This month's Cassette offers a few tidbits that need more of a set-up than we had room for on the loose sheet that accompanies The Cassette each month. Along with the usual spots and promos, this month's Cassette also includes these two cuts. The first is from Al Peterson of WLAD/98Q in Danbury, CT. It is a "song" written and sung by one of WLAD's fans. Al took the time to put it to music. The second cut is a two minute promo from Craig Rogers of WHO-AM in Des Moines, IA. Following are the letters that accompanied the tapes.
1. ...Here is the cut that has driven strong men into the night in tears: FLOWER GIRL!!! If you didn't [read about it] the first time in Radio World [March 27, 1991], here's the outline:
Nicky Stevenson (old and drunk) came 'round the station some months back with a cassette of his "songs" for us to play on the air. His music consisted of him blathering into a Yorx cassette machine -- no music, no drum tracks, nada. Just a few memorable titles like, "Oh Lisa," "I'm a Good Shoe," and "Snowball Baby" shouted onto tape with 86-proof inspiration.
All it took was one guy here saying, "Gee, that would be pretty funny if it were set to music." Well, that was a challenge too good to pass up, so I took Nicky's cassette home over vacation, extracted a few "useable" lines to figure out the key and tempo, and spent two days putting music together. Basically, it was the equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle completely painted white -- thoroughly impossible but fun trying.
Especially memorable was the modulation from E/flat to D (made possible by a hellish combination of chords resembling a freight train wreck).
The reel has a few seconds of Nicky on his own from the cassette he gave me. After that, "Flower Girl" in all its stereophonic splendor. If his voice sounds different in the finished work, it was drowned in Alesis reverb and goosed with a touch of Aphex -- anything to kill the hiss.
If you've ever heard of someone trying to save a piece of audio "in the mix," you'll love "Flower Girl." It's so horrible, it's hysterical.
PS -- The high pitch heard on the quiet passages is clock noise from a cheap Yamaha synth -- couldn't get it out.
Al Peterson, Production Director
WLAD/98Q, Danbury, CT
2....Up to about five years ago, WHO had been a "sleeping giant," doing the same things that had worked for the last twenty years. But, with the tremendous vision of PD Van Harden, the giant has come to life and is setting the pace, not following it.
With the enclosed promo, we tried to capture a feeling of heritage of WHO and our new "golden age." This is just the first version. There will be plenty of updates. We've got LOTS of archival material.
Some of the voices on "Forever Young:" Ronald "Dutch" Reagan, whose career began at WHO broadcasting the Hawkeyes and the Chicago Cubs; long time News Director Jack Shelley, who was only two miles from the atomic bomb blast in 1953; and H.R. Gross, WHO's first News Director who went on to become an Iowa Congressman.
Craig Rogers, Production Director
WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA
We didn't receive Robin Luse's tape in time for this month's Cassette, so look for a sample of Robin's work next month. Cut 6 is Jim Neubau's award winning promo, cut in a 2-track room with no processing! Cut 11 is a sweeper montage from our first French subscriber, Laurent Eveno of Eveno Creative. The ID's were cut for a Paris station. Side B opens with a spot, a promo, and a bit from John Pellegrini that demonstrate the use of classical music in production as discussed in this month's Tips & Techniques page. We fill out the rest of side B with some excellent commercials, including the final cut which comes from the studios at Randolph Air Force Base near San Antonio, TX. Air Force Advertising, sort of an in-house agency for Air Force Recruiting Services, produces mostly recruiting spots. The cut we spotlight, from David Howe, is one he produced for an advertising class he took a while back.
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Side A
Cut 1 - "Flower Girl" from Al Peterson/WLAD/98Q, Danbury, CT
Cut 2 - "Forever Young" from Craig Rogers/WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA
Cut 3 - "Kimo Ties the Knot" from Bumper Morgan/Bumper Productions, Nashville, TN
Cut 4 - "Twice the Winning Weekend" from Rick Allen/WQHT-FM, New York, NY
Cut 5 - "Roxette Weekend" from Randy Irwin(w)/Tracy Schakohl(p)/Casey Keating(v), KPLZ-FM, Seattle, WA
Cut 6 - "Country Classics" from Jim Neubau(wpv)/T. Gentry(v), WESC-FM, Greenville, SC
Cut 7 - "Christmas Promo" from Tim Cramer/WQIK-FM, Jacksonville, FL
Cut 8 - "Cash Vault" from Mike Mason/WKML-FM, Fayetteville, NC
Cut 9 - "Getting Ready for the Relatives" from Craig Cornett/FM100, Memphis, TN
Cut 10 - Sweeper Montage from Brian Price/WDVE-FM, Pittsburgh, PA
Cut 11 - Sweeper Montage from Laurent Eveno/Eveno Creative, Boulogne, France for 90.9 FM, Paris
Cut 12 - "This is 106.9 the Fox" from Mark Mitchell/WAFX-FM, Norfolk, VA
Side B
Cut 1 - Promo, Spot & Bit from John Pellegrini/WKLQ-FM, Grand Rapids, MI
Cut 2 - "C&F Building & Remodeling" from Jay Harris/WQTL-FM, Ottawa, OH
Cut 3 - "Neonopoly" from David Witz/WYXR-FM, Bala Cynwyd, PA
Cut 4 - "Glass Classer Window Tinting" from Reid Thrush/WQXR-FM, Jacksonville, NC
Cut 5 - "Carpet Connection" from Dan Popp(wpv)/Brad England(v), WHLO-AM, Akron, OH
Cut 6 - "Bombay Bicycle Club" from Gary Van Allen/WMMO-FM, Orlando, FL
Cut 7 - "Tombstone Pizza" from Rick Robinson/WEGR-FM, Memphis, TN
Cut 8 - "Nintendo" from Tracy Schakohl(wp)/Mark Allan(wv), KPLZ-FM, Seattle, WA
Cut 9 - "Pacific Nissan" from Kirk Bennett(vp)/Sky Vogel(v), KYXY-FM, San Diego, CA
Cut 10 - "Pet City" from Von Coffman(wpv)/Bob Spencer(v), Magik 102.5, Pocatello, ID
Cut 11 - "Hooters" from Greg Williams & Lisa Frith/WAFX-FM, Norfolk, VA
Cut 12 - "Excedrin" from David Scott Howe/Air Force Advertising, RAFB, San Antonio, TX
