England Dan & John Ford Coley
Saxophonist Dan Seals, younger brother of Jimmy Seals of Seals & Crofts and classical pianist John Colley started out as the Shimmeres with various recordings in Nashville until their stage act as Colley & Wayland. Backed by Hip Records they launched their 1968 debut Smell Of Incense along with the title track which made #56. At that stage the group supported the psychedelic Southwest F.O.B (Freight On Board) all ex Playboys, until a change of name with the introduction of ex Dawnbreakers guitarist Louis Shelton from the early days with Jim Seals and a new contract with A&M Records. Sadly the bulging seventies failed to recognize their self titled debut with it’s “New Jersey” single or the outstanding Fables album (none included on The Very Best Of England Dan & John Ford Coley). Much of the richness of England Dan & John Ford Coley could be explored through the Fables catalogue such as the impressionable “Simone”, a Japanese #1 or the Jewish supportive “Casey”.
The infectious “Simone” was out of this world, fortified by drummer Russ Kunkel who shuffled the complex rhythms while Louie Shelton’s speedy guitar solos on “Free The People” and “What I’m Doing” gave the album a richness and diversity that one never tire’s from. Out of the superb Marty Paich arrangements of Fables the cowboy song “Matthew” came galloping copped from Elton John & Bernie Taupin’s Country Comforts, a band they supported in the early seventies. The bulk of Spector’s veterans, Larry Knechtel and Tommy Morgan backed the album behind Hal Blaine who took the skins on on the maximus “Carolina” penned by Kerry Chater & Roger Karshnes.
Coley& Seals’ “Tomorrow” found better placement as a single for Southwest F.O.B. , who already put out Paul Simon’s “Feelin’ Groovy”, Stephen Stills’ “Rock N’ Roll Woman” and “Smell Of Incense” which belonged to The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Fables was one shit hot album in the same strength as Neil Young’s Harvest or any of Simon & Garfunkel’s albums. Rare to find on CD every song shines brightly with melody and excellent lyrics. Sadly apart from various underground stations spinning “Simone” the album was tragically overlooked. Meanwhile Dan Seals was riding high on the country charts with “You Everybody’s Dream Girl”, “After You” and “You Really Go For The Heart”. Their last home run with A&M was the harmonising “Why Is It Me” and a donated track called “Part Of Me Part Of You” for the soundtrack Just Tell Me You Love Me. By 1972 they were dropped by A&M while Coley was hired to play on some of the Seals & Crofts albums along with Louis Shelton who became a permanent member. Enter Parker McGee a Mississippi composer who gave them their #2 breakthru single “I’d Really Love To See you Tonight” which concluded a contract for Big Tree Records. Parker in overflow also gave them the #10 “Nights Are Forever Without You”, title track for their next album. By 1977 the second album Dowdy Ferry Road conceived “It’s Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)” and “Gone Too Far”, both # 20 hits. The groups third 1978 Some Things Don’t Come Easy conjured “We’ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again” now the gift of songsmith Jeffrey Comanor. The groups last hit was Todd Rundgren’s “Love Is The Answer” #10.