On Wednesday It’s Our ‘Friends of Mine’ EP, an Elton John Spotlight, and a Great Fab Four Playlist, April 3, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a great lineup, including a great Beatles playlist featuring songs with time changes.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We’ve all got friends, some good friends and some not so much. There’s no shortage of songs about friends, and you’ll hear The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, The Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elton John, Argent, Maria Muldaur, Otis Redding and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Elton John

When Elton John stepped into the music world in 1969, we had no idea how good he was going to be. Over more than five decades, he and his writing mate, Bernie Taupin, have created some great music together.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles: A Change In Time

There is absolutely no debate that The Beatles are the greatest rock band in the world, bar none. They created the music that changed the world, and — encouraged by the great George Martin — employed creative techniques that set them apart from the rest. Tonight we have a playlist of Beatle songs incorporating time changes.

We’re at midweek. After today, we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend once again. So, why not get there in style with the best music on the planet. That’s what we’re all about.

Linda Ronstadt’s Final AOW, ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ and a Jimmy Cliff Spotlight on Sunday, March 24, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! It’s Sunday in The Lounge and we have our final AOW in the series today, along with our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and Jimmy Cliff later.

Here are your Sunday Funday programs:

This album was one of the very first we featured back in 2019, and it’s our final AOW as we’ll be using the slot for other programming. This album turns 50 this year, and it stands the test of time. Ronstadt’s fifth studio album was her final for Capitol Records and the album that finally put her on the map. There was no turning back. The rest is music history.

12:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

I remember the great folk music revival of the sixties, much centered around the Greenwich Village area. However, folk has a long history and was the catalyst for protest music. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff is a reggae, ska, rocksteady, soul singer, musician and multi-instrumentalist. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences. Tonight we have him In the Spotlight.

The “Court & Spark” Finale, A Trip to Laurel Canyon, and ‘Live’ Heartbreakers on Saturday, March 16, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We have made it to Saturday once again, and we’ve got some great stuff on tap, including The Heartbreakers 30th Anniversary Tour from Gainsville.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell FINAL AIRING!

Today we give you the final airing of this unbelievably amazing album, one of the best albums of all time, as we continue on the 50th anniversary roundup.

12:00 p.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We’ve got an update on tap for this great playlist that covers two generations of musicians who lived and made music together in Laurel Canyon. It was the cross-fertilization of styles that helped usher in country-rock. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and more!

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live From the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL, September 21, 2006

The photo on this post is from an earlier timeframe, but the energy The Heartbreakers brought to their live performances never changed over their amazing 40-year run. This would be the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour from their hometown, and it was a beauty.

Wake up and tune us in. We’re on 24/7; not just when we have programming. We’re continually circulating 27,000 songs daily. You never know what’s coming next, and that’s what we really like about radio. Those were the days. We didn’t have custom playlists, Spotify, or whatever else pay-for-play hell is out there. We had our transistor radios and endless summer days waiting for the next song to cue up.

Sunday Brings Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic”, Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP and More of Those Badass Guitarists, March 3, 2024

It’s Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we intro our new 50th birthday LP from Steely Dan, give you ‘Travelin’ Fever’ and volume two of Badass Guitarists.

Here’s your Sunday funday lineup:

Steely Dan’s third studio album was released on February 20, 1974 and became both a critical and commercial success. The single Rikki Don’t Lose That Number was the biggest single hit of the band’s career, but in my mind it wasn’t the only ‘hit’ on the album. Night By Night and With A Gun are pretty damned spectacular. Happy 50th!

1:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

More songs from the road from Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Asleep At The Wheel, The Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch, Buffalo Springfield, Loggins & Messina, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, the Marshall Tucker Band, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and more!

8:00 p.m. Badass Guitarists, Volume Two: Various Artists

Yes. Various artists who may not be the singers of the songs. You’ll hear the handiwork of Duane Allman, Albert Lee, Eric Clapton, Brian May, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Andrew Gold, John Fogerty, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and more!

We’ve Got a Great Sunday On Tap With Queen, Our House EP and Birthday Boy George Harrison, February 25, 2024

It’s another Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge and it’s also George Harrison’s birthday. We will celebrate that with our closing program. Before that it’s Queen’s new AOW and our multi-artist House EP.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

The band’s third studio album was released in November 1974, and was a departure from the progressive sound of their first two album. It focused instead on more pop-centric songs and traditional rock, eventually leading to the Queen ‘sound.’ The album propelled the band to mainstream popularity in the UK and the rest of the world. Happy 50th!

1:00 p.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

The music of the sixties (primarily) and seventies was the inspiration for starting this experiment. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, 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, The Plastic Ono Band, Paul McCartney & Wings, Joni Mitchell, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Marvin Gaye, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of George Harrison

Today we celebrate what would be George Harrison’s 81st birthday by putting him In the Spotlight featuring his muisc with The Beatles, The Traveling Wilbury’s and as a solo artist.

We Focus on Folk On The Downslide To the Weekend With Our EP and A New Roches Spotlight, Thursday, February 22, 2024

Good morning, folkologists! We are focusing on the genre today to open and close our programming. In between, we’ve got The Stones and their Album of The Week.

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Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

This, my friends, is the musical genre that birthed the protest song movement.Today we give you the anchors and those who simply love the genre and pay homage to it. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Phil Ochs, Guy Clark, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: It’s Only Rock N’ Roll by The Rolling Stones

The Stones return to The Mermaid Lounge for another round of our AOW.

Here’s a band of sisters who never, in my opinion, reached the level of respect that they deserved despite making some fine music. Today, we put them In the Spotlight. They have not yet been added to our big folk EP, but they’ll be there for the next airing.

Thursday Brings ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’, ELO’s AOW, and The Beatles’ Love Songs, February 15, 2024

Good morning, citizens! Today we’ve got the pioneers from Laurel Canyon, Eldorado by Electric Light Orchestra, and the love songs of The Beatles.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Laurel Canyon was the proving ground for bands for two decades of music. They lived and worked in harmony cross-fertilizing each other and establishing the country-rock genre. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and more! This one is due for an update soon!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Eldorado by Electric Light Orchestra

We are winding down on this album’s 50th birthday celebration. The final airing will be sometime Saturday.

8:00 p.m.  The Beatles: The Love Songs

We could not completely walk away from Valentines Day without this playlist. The Beatles were masters of the love song, and we’ve got them for you this evening.

Well, gang, we’re over the hump and on the downslide to another weekend. We’ll help you get there in musical style with some old music and some new additions! Tune us in. Just use the button below.

Welcome Weekenders! We’ve Got Jackson Browne, Our House EP and ‘Live’ Dan Fogelberg, Saturday, January 27, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the weekend here! Today we say farewell to our Album of The Week, hear the music that inspired the station and ‘live’ Dan Fogelberg later.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne FINAL AIRING!

Today we say farewell to the first album in our ’50th Birthday’ series. Tomorrow we will celebrate another album’s 50th!

11:30 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

The music that has long been emblazoned in my psyche and was the impetus to start this whole thing. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, 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, 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, Janis Joplin and more!

8:00 p.m.  Dan Fogelberg Live at The Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1985

The very first Spotlight list we built was for this guy, a most underappreciated singer-songwriter; one of the best of his generation. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that honor seems to have eluded him, in spite of the fact that they’ve managed to induct The BeeGees, Funkadelic, AC/DC, The Clash, Aerosmith, Tupac, Jay-Z and the other “stars” of music. Fogelberg has been ‘eligible’ since 1998; it’s 2024, folks. Figure it the fuck out.

Sorry. Had to get that out. It pissed me off how long it took for them to induct Linda Ronstadt. They waited until she lost her magnificent voice. Give me a break. Anyway, I digress. We are here. It’s our third day of rain. Gloomy. But not here in The Lounge where The Music Mermaid resides. She’ll be in charge today as I work my last shift of the week.

We’re at Midweek With a Focus on Folk Music, and a Visit From Delbert McClinton, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Good morning, folk-ologists! We’re focused on folk today as we open and close with folk music pioneers and those who continue to support the genre.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Today we salute the pioneers of folk, those who have kept the genre flourishing, and those who pay it homage. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Led Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

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

Delbert stops by at 4:00 p.m. for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

Ian & Sylvia was a true folk duo that performed together from 1959 to 1975; after moving to Nashville, they were also instrumental in helping the country-rock genre take hold. They were pretty well respected in their time, but have somehow fallen through the cracks. But today, we put them In The Spotlight where they belong.

It’s Simply Sunday With Kris Kristofferson’s New AOW and the ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, January 14, 2024

Good morning and welcome to yet another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge as we give you a great new Album of The Week and spin the music from the fabled Laurel Canyon, the birthplace of country-rock.

Here’s your musical lineup:

This was Kristofferson’s fourth studio album released in 1972. Every response to the album was mixed, but his out-of-character religious song Why Me became a number one hit. How the song came about is explained here. Nevertheless, I loved the album and, in spite of the fact that the title song was released then faded, I think it’s one of his best.

3:00 p.m.  Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We’re back visiting the inhabitants of Laurel Canyon, the birthplace of country-rock, a fertile creative landscape for two generations of musicians (sixties, seventies). You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and more. Best of all, this one’s due for an update soon!