Vale Bob Rogers and John Laws

[Allan Black]

Legendary Australian radio DJs have now passed on. Bob Rogers 97 died and now John Laws 90 has too. In the early 1960s at Radio 2UE in Sydney, at times I worked separately with both of them. Working spinning turntables Bob was average, ok but average, but John was something else he was a master at it.

At 2UE Bob used to get the latest U.S. pop records from Qantas pilots just after they landed at Mascot airport, they used to taxi up to a fence by the road. There they stopped opened the back door and threw a package over the fence to a motor bike rider who raced it into UE for Bob. If he was on the air he’d open the package and play the latest U.S. hits before anyone else in Australia. Bob also played these in his taped Reg A. Baker 30min program we sent up the line to 2KO in Newcastle, 100 miles north of Sydney.

There Laws dubbed these hits and used them in his own The Big Beat 30 minute program that came down to UE. This really pissed Rogers off big time and he demanded me and another operator do something about it.

A new 45rpm record by Freddy Cannon had just arrived so just after Bob introduced it and I started playing it, I also added a big explosion so Lawsie couldn’t use it. (Cannon Bang! Get it?)

But up at KO Laws must have sat up all night editing bits of the disc with scissors and tape to delete my big bang. When it came down to UE we just couldn’t believe it.

At 2KO in Newcastle on his DJ night programs Laws had a music background playing behind his voice and it was ‘Walking Behind Miss Lucy’ by Karl Kress. Laws could stop it, hold it between beats, say something then let it play without it wowing, just amazing.

Here it is …

YouTube (Short URL)

[Andrew Smith]

Oh wow. That's so epic when it came to stories of 'getting music', mine of which merely involve the spooky hours raiding of the music library of a competitor top-rating FM station.

I'm surprised there were no breakages in the box when it's been tossed over the fence. No idea what Customs would have thought, let alone Workplace Health and Safety (probably hadn't been invented yet).

That's so dang hilarious. Like I've often said with radio, half the entertainment is behind the scenes!

Andrew

[Allan Black]

Hi Andrew, yes they were the days, we were young and it was the best time I had in the industry.

Bob Rogers hot U.S. records delivered by Qantas pilots were probably securely taped up by cabin staff who knew they were going to be thrown over a tall wire runway border fence.

I remember being at 2UE when at least one package arrived without any problems.

Incidentally. Mods, there’s a mistaken double post can you please delete the other one, thanks.
Cheers.

[Christopher Young]

Yes. A radio legend has passed. It's not log ago I was asked to edit Bob Rodgers tribute video. Today I received a text from the producer of that video preparing me for another edit. He didn't say "Laws", but I have a sneaking feeling it will be for his testimonial. Geez! That will have a lot of material to wade through!

Chris Young

[Allan Black]

Hi Chris. They will be great projects to work on. For what it’s worth I have a lot of material about Bob Rogers particularly, including his home phone no.

In June 1964 I did the 2UE breakfast session at Mascot airport, when Bob who’d flown to London to return with the Beatles, landed in Sydney for their Australian Tour. Bob and the passengers left by the rear door of their Boeing 707 while the Beatles departed by the front door. Ringo was ill in London and Jimmie Nicol replaced him, till the Melbourne concerts.

Despite the specially soundproofed double windows in the bar of the VIP lounge where we were broadcasting nationally from, we could all hear the incredible noise of the 1000s of fans outside. We all wore 2UE Beatles security tags and security warned us, not to go outside for any reason at all, we’d be torn to bits.
Cheers.

[Andrew Smith]

Kinda ironic that the life of DVinfo this week is a few old farts from Australian radio talking about those olden days! :-)

You could never have guessed it.

Andrew

[Allan Black]

Ha hah Andrew, I’m even older than that, in 1956 at 16yrs. I joined Ron. R. Beck Recording Studios in Sydney when ‘stereo’ recording was in its infancy. Below that’s a custom set of stereo recording gear built by Rola in Melbourne, twin Altec cardiod mics and Rola speakers especially for us.

Lowell Thomas Becks chief engineer and I went around Sydney recording stereo recordings to demonstrate a new range of Rola stereo tape players. We also recorded the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in stereo for a new range of Rola stereo tapes especially for buyers of the tape players. There was stereo demo studios set up in David Jones stores in the city to attract interested shoppers and possible buyers.

But as it turned out, our costly ‘stereo’ project, was to far in advance of popular stereo records and Rolas project failed.
Click to enlarge …