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It was early 1970 and I was working for WNET TV in New York, a part of the PBS Network. It was early evening and my regular chores (Service Tech) were about done for the day and I was preparing to leave. As I headed for the door the Operations Director Dixon asked, "Al, would you like to do Audio Utility tonight? Frank called in sick."
I replied, "I'd be glad to...what does an Audio Utility do?"
Dixon replied, "Mic people up..pull some cables around..nothing too complex."
"Great," I said, "I'll do it."
In about an hour after the audience had loaded in to the studio...which was leased from ABC after "Dark Shadows" was finished shooting for the day, the Audio Engineer called me into the Control Room and asked me to MIC up the two lady guests sitting out on the raised stage platform. I asked where the MIC's were and he pointed to a closet in a corner of the Control Room. I opened up the closet and pulled out 2 miniature lapel MIC's; loaded them with fresh batteries and walked out towards the stage platform.
It was early 1970...summertime during the burn your bra era when most women were causing maidenform fits by not buying or wearing bras any more. The 2 lady guests were sitting in chairs on the stage discussing show type things with the director and stage manager; with a few of the front row audience people wandering around hoping to get discovered.
I introduced myself and said," Hi ladies...I'm going to MIC you both up as we're almost ready for a sound check now."
The girls were very pretty...having had all their makeup applied, and it made for a major distraction. I placed one of the MICS on the floor and unfurled the other as the blond girl looked on...about 27 to 30...a REAL piece of work.
Both girls where wearing very thin nylon-jacket type things which I figured were only temporary until the lights came on... as it would then be too hot for long-sleeve anythings at that point.
I made my way towards the blond girl, the director and stage manager stepped back to make room and the audience members were watching intently as if I was going to perform Brain Surgery or something.
As the blond leaned forward and said, " What should I do?" I just responded with ," relax there's nothing to this...there's a little clip that attaches the MIC to you...it will only take a second." As I finished the phrase I had the MIC in my left hand and my right hand reached for the zipper on the nylon jacket...pulling it down and open in one fast singular motion.
During that time the lady was about to say something...but didn't have time to get it out as the zipper was extremely efficient and easy to slide. The jacket parted completely and the very good natured blond began to laugh as just about everyone but me noticed she had nothing on under the jacket.
When I stopped looking around and saw what I had done; I calmly said, "Whoops"...dropped the MIC on the stage floor...grapped the left and right side of the jacket zipper and re-closed it in about half the time it took to unzip it. The blonde girl didn't expect that and consequently let out with a half-scream...half-laugh type of thing. The second girl sitting next to the blonde was lauging so hard that she ruined her slacks and had to have a change of wardrobe prior to the show.
I could only think of Dixon's statement to me before he left..."Nothing too complex". I was now laughing in sync with the great sport blond lady, the audience was clapping...and a camera behind me had relayed the whole
episode to the control room.
Someone in the Control Room had left the Stage Address Intercom MIC open accidentally and was exclaiming to the rest of the guys in the Control Room ...LOOK AT THE TITS ON THAT BLONDE...
The Stage Address is the PUBLIC ADDRESS LOUDSPEAKER system which blares out whatever you say at about 100 watts or so into 4 very large speakers located in the stage/audience area. The audience loved it...I was paid overtime for it...and the show went off as usual; right on schedule. The wonderful blonde girl went on the air with all her attributes intact...in spite of some rather hyper-speed zipping that was done completely on Auto-Pilot.
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