Tag: Stevie Wonder

We’ve Got That Sweet Soul Sound, America In The Spotlight, Some Late-Night Dylan, and Our Album of The Week on Thursday, May 27, 2021

The plate is full this fine day as I head back to the salt mines for a three-day stint in the land of retail. I leave you with some great music.

We don’t do much ‘soft rock’ here, but these guys were great at it. They get a place at our table.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists

There’s nothing like soul music and R & B to get the blood boiling. And I mean the real thing. Not disco. Not rap. The real thing with Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Ann Peebles, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Bill Withers, The Shirelles, and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week; The Wallflowers by The Wallflowers

I say this every Thursday, but we’re winding down on our Album of The Week. This is the second to last airing before we make a new choice (come Sunday). Get in on it while you can!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of America NEW!

We don’t do a lot of soft rock in The Mermaid Lounge, but these guys made some of the best. And albums like Homecoming (which also did time as our Album of The Week a while ago), Holiday, and their debut album (especially) were great. They get a place at our table. America was formed in London in 1970 by Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley, all of whom were sons of U.S. Air Force members. Fun fact: Dan Peek (the middle guy) went on to a career in Christian music. You won’t hear that here.

10:00 p.m. Not The Album of The Week: John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan

We continue our Dylan birthday tribute with an album that is not our album of the week, John Wesley Harding which was released in 1967. Tomorrow will be our final Dylan tribute for his 80th birthday celebration.

Turn it on, people. All you need is a new browser tab and the ability to click the link below to reach musical nirvana. No membership, no credit card, no personal information required. No fucking lie.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Monday Morning Open Stream Leads to Steely Dan ‘Live’ in Houston and The Soul Men Later, April 19, 2021

We welcome you to the beginning of a new week here in The Mermaid Lounge. We start with Open Stream, but then move on to some really great programming.

We feature Steely Dan live at The Woodlands Pavillion today!

Here’s your Monday line-up:

1:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The Woodlands Pavillion, Houston, Texas, September 3, 1993

Today we feature one of the finest damned bands on the planet here today, live from Houston, Texas. I used to hear people say they couldn’t reproduce their sound on stage and I almost believed it…until I saw them live myself. Everyone’s a goddamned critic, especially those with no musical ability. I call bullshit.

7:00 p.m. The Soul Men, Volume One: Various Artists

I might as well tell you we kick off a new long-play soul and R & B playlist next month, so consider this a preview! You’ll hear Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Otis Redding (The Big O), Fats Domino, Freddie King, and many more!

Again, we open the week with light programming. But the programming we have is spectacular today. We are not-for-profit radio. We’re in it for the music. Give us a shot. You won’t regret it.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Between Heaven & Hell, Stephen Stills & Manassas Live in Amsterdam, and Cream’s Farewell Concert, Monday, April 5, 2021

It’s another Monday here in The Mermaid Lounge, where we aim to please. We have some great selections for you today mixed in with all that fine Open Stream.

We feature Cream’s farewell concert tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Between Heaven & Hell: Various Artists

One of our patented multi-artist playlists with either heaven or hell (or both) featured in the title and/or lyrics. Got that? You’ll hear Stevie Wonder, The Byrds, The Grateful Dead, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Donovan, Roberta Flack, ZZ Top, The Foo Fighters, The Eagles, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty, Fats Domino and many more!

3:00 p.m. Stephen Stills & Manassas, Live at The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, March 22, 1972

A comeback for Stephen Stills after falling by the wayside, and a successful one at that from one of the finest singer-songwriters in popular music.

7:00 p.m. Cream’s Farewell Concert, The BBC Transmission, January 5, 1969

It’s true that Cream wasn’t around for very long, but they left behind some seriously great music. Tonight we feature their farewell concert broadcast by the BBC.

Like I keep saying, more and more people every day. Today we have listeners from the Faroe Islands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, and Canada. Sooner or later you’ll figure it out. We’re not in this for the money. We neither accept advertising nor have the money to advertise ourselves. We’re in it for the music.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s Saturday in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/23/2021

Good Morning, fellow music trivia buffs, and welcome to The Mermaid Lounge! We have today’s lesson all prepared for you. We guarantee you’ll impress your friends and family with your knowledge if you apply yourselves.

The Winter Dance Party Tour begins. But before it’s over, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper will die in a plane crash. Don McLean called it “the day the music died” in his hit American Pie.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 23, 1959: The Winter Dance Party Tour began at the Million Dollar Ballroom in Milwaukee. Before the 24-city tour is over, the headliners, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper will die in a plane crash.

January 23, 1964: The Temptations released The Way You Do The Things You Do, one of the best R & B songs ever, in my opinion.

January 23, 1965: Herman’s Hermits released Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat.

Also on this day, Downtown made Petula Clark the first woman to have a #1 in the US since Vera Lynn in 1952. Of course, she’ll have many more here, but she is an old hand at this in the UK where she has been charting since 1954.

Beatles ’65 spent a third week at #1 on the Album charts.

January 23, 1966: Stevie Wonder played The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

January 23, 1967: Johnny Rivers, one of our favorites here, released Baby I Need Your Lovin’.

January 23, 1969: Alan Parsons (later of The Alan Parsons Project) engineered his first session at Apple Studios (as 2nd engineer to Glyn Johns) as The Beatles record one of their best ever, Get Back.

Elvis Presley records Suspicious Minds at American Sound, a small studio in Memphis. It is a huge comeback hit for The King, and it is also his final #1 hit in America.

January 23, 1970: Judy Collins is denied the opportunity to sing her testimony at the infamous Chicago 7 trial.

January 23, 1971: George Harrison is the first ex-Beatle to hit #1 on the UK charts with My Sweet Lord.

Also on this day, Gladys Knight & The Pips recached #1 on the R & B charts with If I Were Your Woman. This band never got the recognition it deserved, in my opinion, and Gladys Knight was a powerhouse of a singer.

January 23, 1973: While singing to a sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York, Neil Young is handed a message. He then announces that a peace accord had been reached in Vietnam. The crowd goes wild for 10 minutes. Here we are in 2020, and American imperialism continues on unabated and forgotten as we fucking argue over masks.

January 23, 1978: Terry Kath of Cbicago accidentally shoots himself in the head with a gun he believed was empty. He dies instantly, just eight days shy of his 32nd birthday. It also marks the death of Chicago, as far as I am concerned, as Peter Cetera leads them down the path of elevator music and renders them irrelevant.

Born On This Day

January 23, 1950: Danny Federici, keyboardist for the E Street Band, was born in Farmington, New Jersey.

January 23, 1950: Bill Cunningham, bassist for The Box Tops, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

And that is all because we do not give a flying fuck about Mariah Carey or Justin Bieber. We will be back with our line-up soon!

It’s Friday Morning in The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 1/22/2021

Good Morning, Students! Here we are again. It’s another Friday here in The Mermaid Lounge, and this was a pretty active day in rock n’ roll history!

The Beatles put their differences aside and managed to finish Let It Be, a great fucking album.

Here’s today’s lesson:

January 22, 1959: Buddy Holly left for Milwaukee to begin The Winter Dance Party tour.

January 22, 1960: Sam Cooke signed with RCA Records on this day, his 29th birthday.

January 22, 1963: Gerry & The Pacemakers held their first recording session ever, laying down How Do You Do It.

January 22, 1964: Sonny Boy Wiliamson and The Yardbirds appeared at The Cavern Club for their Big R & B Night.

January 22, 1965: The Rolling Stones began a tour of Oceana with two shows at the Agricultural Hall in Sydney, Australia.

January 22, 1966: The Beach Boys began recording Wouldn’t It Be Nice at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood.

Also on this day:

Stevie Wonder went to #1 on the R & B chart with Uptight (Everything’s Alright). He was just 13 years old at the time, making him the youngest artist to ever top the charts.

The Beatles album Rubber Soul was at week three in the top Album position.

Simon & Garfunkel had their first #1 hit with Sounds of Silence.

January 22, 1968: Kenny Rogers & The First Edition released their first single, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). I wonder if anybody realizes that he started out as a rocker before he began singing formualted country hits.

Also on this day:

Another great band, Sly & The Family Stone, sent their first 45 record, Dance To The Music, to the radio stations.

The Who performed two shows in Sydney Stadium in Australia. They were backed by the Small Faces.

January 22, 1969: Billy Preston arrived at Apple Studios to play keyboards and help the Beatles finish the Let It Be album. In addition to his talents, he also provided a great buffer for their in-fighting.

January 22, 1971: The Joe Cocker film, Mad Dogs & Englishmen, premiered in London. It featured performances by Cocker himself, along with Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge. There was also a cast of great session musicians like Jim Keltner (Buster Sidebury of Traveling Wilbury fame), Jim Horn, and Carl Radle.

January 22, 1972: Don McLean’s album American Pie hits #1 in the US, where it will remain for seven weeks.

January 23, 1973: Gladys Knight & The Pips released the single Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye).

Also on this day, Roberta Flack released the single Killing Me Softly With His Song. The lyricist was Lori Lieberman, who was inspired by a 1971 live performance by none other than Don McLean.

January 22, 1974: Carly Simon’s great album Hotcakes is certified Gold.

January 22, 1977: Paul McCartney & Wings have the #1 album in the US with Wings Over America.

January 22, 2004: The famous nightclub, The Bottom Line, closes its doors in Greenwich Village, New York after thirty years.

Born On This Day

January 22, 1931: Sam Cooke, the man with the voice made to sing soul music, was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

January 22, 1949: Another great vocalist, Steve Perry, the frontman for Journey, was born in Hanford, California. (No matter what they tell you, there’s no real Journey without Steve Perry at the mike.)

January 22, 1959: Nigel Pegrum, drummer for both Small Faces and Uriah Heep, was born in North Wales.

I hope you took notes. Because this is a lot of information. We’ll be back with the line-up.

It’s Another Monday at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/14/2020

Good Morning, Students! We have your Monday morning lesson right here from The Mermaid Lounge, then we’re coming back with today’s line up!

Gladys Knight & The Pips, who made the original version (and a fucking great version, by the way) of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine, but it is Marvin Gaye’s later version that is considered the definitive version. How did that happen?

Here’s today’s lesson:

December 14, 1963: The Beatles’ I Want To Hold Your Hand begins five weeks at #1 on the UK charts. It replaced She Loves You, which was #1 for two weeks. This is the first time ever a band has replaced itself on the charts with a new song.

December 14, 1964: Although banned by some radio stations, The Kingsmen’s Louie Louie goes to #2 on the Hot 100. Only the Singing Nun could keep the from #1.

December 14, 1968: Tommy James & The Shondells released Crimson & Clover. (Over and over.)

Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through The Grapevine hits #1 in the US, where it stays for seven weeks. Gladys Knight & The Pips released a version in 1967 (my favorite version of the song, actually) and it went to #2 then. In spite of that, Marvin Gaye’s is considered the definitive version. I love Marvin Gaye, but I disagree.

Motown Acts own the top three spots on the Hot 100 on this day: (1) I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye; (2) Love Child by The Supremes; and (3) For Once In My Life by Stevie Wonder.

Big Brother & The Holding Company’s album, Cheap Thrills, remained at #1 on the Album charts.

December 14, 1995: Released classified documents revealed that John Lennon wasn’t paranoid. The FBI had been spying on Lennon and his antiwar activities during Tricky Dick’s regime with the goal of having him deported.

Born On This Day

December 14, 1943: Frank Allen, bassist for The Searchers, was born in Hayes, West London, England.

December 14, 1946: Jackie McAuley, keyboardist/vocalist with Them, was born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

And that is it for today’s musical lesson. Enjoy your day. We’ll be back with our line up in a bit!

It’s Sunday Morning at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/29/2020

Good Morning, Rock n’ Rollers! There’s never a day off at the College. We’re here as usual with with all the news that matters on this day in music history.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of the finest bands ever.

Here’s your message from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge, and The Beatles continue to dominate:

November 29, 1963: The Beatles release I Want To Hold Your Hand in England. For the first time in music history, there were one million advance orders. It would spend seven weeks at #1.

November 29, 1966: The Beatles continue working on Strawberry Fields Forever by recording two more “takes” at Abbey Road Studios. They later remade the song, but the first minute from the final take on this day was remixed and used in the final version of the song.

November 29, 1966: Bob Dylan finished work on his John Wesley Harding album. He recruited Pete Drake to play some light pedal steel guitar, as he recorded the final two songs, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and Down Along The Cove.

November 29, 1968: John Lennon released his first solo album called Unfinished Music.

Also as of this day, The Beatles sold 1.5 million copies of The White Album in the UK during the first week of its release.

November 29, 1969: The Beatles’ domination of music continues when the the double-sided monster hit Come Together/Something goes to #1. This is the band’s 18th number one hit. It is also a first for George Harrison. It is the first time he is the composer of an A-side hit.

Meanwhile, Creedence Clearwater Revival has a two-sided hit of its own climbing the charts with Down On The Corner/Fortunate Son.

Also on November 29, Abbey Road by the Beatles is on its fifth week at the top of the Album charts.

November 29, 1975: Red Octopus became the first #1 album for the Jefferson Starship — and it is their only worthwhile album thanks to the influence of Marty Balin. The fact that this band even used part of Jefferson Airplane’s name is a travesty. What the fuck was Grace Slick thinking?

November 29, 1980: Stevie Wonder spends a fifth week on top of the R & B charts with Master Blaster (Jammin’), his 13th number one hit on the charts.

Also on this day, Bruce Springsteen’s The River remained at #1 on the Album chart for a fourth week.

November 29, 1986: It was another good day for Bruce. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live 1975/1985 hits #1 on the Album charts.

November 29, 2001: George Harrison, the youngest Beatle, a ground-breaking solo artist, and a proud member of the Traveling Wilburys later in his career, left this earth at a friend’s home in Hollywood Hills, California after a long battle with lung cancer. He was just 58 years old. His wife Olivia and son Dhani were at his side. His final words were reported to be “Love one another.” We will celebrate George Harrison’s life in music today.

November 29, 2013: Dick Dodd, lead singer and drummer for The Standells of Dirty Water fame, died in Fountain Valley, California, also at the age of 58.

Born On This Day

November 29, 1933: John Mayall, the father of British blues, singer, songwrite and multi-instrumentalist for his Bluesbreakers, was born in Macclesfield, England.

November 29, 1940: Denny Doherty of The Mamas & The Papas was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

November 29, 1944: Felix Cavaliere, keyboardist with The Young Rascals and one of the greatest rock n’ roll singers in one of the best rock n’ roll bands on the planet, was born in Pelham, New York.

And that’s it for today. We will be back soon to tell you about today’s programming.

It’s Another Day at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/27/2020

Yes, it’s Black Friday, but not here in The Mermaid Lounge. There isn’t a damned thing we want for here that we have to go out among the teeming, greedy masses to get it.

Shit gets real with The Stones at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Here’s November 27th’s rock n’ roll history:

November 27, 1961: Patsy Cline’s version of Willie Nelson’s Crazy peaks at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would be the biggest of her four records t cross over to the pop charts from the country charts (where it reached #2).

November 27, 1962: The Beatles recorded songs for the BBC in the UK for the first time ever. They sang Love Me Do, Twist and Shout, and P.S. I Love You at the BBC Paris Studio in London for a program called “Talent Spot.”

November 27, 1964: The Beatles appeared on the British television show called “Ready Steady Go.”

November 27, 1965: Marvin Gaye moved into the #1 slot on the R & B charts with Ain’t That Peculiar.

Also on this day, The Lovin’ Spoonful’s You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice entered the US record charts.

November 27, 1967: The Beatles released the album Magical Mystery Tour in the U.S. and Hello Goodbye as a single in the U.S. on the same day. If that isn’t enough, the B-side of Hello Goodbye, I Am The Walrus, will chart and be a hit as well.

Also on this day, Aretha Franklin released my favorite Aretha song, Chain of Fools.

November 27, 1968: Steppenwolf’s self-titled debut album is certified gold on this day.

November 27, 1969: All kinds of milestones will be reached at Madison Square Garden in New York on this day. The Rolling Stones perform a show that is recorded and later released on Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out. The Ike & Tina Revue opened for the Stones that evening, and Janis Joplin joined Tina on stage for a duet. And in the audience celebrating his 27th, and final, birthday was Jimi Hendrix.

November 27, 1970: George Harrison released his triple album entitled All Things Must Pass. The single release, My Sweet Lord, will be the first ex-Beatle solo effort to hit #1 in both the US and UK.

November 27, 1972: Carly Simon released the single, You’re So Vain.

November 27, 1976: Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life, which debuted at #1, remained at #1 for a seventh week.

November 27, 1979: The Eagles released the single, The Long Run.

November 27 1995: The Beatles set a rock-era record when Anthology 1 sells more than 1.2 million copies in its first week of release.

Born On This Day

November 27, 1934: Al Jackson of Booker T. & The MG’s is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

November 27, 1942: Jimi Hendrix is born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington.

November 27, 1945: Randy Brecker, trumpeter and flugelhorn player for Blood, Sweat & Tears, is born in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

November 27, 1948: Dave Winthrop, sax player and flautist for Supertramp, is born.

And that’s Friday’s lesson from The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge. We are posting a bit early today as I’m on the run this morning, and we will be back with today’s programming shortly.

Your Brain Might Be Full After Today’s College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 11/22/20

It’s one pistol of a day at the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge! We have got a lot of musical news for your history lesson today. I don’t know how we could possibly put anybody but The Beatles in the main photo today. You’ll see why.

We couldn’t possibly put anybody but The Beatles in this blog post today.

Here’s today’s musical historical happenings:

November 22, 1957: Two sixteen-year-olds named Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel appeared on ABC-TV’s American Bandstand as Tom & Jerry where they sang Hey Schoolgirl. The rest, as they say, is history.

November 22, 1961: Bob Dylan completes the recording of his debut album.

November 22, 1963: The Beatles release their second album in the UK called With The Beatles. It knocked their debut album out of the #1 spot, and then proceeded to give The Beatles 51 consecutive weeks at the #1 position on the UK Album Charts.

November 22, 1965: Stevie Wonder releases his hit Uptight (Everything’s Alright).

November 22, 1967: George Harrison begins recording the soundtrack to the movie Wonderwall.

November 22, 1968: The Beatles release their self-titled double album set called The Beatles. It becomes better known as The White Album.

November 22, 1969: The Beatles sit atop the album charts with the spectacular Abbey Road.

November 22, 1981: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods of The Rolling Stones join Muddy Waters on stage at the Checkerboard Lounge in Chicago.

November 22, 1983: The Pretenders release their great single, Middle of The Road.

November 22, 1986: Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble launch their 149-date American and European tour at the Towson Center in Towson, MD.

November 22, 1988: Pink Floyd released their live album, The Delicate Sound of Thunder.

November 22, 1990: Freddie Mercury of Queen issues a public statement confirming the rumor that he has AIDS. He passes away on November 24, 1991 from the illness.

November 22, 2010: After just one week of availability on ITunes, The Beatles’ music sold more than 450,000 albums and 2 million individual songs.

November 22, 2010: The Beatles (aka, The White Album) returns to the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart after its 50th anniversary reissue on November 9.

Born on This Day

November 22, 1943: Floyd Sneed, drummer for Three Dog Night, is born in Calgary, Ontario, Canada.

November 22, 1944: Jesse Colin Young, lead singer and bassist for The Youngbloods, is born in Manhattan.

November 22, 1946: Bass Guitarist Aston “Family Man” Barrett of Bob Marley & The Wailers is born in Kingston, Jamaica. Seems the nickname “Family Man” was a good one. He is reported to have fathered 41 children.

November 22, 1950: Steven Van Zandt (aka, Little Steven), songwriter, guitarist, arranger and producer with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, is born in Winthrop, MA.

Tina Weymouth, founding member and bass player with Talking Heads, is born in Coronado, CA.

November 22, 1963: President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. His death inspires many songs, including The Beach Boys’ Warmth of the Sun, and Bob Dylan’s 2020 release, Murder Most Foul. We will play Murder Most Foul this evening at 10:00 p.m.

And that is it for Sunday at The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge. Stay tuned for today’s line-up!

Happy B-Day, Neil Young! Some Afternoon Open Stream, and Music About Luck, On Friday, November 13, 2020

Good Morning, Fellow Musicologists and Mixologists! It’s bleak, cold, rainy and dreary outside The Mermaid Lounge today and we’ve got about six inches of leaves on the ground out there. But inside? We’ve got great music.

Neil Young, musical legend, turns 75.

Here’s today’s Friday the 13th line-up!

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Neil Young

Happy Belated Birthday to Neil Young today, who turned 75 yesterday. He’s still out there, staying true to himself like all the greats do. In addition to his outstanding solo career, Neil Young has been part of Buffalo Springfield, The Stills-Young Band, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. On the road, his backing bands have been Crazy Horse, and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. His discography is immense and his contribution immeasurable.

Afternoon Open Stream with Three-in-a-Rows

We’ve got an Open Stream afternoon with some Three-in-a-Row interludes for your listening pleasure. Keep your head low and stay out of trouble today.

7:00 p.m. Deb’s Stream: Good Luck, Bad Luck, Dumb Luck NEW!

You knew this had to happen today. It’s just too good an opportunity to remember some of the songs addressing the issue of luck. You would actually think there’d be more. Tough to find! This playist is about luck (title or lyrics) and taking chances. Enjoy.

By the way, the playlist for this is up on the blog. Just navigate yourselves to the Playlist tab and scroll to the bottom!

This morning, we welcome listeners from Portugal and Lithuania to our community. We’d like to welcome more from the U.S. But as with every other issue, they seem to be asleep at the switch. Or tab. Or keyboard. Whatever your perspective.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio