[m_hodgeyMember]

Great find Jonno; “It’s A Kind Of Magic” was one of the better packages Airforce produced in the early 1990s; I believe this package was composed by Roger Dexter, who later went on to Vibe Music Imaging/Music 4 to produce packages with Sandy Beech.

Yorkshire Coast Radio had several cuts from this package re-sung in 1993 for the launch of the station. They also had top-ups produced in 1994 to tie-in with switch-on of the Whitby 103.1 FM frequency:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al3ZZzrqNZ5u8TFBUvaY72lnD2HR

The “It’s A Kind Of Magic“ top of hour cut is one of my favourites and was also used by Yorkshire Coast Radio and Wessex FM:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al3ZZzrqNZ5u8TJD1g1ZfQVzS5k2

I would love to get my hands on copies of the Essex Radio packages Airforce produced, and even more so, the re-sings Wessex FM had of the Essex “Greatest Memories, Latest Hits” cuts:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al3ZZzrqNZ5u8TONpnSd9Zi3pEiO

Unfortunately, all things Airforce seem to be very hard to get hold off, mainly because I don’t think they are very proud of this early work (which is a real big shame)!

[jonnoMemberAuthor]

Who is the VO on the TOH/News ins?

Pretty sure he’s the same as used on Southern Sound back in the day.

[Bigdave]

Who is the VO on the TOH/News ins?

Pretty sure he’s the same as used on Southern Sound back in the day.

It’s Michael Jayston.

He also did the Capital News intro in the late 80’s as well..

[ah-mediaMember]

I would love to get my hands on copies of the Essex Radio packages Airforce produced, and even more so, the re-sings Wessex FM had of the Essex “Greatest Memories, Latest Hits” cuts:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Al3ZZzrqNZ5u8TONpnSd9Zi3pEiO

I *think* I have that pack … Let me check. I certainly have the “Together … We’ll make it a great today”…

[m_hodgeyMember]

Anything you’ve got would be appreciated Andy as Airforce packages are very elusive.

[amigoMember]

ah-media you would be a king if you had the Greatest Memories Latest Hits package from Essex Radio. I’ve been looking for it for years. I loved the news jingle at the time -” …and now with more power on 102.6 FM this is Essex Radio”. Awesome! Please count me in for a copy

[IainJohnston]

Airforce Essex – GMLH – I’ve got only a couple of good-but-MP3 in-the-clear cuts.
I suspect I know who may have more but probably only MP3.

Hearing them makes me think they “inspired” [*cough*} the notorious Radio Forth GMLH David Balfe
in-house package, which HAD to have been very dodgy in copyright terms (just as was their ripoff
of JAM Turbo-Z cuts etc).

[m_hodgeyMember]

Hearing them makes me think they “inspired” [*cough*} the notorious Radio Forth GMLH David Balfe
in-house package…..

Me too, although the dub I’ve got this particular package is labelled as 1988 Highland Records?

Will drop you an email regarding those good-but-MP3 in-the-clear Essex cuts.

[IainJohnston]

“Highland Records” or indeed “Studios” of Inverness, and David Balfe.
“Somewhere” there’s a (scan) of a tape box label of a kilted “Highlander”…

Here’s a sampler they did:-

https://www.transdiffusion.org/2017/06/16/highland-recording-studios

Lets say that some of their “earlier work” for Scottish stations had tracks that “shared”
some score and backing track content, something not supposed to happen under MU / IBA rules.

MrBalfe later did the “Soundhouse” in-house jingle production at Forth House in Edinburgh
for the then Forth Group stations (Forth, Tay, Central, Borders). Some of those customs were actually
full of good cuts for their eras e.g. the Radio Forth item as the second package on the demo was very
distinctive and worked well on-air, some later ones were…..er….a bit dodgy, and in time Balfe “lost it”
a bit lets say in the face of the appearance of JAM and TM material (although I’ve got a certain cut
which I would swear is Balfe’s vocal group singing over a knocked-off TM Christmas track as opposed
to their “re-recordings of Turbo-Z)!

Those earlier Forth “194” packages are still on my “Grails List”, as are the Forth/Tay Together mini-package,
the “Festival City Radio” variants, and the small but striking “Great Music Radio” bundle.

A certain other poster on this thread is much more of an expert on the Balfe era & material than me though!
:^)

[IainJohnston]

Essex…from the days before stations with “internet/digital/smartphone/etc” mentioned in
their on-air identification, I give you this morcel from deep in my old cassette aircheck collection!

[Author]

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