There is heavy talk in the Jinglemad community recently about the release of the new Amp’d jingle package from Jones TM (www.jonestm.com) supposedly for the station WIOQ Q102.

 

I used the term supposedly because I haven’t really heard the cuts in the package aired online at Q102.com. We presume that the station’s calls is WIOQ since Jones TM used exactly the same logo posted on WIOQ’s site.

 

What really has been the subject of discussion about the Amp’d jingle package from Jones TM is the delivery of the vocals. One post at Jinglemad said that the vocals sound absurd and ambiguous. For instance, a cut that has the lyrics “another jock free weekend” was sung as “another dog free weekend”. We believe the Jones TM singers unintentionally do it, but on other cases, it sounded more like “another drug free weekend”. (Please visit the JonesTM.com site and preview the cuts in the clear) In fact, the lyric sheet of the package has the lyrics read “another drug free weekend”.

 

Which leads us to our second point, the importance of lyrics sheet. We understand it’s an error and humans are subject to such. Chris Stevens of JonesTM represented the company in that discussion and made it clear that the lyrics sheet was also unintentionally written as such. This however gives us a negative connotation that the company may not be upholding coordination. Coordination is something that is very important especially in a company whose main source of living is services.

 

If Jones TM staff and members are not well coordinated, even with such simple lyric sheet issue, then Jones TM could very well do the same for their clients.

 

My question is: how do Jones TM lyric sheet writers create lyrics sheets? Do they write the lyrics of each cut according to what they hear? Aren’t the lyrics sheet writers given a master copy of the lyrics which are sung by the session singers?

 

Unless of course, if the master copy of the Amp’d lyrics really had the actual words “another drug free weekend” on it.

 

But then again, Jones TM has made themselves clear about the vocal clarity issue of the Amp’d package through Chris Stevens and we thank them for that.

 

In fairness with Jones TM, we commend the instrumention and the tracks of the Amp’d jingle package. This project however is a collaboration with Wise Buddah in London. That’s why you will be hearing more UK-ish tracks in the package, which we think is not true to the unique sound of US CHR stations.

 

We think that Jones TM should sell this package as a rhythmic AC imaging, not as CHR.

 

This is actually a lesson not only for jingle companies but also radio for programmers. When you buy a jingle package make sure you are around in the entire process from correctly singing the exact lyrics to the finishing touches such as the effects. Be involved in the whole process.

 

When shopping for jingle imaging, don’t just go for hippy effects and trendy tracks, go for the clarity of the vocals. After all, that’s what jingles are supposed to do. How could a jingle package image your station if it fails to sing your call signs clearly?  

 

PS

 

Cut # 3, which has the lyrics “another jock free weekend” was already corrected as of the release of this post. It no longer sounded “another drug free weekend”. However Cut # 4 sounded like “More Music More of the Time, FM 102.9 … THANK YOU!”

 

 

Was it “The Q”?