Introduction
This is an experiment. I hope more people who worked in radio will take the time to educate the rest of us on how it all worked. This article is going to be similar to a Blog. It will be in parts and is Allan's reminiscences of his working life which started in radio. You will see how his radio experience then led to other related work. You have the opportunity to send in questions to Allan via the contact page, about the people he worked with, the shows he worked on or the equipment he used. I will then post the questions and the replies. Occasionally, Allan will consult with colleagues or other experts, so please do not expect instant replies.
I have also added a Contact Form after the latest Chapter in Allan's Reminiscences.
I have also added a Contact Form after the latest Chapter in Allan's Reminiscences.
ALLAN BLACK
Sydney producer engineer author Allan Black, started recording radio programs as a trainee in 1956 and sold his company and semi-retired in 2001. Here's his fascinating story.
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All or part of any written material, including graphics and photographs, submitted by Allan Black and contained in any of these ‘Parts’ is strictly copyright. © Allan Black 2016 - 2024.
All other material appearing in these 'Parts' (such as externally sourced photographs, artwork, advertisements, reprints etc.) are copyright their respective copyright owners, and are reproduced here on this website, under the "Fair dealing for purposes of criticism or review" provisions of the Copyright Act, 1968. (Australia)
All rights reserved. Nothing may be stored in a retrieval device for later use. Sight impaired visitors, please visit the home page first.
Allan Black Part 80 - Pt 01 (starts the story of The ATA Studio Years)
So in April 1973 I set up Natec Sound Studios in the rear studio at ATA, each weekday morning driving from the northern suburb of Killara over the harbour bridge to Glebe, timing my run to avoid the peak hour traffic. And thankfully, true to their word most of our major clients come with me. One of the most important is K-TEL, their commercial work keeps steadily growing, and when I’m busy with other clients, I stay late to finish their latest commercial.
Not long after I start here, one morning ATA engineer/producer Bruce Brown, says to me, “Al, if you’re available, I have an interesting job you could help me with.” Bruce’s job is this. Ron Wills, the RCA record producer who I also know from the records that I’ve recorded at Bligh St. has conferred with Col Joye to ask Bruce can he record a vocal session at The NSW Prisons Correctional Facility at Bathurst west of Sydney.
Not long after I start here, one morning ATA engineer/producer Bruce Brown, says to me, “Al, if you’re available, I have an interesting job you could help me with.” Bruce’s job is this. Ron Wills, the RCA record producer who I also know from the records that I’ve recorded at Bligh St. has conferred with Col Joye to ask Bruce can he record a vocal session at The NSW Prisons Correctional Facility at Bathurst west of Sydney.
Bruce explains “I plan to take the Philips 2 track master recorder, Nakamichi cassette deck, the small mixer, a couple of mics, stands, amp. and speakers and drive up to the Bathurst jail early one morning, set up and have lunch. In the afternoon with an audience we’ll record the RCA artist, prisoner Vic. Simms, pack up, stay overnight in Bathurst and drive back next morning. Can you come along as assistant engineer?” Interesting to say the least. Bruce explains Vic. Simms ran into serious trouble with alcohol and the law. He was halfway through a 7 year prison sentence in Bathurst for robbery when he traded cigarettes for a guitar, learned to play and started writing his songs.
Now I recall reading about ongoing prisoner unrest at the Bathurst jail but this sounds like a once in a lifetime experience. So planning to move a recording session and booking myself out I agree, adding I’ll take my Nikon camera along.
Bruce confirms details of our personal safety and the date with Ron Wills and early one Tuesday morning with all the recording gear, in Bruce’s Volkswagen Kombi we head west for the 3 1/2hr drive, arriving at the Bathurst facility to set up in the Dining hall. We park the Kombi as close as we can to the main entrance.
Now I recall reading about ongoing prisoner unrest at the Bathurst jail but this sounds like a once in a lifetime experience. So planning to move a recording session and booking myself out I agree, adding I’ll take my Nikon camera along.
Bruce confirms details of our personal safety and the date with Ron Wills and early one Tuesday morning with all the recording gear, in Bruce’s Volkswagen Kombi we head west for the 3 1/2hr drive, arriving at the Bathurst facility to set up in the Dining hall. We park the Kombi as close as we can to the main entrance.
Even though we’re working, it’s still an uneasy feeling going into a high security prison, there’s high walls, steel gates, barbed razor wire, steel bars and watching cameras everywhere. Bruce and I are carrying 1/2 our gear as we walk to the main gates, identify ourselves on a security camera and are let through one steel gate which clangs shut behind us. Another high steel gate opens and we go through into the guard room. There we each show identification, go through a metal detector and open our gear cases for inspection. This takes about 15 minutes then we’re directed across to the Dining hall by 2 uniformed officers with batons, who help carrying the gear.
In the large empty Dining hall they’ve removed all the tables and arranged about 50 chairs in a semi circle around what they’ve imagined we would like as a recording stage. Here we meet John S. the prison co-ordinator for the session, and he confirms the audience for the recording will be trusted prisoners who’ve all completed a good behaviour period, separate from any prison disturbances. At this point I agree with Bruce that while he starts setting up, I’ll go back out and bring in the rest of our gear. So accompanied by surly officer Frank swinging his baton, we retrace our path back to the entrance.
All’s well, the gear is unloaded I lock the Kombi and with Frank helping to carry gear, we approach the first gate again. But here I run into trouble.
All’s well, the gear is unloaded I lock the Kombi and with Frank helping to carry gear, we approach the first gate again. But here I run into trouble.
Allan Black Part 81 - Pt 02
From the parking area, Bathurst jail officer Frank and I go back through the steel gates to find in the guards room the shift has changed, and while it’s only been a short time since we passed out, despite my protests and Frank confirming, now I have to go through the whole entry process again. Phew! they take this seriously. In the Dining hall Bruce has set up and is testing the recording gear all the while talking with talent Vic. Simms, getting sound levels with his guitar and making sure his timed list of songs hasn’t changed. I meet Vic. and before the audience is let in, I take a series of shots of him knowing I’m barred from photographing any of the other detainees.
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The enthusiastic audience files in, gets seated, Vic. introduces the proceedings and gets ready to record his first song. Bruce starts the Philips recorder and the first 5 songs are completed each followed by loud applause from the audience, who it seems, appreciate the free concert. We now have a break to change master tapes and give Vic. a break to retune his guitar. Then we record his next 5 songs, then a longer break this time to let the prisoners stretch their legs. Most stand and a few come over to look at our gear and ask questions while Bruce changes tapes again. I stand up to realise I’m surrounded by stoney-faced probably very dangerous people who all seem friendly enough, but when one big guy notices my flared trousers the current fad, he gruffly says to me, “So that’s what they’re wearing out there now.” Gulp!
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Another half hour and we’ve recorded another 2 of Vic’s songs as backup, in case any of the previous 10 don’t make the cut. And the RCA Vic. Simms recording session is successfully completed. The prisoners thank Vic. with loud applause, and some look over to wave goodbye to Bruce and I, then they’re all shepherded out back to their cells. Bruce and I thank officer John for his support, pack up the gear and carry it back out to the guard house, check out then out through the steel gates to the Kombi in the parking area. We take one last look at the main entrance, then without saying a word we drive to the nearest hotel and order a double Scotch each. We enjoy dinner, drive to the Bathurst motel and the next morning drive back to Sydney.
In the following days in the ATA Glebe studio, with Rocky Thomas producing, Bruce overdubs guitar, bass and drums on 10 of Vics songs and the RCA LP is released for sale to the public. But for a couple of years all has not been well at the NSW Bathurst Correctional Facility. In 1974 the situation deteriorates rapidly, the prisoners riot uncontrolled for a week and burn most of the place to the ground. |
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The Loner looked set to be regulated to dusty history books, until 2013 - 40 years after our original recording. This was when some of Australia’s leading musicians lined up to record a cover version of Vic’s songs, called The Painted Ladies.
The Loner being named one of The 110 Best Australian Albums was the latest honour for Vic. Simms, whose long lists of firsts include being the first indigenous artist to star on the Channel 9 TV show, Bandstand. And he was the youngest recording artist at Festival Records.
And today, I still remember the 1973 Bathurst jail recording with Bruce Brown, and the prisoner who said to me, “So that’s what they’re wearing out there now.”
The Loner being named one of The 110 Best Australian Albums was the latest honour for Vic. Simms, whose long lists of firsts include being the first indigenous artist to star on the Channel 9 TV show, Bandstand. And he was the youngest recording artist at Festival Records.
And today, I still remember the 1973 Bathurst jail recording with Bruce Brown, and the prisoner who said to me, “So that’s what they’re wearing out there now.”
Allan Black Part 82
In 1973 we had a visit from a New York recording studio owner and his manager. They loved Sydney, “The air is so clean” And they were great to talk trade jargon with, they had some interesting opinions about the state and the direction of the art in America. One that I recall, all the NY studios produce equally great sounding recordings, the differences are the various sounding echo and reverberation programs they each offer prospective clients. They told us, at Abbey Road studios in London they have a great sounding echo chamber with 3 mics able to produce stereo echo with variations of it.
In 1957, the German Elektromesstechnik company, designed and produced their highly successful EMT mono reverberation plate, and it soon becomes the ‘go to’ for pro studios around the world. At Natec Sound studios in Bligh St. I always looked forward to using ours. When mixing multitrack music, adding some EMT reverberation immediately made the string section come alive and I could vary the length of the delay. In London at Abbey Road studios besides their echo room, (above) today they still employ their 4 stereo EMT plates they used on the Beatles recordings.
In late 1973 at the ATA studio at Glebe, they eventually bought Natecs mono EMT reverberation plate from storage, after we moved from Bligh St. But before they got it, I’m not sure who had the idea but about mid 1973 they decided to ‘build’ an echo chamber, by digging a hole in a corner of their parking lot then putting in a speaker and mic. for ‘good echo’ for their music mixes.
In late 1973 at the ATA studio at Glebe, they eventually bought Natecs mono EMT reverberation plate from storage, after we moved from Bligh St. But before they got it, I’m not sure who had the idea but about mid 1973 they decided to ‘build’ an echo chamber, by digging a hole in a corner of their parking lot then putting in a speaker and mic. for ‘good echo’ for their music mixes.
So after blocking off part of the parking lot, I think it was either Keith or Jimmy the spider who dug a nice big square hole in the ground. Here I’ve produced a diagram to give readers an idea of the work that went into their echo chamber. To have the music echo around inside their chamber, all surfaces were painted with gloss paint and a hard wood floor was put it. When finished, they covered it with a 2 inch thick solid concrete cover to keep it secure and block any noise from outside. While not as successful as an EMT plate it did ok for a few weeks. The ATA studios at No. 96 were built on land which gradually sloped downwards to No.1 Glebe Pt. Rd. When it rained there was never a problem, water ran down the street gutters and drained away.
But after weeks with no rain, one Sunday night there’s this terrifyingly loud thunder storm with lightning and sheets of blinding heavy rain. It washes rubbish down the back lane behind the ATA studios, blocking the drains and flooding down into the parking lot. The water leaks in under the concrete cover - and slowly fills the echo chamber right to the top.
It’s a fine day when I arrive next morning to start a session in my studio to find Keith and others studying the problem. Easy! They’ll lever the concrete cover open and use a water pump to drain the echo chamber and repair it. But despite every effort levering it with sturdy steel poles, the heavy cover doesn’t move an inch.
But after weeks with no rain, one Sunday night there’s this terrifyingly loud thunder storm with lightning and sheets of blinding heavy rain. It washes rubbish down the back lane behind the ATA studios, blocking the drains and flooding down into the parking lot. The water leaks in under the concrete cover - and slowly fills the echo chamber right to the top.
It’s a fine day when I arrive next morning to start a session in my studio to find Keith and others studying the problem. Easy! They’ll lever the concrete cover open and use a water pump to drain the echo chamber and repair it. But despite every effort levering it with sturdy steel poles, the heavy cover doesn’t move an inch.
The next idea to crack the cover open, is to go across the back road behind the studio to get some dynamite from the resourceful fellow who goes illegally fishing with it. Keith comes back with 2 sticks and some caps and after warning everyone to take cover, he places it and sets it off. BANG! There’s a lot of dust and dirt but again the concrete cover doesn’t move. With more consultation the solution is to get more dynamite.
So with 4 sticks strategically placed, blocking the rear lane and warning the front studio where Bruce had started a string overdub session, the dynamite is set off … KA-BOOOM! When the clouds of dust clear they all see the cover has slightly cracked open. But in the front studio, dust and bits of the old studio ceiling have fallen down on the ladies in the string session and they all freak out. Loudly shrieking with their expensive instruments they all come running up past me out into the back lane. After things settle down Keith goes up Glebe Pt. Rd. to the Jolly Hire company to rent a big electric water pump with hoses and drains the echo chamber dry. In the following days, repairs are made and the chamber is used till Natec’s EMT plate arrives from storage.
So with 4 sticks strategically placed, blocking the rear lane and warning the front studio where Bruce had started a string overdub session, the dynamite is set off … KA-BOOOM! When the clouds of dust clear they all see the cover has slightly cracked open. But in the front studio, dust and bits of the old studio ceiling have fallen down on the ladies in the string session and they all freak out. Loudly shrieking with their expensive instruments they all come running up past me out into the back lane. After things settle down Keith goes up Glebe Pt. Rd. to the Jolly Hire company to rent a big electric water pump with hoses and drains the echo chamber dry. In the following days, repairs are made and the chamber is used till Natec’s EMT plate arrives from storage.
Allan Black Part 83 Pt01
In 1974 at ATA one morning I receive a phone call from the N.S.W. Dept of Tourism. The lady explains that what they require is a recording of the popular operatic tenor Donald Smith, singing in the Jenolan Caves west of Sydney, and have records made for sale to the public in the gift shop there. Could I prepare a quote to record and produce the records, costings with a timeline, and importantly how would I go about doing this. “Yes I’m interested but I’ll need more information, I’ll get back to you, thank you.”
I read up about Donald Smith. On 21 January 1973 he was the very first voice to sing in the Sydney Opera House, when he appeared in the first test concert in the Opera Theatre, with members of the ABC National Training Orchestra, conducted by Robert Miller.
There are several theories attempting to explain why opera singers are often pleasingly plump. One holds that a large amount of fatty tissue surrounding the voice box (larynx) increases its resonance capability and thus produces a more pleasing sound. The amount of this fatty tissue varies from singer to singer.
But apart from this, Donald Smth’s voice has a bright Italianate quality which can match, in size carrying power and tonal allure, the voices of most prominent sopranos and mezzos. He’s attracted a fiercely loyal public following, and many Australians who have no prior experience of opera become opera lovers through Smith's work. The role of the jilted lover Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci, is one which Smith would eventually ‘make his own’ and for which he would become famous. Now in 1974 his performances with the Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House are regularly sold out.
There are several theories attempting to explain why opera singers are often pleasingly plump. One holds that a large amount of fatty tissue surrounding the voice box (larynx) increases its resonance capability and thus produces a more pleasing sound. The amount of this fatty tissue varies from singer to singer.
But apart from this, Donald Smth’s voice has a bright Italianate quality which can match, in size carrying power and tonal allure, the voices of most prominent sopranos and mezzos. He’s attracted a fiercely loyal public following, and many Australians who have no prior experience of opera become opera lovers through Smith's work. The role of the jilted lover Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci, is one which Smith would eventually ‘make his own’ and for which he would become famous. Now in 1974 his performances with the Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House are regularly sold out.
Next I discover there are 22 major caves in the Jenolan system. They date back some 340 million years, making them the oldest known open caves in the world, Australian geologists say. Of these there are ten - the Imperial, Chifley, Lucas, River, Orient, Temple of Baal, Diamond, Pool of Cerberus, Jubilee and Ribbon - which are 'dark caves' but opened for guided inspection. In the big Lucas cave, the Cathedral Chamber has good acoustics with performances and weddings regularly held there. To get into the Chamber, there’s a walkway that Jenolan guides take groups of tourists through twice a day, and while there’s lights, it seems there’s only a few available power points.
So I can’t take a small orchestra in there, not even a good piano or a string quartet, but maybe a cello? The weekends are very busy but Monday the caves are closed for cleaning and maintenance, so that might be the day to record.
Next, is a phone call to Donald Smith. He seems like a nice guy, yes he’s been contracted by the Department, his fee approved and he’s expecting my call. We discuss the songs he might sing and the musical backing he would prefer. Will it be a 45rpm, 10” or 12” LP? I explain the difficulty of getting any musical instruments into the Chamber, but maybe a cello? Donald’s not sure there’s any cello music arrangements for his songs, they’d have to be arranged adding to the cost and would a cellos’s deep sound resonate to much in the Chamber? “Possibly, I couldn’t control its volume and it might, it’d be too late if it did.”
So I suggest a pre-recorded organ backing to be recorded at ATA studios and played in the Cave. With Donald in attendance to oversee the recording, I know accomplished musician Col Nolan, with his experience he could do this. Donald explains he’s never worked like this before, but I add, “We can rehearse at ATA on that day, and I can adjust the organ playback level on the tape, in the speakers I’ll take to the Caves.”
Next, is a phone call to Donald Smith. He seems like a nice guy, yes he’s been contracted by the Department, his fee approved and he’s expecting my call. We discuss the songs he might sing and the musical backing he would prefer. Will it be a 45rpm, 10” or 12” LP? I explain the difficulty of getting any musical instruments into the Chamber, but maybe a cello? Donald’s not sure there’s any cello music arrangements for his songs, they’d have to be arranged adding to the cost and would a cellos’s deep sound resonate to much in the Chamber? “Possibly, I couldn’t control its volume and it might, it’d be too late if it did.”
So I suggest a pre-recorded organ backing to be recorded at ATA studios and played in the Cave. With Donald in attendance to oversee the recording, I know accomplished musician Col Nolan, with his experience he could do this. Donald explains he’s never worked like this before, but I add, “We can rehearse at ATA on that day, and I can adjust the organ playback level on the tape, in the speakers I’ll take to the Caves.”
For our final vocal recording, I propose we both separately drive up and meet on a Sunday afternoon at Jenolan Caves House, stay overnight there, then early Monday morning, I’ll set up the recording gear in the Cathedral Chamber and we’ll rehearse and balance the sound there. I’m aware that you sing better in the afternoon, so we’ll record your songs after lunch then if it’s not too late, we’ll both depart for home.”
Donald agrees to all this, so I prepare my final costings and send a detailed list to the Dept. of Tourism hoping they’ll approve it all too. Surprisingly they do without question, so I call them asking for approval to record on a Monday at the Caves knowing we’ll stop any maintenance that day. They confirm this with the manager at the Caves, so I book Col Nolan to contact Donald Smith to discuss the music details and report back to me. Then I set up a timeline, an ATA recording date and book 2 rooms in 3 weeks time for Donald and I on a Sunday night, at the world famous Jenolan Caves House.
Donald agrees to all this, so I prepare my final costings and send a detailed list to the Dept. of Tourism hoping they’ll approve it all too. Surprisingly they do without question, so I call them asking for approval to record on a Monday at the Caves knowing we’ll stop any maintenance that day. They confirm this with the manager at the Caves, so I book Col Nolan to contact Donald Smith to discuss the music details and report back to me. Then I set up a timeline, an ATA recording date and book 2 rooms in 3 weeks time for Donald and I on a Sunday night, at the world famous Jenolan Caves House.