It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge and We’ve Got ‘Venus And Mars’ as Our AOW and ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ Later, on March 19, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and weekenders! Sundays are quite simple here as we give you plenty of wide Open Stream and some excellent programming.

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Venus And Mars by Paul McCartney & Wings NEW!

This was the fourth studio album by Wings and McCartney’s sixth solo album after the breakup of The Beatles in 1970. It was a follow-up to the great Band On The Run album, and the first to be released on Capitol as opposed to Apple Records. It was recorded in London, New Orleans and Los Angeles, and released in May of 1975. It also resulted in the launch of a massive worldwide tour. I damned near wore this vinyl out, and my favorite song? Call Me Back Again, hands down.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Our big folk music extravaganza is back! We’ve got some classic folk artists as well as bands and artists who have embraced the musical genre and done their part to keep its spirit alive. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt, 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, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin and more!

What’s better than great music for free? It is true that we can’t accommodate requests, and you can’t build your own playlists here, but this is radio. You don’t know what song is coming next. It’s a throwback to my childhood without the commercial advertising. We’re not all things to all people, but we’re trying to be great music for all people.

It’s Saturday and We Start Out With Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Then It’s On To Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and the Final Airing of The AOW, February 18, 2023

Good morning, folkies! We’ve got a real treat for you today as our programming is all folk with a little touch of the blues at the end. The big ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP is smack in the middle.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle NEW!

The Canadian-born musicians from Quebec are a true gift to the music world. While Kate was studying engineering and Anna was studying art, they began performing together and writing their own songs. It wasn’t until singers like Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Judy Collins began covering their songs that they received their own recording contract in 1974. Not surprisingly, this was when Linda Ronstadt exploded onto the music scene in full force with her Heart Like A Wheel album, the title song being a McGarrigle composition. The sisters continued writing and making albums up until Kate McGarrigle’s death in 2010.

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

Folk music gave birth to protest songs long before the sixties, and musicians from the sixties and subsequent generations have kept the folk music tradition alive. The artists featured in this EP include John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, 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, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and more!

8:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Brother Johnny by Edgar Winter FINAL AIRING!

We bid a very fond farewell to this great album today, but it is in our standard rotation now and you will be hearing airings down the road. We promise. Tomorrow when you roll out of bed, there’ll be a brand new album waiting.

Yes, we’ll tell you to give us a listen again today. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. We do not clog up the airwaves with commercial advertising or endless chatter. We’re all about the music.

Today It’s the Final Airing of Our AOW, the ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, and We Introduce Shawn Colvin as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 21, 2023

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: A Night of Blistering Blues by B. B. King & Friends FINAL AIRING!

We send this one off into the sunset today. Tune in to hear B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more deliver some kick-ass blues. Recorded live in L.A. in 1987. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection when you finally roll out of bed.

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

If you’re wondering about the graphic, you shouldn’t be. Folk music gave birth to protest music with artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly and Bob Dylan. In additon, you’ll hear those who followed and carried on the tradition in various ways, including John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Townes Van Zandt, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Bonnie Raitt, The Beatles, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Shawn Colvin NEW!

Speaking of folk music, this evening we introduce our new featured singer-songwriter, Shawn Colvin, A veteran of the Fast Folk Cooperative of Greenwich Village, Colvin is a three-time Grammy winner. She is best known for her song Sunny Came Home, which won Grammys for both Song and Record of the Year in 1998. She has been composing, singing, recording and performing live for decades and is rightfully our new featured singer-songwriter.

Come on, folks, it’s the weekend. What better time to kick back and relax and get into some good music. We are totally free of charge with no commercial advertising. Just music. So, just do it. All you need is a tab and the button below.

It’s Friday Morning and We’re All ‘Under the Influence’ To Start Things Off, Then We Continue Exploring The Heartbreakers’ Fillmore Box Later, December 16, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! The weekend is nearly upon us once again, and we spend the morning with our ‘Under The Influence’ EP. Later, we continue onto volume two of the Heartbreakers’ long-awaited Fillmore box set.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

You know, we’ve all been here haven’t we? In one form or another, we’ve all been under the influence. Some of it legal. Some not. For some, love is the drug. (I hold no such illusions.) You’ll hear from Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, 1997, Volume Two NEW!

We’re playing this one straight down the line, three sets with 24 songs in each in the exact order as presented on the discs. Today, we’ve got volume two up for you as we continue to unpack Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Live at the Fillmore, 1997. It is truly a musical garden of earthly delights.

Tune us in. We are on 24/7 with no commercial advertising and at no cost to you. That’s right. Your money is no good here. We won’t even ask for a credit card number or your personal information. What are you waiting for?

Today We’re ‘Under The Influence’ in the Best Possible Way, and We Have Some Live Warren Zevon Later, Friday, July 15, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are finally at week’s end here, and we’re falling ‘Under The Influence’ with our spectacular multi-artist EP. Later, Warren Zevon pays us a visit.

Today, we’re ‘Under The Influence’ starting at 11:00 a.m. EST

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Today, we’ve got a great lineup of artists who will put you under the influence. You’ll hear Arlo Guthrie, The Byrds, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Jefferson Airplane, Donovan, Glenn Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man, and many more!

7:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, January 25, 1988

This appearance was broadcast on BBC Radio. Undoubtedly one of the most personally destructive artists on the planet, but that may have been what made him so damned good. He was also, without a doubt, one hell of a great singer-songwriter. Flawed, but brilliant. He was laboring in obscurity until someone named Linda Ronstadt discovered his genius.

Join us. We’ve got all that great wide Open Stream coursing through the modest programming we have. Even most of our playlists are multi-artist. We think we strike a great balance here. We too labor in obscurity because we have no dollars to spend on promoting. Please share our stuff if you like us. And did I mention we’re totally 100% without strings free?

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Brand New Spotlight With The Mamas & The Papas, Friday, May 20, 2022

We finally put The Mamas & The Papas In the Spotlight this evening!

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music is front and center today as the heart and soul of protest music. Spend the day with artists who shaped the folk music resurgence of the sixties, and those who simply pay homage to the craft. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, 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, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Linda Ronstadt, and many more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Mamas & The Papas NEW!

This one is long overdue here in The Mermaid Lounge. One of the key groups in the Laurel Canyon scene finally gets its due here. This is a perfect fit today because The Mamas & The Papas were instrumental in the marriage of folk and rock, much in the same way The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds were instrumental in the birth of country-rock. The Mamas & The Papas were only on the music scene from 1965 to 1968, but their impact was significant.

Great day to tune us in, folks. We’ve got a great programming day lined up. Keep in mind that our programming is interspersed in all that great wide Open Stream where you’ll hear our ever-rotating collection of 27,000+ songs and growing. We’re totally free 24/7 and ask no questions except: What are you waiting for?

At Midweek We’ve Got Our ‘Under the Influence’ EP, Trifectas in the Afternoon, and Jesse Winchester ‘Live’ Later, Wednesday, May 18, 2022

We’ve got some live Jesse Winchester for you later!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Yeah, we’ve all been here. Let’s not deny it. Whether it was legal or not, we have all indulged. Don’t deny it. You’ll hear Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glenn Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, The Band, Harry Chapin, The Fraternity of Man, and many more!

3:00 p.m. Open Stream with On-the-Hour Trifectas!

We revert to Open Stream for a few hours, so we’re starting each hour with a Trifecta!

3:00 p.m. Joan Baez

4:00 p.m. Alison Krauss

5:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt

6:00 p.m. The Supremes

7:00 p.m. Jesse Winchester Live at The Bijou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA, May 26. 1977

Here’s a great singer-songwriter who doesn’t get enough credit, but we love him here in The Mermaid Lounge. He was great when I saw him in venues like The Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York, but he’s spectacular in small, intimate settings like The Bijou Cafe. Tune him in.

Come on, people. What’s it going to take to get you to tune us in? We have loyal listeners from all over the planet. It’s time for you to join us, and it will not cost you a penny.

Today We’re ‘Under The Influence’ of a Great EP, We Have Our Final Airing of “Route 66,” and LIVE DEAD! Later, Saturday, April 16, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! It’s our usual Saturday here in The Mermaid Lounge, albeit with a bit more Open Stream this week. We’ll all be just a little ‘Under The Influence’ of a great EP here soon.

Go ask Alice…when she’s ten feet tall.

Here’s today’s mind-altering line-up:

11:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Yeah. We’ve all been here, no matter how much we choose to deny it. Some of us still are, illegal as well as legal. You’ll hear Arlo Guthrie, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Glenn Frey, Donovan, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Beatles, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Route 66 by Asleep at The Wheel FINAL AIRING!

We bid this fine selection a fond farewell after this airing, but we’ll have a brand new selection for you tomorrow!

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, October 12, 1968 NEW!

Another new soundboard here. We have previously aired the 1966 show at the Avalon, but this gem is from 1968. Same venue; new show. Enjoy

So, what are you all waiting for? This is a perfect day to get acquainted with us. And it won’t cost you a thing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. Who knows. This could be the biggest find of your day!

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and The Beatles Own Our Album of The Week, Sunday, February 20, 2022

Good Morning, Music Historians! I hope this sunny Sunday (at least it is here in the Boston area) finds you in great musical spirits. If not, we hope we can help you to get there!

The Beatles land in America, February 7, 1964

Here’s your Sunday Funday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles NEW!

As you know, The Beatles are the other half of our ‘house band’ line-up (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers being the other half). We here in The Mermaid Lounge are very careful not to overplay either band, but this is a very special month for Beatles fans, especially myself. The Beatles first landed in America on February 7, 1964…on my tenth birthday. My present from my mother on that day was Meet The Beatles, their first U.S. release. The album changed my musical life forever. It gave me my own generation of music after having listened to my sisters’ music for several years which, by the way, I acknowledge as the beginning of rock n’ roll. The Beatles were listening to my sisters’ music as well, and drew their inspiration from those artists. We will talk about that later, however.

It is time Meet The Beatles gets its due as our Album of The Week. The Beatles changed everything, not just popular music, but popular culture as well. In England, their debut album was titled With The Beatles, and had a different line-up of songs. Today we give you the U.S. version of their debut album with the iconic cover photographed by Robert Freeman, who also photographed several other Beatle album covers. In the UK, the cover was straight black & white. In the U.S., it was released as a blue duotone.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We also have a great EP celebrating another important part of popular music history called folk music. Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Odetta inspired Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and so many others you’ll hear in this playlist. Those “others” include Nanci Griffith, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Andersen, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, The Stone Poneys, John Prine, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, The Wallflowers, and more!

Come on. It’s a day of rest and relaxation. And before the Blue Laws were dropped here in Massachusetts, there weren’t any stores open to continue the capitalism game. It’s time to, as The Beatles once said, “get back to where we once belonged.” This is a good day to start.

We’ve Made It To Friday and We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP Today and a Brand New Spotlight With Al Green Later, January 21, 2022

It almost happened. I was right on the doorstep of making a fool of myself by writing 2021 in the headline. Whew. Anyway, we’ve got our great folk music EP today along with the Reverend Al Green.

Here’s Friday’s musical line-up:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-to-Z: Various Artists

We’re on the cusp of updating this one, but I promise this version is still pretty great. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Dave Van Ronk, Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, John Prine, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, The Stone Poneys, The Wallflowers, Jesse Winchester, and more.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Al Green NEW!

Al Green is one of the most prolific and influential soul singers on the planet, and is often referred to as the “last of the great soul singers.” He has sold more than 20 million records, won 11 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and those are only a few of his accomplishments. We here in The Mermaid Lounge think it’s about high time that he be put in the spotlight.

Come on, people. Tune us in. We just added listeners from the Republic of Korea and Lithuania to the mix this week. Where are you? We’re 24/7 uninterrupted, we don’t cost you a penny, and we don’t ask for your personal information. It’s none of our business and we’re not selling you anything. It’s about the music.