The New Seekers released nine albums in Canada and the USA, eight of which feature Lyn Paul. The first five were released on the Elektra label, the fifth being a "best of" compilation. The last three albums featuring Lyn Paul were released on MGM.
The New Seekers' association with Elektra brought with it a certain kudos. Formed in 1950, the Elektra Record Company had established a reputation for releasing "quality" records. From 1955 the label began to build a roster of folk artists and in the early sixties it launched the careers of Judy Collins and Tom Paxton. Later in the sixties it became home to more "progressive" acts such as Love and the Doors. By the time the New Seekers were recording for the label, its portfolio included Carly Simon, Bread and Harry Chapin. More than kudos, the Elektra connection also provided the New Seekers with some rich recording material, including the Bread song Look What You've Done and Harry Chapin's Circles.
Although the first four of the New Seekers' US albums shared the same title as their British counterparts, each of them contained a different selection of songs.
Side 1:
One | All Right My Love | Ain't Love Easy | Blackberry Way | When There's No Love Left | Your Song
Side 2:
Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma | Cincinnati | Eighteen Carat Friend | Beautiful People | I'll Be Home | Never Ending Song Of Love
Beautiful People was the New Seekers' début album in the USA. In the UK it was the group's third album release.
Although the album had the same title on both sides of the Atlantic, the tracks appeared in a different order and the US version contained two tracks, All Right My Love and Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma, that had already been released in the UK on the album Keith Potger & The New Seekers.
Label / Catalogue Number: Elektra EKS-74088 (LP) /
Wounded Bird Records WOU4088 (CD) Originally Released:1971 Re-issued on CD: 13th October 2008 [release date postponed to November 2008] All tracks available as downloads (MP3 format) from:Amazon [USA],
Highest chart position: 136
New Seekers New Colours
(US album cover)
New Colours
Side 1:
Tonight | Too Many Trips To Nowhere | Wanderer's Song | Boom Town | Evergreen | Move Me Lord
Side 2:
Nickel Song | Lay Me Down | No Man's Land | Sweet Louise | Good Old Fashioned Music | Child Of Mine
The New Seekers' second American LP, New Colours, had the same title (and even the same spelling) as it's UK counterpart, though the tracks appeared in a different order and two of them, Wanderer's Song and Nickel Song, did not appear on the UK version.
The review of the album in Billboard magazine said: "The New Seekers, who have had much recent success in England and who have had a big hit here (Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma), have a new LP that should re-establish them as a big chart item... Highlights are No Man's Land, Good Old Fashioned Music and Tonight. Evergreen and Wanderer's Song are beautiful and will receive much play."
New Seekers We'd Like To Teach
The World To Sing
(US album cover)
We'd Like To Teach The World To Sing
Side 1:
Tonight | Too Many Trips To Nowhere | Wanderer's Song | Boom Town | Evergreen | I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
Side 2:
Nickel Song | Lay Me Down | No Man's Land | Sweet Louise | Good Old Fashioned Music | Child Of Mine
Following the phenomenal success of the single I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony), Elektra re-packaged and re-titled the New Seekers' album New Colours, substituting the single for the track Move Me Lord and re-releasing the album under the title We'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.
In the UK the album of the same title bore little resemblance to its American namesake. The albums, in fact, had only two tracks in common - Wanderer's Song and (of course) I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.
The albums also had markedly different covers. The US version pictured the New Seekers hand in hand climbing a hillside (recalling the Coke TV commercial I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke). The UK version (which included the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry Beg, Steal Or Borrow) superimposed a photo of the group on a background shot of Edinburgh Castle (the Eurovision Song Contest had been held at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh).
In 2003 We'd Like To Teach The World To Sing was released on CD by Collectors' Choice Music.
Label / Catalogue Number: Elektra EKS-74115 (LP) /
Collectors' Choice Music CCM--405-2 (CD) Released:1971 Re-issued on CD:13th October 2003 All tracks available as downloads (MP3 format) from:Amazon [USA], iTunes, Play.com.
Highest chart position: 37
New Seekers, We'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (back of album sleeve)
Pictured (left to right): Paul Layton, Marty Kristian, Lyn Paul, Peter Doyle (leaning forward) and Eve Graham.
Side 1:
Dance, Dance, Dance | Changes IV | I Can Say You're Beautiful | Holy Rollin' | Just An Old Fashioned Love Song | Mystic Queen
Side 2:
Beg, Steal Or Borrow | Perfect Love | The World I Wish For You | Out On The Edge Of Beyond | Jean's Little Street Café | Circles
The UK album Circles had an elaborate circular fold-out sleeve. The US version was more plainly packaged. In fact, apart from the title track and the song Holy Rollin', the two albums were completely different. The US version of Circles actually had more in common with the UK album We'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.
Out On The Edge Of Beyond was made available in the UK on the compilation LP Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma.Jean's Little Street Café was never released on vinyl in the UK but cropped up, two decades later, as Little Street Café on the CD compilation Collection.
A review of the album in Billboard said: "As in their past LPs, this delightful fivesome brings us some of the happiest and most tender music on the scene today..." (Billboard, Vol. 84, No. 28, 8th July 1972)
Label / Catalogue Number: Elektra EKS-75034 (LP) /
Wounded Bird Records WOU4088 (CD) Released:1972 Re-issued on CD: 13th October 2008 [release date postponed to November 2008] All tracks available as downloads (MP3 format) from:Amazon [USA].
Highest chart position: 166
New Seekers, Circles (back of album sleeve)
Pictured (left to right): Paul Layton, Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Peter Doyle and Marty Kristian.
New Seekers The Best Of
The New Seekers
(US album cover)
The Best Of The New Seekers
Side 1:
Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma | Beautiful People | Nickel Song | Blackberry Way | Perfect Love | Never Ending Song Of Love
Side 2:
I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) | Tonight | Evergreen | Circles | Beg, Steal Or Borrow | Dance, Dance, Dance
When the New Seekers moved from the Elektra record label to MGM / Verve, Elektra cashed in by releasing a "best of" compilation. The album was also released as a stereo-compatible quadraphonic record.
New Seekers, The Best Of The New Seekers (Quadradisc cover)
Pictured (left to right): Marty Kristian, Lyn Paul, Paul Layton, Eve Graham and Peter Doyle.
New Seekers Come Softly To Me
(US album cover)
Come Softly To Me
Side 1:
For You We Sing | Blowin' In The Wind | Come Softly To Me * | Goin' Back | Morning Has Broken | Down By The River
Side 2:
How I Love Them Old Songs | Captain Stormy | Day By Day | Rain | Why Can't We All Get Together | Unwithered Rose
Come Softly To Me was the New Seekers' first US album for MGM / Verve. A review in Billboard gave it the 'thumbs up': "The group's first LP entry for the label is by far one of their finest, both artistically and comercially." (Billboard, Vol. 84, No. 51, 16th December 1972)
There is no UK equivalent of this album. One of the tracks, How I Love Them Old Songs, had been previously released in the UK as Doggone My Soul (How I Love Them Old Songs): it appeared as the opening track on the 1971 album New Colours but was not included on the US album of that name. Four of the tracks, Blowin' In The Wind, Morning Has Broken, Day By Day and Unwithered Rose, had also been released in the UK, appearing in September 1972 on the album Circles. Two further tracks, Goin' Back and Rain, were later included on the 1973 album New Seekers Now.
Of the other tracks, Captain Stormy and Why Can't We All Get Together were made available in the UK on the 1972 budget compilation album Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma. Two of the tracks, For You We Sing and Down By The River, were never released in the UK.
Note: the New Seekers recorded two versions of For You We Sing - one featuring Marty Kristian on lead vocal, which is included on this album, and another version featuring Peter Doyle on lead vocal. The latter was released as a single in Asia and in Europe.
Side 1:
Pinball Wizard / See Me, Feel Me | Brand New Song | Look Look * | That's My Guy | Feeling | Utah
Side 2:
Reaching Out For Someone | Everything Changing * | Time Limit | Somebody Somewhere * | The Further We Reach Out *
This album is the US equivalent of the UK album New Seekers Now. However, as two of the tracks on the UK album, Goin' Back and Rain, had already been released in the States on the album Come Softly To Me, these songs were both cut from the album and replaced by The Further We Reach Out.
Side 1: I Wanna Go Back (Bill Martin / Phil Coulter) | You Never Can Tell* (Paul Layton / Marty Kristian / Danny Finn) | It's So Nice (To Have You Home)** (Bill Martin / Phil Coulter) | You Make Me Feel Like A Woman* (Paul Layton / Marty Kristian / Danny Finn) | A Little Bit More (Bobby Gosh) | Party Time (Bill Martin / Phil Coulter)
Side 2:
The Seeker (Dolly Parton) | Scorn Not His Simplicity (Phil Coulter) | Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Carte Blanche / Ann Orson) | Country Lovin'* (Paul Layton / Marty Kristian / John Franklin) | Music Medley: Sing Me (Neil Sedaka / Howard Greenfield) / I Believe In Music (Mac Davis) / I Got The Music In Me (Bias Boshell) / Listen To The Music (Tom Johnston) / Dance To The Music (Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart) / Money Makes The World Go Around (Kander & Ebb) / Music (John Miles)
Produced by: Phil Coulter in association with Bill Martin / Ossie Byrne and MPD* / Ron Richards**
Label / Catalogue Number: CBS PES 90415 Released:1976
