Sunday, February 17, 2008
SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND
It has been officially declared on this blog that The New Seekers are the greatest band of all time.
Originally formed by The Seekers' Roger Potger to appeal to Seekers' fans, but with a "rockier edge" (??? Eh? Where?) they bestrode the early 1970's like a patchwork bellbottomed, feathery shoulder length haired ten legged collosus.
We will never see their like again.
It's difficult to explain to young people nowadays, but in 1971 there was a generation gap the size of Cheddar Gorge, or Watford Gap, or summat.
People who were over forty used to say, controversially enough, that they "preferred The Old Seekers". People who were under forty used to say "I prefer The New Seekers. F*ck off back to your allotment grandad, you just don't understand".
My dad used to make a point of saying how ugly The N. Seeker's bass player (the dark haired bloke on the far right in the picture) was whenever they were on telly.
"He is so bloody ugly, they always stick him at the back of the stage and never point the camera at him. He is the ugliest man in the world, apart from your mother's cousin, Paul B******y."
This was a a bit harsh, in my opinion. Mind you, I used to fancy that Australian bloke myself, which rather went against form because the main dreamboat was supposed to be, er, dreamy teutonic Marty Kristian (second from right), whose solo picture was always the poster on the back page of Jackie magazine (as opposed to the centrefold which usually featured David Cassidy And His Appendix Scar).
My mother's cousin, Paul B******y became a legend in our house because of my dad's repeated references to him whenever The N. Seekers were on telly.
I got to meet him once. He was a horse faced, Jacques Brel-like man, to be fair, but not the ugliest man I'd ever seen or ever would see. This was a few years before the 1980's Tory cabinet formed, after all.
"So, did you see your mum's cousin, Paul B******y then? He is a bloody ugly bugger, isn't he?" my dad said triumphantly when I got back home.
Anyway, shimmy on over to YouTube or eBay or your local junk shop and feel the autumnal sunburst magic of The New Seekers ... or the melancholy of The Old Seekers. Keep the faith.
Labels: David Cassidy's appendix scar, dreamy Marty Kristian, horse faced men, The New Seekers, The Old Seekers, ugly men
