From my archives: TM Programming demonstration reel

[comfortably_numb]

From 1974. This was a demo sent to radio stations to try and sell them on the beautiful music (easy listening) format.

Check out the "radio voice" on this guy.

 

[Foxbat]

Check out the "radio voice" on this guy.

"…In a World…"

 

[harshness]

Easy listening perhaps happened because they could get away without paying a lot of the royalties with the instrumental versions of pop tunes.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Easy listening perhaps happened because they could get away without paying a lot of the royalties with the instrumental versions of pop tunes.

Not only that, the distributors hired their own orchestras (often in the UK) to record custom versions of those instrumental covers.

 

[harshness]

Not only that, the distributors hired their own orchestras (often in the UK) to record custom versions of those instrumental covers.

Covers are covers. The win is when you don't have to pay radio royalties that go uniquely to the lyricists. Presumably, no lyrics, no royalties.

 

[comfortably_numb]

It was a "style" of music that had a following that stems from a generation that frequented Ballrooms in the 20s-30s as teens then primary demo in the 60s and 70s. They died in the 80s and so did the format (mostly).

Muzak still has their proprietary Easy Listening music format called "Environmental" - all custom recordings

Environmental - What's Playing Now