From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Oct 17, 2002  1:11 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jimmy Seals
 
JIMMY SEALS

Born 17 October 1941, Sidney, Texas

Jimmy Seals is related to several country singers : Dan Seals (who scored
eleven country chart toppers, 1985-90) is his brother, Troy Seals (Jo-Ann
Campbell's husband) is his cousin, as is Brady Seals (formerly of the group
Little Texas, now a solo singer). But country was not for Jimmy. Already at
fifteen he was an accomplished sax player, who backed Dean Beard at his
first (and only) Sun session, which produced "Rakin' and Scrapin'" among
other (originally unissued) songs. Early in 1957, Beard formed a backing band,
The Crew Cats, which included Seals and also drummer Darrell "Dash" Crofts
(born 14 August 1940, Cisco, Texas). While with Beard, Seals also cut a solo
instrumental, "Sneaky Pete"/"Benguela" for Slim Willet's Winston label, which
was heard by Dave Burgess, the leader of the Champs. Burgess was urgently
looking for replacements for sax player Chuck Rio (aka Danny Flores) and
drummer Gene Alden, who had left the Champs after a conflict with Burgess.
Jimmy Seals had that same "dirty" sax sound that was Chuck Rio's trademark
and Burgess wanted to hire Seals and Crofts from Dean Beard's band. Their
manager, Slim Willet, would only agree to the transfer if Dean Beard could
also join the Champs (as a pianist). Thus the Champs became a six-piece,
but after a year or so, Beard was fired from the group, allegedly for financial
impropriety. Seals and Crofts would stay with the Champs until the very end
of the group, which came in 1965. Seals (co-)wrote several songs for the
group, like "Jumping Bean", "3/4 Mash", "Switzerland" and "The Man From
Durango". More about the Champs when we get to Dave Burgess's birthday
in December.
In the seventies Seals and Crofts emerged as a soft-rock duo. Seals played
guitar, saxophone, and fiddle, while Crofts handled drums, mandolin, guitar
and keyboards. From 1972 to 1976, the duo had a string of five gold albums
for Warner Bros, with an additional greatest-hits compilation certified double
platinum. The singles "Summer Breeze" (1972), "Diamond Girl" (1973) and
"Get Closer" (1976) all reached # 6 on the Billboard charts. The group became
embroiled in controversy in 1974 due to the title track of their "Unborn Child"
album, an anti-abortion song written from the fetus' point of view. Their music
was generally lightweight and one rock encyclopedia calls them "the super-
wimps of the 70s".
Jimmy has lived in Costa Rica for many years and is now back for a new CD
with Crofts, to be released early 2003.

Seals and Crofts website: http://www.sealsandcrofts.com/sealscrofts1.html
(this part concentrates on the early years and includes a list of Seals'
compositions up until 1965).