[MarcMannetje]

What do you think is the best tempo transition cut ever made? And why?

I like it when the music 'flows' into another tempo without the rhythm section doing all the work – it sounds cheap.

I really like cut 3 from Uni-Que (JAM): when you listen carefully you can hear the logo melody at the staccato start of the cut flowing into the jingle. The real transition is made by the singers, very unusual and well thought…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1169123004_6166_FT0_demo_transition_wkqi_q95.mp3 filename:1169123004_6166_FT0_demo_transition_wkqi_q95.mp3

[Barras]

Interesting observation Marc of how the vocals are doing the work in the tempo change of Uni-Que #3. The first time I ever heard the idea of “transition” jingles mentioned in a demo, was JAM`s Positron. Here`s the bit from Positron that highlights the use of transition jingles.

http://www.davidbarras.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/JAM_Positron_Transitions.mp3

David Barras

[MartinS]

Good choice Marc. I quite like JAM Uni-Que cut 3 (fast to slow) and sister cut 4 (slow to fast). Remember liking the versions of these done for 96.9 Viking FM here in the UK around 1996. That's an interesting observation regarding the vocals.

Personally, my favourite is a JAM slow to fast cut, namely The Beat cut 6. I love the version Radio Aire FM had done in 1992… “Yorkshire's Best…… Radio Aire FM” (I think this one has been uploaded to the site by m_hodgey). The speed up here is definately purely an instrumental feature.

Thanks also David for the Positron examples, not heard those for a long time

[bossjockMember]

Actually, I often feel that the production skill and effort put into these cuts is rarely matched by the stations that use them – particularly in the UK. I love to hear jingles used effectively to transition between music tracks, but I only ever seem to hear them used to come out of commercial breaks or traffic news etc etc. There is so much untapped potential. Given all the time and skill put in by the jingle producers – JAM being a classic example – it's a real shame that stations don't use them properly IMHO. Is this a controversial view?

[SeanMartin]

bossjock wrote:
Actually, I often feel that the production skill and effort put into these cuts is rarely matched by the stations that use them – particularly in the UK. I love to hear jingles used effectively to transition between music tracks, but I only ever seem to hear them used to come out of commercial breaks or traffic news etc etc. There is so much untapped potential. Given all the time and skill put in by the jingle producers – JAM being a classic example – it's a real shame that stations don't use them properly IMHO. Is this a controversial view?

Couldn't agree more! The jingle, on the cart, used to be used as a tool – dropped-in to punctuate the programming and with the first few beats of the record intuitively running in time after the jingle. The “hands-on” skills of DJ'ing with jingles have long gone.

However much we may love all a computer can do, they're partly to blame for this sad evolution.

Hey ho . . .

-Sean

[MarcMannetje]

I agree! But even a computer can be programmed to match end and beginning of a record. In Dalet/Power Gold you can edit the jingles manually in the playlist to create a flow. It is however due to talent of the DJ how the flow sounds on air…

Is it me or do I hear less transitions in new packages… and why is that?

Another unusual arrangement in a transition: here you can hear the violins doing the work! It's cut #2 from the BBC Radio 2 package It's All For You…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1169283258_6166_FT42246_demo_radio_2_transition.mp3 filename:1169283258_6166_FT42246_demo_radio_2_transition.mp3

[MartinS]

Also agree. When I mentioned the two Viking FM Uni-Que cuts I thought back and realised that I can't actually remember them being used as 'transitions' but, just rather to come out of commercial breaks.

Think you're right about less transistions nowadays too. Lots of packages these days tend to include several or themes with the jingles available as stotgun cuts, standard IDs and ramp cuts, rather than providing a jingle 'toolbox' of cuts. To be honest, I'm not sure which approach I prefer.

In the stations I listen to regularly in the UK, back to back songs are usually bridged with sweepers or a quick spoken ID, with the jingles (ramps) used to launch hours or run into breaks. Regular jingles being used to come out of breaks. So, in may ways the conept of a transistion cut is (sadly) redundant, for the format.

[MarcMannetje]

I'm afraid you're right Martin.

But still the theory stands that branding your station name in the minds of your listeners highly depends on using a sonic logo: spoken liners only use a part in your memory that recaptures words, while sung jingles use two parts of your brain: word memory and music memory. That's why everyone easily recollects the lyrics of his favourit song, while remembering a 'boring' poem is much more difficult.

I'm still hoping that programmers rediscover this nice way to make radio more attractive, for both listeners and the station itself.

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