The inspiration for this thread came to me, at of all places, an Angel's baseball game.
Between innings, the organ player was pumping out the unmistakeable strains of "Shaker Song".
Anytime you hear Spyro music(other than where you expect to, i.e., a jazz radio station) list it here.
Last week when I was near-death with the flu(the REAL flu, not the type where you have a cold, but call it the flu to get out of work), I was channel surfing...I stopped to watch a bit of Gene Scott(man did I ever have cabin fever!). At the end of the program, during the closing credits, they treated the viewing audience with "Leticia", from the bands debut record.
So, wherever you stumble upon Spyro Gyra music, list it here. It might be during closing credits to a news broadcast, or during one of those new magazine programs, or one of those half hour "exotic getaway" programs that many local stations air.
Will be interested to see if this thread gets any bites.

Peace!
Paul

Paul,
This sounds like a great thread, but I can't think of any unexpected SG listenings. I do want to mention that it's a surprising pleasure to hear some sound bites of CJazz on CBS PGA golf broadcasts when they go into a break (I always thought Golf was cool). I believe I've heard bits of Acoustic Alchemy and Larry Carlton on occasion. Occasionally, in the supermarket, I'll hear a Muzak version of some CJazz...bleccchhhh!!!

[This message has been edited by lurchtex (edited 10-14-99).]

A few years ago, I heard "Morning Dance" used as a theme song for a local morning talk show.

And lurchtex, funny you mention PGA golf on CBS, because every time a certain George Benson song is played (can't remember the title at the moment), I think of golf! Not a fan of the sport, but watching it with my dad I thought it was cool to hear some jazz during the program.

I thought maybe we should allow this thread to expand, so that if you happen to hear an unexpected Spyro Gyra track(Morning Dance and Ariana do NOT qualify, unless they are the live versions!)anywhere...even if it is on the radio.

I say this, cuz I was pleasantly surprised to hear "Breezeway", from the new "Got The Magic" cd...on KSBR 88.5 FM. The only other time I've heard Spyro Gyra on this station was about a year ago when they spun the "Road Scholars" version of Morning Dance.

By the way, we got the entire version of "Breezeway", not the edit version that Shannon mentioned in another thread here on Magic Island.

Peace!
Paul

I heard "Silk and Satin" playing over the store speakers at a K-mart. One of the store clerks was really getting into it.

Also heard a song from their 20/20 cd playing at an amusement park in SLC, Utah. I have to admit I was surprised both times since the airplay SG receives is unfairly minimal.

I heard "Silk And Satin" in a local supermarket chain, "Albertsons" the other night.

And on 88.5 FM, I heard "Shaker Song" yesterday. Man that is still a great song. I hadn't heard the studio version in quite awhile, and it still sounds fresh and unique on the cookie-cutter stations.

Oh... a few days ago, I also heard "Morning Dance" on 97.5 FM out of San Diego. That jazz station always has a station banner up at the jazz concerts at Humphreys By The Bay, so maybe it was in prep for Spyro's visit there on August 24th.

It's nice to hear Spyro in any form...even if it's only the radio hits such as "Silk", "Ariana", "Morning" and "Shaker".

Peace!
Paul

Oh... a few months back, 88.5 FM threw me for a loop by spinning "Best Friends" from "Road Scholars".

It blew me away so much that it took me half the song to come up with the title!!

Minus: Julio's guitar solo was cut by the station going to top of the hour news! GRRRR!

Peace!
Paul

Paul,

Not too long ago, I was on a layover in Houston (I'm a pilot for Delta) and heard Silk and Satin playing in the lobby of the hotel.

Also, I've noticed that "Fox and Friends" on Fox News Channel is playing South American Sojourn as transition music to and from commercials quite a bit.

I'm based in Atlanta and have heard several Spyro tunes playing on the music system in Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport(ATL).

Rick

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited August 18, 2000).]

Last Fall I had the opportunity to travel through much of Europe for business. While in Paris, we were at a place called Crazy Horse--A classy upscale Vegas revue type dance show. At the opening of one of the sets the curtains open up to a dozen dancing girls and the music of Para Ti Latino. Although they only played about a minute, it fit perfect and sounded great 4,000 miles from home.
The previous night walking down the Soho area of London we walked past a place called Ronnie Scotts where a line of about 80 people waited outside to see Chick Corea start his set at about 10:00pm Went in and sat at a table 3 feet from the stage. Pretty cool evening when at 9:00pm we had no idea what we were going to do. The strange thing is, it wasn't until I got back home that I realized what a famous place Ronnie Scotts was and the legends that have played there. That surprised me because I don't think it held more than 250 people and was kind of a dive place. Shows how much I know.

most of these are mentioned in another thread on the same subject, but here goes:
Rasul: (1983-84) Jay's climactic solo was played between the evening news and the next program on a closed-circuit TV station, run by crew members of the battleship New Jersey
Song for Lorraine: (early 1990s) during the showcase of a Price Is Right broadcast
Lovin' You: (early 1990s) on Eckerd radio, broadcast in one of the chain's stores
Freetime: (1984 or 85), played during an L.A. TV station's broadcast of "Eye on LA"
Last Exit: (1985), during a commercial break of a taping (which I attended) of the Merv Griffin Show
City Kids: (1987-88) introduction used to introduced jazz program on a Reno radio station that normally played rock
Shakedown, the video: (1985) saw it initially on a late-night video program in LA, then later on BET. How many have they done? Four? And each from a different album?
Heartbeat: (1986) drove past a Reno casino and heard a live band playing it. (1987-88) aforementioned radio program used Tom's solo to segue from commercial breaks. (By the way, David Sanborn hosted that program)
Sunflurry: (1986) the intro was used in a Hallman Chevrolet add on a Reno TV station
(Do you get the feeling that Reno media are well-acquainted with Spyro Gyra?)
Swept Away: (1986-88) of course, a Reno jewelry store ad on the same TV station used the intro.
I'll stop here and follow up with another posting.

------------------
Woody

As promised, here's the other posting.
Chrysalis: (1988) heard the opening either on (yet again) a Reno TV commercial or radio ad
Claire's Dream: (1989) Weather Channel
Innocent Soul and No Man's Land: (1988) the day after seeing them in concert in (where else?) Reno, I went window shopping for electronics. Stopped in a speaker store and this guy popped in "Rites of Summer" and blasted those two tracks on a pair of ... um, well, it was a long time ago and I can't remember the brand. My sister also said a soap opera played a portion of No Man's Land during a scene where a guy was being chased through the woods. She didn't say this, but I imagine the scene happened at night and in the rain.
Don't believe I got any more pleasant surprises until ...
20/20: (1997) at the end of a Nightline broadcast on ABC, they showed a clip of Spyro Gyra playing that as a tribute to the band's 20 years of recordings. That was particularly special because I was at work; the boss hadn't long ordered a TV installed so we can watch the late news before going to press. And I just happened to be in a spot where I could see the TV when I heard their name.
And lastly, South American Sojourn and Morning Dance: (1999-2000) true, it is a jazz program on BET, but on Fridays they normally focus on Latin music. So it IS a surprise when the performers include Spyro Gyra and The Rippingtons.

------------------
Woody

Mark this date: Aug. 25, 2000
Was in the checkout line at Kroger when right behind Billy Joel's "Always a Woman" they played "The Unwritten Letter" in its entirety, interrupted of course by promotions and in-store pages.

------------------
Woody

THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!!!

I was at a friend's house last night watching some videos of some gigs we did a looong time ago and at the end of the tape, there were about five minutes or so from a local TV show's commercials and guess what?????. THEY WERE PLAYING "DADDY'S GOT A NEW GIRL NOW" ON A TACO BELL COMMERCIAL.

What the hell!!!!!!

Well, anything can happen here.

Eril.

Ok...I am bumping this thread to the top to get all of your updates!!!

BTW, whatever happened to "JazzKnight"???

Peace!
Paul

I'm assuming he ignored my advise and hired another scribe who turned out to be a hit man for the cultural elists.

A couple of weeks ago:

Now get this...I am not a fan, per se of Don Imus.

But check it--at 3 a.m. following a program I listen to on 830 AM here in the SoCAL area--Imus opens his show with this bumper music:

The entire studio version of "Shaker Song"!!

Somehow, hearing a Spyro Gyra song in an unexpected place or setting only enhances the enjoyment---kinda like a surprise, out of the blue "romantic" encounter while you're driving(LOL!)!!!

Peace!
Paul

P.S. WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY FLOORED IF I HEARD "GETAWAY" on KTWV 94.7 in L.A. At the moment, that would be a "rare sighting".

Shocker. My co-worker and I were on the way home from the Benoit/Rippingtons show in Memphis when the area smooth jazz station played Getaway.
That makes 3 SG songs I've heard on radio that didn't specialize in jazz.
Yeah, it's a "smooth jazz" station, but this song came after a few typical WB and GRP brand smooth jazz, Aretha Franklin and a couple of other R&B singers.
Talk about a pleasant surprise.

Yeah Paul!!! Has it happened to you that you start humming it and everybody goes: "you actually know that song??!! "

You Go :rolleyes: That's Spyro Gyra!!!!

About a month ago i was wachting a rerun of old conan O'brien and as they were going to comercial i that i heard, what i thought was alturnating currents

.......but i could be wrong

loomis

Loomis, it wouldn't surprise me at all, if Max Weinberg's band was playing it.

Calle Ocho today on The Weather Channel.

Thanks Woody...

I will hear Calle Ocho in a few minutes....it is in my car!!!

I STILL have yet to hear any Original Cinema on the radio!!!

Peace!
Paul

I heard getaway yesterday on a digital cable station called "music choice, smooth jazz".

Don't feel bad, Paul. If not for a chance happening that my friend who went with me to The Rippingtons show last month wasn't satisfied with the station his radio was on, and we kept losing signals, we might have been on another channel when the Memphis smooth jazz station played Getaway.

I woke up to the sounds of Morning Dance on my radio today. What makes it rare is that it's a station that plays a lot of stuff like Frank Sinatra and the like. Very mellow "adult" music. I've never heard Spyro on the station before. I have my clock radio set for this station because it's the only station that comes in clear and doesn't 'JOLT' me awake. It's hard enough to get up at 5AM!

"Breezeway" heard while shopping at a Meijer yesterday. I had to stop in my tracks to listen to the terrific Schu' solo.

not really heard but "seen".

nearly 10 albums at a used cd store including their last 2 new releases...someone must have lost the lovin feelin :rolleyes:

well, I bought 4 of them.

Heard Westwood Moon and Valentino's on The Weather Channel last week. But today, I got a real treat.
Was on my way home and barely within range of the jazz station at Mississippi Valley State when I heard a familiar keyboard opening. I cranked it, not believing I heard right.
Then I heard the drums and knew it for sure:
Planet J

Tomorrow night, "Dream Sequence" will be heard playing...at a gay Mardi Gras ball in New Orleans! :rolleyes:

Thanks to ME!

Okay, here's the deal...a few months ago, my supervisor, who is captain of the Mardi Gras krewe in question, asked me for ideas regarding music he could use for this year's ball. (His nickname for me is "The Jazzy One".) Their theme for the ball this year involves famous works of literature. So, he needed music to go with different books, such as Moby Dick, Robinson Crusoe, Tarzan of the Apes, etc, etc. (He gave me a whole list of books they were going to portray.) Anyway, I was only able to come up with about 6 or 7 suggestions, and I recorded those songs onto a disc so he could listen to them and decide whether or not to use them. For his "Murder Mysteries" category, I suggested two songs..."Film Noir" and "Dream Sequence", and he decided to go with "Dream Sequence"!

So, does that qualify as a strange and unusual place to hear Spyro Gyra??

Maybe not the place, but perhaps the people?
Sorry, Donna. That was too easy.
Hey, did you see where I borrowed from your idea?

You mean, giving away free music samples to people who never asked for it? Yeah, I saw that.

It's a special kind of sickness we have, isn't it? :p

Yep, sure is.

I'm an event planner so I've often used their music sometimes as walk in, sometimes as dinner music mainly because it helps to calm me down when my nerves are about to go through the roof during a big event. Does that count?
I work their music in whenever I can because I love when people come up to me after the event was over to ask what the background music was!

Great stuff, all...

Been back to Igor's since last time? youknowhoyouare

Actually, so far, I have only given out one CD with Spyro Gyra on it, and it just has 2 songs. I've been trying to mix it up, and since most of my customers so far are women who would normally be in the R&B or gospel crowd, I try not to overwhelm them with too much instrumental, so I've included lots of vocals. Now, when I get some more male customers and people increase the numbers of sales overall, the kid gloves come off.
In fact, I'm thinking my next two policy deliveries will include CDs based on the playlists from the last two jazz shows I went to see: Spyro Gyra and The Rippingtons - if I can get them done (including labels) in time.

OK... here's what I would consider a "rare sighting". Yesterday, I'm walking through the Atlanta airport to pick up my mom from a flight... I had just been listening to The Deep End on the way to the airport. As I'm walking through the concourse, I hear a song playing that sounds familiar. I listen closer and it sounds STRANGELY familiar... as in, there's something about this song that doesn't fit this situation. I listened closer and, guess what, it's Summer Fling from The Deep End. I was quite surprised that I was hearing a song from a CD that hasn't even been officially released yet! It also occured to me that I was probably the only person in the airport (out of 10's of thousands of people) who would recognize that song!

Rick

...and know the title...

Awesome, Rick!

The Delicate Prey on TWC this afternoon. I think that puts Dreams Beyond Control as the album from which I've heard the most SG songs (4) in venues other than my audio system or a performance by the group:
Walk the Walk - on hold with Cellular South customer service
Breakfast at Igor's - piped in at a Kroger supermarket
Birks Law - also heard in a store, but I can't remember which one, and TWC
The Delicate Prey - TWC

Even with hearing Getaway on smooth jazz radio, Original Cinema has maxed out at 3.

I was browsing a catalogue on thursday morning, I forget the name. Anyway, they were advertising some old phonograph. On the bottom of it, where there was a storage space for records was a vinyl of carnaval. Pretty cool! I nearly flipped. I cut out the picture. Pretty funny!

Typically on my days off, when I have the house to myself, I log onto PalTalk, a voice chat instant messaging service, and join a music room where we play or sing. In almost 4 years of doing this, I never heard anyone - besides myself - play Spyro Gyra. Yesterday, I got quite the pleasant surprise:
Schu's Blues.
The woman who played it said she loves that song and called it classic. (There was a bit of pop and fiz, so I'm assuming she had it on vinyl or was playing a tape recorded from an LP.)

Today, I went through the drive-thru at Taco Bell for lunch. They got my order wrong, so I went inside. As I was standing there waiting to get my food, Lucky Bounce from In Modern Times began to play on the sound system. Guess I was "lucky" they got my order wrong!

Rick

What did they serve? String Soup?

Or Maybe Shangai Gumbo

Touche, Eril.

Rick,

That probably wouldn't have happened if you were having Breakfast At Igor's.

Last time I checked, they don't have a drive thru, though...

You have to remember... it was TACO BELL. I guess it could have been the Shangai Gumbo Grilled Stuft Burrito!

BTW, Eril... I'm sorry I missed you while you were here in Atlanta. Hope your flights went better than last time!

Rick

Perhaps he was traveling INCOGNITO.

On the BET Jazz Channel they have a show that Ramsewy Lewis hosts, (they look like they were recorded in the 80's, and for some reason they have them left over to air on BET) I think it's called Sound And Style, the theme song is "Yosemite" from Rites Of Summer.

Was in a live chat karaoke room today. Another member played Florida Straits.

While waiting in the terminal at LAX in 3/14 for several hours - Morning Dance.

Maybe not so, "rare."

Interesting.
In the early 1990s, Ramsey Lewis hosted BET on Jazz, a two-hour program that aired most weeknights before the development of BET's cable jazz channel. From your description, I don't think it's the same program with a different title. Since Rites of Summer was released in 1988, I suspect Sound and Style was also a 1990s program.
Anybody else got different info?

They could of been taped in the 80's.

I've got some aging video of a BET show that Ramsey Lewis hosted called "Jazz Central." He did one with Spyro in which Ramsey remarked on perhaps three too many occasions about the band's "longevity." They did at least two more "Jazz Centrals" which were hosted by Sunny Sumter and Angela Stribling.

Yes, Gary, that's the show I was talking about. But it didn't use any SG music for its theme. Even though he says he thinks the other program was done in the 1980s, I'm thinking it was later if it uses Yosemite as its theme.

Yeah, I mean I dont know for sure. That was just my first impression. It was just that old muffled fuzzy sound and viewing quality that made me think that. I guess it could of been the tail end of the 80's. If anyone has BET Jazz and IO, check to see when Sound and Style is on and see for yourselves.