Category: The Blues

On Sunday, It’s ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, Live Emmylou Harris, and The Pretenders ‘In The Spotlight’, January 26, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re all over the musical map today with our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, some live Emmylou Harris and The Pretenders ‘In the Spotlight’ later!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We start the day off with our big kahuna of soul and R & B encompassing Motown, Stax and Atlantic, among others. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, 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, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York, September 14, 1976

This afternoon we’ve got some early Emmylou Harris from My Father’s Place, a popular venue for young, aspiring artists on Long Island.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde’s band brings up the rear with some hard-edged rock as we close out the day’s programming.

But we’re here all day and all night. Before, in between, and after our scheduled programs we give you our big, wide Open Stream without interruption. The button is below.

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Saturday Brings A Folk Music Extravaganza With Our Big EP, Then Jesse Winchester and Tim Hardin, January 25, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! The genre that birthed the protest song takes over the programming today, starting with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start the day with our big folk EP that includes music from John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/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, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!

4:00 p.m. Jesse Winchester Live at The Bijou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA, May 26, 1972

The first time I saw Jesse Winchester live, he opened for Emmylou Harris at Boston’s Music Hall. I was hooked. Today we’ve got him live from Philly.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Tim Hardin

Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction kept him from achieving the star level he could have had. He died in 1980 at the age of 39 from an overdose. Singer Bobby Darin had a hit with If I Were A Carpenter, but it was Hardin who wrote it. He also wrote Rod Stewart’s hit, Reason to Believe. His music lives on.

We’re here around the clock playing some of the greatest music on the planet at no charge to you and with absolutely no commercial interruption. Ever. The button is below.

Folk Music From A-To-Z

On Friday, It’s ‘Ode To Morning’, a CCR ‘Spotlight’ and Live Stephen Stills and Manassas, January 24, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re on the cusp of the weekend once again with great music to help get us there, starting off with five hours of songs about morning!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

Yesterday we started with songs about the night. Today it’s songs about morning from Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Creedence Clearwater Revival

One of the finest bands of the sixties and seventies drops by this afternoon with it’s great born on the bayou sound.

8:00 p.m. Stephen Stills & Manassas Live at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 22, 1972

Another great supergroup formed by Stephen Stills in 1971 after the ugly breakup of CSNY that was primarily used as a vehicle for his own music. Joining Stills was Chris Hillman, Al Perkins and Byron Berline. Several members of Stills’ touring band joined in on the first recording session as well.

We’re nearly there, folks, and we’ve got great music to get us across the finish line. We’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. Join us (no hidden requirements; we promise). The button is below.

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Man

We Start Off With Songs About the Night, Then It’s Spanky & Our Gang and Live Steely Dan, Thursday, January 23, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re starting off the morning with songs about the night, then we move on with an underrated sixties band and some live Steely Dan.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

We start the day with songs about the night with Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Doors, The Eagles, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Spanky & Our Gang

One of those sixties pop bands that flew under the radar, powered by the voice of Elaine ‘Spanky’ McFarlane. I’ve always thought that Give A Damn was one of the best songs ever recorded.

8:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, November 20, 1974

Without a doubt, one of the absolute best bands of the seventies here in another excellent performance, this one from London.

Once again, there’s no better way to spend the day than with good music uninterrupted by commercial bullshit. We’re all about the music, not capitalism. The button is below.

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It’s Midweek With The Sixties: Our Original EP, The Beatles On the Rooftop, and Joplin at Winterland, Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Good morning, sixties music lovers! All of our programming is for you today as we begin with the ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, then it two great live performances to follow.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start it off with the icons of the sixties, including The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Little Eva, Simon & Garfunkel, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, The Temptations, Del Shannon, James Brown, Fontella Bass, Blues Image, Booker T & The MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The Beatles Live on The Rooftop, Apple Corp Headquarters, London, UK, January 30, 1969

We’re getting close to the 56th anniversary of The Beatles’ very last live performance, an impropmptu concert on the rooftop of Apple Records that blew London’s hair back during weekday lunch. It took the British Bobbies long enough to figure out where it was coming from so that The Beatles managed to record five songs on that rooftop for Let It Be, including Get Back, I’ve Got A Feeling, Don’t Let Me Down, One After 909 and Dig A Pony. It was a momentous musical occasion.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 12 & 13, 1968

We close the day’s programming with a great live performance from Janis Joplin from the iconic Winterland Ballroom.

Here we are at midweek and tomorrow we begin the downslide to the weekend. Stick with us. We’ve got great music here every day, free of charge to all of you. No shit. The button is below.

The Sixties!

On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues’, Live Dr. John, and The Allman Brothers Band, January 21, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists. We’re back on another Tuesday and that means it’s time for the blues. We start in Louisiana with ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues’ for the first five hours.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We’ve got the blues from the bayou and beyond with 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, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball and more!

4:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ronnie Scott’s, London, UK, January 7-14, 1996 NEW!

Dr. John and some authentic Louisiana blues recorded live over a residency at Ronnie Scott’s in London will be in The Lounge this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Allman Brothers Band

We close out Tuesday Bluesday with The Brothers and their special brand of Southern blues-rock.

We’re here 24/7 and Tuesday Bluesday is a busy day in The Lounge. There’s plenty of room fo reveryone. The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Monday Brings Three Dog Night, Our ‘What’s In a Name’ EP, Plus Dylan & The Heartbreakers, January 20, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. On our national day of disgrace, we urge you to turn off the inauguration and do anything else. You can spend your day here instead.

Here’s your Monday, Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: Three Dog Night NEW!

This has been on my to-do list for ages and I’m finally happily delivering. These guys were a veritable hit machine with 21 Top 40 singles between 1969 and 1975; three went to number one. They are certainly on our list of favorite seventies artists.

2:00 p.m. What’s In a Name: Various Artists

This one comes back from hiatus today as we bring you songs about people, some real and some imaginary. You’ll hear from Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 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, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Cal Expo Amphitheater, Sacramento, CA, June 12, 1986

What could be better than this combination? This was Dylan’s True Confessions Tour. Bob Dylan asked his manager, “Can we find a band that’s cool?” I think he pretty much delivered. It began a musical friendship between Dylan and Petty that would eventually result in The Traveling Wilburys.

We’re here, and we’re happy we’re not in D.C. where ugly returns to our nation today. Here in The Lounge, it’s all about freedom, peace and unity. No ugly here. Just great music. The button is below.

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Sunday Brings ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ Followed By a Joni Mitchell ‘Spotlight’ and Live CSNY, January 19, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We are awaiting a big snow storm here in the Boston area. We’ll see how that turns out. To say that I’m skeptical would be an understatement. However, one thing I’m sure of is that the music will be fantastic today!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

The pioneers of country-rock and folk-rock all hung out here over a two-decade run that produced music to rival The British Invasion on the charts. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joni Mitchell

We haven’t aired this one in a long time. We have been remiss about sharing this great playlist from a true musical genius.

8:00 p.m. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, June 5, 1970

One of the greatest supergroups of all time (second only to The Traveling Wilburys) joins us this evening for a performance from the iconic Fillmore in New York.

We are here 24/7, not just when we have programming. Before, in between and after we deliver our big, wide Open Stream at no charge to the listening public. The button is below.

Sunday Funday!

On Saturday We’ve Got Songs About Colors, Live Linda Ronstadt, and an I-Three ‘Spotlight’ Feature, January 18, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’ve made it to Saturday and we have songs about colors. After that, the focus turns to some very talented women.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Whoever thought there’d be five hours worth of songs about colors. In fact, this EP could have gone on longer. You’ll hear from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Linda Ronstadt, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, J.D. Souther and more!

4:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, August 24, 1980

The undisputed Queen of Rock drops by The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon for a live performance. I’ve seen Ronstadt 40 times in my lifetime, and she never disappointed once.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The I-Threes

I’m sure some people will be scratching their heads and asking who these ladies are. These are the women who helped to uplift Bob Marley’s music by providing amazing background vocals, but they are so much more accomplished than that. They are literal legends in the Reggae music world. You can learn about them here if you’re interested and, better still, drop by The Lounge tonight and see for yourself.

We begin the weekend once again, and the living is easy here in The Mermaid Lounge. I’ll be finishing up my final day in hardware hell, but The Music Mermaid is here to take care of running things. The button is below.

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It’s Friday and We’ve Got Chuck Berry, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and ‘The Founders’ EP on January 17, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Friday! We’ve got a lot of ‘founders’ in the mix today. Even The Heartbreakers contribution contains songs from the founders or rock and roll!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry was a true pioneer of rock n’ roll as we know it. John Lennon cited Berry as a hero and one of his main musical influences, stating “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.”

2:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Fillmore ’97 Covers

During The Heartbreakers legendary 20-night Fillmore residency, they surely covered many of ‘The Founders’ songs. The qualities that make TPATH a great rock and roll band also made them the greatest cover band. You’ll hear them cover songs by Little Richard, J.J. Cale, The Kinks, Booker T & The MGs, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Them, Bo Diddley, Bill Withers, The Byrds, John Lee Hooker, Ricky Nelson and more!

5:00 p.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We have the founders themselves taking us into the night. You’ll hear Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and more!

We’re here. We’re free. We’re on 24/7. We do not run commercial advertising. We don’t ask you for a credit card or personal information. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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