The First Day

1974

There had been a good deal of smoking going on in Room 11. This was John Baker’s studio, and he sat on a high stool in front of one of the three Philips tape machines holding a razor blade and a loop of 1/4 inch recording tape. 

The smell of cigarettes mixed with another aroma. Hard to pin down at first, but when a tiny puppy trotted out from behind the speaker, all became clear.

“I’m not supposed to have him here, so don’t mention it will you?”

He set about slicing the tape in an editing block. “He pees everywhere, it’s a nightmare.”

This was my first day on attachment to the Radiophonic Workshop, and I was already being given more responsibility than I could handle.

There were bits of tape everywhere. Hanging on the wall, dangling from the side of the tape machine, held on with sticky tape. I was impressed with the speed he worked. Splicing tape in the editing block, attaching it to another piece, and then back into the main reel so he could play the result.
Painters or sculptors have always worked alone but till the advent of recorded audio, composers had to rely on musicians to interpret their scores. It was only with the coming of tape recording that it was possible for a composer, with some knowledge of the technology, to create a whole piece from scratch. There was something immediately satisfying about seeing him work. This was not just a musical skill. 

It was clear that I had a lot to learn….

An extract from Radiophonic Times published by Obverse Books

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