FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
The following are some of the questions Mark has been asked
in connection
with his radio interviews. Click on the question to view the answer.
How did you first get involved in radio? In 1996, Les Heil, the then CEO
of Gold FM sent me a letter asking me to help them get their then new 60's music format up & running.
I happily obliged. Arty Stephens at Gold suggested I put my music knowledge to 'good use' by joining
a community radio station and 88.3 Southern FM was the perfect choice being the one that serviced the
local area where I live.
Why do you enjoy doing interviews so much? It gives me a chance to interview
people I greatly admire and ask them questions I've always wondered the answer to. For example, I asked
George Martin why the Beatles didn't record their fantastic version of Soldier Of Love (off the BBC sessions)
at Abbey Road and have him produce it. He answered: "We were so busy in those days, it was just
one that got away".
How many 'in-depth' interviews have you conducted? Over 70 to date.
With whom was your very first interview? The Beatle's producer, Sir George
Martin. This was in 1996.
Are the interviews 'live to air'? No, not unless I have to. I could
write a book about the plethora of problems I've had with 'live' interviews, so I avoid them whenever
possible. The interview is recorded at a time that is usually determined by the interviewee's availability.
The interviews are normally 45 minutes long. I then edit the music in with the interview so that it has
relevant music or other material interspersed throughout and package it up as a 2-hour special which
is then broadcast in Melbourne on 88.3 Southern FM and often nationally across Australia via the CBAA
network.
Who does the producing & editing of your interviews? I do. I taught myself through trial
and error but did have the advantage of some training "on the fly" when I first started at
Southern FM in 1996.
What equipment do you use in recording & editing the interview? Our phones calls are recorded using
professional equipment at the studio. I record using two mini-disk decks & one cassette deck. I used
to edit on the same equipment but now I edit on a PC. In the early days however, I used a primitive telephone
pickup device and recorded the interview on a home cassette recorder.
Do you get nervous interviewing people? Not normally because I only approach
people whose music I have been listening to for many years, so I tend to know my subject matter, but
I was petrified doing my first interview, especially seeing it was George Martin!
How do you manage to get interviews with people like Ringo Starr? Having done three long interviews
with Sir George Martin opened many doors for me, plus my 'track record' has helped too.
What process do you use to get an interview? When I approach the publicist of
the person I wish to interview, I send them my press package and then if they're interested, we setup
a date. Sometimes however this is a long drawn-out process. I won't even start to talk about my never-ending
quest to get an interview with Paul McCartney!
Does anyone ask you to send your questions in advance? The only time I was asked that
was for my first interview, with George Martin.
Who would you still like to interview? There are quite a few artists including
Paul McCartney (The Beatles), John Fogerty (CCR), Little Richard and Ray Davies (The Kinks).
|
