Layla: Why I Love Satellite Radio
Today’s ‘album of the day’ on XM Channel 40 (Deep Tracks) was the classic Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. One might think that when the album of the day is Layla that the song Layla might get some airplay. Well it did, but not before a lecture from DJ Earl Bailey about how this song has been, in his words, “stolen from us” by excessive FM airplay. He continued to say that he has not played this song even once in his seven years as DJ at XM, which speaks to why I love this channel and to a greater extent, why I can never go back to FM.
Layla was followed up by the song It’s Too Late which is the track previous to Layla on the original album, and Thorn Tree In The Garden which is the final track on the album immediately following Layla.
Other songs never heard on XM40: The Boys Are Back In Town, Stairway to Heaven, Brown Eyed Girl, Bohemian Rhapsody, Won’t Get Fooled Again, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights, Hotel California, Maggie May, Born To Be Wild, Freebird, La Grange, Margaritaville, Wonderful Tonight, et al.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
It is a shame that some songs (1 or 2 per artist) have been played to death, while new stuff from classic bands, sone of whom you list, gets no airplay at all. I mean, if you like old Jethro Tull, might not you also like some of their new stuff? I still can’t listen to Zep 4, because it has been played so darn much on radio over the years.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Last night I was driving home listening to XM44 (Fred) and they played an old Lloyd Cole song and I just had to turn it up, something I haven’t done in some time. I love, love, LOVE XM.
One sign of a DJ’s greatest is whether s/he plays “Layla” all the way to the very, very end, with the bird chirp. If I heard the bird chirp, the DJ was good.
BTW, the woman who “inspired” the songs “Something” (Beatles), “Wonderful Tonight” and “Layla” has an autobiography in stores now. I’ve always been very curious about her …
m.
October 30th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I also learned today that Scorsese is to produce a biographical movie with the help of the woman who inspired the songs mapgirl refers to on the subject of George Harrison.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:38 am
I don’t have XM, but if you’re telling me these channels don’t play Boston I’m buying stock in the company. If I hear ‘More Than a Feeling’ one more time, I’m gonna go bats…
October 31st, 2007 at 10:01 am
Boston put 5 albums out and you only hear 1 song on the radio? Bad, bad , bad.