How does the legendary Breakfast presenter, Ian MacRae, find himself in an episode of the ABC’s Australian Story about The Seekers’ success in England?
 
Well, it’s a long story. But they manage to fit into the allotted half hour anyway. 
 
The “story” which air’s tonight at 8:00, is set in the early 1960’s when Macca was in his formative radio days as a an announcer on a Pirate Radio station moored off the coast of England.
 
“When they worked their way to the UK entertaining on the Fair Sky the only radio station that would play their music was pirate station Radio Caroline where I was working at the time.” 
 
But the relationship goes back further than that.

Above: Ian MacRae being interviewed for tonight’s Australian Story.

“When I was in my first on air job at 3CS Colac I did a  jazz show Saturday mornings and a certain Judy Durham who was singing in a leading Melbourne jazz band would make the 100k drive to be a guest in the show.
 
“As for Bruce Woodley we both went to the same St.Kilda state school and were both in the local church choir together. I later caught up with him at the same gym we both went to…Balmain Fitness when he lived in Sydney.”
 
With apologies to ‘60s DJ jargon, “So now that you know, don’t miss the show!”
 
And if you don’t know: In the 1960s Australian band The Seekers took the world by storm when their first three releases went to the top of the UK charts and knocked the Beatles off the number one spot along the way.
 

Best known for their unique harmonising and the voice of Judith Durham, the band went on to produce a string of hits composed by singer Dusty Springfield’s brother Tom.

They were the first Australian band to make it internationally and paved the way for bands like the Easybeats that followed them overseas.

“They were unlike anyone else,” recalls Bert Newton who presented a television variety show at the time. “The Seekers (were) a totally different band.”

“People went wow, what’s that sound?” says Abbey Road sound engineer Richard Lush.

Read more here. Watch Australian Story tonight on ABC TV at 8pm