We’ve Reached The Week’s End With Songs About the Color Black, George Harrison’s Singer-Songwriter Finale, and The Soul Sisters, Friday, March 3, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We’ve finally made it to Friday and we’ve got some great music as we move from Black History Month into Woman’s History Month. Read on!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

Today we start off with songs about the color black in the title, lyrics or both. Among others, you’ll hear The Rolling Stones, The Wallflowers, The Move, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Three Dog Night, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Hollies, Stephen Stills, The Beatles, Warren Zevon, The Band, Nina Simone, Linda Ronstadt, Curtis Mayfield, Lucinda Williams, Tim Hardin, Long John Baldry, The Kinks and Dr. John.

4:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of George Harrison FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of George Harrison as our featured singer-songwriter. Sometime tomorrow we’ll be introducing the next artist, so today is it. If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s time to find out just why Harrison is considered right up there with Lennon-McCartney.

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

We’ve moved into Women’s History Month and you’ll be hearing a lot of women featured in our programming rotation in March. This great playlist features Little Eva, Aretha Franklin, Irma Thomas, Kim Weston, Carla Thomas, The Shirelles, Ann Peebles, Mavis Staples (The Staple Singers), The Ronettes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Th eSupremes, Barbara Lewis, Mary Wells, Fontella Bass, Martha & The Vandellas and more!

Celebrate the end of the work week with great music. We’ve got it all here at no charge to you ever. Some clown wrote me a while ago and said I’m just trying to get followers. I mean, WTF? I’m offering you something totally free. See for yourself. Take the time.

It’s Sunday In The Mermaid Lounge, and It’s a Folk Music Kind of Day With Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and Tim Buckley With the Album of The Week, December 18, 2022

Good morning, folk music lovers. We love this particular playlist here in the Lounge. Very eclectic and full of great classic folk along with musicians who have paid homage to the genre even while not calling themselves “folk singers.” See for yourself.

Here’s today’s musical journey:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Goodbye and Hello by Tim Buckley NEW!

A lot of people don’t really know Tim Buckley. It took me a while to discover him as well. He was one of those singer-songwriters we call a changeling. He began his career in folk music but spread his wings into jazz, psychedelic, funk, soul, avant-garde and more, before dying at the age of 28 in 1975 from a heroin and morphine overdose. Goodbye and Hello was Buckley’s second studio album released in August of 1967 and is a combination of folk-rock and psychedelic-folk.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

The question you have to ask yourself is what kind of folk music best suits you? Because it’s a deep-rooted musical style that has changed and evolved over the years without losing its basic identity. I remember when Dylan took it electric. It created quite a stir. We’ve got it all here. You will hear Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Townes Van Zandt and more!

This is a great day to join an international community of music lovers who enjoy the wide spectrum of stuff we play, and appreciate the fact that there’s some stuff we don’t play. We are not trying to be all things to all people; just some things to a lot of people. And we are totally commercial-free. We’re also completely free to you. Your money is absolutely no good here.

We’re at Midweek With Our Multi-Artist ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and Chuck Berry In The Spotlight, Wednesday, October 19, 2022

We hit our midweek stride with a great EP focused on folk music and folk-rock. We play both the great pure folk artists (like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan), along with those who pay homage to the musical genre (like The Beatles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers). Later, we put Chuck Berry front and center.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

10:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-to-Z: Various Artists

We’ve got them all here in this playlist. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and more!

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

Tonight we put a rock n’ roll pioneer, one of its Founding Fathers, In the Spotlight as we celebrate his birthday (belatedly, it was October 18). John Lennon once said this about Chuck Berry, “If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.'” Indeed.

Before, in between, and after we’ve got that great wide Open Stream all day and all night long, because we run 24/7, not just when we have programming. You are in the hands of The Music Mermaid who, as you well know, has impeccable taste in music.

It’s Finally Friday and We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Visit From the I-Threes Coming Up, August 19, 2022

Good Morning, Reggaeologists! Yes. It’s still Reggae Week, right through to Sunday. Or Maybe Monday. We’ll see. But today, we’ve got the I-Threes coming’ at ya, and I’m pretty sure there’ll be plenty of folks out there who don’t really know who they are. We’re going to help you with that.

The I-Threes are Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths.

Here’s today’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music was the original musical genre of the protest generation with Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Phil Ochs, Lead Belly as the forefathers. Today, they’ll be joined by others, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Prine, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, The Carter Family, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The I-Threes NEW!

So, who are the I-Threes? The I-Threes are Rita Marley (yes, wife of Bob), Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths and it is the most influential female group in Reggae music. From 1974 right up until Bob Marley’s untimely death ten years later, they provided his rich vocal backgrounds. They also made music of their own. And today we are very excited about putting them In the Spotlight as we continue to focus on the women of music here in The Mermaid Lounge.

Come on, people. This is your chance to tune us in. We’re hear 24/7 around the clock every day trying to bring you the best of music. And that means we don’t play the same songs over and over and over. We play just enough of our house bands, but not too much. We are also advertising-free and do not require your personal information, a subscription or your credit card. Your money is absolutely no good here.

Today We’ve Got Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP and a Brand New Spotlight With The Mamas & The Papas, Friday, May 20, 2022

We finally put The Mamas & The Papas In the Spotlight this evening!

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music is front and center today as the heart and soul of protest music. Spend the day with artists who shaped the folk music resurgence of the sixties, and those who simply pay homage to the craft. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, The Stone Poneys, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Linda Ronstadt, and many more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Mamas & The Papas NEW!

This one is long overdue here in The Mermaid Lounge. One of the key groups in the Laurel Canyon scene finally gets its due here. This is a perfect fit today because The Mamas & The Papas were instrumental in the marriage of folk and rock, much in the same way The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds were instrumental in the birth of country-rock. The Mamas & The Papas were only on the music scene from 1965 to 1968, but their impact was significant.

Great day to tune us in, folks. We’ve got a great programming day lined up. Keep in mind that our programming is interspersed in all that great wide Open Stream where you’ll hear our ever-rotating collection of 27,000+ songs and growing. We’re totally free 24/7 and ask no questions except: What are you waiting for?

It’s Sunday Funday With Our Folk Music Longplayer; The Wallflowers Own Our Album of The Week, May 23, 2021

Good Morning, Folks! It’s Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and it’s time once again for our folk music extravaganza and a brand new Album of The Week.

Folk Music From A to Z begins at 3:00 p.m. today!

Here’s your Sunday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: The Wallflowers by The Wallflowers NEW!

As you may (or may not) know, Jakob Dylan recently announced that there will be a brand new Wallflowers album for the first time in nine years. I just happened to catch a pre-release of one of the songs and it was great. It inspired me to make their 1992 debut release our Album of The Week this week. This is a pretty damned fine band. All songs were composed by Jakob Dylan with the exception of one, and he assisted on that one.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A to Z: Various Artists

One of our favorite playlists here in The Mermaid Lounge is afoot today, and you’ll hear Odetta, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bonnie Raitt, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty,, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Ton Rush, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Tim Hardin and many more.

You can catch the entire set list in the Playlist section of this blog. Just scroll until you find it!

Even the particular god of your choice took Sunday off. The retail establishments forget, of course, that Sunday is a day of rest. But Capitalism reigns here in America. We must exercise our right to buy seven days of the week even as our individual rights erode hourly (and I’m not talking about fucking masks either). But I digress. You must tune in, turn on, and drop out if that is an option for you. It’ll save your mental health. We won’t cost you a penny.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

On a Mermaid Lounge Sunday, J. Geils Owns Our Album of The Week and We Have Our Expanded ‘Folk From A to Z’ Playlist, March 28, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists! How are you all this fine morning. It’s a bit bleak here in the Boston area today. We’re forecasted for heavy rains. We’ll see if it actually happens. Sometimes the weather is spot on, sometimes not.

Woody Guthrie, Eric Andersen, Joni Mitchell and more will grace our airwaves starting at 3:00 p.m. today.

Here’s our Sunday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Love Stinks by The J. Geils Band NEW!

The J. Geils Band is a Boston favorite, and this one has been a long time coming. I know it’s sacrilege in these parts, but I prefer the music of the J. Geils Band to Aerosmith any day of the week. Just a personal observation. The band was formed back in 1967 in Worcester, Massachusetts under the leadership of guitarist John “J” Geils, and featured one Peter Wolf on vocals. This is my favorite J. Geils album.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A to Z: Various Artists EXPANDED & UPDATED!

We’ve elevated this playlist up to the level of our Sixties, Girls Day Out, and British playlists, with nearly five hours of old, traditional, and newer artists contributing. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, Odetta, Leadbelly, Janis Ian, Tim Hardin, Jesse Winchester, and many others! We are still adding to our folk artist collection, so there will be another update down the road.

In the meantime, this new playlist appears in the Playlist section of this blog. Just scroll to the bottom!

Sunday is a day of rest, and the perfect way to kick back and relax is to tune us in. I could continue to give you the line about how we’re free and outside the system, but hey, I’m kind of sick of that one. So, this is all I’ll say for now.

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

It’s a Folk Music Kind of Monday With Our A-Z Playlist and Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions, February 22, 2021

Good Morning, Musicologists. This is your day if you’re into folk music. We’ve got a great plalist that runs just under three hours. We also have some live music from Dublin featuring Springsteen and his Seeger Sessions Band.

We’ve got some great folk music going down today from The Mermaid Lounge,

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-Z: Various Artists

We’ve already expanded this play list once on a modest scale, but we’ve got an even bigger updated and expansion planned over the nest few weeks. In the meantime, you can hear just under three hours of Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, Richie Havens, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Cat Stevens, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Woody and Arlo Guthrie, Odetta, John Hartford, Tom Rush, Harry Chapin and more!

5:00 p.m. Bruce Springsteen & The Sessions Band: Live at the Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland

Springsteen dropped the “Seeger” from the sessions band for this album performance; something we think is a shame. Ultimately this is Springsteens ‘take’ on Pete Seeger;s music, recorded November 17-19, 2006 in Dublin, Ireland.

The rest of the day is devoted to Open Stream, so tune us in. We’re sure you’ll like today’s music selection, and we’re completely free. No credit card of personal information is required. No advertising accepted. What are you waiting for?

www.tinyurl.com/Ungovernable-Radio

Happy Tuesday Bluesday From The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/29/2020

Good Morning, Students! Yes. It’s true I return to retail hell today. I must say I enjoyed the five solid days in the DJ chair. If this job paid, I’d take it.

Antoine “Fats” Domino. Was anybody playing rock n’ roll before him?

Here’s your lesson for today:

December 29, 1956: Fats Domino spends his 11th week at the top of the R & B chart with his song Blueberry Hill.

December 29, 1958: Lonely Teardrops by Jackie Wilson was #1 on the R & B chart.

December 29, 1962: Bob Dylan played the Troubadour folk club in London.

December 29, 1964: The Liverpool Youth Employment Services announced that some applicants were having difficulties getting jobs because their Beatle haircuts and clothing was unacceptable to employers. Oh, puhleeeze.

December 29, 1966: The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their TV debut on the UK show Top of the Pops where they performed Hey Joe.

Also on this day, The Beatles began recording Penny Lane.

December 29, 1967: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Mason leaves the popular and successful band Traffic for a solo career. Rumor had it that he did not enjoy sharing co-writing duties with Steve Winwood.

December 29, 1969: Sly & The Family Stone release the single Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again).

December 29, 1970: Norman Greenbaum (native of Malden, Massachusetts) released the great song Spirit in The Sky, a sixties anthem if there ever really was one.

December 29, 1971: America released it’s self-titled first album.

December 29, 1973: Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle tops the Hot 100, the second of three posthumous hits for the late singer/songwriter.

Also on this day, Elton John’s fine album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was #1 on the Album chart for a third week.

December 29, 1980: Singer-Songwriter Tim Hardin was found dead in his apartment of a heroin overdose at the age of 39. He is best known for If I Were A Carpenter (a hit for Bobby Darin in 1966; the Four Tops in 1968), as well as Reason To Believe (a hit for Rod Stewart in 1971).

Born On This Day

December 29, 1941: Ray Thomas, singer, composer and flautist for The Moody Blues was born on Stourport-on-Severn, England.

December 29, 1942: Rick Danko, co-lead singer and bassist for The Band was born in Green’s Corner, Ontario, Canada.

December 29, 1946: Marianne Faithful was born in Hamsted, London.

And that is your lesson from the College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge for today!

Getting a Jump On The Day At The College of Rock n’ Roll Knowledge: 12/23/2020

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas. The shorter the time gets, the nastier the shoppers get. The pressure’s on to make sure they buy enough, or just the right thing, or whatever the fuck. Give it up.

The first transistor radios. Undoubtedly, man’s finest invention.

Here’s today’s musical lesson:

December 23, 1947: Three scientists from Bell Labs in New Jersey demonstrate the transistor, which leads to the invention of small, portable transistor radios. They would win the Nobel Prize for their work in 1956.

December 23, 1957: A new act called Tom & Jerry appear on the chart for the first time with their new song Hey Schoolgirl. They were just sixteen years old. Today, we know them as Simon & Garfunkel, and they have sold 105 million albums.

December 23, 1961: The Marvelettes spent their sixth week at #1 on the R & B chart with Please Mr. Postman.

Also on December 23, the Beach Boys make their live debut, performing two songs during intermission of surf guitarist Dick Dale’s concert at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach, California.

December 23, 1962: Bob Dylan did a show at the King and Queen Pub in London.

December 23, 1963: Lesley Gore released the single, You Don’t Own Me.

December 23, 1964: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys suffered a breakdown on a flight from LA to Houston. As a result, he decided to retire from performing live, in spite of the fact that their Beach Boys Concert was #1 at the time. Glen Campbell was a temporary replacement for Wilson, until Bruce Johnston joined the group.

December 23, 1966: London’s premier psychedelic hangout, The UFO Club, opens on Tottenham Court, with Pink Floyd as the house band.

December 23, 1969: Elton John met with Bernie Taupin for the first time, along with arranger Paul Buckmaster, and producer Gus Didgeon, to begin work on his first (and best, in my opinion) album.

December 23, 1970: Joni Mitchell earned her first Gold with her third album, Ladies of The Canyon.

December 23, 1972: The Moody Blues had another big album with Seventh Sojurn, which spent a third week at #1.

Born On This Day

December 23, 1940: Jorma Kaukonen, guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, was born in Washington, D.C.

December 23, 1941: Folk musician Tim Hardin, who wrote If I Were A Carpenter, was born in Eugene, Oregon.

December 23, 1946: Ariel Bender, guitarist for Mott The Hoople, was born in Evesham, Worcestershire, England.

December 23, 1964: Eddie Vedder, lead singer, guiarist, and songwriter of Pearl Jam, was born in Evanston, Illinois.

And that’s it for today’s lesson!