The New Seekers

The New Seekers earned their primary renown by converting a Coca-Cola advertising melody into an enormous global success. They appeared to rise from the remains of the Australian folk-rock group the Seekers, famed for “Georgy Girl,” though their vocal harmonies, pop tendencies, and wholesome public image merely resembled those of the earlier band and their genuine ties proved minimal at most. Once the Seekers dissolved, guitarist/vocalist Keith Potger formed an otherwise entirely new lineup late in 1969 that comprised vocalists Eve Graham and Sally Graham (unrelated), guitarists/vocalists Laurie Heath and Marty Kristian, and bassist/vocalist Chris Barrington. Potger named the ensemble the New Seekers, produced their self-titled 1970 debut album, and performed with them briefly before withdrawing from both singing and production duties to serve solely as manager, thereby removing every original Seeker from the roster. His final recorded appearance came on the ironically named follow-up Keith Potger and the New Seekers, released before year’s end amid multiple personnel shifts that retained only Eve Graham and Marty Kristian while adding singer Lyn Paul plus guitarists/vocalists Paul Layton and Peter Doyle.

In this configuration the New Seekers achieved their initial American chart entry late in 1970 with a cover of Melanie’s “Look What They Done to My Song, Ma.” They performed across the United States in early 1971, appeared on multiple variety programs, and scored a notable follow-up with the title track of Beautiful People; later that year they also reached British audiences via a rendition of Delaney Bramlett’s “Never Ending Song of Love.” Their greatest breakthrough originated from an unexpected quarter—an advertising jingle created for Coca-Cola that anchored an enormously popular campaign during the summer, prompting radio listeners to telephone stations requesting the commercial itself. The track was subsequently issued as the single “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” after its lyrics were altered to eliminate product references. Because the New Seekers were then unavailable, the Hillside Singers’ country-inflected version appeared first; the New Seekers cut their own rendition while touring America toward year’s end, and because it more closely mirrored the original commercial it became the larger hit, climbing into the U.S. Top Ten despite competition from the alternate recording. Bolstered by the advertising campaign, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)” topped charts across multiple nations, including the U.K., and stands as the New Seekers’ biggest success.

During 1972 the New Seekers finished second in the annual Eurovision Song Contest with “Beg, Steal or Borrow,” which served as their strong U.K. successor to “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”; the title track of Circles also charted that summer. They opened 1973 by performing at Richard Nixon’s inaugural ball, yet afterward sought to refresh their image and attract greater critical regard by cutting more rock-oriented material—including selections from the Who’s Tommy—on Now. The strategy failed and sales declined accordingly. Peter Doyle departed that summer and was succeeded by Peter Oliver. The singles “You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me” and “I Get a Little Sentimental Over You,” both featured on the 1974 album Together, returned the group to the U.K. Top Ten, yet vocalists Eve Graham and Lyn Paul elected to exit in early 1974. The ensemble undertook a farewell U.K. tour that spring and entered the studio one final time to record The Farewell Album, issued that summer after the group had formally disbanded.

Although their commercial peak had ended, the New Seekers were not finished. They regrouped in 1976 with original members Eve Graham, Marty Kristian, and Paul Layton together with newcomers Kathy Ann Rae and Danny Finn. They released the album Together Again and began performing on the U.K. cabaret circuit alongside other non-rock pop acts. A handful of modest hits followed over the next two years, none matching the scale of earlier triumphs; after one last album, 1978’s Anthem, Graham and Finn withdrew to marry and perform as a duo. Their exit effectively concluded the New Seekers’ activity as a recording entity. Kristian and Layton continued directing various New Seekers lineups through the 1980s and intermittently during the 1990s, yet despite ongoing worldwide tours the act functioned strictly as a nostalgia attraction. Peter Doyle succumbed to throat cancer on October 13, 2001.