Unknown Song #39 - Power Plant

Song - Power Plant

Artist(s) - Rick DiFonzo

Released - No later than 1997

Primetime Usage - 1997-98, 2000-05
Contained on - BRg Contemporary BRg1019 (Electric Arc)

Featured Highlight - Bears @ Vikings, 2000


*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 7/23/20

Unknown Song #39 was one of a handful of songs NFL Primetime debuted in 1997 that lasted until the end of the show.  It wasn't used all that often, especially after 2001, and it didn't tend to accompany games of real import.  Still, US #39's dark-yet-ambivalent tone is quite appropriate for teams going through adversity.  It also seemed to get disproportionately used for Jacksonville Jaguars' highlights in the early-2000s, which was fitting.  This particular highlight doesn't showcase the Jags, though.  It instead features two QBs from the class of 1999 squaring off in The Metrodome.

*EDIT* - Robert Enriquez confirmed on youtube that this song was used a couple times in 2004, and it was never used in 1999.

Unknown Song #38 - Gut Wrencher

Song - Gut Wrencher

Artist(s) - Ron Burns

Released - No later than 1997

Primetime Usage - 1997

Contained on - BRg Extreme Cuts BRg3001 (Thrash) 

Featured Highlight - Ravens @ Oilers, 1997

 *SONG IDENTIFIED* - 8/7/21

After 7 straight posts involving songs that were used only once, it's time for a song that was actually used multiple times… albeit only in one season.  Unknown Song #38 is a standard blues-rock track that fits perfectly with the state of Tennessee.  Why, what a coincidence!  An NFL team happened to move to Tennessee the very year this song was used!  I don't actually know for sure if this piece was used exclusively for Tennessee Oilers games since this is the only highlight I have using it, but that would've made sense.  Anyway, the one highlight I do have with US #38 displays an unusually dominant performance by the Flying-B-Era Ravens.  Enjoy!

Unknown Song #37 Identified

I kinda figured this one would be found quickly, and—thanks to José Teixera/José Muñoz—it was!  I was also right that I'd heard this song—"Pacemaker"—before.  It sounded like a '90s tune, though, so I didn't go back to those early MusicHouse albums.  Anyway… Pacemaker was composed by production-music legend Alan Hawkshaw, so it turns out he does have an NFL Primetime track other than Neck and Neck.


Here's the revised link, or I guess you could just scroll down a little…

Unknown Song #37 (Oddball Week, Part 7) - Pacemaker

Song - Pacemaker

Artist(s) - Alan Hawkshaw

Released - 1987

Primetime Usage - 1997
Contained on - MusicHouse E1 (Hi-Band)

Featured Highlight - Chiefs @ Broncos, 1997


*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 9/17/18

The Oddball Week finale is thankfully here.  Unknown Song #37 is a song I swear I've heard before when browsing production-music albums a few years ago.  When I went back through some stuff after first seeing this NFL Primetime episode, however, I couldn't find it.  Hopefully one of you readers (or youtube viewers) will recognize it and can identify it.  Anyway… US #37's accompanying clip has the Chiefs heading to Marty Schottenheimer's "House of Horrors," Mile High Stadium.  Kansas City would lose this one, but they would at least get the second laugh by winning the division anyway.  Denver, of course, would get the third & final laugh by upsetting KC in the Divisionals and winning their first Super Bowl title a few weeks later.

Unknown Song #36 (Oddball Week, Part 6) - Classical Interface

Song - Classical Interface

Artist(s) - Darryl Way

Released - 1991

Primetime Usage - 1997
Contained on - Rouge RMCD 2012 (Classical Rock)

Featured Highlight - Jaguars @ Ravens, 1997

*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 3/25/20

It's now time for the penultimate edition of Oddball Week.  Unknown Song #36, though not great, is still a big improvement over the last two.  As Kyle Caughlin pointed out on youtube, it's got a bit of a salsa flare to it.  That, plus the piano, makes it sound like Latin-infused early-'90s dance-club stuff.  The accompanying game highlight features the Jacksonville Jaguars, fresh off a surprising AFC Championship appearance, playing at the Baltimore Ravens and their "Flying B" helmets.

Unknown Song #12 Identified

Back in November, I mentioned that US #12 received a copyright notice with info that wasn't sufficient enough to ID the song.  Thanks to google, I was finally able to track it down today.  The piece is indeed called "The Right Stuff" (or, more accurately, "The Right Stuff (alt mix)"), and it's contained on a CD from the Parry Music Library.  Parry is a Canadian production music firm that was founded in 1974 (thanks, discogs!), making this—I believe—the first Canadian song identified on this site.  I have no idea why the Parry connection to this track failed to come up when I was searching last year.  As an aside, the "play" links on the Parry Music website don't work, so I've linked to the BMG Music website instead.

The Right Stuff was composed by Tom Jenkins & Barry Schleifer.  Jenkins has a long history in the audio business with all sorts of pop-music acts, movie soundtracks, and stage productions.  I can't find much info on Schleifer, but he at least has an imdb page.


Revised Link

Unknown Song #35 (Oddball Week, Part 5) - Mega Scape

Song - Mega Scape

Artist(s) - John Andrew Hancock
Released - No later than 1997

Primetime Usage - 1997

Contained on - Moments Music MML014 (Ultimate Dance Moments)
Featured Highlight - Jets @ Seahawks, 1997

*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 2/3/22

One of the youtube commenters on my last post opined that this track—Unknown Song #35—is even more unmemorable than US #34.  I wouldn't go that far, since—if nothing else—US #35 is a bit louder than US #34, but it's still quite clear why this tune didn't last on NFL Primetime.  Anyway, here's Bill Parcells's first game as head coach of the Jets.  They immediately turned around an awful 1-15 year by humiliating the Seahawks in the Kingdome.  You may not like the accompanying song, but you should at least enjoy Chris, Tom, and Stu's constant reference to Keyshawn Johnson's 1997 book, Just Give Me the Damn Ball.