Jack Grimsley composed this theme music for Sale of the Century.

He wrote a range of incidental music for the show, including: 'Hostess Walk-On', 'Contestant Walk-On', 'Bonus Board Sound Effects', '$50 Fanfare' and 'Thinking Music: Sound Effect Variations'.

Sale of the Century was an Australian game show hosted initially by Tony Barber, produced by Reg Grundy Productions and broadcast on the Nine Network from 1980–2001.

In this excerpt from an oral history interview with Jack Grimsley, he discusses his early influences as a trombone player and his transition to the big time – playing with the Bob Gibson Band during the Second World War in the Palm Grove room at the Earls Court Palais in St Kilda, Melbourne.

Ken Brentnall interviewed Jack Grimsley for the NFSA Oral History program in 1998.

Jack Grimsley composed the theme music for The Mike Walsh Show; this is the closing theme.

The Mike Walsh Show was an enormously popular Australian daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Walsh AM OBE.

It ran on Network Ten (then 0-10) from 1973 and then moved to the Nine Network in 1977, until 1985.

It garnered 24 Logie awards, including Gold Logies for Mike Walsh AM OBE (1980) and Jeanne Little (1977).

Image: The Mike Walsh Showband.

‘New formula Castrol with liquid tungsten conquers the outback run.’

Jack Grimsley composed the orchestral jingle for Castrol motor oil with liquid tungsten in 1962.

Castrol sponsored a range of motor events during the 1950s and '60s, such as the Castrol Safety Drive and Castrol-Canberra 500 Reliability Trial.

Car rallies or trials were tremendously popular during this period, particularly distance rallies. Car manufacturers and fuel companies used the events to test new products, to prove they could stand up to whatever conditions remote Australia could provide.

'You’re so frightfully fashionable. You’ve got impeccable taste. You’re so smart, so suave, so superior, you’re the cream of the human race…'

Radio 2CH in Sydney released one of the more unusual advertisements for Australian radio in 1970, when they rebranded their on-air team 'The Snob Mob', proclaiming their station had gathered only the best talent and was filled with the best of everything, from music to stock market reports.

Jack Grimsley composed The Snob Mob jingle as featured in this clip.

The on-air team included Phil Haldeman, John Mahon, Sam Kronja, John Martin and Friel Smith.

Image: Detail from a 2CH 'Snob Mob' advertisement in The Australian Women's Weekly, 16 September 1970.

This ‘Traffic report’ theme music was composed by Jack Grimsley and released as part of the rebranded Radio 2CH in 1970.

Radio 2CH called their on-air team 'The Snob Mob', proclaiming their station had gathered only the best talent and was filled with the best of everything, from music to stock market reports.

The on-air team included Phil Haldeman, John Mahon, Sam Kronja, John Martin and Friel Smith.

Image: detail from a 2CH 'Snob Mob' logo.

In this excerpt from an oral history interview with Jack Grimsley, he discusses how he became a musician and in particular a brass player.

He describes his affinity for the trombone, which became his ‘vox humana’ – an extension of his singing voice.

Ken Brentnall interviewed Jack Grimsley for the NFSA Oral History program in 1998.

Jack Grimsley composed this ‘Opening sequence’ theme music for Personality Squares, along with a range of incidental music for the show, including: 'Match Win', 'Mystery Square Fanfare' and 'Prize Plug Music'.

Personality Squares was an Australian game show series based on the American game show Hollywood Squares. Produced by Reg Grundy Productions it aired on Network Ten between 1967 and 1969.

The show was first hosted by John Bailey, followed by Joe Martin and then Bob Moore. The concept was briefly revived in 1981, when it was hosted by Jimmy Hannan.

See a clip of Johnny O'Keefe on Personality Squares in 1967. 

Jack Grimsley composed this opening theme for The Better Sex game show. He also wrote a range of other incidental music for the program, including 'Contestant Walk-On', 'Winner Fanfare' and 'Spare Track: Electric Piano and Rhythm'.

The Better Sex TV game show was produced by Reg Grundy Organisation and broadcast in Australia in 1978 on the Nine Network, hosted by Mike Preston and Ann Sidney.

The show was based on a US program, where men competed against women in a 'battle of the sexes' format.

Image: NFSA 1090911.

'Jet there by BOAC, world leader in jet travel.'

Jack Grimsley composed the music for this advertisement for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), the British state-owned airline created in 1939.

In 1974, it merged with British European Airways to form today's British Airways.

Image: detail from BOAC advertising poster.

'How are you ever going to write what you really want to say?'.

Jack Grimsley composed the jingle for this advertisement, in which Olivetti ponders how many works ‘Will Shakespeare’ could have written if he had one of their typewriters, such as the Olivetti Valentine portable (pictured).

Olivetti was founded as a typewriter manufacturer by Camillo Olivetti in 1908 in Ivrea, Italy.

The company later expanded to produce computers and fax machines, many of which received international awards for product design.

'Save at Malvern Star Stores – they’re the best, with lower prices than the rest. One-hundred-and-fifty stores across the nation, Australia’s biggest discount organisation. Save at Malvern Star Stores.'

Jack Grimsley wrote this jingle for Malvern Star, a manufacturer of bicycles located in Melbourne. Malvern Star began in 1903 and went on to become a household name in Australia, endorsed by star cyclists such as Don Kirkham and Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman.

Malvern Star sponsored the first Australian team to ride the Tour de France in 1928, led by Oppy. Malvern Star is now owned by Sheppard Cycles.

Image: Malvern Star store, Hindley Street, Adelaide, c1958. Courtesy: State Library of South Australia.

In this excerpt from an oral history interview with Jack Grimsley, he discusses his move to Sydney and working with Bob Gibson on several radio shows.

After television arrived, he sang in a group at the opening of Channel 7, wrote jingles for commercials, and played trombone and arranged music for the television variety shows Revue ’61 and Revue ’62.

Ken Brentnall interviewed Jack Grimsley for the NFSA Oral History program in 1998.

Jack Grimsley composed this jingle for Brockhoff Chocolate Biscuits.

Brockhoff Biscuits was a Melbourne-based company founded in 1880. In the 1950s it combined with Arnott’s and Guest’s to compete with American-owned Nabisco, which had entered the Australian market.

The combined company became Arnott’s Biscuits in 1966 and the Brockhoff name disappeared from supermarket shelves over the next few years.

Image: detail from Brockhoff advertisement in The Australian Women's Weekly, 9 May 1962.

Jack Grimsley rehearses with Les Welch and his Orchestra at Ashfield Town Hall in Sydney in 1956.

The names of the musicians appear in the following order on the reverse of the original photograph:

Johnny Blevins, Reg Robinson, Noel Gilmour, Bernice Lynch, Ron Falson, Alan Nash, KF, Jack Grimsley, Stewart Ray King, Don Burrows, Clare Bail, John Bamford and Arthur Warpro.

'The richest, reddest, roundest, tastiest, tomato there is for soup.'

Jack Grimsley composed this jingle for Heinz Tomato Soup.

Advertising proclaimed that the soup was produced from the ‘Heinz Tomato', a special breed of tomato developed by Heinz.

Image: Detail from Heinz Big Red advertisement in The Australian Women's Weekly, 1 December 1969.

'Hong Kong – marketplace of the Orient; city of million lights; exotic, colourful, fascinating. You can stop over in Hong Kong when you fly BOAC, west to Europe and Britain or east to Tokyo and America. Book with your travel agent now.'

Jack Grimsley composed the music for this advertisement for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), the British state-owned airline created in 1939.

In 1974, it merged with British European Airways to form today's British Airways.

Image: detail from BOAC advertising poster.

This recording of ‘Roaring 20s sing along’ is performed by The Revue 20 and the augmented ATN Orchestra under the direction of Tommy Tycho.

‘Roaring 20s sing along’ features three short works arranged by Jack Grimsley: 'Five Foot Two', 'Ukulele Lady' and 'Yes Sir, That’s My Baby'.

Revue’61 was a musical variety show on ATN produced by Peter Macfarlane and introduced by Digby Wolfe. The production featured arrangements by Julian Lee, Jack Grimsley and Tommy Tycho; Grimsley also played lead trombone.

This recording features three songs from the 1920s which have become standards. They are wonderful renditions that capture all the energy of the originals, immediately bringing to mind the look and feel of the period.

Whether by intention or happy accident, the quality of the recording seems to mimic the production values of the time as well.

This is a broadcast recording of 'Just So Far', an original composition and blues-based arrangement by Jack Grimsley.

Performed by The Streamline Band, it features the trombone section with a trumpet ad-lib solo by Allan Nash.

The Streamline Band, or Streamliners, was the house band featured on the ABC Radio program Streamline, directed by Jim Gussey. 

The recording demonstrates not only the house band's exceptional musical skills but also the high audio standards of the ABC studios. 

Image: detail from The Canberra Times, 31 December 1963.