Jim Seals of the hit-making pop duo Seals and Crofts passed away on Monday (June 6th.)
The duo first burst on to the scene in 1972 with their Top Ten Hit “Summer Breeze” … and seven more Top 40 Hits followed, including a couple more Top Ten Hits … “Diamond Girl” (#6, 1973) and “Get Closer” (#4, 1976).
Jim’s brother Dan was one half of the popular duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, who enjoyed their own string of hits in the ‘70’s. (Sadly, Dan … who also was quite successful on the country charts, left us back in 2009.)
Both groups promoted the Baha’i Faith in practice and
in concert … and their teachings often spilled over into their lyrics. (Chicago has a BEAUTIFUL Baha’i Temple up on
the north side.) Having been fortunate
enough to see both acts during their prime, I personally favored the England
Dan and John Ford Coley material … but you certainly cannot deny the popularity
of Seals’ and Crofts’ music, too. The duo
first worked together as part of The Champs, joining just after their
instrumental smash “Tequila” topped the charts in 1958. (Glen Campbell was also involved with the
group right around this time … and for a short time, Glen, Dash and Jim
performed in a new band for awhile.) kk
Sadly, Jim Seals has passed away.
Seals and Crofts songs in the 70's were must haves for me. Totally great music with FAVES like "We May Never Pass this Way Again," "Summer Breeze," "Unborn Child," "King of Nothing," "Get Closer" and "First Love" -- ALL A sides and ALL in my fave 45s, making them one only a few of the artists that actually have at least EIGHT 45s I am keeping as faves in my boxes of keepers! LOVE their music. Sad to hear Jim has passed but his music will live on at my house always.
WLS Clark
A very in-depth piece can be found in Variety …
Jim Seals, of Seals and Crofts Duo That
Ruled ’70s Soft-Rock, Dies at 80
https://variety.com/2022/music/obituaries-people-news/jim-seals-dead-seals-crofts-summer-breeze-soft-rock-1235286748/
Lots of radio schedule shake-ups announced this week here in Chicago as some long-standing names are making some major career moves.
First and foremost for me is the news that Bob Stroud has decided to go into semi-retirement after spending the past 21 years on The Drive, a radio station he helped launch back in 2001. (Stroud has been a fixture on the Chicagoland airwaves for over 40 years now … and no matter where he may have landed along the way, his Rock And Roll Roots program has been a staple of great Chicago broadcasting for all that time.)
According to Robert Feder’s column, Stroud will stop hosting mid-days at The Drive after June 30th … but will continue to pre-record his features “10 at 10,” “One 45 at 1:45” and “Rock And Roll Roots” to be broadcast on the station. (One has to wonder how much we’ll even notice that he’s gone! Lol) Between their 8-10 commercials blocks every 40 minutes or so, squeezed in between a couple of long sets of music, Bob will still maintain a noticeable presence at the station, even after he’s gone. (Another long-familiar, soothing voice at The Drive, Steve Downs, still tapes and broadcasts special spotlight features for the station. He dates back to when the station was “all about the music” rather than all the cash contests and giveaways they do these days, trying to entice people to continue to listen.
We were a Drive listeners from Day One … I even set the alarm early the day the station launched just so I could hear the whole thing take off. (Hoping I can find a way to listen to Bob’s last show on the 30th as well.) He has regularly won his time slot for decades now … so this is going to be a major shift in the radio landscape.
Bob, we love ya … you have always been our fave … so let me just say, Congratulations on a career well-played … enjoy the additional time off. (I figure he can record an entire week’s worth of material in a day … and then take the rest of the week off to enjoy himself and spend time with his family!!! Can’t beat that!!!)
SLACKER!
WXRT, who bill themselves as presenting Chicago’s Finest Rock, is also mixing things up a little bit …
Long-time WXRT radio host (and also their most recent morning show host, having succeeded Terri Hemmert after her decades-long stint doing mornings on the station) Richard Milne is leaving to care for his ailing wife … so afternoon staple Marty Lennartz (another four decade veteran!) will roll into the morning slot beginning on Monday, June 13th.
And Steve Cochran, who’s been around forever as well (30 years and counting), has just signed on as Morning Man at WLS-AM, Talk Radio. (Cochran’s a funny guy so this should liven things up in the morning on what otherwise can only be described as a somewhat dormant station. The former AM-Powerhouse most recently placed 28th in the latest morning radio ratings.) And with Bob Sirott and John Records Landecker now back on the air and holding down their regular daily spots on WGN-AM, everything seems to be falling in place nicely here in Chi-Town.
You’ve also got great talent like Scott Mackay and Dave Fogel on in the morning … as well as some interesting choices for younger listeners at KISS-FM and 100.3. And then, of course, although still “jock-less,” Me-TV-FM is always playing just the right mix of oldies.
Who knows … Radio just may get interesting again!
(When one considers the usual short-lived radio careers of the past … deejays having to relocate all over the country, sometimes dozens of times … hell, half the time you didn’t even have to do anything wrong … the station just changed formats and you didn’t “fit” anymore … it really is pretty incredible that Chicago has been blessed with so much long-term talent over the years. Each of the jocks mentioned below have been able to make Chicago their home and enjoy decades-long careers entertaining The Windy City.) kk
Kent,
When I think of the year 1959, one of the records I think of is ROBBIN' THE CRADLE.
I went and checked and it made our local top 40 weekly survey's initial appearance for the week of May 28, 1959, in song position #16. This was a survey of 50 records with a PICK HIT and SPOTLIGHT RECORD at the bottom of the survey. It was on the survey for a total of 9 weeks, peaking at #6 for the week of July 2, 1959. He had a follow-up hit, whose title eludes me now. I read years ago that he was alive and living in Florida. That may not be so today.
Larry Neal
Although I wasn’t listening to the radio yet in 1959, this
one seemed to fall off the oldies radar completely … even listening to it now,
it just doesn’t click with me (or sound like the kind of song that would have successfully made its way thru the annals of time. It just doesn't have that "connection factor.")
Nationally, it only got to #25 … and even that only happened in Billboard where it enjoyed an incredible 26 week run on the charts! (An unheard of feat at the time.) It failed to crack The Top 40 in both Cash Box and Music Vendor (although not missing by much, peaking at #42 and #43 respectively.)
Not sure about that follow-up hit … Tony was a true One Hit Wonder on the national charts with “Robbin’ The Cradle” … he never charted again. However, here in Chicago (where his hit peaked at #12 on the old WJJD chart), he DID hit the charts one more time with a track called “The End Of My Love” in 1960 … so I’m guessing this is the song you’re thinking of. (That one made it to #19 in Chicago.)
There may be a bit of a “hometown hero” factor going on here, too. Whitburn’s book says Bellus was born right here in Chicago in 1936 … which would make him 86 years old today if he’s still with us. Wikipedia says that in the 1960s and 1970s, Bellus “was a singing sensation throughout the Chicago area nightclub scene. He was a mainstay performer appearing nightly at Fritzel's restaurant at the corner of State and Lake Streets in downtown Chicago. Fritzel's was a personal favorite of local and visiting celebrities and dignitaries.” (Not familiar with that place either … and I used to read Kup’s Column every day! Lol) kk
>>>"Men Of Learning" is one of those tracks that showed varying success between the three major trades at the time ... Cash Box had it peaking at #45 while Billboard placed it a full 20 points below at #65. Record World fell right in the middle, listing the record at a peak of #58. Although I like quite a few songs by Vigrass and Osborne, I wasn't really familiar with this tune myself ... so I figured this would be a good one to feature today.) kk
This was a #1 on my personal charts then … with their follow-up "Virginia" reaching #4, too. The B side of "Men of Learning" is the original version of "Forever Autumn."
Clark Besch
