Tag: In The Spotlight

It’s Tuesday Bluesday and We’ve Got Open Stream This Morning With Blues Trifectas at the Top of Each Hour, Our AOW and Taj Mahal In The Spotlight, January 31, 2023

Good morning, bluesologists! We close the month with an Open Stream Tuesday Bluesday with blues artists featured at the top of each hour starting at 9:00 a.m. Later, we’ve got our Album of The Week and Taj Mahal bringing up the rear this evening.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Open Stream with Blues Trifectas!

From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. we give you blues at the top of each hour with the following artists (in order of their appearance): Koko Taylor, B. B. King, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Janis Joplin!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds

This is the second airing of our Album of The Week by The Byrds. It’s their studio debut album released in 1965 and it catapulted them into the spotlight of popular music, challenging the British Invasion band’s chart dominance.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is one of those great blues artists who expanded the genre. He is never afraid to include elements of world music into his blues work. He’s also a brilliant musician, playing guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica and many other instruments. You can learn about the man and his genius by visiting his website. Taj Mahal is now approaching 80 years old and lives in Berkeley, where he reflects on nearly six decades in music.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to tune us in. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge. There are no forms to fill out and no subscription requirements. We don’t ask for a credit card or your personal information. We’ve had some wise ass comment that I’m trying to build my hit rate by putting the button down below. That’s only so you can click and go right to the channel. Give me a break.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday!

We Ease You Into the Work Week With Our ‘On The Map’ Playlist, The I-Threes In the Spotlight, and Some Live Blind Faith Later This Evening, Monday, January 30, 2023

Happy Monday, kids! It’s the beginning of another work week and we’ve got just what you need to get rid of those Monday blues as we give you ‘On the Map’ along with The I-Threes In the Spotlight and live Blind Faith later.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. On The Map: Various Artists

We start our programming with a playlist about places across the globe, from Boston to Timbuktu, with The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, America, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, The Association, Scott McKenzie, Fats Domino, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Jesse Winchester, Tom Rush, James Taylor and more!

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of the I-Threes

As I’m learning, many people don’t know who the I-Threes are. They are Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, and Marcia Griffiths and they are the most influential female band in Reggae and Ska who provided the background voices for Bob Marley & The Wailers. They also recorded albums individually, so today, we enlighten those who have never before heard them sing. It’s a treat.

7:00 p.m. Blind Faith Live at The Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA, August 16, 1969

Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. They weren’t around for very long, only for one album and one extended summer tour. We’ve got one of those performances from that tour for you today. (I’m sure that the Earl Warren Showgrounds were used for more than music, but the thought of a psychedelic rock band performing at a venue named after a Supreme Court judge makes me chuckle.)

We’re here no matter how damned tired we are because we have The Music Mermaid and she is large and in charge. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming) totally free to the listening public. You don’t need a subscription. You don’t need a credit card, and we don’t even want to know your name. We just want you to listen.

Monday, Monday

We’re One Day From the Weekend and We Feature Our Final Airing of Shawn Colvin as Our Singer-Songwriter, We Have Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, and We Put Dusty Springfield In the Spotlight Later, Friday, January 27, 2023

Hell, music lovers, we’re almost at the end of the first month of the new year and we’re one day away from the weekend! We’ve got a great lineup for you today with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP sandwiched in between two of our favorite Mermaid Lounge women.

Here’s Friday’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Shawn Colvin FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of Shawn Colvin as this week’s featured singer-songwriter, a woman who turned the folk music genre on its head with her 1998 release A Few Small Repairs and her double-winning Grammy hit Sunny Came Home. I never had the pleasure of seeing Shawn Colvin live, but I did see her in a great multi-artist concert joining friends Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, David Lindley and Bruce Hornsby back in the late 90’s. We’ll be airing that concert next week, in fact.

12:00 p.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

Dreams are a funny thing. I almost never remember mine unless they are the craziest. Yet, they are certainly the subject of some great music. You’ll hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, The Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Widespread Panic, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Dusty Springfield

British-born Dusty Springfield is a Mermaid Lounge favorite. Her sultry mezzo-soprano voice is immediately recognizable and she was one of the most popular female singers of the sixties. Her repertoire encompassed blue-eyed soul, pop, country, jazz and soulful ballads. This is a great playlist.

We’re one day away from being ‘weekenders’ folks. If you’ve got an office, a free tab and a mouse, we can make your Friday a hell of a lot better. Just play us in the background. There’s no effort involved. We don’t ask for a subscription, a credit card or your name. Just click on the button below.

In Your Dreams.

Today We’ve Got Our House EP, Smokey Robinson &The Miracles’ Album of The Week, and John Lennon In the Spotlight, Thursday, January 26, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we’ve got another day of great music as our early-morning EP gives you the music that inspired us to start this radio station. This afternoon it’s our Album of the Week and tonight Lennon is In the Spotlight!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

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

The music that inspired the radio station is back for another turn. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, George Harrison, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Going To A Go-Go by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Smokey Robinson and his crew get another turn with their Album of The Week, a gem that carries four of the band’s Top 20 hits.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of John Lennon

John Lennon was the co-founder, co-lead singer, co-songwriter and spiritual leader of the most influential rock band of all time, The Beatles. They changed everything. He also created the Plastic Ono Band and had a successful solo career in his post-Beatles life. Tonight we put him In the Spotlight.

We are definitely on the downslide to the weekend, folks. Just a couple of days away now. Why not tune us in? The time is right. We’re on 24/7 (not just when we have programming) streaming the greatest music on the planet. And we’re totally commercia-free and free of charge to you. What’s not to love?

The #BecomeUngovernable House EP

Great Stuff Coming To Get You Through Monday: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Our Playlist About Luck, and a New Spotlight With J. J. Cale, January 23, 2023

Good Morning to the Working Class. We’ve got great stuff coming your way this morning, including a playlist from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, our playlist about luck on several levels, and a brand new Spotlight featuring J. J. Cale.

Here’s Monday’s musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Deep Cuts & B-Sides

Everyone knows Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ hits and there were many. But the band made so much great music that casual Petty fans may not know about many of their songs. To be sure, if you subscribe to Sirius and listen to Tom Petty Radio you’ll hear this stuff, but for those who don’t there’s us. We’ve got everything the band has ever made and then some. This is one playlist that’s not to be missed.

3:00 p.m. Good Luck, Bad Luck, Dumb Luck: Various Artists

This is a multi-artist playlist about luck and fortune. You’ll hear it in the title, lyrics or both from Jethro Tull, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bonnie Raitt, Cream, The Eagles, Taj Mahal, Fats Domino, Genesis, Stevie Wonder, The Wallflowers, The Byrds, Warren Zevon, The Beatles, Steve Winwood, Sheryl Crow, Linda Ronstadt, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Paul McCartney & Wings, Joe Walsh, The Rolling Stones and more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of J. J. Cale NEW!

J. J. Cale wrote so many great songs (Cocaine, After Midnight, Call Me The Breeze and more) that became hits for so many artists, yet never achieved stardom himself. We are big fans here in The Mermaid Lounge however, and Cale is much respected by his peers in the music industry. Today we will put J. J. Cale In the Spotlight, where he belongs, singing his own compositions.

Let’s face it. Monday’s suck. There’s no better place to be than right here. We’re totally free 24/7 and we are on uninterrupted by commercial advertising. It’s all about the music. All you need to do is pull up a tab and click the button below!

Great Music. No cost.

Today We Take You Down to New Orleans, Give You Bob Dylan’s Final Airing as the Featured Singer-Songwriter, and Pay Tribute to David Crosby, Friday, January 20, 2023

Good morning, Music Lovers! We have a special treat for you today as we take you down to New Orleans where the music is as varied and exciting as the food, give Bob Dylan his final airing as our singer-songwriter and celebrate the musical life of David Crosby, folk-rock pioneer.

Here’s Friday’s musical fare:

10:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

This is a great playlist that not only celebrates the musical styles of the great city of New Orleans, but also the artists who were born there. You will hear Lucinda Williams, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Boozoo Chavis, Tony Joe White, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Neville Brothers, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, La Touche, Irma Thomas, Kermit Venable, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Allen Fontenot, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, The Magnolia Sisters, and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bob Dylan FINAL AIRING!

Today we feature Bob Dylan as our esteemed singer-songwriter for the last time (only for this series, however). Dylan has dominated and influenced the music scene for more than six decades as a solo composer and artist, and making music will others like The Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and as a member of the world’s greatest supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of David Crosby NEW!

David Crosby passed a couple of days ago at the age of 81. Yeah, he could be caustic at times, but the same is true of Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison. What we prefer to remember is his contribution to the creation of both folk-rock and country-rock, and as a founding member of both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash (Neil Young would be added later and was in-and-out of the group over its musical life).Tonight we put him In the Spotlight where he belongs.

We’ve got a hell of a music lineup for you today. This one is not to be missed. We take a trip to New Orleans and give you two musical geniuses to boot. All free of charge. Your money is absolutely no good here. We’re all about the music and we are on non-stop 24/7, not just when we have programming.

We Celebrate David Crosby

It’s Both a Mudcrutch AND Macca Monday Here in The Lounge With Some ‘Live’ Poco In Between. The Ultimate Sandwich on January 16, 2023.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr., day freedom fighters. We’ve got a great day of music here in the lounge and we’ve created the ultimate cookie for you today with Macca and Mudcrutch as the start and the finish and ‘live’ Poco in between.

Here’s your Monday-Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Paul McCartney

It’s the beginning of another work week here in the world, and we’ve got some great music on tap to ease you in, starting with McCartney In the Spotlight. This guy has made so much music over his long career that this playlist only touches the surface, focusing mostly on his work with The Beatles and Wings and just a bit of his solo stuff. We’re planning a second playlist down the road.

3:00 p.m. Poco Live at Fairleigh-Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, November 2, 1973

This is one sweet country-rock band that is sometimes overlooked on the spectrum, but shouldn’t be. We’re working on beefing up their presence in our rotation but, in the meantime, we’ve got this great live performance that was broadcast live on KBFH-FM.

7:00 p.m. Mudcrutch Monday Madness! The Complete Collection

We close the programming by giving you Mudcrutch Monday Madness, the full collection of songs ever made by Tom Petty’s ‘other’ band. It’s actually the band that he left Gainesville with as he headed off to California and fame. This was the band that morphed into Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, more on the country side than the rock n’ roll side. Enjoy. It was a great band.

I don’t know what it’s doing where you are, but it’s finally snowing here. But the weather gods says it’s going to be little to no accumulation as it will turn to rain as the temperature rises. Either way, it’s my day off and I’m hunkering down here in The Mermaid Lounge and putting on my listening ears. You should do the same.

Macca-Poco-Mudcrutch

It’s Wilbury Wednesday Here in The Lounge as We Bring You The Bootlegs, Followed by Laura Nyro and a New Elvis Presley Spotlight as We Celebrate His Birthday, January 11, 2023

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Today we have our first Wilbury Wednesday of the new year and we belatedly celebrate The King’s 88th birthday (this past Sunday). We’re sometimes more than a day late but we’re never a dollar short.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Wilbury Wednesday: The Bootleg Series

Yep. It’s all here. Outtakes. Alternate versions. Special recording sessions. Stuff that was never released and stuff that was from the absolute best supergroup on the planet, bar none.

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Laura Nyro

We give Laura Nyro her second airing of three today as this week’s featured Singer-Songwriter. Our final airing will be sometime on Friday as we get ready to introduce a new artist on Saturday.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Elvis Presley NEW!

There are several founding artists of rock n’ roll, but Elvis made the music accessible to all as we began a great revolution in music. This past Sunday would have been The King’s 88th birthday. In celebration, although belatedly, we put him In the Spotlight where he belongs.

We’re at midweek, people. It’s all downhill toward the weekend from here, and we’ve got the best music on the planet to help your journey more pleasant. We are on 24/7 at no charge to you. We do not accept commercial advertising or employ chatty DJs who love the sound of their own voice. The Music Mermaid is having none of that.

It’s Wilbury Wednesday!

Tuesday Bluesday is Here With ‘The Best of Chicago Blues’ EP, Our AOW, and a New Susan Tedeschi Spotlight Feature, on January 10, 2023

Happy Tuesday Bluesday, Bluesologists! We’re back and anticipating a full house today. It’s generally pretty busy on Tuesday. We have a brand new playlist closing out the programming this evening with Susan Tedeschi In the Spotlight.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

We’re back with our great Chicago Blues extended playlist. You’ll hear the music of 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. Album of The Week: Abraxas by Santana

This is the only non-blues programming of the day. It’s the second airing of our Album of The Week by Santana, and it’s a beauty. It was their second studio album and their first to reach number one on the U.S. album charts.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Susan Tedeschi NEW!

If you ask people about Susan Tedeschi, they’ll talk about the Tedeschi Trucks Band, one of the absolute best bands on the planet. Yet Boston-born and raised Susan Tedeschi had a solo career long before she met and married Derek Trucks, one of the best guitarists on the planet. Susan Tedeschi is one kick-ass vocalist, and tonight we give her a Spotlight featuring her solo stuff. (We also have a Tedeschi Trucks Spotlight and are putting together a Derek Trucks Band Spotlight in the next week or so.)

Here we are on another Tuesday Bluesday, and we are ready and raring to go here in The Mermaid Lounge. We are amping up our blues content in 2023, and we think you’re going to like it! Stick around.

Tuesday Bluesday is here!

We Begin Another Work Week With Johnny Rivers, Music Banned From the Airwaves, and The Band ‘Live’ in D.C. on Monday, January 9, 2023

Good morning, music lovers across the globe! We begin yet another work week here in The Mermaid Lounge. However, do not despair! We’ve got some great music lined up for you today that will help take the workday blues away.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Johnny Rivers UPDATED!

Johnny Rivers was an Italian boy born in New York City, but raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was influenced by the distinctive Louisiana music style. His repertoire includes pop, folk, blues and just plain good old rock n’ roll. He is best remembered for a string of hits between 1964 through 1968, including Memphis, Mountain of Love, Secret Agent Man, and The Seventh Son. He’s also written a number of songs, including Abraham, Martin and John, a great tune that became a hit for Dion. We’ve recently expanded this playlist just a bit and we’ve got it for you today.

3:00 p.m. Banned From the Airwaves: Various Artists

Yes, you can hear these songs today, but when they were first released it was another story. Some were banned for their sexual references, some for their weed references, some because of their references to guns, and some because of their references to the almighty supreme being. You’ll hear The Doors, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, The Kinks, Paul McCartney & Wings, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Kingsmen, The Who, Van Morrison, The Shirelles, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Barry McGuire, Them, The Rolling Stones, Peter, Paul & Mary, Billy Joel, Neil Young and more!

7:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Carter Baron Amphitheatre,Washington, D.C., July 17, 1976

We close out the programming with a live performance by a favorite here in The Mermaid Lounge. They began as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and turned into one of the most well-respected and influential bands in all of popular music. This one was broadcast live on the legendary radio show, The King Biscuit Flower Hour.

Let’s face it. Mondays suck. The one thing we can offer to improve the situation is great music. We’re here 24/7 (not just when we have programming), uninterrupted by commercial advertising of any kind (just a few station I.D. announcements from yours truly so you know where you are), and at no cost to you. We don’t even ask your name.

Banned From the Airwaves!