The ‘What’s In a Name’ EP and Music From Two Guys Named Tom are On Tap for Saturday, November 4, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are starting off the weekend with some fine music as we play our ‘What’a In a Name’ EP, bid farewell to Tom Rush and his AOW, and introl Tom Waits as our new featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. What’s In a Name: Various Artists

What’s in a name? Ask William Shakespeare. Or you can ask Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, 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, The Association, Joni Mitchell, Badfinger, Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, Chi Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more.

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

Today is the final airing of Tom Rush’s great album, Merrimack County. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new album featured here.

Tom Waits brings his signature gravelly voice to The Mermaid Lounge as he sings about the underbelly of society (most of the time). Tonight he becomes our featured singer-songwriter.

Friday Has Arrived and We’ve Open Up With Some Seedy People, Then Roy Orbison and New ‘Live’ Little Feat, November 3, 2023

Good morning, budding weekenders! We are almost there, kids, and today we’ve open up with our multi-artist ‘Villains, Scumbags and Lowlives’ Playlist, then it’s on to Roy Orbison and Little Feat.

Here’s your work week-ending lineup:

11:00 a.m. Villains, Scumbags and Lowlives: Various Artists

There are a lot of seedy people on the planet. Some of them are in full view in Washington right now. And they are a popular subject in music as well. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Shawn Colvin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers,The Rolling Stones, Electric Light Orchestra, The Who, Warren Zevon, Supertramp, Linda Ronstadt, Foreigner, John Lee Hooker, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Neil Young and more!

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

We bid a fond farewell to Roy Orbison today, this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new artist featured here.

We’ve got a new-to-the-station live performance by Little Feat during the Lowell George period (the best period, I might add) live from the Uptown Theatre.

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.

Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, Roy Orbison, and The Soul Sisters Are All On Tap for Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We open a brand new month with songs about water in all forms…rivers lakes, streams, oceans…you name it. Roy Orbison returns as our singer-songwriter, and The Soul Sisters pay a visit later.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Why are there so many songs about water? Well, for one thing, the earth is made up of 71% water. You’ll hear Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers, 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, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison returns to The Mermaid Lounge for his second turn as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

8:00 p.m. The Soul Sisters, Volume One: Various Artsts

The ladies of soul pay a visit tonight. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, Kim Weston, Irma Thomas, Etta James, The Ronettes, Martha & The Vandellas, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Staple Singers, Ann Peebles, The Shirelles, Carla Thomas and more!

Come on, gang! This is the day to tune us in. You’re at midweek and you need a boost to get you through to Friday. We’ve got just what you need on a 24/7 basis at no charge and with no commercial interruption. What’s not to love?

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers Band, Roomful of Blues and Tom Rush’s AOW in Between, October 31, 2023

Good morning, Bluesologists! We close out the month of October with a Tuesday Bluesday on tap, and that is a fitting way to exit the month.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at A & R Studios, New York, NY, August 26, 1971

The brothers get together at A & R studios for a live session, and we’ve got it here to start your programming day.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

It’s fitting that Tom Rush is this the owner of this week’s AOW because Tom Rush just happens to be a hell of a blues artist in addition to being a folk artist.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roomful of Blues

Roomful of Blues is in its sixth decade making some of the most innovative blues music on the planet. Check it out for yourself tonight!

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to get a flavor for what we are. In the hours between all the great blues, you’ll hear rock, rock n’ roll, reggae, folk, Americana, country, country-rock and more (just no rap, hip hop or disco). See for yourself.

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!

It’s Simply Sunday With Tom Rush’s “Merrimack County” and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, October 29, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re light on programming today but have plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lineup:

One of my favorite albums of all time (his ninth) with my favorite Tom Rush song ever in Kids These Days. Rush is rightfully called a pioneer of the singer-songwriter genre. His interpretations put plenty of them on the map, including Joni Mitchell. In addition to that, he has managed a solo singing career that has spanned sixty years. A New England born and bred favorite.

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

We take you back to the sixties again for some mid-to-late decade sounds 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!

Our #BecomeUngovernable House EP, Steve Winwood’s AOW and Roy Orbison is Our New Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, October 28, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! Here I am writing to you from my favorite spot on the planet, Provincetown, Massachusetts. And the show goes on with a great musical lineup!

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

The music that started this whole idea of mine with 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, Billy Joel, 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 and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Roll With It by Steve Winwood FINAL AIRING!

Steve Winwood’s great AOW is in its final airing phase today. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection here.

A lot of people younger than me remember Roy Orbison as a Wilbury. But before he was a Wilbury (no small feat, I might add), he had a brilliant solo career. Known as ‘The Caruso of Rock,’ Roy Orbison’s voice is so distinctive you’d never mistake him for anyone else. A key influencer for generations of musicians who followed, including Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne, his Wilbury bandmates.

I’m on vacation, so I’m not waxing poetic this morning about why you should make us part of your daily routine. You’ll figure it out eventually.

The Best of Reggae & Ska, Singer-Songwriter John Fogerty, and New Heartbreakers are All on Tap for Friday, October 27, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday, and that is always a good thing because we are officially weekenders!

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska: Various Artists

We’ve got all the greats you know, and some you may never have heard. You’ll hear Prince Buster, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Judy Mowatt, Jimmy Cliff, Basil Gabbidon, The Rhythm Aces, Derrick Morgan, Laurel Aitken, Count Lasher, The Jiving Juniors, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, The I-Threes, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and more!

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

We bid a fond farewell to John Fogerty today, the heart and soul of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Tomorrow we’ll introduce a brand new artist.

We’re pretty obsessed with The Heartbreakers as a cover band. No doubt about it, they’re the best. They respect the intentions of the composers and play them the way they were meant to be played. Their heralded 20-night residency at the famed Fillmore in 1997 was an amazing feat, changing the set list every night, allowing the fans to request songs and help build the show, and having special guests like Roger McGuinn and John Lee Hooker on stage with them. Tonight we give you a couple of hours of covers from the Fillmore ’97 residency. Not to be missed.

‘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.

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.