Unknown Song #41 - Old School Radio Bed

Song - Old School Radio Bed

Artist(s) - Ron Burns

Released - No later than 1997

Primetime Usage - 1997-01, 2005 (it may have been used in '02-04, but I have no proof)

Contained on - BRg Contemporary BRg1016 (High Definition) 

Featured Highlight - Bills @ Chargers, 1998

*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 8/7/21

Unknown Song #41 is perhaps the most forgettable regularly-used piece of NFL Primetime's later years.  It's obviously meant to be little more than an ambient background groove, and that's the purpose it served on the show.  The first game to use US #41 was pretty memorable, though.  Given how his overall NFL career went, how many people know that Ryan Leaf actually won his first 2 starts?  Now saying he won those starts is a stretch, since his stats were nowhere near good in those games, but it's still an interesting footnote.  It was an interesting game for Buffalo, too, since it marked Doug Flutie's first action as a Bill (& his first NFL action of any kind in 9 years).  Flutie couldn't pull off his patented magic in this one, however, because Steve Christie didn't get the job done at the end.

*EDIT* - This song actually debuted in 1997.  Thanks to Kyle Caughlin for pointing this out and to SW561 for posting the clip that proves it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vX-NLMSoiI&feature=youtu.be).

Unknown Song #40 - Surf Your Own Wave

Song - Surf Your Own Wave

Artist(s) - Rick DiFonzo

Released - No later than 1997

Primetime Usage - 1997-99
Contained on - BRg Extreme Cuts BRg3004 (Alternative Energy)

Featured Highlight - Eagles @ Falcons, 1997


*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 7/23/20

Unknown Song #40 is probably my favorite song yet to be identified on Primetime.  It's energetic, edgy, and fun, and works well with sports highlights.  It's likely not a well remembered track, however, since it was used sparingly during its mere 3 years of service.  US #40's most memorable use was probably its last:  the 1999 NFC Championship game where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers nearly upset the St. Louis Rams 6-5 before giving up a late TD catch to Ricky Proehl.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find that NFL Primetime highlight anywhere, so here's a different one from US #40's first season of use.

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.