Motown to Muscle Shoals to Atlantic and beyond. You’ll hear 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, Percy Sledge and more!

The Boogaloo Swamis, Our ‘Ode to Morning EP’ and Henley/Frey Are Our Singer-Songwriters, Saturday, December 16, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are here in The Lounge preparing for a great day of music courtesy of The Music Mermaid, including the debut of Don Henley and Glen Frey as our featured singer-songwriters.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Down At The Roadhouse by The Boogaloo Swamis FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of this fine Cajun-Zydeco album by a little band out of Boston that certainly added to my musical appreciation of the genre.

12:00 p.m. Ode to Morning: Various Artists

We pay homage to the sunrise and the start to the day with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Badfinger, Chris Hillman and more!

This week’s singer-songwriters were part of the Laurel Canyon crew that helped fuse country and rock into a genre that spread like wildfire and was heard around the world. 

Friday Brings The Magnolia Sisters, Jesse Winchester and a Christine McVie Spotlight, December 15, 2023

We’ve got some great music for you today, including The Magnolia Sisters whom you probably won’t hear anywhere else unless you’re in New Orleans. But we have all their music here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today’s other two artists you, of course, should know.

Here’s today’s musical mayhem:

I love New Orleans; it’s a hotbed of musical styles and innovation and you can hear all of it right on the streets every day. What we have here is an all-woman Cajun/Zydeco band from Lafayette, Louisiana, populated by Ann Savoy, Jane Vidrine, Anya Burgess, and Lisa Trahan. They play the full gamut of the musical style from dancehall Cajun to primitive Creole to a cappella. The first time I ever heard them, they knocked me out and I was hooked. Maybe you will be too.

3:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Jesse Winchester’s singer-songwriter focus today, although I promise that all of his music is in our general rotation every day.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

We close our programming tonight with the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac (sorry, Stevie), the late, great Christine McVie. We include not only her Fleetwood Mac songs, but her early blues work with Chicken Shack and her solo work.