We’re Exiting the Work Week in Style With an Impressive Lineup at Red Rocks, Stevie Wonder’s Final Stand, and The Final Volume of The Heartbreakers at The Fillmore ’97, on Friday, February 3, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got Stevie Wonder’s final turn as this week’s singer-songwriter sandwiched between two great live performances to close out the work week. Read on!

Here’s the end-of-the-week lineup:

11:00 a.m. Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Hornsby, David Lindley and Wally Ingram Live at Red Rocks, Morrison, CO, September 12, 1999

I must say I had the pleasure of seeing this tour at what was then called The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, back in 1999. I even bought myself a tee that I wore so much that I wore it out. This was an amazing performance by an incredibly gifted group of musicians that I will never forget. We bring it to you today for your listening pleasure!

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Stevie Wonder FINAL AIRING!

This is the final airing of Stevie Wonder as this week’s featured singer-songwriter, so get on it while you can. The man had his first No. 1 hit at the age of thirteen, after signing his first contract with Tamla at the age of eleven. Tomorrow, we’ll be selecting a brand new artist, but today we’ve got “Little” Stevie Wonder.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, Volume Three, 1997

We close out the programming today with the final volume of The Heartbreakers’s unprecedented 20-show residency at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Many in attendance purchased tickets for multiple nights and were treated to a different show each time as the band scrapped their canned show and took their lead from audience suggestions. This is one event I wish I had the opportunity to see, but the release by curated by the Petty family and his bandmates is pretty incredible.

I don’t know what’s going on with the weather where you are, but here in Boston we’ve got high winds with wind chill factors down to -36 degrees forecasted for today through tomorrow. If I didn’t have to go out to work, I’d be here in The Mermaid Lounge listening to all this great music. And hey, we’re not just broadcasting when we have programming. We’re on 24/7 all year long rotating 27,000+ great tunes.

Today It’s the Final Airing of Our AOW, the ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, and We Introduce Shawn Colvin as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, January 21, 2023

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: A Night of Blistering Blues by B. B. King & Friends FINAL AIRING!

We send this one off into the sunset today. Tune in to hear B. B. King, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more deliver some kick-ass blues. Recorded live in L.A. in 1987. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection when you finally roll out of bed.

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

If you’re wondering about the graphic, you shouldn’t be. Folk music gave birth to protest music with artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly and Bob Dylan. In additon, you’ll hear those who followed and carried on the tradition in various ways, including John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Shawn Colvin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Townes Van Zandt, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Bonnie Raitt, The Beatles, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys and more!

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Shawn Colvin NEW!

Speaking of folk music, this evening we introduce our new featured singer-songwriter, Shawn Colvin, A veteran of the Fast Folk Cooperative of Greenwich Village, Colvin is a three-time Grammy winner. She is best known for her song Sunny Came Home, which won Grammys for both Song and Record of the Year in 1998. She has been composing, singing, recording and performing live for decades and is rightfully our new featured singer-songwriter.

Come on, folks, it’s the weekend. What better time to kick back and relax and get into some good music. We are totally free of charge with no commercial advertising. Just music. So, just do it. All you need is a tab and the button below.

We’ve Got Our ‘Seasons’ Multi-Artist Playlist, the Final Airing of Jackson Browne as our Singer-Songwriter, and a New Carly Simon Spotlight on Friday, January 6, 2023

Good Morning, Weekenders! Yes, it’s here: The Weekend, brought to you by The Labor Movement. And it’s going to be a great musical weekend indeed. There’s no time to lose as we begin today!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Seasons: Various Artists

It’s supposed to be winter here in the Boston area, but it has been anything but with temperatures reaching the fifties on some days. But nevertheless, it is one of the four seasons and we have a playlist for that. You’ll hear Bobbie Gentry, Janis Ian, Donovan, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Johnny Rivers, Hoyt Axton, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Wendy Waldman, Eva Cassidy, Michael Murphy, The Rolling Stones, John Prine, Electric Light Orchestra, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Jefferson Airplane, The Band, The Doors, The Kinks, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone and more!

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne

This is the final airing of Jackson Browne as our featured singer-songwriter, an artist who wrote for others during the sixties, helped pioneer country-rock down in Laurel Canyon and put the Eagles on the map, and whose own career took off in the seventies and is still rolling. Don’t miss it. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new artist.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Carly Simon NEW!

This one has been on my ‘to do’ list for a while and I’ve finally brought it to fruition here. Carly Simon began singing with her sister, Lucy, back in 1963 and strung together a bunch of great hits during the seventies like Anticipation, That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be, and You’re So Vain. While Mick Jagger appears on You’re So Vain and everyone assumed it was about him, Carly Simon actually revealed that it was about Warren Beatty.

We’re just getting warmed up for the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge, so do give us a shot. We’re totally free 24/7 and we do not run commercial advertising. We’re not looking for anyone to pay our way here. We take care of that ourselves. It’s all about the music here. We intend to keep it that way.

Midweek Begins With Our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, Then Moves to Jackson Browne and Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue Tour, Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Good morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a strong midweek lineup for you today as we kick it all off with those sweet Laurel Canyon sounds that fused country and rock. From there we move on to Jackson Browne and Dylan.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

Laurel Canyon was a creative breeding ground for two generations of musicians as they pioneered the sounds of country-rock. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne

Today we give Jackson Browne his second airing as our featured singer-songwriter. He spent a fair amount of time hanging in Laurel Canyon honing his craft.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan, Live in ’75: The Rolling Thunder Revue

Bringing up the rear are ‘live’ selections from Bob Dylan’s iconic Rolling Thunder Revue Tour. Throughout the year we’ll also be airing individual shows.

Come on, people. Get on the bandwagon. We’re totally free. This is a labor of musical love. I promise. Your money is no good here in The Mermaid Lounge.

It’s New Year’s Eve and We Celebrate With The ‘M is For Motown’ EP, Our AOW, Jackson Browne as The New Featured Singer-Songwriter, and The Heartbreakers’ ’78 New Year’s Eve Concert, Saturday, December 31, 2022

Good Morning, Revelers! We’re celebrating New Year’s Eve (and day) all day today with some great music to get you through to the midnight hour and beyond!

Here’s your New Year’s Eve lineup:

9:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We kick it off early by paying a musical visit to Motor City (Motown) where you’ll hear the songs that put Motown on the map from the likes of Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Edwin Starr, 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, Tami Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Carney by Leon Russell FINAL AIRING!

This is the final airing of this week’s AOW. It’ll be in the history books tonight, and we’ll have a brand new album on Sunday.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne NEW!

Tonight we launch Jackson Browne as our newest singer-songwriter. This is a guy who wrote songs for other artists in the sixties, but broke out on his own during the early seventies. He hasn’t stopped since.

10:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA, December 31, 1978

We close out the programming with a great live performace by our house band at their infamous New Year’s Eve concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. They are kickin’ ass and taking names.

Time to Tune us in as we get ready for a new year here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Today We’ll Do a Little Dreaming, Give You The Final Airing of Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Put Aretha In the Spotlight Later, Friday, December 30, 2020

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’re onto a good day here in The Mermaid Lounge with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP starting everything off and Aretha Franklin closing out the programmed portion of the program. Did you get that?

Here’s Friday’s programming:

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

Do you remember your dreams? Sometimes I do. Dreaming is a good subject for a playlist. We left a lot of songs off this one. Maybe we’ll build two eventually. For today, 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, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimmy Buffett, The Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more!

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle

We wrap up the McGarrigle sister’s stint as our featured singer-songwriters today. Next up is Jackson Browne on New Year’s Eve.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: the Music of Aretha Franklin

Closing out the programming is the undisputable Queen of Soul. She’ll be here to serenade you as we close out the day’s programming and return to our wide Open Stream.

We’re off to the races this morning as I’ve been bequeathed a mission of mercy by my eldest child. They never really grow up, you know. It’s a myth. But I digress. Tune us in. We’re totally free of charge 24/7. Your money’s no good here.

Happy Holidays From The Mermaid Lounge! Today We Bring Leon Russell With Our New AOW and the ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, Sunday, December 25, 2022

Good morning and Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, whatever you choose. We are here in The Mermaid Lounge where all we have to offer is non-stop music at no charge to you on a 24/7 rotation. And I’m happy to report we do not play Christmas music.

Here’s today’s holiday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Carney by Leon Russell

I have long been a fan of Leon Russell. He’s one of my favorite singer-songwriters. I also remember the first time I heard Carney and thinking that this would be the album where others would recognize just how great he truly was. Carney is Russell’s third studio album, released in 1972. It gave him his first hit single in Tight Rope (backed by Masquerade). The album is a split between straightforward roots rock and a bit of psychedelia. The music critics hate that shit, but his fans didn’t. That’s what mattered. The album peaked at No. 2 on Billboard.

1:00 p.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Water is absolutely essential to the perpetuation of life on the planet, and it is a popular subject in the music world, as you will see. You’ll hear songs by Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Elton John, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys. Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

Yes, it’s a day to be with friends and family. I’ll be doing the same in a while. But in the meantime we’ve got your music here. And it’ll be here when you’re done reveling. We continue on.

A Keep-It-Simple Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge Brings Our New AOW and The ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, December 4, 2022

It’s Sunday morning here in The Mermaid Lounge and I’m off to a bit of a later start than usual, but that’s because we’re keeping it simple today. Somehow, it’s only fitting that Rumors is our Album of The Week this week as we bid farewell to the late, great Christine McVie. We here in the Lounge believe the best stuff on this one was hers.

Here’s today’s musical magic:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Rumors by Fleetwood Mac NEW!

Sometimes things just fall into place. When I add to my album list, I sometimes add ten or twenty to the list at time so I don’t have to think about it every week. That’s what happened with Rumors. I had no idea I’d be paying respects to the late, great Christine McVie this week. It’s only fitting that this great album fell into place here. One of my favorite albums of all time for sure from a band I sometimes have a love-hate relationship with. But that’s me. Big Mac is one of those bands I liked better as a blues band. I certainly don’t like everything they did as a pop-rock band, but I like enough of it. This was their eleventh studio album and it was released during a time of heavy drug use and personal relationship management problems, hence the title. I only ever saw them once live in my lifetime and that was enough. It was just that Stevie Nicks spent too much time changing outfits for me.

4:00 p.m. Music From Lauren Canyon: Various Artists

One of the best times in music was undoubtedly the sixties and seventies, when cross-pollination was king. It was during this time that country-rock was born. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayuall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Souther-Hillman-Furay, Linda Ronstadt and more!

This is Sunday, a day of rest, even for whomever The Big Person is is up there overlooking the universe. Why not kick off your shoes, pour yourself a drink and tune us in for a spell. Come on. You know you want to, so why not just do it. Seriously.

We’ve Got a Busy One Today With Our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, Our AOW, and An Outgoing and Incoming Singer-Songwriter Series, Saturday, November 5, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We have our usual busy Saturday here in The Mermaid Lounge, people, but no matter what we have going, we’re always going to have more open stream hours in a day than programs. And that’s by design. Read on for details!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

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

Laurel Canyon was home to two generations of musicians, a vast musical landscape of cross-pollination that helped to create the genre known as country rock and inspire a host of musicians who came after. You will hear from The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Doors, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Stephen Stills & Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Linda Ronstadt, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Revolver (2022) by The Beatles FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to this latest masterpiece, but we are by no means done with the Revolver box set. You will see more in the coming weeks. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new album for you. Still TBD.

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne FINAL AIRING!

Jackson Browne is our outgoing featured Singer-Songwriter this week. We hope you’ll get a chance to tune this in if you haven’t yet done so. We air these three times a week at various times.

10:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Lucinda Williams NEW!

We usher in our new Singer-Songwriter for her debut! One of the finest singer-songwriters on the planet, Lucinda Williams labored in obscurity for a while before knocking ’em dead. She has since become one of the most respected music artists and songwriters in the business. You can read about her here, and you can hear her for yourselves tonight at ten.

We’re off to an early start today, so I can’t spend a lot of time writing here. Suffice it to say that you can look at the blog post from yesterday and read the final paragraph. It’s the same every day, kids. You’ve just got to take that leap of faith and give us a shot. We are totally free. The only thing we require is a bit of time.

We’re at Midweek With The ‘Color My World’ EP, Jackson Browne as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, and The 40th Anniversary of “Long After Dark” by The Heartbreakers! November 2, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We are at midweek and we’ve got a great day of programming set up for you today, including an airing of Long After Dark by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of its release in 1982.

Here’s today’s musical journey:

10:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists (pictured above)

This is one of our newest EP’s that talks about colors in the title, lyrics or both. You’ll hear from Valerie Carter, Linda Ronstadt, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Traveling Wilburys, Jonathan Edwards, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, John Hiatt, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Elton John, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Amy Winehouse, The Who, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, San & Dave, Jefferson Airplane, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, The Hollies, Jimi Hendrix, Booker T. & The MGs, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Cougar Mellencamp, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more!

7:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jackson Browne

It’s the second airing of our Songer-Songwriter Series featuring Jackson Browne. We’ve got one more to come sometime this week.

10:00 p.m. NOT The Album of The Week: Long After Dark by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

We close the programming with a one-time airing of Long After Dark on the 40th anniversary of its release (hard to believe it’s been that long). This one has already been our album of the week.

One more time: This would be a great day to tune us in and get a feel for what we’re all about. Hell, lock your office door, pull up a tab and turn us on. Find a project that you have to get done. Put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door and get your musical shit together.