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Co-co
Wake Up / Love Love
(single cover)
New Seekers: Vivien Banks |
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 Vivien Banks joined the New Seekers following the departure of Eve Graham in 1978. She had previously sung with Co-Co, a two-girl, four-boy band that made regular appearances in the Song For Europe contest.In the 1976 Song For Europe Co-Co had narrowly lost to the Brotherhood of Man. Their song, Wake Up, was beaten into second place by just two points. Although it was credited to the songwriters David Hayes and Phil Dennys it was revealed later on that the song had in fact been written by two members of the Arrows, Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker. The Arrows original recording of Wake Up was produced by Mickie Most in 1974 but had not been released at the time. The band did, however, have a Top 10 hit that year with A Touch Too Much (RAK 171). By 1976, when Co-Co recorded the song, the Arrows were hosting their own weekly ITV / Granada television series. Another of the band's songs, I Love Rock 'n' Roll, subsequently became a hit for Joan Jett (1982) and Britney Spears (2002). In December 2004 the Arrows' versions of Wake Up and I Love Rock 'n' Roll were released on the CD As, Bs and Rarities (EMI Gold 8759982). In 1978 Co-Co (now with a changed line-up featuring Josephine Andrews, Cheryl Baker, Terry Bradford, Charlie Brennon, Keith Hasler and Paul Rogers) tried again, this time with a little more success. Co-Co won the Song For Europe with Bad Old Days but, in the Eurovision Song Contest itself, could only manage eleventh place with a score of 61 points. The single entered the UK charts on 22nd April and reached number 13, out-selling the Eurovision winners, Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta, who only made it to number 20 in the UK with A Ba Ni Bi. In 1980 Co-Co entered the Song For Europe again, this time as The Main Event. The change of name, however, didn't bring them any luck and their song, Gonna Do My Best, finished last. Whilst she was with the New Seekers Vivien sang lead vocals on their single You Needed Me. The song was a number 1 hit in the USA for Ann Murray in 1978 and a number 1 hit in the UK for Boyzone in 1999.  Pictured (from left to right): Vivien Banks, Kathy Ann Rae and Paul Layton. |
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000901
Last amended:
220801
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