The Day Opens and Closes With Country, With Five Hours of Soul and R&B in Between, Friday, July 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Today we open and close the programming with country music, but in between we’ve got our big, bad soul EP!

Here’s your country-soul programming:

We open with something that has been on the list for a very long time; an Alison Krauss Spotlight featuring her solo work along with her days with Union Station and her collaboration with Robert Plant.

1:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We break for the afternoon and spend time with the titans of soul, including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Ruffin, Carla Thomas, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, 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, Percy Sledge and more!

8:00 p.m. The Unbroken Circle: The Music of Rosanne Cash & Carlene Carter

The Johnny Cash-June Carter connection ran deeper than marriage. They were married to music as well. Tonight we give you the music of stepsisters Rosanne Cash and Carlene Carter.

We’re at Midweek With ‘A Little Bit O’Soul’, Live Bob Marley and Ry Cooder In the Spotlight, Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Good morning, musicologists. We’re at midweek and we’ve got our ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’ EP, The Wailers at The Record Plant and a brand new Spotlight featuring Ry Cooder.

UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Ry Cooder Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

This is the big kahuna of soul with 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, The Box Tops, Jr Walker & The All Stars, Percy Sledge, Al Green and more.

4:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA, October 13, 1973

The Legend and his bandmates take over The Record Plant for a great performance.

Truly one of the most incredible artists of our time. To this day, Linda Ronstadt calls Ry Cooder the best guitarist she’s ever worked with. He is a master of the slide guitar, and is one of the most sought-after studio musicians. He is also known for his collaborations with a variety of artists from a variety of musical backgrounds, like Taj Mahal, The Chieftains, and Ali Farka Toure. Ry Cooder has earned his place In The Spotlight.

On Saturday It’s Songs About Water, Christine McVie In The Spotlight, and Live Townes Van Zandt, June 15, 2024

We kick off the weekend in style with our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, a Christine McVie Spotlight feature and Townes Van Zandt performing live in the UK.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

You’d be amazed at how many songs there are with water in the title, lyrics or both. Just ask Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, 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, Tom Rush and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

The heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac was, undoubtedly, Christine McVie…at least in my mind. Before the Mac, she was in a British blues band called Chickenshack and was the legendary Christine Perfect. We explore all those avenues today.

8:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at Union Chapel, London, UK, April 29, 1994

We close out the programming with truly one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time in Townes Van Zandt.

We’re here and we’re ready to go right off the bat at 9:00 a.m. We’re totally free of charge 24/7 and we do not run commercial advertising. What’s not to love? Use the button below.

It’s Saturday and We’ve Got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, a Dylan Spotlight for His 83rd, and ‘Live’ Bobbie Gentry, May 25, 2024

Good morning and welcome to Memorial Day Weekend! We’re not going anywhere; we’re sitting tight here in The Mermaid Lounge playing music all weekend and we’ve got some great stuff lined up!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Yes, we kick it all off with our big, bad soul and R&B extended playlist where you’ll hear 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Joe Tex, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Dylan

The poet laureate of music turned 83 years young yesterday and we are putting him In The Spotlight where he belongs as one of the best songwriters in the history of any kind of music, among other things.

8:00 p.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC, 1968-1969

Speaking of great songwriters, we’ve got Bobbie Gentry recorded live at the BBC over year’s period. She brings along special guests Donovan and James Taylor as well.

Get in on it. We’re rolling here all day and night with absolutely no interruption and no commercial advertising. We don’t need your credit card. We’re all about the music.

‘The Best of Reggae & Ska’, ‘Soulsville, USA’ and ‘Live’ Mudcrutch Are All On Tap For Monday, May 20, 2024

Good morning, workforce! We’re all back at it for another week and we aim to start it off on a great note with a pretty eclectic lineup!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Best of Reggae & Ska: Various Artists

We love this playlist, but it’s a first pass. We are poised for expansion and, perhaps, splitting it into two volumes, but I digress. You will hear Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker (with and without The Aces), Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Judy Mowatt, Laurel Aitken, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, The Jiving Juniors, Derrick Morgan and more!

4:00 p.m. Soulsville, USA: The Music of Stax Records

There’s Motown and then there’s Stax, where the ‘house’ band was the great Booker T & The MG’s. In addition to Booker T, you’ll hear Albert King, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, The Dramatics and more. By the way, the Stax documentary produced by HBO begins streaming today!

7:00 p.m. Mudcrutch Live at The Fonda Theater, Hollywood, CA, June 26, 2016

We’ve got a Mudcrutch Monday on tap today as we give you their live performance from the band’s great 2016 tour. Still kicking myself for missing them at Boston’s House of Blues, but at least I have this!

Yes, it’s Monday and Mondays suck in general, but they don’t have to. Just join us here. We’ll make your life better. And we’re free.

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 Midweek With Our ‘What’s In A Name’ EP, The Big O, and The Allman Brothers Band, Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. Still battling COVID, but definitely on the mend and feeling better. Sorry I’m running late, but trying to get a bit more sleep than usual.

Here’s your midweek music:

9:00 a.m. What’s In A Name: Various Artists

We love name droppers and we’ve got plenty here including Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Donovan, Steve Winwood, Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Laura Nyro, Bobbie Gentry, The Kinks, Three Dog Night, The Association, Joni Mitchell, Badfinger, Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, Chi Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Otis Redding

The Big O was introduced to the world at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Just months later he would be killed in a plane crash, only three days after recording “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.” It became the first posthumous No. 1 single in US chart history and sold over four million copies worldwide. We remember him today.

8:00 p.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 12-13, 1971

We close out the programming tonight with a great performance by the brothers at the east coast venue of The Fillmore.

Get on board the music train, folks. We’re on 24/7, not just when we have programming scheduled, and we’re totally free of charge. No commercial advertising either because we don’t make a profit. Ever.

Today It’s ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, Some ‘Live’ Moody Blues and Harry Nilsson on Monday, February 5, 2024

Good morning, workforce! We’re back at it for another week in the salt mines, and also back here in The Mermaid Lounge to help get you through another week!

Here’s Monday’s music:

9:00 a.m.  Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Yes, I say this every time. The earth is composed of 71% water and, if we don’t wake up soon, it could be more than that. You’ll hear Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, 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, Van Morrison, Lindisfarne, Bonnie Raitt, Steely Dan, Carole King, Tom Rush, America, Donovan, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m.  The Moody Blues Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO, September 9, 1992

The show included the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and, believe it or not, it was the first time this progressive rock band played live backed by a symphony orchestra.

Today we introduce Harry Nilsson as our featured singer-songwriter, one of the best of his generation and a friend to many, including the members of a band called The Beatles. He was a really talented guy and the world was a better place with him in it.

It’s Simply Sunday With Carlene Carter’s AOW and Our ‘A Little Bit O’Soul’ Multi-Artist EP, December 17, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We’re here on another lighter-than-usual programming day with plenty of our great wide Open Stream. We kick things off with June Carter’s daughter and Johnny Cash’s stepdaughter, Carlene Carter.

Here’s your musical lineup:

Carlene Carter boasts the lineage of The Carter Family. She’s the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, the stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, and the stepsister of country great Rosanne Cash. She’s had a rough-and-tumble life with multiple failed relationships (including a marriage to Nick Lowe, and a long-standing relationship with late, great Heartbreaker Howie Epstein), and plenty of drug offenses, but she has made some supremely good music over the years. Much of her early stuff, like this album, has been overlooked and we hope to change that here.

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

We’re back with our big, bad soul and rhythm & blues EP with music from Motown to Muscle Shoals to Atlantic and beyond. You’ll hear 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, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Percy Sledge and more!

Saturday Brings Sam Cooke, Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP and Randy Newman Later On, December 2, 2023

We’ve successfully gotten to Saturday and we’ve got the final airing of our AOW, songs about water (which comprises 71% of planet earth), and Randy Newman is our new featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s today’s musical extravaganza:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Ain’t That Good News by Sam Cooke FINAL AIRING!

It’s the final airing of Sam Cooke’s featured album. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new selection here.

11:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Once again, we’ve got songs about water…one of the most important components of human existence in all its forms. You’ll hear Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, 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!

Truly one of the most prolific writers of his generation, he is like Laura Nyro in the sense that he has provided material for many, many singers. Linda Ronstadt recorded Feels Like Home and Sail Away, Three Dog Night recorded Mama Told me Not To Come, Irma Thomas recorded Baby Don’t Look Down, and there were many others. He has also scored nine Disney-Pixar movies. On top of all that, Randy Newman has had his own successful solo career writing songs about the human condition and with some wry sarcasm at times. He’s a favorite here.