Stephen Arnold Music's take on the I Love Chicago/Enforcer signature

[compubit 673]

I like NiF's themes, but love PNP for its diversity, especially disc 1. I still get goosebumps on the 2:30 close (the ending of the NMSA PNP compilation). Shelly Palmer hit a homerun, in my opinion, on this package. I'm a sucker for orchestral-type themes (even if they're synthesized). The PNP close is it's own work - it could easily stand alone as a piece for an orchestra (throw in a couple of other long closes and you could have "The PNP Suite" for your hometown orchestra!)

 

J

[Jess 1115]

 

I like NiF's themes, but love PNP for its diversity, especially disc 1. I still get goosebumps on the 2:30 close (the ending of the NMSA PNP compilation). Shelly Palmer hit a homerun, in my opinion, on this package. I'm a sucker for orchestral-type themes (even if they're synthesized). The PNP close is it's own work - it could easily stand alone as a piece for an orchestra (throw in a couple of other long closes and you could have "The PNP Suite" for your hometown orchestra!)

 

J

 

PNP would be number two on my list of best CBS Local signature themes - and a very narrow number two at that. News in Focus comes out on top because Hegner explores what you can do with the signature even more than Shelly Palmer did. I mean, you have a hip-hop theme, a bluegrass theme, a heroic sports theme, and that brilliant morning theme.

 

PNP is also excellent for all the reasons you listed above. The 2:30 close really is that good, and so are the Phase 2 cuts in particular. WCAU used this package brilliantly, too. They originally used the main open, then realized that the very end of the long close would make one hell of an open cut. (After that, they used a similarly awesome promo cue.) I agree - PNP is a masterpiece.

 

Number three on the CBS Local signature list would be the original WBBM theme. It's the drum section and sax solo that really get me on this one:

 

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[ChesapeakeTV 311]

I'd have to agree with the above assessments for NiF, PNP, and the Marx theme. However, you have to admit (and there are a few people who would beat me with a satellite dish for saying this), there are some parts of Enforcer that sound really good...Series 1 in particular.

 

The thing I like about Series 1 is the inclusion of more parts of the original theme's melody. Good examples of this can be found in the breaking news, close, and driving cuts on NMN. In a way, it's almost more of a direct update than a new package with the same signature.

 

As for PNP, Phase 4 would be my personal favorite. It comes across as very upbeat and modern for when it was composed, with instrumentation to match. It's a shame it doesn't seem to have been used all that much.

 

And, as for Arnold's package...combined with the GFX package KGPE is using, it just works. I'm not a fan of packages with a lot of rock elements in them, but this is a definite exception.

[Samantha 2895]

There is a lot of diversity among the packages with this signature.

 

First in my mind in that theme are the two Sheldon Elias remixes of it: WHTM 1990 and WISC 1990*, as well as Eric Enfalt's KFDA 1990, which all descend from Elias's WBBM 1988 theme. I think the Enfalt stuff may actually be inspired by the Elias stuff. What's funny is that WHTM and KFDA also went to the pain of reproducing WBBM's early 90s graphics. All three themes are remixes of the signature with changes to the notes. Another interesting one is WKRG 2000 from Dogwood Productions, which didn't last terribly long (and until the rollout of Arnold's CBS Local was the most recent new package with the signature).

 

*Date is a guesstimate; theme debuted definitely by 1991 and is listed by the NMSA as "Early 1990s" with samples from 1992 and 1993.

[Bars-n-tone 39]

Number three on the CBS Local signature list would be the original WBBM theme. It's the drum section and sax solo that really get me on this one:

Gari's original CBS Enforcer pkg had some nice treatments of the original WBBM theme. Although, their version of the sax solo melody is truncated, which is a shame.

 

Sorry, HulkieD, the NIF/WCBS "Soft Theme" is a fun piece of music, but it just doesn't work in a show. It never quite fit and I was glad to not have it in the morning broadcasts anymore. It was -too- soft. Try talking murders and traffic jams over it!

[rah6448 21]

While on the subject of Enforcer Series 1 (and speaking of awesome sax action), this theme is incredibly sexy....(or should I say "saxy?") It's labeled the morning open, but I'm not sure if anyone used it as such (did WBBM?)

Anyway, here it is: http://www.newsmusicnow.com/player.php?id=2/enforcer/series1morningopen.mp3&t=The Enforcer - Morning Open

[ChesapeakeTV 311]

 

While on the subject of Enforcer Series 1 (and speaking of awesome sax action), this theme is incredibly sexy....(or should I say "saxy?") It's labeled the morning open, but I'm not sure if anyone used it as such (did WBBM?)

Anyway, here it is: http://www.newsmusicnow.com/player.php?id=2/enforcer/series1morningopen.mp3&t=The Enforcer - Morning Open

 

Ah yes, that one. Another of my favorites. WBBM did in fact use it - see sample #2 of Enforcer stint #1 on the NMSA (can't find a video at the moment).