New World – New World (1971)

New World was an Australian pop band formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1965. The group initially consisted of John "Fuzzy" Lee, Mel Noonan and Robert Elford, who were billed as The New World Trio. In 1968, John Kane joined the group, replacing Elford, and they began to be known simply as New World. Their early success included a hit single in Australia with "Try To Remember" (1968), which peaked at number 11 nationally, followed by their first album New World released in 1969. The band moved to the UK in an effort to launch an international career, signing with RAK Records in 1971. Their first single for RAK was a cover of Billy Joe Royal's "Rose Garden," which reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart later that year. New World achieved their biggest hit with "Tom-Tom Turnaround" in 1971, followed by notable singles such as "Kara, Kara" (1971) and "Sister Jane" (1972). The group appeared on popular BBC shows like The Two Ronnies and The Morecambe and Wise Show. Despite a flop with "Living Next Door to Alice" (1972), which later became a hit for Smokie, New World continued releasing albums such as Believe in Music (1973) and Yesterday's Gone (1975). "Homemade Sunshine," their last single, came out in 1976.