Seals and Crofts

Seals and Crofts are Jim Seals (born James Seals, 17 October 1941, Sidney, Texas) and Dash Crofts (born Darrell Crofts, 14 August 1940, Cisco, Texas), a popular soft rock duo in the early 1970s, best-known for their hits "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl." They were also the most famous Bahá’ís of the 1970s in the United States.

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 to join The Champs. In 1958, Seals and Crofts toured with The Champs.

In 1962, 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 by the same name). Crofts eventually returned to California to join The Dawnbreakers. Seals married Ruby Jean Anderson and Crofts married fellow Dawnbreaker Billie Lee Day. In 1969, and both Seals and Crofts were introduced to the Bahá’í Faith and embraced its Teachings.

Following their time with The Dawnbreakers, the two chose to continue as a duo—Seals playing guitar, saxophone, and violin, and Crofts on guitar and mandolin. They signed with Talent Associates and released two LPs, which helped lay the groundwork for their future sound. In 1971, they found a new home with Warner Bros. Records. While their first album with Warner Bros. didn’t gain much attention, their second release, Summer Breeze, became a breakthrough success, reaching #7 on the charts in 1972.

After a long and successful run of recordings in the 1970s, the two lost their contract with Warner Brothers and 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, playing country music and making occasional hit singles. Seals moved to Costa Rica in 1980 where he purchased a coffee farm.

In 2003, Seals and Crofts reunited and recorded a new album (Traces) for the first time since 1998. They also toured during 2004–2005.

Discography

Albums

• Seals & Crofts, 1969
• Down Home, 1970
• Year Of Sunday, 1971, #133
• Summer Breeze, 1972, #7
• Diamond Girl, 1973, #4
• Seals & Crofts I & II, 1974
• Unborn Child, 1974, #14
• I'll Play For You, 1975, #30
• Greatest Hits, 1975, #11
• Get Closer, 1976, #37
• Sudan Village, 1976 (live), #73
• One On One, 1977, #118
• Takin' It Easy, 1978, #78
• Collection, 1979
• The Longest Road, 1980 (Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke appeared on track one, "Stars").
• Lote Tree, 1980
• Today, 1998
• Traces, 2003

Singles

• "Summer Breeze", 1972, charted at #6 Pop / #4 AC
• "Hummingbird", 1972, #20 Pop / #12 AC
• "Diamond Girl", 1973, #6 Pop / #4 AC
• "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)", 1973, #21 Pop / #2 AC
• "Unborn Child", 1974, #66 Pop
• "King Of Nothing", 1974, #60 Pop / #26 AC
• "I'll Play For You", 1975, #18 Pop / #4 AC
• "Castles In The Sand", 1975, #21 AC
• "Baby, I'll Give It To You", 1976, #58 Pop / #14 AC
• "Get Closer" (featuring Carolyn Willis of Honey Cone), 1976, #6 Pop / #2 AC
• "Goodbye Old Buddies", 1977, #10 AC
• "My Fair Share", 1977, #28 Pop / #11 AC
• "You're the Love", 1978, #18 Pop / #2 AC
• "Takin' It Easy", 1978, #79 Pop
• "First Love", 1980, #37 AC

References

• en.wikipedia.org
• George-Warren, H (ed.) 2001, The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, 3rd edn, Fireside, New York.

External link

• Seals and Crofts official website