String of Hits
The Seekers followed "I'll Never Find Another You" with "What Have They Done to the Rain" in February 1965 which did not chart in the top 40. In May, another Tom Springfield composition followed, "A World of Our Own", which reached top 3 in Australia and the UK and top 20 in the US. Malvina Reynolds' lullaby "Morningtown Ride" was issued in Australia in July and peaked in the top 10. Single with Russian folk song, "The Carnival Is Over", appeared in November, which reached No. 1 in both Australia and the UK. At its peak, the single was selling 93,000 copies a day in the UK alone.
Also in 1965, they met Paul Simon (of Simon & Garfunkel) who was pursuing a solo career in the UK following the initial poor chart success of the duo's debut LP, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. In 1966, the Seekers released the Simon-penned "Someday One Day", which reached No. 4 in Australia and No. 11 in the UK. Their version was Simon's first UK success as a songwriter, and his first major hit as a composer outside of his work with Art Garfunkel. Woodley co-wrote some songs with Simon, including "Red Rubber Ball" which became a US No. 2 single for the Cyrkle. The Seekers' version was provided on their 1966 LP Come the Day (released as Georgy Girl in the US).
Early in 1966, after returning to Australia, the Seekers filmed their first TV special, At Home with the Seekers. The band were named "Best New Group of 1965" at the 1966 New Musical Express Poll Winners Awards. They appeared at the celebratory Wembley Arena concert, on a bill which included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and the Animals. The same year, the group appeared at a Royal Command Performance at the London Palladium, before Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. In November, a re-recorded version of "Morningtown Ride" was released in the UK, which reached No. 2. The song had been recorded earlier as an Australian single from the 1964 album Hide and Seekers and appeared on the 1965 American debut, The New Seekers. In February 1967, "Morningtown Ride" reached the top 50 in the US.
In December 1966 they issued "Georgy Girl", which became their highest charting US hit when it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Cashbox Top 100 in February 1967. It was the title song for the film of the same name and sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. The band were awarded a gold record certificate by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile it was No. 3 in the UK, and No. 1 in Australia. Its writers, Jim Dale and Tom Springfield, were nominated for the 1966 Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost out to the title song from the film Born Free.
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Famous quotes containing the words string of, string and/or hits:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The string quartet plays for itself,
gently, gently, sleeves and waxy bows.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“From a hasty glance through the various tests I figure it out that I would be classified in Group B, indicating “Low Average Ability,” reserved usually for those just learning to speak the English Language and preparing for a career of holding a spike while another man hits it.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)