New World
 Formed
as The New World Trio in the late 60's in Brisbane, Australia -
and armed with a recording contract with Albert Productions, John
Kane, John Lee and Mel Noonan first hit the Australian charts at
the end of 1968 with their version of Try To Remember, a
track from the stage show The Fantastiks.
Buoyed by this success the trio travelled to England in early
1971, working the club circuit. This led to an appearance on the
UK talent quest show Opportunity
Knocks, where they became popular winners.
The trio, now billed as New World, signed with producer Mickie
Most to his fledgling RAK label, whose roster at the time
included Hot Chocolate, CCS, and a
solo Peter Noone (of Herman's Hermits
fame).
They released a version of the Joe South song Rose Garden,
beating the Lynn Anderson international hit version in the UK.
The band then teamed with RAK's songwriting team of Nicky Chinn
and Mike Chapman (also a Brisbane boy) resulting in the hits Tom
Tom Turnaround and Sister Jane.
Oddly, New World's original version of Living Next Door To
Alice - a top 20 Australian hit - failed to make any
impression in the UK (where it subsequently became a mega-hit for Smokie).
|
