England Dan & John Ford Coley

England Dan & John Ford Coley were an American rock duo consisting of Dan Seals and John Ford Coley. The two first met in high school in Dallas, Texas, during the early 1960s.

Dan Seals was born on February 8, 1948, in McCamey, Texas, into a musical family. His father, E. W. "Waylon" Seals, was a pipe fitter and musician who played guitar and bass and had been involved with bands led by Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. Dan learned to play upright bass by the age of four and performed in the family band. His older brother, Jim Seals, was a member of the Champs and later formed the duo Seals and Crofts. Other family members included country musicians Eddie Seals, Chuck Seals, Troy Seals, Brady Seals, and Johnny Duncan.

John Colley, born on October 13, 1948, was a classically trained pianist. The two began playing together in local cover bands such as Playboys Five and Theze Few and recorded demos as The Shimmerers. Their initial recording prospects were affected by the death of their producer.

Seals and Colley first formally collaborated as part of the group Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board), which played a mix of rock and R\&B and gained popularity locally in Dallas. The band was signed to Hip Records, a division of Stax/Volt, and released an album called "Smell of Incense" in 1968, with the title track reaching number 56 on the charts.

During their time with Southwest F.O.B., Seals and Colley began writing songs together and developed a style influenced more by Paul Simon than by the heavier rock typical of their band. They performed acoustic sets as an opening act for Southwest F.O.B. and eventually left the band in 1969 to pursue a recording career as a duo in California.

Initially performing as "Colley and Wayland" (Seals' middle name), they changed their name to England Dan & John Ford Coley. The name referenced Seals' childhood nickname, "England Dan," which related to his early interest in the Beatles and a brief adoption of an English accent. Colley added "Ford" to his name and shortened his last name's spelling to "Coley" for clarity in pronunciation.

The duo signed with A\&M Records in 1970 with the help of guitarist Louis Shelton. They released two albums, "England Dan & John Ford Coley" and "Fables," which achieved modest sales. Their single "New Jersey" reached number 103, while "Simone" was a number one hit in Japan. These albums featured a sound that was rougher than their later work and included contributions from session musicians like Larry Knechtel, Tommy Morgan, Hal Blaine, and arrangements by Marty Paich.

After their contract with A\&M ended in 1972, the duo continued performing. John Ford Coley contributed to Seals & Croft albums during this period. In 1976, after a demo of the song "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" written by Parker McGee was rejected by Atlantic Records, the duo signed with Big Tree Records, a division of Atlantic, after Doug Morris heard the demo.

Produced by Kyle Lehning, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" became a number two pop single in 1976 and sold two million copies. The album "Nights Are Forever," released in July 1976, included the single "Nights Are Forever Without You," which also reached the Top 10.

In 1977, they released the album "Dowdy Ferry Road," which included the Top Twenty hits "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)" and "Gone Too Far." The record label encouraged the duo to find songs from other writers to achieve higher chart success.

Their 1978 album "Some Things Don't Come Easy" produced a Top 10 hit with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again," written by Jeffrey Comanor. This album was mixed in New York, differing from their previous Tennessee recordings, indicating a search for a new sound.

Toward the end of the 1970s, the duo faced challenges as musical trends shifted toward disco and punk rock. Their final top 10 hit was "Love Is The Answer," written by Todd Rundgren. They released one more single, "Why Is It Me," and contributed the song "Part of Me Part of You" to the film "Just Tell Me You Love Me." After a 1980 compilation album, the duo disbanded.

Following the split, Dan Seals pursued a solo career initially in pop-rock but later transitioned to country music, achieving significant success with multiple number one hits and industry awards. John Ford Coley largely withdrew from performing but released an album in 1981 with Leslie and Kelly Bulkin and later appeared as a solo artist in the 1990s. Coley also worked as an actor in films such as Dream A Little Dream and Scenes From A Goldmine, and appeared on television.

In 1996, Rhino Records released a compilation titled "The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley." The duo remains remembered for their melodic pop-rock style and vocal harmonies characteristic of the 1970s.