| 1996 |
Listening to an Oasis album in 1994, songwriter Roger Greenaway had been struck by the similarity between Shakermaker (released as a single by Oasis in Summer of 1994) and I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (recorded by the New Seekers at the end of 1971). In 1996 the likeness of the two songs was highlighted when tribute band No way sis covered I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing in the style of Oasis. As a result, the New Seekers found themselves mentioned in a series of newspaper articles about Oasis, No way sis and even REM.
During the course of the year one journalist remembered the New Seekers' recording of Pinball Wizard / See Me, Feel Me. A couple of others recalled the group's Eurovision hit Beg, Steal Or Borrow.
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| The Independent, 19th January 1996, page 22. |
David Benedict on theatre
David Benedict makes a passing reference to Lyn Paul and the New Seekers in his theatre column.
"When Lyn Paul and her friends flashed their big lapels and shiny hair and sang "You know I'll beg, steal or borrow", who would have guessed that the New Seekers were creating the anthem of the stage manager? ..."
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| Sunday Times, 10th March 1996, page 10. |
The highs and lows of Tommy
by Simon Fanshawe
With productions of Tommy being staged on Broadway and in the West End, Simon Fanshawe takes a look at how Pete Townshend's rock opera became a theatre musical.
Never mind the plot - "the story and its credibility just isn't the point". Tommy's strength? "It's got great tunes." So great in fact that "even the New Seekers, who released a single in 1973 officially titled Pinball Wizard / See Me, Feel Me (medley), couldn't ruin two of the best tracks."
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| Good Times, Nr. 3. |
Mit starken Vokalisten immer noch enie Attraktion: New Seekers
by Claudia Wedeleit
A German magazine with features on '60s and '70s music and an
interview with Paul Layton of the New Seekers (page 13). The interview was accompanied by a photo of the 1972 line-up featuring Lyn Paul and Peter Doyle.
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| The Guardian, 22nd March 1996, page 17. |
Don't look back in anger, Jack - channel it!
by Bel Littlejohn
"The year was 1976. The revolution was punk." In his satire of New Labour Bel Littlejohn casts Jack Straw as "a founding member of the Damned" who "joined New Labour instead, in search of something more mellow."
"For their promotional tour... the lads have agreed... to sing a selection from the New Seekers, and to hawk, retch and spit only into special New Labour spittoons provided for the purpose."
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| The Stage, No. 6000, 11th April 1996, page 29. |
The 6,000th issue of The Stage included a full-page advertisement for the Malcolm Feld Agency Ltd. featuring four of the acts represented by the Agency: Merseyside's top showband Night Games, Connie Francis, Billie Jo Spears and Lyn Paul.
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Malcolm Feld Agency Ltd. advertisement featuring
Connie Francis, Billie Jo Spears, Night Games and Lyn Paul
from The Stage, 6,000th Issue,
11th April 1996.
   
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| The Guardian, 12th April 1996, page 17. |
Easter with Ken, Jack, Harriet and the gang
by Bel Littlejohn
More political satire from Bel Littlejohn...
"Saturday night was really great, with Jack [Straw] strumming along to some old King Crimson faves and Harriet [Harman] singing I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) in memory of her days in the New Seekers. Pete [Peter Mandelson] had never heard the song before... but he was sure Tony [Blair] would think it just right for the New Labour theme tune at the election."
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| The Independent, 18th May 1996, page 4. |
Among the beans and psychedelia are irresistible reminders of Spinal Tap; One man's tacky and embarrassing album cover is another's precious artefact
by Martin Kelner
In an article about record collecting, Martin Kelner wrote about the "hard-to-find hippy albums" featured on the video Rare, Precious or Beautiful.
"Sensible, of course, was not what progressive bands of the late 60s and early 70s were all about. Their intricate, rambling pieces about free love, nature, mythical beasts, magic (carpets and mushrooms), and other favourite underground themes, and their self-consciously arty sleeves, were intended as a reaction against artists like Donny Osmond or the New Seekers, who made hit singles and were therefore accused of being into a 'whole heavy bread scene'."
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| The Mirror, 18th May 1996, page 6. |
Rikki Peebles - Where are EU now?
A "where are they now?" feature on the stars who once represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest.
"1972: Beg, Steal Or Borrow, The New Seekers, 2nd. Paul and Marty still in the group. Peter runs puppy farm in Australia. Eve and Lyn in cabaret."
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| The Times, 28th May 1996. |
Judith Durham, Festival Hall
by Clive Davis
Judith Durham returned to London for a concert at the Festival Hall. Clive Davis reviewed the show for The Times.
"You know that middle age finally beckons when you mention Judith Durham to a friend under 30 years of age, and then have to explain that The Seekers were different from the New Seekers..."
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| Sunday Times, 2nd June 1996, Style, page 3. |
Mild at heart
by Roland White
Lyn Paul is quoted in an article about the hell-raisers of rock. The quote originally appeared in an article about Lyn in the Daily Mail on 5th December 1995,
"The Who failed to die before they got old, Rod Stewart settled down, and now even Charlie Sheen says he's had enough. Whatever happened to hell-raising, asks Roland White.
Even the New Seekers had their moments. `Because of the success we had,' said Lyn Paul recently, `everything was available to us drink, drugs and sex. The boys in particular had a great time of it.' Sex? The New Seekers? They'll be telling us next that Sister Wendy Beckett used to go to Millwall games with the Pope."
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| Daily Telegraph, 24th August 1996. |
Shiny snappy people
by Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick looks at the lyrics of The Wake Up Bomb in his feature article about REM and concludes that the song is "full of caustic references to Manchester's glory boys."
"In a direct allusion to the Oasis hit Shakermaker (whose melody was "borrowed" from the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing) he [Michael Stipe] sings: 'I had to teach the world to sing by the age of 21 / I threw up when I saw what I had done.'"
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| The Independent, 28th September 1996, page 7. |
A dyed-in-the-wool salesman; John Walsh meets...
Does Luciano Benetton really believe his own propaganda!
by John Walsh
In the preamble to an interview with the Benetton boss, John Walsh wrote:
"If there's a more irritating ad campaign than the Coca-Cola / New Seekers' united-nations dream ("I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing In Perfect Harm-o-nee"), it's Benetton's long-standing desire to Teach the World to Wear the Same T-Shirt With The Company Name On it."
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| Daily Record, 5th October 1996. |
Noel With It; Copycat band sign up for a Christmas No.1
"Scots pop clones No way sis are set for a Christmas No.1 with their début single... they're recording a version of the 1971 New Seekers chart-topper, I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - Oasis style."
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| Daily Telegraph, 16th November 1996. |
Will the real Liam Gallagher please sing up
by Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick makes a passing reference to the New Seekers in his article about tribute bands.
"No way sis are Oasis look-and-soundalikes who have recorded a cover version of the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, which was itself borrowed by Oasis for their own single Shakermaker..."
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| Daily Mail, 22nd November 1996. |
Many A Spit Betwixt Pop Hit And Miss
by Margaret Morrison
"In the absence of a new single from rock supergroup Oasis, their Glasgow-based tribute band No way sis has great hopes for their own forthcoming début record - a cover version of the New Seekers hit I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - to be released on December 2."
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| Observer, 1st December 1996, page 32. |
The maxi factor
by Judy Rumbold
An article on the latest in Winter fashion - the maxi-plus coat. Describing it, Judy Rumbold writes: "Think of Charlie's Angels, Karen Carpenter and the New Seekers. While you may well appreciate their status as ironic 1970s icons, you wouldn't want their clothes."
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| Billboard, 7th December 1996, page 98. |
Chart Beat
by Fred Bronson
"The U.K. has entered the Eurovision Song Contest 39 times, but only six of those entries have charted in the U.S. Gina G has the second most successful U.K. Eurovision entry in the U.S. with Ooh Ahh... Just A Little Bit... The highest-ranked of the six was Save Your Kisses For Me by the Brotherhood of Man... No. 27 in 1976. The four other U.K. Eurovision entries that charted on the Hot 100 are Beg, Steal Or Borrow by the New Seekers (No. 81 in 1972), Say Wonderful Things by Ronnie Carroll (No. 91 in 1963), Knock Knock, Who's There by Mary Hopkin (No. 92 in 1972) and Congratulations by Cliff Richard (No. 99 in 1968)."
Read the article in full at Google Books.
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| The Independent, 7th December 1996, page 5. |
THE WEASEL: A vodka advert in the centrefold emitted a selection of carols when the magazine was opened
In an article that picks up on "the prevalence of piped music" the question is asked: "So why don't we complain?" The answer becomes apparent.
"Taking lunch in an otherwise pleasant hotel bar overlooking the sea in North Yorkshire, I summoned up my courage and gently informed the barman that the New Seekers (or possibly Pickettywitch) were curdling my pint. "IT'S NOBBUT BACKGROUND," he bellowed in response, but turned off the music with a sharp click. A terrible, icy silence fell. For the rest of my meal, everyone in the room spoke in whispers, glancing nervously in my direction. Knives scraped painfully against plates. Bolting down my plaice and chips, I scarpered for the exit.
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| Daily Telegraph, 14th December 1996. |
Seasonal Rock Single
Bah, humbug says James Bennett
James Bennett casts a critical eye over "the annual race for the seasonal number 1." Among the contenders is the No way sis cover of the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - praised by Bennett as "one of the few 1996 Christmas hits you can dance to" even though "the lead singer's sneering Liam impersonation doesn't hold up when he starts singing 'apple trees and honey bees and snow white turtle doves'."
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| The Guardian, 21st December 1996, page 7. |
The clones: Zombie karaoke
by Garth Cartwright
Garth Cartwright reviews a concert at the Shepherd's Bush Empire by "the world's second best band", No way sis.
"Playing no original material they encored with their début single, I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing. The joke is that the New Seekers sued Oasis for stealing the melody... Unfortunately, that is as funny as the Sis get."
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| The Independent, 22nd December 1996, page 9. |
All that Glitter is no longer gold
by Nicholas Barber
"'Tis the season for Christmas shows" writes Nicholas Barber, whose article reviews shows by Gary Glitter (London Arena), Björn Again (Ilford Island) and "the pretenders to the tribute-band throne" No way sis (Shepherd's Bush Empire).
"They cover Oasis songs. They dress up as Oasis. They released a single of the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, in the style of Oasis."
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| Sunday Times, Books & Arts, 29th December 1996, page 2. |
The Hits of 1996
by Andrew Smith
Andrew Smith mentions the New Seekers in his year-end round-up of pop music.
"In reality, though, Oasis's single greatest achievement was to have spawned an army of copycat 'tribute bands', the most ambitious of which, No way sis, signed to EMI Records and made the Top 40. Better still, they did it with a cover of the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, a tune Noel Gallagher seemed to have in mind when it came to writing his own first hit, Shakermaker. This summed up the year as eloquently as anything."
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