It’s been over a decade. Still – the words hit below the belt.
Voiceover legend Chuck Riley dead at 66.
It probably shouldn’t have – he didn’t know me but I knew him!
You do too – you just don’t know it (Movie trailers, Hot 97, network TV).
I first was introduced to Chuck through my Dad’s Philco on the kitchen table and his ‘Life of Riley’ afternoon show on WIBC.
Chuck became a close friend in my rolling hideaway – a 1971 primer gray Gremlin, stocked with a new FM converter and my new favorite FM station.
The station – WNAP. The very best FM, ever.
Chuck voiced the imaging, including the thunderous ‘Wrath of the Buzzard’ Legal ID.
Hear it – HERE.
While you’re listening to the ‘WRATH’ session, know that they (Programmer George Johns and his crew) invested minute after minute into this ONE piece of imaging.
One I.D.!!
WNAP was all about the product.
Tens of thousands spent on jingles (which included audio chuckles like ‘..you got to hand it to Venus De Milo and WNAP..’) and hundreds of minutes on imaging.
There will be no other Chuck Riley.
However, pretend for a moment that your station owner hired a BIG NAME station voice.
Like Chuck.
Or, more along the lines of Gary Sinese, Tom Hanks or Keifer Sutherland.
How would YOU write YOUR imaging?
Would it be “..now, another 10 in a row on 93.1 WADG..”? Simple, monosyllabic left – brain attributes?
Or would you stretch? Measure the words.
Invest the time in the writing AND the session?
Something like “..THIS is where Emotions are Sweet, Every Breathe is watched and if you Feel Like It – Make Love (pause) ..smoke ‘em if you got ‘em… your life on 93.1 WADG..”.
Use the words – use the talent.
Audio content is all we have.
With WNAP, a seven word I.D. took hours to create.
In a cluttered world where the MORE we say the LESS they hear, words and how we treat them mean everything to your brand.
Next Up: The Next Coat of Paint
