LAI, Larry
History of Broadcasting,
Accession Number 002625
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 14
Total Reels
- Patricia Lee
Interviewer
- 06:36:37
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:35
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born in 1941, Shanghai. Journey by steamer from Hong Kong to Singapore. Superstition regarding eating fish on a boat. His closeness to his mother. First encounter with his dad at age seven. Father was Manager of Metropole Cinema. His first childhood friend. Primary education at Pearl’s Hill Primary School. Afternoons after school spent at father’s cinema. Seaside bungalow off Pasir Panjang where family lived. Family’s eventually move to Asia Gardens. Studied commercial subjects at Outram Secondary School. Recalled being editor of school magazine. Why he didn’t try for journalist job with Straits Times. His short working stint at Rickwood & Company.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:45
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Explanation for speaking English with a British accent. Recollection of his father prior to his death. How he met his wife. How he was recruited and selected by Rediffusion as its announcer.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:01
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Impressions of his new Production Manager. Recalled working with Tan Hock Lai and Steven Lee at Rediffusion. Described working environment at Rediffusion as warm and friendly like a “happy family”. Differentiated working styles of foreign and local deejays. Spoke of his very first announcement on air. Recalled a poem whilst on elocution training. List of subjects which were taboo on air then. Opined on present day deejays. Interesting story on how Rediffusion got its name. Felt preparation was the “key” to being a good presenter. Qualities looked for when he hired deejays. What the term disc jockey means to him. Recollections of his very first live show “Under 21”.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:45
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
His first live show was “nerve wrecking” experience. Traditional tips when hosting stage shows. Strategies used to get audience on to his side. Considered Rado Show challenging. His refusal to go on air assuming a different name. Intention to develop Mobile Disco into fulltime business. Sponsored weekend radio programs paid him more than his monthly salary. Cited incident when Rado Show ran into news time by three minutes due to technical difficulties. Preparations needed for hosting Rado Show. Reason for giving up all “on air” activity in 1985. Owned business that could take on programs from conception to presentation. Incident during Rado Show phone in contest which made news.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:29:35
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Recalled a booboo he made during the first Speak Malay Campaign when presenters were expected to announce the time in Malay. Exampled on his attempts at injecting humour when hosting programs. Lack of “delay machine” reason for telephone programs being uncommon over Rediffusion. How DJs “prayed very hard” appealing to callers to observe rules when speaking on air. Cited an interesting anecdote whilst presenting on Gold 90 FM. Spoke of a “memorable non-event” with regard to Frank Sinatra at Paya Lebar Airport. Recounted interviewing Harry Belafonte at Raffles Hotel by climbing a tree with the help of Swee Leong.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:31:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Felt fortunate that no major hiccup or booboo were made during his career. Cited incident during a show when guitar strings snapped; how he kept audience occupied with games/quizzes. Recounted pranks played on colleagues. His female colleagues’ persona. Felt radio in those days favoured male presenters. Opined radio and TV presenters today are made of “sterner stuff”. Cited salvaging a bad situation and turning it around as most challenging in broadcasting industry. Recalled “blowing” half his fees on clothes. His dress sense influenced by Six Million Dollar Man in the seventies. His image of being “as cool as a cucumber”. How quiz questions were collated. Description of events organized.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:27:46
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Enjoyed sharing music and trivia with listeners. His celebrity status. Reason why conducting interviews was lowest ranking on his list. Dependability on elements when shooting outdoors made him uncomfortable. His approaching 40 years of age and “money spinner” business reasons why he left Rediffusion. Felt experience was his teacher. Traced his career from announcer to management team in span of 10 years. Mentioned British Forces Broadcasting Station at Tanglin Hill. Attempted upgrading sound quality at Rediffusion. Speak Mandarin campaign and ceasing of vernacular broadcasts “really killed off Rediffusion in a big way”. Listed banned songs. An anecdote concerning Elvis Presley.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Considered lyrics of old days “pure”. Importance of song and music thought of by a “human brain”. How he catered to listeners’ tastes rather than his own. Comparison between the days of Elvis and Beatles with today’s Top 20 songs. Spoke of local bands; Quest and Trailers. Why his idea of mobile disco was turned down by Rediffusion. Registered partnership with Mike Ellery at ROC in 1970. Rediffusion engineers helped put together sound equipment for him. 40 years in entertainment taught him to listen and articulate thoughts interestingly. Cited egoistical demanding performers as ugly side of entertainment. Considered Swee Leong his mirrored self in the sixties.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:01
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Identified possible clients from yellow pages to mail pamphlets on mobile disco services. Initial responses from Singaporeans. Cheaper costs of mobile disco made it viable economically. Mike and he purchased two similar Ford Falcon cars. Go-Go girls paid $50 for a night’s gig. Considered Mike a more technical person. Improvised on lightings for use at mobile disco. Thought up innovative ways to create effects whilst entertaining. Hagemeyer sponsored initial sound equipment that weren’t heavy duty. Vernon Cornelius was impressed with sound system. Marketing strategies undertaken. Saturday Night Fever was pivotal point of discothèques. Preparations needed for a night’s gig. Popular songs played then. Recruitment and role of Go-Go girls.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 14
Metadata
- 20 Feb 2002
Recording Date
- 00:28:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Clinched contracts at Cathay Restaurant and Ocean Park Hotel at Katong. Friendship with Ramon of Black Jacks band. Mentioned “Down Memory Lane Part II”. Subsequent contract at Boiler Room, Mandarin Hotel. Collaborated with EMI records on new Beatles release and received overwhelming response. Felt he “owed” a lot to friends when Moby Dick was first established. How Moby Dick got its name and logo. Events that led to his living and working at the Hyatt in ’78. Mike Ellery’s withdrawal from partnership. Wife joined him as business partner. Experienced doing commercials. Why Hyatt was too noisy. Setting up of second company Sound Lab with Mike Ellery.
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