I love how radio stations back them billed themselves as "channel" such-and-such. These jingles really are pretty interesting. I like the big, brass arrangements and the use of the otherworldly-sounding Sonovox device.
This particular package was also customised for Radio London and Radio Caroline in the 60s! Most people get confused especially when they hear recordings of offshore pirate radios like London and Caroline! Many of their wonderful jingle came from PAMS!
Yes, I think a lot of other areas of the world loved that PAMS sound, but also, PAMS founder Jim Meeks was actively out there pursuing worldwide radio markets to expand his customer base. The man was incredible!
When the National Barn Dance days ended and my older brother picked up his 6 transistor made in Japan shirt pocket sized radio and these jungles and the new sound rocked me as a single digit child. Here in Lafayette where oddly the WLS Barn Dance hall of fame exists in the basement of our old library. Most know where the Grand Ole Opry Hall of Fame is, right.
Some great history and context here in your comment! I do remember reading about the early days of WLS and the broadcast of the National Barn Dance. THAT was a huge shock to me, as I grew up hearing the WLS of the late 60s and 70s. So there is a WLS Barn Dance Hall of Fame in Laffayette? Wow! (PS, yes, I'm replying to this quite a few years after the fact. I'm not sure how, but I'm finding that I missed a lot of comments here. I think this is when I had more or less stepped away from TH-cam for awhile.)
Hmmm ... if I'd been a little kid at the time, I probably would've been creeped out by so many of these. If I'd been a teen or young adult, I would've thought they were cool as ice. I still love this collection to bits. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jean! You're very welcome- I'm glad you like these jingles, they are pretty cool. That sonovox voice effect is definitely pretty wild and if that's what you're talking about as being creepy, yeah, as a kid, that may have freaked me out a bit too. I once hear somewhere on the internet these jingles for a Pittsburg radio station, but they were "bootleg" recordings and that sonovox voice effect was done with some kind of homemade set up. Those DEFINITELY sounded spooky and scary- even to this grown up!
I hear your point about this being the first modern jingle package. PAMS Series 14, "Dramatic Signatures" was definitely where the elements began to come together and I love Series 16 as well, "Sound of the City." That was another step along the way, but Series 18, the cuts were definitely more concise, the music beds sounded brassy, bright started taking on more of that PAMS trademark sound. I've always thought PAMS was very much like Motown in that they both did what everyone else did in the beginning, but then they kept expanding the boundaries of what jingles (or soul) could sound like. With both companies, there is a definite and distinct studio sound and technical mastering that made their products immediately distinguishable from everyone else in their respective industries. Series 18 really had that identifiable PAMS Sound and the jingles became tighter and shorter than they had been in previous packages. I didn't know that was Jimmy Smith on that "Sonowatlz" cut! Wow!Here's one of my favorite Jimmy Smith compositions: th-cam.com/video/uhuP2BWgrXE/w-d-xo.html
I agree 101%, tomovox! Series 18 really pulled the elements together, so much so that one of the favorite custom packages PAMS put together was a combination of Series 18 and Series 27, the IMMORTAL "Jet Set" from late 1963.(Pardon me, I'm saluting-LOL!) From Series 18 (1960?) on, you knew PAMS when you heard it!
I'm from Maine, and I think a couple of stations used the jingle at 2:23. WJAB1440, and another one replacing "that's our middle name" with "greater Portland Maine" for WLOB1310.
Our local 1080 kHz station in Louisville, WKLO, now silent, used the Sonosational PAMS package in the '60's. The Sonovox Stroll was named "The Walk Of The Good Guys", referring to the team of on-air personalities. Ah, what memories! Thanks for posting!
More WLS trivia: this radio station helped to put Styx on the classic rock radio map in late 1974 after the station staffers had been playing "Lady" (a song originally from Styx's 2nd LP, "Styx II" from 1973).
Stevie Wonder's Z-Articulator Unit is what he used to do his vocal effects. The device IS a home made Sonovox... not a tube-in-mouth device as used by Peter Frampton. I have one of the original PAMS Sonovox units sitting here on a shelf which I purchased from PAMS Founder Bill Meeks' son, Dennis. It's a neat piece of radio/jingle history!
Oh... and one other trivia(l) note... On PAMS Series 30, which used the sonovox extensively, the voice of the Sonovox was Tom Parma (hence, referring to the vocal as being done by TomOVox on the lyric sheets that came with the demo).
Thank you SO MUCH!!! I'm way, way too young to have heard these broadcast. WHK and WIXY were major stations in this area years back. Thank you!!! I, and hopefully others, are looking forward to it!!!
@2n918 I have to check my cds to see if I have the WKLO package. That's a cool tidbit about the use of the Sonovox Stroll! Wow, the time when radio personalities were called "Good Guys"- if radio stations started that practice again, I would be VERY pleasantly surprised! Glad to bring back some memories and thank you for sharing here!
The music always sounded great on WLS and it was even better when you were in a car on those long summer trips! Glad to have you here watching and listening!
I wonder if there were any PAMS-produced jingles, for WLS Chicago and other stations, from the 1970s and 1980s that used the talkbox (popularized by Peter Frampton in 1976) and the vocoder?
Thank you for remembering Oswego DR! I still remember the ads, look for them once in a while, can only find for "US 30 Drag Racestrip". I knew I wasn't imagining things!
@JingleCollector Wow! That IS a neat piece of radio/jingle history! Especially reading that you purchased it from Dennis Meeks! Thanks too for the clarification on what Stevie Wonder was using and the note about Tom Parma being the voice on those Series 30 cuts. (As you can tell, I love that name TomOVox!) I love hearing anything connected to PAMS, so your input is really appreciated!
@tomovox Last year, I spent a few days at 4141 Office Parkway. I understand the building is not configured as it was in the PAMS days, but it was still neat. Bill Meeks brother, Charlie, tried to build a natural reverb in the cinderblock room above what in PAMS days was Studio C... and bits and pieces were still up there. If you haven't purchased the PAMS demo box set, you should. It contains dubs of the original demos from the original reels. Most of those original reels live here.
@ChrisNeufeldMusic You definitely know your jingles! It's always fun to meet other people who like these too. Years ago, I din't really pay much attention to them. WLS had an anniversary celebration where they played all the vintage jingles and that's what pushed a button for me. It has been incredible fun learning all about the industry and especially PAMS.
@ClassicTVMan1981X I've got a box set with all of PAMS' main jingle packages and none of those makes use of the vocoder. PAMS did use the sonovox device (heard here) on some jingles recorded in the 70's, but didn't do any packages based soley on that like they did with Series 18. Actually, I'm amazed no one thought to do a package based on the vocoder, especially being that Peter Frampton and Stevie Wonder made it so popular!
@JingleCollector That PAMS box set was definitely going to get into my collection as soon as I heard about it! It is amazing from start-to-finish. Man I wish I could have spent a day in the original PAMS studios in the sixties. What a charge that would have been to see these people working on those classic jingles. I envy you that you were at 4141!
HI Donald! Glad you're enjoying the WLS jingles and guess what? I have a set of jingles for WHK- in fact, it's the same PAMS Series 18 as with these WLS jingles. It'll take a bit of time, but you'll get to hear them!
Very late in replying here- somehow I totally missed this comment! I like reading what you wrote because this was when my brothers and I were die-hard WLS fans. I didn't know that WLS played such a big part in that song's success. Wow! Thanks very much and if you have more trivia like that, I'd love to hear about it!
...there are songs they have no recollections of doing. Motown's studios were in a converted house in a residential area and about as glamorous as a cold basement. There is something about the fact that such great music came from such regular settings that intrigues me all the more with the Motown and PAMS studios. I've read about the jingle singers modest view of what they did, and that is the ture beauty of it all!
@tomovox I think the blush would be off the rose quickly if you were at 4141 in the day. There was no magic for most that worked in the industry. It was a source of income... just a paycheck. When I spoke to Toby Arnold back in 1988, he told me that some people look at things and see Antiques. He only saw old furniture. The beauty, to use a cliche, is in the beholder. One singer told me if I asked her at 6pm what she sang at 4pm, she'd wouldn't remember. Do you have the PAMS box?
@JingleCollector Yep, I did buy the PAMS box set and it was well worth it! No, I have no illusions about there being magic at PAMS. Still, to me I view PAMS very much like Motown. They both created some incredible music- both were staffed by people who weren't afraid to go into new directions in recording and music. From what I've read, Motown had sessions going nearly 24 hours and the people who recorded there say that often they recorded so much, so quickly...
You Know What, tomovox? You really need to upload PAMS Series 38 "New Generation" jingles for W-A-Y-S 610 from 1969 from Charlotte, NC, that means North Carolina, and you need to upload those pictures of Charlotte, North Carolina, lots of pictures.
+Jen Milem Hello, Jen! I think I have that package on a CD somewhere. I'll put that on my list of projects to do. It'll take some time, but keep checking with me (that will keep me on track to get it done!) I have to find pictures, but it'll be fun! I will try to get something together in a few weeks...Thanks!
+Jen Milem Hi Jen, just to let you know, I had to get a new computer- I lost a lot of my pictures for these videos, so I'm starting over and having to learn to use a new movie maker program. but I haven't forgotten about the PAMS Series 38 video!
@AarHan3 As always I love hearing from you! As far as other PAMS packages, it seems WLS didn't buy much of other jingle packages- from what I can guess, they made great use of a fantastic Anita Kerr jingle package for quite a few years. WLS bought this series,18 and then a PAMS package called "Smart Set" as well as a custom package in 1962. The late 60's WLS used lots of PAMS A Capella jingles. The only other major PAMS series WLS used in the 60's seems to be 34. :-(
Hi Noah. If you're still interested in hearing jingles from Maine, let me know. I somehow missed a good 6 years of comments here, and just found them tonight. Trying to catch up!
The only thing that bugs me now/bugged me back in the day, is so many of the jingles pronounce it Shih-CAH-Go, not Chi-CAW-go, as a native would. Otherwise, cool hearing these again. :D Does your PAMS collection also have the weather segment jingle? It pops into my head every now & again, would love to hear it outside my head again (lol).
Yeppers! This is for WOOW- th-cam.com/video/SmnB0lg0_ho/w-d-xo.html and then...this one is unusual. KALO mixed some customs and cuts from other PAMS packages with a few "Jet Set" cuts, but performed with what I'm pretty sure is a black vocal group th-cam.com/video/YjMrMmQhWFI/w-d-xo.html
Lol! I guess the Shih-CAH-Go is due to those jingles being recorded in Dallas, Texas and not in the Windy City :-) I think the weather jingle you're asking about is for Radar Weather Eye (dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit!) That is in a package of Anita Kerr jingles and I do have that one. I love it because it the ending is a bit sureal- In CHICAGO GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO.... Does that sound like the one you're thinking of?
This package was also resung for 3DB (now KIIS 101.1) in Melbourne.
Wow. This package was VERY popular!
0:29 WBBM wants its news sounder back.
LOL, when did WBBM have a news sounder like that? I'm assuming you're talking about that four note, ascending riff?
Late 1970s. Most of the CBS O&Os used it.
th-cam.com/video/Mc3jiAgA0rU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VVQqnDgTswfQlLcB 0:48
Sonovox? Wonderful!
It floors me they were so progressive as to come up with the idea of using the sonovox in jingles.
Interesting-Very Interesting-The Old WLS 1960's Radio Jingles(Channel 89 Chicago on your AM Dial)
I love how radio stations back them billed themselves as "channel" such-and-such. These jingles really are pretty interesting. I like the big, brass arrangements and the use of the otherworldly-sounding Sonovox device.
This particular package was also customised for Radio London and Radio Caroline in the 60s! Most people get confused especially when they hear recordings of offshore pirate radios like London and Caroline! Many of their wonderful jingle came from PAMS!
Yes, I think a lot of other areas of the world loved that PAMS sound, but also, PAMS founder Jim Meeks was actively out there pursuing worldwide radio markets to expand his customer base. The man was incredible!
When the National Barn Dance days ended and my older brother picked up his 6 transistor made in Japan shirt pocket sized radio and these jungles and the new sound rocked me as a single digit child. Here in Lafayette where oddly the WLS Barn Dance hall of fame exists in the basement of our old library. Most know where the Grand Ole Opry Hall of Fame is, right.
Some great history and context here in your comment! I do remember reading about the early days of WLS and the broadcast of the National Barn Dance. THAT was a huge shock to me, as I grew up hearing the WLS of the late 60s and 70s. So there is a WLS Barn Dance Hall of Fame in Laffayette? Wow! (PS, yes, I'm replying to this quite a few years after the fact. I'm not sure how, but I'm finding that I missed a lot of comments here. I think this is when I had more or less stepped away from TH-cam for awhile.)
Hmmm ... if I'd been a little kid at the time, I probably would've been creeped out by so many of these. If I'd been a teen or young adult, I would've thought they were cool as ice. I still love this collection to bits. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jean! You're very welcome- I'm glad you like these jingles, they are pretty cool. That sonovox voice effect is definitely pretty wild and if that's what you're talking about as being creepy, yeah, as a kid, that may have freaked me out a bit too. I once hear somewhere on the internet these jingles for a Pittsburg radio station, but they were "bootleg" recordings and that sonovox voice effect was done with some kind of homemade set up. Those DEFINITELY sounded spooky and scary- even to this grown up!
PAMS Series 18...the first modern jingle package (IMHO)! Love "Sonowaltz" with the great Jimmy McGriff on the Hammond B-3!
I hear your point about this being the first modern jingle package. PAMS Series 14, "Dramatic Signatures" was definitely where the elements began to come together and I love Series 16 as well, "Sound of the City." That was another step along the way, but Series 18, the cuts were definitely more concise, the music beds sounded brassy, bright started taking on more of that PAMS trademark sound. I've always thought PAMS was very much like Motown in that they both did what everyone else did in the beginning, but then they kept expanding the boundaries of what jingles (or soul) could sound like. With both companies, there is a definite and distinct studio sound and technical mastering that made their products immediately distinguishable from everyone else in their respective industries. Series 18 really had that identifiable PAMS Sound and the jingles became tighter and shorter than they had been in previous packages. I didn't know that was Jimmy Smith on that "Sonowatlz" cut! Wow!Here's one of my favorite Jimmy Smith compositions: th-cam.com/video/uhuP2BWgrXE/w-d-xo.html
I agree 101%, tomovox! Series 18 really pulled the elements together, so much so that one of the favorite custom packages PAMS put together was a combination of Series 18 and Series 27, the IMMORTAL "Jet Set" from late 1963.(Pardon me, I'm saluting-LOL!) From Series 18 (1960?) on, you knew PAMS when you heard it!
King Bee The most interesting part at 1:41 is the one which was later used for the album "Sell Out" by The Who in 1967.
3:25 Big L time is 3 o'clock and Radio London is now closing down
I'm from Maine, and I think a couple of stations used the jingle at 2:23. WJAB1440, and another one replacing "that's our middle name" with "greater Portland Maine" for WLOB1310.
Our local 1080 kHz station in Louisville, WKLO, now silent, used the Sonosational PAMS package in the '60's. The Sonovox Stroll was named "The Walk Of The Good Guys", referring to the team of on-air personalities. Ah, what memories! Thanks for posting!
More WLS trivia: this radio station helped to put Styx on the classic rock radio map in late 1974 after the station staffers had been playing "Lady" (a song originally from Styx's 2nd LP, "Styx II" from 1973).
Stevie Wonder's Z-Articulator Unit is what he used to do his vocal effects. The device IS a home made Sonovox... not a tube-in-mouth device as used by Peter Frampton. I have one of the original PAMS Sonovox units sitting here on a shelf which I purchased from PAMS Founder Bill Meeks' son, Dennis. It's a neat piece of radio/jingle history!
I came here because of The Who's album "Sell Out" at 1:41
Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here!
Check out 'Sparky's Magic Piano,' an early use of this technology.
I will!
Oh... and one other trivia(l) note... On PAMS Series 30, which used the sonovox extensively, the voice of the Sonovox was Tom Parma (hence, referring to the vocal as being done by TomOVox on the lyric sheets that came with the demo).
Thank you SO MUCH!!! I'm way, way too young to have heard these broadcast. WHK and WIXY were major stations in this area years back. Thank you!!! I, and hopefully others, are looking forward to it!!!
@2n918 I have to check my cds to see if I have the WKLO package. That's a cool tidbit about the use of the Sonovox Stroll! Wow, the time when radio personalities were called "Good Guys"- if radio stations started that practice again, I would be VERY pleasantly surprised! Glad to bring back some memories and thank you for sharing here!
I agree with you, tomovox... PAMS sure came up with some amazing stuff-- especially this series!
The music always sounded great on WLS and it was even better when you were in a car on those long summer trips! Glad to have you here watching and listening!
Awesome to hear Pete Drake on these!
Splendid as always!! Hope you have more WLS PAMS cuts from other series (27, 28, 29, etc.)!
I think it's a great idea to make a "Kid Version" and a "Chipmunk Version" of the WLS PAMS jingles, and it will be freak out.
I wonder if there were any PAMS-produced jingles, for WLS Chicago and other stations, from the 1970s and 1980s that used the talkbox (popularized by Peter Frampton in 1976) and the vocoder?
ClassicTVMan1981X This was long before Autotune was created.
These are most likely from 1964ish when Pete Drake was at the top of his game, and likely recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville.
Thank you for remembering Oswego DR! I still remember the ads, look for them once in a while, can only find for "US 30 Drag Racestrip". I knew I wasn't imagining things!
@JingleCollector Wow! That IS a neat piece of radio/jingle history! Especially reading that you purchased it from Dennis Meeks! Thanks too for the clarification on what Stevie Wonder was using and the note about Tom Parma being the voice on those Series 30 cuts. (As you can tell, I love that name TomOVox!)
I love hearing anything connected to PAMS, so your input is really appreciated!
@tomovox Last year, I spent a few days at 4141 Office Parkway. I understand the building is not configured as it was in the PAMS days, but it was still neat. Bill Meeks brother, Charlie, tried to build a natural reverb in the cinderblock room above what in PAMS days was Studio C... and bits and pieces were still up there.
If you haven't purchased the PAMS demo box set, you should. It contains dubs of the original demos from the original reels. Most of those original reels live here.
@ChrisNeufeldMusic You definitely know your jingles! It's always fun to meet other people who like these too. Years ago, I din't really pay much attention to them. WLS had an anniversary celebration where they played all the vintage jingles and that's what pushed a button for me. It has been incredible fun learning all about the industry and especially PAMS.
@ClassicTVMan1981X I've got a box set with all of PAMS' main jingle packages and none of those makes use of the vocoder. PAMS did use the sonovox device (heard here) on some jingles recorded in the 70's, but didn't do any packages based soley on that like they did with Series 18. Actually, I'm amazed no one thought to do a package based on the vocoder, especially being that Peter Frampton and Stevie Wonder made it so popular!
@JingleCollector That PAMS box set was definitely going to get into my collection as soon as I heard about it! It is amazing from start-to-finish. Man I wish I could have spent a day in the original PAMS studios in the sixties. What a charge that would have been to see these people working on those classic jingles.
I envy you that you were at 4141!
HI Donald! Glad you're enjoying the WLS jingles and guess what? I have a set of jingles for WHK- in fact, it's the same PAMS Series 18 as with these WLS jingles. It'll take a bit of time, but you'll get to hear them!
WABC HAD THE SAME KIND OF JINGLES
Very late in replying here- somehow I totally missed this comment! I like reading what you wrote because this was when my brothers and I were die-hard WLS fans. I didn't know that WLS played such a big part in that song's success. Wow! Thanks very much and if you have more trivia like that, I'd love to hear about it!
...there are songs they have no recollections of doing. Motown's studios were in a converted house in a residential area and about as glamorous as a cold basement. There is something about the fact that such great music came from such regular settings that intrigues me all the more with the Motown and PAMS studios.
I've read about the jingle singers modest view of what they did, and that is the ture beauty of it all!
@tomovox I think the blush would be off the rose quickly if you were at 4141 in the day. There was no magic for most that worked in the industry. It was a source of income... just a paycheck. When I spoke to Toby Arnold back in 1988, he told me that some people look at things and see Antiques. He only saw old furniture. The beauty, to use a cliche, is in the beholder.
One singer told me if I asked her at 6pm what she sang at 4pm, she'd wouldn't remember.
Do you have the PAMS box?
@JingleCollector Yep, I did buy the PAMS box set and it was well worth it! No, I have no illusions about there being magic at PAMS. Still, to me I view PAMS very much like Motown. They both created some incredible music- both were staffed by people who weren't afraid to go into new directions in recording and music. From what I've read, Motown had sessions going nearly 24 hours and the people who recorded there say that often they recorded so much, so quickly...
You Know What, tomovox? You really need to upload PAMS Series 38 "New Generation" jingles for W-A-Y-S 610 from 1969 from Charlotte, NC, that means North Carolina, and you need to upload those pictures of Charlotte, North Carolina, lots of pictures.
+Jen Milem Hello, Jen! I think I have that package on a CD somewhere. I'll put that on my list of projects to do. It'll take some time, but keep checking with me (that will keep me on track to get it done!) I have to find pictures, but it'll be fun! I will try to get something together in a few weeks...Thanks!
tomovox Hello, tomovox! Okay then! Thank You very much!
You know, PAMS Series 38A for 610 W-A-Y-S from Charlotte, North Carolina?
+tomovox, you are welcome.
+Jen Milem Hi Jen, just to let you know, I had to get a new computer- I lost a lot of my pictures for these videos, so I'm starting over and having to learn to use a new movie maker program. but I haven't forgotten about the PAMS Series 38 video!
@AarHan3 As always I love hearing from you! As far as other PAMS packages, it seems WLS didn't buy much of other jingle packages- from what I can guess, they made great use of a fantastic Anita Kerr jingle package for quite a few years. WLS bought this series,18 and then a PAMS package called "Smart Set" as well as a custom package in 1962. The late 60's WLS used lots of PAMS A Capella jingles. The only other major PAMS series WLS used in the 60's seems to be 34. :-(
Any Maine station jingles?
Noah Bonnell i'm from maine, too. That would be awesome!
Hi Noah. If you're still interested in hearing jingles from Maine, let me know. I somehow missed a good 6 years of comments here, and just found them tonight. Trying to catch up!
Gerard, see the reply to Noah! If you're still interested after all these years let me know!
The only thing that bugs me now/bugged me back in the day, is so many of the jingles pronounce it Shih-CAH-Go, not Chi-CAW-go, as a native would. Otherwise, cool hearing these again. :D
Does your PAMS collection also have the weather segment jingle? It pops into my head every now & again, would love to hear it outside my head again (lol).
Love this!!! Do you happen to have any from WHK in Cleveland?
Hey Tomovox, have you got any stations using "The Jet Set" from PAMS?
Yeppers! This is for WOOW- th-cam.com/video/SmnB0lg0_ho/w-d-xo.html and then...this one is unusual. KALO mixed some customs and cuts from other PAMS packages with a few "Jet Set" cuts, but performed with what I'm pretty sure is a black vocal group th-cam.com/video/YjMrMmQhWFI/w-d-xo.html
Ok, the one that goes "WHK color channel fourteen Cleveland radio" is the one that I've heard.
Lol! I guess the Shih-CAH-Go is due to those jingles being recorded in Dallas, Texas and not in the Windy City :-)
I think the weather jingle you're asking about is for Radar Weather Eye (dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit!) That is in a package of Anita Kerr jingles and I do have that one. I love it because it the ending is a bit sureal- In CHICAGO GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO-GO.... Does that sound like the one you're thinking of?