England Dan & John Ford Coley
Encyclopedia
England Dan & John Ford Coley was an American pop rock
duo composed of Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals
and John Edward "John Ford" Coley
. Native Texans
, the duo released eleven albums and nine singles in their career and are best known for their 1976 single, "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
". This song was a #2 pop hit and #1 Adult Contemporary
hit that year. After the duo disbanded, Seals began performing as Dan Seals and launched a solo country music
career which lasted throughout the 1980s.
. Seals and Coley performed first as part of Dallas pop/psych group Southwest F.O.B.
(Freight on Board), whose material has been re-released on CD by the Sundazed label.
Seals was the younger brother of Jim Seals of the 1970s soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts
. Dan's childhood nickname was "England Dan" because he was a fan
of English
rock band The Beatles
, and he occasionally adopted an affected English
accent. John Colley's last name was re-spelled "Coley" for ease of pronunciation; "Ford" was added as his middle name for flow purposes, thus England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Both toured the Texas music scene where they had one hit, "The Smell of Incense", that in 1969 rose to number 43 on the charts. This band played on the bill with such acts as Led Zeppelin
. While in the band, Dan Seals and John Coley began their own acoustic act, Coley and Wayland. The act was renamed England Dan & John Ford Coley, and the duo was signed by A&M Records
. In 1971, the two moved to Los Angeles
where they opened for numerous bands. Their first break came in 1972, with the song "Simone". It became a number one hit in Japan
and was also popular in France
, but it did not fare as well in the United States.
The duo was released from its contract with A&M after three albums. Undaunted, the pair continued to press on, stumbling upon the song "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", written by a young Mississippi
-based songwriter, Parker McGee. The pair recorded a demo and played it in the office of Bob Greenberg, a senior VP at Atlantic Records
, who was dubious of the song's potential.
Unknown to them, Atlantic had a subsidiary label named Big Tree in the same office, and Big Tree's A&R rep, Doug Morris
, came in afterwards, claiming that he heard the song through the wall. After Greenberg decided against it, Morris offered the duo a deal, which they accepted.
are "Love Is the Answer" (written by Todd Rundgren
) (1979), "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
" (1976), "Nights Are Forever Without You" (another McGee composition) (1976), "It's Sad to Belong
" (1977), and "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
" (1978).
ian in the 1980s, scoring hits such as "Meet Me in Montana
" (with Marie Osmond
) and "Bop
". John Ford Coley went on to do TV and film appearances in the 1980s, and returned to an active touring schedule in the 1990s and 2000s, and co-producer for acts such as Eddie Money
(with Vince Gill
) and Tom Wurth.
Seals died on March 25, 2009 following treatment for mantle cell lymphoma
.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
duo composed of Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals
Dan Seals
Danny Wayland "Dan" Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the "England Dan" half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, which charted nine pop and adult contemporary singles between 1976 and 1980, including...
and John Edward "John Ford" Coley
John Ford Coley
John Ford Coley is a singer, classically trained pianist, guitarist, actor, and author most known for his partnership in the musical duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Early life:...
. Native Texans
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the duo released eleven albums and nine singles in their career and are best known for their 1976 single, "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" was written by Parker McGee and was a hit by England Dan & John Ford Coley from their 1976 album Nights Are Forever...
". This song was a #2 pop hit and #1 Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
hit that year. After the duo disbanded, Seals began performing as Dan Seals and launched a solo country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
career which lasted throughout the 1980s.
Career
The duo began while the pair were friends and classmates at W. W. Samuell High School in Dallas, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Seals and Coley performed first as part of Dallas pop/psych group Southwest F.O.B.
Southwest F.O.B.
Southwest F.O.B. was a 1960s psychedelic rock group from Dallas, Texas, now perhaps best remembered because it featured Dan Seals and John Colley, who later found great success as the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley....
(Freight on Board), whose material has been re-released on CD by the Sundazed label.
Seals was the younger brother of Jim Seals of the 1970s soft-rock duo Seals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts
Seals and Crofts is a band made up of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts . The soft rock duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. They are best known for their hits "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl"...
. Dan's childhood nickname was "England Dan" because he was a fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and he occasionally adopted an affected English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
accent. John Colley's last name was re-spelled "Coley" for ease of pronunciation; "Ford" was added as his middle name for flow purposes, thus England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Both toured the Texas music scene where they had one hit, "The Smell of Incense", that in 1969 rose to number 43 on the charts. This band played on the bill with such acts as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. While in the band, Dan Seals and John Coley began their own acoustic act, Coley and Wayland. The act was renamed England Dan & John Ford Coley, and the duo was signed by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. In 1971, the two moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where they opened for numerous bands. Their first break came in 1972, with the song "Simone". It became a number one hit in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and was also popular in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but it did not fare as well in the United States.
The duo was released from its contract with A&M after three albums. Undaunted, the pair continued to press on, stumbling upon the song "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", written by a young Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
-based songwriter, Parker McGee. The pair recorded a demo and played it in the office of Bob Greenberg, a senior VP at Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, who was dubious of the song's potential.
Unknown to them, Atlantic had a subsidiary label named Big Tree in the same office, and Big Tree's A&R rep, Doug Morris
Doug Morris
Doug Morris is an American music executive. He is the current Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of the Universal Music Group from 1995 to 2011.-Life and career:...
, came in afterwards, claiming that he heard the song through the wall. After Greenberg decided against it, Morris offered the duo a deal, which they accepted.
Peak
The duo had six Top 40 singles between 1976 and 1979. Among their hitsHit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
are "Love Is the Answer" (written by Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
) (1979), "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" was written by Parker McGee and was a hit by England Dan & John Ford Coley from their 1976 album Nights Are Forever...
" (1976), "Nights Are Forever Without You" (another McGee composition) (1976), "It's Sad to Belong
It's Sad to Belong
"It's Sad to Belong" was a song written by Randy Goodrum and performed by England Dan & John Ford Coley on their 1977 album, Dowdy Ferry Road. Called a "timeless classic", it peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the easy listening chart...
" (1977), and "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
"We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" is a 1978 single by England Dan & John Ford Coley. The single was written by Jeffrey Comanor and was included in the 1978 album, Some Things Don't Come Easy. The single went to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent six weeks at number one on the...
" (1978).
Aftermath
Dan Seals became a successful country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
ian in the 1980s, scoring hits such as "Meet Me in Montana
Meet Me in Montana
"Meet Me in Montana" is a country music song recorded and made popular by Dan Seals and Marie Osmond. The song was the lead-off single to his 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore, and the second single from Marie Osmond's 1985 album There's No Stopping Your Heart."Meet Me in Montana" reached No. 1 on...
" (with Marie Osmond
Marie Osmond
Olive Marie Osmond is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family's singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s...
) and "Bop
Bop (Dan Seals song)
"Bop" is the second single released from Dan Seals' 1985 album Won't Be Blue Anymore. It reached #1 on the Country singles chart in early-1986 - his second number one hit, but his first as a solo artist. It was a major crossover hit as well, peaking at #42 on the US Hot 100, and at #10 on the US...
". John Ford Coley went on to do TV and film appearances in the 1980s, and returned to an active touring schedule in the 1990s and 2000s, and co-producer for acts such as Eddie Money
Eddie Money
Eddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
(with Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
) and Tom Wurth.
Seals died on March 25, 2009 following treatment for mantle cell lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma is one of the rarest of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas , comprising about 6% of NHL cases. There are only about 15,000 patients presently in the U.S. While it is difficult to treat and seldom considered cured, investigations into better treatments are actively pursued worldwide...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN | ||||
| 1971 | England Dan & John Ford Coley England Dan & John Ford Coley (album) England Dan & John Ford Coley is the first album by the pop rock duo of the same name.-Track listing:#"Mud and Stone" #"Miss Me" #"Swamp River" #"Tell Her Hello" #"Lady Rose" #"New Jersey" #"Winning Side" #"Elysian Fields"... |
— | — | — | A&M |
| 1972 | Fables | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | I Hear the Music I Hear The Music I Hear the Music is the third album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track listing:#"Used To You" #"Tell Her Hello" #"New Jersey" #"Idolizer"#"Mud And Stone" #"I Hear The Music" #"Legendary Captain" #"Miss Me"... |
— | — | — | |
| Nights Are Forever Nights Are Forever Nights Are Forever is the fourth and breakthrough album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" became one of their biggest hits, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100... |
17 | 11 | Gold | Big Tree | |
| 1977 | Dowdy Ferry Road Dowdy Ferry Road Dowdy Ferry Road is the fifth album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. The album's single "It's Sad to Belong" was a moderate pop hit and a #1 smash on the Adult Contemporary chart. Being from Dallas, Texas area, England Dan and John Ford Coley named Dowdy Ferry Road after a street... |
80 | — | — | |
| 1978 | Some Things Don't Come Easy Some Things Don't Come Easy Some Things Don't Come Easy is the sixth album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track listing:#"Some Things Don't Come Easy" #"If The World Ran Out Of Love Tonight" Some Things Don't Come Easy is the sixth album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track... |
61 | 73 | — | |
| Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive is the seventh album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. The single "Love Is the Answer" was an American hit, reaching #10... |
106 | — | — | ||
| 1979 | The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley is a greatest hits album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, released in 1979.-Track listing:#"I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" #"Nights are Forever Without You"... |
194 | — | — | |
| 1980 | Just Tell Me You Love Me Just Tell Me You Love Me Just Tell Me You Love Me is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, with songs performed by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Carol Connors and Dick Halligan; except where indicated... (soundtrack) |
— | — | — | |
| 1981 | The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley Vol. 2 The Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley Vol. 2 Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley Vol. 2 is a greatest hits album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track listing:#"What's Forever For"#"You Could've Been the One"#"I'll Stay"#"Stones "... |
— | — | — | |
| 1996 | The Very Best of England Dan and John Ford Coley | — | — | — | Rhino |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC | CAN | CAN AC | ||||
| 1972 | "New Jersey" | 103 | — | — | — | — | Fables |
| "Simone" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight I'd Really Love to See You Tonight "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" was written by Parker McGee and was a hit by England Dan & John Ford Coley from their 1976 album Nights Are Forever... " |
2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | Gold | Nights Are Forever |
| "Nights Are Forever Without You" | 10 | 6 | 10 | 4 | — | ||
| 1977 | "It's Sad to Belong It's Sad to Belong "It's Sad to Belong" was a song written by Randy Goodrum and performed by England Dan & John Ford Coley on their 1977 album, Dowdy Ferry Road. Called a "timeless classic", it peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the easy listening chart... " |
21 | 1 | 9 | 1 | — | Dowdy Ferry Road |
| "Gone Too Far" | 23 | — | 15 | 11 | — | ||
| 1978 | "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again" is a 1978 single by England Dan & John Ford Coley. The single was written by Jeffrey Comanor and was included in the 1978 album, Some Things Don't Come Easy. The single went to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent six weeks at number one on the... " |
9 | 1 | 11 | 2 | — | Some Things Don't Come Easy |
| "You Can't Dance" | 49 | — | 62 | 34 | — | ||
| 1979 | "Love Is the Answer" | 10 | 1 | 33 | 18 | — | Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive |
| "What Can I Do with This Broken Heart" | 50 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "Just Tell Me You Love Me " | 75 | — | — | — | — | Just Tell Me You Love Me Just Tell Me You Love Me Just Tell Me You Love Me is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, with songs performed by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Carol Connors and Dick Halligan; except where indicated... (soundtrack) |
External links
- Official website of John Ford Coley
- England Dan and John Ford Coley biography at ClassicBands.com