The Jingle Jetsam -Now with Commercial Flotsam: January 2015

No,the jetsam isn't dead.....just hibernating for a bit, and with a bit of warm snap (well, around where I live) this winter, it's time to wake up and smell the cheese on this reel of tape.

Another reason is my beloved Studer Reel to Reel Machine was sick for a few weeks. After some time troubleshooting the problem, parts were ordered and a couple weeks of waiting, parts were installed and up and running again. Can't complain, the last time it broke down to this degree was 7 years previous, so while i'm fixing other gear in my vintage gear radio studio here in the basement of my humble house, I feel like a maytag repair for this beast. Willi Studer seems to have lives up to his reputation. And to think, this machine was tossed, and avoided the dumpster thanks to a friend of mind in the right place at the right time! Gotta love that.

And what's the first thing I dubbed on the machine after the fix? Why the reel posted here today:

I forget exactly where this came from, I think it might have come in as part of a music service at a station I worked for. It was never played until I transferred it for the jetsam and fortunately, in great shape because of it.

Now about the content. Over time, some things hold up better then others when we look back. This can be largely because of our biased memories of fondly remembering things with our happy filters. This stuff doesn't hold up well. I suppose that's what makes it interesting today.

In the era of "We Are The World" and "Hands Across America" just a few short years before, I can sort of see why an important message about AIDS would get the happy feel good spin in song. Today, looking back it's more of a WTF going through your head when you listen to this in all it's glory. When hormones rage, I doubt anyone would really care about anything written like this. REALLY!, yet here it is. If anything it's a good laugh at how a serious matter was dealt with in the 80s.

For the rest of the reel, It's a mix of campy PSA's and reflects the time. Of special note is Tom Bodett of Motel 6 ad fame doing a PSA for voting away from home, Voting for Black American's featuring one PSA voiced by Canadian actor Percy Rodriguez, who was all over TV and movies from the 1950s-80s including movie trailers (Wiki Info: HERE) just a great set of pipes, and even in 1988, some people didn't have a telephone in their home (in 2015, I'm guessing it's all cell phones now) can't you image that? Apparently so.

Enjoy!

I've spaced all the material off this 40 min reel in sections as per the original listing. Refer to the tape box pic for specifics.

Media General" Take the Time" Aids Project Song (FULL SONG ONLY!)