[DunsBus]

Hi guys. I'm a newbie to these boards so I hope that you'll make me feel at home

I live in Duns, and before Radio Borders started in 1990, had to make do with Radio Forth on AM and Metro on FM. I've just been on to the downloads page and had a listen to the Metro Radio 1984 package (took me back a bit, I can tell you!).

But the other ones which stick in my mind are the jingle packages used by Radio Forth during the 1980s, in particular the 1983, 1985 and 1987 ones which to me were THE sound of Radio Forth. I've been trying to find downloads of these packages on the Net, but without success. The now-defunct Radio Ark site did have examples from each of these. If anyone has copies of them to upload here, I'd be very thankful.

[Barras]

DunsBus,

here`s a station song for Radio Forth by EMIson, not sure of the air-date…

http://www.4shared.com/file/40338372/7239e5ac/EMISON_Radio_Forth__station_song_.html?

Checkout page 3 of my Metro Radio post in the “radio” section for some superb JAM jingles…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?9832

Here`s the link to the jingles.

http://www.4shared.com/file/24084630/772252fc/JAM_MetroClones.html?cau2=403tNull

Hope that helps you.

David Barras

[DunsBus]

Wow – thanks for these. I've been listening to the MetroClones montage and I seem to remember Tay FM using them as well when it split frequencies in 1995.

[IainJohnstonMember]

Welcome to JingleMad Steven – you must have set a record for being the longest to start to Post after
joining (June 2005)!

1980s Forth jingles are quite rare on the ground. I've literally got no more than a couple of dozen
“in-the-clear”, anything else is airchecks.

As you maybe know, Forth rarely bought jingles from the better known jingle companies – their first efforts
were from EMISON (as per David's dub above), and then had a lot made via David Balfe, Highland Studios,
etc and these were generally considered as “in-house” productions.

Only after the AM/FM “split” did they really “go elsewhere” to any extent – “Max AM” (or “Maxy-M” as it
sounded!) and “RFM” had some VERY dubious (Balfe?) sound-alikes that ripped JAM and PAMS, then
Forth FM went to Century TM, and since then things have been somewhat different.

As far as I know, pre-EMAP Forth NEVER bought anything from Alfasound or JAM – but I'm happy to be
corrected if I've got that wrong!

The “Great Music Radio” package is still a “Holy Grail” item, and I've still never found a copy of the
“Radio Forth and Radio Tay – Together” night-time package.

In Duns of course you would have had the (out-of-tune/key?) re-sings that Borders sometimes got
of earlier Forth “cast-offs”, which also turned up on Central FM and Moray Firth.

As you mention Tay indeed did buy various re-sings of the same syndicated JAM packages that many
UK stations (including Metro) used during that period – but sung in the UK by Alfasound singers
(WCBS-FM New York's “Do It Again” on Radio Tay AM!)

(I'll return later, once I find a couple of bits of audio that might be of interest to you).

[DunsBus]

Hi Wixy,

To be honest I registered and then forgot that the forum was there!

(At least, that's my excuse… )

I'm not surprised that the “Great Music Radio” Forth package is considered a Holy Grail item. It was in use for 17 months and was replaced by the “Greatest Memories, Latest Hits” one which IMO just didn't suit Forth's sound at all.

The re-sings that Borders used were of Forth's 1983 package. In fact this was the first package to be used by them, and lasted for quite some time. I can remember Forth RFM's opening package as well, and their mid 90's one which was one of their best.

The first time I was aware that Tay were using re-sings of the early 90s Metro FM package was when I picked it up on a faint signal in Duns – the jingle that I heard was a re-sing of the Metro FM “More Hits All Night, Hits not Homework” with the “Hits not Homework” bit replaced with “The Best Music”.

As for Radio Forth and Radio Tay Together, I too remember that well – another short-lived venture IIRC.

Anyway, glad to be here!

[bobbles69]

Not the best quality but here's a wee sample…I have the masters at home. I will rake them out when I get a chance.

Wixy1360 wrote:

The “Great Music Radio” package is still a “Holy Grail” item, and I've still never found a copy of the
“Radio Forth and Radio Tay – Together” night-time package.

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205183970_871_FT59392_tay_and_forth_together.mp3 filename:tay_and_forth_together.mp3

[DunsBus]

bobbles69 wrote:
Not the best quality but here's a wee sample…I have the masters at home. I will rake them out when I get a chance.

The “Great Music Radio” package is still a “Holy Grail” item, and I've still never found a copy of the
“Radio Forth and Radio Tay – Together” night-time package.

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205183970_871_FT59392_tay_and_forth_together.mp3 filename:tay_and_forth_together.mp3

Now that brings back memories. I'm sure that the programming came from Forth, it pre-dated the Max AM/Radio Borders overnight service by a few years.

[DunsBus]

Wixy-1360 wrote:
“Tay and Forth Together”

Hell's Teeth Bob – I've been after those for years!
Oddly enough, a short-lived discussion about them appeared on DS a couple of months back but died out
before I could find out more.

Would be MOST interested in a copy of – er … “masters” ??? I note your email ID is hidden so I'll PM you offline.

Steven, must agree with you about the “Greatest Memories, Latest Hits” package – not only did “Here On
Radio Forth” sound very “squashed-in” on the backing tracks, but surely they must have owed someone
some Royalties for all the Songs they blatatently cloned into the jingles!

If you want some dubs of any Forth items I have (or Metro or Tay) send me a PM – though Mr Barras has
FAR more Metro than I'll ever have! Even got some Radio Borders cuts somewhere.
)

(Some audio bits to follow tomorrow hopefully)

There were quite a few songs cloned on the “Greatest Memories, Latest Hits” package, and that was one of the reasons why I wasn't keen on it. As you say, someone somewhere must have been coining in the royalties, and the package as a whole just wasn't Forth. I was very disappointed that they'd chosen to go down that route.

I'll take you up on the offer – one PM coming up….!

[Barras]

Seems like we`re in the process of a “holy grail” being unearthed, hope so…….just wish someone would unearth the Lindisfarne package for Metro Radio !

This post has turned into an interesting read and I`ll try and submit some more relevant jingle audio – John Wells did some sweepers for Tay FM, here`s an example…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205191446_3680_FT59392_john_wells_tay_fm.mp3 filename:john_wells_tay_fm.mp3

David Barras

[DunsBus]

Barras wrote:
Seems like we`re in the process of a “holy grail” being unearthed, hope so…….just wish someone would unearth the Lindisfarne package for Metro Radio !

This post has turned into an interesting read and I`ll try and submit some more relevant jingle audio – John Wells did some sweepers for Tay FM, here`s an example…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205191446_3680_FT59392_john_wells_tay_fm.mp3 filename:john_wells_tay_fm.mp3

David Barras

Hahahaha, love it! The good old double-meaning.

[Barras]

DunsBus wrote:
The first time I was aware that Tay were using re-sings of the early 90s Metro FM package was when I picked it up on a faint signal in Duns – the jingle that I heard was a re-sing of the Metro FM “More Hits All Night, Hits not Homework” with the “Hits not Homework” bit replaced with “The Best Music”.

DunsBus,

found that cut you mentioned for Tay FM.

Sung by the Alfasound singers in 1995 over the JAM music bed, it`s cut #13 from JAM`s Z Force, here it is…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205231301_3680_FT59392_alfa-jam_tay_fm_all_day_all_night_z_force_13.mp3 filename:alfa-jam_tay_fm_all_day_all_night_z_force_13.mp3

David Barras

[DunsBus]

Barras wrote:

The first time I was aware that Tay were using re-sings of the early 90s Metro FM package was when I picked it up on a faint signal in Duns – the jingle that I heard was a re-sing of the Metro FM “More Hits All Night, Hits not Homework” with the “Hits not Homework” bit replaced with “The Best Music”.

DunsBus,

found that cut you mentioned for Tay FM.

Sung by the Alfasound singers in 1995 over the JAM music bed, it`s cut #13 from JAM`s Z Force, here it is…

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205231301_3680_FT59392_alfa-jam_tay_fm_all_day_all_night_z_force_13.mp3 filename:alfa-jam_tay_fm_all_day_all_night_z_force_13.mp3

David Barras

Thanks Barras. An interesting hybrid – I wonder if there are any more instances of these?

[IainJohnstonMember]

“I wonder if there are any more instances of these?”

Quite a lot in fact – Alfa offered UK clients the choice of Dallas or UK vocals – obviously there were “economies” of choosing the Cheshire singers rather than Texas!

[DunsBus]

Wixy1360 wrote:
“I wonder if there are any more instances of these?”

Quite a lot in fact – Alfa offered UK clients the choice of Dallas or UK vocals – obviously there were “economies” of choosing the Cheshire singers rather than Texas!

Didn't Alfasound do the late 80s Metro package? I'm sure that they did.

[freq-ky]

I'm pretty sure that Alfasound did do them,along with their late evening/overnight Metro & Tees (now TFM……….radio) during the mid to late 80s.

[Barras]

Alfasound certainly did sing the 1987 & 1988 packages for Metro Radio.

Considering the inital post was about Radio Forth, here I am posting more Tay FM jingles !

This demo for Tay FM is from the Alfasound Radio ID cassette tape Volume 22. Again, it`s the Alfasound singers, singing over the JAM tracks. Had I been the PC at Tay FM, I would have chosen the Texans !

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205246152_3680_FT59392_alfa-jam_tay_fm_1995_demo.mp3 filename:alfa-jam_tay_fm_1995_demo.mp3

David Barras

[amigoMember]

I remeber hearing the together jingles when I occasionally picked up Forth on AM in Cardiff. I remember the lyrics being reversed though….Radio Forth and Tay.

Amigo

[DunsBus]

Barras wrote:
Alfasound certainly did sing the 1987 & 1988 packages for Metro Radio.

Considering the inital post was about Radio Forth, here I am posting more Tay FM jingles !

This demo for Tay FM is from the Alfasound Radio ID cassette tape Volume 22. Again, it`s the Alfasound singers, singing over the JAM tracks. Had I been the PC at Tay FM, I would have chosen the Texans !

http://jinglemad.com/e107_files/public/1205246152_3680_FT59392_alfa-jam_tay_fm_1995_demo.mp3 filename:alfa-jam_tay_fm_1995_demo.mp3

David Barras

Interesting. The Alfasound singers do a good job – but the original Metro one just has the edge.

[DunsBus]

amigo wrote:
I remeber hearing the together jingles when I occasionally picked up Forth on AM in Cardiff. I remember the lyrics being reversed though….Radio Forth and Tay.

Amigo

That's right – there were two versions, “Radio Tay & Radio Forth” and “Radio Forth & Radio Tay”. There was little differentiation as to which was used.

[DunsBus]

http://jinglemad.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?59465

Have a look at this thread – on Montage 2 there is a classic Radio Forth weekend jingle from 1985.

[bobbles69]

DunsBus wrote:

I remeber hearing the together jingles when I occasionally picked up Forth on AM in Cardiff. I remember the lyrics being reversed though….Radio Forth and Tay.

Amigo

That's right – there were two versions, “Radio Tay & Radio Forth” and “Radio Forth & Radio Tay”. There was little differentiation as to which was used.

It depended on which station played the jingles – if they were played on Forth then it was “Forth and Tay”, and if they were played on Tay then it was “Tay and Forth”. As far as I know the programmes came from Forth but I do recall a couple of Tay presenters on it, but whether they were done from Dundee or Edinburgh then I don't know.

Tay used to play the “Tay – Forth” jingles prior to the 10pm News when the 2 stations would link, just after “Campus Radio” – Now who remembers that!!!! (I have a couple of jingles from that kicking about someplace too!)

[IainJohnstonMember]

After years of me trying to find the “Forth & Tay Together” cuts and always drawing blank, its good to
know there's others that do know what I'm talking about!

On-air, I think they probably used “split-carts”, with the “Forth & Tay” variant going out on one set
of tranmitters and “Tay & Forth” on the others – was all “new technology” then – no PC Playout Systems
to do it (probably NO computers, period!)

Bob – did you get my PM perhaps?

Steven – I've emailed you a link to some audio I've put togther on this Topic – once you've had a chance
to hear the audio I'll post the link later today for the other JM'ers too.

[DunsBus]

Wixy1360 wrote:
After years of me trying to find the “Forth & Tay Together” cuts and always drawing blank, its good to
know there's others that do know what I'm talking about!

On-air, I think they probably used “split-carts”, with the “Forth & Tay” variant going out on one set
of tranmitters and “Tay & Forth” on the others – was all “new technology” then – no PC Playout Systems
to do it (probably NO computers, period!)

Bob – did you get my PM perhaps?

Steven – I've emailed you a link to some audio I've put togther on this Topic – once you've had a chance
to hear the audio I'll post the link later today for the other JM'ers too.

Got it OK and have listened!

[IainJohnstonMember]

OK, here's the link to the audio I've compiled for Steven…

http://www.4shared.com/file/40472167/9ff48210/Wixy1360-ForthAirchecks-ForDunsbus.html

As regular JM'ers know, on principle I don't post up edited bits of jingles from airchecks as “cuts”,
only as “reference items” to help identify and/or trace material especially “long losts” or “Holy Grails”.

So some items may be “new” to anyone that doesn't know that while much of England enjoyed superb
custom packages from the likes of Alfasound, Standard/MMI TM re-sings, etc, much of Scotland had …
… well, judge for yourselves (and yes, there's rip-offs of other companies' work as discussed on other threads!)

One “Never-heard-before-bonus” (maybe) – the first few minutes includes what is the ONLY instance
I know of a Jingle Montage being compiled and played-out (from carts) live and in real-time on-air!
(and before the days of PC-controlled desks or jingles held on hard drives or playout systems).

[DunsBus]

Wixy1360 wrote:
OK, here's the link to the audio I've compiled for Steven…

http://www.4shared.com/file/40472167/9ff48210/Wixy1360-ForthAirchecks-ForDunsbus.html

As regular JM'ers know, on principle I don't post up edited bits of jingles from airchecks as “cuts”,
only as “reference items” to help identify and/or trace material especially “long losts” or “Holy Grails”.

So some items may be “new” to anyone that doesn't know that while much of England enjoyed superb
custom packages from the likes of Alfasound, Standard/MMI TM re-sings, etc, much of Scotland had …
… well, judge for yourselves (and yes, there's rip-offs of other companies' work as discussed on other threads!)

One “Never-heard-before-bonus” (maybe) – the first few minutes includes what is the ONLY instance
I know of a Jingle Montage being compiled and played-out (from carts) live and in real-time on-air!
(and before the days of PC-controlled desks or jingles held on hard drives or playout systems).

One of the jingles which Wixy mentions, in the first montage, was later re-sung and used in 1985 for the Kwik-Fit Flyer traffic reports which Forth had just started at the time. It's the one that starts “Who puts the sugar in your teacup” which became, as follows, in its new guise:

Who helps you to travel in the mornings?
Who brings you the latest traffic warnings?
High in the sky, it's our traffic eye,
The Kwik-Fit Flyer.

[Author]

Posts