New Seekers: Neverending story of success for clean-living pop group

The band's line-up - Laurie Heath, Eve Graham, Marty Kristian, Sally Graham and Chris Barington - in 1969 Picture: Rex Features

WITH their clean-cut look and freshly washed hair, the New Seekers were the acceptable face of pop in the early 1970s.

Frequent TV appearances, a stint representing Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest and the hugely successful commercial for Coca-Cola all contributed to the band's mainstream appeal.

The group was founded by Keith Potger - Australian founder member of the Seekers - who envisaged a British-based replacement for his former group.

Their first big hit, in 1971, was Never Ending Song of Love, followed in the same year by I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing - a reworking of the Coca-Cola advertisement.

The advertising-jingle-turned-single sold a million copies worldwide and is in the list of the 100 best-selling British singles of all time.

In 1972, the New Seekers were chosen by the public to represent Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in Edinburgh and finished second with Beg, Steal or Borrow.

Another huge hit came in 1973 with You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me, which made it to No 1 in January 1974, but that success did not prevent the band from disbanding later the same year.

The group reformed in 1976 and has continued to tour with various line-ups.

A greatest hits album released in 2009 made it to No 17 in the charts.