Tag: Big Mama Thornton

On Sunday It’s ‘The Founders,’ a New Playlist Called ‘Ladies of The Canyon,’ and a Beach Boys ‘Spotlight’ In Memory of the Brilliant Brian Wilson, June 15, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a huge day today as we expand our women’s playlist collection, and pay tribute to one of the most incredible songwriters in pop music history as we pay tribute to Brian Wilson.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We take a trip in The Wayback Machine to pay homage to the innovators and pioneers of rock and roll, including 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!

4:00 p.m. Ladies of The Canyon: Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and Joan Baez NEW!

While working on ‘Festival Week’ recently, I found some info on social media and someone asked if these three were ‘friends.’ Turns out, they were. In fact all three ladies spent time in Laurel Canyon perfecting their craft. That’s when I decided I’d make this playlist and call it ‘Ladies of The Canyon,’ which also happens to be the name of a Joni Mitchell album.

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

Suffice it to say that Brian Wilson was the genius and force behind The Beach Boys, a man with incredible musical vision and compositional skills. For me, and for many others, Pet Sounds was the moment when we realized his genius. However, when I went back after hearing Pet Sounds, I realized it didn’t start there. It certainly didn’t end there either. Brian Wilson passed on last week, and today we pay him tribute.

‘No Kings’ was massive, invigorating, and inspiring yesterday. We cannot let up. However, today I’m rejuvenating myself with some music as we prepare for the next round of the fight. We’re here 24/7. We’re totally free. We’re without commercial interruption. We play the best damned music on the planet. The button is below.

The Button.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With the ‘Best of Texas Blues,’ Live Blues Project, and Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight’, On June 3, 2025

Mornin’ bluesologists, and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday as I head back to hardware hell, leaving you in the capable hands of The Music Mermaid. She’ll get you thorough a great Tuesday Bluesday until I return!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup!

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

We kick off Tuesday Bluesday with a visit to Texas and music from Johnny Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T. Bone Walker, Marcia Ball, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The King Bees, Freddie King, Janis Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Doyle Bramhall III, Ally Venable, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, ZZ Top, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and more!

4:00 p.m. The Blues Project Live at The Cafe A Go Go, New York, NY, November 24-27, 1965

This afternoon we’re in the Wayback Machine as we travel back in time for The Blues Project’s residency in the legendary Cafe A Go Go.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Slim Harpo

We close it out with bluesman extraordinaire Slim Harpo, guitarist, blues harp master, and a man steeped in the swamp blues style. Love him.

We’re moving into summer now and we’ll have some more ‘Spotlights’ coming up on the blues side of things as we move forward (never backwards). We’re on 24/7, not just when we have programming. We’re free. No strings. And no commercial advertising. The button of musical nirvana is below.

Best of Texas Blues!

On Tuesday Bluesday the Ladies are in Charge, Then It’s Big Mama Thornton and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, May 13, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! Did you know that Fleetwood Mac had two lives? Before the addition of Buckingham-Nicks, they were a true blues band under the leadership of the late, great Peter Green. We give you that version today, and more!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

Some blues legends and some who simply paid homage to the genre, all legitimate. You’ll hear Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Big Mama Thornton

From blues to rock n’ roll, Big Mama Thornton was a pioneer. She made the first version of Lieber & Stoller’s Hound Dog. Elvis made it famous, but Big Mama Thornton had a monster hit that stayed at number one for seven weeks on the R & B charts and sold 2 million copies at a time when women (let alone black women) were an afterthought in music.

8:00 p.m. Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Live at The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA, January 30, 1970

Before Big Mac became a big pop-rock music entity, it was a blues band co-founded with John McVie by the late, great bluesman, Peter Green. That’s the version you get on Tuesday Bluesday.

Day two of another work week. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. No need to worry about being tracked or sent emails asking for you to buy anything. We’ve got nothing for sale. We give away great music for free. The button is below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings ‘The Best of Texas Blues’, Gunsmoke Blues, and a Peter Green ‘Spotlight’ (Finally), April 29, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! We’ve got some great blues programming today. Our 4:00 p.m. slot has an interesting story. Read on for details!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We open it up with one of our great blues EPs featuring Johnny Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball, The King Bees, Freddie King, Janis Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Doyle Bramhall II, Ally Venable, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, ZZ Top, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and more!

4:00 p.m. Gunsmoke Blues: Various Artists

This is the stuff of legends. While on a filming break from the Gunsmoke TV series in November of 1971, blues lover Link Wyler and some of his friends from the production crew took to the road and documented the blues barnstorming tour of the Pacific Northwest underaken by Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and George “Harmonica” Smith. This is the result.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter Green NEW!

This one has been coming for a while. We give you the music of the late, great Peter Green as a solo artist, as the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac (originally a blues band before Nicks and Buckingham joined), and Peter Green’s Splinter Group.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream of more than 30,000 songs. We don’t keep playing the same hundred songs over and over ad nauseum. We also don’t cost you a thing, play commercial advertising or talk through the music. We’re anti-capitalist to the core. Join us. The button’s below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Founders’, a James Taylor ‘Spotlight’, and The Pretenders Live in Germany, Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek. We start out with the founders of rock and roll, then it’s a JT ‘Spotlight’ feature and some live Pretenders!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We start our musical journey in the Wayback Machine as we pay respect to those who started it all, including 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!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of James Taylor

Sweet Baby James visits us this afternoon, a singer-songwriting legend whose volume of work speaks for itself.

8:00 p.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

We close it out with a live performance from The Pretenders, a band that has literally been in flux for decades with the only constant being the amazing Chrissie Hynde.

We’re at midweek and that means that tomorrow we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend, the only time we can sort of catch our breath under this misbegotten fascist regime. Music can help us get through this, and we remain free of charge and broadcasting 24/7. The button, my friends, is below.

The Button.

On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Ladies Sing the Blues’, Live Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and a Rory Block ‘Spotlight’, April 15, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We’ve got a full plate of great blues programming and we start with The Mermaid Lounge in the care of the blues women.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

Five hours of the legendary blues women and those who keep it alive with Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. The Paul Butterfieid Blues Band Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, October 14, 1966

We’re headed for the Wayback Machine with this performance from The Fillmore, a legendary blues band in a legendary venue!

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

We close out the programming in style with a Rory Block ‘Spotlight’ featuring music over her long six-decade career.

Remember, before, in betwee and after our programming, we give you our big, wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs. It’s hard to find a repeat in a week, let alone a day. The button is below!

Da Blues. Da Button.

Welcome to Tuesday Bluesday With ‘The Best of Texas Blues’ EP, Plus Live Performances From Susan Tedeschi and the Robert Cray Band, on March 25, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists, and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’ve got a great lineup starting with five uninterrupted hours of Texas blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

Our newest blues EP is a killer with Johnny Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T-Bone Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Marcia Ball, The King Bees, Freddie King, Janis Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Doyle Bramhall II, Ally Venable, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Albert Collins, ZZ Top, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and more!

4:00 p.m. Susan Tedeschi Live at The Moody Theater, Austin, TX, June 17, 2003

Boston’s own Susan Tedeschi live from the Moody Theater recorded live for Austin City Limits!

8:00 p.m. The Robert Cray Band Love at The Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA, December 2, 1995

We close out the day’s programming with one of Barack Obama’s favorite musicians live from The Warfield Theater. And he’s miles above either Kid Rock or Ted Nugent. (We don’t play that shit.)

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. We don’t buy our music from Amazon and it’s billionaire bootlicker (people who do are overpaying), but from European sources. And we don’t track you using Starlink or anything else. We’re all about the music. The button is below.

Welcome To Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday It’s ‘The Founders’, a Gordon Lightfoot ‘Spotlight’ and Traffic Live at The Fillmore East, March 17, 2025

Good morning, working class! We’re here on another Monday to brighten your day with some great music, starting off with the folks who helped deliver rock n’ roll!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We start off by paying tribute to the founding artists of rock n’ roll, including 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!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Gordon Lightfoot

Our friend from the north drops by this afternoon. He is one of the 20th century’s most respected songwriters and is a national hero in Canada. His songs have been covered by many artists over the years, but it’s always great to hear him sing them.

8:00 p.m. Traffic Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, November 18, 1970

We close out the day’s programming with a great performance by Steve Winwood and Traffic live at The Fillmore East.

And so we begin another week. The weekend always seems to blow by so quickly and the week drags on and on, particularly in these trying times. But we’re here to try to make it just a bit more tolerable. The button is below.

The Button.

It’s Tuesday With the ‘Ladies Sing The Blues’, Then It’s Live Paul Butterfield in Boston, and Bloomfield, Kooper and Stills Together On March 11, 2025

Good morning, blueologists, and welcome to another great Tuesday Bluesday here in The Lounge. We start off with five hours of uninterrupted blues from the ladies, then we move to vintage live Paul Butterfield and a great trio of blues-rock artists ‘in session.’

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artist

From old to new, you’ll hear Billie Holliday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more! This playlist is also scheduled for an update, so stay tuned!

4:00 p.m. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Live at The Unicorn Coffee House, Boston, MA, Spring 1968

We’re not sure of the exact date, but we know it happened because it’s right here. This is an iconic band in another of those iconic Boston music venues that is no more. It’s a Wayback Machine event.

8:00 p.m. Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Stephen Stills Recorded at CBS Columbia Square Studios, Los Angeles, CA, May 1968

Another Wayback Machine event that took place after Bloomfield and Kooper had finished working with Bob Dylan on his Highway 61 Revisited album, and after they played in the backing band for Dylan’s 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival where he used electric instruments for the first time and ruffled quite a few feathers in the folk music world. The result was an album that peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for 37 weeks.

Blah. Blah. Blah. I could give you the usual closing, but I’m in a bit of a rush this morning. Back to the retail work week for me. The Music Mermaid is in charge until I return. The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Tuesday Bluesday It’s Our Biggest. Baddest EP, Big Mama Thornton & Muddy Waters, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, February 25, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday! We’ve chosen some great stuff today, including a new ‘Spotlight’ featuring The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

Our biggest blues EP of all features Delbert McClinton, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Elmore James, Big Mama Thornton, The Robert Cray Band, John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Big Mama Thornton & The Muddy Waters Blues Band, In Session at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, April 25, 1966

Two blues giants together in session at Coast Recorders takes up part of our afternoon today.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band NEW!

We close out the blues programming this evening with a brand new ‘Spotlight’ feature with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Before, in between and after our blues programming we give you our big, wide Open Stream featuring all musical genres. We’re totally free and we’re also free of commercial advertising. The button is below!

Tuesday Bluesday!