Friday It’s ‘The Summer of Love Countdown,’ Followed by Live Shows From CCR and Carly Simon, August 29, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. What were you listening to on the radio during the Summer of Love? We begin our farewell to summertime today with just such a playlist culled from radio stations across the country.

Here’s your Finally Friday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Summer of Love Countdown: Various Artists

We kick off the day with our ‘Summer of Love Countdown’ playlist. Contrary to popular (and misinformed) opinion, this was during the summer of 1967, not 1969, my friends. We’ve culled the best songs being played across the nation during that time from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Association, The Rascals, Bobbie Gentry, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Spanky & Our Gang, The Hollies, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Rivers, The Box Tops, Procol Harum, Scott McKenzie, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Paul Revere & The Raiders and more!

4:00 p.m. Creedence Clearwater Revival Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, July 4, 1971

We tune in this afternoon to four guys from Berkeley, CA who sounded like they came straight out of the Louisiana bayou. CCR was a spectacular band whose music has stood the test of time.

8:00 p.m. Carly Simon Live at Grand Central Station, New York, NY, April 2, 1995

This impromptu performance was the idea of Jackie Kennedy Onassis to commemorate their friendship and to address Simon’s stage fright problem. April 2, 1995, was her first live performance in 14 years, where she and her band performed songs for unsuspecting commuters in the main terminal.

Once again, we’re here and we’re completely free of charge. There’s also no commercial advertising. See for yourselves. The button is below, my friends.

On Saturday It’s The Traveling Wilburys, The Summer of Love Countdown, and Blind Faith Live in Santa Barbara, June 28, 2025

Good morning, weekenders! We’ve got a great lineup today as we get close to the edge of July. We start with the best supergroup on the planet, followed by some sixties stuff, including what was on the radio during the Summer of Love!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Traveling Wilburys Bootleg Collection

Not only do we have every Wilbury song in this playlist, but we also have outtakes, alternate versions, and other surprises from the greatest supergroup on the planet. They started out as just five friends who loved to make music together, but it turned into so much more. For those who may not know who the members were: George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne. Their drummer was the great Jim Keltner.

3:00 p.m. The Summer of Love Countdown: Various Artists

Let’s get something cleared up before we start: The Summer of Love was not in 1969. Many people get it wrong because Woodstock took place in 1969. The Summer of Love took place between June and October of 1967, and there was plenty of great stuff on the radio from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Association, The Rascals, Bobbie Gentry, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Spanky & Our Gang, The Hollies, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Rivers, The Box Tops, Procol Harum, Scott McKenzie, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and more!

8:00 p.m. Blind Faith Live at The Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA, August 16, 1969

We close out the night with yet another supergroup called Blind Faith. Another short-lived, yet fantastic, sixties band featuring the legendary Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Rick Gretch.

Don’t forget! Before, in between, and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream. That’s on for 24 hours every day of the year, uninterrupted by commercial advertising or chatty DJs. It’s also totally free. The button is below.

Today It’s Our ‘On the Map’ Playlist, Guy Clark ‘In the Spotlight’ and Live Little Feat on Monday, January 6, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. Yes. It’s Monday all over again and the Orange Blob’s election is certified today, but the music is here to get you through.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. On The Map: Various Artists

Yesterday we had songs about life on the road; today it’s destinations. You’ll hear The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Little Feat, America, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, the Grateful Dead, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Johnny Rivers, Arlo Guthrie, Scott McKenzie, The Association, Fats Domino, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Glen Campbell, James Taylor, Paul Simon and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Guy Clark

This guy was one of the best singer-songwriters on the planet, and I was exposed to his music quite by chance. My friends and I were out for a romp in Cambridge, Massachusetts on a very cold and snowy winter night and were looking for a place to land and get warm. We stopped at Passim’s Coffee House, paid the cover fee and watched one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen in my life. After that night, country rock was king and the fiddle was my new favorite instrument.

This is our very first live performance by Little Feat without the great Lowell George. Yes, they have kept the Feat’s spirit alive, but there will never be another Lowell George. The “Neon Park” is not real. It’s named after the artist who has created Little Feat’s album covers for decades. The music was recorded at Roseland Theater in Portland, The Fillmore in San Francisco, and The House of Blues in Los Angeles during their 1995 tour.

Before, in between and after our programmed selections we give you our big, wide Open Stream which continues to grow. We’re 100% free with no commercial advertising and no big-mouthed DJs. The button is below. See for yourselves.

We Spend Friday With Linda Ronstadt & Her Friends, ‘One Hit Wonders’ and Sam Cooke Live in Miami, July 19, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We have made it to Friday once again and we’re packed with some great programming today from Ronstadt and her many singing friends, some ‘One Hit Wonders’ from the sixties and Sam Cooke live in Miami, vintage 1963.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

In site of her amazing solo career, Linda Ronstadt always preferred to sing as part of a bigger whole, perhaps because she grew up singing with her family. She has indeed been in very good company from a musical perspective. You will hear her with Hoyt Axton, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, J.D. Souther, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Paul Simon, Wendy Waldman, Valerie Carter, Maria Muldaur, Neil Young and more!

3:00 p.m. One-Hit Wonders: Sixties Style

Every generation has them, and the sixties are no exception. You’ll hear Mama Cass, Merilee Rush, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Exciters, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, The Nashville Teens, The Standells, The Youngbloods, Scott McKenzie, The Contours, The Easybeats, Bobby Hebb, Robert Knight and more!

8:00 p.m. Sam Cooke Live at The Harlem Square Club, Miami, FL, January 12, 1963

The late and undeniably great main event known as Sam Cooke delivers a live performance to close out today’s programming. There’s a reason why Sam Cooke is universally known as the ‘King of Soul’ for his contributions to the genre.

It’s a great day to tune us in because it’s FRIDAY! We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. And before, in between and after this great programming we deliver our big, wide Open Stream!

Celebrate the Fourth With Songs About Being Free and Our New ‘Summer of Love Countdown’, Thursday, July 4, 2024

Good morning, freedom lovers! Should we truly be celebrating? Maybe not at this time, but we all know what we have to do and that’s all I’ll say in this venue. But every day is a good music day here in The Mermaid Lounge!

Here’s your Fourth of July musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. Free As A Bird: Various Artists

We start out the day with songs about being free, both politically and otherwise, with the Edgar Winter Group, Cream, Steve Winwood, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jesse Winchester, The Byrds, Dusty Springfield, Bob Dylan, Delaney & Bonnie, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Allen Toussaint, Chicago and more!

Before we begin, let’s dispel some musical misinformation. I often see the Summer of Love used in conjunction with 1969. That is incorrect. I think people make that association because of Woodstock. But the Summer of Love was actually in 1967. This is not a difference of opinion. This is a matter of historical fact. Full stop. Done. Now, we do have Summer of Love playlists already, but those are a bit different. This is a playlist of the biggest songs on the radio during the summer and into fall of 1967. The actual real Summer of Love. We’ll be focusing on the songs and artists from that musical time period over the next week or two.

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 a New Week With Our New Sixties ‘One Hit Wonders’ Playlist and The ‘Down In New Orleans’ EP Later, Monday, September 5, 2022

It’s officially Labor Day today and we’d like to take the time to thank the labor movement, the people who brought you the weekend. We begin a brand new week with a new sixties-focused playlist called ‘One-Hit Wonders’ and take a trip to New Orleans later.

We have our ‘Down in New Orleans’ EP starting at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

12:00 p.m. One-Hit Wonders: The Sixties NEW!

One-hit wonders are wonderful things. Those who made them are never forgotten even though they may not have lasted decades like other musicians. In our sixties edition, you’ll hear The Amboy Dukes, Bobby Hebb, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Bobbie Gentry, The Easybeats, Count Five, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Jose Feliciano, Mason Williams, Merilee Rush, Richard Harris, Thunderclap Newman, The Capitols, The Contours, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, The Standells, Tony Joe White, The Knickerbockers, The McCoys, Zager & Evans, The Youngbloods, Scott McKenzie and more!

Please visit the Playlist tab and scroll to the bottom. You’ll find a complete list of the tunes included in this playlist there.

5:00 p.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

This is one great EP. It not only covers traditional New Orleans musical styles, but it highlights the rock n’ rollers who were born and raised in New Orleans. You’ll hear BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Lucinda Williams, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, Tony Joe White, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, Allen Fontenot, Aaron Neville, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Chance Bushman, The Daywalkers, The Boogaloo Swamis, Kermit Ruffins, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Magnolia Sisters, The Meters, Queen Ida & The BonTemps, Boozoo Chavis and more!

I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but we here in the Boston area are finally getting some much-needed rain and the temp is down in the sixties, which is perfect in my mind. Great day to hunker down and hang out with some great musical artists before heading back to work tomorrow. Give it a shot.