Rick Turk Biography

Rick Turk began his composing career at the age of 22 writing jingles for television and radio commercials. He then began writing songs for other artists and signed a deal with Albert/EMI Records to write and record his first solo album entitled “Jasmindeen”. He moved to the U.K in 1974 and worked as a jingle writer for various advertising agencies in London and completed a Diploma in Music at Cambridge. After returning to Australia in 1978, he built a well-known recording studio in Sydney, and over the next 10 years wrote more than 200 television and radio music tracks. During this time he also recorded and produced albums for some of Australia’s best-known artists.

In the mid-80’s Rick moved into television, and wrote many well-known themes for programmes including “Four Corners”, “Foreign Correspondent”, “7.30 Report” and “Gardening Australia” for the ABC. He also wrote over 20 themes for Grundy Television, including “Perfect Match”, “It’s a Knockout”, “Celebrity Squares”, “Family Feud”, and many others for Southern Star and Concept TV.

At the same time, Rick was asked to join the re-formed Australian vocal group “The Seekers”. He remained in the group until 1986. The following year he returned to the UK and toured England and Europe promoting his second solo album, “All In The Game” with the highly popular English group ‘Shakatak’. He remained in the UK writing songs and TV themes.

In 1992, Rick began writing musicals for children. The first, “Lizard Gully” was in collaboration with Sydney playwright Warwick Moss. It was released through ‘ABC for Kids’.

In 1994 Rick took up a position with Grundy Television in the UK as “in-house” writer of television themes and general music. Over the next four years, Rick composed over 30 themes for Grundy. He then went on to work with Pearson Television as Musical Director for Channel 5 in the UK. He remained there for three years composing many themes for drama, variety, and game shows and acting as Musical Director for their live TV variety shows including “Man o’ Man” and “ Night Fever”.

Whilst working in London in 1996, he began writing another children’s musical, “Salamora, The Adventures of Captain P.J.”. By 1999 the play was complete and Creative Children’s Productions (CCP), was born.

The year 2000 saw the creation of Rick’s zany Christmas musical called “Mind The Gap!” set and staged in London.

He returned to Australia in 2002 and began work on a live stage production of “Salamora”. It was produced at the DAPA Theatre in Newcastle and received excellent reviews. In January 2004 the show was nominated for 5 CONDA awards, winning the category of ‘Best New Play’.

He is now ‘back on the road’ touring a new act and album he recorded with Cheryl Webb, (the singer from ‘The Seekers’ group) as a tribute to ‘’The Carpenters’, called “Yesterday Once More”.