Studio One (1968 to 77)

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.

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".