Tag: John Hiatt

It’s Finally Friday With Songs About Time, Live Allman Brothers Band, and The Traveling Wilburys, October 17, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a great lineup heading into Friday, and we start with songs about time (which is, of course, relative)!

Here’s your Finally Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. It’s Aboout Time: Various Artists

We kick it off with songs about time from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Carly Simon, Dr. John, J.D. Souther, The Chambers Brothers, John Hiatt, Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Nina Simone, Shawn Colvin, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Dusty Springfield, Valerie Carter, Buckwheat Zydeco, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Fairport Convention, and more!

4:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 12 & 13, 1971

We spend some quality time with The Brothers at The Fillmore East this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. The Traveling Wilburys: The Bootleg Collection

This is always a great take as we feature the greatest supergroup on the planet with alternate versions, outtakes, special recording sessions, and some stuff you’ve most likely never heard.

We’re here every day around the clock playing the greatest music on the planet totally free of charge and completly free of commercial advertising. What’s not to love? Just hit the button below for a trip to musical nirvana.

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Sunday It’s Live John Hiatt in Between ‘The Founders’ EP, and a Little Richard ‘Spotlight’ Feature, On July 13, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge. Today we jump into action with the artists who pioneered rock and roll, as well as rock and roll icon Little Richard. In between, it’s a bit of live John Hiatt.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

Rock and roll was born of the blues and country music, pioneered by artists like 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! You’ll hear them all today.

4:00 p.m. John Hiatt Live at The Bottom Line, New York, NY, October 7, 1988

This afternoon we feature an underappreciated artist, a man called a songwriter’s songwriter. He is a Nashville hall of famer and his music has been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Three Dog Night, Bruce Springsteen and many more. Give him a listen this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Little Richard

There’s not enough we can say about Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard. He was like a stick of dynamite who laid the foundation for rock and roll. This incredible singer, songwriter and pianist influenced the music and culture of America for seven decades. We put him squarely ‘In the Spotlight’ this evening.

It’s Sunday and it’s a day of rest. Sit back and enjoy the best music on the planet. We’ve got it. What we don’t have is commercial advertising or DJ’s who chat endlessly. See for yourselves. The button is below.

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On Friday, It’s Live Neil Young & Crazy Horse, the ‘Color My World’ EP, and a Desmond Dekker ‘Spotlight’, June 27, 2025

Here we are on the cusp of the weekend once again, and we’ve got a great lineup for you today that starts with some live music from Neil Young. Check out the blog for details.

Here’s your Friday musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Neil Young & Crazy Horse Live at Shorline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA, October 1, 1994

We open it up with some live Neil Young with his absolute favorite back-up band, Crazy Horse (ours too). This is an excellent show at the iconic Shorline.

1:00 p.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We move into songs that talk about colors up and down the spectrum. Spend the afternoon with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Desmond Dekker & The Aces

In truth, there are probably several Dekker songs without the Aces, but the song that hooked me was Israelites. There have been many great Reggae artists, although none as popular as the late, great Bob Marley. Dekker is another of those greats, and he is often referred to as The King of Ska.

We head to the weekend in fine style. We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we’re also commercial free. We’re about more than our programming. Before, in between, and after you’re treated to our big, wide Open Stream! The button is below.

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We’re at Midweek With the ‘Color My World’ EP, a Jesse Winchester ‘Spotlight,’ and ELO Live at Wembley, Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Good morning, music lovers, and welcome to midweek! We’ve got it going today, beginning with songs about colors, Jesse Winchester, and Jeff Lynne’s ELO!

Here’s your midweek music lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We open it up with songs about all the colors on the spectrum from James Taylor, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J. D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Jesse Winchester

Bob Dylan once said that you cannot talk about the best songwriters in music without including Jesse Winchester on that list. He’s right. The first time I ever saw him live was when he opened for Emmylou Harris at Boston’s Music Hall. It was a great performance all the way around. I often dreamed of seeing him in a small venue, like Passim’s Coffee House in Cambridge, but never had the opportunity. We do have a live performance or two by him at other small venues. We’ll be sure to get those on soon.

8:00 a.m. Jeff Lynne’s ELO Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, June 24, 2017

We close out the programming with Jeff Lynne’s ELO, who took their final world tour last year and passed through Boston, live at Wembley Stadium.

We’ll be headed for the weekend once again after today, and that is always a good thing to look forward to in a time where there seems to be so little to look forward to. The great music we play is another good thing to look forward to. The button is below!

The Button. Right here.

It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Richard & Mimi Farina NEW!

Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962

We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.

We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.

Richard & Mimi Farina

On Thursday It’s the ‘Color My World’ EP, a Bob Marley & The Wailers ‘Spotlight’, and Norah Jones at the HOB, March 27, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. We’re over the hump and on the downslide to the weekend with a great lineup of programming dispersed in our big, wide Open Stream!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

We start off with Open Stream with a theme: All the colors of the rainbow. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T. & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Bob Marley & The Wailers

The Legend himself and his bandmates stop by The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon to show us why they were a groundbreaking reggae, ska and rocksteady band.

8:00 p.m. Norah Jones Live at The House of Blues, Chicago, IL, August 24, 2002

We close the programming with a great live performance from the one and only Norah Jones, who also happens to be the daughter of the great Ravi Shankar.

Another day in paradise awaits. We’re almost to the weekend, when things settle down a bit…but just a bit. We’re never out of the shadow of The Orange Menace here. But music can help restore a bit of sanity in these trying times. The button is below.

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Saturday Delivers ‘Color My World’, a New Nicolette Larson ‘Spotlight’ and Some Live Moody Blues, December 21, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We finally made it. We’re excited today to finally have a ‘Spotlight’ feature for Nicolette Larson, who left us far too soon.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

It’s Open Stream with a Theme about colors with The Beatles, James Taylor, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nicolette Larson NEW!

We finally put together a ‘Spotlight’ feature for an artist who left us far too soon. Some of her music is already in our stream, but much more will be in there by this evening.

8:00 p.m. The Moody Blues Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO, March 19, 1993

We close it out today with the Moody Blues live in concert with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater.

I head for work today and look forward to a week of vacation time. There’ll be new music coming and we’ll get our plans together for the next year of programming. In the meantime, the button is below.

Nicolette Larson!

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.

It’s Songs About Colors, Volume Two of ‘The Summer of Love’ and Chuck Berry In The Spotlight, Saturday, July 20, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We are celebrating summer once again with volume two of our ‘Summer of Love’ playlist but not until we have songs about colors. Later, it’s Chuck Berry.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Songs about colors in the title, lyrics or both. In case you thought Paint It Black was only one of a handful of songs, think again. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m. Summer of Love, Volume Two: Various Artists

Today we continue the songs of 1967 with volume two of our ‘Summer of Love’ playlist. You’ll hear Jefferson Airplane, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Aretha Franklin, Buffalo Springfield, The Beatles, The Grass Roots, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, The Turtles, The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, Cream, Bobbie Gentry and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Chuck Berry

Tonight we close with one of the main architects of rock n’ roll, Mr. Chuck Berry, firmly In The Spotlight.

We’re here 24/7, programming or not. We have our big, wide Open Stream of never-ending songs. Our repeats are so far apart that they are like new when you hear them all over again. Either button will do.

SUMMER OF LOVE!
That’s 1967. Not 1969.

A Janis Joplin Spotlight Feature, A Playlist About Shoes, and Live John Hiatt Awaits You On Friday, July 5, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Once again we’ve made it to the end of the working week. We’ve got some great stuff to get you through this last day before the weekend arrives!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Janis Joplin

The reigning queen of blues-rock with Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band and as a solo artist kicks off the festivities at 10:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m. Those Shoes: Various Artists

Who knew there were so many songs about shoes? You’ll hear from Steve Winwood, Elvis Presley, The Eagles, Little Feat, Norah Jones, Laura Nyro, Leon Russell, Traffic, The Beatles, Supertramp, Betty Everett, The Band, Paul Simon and more!

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

John Hiatt is another of those singer-songwriters who puts people on the map. His songs of redemption and relationships have been covered by nearly one hundred artists, from Linda Ronstadt (a brilliant rendering of his We Ran), to Steve Earle to Iggy Pop. Today we put him In The Spotlight singing his own music.

Here we are on the cusp of another weekend. We’ve got your back as we work our way through the day. Before, in between, and after this programming we give you our big, wide Open Stream on a 24/7 basis, at no charge and with no commercial interruption. Just use the button below.

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