The Seekers

(WG-B-2341/WG-BS.2341)

Recorded in England and released in Australia by W&G Records

General Notes: Once The Seekers made their journey to England on the Fairsky cruise boat, they recorded this album for the World Record Club (WRC). It was the first of two albums The Seekers recorded for the WRC, the other being Hide and Seekers. It was released in the UK as a WRC (T422) and New Zealand on the Columbia label as SCXM 6061. PLEASE NOTE: On the track listings I have compiled information from the album label with the track listing as it appears on the record sleeve.

Liner Notes: "The Seekers are a young group of Australian singers who are quickly building a great reputation in this country. Their repertoire is drawn from the riches of international folksong, a field full of melodic treasures. The Seekers, while using mostly authentic folksongs, have found a popular way of putting over this music, playing it in modern, swinging idion that is attractive to a modern audience

The groups consists of three boys and a girl. The girl is JUDITH DURHAM, a twenty-one year old gospel and blues singer who built a considerable reputation in the jazz field while she spent a year singing with a leading Australian traditional jazz group. When the Seekers wanted a girl's voice to add to the group, Judith was more or less an automatic choice. For a time she continued to sing with the band and with the Seekers but when the trip abroad was planned she joined the group full-time. Judith is small and jobial and immensely talented and her favourite singers are Mahalia Jackson, Rosetta Tharpe and Bessie Smith.

The male members of the group are ATHOL GUY, aged twenty-four, the business manager and bass-player of the outfit. He used to be an advertising executive, but like the rest of the Seekers, gave up his part-time musical status to become a full-time professional at the beginning of 1964. Bruce Woodley is twenty-two and was also an advertising executive before joining the Seekers. He is the most experienced folk-singer of the group and also play banjo and guitar. It is his enthusiasm for folk-music that is clearly reflected in the Seekers' leaning toward this kind of music. KEITH POTGER is twenty-three and is also a guitarist and banjoist. He gave up a career as radio producer (sic) to become a full-time Seeker after a period of trying to mix both activities.

A little under two years ago the Seekers started out as a semi-professional group appearing in dance clubs and coffee lounges. They very quickly got the chance to appear on TV shows and then graduated to the nightclubs and hotels in the bigger cities of Australia such as Melbourne and Brisbane. At the beginning of 1964 they were offered a sea-going job, entertaining on cruises organised by an Australian shipping line. They decided to continue the cruise to England and try their luck in a really competitive field. Already a full engagement book and a growing reputation looks like keeping them here at least until the end of 1965 when they hope to go home for a time and then possibly return. They were on TV in their first week in the country, appearing in 'Tonight' and they were engaged for 'Sunday Night at the Palladium' four weeks later. They have appeared regularly on Ronnie Carroll's 'Call in on Carroll'.

Their repertoire is a wide one and they are always looking for new material. They like song with a strong melodic content and a well-defined rhythm. Their approach is frankly popular because the want to bring their music to as wide an audience as possible. They all sing, covering a considerable range between them and blend naturally and easily in a way ideally suited to their material. Nobody is in charge of the music; they work in a truly democratic manner and achieve delightfully free and easy results by this method.

This particular album includes some familiar material and some that may be new. All the songs gain new vitality from their zestful treatment. The wreck of the old 97 is an Americna narrative ballad (there used to be a version by Muggsy Spanier); Danny Boy or Londonderry air has ben called 'the most beautiful tune in the world' but its composer has never been discovered - handed down in a traditional way it first appeared in print as late as 1855; Waltzing Matilda is possibly the best known of all Australian songs but the other Australian, With my swag all on my shoulder and South Australia will be new to most people in this country; two more Irish songs are Whisky in the jar and Gipsy Rover while Cotton fields, Lemon tree, Gotta travel on and Five hundred miles are all American. The record is completed by two interesting items. Plaisir d'amour is hardly a folksong. The Seekers choose it because of its wonderful melody. It was written by a German who chose to call himself by the Italian name of Martini and lived in France - nothing could be more international than that. Isa Lei is a most attractive little song from Fiji.

This all adds up to a most entertaining and varied programme full of rich music - and with a recording to match."

Track Listing/Notes:

(SIDE 1)

The wreck of the old 97 (Work-Trad. The Seekers arr. (Copyright Control) 3.08)
Danny boy (Weatherly. (Boosey &Hawkes) 3.03)
Waltzing Matilda (Cowan-Paterson (Allan) 2.54)
Cotton fields (The Seekers arr. (Copyright Control) 2.52)
Lemon tree (Hole (Essex) 3.27)
Gotta travel on (Clayton (Chappell) 2.32)

(SIDE 2)

With my swag all on my shoulder (Guy-Potger-Woodley-Durham (Woomera) 1.53)
Plaisir d'amour (Martini (B.I.E.M.) 2.46)
Isa Lei (Katen (Boosey & Hawkes) 3.39)
Whisky in the jar (The Seekers arr. (Copyright Control) 3.11)
Five hundred miles (West (Mellin) 1.46)
Gipsy rover (The Seekers arr. (Copyright Control) 2.42)
South Australia (The Seekers arr. (Copyright Control) 2.01)

-oOo-

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