Well, there is little left, as far as recordings are concerned, to recall my brief career as a vocalist. Yes, there are all sorts of teenage broadcasts, somewhere in the archives of NZ Radio ... but you try to get copies. Even with 'influence', I can't. Though, oddly, in the 1960s, I don't recall signing anything giving what was the NZBC the rights to have and to hold my recordings.
Anyway, tant pis. They must have been adequate, for the press approved. And I got a job with NZ Opera. Who then tried to turn me (8 stone plus) into a baritone. Beginning of the end. London Opera Centre completed the destruction. Mary Hill, Ninian Walden and Abbey Opera tried a rescue job (Banquo in Macbeth) and Ove Sinding Larssen almost got me back on track ... but it was a losing battle, and for why?
Well, I gave up all operatic ambition, zoomed from Monte Carlo to the high seas, having fun ..
Fast forward.
Me as a casting director, agent and author. Much more suitable occupations. But, occasionally, my vocal talents proved useful. My client, Diana Martin and I did a few demo tapes for folk. I remember we did the original Peg presentation. Tracy Collier and Graham Hoadly joined in. Then, when I was launched on writing British Musical Theatre, we put down the music from a couple of old favourite musicals ... The Geisha and A Greek Slave ... Chappell the music publisher (for whom we'd done the odd demo) let us use their very basic studio (one microphone) .. and it was All Enjoyable Music Making ...
But it was just Friends Around the Piano. And Chappell recorded it all, because let's face it, nobody there knew what these shows sounded like.
Well, all the participants (except me) were in London shows, so the recording schedule was a bit chaotic. And I was the 'understudy' for bass, baritone and .. gulp ... even the tenor! From Gareth Jones to Paul Bentley!
All of which is leading up to the number from The Geisha (interpolation) with which Ian Mcmillan and I filled up the session after everyone else was gone. I tried, my God, I tried to be a Hayden Coffin baritone! One take Tommy ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7cfkbasuBo
Anyway, this spate of nostalgia has been brought on by finding this on ebay today. Good luck, Captain ?Dawson!!!!! I hope you didn't breathe in the last phrase ... and please Zeus you weren't a speedy tenor! (See youtube where the wonderful S Burrows murders the song!).
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