A 30 minute musical entertainment show which included the New Faces talent show
Blues beat gay songs in 'Studio' contest
From The Dominion, 27 June, 1968
Sad songs beat cheerful ditties four-to-one in the N.Z.B.C.'s TV song-writing contest, Studio One. The successful composers and artists have just been announced.
More than 1400 entries were received. including those in the "New Faces" section.
It's a wonder producer Christopher Bourn and his team are so bouncy about their show when they've had to audition 1100 mournful entries.
Song writers are sad about love rather than the state of the economy.
Two of the successful composers have also been chosen as artists.
Wellington guitarist Kevin Watson will have a composition sung by The Avengers and will also play solo guitar.
A young New Plymouth girl, Desna Sisarich, has a song called You and I which Yolande Gibson will present in the solo section.
Desna has also been selected for 'New Faces' where she will sing another of her own songs.
Cable Car Blues
The Belcanto Trio's segment includes songs by two Masterton composers, Jeanne Nicholas and Johnny cooper. and Cable Car Blues by Wellington's Bill Gibson.
Sam Freedman of Wellington has a solo composition accepted. He is New Zealand's most prolific song writer with more then 60,000 copies sold of various songs, iqclugmg the Maria Dallas hit, Rustle Your Bustle.
Of the 18 songs chosen, 14 were written by peqple in some way professionally involved with music - teachers artists, full-time musicians.
A Batch of new faces
Preparing songs for the forthcoming Studio One '69 television talent quest series are vocalist Toni Williams (right) who flew from Australia to be resident singer on the programme, the producer, Chris Bourn (standing) and the musical director, Brian Hands.
The series, which has attracted entries from many professional musicians, will begin its WNTV-1 run on Thursday, May 22 at 9.5pm.
Mr Williams arrived last week to film and record all his segments for the series. Since he left New Zealand four years ago he has become one of the most sought after artists for cabaret work and television appearances in Australia.
1970
Regular judges Jim McNaught, Stephanie Till, and Don McKinnon, with the aid of a weekly guest, considered three songs each week with one selected to go on to the final.
A new feature of this series saw one of the more successful entertainers from the previous two series to be brought back to entertain, and to talk about what has happened since their appearance on “Studio One.”
There were also three resident artists with the show; Toni Williams, Maria Dallas and Eddie Low.
1971 - A further series of “Studio One”
The Press, 9 December 1970
Entries are now being accepted for the fourth series of “Studio One,” the N.Z.B.C. talent and song writing contest with a prize list worth more than $2500.
The new series will be fronted by entertainer and recording artist Jim McNaught, who served on the judging panel for three years. He has been involved with “Studio One” since it was first devised in 1967.
Any musical or variety act is eligible to enter the search for “New Faces” except N.Z.B.C. employees, and entertainers who have already performed for a fee on national television. The winner will receive $5OO, an H.M.V. recording contract, and a trophy. There is a second prize of $l5O and all semi-finalists receive $5O. Entrants should send a tape or disc with a recent photograph and details of experience, and the names of those in the group.
Any number of songs can be submitted in the search for song writers and entries can vary from simple melody line to full orchestration. Composers should send manuscripts or sound tape—or both —and must include both music and lyrics. Names of those who collaborated in the composition should be given.
The winner of the song writing contest will receive $5OO, the Toni Williams Award trophy, a recording and publishing contract with H.M.V., and entry into the Tokyo International Song Festival. Each week’s winning song receives $5O.
A group of top entertainers will be available to perform the 21 songs chosen for the programme. This will allow composers to write songs for specific artists, and will mean that no artist will have to present an original song that does not suit his style.
“Studio One” performers will be Toni Williams, Maria Dallas, Eddie Low, Hogsnort Rupert Band, Craig Scott, Brendan Dugan, Nash Chase, The Rumour, The Avocados, Brian Hurst, Martin Kini, Kini Quartet, Yolande Gibson, Dinah Lee, Brigette Allen, and The Shevelles.
The producer is Christopher Bourn who devised the series in 1967, and the musical director is Brian Hands.
On the resident judging panel are: Stephanie Till, housewife, painter, broadcaster, and mother of two daughters; Tony Eagleton, songwriter, musician and radio and record producer; and Paddy O’Donnell, disc jockey and entertainer who has recently returned from Australia.
Both contests close on February 28. 1971, and entries should be sent to “Studio One,” P.O. Box 6, Wellington.
The programmed will begin screening in August next year.
The impact of "Studio One" can be measured by' the success of previous entries. “Pinocchio,” a song from the 1970 series, sold more than 30,000 copies and topped the New Zealand hit parade for six weeks. It later gained a place in the 10 finalists in the 1970 Tokyo International Song Festival.
Hogsnort Rupert, who appeared as “New Faces” in 1969, won this year’s Golden Disc Award. Original songs from “Studio One” have sold more than 50,000 records and 25 per cent of all songs accepted have been recorded or published.
Ambition: "To find a New Zealand song, sung by a New Zealander, which becomes a world-wide hit."
From Time and Space October 1973
That ambition belongs to Christopher Bourn, the originator and producer of "Studio One" since its inception in 1968. "Studio One" this year becomes NZBC-TV's longest-running light entertainment programme.
Over 2,000 entries were received this year, from which judges had the unenviable job of sorting the best 30 songs. Then professional entertainers had to be selected to present the chosen songs. This year 20 of New Zealand's top entertainers will take part in "Studio One". They include Craig Scott, Suzanne, The Rumour, Toni Williams, Eliza Keil, Eddie Low, and Vaughan Laurence.
Jim McNaught fronts the programme again, and regular judges are Relda Familton, Tony Eagleton, and Chick Littlewood. These three, with a weekly guest judge, will evaluate each song and award points out of a possible top score of eight. This year, in the last, and seventh week, the five songs which have polled the highest number of marks will be re-presented and judged again. The winner will receive $500, the Toni Williams Trophy, and will also be entered in the Tokyo Inter- national Song Festival.
This year also, any "Studio One" entries which are recorded commercially will become eligible for consideration for the "Golden Disc Award".
Photos: Rob Silis and Robert Joiner
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