We Start Off With Songs About the Night, Then It’s Spanky & Our Gang and Live Steely Dan, Thursday, January 23, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re starting off the morning with songs about the night, then we move on with an underrated sixties band and some live Steely Dan.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start the day with songs about the night with Warren Zevon, the 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 Doors, The Eagles, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Spanky & Our Gang

One of those sixties pop bands that flew under the radar, powered by the voice of Elaine ‘Spanky’ McFarlane. I’ve always thought that Give A Damn was one of the best songs ever recorded.

8:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, November 20, 1974

Without a doubt, one of the absolute best bands of the seventies here in another excellent performance, this one from London.

Once again, there’s no better way to spend the day than with good music uninterrupted by commercial bullshit. We’re all about the music, not capitalism. The button is below.

It’s Midweek With The Sixties: Our Original EP, The Beatles On the Rooftop, and Joplin at Winterland, Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Good morning, sixties music lovers! All of our programming is for you today as we begin with the ‘Original Sixties Rotation’ EP, then it two great live performances to follow.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start it off with the icons of the sixties, including The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Little Eva, Simon & Garfunkel, 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, The Temptations, Del Shannon, James Brown, Fontella Bass, Blues Image, Booker T & The MGs, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Them, The Left Banke, Fats Domino and more!

4:00 p.m. The Beatles Live on The Rooftop, Apple Corp Headquarters, London, UK, January 30, 1969

We’re getting close to the 56th anniversary of The Beatles’ very last live performance, an impropmptu concert on the rooftop of Apple Records that blew London’s hair back during weekday lunch. It took the British Bobbies long enough to figure out where it was coming from so that The Beatles managed to record five songs on that rooftop for Let It Be, including Get Back, I’ve Got A Feeling, Don’t Let Me Down, One After 909 and Dig A Pony. It was a momentous musical occasion.

8:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 12 & 13, 1968

We close the day’s programming with a great live performance from Janis Joplin from the iconic Winterland Ballroom.

Here we are at midweek and tomorrow we begin the downslide to the weekend. Stick with us. We’ve got great music here every day, free of charge to all of you. No shit. The button is below.

Monday Brings Three Dog Night, Our ‘What’s In a Name’ EP, Plus Dylan & The Heartbreakers, January 20, 2025

Good morning, musicologists. On our national day of disgrace, we urge you to turn off the inauguration and do anything else. You can spend your day here instead.

Here’s your Monday, Monday musical lineup:

This has been on my to-do list for ages and I’m finally happily delivering. These guys were a veritable hit machine with 21 Top 40 singles between 1969 and 1975; three went to number one. They are certainly on our list of favorite seventies artists.

2:00 p.m. What’s In a Name: Various Artists

This one comes back from hiatus today as we bring you songs about people, some real and some imaginary. You’ll hear from Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Them, Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, 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, James Taylor, Tony Joe White and more!

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Cal Expo Amphitheater, Sacramento, CA, June 12, 1986

What could be better than this combination? This was Dylan’s True Confessions Tour. Bob Dylan asked his manager, “Can we find a band that’s cool?” I think he pretty much delivered. It began a musical friendship between Dylan and Petty that would eventually result in The Traveling Wilburys.

We’re here, and we’re happy we’re not in D.C. where ugly returns to our nation today. Here in The Lounge, it’s all about freedom, peace and unity. No ugly here. Just great music. The button is below.

On Saturday We’ve Got Songs About Colors, Live Linda Ronstadt, and an I-Three ‘Spotlight’ Feature, January 18, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! We’ve made it to Saturday and we have songs about colors. After that, the focus turns to some very talented women.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Whoever thought there’d be five hours worth of songs about colors. In fact, this EP could have gone on longer. You’ll hear from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Linda Ronstadt, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, J.D. Souther and more!

4:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, August 24, 1980

The undisputed Queen of Rock drops by The Mermaid Lounge this afternoon for a live performance. I’ve seen Ronstadt 40 times in my lifetime, and she never disappointed once.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The I-Threes

I’m sure some people will be scratching their heads and asking who these ladies are. These are the women who helped to uplift Bob Marley’s music by providing amazing background vocals, but they are so much more accomplished than that. They are literal legends in the Reggae music world. You can learn about them here if you’re interested and, better still, drop by The Lounge tonight and see for yourself.

We begin the weekend once again, and the living is easy here in The Mermaid Lounge. I’ll be finishing up my final day in hardware hell, but The Music Mermaid is here to take care of running things. The button is below.

Thursday Brings Songs About Water, Live Eva Cassidy, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Thursday, January 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. We head toward the weekend once again with a great, eclectic lineup of music that starts with songs about water!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

We start out with songs about water from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Valerie Carter, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Van Morrison, Tom Rush and more!

4:00 p.m. Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., January 2-3, 1996

This afternoon we’ve got the late, great Eva Cassidy, who left us far too soon at the age of 36, live from a great venue called Blues Alley.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

We close with an iconic country band that has graced the music scene for more than half a century.

We’re on the way to the weekend and music can make the journey so much more pleasant. We’re free. We’re on 24/7 without commercial interruption. And the button is below.

Monday’s Back With Our ‘Friends of Mine’ EP, a Curtis Mayfield ‘Spotlight’ and Live Warren Zevon, January 13, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re back to another Monday, but the music is just fine here in The Mermaid Lounge. Great way to start the week with an EP that’s been on a short hiatus!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We start it up with Open Stream With a Theme about friends, both good and bad, with The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Todd Rundgren, Amy Winehouse, The Doors, Simon & Garfunkel, John Brine, Joan Baez, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beatles, The Byrds, Carole King, Steppenwolf, Paul McCartney, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Loggins & Messina, Free, Leon Russell, Talking Heads, Robert Johnson, Argent and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Curtis Mayfield

An extraordinary singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer known as the “Gentle Genius.” Mayfield is recognized as one of the most influential and socially-conscious African American musicians in popular music, first known to the public as the leader of The Impressions during the civil rights movement.

8:00 p.m. Warren Zevon Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, January 25, 1988

We close out the Monday programming with a live performance by the late, great Warren Zevon at Hammersmith Odeon in London.

One more time: We’re totally free of charge (no strings) and completely free of commercial advertising. We’re not here to make money. We’re here to play the greatest music on the planet. The button is below.

It’s The British Invasion and Beyond on Thursday, along with Simon & Garfunkel, and Clapton & Winwood, January 9, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Thursday. We head for the weekend with music from across the pond, Simon & Garfunkel ‘Spotlight’ and live Clapton & Winwood.

Here’s Thursday’s lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

We kick it off with music from across the pond with The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces. Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Elton John, The Yardbirds, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, The Spencer Davis Group, Donovan, Cream and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Simon & Garfunkel

One of the greatest duos of all time actually met and started out while in grammar school. Over their long career they sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Today they are ‘In the Spotlight’.

8:00 p.m. Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, February 25-28, 2008

Two musical legends join forces for one great concert stint at Madison Square Garden. We’ve got it for you tonight.

Here we are again headed for the weekend. Thankfully, I might add. We’ll get you there in fine form. Just see for yourself. It’s free and effortless. The button is below. Just use it.

It’s Midweek and We’re ‘Under The Influence’ With The Beatles and The Supergroups, Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Good morning, musicologists, and welcome to the middle of the week. Tomorrow we’ll be heading for the weekend once again! We have a great Wednesday lineup.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Being under the influence is the subject of many a song as evidenced by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young, The Beatles, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Foreigner, Jonathan Edwards, John Lee Hooker, Donovan and more!

4:00 p.m. Trippin’ With The Beatles

This afternoon we explore The Beatles psychedelic catalogue, an extraordinary journey. Did you know that Paperback Writer is considered one of the earliest examples of a psychedelic song?

8:00 p.m. Sounds of The Supergroups, Volume One: Various Artists

Tonight we close it out with the Supergroups, like Cream, Blind Faith, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Highwaymen, The Super, Super Blues Band (Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf & Bo Diddley), Manassas, and two of the best damned supergroups of all time, Trio (Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton & Emmylou Harris) and our faves, The Traveling Wilburys. You know, nobody ever speaks of Trio as a supergroup, at least not the music media which still entrenched in misogyny, but that is exactly what Trio was.

Like I said earlier, we’re headed for the weekend after today, and we aim to get you there in style. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption. Ever. 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.

On Saturday It’s ‘The Female Species’ EP, Live Jackson Browne and The Marshall Tucker Band, December 4, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! Today we give you songs about women, some vintage live Jackson Browne and a Marshall Tucker Band ‘Spotlight’ feature!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Female Species: Various Artists

We start out with songs about women, girls, chicks, dames…you get the picture. There are many from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Jackson Browne, John Mayall, Hot Tuna, The Eagles, Elvis Presley, Electric Light Orlchestra, Fleetwood Mac, Percy Sledge, The Beatles, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac (the original Mac), America, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beach Boys, The Temptations, Linda Ronstadt and more!

We’ve got some great live Jackson Browne this afternoon, a show I actually attended back in the day. I had no idea it had been recorded and found it quite by accident searching for something else. We have it for you today.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Marshall Tucker Band

Found in South Carolina in 1972, I consider this band the best of the post-Allman Brothers Southern rock bands. Charlie Daniels doesn’t get airplay here. He was a racist asshole and a homophobe. I don’t much like Skynyrd’s attitude either. Interestingly, the band’s name came from a blind piano tuner whose name was found on a key to their original rehearsal space. Today, we have them ‘In the Spotlight’.

We’re here 24/7 with absolutely no commercial interruption and no chatty DJ’s who like to hear themselves talk so much that they talk through the beginning and the end of songs. We leave that to others. See for yourselves. The button is below.