Category: The Blues

On Friday It’s The Newport Folk Festival With Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash and Richard & Mimi Farina, May 9, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! We’ve got a different arrangement today here in The Lounge. There is no available compilation from the Newport Folk Festivals, so we’re working on that for our next Festival Week. In the meantime, we’ve got a fantastic lineup today!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 19, 1969

We start out the day with the legend herself, Joni Mitchell, and her full performance from the 1969 festival.

12:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, 1963-1965

Dylan is up next and this is a compilation of his appearances during the years 1963, 1964, and 1965. Of course, 1965 was the year he raised the hackles of many folk purists by having the audacity to appear on stage with an electric guitar! Enter the folk-rock genre.

4:00 p.m. Richard & Mimi Farina Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 25, 1965

Richard and Mimi Farina made their start in the clubs of Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, and became stalwarts of the folk music scene before Richard’s untimely death at the age of 29.

8:00 p.m. Johnny Cash Live at The Newport Folk Festival, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI, July 16, 1964

We close the festivities with the great Johnny Cash on stage at Newport from 1964, a great way to end the day’s programming.

Remember, festival week extends through Sunday. We still have some great programming in store for you all, so be sure to stick around! You won’t be disappointed. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. We do not run any commercial advertising. And we play the best damned music on the planet. The button is below.

Newport Folk Festival!

Thursday It’s Music From the Isle of Wight Festival, Then Full Performances By The Who & The Doors, May 8, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Isle of Wight Day! We kick it off with music from the 1970 festival, followed by the full performances by both The Who and The Doors!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Isle of Wight Festival, Afton Downs, The Isle of Wight, Newport, UK, August 26-30, 1970

The Isle of Wight Festival attracted huge crowds (between 600-700K people) to see acts like Rory Gallagher, Miles Davis, Chicago, The Doors, The Who, The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Joni Mitchell, Sly & The Family Stone, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ten Years After and more. The 1970 festival was the third in a series run between 1968 and 1970.

4:00 p.m. The Who Live at The Isle of Wight Festival, Afton Downs, Isle of Wight, Newport, UK, August 30, 1970

The Who performed on the afternoon of August 30 and covered probably their most celebrated album, the rock opera Tommy. This is their full performance.

8:00 p.m. The Doors Live at The Isle of Wight Festival, Afton Downs, Isle of Wight, Newport, UK, August 30, 1970

Likewise, The Doors performed on the final festival day. We close out the day’s programming with their full performance as well.

Tomorrow, we give you the sounds of the Newport Folk Festival over the years as we move through Festival Week. Remember, before, in between, and after our scheduled programs, we give you our big, wide Open Stream! The button is below.

Isle of Wight!

On Wednesday It’s the Sounds of Woodstock ’69, and the Full Performances of Tim Hardin & Jimi Hendrix, May 7, 2025

We’re at Midweek and ‘Festival Week’ is back! Today it’s the sound of the only real Woodstock, the big kahuna of festivals. Then it’s the full performances of folk legend Tim Hardin and rock legend Jimi Hendrix at that festival.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Woodstock ’69 Festival, Max Yasgur’s Dairy Farm, Bethel, NY, August 15-18, 1969

Three days of peace, love and music along with plenty of drugs, mud and rain. To this day, it remains the big kahuna of festivals, the stuff of legends and it stands the test of time. This is, of cours, just a smattering of what went on there, but we are working on the full magilla. There are files available that reconstruct the entire experience the way it was presented (in 38 full discs) and we are in the process of putting that all together for an airing in the future. In the meantime, we give you over four hours here today.

4:00 p.m. Tim Hardin Live at Woodstock ’69, Max Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, NY, August 15, 1969

This afternoon we give you folk legend Tim Hardin’s full Woodstock ’69 performance, a man who succumbed to his heroin addiction and left us far too soon. We celebrate his music today.

8:00 p.m. Jimi Hendrix Live at Woodstock ’69, Max Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, NY, August 18, 1969

Hendrix’s set at Woodstock was on the final day and ran for nearly two hours, one of the longest performances of his storied career. We close the festivities with that performance today.

The biggest and the best here today. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. It goes without saying that we give you our big, wide Open Stream before, in between, and after all this great Woodstock stuff. The button is below.

Woodstock ’69

Tuesday Bluesday Brings ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues,’ a John Lee Hooker ‘Spotlight’, and Live Yardbirds, May 6, 2025

Good morning and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We take a break from Festival Week just for today to carry on our blues tradition here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We’ve got music from Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Roy 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, Marcia Ball, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, The Neville Brothers and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lee Hooker

One of the greatest of all time, he was the son of a sharecropper, a singer, songwriter and guitarist who developed an electric-guitar adaptation of the Delta Blues in Detroit. Hooker was a true innovator, who developed his own driving-rhythm boogie style.

8:00 p.m. The Yardbirds Live at B. B. King’s Blues Club, New York, NY, July 16, 2006

We close out the blues with Jeff Beck and the boys live from B. B. King’s club in New York, a great way to end a Tuesday Bluesday.

We’re taking a break from ‘Festival Week’ for just one day to carry out our great blues tradition. We’ll be back tomorrow with Woodstock ’69. In the meantime, tune us in for some great blues. The button is below! That’s all it takes.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Open Festival Week With the Sounds of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Then It’s Otis Redding and Janis Joplin, on Monday, Monday, April 5, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! Festival Week is here and we’re opening up with the sounds of the Monterey International Pop Festival from 1967, the Summer of Love no matter how many people tell you it was 1969. It was not. It was ’67, and there are no alternative facts on that.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Monterey International Pop Festival, Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA, June 16-18, 1967

The sounds of the Summer of Love abound here. This was the precursor to the big festival to beat all, Woodstock. The diversity of music and artists that flooded Monterey was astounding as you will see. We’ve got five hours of uninterrupted Monterey Pop music. This repeats beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

Otis Redding was introduced to the world at Monterey Pop. He hadn’t even released his first song yet. Sadly, he would never get to enjoy the legendary place in music history that he would eventually achieve. His chartered plane, which also carried his back-up band, The Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona while on his way to another performance in December of that year killing all on board. All of Redding’s hits were posthumous, but his gritty voice and his songwriting made him one of the legends of soul and R & B.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, February 12, 1969

Janis Joplin established herself solidified her position as one of the stars of the sixties at Monterey in 1967. Tonight we close out the programming with a great Fillmore performance. Sadly, Janis too would be gone by 1970, a member of musical folklore’s 27 Club.

We’re just getting started. All week long we’ll be featuring the sounds of some of the greatest music festivals and the artists who made them great. Don’t miss a minute. We’ll also be replaying the festival music in the late night hours for our international friends. The button is below!

Monterey Pop!

On Sunday It’s a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ Feature, ‘The Female Species’ EP & The Band Live in Japan, May 4, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today that includes our ‘Female Species’ EP sandwiched in between Christine McVie and The Band.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

From Chickenshack to Fleetwood Mac, we open with a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ feature. In my humble opinion, Christine McVie was always the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac, although Stevie Nicks got more attention.

1:00 p.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We take you through the afternoon with songs about women, some real and some imagined, from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at Kosei Nenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan, September 2, 1983

We close out the programming today with a great performance by The Band from Kosei Nenkin Hall in Tokyo.

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow begins Festival Week here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re here 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge every single day. We do not run any commercial advertising because we do not make one penny from what we do. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

The Button.

We’re Back With Our ‘House EP’, a Beatles ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Byrds Live in London, On Saturday, May 3, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re back with some great programming today as we begin the weekend and head toward ‘Festival Week’ on Monday. Read on for all the details!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

The music that inspired the radio station starts off the day. We’ve got music from Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Phil Ochs, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Tom Rush, The Band and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Beatles

This was a tough playlist to create. Ultimately, I ended up putting a bunch of sheets of paper in a bucket with songs written on them and pulling them out. There’s simply no logical way to do this in your head. There are far too many great songs from the greatest rock band on the planet.

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

We close it out from one of the most significant bands of the sixties whose music influenced many who followed, most notably Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Byrds were a fine band, and Roger McGuinn is a legend.

We’re here 24/7 and we play the best damned music on the planet. It’s an eclectic rotation with few duplications in even a week, let alone a day. The Music Mermaid has this down. Join us. The button is below.

The Button.

As We Prepare for ‘Festival Week’ Starting May 5, We Give You Our Big, Wide Open Stream Today, May 2, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! On Monday, May 5, ‘Festival Week’ begins here in The Mermaid Lounge and runs through Sunday, May 11. During that time we will give you performances from Woodstock ’69, Monterey Pop in 1967, The Isle of Wight ’70, and a few of the Newport Folk Festivals of the sixties.

We hope that you will enjoy the next 24 hours of totally uninterrupted music from our vast and eclectic collection of music files. You never know what The Music Mermaid will do, but I can guarantee you will enjoy yourselves. The button is below.

Open Stream Friday!

Today We Ride ‘The Psychedelic Express’, Get a New Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’, and Some Live James Brown, On May Day, 2025

Welcome to May Day, 2025! We’ve got some great stuff today as we continue to build our protest and social justice music content. We give you a Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’ today along with a free tip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and some live James Brown this evening.

Here’s your May Day lineup:

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

This morning we take a trip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ along with Vanilla Fudge, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Donovan, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Velvet Underground and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Phil Ochs NEW!

Phil Ochs is the stuff of legends, blessed with great songwriting chops and sardonic humor along with a passion for social justice. He was one of the most prolific musical social activists of his generation. Today we put him ‘In the Spotlight’ and you can read more about him here in The Guardian.

8:00 p.m. We close out May Day with a live performance from James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, from the House of Blues in Las Vegas.

We’re on 24/7 and we do not require a subscription. We also do not track. We do not play commercial advertising and we don’t buy music from Amazon. Ever. We’re all about the music and how we source it. The button is below.

The Button.

We Close the Month With All-Girl Programming Featuring Our Big EP, Ruth Brown, and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, On Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We are closing out the month in style. Most stations don’t play this much women’s music in two months as we play in a week. For us, it’s a matter of routine. Read on as we close the month in full-female mode!

Here’s your all-girl midweek lineup:

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

We start out with our big EP featuring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, 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, Norah Jones, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Phoebe Snow, Susan Tedeschi, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles, Lulu, and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ruth Brown NEW!

We finally get this one under our belt, as we give the late, great Ruth Brown her due. She was signed to Atlantic Records and dominated the scene during the fifties with a string of huge hits. As a result, Atlantic became knows as “the house that Ruth built.” Today, she’s in our ‘Spotlight.’

8:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets & More

People who are Ronstadt watchers know that she loved singing with other people more than she enjoyed her solo career. Today she brings along her friends as we hear her duets and so much more. Her brilliant vocals dominate, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge miss her very much.

We’re here every day and today belongs to the women of music. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free, and we do not run commercial advertising. The button is below.

Ladies Day Out Indeed!