Chapter 18

I’ve been thinking about few different things that I’ve done along the way in this interesting and varied business.

I did a few T.V. and film spots. I was an extra in a short film called ‘Sign Language’.

I played the part of ‘Rip Van Winkle’ in the American pilot for the extremely popular Australian children’s television show ‘Humphrey B Bear’. I also had a four day trip to Port Pirie to do a cigarette commercial for the Japanese market. That was a good gig and we were flown up and then had a coach ride back to Adelaide.

I also did a couple of TV adverts, one for The Adelaide Crows football team (Australian Rules), and a Christmassy one for Myers Department stores.

I played a comedian by the name of ‘Willie Pullit’ in a show called ‘Jailhouse Rock’ which was presented at The Old Adelaide Jail for The 1992 Adelaide Festival and my band ‘Long Lunch’ played at the Adelaide Fringe Festival event ‘At The Green ‘ at The Aldinga Eco Village 2010.

Compering

Poster for one Of The Australia Day concerts of which I did many:

Xmas Pageant in the Sun

One of the jobs I did regularly was the Annual Xmas Pageant, where Santa usually arrives on the foreshore in a ‘tinny’, used extensively in these parts.

Many people and their kids would have grown up hearing me compere the pageant.

Radio and TV Adverts

Monkey Business developed another side to what we were doing, and started to produce adverts for different people and for both Radio and T.V.

We wrote, produced and performed the ‘Cheap as Chips’ jingle which is heard very frequently over our multi commercial TV channels here in Adelaide. The jingle has been used consistently over the past 20 years…

A couple of ads where I also did the voice over.

Here’s a couple where Rob & I did the voice overs:

On both Radio and TV

I also did a couple of TV Adverts for Colonnades Shopping Centre. I was the Microphone Man there for over 10 years.

We did a series of radio ads for a major Shopping Centre in Adelaide called City Cross.

It was all about the ‘Lunchcutter Card’ which we wrote, produced and performed in Andrew’s studio, in Pt. Willunga.

We also produced ads for Shopping centres like the Port Mall and our local shopping centre, Aldinga Central, where they could be played over their own sound systems.

The Wrap up

I originally started out in this wonderful world of music and entertainment at the tender age of 16, in 1960. It was a totally different world then.

With The Puppets, I know that we all wanted to be able to make a living from playing music. During the life of the group we had agents and managers, but when all that was over we were left to our own devices. We simply had to learn to negotiate deals on our own behalf. I’m proud to say that I have been my own manager ever since. As it was one of my original goals, to be able to feed myself using my own musical and entertainment talents, I’m pleased to say I’ve succeeded in doing just that.

When I look back over my career, I’m extremely pleased and satisfied that I was, and am, able to do many different aspects of ‘The Business’:

Compere	Comedian	Lead Singer
Master of ceremonies	Drummer	Backup Singer
Spruiker	Quiz Show Presenter	Front Man

TV and Radio Voice Over Work

I definitely consider myself to be hugely fortunate in being able to do this for a living. I’ve enjoyed every minute. I’ve enjoyed the diversity that ‘The Business’ has afforded me. Well we seem to have come full circle and we are back to the present. It’s Jan. 2015 and I do hope you have enjoyed reading about my entertaining and musical life. This whole exercise has turned up people I haven’t heard from for years.

Who’s a lucky boy then????

Bye Bye

I want to express my gratitude to my partner Mos, who has had the job of ‘Editor’ on this whole project. I couldn’t have done it without her.

Thank you Mossie, love your work, love you! ~ Des

Lots more to see folks, lots of Video files, Audio files, Obituaries, Photos, Links in the menus at the top right of the page.

Thanks for being here, thanks for visiting.

Bye for Now

Des O’Reilly