Instrumental Invasion, 9/20/24, 2PM (Homecoming Weekend) (Live!) October 4, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Internet, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Livestream, Media, Music, Personal, Photography, Radio, smooth jazz, Travel, Video.add a comment
Other posts: 9/21 12AM prerecorded show recap, comprehensive Homecoming Weekend recap
The live edition of Instrumental Invasion for WCWP‘s alumni-run Homecoming Weekend programming block aired at 2PM Friday, between Art Beltrone’s interview show and Strictly Jazz, WCWP’s longest-running program, dating back to the pre-FM carrier-current days when it was hosted by John March. The hosts of Strictly Jazz that followed me were Hank Neimark (“NEE-mark”), John LiBretto, and Jon Korkes (“CORE-kiss”) (via Zoom). You’ll see Hank and engineer Jeff Kroll at the end of the video below.
Before I get into how this Instrumental Invasion show was made and share photos taken during the show, let’s get the scoped aircheck out of the way…
…along with the aforementioned video.
The playlist for the live Instrumental Invasion was created July 24, long before a rough schedule was announced by Jeff and Pat Kroll, the Homecoming Weekend coordinators. I assumed I would be hosting one live show – intended for music from new releases – and one prerecord – the 60-year musical journey. So, I figured I’d get the presumed prerecord playlist out of the way and would work on the presumed live show playlist as the weekend approached.
The initial schedule was announced on August 12. I’d be live at 2PM, but didn’t see my name in an overnight slot. In a first for Homecoming Weekend, I made the 60-year musical journey the playlist for the live show, tweaking it slightly. I tweaked further on August 23. There would still be one song each between 1964 and ’89, and two songs for 1994 to 2004, but I scrapped the old plan of three songs each from 2009, ’14, and ’19. The 2024 song to close the remained, preceded by a set of three more songs from this year. 2009, ’14, and ’19 were winnowed down to pairs.
Annotations began August 23 after printing out the playlist, continuing on the 25th, 28th, and September 16. As in 2022, I didn’t make a script. I read the annotations, adding a Dancing with the Stars reference during the set with “Tropical Rain” by Jessy J (in that show’s Ray Chew Live house band). Otherwise, I spoke off the cuff. (It’s a shame that 1982 Weather Report video was pulled from YouTube after I watched it.)
I was the first show of the weekend to air from studio 2 at the renovated Abrams Communications Center. Here are photos I took during the first set of hour 2:
As “Beat Street” by David Benoit and Spice Fusion Big Band played, I had Jeff Kroll take a photo of me at the controls, just as he would be moments later.
Hank Neimark is seen phoning Jon Korkes to set him up on Zoom.
My only regret about the show is that my remix of the WCWP Oldtimers Weekend liner was not in Wavecart. The original was in there and played “Machine Gun” by The Commodores at a slower speed. This is “Machine Gun” (excerpted portion at 1:32):
And this is my remixed liner:
(The Homecoming Weekend moniker was adopted once the programming block coincided with then-C.W. Post‘s Homecoming.)
That aside, dragging and dropping liners in was easy, and I enjoyed using the “WCWP Remembers [year]” liners.
Just when I thought this would be the only show I’d have on Homecoming Weekend, Jeff Kroll called me September 3 to say he needed a three-hour prerecord to fill time early Saturday or Sunday morning. You can read about that show here.
2024 Long Island Retro Gaming Expo: introduction, guests, mishaps, panels August 21, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Aviation, Books, Computer, Education, Game Shows, History, Internet, Media, Personal, Photography, Podcast, Radio, Technology, Travel, Video, Video Games.add a comment
Feel free to skip ahead to the second post (touring the expo) or third post (conclusion and pickups).
INTRODUCTION
2024 was my sixth year at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, held in the Cradle of Aviation Museum, on the right end of Museum Row in East Garden City. This was also the first year that Flagstar bank had naming rights. That’s evident in the first photo below, taken as my mom pulled off Charles Lindbergh Boulevard at 9:45 AM on Saturday, August 10.
LI Retro, the expo’s shorthand, launched Friday, August 9, at 4PM, but since the expansion to three days (or 2 1/2) in 2022, I’ve forgone the Friday leg.
Tickets went on sale all the way back at the end of December and I was quick to secure my weekend badge, even though it would be months before attendees even knew who the guests would be.
Once announced, Long Island Retro Gaming Expo’s 2024 guest list was a mix of mainstays, newcomers, and returnees. Naturally, author/publisher Leonard Herman, Mark Baer (middle child of videogame pioneer Ralph Baer), Frank Cifaldi (Video Game History Foundation) and Jeremy Parish (Retronauts, Limited Run Games) would be there. G Gracin (G to the Next Level) returned for the second year in a row, this time with Greg Sewart (Generation 16). Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson were back for their fourth consecutive LI Retro. (There was a gap between their first and second years due to COVID postponements in 2020 and ’21.) The Immortal John Hancock was back for the first time since 2018. (I met Lenny Herman through the panel he and John co-hosted that year.) And it was the second appearance of Coury Carlson and Marc “Try4ce (‘triforce‘)” Duddleson of My Life in Gaming, having first appeared in 2019.
If you remember my disappointment last year when spotting Clint Basinger (LGR) walking through the vendor marketplace after the expo while editing photos, I was pleased to see he was a guest this year!
Two other notable guests were Warren Davis, the creator of Q*Bert “and other classic video arcade games” (as his book title notes), and legendary Nintendo marketer Gail Tilden. I was not able to attend Warren’s Saturday evening panel, though I met him at his table in the morning as you’ll see in that portion of this post. Gail had a free-form panel on Saturday evening and an interview panel on Sunday, the latter of which I attended.
Ahead of Saturday morning, I packed a printout of my badge retrieval code, my Canon EOS R7 with RF-S 18-150mm lens and Speedlite 430EX II, TASCAM DR-05X, and stenographer pad with pen. (I never used those last two.) I was anxious that my compulsive nature would lead to as many photos as last year. The bad news is I was right. The good news is the total over three cameras (you’ll read the why of that quantity later in the post) was 697 photos. This time, however, 617 were chosen to spread out over three blog posts, not counting scans or photos taken after Sunday.
Since last year’s Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, I have begun streaming on Twitch at least four days a week. Gaming is the channel’s main focus with occasional “media production” streams where I work on radio shows or edit photos from events like this. I spent a whole week editing photos in April after returning from Smooth Jazz for Scholars. While the initial plan was to do the expo photo editing off stream and go on hiatus until I was finished, I opted instead for occasional streams to report on my editing progress and show all games and merchandise I picked up. Thanks to a quicker editing process, only two of those streams were required before returning to gaming. The first stream – Wednesday, August 14 – dovetailed into saving smaller versions of watermarked photos (“© Mike Chimeri” on the lower left) edited that day. And with only 96 photos left to edit going into Saturday, August 17, that became the sole photo editing stream.
ARRIVING AT THE MUSEUM
Several paragraphs ago, I said I arrived at the Flagstar Cradle of Aviation Museum at 9:45 AM Saturday. After my mom dropped me off in the parking lot to the left of the roundabout, I took an establishing shot of the museum, unaware that my folded badge code printout was visible in the bottom left. So, I took another shot Sunday morning:
The photos in this gallery are from Saturday.
On the way to the guest table area, I ran into Timothy (a.k.a. Sho), a fellow My Life in Gaming fan. We met in person in 2019 and I had to get a selfie this time:
GUEST TABLE PHOTOS
Photos in this section were taken Saturday and Sunday. You can tell which day by what we’re wearing.
Warren Davis
Warren and I didn’t talk much – so, no magic tricks – but I introduced myself and gladly bought a copy of Creating Q*bert for him to sign. I told him on Sunday that I bought a copy of Q*bert’s NES port in his honor. He thanked me for that. (More on pickups in the third post.)
Clint Basinger (LGR)
It was honor to meet Clint in person. As I told him, I’ve been a fan of LGR for years, and that we both have the distinction of reading quotes in Gaming Historian videos. (I was in The Story of Link’s Awakening, per a blog post.) We commiserated over Norman Caruso’s April announcement that he was stepping back from pursuing his YouTube channel full time (but not retiring). (Norm went out in style with his magnum opus, The Story of The Oregon Trail, a video years in the making.) I told Clint that I unknowingly photographed him last year and thought about printing a copy for him to sign, but opted not to.
8/23 UPDATE: Today, that future video became a present video.
Thinking Clint would be at the expo on Sunday, as well, I brought my PlayStation 3 copy of Duke Nukem Forever to sign. Alas, he had left after Saturday.
A recent LGR video made me think of my psychologist of 27 years, known to patients like me as Brad. In the mid ’90s, Brad had an Acer Aspire. If I remember correctly, it was the same color as Clint’s. (Brad retired in 2018 and I’ve had another therapist since 2019.)
9/6 UPDATE: Clint went into greater detail about LI Retro in the vlog below.
The Immortal John Hancock
I reacquainted myself with John on Saturday – fresh from Retrocon in São Paulo, Brazil! (John’s Retrocon vlog) – and proudly bought the Genesis port of his original game, Block ‘Em Sock ‘Em, seen in the second photo.
Check out John’s LI Retro vlog. He saw exhibits that I missed, and thus won’t be seen in my second post.
Give Adam Koralik a look, too.
Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson
I was not a fan of either Pat or Ian prior to their LI Retro debut in 2019, but I got to know Ian and his wife Vani at their Luna Video Games table, placed between the My Life in Gaming table and Pat’s table. I worked up the courage to meet Pat, buy Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library and all DVD volumes of early episodes of Pat the NES Punk. That led to an interest in Flea Market Madness and The Video Game Years, and The CU (Completely Unnecessary Podcast). I was even hyped for Pat’s next Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the SNES Library. I wrote reviews for both guides after reading them later in 2019 (NES, SNES).
So, of course, I was thrilled to see them again this year, and ask a question for the third year in a row at their panel/podcast recording.
9/2 UPDATE: The latest Flea Market Madness video is embedded below photos of the CU Podcast panel.
G Gracin and Greg Sewart didn’t have a table, but did have a Saturday panel. (Check the “Panels” section of this post for photos.) I posed with them in this photo on Sunday.
I also got the Sonic selfie treatment, in digital form…
…and in thermal print form. I scanned that (left) and used Photoshop’s photo restoration filter to limit the vertical banding (right).
G posted a few YouTube Shorts at LI Retro:
[The first short was removed in 2025.]
There really is so much to see at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. John Hancock and G saw things that I missed.
I really liked Greg Sewart’s Ridge Racer series retrospective:
I’ve had Ridge Racer 7 since I bought a slim PS3 back in 2018. The video made me seek out Ridge Racer 6 for Xbox 360 when scouring the marketplace at the end of each day.
Since you saw Daniel and Alex Greenberg (Winterion Game Studios) in Pat and Ian’s photo gallery, here is a photo Alex took of Daniel and me after Pat’s CU Podcast Live panel.
Let’s skip ahead one table to the My Life in Gaming duo of Coury Carlson and Mark “Try4ce” Duddleson:
I spent a lot of down time at the MLiG and Leonard Herman tables (see below). Coury and I talked about photography, while Try and I talked about Backloggery‘s recent 17th anniversary celebration, my multiple raids to the Backloggery Twitch channel, and how I rightly kept dejitter off on my Analogue Nt Mini Noir. Try neglected to do that in the MLiG review of the console back in 2020. (Source: Comment to Analogue Reddit post.) Having dejitter off allowed me to connect my Monoprice VGA-to-composite/S-Video adapter, run a composite cable to my sister’s old Durabrand DWT1304 CRT TV (a Funai-manufactured TV sold by Walmart), and play NES Zapper games in my last two Twitch streams before LI Retro.
9/2 UPDATE: Coury and Try ended August with a new My Life in Gaming video: the second in their Multi-Games Compilations series. It’s worth watching for Try’s LI Retro t-shirt alone.
We round out this segment with the Father of Videogame History, Leonard Herman, joined by Patrick Wong and Mark Baer (middle child of videogame pioneer Ralph Baer).
I spelled video game as one word because that’s how Ralph Baer spelled it and how Lenny spells it.
Leaving the guest tables behind, it’s panel time!
PANELS
Saturday Panel 1, 11AM-12PM
Panel Room 2
Mark Baer and Leonard Herman
Ralph Baer: His Creative Life in Electronic, Videogames and More
This strayed close to the 2023 presentation, which was the last panel I attended. So, I changed my photographic approach. Before the photos, here are the videos shown during the panel:
Before the other panels, a diversion.
Mishaps
It was in between the Ralph Baer panel and the CU Podcast panel that I accidentally knocked my camera off a food court table, breaking my Canon EOS R7’s RF-S 18-150mm lens. The ring attachment stayed on, but the rest of the lens broke off.
It was irrecoverable. The only solution was to buy a replacement lens once I got home, and with a 5-year lens accident warranty. I’m covered if history repeats itself, God forbid.
The lens and UV filter arrived Wednesday morning and a test photo was successful.
I took the rest of Saturday’s photos on my iPhone 13 Pro. Then, Sunday, I shot in RAW for the first time on my Nikon D5500 with a Nikkor 18-300mm lens.
Unfortunately, Sunday had another problem. Patrick Wong from Leonard Herman’s table prepped to take a photo of me with Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson. Ian sprained his ankle and was only at LI Retro that day. After I took the photo of Pat and Ian together, I foolishly chose to take a photo with them to the right of Pat’s table. Ian’s cup of coffee was perched on the right end of that table. As I turned to get into position for the photo, Ian warned “watch the backpack!” The warning was in vein. My bulky backpack knocked the cup over and it spilled on the upper right end of the table. The photo op was aborted, paper towels were summoned, and adjacent merchandise was checked for damage. As all that happened, I felt tremendous guilt and shame. I thought I’d become persona non grata to both of them, and God forbid, would be sued. Thankfully, none of that was true. No merch was damaged, the spill was quickly disposed of, and Pat used hand sanitizer to further clean the affected area. Then, we retreated to a safe spot away from the table for our photo op. Pat and Ian were all smiles in the photo while I was too drained to fully smile. They both assured me everything was fine and not to worry. That’s when I headed to the main theatre for the Gail Force panel.
After that panel, LI Retro staff member Ryan Shapiro gifted me with an expo backpack that contained a pin, sticker, 2024 program, and Asteroids-themed t-shirt. I’ll save the contents photo for the third post, but I’ll show the backpack here, too.
Thank you very much, Ryan.
Now, back to Saturday’s panels.
Saturday, 12:30-1:30 PM
Main Theatre
Pat Contri with Frank Cifaldi (filling in for Ian Ferguson)
CU Podcast Live!
The topic was the sudden end to GameStop’s Game Informer magazine, and the bizarre public relations statement accompanying its demise. (Reactions were compiled in this Resetera thread.)
When the theatre was opened to Q&A, only one person had an Amico-related question. Mine focused on Pat’s Wednesday Twitch streams:
Aside from the podcasts, you’re also on Twitch every Wednesday, watching retro commercials. How did you- What made you decide to go that route instead of streaming games?
Pat responded that it spun off from his NES Charity Marathon (origin of the “Buh-lack Box!” catchphrase), and that he felt relaxed and nostalgic watching things from the past. The TV commercials or promos allow him to recall moments from his past. That led to a discussion about the significance of preserving these moments in the same way video game media is preserved. I chimed in with radio airchecks as an example, but I might not have been heard.
As of publication, the podcast is not up in audio or segmented video form. There is, however, Flea Market Madness Volume 49, recorded on Father’s Day (June 16). It features the other Frank, as seen in the thumbnail.
3:51 PM UPDATE: There is audio of the Game Informer discussion, but not the Q&A, starting at the 1:17:25 mark of the latest podcast.
10/28 UPDATE: Video of Pat and Frank’s discussion went up six days after this post was published (August 27).
Saturday, 2PM-3PM
Panel Room 2
G Gracin and Greg Sewart
Growing Up Sega: A Trip Down Sega’s Console Timeline
After browsing and buying from the vendor marketplace, I went home.
I returned a little closer to 10AM on Sunday morning. I still had to wait in line for a bag check; I didn’t mind that.
In lieu of a panel I had in mind at 11AM, I re-photographed areas that were blurry on Saturday, took photos of vendors I missed on Saturday, then toured the exhibits on all three floors. Look for those in the second post.
Sunday, 12:30-1:30 PM
Main Theatre
Gail Tilden, interviewed by Jeremy Parish (Retronauts, Limited Run Games) and Lucas Thomas (Nintendo Force magazine founder)
Gail Force: An Intimate Interview with a Nintendo Legend
The interview initially covered Gail’s involvement in the Nintendo Entertaintment System’s North American launch, beginning in the New York Metro Area in October 1985. Among the locations chosen to carry the NES were Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. At some events, attendees could play Baseball against either New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling or center fielder Mookie Wilson.
Then, the topic switched to her tenure with Nintendo Power magazine. Lucas asked the audience to give a “whoo!” when their first issue was displayed on the projection screen above them.
Watch the video to see if I misremembered anything. Then, see the photos that I kept bending over to take.
Then, it was quickly off to Panel Room 2 for my last panel of the weekend.
Sunday, 2PM-3PM
Panel Room 2
Leonard Herman
The History of the History of Videogames
This was the place to be: a celebration of a man who blazed the trail for videogame history. 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the original Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Videogames.
Ahra wanted a photo with Lenny beforehand:
Then came a prologue from John Hancock:
Well said, John.
The stage is yours, Leonard.
Upon closing, Lenny opened the floor to Q&A:
The funniest question and answer came via Mark Baer:
LENNY: Yes, sir.
MARK: Do you have a favorite historical figure in videogame history, by any chance?
LENNY: Yeah. Nolan Bushnell.
[audience laughs]
If anyone doesn’t know, that’s Ralph Baer’s son. That’s his son, Mark. He’s a troublemaker.
MARK: You could answer honestly.
After a few more questions, the panel ended with a round of applause.
I had to get a photo of Leonard Herman, Frank Cifaldi, and John Hancock:
Ian Ferguson dropped by after the panel to say hello:
That is the end of post one. Head to post two for a tour of the marketplace and exhibits. Post three features a conclusion, pickups photos, and a postscript with post-expo pickups.
2023 WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony, tour of renovated Abrams Communications Center June 6, 2024
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Baseball, Basketball, Comedy, Education, History, Internet, Media, Music, News, Personal, Photography, Politics, Radio, Rock, Sports, Technology, TV, Video.add a comment
Other Hall of Fame ceremony recaps: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-21, 2022
7/17 UPDATE: A formatting error with this blog post unbeknownst to me until this morning has been resolved.
On Saturday, June 1, 2024, the WCWP Hall of Fame’s 2023 class was inducted in a ceremony at LIU Post‘s Alumni Hall.
This time, there were three inductees (listed in order of introduction):
- Joel Feltman, 1974
- Phil Lebowitz, 1974
- Mike Maimone, 1981
(In full disclosure, I once again served on the Hall of Fame Committee.)
I was under no stress coming into Saturday’s ceremony. I owe that to a lack of weekly radio shows to record in advance and my hiatus from Twitch streaming (I return this Sunday).
WCWP station manager Pete Bellotti contacted me three weeks beforehand to confirm if I would be shooting photos and video. For the first time since 2019, I would handle all of that, not supplementing the station’s video as for the 2020-21 and ’22 ceremonies. The only video I needed was of Phil Lebowitz’s prerecorded acceptance speech. (Joel Feltman and Mike Maimone would be present.)
I have three cameras capable of shooting 4K video at 60 FPS (frames per second): a Panasonic HC-X1500 camcorder, a GoPro HERO7 (with YOLOtek Juicebank for extra battery life), and a Canon EOS R7. The R7 replaced my Nikon D5500 as my exclusive photo camera. Needing the R7 for video meant going back to the D5500 for the first time since after Homecoming Weekend in 2022. (Click here to read about my early days with the R7.) For audio to sync with the video, I would use a TASCAM DR-05X audio recorder connected to the podium mixer via 3.5mm cable.
On the afternoon of Friday, May 31, students and alumni, myself included, were shocked by the news that Long Island University had dismissed Pete Bellotti as WCWP station manager. Fears were allayed by evening when Dan Cox, who otherwise would M.C. Saturday’s ceremony, came out of retirement to return as station manager.
Dan briefly addressed the situation in his opening remarks:
For those of you who may not know me, my name is Dan Cox, and I am the Director of Broadcasting at WCWP Radio. Unfortunately, that appointment came less than 24 hours ago. (applause) Unfortunately, the university parted ways with Pete [Bellotti]. Pete was one of my students. He is a good friend, and I wish him well. I think he did an outstanding job during a very difficult time over the last two years, with the renovation and everything that was happening. So, I won’t belabor that point. But I will say, for those of you in the room who probably stretch back as far as the 1960s through the 2000s, there’s never a dull moment at WCWP, is there? So, let’s not make this a dull moment by me talking too much. What I’d like to do right now is to bring up my good friend Jeff Kroll, who’s gonna induct our first inductee [Joel Feltman].
I’m choosing to save the journal portion (i.e. when I arrived, further technical details) for the end of this post before video of the ceremony and renovated station tour.
As Dan said, 2015 inductee Jeff Kroll presented Joel Feltman for induction:
Joel’s acceptance speech, with Jeff present to his right (out of view), dovetailed somewhat into discussion of the next inductee.
But first, Joel and Jeff posed for a photo:
The second inductee, also presented by Jeff Kroll, was Phil Lebowitz, Joel Feltman’s fellow 1974 alumnus.
Phil could not make the ceremony, but he did record an acceptance speech from his home in Surprise, Arizona.
After the video was shown, Jeff Kroll showed off his WCWP press card and shared how Phil’s “gift of gab” allowed the two of them access to a Philadelphia 76ers home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. (They were in Philly to cover a C.W. Post Pioneers football road game against Drexel University.)
Jeff then posed with Phil’s plaque:
Before the third inductee, Dan Cox acknowledged the informal ribbon cutting earlier in the week for the renovated Abrams Communications Center, attended by Marjorie Abrams Hyman and fellow descendants of Benjamin Abrams.
Then, Dan introduced Tim Ernandes to present Mike Maimone.
Tim was a laugh riot, chock full of impressions and stories of from his and Mike’s days working on WCWP comedy series Post Serial, a pun on the university’s Post Cereal roots.
Tim stayed at the podium for repartee during Mike’s acceptance speech.
A photo with the plaque:
After closing remarks from Dan Cox, the 2023 WCWP Hall of Fame Ceremony was complete. There was a bit of business to tend to before we all made the trek to the Abrams Communications Center.
First, a photo of inductees Joel Feltman and Mike Maimone with presenters Jeff Kroll and Tim Ernandes:
It was Dan who said in his 2022 induction speech (in ’23) that Mike deserved a spot in the Hall of Fame, and he rightfully earned that spot this year.
A candid shot before departing:
Joel Feltman and his wife Michelle offered to drive me down to the Abrams Communications Center. Cars were the only feasible option since Hillwood Commons was itself closed for renovations. If I were to walk from Alumni Hall, I’d have to go around Hillwood.
We parked in the lot, I took out my equipment, and put it all down in the lobby. I shot continuous video (except for a part I couldn’t record) and a dozen photos inside and out. You’ll see the video later, but here are the photos:
The highlight of the tour was an impromptu speech from (and discussion with) station manager Dan Cox in studio 3:
Before I left for home, Dan took a photo of me with Mike Maimone.
Now, the journal portion:
My dad Bill dropped me off at Alumni Hall at around 12:30, if not 12:40. (Surprisingly, I don’t remember the exact time.) Last Sunday, I bought an Amazon Basics 60″ tripod for use with the R7 in addition to the tripods I already had for the GoPro and HC-X1500. As you’ll see in the video at the end of this post, I had to tweak the R7’s color balance, along with brightness and contrast. The HC-X1500 video quality is untouched. The GoPro footage didn’t make the final video as the best shots came from the other two sources. Working from my knowledge of Twitch overlays, I made special overlays for the video:
The R7 video experiment yielded mixed results. I got a lot to work with, but I had to stop recording 55 minutes in to change batteries. After eight minutes on the new battery, the camera stopped recording due to overheating. Once it cooled down, I resumed, only for the SD card in slot 1 to reach capacity. I had to manually change to slot 2 for the last six minutes. Clearly, another camcorder is the only way to go in the future. From Saturday afternoon through Tuesday night, I considered my options: another Panasonic HC-X1500 without VW-HU1 and Rode VideoMic GO II attached or, staying in the Canon family, the Canon VIXIA HF G70. It’s cheaper than the HC-X1500, but goes no higher than 30 FPS in 4K. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make, springing for an open box eBay listing on Tuesday night. So, if secondary camera cutaways look cinematic at future events (i.e. Homecoming Weekend), you’ll know why. (6/14 UPDATE: I was dissatisfied with the G70 and am selling it. I’ll just get another HC-X1500 after it sells.)
One last thing: the podium audio was blown out, and I did my best to fix that in Adobe Audition, along with using the click/pop eliminator where necessary.
So, then, here is the finished ceremony/station tour video. Enjoy.
Congratulations to Joel Feltman, Phil Lebowitz, and Mike Maimone. We reconvene in 2025 to induct the 2024 WCWP Hall of Fame class.
Special thanks to 2014 inductee Ted David for curating the photos and for advice on further edits.
My Twitch “Back After This” game show music cue mixes (plus radio jingles, sports TV themes) December 18, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Audio, Game Shows, Livestream, Media, Music, TV.add a comment
Rather than update my Twitch setup post, I’ve made this original post chronicling every cue in my game show music cue mix (mostly from The Price is Right). Per a TXT file compiled from my Adobe Audition multitrack sessions, the mixes currently in rotation are listed below. (NOTES: I tweaked the speed for some of the cues, so they vary from the original links. Not all cues have corresponding links.)
“BACK AFTER THIS” MUSIC CUE MIXES
- TPIRCueMix1 (10:52)
Tennis IUFB Cue (joined after opening note)
Computer IUFB Cue (Cue 71)
Chair/Recliner IUFB Cue (Cue 51)
Cue 89
Clock Cue (1972)
Country Fiddle Cue (Cue 61)
Living/Dining/Bed Room Cue (1) (Cue 87)
Tool IUFB Cue (Cue 26)
Second Thoughts (Most Expensive Cue) - TPIRCueMix2
(10:18)(9:17)
Motorcycle Cue (Cue 59) (careful speech volume leveler)
Cue 79 (edited)
Bhen (TPIR IUFB/Prize Cue) [Version #1]
Cue 19 (22A) (1974)
Bar Set/Ceiling Fan IUFB Cue (Cue 58)
08 Dig We Must - TPIRCueMix3 (11:30)
Grocery Cue (Cue 86)
Grocery Cue ’74
Grocery Cue (Concentration) (Cue 72)
Bhen (Grocery Cue)
Grocery/Small Prize Cue ’72 (2) (Cue 73)
Walking (Grocery/Temptation Cue #3)
Grocery/Keyboard IUFB Cue
Phone Home Game Grocery Cue - TPIRCueMix4 (10:51)
Showcase Cue 1 (Cue 54) (joined after opening note)
Showcase Cue 2 (Cue 56) (joined after opening note)
Calliope Showcase Cue (Family Feud 1994 Vamp)
Every Room in the House (Showcase Cue) (Yep Yep upload)
Family Feud Showcase Car Cue
Showcase Cue ’83
Showcase Cue ’03 (2) (mono) - ConcentrationCueMix1 (11:18)
Concentration 1973-78 Opening Stinger
Classic Concentration Opening Music (faded out early)
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 2
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 5
Classic Concentration Prize Description Music
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 6
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 8 - ConcentrationCueMix2 (11:17)
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 7
Classic Concentration Prize Cue (Piano & Horn)
Concentration 1973-78 Game Win Cue 1
Classic Concentration Game Win Music
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 10
Classic Concentration Puzzle Solve/Car Description Music
Concentration Car Cue (No Leads) (Cue 30)
Classic Concentration Bonus Win Music (see game win link)
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 3
Classic Concentration Closing Theme Music (loops removed) - TPIRCueMix5 (11:34)
Concentration Car Cue (Cue 18)
The Bean Stalker (Car Cue) (joined in progress)
The Big Banana (Car Cue) (joined in progress)ElegantLuxury Car Cue (Temptation Cue #5)
Truck/Van/Jeep Cue (edit) - TPIRCueMix6 (11:49)
21 Splendido!
03 Brioche
Eric (TPIR IUFB Cue) (Version #1)
13 Phaser
Amen, Brother Herbert - TPIRCueMix7 (11:52)
Ticket Plug/Consolation Prize Cue ’72
Ticket Plug/Consolation Prize Cue ’74
Sporting Goods IUFB Cue (Cue 65)
Sewing Machine IUFB Cue (Cue 29) (mono)
Plinko Cue #4 (Cue 62)
Spring Waltz SP (Plinko Cue #1)
Rye Bred
The Cats (PlutoTV Bumper Music) - TPIRCueMix8 (11:32)
Funk Penny Ante Cue (Cue 40)
Amen, Brother Herbert [Flute]
Outdoor/Greenhouse IUFB Cue (Cue 214)
Living/Dining/Bed Room Cue (2) (Cue 78)
Trip Cue ’83
Fortune Hunter/Clearance Sale Cue - TPIRCueMix9 (11:24)
Appliance Cue (Cue 52)
Appliance Cue ’83
Safe Crackers Cue (1995) (careful speech volume leveler)
Make Your Move (Cue 210A) (edit)
Race Game, Buy or Sell, Take Two Cue (edit)
Phone Home Game-Buy or Sell Cue - TPIRCueMix10 (12:13)
Jewelry IUFB Cue (Piano)
Grocery/Temptation Cue #4 (Cue 218A)ElegantLuxury Car Cue (Saxophone)
IUFB ’94/Closed Captioning Cue - TPIRCueMix11 (10:10)
Starcrossed (Credit Card Cue)
Compactor IUFB Cue (Cue 75) (Mono)
Cue 80
Range IUFB Cue (Cue 85) ([carefu] speech volume leveler)
Stemware Cue - TPIRCueMix12 (10:50)
Small Prize Cue ’72 (2) (Cue 0M01) (or Cue 27)
Cue 41
Car Slide
Showcase Cue 3 (Cue 22)
Golden Road Prize #2 (Cue 39)
Temptation Cue #2 (Cue 222) - TPIRCueMix13 (11:57)
Cue 38
Jewelry IUFB Cue
Grocery Cue ’03
Walk of Fame/Closed Captioning Cue
Small Prize Cue ’94
As a bonus, my starting soon/next time Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour cue mix combines these files:
2/8/24 UPDATE: Today, I worked on two more cue mixes – one for Match Game and MGHS, and the other for Wheel of Fortune.
- MatchGameCueMix (10:28)
Think Cue 2
Think Cue 3
Think Cue 4
Think Cue 5
Think Cue (MGHS)
Super Match Think Cue (MGHS)
Ticket Plug/Consolation Prize Cue - WOFCueMix (12:35)
Ticket Plug Cue, 1975
Prize Cue, 1975
Prize Cue, 1983 (Struttin’ on Sunset)
Shopping Cue, 1983 (Nightwalk)
Car Cue, 1987 (Buzzword) (Merv Griffin’s Crosswords Theme)
WoF – 1989-92 Opening Theme (100% CLEAN)
2/16/24 UPDATE: Another two music cue mixes have been added, but these are random and not tied to one show. The cues and themes are for Price, Concentration, Wheel, Family Feud, Hollywood Squares, Password Plus, Super Password, and Press Your Luck.
- RandomGameShowCueMix1 (12:07)
Family Feud – Intro/Faceoff Cue (1976)
Hollywood Squares Theme – Opening (1986)
TPIR – Temptation Cue #1
Family Feud – Ticket Plug/Faceoff Cue (1976)
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 11
TPIR – Showcase Cue 1 (No Leads) (Cue 53)
TPIR – Showcase Cue 2 (No Leads) (Cue 32)
TPIR – Oriental Rug Cue (Concentration) (Cue 70)
TPIR – Ceiling Fan/Pool Table/Bar Set Cue (1983) - RandomGameShowCueMix2 (12:04)
Password Plus Theme
The Feud (Family Feud Main Theme) (1976-85)
Press Your Luck (1983-1986) – Extended Closing Theme
Super Password Theme
Wheel of Fortune – Prize Cue, 1983 (Country Samba)
3/6/24 UPDATE: This morning, I added the 20th cue mix; the 14th of all Price is Right cues.
- TPIRCueMix14 (11:37)
Refrigerator/Freezer IUFB Cue
Jewelry/Gold IUFB Cue (Cue 77)
Luggage/Train Set IUFB Cue (Cue 74)
IUFB Cue ’72 (2) (Cue 34) (Moog-40)
Chair/Recliner IUFB Cue 2
IUFB Cue ’72 (1) (Cue 67)
Cue 35
Grocery/Small Prize Cue ’72 (1)
Artwork IUFB Cue
IUFB Cue ’72 (3)
Bhen (Electronics IUFB Cue)
12/28/24 UPDATE: I added a WCBS Newsradio 88 jingle demo shortly after the format switch in August.
21. wcbsradiopackage-morethanjusttheheadlines-adjoined2 (10:43) (Edited from package posted to Don Swaim’s tribute site)
And tonight, I made a mix of game show themes:
22. RandomGameShowThemeMix (11:41)
Card Sharks 1978-81 Theme
To Tell the Truth Theme (1980)
Body Language Theme
The All-New Let’s Make a Deal Theme (1984-86)
Hollywood Squares Theme (1986)
Card Sharks 1986-89 Theme (slowed down to original speed)
4/17/25 UPDATE: After Wink Martindale died, I found a set of music cues from Tic-Tac-Dough. I made an edit that ends before the trip description cues. (Replaced with edited version on 11/10/25.)
23. Tic-Tac-Dough Music Set (without gaps) (no trip cues) (edit) (10:37)
Descriptions are taken from the YouTube video’s description:
Opening theme
Closing theme (loops removed)
Short Trumpet Cue
Contestant Introduction Cue
Regular Game Win Cue
Longer Game Win Cue used when a contestant wins a car with every 5 games (edited out)
Shorter Version of Regular game Win Cue in a higher key signature
Think Music Cue for extra time on center box category as they were always two part questions to earn that center box which Wink Martindale always called them a two-parter
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Win Cue which is also the same as the Win Cue used when a contestant wins a car with every 5 games except that it plays once instead of twice
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Cue when a contestant comes on over to play their Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon)
Consolation Prize Cue
Car Description Cue
Contestant Ticket Plug Cue
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Prize Cue 1
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Prize Cue 2
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Prize Cue 3
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Prize Cue 4
Bonus Game (Beat The Dragon) Prize Cue 5
4/29/25 UPDATE: I added a 24th mix yesterday with a Jeopardy! theme. (Replaced with edited version after 11/13/25 stream.)
24. JeopardyMusicMix-Edit (8:34)
1978-79 Opening Theme – Jeopardy! (“January February March”)
Wheel of Fortune – Prize Cue, 1983 (“Frisco Disco”) (1978-79 Jeopardy commercial/closing cue)Jeopardy – 1992-1997 (via Internet Archive)
1997-2001 Theme Song – Jeopardy!
Rock & Roll Jeopardy theme song (via Internet Archive)
8/25/25 UPDATE: I neglected to note the addition of four recycled cue mixes. I made them since I rarely take breaks long enough to hear the cues below.
25. RecycledCueMix1 (8:13)
Second Thoughts (Most Expensive Cue)
Phone Home Game Grocery Cue
08 Dig We Must
Showcase Cue ’03 (2) (mono)
26. RecycledCueMix2 (8:56)
Concentration 1973-78 Prize Cue 8
Classic Concentration Closing Theme Music (loops removed)
Amen, Brother Herbert
Truck-Van-Jeep Cue (edit)
27. RecycledCueMix3 (8:18)
The Cats (PlutoTV Bumper Music)
Race Game, Buy or Sell, Take Two Cue (edit)
Fortune Hunter-Clearance Sale Cue
Temptation Cue #2 (Cue 222)
28. RecycledCueMix4 (10:48)
Ticket Plug/Consolation Prize Cue (Match Game)
WoF – 1989-92 Opening Theme (100% CLEAN)
TPIR – Ceiling Fan/Pool Table/Bar Set Cue (1983)
Bhen (Electronics IUFB Cue)
Wheel of Fortune – Prize Cue, 1983 (Country Samba)
11/9/25 UPDATE: I’m up to 29 cue mixes, 5 of which are recycled cue mixes. (First two cues swapped on 11/15/25.)
29. RecycledCueMix5 (9:03)
Trip Cue ’83 (careful speech volume leveler)
Car Cue, 1987 (Buzzword) (Merv Griffin’s Crosswords Theme)
Make Your Move (Cue 210A) (edit)
Super Password Theme
11/14/25 UPDATE:
30. RecycledCueMix6 (8:06)Elegant Luxury Car Cue (Temptation Cue #5)
Spring Waltz SP (Plinko Cue #1)
Living-Dining-Bed Room Cue (1) (Cue 87)
Family Feud Showcase Car Cue
1/27/26 3/13/26 UPDATE:
31. NFLThemeSongMix1a (10:36)NFL on NBC – 1973 (via Obsolete Video restoration of 1974 KNBC video tape)
NBC MONDAY NIGHT BASEBALL (DON’T TURN AWAY) – Kevin Gavin (pitch corrected intro) (hard limit)
Superbowl XVII and NFL Basic – Long (NFL 83)
ABC Monday Night Football Alternate Theme (1989-2005)
NFL on CBS – 1986-1988
NFL Live – NBC – 1994
NFL on CBS- 1998 – Full
3/7/26 3/20/26 UPDATE
32. NFLThemeSongMix2a (7:23)
NFL on NBC Theme (1980 & 1981 Seasons) (Edit of “Don’t Turn Away” vocal disco version)
NBC Sports ‘SUPERBOWL 17’ NFL on NBC Theme (1986-1989) – 2 MIN 30 SEC Extended Cut (edited to original length)
NBC Sports ‘Great Games, Great Moments’ NFL Live! Theme (1986-1989) – Original Track
NBC Sports ‘GRIDIRON 2’ NFL on NBC Theme (1994) – AN1 2020 Mix
‘NFL on FOX’ Theme Song
Instrumental Invasion, 11/17/23: Finale November 18, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Computer, Internet, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Livestream, Media, Music, New Age, Personal, Radio, smooth jazz, Video.add a comment
The final prime time Instrumental Invasion on WCWP began life the same way the prior night did: as a Wednesday night show to air following what I assumed to be a short renovation programming hiatus. I hadn’t recorded this one yet, though. The playlist, annotations, and script were completed, but I wanted to work on more playlists before recording 181 or 182. I made 183 the Christmas show and 184 the third Three-of-a-Kind Showcase special. I’d work on 185 and 186 when I was ready.
The playlist was created on October 20 and 22. Annotations began on October 25, but were put on hold due to uncertainty over the hiatus and lineup change that was to follow. I finished those annotations and drafted the script on November 1. I figured I would record 181, then move on to 182.
After making tweaks to show 181 on the evening of November 6, I tweaked all components of 182: playlist, annotations, and script. Obviously, I’d have to redo the intro and outro, including a proper goodbye on the latter. These are the changes made:
- Extracurricular info about “The Secret Drawer” by Bob James was thrown out to allow more time for the goodbye.
- “This Time Around” by Four80East was replaced with “The End of Our Season” by David Benoit and Russ Freeman, the same song that closed The Instrumental Invasion on WGBB back on May 5, 2005.
- “Fellowship” by Justin-Lee Schultz was replaced by “Wrong Side (instrumental, no backing vocals)” by Cerian (kerry-anne), fulfilling my promise to her in the Twitch stream I raided on November 4.
- Annotations were updated to include the replacement songs, and the script was updated accordingly. The script was revised a few more times before recording began.
Two segments per day were recorded from November 9 to 11. Each time, I streamed the recording sessions on Twitch.
Click here to download the finale’s aircheck scope or listen below:
I’m sad the show is over, but relieved that the hard work is behind me. So much time and effort went into each show, so burnout was inevitable. While this isn’t quite how I wanted to end, I’m grateful to WCWP station manager Pete Bellotti for allowing me a proper ending. Here was Pete’s complimentary statement on the WCWP Alumni Association Facebook group hours before air:
A salute to Mike Chimeri … yes, his birthday (Happy Birthday!!!!!) ….but to his final Instrumental Invasion tonight at 9p on 88.1 FM WCWP. There are no words to describe how important Mike will always be to WCWP as a talent, alum and human being. I am truly grateful for Mike’s friendship and I speak for many by saying THANK YOU! Time for some R & R and the next project that you will execute with class, professionalism & superior skill.
Cheers my friend!!!
Pete Bellotti, 11/17/23, 1:05 PM
Thank you very much, Pete.
Thank you, the listener and reader, for reading these recaps and listening to the airchecks. See you all on Twitch.
The Heidi Game story from an NBC log clerk November 17, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Film, Football, History, Hockey, Media, News, Sports, Technology, TV, Video.1 comment so far
Today is not just my 42nd birthday, but the 55th anniversary of the infamous Heidi Game, an AFL game between the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders. My fellow WCWP Hall of Famer John LiBretto, inducted in 2017, was a log clerk for NBC at the time, and permitted me to share what he remembered from that night via our e-mail conversation on Tuesday.
This is John’s story:
A little background: I was a Log Clerk, which was my entry job at NBC (I had started in June of 1968). Basically logged all programming and commercials etc. for the local station (WNBC) and for the network.
I worked in a room with two TV monitors just next to BOC (Broadcast Operations Control), the area that was responsible for all programming output to the network and WNBC. Next door was Master Control, and just in front was the Control Room that switched between all the control studios, rolled the station breaks etc. etc. Busy place.
On any given weekend that had live sports, the Operations Dept issued Conditions that outlined what was to happen during various points in the broadcast day (i.e. handoffs between games and regionalization of games during the football season, and the end of sports into the prime-time schedule at 7PM on a Sunday night). Remember, while the NFL and AFL had announced their merger to take effect in 1970, they were still separate leagues in 1968. The AFL did not have the high ratings of the NFL, nor the clout over the network (in fact, it was said that NBC saved the AFL, and helped facilitate the merger).
There were times that the network would allow a game to run slightly past 7PM, and either slide the network accordingly (rare), or do a Join-in-Progress (also rare). The show on this particular Sunday, Heidi, was a very expensive adaptation of the story (music by John Williams, by the way), and the conditions specifically stated that, no matter what, the show would air to east and central time zones at 7PM. The big 4PM game was, of course, Jets at Oakland Raiders. The commercial control was in Burbank (NBC’s west coast headquarters), so the game was coming back to the east via the video/audio lines from NBC Burbank to Paducah, KY, where it was switched, by AT&T, into the main network via something called the Round Robin (the network signal left NY and traveled in a big circle, city to city, and eventually came back to NY…a big circle that allowed news feeds and regional commercials to be switched into the network as needed (not to mention regional football games).
A lot of set-up information for what transpired next.
As we got closer to 7PM, it was pretty clear the game was not going to end on time. Curt Gowdy had already promoted that Heidi would be coming up in the east and central time zones at 7PM; the game would continue out west. The powers that be (Julian Goodman, President of NBC) realized that this was probably not a great idea after all, and tried to call BOC to order a change (i.e. let the game finish, and slide the east and central feed of Heidi). By this time, the calls were coming into NBC New York from viewers and overwhelming the switchboard, so Goodman couldn’t get through in time.
Here’s the sequence as it aired on the East Coast:
6:58:40 Network Identification (NI) a :06 seconded, either a promo, or just “This is the NBC Television Network.”
6:58:46 Network goes to black for local station break
Somewhere in here, BOC got word from Goodman to delay Heidi and go back to the game…mind you, only 1:14 to accomplish this. That NI I mentioned was also a set cue for the AT&T facility in Paducah to reverse the eastbound feed from Burbank to the normal feed of the network outbound to the west coast. So, that already meant the game was never coming back to the East Coast.
7:00:00 NBC Color Peacock (The Following is a Special Color Presentation on NBC)
7:00:12 A little bit of the Heidi opening, followed by hash (yes, they switched to the incoming feed from California, which unfortunately had nothing on it). Hash is what happens when there is no usable signal on the incoming line (looks like grey fuzz on the screen).
Looked worse than it seems in the writing of it!
Finally, realizing there was nowhere left to go, BOC switched back to the studio airing Heidi and just let it play. The screaming in BOC was quite something, but they actually did everything correctly; had they NOT aired Heidi according to the conditions without Goodman’s authorization, they probably would have all been fired. As it turned out, two of us became quite busy Sports directors!
It’s a miracle Goodman got through at all; the switchboard completely melted down from the volume of calls. The surprise was so did the switchboards in Chicago, Cleveland and Washington. That’s how NBC discovered that the AFL had become a pretty hot property.
I remember all this because I had to log every single second of what went on the air that evening. Eventually, a flash caster was aired over Heidi giving the final score (Oakland scored twice in a matter of a few seconds and won the game [43-32], which further pissed off the New York market).
John LiBretto, via 11/14/23 e-mail
As a postscript to John’s story, here is David Brinkley‘s report and Curt Gowdy’s re-creation of the end of the game on the following night’s Huntley-Brinkley Report:
The Jets would get their revenge on Oakland six weeks later in the AFL Championship Game, beating the Raiders 27-23 at Shea Stadium. Of course, two weeks after that, the Jets upset the NFL Champion Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Instrumental Invasion, 11/16/23: 60-year musical journey, 1963-2023 November 17, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Computer, Football, Game Shows, Internet, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Livestream, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, smooth jazz, Sports, Technology, TV, Video.add a comment
This edition of Instrumental Invasion started out as a regular Wednesday night show that I assumed would air after a short programming hiatus (one or two weeks) for WCWP. I guessed wrong. Thus, this was reworked as a Thursday night show. References to “this week” were removed and the intro and outro were redone to acknowledge the impending demise.
Rather than have my last six shows run on The Wave, station manager Pete Bellotti arranged for this show and the next one to air on consecutive nights, hours before the renovation programming hiatus was to begin. This meant I was on three nights in a row: November 15 to 17, all in the regular 9PM slot.
The playlist was created on October 4 and annotated from October 13 to 15. The script was drafted on the 15th, 17th, and 18th.
Recording began on November 4, during my second-ever Twitch livestream. It was an opportunity let viewers in on the process, though few cared to watch live. I worked on the first hour over the course of a two-hour stream. Then, I raided out to music streamer Cerian (kerry-anne). (Twitch doesn’t have a radio category, so I chose music and felt I should raid a fellow music streamer.) I was giddy (as in Biddy) to raid her because I’d been meaning to give her streams a try. I promised I would play the instrumental version of her song “Wrong Side” in my last show, which I assumed would be 186. More on that in the finale recap.
Livestream clips:
- Making a train-whistle motion while backselling “Dazzling” by Casiopea
- Using Game Dave emotes after playing his liner between songs, then imitating one of his sound commands
- The raid out to Cerian
The first segment of hour 2 was recorded on November 5 and the rest on the morning of the 6th. I was over a minute beyond my desired 1:49:00 threshold, but with legal IDs and spot breaks, I’d still end before 11PM.
As noted earlier, pickups were recorded on the evening of the 6th, but only after reinstating backups of segment session files. Thinking I was moving to The Wave, I recorded a tag to play in place of all FM references in liners, then I saved and exported those files accordingly.
David Benoit‘s cover of “Song for My Father” was first played on July 1, 2020, but not with the lengthy origin story. I ended up hooked on a video YouTube recommended of the Horace Silver Quintet playing “Song for My Father” on Danish TV in April 1968:
That, in turn, sent me down a Billy Cobham rabbit hole, culminating in this August 2016 Drumeo presentation:
Click here to download the penultimate scoped aircheck or listen below:
Instrumental Invasion, 11/15/23: Song pairs from 2023 albums November 16, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Livestream, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, smooth jazz, Technology.add a comment
The November 15 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was the last show to air on Wednesday night, and the third song pair show. The theme was pairs from 2023 albums. It was an excuse to accelerate my new release backlog airplay ritual of playing six songs from a new release. Since David Benoit‘s latest release came out in February 2022, he was absent from the show. That’s eight times in 180 shows without my favorite musician. And visiting the future, I can say it ended up eight times in 182 shows.
The playlist was created on September 9, the last in a group of four I worked on. Annotations were made alongside the other three, between September 13 and 18. The talk break script was drafted on the 21st.
I recorded this show’s first hour at the office on September 27. The first segment of hour two was recorded on the 28th (while watching VoiceUnmuted [Katie Seto] on Twitch) and the last two (plus pickups) on the 29th. The pickups were to accommodate the resulting deficit upon replacing Pat Metheny‘s “Trust Your Angels” with “Morning of the Carnival.” My September 30 quality control session (prior to Katie’s charity stream) came up clean, so no further pickups were needed.
The office recordings were the first time I changed my editing technique. You may have noticed distorted audio in talk breaks in last week’s show from the third segment on. Adobe Audition‘s declicker filter worked fine at home when used broadly (for the entire file), but not at the office where I had updated to the latest edition of Audition. So, after applying denoise, I listened intently for mouth clicks and other noises to filter out as I edited. I have since updated all my Adobe programs at home and have the same problem, meaning I have to use the same technique there.
Click here to download the scoped aircheck or listen below:
Instrumental Invasion, 11/8/23 November 9, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Internet, Japanese, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Language, Media, Music, Personal, Pop, Radio, Rock, smooth jazz.add a comment
NOTE: This is the last standalone Instrumental Invasion. I have agreed to end the run next week with three more shows airing on consecutive nights at 9:00: show 180 on November 15, 181 on the 16th, and 182 (the finale) on the 17th, my 42nd birthday.
The November 8 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was another two-four recording: the first two segments on September 25, the last four on the 26th. A pickup was recorded on October 21.
The playlist was created on September 7. Annotations were made between September 13 and 18, with the talk break script drafted on the 20th. Caitlin Myers might have planted the “certified bop” seed, which is why I quipped how “Grooveyard” was that.
“Prince Vlad” by T-Square is probably the most metal thing I’ll ever play and it was followed by Najee‘s very smooth jazz thing.
I had to sacrifice another segment format to allow for more songs from recent releases. Next Wednesday, those songs will make up the entire show.
Click here to download this week’s scoped aircheck or listen below:
As a bonus, here is the music video for “Beyond the Galaxy” by Casiopea 3rd:
Instrumental Invasion, 11/1/23 November 2, 2023
Posted by Mike C. in Airchecks, Audio, Comedy, Internet, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Media, Music, Personal, Radio, Rock, smooth jazz, TV, Video.add a comment
There is a major announcement at the end of this post.
The November 1 Instrumental Invasion on WCWP was recorded on September 23 (first two segments) and 24 (last four). Pickups were recorded on the 30th.
The playlist was created September 6, and annotated with three other shows between the 13th and 18th. The talk break script was drafted on the 20th.
David Benoit‘s cover of “Then the Morning Comes” by Smash Mouth was originally played April 14, 2021. I played it in tribute to their late lead vocalist Steve Harwell.
My talk-up for “Junior” by Euge Groove – “you can call it Junior!” – was a nod to the late Bill Saluga‘s Raymond J. Johnson Jr. character. An example performance:
Click here to download this week’s scoped aircheck or listen below:
Before air, I made the following announcement on Facebook:
Before tonight’s show airs, I would like to announce that I am ending my run of Instrumental Invasion after show 186. If the FM stream is working by 9:00, show 178 will be airing. That means I will have eight shows left to air. Two are ready to be recorded and the last four have yet to be worked on. I have taken this show as far as it can go and am burned out.
Instrumental Invasion has been my longest-running production and my best work creatively. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with the world and will carry on with the name each October during Homecoming Weekend.
MikeChimeri.com 
