Tag: Elvis Presley

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.

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Saturday Delivers Our Big Country EP, an Elvis Presely ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Beatles at Budokan, On June 7, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today, including our big country and country-rock EP, The King in a ‘Spotlight’ feature, and The Fab Four live at Budokan!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready For the Country: Various Artists

This is the real deal. None of that fake country shit. You won’t be hearing Jason Aldean here. Ever. But you will hear the real country greats and the pioneers of country-rock, like The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, Grm Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Elvis Presley

Rock and roll had plenty of pioneers, but there was one king. And this is him. He made the genre accessible to everyone. You know, George Harrison said a very poignant thing about Elvis. He said that at least he had John, Paul and Ringo to go through those times with because it was daunting. He felt bad for Elvis because it was just Elvis all alone. This is not George saying this now, but me: Elvis was just a country boy and he was naive in his early years. The Colonel, his father and manager, was someone who took advantage of him, and many around him did also. George Harrison was right.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles Live at Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan, June 30, 1966 NEW!

The Beatles abandoned touring early, but remember that the Beatles accomplished all they did in just eight years. Had they not gotten off the road, they may never have been The Beatles we know and love. Concerts in those days were not hours long, and this one is no exception. But we’ve managed to avail ourselves of several concerts from The Fab Four. More are coming. We’re just starting with this one.

The weekend is here, and the bromance is over. We’ll have to endure the infighting between the two worst men on the planet but, here in The Mermaid Lounge, you can tune that all out and enjoy yourself. The Orange Menace will be golfing. He sucks at that too. Meanwhile, the button is below.

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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!

On Sunday It’s a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ Feature, ‘The Female Species’ EP & The Band Live in Japan, May 4, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today that includes our ‘Female Species’ EP sandwiched in between Christine McVie and The Band.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

From Chickenshack to Fleetwood Mac, we open with a Christine McVie ‘Spotlight’ feature. In my humble opinion, Christine McVie was always the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac, although Stevie Nicks got more attention.

1:00 p.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We take you through the afternoon with songs about women, some real and some imagined, 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, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at Kosei Nenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan, September 2, 1983

We close out the programming today with a great performance by The Band from Kosei Nenkin Hall in Tokyo.

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow begins Festival Week here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re here 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge every single day. We do not run any commercial advertising because we do not make one penny from what we do. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

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

We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Richard & Mimi Farina NEW!

Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962

We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.

We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.

Richard & Mimi Farina

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Founders’, a James Taylor ‘Spotlight’, and The Pretenders Live in Germany, Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek. We start out with the founders of rock and roll, then it’s a JT ‘Spotlight’ feature and some live Pretenders!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We start our musical journey in the Wayback Machine as we pay respect to those who started it all, 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 James Taylor

Sweet Baby James visits us this afternoon, a singer-songwriting legend whose volume of work speaks for itself.

8:00 p.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

We close it out with a live performance from The Pretenders, a band that has literally been in flux for decades with the only constant being the amazing Chrissie Hynde.

We’re at midweek and that means that tomorrow we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend, the only time we can sort of catch our breath under this misbegotten fascist regime. Music can help us get through this, and we remain free of charge and broadcasting 24/7. The button, my friends, is below.

The Button.

We’re Back With ‘The Female Species’, Live Allman Brothers, and a Linda Ronstadt ‘Spotlight’, Saturday, April 5, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! We’re back today with some excellent programming, starting off with an EP of songs about women, some by women.

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

Songs about women featuring 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, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations and more!

4:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band with Eric Clapton Live at The Beacon Theater, New York, NY, March 19, 2009

The Allman Brothers Band playing live at The Beacon is always a treat, but this night they brought along a special guest.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Linda Ronstadt

There’s never been, and may never be, another vocalist who can master so many genres and cross effortlessly between them. There’s so much music in this playlist because she’s given us so much variety. She is certainly the main female musical muse in The Mermaid Lounge.

The Music Mermaid is fully in charge after 10:00 a.m. today as I will be out on the streets in Boston against this evil fascist empire. I hope that many of you will also be there. The music will play on, but our democracy may not unless we all band together. The button is below.

The Button.

On Thursday It’s the ‘Color My World’ EP, a Bob Marley & The Wailers ‘Spotlight’, and Norah Jones at the HOB, March 27, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. We’re over the hump and on the downslide to the weekend with a great lineup of programming dispersed in our big, wide Open Stream!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start off with Open Stream with a theme: All the colors of the rainbow. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T. & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, 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, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Bob Marley & The Wailers

The Legend himself and his bandmates stop by The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon to show us why they were a groundbreaking reggae, ska and rocksteady band.

8:00 p.m. Norah Jones Live at The House of Blues, Chicago, IL, August 24, 2002

We close the programming with a great live performance from the one and only Norah Jones, who also happens to be the daughter of the great Ravi Shankar.

Another day in paradise awaits. We’re almost to the weekend, when things settle down a bit…but just a bit. We’re never out of the shadow of The Orange Menace here. But music can help restore a bit of sanity in these trying times. The button is below.

The Button!

Friday’s Here and It’s ‘All About Blue’, a Temptations ‘Spotlight’ and Linda Ronstadt Live in L.A., March 21, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to the cusp of the weekend once again. Today it’s a bunch of big, wide Open Stream and some excellent programs starting with songs about my favorite color.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. All About Blue: Various Artists

This is shorter than our EP’s for sure but will give you a little over of two hours of Open Stream with a Theme from Mudcrutch, The Allman Brothers Band, Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, The Band, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Badfinger, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Temptations

This afternoon it’s one of the bands that put Motown on the map and also invented the psychedelic soul genre with their album, Cloud Nine.

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA, October 3, 1977

Ronstadt just as she was busting out and becoming the undisputed Queen of Rock (and she still is in our book). During her hey day, she played a 20-night residency there.

We’re nearly there. The Orange Shitstain will be golfing this weekend. Maybe things will settle down for a couple of days. We can hope. In the meantime, we hope that the music will provide you with an escape from this hell until we can eliminate him from the political scene. The button is below.

Zeee 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.

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