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Who said that?

These pages provide links to Music resources on the net, which either include information about Lyn Paul and the New Seekers or which help to set Lyn's career in context.

The Irish make a habit of winning, the UK of coming second and, until 2003, it appeared that only Norway got nul points. To find out more about the Eurovision Song Contest and some of the artists chosen to represent the UK, visit the websites listed below or take a leaf through one of these books:

The Complete Eurovision Song Contest Companion
The Eurovision Song Contest: 50 Years, The Official History

As a member of the New Seekers, Lyn Paul represented the UK in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, singing Beg, Steal Or Borrow. In the lead-up to the competition the group performed a selection of songs from which the UK entry was chosen, singing a different song each week on the It's Cliff Richard television show (BBC 1). Speaking about this in an interview in 2009, Lyn said: "We sang one song a week, which is actually a format that I feel that we should revert back to" (Ready Steady Sunday, Bay Radio, 3rd May 2009). In another interview in 2005, Lyn said: "Being on the show... you became, in inverted commas, "stars" ... It was a wonderful experience and, of course, the actual Eurovision Song Contest itself was incredible... The camaraderie of it was unbelievable... I don't believe it's quite the same today, but the camaraderie was unbelievable when we were in Scotland, doing it in Edinburgh. It was a terrific experience" (Flashback, BBC Radio Leeds, 14th August 2005).

When the New Seekers arrived in Edinburgh for the Eurovision Song Contest there was pandemonium. "We were creating such chaos in Edinburgh" Eve Graham recalled, "The riot squad were out on horses trying to clear the streets." (The Reel Blend, BBC Radio Scotland, 20th November 2005) As Lyn recalled it:

"Staying at the Caledonian Hotel before the Contest was amazing. Thousands of fans arrived to wish us well and we made the big mistake of walking over to shake hands with some of them.

The next thing I knew we were on the floor and people were trying to get us up. It was horrendous but quite exciting. They got us back inside but the fans broke the swing doors of the Caledonian trying to get to us. In the end they had to take us out through the hotel's kitchens." (Evening News, Friday, 13th April 2007)

Given their enormous popularity, the New Seekers were tipped by many to win. However, in the tradition of seven previous UK entries, stretching back to Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson in 1959, the New Seekers came second. Paul Layton put it down to politics: "We didn't get any votes from Ireland, or Spain at the time, because of the Gibraltar crisis" (I Love 1972, BBC 2). But, as Paul also said, "It didn't matter." The record was already a hit in Britain and it soon became a huge hit across the rest of Europe. Besides which, on the night itself the New Seekers had a terrific time. Speaking to John Curtis on Bay Radio, Lyn said: "If I'm absolutely honest about it John, I remember very little about it. I spent a lot of time in the green rooms!" (Ready Steady Sunday, Bay Radio, 3rd May 2009)

The New Seekers' performance at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, although available on bootleg recordings, was only officially released in November 2005 on the DVD Congratulations: 50 Years Of The Eurovision Song Contest 1956-1980.

In 1977 Lyn Paul tried her luck at Eurovision again, entering the preliminary Song For Europe contest as a solo artist with a Geoff Stephens' song titled If Everybody Loved The Same As You. Sadly for Lyn, she lost out to a singer with a similar name: Lynsey de Paul, who went on to represent the UK with Mike Moran, singing Rock Bottom. They also came second.

In 2004 Lyn Paul appeared on a special 'Eurovision' edition of the popular quiz show The Weakest Link.

• 1977: Swarbriggs Plus Two, It's Nice To Be In Love Again
  
  Nicola Kerr, who joined the New Seekers in 1979, represented Ireland in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest as one of the Swarbriggs Plus Two.
  
  
• 1980: Prima Donna, Love Enough For Two
  
  Ex-New Seeker Danny Finn represented the UK in the 1980 Eurovision Song Contest as lead singer with Prima Donna.
  
  
• 1980: Pussyfoot, I Want To Be Me
  
  Donna Jones and Mick Flinn, who became full-time members of the New Seekers later in the 1980s, took part in the 1980 Song For Europe contest as Pussyfoot. Their song, I Want To Be Me, came 4th.
  
  
• 1980: New Seekers, Tell Me
  
  The New Seekers entered the 1980 Song For Europe with a song called Tell Me but were disqualified on the eve of the competition.
  
  
• 1983: Sweet Dreams, I'm Never Giving Up
  
  In 1983 I'm Never Giving Up by Sweet Dreams was selected as the UK's Song For Europe. One of the writers behind the song, Ron Roker, had arranged and produced If Everybody Loved The Same As You, Lyn Paul's entry in the 1977 Song For Europe. Roker had also co-written Lyn's 1976 single Mama Don't Wait For Me,
  
  
• 1983: Audio, Love On Your Mind
  
  Love On Your Mind was written by Marty Kristian of the New Seekers and his sometime songwriting partner Trevor Spencer (of Tarney and Spencer fame). Audio, a trio put together specially for the Song For Europe, featured ex-New Seeker Kathy Ann Rae.
  
  
• 1991: Samantha Janus, A Message To Your Heart
  
  Lyn Paul's sister Nikki Belsher took part in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest as one of the backing singers for Samantha Janus.
  

BBC Eurovision Song Contest

The BBC's guide to the Eurovision Song Contest, which includes a brief history of Eurovisions past.

ESC Today.com

All the Eurovision news you could ever need - and then some!

Eurovision Song Contest Record Covers

A year by year guide to Eurovision. This website contains tables and images galore. As a result it may take a moment or two to download.

Eurovision Song Contest Statistics

Launched on 7th May 1996, this is the oldest of the Eurovision Song Contest fan websites. It provides a variety of ESC-related statistical information as well as producing video interviews and ESC-related live performances.

Eurovisionary.com: Paul Layton

This website features an interview with Paul Layton of the New Seekers, in which he recalled the Eurovision Song Contest of 1972 and described how he felt at the time: "Ultimately disappointed not to have won as we came so close... Nevertheless it was still ‘New Seekers Week’ in Edinburgh. We had a fantastic time and were spoilt rotten."

OGAE (Organisation Générale des Amateurs d'Eurovision)

The OGAE is the world's largest club for fans of the Eurovision Song Contest. It publishes an international magazine Eurosong News.

The UK branch of the OGAE publishes Vision, Britain's leading Eurovision fan club magazine.

Each year Eurovision fans gather for the OGAE Convention. The highlight of the 2000 Convention in Brighton was a concert starring the Brotherhood of Man and the New Seekers (pictured below).

Both groups were pleased with the enthusiastic welcome that they received. In return, the assembled audience needed little prompting to sing along with numerous hits, both old and new.

Song4Europe.com

The Song4Europe website provides information about the United Kingdom's competition to choose the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.

New Seekers,
Beg, Steal Or Borrow
Eurovision
Song Contest,
1972

New Seekers,
Beg, Steal Or Borrow
Royal Albert Hall,
1972

Prima Donna
Love Enough For Two
Eurovision
Song Contest,
1980

Bucks Fizz,
Making Your Mind Up
A Song For Europe,
1981

Eurovision
Song Contest
1991 preview

Eurovision
Song Contest
1991

Who said that?

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision is a song contest on the television, where people dress up, sing silly songs, and then vote for the country next door.
Mick Sturbs [Kevin Joslin], 'Janet & John Reloaded - The Eurovision Party'

Quotes, quotes and more quotes

If you have enjoyed the "Who said that?" feature of this website, you may also enjoy visiting the following websites: