Tag: In The Spotlight

The End of the Work Week Brings The Linda Ronstadt-Neil Young Connection, Live Joni Mitchell, the Neville Brothers and ‘Wheels’, On Friday, December 20, 2024

We’ve got a busier Friday than usual today, adding one extra playlist on a day when we generally don’t run an extended playlist. It starts with the Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young connection.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Linda Ronstadt-Neil Young Connection NEW!

Whether covering Neil Young’s songs or singing back-up on his recordings, Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young have a musical connection.

1:00 p.m. Wheels: Various Artists

Songs about getting around town and traveling across the miles from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who, T. Rex, Wings, Joni Mitchell, Mudcrutch, The Beatles, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Alice Cooper, Golden Earring, Chuck Berry and more!

5:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at Club 47, Cambridge, MA, January 10, 1968

Now known as Passim’s, Club 47 once played host to some of the best and the brightest who became the stars of the sixties and seventies. Joni Mitchell was one of them.

8:00 p.m. The Neville Brothers: In the Spotlight

We close out the day’s programming with some authentic New Orleans R & B, funk and soul courtesy of The Neville Brothers.

We’ve made it to the end of the week. Next week it’s time for friends and family and, of course, my vacation when we’ll be putting together some new music ideas for the station. In the meantime, the button is below. We’re totally free. See for yourselves.

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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.

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On Wednesday It’s ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, Bob Dylan & George Harrison ‘In Session’ and a Stone Poneys ‘Spotlight’ December 18, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re at midweek and soon headed for the weekend, but today we’ve got a full slate of great music to get us through midweek.

Here’s your midweek music:

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

The earth is 71% water, so it’s only fitting that we have a playlist about water. It features Valerie Carter, Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, 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. Bob Dylan & George Harrison ‘In Session’ at Columbia Studios, May 1, 1970

On May Day, Dylan and Harrison headed into Columbia Stuios in New York and made music together. We’ve got the result for you today.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Stone Poneys

This was Ronstadt’s first gig after arriving in LA from her home in Tuscon, Arizona, laying the groundwork for a brilliant career that spanned decades and made her the Queen of Rock.

We’re at midweek. Once we are through today, we’re on the downslide to the weekend and I’m on the way to a week’s vacation from hardware hell. The button is below.

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On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Best of Louisiana Blues,’ Live Howlin’ Wolf and a Slim Harpo ‘Spotlight’, December 17, 2024

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday and we kick it off with blues from the bayou and beyond, Howlin’ Wolf live in Chicago and blues harp maestro Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight’.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

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

4:00 p.m. Howlin’ Wolf Live at Alice’s Revisited, Chicago, IL, January 26, 1972

We’ve got some live Howlin’ Wolf coming up this afternoon in a performance from Alice’s Revisited in Chicago.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Slim Harpo

We close it out with blues harp maestro, guitarist and proponent of the swamp blues, Slim Harpo ‘In the Spotlight.’

Another Tuesday Bluesday rolls around and we’ve got great music here for you today. It’s pouring rain here in the Boston area. It’s supposed to be snowing by now, but it has been more than three years since the New England area has seen its ‘normal.’ Nevertheless, we keep on keeping on here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Tuesday Bluesday!

On Sunday It’s The Staple Singers, Live Leon Russell and Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP. It’s December 15, 2024.

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Sunday in The Lounge. We’ve got a Staple Singers ‘Spotlight’, some live Leon Russell and our ‘M is For Motown’ EP to bring us through late afternoon and into the evening hours.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Staple Singers

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B group with a civil rights emphasis founded by Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children Cleotha, Pervis, and Mavis. They left us a great library of music.

1:00 p.m. Leon Russell Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, August 7, 1972

To put it bluntly, Leon Russell was a musical legend. Over a sixty-year career he had multiple hits covering many genres, including rock and roll, country, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. He won two Grammys, was named the top concert attraction of 1973 by Billboard, and in 2011 he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

4:00 p.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We close out the day with our great multi-artist Motown EP featuring Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

It’s damned cold here today, and it’s a great day to be inside enjoying the world from a window with some great music coming from my speakers. Join me. The button is below.

The Sunday Funday Button!

It’s a Country Kind of Day With Our Big EP, Live Flying Burrito Brothers, and Willie Nelson on Saturday, December 14, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge where we spend the day with some ‘real’ country musicians and the pioneers of country-rock!

Here’s your Saturday musical lineup:

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

We’re back with our real country EP (none of those bad pop bands with fiddles) of the traditional pioneers and those who pioneered the marriage of country and rock. You’ll hear The Eagles, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, The Desert Rose Band, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Tom Rush, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

4:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at My Father’s Place, Roslyn, NY, November 28, 1976

Gram Parsons, a country-rock pioneer who passed from this world far too soon, and The Burrito Brothers are live from My Father’s Place this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Willie Nelson

We close out the day’s programming with a Willie Nelson ‘Spotlight’ feature.

We’re on 24/7 and we play the best music on the planet completely free of charge and free of commercial advertising. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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We’re ‘Under The Influence’ at Midweek, Then It’s Lukas Nelson & POTR and Live John Hiatt, Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. We’re at midweek here in the Boston area with driving rain and temps in the sixties. Ridiculous. But in The Lounge it’s quite comfortable and there’s great music coming your way!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Hey, we’ve all been here. No denying it. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Foreigner, Jonathan Edwards, John Lee Hooker, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real

The music pedigree runs deep in the Nelson family. Although technically defunct, POTR was a great little country-rock band and did a fine job on the road with Neil Young.

8:00 p.m. John Hiatt Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, October 7, 1988

We close it out today with singer-songwriter John Hiatt in a fine performance at New York’s Bottom Line.

Blah. Blah. Blah. We’ll take a break from our usual closing. Suffice it to say that it’s a great day to hunker down and listen to some great music. The button is below.

Go Ask Alice.

Tuesday Bluesday Takes Us to The Windy City, Then It’s Taj Mahal and Hot Tuna Live at Sweetwater, December 10, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists, and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We have an eclectic blues offering today starting in Chicago with some Windy City blues!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We start out in Chicago with Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Taj Mahal

A Mermaid Lounge favorite here. Taj Mahal infuses the blues with some world music and Caribbean flavor, bringing some excitement to the genre.

8:00 p.m. Hot Tuna Live at Sweetwater, Mill Valley, CA, January 27 & 28, 1992

Another blues-rock favorite here born of the ashes of Jefferson Airplane, one of the finest bands of the sixties. Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen have been the helm of Hot Tuna for decades.

We’re here all day playing blues programming, but in before, in between and after it’s our big wide Open Stream. Who knows what the Music Mermaid has in store then! Find out for yourselves. The button is below.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday We Return To Summer, Then It’s Yusuf/Cat Stevens Live in Virginia and Jesse Winchester, December 9, 2024

As winter settles in here (at least in New England) we take a trip back to summer with our multi-artist playlist, then we have some live Yusuf/Cat Stevens and a Jesse Winchester ‘Spotlight’ feature.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Summertime: Various Artists

As the temperatures drop, we return to a warmer season with Paul McCartney, Electric Light Orchestra, Eddie Cochran, Donovan, The Wallflowers, Van Morrison, Shawn Colvin, John Prine, k.d. lang, The Stone Poneys, Bob Dylan, Nanci Griffith, The Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m. Yusuf/Cat Stevens Live at William & Mary Hall, Williamsburg, VA, February 22, 1976

We’ve got The Cat live from William & Mary College in Virginia this afternoon, recorded while on his Majikat (Earth Tour 1976).

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Jesse Winchester

I’ve seen Jesse Winchester live several times, the first being when he opened for Emmylou Harris at Boston’s famous Music Hall, which is now known as the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. Capitalism takes the charm out of everything.

There’s plenty of wide Open Stream on Mondays in between our regular programming. We’re here 24/7 and we’re totally free all the time. No bait and switch. See for yourselves. The Button is below.

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Sunday Brings Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Live Townes Van Zandt, and a Karla Bonoff ‘Spotlight’ Feature, December 8, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Life on the road and traveling are certainly two popular topics in music and we’ve got a great playlist today, followed by Townes Van Zandt live in London and closing with Karla Bonoff.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

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

We’re on the road 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, Buffalo Springfield, The Guess Who and more!

4:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at Union Chapel, London, UK, April 29, 1994

The late, great singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt is in The Lounge this afternoon, possibly the only artist to approach the songwriting ability of Bob Dylan. Indeed, the discussion of whom is better continues. However, I say that we don’t have to continually pit one artist against the other. I love them both.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

Speaking of singer-songwriters, we close out the evening with a ‘Spotlight’ feature with the great Karla Bonoff.

Before, in between and after our programming, we give you our big, wide Open Stream of incredible music. We don’t charge you. We don’t track you. We don’t ask you for information. The button is below.

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