Has anyone ever posted the changes of the AT40 music over the years? It's funny most people prefer the "Shuck-A-Toom" theme from the '70s, I actually like the 80's-Style theme they used mainly during 1987. The change to the theme after Shadoe took over is absolutely terrible.
Yes, they have been posted before. For your benefit, I will run them down to the best of my knowledge...
July 4, 1970 to sometime in 1973--Opening theme--Moog synth theme with "cat-meow" (as some have called it) sound effects. Also used as end-of-hour, top-of-hour and closing theme during this period.
Bumper jingles--Simple, acappella "Casey's Coast to Coast", "The Hits from CTC" and "AT40" done in various tempos.
Early 1973 to April 6, 1974--Bumper jingles--Newly recorded with brassy background music, various tempos.
End-of-hour and closing theme--Remix of 1970 Moog theme, with a softer tone on the keyboard parts and in a slightly different key. This would remain as the end-of-hour theme up to the last three-hour show on September 30, 1978.
Around late 1973 until November 1, 1975--Opening theme--New slightly softened mix of 1970 theme cutting the "cat noises" and toning down the percussion parts.
April 13, 1974 until August 16, 1975--Bumper jingles return to 1970 versions.
August 23, 1975 until January 1, 1977--Bumper jingles--New, peppier-sounding acapella jingles.
October 4, 1975 until around July 1976--Closing theme--Remixed Moog theme from early 1973 under closing credits, leading into "Shuckatoom Theme."
November 8, 1975 to September 15, 1979--Opening theme--"Shuckatoom"
Top-of-hour theme remained late 1973 mix of opening theme until around July 1976.
July 10, 1976 until September 15, 1979--Top-of-Hour and Closing themes changed to Shuckatoom.
January 8, 1977 to October 21, 1978--Bumper jingles with various musical styles (country, disco and a somewhat-fondly-remembered 'Afternoon Delight' knockoff).
October 7, 1978 to April 17, 1982--End-of-hour theme--Disco-styled, horn-and-string-based tune.
October 28, 1978 to August 18, 1979--Bumper jingles--Updated to disco and light-pop/rock styles.
August 25, 1979 to April 17, 1982--Bumper jingles--Updated to contemporary-pop style.
"Coast-to-Coast Fanfare" theme introduced on September 22, 1979 and used as opening theme until October 13, 1979, as top-of-hour theme from 9/22/1979 until 4/17/82, and as a closing theme in various forms until 1/7/1984.
Closing theme: 9/22/1979 until about 10/13/1979, also on 12/22. 12/29 and 1/5/1980 shows--Full-length (2:53) version of CTC Fanfare. This version was also used to close the 10/25/1980 show.
10/20/1979 until 2/13/1982--First edit of CTC Fanfare.
2/20/1982 until 1/7/1984--Second edit of CTC Fanfare.
4/24/1982--New bumper jingles, EOH and TOH themes.
6/26/1982--EOH theme changed back to Fall 1978 version.
Late 1982 to 1/7/1984--CTC Fanfare revived as TOH theme, used along with April 1982 theme.
1/14/1984--All themes and jingles updated. Opening theme in particular led off with a synthesized "CCTC" riff.
Late January 1985--Opening theme remixed. Synth intro replaced with a "Shuckatoom"-esque horn-and-string intro that incorporated the original 1970 theme. Some new bumper jingles added.
Spring 1987-All-new themes and jingles with a fast-paced, high-energy feel to them.
July 1988--Some alterations to bumper jingles. Casey references edited out in anticipation of his departure and subsequent arrival of Shadoe Stevens a month later.
February 11, 1989--All-new themes and jingles.
As for personal preferences, I am partial to the 1977 to late 1979 era of AT40 themes and jingles, particularly the Fall 1978 to late 1979 bumper jingles.
OK fellow AT-40 Fans...time to unravel the mystery as to which jingle company made what:
The first jingle company used to create the very first AT-40 package was PAMS (Production Advertising & Marketing Services) Productions of Dallas, Texas. If you lived through the early
1960's through mid 1970's, chances are you've heard these jingles on a rock station near where you grew up. WABC (MusicRadio 77) used them from 1961 through 1973.
The 1970 A Capella package was recorded in mono, and an "outright buy" (as was all future package). This means that they weren't "leased," and could be used - at will - for as long as
Watermark owned them. This is why you would hear them, again, in 1974 & 1975. The package was simply known as "American Top-40 - Series I."
In 1972, "American Top-40 - Series II" was created by PAMS. These jingles were recorded in stereo and used when AT-40 began producing shows in stereo. This package included brand
new countdown numbers (in stereo), and ran from 1973-74. This would be the last package produced for AT-40 by PAMS, as their product output declined in quality. WABC also dropped
PAMS jingles for the same reason. PAMS was going down the drain, fast, and by 1977, they were out of business.
Like WABC - and other ABC Rock stations across the country that rejected the 1974 PAMS offerings - AT-40 needed to obtain a "temporary" contemporary jingle package to get them by
until JAM Creative Productions was up to full-speed in 1975. Both WABC (and the ABC Radio "O&O's") and AT-40 had orders in for new jingles, but had to wait, as the new company, JAM,
was backlogged with processing orders & creating jingle packages (they just opened in 1974). So...who filled the gap until JAM's jingles arrived?
Using WABC & AT-40 as parallel examples:
A jingle company in Memphis (a real cheap-o company for poor radio stations), Pepper & Tanner Productions (now known as the William B. Tanner Company) created what was called the
"Thunder" package for WABC (and ABC "O&O's"), while the AT-40 package was simply called "Countdown." These are shrill sounding A Capella jingles with a female-heavy sound used for
shows, beginning in the Spring of 1975 & ending in the Spring of 1976. Pepper & Tanner jingles were tolerable at best, and created "stop-gap" packages for WABC & AT-40, until JAM was
able to produce & distribute their inaugural jingle packages, which WABC & AT-40 had ordered. In the Fall of 1975, WABC got their first jingle package from JAM. The station couldn't get
the jingles to air fast enough!
Pepper & Tanner's "Countdown" jingle package was so bad, AT-40 went back to the original PAMS Series I jingles (Series II stereo jingles would never be heard again). Since the original
1970 Moog theme was never changed, AT-40 stayed with it. The first (1970) AT-40 package was slowly phased back in by December, 1975. AT-40 completely dropped the "Countdown"
package in June, 1976, when the first AT-40 jingles, produced by JAM Creative Productions, were used. "Shuka-Toom" was born in response to the emerging Disco craze.
Side note: The "Afternoon Delight" AT-40 jingle coincided with the actual song, which was hot on the Top-40 charts at that time.
In 1984, AT-40 changed direction & decided to go with TM/Century as their new jingle production company. Supposedly, this change was in response to the change in music styles. The
80's introduced Top-40 playlists that were, virtually, comprised of synthesized music. By then, acoustic music had all but disappeared. The new jingles needed to reflect this change. In
late 1984, the new TM/Century package was slowly phased in, and the last of the JAM jingles phased out. From 1985 until the end of the original AT-40 run, TM/Century jingles were in
use. In other words: If the jingles had a synthesized sound, they were produced by TM/Century Productions of Dallas and used from 1985 until the last show in August, 1988.
Another reason (more plausible) why AT-40 changed to TM/Century was because ABC Radio execs wanted a "cheaper" package. TM/Century undercut JAM with massive discounts, just
so TM/Century Productions could claim in "The Trades" that their jingles played on ABC Radio. I worked there at that time, and heard both stories as to why AT-40 changed companies.
The latter story made more sense, given that Capital Cities owned ABC (at that time), and they were very tight with the dollar!
When Westwood One (also owner of United Stations Radio Networks at that time) distributed "Casey's Top-40," the show returned to using JAM jingles...right up to Casey's last show in
2009, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks.
Four AT-40 jingle facts...
1) The 1976 JAM package was in STEREO, but the production engineer at Watermark only played them in MONO.
2) The 1979 JAM package was also in STEREO, but played back in MONO when recording shows.
3) The 1979 JAM package was "subdued" to reflect Disco's dying, while more mellow "mainstream" music was making a return. This package lasted for 1 year, until dance & "upbeat" hits
made a big return in 1980. The "Shuka-Toom" jingle made a brief comeback, but was eventually retired in favor of the new "upbeat" closing with the "CC2C" fanfare in front.
4) The last "acoustic" jingles (JAM) used by AT-40 was the 1982 package. This mix of 1980 & 1982 jingle packages would last until 1985, when TM/Century jingles were phased in.
Study carefully as there will be a test!!!
