Samantha 2873 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) So this turned up on YouTube and the uploader wasn't sure what it was: A radio program? Part of a special? No, it's a 30-minute vinyl record! It's not from 1988 but rather 1991 (though it appears the idea originated around 1989). The Taking Pride In...series was actually something sold to a whole bunch of TV and radio stations. (A list is at the end of this) It was produced by Impact Broadcast Marketing, a Nashville shop. According to this 2014 article on the KREM version (which already was online), apparently the lyrics were nearly the same for each market (with two songs being altered) — just the narration changed. Found a mention of it on this site: Quote This is an odd little album, with a mildly intriguing back story... Impact Broadcast was a marketing firm based in Nashville that created a series of vinyl LPs, circa 1989-91, that were made up to look like locally-produced regional boosterism projects. All of the albums had the exact same music on them, generic, prefab songs with vague lyrics about "your town," etc., and purposefully indeterminate pop-country (which is it??) arrangements with slick, bland, contemporary production. Two of these tracks were adapted on each album to represent the individual clients, thus "Taking Pride In Portland" could become "Taking Pride In Topeka" at the drop of a hat. Likewise, many tracks feature individualized recitations that actually do reflect the town in question, albeit through rose-colored lenses. In this case, it's local TV anchor Ron Harbaugh who intones about the glories of the Kansas capitol... Impact usually partnered with a local TV or radio station, and presumably got their staff to round up financial backers: the Topeka album was sponsored by the Fairlawn Mall, TJ Maxx, and other Topeka businesses... Sadly, the Nashville studio musicians aren't credited, although many of the Taking Pride albums list a Linda Mayhew as their "creative consultant," and it's possible that she was the female vocalist featured on all the songs... Regardless, the folks at Impact Broadcast Marketing definitely had a lot of hustle, and managed to sign up several dozen clients during their short run as cookie-cutter civic cheerleaders. Other cities include: Ashville, Omaha, Peoria, Portland, Spartanburg, Spokane... you get the idea. Some albums are dedicated to entire states or regions: Central Florida, West Michigan, the state of Nevada... but one would assume these were less high-status than the folks who paid for just their own city to be feted on vinyl. This disc from Topeka is the only one I'm going to review (I got it for a dollar at a combination gun shop-antique store in Ottawa, Kansas) but if anyone wanted to send me a copy of Taking Pride In Austin, I wouldn't complain... The article mentions some of the more than 25 (!) versions that were made, and there have to be some more: Inland Northwest (KREM) Nashville (WSMV) Topeka (KSNT) Dayton (WHIO) Portland (KOIN) Peoria (WMBD radio and TV) Maine Wichita (KSNW and KFDI radio) Cedar Rapids (KGAN) Nevada (KOLO) San Antonio (KENS) Rochester (WOKR) Omaha (WOW radio) Georgialina (WRDW) East Tennessee Central Florida Four States (KSNF, I'm sure) Eastern Carolina (WITN) West Michigan (WZZM and WMUS radio) Greenville; Spartanburg; Asheville; Anderson (WSPA, four separate entries) Amarillo (KAMR) Mid-Missouri (KOMU) Austin (KTBC) Macon (WMAZ) as "Straight from the Heart of Central Georgia" Springfield [IL] (WICS) Texoma (KFDX) El Paso (KTSM radio and TV) Buffalo (WIVB) the Tri-State (WOWK) South Bend (WNDU) as "Celebrate Michiana" Lubbock (KAMC) The Coastal Empire (WTOC) Celebr8te Oklahoma (KTUL) Edited November 10, 2023 by Samantha Add KTUL - turned up on Ebay in November 2023 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TServo2049 81 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 (edited) Nice! I just bring up how little we know about any broadcast music that came out of Nashville, and then this comes up. (I just hope that perhaps some of our questions about unidentified music might be answered by further research into the Nashville ad music industry. There were several notable national jingle campaigns to come out of Nashville, the classic “Red Lobster, for the seafood lover in you” comes to mind, so I’m sure they must have been the origin of at least some other news music beyond what we already know.) Edited June 1, 2020 by TServo2049 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrannical bastard 3410 Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 WKRG in Mobile had one too "Taking Pride in Mobile", and theirs came out in 1993. https://youtu.be/_Dgi24DeEJ4?t=113 Pretty much the same idea....a "Hello (city) promo intercut with key local advertisers". Of the ones featured, only Newman's Ambulance and Hill & Brooks Coffee are still around today. I do know that the main jingle for the Mobile version was sung by Jimmy Hall of the 70's group Wet Wille, a local group that hit it big in the south. Still to this day, one of the local radio stations plays Weekend right before 5:00 every Friday! And hearing this, I believe WKBN was a client too, with a "Spirit of our Valley" promo campaign. The following year, it would be replaced by "Caring For Our Community", which still runs to this day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ntropolis 593 Posted November 8, 2020 Share Posted November 8, 2020 (edited) Bumping this thread... here's KOIN's version of the series. I'm listening to this all the way through, and I'm almost positive the vocalist on the second track, In the Beginning, is none other than 1990s country star Pam Tillis. It's very well possible because these were recorded in Nashville not long before her breakout album, Put Yourself in My Place was released in January 1991. Edited November 8, 2020 by Ntropolis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTVNews 1365 Posted November 8, 2020 Share Posted November 8, 2020 Is there a Dallas/Ft. Worth version of "Taking Pride In..."? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewsStar2 90 Posted November 16, 2020 Share Posted November 16, 2020 If you hit up ebay and want your very own of these from multiple markets (or in one case multiple CITIES tied to ONE STATION in one market), they've got you. As of now, you can pick up... -Amarillo (KAMR) -San Antonio (KENS) -Cedar Rapids (KGAN) -Lubbock (KAMC) -Portland, OR (KOIN) -Nevada/Reno (KOLO) -Mid-Missouri (KOMU) -The Inland Northwest (KREM) -Wichita (KSNW) -Dayton (WHIO) -Buffalo (WIVB) -Eastern Carolina/Greenville (WITN) -Peoria (WMBD) -The Tri-State (WOWK) -Greenville Spartanburg Asheville Anderson (WSPA for each) -The Coastal Empire / Savannah (WTOC) -West Michigan (WZZM) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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