On paper, it makes almost no sense, but back in 2007, a series of prank phone calls made to unwitting celebrities using voice samples of football legend Warwick Capper somehow became one of radio’s most memorable moments.
Between April 2006 and November 2007, radio listeners everywhere found themselves tuned into Triple M each weekday for one of the greatest – and most sorely missed – radio shows of the modern era; Get This.
Hosted by comedian Tony Martin, then-newcomer Ed Kavalee, and panelled by the late Richard Marsland, the program brought in legions of fans each day as its hosts discussed all manner of topics.
Whether it be the poor quality of Steven Seagal movies, highlights of the long-running New Zealand series Police Ten 7, or even the bizarre ramblings of Rex Hunt, the show’s enigmatic subject matter made for a show so beloved and successful that its fans actively protested its cancellation with rallies around the country.
To this day, its devoted fans can be found sharing memories and quotes from the show on Facebook groups, popping up on the SBS series Mastermind, or – in the case of yours truly – turning bizarre references into craft designs.
In 2007 though, the show broadcast one of its most memorable moments. Dubbed “The Capper Calls” or “The Capper Files”, the segment is probably best explained by panel operator Richard Marsland in the intro to the segment.
“Quite a few years ago there was an ’80s weekend at the station I worked at,” he began. “And Warick Capper was the corporate voice of the weekend. He came into the studio and voiced all kind of promos, sweepers, and what have you, and I had to write up a couple of fun things for Warwick Capper to say.
“The tapes were lying around and what I did was I edited some of the comments that he says during the session, and indeed for the promos, out of context,” he continued, noting he was left with a number of soundbites that were then used when he “called celebrities at random.”
What follows is nothing short of bizarre. Marsland can be heard ringing noted names such as Derryn Hinch, Don Lane, Molly Meldrum, and James Reyne while non-sequiturs flow left, right, and centre.
As the baffled victims query just why on earth Capper is calling them, the sporting star’s voice frequently jumps in with its stilted nature reeling of these pre-recorded sayings.
“Remember me? I was the biggest thing on the footy field,” one sample urges. “I was wearing tight shorts, I was flying around in pink helicopters, and a bright pair of newcomers called Bros had the world at their feet.”
While newsreader George Donikian appears to show genuine concern for Capper, the vast majority hang up in confusion. However, it’s boxing star Jeff Fenech who steals the show, going along with the ruse and responding to Capper’s unsolicited call with curious caution.
“You’re the guy that wears those tight shorts, that guy that looks like a [expletive],” Fenech remembers. “The guy that was in that magazine, getting up his missus.”
An undoubtedly bizarre piece of radio (yet, far more accomplished than Get This‘ infamous “Donkey Courtroom” sketch), the segment was one of the series’ most-remembered and beloved, frequently being shared on social media over the years.
While Tony Martin these days hosts his Sizzletown podcast (“the world’s first late-night call-in podcast”) with Get This producer Matt Dower, Ed Kavalee is often found broadcasting on the Hit Network as one half of Hughesy & Ed, or on shows such as Have You Been Paying Attention and – more recently – Dancing With The Stars.
However, both Martin and Kavalee have helped to bring the infamous “Capper Calls” back into the minds of the public in recent times, with Martin’s Sizzletown re-uploading old podcasts of Get This to YouTube, including the “Capper Calls” segment just this week.
In the first episode of Kavalee’s new EKP podcast (which is currently being broadcast via the feed for Team Effort; another project from Kavalee which also features Martin), the titular host labels it one of his favourite podcast moments of all time, before reminiscing on how the late Richard Marsland almost didn’t let the calls become public.
“The way I remember it is, we had an interview or we had a sketch that didn’t work,” Martin recalls, “And we had a hole in the schedule, and we were going, ‘What are we going to do here?’
“And Richard, very sort of embarrassedly, went, ‘I’ve got these tapes and they weren’t good enough to go to air, but just have a listen,’ and we were just crying with laughter going, ‘How did this never go to air?'”
In a post of the calls recently shared by a fan page for Martin’s old program The Late Show, Capper himself was seen remarking on the calls, noting the segment “was a pisser guys”.
Sadly, the mastermind behind the calls, Richard Marsland, passed away in late 2008 leaving behind a legacy of stellar comedic genius the likes of which will never be matched.
While Marsland’s memory lingers amongst his fervent admirers (and on a personal level, those who shared a hometown with him), there’s no doubting that his “Capper Calls” remain one of Australian radio’s strangest, yet most beloved, moments.
Check out ‘The Capper Calls’ from Get This:
