It’s Our Monthly Visit With The British, and Carly Simon’s “Hotcakes” is Our Album of The Week, Sunday, April 11, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists! It’s another fine Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge (although, I confess that I am writing this earlier than usual). We have a new album of the week, and we feature our five-hour British Invasion playlist today.

***Join us for The British Are Coming! today at 3:00 p.m.***

Here’s today’s simple but satisfying line-up:

12:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Hotcakes by Carly Simon NEW!

Hotcakes was Carly Simon’s fourth studio album, released by Elektra Records in 1974. She recorded the album while she was pregnant with her first child, and I have to say that it’s one of the best albums on the planet. It is also one of the hottest-sellers of her career. Unfortunately for Carly, Elektra released two other albums that year, one was Planet Waves by Dylan and the other was Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell. That kept Hotcakes off the top spot. It peaked at number three.

The album generated two hits, Mockingbird, which she recorded with her then-husband James Taylor, and the other was Haven’t Got Time For The Pain. However, I have to agree with David Geffen’s assessment that Forever My Love was the finest song she ever recorded.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming! Various Artists

Once again, we give you more than five hours of great music from across the pond, from the British Invasion bands up through the mid eighties. You’ll hear The Clash, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Lulu, The Dave Clark Five, Them (featuring Van Morrison), Electric Light Orchestra, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Spencer Davis Group, The Who, and then some.

My fingers are tired, so I’m not going into all the detail about how you should be listening to us. You know, we’re totally free, ask no personal information, take no advertising, no commercial interruptions…all that shit. Just do it.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s Friday Morning in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/22/2021

Good Morning, Students! Here we are again. It’s another Friday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and this was a pretty active day in rock n’ roll history!

***The Beatles put their differences aside and managed to finish Let It Be, a great fucking album.***

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 22, 1959: Buddy Holly left for Milwaukee to begin The Winter Dance Party tour.

January 22, 1960: Sam Cooke signed with RCA Records on this day, his 29th birthday.

January 22, 1963: Gerry & The Pacemakers held their first recording session ever, laying down How Do You Do It.

January 22, 1964: Sonny Boy Wiliamson and The Yardbirds appeared at The Cavern Club for their Big R & B Night.

January 22, 1965: The Rolling Stones began a tour of Oceana with two shows at the Agricultural Hall in Sydney, Australia.

January 22, 1966: The Beach Boys began recording Wouldn’t It Be Nice at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.

Also on this day:

Stevie Wonder went to #1 on the R & B chart with Uptight (Everything’s Alright). He was just 13 years old at the time, making him the youngest artist to ever top the charts.

The Beatles album Rubber Soul was at week three in the top Album position.

Simon & Garfunkel had their first #1 hit with Sounds of Silence.

January 22, 1968: Kenny Rogers & The First Edition released their first single, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). I wonder if anybody realizes that he started out as a rocker before he began singing formualted country hits.

Also on this day:

Another great band, Sly & The Family Stone, sent their first 45 record, Dance To The Music, to the radio stations.

The Who performed two shows in Sydney Stadium in Australia. They were backed by the Small Faces.

January 22, 1969: Billy Preston arrived at Apple Studios to play keyboards and help the Beatles finish the Let It Be album. In addition to his talents, he also provided a great buffer for their in-fighting.

January 22, 1971: The Joe Cocker film, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, premiered in London. It featured performances by Cocker himself, along with Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge. There was also a cast of great session musicians like Jim Keltner (Buster Sidebury of Traveling Wilbury fame), Jim Horn, and Carl Radle.

January 22, 1972: Don McLean’s album American Pie hits #1 in the US, where it will remain for seven weeks.

January 23, 1973: Gladys Knight & The Pips released the single Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye).

Also on this day, Roberta Flack released the single Killing Me Softly With His Song. The lyricist was Lori Lieberman, who was inspired by a 1971 live performance by none other than Don McLean.

January 22, 1974: Carly Simon’s great album Hotcakes is certified Gold.

January 22, 1977: Paul McCartney & Wings have the #1 album in the US with Wings Over America.

January 22, 2004: The famous nightclub, The Bottom Line, closes its doors in Greenwich Village, New York after thirty years.

Born On This Day

January 22, 1931: Sam Cooke, the man with the voice made to sing soul music, was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

January 22, 1949: Another great vocalist, Steve Perry, the frontman for Journey, was born in Hanford, California. (No matter what they tell you, there’s no real Journey without Steve Perry at the mike.)

January 22, 1959: Nigel Pegrum, drummer for both Small Faces and Uriah Heep, was born in North Wales.

I hope you took notes. Because this is a lot of information. We’ll be back with the line-up.

The Women Own It: We Have Young Linda Ronstadt and The All-Girl Revue 4 Sandwiched Around The Final Airing of The Shadow, Friday, January 8, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! The ladies own the day today, and rightfully so. And by the way, there is no other radio station shining a light on women in rock music.

***We’re all in on The women of rock n’ roll today. Get with the damned program.***

Here’s your line-up for this fine day:

11:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt: The Stone Poneys & The Early Years

A pretty concise retrospective here of Linda Ronstadt’s beginnings, before she stole that show on that Neil Young arena tour and before Heart Like A Wheel launched her incredible career. The groundwork was laid with The Stone Poneys and her early contributions.

3:00 p.m. The Shadow: 06 House of Horror FINAL AIRING!

Our final airing of this week’s episode of The Shadow. On Monday, we will have episode seven.

7:00 p.m. The All-Girl Revue, Volume 4: Various Artists

It’s funny how women continue to be a footnote in rock n’ roll history. There is so much evidence of their contribution that it cannot legitimately be denied. Here in The Mermaid Lounge, we don’t view rock n’ roll as strictly a man’s world. The evidence is quite to the contrary.

In this volume of The All-Girl Revue you’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Valerie Carter, Petula Clark, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Carly Simon, and many more!

Tune us in. We’re free. I mean, really free: No credit card or personal information required. All you need is a computer ad a free tab. No shit. No lie.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

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!

Goooood Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/8/2020

We’re back at the salt mines today with the general buying public, so we’re off to an early start this morning. I don’t have to tell true Beatles fans what happened on this day all those years ago.

***Everything that has to be said about this day of infamy has been said.***

Here’s today’s lesson from The Mermaid Lounge:

December 8, 1961: The Supremes begin recording their third single, Your Heart Belongs To Me, written by Smokey Robinson.

December 8, 1967: The Beatles release the Magical Mystery Tour double EP in the UK.

Also on this day, Traffic released their debut album, Mr. Fantasy.

And, The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request album was released in the UK, which carried the hit She’s a Rainbow.

December 8, 1968: Graham Nash leaves The Hollies and begins working with David Crosby (ex-Byrds) and Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield). Crosby, Stills, and Nash would release their self-titled debut album during the summer of 1969.

December 8, 1969: The Beatles record the Ringo Starr composition, Octopus’s Garden.

Meanwhile, at his trial in the Toronto Supreme Court for possession of hash and heroin, Jimi Hendrix testified that he had “outgrown” drugs. He was found not guilty after eight hours of deliberation.

December 8, 1972: Carly Simon’s album No Secrets is certified gold.

December 8, 1980: A day that will live in infamy. Mark David Chapman pumps five bullets into John Lennon outside The Dakota Apartments in New York City, killing him. It is reported in some outlets that he tries to get into his apartment to see his son before he collapses and dies. Later, Chapman would say the lure of the fame this event would bring was something he couldn’t resist. Fucker. RIP, John Lennon. The world misses you.
We put John Lennon In The Spotlight this evening.

Born On This Day

December 8, 1939: Jerry Butler (lead singer of The Impressions) was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He moved to Chicago where he sings in a choir with his future Impressions bandmate, the great Curtis Mayfield.

December 8, 1941: Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, was burn in Burnley, Lancashire, England.

December 8, 1943: Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors, was born James Douglas Morrison in Melbourne, Florida.

December 8, 1947: Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Much is made of Duane Allman, and he was the initial leader of the band before his death, and played that guitar like no other. But Gregg Allman was the guy who wrote the songs and had that great singing voice.

And that is today’s lesson from The College. We’ll be back with today’s line-up soon!

It’s Another Day at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/27/2020

Yes, it’s Black Friday, but not here in The Mermaid Lounge. There isn’t a damned thing we want for here that we have to go out among the teeming, greedy masses to get it.

***Shit gets real with The Stones at Madison Square Garden in New York.***

Here’s November 27th’s rock n’ roll history:

November 27, 1961: Patsy Cline’s version of Willie Nelson’s Crazy peaks at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would be the biggest of her four records t cross over to the pop charts from the country charts (where it reached #2).

November 27, 1962: The Beatles recorded songs for the BBC in the UK for the first time ever. They sang Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, and P.S. I Love You at the BBC Paris Studio in London for a program called “Talent Spot.”

November 27, 1964: The Beatles appeared on the British television show called “Ready Steady Go.”

November 27, 1965: Marvin Gaye moved into the #1 slot on the R & B charts with Ain’t That Peculiar.

Also on this day, The Lovin’ Spoonful’s You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice entered the US record charts.

November 27, 1967: The Beatles released the album Magical Mystery Tour in the U.S. and Hello Goodbye as a single in the U.S. on the same day. If that isn’t enough, the B-side of Hello Goodbye, I Am The Walrus, will chart and be a hit as well.

Also on this day, Aretha Franklin released my favorite Aretha song, Chain of Fools.

November 27, 1968: Steppenwolf’s self-titled debut album is certified gold on this day.

November 27, 1969: All kinds of milestones will be reached at Madison Square Garden in New York on this day. The Rolling Stones perform a show that is recorded and later released on Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out. The Ike & Tina Revue opened for the Stones that evening, and Janis Joplin joined Tina on stage for a duet. And in the audience celebrating his 27th, and final, birthday was Jimi Hendrix.

November 27, 1970: George Harrison released his triple album entitled All Things Must Pass. The single release, My Sweet Lord, will be the first ex-Beatle solo effort to hit #1 in both the US and UK.

November 27, 1972: Carly Simon released the single, You’re So Vain.

November 27, 1976: Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life, which debuted at #1, remained at #1 for a seventh week.

November 27, 1979: The Eagles released the single, The Long Run.

November 27 1995: The Beatles set a rock-era record when Anthology 1 sells more than 1.2 million copies in its first week of release.

Born On This Day

November 27, 1934: Al Jackson of Booker T. & The MG’s is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

November 27, 1942: Jimi Hendrix is born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington.

November 27, 1945: Randy Brecker, trumpeter and flugelhorn player for Blood, Sweat & Tears, is born in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

November 27, 1948: Dave Winthrop, sax player and flautist for Supertramp, is born.

And that’s Friday’s lesson from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge. We are posting a bit early today as I’m on the run this morning, and we will be back with today’s programming shortly.

Today’s History Lesson From the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/25/2020

Good Morning, Students! Today is a short lesson in comparison to the last couple of day, but still an interesting read.

***Commemorating a momentous musical moment in rock history.***

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

November 25, 1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience make their live performance debut at the Bag O’ Nails Club in London.

November 25, 1967: Incense And Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock goes to #1 in the U.S. The song was co-written by the band’s guitarist, Ed King, who would later become a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. (This is a fucking great psychedelic-era song. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.)

November 25, 1968: The Beatles (better known as The White Album) was released in the US, spending 101 weeks on the chart and peaking at #1. It has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and is listed as No. 10 on Billboard’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Also on this day in 1968, more than 10,000 fans see Cream play their final two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

November 25, 1971: Carly Simon releases Anticipation.

November 25, 1976: The Band, another one of those bands whose greatness can never be denied, goes out with a bang with The Last Waltz. They celebrate an unbelievable career with friends Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, The Staple Singers, Ronnie Hawkins, and Dr. John. Thank you, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson.

November 25, 1997: The original members of The Zombies reunite on stage for the first time in 30 years at London’s Jazz Cafe to promote a new box set called Zombie Heaven.

November 25, 2000: The Beatles’ album, which is very simply titled ‘1’ — a collection of the ir US and UK chart toppers — goes to #1 in Great Britain. It would do the same in America the following week. It will also become the best-selling album in 28 countries worldwide.