BBC Local's Best

BBC Local Radio jingles aren't normally the first thing that come to mind when it comes to my perspective on radio jingles but this post will hopefully dispose of that idea with a selection of my favourite jingles used on various stations from both the UK and Dallas.

First of all is a package by Alfasound for BBC Radio Lincolnshire produced in the late 80s and based around the folk song "The Lincolnshire Poacher.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire 1987 Jingles - Alfasound

A really strong set of IDs making good use of the melody from the original song with clever variations.
The stand out cut has to be the one promoting television viewing at 1.58 which makes use of both the YTV and Thames jingles within the intro.

What many radio pros would consider to be a no go area with regards of using radio to promote it's more superior sister medium.

Staying along the same theme and era, a custom package by Alfasound for BBC Radio Sussex consisting of instrumental jingles based on the tune
"Sussex By The Sea".

BBC Radio Sussex 1987 Jingles - Alfasound

The transitional jingles are done really well as are the ones for different musical genres with the standout being the religious one at 4.38 using synth choir voices.

The next one's quite a rarity and comes courtesy of Mark Prosser who originally posted these gems on Jinglemad.

The BBC Radio Merseyside jingles from the early 80s by JAM and William B Tanner probably stood out from the rest at the time and the JAM ones in particular have to be one of the best resings I have heard of the "Special Touch" package.

The cuts were well chosen as well, considering BBC Radio 2 had a few cuts from the same package for the 1982 composite that weren't of course used for Radio Merseyside.

BBC Radio Merseyside 1983 Jingles - JAM Creative Productions/William B Tanner

Another example of a superb US resing has to be the Thames Valley FM package which was a short lived BBC Local station for Berkshire.
The jingles were resung from the TM WBZ custom pacakge and the melody logo was later adapted for BBC Radio Berkshire when the station changed it's name.

BBC Thames Valley FM 1996 Jingles - TM Century

Returning northbound, a short selection of cuts for BBC GMR in Manchester back in 1988 when the station had rebranded from Radio Manchester.
The cuts feature an early sighting of a female vocalist who in less than a year would be taking her voice "all around the world" or so to say.

BBC GMR 1988 Jingles - Alfasound

Moving onwards, the 1990 package for BBC Radio Leeds as produced by JAM consiting mainly of cuts from the "We Talk New York" package but also contains some superb extended cuts from the rare "You'll Like Our Style" package for WABC in 1981, and a few cuts near the end from "Good Time Radio".

BBC Radio Leeds 1990 Jingles - JAM Creative Productions

Len Groat at GEM AM was inspired by the resing of the cut at to do his own version for the station not long after this package first aired.

I've also heard a story that the other cut from the WABC package with the lyrics "A day for just relaxing" was almost banned as people thought it was blasphemous when played out on a Sunday morning.

Finally, if any BBC Local Station had the best jingles, it was Radio Newcastle in the late 80s into the 90s.

The first set from 1989 consists mainly of cuts from "Non Stop Power" but also contains a superb resing of "Omni-Trax" cut 1 at 1.29 and a few resings for "We Talk New York", as heard above for Radio Leeds.

BBC Radio Newcastle 1989 Jingles - JAM Creative Productions

They returned for some additional cuts in 1990 conisting of more cuts from "Omni-Trax" as well as some really nice ones from the "Magic Music 6" package which Radio 2 didn't happen to use at the same time as the other "Magic Music" cuts.

BBC Radio Newcastle 1990 Add Ons - JAM Creative Productions

A year later they went to TM Century for their follow up package which was just as superb although I only have a brief selection that can be heard below.
I especially love the "PLJ 91" top of hour, and the Jonathan Morrell breakfast jingle from the Y98-FM package.

BBC Radio Newcastle 1991 Jingles - TM Century

If anyone has any more, they would be more than welcome.

Overall it more or less goes to show that at one time or other, BBC Local Radio has had plenty of superb packages even if not on a nationwide scale.

Thanks to Dave Nightingale, Neal Bowden, David Hemsley, David Barras, Nicky Schiller, Chris Stevens and Mark Prosser.