OK, I am finally through 1988 on this unknown-song run. That means I can actually post some highlights with decent video & audio quality. Unknown Song #18 is a piece that may have only been used once on NFL Primetime. The only highlight I have with it is from Week 1 of 1989, and Week 1s seem to be popular receptacles for single-use Primetime tracks. It's a pretty good song, too, assuming you're looking for accompaniment that is laid back and not real dramatic. Tagging along with US #18 is a comeback win for Chicago in a battle between the previous season's #1-seeds. This high-profile result wouldn't amount to much, however, as both the Bengals & Bears would miss the playoffs in '89.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Unknown Song #18 - Team Purpose
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Unknown Song #17 - Power Play
Featured Highlight - Week 12 Sum-Up, 1988
*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 5/3/23
It's a little repetitive, but this song has the perfect energy for sports. To make sure you could hear it, I had to go with an end-of-episode sum-up instead of a regular game highlight because the one game highlight I have is even worse in terms of sound quality. Chris, Tom, and Pete are entertaining, though, so I'm confident you won't feel too jipped.
There's a track called "Pedal to the Metal (a)" on Dave Volsky's youtube account that sounds like the exact same song, but with different instrumentation. I'm guessing the NFL Primetime version is either b or c, but I haven't been able to confirm that because—again—NFL Music Library LPs don't appear to be streamable or downloadable anywhere. According to discogs, Pedal to the Metal is on NFL 122.
*Update* - Dave Volsky sent me (b) & (c) and they are actually just 60-second & 30-second cuts of (a). I guess somebody could have ripped off William Soden, or he could have another, similar track that sounds similar.
Friday, December 15, 2017
Unknown Song #16 - Grid Iron Great
Featured Highlight - Chargers @ Rams, 1988
*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 5/1/23
If you like a healthy, even mix of synth, brass, & hard rock, then this track's for you. I don't have much else to say about the song, but the highlight is kinda fun to watch. Well, it's not so fun if you're a Rams fan. The Rams were a pretty good team overall in 1988 and the Chargers weren't (Al Saunders would be fired at the end of the season), but San Diego caught L.A. here in the middle of a 4-game losing streak. Charger QB Mark "The Pickle" Vlasic got hurt part way through and Mark Malone—of all people—came in and shredded the defense while Ram defenders couldn't stop running into each other.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Unknown Song #15 Identified
Revised Link
Friday, December 8, 2017
Unknown Song #15 - Wheels in Motion
*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 12/9/17
Here's another classical-ish piece from 1988. Unknown Song #15 isn't as punchy as US #14, but instead opts for a quasi-comedy motif. This track would probably fit best with bloopers, but—to be honest—it's just a mediocre fit for everything. As a result, it ironically fits this particular highlight clip well because late-'80s New England & Green Bay weren't the franchises they are now.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Unknown Song #14 - Going for the Gold
Featured Highlight - Colts @ Vikings, 1988
*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 5/3/23
This isn't the best NFL Primetime track, but I do know the show used at it least twice. It's a classical-rock fusion piece—a popular genre in late-'80s/early-'90s production music—but it's too awkwardly repetitive to work well with football highlights. Oh well, at least the song wasn't as awkward as the Colts offense was in this highlight.