On This Day 03/04/1972 New Seekers

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day, 3 April 1972, pop/folk group the New Seekers, Britain’s entry for the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre.

Formed in London in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers.

The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music would have pop as well as folk influences.

Almost immediately after their appearance at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, the New Seekers set off on their second tour of the UK. The artwork and photos used for the tour programme mirrored the artwork and photos on the sleeve of their Eurovision single Beg, Steal Or Borrow.

The group performed the following songs: Beautiful People; Beg, Steal Or Borrow; Blackberry Way; Fire And Rain / My Sweet Lord; Georgie Girl [sic]; Good Old Fashioned Music; 'Hair' Medley; I Believe In Music; I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing; I'm A Train; Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma; Never Ending Song Of Love; Nickel Song; One; Tonight; When There's No Love Left.

On This Day 13/12/1969 Mary Hopkin

Images may be subject to copyright

On this day 13 December 1969, the Melody Maker reported on Welsh singer Mary Hopkin and the choice of songs for January's Eurovision Song Contest.

Mary Hopkin, Britain's 1970 representative at the contest will sing six songs from which viewers will choose the British entry.

Mary will feature one each a weekk on Cliff Richard's forthcoming BBC-1 series starting in January.

The songs chosen by Mary and the joint BBC TV and Music Publishers Association Committee are : "I'm Gonna Fall In Love Again" by Cyril Ornadel and Hal Shaper, "Easy in The Morning Of Your Life" by Alan Hawkshaw and Ray Cameron, "Can I Believe" by Valerie Avon and Harold Spiro, "Knock,Knock, Who's There?" by Geoff Stevens and John Carter, "Three Ships" by Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett, and "You've Everything You Need" by Anthony Dyball and Roger Reynolds.

At Amsterdam, the song was performed seventh on the night, after France's Guy Bonnet with "Marie-Blanche", and before Luxembourg's David Alexandre Winter with "Je suis tombé du ciel". At the end of judging that evening, "Knock, Knock Who's There?" took the second-place slot with 26 points after Ireland's "All Kinds of Everything", performed by Dana. The UK received points from nine out of a possible eleven voting juries.

The single was released in March 1970, backed by "I'm Going to Fall in Love Again" (the runner-up in the Song for Europe final) on the B-side. On 28 March 1970, "Knock, Knock Who's There?" entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 7, the highest new entry of the week. It peaked at No. 2 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks.

Rather different from her usual material, Hopkin rarely performed the song after the Eurovision due to her distaste for it. She later commented: "I was so embarrassed about it. Standing on stage singing a song you hate is awful." She also referred to it as humiliating. At the time, she conceded victory gracefully saying that "the best song won" and wished Dana well.