Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Musical closure desperately needed!



It happens every year… I'm watching a killer football game on ESPN Sunday Night Football. As the San Diego Chargers is unmercifully laying the wood on the New York Giants, ESPN goes out for a commercial break. So there is a little "chug a lug, train woo-woo music" known in 'da biz as "bumper music". What is that song?

About.com definition of bumper music: Short music clips used to transition between one element of programming into another. For example: when a syndicated talk show is ready to allow a local affiliate station to insert local commercials, it will often play a signature music piece to allow the transition. In reverse, that same talk show will often play a piece of music prior to the host beginning again. This allows the local station to end it's local programming and re-join the network without dead air or uncomfortable pauses.

Locally, the Dave Ramsey Show uses Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street", Rush Limbaugh features the Pretenders, "My City Was Gone" and Van Halen's "Jump" opens Sports Night with George Plaster. Those are easy to figure out... but try taking on the Weather Channel with the jazz pieces...

Surely there is somebody out there in the world who catalogs all the bumper music... at least someone who works in the bowels of BMI, ASCAP or SESAC. Enquiring minds wanna know - guys like me need to have some musical closure... what is that ESPN song?

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