Monday 13 April 2015

Eve Graham born 13 April 1943


Eve Graham (born Evelyn May Beatson on 19 April 1943) is a Scottish singer who found fame in the early 1970s with the pop group, The New Seekers.
Graham began her career during the 1960s as a band singer with the Cyclones in Scotland and later with the Cyril Stapleton Band, based in London England. She joined The Track in the mid-sixties and was a founder member of The Nocturnes, originally alongside Sandra Stevens (later of Brotherhood of Man) and then Lyn Paul (her future colleague in The New Seekers).

In 1969 she joined songwriter Roger Cooke for a single release, again on Columbia, called 'Smiling Through My Tears' shortly before becoming a founder member of The New Seekers in 1969 and was lead singer on the majority of their early hits, including the world wide Number One hit - "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing". Other songs that featured Graham as lead vocalist included the US and Canadian smash "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma", the British Top 5 hit "Circles", the Japanese No.1 "The Greatest Song I've Ever Heard" and the ecologically conscious Roger Cook-Roger Greenaway composition "We've Got To Do It Now". In later years, fellow band member Lyn Paul would share lead vocal duties.



Graham's three-octave range was showcased on several songs, most notably the British and European smash hit "Never Ending Song of Love", in which she reached D6. Though mainly a vocalist, she played acoustic guitar on stage in the Chuck Berry-influenced skiffle number "Good Old-Fashioned Music" and kazoo in the comic song "(Ever Since You Told Me That You Loved Me) I'm A Nut".
In 1974 the group disbanded and Graham moved onto solo cabaret work, but rejoined a reconstituted New Seekers in 1976 and sang lead on their hits "It's So Nice To Have You Home" and "I Wanna Go Back".

In 1978 she left once more and again performed as a solo singer, as well as marrying another ex-New Seeker Kevin (Danny) Finn on 1 June 1979. They toured as a duo for many years and released one single Ocean and Blue Sky.

Graham retired in 2000 after a last charity performance, and originally said that she could not envisage being tempted out of retirement. But in 2005 former New Seekers record producer David Mackay did it, and produced a new album with her - The Mountains Welcome Me Home. It was released as a CD and DVD, and contains Scottish traditionals and new recordings of old New Seekers songs. A Christmas themed album, "Til The Season Comes Round Again", followed in 2006.

In 2008, Graham told The Independent newspaper that after the band broke up she found work fitting bras, in a branch of Debenhams department store in Essex. She lives in Crieff, Perthshire with her husband Kevin, also a former New Seeker, who works for a kitchen and bathroom design company. Graham told The Independent that owing to contractual problems she has not received any royalties since 1973. (Info Wikipedia) 

1 comment:

boppinbob said...

Here’s The New Seekers – Songbook CD1
(A big thank you To SanJose72 blog for original link

http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/GjpjRGXs/file.html

01. I“d Like To Teach The World To Sing
02. It“s A Beautiful Day
03. Look What They“ve Done To My Song, Ma
04. Alright My Love
05. When There“s No Love Left
06. Nickel Song
07. One
08. Never Ending Song Of Love
09. Beautiful People
10. Look What You“ve Done
11. Child Of Mine
12. There“s A Light
13. Blackberry Way
14. Ain“t Love Easy
15. I“ll Be Home
16. Doggone My Soul
17. Evergreen
18. Something In The Way He Moves
19. No Man“s Land
20. Move Me Lord
21. Dance, Dance, Dance
22. Georgie Girl+Ticket To Ride
23. Beg Steal Or Borrow
24. Changes IV
25. One By One
26. I Can Say You“re Beautiful