England Dan & John Ford Coley
Dan Seals (b. 8 February 1950, McCamey, Texas, USA) comes from a family of performing Seals. His father played bass for many country stars ( Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills) and his brother, Jimmy, was part of the Champs and then Seals And Croft. His cousins include '70s country star Johnny Duncan and songwriters Chuck Seals (Crazy Arms) and Troy Seals. Seals formed a partnership with John Ford Coley (b. 13 October 1951) and they first worked as Southwest F.O.B., the initials representing Freight On Board. The ridiculous name did not last, but Jimmy, not wanting them to be called Seals And Coley, suggested England Dan And John Ford Coley. Their first albums for A&M sold moderately well, but they struck gold in 1976 with a move to Big Tree Records. The single, I'd Really Love To See You Tonight, went to number 2 in the US charts and also made the UK Top 30, although its hook owed something to James Taylor's Fire And Rain. The resulting album, NIGHTS ARE FOREVER, was a big seller and the pair opted for a fuller sound which drew comparisons with the Eagles. The title track, Nights Are Forever Without You, was another Top 10 single. With their harmonies, acoustic-based songs and tuneful melodies, they appealed to the same market as the Eagles and, naturally, Seals And Croft. They had further US hits with It's Sad To Belong, Gone Too Far, We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again and Love Is The Answer. When the duo split, Seals, after a few setbacks, became a country star. Coley found a new partner, but their 1981 album, KELLY LESLIE AND JOHN FORD COLEY, was not a success.