We’re Over The Hump and We’ve Got Our ‘Original Sixties Rotation’, Sir Paul Live in New York, and Ringo In the Spotlight on Thursday, June 20, 2024

We’re over the hump and headed toward the weekend with a great lineup today, including a visit from the two surviving Beatles!

Here’s your musical lineup for Thursday:

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

These were the days, my friends, we’d thought they’d never end. They did, of course, but the music lives on through The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, 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 MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. Paul McCartney Live at Citi Field, Queens, NY, July 17-21, 2009

We’ve got Sir Paul live this afternoon from Citi Field in Queens on The Summer Live 09 Tour, his fourth North American concert tour of the 21st Century. There was special significance to his performance at Citi Field, opening a brand new venue in 2009. The Beatles opened a brand new venue at the same spot in 1965. Back then, it was known as Shea Stadium.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ringo Starr

The energizer bunny of music visits tonight with music from The Beatles and as a solo artist with his fantastic All Starr Bands. Ringo is undoubtedly one of music’s most accomplished percussionists and drummers, and he has made more than forty albums since the Beatles broke up.

It’s a Beatle kind of day here in The Lounge. The Beatles were the genesis for so much of the sixties music it’s unbelievable. We’ve got the full catalogue here, along with 27,000 other songs free of charge every day 24/7.

Midweek Brings ‘Here Comes The Night,’ a New Patty Griffin Spotlight and Ringo’s Best Drumming, Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re in a heat wave here this week, both outside and inside The Lounge! We start the morning off with songs about the night!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Songs about night in the morning brings the music of Warren Zevon, J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Doors, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood and more!

Patty Griffin is a quite accomplished singer, songwriter and musician whose music has been recorded by many musical artists over the years, yet fame has eluded her. She is not alone, but she has found a home here in The Mermaid Lounge and her music has also been added to our standard rotation.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles: Ringo’s Best Drumming Performances

Ringo Starr isn’t just a drummer, he’s actually a percussionist. While some have brushed off his drumming talents, we suggest that these critics are obsessed with drum solos that break up the mood of the song. That’s not Ringo. And his peers, like Dave Grohl, Stuart Copeland and Tre Cool know how inspirational his style has been over the years. In short, just as McCartney doesn’t play the bass like everyone else, Ringo has his own drumming style, sound and approach, and it has greatly enriched the Beatles music by giving every song just what it needs. Tonight we have his best performances.

We Keep It Simple With Our Carl Perkins & Friends AOW, and Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ Multi-Artist EP, Sunday, July 30, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! It’s officially a day of rest and the living is easy. We keep it simple here in The Mermaid Lounge too. Some streaming with a theme, our AOW and the rest our big, wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid.

Here’s your musical landscape:

Perkins has made a few of these, but on this particular version (our favorite) his friends are outstanding with George Harrison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Ringo Starr, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. This one is fun.

3:00 p.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

We’ve given you the drill before: The earth is composed of 71% water. You’d think people would be concerned with taking care of that natural resource, but you’d be pretty wrong about that at this stage in our environmental history. You’ll hear from 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, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

It’s Saturday and We’ve Got Our AOW, ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP and a Birthday Bash for Ringo’s 83rd! July 8, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We are celebrating the birthday today of Ringo Starr, one of the best drummers on the planet and one of the most-loved musicians ever…and for good reason. He’s just a good guy.

Here’s today’s musical lineup!

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Louisiana Love Call by Maria Muldaur FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of Maria Muldaur’s fine album honoring Crescent City soul. Tomorrow we’ll have a brand new selection. Not telling you what it is today. Against the rules.

11:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

For some folks, the night time is the right time, and it’s also a popular subject for musicians of all genres. You’ll hear Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, the Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Doors, Emmylou Harris, Poco, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Band, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ringo Starr

Today we wish a Happy Birthday (yesterday) to one of the best drummers on the planet who has his own style and his own sound. We may be a day late, but we’re never a dollar short as we play the best of Ringo from his Beatle years and with his All Starr Band. At 83, the Energizer Bunny of drummers is still on the road selling out venues wherever he goes.

Hey, it’s the beginning of the weekend and what better way to kick it off than with great music in the style of the old radio stations…except without the commercial advertising. We have none of that crap. We’re on 24/7, we do not require a “subscription” and we’ll never ask for your personal information. We’re all about the music.

We’re at Midweek With the ‘Are You Ready for The Country’ EP, Aretha Franklin, and Ringo Starr, Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Good morning, music lovers. As I prepare to head out I’m giving you the lowdown. We’ve got our big-ass country and country-rock EP up today, Aretha’s second turn as our featured singer-songwriter, and an updated Spotlight featuring Ringo Starr.

Here’s your midweek musical landscape:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready for The Country: Various Artists

We start off the day with our playlist of great country music, from the masters to the generation that created the country-rock sound starting in Laurel Canyon. You will hear Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep at The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, The Marshall Tucker Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Band, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Hank Williams, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton, Dan Fogelberg, New Riders of The Purple Sage, John Prine, The Desert Rose Band and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Aretha Franklin

From country to the Queen of Soul as Aretha Franklin takes her second turn as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ringo Starr UPDATED!

Perhaps not as prolific as McCartney (but who is?), but Ringo Starr has made over 39 albums since The Beatles split. His All Starr Band tours continue to pack them in and, in his 80’s, he’s got his 2023 tour on track. Tonight we put him In the Spotlight where he belongs.

It’s midweek. From here on out, we’re on the downslide to the weekend. It gets better from here, people. And it will be a pleasant slide if you simply tune us in. We’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial advertising. What are you waiting for?

We Head for The Weekend with Joan Baez, Carly Simon, and the Drumming of Ringo Starr, Friday, April 7, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are one day away from the weekend and we’ve got Joan Baez In the Spotlight, Carly Simon’s final turn as our featured singer-songwriter and the best of Ringo’s drumming while a Beatle.

Here’s your musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez

Joan Baez is a legend in these here parts. Through sixty years of performing, she has consistently remained a voice for social justice. During that time, she has released more than thirty albums. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she has released songs in at least six other languages. Although she’s regarded mostly as a folk singer, her musical style over the years has expanded to include pop, folk rock, country and gospel. Although a songwriter herself, she prefers to interpret the music of others, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Jackson Browne, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, among others. Today she’s in the spotlight where she belongs.

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

Carly Simon takes her final spin this afternoon as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Tomorrow we will have another artist to unveil. Don’t miss it.

8:00 p.m. The Best of Ringo Starr, Drummer NEW!

We spent some time on this one because we think it’s important in a musical sense. Long before the Beatles employed Ringo, he was already respected in musical circles as a drummer for Rory Storm & The Hurricanes. The Beatles, in fact, lured him away and did so for a reason. Drummers around the globe respect Ringo. He has his own style, his own swing and his own sound, and he’s not concerned with drawing attention to himself with long, protracted drumming solos. Rather, Ringo gives the song what it needs. He’s part of its fabric, and that’s what talented drummers do. We combed through articles to put this playlist together, amassing the list from other drummers and musical artists. It includes Beatle songs from the start to The End, the only drum solo Ringo ever played as a Beatle.

Here we are on the brink of another weekend and, for those who celebrate, Happy Easter, Happy Passover or Happy Ramadan, as they all converge. We’re here with some great music 24/7 at no cost to the listening world. There is also no commercial advertising. We’re in it for the music.

On Thursday, We’ve Got One-Hit Wonders 60’s Style, Our AOW, and the First-of-Its-Kind Concert for Bangladesh, March 23, 2022

Good morning, music lovers! Today, we’re heading for the weekend, and we’ve got a great lineup with One-Hit Wonders, our Album of The Week, and the Concert for Bangladesh.

Here’s your Thursday menagerie:

11:00 a.m. One-Hit Wonders, Sixties Style: Various Artists

Every musical generation has them. We’re giving you our favorites today from Robert Knight, Jose Feliciano, the Count Five, Brenton Wood, Los Bravos, Mama Cass. Roy Head & The Taints, The Capitols, The Knickerbockers, The Nashville Teens, The McCoys, Zager & Evans, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, Scott McKenzie, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Merrilee Rush, Little Peggy March, Mason Williams and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Venus And Mars by Paul McCartney & Wings

The follow-up to the great Band On The Run was no slouch. It was another great collection of songs from a great band.

7:00 p.m. The Concert for Bangladesh, George Harrison & Friends, August 1, 1971, Madison Square Garden, New York City

Before there was Live Aid or Farm Aid, there was the Concert for Bangladesh. This first-of-its-kind gathering of musical stars was the conception of George Harrison and Ravi Shankar to benefit the refugees of East Pakistan following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide. Joining Harrison and Shankar were Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston and Badfinger.

We’ve got a great eclectic lineup for you today. It’s a great day to discover #BecomeUngovernable Radio. We’re on 24/7. We’re free. Best of all, we do not clutter up your listening arena with commercial advertising. It’s all about the music.

We Start Off the Day Fittingly With Our ‘Ode to Morning’ EP Then Pay Tribute to Ringo Later on Friday, July 8, 2022

Happy 82nd Birthday, Ringo! Still filling stadiums around the world with his All Starr band!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

We opened the month with our playlist about the night time, so it’s only fitting that we begin the day with our flip-side EP. You will hear Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and more!

7:00 p.m. The Best of Ringo Starr UPDATED AND EXPANDED!

You know, there’s urban legend, and then there’s sheer musical ignorance. The notion that Ringo isn’t a “good” drummer is patently absurd. In fact, his peers will tell you otherwise. Perhaps you should watch this video featuring Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Jim Keltner, Stewart Copeland, Tre Cool, Chad Smith and others. Remember, The Beatles wanted Ringo and stole him from Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, dumping Pete Best in the process. He’s a drummer’s drummer, and most of the criticism is because he isn’t John Bonham with his 40-minute drum solos. But that shit? That shit breaks up the continuity of a song, in my humble opinion. And Ringo was and still is all about giving the song what it needs. His attitude about drum solos is all that it proves is that you took lessons. But best of all is that Ringo is just a good guy who has fun on stage with his All Starr band, and at 82, he’s still filling stadiums to spread his feel-good sounds. Today, we celebrate Ringo’s 82nd birthday (yesterday) with some of our favorites where he was only the drummer, every song he sang solo on as a member of The Beatles, and his own solo stuff.

Get on board the weekend train because we are almost there, people. It’s all downhill from here, as they say. I will, of course, have one day left after today since I toil in the very real world of retail hell in a nation where buying is equated with freedom. So are guns. But we won’t go there. Instead, we’ll focus on the music, so join us. We promise no chatty DJs, and no news here. Just music 24/7. And did I mention we’re totally FREE (in all caps and with NO strings)?

The Doors Live at Cobo Arena, We Celebrate Ringo’s 81st Birthday, and Launch Our New ‘Under the Sun & Moon’ Playlist, Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists everywhere! Today we have some great live Doors, and celebrate Ringo’s 81st birthday. Later on, we launch our brand new playlist.

We begin the day with The Doors live at Cobo Arena in Detroit.

Here’s your mid-week line-up:

11:00 a.m. The Doors Live at Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, May 8, 1970

Just about a year before his untimely death, Jim Morrison and the Doors played the Cobo Arena in Detroit. We have it for you today.

3:00 p.m. DJ’s Choice: My Favorite Ringo Starr Music

We celebrate Ringo’s 81st birthday today by weighing in on my favorite Ringo Starr music as a Beatle, as a solo artist, and as a drummer. I hear a lot of bullshit disparaging remarks out there about Ringo’s drumming. Talk is cheap. His peers in the drumming world don’t share that attitude. In fact, Ringo is one of the most respected drummers on the planet, and The Beatles went to great lengths to lure him away from Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

7:00 p.m. Under The Sun & Moon: Various Artists NEW!

We love putting together these playlists here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today’s is a pile of songs with the sun and the moon mentioned either in the title or the lyrics (and sometimes both). You’ll hear The Beatles, Tom Rush, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, The Wallflowers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, The Traveling Wilburys, Linda Ronstadt, Maria Muldaur, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, and many more!

The song list will be up under the Playlist tab before airing.

Tune us in, folks. Join your friends around the world by jumping on board the magic Mermaid Music bus. You don’t need no stinking credit card. All you need is a free computer tab. Seriously.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Goooood Morning From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/8/2020

We’re back at the salt mines today with the general buying public, so we’re off to an early start this morning. I don’t have to tell true Beatles fans what happened on this day all those years ago.

Everything that has to be said about this day of infamy has been said.

Here’s today’s lesson from The Mermaid Lounge:

December 8, 1961: The Supremes begin recording their third single, Your Heart Belongs To Me, written by Smokey Robinson.

December 8, 1967: The Beatles release the Magical Mystery Tour double EP in the UK.

Also on this day, Traffic released their debut album, Mr. Fantasy.

And, The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request album was released in the UK, which carried the hit She’s a Rainbow.

December 8, 1968: Graham Nash leaves The Hollies and begins working with David Crosby (ex-Byrds) and Stephen Stills (ex-Buffalo Springfield). Crosby, Stills, and Nash would release their self-titled debut album during the summer of 1969.

December 8, 1969: The Beatles record the Ringo Starr composition, Octopus’s Garden.

Meanwhile, at his trial in the Toronto Supreme Court for possession of hash and heroin, Jimi Hendrix testified that he had “outgrown” drugs. He was found not guilty after eight hours of deliberation.

December 8, 1972: Carly Simon’s album No Secrets is certified gold.

December 8, 1980: A day that will live in infamy. Mark David Chapman pumps five bullets into John Lennon outside The Dakota Apartments in New York City, killing him. It is reported in some outlets that he tries to get into his apartment to see his son before he collapses and dies. Later, Chapman would say the lure of the fame this event would bring was something he couldn’t resist. Fucker. RIP, John Lennon. The world misses you.

We put John Lennon In The Spotlight this evening.

Born On This Day

December 8, 1939: Jerry Butler (lead singer of The Impressions) was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He moved to Chicago where he sings in a choir with his future Impressions bandmate, the great Curtis Mayfield.

December 8, 1941: Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, was burn in Burnley, Lancashire, England.

December 8, 1943: Jim Morrison, leader of The Doors, was born James Douglas Morrison in Melbourne, Florida.

December 8, 1947: Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Much is made of Duane Allman, and he was the initial leader of the band before his death, and played that guitar like no other. But Gregg Allman was the guy who wrote the songs and had that great singing voice.

And that is today’s lesson from The College. We’ll be back with today’s line-up soon!