Unknown Song #42 - Liberation Day

Song - Liberation Day

Artist(s) - Paul Foss

Released - 1998

Primetime Usage - 2000-01
Contained on - ATMOS 111 (Impact)

Featured Highlight - Rams @ Eagles, 2001


*SONG IDENTIFIED* - 5/6/19

OK, back to the Unknown Songs.  Unknown Song #42 is similar to Bad Company & Showdown, but was used less often on the show.  It has the same gritty, hard-hitting, rock/orchestral fusion style as those other two tracks, though.  Before I introduce the highlight clip, I should apologize for the low video quality.  I recall hearing US #42 multiple times way back when these Primetime episodes were current, but this is the only clip I could find online of it (that's also why I'm unsure of the exact years it was used).  In this video, the St. Louis Rams began their final Super Bowl run of the Kurt Warner era by edging out a good Eagles team in accursed Veterans Stadium.  The audio quality is fine, so you don't have to worry about hearing the song.

**EDIT** - It was apparently used a handful of times in 2000 & 2001.  Thanks to Robert Enriquez on youtube for this information.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

Song - Cold Fusion

Artist(s) - Ron Kristy

Released - 1997

Primetime Usage - 1999
Contained on - OneMusic OMROC014L (Powerstation)

Featured Highlight - Lions @ Seahawks, 1999


This track was on pace to be the Unknown Song for this week, but Kyle Caughlin identified it before I could get that far (special thanks to him for that).  "Cold Fusion" was one of two new NFL Primetime songs in 1999 (Bad Company being the other), but it was only used once as far as I know.  I guess its limited usage is understandable given how simple & repetitive it is, but it at least adds some decent tension to its lone highlight.  That highlight features a post-Barry Detroit Lions team going into the Kingdome and upsetting the Seahawks in Mike Holmgren's Seattle debut.  Enjoy!

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…