Just thought I'd Drop you a line and let you know what's up with Elvis Radio on Sirius after asking if you were "Sirius About Elvis?" in my first article on this all Elvis Station three weeks ago.
It has been almost 3 weeks since it went on the air and I have heard many interesting things. First of all, they do play the "top 30" if you will, many times throughout the day and I suppose this is so the casual listener can hear Elvis singing "Hound Dog" or "Jailhouse Rock" many times a day.
Now, the cool part is, almost 40% of what I hear is an "alternate" take. From the sixties and the seventies, they have played versions of songs that I have never heard before. This is quit nice and the die hard fans will be in for a treat!
Another cool thing is the "bumpers" they play every four or five songs to let you know that you are listening to Elvis Radio. They have snippets of songs and Elvis' voice from all three decades put together in little "commercials". Some tell a story, some are funny and some are just cool!
So, you see Elvis radio is off to a great start. The selections will please the casual and die hard fan alike. The sound is crisp and clear and the best part ... it's all Elvis, all the time 24/7!
I also heard that Graceland will be selling Sirius radio "kits" branded with the Elvis radio logos. The channel is broadcast "live" from Graceland and they just finished the Sirius radio booth across the street (see picture). This is very exciting and a lot of fun to listen to.
Enjoy it, this station is "sirius" about Elvis, and it's all for us ...
Dan Sciliano, Las Vegas
Yes, I'm Sirius About Elvis!
By Dan Siciliano, July 26, 2004 | Other
CapiTrueno wrote on
July 26, 2004
I've been to Graceland this weekend and I didn't know what they were building that thing for... so it is for Elvis Radio... ok.
Shane_Grier wrote on
July 27, 2004
I do not agree that Sirius plays 'alternate' songs. They play the same 40-50 songs over and over. E recorded over 750+ songs plus the hundreds of live and alternate takes. I've let Sirius know how I feel. They should be playing everything if they are indeed SERIOUS. it is first a fan station. The common listen to just a few songs and move on. Graceland should take more pride. I would like to know what versions of songs have been played that people don't know of. They play a couple of songs from Aloha and Unchained Melody live from '77. A disappointment so far.
Shane_Grier wrote on
August 01, 2004
I believe contacting SIRIUS has done some good. Thanks to everone who has given there ideas. I have noticed a larger (but not all) play list. Even some songs I said I'd never heard before played are now being played (over and over sadly). I heard Kentucky Rain 4 different times this past Saturday and I only listened to it maybe for an hour and half over the course of the day. I just don't get why they don't have ALL the songs in a computer and just press random. That would be better then what's happening now. Still haven't heard any 68 Special. Three from Aloha. As I type this a live version Polk Salad is playing. Not sure what it's from possibly Madison Square. I would like the song title and album/concert date info displayed. Just a thought don't seem to hard to pull off. Sock a little!
ElvisDJ wrote on
July 27, 2004
I'd have to agree with Shane that so far Sirius radio is a disappointment. I have had it since Elvis Radio launched and in analyzing it I have noticed that they do play the same songs over and over. While they do play alternates, they always play the SAME alternates, a lot of them from "Today, Tomorrow and Forever", particularly "She Thinks I Still Care" and "A Thing Called Love." The standards are, of course, in heavy rotation. I heard "Return to Sender" THREE times in the same 4 hour outing - that's not any sort of variety. Also, as noted, their selection of live material is severely limited, with only Aloha and 1969 material plus Unchained Melody being played. Not only is the live material limited, even the Aloha selections are limited to about 3 different songs.
I've also noticed that Sirius repeats songs on other stations, too, so it's not just Elvis. I would guess that the reason is that they have no DJs for a number of stations. I am hoping that Elvis Radio will actually be live at some point, with DJs, and that at that time they will have more diverse programming, like theme shows, etc. Since they are building a studio at Graceland I would assume this would be the case, so I am just waiting to find out. If they don't change the format, though, I'll probably cancel my subscription as I can get much more variety.
Dan wrote on
July 27, 2004
You have to listen to it, my man! Yes, i agree they do play the "top 30" more than i'd like. But remember, the whole idea is to appeal to a broad spectrum of listeners. A casual listener probably will not listen very long if he turns to the station and hears a concert from 1976. Hear are just some of the "alternate takes" i have personally heard on sirius... "i got a feelin' in my body" "promised land" "desert serenade" "take good care of her" "guitar man - 80's remix" "good time charlies got the blues" "i'm leavin'-piano version" "mona lisa-home recording" "your love's been a long time comin- longer,laughs at end" "this thing called love" "she wears my ring" "follow that dream"
there are a ton more, which i cannot remember right now. But they do play about 40% alternate takes from the 60's and 70's. Now, in your defense, yes, there are a whole lot of songs they do not play, or should i say, we have not heard yet. For example, i have NOT heard anything from 1968 special(except memories), any live concert except for "aloha" tracks. Nothing from TTWII. Let's hope they are adding to the library every day and eventually we will get the rarest of cuts. For now, it is a great station and I love it!
Dan wrote on
July 28, 2004
You Know, I did send an E-mail to Sirius telling them some ideas i had about certain programming specials during the week such as: gospel hour on sunday, double feature fridays - two soundtracks back to back, live complete concerts on tuesday and thursday nights, FTD monday mania- FTD albums on monday afternoons... and the list goes on. So far I have not heard back from them. But soon they WILL have a live DJ and they will have much wider variety. Like i said before, i think it is going well. Do i like hearing "jailhouse rock" 8 times a day, well maybe not, but remember who else is listening. Please support this in a positive way so we can make it something everyone will be proud of. Remember, no other artist has a radio station dedicated soley to them, this is a first. It is a "living" project that will no doubt change and evolve. Just like we did with the FTD label, let's make history and shape this into a fan's dream... it will take time!