Eve Graham

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.

Biography

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).^[2]

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.^[3]

Discography (excluding New Seekers & Nocturnes)

The Track : Why Do Fools Fall In Love / Cry To Me (Single)/ August 1966. Roger Cooke with Eve Graham : Smiling Through My Tears / Ain't That A Wonderful Thing (Single)/ 1969, Study (Album)/ 1969. Thanks for the Memories (Album)/ 1974 (not released until 2012). Woman Of The World (Album)/ 1980. Eve Graham and Danny Finn : Ocean And Blue Sky / I Couldn't Love You More (Single)/ April 1979, Your Love / Falling In Love Again (Single) February 1981. Viva : Chris Must Stay / Light Of The World (Single)/ November 1981. The Mountains Welcome Me Home (Album)/ 2005. 'Til The Season Comes 'Round Again (Album)/ 2007.

References

External links

• Official website