‘The New Seekers’ were formed on the back of the split of the 60’s Australian folk group ‘The Seekers’.  Keith Potger formed the group in 1969, however the initial line up of ‘The New Seekers’ would change when a decision was made to move the genre of the band from Folk to a more Rock/Pop influence.  Marty Kristian and Eve Graham would be the only remaining original line up members and joining them would be Lyn Paul, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton.  They would have many hits in both the UK and the US including, ‘Look what they’ve done to my song, ma’, ‘Never ending song of love’ and ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing’. 

From group harmony’s they began to shift focus towards individual singers within the group and often record releases stated ‘The New Seekers’ featuring ‘Eve Graham’ or whoever happened to be on lead vocals.

My personal favourite was one of their biggest hits and featured Lyn Paul on lead vocals, ‘You won’t find another fool like me’.  The flip side of the record was sung by Eve Graham and was entitled, ‘Song for you and me’.

It was in 1972 that the group were chosen to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision and each week they performed on the ‘It’s Cliff Richard show’ until the winning song, ‘Beg, Steal or Borrow’ was chosen with Lyn Paul and Peter Doyle as lead vocalists.  Cliff Richard would the following year enter the Eurovision with ‘Power to all our friends’. 

‘Beg, Steal or Borrow’ placed second at the 1972 Eurovision and also climbed to the number two position in the UK charts.

After another hit single in 1974, ‘I get a little sentimental over you’ the band announced a surprise split less than five years after they were formed.

In 1976 they reformed but without Lyn Paul and Peter Doyle.  Two new artists Danny Finn and Kathy Ray joined the group but while they had moderate success they never achieved the success they once had.  In 1979 Danny Finn and Eve Graham left the group and in 1980 ‘The New Seekers’ once again attempted to represent the UK in the Eurovision but were disqualified for promoting the song before the heats began.  Instead Danny Finn who had left the group the previous year did go onto represent the UK in 1980 as part of a group called ‘Prima Donna’ singing ‘Love enough for two’ which finished third.

In 1977 Lyn Paul entered ‘A song for Europe’ finishing fourth with ‘If everybody loved the same as you’.   This would go onto become a much loved song in the gay community.    Lynsey De Paul and Michael Moran would represent the UK with ‘Rock Bottom’ coming second.  My vote still is with Lyn Paul.

‘The New Seekers’ are still going with Paul Layton the only original member left in the group.  In 2009 a greatest hits compilation including new songs was released entering the album charts at number 17. 

From its original start in Australia as ‘The Seekers’ in 1962 to its nostalgic tours of present day ‘The New Seekers’ left behind an amazing legacy interwoven with the trials and tribulations of tangled love lives and questionable management. Their story is one movies are made of, let’s hope someday that may happen.

Here at ESCIreland there is nothing we love more than a good mashup. Particularly when it involves Eurovision. And in this case you can’t get more Eurovisionary than Charlotte Perrelli, and her guest star is today is a little know lady called Gaga.

Featuring the music of “Hero” by Charlotte Perrelli and the lyrics of “Pokerface” by Lady Gaga we give you

While the song may be good we say nothing about the name…. Plus an added extra bonus is that we don’t get to see Charlottle in her Catwoman form!

Do you know of any other Mashups, let us know, don’t keep it to yourself

The details of Melodifestivalen 2011 have been announced by Swedish Broadcaster SVT.

Here are the dates for your Diary!

• Heat 1: Saturday, February 5th, 2011 at Coop Arena, Luleå
• Heat 2: Saturday, February 12th, 2011 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg
• Heat 3: Saturday, February 19th, 2011 at Cloetta Center, Linköping
• Heat 4: Saturday, February 26, 2011 in Malmö Arena, Malmö
• Second Chance: Saturday, March 5, 2011 in the Nordic Hall, Sundsvall
• Final: Saturday, March 12th, 2011 at Globen, Stockholm

Im looking forward to following Melodifestivalen this year.

Their artist at least Christos Mylordos will represent the island in Germany next year with a song to be chosen at a later date. He seems a little weak vocally, or is it just me?

Cyprus is the first country to have a live National Final for next years contest. Since I posted about this last week, I have learned more about the final of Performance, the show that Cyprus is using to choose its entry for next years Eurovision Song Contest in Germany.

The show will be hosted by Marina Maleni and the Judging panel includes:

• Neoklis Neokleous
• Kostas Kakogiannis
• Lia Vissi (ESC 1985)
• Fotis Nikolaou

It gets underway tomorrow, Friday, at 21:15 local time. It will be broadcast on RIK ENA.

There will be 15 participants in the show. Nine singers, one of whom will represent Cyprus next year, three instrumentalists and three dancers. They are:

Singers:

• Costas Ioannides
• Christos Milordos
• Nicole Nikolaidou
• Louis Panagiotou
• Daphni Seisou
• Annita Skoutela
• Stella Stylianou
• Malvina Charalambidi
• Marios Charalambous

Instrumentalists:

• Rafael Mina
• Sotiris Petsas (drummer 0:28)
• George Paottos

Dancers:

• Marilia Yiallourides
• Nikoletta Michael
• Charalambous Elia

The finalists where selected by 60% jury and 40% televote.

ESCToday have some interviews with the finalists.

According to rumours abounding on the internet, Italy could be on the verge of returning to the Eurovision Song Contest after a 13 year absence, they last took part in 1997. While this is something we hear/hope for every year. This year it could happen.

According to ESC Today, the winner of this years Italian X-Factor will not go on to the San Remo festival (which the Eurovision is based on). This is a big change and could signal that the winner will instead represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest.

This is backed up reports on Mediaset which is owned by Silvio Berlusconi.

The series gets under way tomorrow night. Lets see what happens.

Iconic singer and Eurovision diva Niamh Kavanagh will top the bill at Limerick Pride.  The songstress will be playing an emotive and upbeat set at La Boutique in Dolans Warehouse on Saturday September 11^th.

The gig will be the climax of a packed week of festivities ending in the Pride Parade and the gig in Dolans.

“We have a very exciting show this year for Limerick Pride,” said Producer Nicole Dunphy.  “It is amazing to have Niamh, but she will not be the only icon on stage, we also have Miss Heidi Hotlips and Sheila Fits Patrick and Madonna Lucia who have hosted the show since Limerick Pride went stellar three years ago.”

Described as the “Rolls Royce of Irish singers”, Niamh Kavanagh has appeared twice for Ireland at the Eurovision finals.

In the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest , before an international audience of over 350 million people, Niamh wowed audiences with a powerful rendition of In Your Eyes and achieved a resounding victory for Ireland. The second of Ireland’s famous three-in-a row victories, the song, In Your Eyes, went on to achieve double platinum status.

Niamh returned to the Eurovision stage in 2010 with the song It’s For You. An Irish/Swedish collaboration, the emotional ballad perfectly showcased her ability to tell a story through a song and Niamh took Ireland through a strong semi-final into the finals after a three year absence. It wasn’t to be Niamh’s year on the tele-voting, but her inspirational performance produced the only standing ovation of the night from the 18,000 crowd at the Telenor Centre in Oslo.

Renowned for the strength and adaptability of her voice; able to produce in turn the depth and resonance of jazz, the pure clarity of the ballad, the power of rhythm and blues and the driving energy of the very best of soul music, this is Niamh Kavanagh and “It’s For You”.

La Boutique and Limerick Pride presents Niamh Kavannagh and special guests/ Dolans Warehouse/ Saturday September 11^t. Doors 9pm Tickets €17

Get you tickets from www.dolans.ie

Lets not forget Sheila's own tribute to Niamh this year

Cyprus will be one of the first countries to hold their National Final. This year they are choosing their entry through a show called Performance. There are 9 acts qualified for the final. They are as follows:

• Marios Charalambous
• Costa Ioannides
• Christos Milordos
• Daphne Seisou
• Nicole Nikolaidou
• Louis Panagiotou
• Annita Skoutela
• Stella Stylianou
• Malvina Charalambidi

I cant find songs by all the artists but there is a good calibre among those I could find.

Who’s your favourite? I am liking Costa Ioannides.

At least this year Cyprus will be sending a Cypriot!

The year was 1974, the place Brighton, England, the event, the 19^th Eurovision song contest.

It would be five years before my miraculous birth so I wasn’t even a twinkle in my parent’s eyes but they must have had some insight because they bought several of the Eurovision singles on record for that year and when I was but a wee boy of eight I discovered them.  I always credit the 1993 Eurovision as been the year that started my love affair yet in truth it was 1974 and specifically records containing three of that years entrants; Tina Reynolds, Olivia Newton John and Abba.

In 1973 Luxemburg won the Eurovision with a song called ‘Tu te reconnaitrais’ by Anne-Marie David however they declined to host it due to the cost and the BBC graciously stepped in hence the Dome in Brighton. 

It would be a year of conspiracy theories and controversies and it would also be the year Greece made their debut with ‘Marinella’. 

Returning artists included:

Romuald for Monaco again in 1964 and also for Luxemburg in 1969.

Bendick Singers for Norway the previous year of 1973.

Gigliola Cinquetti for Italy in 1964 for which she won.

17 countries would perform and Ireland would place a respectable 7^th with Tina Reynolds song ‘Cross your heart’.  I love this song from childhood and its flip side on the record was a track called ‘What would I be’.   Lyrics included on that went…’What would I be if I weren’t me, maybe a cloud, maybe a tree and if I were a tree you’d be the gentle rain that falls on me.   And if that tree should fade and die, you’d be the ground on which I’d lie….’  Honestly I couldn’t make this up.  

France did not perform that year despite having a song and singer chosen.  ‘La vie a vingt-cinq ans’ by Dani was pulled when the same week of the Eurovision the French president Georges Pompidou passed away. 

Italy would place 2^nd but one wonders if that was more to do with the conspiracy theories that surrounded it.  The song entitled ‘Si’ which of course means ‘Yes’ was banned from Italian TV because at the same time the Italian referendum on Divorce was going on and they felt the song might influence peoples votes through subliminal messages.  No wonder the Italians left the Eurovision we all know them to be passionate but we can add a little crazy into the mix.  They must have been pulling their hair out when Dustin was singing about his Douze points, now I wonder why that didn’t work, hhmm!!!!

England would place 4^th however singer Olivia Newton John would claim that (and I agree entirely) had she sung her favourite of the choices given her ‘Angel Eyes’ she may have done better.  The song ‘Long live love’ was chosen by the British people (its funny how they never learn to leave it in professional’s hands rather then the public, get a clue Britain).  Olivia would go on to star in one of the most beloved musicals of all time ‘Grease’ in 1978. 

The biggest controversy (probably ever in Eurovision history) which came to light after its performance surrounded Portugals entry by Paulo de Carvalho ‘E depois do adeus’.  The song was used as a signal to launch the Carnation Revolution.  The song alerted the rebel soldiers to begin the coup and fight to reclaim democracy in Portugal from an authoritarian dictatorship.  Thousands of ordinary Portuguese fled to the streets to join with the military insurgents.  The result was the end of the secret police, the Estado Novo (new state) and the unpopular colonial war.  A new constitution ended up been drafted, political prisoners were freed, censorship was prohibited, free speech was declared and overseas colonies were given their independence and all on the wake of a song at Eurovision.

Of course the year’s winner was Sweden with Abba and ‘Waterloo’.  The song went on to become voted the best song of the Eurovision song contest when it celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2005.   The group Abba were launched on an unsuspecting world and Abbamania followed.  They became as popular as the Beatles and their influence was widespread.  To this day their songs are covered by other artists and collectively were turned into a world smash musical, ‘Mamma Mia’.

   Its songs began my love of Eurovision and it was a year that launched a revolution, Olivia Newton John and Abba. That is why 1974 is historically one of the best, if not thee best.