The Seekers (Rare) - The Leaving of Liverpool, Live Orchestrated version (1967, stereo) 

Rest in peace Judith From.cynthia Chile south América🤑🕺🕺🍀🎈🕺🎈🎈

Judith may as well be dead but never forgotten 🥰

Yep, we mourned them in the UK too ...... Olivia Newton John was born a brit, and we adopted Judith as one!

Jeennifer there is some music almost like the seekers but don't hear of them very much here in canada

Can you name any please?

@@patrickduffy6613 name who patrick

Yes, to every point you make.

To be fair Stephanie, Judith wasn't the leader. I like to think it was a democracy, though it appeared to be Athol's band in the first place. I've been catching up with Judith and the Boys for the last two or three months, and have seen your name a lot, you are obviously a massive fan. It's a tragedy that I've recently nudged my two sisters and another old friend, into remembering the Seekers, just in time for Judith to leave us. A unique, unforgettable person and talent.

saw the Oxfordshire in February 1959 emigrating to Australia she was in Colombo Ceylon yes Judy had a one off beautiful voice

Osvalo Schilling The 200,000 crowd was at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, named after Sidney Myer a famous retailer, set in the gardens near the centre of Melbourne, The Seekers home city.

Hi Osvaldo, I said I'd take your advice and listen to this immediately, and a few hours later, here I am (it's a busy life, being retired). I've listened to this as well as the recorded version, which I've had on vinyl most of my life. I'd put this concert performance as having the three R's (slightly more ragged, unusual for Judith, though probably as much to do with the recording quality. And nothing wrong with that. Slightly more raw. And slightly more real. Not that you could get much more real, anyway. I love it. Well, I'll tell you, but don't let on. I've got a bunch of songs that I sing myself when no one can hear me. If I'm using a machine, or out driving, for example. The main list hasn't changed much over the years, I sing several Hank Williams songs, Everlys songs, Sonny Til and the Orioles "It's too soon to know", a couple of gospel songs from Jerry Lee Lewis (I'm not a Christian though), I dunno, various things. Roy Orbison. Darlene Love. And at least three from the Seekers. This one, plus Just a Closer Walk with Thee, and The Water is Wide, a knockout vocal from Bruce with Judith and the Boys in the background. Probably been singing them fifty years or so. Just as long as nobody hears how bad I sound.

@@stewartfenton7660 Hi. Have you ever attended a live performance of the Seekers?

@@osvaldoschilling9129 no, at the time (in the sixties), well I suppose we thought, if group comes to our town we'll go and see them. But they didn't, and then the Seekers broke up. A year or two after I met my wife, (I was 41 when we met), I'd lost track, and it might have been her who told me about the reunion. I honestly didn't know what to expect, and said I wouldn't want to go (And in fact, truthfully I'd just forgotten how great they were, strange since I'd carried on playing their records through the years. I think I was just in love. I think that's what it was about). She didn't like the idea of me going to see Judith anyway. So now when I see how great the whole band was on that tour, and has been subsequently, I just kick myself. So much more I could say. But you get the picture.

It is without doubt the most incredible closing song. Of course it’s their signature song.

Check her out singing “Danny Boy” solo ...

I remember replying to your post - not sure what happened to it 🤔

It's not a song about emigration. It's about a merchant sailor working out of the port of Liverpool and looking forward to coming home to Liverpool and his "own true love."

@@andrewwigglesworth3030, Why bother to correct me over the point I made? My comment was made in the light of the fact that this group comes from a country of immigrants, and that the unfortunate first husband of my great great grandmother was transported out of Liverpool. You might KNOW for certain that this was written by a Merchant seaman. However, if it dates from the 1850s, then the destination suggests that he was bound for the Goldfields. Like my great great grandfather James Wilcock who set out from Liverpool in 1851 for the Goldfields of Ballarat, without his wife and children, who joined him five years later. Moreover, I have personal experience of immigration, and I can tell you exactly how it feels to turn your back on one you love, and see the coastline of your beloved country disappear beyond the horizon.

@@andrewwigglesworth3030 It can be whatever you want it to be, consider that Liverpool was the last place in England that many immigrants leaving Britain saw before leaving for a new life in the US, Australia or maybe anywhere. I am 4th generation Australian and I know that my Irish and British ancestors all left Liverpool from the 1850's to the 1890's before coming here so even generations on it still has a piece in my heart from stories passed down the years.

@@MandyJMaddison My Mums side the Haysom's did the same thing in 1854. There was about 20 of them all came out within a few years of each other. Settled in Collingwood, Melbourne while the blokes tried to find their fortune in Ballarat. Pretty common story I think.

@@iankearns774 "It can be whatever you want it to be" ... Then why use words? Words carry meaning. The song here is *not* about emigration, however much you want it to be.

I totally agree , they had an innocence, and a sound like no other ... they set out on a journey with few expectations and ended up being catapulted to worldwide fame.

Yes, indeed. Many things have been lost as humanity transforms to mentally ill robots.

We were all innocent back then Malcom, if we'd only known it.

good morning my friend rich963 thanks for reading my comment here too

These are being released officially on CD next month 👍🏻

Wouldn't you if you were the fairsky having Judith Durham singing on board, in fact you would as a ship rather cocky.

But she managed.

Shows how incredible she was.

Not that I know of - it was a reconstruction for a TV special 👍

@@rich963 okay rich thanks for trying

Apparently only the 4 songs were filmed, but all were recorded for radio.

Hi Bob, yes unfortunately it was removed with no explanation.

@@rich963 That's a shame.

Hi Bob, I now know the reason for the removal - the 7 songs are due to be released on CD next month 👍

@@rich963 I'm all for artists being compensated for their labor, Rich! (Especially the Seekers) Didn't they perform for free at that concert? They were always so generous with their time and talents. It's understandable they need a source of income now that they no longer tour. RU-vid used to be such a vast repository of song, though. I kind of miss that.

​@@bob48219 Yes, the 1967 concert was free - details of the new CD are here - www.noise11.com/news/the-seekers-to-release-rarities-album-20200428

Hi Larry, this is the version I've uploaded - live in 2013. Other versions have been uploaded by other people on RU-vid, you can find them wit a search. Same goes for the other songs you've asked for. I always include live video if available, but many songs don't have it to add unfortunately. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RoE5q6HTvdI.html

@@rich963 good evening my friend rich i like the way download the lovely music of The Seekers too

Wow, you were asking for it there! But nobody's biting, it seems. Come on Seekers fans, tell him where to get off.

@@stewartfenton7660 Sorry you are disappointed with my view. I am a massive fan of the Seekers but not when they were settling for campfire singalongs. They were much more rounded and developed than that.Those type of songs are too pappy and have no strength.

@@stevetivey3786 I see your point. I would guess that in the beginning, these were songs that Judith felt comfortable with, but for me I always loved that tambourine shaking style she had (doesn't specifically apply to Kumbaya, I know). When I first heard the Seekers, I didn't know any of those gospel songs, if they're the ones you mean, and never thought of them as "Singalonga" type of songs, with the audience making a raucous racket and not knowing what music should sound like. And they never were like that. The Christian message, well.... I don't agree with it, but who cares, maybe it's pappy, but it's great music.

You have to be stirring it?? The one thing about Judith Durham is that the songs are often too short that one has to be hitting the replay button constantly.

@@irishguy200007 not at all. Judith was far better than singing Boy Scout songs round a camp fire. Most of these 'new age' religious efforts are as deep as the shallow end of a swimming pool.

It is, however, the song's title. And it _does_ get sung - e. g. at 1:14.

Of course it's not an Irish song. This version was noted down by the folk song collector (he did sailors songs) Doerflinger in New York, from a retired captain Maitland in the late 1930s. Doerflinger noted a different version from another captain (Patrick Tayleur) in the early 1940s, also in New York. These two instances were the only times that this song was ever collected, and *all* versions are directly from Doerflinger's publications, especially the Maitland version of the song which is now dominant.

@@andrewwigglesworth3030 However, it would seem that the 'Leaving of Liverpool' shanty was derived from the Irish older much more specific 'Leaving of Limerick' circa. 1840s song.

@@jamesdolan4042 No, you just made the "1840s" date up, or someone did it for you. There is no evidence that The Leaving of Liverpool (or Fare thee well) is derived from that song, and certainly none that it came from the 1840s. The leaving Limerick was "discovered" well after Doerflinger collected his two versions of The Leaving of Liverpool/Fare thee well.

...but sung with plenty of feeling 👍

@@rich963 if I remember rightly, they were leaving for England again the next day. I'm a home loving boy myself.

Thank you :-)

@@rich963 Hi. Is it possible to send you an email? Please reply to ofsn13@gmail.com Cheers

It's not a song about emigration. It's about a merchant sailor working out of the port of Liverpool and looking forward to coming home to Liverpool and his "own true love."

And Liverpudlians, (like myself) and from all over Britain not just Ireland.

Thank you!

The photo was taken at the actual performance, but this song wasn't filmed so I added video from a different song.