Frank Opolko
With Robert Di Gioia, Frank was assistant engineer at Le Studio to Peter Henderson on ‘Grace Under Pressure’. Frank started out as a bass player at the age of 14, playing “in a number of Toronto bands with derivative names like The Buddy Beck Blues Band or The Corporation,” he says. He studied music at university, at night working as a musician to cover his fees.
Frank’s big break came when he worked with Hugh Padgham, notably on ‘Tonight’ for David Bowie. “I learned a lot on that session,” he says, not least how unrelentless music can be, earning $300 Canadian for 6 weeks work. “I worked 16 hours a day 7 days a week for 6 weeks yet I never received an album credit!” he exclaims. Again with Hugh, he worked on ‘Synchronicity’ for The Police, then ‘Dream of The Blue Turtles’ with Sting. “This was the first time I realised just what a brilliant songwriter he was,” he says. “Also what a kind soul he was when the stress of The Police was removed.”
Frank was brought in to Le Studio to support Robbie Whelan as a second assistant engineer. “There was so much work booked that I was hired to give Robbie a break,” he says. Tragically, Robbie was killed in a car crash, at which point Frank had to take over his role.