Unknown Song #25 - World Cup Shuffle

Song - World Cup Shuffle

Artist(s) - Phil Beazley, Phillip John Rigger

Released - 1988

Primetime Usage - 1991-93
Contained on - CM-0009 (The Fineline) (also on iTunes)

Featured Highlight - Falcons @ Redskins, 1992


*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 3/21/18

If you like low-quality synth instrumentation, then Unknown Song #25 is for you.  It doesn't really sound like the primitive synths of the 1970s & early-'80s (that's more appropriate for, say, the Sega Genesis), but instead sounds more like the lowest-quality stuff from around the time this track was used on NFL Primetime.  This piece does have decent energy, however, so it's passable for football highlights despite its obvious cheesiness.  Accompanying US #25 is a Deion Sanders focused highlight where his Falcons lost a tough game against the defending-champion Redskins.  Oh, and there's also a George Will sighting, if you're into that sort of thing…

Unimpressive Dominance

Song - Dominant Factor

Artist(s) - "Sammy Burdson" (Gerhard Narholz)

Released - 1988

Primetime Usage - 1989

Contained on - SON 299 (Ideas from the Creative Factory, Vol. 1), Sonoton SCD 15 (Ideas-Decision Makers/Sales Force)

Featured Highlight - Rams @ Falcons, 1989


For my final entry before it's time to start the 2016 NFL season (I'm hoping to post one song per week then), here's the other NFL Primetime track from Sonoton SCD 15.  "Dominant Factor" is a song that probably would've worked better for something like "Inside the Numbers" or "Game Balls" than actual highlights—it's just too neutral and lacking in edge & emotion.  Still, it does have some synthy charm & ESPN saw fit to use it at least a few times during the 1989 season.  Unfortunately, none of the games I have with Dominant Factor are real interesting.  In fact, the most interesting one I've got is another Rams/Falcons game from the period where Deion Sanders was literally the only worthwhile thing to watch in Fulton County Stadium.

Race to Midnight

Song - Race to Midnight (underscore)

Artist(s) - Chris Gibbons, Pete Q. Harris

Released - 1988

Primetime Usage - 1990

Contained on - Bruton BR 32/BRG 39 (Golden Vision)

Featured Highlight - Rams @ Falcons, 1990


I don't have much to say about this one, so I'll make it quick.  The underscore of "Race to Midnight" is dark, bass-heavy, and moody, but it's a little too repetitive and lacking in direction to work for anything beyond accompaniment.  It does have one unique quality, however, in that it's (AFAIK) the only NFL Primetime song to only use the underscore and not the base track (there were at least 3 pieces that had both the base & underscore used in 1987).  John Colby made the right choice with that, too, since the base track just has a tinny, low-quality synth trumpet added over the top.  I don't know much about the artists, but at least Pete Harris has a website (linked above).

For some reason, all three highlights I have with Race to Midnight are late-season games involving the Atlanta Falcons.  The Falcons weren't very good in Jerry Glanville's first year, so that makes the featured video options rather meager.  At least you get to see Deion Sanders…