Tag: In The Spotlight

On Saturday It’s ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’, a Peter, Paul & Mary ‘Spotlight,’ and Live Linda Ronstadt, May 17, 2025

Welcome, weekenders! We’re at the weekend with some more great music coming your way, including one of the finest Linda Ronstadt concerts I had the pleasure to attend on my own home turf. Read on!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We start out with the Laurel Canyon crowd, two generations of musicians who fed off one another to create a true challenge to the chart ownership of The British Invasion and herald in the sound of country-rock. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Peter, Paul & Mary

Formed in New York City in 1961, Peter, Paul & Mary became the premier band of the great sixties folk revival. We’ll be increasing our folk content this year because I truly believe we’re in the midst of yet another revival.

8:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, May 14, 1995

I had the pleasure of attending this show. The late, great Valerie Carter was the opener and also joined Ronstadt for her time on stage. It was like listening to two angels singing. I’ve seen Linda Ronstadt many, many times during my lifetime and this was undoubtedly one of the finest performances ever.

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Music From Laurel Canyon!

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!

Today, ‘The British Are Coming’, Then It’s Peter Tosh Live in Amsterdam, and a Hollies ‘Spotlight’, Thursday, May 15, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. We start out Thursday with songs from across the pond with the British Invasion then beyond. After that, it’s live Peter Tosh and a Hollies ‘Spotlight’ feature.

Here’s your Thursday musical lineup:

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

We start out the day with songs from our British artists, including The Beatles (of course), 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 (pre-disco only), 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, Manfred Mann, Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. Peter Tosh Live at The Apartheid Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 13, 1981

This afternoon we have one of the founding members of The Wailers in the midst of his solo career performing life in Amsterdam.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Hollies

The Hollies never really got the credit they deserved, in my opinion. They were a very integral part of The British Invasion and we love these guys here in The Mermaid Lounge. This evening, they’re ‘In the Spotlight.’

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We’re at Midweek With Songs About Water, Live Ry Cooder, and Larkin Poe ‘In The Spotlight’, On Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at the midweek point, and that means tomorrow we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend once again! We’ve got a fine lineup today starting with our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP. It’s Open Stream with a theme!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

We’ve got a bunch of artists today talking about the earth’s most plentiful element, including Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, Bonnie Raitt, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m. Ry Cooder Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, July 7, 1974

This afternoon it’s the legendary Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt’s favorite guitarist and an amazing songwriter, singing and playing for us from The Record Plant.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Larkin Poe

We close out the midweek programming with a great roots rock sister act which started out in Georgia but is now based in Nashville. If you haven’t been paying attention, now is your chance!

We’re here 24/7; not just when we have programming, and we play the best music on the planet without commercial interruption and without those noisy DJ’s who like to talk through the beginning and ends of songs. See for yourselves. The button is below!

Midweek Madness!

On Tuesday Bluesday the Ladies are in Charge, Then It’s Big Mama Thornton and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, May 13, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! Did you know that Fleetwood Mac had two lives? Before the addition of Buckingham-Nicks, they were a true blues band under the leadership of the late, great Peter Green. We give you that version today, and more!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

Some blues legends and some who simply paid homage to the genre, all legitimate. You’ll hear Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Big Mama Thornton

From blues to rock n’ roll, Big Mama Thornton was a pioneer. She made the first version of Lieber & Stoller’s Hound Dog. Elvis made it famous, but Big Mama Thornton had a monster hit that stayed at number one for seven weeks on the R & B charts and sold 2 million copies at a time when women (let alone black women) were an afterthought in music.

8:00 p.m. Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Live at The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA, January 30, 1970

Before Big Mac became a big pop-rock music entity, it was a blues band co-founded with John McVie by the late, great bluesman, Peter Green. That’s the version you get on Tuesday Bluesday.

Day two of another work week. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. No need to worry about being tracked or sent emails asking for you to buy anything. We’ve got nothing for sale. We give away great music for free. The button is below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

We Return to Our Routine With the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Then It’s Live Allman Brothers, and a ‘Carole King’ Spotlight on Monday, May 12, 2025

Good morning, working class and welcome to another week. We’re back to our usual programming, although you’ll see some brand new playlists in the mix coming up over the next couple of weeks! We start the week off with our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re getting from point A to point B with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Rush, Bruce Springsteen, The Guess Who and more!

4:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Cow Palace, Daly City, CA, December 31, 1973

The folks in the Cow Palace rang in the new year with The Brothers! We’ve got that one live for you today.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Carole King

From one of the original Brill Building songwriting inhabitants who wrote great songs for other people to music legend. Carole King finally decided to use her incredible songwriting talents to make herself famous. One of the true greats. Tapestry changed the landscape.

We’re here. We’re free. We’re anti-capitalist, which means we’re not tracking you or selling you anything. We’re all about the music. We have no money to advertise because we don’t make any money. Spotify is now introducing advertising for their paying customers. We’re not doing that. See for yourself and, if you like us, tell your friends. The button is below.

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Tuesday Bluesday Brings ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues,’ a John Lee Hooker ‘Spotlight’, and Live Yardbirds, May 6, 2025

Good morning and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We take a break from Festival Week just for today to carry on our blues tradition here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Louisiana Blues: Various Artists

We’ve got music from Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Roy Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Fats Matthews, Big Joe Turner, Big Boy Myles, Little Walter, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas, The Neville Brothers and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lee Hooker

One of the greatest of all time, he was the son of a sharecropper, a singer, songwriter and guitarist who developed an electric-guitar adaptation of the Delta Blues in Detroit. Hooker was a true innovator, who developed his own driving-rhythm boogie style.

8:00 p.m. The Yardbirds Live at B. B. King’s Blues Club, New York, NY, July 16, 2006

We close out the blues with Jeff Beck and the boys live from B. B. King’s club in New York, a great way to end a Tuesday Bluesday.

We’re taking a break from ‘Festival Week’ for just one day to carry out our great blues tradition. We’ll be back tomorrow with Woodstock ’69. In the meantime, tune us in for some great blues. The button is below! That’s all it takes.

Tuesday Bluesday!

We Open Festival Week With the Sounds of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Then It’s Otis Redding and Janis Joplin, on Monday, Monday, April 5, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! Festival Week is here and we’re opening up with the sounds of the Monterey International Pop Festival from 1967, the Summer of Love no matter how many people tell you it was 1969. It was not. It was ’67, and there are no alternative facts on that.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Monterey International Pop Festival, Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA, June 16-18, 1967

The sounds of the Summer of Love abound here. This was the precursor to the big festival to beat all, Woodstock. The diversity of music and artists that flooded Monterey was astounding as you will see. We’ve got five hours of uninterrupted Monterey Pop music. This repeats beginning at 11:00 p.m. tonight!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

Otis Redding was introduced to the world at Monterey Pop. He hadn’t even released his first song yet. Sadly, he would never get to enjoy the legendary place in music history that he would eventually achieve. His chartered plane, which also carried his back-up band, The Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona while on his way to another performance in December of that year killing all on board. All of Redding’s hits were posthumous, but his gritty voice and his songwriting made him one of the legends of soul and R & B.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, February 12, 1969

Janis Joplin established herself solidified her position as one of the stars of the sixties at Monterey in 1967. Tonight we close out the programming with a great Fillmore performance. Sadly, Janis too would be gone by 1970, a member of musical folklore’s 27 Club.

We’re just getting started. All week long we’ll be featuring the sounds of some of the greatest music festivals and the artists who made them great. Don’t miss a minute. We’ll also be replaying the festival music in the late night hours for our international friends. The button is below!

Monterey Pop!

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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We’re Back With Our ‘House EP’, a Beatles ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Byrds Live in London, On Saturday, May 3, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’re back with some great programming today as we begin the weekend and head toward ‘Festival Week’ on Monday. Read on for all the details!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

The music that inspired the radio station starts off the day. We’ve got music from Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Phil Ochs, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Tom Rush, The Band and more!

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

This was a tough playlist to create. Ultimately, I ended up putting a bunch of sheets of paper in a bucket with songs written on them and pulling them out. There’s simply no logical way to do this in your head. There are far too many great songs from the greatest rock band on the planet.

8:00 p.m. The Byrds Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, May 13, 1971

We close it out from one of the most significant bands of the sixties whose music influenced many who followed, most notably Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The Byrds were a fine band, and Roger McGuinn is a legend.

We’re here 24/7 and we play the best damned music on the planet. It’s an eclectic rotation with few duplications in even a week, let alone a day. The Music Mermaid has this down. Join us. The button is below.

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