Perth’s Eve Graham was once one of the most famous singers in the world as part of pre-Abba boy-girl band The New Seekers.
The group was formed by Keith Potger when the original Seekers disbanded.
Eve joined the band in 1969 after working with Cyril Stapleton’s orchestra in London and performing with The Nocturnes in Manchester.
Eve and Lyn Paul became the female singers in the classic line-up alongside Marty Kristian, Paul Layton and Peter Doyle.
Look What They’ve Done to My Song Ma brought success in America and Never Ending Song of Love shot to No 2 in the UK in 1970.
I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing in 1971 became an absolute monster of a hit.
It sold 12 million copies.
The success of the song led to the band representing the UK at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
Monaco could not afford to host the competition after victory in 1971.
It was the only time the contest has ever been held in Scotland.
The New Seekers broke new ground
The band threw themselves in front of the Eurovision juggernaut with a regular appearance on the Saturday night BBC TV show It’s Cliff Richard.
The Edge of Beyond, Sing Out, Why Can’t We All Get Together, One By One, Beg, Steal or Borrow and Songs Of Praise were the six songs performed.
Viewers were invited to select their favourite song by sending in a postcard and Beg, Steal or Borrow was the winning entry with 62,584 votes.
The New Seekers were the first group to represent the UK and there was a minor controversy even before a note had been sung.
Clodagh Rodgers came fourth for the UK with Jack In The Box in 1971.
“It’s no reflection on The New Seekers, but I think it helps to have a solo singer for the judges to identify with,” she said.
“There’s not so much impact with five or six people singing.
“And I’m afraid the song is just formula Eurovision — Jack In The Box wasn’t a great song but it was a darn sight better than Beg, Steal or Borrow.”
But, in the end, it was all up to the 36-strong jury consisting of two people from each of the 18 competing countries.
Beg, Steal or Borrow was the favourite with the bookies at 7/2.
Austria, Monaco, Netherlands and Sweden were all priced at 11/1.
A good luck message from Perth
Eve received a giant card designed by Valentines of Dundee before the competition with a message of good luck from the people of Perth.
The card was signed by Lord Provost David Thomson.
Edinburgh Airport laid out the welcome mat for the artists arriving in the host city.
There was a big banner across the terminal building stating: “Edinburgh welcomes The New Seekers”.
Trouble was, they were the only act to arrive by train so didn’t see it.
Eve said she was delighted the contest was being staged in Edinburgh.
“I’ll be able to see my family and that doesn’t happen nearly enough,” she said.
“I’ll be booked in to a hotel in Edinburgh with the others, as we’ll have a very tight schedule, but if I can get home I will do.”
So what did she think of the group’s chances of winning the contest?
“It would be nice, of course it would,” she said.
“But we’ll just be going on and singing the song to the best of our ability.
“And hoping.”
Moira Shearer was the host in 1972
A total audience of 400 million people watched across Europe.
The Eurovision host was Dunfermline-born ballet dancer and actress Moira Shearer.
There was an orchestra with a conductor, giving a sense of gravitas, and everyone was in black ties or evening dress in the audience.
First up was Mary Roos from Germany followed by Betty Mars from France.
Sandie Jones performed in the Irish language before Jaime Morey sang for Spain.
The New Seekers were the fifth act on stage and had their Eurovision look nailed to perfection with big hair and billowing sleeves.
The neat harmonies and catchy, singalong chorus was a crowd pleaser.
But there was a sting in the tail.
Vicky Leandros from Luxembourg performed Après Toi and wowed the judges.
The New Seekers gave a short interview whilst the votes were counted and Peter Doyle highlighted Luxembourg as particularly strong competition.
He was right.
Luxembourg won for the third time in 1972
Luxembourg won for a third time with 128 points including a 10 from the UK.
The New Seekers were second with 114 points.
“I was very surprised when I won,” said Vicky.
“To be honest, I expected Britain to win.”
The contest, to some degree, has always been steeped in politics.
“We didn’t get any votes from Spain, perhaps because the Gibraltar dispute was active at the time,” said Paul Layton.
“There were a couple of other political votes, too, which might have tipped the balance.”
The fans certainly didn’t seem to care a hoot.
After the contest, the song became another international hit for the group.
Eve would regularly introduce Beg, Steal or Borrow, as a song “which did quite well for us, even though it didn’t win a certain contest!”
Eve Graham had no time for airs or graces
The band went from strength to strength.
Eve sang at President Richard Nixon’s inauguration ball in 1973.
She declined the advances of Hollywood actor Burt Reynolds, had a fling with football legend George Best, and lived with TV and radio presenter Ed Stewart.
Although she found fame and fortune across the world, Eve was forever modest and never forgot her Perth roots.
She was just as much at home serving behind a stall at the Coupar Angus Abbey Church’s Women’s Guild Sale as singing at the Royal Albert Hall.
Nothing lasts forever, though.
The band announced they were splitting up in February 1974 and set off on a farewell tour of the UK, which included the Caird Hall in Dundee on April 5.
The New Seekers reformed in 1976 with Kathy Ann Rae and Kevin Finn replacing Lyn Paul and Peter Oliver.
Eve and Kevin fell in love.
They quit the group in September 1977 to get married.
It became a marriage of Eurovision royalty.
Kevin was the lead singer with Prima Donna, which would take third place for the UK at the 1980 competition in The Hague with Love Enough for Two.
Eve and Kevin also sang together as a duo until 1985.
Eve Graham returned to Perthshire
She carried on working as a solo artist and the couple settled in Perthshire when Kevin was diagnosed with a blood condition caused by a faulty gene.
He died in 2016.
Eve came out of retirement to perform at Perth Racecourse in 2017 and hung up the microphone after recording a final album in 2018.
Aged 81, she still looks back fondly on her days as a New Seeker.
“If we’d stayed together, I suppose we’d still have a good career,” she said.
“But it’s hard for that to happen, as people change.
“And maybe the glory is in the fact we died young!”
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