Tag: Aretha Franklin

Welcome Weekenders! Saturday It’s The Sixties, Live Bonnie Raitt, and a Moody Blues ‘Spotlight,’ On October 25, 2025

Good morning, weekenders and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where the music never stops! We’ve got a great lineup for you today starting off with music from The Sixties!

Here’s your weekend warrior lineup:

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

This is the very first playlist we ever made with The Beatles, 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, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, Blues Image, Booker T and the MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Left Banke, Fats Domino, and more!

4:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt Live at SWR Television Studios, Baden, Germany, June 24, 1992

We’ve got a great performance by Bonnie recorded live for the German TV show Ohne Filter Extra.

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

The Moodies started out as an R & B band with the release of their hit Go Now, but then embraced the psychedelic music era, eventually pioneering art rock and progressive rock, releasing one of the first ‘concept albums’ in rock history.

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Welcome Weekenders!

It’s Finally Friday and We’ve Got Some New George Harrison and Ry Cooder Sandwiched Around our ‘Flower Power’ Playlist, On October 24, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to Friday. We’re on the cusp of the weekend and nobody ever said we couldn’t be gluttonous and give you two new playlists in one day!

Here’s your Finally Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Words and Music by George: George Harrison’s Beatles Songs NEW!

Yeah, there was the Lennon-McCartney juggernaut, then there was Harrison. Still, he wrote 22 songs for The Beatles. They are presented here as ranked by one music source. While we don’t necessarily agree with the positioning from one to 22, it’s clear that George Harrison was a force.

2:00 p.m. Flower Power: Various Artists

What were you llstening to during those Flower Power years of the sixties? Here’s a pretty good list from The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Delaney & Bonnie, Canned Heat, Cannibal & The Heat Hunters, Brewer & Shipley, Deep Purple, Oliver, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Aretha Franklin, Todd Rundgren, The Stone Poneys, Bob Dylan, The Band, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, The Association, Shocking Blue and more!

8:00 p.m. Ry Cooder Live at The Radio Ranch, Cleveland, OH, December 12, 1972 NEW!

Some great Ry Cooder here recorded at The Radio Ranch for broadcast on WMMS-FM will close out the day’s programming.

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Monday Brings Live Laura Nyro, Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, and a Tom Rush ‘Spotlight’ Feature, September 29, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to Monday. We start out with a new live performance from Laura Nyro, then move on to ‘Ladies Day Out,’ and a Tom Rush ‘Spotlight’ feature!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Laura Nyro Live at Veterans Memorial Park, Lockport, NY, June 23, 1990 NEW!

Laura Nyro is a short-ish but, oh so sweet, performance as she opened for Tom Rush.

1:00 p.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

We stick with the ladies moving through the afternoon with Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, more Laura Nyro, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Cilla Black, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, 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, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Susan Tedeschi, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter and more!

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

We close out the programming with, well, a Tom Rush ‘Spotlight’ feature. Seems only fitting.

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Saturday Brings ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul,’ a Hank Williams ‘Spotlight,’ and Live Flying Burrito Brothers, On September 27, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! Still suffering through COVID, so this post won’t be log. We kick off the day with some soul, then move into country and country-rock!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

We kick things off with soul and R & B across the spectrum (not just Motown) with Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Curtis Mayfield, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Irma Thomas, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Fontella Bass, Ann Peebles, Edwin Starr, Wilson Pickett, and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Hank Williams

We spend some time this afternoon with a country legend who was also one of the forefathers of rock and roll.

8:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at The Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 6, 1969

We close it out with Gram Parsons and the Burritos as an opening act for The Grateful Dead live at The Avalon Ballroom.

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On Sunday, It’s Some ‘Flower Power,’ a J. Geils Band ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Lucinda Williams, September 21, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! It’s another Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got the second airing of our ‘Flower Power’ playlist, a musical excursion that could well turn into an EP at some point! That’s where we start, but not where we end!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Flower Power: Various Artists

Our newest playlist is back for its second airing with The Beatles, Donovan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Five Man Electrical Band, Three Dog Night, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, The Band, Bob Dylan, Brewer & Shipley, The Mamas & Papas, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Don McLean, Oliver, The Moody Blues, CSNY, Yes, Isaac Hayes, Grand Funk Railroad, Marianne Faithful, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The J. Geils Band

My choice for Boston’s bad boys over Aerosmith. Sorry, Steven Tyler, but Peter Wolf rules.

8:00 p.m. Lucinda Williams Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, November 20-22, 2003

We close it out with a true friend of Tom’s, who said she misses his music, but she misses him even more. Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty were a mutual admiration society, and she is one of the best singer-songwriters in all of music. She has stood the test of time.

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Flower Power!

On Saturday, The Ladies Open It Up, Then It’s Live Hot Tuna, and a Badfinger ‘Spotlight’ Feature, August 30, 2025

Good morning, music lovers, and welcome to the weekend! We open up this morning with ‘Ladies Day Out,’ the biggest, most expansive EP of women’s music we feature!

Here’s your Saturday musical menagerie:

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

We open it up with five hours of uninterrupted women’s music from Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, 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, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Susan Tedeschi, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles, and more!

4:00 p.m. Hot Tuna Live at New Orleans House, Berkeley, California, September, 1969 NEW!

We’ve been unable to find a date on this one, but it matters not. This was a great performance from beginning to end from one of the bands that is certainly and without doubt a Mermaid Lounge favorite!

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

The story of Badfinger is certainly a tragic one, but their music was anything but tragic. They were a great band and stood out as, undoubtedly, the best signing for Apple Records. Tonight they are ‘In the Spotlight.’

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Friday It’s ‘The Summer of Love Countdown,’ Followed by Live Shows From CCR and Carly Simon, August 29, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. What were you listening to on the radio during the Summer of Love? We begin our farewell to summertime today with just such a playlist culled from radio stations across the country.

Here’s your Finally Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Summer of Love Countdown: Various Artists

We kick off the day with our ‘Summer of Love Countdown’ playlist. Contrary to popular (and misinformed) opinion, this was during the summer of 1967, not 1969, my friends. We’ve culled the best songs being played across the nation during that time from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Association, The Rascals, Bobbie Gentry, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Spanky & Our Gang, The Hollies, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Rivers, The Box Tops, Procol Harum, Scott McKenzie, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Paul Revere & The Raiders and more!

4:00 p.m. Creedence Clearwater Revival Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, July 4, 1971

We tune in this afternoon to four guys from Berkeley, CA who sounded like they came straight out of the Louisiana bayou. CCR was a spectacular band whose music has stood the test of time.

8:00 p.m. Carly Simon Live at Grand Central Station, New York, NY, April 2, 1995

This impromptu performance was the idea of Jackie Kennedy Onassis to commemorate their friendship and to address Simon’s stage fright problem. April 2, 1995, was her first live performance in 14 years, where she and her band performed songs for unsuspecting commuters in the main terminal.

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The Summer of Love

On Sunday, It’s ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul,’ a Livingston Taylor ‘Spotlight’ Feature and Live Emmylou Harris, August 24, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. It’s Sunday Funday as we open up with five hours of uninterrupted soul and R & B across all music labels, not just Motown!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

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

We start off with five uninterrupted hours of soul and R & B from 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, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Ann Peebles, Al Green, and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Livingston Taylor NEW!

He may not have the universal appeal of Sweet Baby James, but Livingston Taylor is a fine multi-instrumentalist and folk singer famous and loved here in Boston and the New England area. Today he’s in our ‘Spotlight.’

8:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at The Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 3, 1986

Tonight we close with Emmylou and her friends from the Desert Rose Band, a fine country- rock band founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman, Herb Pederson, and John Jorgenson.

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Sunday Funday!

It’s Sunday Funday With The Beatles, The All-Girl Revue, and ‘Three-Part Harmonies,’ On August 10, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! It’s a great day today with a great opening set, followed by two more great sets. So, read on for all the details!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Beatles: Songs With Character(s)

Yep. That’s what it’s all about. Songs with characters like Bungalow Bill, Prudence Farrow (a real person; Mia’s sister), a deceased woman named Eleanor, the man in the mack, a barber, a woman they called Lady Madonna, a psychopath who wielded a silver hammer, and plenty more. This is a great playlist.

2:00 p.m. The All-Girl Revue, Volume Three: Various Artists

We’re back with the ladies, albeit a shorter list. We’ve got Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Melanie, Aretha Franklin, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Phoebe Snow, Linda Ronstadt, Wendy Waldman, Valerie Carter, and more!

6:00 p.m. Three-Part Harmonies: Various Artists

We love this EP and we’re going to take you into the late hours tonight with The Beatles, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Mamas & Papas, The Who, T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Buffalo Springfield, The Zombies, The Doobie Brothers, The Band, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers Band, Yes, Queen, Boston, Jefferson Airplane, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Pretenders, Chicago, and more!

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Sunday Funday!

We End the Month With ‘Great Beginnings,’ Live Dr. John, and Great Instrumental Songs, On Friday, July 31, 2025

We kick things off today with songs that have great openings, sometimes subtle, sometimes not. Then it’s on to Dr. John live in NY, and a lost genre in great instrumental songs!

Here’s your finally Friday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Great Beginnings: Various Artists

Today we begin with great beginnings! Songs that have great opening riffs and some more subtle great openings. You’ll hear The Beatles, Elton John, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the J. Geils Band, Aretha Franklin, Yes, Chicago, The Who, Johnny Rivers, The Kinks, Electric Light Orchestra, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers Band, The Temptations, CSNY, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, ZZ Top, Badfinger, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steely Dan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Paul Simon, The Chambers Brothers and more!

4:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, November 6, 1973

We spend some time this afternoon with the Nitetripper live at Ultrasonic. This guy never disappoints.

8:00 p.m. Instrumentally Speaking: Various Artists

It’s been a long time since we aired this one. It’s overdue. You’ll hear instrumentals from The Beatles, Mason Williams, The Edgar Winter Group, The Allman Brothers Band, Electric Light Orchestra, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Paul McCartney, King Crimson, Steely Dan, Traffic, Little Feat, the J. Geils Band, and more!

Let’s get it going. We start bright and early. Just hit the button below and you’ll see how easy it is to tune in to the greatest music on the planet!

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