It’s a Soul Music Fest on Mother’s Day With ‘M is For Motown’, ‘Live’ James Brown, and Bill Withers, Sunday, May 12, 2024

Good morning, soul music lovers! We celebrate Mother’s Day with a little bit of soul in our programming today, starting with ‘M is For Motown’.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We kick it off with our tribute to Motown with 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, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

4:00 p.m. James Brown Live at The House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV, June 13, 1999

The hardest working man in showbiz takes the stage this afternoon live from The House of Blues in Vegas.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bill Withers

In comparison to other artists, singer-songwriter Bill Withers career in music was short, spanning only 18 years, but he had an amazing impact on music during that time, winning three Grammy awards and being nominated for six more. He also had a string of great hits including Lean On Me, Just The Two of Us, and Ain’t No Sunshine. He is a Mermaid Lounge favorite and he’s In the Spotlight this evening.

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone, because everyone is essentially a mother. Kick off those shoes, sit back and listen to some great music today. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge and free of advertising!

Welcome to Monday With Ray Charles and Our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, April 22, 2024

Welcome to Monday, Monday. In between Ray Charles and our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, we’ve got a bunch of great wide Open Stream to kick off the week.

Here’s Monday’s lineup:

This one has been a long time coming and it’s finally here. We kick off the program with a long-awaited Ray Charles spotlight. We have been remiss and we repent.

3:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We move from Ray Charles into our big, bad soul and R&B EP, where you’ll hear more Ray Charles in addition to Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Eddie Floyd, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

It’s Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, The Association, and Tom Petty as Our Featured Singer-Songwriter, Monday, February 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are starting off the week with a rare EP on a Monday, but it’s a short month and we have to get this one in. We are also winding down on our Singer-Songwriter Series, saving the best for last. This week we introduce Tom Petty as our featured artist. Next week? It’s Lennon & McCartney.

Here’s your musical Monday:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

One of two major sixties playlists airs today. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Little Eva, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Blues Image, Booker T & The MG’s, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The Association Live at The Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 3, 1970

I love airing the old bands. It’s often tough to find ‘live’ performances but, if you persevere, you can find some. This is a great performance from The Salt Palace.

We’re winding down on this great series which has taken us through nearly a year. We’ve saved the best for the end. This week we feature Dr. Tom Petty, certainly the most prolific and consequential songwriter of his generation via The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys and his solo career. Every single song on this playlist is a Petty composition, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s Simply Sunday With EJ’s AOW and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, January 28, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Sundays are simple here: A couple of programs and our big, wide Open Stream. We start things off with another album celebrathing it’s 50th birthday.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

This was Elton John’s eighth studio album, released in June of 1974. It was his fourth no. 1 album in the U.S. and his third in the UK. The critics didn’t like it much, but his fans sure did as it went double platinum. Do I think it’s his best? Nope. But there were more good than bad songs on this one, and I’m talking about good songs beyond the two singles: The Bitch Is Back (one of my favorite Elton John songs) and Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Happy 50th Birthday, Caribou.

3:00 p.m.  The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’ve got the second volume of our great sixties rotation this afternoon with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

It’s Friday and We’ve Got ‘Paint It Black’, Delbert McClinton and Doris Troy On The Docket, January 26, 2024

Happy Friday, music lovers! We are on a Friday, and that means plenty of wide Open Stream from The Music Mermaid wrapped around this great programming.

Here’s your Friday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

Time to crank this one up: Songs with the color black in the title, lyrics or both with The Rolling Stones (of course), The Beatles, The Move, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, James Brown, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Them, Long John Baldry, Fairport Convention, Dr. John, The Kinks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Laura Nyro, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Linda Ronstadt, Jethro Tull and more!

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

Delbert McClinton takes his final spin as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. On Monday, we will introduce another!

I’ll bet some people don’t even know her name, but they just might recognize her voice. She had one very big hit here in the U.S. called Just One Look, which she also co-wrote. But Doris Troy never found an artistic footing in the U.S. for some unnamed reason. She did, however, find her mojo in the UK where she found she was a favorite of a guy named George Harrison, who signed her to a contract with Apple Records. He even gave her an office with a piano at Apple Records, and she spent time writing music with George and Ringo. Give her a listen. You’ll like her.

Volume Two of The Sixties, Hank Williams and ‘Live’ Little Feat Are in the Plan for Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Yes, music lovers, we’re motoring toward our sixth year playing tunes her in The Mermaid Lounge, and we are going out in style.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

The sixties are back for another round, this time covering the mid-to-late part of the decade with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, James Brown, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, Bob Dylan, The Band, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Hank Williams

The late, great Hank Williams is back for his second airing as our featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m.  Little Feat Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, New York, April 10, 1973

Nothing like a live performance by Little Feat. I saw them for the first time at Harvard Square Theater when they opened for Jerry Jeff Walker. Have loved them ever since, but there is nothing like the Lowell George version of the band. Some artists just cannot be replaced.

We’re at midweek and we’re cooking with gas. Get on board. The music’s free; no credit card required; no personal information requested. And we’re not tracking you because we’re not selling you anything. Our music is uninterrupted by commercial advertising.

It’s Simply Sunday With Tom Rush’s “Merrimack County” and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, October 29, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re light on programming today but have plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lineup:

One of my favorite albums of all time (his ninth) with my favorite Tom Rush song ever in Kids These Days. Rush is rightfully called a pioneer of the singer-songwriter genre. His interpretations put plenty of them on the map, including Joni Mitchell. In addition to that, he has managed a solo singing career that has spanned sixty years. A New England born and bred favorite.

3:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We take you back to the sixties again for some mid-to-late decade sounds with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

We Hit Our Midweek Stride With The ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP and John Prine In the Spotlight, Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Here we are hitting our midweek stride with some great soul and R & B to kickstart your day. We follow that up with John Prine In the Spotlight later.

Here’s today’s programming:

10:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Today we pay homage to all of those soul and R & B artists who made America get off its seat. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, The Ad Libs, Arthur Conley, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Percy Sledge and more!

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

October is a busy month, and the late, great John Prine would have celebrated his birthday on October 10. He is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time who had a unique wit and perspective on life. We’re celebrating his life today by putting him In The Spotlight.

Before, in between and all night long we’ve got all the non-programming filled in with wide Open Stream under the expert guidance of The Music Mermaid. You know her reputation already: She has impeccable taste in music and is ready to share it with you.

We Start Off The Week With The Neville Brothers, The Soul Men, and Bonnie Raitt & Friends at Ultrasonic, Monday, August 8, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers across the globe! We’re kicking off the work week in fine style today, starting off with the musical flavor of New Orleans in The Neville Brothers.

The Neville Brothers will be here to start your day promptly at 11:00 a.m.

Here’s your Monday lineup:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Neville Brothers

Aaron, Art, Cyril and Ivan are The Neville Brothers, a great R & B, soul and funk band formed in New Orleans in 1977. I may never have known this band had I not spent the better part of a decade traveling to New Orleans on business. That’s when I fell in love with the city and its music.

4:00 p.m. The Soul Men, Volume 1: Various Artists

Last week we gave you The Soul Sisters and this week we give you their male counterparts. You’ll hear Jimmy Ruffin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Ben E. King, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Stevie Wonder, Clarence Carter, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Al Green, Bill Withers, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Fats Domino and more!

8:00 p.m. Bonnie Raitt, Lowell George & Friends Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, October 17, 1972

Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George were joined by John Hammond and long-time bass player Freebo (Daniel Friedberg) for a concert at the famed Ultrasonic Studios that was broadcast on WLIR-FM. Although Freebo is known mostly for his work with Bonnie Raitt, he has played with Aaron Neville, Maria Muldaur, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Dr. John and many others. He’s a Class-A session musician if ever there was one.

Your week will always start out better with great music, and we’ve got you all set up for today. Don’t squander this opportunity or you’ll have to wait until next week to start your week out right!

Saturday in The Lounge Brings ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, The Final Airing of Our AOW, and LIVE DEAD! Later, June 11, 2022

Good Morning, Weekenders! It’s your time here in The Mermaid Lounge and we kick off the day with our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP (not to be confused with ‘M is For Motown’). This covers soul and R & B from all over the spectrum!

Today we’ve all got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’

Here’s Saturday’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Motown is the most renown, but it’s not the only record label for the genre. There was Stax with Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett; Muscle Shoals where Aretha Franklin released her first song in 1967; and Atlantic, with Ray Charles. Many of those who recorded for Muscle Shoals were distributed through Atlantic. We’ve got them all for you today including Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Living With the Animals by Mother Earth LAST AIRING!

Here’s the final airing of this great blues album featuring the amazing voice of Tracy Nelson. When you roll out of bed tomorrow morning there will be a brand new selection.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Dillon Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut, July 31, 1974

Another great soundboard recording from the Dead. It’s not new, but it hasn’t been aired since 2020 so it will be just like new. Remember, no two shows are the same anyway.

Get your weekend underway in style! We’ve got some great programming for you today interspersed in between all that great wide Open Stream. We’re totally free. That not only means that we’re free of commercial advertising, but we also don’t charge for anyone to listen. What’s not to love?