Tag: Chuck Berry

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.

On Friday It’s an Isley Brothers ‘Spotlight’, Then ‘The Founders’ EP, and Closing With Dusty Springfield, May 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the end of the work week. We’ve got a great lineup today starting with a brand new ‘Spotlight’ featuring The Isley Brothers!

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Isley Brothers NEW!

The Isley Brothers’ career spanned seven decades and they are known as one of the most influential and diverse artists in R & B. They rose to prominence in 1959 with their song Shout, which has been covered by many artists. From there it was Twist & Shout, This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You) before they released the Grammy Award-winner It’s Your Thing on their own record label. Today they’re in our ‘Spotlight.’ Enjoy.

1:00 p.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We spend the afternoon with the pioneers of rock n’ roll, including Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley, Bo Diddley, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash and more!

8:00 p.m. Dusty Springfield: The Lost British Recordings

We haven’t aired this one in a while. It’s a collection of songs recorded by Dusty in London, but never released in the U.S. until 1999, the year of her death. We think you’ll love it.

We’re almost at the weekend. One more day to get through, and we’ll be here with all this great music. Don’t forget, before, in between and after our programs, we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream! The button is below.

The Isley Brothers!

Saturday It’s Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’, Then It’s Live Warren Zevon, and a Valerie Carter ‘Spotlight’, April 26, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re here again on a Saturday with a great selection of programming sprinkled in with our big, wide Open Stream! It all starts out with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation.’

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation: Volume Two

We cover the mid-to-late sixties (mostly) with this one with music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Mamas & Papas, The Hollies, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, Three Dog Night, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blind Faith, Linda Ronstadt, Chuck Berry, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Vanilla Fudge, Bob Dylan, Steppenwolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at The Roxy, Atlanta, GA, June 15, 1993

Warren Zevon certainly had his dark side and burned a lot of bridges in his lifetime, but he was a brilliant singer-songwriter and performer. Saw him at The Berklee Performance Center in Boston after Excitable Boy was released. He was three hours late, but it was worth the wait.

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

She is certainly a Mermaid Lounge musical muse. The little girl with the big voice who left us all far too soon. She opened for Linda Ronstadt once at the Orpheum here in Boston and I was lucky enough to be there. They spent some time together singing on stage and it was amazing. We’ll air that one soon.

It’s Saturday. The Orange Scourge is in Rome. We’re all stuck here with the mess he continues to make. And that’s why we’re picking up our protest music content. We’ve aired two segments this week and more are coming! Stay tuned. The button is below.

The Button

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.

Thursday It’s Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, a Roy Orbison ‘Spotlight’ and Live Little Feat, January 30, 2025

Today we’ve got volume two of ‘The Sixties Rotation’ EP, a Spotlight featuring the Caruso of Rock, and live Little Feat, this time featuring the great Lowell George.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We’re on the mid-to-late portion of the sixties with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Elvis Presley, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Animals, The Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, Wilson Pickett, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Band, The Kinks, Jimmy Cliff, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Four Tops, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Roy Orbison

One of the pioneers of rock n’ roll who was blessed with a five-octave range and was known as The Caruso of Rock. He was also a Traveling Wilbury, and his mates considered him one of the best singers on the planet.

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA, October 31, 1975

I had the pleasure of attending this concert back in the day, and I consider it one of their best. It was broadcast on the iconic Boston radio station WBCN, and resulted in the Halloween night live album Hellzapoppin’. Don’t get me wrong. Little Feat without Lowell George has acquitted itself well. However, Little Feat is only really Little Feat with Lowell at the helm.

We’re here like clockwork all day and all night long, uninterrupted by commercials and chatty DJ’s. We’re all about the music, and we’re totally free of charge. The button is below.

The Button.

It’s Friday and We’ve Got Chuck Berry, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and ‘The Founders’ EP on January 17, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Friday! We’ve got a lot of ‘founders’ in the mix today. Even The Heartbreakers contribution contains songs from the founders or rock and roll!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry was a true pioneer of rock n’ roll as we know it. John Lennon cited Berry as a hero and one of his main musical influences, stating “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.”

2:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Fillmore ’97 Covers

During The Heartbreakers legendary 20-night Fillmore residency, they surely covered many of ‘The Founders’ songs. The qualities that make TPATH a great rock and roll band also made them the greatest cover band. You’ll hear them cover songs by Little Richard, J.J. Cale, The Kinks, Booker T & The MGs, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Them, Bo Diddley, Bill Withers, The Byrds, John Lee Hooker, Ricky Nelson and more!

5:00 p.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We have the founders themselves taking us into the night. You’ll hear 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!

We’re here. We’re free. We’re on 24/7. We do not run commercial advertising. We don’t ask you for a credit card or personal information. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

The Button.

On Thursday We Celebrate ‘The Founders’, Then The Band ‘In the Spotlight,’ and Live Dr. John, December 19, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are once again headed for the weekend! We’re starting the day with a tribute to the founders who pioneered rock and roll, then it’s The Band and live Dr. John.

Here’s your Thursday music:

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

We start off with music from 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 The Band

They started out as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and he referred to him as “The Band.” The name stuck, and they proceeded to become one of the greates and most influential music acts in popular music. A definite Mermaid Lounge favorite.

8:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, November 6, 1973

From Wikipedia, which says it best: Active as a session musician from the late 1950s until his death, he gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album Gris-Gris (1968) and his appearance at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music (1970). He typically performed a lively, theatrical stage show inspired by medicine shows, Mardi Gras costumes, and voodoo ceremonies. Rebennack recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums, as well as contributing to thousands of other musicians’ recordings. In 1973, he achieved a top-10 hit single with “Right Place, Wrong Time“. We simply love Dr. John here in The Mermaid Lounge.

We get closer to the weekend today and I get closer to my vacation, when we’ll be introducing some new music and playlists to our ever-growing offering. In the meantime, the button is below.

The Button.

Today It’s ‘The Female Species’ EP, Peter Tosh and Volume Two of Those Badass Guitarists, Thursday, December 5, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge. Today we start with songs about women, ladies, dames, chicks, girls…you get the picture. Some are fictional. Some not. And some may not be mentioned by name!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Songs about women from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Peter Tosh

An original founding member of The Wailers who then went on to launch a successful solo career takes the Spotlight this afternoon. A Lounge favorite.

8:00 p.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume Two: Various Artists

Guitar handiwork from Chuck Berry, George Harrison, Neil Young, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Jimmy Page, Brian May, Bo Diddley, Taj Mahal, Andrew Gold and more!

We’re one step closer to the weekend today. Slowly but surely we’ll get there, and it’ll be a bit easier if you’ve got good music for your journey. The button is below, folks.

Zeeee Button.

It’s ‘The Founders’ of Rock n’ Roll to Start the Week, including Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley on Monday, November 25, 2024

Good morning, working folks! We’re starting the week by focusing on the founders of rock n’ roll; the musicians and bands that inspired the groundbreaking sounds of the sixties and seventies.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

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

We start the day off with our big EP featuring the pioneers 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, Ray Charles, Bill Haley & His Comets, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Muddy Waters and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Buddy Holly

Born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas, Buddy Holly was a singer, songwriter and musician who became a central and groundbreaking pioneer in the mid-50s birth of rock and roll.

8:00 p.m. Elvis Presley: The Complete Sun Studio Recordings

Here in The Mermaid Lounge, we consider this the absolute best of Elvis’ long history of recordings. More than anything, Elvis made rock and roll accessible to everyone.

We’re here 24/7. We’re totally free. We run absolutely no commercial advertising at any time. We don’t employ DJs who love to hear themselves talk. The button is below.

The Founders!

Spend the Day With America, Rickie Lee Jones and Volume Two of Our ‘Sixties Rotation’ on Saturday, September 28, 2024

Good morning, sunshines! Here we are again functioning as weekenders and we’ve got a great lineup for you today that starts with some new music (relatively speaking; all of our music is pretty old music) and wraps up with a trip in the Wayback Machine!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. America Live at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA, February 7, 1972 NEW!

There are just some bands you are drawn to. This is one of those bands, in fact. I became an early adopter with A Horse With No Name. Over the years, they have made a lot of great music, much of which is buried on their albums. That’s the beauty of America. They were also innovative enough to catch the eye of a guy named George Martin.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Rickie Lee Jones

The Spotlight is on Rickie Lee Jones, another female artists who is difficult to box into a style of music. Over her five-decade career she has recorded in various musical styles, including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz.

6:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We close out the evening on Sixties music from The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, 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, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, The Four Tops, CSNY, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Doors, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and more!

Whew. That’s quite a lineup. And it’s all free. No lie. Here’s the other thing: We’re on 24/7; not just when we have schedule programs. We’ve got more than 27,000 songs to share with you. The button is below.

The Sixties Are Back!