Single:
Emerald City entered the Australian singles chart* on 23 December 1967 and peaked at #32.
Songwriters:
Keith Potger, Kim Fowley
Producer:
Keith Grant
Record label of Australian release:
Columbia
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
The Seekers perform Emerald City, Walk With Me and Someday One Day during their 1993 Silver Jubilee Tour:
Poor video quality but still worth a look.
Released in December 1967, Emerald City remains one of the most whimsical entries in the discography of the legendary Australian folk-pop group The Seekers. Co-written by band member Keith Potger and American songwriter Kim Fowley, the track famously reimagines the classical Ode to Joy melody from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony into a lighthearted, psychedelic-folk masterpiece.
The lyrics transport listeners to a storybook world inspired by the Land of Oz, featuring “scarecrow friends”, “tin toy brothers” and “ruby roses”. It peaked at #32 in Australia and #50 on the UK charts; the song cherished by fans for its signature crystalline harmonies and Judith Durham’s impeccably pure lead vocals. As one of the final singles released before the group’s original line-up disbanded in 1968, it captures a playful, experimental moment in their career.
Lyrics:
Take me to the Emerald City
Down yellow brick roads fast I run
Scarecrow friends will dance beside me
Tin toy brothers bright as sun
Click for full lyrics
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