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Thread: RIP Jim Seals

  1. #1
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default RIP Jim Seals

    Sad news. Jim Seals has passed at the age of 79 or 80 (some confusion about his birth year). I enjoyed their music, though I can't say I was a big fan. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I learned Dash Crofts played mandolin. That helped explain their quirky sound - it was oddly mixed or effected or something. Also, I think their studio recordings were overproduced, too much instrumentation. That seems to be the case often even in live settings. This studio session presents them in an acoustic setting, where both instruments sound clearer than their recordings. The magic is there.

    RIP, Jim Seals. Thank you for the music.



    Warner Bros. president Joe Smith gets the story right; David Cassidy doesn't. Seals and Crofts (and Glen Campbell) joined The Champs after "Tequila" was a hit, so they didn't play on it. But they did tour with them for two years, and I'm sure they played it plenty. Oh, look out for the fiddle feature!



    This is what I mean - kind of buried in the mix.



    Then there's this, in which Dash gets wild on the electric. This concert is available in its entirety, somewhere. This is when I learned he played mandolin, actually, and then about the rocking side. The studio version is below.



    They get funky here. So does the editing. Should have followed the action on the mandolin.



    I think this was their first single. Definitely the most mandolinny one, to my mind.

    Last edited by journeybear; Jun-10-2022 at 1:07am. Reason: getting things right
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Jim Seals was a consummate musician... a superb guitarist, singer, fiddle player (!) and songwriter. Long before the exposure of the Mongolian "throat singers" to the world Jim Seals had mastered the form.

    Seals & Crofts were a HUGE influence on my early forays into mandolin playing... sad to see him go.

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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    "Summer Breeze" is one of my memory songs, calling up college, summer and open horizons for me. Thanks for bringing it to the cafe -- i saw it on social media and was pretty bummed.
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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    "Summer Breeze" was my introduction to Seals and Crofts. I was playing in a rock band and "sneaking" into venues as an underage high school student. We learned and played "Summer Breeze" and I became a Seals and Crofts fan.
    RIP

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    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Dash Crofts' mandolin playing on their tune "Riding Thumb" is smoking'... as is the song. Find it on YouTube...

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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    They had a close relationship with Louis (Louie) Shelton- he produced a number of their albums. Jim Seals did vocals on this song off one of Louie's solo albums. The word "awesome" is over-used but it is the correct adjective for Louie Shelton. RIP Jim Seals.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBGob2E8H8Y

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  13. #7
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    Dash Crofts' mandolin playing on their tune "Riding Thumb" is smoking'... as is the song. Find it on YouTube...
    Yes, indeedy. That's why I posted it twice - live electric and studio acoustic. Really nice kickoff on the single, and quite a ride later on. I don't know why I didn't pick up on that at the time. Must have been that new to the instrument. Their studio output - what little I heard of it - the mandolin was integrated into the ensemble sound so it wasn't recognizable, not to my ears anyway. I mean, I've lost count of how many times I've heard "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl," and I still had to find out retrospectively there was mandolin in there. It's plain to me, now.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

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    Registered User Russ Jordan's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Here’s a nice article from a couple years back: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-en...WQy4&fs=e&s=cl
    Russ Jordan

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  17. #9
    Registered User Glassweb's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Yes, indeedy. That's why I posted it twice - live electric and studio acoustic. Really nice kickoff on the single, and quite a ride later on. I don't know why I didn't pick up on that at the time. Must have been that new to the instrument. Their studio output - what little I heard of it - the mandolin was integrated into the ensemble sound so it wasn't recognizable, not to my ears anyway. I mean, I've lost count of how many times I've heard "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl," and I still had to find out retrospectively there was mandolin in there. It's plain to me, now.
    I couldn't really pick out the mando many times until I realized that Dash was playing unreal electric mandolin... WAY before his time with that. Using pedals, effects etc... These guys were a completely unique act... and a classy one at that.
    Last edited by Glassweb; Jun-10-2022 at 3:23pm.

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  19. #10
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    I couldn't really pick out the mando many times until I realized that Dash was playing unreal electric mandolin... WAY before his time with that. Using pedals, effects etc... These guys were a completely unique act... ands a classy one at that.
    Yessir. That "California Jam" show - he was just shredding. If I ever find the whole show again I'll post it.

    OK, it looks like their whole set at this event is here, broken into songs, but you can hit Play All and let it ride. There'll be some ad breaks.

    At the end there's an audio-only version, uninterrupted.

    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  20. #11

    Default Re: RIP Jim Seals

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    Seals & Crofts were a HUGE influence on my early forays into mandolin playing... sad to see him go.
    I hear ya Glassweb!! They were one of my early exposures to mandolin in a band/duo context as well (Maggie May and Led Zep were major too). Thanks much JB for posting these. Sad to hear the news.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

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