Our ‘Friends Of Mine’ EP, A Trio of Songwriters, and a Blood, Sweat & Tears Spotlight on Monday, November 27, 2023

Welcome to a rainy Monday here in the Boston area as I prepare to work a rare Monday shift. But The Music Mermaid has a great show lined up for you!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

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

This one has been waiting its turn for a bit. Songs to our friendships are in the pipeline today with The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m. Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark Live at The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN, September 3, 1995

Three brilliant singer-songwriters playing a live show together at a nationally-renowned musical venue for songwriters. This show happened just 15 months before Van Zandt’s death.

We’ve had this one on the burner simmering for months. It finally comes full circle today as we put one of the greatest jazz-rock bands on the planet In the Spotlight. Yet, there is a mystery surrounding what happened to this band that literally burst onto the scene and skyrocketed, and then just seemed to disappear. If you’re interested, here’s the story.

It’s Simply Sunday With Sam Cooke’s AOW and the ‘#BecomeUngovernable House Music’ EP, November 26, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are on another simple Sunday rotation today with plenty of Open Stream and minimal, but excellent, programming.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

This was Sam Cooke’s eleventh and final studio album, released in 1964. It contained his final hit, A Change Is Gonna’ Come, which became an anthem for the civil rights movement of the sixties. The song has increased in popularity over the decades since its release and, although a modest hit compared to his earlier songs, has become one of his best-known songs. Sam Cooke was a musical genius, and his considerable influence on the development of the soul and R&B genre cannot be denied.

3:00 p.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

Primarily songs from the sixties and seventies, this is essentially the music that inspired the radio station. You’ll hear Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

Today It’s ‘The Original 60’s Rotation’ EP, Dolly’s Rock Opus and We Head to NOLA for Our New Singer-Songwriters, Saturday, November 25, 2023

Welcome, Weekenders! It’s Saturday in The Lounge and we’ve got some early-to-mid sixties music, Dolly’s AOW grand finale, and Fats Domino & Dave Bartholomew as our featured singer-songwriters.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

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

This was our very first EP and it was built from two shorter playlists. You’ll hear Del Shannon, Little Eva, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, The Searchers, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Petula Clark, Glen Campbell, Johnny Rivers, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Harry Nilsson, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Blind Faith, Janis Joplin, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Bob Dylan, Tony Joe White, Barry McGuire, Fats Domino, Procol Harum and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Rockstar by Dolly Parton FINAL AIRING!

This is the final airing of Dolly’s great rock opus, in response to her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, don’t fret. It is party of our standard rotation now.

Every time we play Fats, I ask the same question: Was anybody singing rock n’ roll before Fats? I’m not sure. For absolute sure, Fats Domino was a true pioneer of the genre…one of the forefathers who made it happen. Today, along with his long-time collaborator, Dave Bartholomew, Fats is our featured singer-songwriter.

Friday Brings Psychedelia With Our Multi-Artist EP and The Beatles; Becker & Fagan in Between, November 24, 2023

Good morning, psychedelic music lovers, this is your day! We open and close with it, and in between we have Walter Becker and Donald Fagan as our featured singer-songwriters.

Here’s your Friday line-up:

9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

We’re back with some great psychedelic music courtesy of 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, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: Walter Becker & Donald Fagan FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of the great music these two guys made as part of Steely Dan, surely one of the absolute best bands of the seventies and eighties.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles: Tripping The Light Fantastic

We close out with a dose of Beatles psychedelic music. As with so many other genres, the Beatles led the way here as well. In fact, Paperback Writer and Rain (the latter being the B-side of Paperback Writer), included in this playlist are considered the forerunners of the psychedelic future we’d all experience.

Get on board The Psychedelic Express, folks. You don’t need no stinkin’ tickets or a credit card. Just push the button below.

Saturday Brings Elvis’ AOW, Our ‘Under The Influence’ EP and Walter Becker-Donald Fagan as Our Singer-Songwriters, November 18, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! Yes, it’s finally Saturday and The Music Mermaid has her selections all queued up for this fine day. Read on for the details!

Here are your musical details:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Elvis’ debut album today, a fine piece of music from what I personally consider his best time, right around 1956 and the Nashville/Sun sessions. Tomorrow, we’ll have a new album.

12:00 p.m. Under the Influence: Various Artists

Ah, yes. In my youth, some of my best times were spent under the influence. Today, you’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, Donovan, Glen Frey, John Lee Hooker, Jonathan Edwards, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Traveling Wilburys, The Temptations, Small Faces, Steely Dan, The Beatles, Talking Heads, Neil Young, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Jackson Browne, Steve Winwood, Led Zeppelin, Harry Chapin, The Band, The Fraternity of Man and more!

There’s a thing out there on social media asking the best bands of the seventies. Had it not been for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steely Dan would have been my number one. They’re a very close number two. We love them here in The Mermaid Lounge, and they are that good because of the singer-songwriter duo that put them on the map.

It’s Simply Sunday With Our AOW and the ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, November 12, 2023

Good morning, children, and welcome to Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge where the programming is light and the open stream is the norm.

Here’s your Sunday lineup:

Yes, we are Elvis lovers here in The Mermaid Lounge. He is one of our forefathers; one of the artists that people like The Beatles, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, and so many others that we play invoke as their inspiration. There were others to be sure, like Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton (the original Hound Dog hit was hers), but today we focus on Elvis because he did the one thing the others needed to complete the cycle: He made that music accessible to everyone and helped usher in rock n’ roll. This is Elvis’ debut album, released March 23, 1956. This is our favorite time frame for Elvis music, and today he owns our Album of The Week.

3:00 p.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Today it’s our ode to the night time. The dark hours. 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!

We Head Toward The Weekend With Our ‘Color My World’ EP, The Bee Gees’ AOW, and ‘Live’ Rolling Stones, Thursday, November 9, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great day lined up for you today with the multi-artist ‘Color My World’ EP, our AOW by The Bee Gees, and some ‘live’ Stones later.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

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

Songs about colors, fancy and otherwise, by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan Booker T & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Linda Ronstadt, J.D. Souther and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Bee Gees 1st by The Bee Gees

We’re winding down on this selection. The final airing will be sometime Saturday and, by Sunday, we’ll have a new selection.

7:00 p.m. The Rolling Stones Live at Palais Royale, Toronto, Canada, August 16, 2002

Get yourself some ‘live’ Stones tonight as we feature their 2002 performance in Canada at the Palais Royale.

Come on. You know you want to tune us in. We’re on 24/7 totally free of charge. No lies. No strings. We do not accept any commercial advertising either; an added bonus.

It’s Simply Sunday With This Week’s AOW by The Bee Gees and Our ‘British Are Coming’ EP, November 5, 2023

It’s the Brits all the way around today as we open up with our Album of The Week by The Bee Gees and then move into ‘The British Are Coming’ EP at mid-afternoon.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

When the Bee Gees first hit the music scene, my first reaction was “Wow, these guys are good.” And they were. Until they discovered disco. That’s when I made the break. But up until that point, The Bee Gees were a great little band. And so, we play them up until that fateful disco transition. (There are a few other bands that have met that fate, like The Doobie Brothers, but that’s a different story for a different day.) This is the band’s third studio album, but their debut album in the U.S. and UK. Their first two albums were released only in Australia and New Zealand.

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

Today our programming is dedicated to music from across the pond. In this great extended playlist you’ll hear The Beatles (of course), The Who, Dave Mason, Electric Light Orchestra, Petula Clark, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, Dave Clark Five, the Bee Gees the Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, Them, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Spencer Davis Group, The Rolling Stones Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

It’s Simply Sunday With Tom Rush’s “Merrimack County” and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, October 29, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re light on programming today but have plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lineup:

One of my favorite albums of all time (his ninth) with my favorite Tom Rush song ever in Kids These Days. Rush is rightfully called a pioneer of the singer-songwriter genre. His interpretations put plenty of them on the map, including Joni Mitchell. In addition to that, he has managed a solo singing career that has spanned sixty years. A New England born and bred favorite.

3:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We take you back to the sixties again for some mid-to-late decade sounds with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

Our #BecomeUngovernable House EP, Steve Winwood’s AOW and Roy Orbison is Our New Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, October 28, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! Here I am writing to you from my favorite spot on the planet, Provincetown, Massachusetts. And the show goes on with a great musical lineup!

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

The music that started this whole idea of mine with Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, Genesis, T-Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, The Plastic Ono Band, Billy Joel, George Harrison, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Roll With It by Steve Winwood FINAL AIRING!

Steve Winwood’s great AOW is in its final airing phase today. Tomorrow, we’ll have a brand new selection here.

A lot of people younger than me remember Roy Orbison as a Wilbury. But before he was a Wilbury (no small feat, I might add), he had a brilliant solo career. Known as ‘The Caruso of Rock,’ Roy Orbison’s voice is so distinctive you’d never mistake him for anyone else. A key influencer for generations of musicians who followed, including Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne, his Wilbury bandmates.

I’m on vacation, so I’m not waxing poetic this morning about why you should make us part of your daily routine. You’ll figure it out eventually.