Folks, our living legend tonight is somebody we know and admire and very fond of here at 3AW. But we want to know more about him. We want to know what makes him tick. His name is Tony McManus. He is Mr. Midnight.
Okay, folks, let's jump on that midnight train and welcome Tony McManus. Hi Tony, how are you? I feel like you can hear me okay and Andrew McLaren, what a thrill, what a delight and what a pleasant surprise I might say, Andrew? Well, yes, for me too, it's good to sort of drill down with you if I may use the expression without offending.
You were spotted in the grill. You were spotted in barrack today. What's the story? Well, I'm glad you asked. So not far from the shared house, what I call affectionately, the shared house is some beautiful elm trees and those elm trees over 120 years old.
And there is just the whole road, these beautiful trees. And so inside the trees, they had a marvellous community event. So people from all around, right from about 10.30 where it was drizzling. So we were a bit sort of disjointed about the fact that I really have all the beautiful days we've had. And it cleared pretty quickly this morning. And so it turned out, we had, I don't know, probably 700 or 800 people
come through displays and presentation and singing and historians talking about the history of the elms, just off Clyde Road. Sounds wonderful. May we start with where the Tony McManus story began? Where was it Tony? In terms of growing up, do you mean Andrew? I do indeed. No, I'm talking from being a kid.
Yeah, so look, I was thinking about this because I put you my dad on the track end. So, Addison Vinson's hospital, how I've got into St Vinson's hospital. And then in those days, mum and dad were in South Yarra, so taken back to South Yarra. Earlier's memory is then we moved and we lived in a very smart home in Glen Waverly.
Glenn Waverly in those days was just a lot of open land is my memory of that. Let me guess, was it? It was low housing. Was it blonde brick and did it have burgundy carpet?
Look, I think it was, I think it was not even brick. I suspect it was a timber house. Oh, okay. Those days, Andrew. And so it was just really quite, but a lot of farmland around, a lot of land around it. And even the cousins, they lived next door and it was a three or four minute walk across our backyard, if you like, to get into their property as well. So that was the earliest memory I had, maybe as a three or four year old.
And then not long after that, which I've spoken about very, very fondly, a mum and dad bought a small business in a place called Noble Park. Yes. Yes. What was it? Was it a delicatess or was it?
It was a Milpa. It was a Milpa. And so it was just this busy little hive, I think on a light wood road. And in those days Phil, you remember sitting on top of the letterbox outside, I remember those big red letterboxes, we had to go everywhere.
And so sitting on top of that and across the road, the brand new yet to be opened, sand down race course. Wow. That was developing up. It's going to be 1960. I would have found it. OK. I'm 60. Yeah. As a kid, just seeing all that activity over there. But the milk bar still be there. Do you think it's still there? The milk bar?
I've driven past the precinct is there, but the shops are no longer quite there. In fact, some of them are sadly dilapidated. But you live the dream, McManus. You were the child of a milk bar owner. I can't believe this. I just can't believe it.
I mean, you have total access to red skin. Oh, no, we don't say that anymore. To lollies throughout the childhood. A lot of lollies. And I'm told years later that the, the cabry man would come, it was the best like cabros back in those days. Cabry, I think, in the caramello beers. And then as a kid, as a four year old down the back of the shed, where a lot of that stock was stored.
I went down and opened and bit all the heads off the camera. Oh, how cruel! And wrap them up and put them back in the box. That's a mistake. You know, a lot of people, Tony, are under the impression that you come from Perth. So just put us right about how WA came into your life.
Well, after many years of broadcasting, including as you might just remember Phil, obviously you're working at 3AW in the early about 93, 92, 93, 94, filling for Alan Pearson and filling in for Keith from time to time. Yes. On the weekend overnight program and Shane Healy. You remember the great Shane Healy who was doing fantastic things. Shane very kindly had just moved to Perth to manage 6PR in Perth.
We sold a property in Ballarat, sold a motel business, and everything had been completed there. And Shane said, would you like to come across and look after the weekend breakfast program, which in those days included by swap and sell? Yes, the ubiquitous by top and sell. Of course. It was a huge phenomenon. And so you settled in Perth a fair amount of time, didn't you, Tony?
So that was 1999, so coming into the, you know, the change of moving into 2000. So that was in 1999. And it was a joyous move, really. The children, the girls, the two girls were really little at that stage. And so that was all very exciting. We had to find somewhere to live pretty quickly, as you do, and meet a whole lot of new people that had never been to Perth.
In the past, I was all very new. Shane Healy was most gracious and managed that and had a fantastic time. For the time that Shane Healy was actually managing the the Great Radio Station 6BR. Yeah, he's a terrific motivator. Shane isn't he? And a fine, a fine football commentator as well. He did a lot of that and he would motivate staff and motivate team members and sales team members. He was sensational at all of that.
I'm sorry, I thought we were both being polite to each other if Tony and Phil and I were, you take the next question. Now, I've got to ask a couple of things. Tony, highlight of your broadcasting career. Someone you interviewed, some particularly magical moment on radio for you.
Look, I think Sir Ian's probably going to be up there. Oh, Mr. Both of them. No, Ian McClellan, the wonderful actor. Oh, jumping to the wrong conclusion, wasn't it? What was he doing in Australia at the time?
I think he was doing that two-person show, Phil, the name of which just escapes. Many of the listeners will remember. It will come back to me in just a tick. But he was doing that show, and he was the most gracious in those days because of timing. We had to do a pre-recorded to play in the breakfast show the next morning. It was a recall. So he's media people, or the promoters, if you like, would bring them through. He'd sit down, do the interview, and then go.
But he was, he was such a joy. And he kept asking us a question, one to find about more about Western Australia, more about Perth, what we were doing and how we were doing it, why we were doing it. And he wouldn't leave the studio. And so the media people were pacing up and down for about an hour. Why didn't you get Syrian back into the car to go to the next deployment?
Gee, we had a great time. We got a couple of beverages at the community in the morning. It was really good fun. That's rather flattering for you, isn't it? Because he would have done a thousand interviews in his career.
Yes. I think he took a shine to you, Tony, by the sound of it. You know, during the 1960s, you'd be too young to remember boys, but we had a lot of Perth imports come to Melbourne to work for us at Channel 9, including Bob Mormel, Bob Maguire, Gary Meadows. They all originated in WA, as you'd know. And what about Lionel New York? Could you add that? Oh, no. Well, and later, Rose McManus.
Is he a Perth boy? Yeah, I believe so. How about we might throw in Johnny Young, too, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of talent in the West there. And I remember you fondly filling in for Alan and Keith McGowan all those years ago. That's when we got to know each other, Tony.
Yes, it was. Phil, you talk about some of those great names like Bobby Moore Mill who is still with us and not enjoying 100%. I talked to Bobby on a regular basis. One of my dream is to perhaps get him onto the overnight programme in the not too distant perhaps early next year with any luck at all to have him come on. He is a great mentor and motivator in the consummate.
broadcaster and the way he could cajole the audience and have fun with the audience. I agree. It was the same time talking about some of the great issues. And you talk about Yorkie. I mean, Yorkie, in his latter years, became his since retired from it, but became a wedding near celebrants. And he looked after daughter number ones.
I hope he gave you a good price. I hope you got mates right Stoney. We're talking to Tony McManish. We'll take a break and come back and find out more about you up to this. Our living legend is our own Tony McManish. Tony, I'm aware you have a big heart. Tell us about some of the charities you've been involved with over the years.
Well Phil, one of the, it's nice to talk to you both too by the way on this great program that is Remember When. One of the great things that I learned at a pretty early age in broadcasting, particularly when you move into the country stations, Andrew, as you may or may not remember back in the day, it was a very important thing to move into the community. And not long after going into Mad Gambia, I was invited to join the Mad Gambia Apex Club.
And that was just a fantastic experience to work with people, work with different people that you wouldn't have met otherwise necessarily to get involved in that. And then some time later, move into rotary as well. And that was fantastic. And then to do all those sorts of jobs, whether you're painting somebody's fence at one o'clock in the morning, as we did back in those days, or projects like cash you can, very early recycling
programs of, you know, beer cans and drink cans, those sorts of projects on a Saturday morning with a whole bunch of blokes and people and families, kids would all be there all playing together while you were serving the community to raise money through the selling of those cans to do amazing projects going forward. So that was very important. And then we're possible to support and host
a lot of projects over the years in each of those communities, and certainly I still love to do that. Did that in fact today was part of my MC duties, just to support this particular event here in Cranburn, North? Tony, I don't, but you may, and if not, please don't apologise, but do you happen to remember the first record you spun as a disc jockey on radio?
Yeah, I do. It was, uh, it was Mullivk entire. Oh, well, it was a big song to start off with. Yeah, other because it was Mums first. And, uh, the early days there at three H.A. in Hamilton and Western Victoria, which wasn't a particularly joyous time when I think back about it. It was okay. Uh, but they use this thing. It was a, an automated system called QRAC. I don't know whether you remember a QRAC. I think I've heard of it, but how, how did it work?
Well, it was this whole rack of, I don't know, maybe 30, 30. It might have been 10 rows of 30 carts and the machine would literally pick out a cart, put it into the cart machine and play it. Everything was recorded, even the intro to each sock was there. Good, have I said? And so I know. Really build a personality that way, wouldn't you?
It was a drivel. But every time the one record was played, it might have been two out of three, ain't bad. It was the same intro. Oh, that's funny. It was dreadful. So they went to the machine, broke down. Once I said, oh, this is a really good opportunity. So I got up and I didn't fix the machine and put myself live to it, rang my man. Dad got up and Bella Vista, rang her. I was put up a big aerial so we could hear it.
I don't think Andrew is a joy, but his very first recording on air was green sleeves within the range and arrangement by Henry the eighth.
That was not true. If that was my first imagine what Phil told me to be, you know, a medieval madriddle that Phil would have played first. Yeah, probably Edison, some of them. Now listen, I have to ask you, spending all that time in WA as you did, Tony MacManus, were you ever involved with the Perth telephone over there?
Yes, very much so in those grades, and it still remains such an important project or certainly a great heritage event in Western Australia. I mean, they raise millions and millions of dollars every year.
So good and it's a very clever business model. It is a seven branded event in WA and they do extraordinary work for children supporting children. And as a result of that, I was very privileged of working with Toyota. Toyota WA privately owned division of Toyota. The last remaining handshake business deal between Japan and Toyota dealerships and distributors is the one in Perth.
with the great family that runs Toyota WA. Anyway, I digress and we would travel all over the state raising money and going into indigenous communities and bringing the joys of telethon into the community. Oh, wonderful work. One last question from me, Tony. Yes, I'll make it just one. Whose concert would you love to go to if they're in their peak performance or they're even past, who would you love to attend?
Oh, look, I was Andrew. I remain a great fan of the BG's. Ah, yes. And that varies the other remaining. So, Morris and Robin sadly passed away. Yes, far too young. The twins. But to see that very early concert, and it must have been 72, I think your festival all in Melbourne, it was just one of the highlights of life as a youngster to see the BG's. I've loved them ever since, as many have.
and they had that amazing history and that through the 70s when they became bigger than anybody could ever have imagined. Yes. We used that in our fever. That's right. Just remarkable, a remarkable outfit and the songs that they did and the music that Barry Robin
and most wrote for other great artists. Do you worry to Baba Scott? Yeah, we forget that, don't we, yes. And very sad and very timely that this past week we lost Colin Peterson, original drummer, for the BG's.
And that film that he did, I think I read it. Smiley. Smiley. He was one of several and five hundred people that auditioned for that. Oh, yeah. I read that in the last few days. Okay. Incredible thing. How good is your memory, boys? The sequel to Smiley was called. The second movie. Smiley has a breakdown. Close. Tony, you will have a crack.
Grumpy, grumpy, I think it was. It goes feral. No, the sick was, smiley gets a gun. Tony, thanks for sharing your time with us. And particularly, congratulations on your ratings, which you've gone through the stratosphere. We're not surprised. And we look forward to seeing you in here a couple of hours from now.
Good on your cover. I look forward to being in there with you. Surely I just make the point about those numbers Phil it is a thrill into the light But it is not as you will know Phil these things sometimes go up and they can fall back Yeah, but it's really the audience at the heart and whilst we sometimes clash on a lot of topics together That's the great engagement that I love and enjoy
and that audience that brings that coffee table environment where you can have these discussions. It's just an absolute pleasure. Five mornings a week gone. Three. Well, you are a brilliant broadcaster and tonight you're inducted as for the first type, perhaps, in your life. And we'll deserve from now on in the three. Aw, you Tony are a living legend.
very kind of if they'll love your work as you know for many many years and it's a joy to catch up with Andrew again and forth with Simon. I hope he gets well soon. Yes, we do. And he is a leader of Simon's another living legend without him. We're all a kangaroo Edward. Absolutely. And we'll catch you again on that midnight train to Georgia.
