THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

609-The Seekers-Georgy Girl.

1966-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 1.08. With sales in excess of 50 million records worldwide, The Seekers are Australia’s best ever selling artists before 1980.

The Seekers were an ‘Easy Listening,’ ‘Pop,’ and ‘Folk’ act, who were formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1962, they were active until 1968, but then members reformed in 1975, through until 1988, and then again in 1992, until the group were finally retired in 2022. In total there were 12 different members come and go, with the classic line up being recognised as the three founding members, Athol Guy, (double bass) Keith Potger, (twelve string guitar, and banjo) Bruce Woodley, (vocals, guitar, mandolin, and banjo) and Judith Durham, (1943-2022) (vocals, and piano) who joined the group soon after it’s formation. The Australian music historian Ian McFarlane described their style as ‘Concentrated on a bright, uptempo sound, although they were too ‘Pop’ oriented to be considered strictly ‘Folk,’ and too ‘Folk,’ to be ‘Rock.” The Seekers first disbanded in 1968, after Judith Durham left to pursue a solo career. Athol Guy went into politics, and was elected to the ‘Victorian Legislative Assembly,’ in a by-election on the 11th December, 1971, for ‘Gisborne,’ as a member of the Liberal Party. Bruce Woodley continued his career as a successful songwriter, and Keith Potger went on to form ‘The New Seekers’ in 1969. All four members would participate in the reformations of the group over the decades, as well as participating in the many re-union concerts.

The discography of The Seekers includes 12 studio Albums released between 1963-2019, and 40 singles released between 1963-2022, there are also 35 official compilations, and seven live Albums available. In Australia, 11 of their singles have reached that countries top 40, with three of those tracks, including ‘Georgy Girl,’ making the Number 1 spot. In the UK, they have had eight top 40 hits, with, I’ll Never Find Another You,’ (1964) and ‘The Carnival Is Over,’ (1965) both reaching Number 1, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, three of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Georgy Girl,’ peaking the highest at Number 2.

‘Georgy Girl’ was the only single released from The Seekers fifth studio Album, ‘Come the Day,’ which in North America, was re-titled ‘Georgy Girl,’ from 1966, the track was co-written by Tom Springfield, (1934-2022) (music) and Jim Dale, (lyrics) with the production being by Springfield. ‘Georgy Girl’ was used for the 1966 British romantic comedy film, also called ‘Georgy Girl,’ starring Lynn Redgrave, (1943-2010) Alan Bates, (1934-2003) Charlotte Rampling, and James Mason, (1909-1984.) The song is heard at both the beginning and the end of the film, with markedly different lyrics, to fit the films story line, many of the lyrics are not used on the commercially released 7 inch single, or Album version.

Tom Springfield was born Dionysius Patrick O’Brien, on July 2nd, 1934, in Hampstead, London, England, he died on July 27th, 2022, at the age of 88. In 1960 Tom Springfield joined forces with Tim Field, (1934-2016) and his sister Mary O’Brien, (1939-1999) who would later as Dusty Springfield (see also best songs 882 and 171) achieve international success as a solo singer, to form the British ‘Folk/Pop’ trio ‘The Springfields,’ who remained active until 1963, with Mike Hurst replacing Tim Field in 1962. Tom Springfield wrote several of The Springfields hits including ‘Island of Dreams,’ (UK Number 5-1962) before going on to write and produce many of The Seekers best known songs. After 1970, Springfield essentially retired from the music industry, as both a writer and performer. He formally changed his name by deed poll from Dionysius Patrick O’Brien, to Tom Springfield in 1977. It is said that he disliked being in the public eye, with his former Springfields member Mike Hurst describing him as ‘A recluse, a bohemian in the true sense,’ saying, ‘He led his life in a solitary way, doing what he wanted to do.’ Mike Hurst has also reflected on how little he knew of Tom and Dusty’s private lives while he was performing with them in the sixties. ‘I never felt I knew them well, there was always a distance. I had no idea back then that Tom and Dusty were both gay. They were naïve times, I just wasn’t really aware of such things.’

The song lyrics to ‘Georgie Girl’ were written by Jim Dale, who was born James Smith, on August 15th, 1935, in Rothwell, Northamptonshire, England. In the UK he is best known for his many appearances in the 31 ‘Carry On’ films between 1958-1992, while in America he is best known for narrating all seven of the ‘Harry Potter’ audio books. Jim Dale became a ‘Pop’ star at the age of 22, when becoming the first Pop singer to be produced by the legendary George Martin (1926-2016.) Dale had four top 40 UK hits, with ‘Be My Girl,’ charting the highest at Number 2 in 1957, but he always put his acting and comedy aspirations ahead of being a teen idol. In 2003, he was awarded the ‘MBE,’ as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, for his work in promoting children’s English literature.

‘You’re always window shopping, but never stopping to buy. So shed those dowdy feathers and fly, a little bit, hey there, Georgy girl.’