• Business

    Mr Squiggle theme songwriter and composer of thousands of jingles dies

    AnyFans Posted on

    By Claire Simmonds,Toby Hemmings

    Copyright abc

    Mr Squiggle theme songwriter and composer of thousands of jingles dies

    One half of the songwriting duo who wrote the theme song for ABC TV’s Mr Squiggle is being remembered for his musical skill and ability to bring people together.

    Geoff Ayling died of cancer on Tuesday in Gosford Hospital at 85.

    Together with his wife Jenny, the two made a name for themselves as composers of memorable advertising jingles for iconic Australian products.

    Among the recognisable advertising tunes they wrote and produced are Take Me Away P&O, Good on You Mum, Tip Top’s the One and Berocca Gives You Back Your B-B-Bounce.

    Son Jeff Ayling Jnr said session musicians, including guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, worked with the Aylings and developed their skills.

    “A lot of those musicians would say Dad taught them everything they know, because he was teaching them to stack harmonies and training them up,” Mr Ayling Jnr said.

    Geoff Ayling began writing jingles in 1967 when his father, Russ Ayling, who worked at a commercial radio station, asked Geoff and Jenny to compose something for a brand.

    The pair, who met in the Sydney music scene of the 1960s, could play 21 instruments between them.

    After initial success, they then started writing jingles full time before setting up WAM Studios in Marsfield in Sydney.

    In total, Mr Ayling Jnr said WAM Studios and his parents produced thousands of songs for brands big and small before the business wound up in the mid 2000s.

    “We had ads constantly running on every network. There was a point where we had more music on radio and television around Australia then any other composers,” he said.

    “There were some great brands, some great projects but dozens of just beautiful people and we’re all a family now.”

    The family had a long-running association with ABC TV’s Play School, arranging and recording nursery rhymes.

    “We used to get picked up from primary school to meet Mum and Dad and put vocals on tracks,” Mr Ayling Jnr said.

    One family recording was the second version of the Play School theme song, which aired from 1977 to to 1986.

    In a statement, music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS said Mr Ayling had as many as 3,500 original compositions registered in his name.

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