Friday Brings Us Three Legends in Leon Russell (Spotlight), and ‘Live’ Gigs by Bob Dylan and Linda Ronstadt, On May 17, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are offering up three giants of music today for your listening pleasure as we barrel toward the weekend!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

Leon Russell is a musical legend whose career spanned 60 years. During that time he was a sought-after session musician, part of several bands and boasted a successful solo career. During that time he made some incredible music that spanned genres including rock & roll, country, R&B, blues rock and the Tulsa sound. Today he’s in our Spotlight.

3:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, May 17, 1966

We jump into the Wayback Machine for this Dylan concert that, ironically, took place 58 years ago today.

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at Calderone Concert Hall, Hempstead, NY, January 29, 1975

Before she conquered the music world and started selling out arena venues, Linda Ronstadt played in small but popular music theaters like the now-defunct Calderone Concert Hall. This show took place just after the release of her breakout album, Heart Like A Wheel, released on November 19, 1974.

We’re In A Colorful Mood With a Nina Simone Spotlight and Some ‘Live’ Heartbreakers, Thursday, May 16, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend. Today we begin with the ‘Color My World’ multi-artist EP, get into some Nina Simone and then Tom Petty and the band are live from Lucca, Italy.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We open up with Open Stream with a Theme; that’s how we view our EP’s. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, 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, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Nina Simone

Was there anything Nina Simone could not do? She was a singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist. Her style encompassed many genres, including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R & B and pop. Today she’s in our Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Italy, June 29, 2012

We go back to 2012 for this great Heartbreakers show from Lucca, Italy.

Once again, the mantra: We’re here 24/7 at no cost to the listening public (and we’re worldwide) and with no interruptions from commercial advertising. Nope. The button’s below.

At Midweek It’s Games With Names, a Bonnie Raitt Spotlight, Plus Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon Together on Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek and we are in the groove here as we kick things off in our ‘What’s In A Name’ multi-artist EP. Some characters are real; some not.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. What’s In A Name: Various Artists

Did you ever wonder if the people musical artist sing about are real or flights of imagination? It’s a neat little guessing game you can play with The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, 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, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt is, by all accounts, an amazing roots-influenced singer and slide guitarist whose style encompasses blues, country, folk and rock. Today we put her In The Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon In Session, VPRO Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands, December 8 1976

Two of the best singer-songwriters of their generation get together for a live acoustic set at VPRO Studios in The Netherlands.

We’re at midweek and we’re on the downslide to the weekend once we get through this day. Make it easy on yourselves by tuning in for some great music that won’t cost you a penny or subject you to commercial advertising. The button’s below.

It’s ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, ‘Live’ Santana, and Irma Thomas In The Spotlight on Monday, May 13, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the beginning of another work week here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great lineup to ease you back into the week.

Here’s your musical Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

One of the most popular music subjects is water in all its forms, and we’ve got it here with Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Tom Rush Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

Santana recorded live in concert over a short residency back in ’68, eight months before their first album was released.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Irma Thomas

A contemporary of both Aretha Franklin and Etta James, Irma Thomas is referred to as the ‘Soul Queen of New Orleans’.

At Midweek, We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With a Spotlight on The Band, and Some Live Little Feat, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We take a favorite EP out of mothballs today and give you a Spotlight feature on The Band and ‘Live’ Little Feat from London.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

We have all been here. There’s no denying it. Some of our ‘influences’ have been legal; some decidedly not. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Foreigner, Jonathan Edwards, John Lee Hooker, Donovan and more!

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

They were once Bob Dylan’s backup band. That’s how they got their name. They were referred to as ‘the band’. And then, they morphed into one of the most prolific and influential musical groups of their generation. They are In The Spotlight today.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, August 4, 1977

Speaking of great bands, we close the programming with a great live performance from Little Feat from The Rainbow in London.

I hear the weather is going to be nasty today here in the Boston area, rainy with possibly our first round of thunderstorms this season. We’ll see. But if I could hunker down here today with this great music, I’d be doing it. The button’s below.

Saturday Brings ‘In Your Dreams,’ Jackson Browne and Laura Nyro Continues Our Fillmore Week, May 4, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We’re back for another weekend and we’ve got some great music on tap for you today, starting with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP.

‘In Your Dreams’ begins at 9:00 a.m.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

Who knew there were so many songs about dreams? Well, there are. And we didn’t even included all of them. You’ll hear The Everly Brothers, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Monkees, The Mamas & The Papas, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Widespread Panic, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, Electric Prunes, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Etheridge, John Prine, Tom Rush, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jackson Browne

The Prince of L.A. (I forget who called him that) is In The Spotlight today. He is, without a doubt, one of the finest singer-songwriters of his generation.

8:00 p.m. Laura Nyro Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 30, 1971

Speaking of brilliant singer-songwriters, here’s one who left the planet far too soon. Her music, however, lives on.

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. And no. There isn’t any commercial advertising either. We’re all about the music.

The Byrds at The Fillmore, Volume Two of ‘Repeat After Me’ and Toots & The Maytals Are All On Tap, Friday, May 3, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We continue on with Fillmore Week, give you volume two of ‘Repeat After Me’ and a Toots & The Maytals Spotlight feature.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Repeat After Me, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got volume two on tap with Joe Cocker covering The Box Tops, Kate Taylor covering The Four Tops, The Traveling Wilburys covering Del Shannon, Johnny Winter covering Bob Dylan, The Who covering Eddie Cochran, and more. You get the drill.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Toots & The Maytals

I sometimes feel that Toots Hibbert gets short shrift in the world or Reggae, but the Maytals were around from the early sixties and were instrumental in helping to push Reggae into the consciousness of the mainstream music lover.

8:00 p.m. FILLMORE WEEK! The Byrds Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, February 7-8, 1969

One of the most iconic bands in all of music (imo) is on tap for this evening in a Fillmore performance as we continue on Fillmore Week.

In fact, we’re making Fillmore Week eight days a week so that we can get our final entry in on Monday. But that’s for us to know and for you to find out. That means you’ll just have to listen and stay engaged. The button’s below.

We’re Hitting Our Midweek Stride With The #BU House EP, a Dolly Parton ‘Spotlight’ and The Heartbreakers at The Fillmore, Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Good morning, global music lovers! We blast into another month with our House long player, Dolly In The Spotlight and The Heartbreakers continue Fillmore Week!

Here’s your midweek music:

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

We start it off with an uninterrupted love fest of the music and artists that inspired this station, including Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Dolly Parton

The country music legend gets her own Spotlight. You’d better believe it. In a career that has spanned half a century, she remains the brightest of lights.

8:00 p.m. FILLMORE WEEK! Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, March 15, 1999

This is not the incredible 1997 twenty-night residency, but it is nevertheless another great Fillmore experience from one of our House Bands and one of the finest live bands ever to grace a stage. By the way, the incredible 1997 Fillmore event will come at the end of this Fillmore Fest.

Great day to be here in The Lounge while I toil in hardware hell’s Truck Day. The Music Mermaid has it all under her fin. You’re good to go. So, join us.

Saturday Brings a J.J. Cale Spotlight, ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ and Linda Ronstadt at The Record Plant, April 27, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and weekenders alike! We have made it intact, and we are celebrating with some great music today.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of J. J. Cale

Has there been a musician in history so revered who missed out on what we now call ‘the big time’? J.J. Cale invented the Oklahoma sound and his songs have propelled many an artist, but ‘fame’ eluded him. And perhaps that was by choice. Bobbie Gentry deliberately shunned the limelight. All we know is that artists like Tom Petty and Eric Clapton revered his handiwork, and we love him at the radio station, so we are putting him In the Spotlight.

12:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We’ve got five hours of folk music uninterrupted this afternoon with 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, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, November 18, 1973

We’ve got some early Linda Ronstadt for you here this evening with a lot of Don’t Cry Now and just a hint of Heart Like A Wheel and the greatness to come.

You have absolutely nothing to lose by tuning us in. We don’t ask for a credit card or personal information. That’s because we’re totally free 24/7 playing the best music on radio, Internet or otherwise. See for yourself.

We’re at Midweek With More Sixties Rotation, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix, Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Good morning, sixties music lovers, we’re back at midweek with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation’ EP, and live performances from both Jefferson Airplane and Hendrix.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’re back with the second half of our Sixties Rotation, this time focusing on the mid-to-late part of the decade with The Mamas & The Papas, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, The Four Tops, CSNY, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, The Doors, Marvin Gaye and more!

4:00 p.m. The Jefferson Airplane Live at Falconer Salen, Copenhagen, Denmark, January 8, 1968

We’re in the Wayback Machine as we head for Copenhagen to hear the Airplane this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Jimi Hendrix Live at The Cafe Au Go Go, New York, NY, March 17, 1968

Then, we’re back in the Wayback Machine for a bit of a jam at the iconic Cafe Au Go Go with Jimi Hendrix joined by Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop and Harvey Brooks.

It’s an all-Sixties programming kind of day here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re on 24/7, so we’ll have all that great wide Open Stream before, in between and after.