Woodley had a 'residency' performing at the Treble Clef restaurant in Prahran. With former schoolmates, Athol Guy and Keith Potger, he formed a folk music trio, The Escorts, in the early 1960s.[3] Soon before the arrival of vocalist Judith Durham in 1962 they became The Seekers, and had some success in Australia before travelling to London in 1964 and recording four international hit singles written and produced by Tom Springfield.[3] Woodley played guitar, banjo, and mandolin, as well as one of the four-part vocal harmony, and was the chief songwriter.[3] While Durham sang the majority of lead vocals for the group, Woodley usually handled the male lead vocals, including a number of album tracks. The Seekers first disbanded in 1968.[3]
During 1965, while in London, Woodley met Paul Simon, following the poor performance of Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. and just prior to the success of Simon and Garfunkel.[3] Simon and Woodley co-wrote the million-selling "Red Rubber Ball"[6]—later a Top Five hit for US group The Cyrkle.[3] The Simon and Woodley collaboration also provided "I Wish You Could Be Here"[7] and "Cloudy".[8] The Seekers later recorded these three songs, and "Cloudy" became an album track on Simon and Garfunkel's hit 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme—the only Simon and Woodley song to appear on both groups' album.[3] However, Woodley's relationship with Simon had deteriorated and Woodley later struggled to get his share of the royalties—his songwriting credit on "Cloudy" was omitted from the release of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.[3] However, Simon does receive a credit for the song on The Seekers' album, Seekers Seen in Green.
Woodley's first solo venture was a production company called Pennywheel, which saw him release a number of products for children, including a "Build an Alphabet" set of blocks and the 1969 EP and board book, "Friday St. Fantasy". In 1969, Bruce headed off to America to sell the songs he had been writing, and was to remain there for several years. During this period he collaborated with a number of writers including John Farrar and Australian folk singer Hans Poulsen. Their compositions "Lady Scorpio" performed by Australian band The Strangers, "Monty and Me" performed by Zoot (which included a young Rick Springfield) and "Boom-Sha-La-La-Lo" which became a hit for Poulsen.
In 1971, Woodley released his first solo album, entitled Just Good Friends. In a reaction to the folk stereotype of the Seekers, the original album cover featured two naked models having sex. This was deemed too raunchy for Australia and the cover was replaced by a photo of Woodley. The original cover, however, was allowed in New Zealand, and this version of the album is a collectors item today. Three years later, Woodley contributed to an Australian-themed album put out by Viscount cigarettes, called The Roaring Days Vol. 1 (after a Henry Lawson poem). A second volume never eventuated. He also had a hit song called "Love Me Tonight Baby". The album featured Woodley performing the traditional folk song "Eumerella Shore" and some of his own compositions, including "The Bush Girl", which he would later re-record for a double album in 1987, with The Seekers in 1997 and 2000, and with his daughter Claire Woodley in 2001.
Woodley reunited with the Seekers, composed of fellow original members Athol Guy and Keith Potger, and 23-year-old Dutch-born Louisa Wisseling (a semi-professional folk singer formerly with Melbourne band The Settlers). In a February 1975 newspaper article about the group's reunion, Louisa revealed that Bruce had approached her at a 1974 Settlers concert at Ferntree Gully's Swagman Restaurant with an offer to join the group, and she originally turned him down. The new group recorded two albums and a number of singles, some of which, like "The Nimble Song" and "I Saw It All With Trans Tours" (both written by Woodley) reflected the boys' other careers in advertising. Woodley's composition "The Sparrow Song" became the group's biggest 1970s hit and remains to this day the highest-charting Seekers single written by a member of the group. Other tracks he contributed to this line-up included "Giving and Takin'" (the title track of their second album), "Can We Learn to Get Along" (which began life as a solo recording for the TV documentary series Shell's Australia, and was released by Bruce on flexi-disc), "Reunion", "Country Ros", "Standing on Shaky Ground" (featuring Bruce on vocals which he felt were too low for him, but were impossible for Louisa to sing for the same reason), and "The Rose and the Briar".
In 1977, Bruce left the group and was replaced by Buddy England. He continued to focus on song-writing and advertising, producing many TV jingles including one for Courage beer. His first, back in 1971 was a solo (advertising) single called "The ANZ Bank Travelling Man", and was given out free to employees of that institution as part of the promotion.
I Am Australian
The year 1987 saw Woodley involved in the preparations for the Australian Bicentenary, and the release of an Australian-themed double album, songbook and cassette tape, featuring covers of traditional songs and some of Woodley's own compositions. The set was called I Am Australian, after a jingle that he wrote to tie together the various threads of the project, tapping into the need he perceived for a national song in which people could take pride. One of his colleagues on the project was Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers, who helped compose the words of the title song; another was noted folk singer Rose Bygrave. The recordings also featured a children's choir including Claire Woodley.
The following year he reunited with The Seekers, this time featuring Julie Anthony as the lead singer, to perform "The Carnival is Over" at Expo '88 and a musical about the Seekers' journey. This line-up released an album in 1989; "Live On", the title track, was composed by Woodley, as were many of the other new tracks like "The Streets of Serenade" (which charted the story of the Seekers rather more blatantly than his '70s composition "Reunion"), "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back", "How Can a Love So Wrong Be So Right" and "Taking My Chances With You". When Julie left to have a baby (daughter Tamara), former Young Talent Time singer Karen Knowles joined the group. The only studio recordings by this line-up are the Bruce Woodley written songs "Fools Tonight" and "Bright Star", sold as a cassingle at concerts. "Bright Star", originally written for Julie's voice, was also performed by both the Julie- and Karen-led Seekers at Carols by Candlelight.
When original lead singer Judith Durham returned to The Seekers fold in late 1992 for the group's 25 Year Silver Jubilee, the theme song and CD-Single of the reunion was Woodley's composition "Keep A Dream In Your Pocket". A 1993 live album and DVD followed, featuring many of the group's hits and a song which would become one of their best known, Woodley's "I Am Australian".
The success of "I Am Australian" took Woodley completely by surprise. In 1991, he performed it with Karen and the Australian Children's Choir on a televised drought appeal, featuring a new, drought-themed verse which has not appeared on other recordings. "I Am Australian" has featured in all Woodley's solo tours and all Seekers tours since the reunion with Judith Durham; in 2000 the Seekers performed a condensed version at the televised Australia Day concert. Many artists have covered the song; in 1997, Durham released a version with Russell Hitchcock and Mandawuy Yunupingu which entered the Australian charts. For many [vague], it has become the unofficial anthem, and is a staple performed at many national events, by such artists as Jon Stevens, Delta Goodrem and naturally Bruce and the Seekers. At the 2001 celebrations for the Centenary of Federation, Woodley performed the song with daughter Claire (now known for performing the song solo at many events herself) and co-writer Dobe Newton.
Woodley divorced in the '80s after a 14-year marriage, and he and former wife Sally have two children, Claire and a son, Dan. With Claire, a burgeoning singer-songwriter in her own right who has performed on the cabaret and conference circuit, he recorded a CD in 2001 called, once again, "I am Australian". He has since recorded an ANZAC themed version of "I am Australian", titled "The Anzac Song", and appeared on Melbourne radio advertising the release of a CD-Single several weeks before Anzac Day in 2005. Apparently due to production difficulties, it never eventuated. In 2005 Bruce was interviewed by music journalist Debbie Kruger for a new book entitled Songwriters Speak, focusing on influential and successful Australian singer-songwriters.
At the National Day of Mourning on 22 February 2009 for the victims of the Victoria bushfires, Woodley unveiled two new verses for "I am Australian".[9]
Other work
Woodley's non-musical work includes public speaking through the Saxton Speakers Bureau, and he is the patron of various organisations such as the NIYPAA (National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia). He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the organisation TLC for Kids, and was for a time, beginning in 1997, the chairman of the Victorian branch of the Variety Club.
Notable performances
1965 – The Seekers won the Best New Group in the New Musical Express Poll Winners Awards and performed on 11 April at the Wembley Empire Pool, on a bill that included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard and Dusty Springfield. Archive footage from this show was included in the Seekers' 2014 50th anniversary tour.
1965 – In June the Seekers performed in the United States on The Ed Sullivan Show singing "A World of Our Own" and "You Can Tell The World".
1967 – The Seekers made another appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show singing "Georgy Girl".
1967 – The Seekers represented Australia at Expo 67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (when they appeared on television in Australia via the first satellite transmission from the United States to Australia).
1967 – Melbourne, 12 March, Sidney Myer Music Bowl. The Seekers played to an estimated 200,000 people in a televised concert celebrating their overseas success.
Television specials
1965 – An Evening with The Seekers
1966 – The Seekers at Home
1967 – The Seekers Down Under and The World of The Seekers
Four television mini-specials titled A Date with the Seekers
1969 The Strangers "Lady Scorpio" (Poulsen /Woodley)
Related Research Articles
The Seekers were an Australian folk-influenced pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were especially popular during the 1960s, with their best-known configuration of Judith Durham on vocals, piano and tambourine; Athol Guy on double bass and vocals; Keith Potger on twelve-string guitar, banjo and vocals; and Bruce Woodley on guitar, mandolin, banjo and vocals.
Judith Durham was an Australian singer, songwriter and musician who became the lead singer of the Australian folk music group the Seekers in 1962.
Athol George Guy is an Australian musician and former politician who was a member of the Australian folk-pop music group the Seekers, for whom he played double bass and sang. He is recognisable by his black-framed "Buddy Holly" style glasses and, during live performances, often acted as the group's compère.
Keith Leon Potger is an Australian musician. He is a founding member of the Australian folk-pop group the Seekers. He was born in Ceylon and is of Burgher descent. In 1969, Potger and his business partner David Joseph co-founded the contemporary English pop group the New Seekers. Potger also records and performs as a solo artist.
"A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Originally recorded for Simon's 1965 UK-only debut, The Paul Simon Songbook, it was recorded soon after by Simon and his partner, Art Garfunkel, for the duo's third album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Keith Potger and the New Seekers is a 1970 album by the UK-based pop group The New Seekers. It was the group's second album and their only one to feature the group's founder Keith Potger as a member.
Seekers Seen in Green is the sixth studio album by the Australian group The Seekers. It was released in the UK and Europe in 1967 by Columbia Records and EMI Records. It was released in Canada in 1967 and in the US in 1968 by Capitol Records. It was also released in Germany and the Netherlands on LP on the Emidisc‡ label in 1976. It was released on CD in 1999 in the UK.
"Cloudy" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their third studio album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966). It was co-written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley of the Seekers; that band later covered it on their 1967 album Seekers Seen in Green. The Cyrkle released a version of the song on their 1966 debut album, Red Rubber Ball. The title track, Red Rubber Ball, was also written by the duo of Woodley/Simon.
25 Year Reunion Celebration is a live album credited to Judith Durham and The Seekers. It celebrates the 25th anniversary of the band's final performance in 1968. The concert was recorded at the Melbourne Concert Hall and released on 29 November 1993 and peaked at number 9 on the ARIA Charts in January 1994. The success lead to a sell-out UK tour across 1994 and 1995 at London's 'Royal Albert Hall' and 'Wembley Arena'.
Introducing the Seekers is the debut studio album by the Australian group the Seekers. It was released in 1963 and was the 10th biggest selling album in Australia in 1968.
The Seekers is the second studio album by the Australian group The Seekers. The album was released in 1964. In some countries, the album was titled Roving with the Seekers.
A World of Our Own is the fourth studio album by the Australian group The Seekers. The album was released in 1965. In some countries, the album was titled The Seekers. The album peaked at number 123 in the Billboard 200 and number 5 in the United Kingdom.
'The Seekers Sing Their Big Hits is the first compilation album by the Australian group The Seekers. The album was released in 1965 and includes tracks from their four studio albums to-date. The album peaked at number 3 and was the 16th biggest selling album in Australia in 1967.
The Silver Jubilee Album is a compilation album credited to Judith Durham and The Seekers. It celebrates the 25th anniversary of the band's final performance in 1968. "Keep A Dream In Your Pocket" and "One World Love" are new tracks recorded in December 1992. All other tracks were recorded between 1964 and 1968.
1968 BBC Farewell Spectacular is a live album credited to Judith Durham and The Seekers. The album is recording of their final performance together recorded and televised by the BBC. The track list and show is largely the same as the 1968 release Live at the Talk of the Town recorded a week earlier. The album was issued on CD 1999 on Mushroom Records and peaked at number 12 in Australia in April 2000.
Future Road is a studio album credited to Australian recording artist Judith Durham and The Seekers. It is Durham's eighth studio album and The Seekers' eleventh. The album was released in Australia in October 1997 and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts and by Christmas was certified platinum.
The Seekers is the seventh studio album by Australian group the Seekers. The album was released in May 1975. Louisa Wisseling provided the vocals. It was the first The Seekers' album not to feature the vocals of Judith Durham. The lead single "Sparrow Song" was released in May 1975, peaking at number 7 on the Kent Music Report. A second single "Reunion" was released in November 1975 and peaked at number 83.
The Seekers were an Australian folk music group formed in 1962 consisting of Athol Guy, Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Judith Durham.
Treasure Chest is a 3-disc box set by Australian band The Seekers. Disc one contains two new tracks and an interview. Disc two is their 1967 album, Seekers Seen in Green and disc three is their 1968 album, Live at the Talk of the Town. The album peaked at number 7 in Australia and was certified gold.
References
General
Books
Kruger, Debbie; Songwriters Speak, Limelight Press, Australia, August 2005.
Simpson, Graham; Colours of my life: the Judith Durham Story, Random House, Australia, 1994, 1998, 2005.
Woodley, Bruce; Friday Street Fantasy and Other Stories, Paul Hamlyn & Pennywheel, Australia, 1969.
Woodley, Bruce; I am Australian Songbook, Australia: np., 1987.
Articles
The Weekend Australian, The Australian magazine, 11–12 April 1992. pp.32–35 and cover. – Bruce's involvement with IAA (I am Australian) Foundation
The Age, Property, 14 August 1982. – Interview with Sally Woodley about sale of Brighton residence
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