Category: Rock n’ Roll

The Weekend is Officially Here and We’ve Got the ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, “Abraxas” by Santana, and a New Featured Singer-Songwriter Named Bob Dylan, January 14, 2023

Good Morning, Music Lovers and welcome to the weekend brought to you by the Labor Movement! We’ve got a great lineup for your Saturday listening pleasure starting with our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We’re back with five hours of uninterrupted soul and R & B from Motown, Muscle Shoals 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, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

5:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Abraxas by Santana FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to this great album today. Tomorrow, when you roll out of bed there will be a brand new Album of The Week selection.

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bob Dylan NEW!

Without a doubt, Bob Dylan is one of the most significant songwriters in the history of popular music. His songs have been recorded and performed by literally hundreds of artists, including Chrissie Hynde, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, Maria Muldaur, The Band and many more. He has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his compositions. We have over two hours of music here, and we’ve left so much out that we could have made an EP out of this effort. But we restrained ourselves. Don’t miss this one.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got our wide Open Stream of rock, rock n’ roll, country, folk, reggae, soul and da blues. We’re here 24/7 (not just when we have programming) and we’re totally free of charge and commercial advertising. What’s not to love?

It’s The Weekend!

Today It’s a New ‘Live’ Show by The Pretenders, Our ‘Out in The Cold’ Playlist and the Final Airing of Laura Nyro as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Friday, January 13, 2023

Good Morning, Global Family! Forget that it’s Friday the 13th. No bad luck here in The Mermaid Lounge; just great music 24/7 every day of the week at no cost to you! We’ve got a great lineup for you today starting with The Pretenders.

Here’s your Friday the 13th lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009 NEW!

Chrissie Hynde is a force of nature and a real pioneer in the world of rock and it spills over into her great band. Today we have our very first ‘live’ Pretenders playlist from Germany.

3:00 p.m. Out in The Cold: Various Artists

We haven’t aired this one in a while and it’s about time. Of course, it’s not just about the cold weather. It’s about all weather. Here in the Boston area, we’re feeling the effects of global warming. It has not been cold at all. You will hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Albert King, The Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rivers, James Taylor & Carole King, Bill Withers, Cream, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Michael Murphy, Dr. John, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Laura Nyro FINAL AIRING!

Laura Nyro left us all far too early, but she left a legacy of musical genius that cannot be denied. Many recorded her songs over the years from The Fifth Dimension to Barbra Streisand, but there is nothing like hearing Laura Nyro sing her own compositions. See for yourself tonight.

If you’re just tuning us in for the first time, then you’re in luck…good luck. We’re on 24/7 at no charge to you and with no commercial advertising to interrupt the musical juju. We’re all about the music, and that’s the way it should be.

Give a Listen!

We Head Toward The Weekend With Our AOW, The ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, and a Tribute to Guitar Genius Jeff Beck, on Thursday, January 12, 2023

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We are on the downslide to the weekend as we give you an airing of Santana’s AOW, our ‘Ode to Morning’ multi-artist EP, and a tribute to Jeff Beck, a man who had a profound influence on popular music.

Here’s today’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Abraxas by Santana

We are on our next-to-last airing of this great Latin rock album here in The Mermaid Lounge. Our final airing will be sometime on Saturday, so you’ve got one more opportunity after this one!

11:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We’ve had our musical tribute to the night time already this month, so now we turn to the morning hours where you will hear Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

7:00 p.m. The Yardbirds Live at B. B. King’s Blues Club, New York, NY, July 19, 2006

On January 10, we lost guitar god Jeff Beck at the age of 78, but he was more than just a guitar god. Beck influenced others for generations. He was an eight-time Grammy winner who spent time in The Yardbirds and The Jeff Beck Group. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame twice, once in 1992 with The Yardbirds and again in 2009 as a solo artist. As we assemble a Spotlight feature on him, we start with this great live reunion performance from 2006 at B. B. King’s Blues Club.

Before, in between and after we give you our wide Open Stream under the supervision of The Music Mermaid. She has impeccable taste in music, as you well know. We can make the trip to the weekend so much better with great music, and it won’t cost you a penny or require a “membership” of any kind. Hell, we don’t even ask your name.

Cursor Here, Please.

It’s Wilbury Wednesday Here in The Lounge as We Bring You The Bootlegs, Followed by Laura Nyro and a New Elvis Presley Spotlight as We Celebrate His Birthday, January 11, 2023

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Today we have our first Wilbury Wednesday of the new year and we belatedly celebrate The King’s 88th birthday (this past Sunday). We’re sometimes more than a day late but we’re never a dollar short.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Wilbury Wednesday: The Bootleg Series

Yep. It’s all here. Outtakes. Alternate versions. Special recording sessions. Stuff that was never released and stuff that was from the absolute best supergroup on the planet, bar none.

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Laura Nyro

We give Laura Nyro her second airing of three today as this week’s featured Singer-Songwriter. Our final airing will be sometime on Friday as we get ready to introduce a new artist on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Elvis Presley NEW!

There are several founding artists of rock n’ roll, but Elvis made the music accessible to all as we began a great revolution in music. This past Sunday would have been The King’s 88th birthday. In celebration, although belatedly, we put him In the Spotlight where he belongs.

We’re at midweek, people. It’s all downhill toward the weekend from here, and we’ve got the best music on the planet to help your journey more pleasant. We are on 24/7 at no charge to you. We do not accept commercial advertising or employ chatty DJs who love the sound of their own voice. The Music Mermaid is having none of that.

It’s Wilbury Wednesday!

Tuesday Bluesday is Here With ‘The Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Our AOW, and a New Susan Tedeschi Spotlight Feature, on January 10, 2023

Happy Tuesday Bluesday, Bluesologists! We’re back and anticipating a full house today. It’s generally pretty busy on Tuesday. We have a brand new playlist closing out the programming this evening with Susan Tedeschi In the Spotlight.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We’re back with our great Chicago Blues extended playlist. You’ll hear the music of Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Abraxas by Santana

This is the only non-blues programming of the day. It’s the second airing of our Album of The Week by Santana, and it’s a beauty. It was their second studio album and their first to reach number one on the U.S. album charts.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Susan Tedeschi NEW!

If you ask people about Susan Tedeschi, they’ll talk about the Tedeschi Trucks Band, one of the absolute best bands on the planet. Yet Boston-born and raised Susan Tedeschi had a solo career long before she met and married Derek Trucks, one of the best guitarists on the planet. Susan Tedeschi is one kick-ass vocalist, and tonight we give her a Spotlight featuring her solo stuff. (We also have a Tedeschi Trucks Spotlight and are putting together a Derek Trucks Band Spotlight in the next week or so.)

Here we are on another Tuesday Bluesday, and we are ready and raring to go here in The Mermaid Lounge. We are amping up our blues content in 2023, and we think you’re going to like it! Stick around.

Tuesday Bluesday is here!

We Begin Another Work Week With Johnny Rivers, Music Banned From the Airwaves, and The Band ‘Live’ in D.C. on Monday, January 9, 2023

Good morning, music lovers across the globe! We begin yet another work week here in The Mermaid Lounge. However, do not despair! We’ve got some great music lined up for you today that will help take the workday blues away.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Johnny Rivers UPDATED!

Johnny Rivers was an Italian boy born in New York City, but raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was influenced by the distinctive Louisiana music style. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues and just plain good old rock n’ roll. He is best remembered for a string of hits between 1964 through 1968, including Memphis, Mountain of Love, Secret Agent Man, and The Seventh Son. He’s also written a number of songs, including Abraham, Martin and John, a great tune that became a hit for Dion. We’ve recently expanded this playlist just a bit and we’ve got it for you today.

3:00 p.m. Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists

Yes, you can hear these songs today, but when they were first released it was another story. Some were banned for their sexual references, some for their weed references, some because of their references to guns, and some because of their references to the almighty supreme being. You’ll hear The Doors, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, The Kinks, Paul McCartney & Wings, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Kingsmen, The Who, Van Morrison, The Shirelles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Barry McGuire, Them, The Rolling Stones, Peter, Paul & Mary, Billy Joel, Neil Young and more!

7:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Carter Baron Amphitheatre,Washington, D.C., July 17, 1976

We close out the programming with a live performance by a favorite here in The Mermaid Lounge. They began as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and turned into one of the most well-respected and influential bands in all of popular music. This one was broadcast live on the legendary radio show, The King Biscuit Flower Hour.

Let’s face it. Mondays suck. The one thing we can offer to improve the situation is great music. We’re here 24/7 (not just when we have programming), uninterrupted by commercial advertising of any kind (just a few station I.D. announcements from yours truly so you know where you are), and at no cost to you. We don’t even ask your name.

Banned From the Airwaves!

We Keep It Simple on This Sunny Sunday With Santana’s “Abraxas,” Our New Album of The Week, and ‘The Female Species’ EP, January 8, 2023

Good morning, Musicologists! We are going to keep it simple on this fine Sunday. We’ve got our new Album of The Week and our multi-artist EP paying homage to women. After that it’s purely our wide Open Stream until tomorrow morning.

Here’s your Sunday programming:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Abraxas by Santana NEW!

Abraxas is the second studio album by Santana, released on September 23, 1970, and became the band’s first album to reach number one in the United States. The album has a great back story. Carlos Santana became a fan of Peter Green, the original leader of Fleetwood Mac when they were a blues band, when he saw him perform at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. The band decided to cover Fleetwood Mac’s song, Black Magic Woman, on the album. The only change Santana made to the song was the addition of Gabor Szabo’s Gypsy Queen to the end. They also covered Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va on the album, a song that they played live regularly because they considered it a great dance song.

2:00 p.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We dive into our great playlist with songs referring to the fairer sex early in the afternoon. There’s no shortage of songs with the words women, ladies and girls in the titles, lyrics or both. You’ll hear Talking Heads, America, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Pecry Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Rolling Stones, The Rascals, Peter & Gordon and more!

Before, in between and after our programming we give you that big wide Open Stream 24/7 with no commercial interruption and no overly-chatty disc jockeys. Kick off those shoes, sit back and relax with some great music. You’ve earned it.

Tune us in!

It’s Saturday in The Mermaid Lounge With the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP to Start Followed by Our AOW and Laura Nyro as the New Featured Singer-Songwriter, January 7, 2023

Good morning, music lovers across the globe! We are here on another Saturday bring you the best music on the planet. We’re starting off with our multi-hour, multi-artist EP about having that travelin’ fever!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

The road is a powerful magnet for some people, and musicians love to sing about it. You’ll hear Canned Heat, the Steve Miller Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 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, Asleep at The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Joan Baez, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Idlewild South by The Allman Brothers Band FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to this great album today. Tomorrow when you roll out of bed, we’ll have a brand new selection!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Laura Nyro NEW!

Today we intro our new singer-songwriter, Laura Nyro. She’s wrote so many hits for so many people over her career, including The Fifth Dimension (Wedding Bell Blues, Stoned Soul Picnic), Barbra Streisand (Stoney End), Blood, Sweat and Tears (And When I Die), and Three Dog Night (Eli’s Comin’). She also had a formidable solo career of her own, and there is nothing like hearing Laura Nyro singer her own songs. You’ll get to do that tonight. We love her here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Tuning our station in is never a bad idea, folks. There’s always the chance you won’t like us, but hey, finding out won’t cost you a thing. We don’t even ask for a credit card. Hell, we don’t even ask your name. Just hit the button below and give us a shot. No strings. No lie.

Travelin’ Fever is Back!

We’ve Got Our ‘Seasons’ Multi-Artist Playlist, the Final Airing of Jackson Browne as our Singer-Songwriter, and a New Carly Simon Spotlight on Friday, January 6, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! Yes, it’s here: The Weekend, brought to you by The Labor Movement. And it’s going to be a great musical weekend indeed. There’s no time to lose as we begin today!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Seasons: Various Artists

It’s supposed to be winter here in the Boston area, but it has been anything but with temperatures reaching the fifties on some days. But nevertheless, it is one of the four seasons and we have a playlist for that. You’ll hear Bobbie Gentry, Janis Ian, Donovan, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Johnny Rivers, Hoyt Axton, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Wendy Waldman, Eva Cassidy, Michael Murphy, The Rolling Stones, John Prine, Electric Light Orchestra, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, The Doors, The Kinks, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone and more!

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne

This is the final airing of Jackson Browne as our featured singer-songwriter, an artist who wrote for others during the sixties, helped pioneer country-rock down in Laurel Canyon and put the Eagles on the map, and whose own career took off in the seventies and is still rolling. Don’t miss it. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new artist.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Carly Simon NEW!

This one has been on my ‘to do’ list for a while and I’ve finally brought it to fruition here. Carly Simon began singing with her sister, Lucy, back in 1963 and strung together a bunch of great hits during the seventies like Anticipation, That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be, and You’re So Vain. While Mick Jagger appears on You’re So Vain and everyone assumed it was about him, Carly Simon actually revealed that it was about Warren Beatty.

We’re just getting warmed up for the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge, so do give us a shot. We’re totally free 24/7 and we do not run commercial advertising. We’re not looking for anyone to pay our way here. We take care of that ourselves. It’s all about the music here. We intend to keep it that way.

Cursor Here, Please.

Heading Toward The Weekend With Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, Our AOW, and Beatle Songs With Character on Thursday, January 5, 2023

Good Morning, Musicologists! Here we are again on yet another rainy morning. This makes three in a row here in the Boston area. Plenty of rain; no snow. Highly unusual. But hey, here in The Mermaid Lounge, the living is easy and the music is outstanding!

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night, Various Artists

We have the flip side of this coming up soon, but for now we’re talking about songs with reference to night time in the title, lyrics or both. It’s Open Stream with a Theme here today. 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, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, The Doors, 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: Idlewild South by The Allman Brothers Band

We’re winding down on this gem of an album. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday, so if you haven’t caught it, this might be the time! We’ll have a brand new selection on Sunday.

7:00 p.m. Beatle Songs With Character UPDATED!

The Beatles loved to name drop as you will see. They invented characters like Mr. Kite, Maxwell of silver hammer fame, Lucy who floated around the sky with diamonds. You’ll also hear about the man in the mack, a barber on Penny Lane, Prudence (who was actually Mia Farrow’s sister), Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and mother Mary. This playlist has recently been expanded and updated, so give it a listen!

We’re sitting here waiting for you to join your friends from around the world in discovering what great music we play 24/7 at no cost to you. Your money is no good here. We’re also advertising free, and our disc jockeys are virtually mute. Take a spin. You’ve got absolutely nothing to lose.

Beatle Characters On Tap!