Seals and Crofts
Encyclopedia
Seals and Crofts is a band made up of Jim Seals (born James Seals, October 17, 1941, Sidney, Texas
) and Dash Crofts (born Darrell Crofts, August 14, 1940, Cisco, Texas
). 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
". (Seals' younger brother, Dan Seals
was also well known as one half of another successful soft rock band in the same time period, England Dan & John Ford Coley
, as well as for his success as a country
artist starting in the mid-1980s.) The duo disbanded in 1980, and both members went on to become public advocates of the Bahá'í Faith
. They reunited briefly in 1991–1992 and again in 2004, when they released their final album, Traces.
. In 1958, Seals and Crofts toured with The Champs.
In 1963, Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, Glen Campbell
, and Jerry Cole left The Champs to form a band named "Glen Campbell and the GCs" which played at The Crossbow in Van Nuys, CA. The band only lasted a couple of years before the members went their separate ways. Crofts returned to Texas and Seals joined a band named The Dawnbreakers (a reference to a book
about the beginnings of the Baha'i Faith
by the same name). Crofts eventually returned to California to join The Dawnbreakers. However, The Dawnbreakers turned out to be unsuccessful. Crofts married fellow Dawnbreaker Billie Lee Day in 1969, and both Seals and Crofts were introduced to and became members of the Bahá'í Faith.
After the failure with The Dawnbreakers, the two decided to play as a duo, with Seals on guitar, saxophone and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin
. They signed a contract with the record division of Talent Associates
(TA) in 1969 and released two LPs
, which did not chart. The pair signed a new contract with Warner Bros. Records
in 1971. Their first album with their new label did not break into the charts, but their second album Summer Breeze
charted at #7 in 1972. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in December 1972.
The duo played at the California Jam
festival in Ontario, California
on April 6, 1974. Attracting over 200,000 fans, the concert put them alongside '70s acts such as Black Sabbath
, Eagles, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
, Deep Purple
, Earth, Wind & Fire
, Black Oak Arkansas
, and Rare Earth
. Portions of the show were telecast on ABC
Television in the US, exposing the duo to a wider audience.
After a long and successful run of recordings in the 1970s, the two lost their contract with Warner Brothers in 1980 and decided to set aside music for a while. They held a short reunion tour in 1991–1992 and appeared at several Bahá'í gatherings. Crofts lived in Mexico
, Australia and then Nashville
, Tennessee, playing country music
and making occasional hit singles. Seals moved to Costa Rica
and has lived on a coffee
farm off and on since 1980, as well as in Nashville. Crofts currently resides on a ranch in the Texas hill country
.
Seals and Crofts are longtime adherents of the Baha'i faith. A number of their songs have references to Baha'i, including passages from Baha'i scriptures. When they appeared in concert, they often remained on stage after the performance to talk about the faith while local Baha'is passed out literature to anyone interested.
In 2003 Seals and Crofts reunited and recorded a new album for the first time since 1998, released as Traces (2004).
In 2011 the bandmates' daughters, Juliet Seals and Amelia Crofts, used the name "Seals and Crofts" for their musical act.
Sidney, Texas
Sidney is an unincorporated community located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas. As home of the Sidney Eagles, a variety of sports are played, including six-man football, basketball, track and field, and tennis. Other events include One-Act-Play, cheerleading, and of course, UIL events...
) and Dash Crofts (born Darrell Crofts, August 14, 1940, Cisco, Texas
Cisco, Texas
Cisco is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,851 at the 2000 census.-History:Conrad Hilton started the Hilton Hotel chain with a single hotel bought in Cisco. Hilton came to Cisco to buy a bank, but the bank cost too much; so he purchased the Mobley Hotel in 1919...
). The soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. They are best known for their hits "Summer Breeze
Summer Breeze (song)
"Summer Breeze" is the title of a song written and recorded by Seals and Crofts that has been covered by The Isley Brothers, Type O Negative, the Three Tenors, and several other artists.-Seals & Crofts version:...
" and "Diamond Girl
Diamond Girl (album)
Diamond Girl is the pop/folk duo Seals and Crofts' fifth studio album, and was one of the best sellers of 1973. The title track reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer...
". (Seals' younger brother, 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...
was also well known as one half of another successful soft rock band in the same time period, England Dan & John Ford Coley
England Dan & John Ford Coley
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"....
, as well as for his success as a country
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...
artist starting in the mid-1980s.) The duo disbanded in 1980, and both members went on to become public advocates of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. They reunited briefly in 1991–1992 and again in 2004, when they released their final album, Traces.
Career
Jim Seals and Dash Crofts were both born in Texas. They first met when Crofts was a drummer for a local band. Later, Seals joined a band called Dean Beard and the Crew Cuts where he played guitar; later on Crofts joined the band. With Beard, they moved to Los Angeles, California to join The ChampsThe Champs
The Champs were an American rock and roll band, most famous for their Latin-tinged instrumental "Tequila". Formed by studio executives at Gene Autry's Challenge Records to record a B-Side for the Dave Burgess single, the intended throwaway track became more famous than its A-Side, "Train to...
. In 1958, Seals and Crofts toured with The Champs.
In 1963, Jimmy Seals, Dash Crofts, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, and Jerry Cole left The Champs to form a band named "Glen Campbell and the GCs" which played at The Crossbow in Van Nuys, CA. The band only lasted a couple of years before the members went their separate ways. Crofts returned to Texas and Seals joined a band named The Dawnbreakers (a reference to a book
The Dawn-breakers (book)
The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation or Nabíl's Narrative is a historical account of the early Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths penned by Nabíl-i-A`zam in 1887-8...
about the beginnings of the Baha'i Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
by the same name). Crofts eventually returned to California to join The Dawnbreakers. However, The Dawnbreakers turned out to be unsuccessful. Crofts married fellow Dawnbreaker Billie Lee Day in 1969, and both Seals and Crofts were introduced to and became members of the Bahá'í Faith.
After the failure with The Dawnbreakers, the two decided to play as a duo, with Seals on guitar, saxophone and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. They signed a contract with the record division of Talent Associates
Talent Associates
Talent Associates, Ltd. , was a production company headed by David Susskind, later joined by Daniel Melnick, Leonard Stern and Ron Gilbert.-Origins:...
(TA) in 1969 and released two LPs
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, which did not chart. The pair signed a new contract with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in 1971. Their first album with their new label did not break into the charts, but their second album Summer Breeze
Summer Breeze (album)
Summer Breeze is the fourth album by the American soft rock band Seals and Crofts, released in 1972 through Warner Brothers Records. It was a major commercial breakthrough for the group, and peaked at #7 on the Billboard album chart. The title cut was released as a single on September 9, 1972,...
charted at #7 in 1972. The record sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in December 1972.
The duo played at the California Jam
California Jam
California Jam, also known as Cal Jam, was a rock music festival concert held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California on April 6, 1974. It was produced by ABC Entertainment, Sandy Feldman, Don Branker and Leonard Stogel...
festival in Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
on April 6, 1974. Attracting over 200,000 fans, the concert put them alongside '70s acts such as Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Eagles, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
, Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas
Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970s with ten charting albums released in that decade...
, and Rare Earth
Rare Earth (band)
Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label , who prospered in 1970-1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members...
. Portions of the show were telecast on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Television in the US, exposing the duo to a wider audience.
After a long and successful run of recordings in the 1970s, the two lost their contract with Warner Brothers in 1980 and decided to set aside music for a while. They held a short reunion tour in 1991–1992 and appeared at several Bahá'í gatherings. Crofts lived in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Australia and then Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee, playing 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...
and making occasional hit singles. Seals moved to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and has lived on a coffee
Coffea
Coffea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds of several species are the source of the popular beverage coffee. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded...
farm off and on since 1980, as well as in Nashville. Crofts currently resides on a ranch in the Texas hill country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
.
Seals and Crofts are longtime adherents of the Baha'i faith. A number of their songs have references to Baha'i, including passages from Baha'i scriptures. When they appeared in concert, they often remained on stage after the performance to talk about the faith while local Baha'is passed out literature to anyone interested.
In 2003 Seals and Crofts reunited and recorded a new album for the first time since 1998, released as Traces (2004).
In 2011 the bandmates' daughters, Juliet Seals and Amelia Crofts, used the name "Seals and Crofts" for their musical act.
Albums
- Seals & CroftsSeals & Crofts (album)Seals & Crofts is the pop/folk duo's eponymous debut.-Track listing:All songs written by Jim Seals unless otherwise indicated.#"See My Life"#"Sea of Consciousness"#"Seldom's Sister"#"Not Be Found"#"Birthday of My Thoughts"#"In Tune"...
, 1969 - Down Home, 1970
- Year Of Sunday, 1971, #133
- Summer BreezeSummer Breeze (album)Summer Breeze is the fourth album by the American soft rock band Seals and Crofts, released in 1972 through Warner Brothers Records. It was a major commercial breakthrough for the group, and peaked at #7 on the Billboard album chart. The title cut was released as a single on September 9, 1972,...
, 1972, #7 - Diamond GirlDiamond Girl (album)Diamond Girl is the pop/folk duo Seals and Crofts' fifth studio album, and was one of the best sellers of 1973. The title track reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer...
, 1973, #4 - Seals & Crofts I & IISeals & Crofts I & IISeals & Crofts I & II is a double album re-issue of their albums, Seals & Crofts and Down Home. In early 1974, while the duo were at the peak of their popularity, Warner Bros. Records decided it would be a good investment to purchase the rights to their first two LPs on the TA label, which by that...
, 1974 - Unborn Child, 1974, #14
- I'll Play For You, 1975, #30
- Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Seals and Crofts)Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Seals and Crofts, released in 1975.- Track listing :# "When I Meet Them" 3:15# "Diamond Girl" 4:10# "Hummingbird" 4:35# "Castles In The Sand" 4:05# "East of Ginger Trees" 3:46# "I'll Play for You" 4:04...
, 1975, #11 - Get Closer, 1976, #37
- Sudan VillageSudan Village (album)Sudan Village is a live album by Seals & Crofts. It features the single Baby I'll Give It To You, which reached #58 on Billboard's charts.- Track listing :All tracks written by Seals & Crofts, except where noted.#"Sudan Village"...
, 1976 (live), #73 - One On One (soundtrack)One on One (soundtrack)One on One is the soundtrack album to the movie of the same title, One on One starring Robby Benson. The music was written entirely by Charles Fox, with lyrics by Paul Williams. Seals and Crofts provided the vocals...
, 1977, #118 - Takin' It EasyTakin' It EasyTakin' It Easy is the ninth studio album by Seals and Crofts, released in 1978 by Warner Bros. Records. It was their last album to contain any charting singles...
, 1978, #78 - Collection, 1979
- The Longest Road, 1980 (Chick CoreaChick CoreaArmando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
and Stanley ClarkeStanley ClarkeStanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
appeared on track one, "Stars"). - Lote Tree, 1980
- Today, 1998
- Traces, 2004
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | 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 | ||||||||
| 1972 | "Summer Breeze Summer Breeze (song) "Summer Breeze" is the title of a song written and recorded by Seals and Crofts that has been covered by The Isley Brothers, Type O Negative, the Three Tenors, and several other artists.-Seals & Crofts version:... " |
6 | 4 | Summer Breeze | |||||
| 1973 | "Hummingbird" | 20 | 12 | ||||||
| "Diamond Girl" | 6 | 4 | Diamond Girl | ||||||
| "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)" | 21 | 2 | |||||||
| 1974 | "Unborn Child" | 66 | - | Unborn Child | |||||
| "The King of Nothing" | 60 | 26 | |||||||
| 1975 | "I'll Play for You" | 18 | 4 | I'll Play for You | |||||
| "Castles in the Sand" | — | 21 | |||||||
| 1976 | "Baby I'll Give It To You" | 58 | 14 | Sudan Village | |||||
| "Get Closer" | 6 | 2 | Get Closer | ||||||
| 1977 | "Goodbye Old Buddies" | — | 10 | ||||||
| "My Fair Share" | 28 | 11 | One on One soundtrack | ||||||
| 1978 | "You're the Love" | 18 | 2 | Takin' It Easy | |||||
| "Takin' It Easy" | 79 | — | |||||||
| 1980 | "First Love" | — | 37 | Longest Road | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Songs in movies
- "These Moments Never Live Again", from Foolin' Around (1980)
- "My Fair Share", from One on OneOne on One (film)One on One is a 1977 drama film starring Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole. It was written by Benson and Jerry Segal , and shot on location in 1976 at Colorado State University. The film features songs from Seals and Crofts and was directed by Lamont Johnson.-Plot:Henry Steele , a naive high school...
(1977) - "Get Closer"
- "Summer Breeze" from Dazed and ConfusedDazed and Confused"Dazed and Confused" is a song by Jake Holmes, which was covered by The Yardbirds, and later reworked by Led Zeppelin who hold a separate copyright on the song.-Jake Holmes:...
(1993) - "Summer Breeze" from King of CaliforniaKing of CaliforniaKing of California is a 2007 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Cahill. It is his debut as a screenwriter and director. The film premiered on January 24, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and opened in limited release in North America on September 14, 2007...
(2007) - "Summer Breeze" from Land of the LostLand of the Lost (film)Land of the Lost is a 2009 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Brad Silberling and starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel, based on the 1974 Sid and Marty Krofft TV series of the same name.-Plot:...
(2009)
See also
- Dan "England Dan" SealsDan SealsDanny 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...
, Jim Seals' brother, was also a successful recording artist, first in the pop duo England Dan & John Ford ColeyEngland Dan & John Ford ColeyEngland 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"....
and later as a country music artist. - Troy SealsTroy SealsTroy Seals is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist.He is a member of the prominent Seals family of musicians that includes, Jim Seals and Dan Seals and Brady Seals...
, country music artist, a cousin of Jim Seals. - Brady SealsBrady SealsBrady Seals is an American country music artist. He is the cousin of Jim Seals and Dan Seals and Johnny Duncan, the nephew of Troy Seals, and the husband of former BNA Records recording artist Lisa Stewart...
, a cousin of Jim Seals, frontman of the country groups Little TexasLittle TexasLittle Texas is an American country music band founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1988 by Tim Rushlow , Brady Seals , Del Gray , Porter Howell , Dwayne O'Brien , and Duane Propes . Signed to Warner Bros...
and Hot Apple PieHot Apple PieHot Apple Pie was an American country music band founded in 2002 by Brady Seals , Keith Horne , Trey Landry , and Mark "Sparky" Matejka . Matjeka was replaced in 2006 by Kevin Ray. Seals was initially co-lead vocalist and keyboardist in the band Little Texas until 1997...
.