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.
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 - 2026.
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.
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 - 2026.
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 86 Pt 01 - Journalist Mike Willesee Starts a New Business Venture
In 1974 at ATA studios, clients start requesting audio cassette copies of their studio productions. Today in 2026, it seems like the audio cassette has been around forever, but in fact it was invented by Lou Ottens and his team at the Dutch company Philips, and the compact cassette was introduced in August 1963.
At ATA I’m using a Sony cassette deck to produce single copies from the master tape, but soon that isn’t fast enough, so I buy a Wollensak unit to make 3 copies from a cassette master at a higher speed. Then that isn’t fast enough so I buy this Telex 235 unit that copies direct from the master tape to 3 copies at a higher speed. At this time there must have been close to a 100 cassette brands on the market, but the best new tapes I find are the Japanese TDK-AD C30, C60 and C90.
One reason is, back at Natec Sound Studios in Bligh St. in the city, we had a great business relationship with Convoy Int. the TDK importers at Woolloomooloo Sydney, so now I’m able to buy TDK cassettes with a good discount, but I have to buy the minimum dealers quantity with each order.
One reason is, back at Natec Sound Studios in Bligh St. in the city, we had a great business relationship with Convoy Int. the TDK importers at Woolloomooloo Sydney, so now I’m able to buy TDK cassettes with a good discount, but I have to buy the minimum dealers quantity with each order.
Mike Willesee.
At ATA one morning, I receive a phone call from Channel 9 TV personality Mike Willesee’s secretary. She wants to book a 1hour studio session for Mike to come and record some narration, so we agree on the time. When I put the phone down, I realise why Mike is coming to record with Black Inc. here in Glebe. It’s because of his long time association with Natec Studios back in Bligh St. Back then not only did we record TCNs weekly music for the ‘Bandstand’ but I recorded program inserts for Mike’s Channel 9 program A Current Affair, including newcomer Paul Hogans poetry segments. They were great sessions to work on.
On the day when Mike arrives at ATA for this session, he first explains what this booking is for, he’s started a new business altogether, totally separate from his Transmedia television company. It involves selling background music to major hotels in cities throughout the East, diversifying Mike’s business interests.
On the day when Mike arrives at ATA for this session, he first explains what this booking is for, he’s started a new business altogether, totally separate from his Transmedia television company. It involves selling background music to major hotels in cities throughout the East, diversifying Mike’s business interests.
Each hotel will have an auto reverse cassette deck set up at reception. From there it will play continuous background music into all the hotels guest rooms.. Every few minutes, there will be a spoken commercial advertising various local stores. This advertising is Mike’s new business, and he plans to increase it.
Mike then surprises me with, he’s already got salesmen out in the East selling this new hotel business and store advertising, and today he wants to record the first commercials. After we complete this he asks me to forward a quote with prices for an hour of instrumental background music with his commercials, regularly dubbed to a quantity of C60 audio cassettes, sent to his Sydney office. From there, they will be forwarded to the Eastern hotels.
By now dear reader I’ve learned to not suddenly react, not say anything negative or stupid, but today we are getting ahead of ourselves so I ask questions, and the first 2 are, “Interesting Mike, when do you want these cassettes and how many do you want?”
Mike then surprises me with, he’s already got salesmen out in the East selling this new hotel business and store advertising, and today he wants to record the first commercials. After we complete this he asks me to forward a quote with prices for an hour of instrumental background music with his commercials, regularly dubbed to a quantity of C60 audio cassettes, sent to his Sydney office. From there, they will be forwarded to the Eastern hotels.
By now dear reader I’ve learned to not suddenly react, not say anything negative or stupid, but today we are getting ahead of ourselves so I ask questions, and the first 2 are, “Interesting Mike, when do you want these cassettes and how many do you want?”
Allan Black Part 86 Pt 02 - Journalist Mike Willesee Starts a New Business Venture
At ATA in the rear studio, I record Mike reading six commercials for city stores in Singapore, he does a quality job then after telling me his office will be in contact, he goes off to return to the office. I have other work to do, but all the while I’m thinking, how am I going to supply a quote to record and supply quantities of music cassettes when I don’t know what the quantities are and more to the point how am I going to produce all these music cassettes. If Mike’s new venture really takes off, my Wollensak and Telex duplicators are never going to do it, not even if they work around the clock 7 days a week.
But I have to quote a price to Mike’s secretary, so I do based on 50-100 then 100-150 and so on. For the cassette labels, I suggest they print sheets of adhesive cassette labels with Mike’s company name on the bottom, and I’ll arrange to have typed the hotel name on the top with the reference code for each music program. I hope they approve this idea, there is no other way we can do it.
Two days later Mike’s secretary phones saying everything is approved and she’ll soon fax me an order for a 100 cassettes while they urgently source suitable instrumental LP records for the hotels music and arrange to pay the copyright fees. Then she’ll send me the LPs and track order so I can record the master tape, then the cassettes. I hope she isn’t going to say when she wants the cassettes, and the best thing so far is .. she doesn’t and she hangs up. Then I ring Convoy Int. and order 200 TDK C60 AD cassettes, together with a TDK audio cassette demagnetiser, which will be necessary.
Two days later Mike’s secretary phones saying everything is approved and she’ll soon fax me an order for a 100 cassettes while they urgently source suitable instrumental LP records for the hotels music and arrange to pay the copyright fees. Then she’ll send me the LPs and track order so I can record the master tape, then the cassettes. I hope she isn’t going to say when she wants the cassettes, and the best thing so far is .. she doesn’t and she hangs up. Then I ring Convoy Int. and order 200 TDK C60 AD cassettes, together with a TDK audio cassette demagnetiser, which will be necessary.
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Now what about a cassette recorder to duplicate the hotel music programs. I remember a real time recorder I’d looked at a while ago, but decided it wasn’t useable at the time. But is it worth looking at now? And all the while I’m flattered how Mike Willesee believes I can just do this. The idea I have is to see if a number of these recorders can be linked together to copy all the cassettes. Now what brand is it? I phone an audio dealer friend who suggests a number of brands, and I finally find it, the JVC Nivico CCR-660U and the 2 features it has are , it can be easily connected to another JVC and when the cassette reaches the end, the deck’s lid pops open and the cassette is ejected. Here it is.
So after buying one and checking it out, it seems it’s designed for this work, I buy another 4 plus the cables, so now I have 5 in my chain.
I have a Nakamichi cassette deck playing the master program and after a few weeks with more orders, I buy another 5 and the cables to total 10.
How is the sound quality after it travels through 10 sets of line circuitry? I first checked the 5th cassette then the 10th. Surprisingly while it is a tad down in the high frequencies, it is acceptable, especially when I know it will have to travel up hotel multi floors wiring. And I hope the hotels master auto reverse cassette player will be in good shape. No one has done this before so there will be a period of settling in, hopefully with the co-operation of the hotel.
Now I don’t know what Mike’s sales strategy is. When his salesmen installs a new music cassette in a hotel, how long will it be left there, before they collect it and/or replace it with a new one. That isn’t up to me but after about 9 months, the orders for more new music cassettes gradually slow down. I’m so busy with other work, I don’t really notice. Then they stop altogether, they’re paid up so I don’t call them.
What’s happened? A few years later because the hotels auto reverse cassette player is standard, I hear rumours, that hotels themselves are making their own music cassettes, that they are selling their own advertising. Whether any of this is true I don’t know I never get any confirmation, except Mike Willesee’s music cassette business had stopped coming to Black Inc.
Strangely enough when I was writing this article, I searched everywhere for more information on this story. I even bought Mike Willesee's book, but nothing. I finally found this one mention on the Internet …
Willesee's ventures included exploring opportunities in the background music sector. This business aimed to provide music solutions for various venues, enhancing the atmosphere for guests.’
Because Mike Willesee’s new hotel background music cassette business stopped, apparently there’s no history. But his media fame as Australia’s top news interviewer lives on. He died on 1st March 2019.
Now I don’t know what Mike’s sales strategy is. When his salesmen installs a new music cassette in a hotel, how long will it be left there, before they collect it and/or replace it with a new one. That isn’t up to me but after about 9 months, the orders for more new music cassettes gradually slow down. I’m so busy with other work, I don’t really notice. Then they stop altogether, they’re paid up so I don’t call them.
What’s happened? A few years later because the hotels auto reverse cassette player is standard, I hear rumours, that hotels themselves are making their own music cassettes, that they are selling their own advertising. Whether any of this is true I don’t know I never get any confirmation, except Mike Willesee’s music cassette business had stopped coming to Black Inc.
Strangely enough when I was writing this article, I searched everywhere for more information on this story. I even bought Mike Willesee's book, but nothing. I finally found this one mention on the Internet …
Willesee's ventures included exploring opportunities in the background music sector. This business aimed to provide music solutions for various venues, enhancing the atmosphere for guests.’
Because Mike Willesee’s new hotel background music cassette business stopped, apparently there’s no history. But his media fame as Australia’s top news interviewer lives on. He died on 1st March 2019.
Question & Answer
BARRY BROWN ASKS ALLAN.
Thanks for your interesting story. I know friends who worked at Channel 9 and Mike Willesee was always well liked by the people there. One fascinating aspect of your story is, how did you ever manage to produce 150 hours, or even 50 hours of recorded music cassettes at real time during your working week. And did you eventually make any money.
ALLAN ANSWERS.
Good questions thanks. First, I didn’t include any of that because I’m always aware of not writing an article that’s too long and complicated and not getting too technical. But to answer your questions: right at the start I knew I couldn’t set the 10 or even 5 JVC decks up at ATA studios, I was recording other work and had no time or even space. So I set them up in the lounge room of my new apartment at Kirribilli and copied all the music cassettes there.
Thanks for your interesting story. I know friends who worked at Channel 9 and Mike Willesee was always well liked by the people there. One fascinating aspect of your story is, how did you ever manage to produce 150 hours, or even 50 hours of recorded music cassettes at real time during your working week. And did you eventually make any money.
ALLAN ANSWERS.
Good questions thanks. First, I didn’t include any of that because I’m always aware of not writing an article that’s too long and complicated and not getting too technical. But to answer your questions: right at the start I knew I couldn’t set the 10 or even 5 JVC decks up at ATA studios, I was recording other work and had no time or even space. So I set them up in the lounge room of my new apartment at Kirribilli and copied all the music cassettes there.
My apt. power supply might be a problem, so I bought 2 big power blocks with surge protectors and crossed my fingers. I called it ‘The Dubbing Weekend’, and told my friends not to contact me, started after work on Friday night and a mate and I worked most of the weekend. We worked in shifts, set all the JVC recorders starting to dub Side A, then after 30 minutes when the tapes finished, the auto-eject popped all the decks open. They all didn’t finish at exactly the same time but the various noises woke us up, we changed the tapes, went back to bed and 30 minutes later it all started again. With breaks for food, this went on for most of the weekend till we’d finished the order or most of it.
And yes costing was the difficult part. At the outset because I guessed no one else would do this job, I took a chance and priced it so over time it did pay for all the JVC decks, the TDK cassettes, our time with a reasonable profit as well. Our invoices were all paid promptly and when this venture finally ended, in time I eventually gave all the JVC decks away. Today all the big hotels get their background music from the big satellite dish on their roof. Cheers.
And yes costing was the difficult part. At the outset because I guessed no one else would do this job, I took a chance and priced it so over time it did pay for all the JVC decks, the TDK cassettes, our time with a reasonable profit as well. Our invoices were all paid promptly and when this venture finally ended, in time I eventually gave all the JVC decks away. Today all the big hotels get their background music from the big satellite dish on their roof. Cheers.
Allan Black Part 87 Pt 01 - Recording Engineer/Sound Producer Bruce Brown Story
If you’re lucky, during your career you’ll get to meet a few multi-talented people and in 1973 at Col Joye’s ATA studio at Glebe in Sydney I met recording engineer producer Bruce Brown. Back in Parts 80 and 81, I related the story when he and I drove to the Bathurst Correctional Facility to record prisoner Vic. Simms original music for his LP. For this current article I asked Bruce about his interesting career, and how did he get started in recording studios.
Bruce says: “From school in Sydney, at 17yrs of age I first studied electronics at the Royal Melbourne Technical College (RMTC). At the time they had the only full time electronics course in Australia, I stayed with my Aunt at Box Hill 14kms from the Melbourne CBD. Her husband my Uncle was a working trumpet player and I became keen on the saxophone but lost interest, so I took up guitar and studied music. When I’d completed the 2 year RMTC course I moved back to Sydney and got my first job at the AWA service at Stanmore in the PA amplifier and microphone repair department. Fortunately I did very well at the RMTC as I could see the reason for algebra in the study of electronics.” I replied: “Bruce, that’s the clue to your ability to design and construct excellent valve amplifiers.”
Bruce: “In the late 1960s at Balgowlah in Sydney I shared a factory space with my father who manufactured aluminium railing, spiral staircases etc. while I put together a prefab type room for a studio and electronics workshop. I drove into the city to do repairs for Suttons, Nicholsons, Harry Landis, Kurt(Honer) and other musical retailers.”
“I also used the factory space area to design and manufacture valve guitar amps, then went into retail, before hiring a shop in Brookvale selling all music stuff. Barry Farell ran it and we used the back space to cover our new guitar amp cases. My mate bass player Duncan Maguire operated the studio after hours. It became more involved than one might think. I sold the new guitar amps through my repair clients. Electronic organs were popular at this time and I also used to service a lot of church organs around Sydney.”
Bruce: “In the late 1960s at Balgowlah in Sydney I shared a factory space with my father who manufactured aluminium railing, spiral staircases etc. while I put together a prefab type room for a studio and electronics workshop. I drove into the city to do repairs for Suttons, Nicholsons, Harry Landis, Kurt(Honer) and other musical retailers.”
“I also used the factory space area to design and manufacture valve guitar amps, then went into retail, before hiring a shop in Brookvale selling all music stuff. Barry Farell ran it and we used the back space to cover our new guitar amp cases. My mate bass player Duncan Maguire operated the studio after hours. It became more involved than one might think. I sold the new guitar amps through my repair clients. Electronic organs were popular at this time and I also used to service a lot of church organs around Sydney.”
“At our Balgowlah studio I bought one of the new English Brennell 8 track tape recorders. In September 1970 I signed on to record the Daly Wilson big band concert at the old Cell Block Theatre in Darlinghurst Sydney. With the Brennell and my gear in a truck we arrived there a couple of hours before the concert to set up for recording in a side room. But the Brennell was too tall to wheel in through the low headroom cell doors so I got a hacksaw and sawed the amplifier rack off the tape deck then wheeled it through the cells to our room. There I taped it up and connected it back in place for the concert. The packed auditorium concert was a great success. I mixed my 8 track tape at EMI at their 301 Castlereagh St. studios and the resulting Columbia LP record sold very well.”
“In the 1970s Col Joye phoned me about building him an audio compressor and that was the start of me working at the ATA studios. A busy period in Glebe Sydney.”
AB: Who would ever think about building a professional 24 track tape recorder? And more to the point who would ever go to all the trouble and actually build one? Well Bruce Brown did both.
“In the 1970s Col Joye phoned me about building him an audio compressor and that was the start of me working at the ATA studios. A busy period in Glebe Sydney.”
AB: Who would ever think about building a professional 24 track tape recorder? And more to the point who would ever go to all the trouble and actually build one? Well Bruce Brown did both.
Bruce: “I bought and rebuilt an IBM 702 computer which originally ran 1/2-inch wide early BASF cellulose acetate tape. But I wanted it to run 2 inch wide Ampex tape for 24 track recording at ATA studios in Glebe. So at my dad’s factory at Brookvale, on their lathe I had turned up all the 2 inch wide tape guides needed to convert the 702 to play 2 inch wide tape. I installed a German PAPST motor to run the tape at a speed of 15 inches per second. I designed and made all the 24 record and 24 play amplifiers and commissioned the 24 track record and play tape heads to be produced locally by Bruno Cried. He made all the heads for the film dubbers at Film Aust. Originally, to handle the 702 high-speed starts and stops without snapping the BASF fragile acetate tape, IBM pioneered vacuum channels. These created loops of tape that acted as buffers, allowing the heavy tape reels to accelerate or decelerate more slowly than the tape itself.”
AB: “Yes I remember seeing the rebuilt IBM 702 recorder at work in the ATA control room. It was just bizarre, after recording a take in the studio while the Ampex 2 inch tape was fast rewinding, at the appropriate position the tape operator would hit the stop button and just as the tape stopped, he physically grabbed and held the heavy tape reels to stop the tape from spilling into the vacuum channels. I stood there amazed but Bruce smiled looking like it was the normal thing to do.”
AB: “Yes I remember seeing the rebuilt IBM 702 recorder at work in the ATA control room. It was just bizarre, after recording a take in the studio while the Ampex 2 inch tape was fast rewinding, at the appropriate position the tape operator would hit the stop button and just as the tape stopped, he physically grabbed and held the heavy tape reels to stop the tape from spilling into the vacuum channels. I stood there amazed but Bruce smiled looking like it was the normal thing to do.”
Allan Black Part 87 Pt 02 - Recording Engineer/Sound Producer Bruce Brown Story
It’s now April 2026 and I’m talking with producer Bruce Brown about his career.
AB: In 1965 Colin Jacobsen and his elder brother Kevin known as ATA the Australian Talent Associates, were exactly that with their recording studio and offices at 96 Glebe Pt. Road Glebe Sydney. Earlier their building was originally a 2 story residential close to the Sydney CBD. Today ironically it’s a Wine shop, I say ironically because they don’t seem to offer as much alcohol as we did at the parties we had in the studio at ATA.
AB: In 1965 Colin Jacobsen and his elder brother Kevin known as ATA the Australian Talent Associates, were exactly that with their recording studio and offices at 96 Glebe Pt. Road Glebe Sydney. Earlier their building was originally a 2 story residential close to the Sydney CBD. Today ironically it’s a Wine shop, I say ironically because they don’t seem to offer as much alcohol as we did at the parties we had in the studio at ATA.
Bruce: “Hah! yes that’s probably true. In 1973 I received an invitation from Colin, so I joined ATA and had a great time. Originally they had a basic recording console and I soon upgraded that. Col. and Kevin had their group of talented entertainment industry friends many of whom I recorded and produced their hit records, Little Pattie, Judy Stone, Sandy Scott, Mike McClennan and many others who are retired today.”
AB: While Kevin Jacobsen played piano with the Joye Boys concerts he also started and developed many national concert tours with international pop stars, many of whom visited 96 Glebe Pt Road studios where we all met them.
AB: While Kevin Jacobsen played piano with the Joye Boys concerts he also started and developed many national concert tours with international pop stars, many of whom visited 96 Glebe Pt Road studios where we all met them.
AB: I remember one artist was American trumpet virtuoso Ray Anthony. Earlier when Col. got to know they’d be getting the Bandstand music job with the orchestra, he knew one toilet at the rear of the main studio wasn’t enough, so he asked his shorter brother Keith to install 4 more. Keith found a sale with 4 new low pans from a school and he installed those in 4 enclosures. When Ray Anthony landed at Mascot for his second tour he came straight into 96, and wanted to use a toilet. When he came back from the new installation he asked, “Who built the new toilets Keith?”
Bruce: “One studio job we inherited was recording the orchestral music for TCN Channel 9s Bandstand tv show, a weekly studio booking we inherited from Natec Sound Studios when they closed.”
AB: Yes I remember that and mentioned previously, that weekly studio booking we had at Natec, was kinda strange here at ATA, seeing the same great musicians I knew at Natec. A few came by the rear studio to offer me their condolences, but that’s the way it went. I told them that Kevin had offered me the use of this rear studio to continue with Natecs recording business with our same clients. And it was working well.
Bruce: “One studio job we inherited was recording the orchestral music for TCN Channel 9s Bandstand tv show, a weekly studio booking we inherited from Natec Sound Studios when they closed.”
AB: Yes I remember that and mentioned previously, that weekly studio booking we had at Natec, was kinda strange here at ATA, seeing the same great musicians I knew at Natec. A few came by the rear studio to offer me their condolences, but that’s the way it went. I told them that Kevin had offered me the use of this rear studio to continue with Natecs recording business with our same clients. And it was working well.
Bruce: “Bandstand’s first music director Bob Young had retired and the new director we had was TCNs popular music director Geoff Harvey, who sadly passed away in 2019. Geoff loved joking and one time when the Bandstand recording session was going too well, he picked up the phone in the ATA studio control room and asked for Kevin upstairs in his office. When Kevin answered Geoff shouted, “Quick Kevin! there’s a big rat in the studio and it’s got the girls bailed up against a wall.” Geoff slammed the phone down laughing.”
“Upstairs Kevin opened his desk draw, grabbed the pistol he had and went running down stairs. He burst into the studio waving his gun, the girls in the string section turned around and shrieked! They all got up and with their violins ran out the back studio door up past you in the rear studio. Kevin saw Geoff laughing, swore at him saying one day I’ll get you and he stormed out.”
“And we all went back to work, one of the crazy times back in those days.”
“Upstairs Kevin opened his desk draw, grabbed the pistol he had and went running down stairs. He burst into the studio waving his gun, the girls in the string section turned around and shrieked! They all got up and with their violins ran out the back studio door up past you in the rear studio. Kevin saw Geoff laughing, swore at him saying one day I’ll get you and he stormed out.”
“And we all went back to work, one of the crazy times back in those days.”
Allan Black Part 87 Pt 03 - Recording Engineer/Sound Producer Bruce Brown Story
I’m enjoying talking with retired engineer producer Bruce Brown, about his days at Col. and Kevin Jacobsen’s ATA studios in Glebe Sydney.
Bruce smiles when he continues: “I remember the day when Kevin Jacobsen got his own back with Geoff Harvey. At the studios there was a small 2 stroke motor bike, don’t know who owned it, it just sat unused covered over in the back of our secure parking lot. Geoff Harvey knew it was there and every now and then, during a musicians break recording the Bandstand orchestra, Geoff would go out back take the bike cover off, push it out into the back lane kick start it and go for a short ride on the footpath in Glebe Point Road, occasionally around the block to the amusement of the locals who saw him passing.”
“We all knew this and one afternoon while we were recording the Bandstand orchestra, Kevin having made sure the bike had petrol, rang the local Glebe police station just up the road asking to speak to a detective he knew. Kevin told him he was planning a harmless little joke with Geoff and this was, when Geoff was out riding the motor bike nearby, could a uniformed policeman stop him and ask to see his bike licence. Geoff hasn’t got a licence, so arrest him, lock him in the police cells and call Kevin and tell him. Kevin had previously arranged with me for the Bandstand session to continue without Geoff, and after an hour or so, Kevin would call the police station and ask them to release Geoff. The detective agreed to all this.”
“We all knew this and one afternoon while we were recording the Bandstand orchestra, Kevin having made sure the bike had petrol, rang the local Glebe police station just up the road asking to speak to a detective he knew. Kevin told him he was planning a harmless little joke with Geoff and this was, when Geoff was out riding the motor bike nearby, could a uniformed policeman stop him and ask to see his bike licence. Geoff hasn’t got a licence, so arrest him, lock him in the police cells and call Kevin and tell him. Kevin had previously arranged with me for the Bandstand session to continue without Geoff, and after an hour or so, Kevin would call the police station and ask them to release Geoff. The detective agreed to all this.”
“And that’s exactly what happened, when Geoff was arrested he complained like crazy when he was put in the cells imagining what was happening back at the studio. But he never woke up it was Kevin’s answer to his joke about the rat in the studio, till he was released and he took it all in good humour when the musicians laughed and applauded as he and Kevin walked back into the studio.”
“That was another crazy day at ATA. In 2006 Geoff was awarded an OAM for his service to the community as a musician and entertainer. He and Kevin were always good friends and we were all devastated when retired master musician Geoff Harvey passed away in 2019.”
AB: Thanks Bruce, I remember Geoff when I was at ATA. This will resonate with folk who enjoy your story remembering him, and pass this on over the years.
“That was another crazy day at ATA. In 2006 Geoff was awarded an OAM for his service to the community as a musician and entertainer. He and Kevin were always good friends and we were all devastated when retired master musician Geoff Harvey passed away in 2019.”
AB: Thanks Bruce, I remember Geoff when I was at ATA. This will resonate with folk who enjoy your story remembering him, and pass this on over the years.