00:00In this episode of Australian Story, the original band members open up about their meteoric
00:04rise to the top of the charts and the back story to one of their biggest hits.
00:10Tom Springfield was largely responsible for the major hit songs and of course the biggest
00:17hit of all, Georgie Girl.
00:23It was just extremely well written, it became a huge hit in America.
00:30This is the number one song.
00:36And we are absolutely thrilled on Breakfast to be joined now by The Seekers lead singer
00:41Judith Durham.
00:42Judith, good morning.
00:43Oh Michael, this is so exciting, thanks so much for having me on the air, it's beautiful.
00:50It's great to have you on.
00:51Let's start with Georgie Girl, did you know at the time you were about to unveil Musical
00:55Fairy Dust I guess, did you know how popular it was going to be?
01:02Well actually Georgie Girl was one of our many hits, we'd already had our very first
01:06number one with I'll Never Find Another You and we'd had A World Of Our Own and The Carnival
01:10Is Over and then about in March or whatever it is, about 1967 was when Georgie Girl hit
01:16number one all around the world because it was number one in America so suddenly The
01:20Seekers had cracked it absolutely all over the world.
01:22Indeed, so tell us about the Australian Story episode tonight, it's the first time you and
01:26the guys have gathered together to take part in a TV documentary.
01:33Oh this has been extremely exciting for us, we've all got together especially for the
01:39Australian Story, it's going to be wonderful us all sitting and watching it tonight.
01:44So we're thrilled and on the occasion actually it was Keith's birthday when we were filming
01:48the show so we cut a lovely vegan birthday cake and we've had a great time during this
01:54last couple of weeks doing the whole show.
01:56Okay and as a prompt with some memories do you sit back with your fellow band members
02:02and just go back to the early days, 1962 to where it all began and just marvel at how
02:08big and how much of an impact on Australian culture The Seekers have had?
02:16Oh without question, we've relived so many memories, I mean of course through the years
02:20we've had many times we've got together, we had our silver jubilee and now of course we're
02:24celebrating our golden jubilee with a CD and a DVD coming out.
02:29But this is the very first time we were thinking it might be that we've actually done a whole
02:33show especially for television, it could be that apart from when we very first had the
02:39specials coming out when we did the specials going in Australia Seekers Down Under and
02:47the world of Seekers and those things so they were right back though, right at the early
02:51start of the 60s.
02:52They were in the Australian Story episodes and night charts, the highs and the lows and
02:57of course focuses on the bands splitting up in the mid 60s and it has a quote from you,
03:03you tell Australian Story, I found artistically I wasn't quite on the same page as the boys,
03:09what did you mean by that at the time Judith?
03:12Oh well it was always true, I mean I had a classical background, I was a classical pianist
03:18aspiring to be an opera singer in fact and it was only after the big trad jazz boom that
03:24I started singing jazz and blues and gospel and a year after that was when by chance or
03:30fate or whatever the blessing was, it brought the four of us together just purely by destiny
03:37and of course because of Athol's background in advertising somehow or other we had our
03:42free trip going over to England which is where Tom Springfield was put with us to write songs
03:48for us, that's how I'll Never Find Another You came about but nobody expected it to go
03:54to number one, nobody expected us to become Australia's very first international pop group.
04:00It must have been heady days back in the 60s rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Beatles
04:05and the Rolling Stones, Judith?
04:09Oh absolutely, well we were on the Wembley show, you know thousands and thousands of
04:14screaming fans, we could hardly hear the Beatles because of all the screaming and there we
04:20were you know amongst all the who, it was a who's who really, I mean the Rolling Stones
04:25as well, there's footage of us with them on the same bill, so it was very very exciting
04:30times but I never expected you know to be with the group a long time, it would have
04:35been wonderful if I could have been in two places at once you know because really the
04:39group's sound and popularity has never faded away and that's what we're all so grateful
04:45for and especially now doing the Australian Story tonight, it's just going to be so exciting
04:50seeing it all put into place by the ABC, it's been a very very amazing time to be together
04:55with everyone.
04:56How's it like getting back together with Bruce Keefe and Athalia, is it like old mates
05:00getting back together or is there some Rolling Stones type tensions between Mick and Keefe
05:05and the like?
05:06No there's none, it's quite amazing, I mean we have musical differences when we're doing
05:13concerts because obviously you've got to put shows together and discuss things but no it's
05:18just like being with four or three old friends and it's never been a different relationship,
05:24the boys have got a great sense of humour and they always treat me with such respect
05:27and love, I love them all very very dearly and it'll never ever change.
05:32You said we're expecting this live album from your Golden Jubilee Tour back in 2013 to come
05:39out as part of this, I'm asking this on behalf of your legion of Seekers fans out there Judith,
05:45any last performance, any last tour in the offing?
05:49Oh, live concerts you mean, in that respect, no we've actually all said goodbye as far
05:58as that goes, yes, no we're not doing live shows but that's why it's so important for
06:03the fans and for ourselves to have that wonderful legacy where indeed we're able to see one
06:09of our last concerts ever to celebrate our Golden Jubilee, so it's perfect timing really,
06:15we're thrilled to be here.
06:16I'm sure the ratings will be off the charts on Australian Story tonight Judith, you and
06:20your fellow band members leave such a fantastic legacy, thank you so much for joining us on
06:24News Breakfast this morning.
06:25Oh bless you Michael, thanks so much to you and lots and lots of love to everybody watching.
06:32Thank you Judith, and you can watch Australian Story tonight at 8 o'clock on both ABC TV
06:37and of course wherever and whenever you want on ITV as well, she is fabulous isn't she?
06:42She's absolutely gorgeous and still in such good health and it's just marvellous, so nice
06:47to see behind her the twin aspects of her life, the Beckstein piano and also the CD
06:53player there as well covering it all and her life still involved so strongly in music,
06:57so it's beautiful.
06:58We'll take it back to the studio, we'll be right back.
