[JingleMadMember]

Well, This is very shokking.

I listened to KEZK This morning, And herd a zone jingle witch was a ramp that was 17 seconds in lengv.

I continued listening, And herd a weather cut.

Now, This is going to be shokking to you, But the fynall cut I herd was the Toth cut.

The new zone Jingles have now been put on the air! This is indeed true!

The new zone cuts are great on air at KEZK!

[jlehmann]

They may sound great, but I still think it's a shame that JAM has lost another long time station, especailly with the comments they made about their past jingles on jinglenews. Looks like WJYE Buffalo has dumped JAM as well. Locally, B101 in Providence has stopped using jingles, Their WPLJ, WHTZ, and WKQI resings hadn't even been on the air a year.

For a while it looked like JAM was picking up a lot of stations, now they're losing them in droves.

[JingleMadMemberAuthor]

And it's looks like the same thing.
Zone is doing a custom for KQXT,.

So It looks like ReelWorld will be losing a long time station as well.

Getting back on topic here, It is ashame that Jam has lost a long time station. I wonder what the PD was thinking?

[945KBAYguy]

^to get away from jingles that are way too dated! even the latest Jam KOST jinges are worse than Zone's KOIT 2006 Custom

[ratnobMember]

Er .. could I tactfully suggest we don't get into one of those “Company X's jingles are great, company Y's aren't”? They never get us anywhere or mean much. It's like me saying oranges are great but grapes are pathetic. Trading subjective opinions isn't exactly conversaton.

Instead, for me, the great thing is that after years of dull liners, jingles are still on the air across lots of radio stations.

And of course PDs will want to change their on-air sound: it's how they make their mark and show they're earning their money. That's what makes things interesting for guys like us who collect these 6-second songs, and gives us something to write about.

Geoff Barton

[martinlesterMember]

I have to agree with Geff the Jingles do work on air

Which is what is all about

It is also great to hear some jingles Between the songs , something that is unheard of in the UK
everyone has to have the same old Linners voiced in almost every station my the same old small group of UK voice over guys/ girls

[IainJohnstonMember]

Gasp! Jingles between records…wot?…like in France, Italy, etc…?

http://www.cheriefm.fr/antenne/antenne_webradios.html

http://www.nostalgie.fr/radio/radio_webradios.html

http://www.radiomontecarlo.net/RMC_04/PlayerRMC/player64_2.htm

http://www.lattemiele.com/pop/newpop.html

And of course, as in the way Len Groat used to do it!

[mbMember]

Martin Lester wrote:
I have to agree with Geff the Jingles do work on air

Which is what is all about

It is also great to hear some jingles Between the songs , something that is unheard of in the UK
everyone has to have the same old Linners voiced in almost every station my the same old small group of UK voice over guys/ girls

I agree with the lets not get into slinging however I do have to defend the KOST jingles as they are great releaxed, smooth jingles, other companies have different styules and approaches and stationsd have to decide whats right for them. As I've said before for me now its about individual packages not companies as a whole as there are so many around. We all have pesonal preferences. The UK is full of lazy, inexperienced, poorly paid production people who gre up listening to post GWR takeover stations and think imaging is a zap and a voice. Mitch Johnson, Dave Kelly, Greg thingy all hammered to death by every group YAWN

[bruceup]

KBAYFreak wrote:
even the latest Jam KOST jinges are worse than Zone's KOIT 2006 Custom

Zone never did a custom for KOIT.

[radiojingles.co.nr]

WSNI has recently format flipped, it's exciting to hear their 2007 Reelworld jingle package.

http://www.radiojingles.co.nr

[LenGroat]

Can I draw together a few points from this topic..

It's a shame that Jam has lost a long time station. I wonder what the PD was thinking?

I don't think 'lost' is quite the word; JAM wouldn't worry about a few stations going elsewhere. I had a long chat with Jon recently and he's incredibly busy (you win one, you lose another). Certainly if you try and order even at full radio price it takes some time. I know from the times of his emails he's often working into the night…. He was and is a perfectionist (a rare quality in the jingle world nowadays) and THAT is why he's been at the very TOP for 30 years.

Geoff: 'Trading subjective opinions isn't exactly conversaton'

I agree, and I must admit the KEZK jingles do 'work' on air, though I don't understand why they wanted that all female vocal sound; it's a mix of the girls from Abba, and the Caravelles (if anyone remembers them?) I must also state that Bruce Upchurch has been behind many incredible packages over the years, or ON them as a singer, so perhaps the 'test of time' is the only way to gauge this new sound?

Martin: 'It is also great to hear some jingles Between the songs , something that is unheard of in the UK'

Michael: 'It is also great to hear some jingles Between the songs, something that is unheard of in the UK'

Not unheard of any more!

On Smooth Radio we are allowed to either segue songs, or if the segue does not work, pick a jingle to transcend the mix. Smooth Radio is 'moving things on', no liner cards as such and (slightly) more mature presenters with a pedigree. Certainly the MUSIC (which is what it's all about) is BULLS EYE.

Iain: 'the way Len Groat used to do it!'

Iain, I am 'Doing it Again' (Good title for a jingle package?) ! On my 70's show I am allowed creative expression on air; voice over music, and jingles reflecting the era the programme is based on. They encourage experimentation and 'surprise' elements; it was 'music to my ears' to see their format.

This is an interesting site, and some stimulating thoughts come out of these topics.

Thank you.

[945KBAYguy]

bruceup wrote:

even the latest Jam KOST jinges are worse than Zone's KOIT 2006 Custom

Zone never did a custom for KOIT.

oops my bad Thompson Creatve. but did you compose them? they sound Upchurchy.

[bruceup]

Yes, KBAYFreak, I did write the latest KOIT package for Thompson (September 2005 I believe). I was disappointed to see the original soloists get replaced, but at least I got to play a lot of guitar on it, so I was happy.

Len, some of your KEZK vocal descriptions I quite enjoyed. I DO remember The Caravelles, a song something about crying, I can't remember the title of their big hit. White girls on coffee.

Since some of you are hearing the KEZK group as such, I've decided to give jinglemadders a peek at what up to now has been a client-only page:

http://www.zoneradioimaging.com/zone_vocal_styles.html

FYI, the KEZK vocals were written as 4 and 5 voice arrangements, multi-tracked with 3 singers. The lead giirl was mixed a bit louder than the other parts, but as you can hear in the acapella example given, there's lots of me in there too. Our 'inside' working description of the sound we were to create was 'a castrated 7-voice group'. I think we accomplished that quite nicely.

[LenGroat]

Bruce, glad you enjoyed the descriptions! The Caravelles, one hit (amazingly it even made it in the States) was

'You don't have to be a Bay ay ay Bee to Cry eye eye'

I liked your 'White girls on coffee' description, and it might even be used to describe the KEZK sound

I know the 'jinglemadders' will RELISH your 'client-only page, I certainly did. and I've sat through endless Dallas sessions. I never stopped being FASCINATED by the subtle changes in vocal groups at JAM, and the GEM-AM sessions we held at TM, which had four 60's PAMS singers on. Having the 'bosses hat' on I was able to ask for Jackie D. and Abby A., two of my all time favourite solo/ group singers.

I think it's EXTREMELY constructrive to show eveyone here the vocal variety you offer, and hopefully a few decision makers in radio will take a listen to see that vocals are far superior to using voice idents, and can be so very different. I doubt if many of us would have noticed YOU in the group, but now you've pointed it out I can….

'a castrated 7-voice group' is more interesting terminology. My most recent 'realisation' was that most of the older packages with 7 voice originally, still work well with 5.

Best of luck with the 'new' KEZK 'sound' I do admire experimentation.

Okay, here is MY 'jinglemadder' question! I believe you were heavily involved with a JAM package (sorry not sure of package title) re-sung about 1991 for

Energy 103 Dublin' ?

'Wake up with the Happy Sound of Dublin, Wake up with En er gy'

If so might you have a copy of this small but very impressive package? The vocal sound, blocks, were truly AMAZING

I've never been able to locate a copy….

[MarkHanna]

Nice peek, love the 'CLASSIC' VOCAL GROUP cut that you've put there and the guy lead/solo on the WCMC package is very good for the style – I like that package a lot (as I've said before.

I also said before “I look forward to hearing the KEZK package working well on the air” ….. and it does work well! It may not be my cup of tea, but it works.

[martinlesterMember]

Thanks Bruce for posting the Client only page

Can I ask who is the Guy soloist on the 'WCMC GENUINE COUNTRY'

and what Vocal Style do you find is currently the most popular as far as the Jingles you have recorded say over the last 6 months

Regards

Martin

[mbMember]

LenGroat wrote:

Iain, I am 'Doing it Again' (Good title for a jingle package?) ! On my 70's show I am allowed creative expression on air; voice over music, and jingles reflecting the era the programme is based on. They encourage experimentation and 'surprise' elements; it was 'music to my ears' to see their format.

This is an interesting site, and some stimulating thoughts come out of these topics.

Thank you.

Len I have the utmost respect for your Jingle heritage but the current Smooth jingles compared to the S2Blue / JAM jingles is poles apart quality wise. The jingles lack the warmth, richness and clarity of the SAGA jingles.
It's a shame that although you can use them between songs the product isn't that good.

[mbMember]

Since some of you are hearing the KEZK group as such, I've decided to give jinglemadders a peek at what up to now has been a client-only page:

Thanks for putting that up. I get really hacked off with people who go on and on about their being a “Dallas” sound. What I hear is different styles available to suit your needs – The only Dallas Style I've ever heard is that the vocals are the best in the business. I've spoken with several freinds who do radio imaging in the UK and they say that it is a struggle to find vocalists in the UK who are as good as the US singers.
My preferred option is the KS95 style.

http://www.zoneradioimaging.com/zone_vocal_styles.html

[LenGroat]

Michael Bolton said :

Len I have the utmost respect for your Jingle heritage but the current Smooth jingles compared to the S2Blue / JAM jingles is poles apart quality wise. The jingles lack the warmth, richness and clarity of the SAGA jingles.
It's a shame that although you can use them between songs the product isn't that good.

Michael, I'm just a presenter at Smooth Radio(it's much more fun than being in management!) so cannot really comment on the aesthetics of the Bespoke package. I think it's fair to say that whereas the Saga jingles were a 'heritage' package; old JAM cuts (some sung in a 'cutesy' way) and 'pastiche' tracks based on old PAMS material, the Smooth Radio package was designed to be used nationally on all the services. In the former Smooth FM areas it has to transcend from the former jazz/soul sound/format, and in the Saga areas, have some continuity. By combining a soulful, mainly solo vocal sound, but using the Saga phrase 'Your Life, Your Music', in that respect it works. I think it will be interesting to see where it moves on to once it's decided the transistion has been made.

Your word choice of 'warmth, richness and clarity' as to how 'a jingle should sound' is something I agree with totally; to me most of the newer jingle companies go too much for a funky or 'street cred' sound, often with TOO much energy and pace, that doesn't match the music the stations play, and vocals drowned in echo. In that context the new Smooth Radio jingles are mainly mid-tempo, very melodic, and have a clear, clean harmony oin the 'Smooth Radio' part.

To answer your other point, I have a few 'special' jingles produced exclusively for my 70's show, that DO work between music, listen in!

[radiojingles.co.nr]

Although Jones TM cashed in on a new vocal approach with their LITE FM package. Zone is still able to preserve the sound of Dallas jingles. Interestingly though, the more male dominant vocal sound of some packages like KS95 were a challenge especially in radio stations in the Philippines where female vocal is the accustomed sound of Dallas jingles

—

PAMS Jingles are back, and so is WAKY
http://www.radiojingles.co.nr

[LenGroat]

'PAMS Jingles are back, and so is WAKY'

WOW… I've just started exploring that WAKY site; so much in the way of GREAT images of American 60's radio studios, and the Philadelphia Story PAMS package from 1972 ~ incredible, a 100% jingle package, beautifully sung. We had all those cuts in 1974 at Metro, they still LIVE!

This site is definitely worth a 'Stop, Look & Listen' (to pinch an old Chiffons record title!)

[bruceup]

Martin Lester wrote:
Can I ask who is the Guy soloist on the 'WCMC GENUINE COUNTRY'

and what Vocal Style do you find is currently the most popular as far as the Jingles you have recorded say over the last 6 months

The WCMC solo guy is Steve Wilson.

We don't really have a 'most popular' vocal style, I think part of our appeal so far has been that our vocal styles are all over the place. If we have one 'signature' vocal sound it would be the KS95 2005 group (which is the same as the HIPMOTIZED and the WRAL 2005 groups, just written and mixed differently).

[coolnt]

its great to hear the old KVIL jinge melody again! oh how i love zone jingles

http://www.radiojingles.co.nr

[945KBAYguy]

bruceup wrote:
The WCMC solo guy is Steve Wilson.

not to mention he's in every jingle! !amazed

[bruceup]

LenGroat wrote:
Okay, here is MY 'jinglemadder' question! I believe you were heavily involved with a JAM package (sorry not sure of package title) re-sung about 1991 for Energy 103 Dublin…
If so might you have a copy of this small but very impressive package? The vocal sound, blocks, were truly AMAZING. I've never been able to locate a copy….

After 1986, I would have been doing work soley for Century 21/TM Century – the last vocal I was involved with at JAM was in the Spring of 1986 (the BBC Radio-2 jingle sessions). Sorry I can't help you out with that one.

[Author]

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