mama ilardo's - Feather in an Elevator

Tiny budget for this. Instead of spending on casting, we created a shell, then posed pseudo-scientific/philosophical questions to our pals Dave McMillan and Marc Lichtenstein. Sixty minutes of recorded riffing was edited down to :60. Our producer RIck played the bongos. Much fun was had, and it even made the Mercury Awards.

Ronzoni Pasta - Spaghetti Western

Ronzoni wanted to name a variety of pasta in their radio, so we did. Along with heavy sound design by Tom Clack.

I count my lucky stars to have worked with Tom, a dignified, mustachioed Englishman who wore ascots and safari jackets. Other audio engineers used canned sound effects. Not Tom. He'd politely step into his soundproof booth and begin throwing furniture, smashing grapefruit, honking horns, whatever it took. His splats, screeches, sirens, and snorts were like no others.

If you were really lucky he'd give you a 45 rpm copy of his sound-designed masterpiece, "The Longest Bowel Movement in the World."

Fuddruckers - Burger Anthem

This was written as a country song, but the geniuses at the Butler Bros and Tequila Mockingbird took a totally unexpected route -- a Jim Caroll-esque rocker!

Oliver Ales - Traditional British-style Beer

Oliver Ales wanted a radio spot about their traditional "British-style" brewing techniques. The brewery was just across the street from Camden Yards, and as we gazed over, a rather traditional British-style scenario popped into our heads. As for the casting, we had just seen a Mike Leigh movie, and so opted for authenticity over comprehensibility. Here's a transcript to read along with:

Mr. Bumble: Oliver Ales. We use only the finest ingredients blah blah blah you heard it from everyone. But here's how traditional Oliver Ales is different from other supposedly British style beer.

Only Oliver Ales has a secret tunnel running to the lost children's station at Camden Yards. If a child goes unclaimed for say two or three hours, we escort them through the tunnel to the underground workhouse beneath Oliver Ales. Here they're put to the test of brewing a truly traditional British style beer, just like in England a hundred years ago.

Of course it involves long hours and exhausting work but our brewmaster is pleasant enough, and two bowls of gruel a day is really all a growing boy needs.

Lost child: Please sir I'd like some more.

Mr. Bumble: Besides with their rosy faces all smudged up and sooty it looks like an old Charles Dickens movie, like they're about to break into song.

So have a truly traditional Oliver Ale. Bloody right it's brewed in Baltimore.

Neighborcare - Ode to Neighborcare

A Dr. Seuss-inspired stroll to the pharmacy.

Baltimore Orioles - Go Play In The Yard

When you get to write a theme song for the Baltimore Orioles with Little Richard and record it at Capitol Records in the studio where Sinatra recorded "Strangers In The Night" with Leslie Jones (Spike's daughter) as the engineer, you are a happy copywriter.