Jump to content

Discovered composers & publishers of music themes


promoguy98

Recommended Posts

So a few items relating to existing themes.

 

KHON probably used MCTYW in the mid-70s. An NBC-KHON newspaper ad from September 21, 1975 shows KHON's slogan as "Closer to your world" and exhorts viewers to "Move closer to your world" by watching the 10:00 edition of Eyewitness News.

 

WLUK used News People. Not much else to say, but "News People, in touch with people, TV-11 News" can't be anything else. (c. 1979) The newspaper described WBAY and WFRV's openers this way:

 

"Channel 2, which perpetrates the pseudo-religious "2 Power," opens Action (!) News with a symphony and fanfare for Chuck Ramsay. A nice musical version of a teletype underlies the main melody. Judging by its opener, "5 Country" is located somewhere in the balmy Pacific. Nowhere in Wisconsin."

 

WSMV was using Hello as early as early 1982, when it was reported that the station was getting constant calls for records and lyric sheets for "Hello Nashville". There is apparently a "Hello Macon" version, probably for WMAZ.

 

WCCO-TV went to Tuesday to commission image songs in 1979. They got six of them, trying to make itself heard amidst the affiliation switch clutter of the other stations. "The songs play on local pride, Minnesota's climate, WCCO's Image and, In the sixth song, the fact that Channel 4 will remain stable while the other stations change. Channel 4's musical message started on radio stations two weeks ago, and on television last week. One recurring theme is to refer to WCCO as "Four Friends." The other slogan developed by the Carmichael-Lynch advertising agency Is, "You Know Where to Find Us.""

 

Another article, from when KSTP was commissioning part of The News Image, suggests the music for WCCO's version of PM Magazine was also Tuesday.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So a few items relating to existing themes.

The newspaper described WBAY and WFRV's openers this way:

 

"Channel 2, which perpetrates the pseudo-religious "2 Power," opens Action (!) News with a symphony and fanfare for Chuck Ramsay. A nice musical version of a teletype underlies the main melody. Judging by its opener, "5 Country" is located somewhere in the balmy Pacific. Nowhere in Wisconsin."

 

WFRV and its sister/satellite WJMN in Michigan's UP were owned by the Norton Family of Louisville (Orion Broadcasting) who I believe commissioned Al Ham's "Home Country" for their station group WAVE TV/AM (yes they were used on the radio station too), WFIE Evansville, WMT-TV Cedar Rapids, and the WFRV/WJMN combo. (Fun factiod, the WJMN calls reflect the initials of Jane M. Norton)

 

WCCO-TV went to Tuesday to commission image songs in 1979. They got six of them, trying to make itself heard amidst the affiliation switch clutter of the other stations. "The songs play on local pride, Minnesota's climate, WCCO's Image and, In the sixth song, the fact that Channel 4 will remain stable while the other stations change. Channel 4's musical message started on radio stations two weeks ago, and on television last week. One recurring theme is to refer to WCCO as "Four Friends." The other slogan developed by the Carmichael-Lynch advertising agency Is, "You Know Where to Find Us.""

 

Another article, from when KSTP was commissioning part of The News Image, suggests the music for WCCO's version of PM Magazine was also Tuesday.

 

Carmichael-Lynch also I believe were responsible for 'CCO's classic "News for thinking people/ We're thinking news" slogan and campaign.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carmichael-Lynch also I believe were responsible for 'CCO's classic "News for thinking people/ We're thinking news" slogan and campaign.

 

They were also the ad agency that coordinated The Best News of All in 1985. It won an Effie!

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I have identified the composer of the unknown WJBF closing theme from 1989. It was Score Productions who did a number of themes for ABC News during the 1980s and 1990s. The closing theme was also used on ABC News' Business World broadcasts hosted by Sander Vanocur.

 

You're not the only one...I happened to send this in today almost immediately upon hearing this clip. Bob Israel did indeed write this theme, in 1986.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No info on who wrote it, but some info around the debut of the WFLA Spirit of Tampa Bay package in 1982:

 

-The debut was April 5, coinciding with the revamp of the NBC Nightly News

-The figure-8 was designed by New York artist Aki Seki, formerly of CBS

-Another item says it was written in New York

 

———

 

A lost WICZ 1994 theme that must not have lasted long at all:

 

"There will be a new sound to WICZ, channel 40, news broadcast starting 5:30 p.m. Monday. The Binghamton station commissioned Richard Thomas, a retired Binghamton music teacher and longtime bass player with the BC Pops, to write new opening music for the 5:30 and 1 1 p.m. news broadcasts. "We're a local station; we thought we ought to have a local theme," said Dave Tillery, general manager. Thomas at first thought some generic, public domain tune might do, but the more he researched, the more he felt he should compose something original. The result is a two-minute fanfare, Reel to Real, which was debuted last weekend at the BC Pops concerts at The Forum. What pleased Thomas more than anything else is that members of the Pops volunteered to record the theme at no charge, so the local theme for the local station will be played by local musicians."

 

Unfortunately, our composer died three years ago.

 

———

 

A WHBF theme in 1981 attracted some ire...

 

"I agree with the caller who thinks the new Channel 4 theme music Is ridiculous. When we first heard it, we thought it was a commercial for the Ford Motor Co., then when we realized what it really was, we were surprised that the management of Channel 4 would let it run, because not only does it set back the image of rural America, it also sets back the image of small town TV about 20 years. Please, let that female vocalist spit the hayseed out of her mouth and try a different approach."

 

And did WQAD in 1985 come with an image theme?

 

"I like Channel 8's new theme song. It's catchy, upbeat, exciting even. I like their "One Quad-City" theme and the billboards that go along with it."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And did WQAD in 1985 come with an image theme?

 

"I like Channel 8's new theme song. It's catchy, upbeat, exciting even. I like their "One Quad-City" theme and the billboards that go along with it."

Where can I find the news open that corresponds to that theme besides the NMSA? It seems like that WQAD’s NMSA page has a lot of opens that can’t be found on YouTube.

 

Who composed KMTV’s themes from that era? I recall when I posted that in the Classic Video Thread back in August someone said “Chip Davis of Manheim Steamroller” composed it. Anyway I’d love to hear a clean copy of those themes.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In regard to KMTV, yes!

 

While we are missing a lot of material for KMTV in the 80s, we know that Chip Davis composed themes for KMGH, KMTV and KSHB based on entries in SESAC.

 

KSHB is the earliest of the three. It was used in the 80s for their 41 Express flash newscasts:

 

 

Of the two unID KMGH themes of the late 80s/early 90s, I believe 1991 is the Chip Davis set. I believe 1989 was commissioned somewhere in Salt Lake City by then-ND Mike Youngren, along with a mid/late-80s KUTV theme we do not have.

 

 

Keep in mind that KMGH 1991 didn't even make it fully through 1992 because News Series 2001 and the "Colorado's 7" moniker were

.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

NMSA lists the news music KFDM used here as a cut from First News by Non Stop:

 

 

That doesn't sound like First News or any of its themes. Its signature doesn't pop up anywhere in the open or the close at all. Sounds more like production music.

 

And what is the news music KFDM used on this clip called?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NMSA lists the news music KFDM used here as a cut from First News by Non Stop:

 

 

That doesn't sound like First News or any of its themes. Its signature doesn't pop up anywhere in the open or the close at all. Sounds more like production music.

 

Speaking of First News, did any other stations use the theme KTVI used?

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Something that came completely out of left field...the NMSA recently lumped WROC 1981 and 1987 into We're 4, of all things. I guess the question is - where did that come from?

 

Quite frankly I smell something fishy, but I'll leave that call to the experts at sifting through the dirt...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something that came completely out of left field...the NMSA recently lumped WROC 1981 and 1987 into We're 4, of all things. I guess the question is - where did that come from?

 

Quite frankly I smell something fishy, but I'll leave that call to the experts at sifting through the dirt...

Because it thinks KDKA’s early 80s theme was We’re 4, and they used the same theme as WROC at the time (specifically on the station ID that is in WROC’s open):

There’s a KDKA “Renaissance 2” promo from 1983 that used the same 4-note tune at end of it:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently came across some important information you may want to read. WROC's 1987 news theme, also used by KDKA in Pittsburgh, was composed by none other than John Sutton. This is according to a post by Ron Dylewski on the Rochester, NY News & Television Archive Facebook page.

 

He states: "But I was involved in doing WROC's theme in the 80's and it was not a Klein and Co thing as I recall, it was composed by John Sutton who did the "KD and You" theme for KDKA. The timing seems right. We went to Nashville and did an ROC version, struggling a bit with how to say "Rochester."

 

As I post this, here is another sample of the classic KDKA theme used on WROC in the late 1980s.

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[QUOTE="Info Junkie, post: 197962, member: 3593"]Because it thinks KDKA’s early 80s theme was We’re 4, and they used the same theme as WROC at the time (specifically on the station ID that is in WROC’s open): There’s a KDKA “Renaissance 2” promo from 1983 that used the same 4-note tune at end of it: [/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure you and @ChesapeakeTV and @KnoxvilleTVFan are correct on this. I don't think these cuts and opens are related in anyway to the "We're 4" package. Side note regarding We're 4.... I have a sneaking suspicion that Gari or one of his main "go-to" composers was contracted by Klein& to produce the news package back in the early 80's. Why? Because one of Gari's early 90's CD demo samplers, featured a demo image song, un-related to WBZ, that was made for WNBC.... I still remember some of the lyrics...... then the track featured the "Klein&" main news open cut that we're all aware of. Anyway, there's my two cents over We're 4 and such :D
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder, when Ron Dylewski says Jeff Sutton did "KD & You," does that mean we also have a composer ID for the "tunnel"-era theme that has been misidentified as The News Image for almost 20 years?

 

We now have at least four themes that need to be splintered off of unrelated packages from completely different producers in NMSA: KDKA 1983(?)/WROC 1987, KD & You, WAGA 1979, the early 80s Telesound NBC affiliate package (KSDK, WTVO, etc.). There's WROC 1981 too, but that has no composer ID yet. Is it connected to the KDKA stuff? All I know is that the WROC 1981 musical signature showed up (not the same recording) in very early AMC IDs which were on YouTube a decade ago, got taken down and never resurfaced.

 

Oh, and a crazy thing about that We're 4 intro music that you think is Gari: Before I began corresponding with Bob Klein, it was actually labeled as Gari on NMSA! I forget if I got definite confirmation from Gari that it wasn't his work; I called him once in 2006 or so, but I have discovered that I no longer have the notes, assuming I took any back then - my Bob Klein and Edd Kalehoff notes are preserved but nothing relating to Gari. But I feel like if I had called him at that time, that would have been one of the things I would have asked about. The L.A. and N.Y. commercial music production scenes rarely overlapped (I think Gari did local affiliate stuff for the first Still the One campaign - remember how the animation showed up in a mid-2000s Gari demo reel? - and they sang a special Still the One '79/Catch 5 hybrid for WEWS, for which JAM sent a copy of the instrumental to Gari in NY, as related by Jon Wolfert), I would find it extremely hard to believe that Klein & would have outsourced to Gari. Doesn't sound like Gari to me anyway...

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder, when Ron Dylewski says Jeff Sutton did "KD & You," does that mean we also have a composer ID for the "tunnel"-era theme that has been misidentified as The News Image for almost 20 years?

 

We now have at least four themes that need to be splintered off of unrelated packages from completely different producers in NMSA: KDKA 1983(?)/WROC 1987, KD & You, WAGA 1979, the early 80s Telesound NBC affiliate package (KSDK, WTVO, etc.). There's WROC 1981 too, but that has no composer ID yet. Is it connected to the KDKA stuff? All I know is that the WROC 1981 musical signature showed up (not the same recording) in very early AMC IDs which were on YouTube a decade ago, got taken down and never resurfaced.

There’s also WNAC 1980, which is the same as WJET 1986:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using TVNewsTalk you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.