We Close Out The Month With Music Banned On The Airwaves, The Animals, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live, Monday, February 28, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! February certainly is a short month, but we’re closing it out in style with some excellent programming, including a brand new playlists of songs banned ’round the world!

Hard to believe this song was banned, but that’s what happens when you “Imagine there’s no heaven.”

Here’s your musical programming for today:

11:00 a.m. Banned On The Airwaves: Various Artists NEW!

This certainly isn’t an EP, but it was fun to put together. Thanks to my compadre Dave Denton for the idea! These are songs that have been banned from different locations around the world, not just here in America. Some of them defy logic, I must say. For example, My Generation by The Who was banned by the BBC because they felt it was disparaging to people who stutter. Sailing by Rod Stewart was banned because of the war in the Falkland Islands (incidentally, this was not the only nautical song banned at this time). God Only Knows by the Beach Boys was banned because, well, God just wasn’t used in rock n’ roll music. This Note’s For You by Neil Young was banned because it was anti-capitalist.

In addition to these guys, you’ll hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (yes, it’s true), The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Shirelles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, and more. There’s a list of songs and artists under the Playlist tab. Scroll down to the bottom. By the way, this is not an exhaustive list.

3:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Animals

The Animals were certainly one hell of a band. Steeped in R & B, the blues and rock, they were formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early sixties, then moved to London when they began to gain traction. Eric Burdon was the perfect lead vocalist for this band.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The PPL Center, Allentown, PA, September 16, 2014

Speaking of great bands, we give you The Heartbreakers live on the Hypnotic Eye tour. It’s hard to believe that a band can produce such brilliant material over a forty-year span, but this album proved to be one of The Heartbreakers’ finest ever. Sadly, this would also be their final album ever as Tom Petty would prematurely pass into the great wide open a week after their 40th Anniversary Tour in 2017. Nevertheless, their music lives on eternally here in The Mermaid Lounge.

The set list for this show is also under the Playlist tab. Again, scroll down to the bottom.

Come on, folks. Music makes nearly all things tolerable. The only exception would be the GOP, but I digress and we don’t want to ruin the mood here. Hey, we’re anti-capitalist too. We don’t charge you anything to tune us in. We don’t ask for a credit card or personal information. In fact, we will have no bloody idea who you are. So do it.

We’re Heading For The Weekend With Our New ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, and Our Album of The Week Later, Thursday, February 24, 2022

Good Morning, Dreamers! We’ve got a great, new extended playlist making its debut this morning. ‘In Your Dreams’ gives you just over five hours of uninterrupted music! Read on for details!

Are you dreaming of five hours of uninterrupted music?

10:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists NEW!

We debut our newest long player today, called In Your Dreams, a playlist that includes the word dreams (and its variations, of course) in the title or lyrics…or a song that tells a story about a dream. You will hear Cream, Paul McCartney & Wings, the Marshall Tucker Band, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Laura Nyro, Patti Smith, The Wallflowers, John Prine, John Lennon, Tom Rush, Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith, The Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Shelters, Hot Tuna, Townes Van Zandt, Randy Newman, Three Dog Night, Mudcrutch, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The James Gang, Taj Mahal, Aerosmith, Alison Krauss, Electric Light Orchestra, Stephen Stills, Alison Krauss, Fats Domino, Widespread Panic, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, The Youngbloods, Patsy Cline and more! That’s five straight hours of uninterrupted music.

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Meet The Beatles by The Beatles

The next-to-last airing of the musical shot heard ’round the world is upon us. Get it while you can, folks. When you wake up on Sunday, disgusted with another foot of snow (at least in these here parts), there’s going to be a new selection on the turntable.

Great day to tune us in. We’ve got a great collection of extended playlists with themes, and ‘In Your Dreams’ is our newest. Be here today for its debut! It won’t cost you a cent. No joining fees. No subscriptions. No money must change hands. And no personal information is required (because we do not accept advertising to keep us afloat). We’re here in The Mermaid Lounge sharing our personal collection of more than 27,000 songs!

Another Monday and We’re Between Heaven & Hell, We Put Steely Dan In The Spotlight, and Deliver That Sweet Soul Sound This Evening, February 21, 2022

Here we are again, people. The beginning of another work week. But we’ve got some great music for you today as we celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday and Black History Month. But hey, here in The Mermaid Lounge, every month is Black History Month.

We celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday with Steely Dan In the Spotlight

Here’s your Moan-Day line-up:

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

We start the day with a real Monday playlist because on Monday we are generally between heaven and hell. Here we have references to heaven and hell in the title and lyrics, and you’ll hear from Donovan, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Fats Domino, Foo Fighters, The Grateful Dead, and more.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Steely Dan

After the 60’s the music of the 70’s was a bit of a letdown. (It only got worse in subsequent decades, by the way.) But Steely Dan was one of those bands who was an oasis in the middle of a desert. Love this band and the rap that they can’t reproduce their sound ‘live’ on stage was bullshit, by the way. That was not my experience when I saw them. Today we (belatedly) celebrate Walter Becker’s birthday by putting Steely Dan In the Spotlight.

7:00 p.m. That Sweet Soul Sound: Various Artists

I’d say we’re celebrating Black History Month, but every month is Black History Month here in The Mermaid Lounge. If it weren’t for black music, there would be no rock n’ roll. And no. Elvis never said he invented rock n’ roll. He deferred to his black counterparts on that issue. You’ll hear from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Roberta Flack, Rare Earth, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Fontella Bass, Edwin Starr, The Friends of Distinction, The Isley Brothers, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Ben E. King, Mary Wells, Ann Peebles, The Temptations, Jackie Wilson, and more.

Your Monday doesn’t have to be a bad experience. Not when you’ve got access to all this great music totally free 24/7. No lie, people. We’re all about the music. People over profits. We live that here.

Love Is In The Air With Our TLA and Nothing But Heartbreak Playlists, and the Love Songs of Bob Dylan, Monday, February 14, 2022

Good Morning to the true lovers and brokenhearted everywhere (yeah, I’m still in that latter category carrying the damned torch). We’ve got some great music lined up for you today, including a new playlist of Bob Dylan love songs. Read on for details!

We’ve got a brand new Dylan playlist with a twist!

Here’s your Valentine’s Day line-up:

11:00 a.m. True Love Always: Various Artists

You know what the Buddhists say. Nothing is ever forever. But that doesn’t stop us hopeless romantics from thinking it is. Am I right? I sure am. This is the number one topic of the music world and you’ll hear from The Hollies, Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, George Harrison, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie, The Band, Buffalo Springfield, Van Morrison, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, Basia, The Mamas & The Papas, Bonnie Raitt, Guy Clark and more!

3:00 p.m. Bob Dylan: The Love Songs NEW!

Bob Dylan is one of the most talented and prolific songwriters of all time, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for good reason. But Bob Dylan was so much more than protest music, even though he is also the master of that genre. He also wrote some of the greatest love songs on the planet, in our opinion. We’ve got them for you today on Valentine’s Day. But we’ve also got some surprise guests as well! You’ll have to listen to the playlist. We’re not talking…

7:00 p.m. Nothing But Heartbreak: Various Artists

And now, the flip side of that great true love feeling. My specialty: The broken heart. Comes in right behind TLA in the music subject category. You’ll hear the heartbreaking stories of Elvis Presley, Dan Fogelberg, Aretha Franklin, The Band, Cat Stevens, The Bee Gees, Lucinda Williams, Them, The Pretenders, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, The Beatles, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Tom Rush, the J. Geils Band, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Mudcrutch, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and more!

Step into The Mermaid Lounge (figuratively speaking) and swoon with us today. You know you want to, so why not make this the day. You have absolutely nothing to lose because we don’t require our listeners to pay for their music. We run 24/7 totally free of charge and we don’t run advertising. We are completely self-funded. Jump in, kids!

At Midweek, We’ve Got Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP & Bonnie Raitt In The Spotlight, February 9, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve reached our midweek stride here with our multi-artist ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, and Bonnie Raitt In The Spotlight later on.

Here’s today’s line-up:

10:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re back on the road with the musical road warriors today for an extended trip around the planet. You’ll hear The Grateful Dead, Jackson Browne, Edwin Starr, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dan Fogelberg, The Box Tops, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Canned Heat, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Eagles, Guy Clark, Asleep At The Wheel, Jesse Winchester, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Emmylou Harris, Led Zeppelin, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Willie Nelson, Carole King, Fats Domino and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt has been serving up great music for half a century now, combining blues, country, folk and rock into her own great signature sound. Let’s also not forget that she’s one of the greatest slide guitar players on the planet. We rightfully put her In the Spotlight tonight. Be there or be square, as they say.

Before, in between and after, we run 24/7 with our great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid calling the shots. She does, as you know, have impeccable taste in music. Tune us in. We’re totally free with no strings and no hidden costs. We don’t ask for a credit card, a subscription or personal information. And we don’t give Joe Rogan a platform either.

Welcome To Sunday With Bobbie Gentry Owning Our Album of The Week and Our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, February 6, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got a great line-up for you today as we finally focus a bit on Bobbie Gentry, a musical pioneer who is often overlooked. No more. Today is just the beginning.

Remembered for her hit “Ode To Billie Joe,” Bobbie Gentry was so much more than that. But we start there today.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry NEW!

This is another artist who has been high on our list, but when you’re a one-woman band here it takes time. Bobbie Gentry really just wanted to write songs to sell to others. She never really wanted to perform her own work. But singing Ode To Billie Joe was cheaper than hiring someone else to do it, so she went into the studio. The rest is history, and the album garnered several Grammy Awards. The problem is that people only remember her for Ode to Billie Joe, and she was so much more. We will begin to reveal the many facets of Bobbie Gentry today.

3:00 p.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

This is the second airing of our newest EP. Last week we gave you our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP, so this week we give you our songs that focus on the morning. You’ll hear Nanci Griffith, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Dusty Springfield, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Electric Light Orchestra, Harry Nilsson, Emmylou Harris, The Wallflowers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Norah Jones, Todd Rundgren, Gordon Lightfoot, Willie Nelson, Jefferson Airplane, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Foreigner, Gram Parsons, Taj Mahal, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, B.B. King, Hoyt Axton, Townes Van Zandt, Badfinger, Chris Hillman, Hot Tuna, Fairport Convention, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Association.

This would be a most excellent day to join the rest of the listeners from around the world. I must say, I believe we are also catching on here in the U.S. these days. Hell, we’re so much better than Spotify. We don’t charge you to be misinformed. And we don’t charge you for the music either. All you need to do is push the button below.

We’re at Midweek With Our ‘Here Comes The Night’ EP and The Beatles Album Openers Later, Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve hit our midweek stride with a great EP about night time, and a brand new playlist of songs that open the Beatles US and UK album releases.

The Beatles album openers are on tap for later!

Here’s today’s musical landscape:

10:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

We’ve got an EP dedicated to the morning, and we’ve got one for the night. Songs with the word “night” in the title, lyrics, or both is on tap for this morning. You’ll hear Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Poco, Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt, The Traveling Wilburys, The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Joe Walsh, the Ronettes, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Dr. John, Bob Dylan, Wilson Pickett, Steelers Wheel, Gregg Allman, Sam Cooke, Phoebe Snow, The Electric Prunes, Jimmy Cliff, and more!

7:00 p.m. The Beatles: The LP Opening Songs NEW!

Some playlists are long; others short. By our standards, this one is pretty short but oh, so sweet. We give you the opening songs from both the US and UK Beatle album releases. As you know, some were different country-to-country and, in some cases, albums were released in one country and not in another. We do not focus on compilations or post-career releases…just the studio albums released on the Beatles labels over the years (Capitol, Parlophone, Apple, and so on).

A couple of more comments on this playlist, there is a complete list (with notes) on the blog under the Playlist tab should you wish to take a look. And while some sources do not include “With A Little Help From My Friends” as part of the opening to Sgt. Pepper, we here in The Mermaid Lounge do.

Come on, people. It’s midweek and we’re going strong around the planet this morning. It’s time to tune us in. We’re free 24/7. No credit card or subscription required. No personal information requested. We’re all about the music.

We Open The Month With Tuesday Bluesday and John Mayall Live in the UK, While The Heartbreakers Sing the Blues, February 1, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! We open the month of February with a Tuesday Bluesday, and we’ve got some new live John Mayall coming your way for starters.

John Mayall, the Godfather of The British Blues, has been wailing the blues for more than 50 years!

Here’s today’s blues programming:

11:00 a.m. John Mayall Live at The Leicester Square Theatre, London, November 1, 2010 NEW!

The Godfather of The British Blues has recently announced his retirement from the road in his 80th year, but today we’ve got a new live performance to give you from 2010 in the UK. The good news is that Mayall also just released a new album, The Sun is Shining Down, which will soon be our Album of The Week.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones

Today is the second airing of our latest Album of The Week, and it’s undoubtedly one of our favorites here in The Mermaid Lounge.

7:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Sing The Blues

Tom Petty used to say he envisioned The Heartbreakers sitting around in chairs when they grew old and singing the blues. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite get there, but they sure did love and respect ‘da blues’ and made some great bluesy tunes along the way. We’ve got them here for you today to close out our blues programming.

If you’re a blues lover, Tuesdays here are a great day to tune us in. Although, frankly, we don’t mind telling you that every day is a great day to tune us in. And unlike Spotify, we don’t charge you to listen, require a subscription, or ask for your personal information…and we certainly don’t offer medical misinformation on our platform. What’s not to love?

Under a Blizzard Warning in Beantown, and We’re Spinning Our House Playlist EP, Giving You The Final Airing of Our AOW, and LIVE DEAD! Later, Saturday, January 29, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! The snow’s flying. The wind’s blowing. And the music’s flowing. We’ve got a great line-up for you today, no matter what your weather is.

Our very own EP starts at 11:00 a.m. today and runs uninterrupted for just about five hours

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

It’s that magic time again. Our House Playlist calls, and we give you Barry McGuire, the Temptations, CSNY, Pink Floyd, Peter Tosh, Edwin Starr, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Chambers Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Donovan, Jimmy Cliff, Cat Stevens, The Association, Marvin Gaye, The Band, Arlo Guthrie, George Harrison, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan FINAL AIRING!

Today is the final airing of this week’s Album of The Week, Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan. Get it while you can. Tomorrow, there will be a brand new featured album when you roll out of bed.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Boston Garden, Boston, MA, May 7, 1977 NEW!

The Dead bring their Wall of Sound to the fabled Boston Garden for this one, vintage 1977. Another great soundboard recording for your listening pleasure from the world’s premier road and jam band.

Well, gang, we’re rolling here in The Mermaid Lounge. The good news is that we will keep on keeping on through this New England blizzard. Be sure to join your friends from around the globe today!

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live, The All-Girl Revue Too, and True Love Dominate The Day, Monday, January 24, 2022

Happy Monday, Musicologists! We’ve got a great mix for you kick off the week with today. You can’t go wrong with this particular line-up.

Today’s live Heartbreakers performance is vintage 1978!

Here’s today’s musical menu:

11:00 a.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Paradise, Cambridge, MA, July 16, 1978

The Paradise Rock Club in Boston (well, technically Cambridge) played host to a very young Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. This would have been earlier than Damn The Torpedoes, the album that put them on the map. That momentous event would not come for another year. This is vintage, early Heartbreakers, and I was there.

3:00 p.m. The All-Girl Revue Too: Various Artists

This was the second such playlist we put together in this vein. You’ll hear Bobbie Gentry, Linda Ronstadt, Carlene Carter, Carly Simon, Carole King, Chi Coltrane, Anne Peebles, Etta James, Joan Baez, Maria Muldaur, Laura Nyro, Norah Jones, Patti Smith, Shawn Colvin, Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Ian, Janis Joplin, and more!

7:00 p.m. True Love Always: Various Artists

Last week we brought you the heartbreak. Today, we bring you the other side. Yeah. It’s called true love. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie, The Band, Buffalo Springfield, Van Morrison, Carly Simon, Stevie Wonder, Basia, The Mamas & The Papas, Bonnie Raitt, Guy Clark, The Hollies, Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, Jackson Browne, George Harrison, and more!

Great music can help a Monday pass in better fashion, you know. You can just tune this station in and keep it running all day long as background music. All you need is a computer tab and a mouse. No credit card required. No personal information sought. And we don’t sell you anything. No advertisers allowed.