Thursday Brings Our ‘British Are Coming’ EP, Blind Faith Live in ’69 and a Jeff Lynne’s ELO Spotlight, May 9, 2024

Good morning, music lovers, and Thursday shall be decreed British origin. Our programs are dedicated to songs from across the pond and British artists!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming!: Various Artists

I remember the British Invasion well because it began with The Beatles, of course. And it was a blast! You’ll hear The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, ELO, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers, The Spencer Davis Group and more!

4:00 p.m. Blind Faith Live at The Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA, August 16, 1969

We’re back in The Wayback Machine this afternoon for an oldie with Blind Faith.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Jeff Lynne’s ELO

Otherwise known as Electric Light Orchestra, a fine band indeed. And any guy who became a Traveling Wilbury is just fine by me. They’ve been busy on their farewell tour this year and they’ll be blowing through Boston in September. It’s a good time to put them In The Spotlight!

We’re edging toward the weekend once again, my good friends. We’re still totally free and devoid of commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

We’re at Midweek With ‘Color My World’, a Dusty Springfield Spotlight & a McCartney Tokyo Show, Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re already at midweek and we’ve got a great lineup, including a Dusty Springfield Spotlight feature and a show from McCartney’s 1993 World Tour.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

First, however, we start out with colors in the title, lyrics or both with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan, Booker T & The MG’s, 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 Dusty Springfield

The mezzo-soprano master of blue-eyed soul was more than all that. She was another great singer who refused to be defined by any one style.

We close out the programming later with a trip to Tokyo with Paul McCartney on his 1993 World Tour.

It’s Midweek With ‘The British Are Coming’ EP, Live Kinks and a Great New Beatles Playlist, Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We keep it British today, beginning with our five-hour musical trip through the British Invasion and beyond. Then it’s The Kinks and The Fab Four.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

Music from Britain is the order of the day, from The British Invasion and beyond with The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. The Kinks Live at The Hippodrome Theatre, London, UK, July 14, 1974

This afternoon we’ve got a great live performance by a legendary British Invasion band, led by the fighting Davies brothers.

We’ve got a fun new playlist about the Fab Four to close out the programming. We give you the Beatle tracks that open with great keyboard riffs. If we’ve missed any, please let us know!

Thursday Brings Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, a Jerry Jeff Walker Spotlight and Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘Live’ on April 4, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re on the downslide to the weekend and we’ve got a great lineup, including some new ‘live’ music from Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

Here’s today’s programming:

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

There are hundreds of songs about dreaming, but some do not make the cut. In this EP 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, Harry Chapin, Roy Orbison, 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 Jerry Jeff Walker

Perhaps best known for writing Mr. Bojangles, Jerry Jeff Walker was so much more than that. Along with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and others, he was one of the pioneers of the outlaw country sound. I remember seeing him years ago at the old Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge as the opening act for Little Feat. I was hooked and have been ever since.

This live performance was a warm-up for his Ragged Glory Tour. This two-hour performance includes three sets and an encore, by one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his generation who keeps on keeping on.

The Weekend Begins With The Sixties Rotation, Linda Ronstadt, and The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Saturday, March 30, 2024

Good morning, weekenders and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where we give you our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ to start, followed by Heart Like A Wheel, and closing with The Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

Nothing like The Sixties from a musical perspective, and we’ve got the early-to-mid portion of the decade this morning with The Beatles, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, Sonny & Cher, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, The Drifters, Dusty Springfield, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Them, The Left Banke and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Heart Like A Wheel by Linda Ronstadt FINAL FINAL!

Today we not only say farewell to a brilliant album but also to our Album of The Week features, which has been in place for five years. Time to move on, but we will be featuring albums as part of our standard rotation.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Tedeschi Trucks Band

What we have here is the best damned blues-rock and on the planet led by a brilliant blues singer in Susan Tedeschi, and the best blues-rock guitarist in the business in Derek Trucks.

The weekend is here, people and we are geared up for a great weekend of music as we make several programming changes. But there are things that never change: We never charge for our musical programming, and we don’t ask for your personal information. We’re all about the music, not making money.

The Weekend Begins in a Dream State, Then It’s Queen and Some Badass Guitarists, Saturday, March 2, 2024

Welcome, weekenders! We begin the weekend with songs about dreams, then it’s the final airing of Sheer Heart Attack by Queen and volume one of ‘Badass Guitarists.’

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

Who knew there’d be so many songs about dreams? You’ll spend nearly five uninterrupted hours with 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, Harry Chapin, Roy Orbison, Townes Van Zandt, Electric Prunes, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Etheridge, John Prine, Tom Rush, Electric Light Orchestra and more!

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

We bid farewell to Queen as our 50th Anniversary Album Bash continues. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new old album for you.

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

We close out the evening with volume one of ‘Badass Guitarists.’ Some of these artists aren’t the singers of the songs, but they sure make their presence known. You’ll hear the handiwork of George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Richards, Dickie Betts, Mike Campbell, Jeff Beck, Joe Perry, Lowell George, Jimmy Page, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt, Walter Becker and more!

Before, after and in between we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream 24/7. There’s no hoop jumping here in The Mermaid Lounge. Just hit the button below and you’re in.

It’s Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, The Association, and Tom Petty as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Monday, February 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are starting off the week with a rare EP on a Monday, but it’s a short month and we have to get this one in. We are also winding down on our Singer-Songwriter Series, saving the best for last. This week we introduce Tom Petty as our featured artist. Next week? It’s Lennon & McCartney.

Here’s your musical Monday:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

One of two major sixties playlists airs today. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Little Eva, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Blues Image, Booker T & The MG’s, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The Association Live at The Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 3, 1970

I love airing the old bands. It’s often tough to find ‘live’ performances but, if you persevere, you can find some. This is a great performance from The Salt Palace.

We’re winding down on this great series which has taken us through nearly a year. We’ve saved the best for the end. This week we feature Dr. Tom Petty, certainly the most prolific and consequential songwriter of his generation via The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys and his solo career. Every single song on this playlist is a Petty composition, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

We Kick Off a New Month In a Dream State, Then It’s Elton John and ‘Live’ Leon Russell, on Thursday, February 1, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Here we are at the start of a brand new month and we are beginning our programming with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

When I started out to make this EP, I couldn’t believe how many songs were actually made about dreaming, but here we are with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Crowded House, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Parson’s Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Miudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Caribou by Elton John

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime Saturday as we work our way through the list of albums turning 50 years old this year.

7:00 p.m.  Leon Russell Live at The Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, August 28, 1972

We’ve got an all-time favorite here live for you this evening. Sometimes he falls through the cracks, but Leon Russell is one of the greats.

Join us today. It’s another dreary, unseasonable day here in the Boston area. We just cannot seem to get our winter on, and that should be a concern for everyone. It’s been several years now of decline. But I digress. Come on in. The music’s fine.

The Ladies Open and Close the Programming Today; Kristofferson is the Mid. Saturday, January 20, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We essentially turn the lounge over to the ladies today, as ‘Ladies Day Out’ opens the day and the Queen of Soul closes it out later.

Here’s Saturday’s lineup:

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

We know that no other station plays women’s music like we do. That’s why we do it. You’ll hear five hours uninterrupted with Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, 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, Nicollette Larson, Valerie Carter, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Jesus Was A Capricorn by Kris Kristofferson FINAL AIRING!

We say goodbye to this album today, but we’ll have another tomorrow. Programming Note: Tomorrow we begin a spell of great albums that will turn fifty years old in 2024. Only a few on this list have been aired as an AOW before, but it was quite a long time ago (we’ve been running this feature for five years now), so they will repeat. But I promise they’ll be like new.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Aretha Franklin

The undisputed Queen of Soul was first noticed singing gospel in her father’s church. Over six decades, she would dominate the world of soul and R&B, with Rolling Stone twice calling her the greatest singer ever. She was the very first female inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Tonight we put Aretha In The Spotlight.

Well, weekenders, we’ve made it to Saturday. I have this one final day to go. My weekend is Sunday/Monday. However, fear not. The Music Mermaid is large and in charge here when I’m not around. You’re in safe fins.

The Original Sixties Rotation, Carlene Carter and Hank Williams Are On Tap for Saturday, December 23, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are on the sixties path this morning as we open up with music from the early-to-mid part of the decade, Carlene Carter gets her final AOW airing, and we introduce the late, great Hank Williams as our singer-songwriter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

Jump into the Wayback Machine with us and hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Beatles, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, The Temptations, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, The Who, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Procol Harum, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Two Sides To Every Woman by Carlene Carter FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of Carlene Carter’s featured album. There’ll be a new selection tomorrow.

Hank Williams was a musical genius, and remains the most revered country music artist in spite of the fact that he died six decades ago at the age of 29. The volume of songs he wrote and left behind in a short period of time is amazing, and his contribution to the development of rock and roll cannot be denied. Today he becomes our featured singer-songwriter for the week.