Rich Fields

[TPIRFan]

[quote name=\'TalkingHeadsFan\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 04:15 PM\']I think it was Mr. Barker himself who said "when Rich tells people to Come On Down!, it's happy! It's a happy voice!" His tone of voice and his enthusiasm certainly give off a genuine, natural vibe that fits the show perfectly. In my opinion, Rich is the most natural sounding person who's ever been behind the mic, aside from Johnny O. If we were to compare Rich's performance from his auditions, to current, I'd say he's made a hell of an improvement. I hated him during auditions, but he's improved so drastically, I now think he's doing a fine job. However, considering they made Rich the permanent announcer based on that audition is quite iffy. At that time, I would not have chosen him, I would have chosen Randy.

I've always felt that the best announcers never sounded like their stereotype, which is exactly why Burton was terrible on TPiR.

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Happy? I guess you could call overly-enthusiastic to just plain screaming happy. But how happy is too happy.

Natural? I can hardly call shouting HERE IT COMES! and LOVELY SERVEWARE! (OK, the last one was sarcastic, but, you get my point) so loud that you might have to take a Tylenol is not natural.

Improvement? If he's made any improvement, It's hardly noticable. He still growls when he says Bob's name, screeches during the "Here it comes!" on in Rich's tone HERE IT COMES!, and he still has that nasaly annoying voice on almost every single one of his prize plugs.

On some of his announcing, I think Daniel Rosen could do a better job.  

But, there are those people @ golden-road.net (Yes, I am a member there, under a different name though) who first acted like he was awful now all of a sudden has turned in to a "great announcer", who you're basically not allowed to say anything the least negative about, or else you get screamed at. (I like that website though, great people, great website), but anyway, back on topic, the only thing I like about Rich is that he does some prize plugs good.

He just has such a nasty and annoying voice, it sticks in your head and you can't get it out. He is going to give people nightmares one day.

[mystery7]

Here's what I'm thinking about each of the announcers, for what little it's worth:

Randy: learned from the best, so it follows that he is one of the best. He nailed my legal last name at TPiL last year, and that, for me, is enough.  Ad-libbing around stodgy copy is also a plus. My only nitpick is that he can sound a little too dramatic in that copy.

Burton: his overenunciation and "puker" style didn't wear well for such an announcer-intensive show. Too much of an act.

Art: Coulda been a contenda.

Roger: had to grope for the list of contestants once when Bob cued him for the next name. Need I say more?

Daniel: chosen strictly for his warmup, I'll bet. Even then, a questionable choice. C'mon, a juggler? A furking juggler? Yeah, he's also a standup comic, but still.... And I won't start about his actual announcing.

Rich: a garden-variety weatherman who got a REALLY lucky break. He could stand to turn his enthusiasm knob down to about 9 or 10 for cars and "come on down". I think his diction is a little lazy in spots, and he doesn't have the midrange that gave Rod such a commanding presence.

I didn't hear enough of Jim or Don to form an opinion of them. And from out of left field, I'm a little disappointed Bob Hilton wasn't considered.

[FOXSportsFan]

Allegedly Bob Hilton was given the job in a way...he could have accepted the gig and the auditions would have never happened.  Instead, he passed on it.

Rich is very personable and can go from a COME ON DOWN (or as he says "CAMMMMMMMMMMM AWNNNNN DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!") to a straight IUFB read in a nice manner.  

In the auditions, there was one thing I noticed that Rich grapsed a bit better than the other folks.  Timing.  Specifically, he nailed the door reveals.  Most of the other announcers waited for the doors to completely open and then name the prize.  Some more so, think Roger Rose...some less so, think Randy West.  In my opinion, just as the doors start to open, when you get a glimpse of the prize, the announcer should start his spiel.  It's a little thing, but the little things mean so much to some, I guess.

Full assessment:
Rich Fields - I actually had a hunch from his first audition he'd get the gig.  Solid voice and delivery...not overpowering really.  Can get amped up with the crowd when needed, and go into the straight read well.  And, hey the fans of the show, on the whole, seem to like him.

Randy West - If Rich is 1, Randy is 1a on my list.  Trained by Johnny Olson, which is a plus and an advantage and a half, but at times seems to mirror Johnny O. in delivery a little too closely.  He knows the show like he knows what's down Aisle 5 at NBC in Burbank.  Bottom line: a great announcer, dare I say even better warm up act...oh he'll find work I think, lol.  Tip him if you go to the Showboat.

Jim Thornton - Never got a fair shake.  By the time his shows aired, the diehards had learned Rich had gotten the gig.  Jim had a solid delivery, wasn't too exciting but wasn't too depressing.

Burton Richardson - I like Burton, but I think he tried too hard in his outings.  I think he tried to distance himself from his style on TNPIR '94.  Good delivery, not bad on the enthusiasm, but he has the stereotypical Top 40 voice which can be good or bad depending on the octane in your tank.

Art Sanders - Art came off like he was trying to be the poor man's Randy West to me...his delivery was sort of patterned after him, but in a less effective manner.  Decent delivery...voice wasn't too my liking.  And he faked enthusiasm on the big prize reveals.  Sorry folks, he's overrated in my book.

THE CUTOFF REALLY BEGINS HERE:

Don Bishop - Shits and giggles.  I'm sorry, that's what comes to mind.  He was amped up on Jolt cola which actually may have been a good thing.  Two problems though: 1) No interaction with Bob.  2) He placed his accents in his reads in very weird spots if you notice and listen to clips.  For what it's worth, I liked his intro for Bob...different yet neat and upbeat.  Oh and his ticket plug (which I am willing to bet had to be re-recorded for post production)...just not good.

Roger Rose - Go back to VH1 for the love of...someone.  Rose was bland and had an accentuation problem.  He got more excited in the open then he did on a new car reveal.  Decent copy reader, hence he's the damned voiceover guy for UPN 57 here in Philly.  Who booked this guy for show 6000?  Was Randy at the Copa Cabana...was Burton doubling the points?

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniel Rosen - O Danny Boy, your pipes...your pipes are noooooooooooothing.  Daniel's probably a solid comedian and an all around good guy.  That said, he's not a fit for Price.  Rosen was the equivalent of what a nasally Krusty the Clown might sound like announcing Price.  Has he improved on the stage show?

THE WILD CARD:
Paul Boland - I'm gonna take heat for this...I actually liked him.  He certainly had the energy for Price and that's half the battle.  I don't want to hear a guy who's like Strongsad telling me to "Come on Down!".  Should he have toned it down...a little, I guess...but come on people...it's television's most exciting game show.  It reeks of cheese and excitement...and Rod Roddy was nothing short of outlandish (and I mean that in a very good way, folks).

Hey, with all that said these folks had the experience that little old me could only dream of having, so just being considered is a tip of the hat on its own.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'FeudDude\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 05:09 PM\']Well, with all his years of broadcasting experience, I would imagine that he has had some.  Whether or not he adheres to what he learned back then is another story.

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Jillian Barbarie/Bimborie/whateveryouwannacallher has also had tons of broadcasting experience.  Doesn't mean she's had formal voice training.

(cue person with more caustic wit to insert punch line here)

Doug -- and the countdown to 1500 continues

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'FOXSportsFan\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 07:54 PM\']Allegedly Bob Hilton was given the job in a way...he could have accepted the gig and the auditions would have never happened.  Instead, he passed on it.

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I'd be very interested to know where you heard that, because that's not even remotely close to the way I've heard Barker felt about the announcer position immediately after Rod died.

[quote name=\'Jumpondees\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 03:15 PM\']Bottom line here...We compared (in our own way, pubically or not) Rod to Johnny when Rod got the job

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No, I can honestly say I have never done that.  I will grant that I was only 3 at the time, but I really don't think it would have mattered. ;-)

[FOXSportsFan]

I say allegedly because I believe it was posted on the Golden Road forum somewhere.  Hence my use of the word allegedly.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 08:35 PM\']I'd be very interested to know where you heard that, because that's not even remotely close to the way I've heard Barker felt about the announcer position immediately after Rod died.
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So...Bob Hilton could have had it after Johnny O died; *and* after Rod died?  Or are we just talking about after Johnny Olsen died?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'FOXSportsFan\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 06:42 PM\']I say allegedly because I believe it was posted on the Golden Road forum somewhere.  Hence my use of the word allegedly.
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Fine.

"Allegedly, FOXSportsFan is a complete moron."

I say this because I believe someone posted this on a random forum somewhere. Hence my use of the word allegedly.

See the danger here?

[FeudDude]

Here's the thread on G-R about Bob Hilton being offered the job.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'FeudDude\' date=\'Sep 28 2005, 07:02 PM\']Here's the thread on G-R about Bob Hilton being offered the job.

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And still I don't see one iota of proof, other than the say-so of a guy who punctuates badly and doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're".

[FOXSportsFan]

Hence the word allegedly.  I never said it was the gospel.  For all we know on the GR thread, it's the statement of a bowling buddy...or it could be Lemon's second cousin-twice removed-once reinstated.

Hey, let's get back on topic!

[Don Howard]

My source is first-hand on the successions. Bob Hilton himself is the source. And he told me he was offered Johnny O.'s job "but couldn't give them the full-time commitment they wanted". That's a direct quote from an e-mail sent to me from Bob many years ago. Also, he was offered an audition (along with Rich, Burton, Randy and the others) after Rod passed away and he declined.
And so it goes.

[JayDLewis]

I've warmed up to Rich, I think he's doing OK and seems like a nice enough guy. (Yeah, yeah lots of nice guys out there, they aren't announcing...whatever)

My opinion has always been that Randy was too much of a character. He sounded a little like Rod and Johnny. Maybe Barker's ego wasn't thrilled at the prospect of having another "star" (Ie. someone as recognizable as himself) on the show. So they went with a voice that doesn't really stand out.

[FOXSportsFan]

What's Hilton up to these days anyway?  I know he was a NoCal newsman for awhile and that he authored a book a couple of years back.

[mystery7]

He's living with his wife Joni and his family in California enjoying a life of clean living.