Midweek Brings Our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, Bluesman Jimmy Reed and ‘Live’ Joni Mitchell, Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek and we start things off with songs about dreaming, then it’s singer-songwriter Jimmy Reed and Joni Mitchell with the concert that started Greenpeace!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start off the morning, oddly enough, with songs about sleeping and dreaming from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, Alan Parsons Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jimmy Reed

We bring back bluesman Jimmy Reed for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

The concert known as Amchitka is the benefit concert that launched Greenpeace. Joni Mitchell was the featured performer, although both James Taylor and Phil Ochs took part. It was held to raise money to fund Greenpeace’s protest of the 1971 nuclear weapons tests by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission at Amchitka, Alaska.

If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Bluesday With The Ladies, the J. Geils Band and ‘Live’ Gregg Allman, January 2, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists! The second day of the new year is a Tuesday Bluesday and we’ve got a blues trifecta today that includes some new ‘live’ Gregg Allman Band!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

The ladies take over the lounge to open up our programming. You’ll hear from Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Bloodshot by The J. Geils Band

We have some fine blues-rock coming up this afternoon from Boston’s original bad boys.

Gregg Allman’s ‘other’ band when he wasn’t recording and touring with the Allman Brothers Band and when he didn’t feel like being a solo artist. Much like our friend Tom Petty with Mudcrutch. Tonight we have them live from Wolfgang’s in San Francisco.

Saturday Brings ‘The Female Species’ EP, Emmylou Harris, and Jimmy Reed as Our Singer-Songwriter, December 30, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! It’s yet another gloomy, rainy day here in the Boston area with no real snow in sight. Ho. Hum. But, the good new is that the music is outstanding as we close out 2023 and head into a new year this weekend!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  The Female Species: Various Artists

Not songs by women (although some certainly are), but songs about women, ladies, chicks, girls…you get the idea here. You’ll hear Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, The Boogaloo Swamis, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Evangeline today, one of the most underrated of Emmylou Harris’ albums. Seems that albums that are collections of just plain great songs isn’t enough these days. There must be a theme, or a message or…whatever. It’s music, man.

An unlikely ‘superstar’ of the blues world, singer-songwriter Jimmy Reed made the blues accessible to all. His unique voice and guitar style made him a favorite of blues fans and non-blues fans alike. Give a listen.

Thursday Brings Our EP About Friendship, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, December, 28, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we have songs about friends, Emmylou Harris and her AOW, and Linda Ronstadt drops by with some of her friends.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We open with songs about friendship from 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, 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, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris

We’re winding down on this one; Saturday will be our final airing. This would be a good time to tune this one in before it goes away.

8:00 p.m.  Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

Linda Ronstadt drops by to close things out and brings along a few friends, like Emmylou Harris, Hoyt Axton, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Don Henley, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, James Taylor and others! Not to be missed!

Don’t know what’s going on with the weather where you are, but here we are in December and it’s raining in the mid forties. We won’t need a “January thaw” this year. But hey, we’re good rain, snow or shine. See for yourself.

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 Emmylou Harris’ “Evangeline” as the New AOW and the #BU House EP, December 24, 2023

Good morning, musicologists. It’s officially Christmas eve day and we are laying back here in The Mermaid Lounge as we always do on Sundays. We’ve got a great AOW to kick off the day’s programming.

Here’s today’s musical menagerie:

Released in January of 1981, this was Emmylou’s eighth studio album and was created from previously-recorded songs not used on her earlier albums. Most notable was a remake of Mr. Sandman with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, originally recorded during the Trio sessions. The two are also featured on the title song. All-in-all, it’s an album of great tunes by one of the greatest country artists of her generation.

3:00 p.m.  The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

It’s wide Open Stream before and after this great extended playlist featuring 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, Janis Joplin and more!

On Wednesday It’s Our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP, Don Henley & Glen Frey, and ‘Live’ Bonnie Raitt Later, December 20, 2023

We are here at midweek and The Music Mermaid is getting things ready here in The Lounge to help get you through the midweek doldrums.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

Know any other radio station that plays five uninterrupted hours of women’s music? I didn’t think so. Today you’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crowe, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Don Henley & Glen Frey

The songwriting duo that made magic for The Eagles is back for a second spin this afternoon.

8:00 p.m.  Bonnie Raitt, The Wonderland Tape, Recorded Live at Vara Studios, Hilversun, The Netherlands, August 5, 1977

Some great, early ‘live’ Bonnie Raitt here from The Netherlands.

We’re at midweek. From here on out, we’re on the downslide to the Christmas holiday weekend! We’ll help you get there with some great music as we gear up for a brand new year!

At Midweek It’s the ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP, Jesse Winchester and Tim Hardin, Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we give you five uninterrupted hours of music from Laurel Canyon, Jesse Winchester is our singer-songwriter, and we spotlight folk legend Tim Hardin later.

Here’s your midweek music:

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

Back in the day, the British musicians were taken by our Laurel Canyon artists, and vice versa. It’s called cross-fertilization. And Laurel Canyon was the home for two generations of American musicians like The Mamas & The Papas, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Nilsson, The Eagles, Canned Heat, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jimi Hendrix and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester

Jesse Winchester returns for his second turn as our featured singer-songwriter.

Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction kept him from superstar status, but his songs found their way into the hands of many musicians during the sixties and seventies. Sadly, Hardin died in 1980 of a heron overdose at the young age of 39. Tonight, we put Tim Hardin in the spotlight where he belongs.

Our Simple Sunday Fare Includes The Boogaloo Swamis With Our AOW and the ‘Color My World’ EP, December 10, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are here in the Boston area with temps of about 55 degrees slated for today, absurd for December in New England. People just seem to love the effects of global warming. That’s all I hear. Just wait. That’s all I can say.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

More than likely, you’ve never heard of this Boston-based band unless you have sought out Cajun and Zydeco music, but I learned about them at Johnny D’s Uptown, a favorite haunt of my youth. They are a fantastic band playing some of the best New Orleans sounds on the planet. These days, you can only get their music on Ebay or Discogs. We have been on a search for more, and we’ve finally found some. It’s on the way. Get ready by listening to this great album.

3:00 p.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Primary colors are a popular topic in the music world. We’ve got an entire EP about color from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, 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!

Friday It’s ‘The Complete Trio Sessions,’ Randy Newman, and Our New ‘Unbroken Circle’ Playlist, December 8, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We have officially made it to Friday and we’re whooping it up with some fine female country singers today. The only break in the programming is our final airing of Randy Newman as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your end-of-the-work-week lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Complete Trio Sessions: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris

We open the programming with the only female supergroup I know of in music history. But, of course, the music world media is like the mainstream media: They never actually call Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton (otherwise known as ‘Trio’) a supergroup even thought they fit every criteria for the term. So we will call them a supergroup, and moreover, they are right up there with The Traveling Wilburys. Today, you’ll get the full magilla: Remixes, outtakes, alternative versions, remasters and more!

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

Randy Newman takes his final turn as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. Tomorrow we’ll have a new selection.

Here we have stepsisters with an incredible country music pedigree in Johnny Cash and June Carter, and they have continued their family legacy admirably. We are definitely fans here in The Mermaid Lounge and we’re happy to share this great new playlist with you today.