It’s Saturday and We’ve Got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, a Dylan Spotlight for His 83rd, and ‘Live’ Bobbie Gentry, May 25, 2024

Good morning and welcome to Memorial Day Weekend! We’re not going anywhere; we’re sitting tight here in The Mermaid Lounge playing music all weekend and we’ve got some great stuff lined up!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

Yes, we kick it all off with our big, bad soul and R&B extended playlist where you’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, 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, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Joe Tex, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Dylan

The poet laureate of music turned 83 years young yesterday and we are putting him In The Spotlight where he belongs as one of the best songwriters in the history of any kind of music, among other things.

8:00 p.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC, 1968-1969

Speaking of great songwriters, we’ve got Bobbie Gentry recorded live at the BBC over year’s period. She brings along special guests Donovan and James Taylor as well.

Get in on it. We’re rolling here all day and night with absolutely no interruption and no commercial advertising. We don’t need your credit card. We’re all about the music.

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.

We’ve Got ‘The Female Species’ EP, Queen’s AOW, and Bobbie Gentry In The Spotlight Later, Thursday, February 29, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend! We’ve got quite an eclectic lineup today, including songs about women, girls, dames, sistahs, ladies and all that stuff.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We start out the programming with songs about women in all their forms. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Talking Heads, The Boogaloo Swamis, Hot Tuna, John Mayall, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, the Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sheer Heart Attack by Queen

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime Saturday.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bobbie Gentry

Did you know that Bobbie Gentry charted 11 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during her career, and that she was one of the first female performers to write and produce her own material? Well, it’s true. Although she was a reluctant star who simply took herself out of the stardom loop, her talent and contributions should never be forgotten.

I can hear the wind outside; it’s been going all night. Yesterday here it was 55 degrees; today it’ll be 33. So, if you’re where I am and you don’t have to be anywhere, why not simply tune us in? We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. No strings. No kidding.

It’s Simply Sunday With Me, The Mermaid, Bob Dylan’s AOW and Our ‘What’s In a Name’ EP, February 4, 2024

It’s the beginning of two days of unemployed bliss here in The Mermaid Lounge and we keep it simple on Sundays with light programming and plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

Another album turning fifty years old. This album was released on January 17, 1974 and reunited Dylan with his longtime collaborators, The Band (one of the finest in music history). Dylan’s fourteenth release, with a successful tour and plenty of PR, went to number one on the Billboard charts, a first for him. Planet Waves is our album of the week.

3:00 p.m.  What’s In a Name: Various Artists

Janis Joplin sings about Bobby McGee, Linda Ronstadt sings about Justine, Steve Winwood sings about Valerie (about the late, great Valerie Carter), Bobbie Gentry sings the tale of Billie Joe McAllister who jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge, The Kinks tell the tale of Lola and Tony Joe White reveals all about Polk Salad Annie and her grandma. Other artists include The Beatles, Carly Simon, James Taylor, The Association, Joni Mitchell and more!

We’re at Midweek With the ‘What’s In a Name’ EP, Randy Newman and John Fogerty, on Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Today we’ve got songs about names, Randy Newman as our featured singer-songwriter and John Fogerty ‘live’ from Royal Albert Hall.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

What’s in a name? Ask Shakespeare. Or ask Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, 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. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Randy Newman

Randy Newman is back for his second airing as our featured singer-songwriter for the week.

When John Fogerty appeared at this performance in 2008, it was his first time returning to that venue since Creedence played there in 1971 and, believe me, it was well worth the wait.

Back to the Working World With Bobbie Gentry, Karla Bonoff and Our Petty Month Finale, Monday, October 30, 2023

Good morning, working folks! It’s back to the real world, and we’re here to see that your transition is a more pleasant one with some great programming.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at BBC Studios, London, UK 1968-1969

The reclusive Bobbie Gentry brought along two friends in James Taylor and Donovan when she graced the studios at the BBC. Gentry was a brilliant songwriter who only ever wanted to write for others, so she was a reluctant star. She eventually just walked away, but left some great music behind.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

Here we have another brilliant female songwriter who has helped to put other singers on the map, like Linda Ronstadt. In turn, Linda Ronstadt has shone a light on Karla Bonoff. And that’s how this works. As it turns out, and as Ronstadt will tell you, Karla Bonoff can sing. She’s in our Spotlight today.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Piazza Napoleone, Lucca, Italy, June 9, 2012

We close out Tom Petty’s birthday month with a great live performace from Lucca, Italy.

Hey, it’s Monday. It happens once a week and there’s not a damned thing we can do about it. But there is something we can do to make it less bleak, and that is to play great music. We’re here 24/7 with no commercial interruption and at no charge to you!

Living is Easy on Sunday With Our New AOW From Jimmy Buffett and the ‘What’s In a Name’ Multi-Artist EP, September 3, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge and the living is easy with our brand new AOW from Jimmy Buffett (yes, this was on the list before his sad passing) and our ‘What’s In a Name’ multi-artist EP starting mid-afternoon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

Affectionately known as the Mayor of Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett passed away on September 1. There was a lot of mystery surrounding his health prior to this, but it is now known that he passed form Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. Jimmy Buffett was a hell of a ride. If you’ve ever seen him ‘live’ you know his shows were a blast. He was a guy who took music seriously, but had a good time doing it and his ‘Parrotheads’ did as well.

I saw him at Fenway Park in Boston in the early 2000’s, the first time I’d ever seen a musical act at Fenway. It was unbelievable. I took a Buffett shamer with me to the show. Even he had a blast and confessed he went out and bought this very album after. This is as good an album as anyone has released. There isn’t a song we don’t like, and it was on our list from the beginning. I moved it up. Circumstances called for that.

3:00 p.m. What’s In a Name: Various Artists

A fun EP here with songs including names in the title, lyrics or both. Some people are real. Some people are not. You’ll hear Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, 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!

We Start Off the Week With New Stone Poneys, Our ‘Seasons’ Playlist, and Live Hot Tuna, On Monday, August 7, 2023

Good morning, workers! A brand new week is upon is and we’ve got a brand new Stone Poneys playlist to start off the day, but it doesn’t end there! Read on for details!

Here’s your musical lineup:

When Linda Ronstadt first left Tucson for LA to make music, she met Bobby Kimmel who proposed they start a band. Then came Kenny Edwards (who would become an integral part of her solo career band). Thus, The Stone Poneys were born. The rest, as they say, is musical history as Linda Ronstadt forged an amazing career that earned her the title ‘The Queen of Rock’ in a male-dominated world. These early days are often forgotten, but not here in The Mermaid Lounge as we give you a brand new Spotlight featuring her days as a Stone Poney.

3:00 p.m. Seasons: Various Artists

Yes, we are about to change seasons once again, so we think this is a good time to play this one since we’ve not heard it since the last snowfall. You’ll hear Bobbie Gentry, Janis Ian, Simon & Garfunkel, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Byrds, Hoyt Axton, Sly & The Family Stone, John Prine, The Rolling Stones, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Band, Nina Simone, The Kinks, The Zombies, Electric Light Orchestra, Jefferson Airplane, James Taylor and more!

7:00 p.m. Hot Tuna Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, March 4, 1988

Closing out the programming on Monday is another Lounge favorite, Hot Tuna. This one is live from The Fillmore West.

Thursday Brings Our New ‘What’s In a Name’ multi-artist EP, Crosby, Stills & Nash With Our AOW, and Emmylou Harris & Spyboy in Concert, June 1, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re moving toward the weekend and today we’ve got our newest EP called ‘What’s In a Name’ to kick things off. But there’s more! Read on!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

There are more songs than I ever thought with names mentioned in them. I guess you don’t realize it until you start to compile a playlist! Many are people concocted from a great imagination, but some are real as well. It was fun putting this one together. You’ll hear from Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the 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, Bob Dylan and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll have a brand new album for you. In the meantime, don’t miss this one!

7:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & Spyboy Live at Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, January 20, 1997

Emmylou Harris never, ever disappoints. She has been a stalwart of the country music industry for decades and has refused to be tied down to any one style. With her band Spyboy, she gets back to basics with a stripped-down approach to her music. This was a great period in her career.

We’re edging our way closer to the weekend, kids. No reason why you can’t enjoy yourselves on the journey. Great music will help you get there in style. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We also never accept commercial advertising.

Midweek Brings Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, Tom Rush, and Summer of Love, Volume 2 on Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! It’s fitting that right around mid-month of International Women’s History Month we start out with our great ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Today we start it all off with five hours of programming from the women of music, including 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, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter and many more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Tom Rush

The great Tom Rush gets his second airing as our featured singer-songwriter this week.

7:00 p.m. The Summer Of Love, Volume Two: Various Artists

As we continue our series of music from the Summer of Love, you’ll hear Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Animals, Buffalo Springfield, Aretha Franklin, Spencer Davis Group, The Byrds, Bobbie Gentry, The Turtles, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, The Rascals and more!

Tune us in. You won’t regret it. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. We’re devoid of commercial advertising. And we’ve got The Music Mermaid.