Happy Boxing Day From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/26/2020

Hell, we’re a global radio station and it’s Boxing Day, the official Christmas, of many of our compadres. So, we wish you a very happy holiday indeed.

The Spencer Davis Group with a very young Steve Winwood on your left.

Here’s today’s rock n’ roll lesson:

December 26, 1960: Elvis Presley’s Are you Lonesome Tonight was at $1 for a fifth week.

December 26, 1963: The Beatles release their first hit single in the US, I Want To Hold Your Hand backed by I Saw Her Standing There. It’s their first single released by Capitol Records; within months Beatlemania will be full-blown in the States.

December 26, 1964: The Beatles score another #1 with I Feel Fine. They finish the year with six #1 songs and own the top spot on the chart for 18 weeks.

December 26, 1966: The Spencer Davis Group release the single Gimme’ Some Lovin‘ which was written by seventeen-year-old Steve Winwood.

Also on this day, Jimi Hendrix wrote the words to Purple Haze in his dressing room between shows at London’s Uppercrust Club.

December 26, 1967: The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour film debuts on BBC-TV.

Also on this day, The Doors and Chuck Berry open a weeklong series of concerts at The Fillmore West in San Francisco.

December 26, 1968: Led Zeppelin’s first US tour begins in Denver, Colorado, where they are the opening act for Vanilla Fudge.

Also on this day, D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary, Monterey Pop, which chronicles the 1967 Monterey International Pop Music Festival, opened in theaters. This was the concert where The Who smashed their instruments and Hendrix lit his guitar on fire.

December 26, 1970: George Harrison becomes the first ex-Beatle to top the Hot 100 as a solo act as My Sweel Lord hits #1.

Also on this day, a new singer from Canada named Gordon Lightfoot enters the charts for the first time with If You Could Read My Mind. He will make some great music in his time.

December 26, 1979: Paul McCartney held the first of three concerts at Hammersmith Odeon in London to benefit relief efforts in war-torn Kampuchea. He was joined by The Who, The Clash, Queen, Elvis Costello, and Rockpile.

Born On This Day

December 26, 1935: Duke Fakir of the Four Tops was born Abdul Fakir in Detroit, Michigan.

December 26, 1940: Famed record producer and despicable human being, Phil Spector, was born in The Bronx, New York.

December 26, 1946: Bob Carpenter, keyboardist and accordionist for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

And that is today’s less here at the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge!

Merry Christmas to All From The Mermaid Lounge, Home of #BecomeUngovernable Radio, Friday, December 25, 2020

Good Morning, Music Lovers everywhere and a very Merry Christmas here from all of us here laboring in the lounge. Today, we are not forcing you into a music lesson (we will be back tomorrow), and there is no programming!

It’s all on the Mermaid today as we celebrate St. Nick on TOTALLY Open Stream. Whatever the Music Mermaid chooses is what you get! In the meantime, in the background here, we will be adding new music and playlists that you will begin hearing tomorrow!

Get on it. The Music Mermaid is running the show today.

For those of you who don’t know how the Music Mermaid works, she’s fully in charge and picks up music from our stream randomly. What does that mean? Well, she could, and has in the past, literally pick up and stream, say, a playlist. For example, she could choose to play Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live in Lucca, Italy, or The Beatles Complete Rooftop Concert. In short, whatever the Mermaid fancies is what she’ll do.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day and that you choose to spend at least part of it here with us, where we do not play Christmas music. It’s Christmas every day here.

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Our Antidote To Christmas Music: Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Band and MOONDOG MATINEE, and Later It’s That Sweet Soul Sound, Thursday, December 24, 2020

Good Morning, Musicologists! Here we are on holiday, and we’ve got the perfect antidote to that bad Christmas music that I know is playing in ACE Hardware today. Luckily, I’m here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Dylan and Petty. Does it get any better? Not from where I’m sitting.

Here’s your Christmas Eve day programming!

11:00 a.m. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live in Sacramento, June 12, 1986

One day, Bob Dylan asked Tom Petty to go on tour with him. There’s a reason why all these guys wanted The Heartbreakers around. You’re about to find out just exactly why. In return, all of the members of The Heartbreakers credit Dylan with teaching them the importance of adjusting plans, songs, and being more spontaneous on stage. It was a marriage made in music heaven.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Moondog Matinee by The Band

I could go on and on about The Band, undoubtedly one of the great treasures in American popular music. They may have started as Dylan’s back-up band, but they carved their own very real place in music history.

7:00 p.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists EXPANDED AND UPDATED!

This is a great playlist to close out today’s programming. We’ve added some new music, so we’ve added some new songs to the playlist. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing Otis Redding, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Mary Wells, James Brown, Rare Earth, The Box Tops, The Marvelettes, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, Ann Peebles, Bill Withers and many more!

It’s Christmas. Time to pack it in. Be done with the pursuit of capitalism, and tune in to a radio station with no ulterior money-making motives. We don’t ask you to subscribe. We don’t ask for your credit card. We don’t ask for personal information because we don’t intend to sell you anything. We’re here for the music, believe it or not. If you choose not to believe, then all I can say is that you have no idea what you are missing.

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Good Morning From the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/24/2020

Greetings and Salutations from The College this morning. Yes, here we are in New England, where it will go to 50 degrees today, and where we will have a massive rain storm with thunder and winds tomorrow. Where the actual fuck am I?

The Beatles. They changed everything.

Here’s today’s pre-Christmas lesson:

December 24, 1965: Once again, The Beatles own the #1 album at Christmas with Rubber Soul. This is their third year in a row. In 1964, it was Beatles For Sale, and in 1963, it was With The Beatles. They would repeat this feat again in 1968 with The Beatles (read: The White Album), and in 1969 with Abbey Road.

December 24, 1966: On Christmas eve 1966, Tommy James & The Shondells record I Think We’re Alone Now. It will become the band’s fourth #1 song in the US, selling over a million copies.

Also on this day, (I Know) I’m Losing You by the Temptations take over the #1 spot on the R & B charts, replacing You Keep Me Hanging On by The Supremes.

December 24, 1972: Meanwhile, in Miama, the police shut down a concert by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band because of a noise complaint, resulting in a full-fledged riot. During this shitshow, the band hid in a dressing room. The riot went on for two hours. So much for all that noise.

December 24, 1974: James Taylor, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell are spotted on the streets of Los Angeles singing Christmas carols. Can you imagine having the four of them stop in front of your house?

December 24, 1976: The Eagles‘ Hotel California, their sixth album, goes Platinum and begins the first of eight non-consecutive weeks at #1. It was their first album with Joe Walsh on lead guitar and their last with Randy Meisner on bass guitar.

December 24, 1977: Simple Dreams was the biggest album of Linda Ronstadt’s brilliant career. On this day it remained at #1 for a fourth week.

Born On This Day

December 24, 1920: Dave Bartholomew, co-writer and producer of Fats Domino’s Ain’t It A Shame and Blue Monday was born in Edgard, Louisiana.

December 24, 1924: Lee Dorsey, famous for his 1961 song Ya Ya, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

December 24, 1968: Doyle Bramhall II, guitarist and songwriter who worked with Freddie King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, was born in Dallas, Texas.

And that’s today’s lesson from the College of Rock N’ Roll Knowledge! We’ll be back with today’s line up shortly!

Here We Are at Another (Mostly) Open Stream Wednesday, with The Allman Brothers and The Shadow Dropping By Later, December 23, 2020

Good Day, Music Lovers! It’s one constant we have: (Mostly) Open Stream Wednesday, and it’s back here this week. Later in the day, we’ve got just a smattering of programming.

The Beacon Theatre. New York.

Here’s today’s line up!

All Day (Mostly) Open Stream Wednesday with Three-in-a-Rows!

Yep. We’ve got it all. More than 26,000 songs rotating throughout the day and night. Sorry, but alas, there is no disco, rap, hip-hop.

5:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Play All Night Long, Live at The Beacon, New York City

The Brothers recorded live on March 10 and 11, 1992, at the famed Beacon Theatre in New York, including almost 21 minutes of In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

9:00 p.m. The Shadow 04: Death Under The Chapel

Insanity, suicide, students, and revenge. That’s all you need to know.

This would be a great day to tune us in. You can get a real flavor for the kind of music we play all day and all night long. Best of all, we’re free. No subscription. No credit card. No personal information required. Nope. None.

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Getting a Jump On The Day At The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/23/2020

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas. The shorter the time gets, the nastier the shoppers get. The pressure’s on to make sure they buy enough, or just the right thing, or whatever the fuck. Give it up.

The first transistor radios. Undoubtedly, man’s finest invention.

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 23, 1947: Three scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey demonstrate the transistor, which leads to the invention of small, portable transistor radios. They would win the Nobel Prize for their work in 1956.

December 23, 1957: A new act called Tom & Jerry appear on the chart for the first time with their new song Hey Schoolgirl. They were just sixteen years old. Today, we know them as Simon & Garfunkel, and they have sold 105 million albums.

December 23, 1961: The Marvelettes spent their sixth week at #1 on the R & B chart with Please Mr. Postman.

Also on December 23, the Beach Boys make their live debut, performing two songs during intermission of surf guitarist Dick Dale’s concert at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California.

December 23, 1962: Bob Dylan did a show at the King and Queen Pub in London.

December 23, 1963: Lesley Gore released the single, You Don’t Own Me.

December 23, 1964: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys suffered a breakdown on a flight from LA to Houston. As a result, he decided to retire from performing live, in spite of the fact that their Beach Boys Concert was #1 at the time. Glen Campbell was a temporary replacement for Wilson, until Bruce Johnston joined the group.

December 23, 1966: London’s premier psychedelic hangout, The UFO Club, opens on Tottenham Court, with Pink Floyd as the house band.

December 23, 1969: Elton John met with Bernie Taupin for the first time, along with arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Didgeon, to begin work on his first (and best, in my opinion) album.

December 23, 1970: Joni Mitchell earned her first Gold with her third album, Ladies of The Canyon.

December 23, 1972: The Moody Blues had another big album with Seventh Sojurn, which spent a third week at #1.

Born On This Day

December 23, 1940: Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, was born in Washington, D.C.

December 23, 1941: Folk musician Tim Hardin, who wrote If I Were A Carpenter, was born in Eugene, Oregon.

December 23, 1946: Ariel Bender, guitarist for Mott The Hoople, was born in Evesham, Worcestershire, England.

December 23, 1964: Eddie Vedder, lead singer, guiarist, and songwriter of Pearl Jam, was born in Evanston, Illinois.

And that’s it for today’s lesson!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Lounge and We’ve Got EC’s Crossroads Guitar Festival Highlights and Moondog Matinee, on December 22, 2020

Good Morning, Blues Lovers! This is your day. Today we’ve got a great mix of material for you to hear, including sprinkles of Three-in-a-Row’s along the way from the likes of B.B. King, Janis Joplin, and others!

Eric Clapton with Derek Trucks and friends at the Crossroads Guitar Festival.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Eric Clapton & Friends: The Crossroads Guitar Festival Revisited

Up first is nearly four hours of great music. Let’s call it a smorgasboard of songs culled from Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals over the years. You’ll hear the cream of the crop like, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr., The Robert Cray Band, Willie Nelson, Joe Walsh, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, Doyle Bramhall II, Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks, and Susan Tedeschi.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Moondog Matinee by The Band

Again, it’s kismet. This week’s Album of The Week, Moondog Matinee, just happens to be The Band’s homage to R & B and the blues. It fits just perfectly with today.

In between, we have Open Stream, uninterrupted by idle chatter and commercials, and seasoned with Three-in-a-Row’s from the likes of B.B. King, Janis Joplin, The Allman Brothers Band, and Lucinda Williams.

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Here’s Your Tuesday (Bluesday) Lesson From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/22/2020!

Yes, it’s Tuesday Bluesday in The Mermaid Lounge, and the lesson is lighter than usual today. Seems it’s not a very eventful day in music history, unless you’re talking about shit we don’t play.

The Beatles Live at The Empire Theatre, Liverpool, December 22, 1963.

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 22, 1956: Elvis Presley finished the year with 17 hit songs, a record that would stand until the year 1964 — when The Beatles had 30. (Yes, I said 30.)

December 22, 1962: Bob Dylan played at the Singer’s Club Christmas Party in London.

Also on this day, one of the greatest instrumental songs ever recorded, Telstar by the Tornadoes, went to #1. And yes it was a tribute to the satellite.

December 22, 1963: The Beatles performed at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.

December 22, 1972: Led Zeppelin performed at Alexandra Palace in London.

December 22, 1973: Elton John moved to #1 on the UK Album chart with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

December 22, 1978: Kenney Jones, formerly of Faces, was chosen as the new drummer for The Who. He replaced Keith Moon, who had passed away a couple of months earlier.

December 22, 1979: The Pretenders performed at the Marquee Club in London.

December 22, 1980: Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the Gilbert & Sullivan production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Uris Theatre.

Also on this date, Pat Benatar’s first hit — Heartbreaker — debuted on the charts.

Born On This Day

December 22, 1939: James Gurley, guitarist for Big Brother & The Holding Company, was born in Detroit.

December 22, 1944: Barry Jenkins, drummer for The Animals, was born in Leicester, England.

And that signals the end of today’s lesson. We’ll be back with the Tuesday Bluesday line-up in just a bit.

It’s Monday With Joni Mitchell, A New Episode of ‘The Shadow’ and Bob Dylan Live in ’75, December 21, 2020

Good Morning, Music Lovers of the Universe! I hope that your Monday can be made brighter by our programmng selections (call me dramatic).

Joni Mitchell performs on stage at The Wall Concert, Berlin, 21st July 1990. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Here’s today’s killer line-up:

11:00 a.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, Colorado, July 30, 1983

Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s career has spanned four decades. Mitchell’s talents embrace various musical styles, including folk, pop, rock and jazz. I had the opportunity to see her at Boston’s Music Hall with Tom Scott & The L.A. Express on her tour supporting the release of her album, Court & Spark. She was amazing.

3:00 p.m. The Shadow: 04 Death Under The Chapel NEW!

An insane professor is dropped from the faculty after causing the suicide of one of his students. You can imagine that he might have revenge in mind.

7:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live in ’75: The Rolling Thunder Revue

Bob Dylan on his Rolling Thunder Review tour, along with his loosely-assembled back-up band called Guam, which included Ronee Blakeley, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, T Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson and Scarlet Rivera, among others. The tour was unorthodox and almost spontaneous, and it took place just prior to the release of his fantastic Desire LP.

There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be listening to us. We’re free. We do not run advertising. And we don’t make a dime from what we’re doing. There is no need to provide a credit card, buy a subscription, or give us your personal information. So, what are you waiting for?

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It’s a Brand New Monday in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/21/2020

Good Morning, Music Minions! We are here getting a proverbial “jump” on the week with our Monday edition of all the news that’s fit to print!

Martha & The Vandellas broke up on this day.

Here’s today’s musical lesson!

December 21, 1963: Joan Baez was gaining steam as she entered the Top 10 on the Album chart with Joan Baez In Concert.

Also on this day, The Beatles did their first Christmas show at the Gaumont Theatre in Bradford, England.

December 21, 1966: The Beach Boys receive three gold records: for the single Good Vibrations, and for the albums Little Deuce Coupe and Shut Down, Volume 2.

December 21, 1967: The Beatles throw a costume party at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London to celebrate the showing of their film, Magical Mystery Tour, on the BBC.

December 21, 1968: The newly-formed trio of Crosby, Stills & Nash performed together for the first time.

Also on this day, Glen Campbell topped the Billboard 200 with the album, Wichita Lineman. It would remain on the charts for 46 weeks, but will also be Campbell’s only number one.

If that isn’t enough, Janis Joplin made her debut as a solo concert artist at an event for the Stax/Volt record label. The Stax house band, Booker T & The MG’s, also performed at the event.

December 21, 1969: Diana Ross & The Supremes make their final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. They sang Someday We’ll Be Together, their twelfth and final number one single.

December 21, 1970: Traffic’s album John Barleycorn Must Die is certified gold.

December 21, 1972: Martha & The Vandellas play their last show at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Their career spanned nine years, charting over two dozen times. Ten of their singles reached the Top Ten of the Billboard R & B chart, and twelve made it to the Top 40 of the Hot 100, including Dancing In The Street, Nowhere to Run, and Jimmy Mack.

December 21, 1974: Harry Chapin enjoys his only number one single with Cats In The Cradle, one of the best damned songs every recorded.

December 21, 1979: The Eagles, Chicago and Linda Ronstadt perform a benefit show for California Governor Jerry Brown’s presidential campaign. Brown also happens to be Ronstadt’s boyfriend.

December 21, 1990: A concert in memory of John Lennon was held at the Tokyo Dome. Taking part were Sean Lennon, Hall & Oates, Natalie Cole and Linda Ronstadt.

December 21, 1991: Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody returned to #1 after the death of Freddie Mercury, and remained there for five weeks.

December 21, 1992: Legendary bluesman Albert King dies of a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 69.

Born On This Day

December 21, 1940: Frank Zappa, rocker, composer and performer with the Mothers of Invention (and solo), was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

December 21, 1942: Soul singer Carla Thomas, soloist and also a duet performer with Otis Redding, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

December 21, 1943: Albert Lee, famous session guitarist (Emmylou Harris, among others), was born in Lingen, Herefordshire, England.

December 21, 1946: Carl Wilson was born in Hawthorne, California. He forms The Beach Boys with older brothers Dennis and Brian, then becomes the band’s lead guitarist.

And that’s it from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge today!