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 local Top 40 charts at the end of 1968/start of 1969, with their version of “Try To Remember (The Kind Of September)”. Their first single "Feed The Birds" released in 1968 had failed to chart.In early 1971 they went to England and began working the club circuit. This led to an appearance on the UK talent quest show Opportunity Knocks where they became popular winners. Sadly, later they were tried at the Old Bailey for trying to fix the outcome of the show on which they appeared but it was never proven. They allegedly asked friends to send in bogus votes.
The trio, now billed simply as New World, signed with producer Mickie Most to his fledgling RAK Records label. In 1971 they released a version of the Joe South song Rose Garden, beating the Lynn Anderson international hit version in the UK.
In the early seventies New World were regular guests on the BBC TV show The Two Ronnies, and it is clear they were being pitched at more than just teeny-boppers. Sophisticated pop is an oxymoron, but Mickie Most was a shameless promoter who'd try anything to get his acts into the public's eye!Their first big breakthrough in Oz was the 1971 single “Tom Tom Turnaround” - originally penned by Chinn and Chapman for the UK group The Sweet.
New World’s next single was "Kara Kara"/"Lord Of The Dance" in late 1971 which got to #19 in Oz. In some places the b-side charted well and in fact in my part of Oz at the time (Northcoast NSW), the other side wasn't given much airplay at all.
In May 1972 they released their biggest selling record, "Sister Jane", which was a Top 10 hit in Britain and Australia.
The next single flopped in the UK, it was the original version of Chinn and Chapman's "Living Next Door To Alice" - although it did make the charts in Oz, reaching #13 in March 1973.
Their next release, Chinn and Chapman’s "Rooftop Singing" just missed out on the UK Top 50, only getting as high as #51 but in Oz it was #34 in 1973.
The hits dried up for a while. It was not until 4 years later they scored a Top 40 hit with "Homemade Sunshine". In the interim they had become regular performers on TV shows. .
Singles:
Feed The Birds 1968
Try To Remember 1969 AUS #11
Rose Garden 1970 UK #15
Tom Tom Turnaround 1971 UK #6, GER #10, AUS #11
Kara Kara/Lord Of The Dance 1971 UK #17, GER #31, AUS #39
Sister Jane 1972 UK #9, AUS #4
Living Next Door to of Alice 1973 AUS #13
I'll Catch The Sun 1973
Something's Wrong 1973
Rooftop Singing 1973 UK #50, AUS #34
Old Shep 1974
Do It Again 1974
Sweet Dreams 1974
I'm A Clown 1975
Sitting in The Sun 1976
But Not Afraid To Dream 1976
Homemade Sunshine 1977 AUS #33
Try To Remember 1969 AUS #11
Rose Garden 1970 UK #15
Tom Tom Turnaround 1971 UK #6, GER #10, AUS #11
Kara Kara/Lord Of The Dance 1971 UK #17, GER #31, AUS #39
Sister Jane 1972 UK #9, AUS #4
Living Next Door to of Alice 1973 AUS #13
I'll Catch The Sun 1973
Something's Wrong 1973
Rooftop Singing 1973 UK #50, AUS #34
Old Shep 1974
Do It Again 1974
Sweet Dreams 1974
I'm A Clown 1975
Sitting in The Sun 1976
But Not Afraid To Dream 1976
Homemade Sunshine 1977 AUS #33
Here for download is a 6 minute Tom Mix 12" version of "Rooftop Singing":
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