The late Bernard King put on a show which really wasn’t very good – but he was paying for Clive Robertson and myself to promote it on the radio.
In this clip Robertson tries to push me in to saying I enjoyed the performance – when I didn’t.
Click for audio…
MIKE JEFFREYS 
Long before those singing shows on free-to-air commercial channels, the Ten Network broadcast from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s a daily talent show “Pot Of Gold” hosted by Tommy Hanlon Jr with Bernard King as judge and and a guest, a contemporary famous person as the other judge.
Most of the acts on “Pot Of Gold” would not make it to air on today’s singing shows. That’s unless the singing show had a show about the auditions for the the show.
On “Pot Of Gold”, the bar was set extremely low that an ant could not crawl under it. I remember watching the show during the school holidays. Acts as memorable include a bus driver singing religious music deciding to stomp to the beat of a religious tune and his false teeth popping out of his jaw. Who could ever forget on the episode broadcast on the 17th of March, 1976 a singer called “Paul Natural” a 17 year old singer from Matraville singing out-of-tune and occasionally out-of-rhythm Wings’ “Another Day”, especially the “doo doo doo doo dooo it’s just another day….” Why 17th of March? I went to religious school and the 17th of March was a day off. I have a personal audio recording of that show. Tommy asked “Mr Natural” “….that’s not your real name…”
In the 1980s the show was revived under the name “Pot Luck”, this time hosted by Ernie Sigley with Bernard King as judge. A sample of some ‘interesting’ singing is found in this youtube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPtFPtLBm1s which was used as the “Entreacte” on “The Late Show” in the early 1990s.
Bernard King’s judgments were sharp, frank and honest compared to today’s judges. Even some acts with a modicum of talent were recipients of King’s sharp tongue. We don’t have a judge such as Bernard King today. Frankly I don’t believe even the most talented of the acts never made it past “Pot Luck” or “Pot of Gold”. Though Kym Wilson from “Brides Of Christ” (1991) did appear on the “Pot Luck” show.
For Bernard King, his act at the “Roxy Review” at Brighton Le Sands was frequently promoted on “Pot of Gold”. I cannot comment on the quality of his show because I never went there. However, one evening he appeared on the grand final edition of “Pot of Gold” where he did sing with the occasional French words and dance. The quality of the singing made Rex Harrison’s singing sound exceptional. If you ever heard Rex Harrison sing in “Dr Doolittle” and “My Fair Lady”, Rex’s style is more story telling rather than singing in tune.
So I understand why Clive and Mike struggled to endorse a product they did not believe in. But then I consider Bernard King more of a coach drawing out the talent than being the talent. I regard that in the same way a sports coach drawing out the talent in the player. Mr King’s criticisms were valid. On top of that, his former profession as an English teacher, I would loved to have had him as my English teacher.
Thank you,
Anthony of exciting Belfield
LikeLike