I have no idea if you’ve ever heard of the Seekers. Or if you have, do you know more than two songs of theirs.
If you don’t… that’s a shame. Because the vocal harmonies of the Seekers have an essence and a sound all their own.
For example, check out their first big hit, “I’ll Never Find Another You.”
Awesome stuff, yes?
Of course, you probably know their biggest hit, “Georgy Girl,” which was also the theme from the motion picture of the same name.
Now let’s combine this with one of the great “we’re parting now, but we’ll always love each other” songs of all time, “The Carnival Is Over.” It was crafted from a Russian folk song, and the Seekers added new words to the melody. You try listening to this a couple of times and not having a tear in your eye.
When Judith Dunham left the Seekers in 1968, the band was reformed with new lead singers as the New Seekers, and they had a major worldwide hit with the song most associated with Coca-Cola commercials, “I’d Like to Teach The World To Sing.”
Here’s one more “New Seekers” song, this one was also a reasonably-sized hit, although not as big as their other worldwide chart-toppers.
Meanwhile, Judith Dunham had a few hits of her own, including “This Is My Song,” a cover of the Petula Clark ballad from the motion picture “A Countess From Hong Kong.”
Eventually Judith Dunham rejoined the Seekers, and they continued to tour to worldwide acclaim. In fact, the group’s 1967 concert at the Myer Music Bowl in Sydney, Australia set a record for the most people to ever attend a concert in the Southern Hemisphere – over 200,000 fans!
I could make an argument that the national anthem of Australia is not “Advance Australia Fair,” but is instead this song “I Am Australian,” with this version performed by the Seekers at the 1994 AFL Grand Final. And for good measure, they add a version of “Georgy Girl,” and close with a stirring rendition of the OTHER Australian national anthem, “Waltzing Matilda.”
I just want to put one more Seekers classic in this thread. The first time I heard “A World Of Our Own,” the lyrics and melody just caught me in my heart. And I don’t care what anyone else says – maybe there is a drop of sentimentality and hopeless romanticism in my heart, even after all these years.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of K-Chuck Radio. Listening to these songs once again… I certainly did.
Chuck The Writer 
When I was really small, just starting to be aware of things, I remember my parents having around 4 or 5 records next to the turntable, and those albums have become the soundtrack for my life… if the question is ever asked, “what song most represents your life growing up as a child?” these three would be them:
1) Man in Black – Johnny Cash
2) Nashville Skyline – Bob Dylan (Lay Lady Lay)
3) The Seekers Greatest Hits
Thank you for the memory, Chuck…
LikeLike
Actually I have a 2-CD set of songs by the Seekers. So there!
LikeLike
OK, I thought you were going to leave out “A World of Our Own.” Nice add. Judith always sang with dignity not unlike Annie Haslam, who was in Albany last night.
The Replacement Seekers I can go without.
LikeLike
Chuck – that is NOT This Is My Song, the Pet Clark song; that’s Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma, the Melanie song, which, BTW, went to #14 on the charts, the New Seekers’ 2nd highest charting song, after the Coke song.
LikeLike
Not a problem, my brother. As long as people are listening to the Seekers today, it’s all good.
LikeLike
My bad, played the wrong clip. But Look What They’ve Done WAS a bigger hit than other NS songs, except one.
LikeLike
Don’t let this blow your mind (as if there’s a chance of that when you hear it,) the Coke song had another life in the UK prior to making people sway shoulder to shoulder with a soda in their hands. I think this was from German TV, which is appropriate as any song called “True Love and Apple Pie” is essentially schlager. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3V7SCdUiKQ
LikeLike
Good stuff, Chuck. I remember the Seekers well, and this little tribute sort of choked me up a little. I need to look for the 2 CD set that Roger has.
LikeLike
This year is the 50th anniversary year of the Seekers’ formation and to celebrate, they just started their 50th Jubilee Concert tour in my home town. I was fortunate enough to get tickets, even though they were sold out months in advance. Despite all being late 60’s and 70’s, the magic is still there and they did an amazing concert with multiple standing ovations at the end. What a wonderful journey and certainly brought back memories of my childhood when I too attended that concert in the Myer Music Bowl with 199,999 other people (LOL) and had the priveledge of meeting the group just after their first breakthrough.
Thanks for posting!
LikeLike
Actually, the New Seekers had nothing in common with THE Seekers and were not a reformation of the original band. Rather they were a project of Keith Potger, original member of the The Seekers after that group disbanded.
The Seekers did reform several times in the seventies and eighties, mostly with the original three “boys” and each time with a different female lead singer–all of whom were gifted artists themselves and lacked in only one very important way: They weren’t the inimitable Judith Durham and as a consequence it wasn’t the same, unique sound.
Finally in 1993, after 25 years, the real Seekers reunited with their real lead singer, Judith. They went on to tour on and off for 11 years and produced an amazing original album “Future Road.” And now, defying time and trends they’re back, intact and better than ever. Enjoy!!!!
LikeLike