The most familiar line-up included Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Marty Kristian, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton. In addition to having several big hits, the group represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, finishing in second place. Author & Historian John Kennedy O'Connor notes in The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, that they got the biggest cheer of the night from the live audience in Edinburgh. They were hot favourites to represent the UK again in 1980 (albeit with only Paul & Marty still in the line up) with the song "Tell Me" but it was disqualified shortly before the televised final of A Song for Europe. Had they appeared in the 1980 UK contest, the group would have been up against their former lead singer Danny Finn who had recently married Eve Graham and was now the lead singer of the winning group Prima Donna. In addition, Mick Flynn and Donna Jones, two members of the current (2007) line up of The New Seekers were also in the field, competing under the group name Pussyfoot.
Their hit single "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", adapted from an advertising jingle for Coca-Cola, appeared 81st on the list of the UK's best-selling singles issued in 2002. It sold just under one million copies in the United Kingdom alone. The version used in the Coca-Cola television commercials was credited to The Hillside Singers, as many people of various backgrounds and cultures sang the song, holding Coca-Cola bottles on a hillside in the commercial. "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was so firmly connected with the Coca-Cola product that it eventually became known as "The Coke Song". The song was relaunched in Coca-Cola commercials in 2005.
Other hit singles by The New Seekers included "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma", "Beautiful People" and "The Nickel Song", all of which were written by Melanie Safka. The New Seekers went on to sell over 35 million records worldwide, equalling the eight UK Top Twenty entries by The Seekers. Indeed, they released four albums during 1972 alone.
They also performed the title track to the now-legendary Marlo Thomas television special, "Free to Be... You and Me", a landmark program designed to teach kids how to express themselves and be independent through a series of vignettes which was rebroadcast on the cable network TV Land in late 2006 as a special add-on to their initial run of the classic series, THAT GIRL. Since the special was first broadcast in 1973 the song itself has since become a pop cult classic in its own right.
The New Seekers have continued to perform over the decades with an inevitable personnel changes which included Peter Oliver, Danny Finn, Caitriona Walsh, Nicola Kerr and Vikki James. The New Seekers toured in 2006 and 2007 with the established line up of: Paul Layton, Donna Jones, Francine Rees, Mick Flynn and Mark Hankins. A CD of the 2006 tour was released which includes all of the group's hits along with covers of 'Reflections', 'Run to Me' and 'Strangest Dream'. 2006 was completed with a Royal Variety performance at St. James Palace, London for HRH Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and an appearance on ITV's This Morning. The group are currently managed by Nic Culverwell.
The group's official website is at www.thenewseekers.com and myspace at www.myspace.com/thenewseekersofficial
Nickel Song
The New Seekers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the nickelodeon
All I ever want from you is music
I'll do anything for you anything you want me to
All I ever, all I ever wanted was music
Well you know that I'm not a gambler but I'm being gambled on
In the nickelodeon
All I ever, all I ever, wanted was music
Well I don't mind that
They're lucky but it seems like they always win
And gambling is illegal in the state of mind I'm in
And if I had a nickel for each time that I've been put on
I would be their nickel man and I'd sing a little song
You know they're only putting in a nickel
And they want a dollar song, oh
They're only putting in a nickel
And they want a dollar song
Oh yeah, all I ever wanted was the music
I'll do anything for you anything you want me to
All I ever all I ever wanted was music sweet music
They're only puttin' in a nickel
To get rid of a lot that's wrong
Oh you know they're only puttin' in a nickel
And they want a dollar song
They're only puttin' in a nickel
And they want a dollar song
Yeah
The New Seekers's song "Nickel Song" is about the power of music and the sacrifices that musicians make to share their love of it with the world. The lyrics speak to the idea that music is a universal language that can connect people of different backgrounds and experiences. The first two lines, "Put another nickel in/In the nickelodeon," refer to the coin-operated music machines of the past that played songs for a small fee. The singer is asking for the listener to keep the music going, as it's all they want from them.
The next lines, "All I ever want from you is music/I'll do anything for you anything you want me to," suggest that the singer is willing to go to great lengths to keep the music playing. They are willing to do anything to provide the listener with the music they crave. But the singer is also aware of the fact that they are being used as a commodity in the music industry. They sing, "Well you know that I'm not a gambler but I'm being gambled on/They put in a nickel and I sing a little song," implying that the music industry takes advantage of musicians just to make a profit.
Throughout the song, the singer speaks of the value of music in their life and breaks down the unfairness of the music industry. By the end of the song, they have made it clear that even though they are being used, they still love making music and are willing to keep going no matter what. The last lines, "They're only putting in a nickel/And they want a dollar song," bring the song full circle and reinforce the idea that music is worth more than just a few cents.
Line by Line Meaning
Put another nickel in
Insert more money into the jukebox
In the nickelodeon
In the old-fashioned machine that plays music when money is inserted
All I ever want from you is music
The singer only desires to hear music
I'll do anything for you anything you want me to
The singer is willing to do anything for the person they are addressing
All I ever, all I ever wanted was music
The singer emphasizes their desire to hear music
Well you know that I'm not a gambler but I'm being gambled on
The singer is being used for someone else's profit, even though they are not a willing participant in the gambling process
They put in a nickel and I sing a little song
The audience only needs to insert a small amount of money to hear the singer perform
Well I don't mind that
The singer is okay with singing for a small fee
They're lucky but it seems like they always win
The audience always seems to get what they want by taking advantage of the singer
And gambling is illegal in the state of mind I'm in
The singer does not condone gambling or being taken advantage of
And if I had a nickel for each time that I've been put on
The singer has been taken advantage of many times in their life
I would be their nickel man and I'd sing a little song
If the singer received compensation for each time they were taken advantage of, they would be rich
You know they're only putting in a nickel
The audience is not paying the singer what their performance is truly worth
And they want a dollar song, oh
Despite only paying a small fee, the audience expects a high-quality performance
Oh yeah, all I ever wanted was the music
The singer reiterates their desire to hear music
They're only puttin' in a nickel
Once again, the audience is only paying a small fee for the performance
To get rid of a lot that's wrong
By listening to music, the audience hopes to distract themselves from the problems in their life
And they want a dollar song
Despite paying a small fee, the audience still expects a high-quality performance
They're only puttin' in a nickel
Once again, the audience is only paying a small fee for the performance
And they want a dollar song
Despite paying a small fee, the audience still expects a high-quality performance
Yeah
An exclamation of agreement or affirmation
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.