Tag: Ry Cooder

Today, We Celebrate Ronstadt’s 76th Birthday Mixed in With All That Wide Open Stream, Sunday, July 17, 2022

Today we celebrate the 76th birthday of Linda Ronstadt, a woman whose indelible mark on music is legendary. From the very beginning, Linda Ronstadt made sure she was in charge of her own career, and she did a hell of a job with it. She defied those who wanted to pigeon-hole her sound to sing just about any damned thing she wanted.

She can no longer sing, but her music is timeless.

Here’s your musical landscape for today:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Hasten Down The Wind by Linda Ronstadt

This was a very tough selection. Like asking me to pick one singular favorite Linda Ronstadt song. But in the end, it made its case. Released in 1976, this was Ronstadt’s seventh studio album during a time when she was the undisputed Queen of Rock. (Some of us believe she still is, frankly.) Although the Laurel Canyon influence is all over this album, Linda Ronstadt switched gears on this one a bit and began to sing the songs of some new songwriters, like Karla Bonoff and Warren Zevon, who would soon be on the map. Two songs were also co-authored by Ronstadt, Try Me Again and Lo Siento Mi Vida, the latter being her first move into the Spanish sound.

The album became her third consecutive million-selling album, the first such feat by a female singer. Hasten Down The Wind earned Ronstadt a Grammy for the Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, in 1977, her second of 13 career Grammys. It was also the second of four country #1 albums for her.

2:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, May 14, 1995

I had the absolute pleasure of being at this show in 1995. I remember it well. It was a real treat to have two brilliant women on stage that night as the late, great Valerie Carter was the opening act and joined Ronstadt on stage for a couple of beautiful songs. The best thing about Linda Ronstadt is that she was never threatened by sharing the stage with others, male or female, and that she felt like she was better as part of a bigger whole…in spite of her amazing solo career. And this brings us to our final programming for the day.

7:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

We close out the day with a great playlist of songs where Ronstadt shares the limelight. She’s either a back-up singer or a duet singer on these songs, sharing the duties with the likes of Glenn Frey, Valerie Carter, J.D. Souther, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Bette Midler, Emmylou Harris, The McGarrigle Sisters, Bonnie Raitt, Maria Muldaur, Nicolette Larson, James Taylor, Hoyt Axton and others. A fitting ending to our birthday celebration.

Before, in between and after, there’ll be all that wide Open Stream. Join us for Linda’s 76th birthday bash today. We’re sure you won’t regret it.

Happy Birthday, Linda Ronstadt!

We’re Sliding Toward The Weekend With Bobbie Gentry & Some Friends at BBC Studios, Our ‘Rock, Blues & Ballads’ Playlist, and our AOW, Thursday, June 16, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists. We’ve got some great new stuff to start off the day today as we’ve discovered a Bobbie Gentry BBC Studios performance with a couple of friends along for support.

A couple of friends dropped by to help Bobbie Gentry out with her BBC Studios show

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC Studios, London, 1968-1969 NEW!

This was a great find, given the fact that Bobbie Gentry was always a bit reclusive and shunned the limelight. She just wanted to write songs for other people. But she did perform live music, and she did so at BBC Studios in 1968 and 1969. Maybe she brought Donovan and James Taylor along for moral support! We’re glad she did!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: American Tune by Eva Cassidy

We’re winding down on this week’s album selection as we’ve reached our next-to-last airing here. The final will be sometime on Saturday. Don’t wait too long!

7:00 p.m. Rock, Blues and Ballads, Volume One: Various Artists

I know. It’s about time I got volume two together. And I totally agree, so it’s on my weekend list. But this one’s pretty damned good and we haven’t heard it in a while. You’ll hear Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Tom Petty, Delbert McClinton, Bonnie Raitt, J.J. Cale, Dusty Springfield, Neil Young, Paul McCartney & Wings, Long John Baldry, Randy Newman, Maria Muldaur, Ry Cooder, Gregg Allman, Linda Ronstadt, and more!

We’re sliding steadily toward the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge, although I’ll grant you it’s not getting here fast enough this week. But good music goes a long way toward making the work week easier, so give us a shot. Because we play some seriously good shit with absolutely no commercial interruption, no chatty disc jockeys who’d rather talk than play music, or cost to you. Not one penny. And we’re open 24/7. What more do you want?

Open 24/7!

We Close Out The Work Week With Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP and Etta James In the Spotlight Later, Friday, June 10, 2022

Happy Friday, Weekenders! It’s the end of another work week for most of us, but I have just one more day of servitude. Nevertheless, your musical journey is bright today!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

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

I don’t know what it’s like where you are this morning, but it’s very early here and the sunrise is magnificent today. It’s a perfect day for an ode to morning from Joni Mitchell, The Move, Fleetwood Mack, 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, Bob Dylan, Chris Hillman, Badfinger and many more!

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Etta James

Etta James’ career spanned nearly six decades and, in that time, she stamped her name all over a variety of musical genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Tonight we put her In the Spotlight.

Here we are as we approach ‘weekender’ status. Technically speaking, Fridays are the official start to weekend. The only question still up in the air is ‘what time does it start’. How about right now? We are on 24/7 and we’re totally free. Every single day. Because life is far to short to listen to bad music.

Don’t ignore the button.

It’s Your Typical Mermaid Lounge Saturday, and We’ve Got a Bunch of Great Stuff Lined Up For You Today, May 21, 2021

We’ve got some characters for you to meet today.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

There’s nothing quite like psychedelic music, and we’ve got it here for you today. It’s a day to tune in, turn on, and drop out with Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan. Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Tommy James & The Shondells, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Velvet Underground, and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Get On Board by Taj Mahal with Ry Cooder FINAL AIRING!

This is the final airing of this fine album by two masters paying homage to blues legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Tomorrow, we’ll have a great new album to debut.

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: Songs With Character

The Beatles introduce us to Prudence, Eleanor, the man in the mack, a lovely woman named Rita, a greedy taxman, a racoon named Rocky, Dennis O’ Dell, Mother Mary, a serial killer named Maxwell, a hunter named Bill, a real Nowhere Man, the barber on Penny Lane, and some confused chick named Loretta.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Washington University, St. Louis, MO, April 17, 1969 NEW!

Another brand new soundboard recording never before heard in The Mermaid Lounge. Then again, every Dead show sounds new when you listen, doesn’t it?

Great day for you to join your friends from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, Russian Federation, Germany, the UK, Portugal, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, Faroe Islands, Australia, Denmark, and points beyond! We’re free. There’s no advertising. And the music never stops. Do it.

DO IT, PEOPLE!

We’re On the Downslide To The Weekend With the Complete Trio Sessions, Our AOW, and Our ‘Out In The Cold’ Playlist, Thursday, May 19, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a great day on tap today, including the complete Trio sessions with Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris!

Trio (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt) is a bona fide SUPERGROUP although nobody but us ever says it.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris: The Complete Trio Sessions

Continuing on the theme of the women getting short shrift in the music business, this is one of the most amazing supergroups ever to set foot in a recording studio, although nobody ever seems to say the word “supergroup.” What we have for you here are the complete sessions that result in the two critically-acclaimed Trio I and Trio II albums, replete with unreleased gems, remasters, remixes, and alternate versions. Kick back and enjoy this one.

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Get On Board, Taj Mahal with Ry Cooder

This is the next-to-last airing of this great new album that pays homage to blues greats Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder reunite 56 years after their Rising Sons collaboration for this one.

7:00 p.m. Out In The Cold: Various Artists

A playlist that talks about the weather in the title, lyrics or both! We feature Bill Withers, The Association, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Rivers, Albert King, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Cream, Donovan, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tom Rush, Dr. John, Electric Light Orchestra, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Get your shit together, people, and tune us in. We don’t ask you for money. Ever. We don’t require a commitment (of any kind), and we certainly don’t want your personal information. We have enough problems remembering our own. And did I mention we run uninterrupted 24/7? Well, we do.

The Trio Sessions!

It’s Another Tuesday Bluesday With the Best of Chicago Blues, Our Bluesy AOW from Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Live from NOLA, May 17, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We’ve got a great line-up for you today. It’s a total blues Tuesday as our Album of The Week by Taj Mahal with Ry Cooder fits the bill nicely.

Today we’ve got the original blues version of Fleetwood Mac live from NOLA!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

11:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

This one is due for expansion and that should be completed by the next airing. On this day, you’ll hear Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Magic Slim, Son Seals, and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Get On Board, Taj Mahal with Ry Cooder

The second airing of this great album. After 56 years, Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder reunite for a tribute album to blues legends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.

7:00 p.m. Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Live at The Warehouse, New Orleans, February 1, 1970

This is undoubtedly the preferred version of Fleetwood Mac here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today we’ve got them live from The Warehouse in New Orleans. Don’t miss it.

As always, a great day to tune us in. Every Tuesday is Bluesday here, no exceptions. We’re free. We do not run advertising. We do not ask for a “subscription,” a credit card, or your personal information. We’re all about the music. What’s not to love, I ask.

Tuesday Bluesday

It’s Another Sunday in The Lounge With Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder’s AOW and Our ‘Are You Ready For The Country’ EP, May 15, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a great day of music for you. Lots of Open Stream interspersed with some excellent programming. Sunday is typically a light day in the lounge. We hope you enjoy it.

It has been nearly 56 years since these guys have collaborated. They’re back!

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Get On Board with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder NEW!

It has been half a century since these two legends have collaborated. The first time around, it was on Rising Sons, which we featured as an album of the week some time ago. This time, they are paying tribute to the legendary Sonny Terry and Browne McGhee, and the result is some serious kick-ass blues.

2:00 p.m. Are You Ready For The Country? Various Artists

This is a great EP that gives you (real) country music and features the bands and artists that helped shape the marriage between rock and country. You’ll be treated to Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, 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, Bonnie Raitt, Glen Campbell, Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg, John Prine, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Hank Williams, and more!

We’re up and running 24/7 with all the tunes fit to play. We’re totally free every minute of every day. We don’t ask for a “subscription.” We don’t charge money. And we never ask for your credit card or personal information. We don’t need it. And neither do you.

Are YOU ready for the country?

It’s Saturday in The Mermaid Lounge and We Bring You (Appropriately) Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP, LIVE DEAD, and Our Album of The Week, December 4, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers around the globe! What would a Mermaid be without water? Right? Today we’ve got our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP along with our AOW and LIVE DEAD! later.

Water covers 71% of the planet. And today we sing its praises with our EP.

Here’s your Saturday line-up:

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

It is a fact that 71% of the planet is composed of water. Where would we be without it? Today, we have our EP dedicated to water of all kinds in the title, lyrics or both. You’ll hear Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, The Band, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Grass Roots, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Lindisfarne, Electric Light Orchestra, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Mudcrutch, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tracy Nelson, Al Green, B.J. Thomas, Foo Fighters, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of this great album, so be sure to tune it in. Tomorrow when you roll out of bed, we’ll have a brand new featured album.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at McArthur Court, University of Oregon, Eugene, January 22, 1978 NEW!

Another new one from the ultimate road and jam band. John Mayer has already said that Dead Again may well continue on after the remaining Grateful Dead members retire. It’s a testament to their longevity, but I will say it again: Any band without Jerry Garcia is not The Grateful Dead. Period. Without the rest of the band, they’re really not The Grateful Dead. That still stands.

It’s Saturday and The Mermaid Lounge is cookin’ with the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Brazil, Russian Federation, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, and points beyond all tuned in. Why? Because they “get it.” When will you?

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

We’ve Got Both The Byrds and Bob Marley & The Wailers Live Today, and Our Album of The Week, Thursday, December 2, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’re edging closer to the weekend and we’ve got a couple of great live performances here today, as we also wind down on this week’s AOW.

We’ve got some Byrds live for you today!

Here’s your Thursday line-up:

11:00 a.m. The Byrds Live at Royal Albert Hall, London, May 13, 1971

We’ve got one we haven’t aired in quite a while here, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge are looking forward to hearing it again. Luckily, for us, we are the management today at work and will have #BecomeUngovernable Radio tuned in throughout the store today!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder

We’re winding down on this one. This is our next-to-last airing of this gem that managed to spawn two of the most innovative musicians of their generation. Give it a listen.

7:00 p.m. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at The Record Plant, Sausalito, California, October 13, 1973 NEW!

We’ve got a brand new airing here for you today from Bob Marley & The Wailers, and it’s a good one. Don’t let this one pass you by!

Again, we’ve got our usual international conglomeration of Mermaid loungers on this morning, You should join the crowd! There are no costs, and never any hidden fees or agendas. It’s all about the music with us. That’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you try us, you’ll see we don’t lie.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s A Keep-It-Simple Sunday With A Visit From The Brits and a Brand New Album of The Week, November 28, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a simple recipe for happy today, and it’s really rather simple. We pay homage to our British Invasion innovators with five hours of uninterrupted stream, and give you a great new Album of The Week. The rest is wide Open Stream courtesy of The Music Mermaid.

These particular festivities begin about mid-afternoon!

Here’s Sunday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m Album of The Week: Rising Sons by Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder NEW!

This is a long story better told here, but I’ll give you the short version. Back in 1965, two 17-year-olds decided not to take the same path as Kyle Rittenhouse, and instead started a band named The Rising Sons. Their names were Ryland Cooder (better known as Ry Cooder) and Henry St. Claire Fredericks (better known as Taj Mahal). Ry Cooder, who Linda Ronstadt continually says is the best guitarist she’s ever met, played six- and twelve-string guitar, mandolin, the bottleneck and slide guitars, and dobro. Taj Mahal played harmonica, piano, and guitar. He was also the vocalist. Other members of the band included guitarist Jesse Lee Kincaid, bassist Gary Marker, and drummer Ed Cassidy (who would go on soon to form the band, Spirit). Their band was short-lived, but both Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal went on to be a couple of the most innovative musicians on the planet. Today, we give you their album, Rising Sons.

3:00 p.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

About mid-afternoon here in the states we kick off our homage to the bands of the British Invasion and beyond. You’ll hear The Beatles (of course), The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, The Zombies, The Hollies, Yes, The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, Yes, Them, The Hollies, The Searchers, The Dave Clark Five, Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, The Yardbirds, The Pretenders, Lulu, Herman’s Hermits, Petula Clark, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, and many more!

Come on, people, and get your musical freak on! Join our listeners from Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, Brazil, Greece, The Netherlands, Denmark, Russian Federation, Cleveland (no shit), Mexico, Spain, and points beyond. It’s Sunday and that’s a day of rest even if it is the holiday season. Say “No” to capitalism and tune us in. (Did I mention we’re not capitalists?)

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio