Al Ham was an American composer, arranger, and producer, especially known for the timeless jingles he wrote during the 1970s for Coca-Cola and 6ABC Action News. 

 

Ham’s early career saw him playing bass for acts such as Artie Shaw and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, at which time he arranged alongside the great Henry Mancini. In 1956, he began working at Columbia Records as a special A&R, and would go on to assist in the creation of the technology used in the first stereo recordings. 

 

Throughout these years, Ham was working consistently as a composer and arranger of commercial and soundtrack music, creating jingles for State Farm, McDonalds, Gillette, and many more. In 1971, Ham produced the iconic “Buy the World a Coke” jingle for Coca-Cola. To do so, he created The Hillside Singers, a vocal group featuring his wife Mary and their daughter Lorri. Ham would go on to produce a full length pop version of the song, re-imagined as “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” The single went on to become a hit, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Top 200.

 

Seeing the publicity the campaign generated, 6ABC executive Walter Liss reached out to Ham to produce something similar for his network. In 1974, Ham recorded an entire news suite package, filled with different arrangements and moods, and again featuring The Hillside Singers. He would touch on pop, soul, orchestral, library, lounge, and jazz. The stunning result was the Move Closer To Your World news package.

 

The main version was picked up by local ABC affiliates across the nation, serving as the de facto theme song to the evening news for generations of Americans. While other markets have gradually incorporated new theme songs, Philadelphia has used “Move Closer to Your World” continuously since adopting it in the 70s. The song has become a local anthem, and an iconic calling card for a city with a rich and diverse musical history. 

 

Over the course of a long and illustrious career, Al Ham won many CLIOs for his music in commercials, and was awarded four gold medals at the International Film and Television Festivals. In 2025, Philadelphia record label Eraserhood Sound made his iconic anthem “Move Closer To Your World,” plus two never before heard alternate versions, available for streaming, as well as a limited edition 7” vinyl pressing. It serves as a fitting tribute to Al Ham’s legendary career, and keeps his music in all of our lives.