George ‘Toppa’ Topouzakis, one of Geelong’s first DJs, has passed on his love of disco to son Steve.
It was the era of one of the biggest seismic shifts ever in music and entertainment and two Geelong school mates turned out to be among the pioneers of the time.
It was the mid-1970s and pub bands ruled the roost.
Skyhooks, Little River Band, Cold Chisel, Split Enz and various lesser lights were rocking local venues like The Golf View, Dinosaur and Sundowner hotels.
If the names are a trifle unfamiliar it’s because they underwent changes to the Sphinx, Peninsula and Gateway as the entertainment scene around the region continued to evolve.
The Ramia family ran the-then Golf View Hotel in Thompsons Rd, North Geelong, overlooking the now extinct Geelong Golf Club fairways.
It was simple entertainment economics that prompted a change, George Ramia recalls.
The escalating price war for major rock acts left pubs scratching to make a buck, so George approached local agent Bernie Stahl looking for an alternative.
Studio 54 had just opened in New York and Bernie suggested taking a punt on disco.
George’s immediate response was: “What’s that?”
“They play records,” Bernie replied.
“What’s the point of that?” George persisted. “We’ve already got a jukebox.”
Listen in to the rest of the story in the latest Geelong Coast Magazine.
