I had just checked out K97.5 last night after seeing they were listed first on JAM's updated client list, and heard some of the new cuts. Great to see the demo up already; will have to check these out when I'm not at work.

Brilliant! JAM in 2018.
I REALLY hope a UK station will go for these- well done Jon and the team

mjb1124 said:

I had just checked out K97.5 last night after seeing they were listed first on JAM's updated client list, and heard some of the new cuts. Great to see the demo up already; will have to check these out when I'm not at work.

mike, so, as far as the updated clients, what are the new ones?
as far as this package goes, loving it! gives it that modern feel, while still giving you the sound you'd expect from John. good work as always! BTW, my seeing, this is I think Jam's third package with KRNO, cause they were with them in their "sunny" branding. setting the demo stations up to record, just to see if they have the packages up on-air, so we can get the off-air versions. I'm including the off-air cuts in my off-air collection you know. Oh yeah, digging the new vocalists they have.

ratnob said:

Great to hear JAM's new A/C jingles: 'StreamLine'

Jon has them listed as "Hot and CHR" rather than "A/C" (A-C).

Now these are good :) the versions for 'More FM' sound best to me ... Possibly the 'up' ending vocals ...

I checked all 4 of the demo sets & these are really good, nice to see ramps, IDs & shotguns supplied as variations as is the norm these days ...

Not sure if 7 voice vocals would work with these cuts, but I'm sure they'd sound fab if so, but as they are, modern, fresh & good to hear from JAM :)

Right then!

Lets be frank - this is JAM doing what the opposition have been doing for ages - the synth at the beginning, the
"here it is, a short, shotgun, ramp" and the processy FX / reverby end vocals.

BUT - the DIFFERENCE is CLEAR, and I think learns from the UK/Euro expectations & production of recent Dallas/Seattle
originated product...instead of the over-produced harsher USA-client expectations of this kind of package of late.

Its lighter, clearer, cleaner, fresher, more gentle even if thats the right term. The lighter newer singers "work" well on
this particular sound - as Simon says the 7-voice-stack might not be right for this kind of instrumentation and mixing,
but its clear these weren't meant for that far deeper style of vocals.

And the more modern web page presentation of "here's how it sounds for different actual stations" already signed-up
for it is refreshing.

When defending his custom product is recent times, Jon has always said that if past clients came back to him and asked
for a modern sound, then JAM could and can do what they ask for. They aren't "stuck in the 1980s".

Nice work!
:^)

gameswizard said:

ratnob said:

Great to hear JAM's new A/C jingles: 'StreamLine'

Jon has them listed as "Hot and CHR" rather than "A/C" (A-C).

Not sure why, the demo stations are all AC (maybe Now 97.9 is borderline Hot AC), and the sound definitely doesn't fit CHR. [Edit: I see it's been changed now.]

tyty21 said:

mike, so, as far as the updated clients, what are the new ones?

I'll have to work on that one. :)

tyty21 said:

BTW, my seeing, this is I think Jam's third package with KRNO, cause they were with them in their "sunny" branding.

I believe KRNO was previously using the same Novaz jingles as More FM Philadelphia, and had Reelworld KIIS resings in their later days as Sunny, so this might only be their second JAM package. I do remember them having JAM's Keyframes earlier.

tyty21 said:

setting the demo stations up to record, just to see if they have the packages up on-air, so we can get the off-air versions. I'm including the off-air cuts in my off-air collection you know.

That's a good idea. I actually heard one cut on KABX that's not on the demo, interestingly. The weather cut has actually been on Now 97.9 for a good while, but I hadn't heard anything else from this package on there.

Anyway, I do like the clean, bright sound of these cuts. They're not the most high-energy or cutting-edge AC jingles out there, and probably won't sway JAM's critics, but they're a good fit for the tempo and texture of today's AC format with just enough effects to make them stand out in a good way. The vocals are certainly fresh-sounding, a bit reminiscent of some Zone and modern-day TM work, and I recognize the female singer that was used on Geoffy B's Fresh 102.7 resing. Also interesting to hear a Reelworld WLIT-type logo on the More FM versions - hope it doesn't sound too "screechy" for some of you folks here. :)

mjb1124 said:

gameswizard said:

ratnob said:

Great to hear JAM's new A/C jingles: 'StreamLine'

Jon has them listed as "Hot and CHR" rather than "A/C" (A-C).

Not sure why, the demo stations are all AC (maybe Now 97.9 is borderline Hot AC), and the sound definitely doesn't fit CHR. [Edit: I see it's been changed now.]

tyty21 said:

mike, so, as far as the updated clients, what are the new ones?

I'll have to work on that one. :)

tyty21 said:

BTW, my seeing, this is I think Jam's third package with KRNO, cause they were with them in their "sunny" branding.

I believe KRNO was previously using the same Novaz jingles as More FM Philadelphia, and had Reelworld KIIS resings in their later days as Sunny, so this might only be their second JAM package. I do remember them having JAM's Keyframes earlier.

tyty21 said:

setting the demo stations up to record, just to see if they have the packages up on-air, so we can get the off-air versions. I'm including the off-air cuts in my off-air collection you know.

That's a good idea. I actually heard one cut on KABX that's not on the demo, interestingly. The weather cut has actually been on Now 97.9 for a good while, but I hadn't heard anything else from this package on there.

Anyway, I do like the clean, bright sound of these cuts. They're not the most high-energy or cutting-edge AC jingles out there, and probably won't sway JAM's critics, but they're a good fit for the tempo and texture of today's AC format with just enough effects to make them stand out in a good way. The vocals are certainly fresh-sounding, a bit reminiscent of some Zone and modern-day TM work, and I recognize the female singer that was used on Geoffy B's Fresh 102.7 resing. Also interesting to hear a Reelworld WLIT-type logo on the More FM versions - hope it doesn't sound too "screechy" for some of you folks here. :)

only reason I said third, was because, in the 90's, they were with Jam, using their earlier KOST composite, then in the mid 2000's, they used the WNIC packages. then there's now, which, when I checked, they're combining the Novas cuts with the new jam package. and, I do agree. the More versions can fit what RW would do, without all the fancy stuff. well, a little here and there, but not overdoing it, but well enough to stand out. Some say it may not work, but hey! would love to hear what it would sound like with a 7 voice sound. Jam could do it, and still pull some magic out of that hat.

Ah, so this would actually be KRNO's fourth (at least) JAM package then.

I see that in addition to the four demo stations, KEZN (Sunny 103), WLXT (Lite 96.3), and KSHA (K-Shasta) are also using this package. Who says JAM can't get clients anymore? :)

Sounds great! I think these are new as well http://www.jingles.com/jam/radioids/NewAndNow.php - cut by cut packages for 3 stations, side by side.

A nice surprise at the beginning of this: http://www.jingles.com/audio/d_NewAndNow(WKQC).mp3 (ok, that link doesn't work with brackets in the name, but it's at the bottom of the page I just linked to)

Agree with Iain, these are similar but different in that vital way. EVERY cut has a slightly different ending or blend..... or chord is perhaps the word I'm reaching for. My ears love 'em !

Yep. The more I listen, the more impressive this huge variety of cuts becomes. They ooze musicality.

I went back through them again after coming back in this evening, and when I played the K-wave ones again
my head was turning them into "Jay-One" - where's Michi! Those WOULD I think suit that particular style :^)

Edit:- I'd like to hear what the "Holiday" (Christmas) cut sounds like without the actual jingle bells on it!
Is it THE JAM piano that's in the very classy mix?)

PS - these also show how melodic even a ramp can be - listen to the complexity of these ones in headphones;
and not a "woah-woah" , "yeah-yeah" or wail to swamp the very clean and even intricate instrumentation
"underneath"; where's Len? !!!

mjb1124 said:

The vocals are certainly fresh-sounding, a bit reminiscent of some Zone and modern-day TM work, and I recognize the female singer that was used on Geoffy B's Fresh 102.7 resing.

Here's the audio history of that resing:
http://www.geoffbarton.co.uk//files/_IDs/Hey%20GB/Fresh-story.m4a

IainJohnston said:

I went back through them again after coming back in this evening, and when I played the K-wave ones again
my head was turning them into "Jay-One" - where's Michi! Those WOULD I think suit that particular style :^)

She mentioned on JAM's social media page that she might get the Christmas cut. "J1" would replace "K-Wave" easily, now that I think about it, and one of the dual holiday greetings could be replaced with something in Japanese. :)

I have already mostly lyriced up the holiday cut:
CHRISTMAS IN JAPAN - MERII KURISUMASU （メリークリスマス） - (chant: MERRY CHRISTMAS!) - FROM J ONE.
(the Japanese lyric sounds a bit like: meh-rhee ku-rhee-sue-moss)
not sure if it will all fit - so it probably needs a bit of work.

When I look at non-specialty cuts I am looking for how they handle a two-syllable tag vocal. The KWAV cuts other than the holiday use the frequency as the tag which does not help me much because I shorten and mangle these cuts and I need the J ONE to be the final tag vocal. This is why my five Ch4.Hot AC and the TZ-10 short cut are my workhorses. I just recently bought BT-1 to assure that the new website URL (j1fm.tokyo) was spotlighted every hour.

I have a ton of stuff lyriced up right now.. just no budget to buy it with. Remember folks, I have a spouse who does not like jingles and thinks there are only 6 jingle collectors in the whole world. In this house, the jingle love is exclusively mine.

With the exception of cut 1 and the holiday cut, this package would not work well in J1 and J1xtra's music which is more of a very hot AC/traditional CHR hybrid, which is the general nature of Japanese pop music.

I could see domestic Japan FM and AM clients purchasing this package as their programming is more talk oriented and unlike western radio, the jingles do not necessarily lead into a song. Most Japanese radio does not have a format that us in the western world would define in ours. Full-service would probably be the closest.

I'm delighted to hear these....

as Iain said "lighter, clearer, cleaner, fresher"

And as much as I'm considered a 'radio dinosaur' by some .... I had already ear-marked Geoffrey B's 'Fresh' cut as a possible TOH ident for Solid Gold GEM !

I like these. Perfect for the music genre for which they are designed, with JAM's usual top-class musicality and high production values :)

gameswizard said:

Jon has them listed as "Hot and CHR" rather than "A/C" (A-C).

I see Jon has now changed the format to "A-C".

Lin that would be fun if you got a cut from this package on Gem. heck, you got a cut from a country station, why not this! If I know you, you and John could work and make magic.

Another great package from JAM. Still at the top of their game after all these years!