The New Seekers – The door remains open

Apr 11, 2018 | Back Beat

The New Seekers release 1974 albums on CD for the first time, Together/Farewell, on April 20, 2018…

The New Seekers

The New Seekers recording catalogue has been vastly overlooked on CD, considering just how enormous this mixed vocal group was between 1970 and the group’s split in 1974.

In addition to their many hits which included I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, Beg, Steal or Borrow, Never Ending Song of Love, and Circles, the group represented the UK at Eurovision in 1972.

They also toured the world, where they enjoyed chart success in many countries, and during their reign, had the biggest fan club in the UK.

Perhaps best recognised for the Coca-Cola song which became ‘Teach The World’, the group was awarded dozens of gold and silver discs for their remarkable record sales, which amounted to 35 million, a figure which artists of today dream about.

During the seventies, artists released at least an album a year, usually two, and bizarrely, only the group’s two albums recorded by CBS have – to date – been issued on CD.

The albums were initially released in the second half of the seventies after the group reformed following a two-year break.

The earlier recordings, in their original album form have, until now, remained dormant which is criminal, considering not only the great hits included but the many varied and interesting album tracks with which only ardent New Seekers fans will be familiar.

Many of the tracks were written by group members Marty Kristian, Paul Layton and Peter Doyle and are more similar in style perhaps to the group’s recording of Pinball Wizard/See Me Feel Me from 1973, although, of course, dozens of familiar melodies and tight harmonies are to be found too.

Early in 1974, the group announced– breaking the hearts of their millions of fans – that they would be going their separate ways shortly after releasing the ironically titled album ‘Together’ and touring (what would be a sell-out) the UK.

The album not only features Peter Oliver, who had replaced Peter Doyle nine months previously, but the enormous hits You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me and I Get a Little Sentimental Over You, both with Lyn Paul on lead vocal.

The album was one of the group’s most successful reaching No.12 in the charts and highlighting just what masters of harmony and lead vocal The New Seekers were, with Eve Graham, Paul, and Marty all playing their own important roles.

The second album in this two-CD set is Farewell, released after the group had split. It opens with the final single The New Seekers
issued on Polydor ‘Sing Hallelujah’, with Lyn Paul on lead vocal. Other notable songs are the beautiful Perfect Love, written by Paul Williams, Inspiration and I Want to be The Star of the Show, which have all become fan’s favourites.

The New Seekers

Songs are included written by Tony Macaulay, Geoff Stephens and Roger Greenaway, who were key to many of the group’s huge successes.

This much-requested and hoped-for release comes from 7Ts/Cherry Red Records who have worked so hard to have these tracks available again for the group’s fans to enjoy, without the cracks and pops, so familiar with the vinyl release! It is anticipated that the remainder of The New Seekers albums will follow in the coming months.

The release also includes bonus tracks, among them, Goodbye Is Just Another Word, We’ve Got To Do It Now, Down By the River, and for the first time on CD, the Peter Doyle single Rusty Hands of Time.

Paul Layton remains a member of The New Seekers, who he joined, with Lyn Paul and Peter Doyle, in 1970 during the group’s summer season in Great Yarmouth. He has, of course, enjoyed success and happiness and remains enormously proud of what The New Seekers achieved, not only in the seventies but in more recent years, he said.

Although the group had continued to work since reforming in 1976, it wasn’t until 2006 that The New Seekers returned to full-time touring and performing in theatres around the UK, allowing fans new and old to re-live their wonderful memories from their teenage years.

Paul never tires of playing the old hits and these were all included in the new act, with favourite album tracks, and of course, some newer numbers. A live album was issued of the shows, produced by Mick Flinn who, with his wife Donna Jones has been a member of The New Seekers since 1980.

The two remaining personnel are Francine Rees and Mark Hankins, who were with the group for this ‘return tour’, with theatre visits during the following four years and it’s this line up who are The New Seekers today.

While there remains a New Seekers, a decision was made, following performing around 200 concerts, that the group should take a ‘rest from the bigger shows’, which included a return to The Royal Albert Hall, and concentrate on corporate and private shows, while considering every new date offered on it’s own merit.

Therefore, the door certainly remains open for The New Seekers should anything irresistible comes along.

Meanwhile, let’s enjoy once again these two great albums released on April 20 and available via Cherry Red Records and Amazon.

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