A mandolin at the heart of pop
A mandolin might not be the first lead instrument associated with an American pop album from 1973. For Seals & Crofts, however, it is part of the musical identity. Dash Crofts plays mandolins and Fender Rhodes, while Jim Seals contributes guitar and alto saxophone; both sing. Their fifth studio album, Diamond Girl, combines those resources with an extensive studio cast. The duo’s name represents more than two voices accompanied by acoustic guitars.
The record was made at Sound Factory in Hollywood. Producer Louie Shelton also played guitar, and David Hassinger engineered the recordings. The title track and “We May Never Pass This Way (Again)” were released as singles. They provide familiar entry points, but the ten-track album offers a broader view of the musical work surrounding those two songs.
Two names, a larger ensemble
The players include David Paich on piano and organ, Wilton Felder on bass and Bobbye Hall on percussion. Jim Gordon, John Guerin, Harvey Mason and Jeff Porcaro appear among the drumming credits. These are album personnel, rather than a claim that one unchanged ensemble plays throughout. The range of instruments and musicians made several approaches to an arrangement possible.
The vocal contributions extend beyond the principal duo as well. England Dan and John Ford Coley supply backing vocals; England Dan was Dan Seals, Jim’s younger brother. The record therefore includes a family connection alongside its network of studio musicians. Following individual voices and instrumental parts provides a more specific way into the music than the broad label of soft rock alone.
Strings alongside electric keys
The quick response of a mandolin and the resources of an electric piano belong to different instrumental worlds. Their presence within the duo’s vocabulary makes a useful starting point for listening. Concentrate first on the string instruments, then on the keyboard parts around them. Not every contributor needs to occupy the foreground of every song for an arrangement to be carefully shaped.
The sequence moves from “Diamond Girl” through “Ruby Jean and Billie Lee” and “Nine Houses” to “Wisdom”. “Dust on My Saddle” brings another set of associations into the programme. The singles can introduce the record, but there is a complete ten-song collection to explore beyond them. Much of its variety is located in the personnel and in the different ways a song can be accompanied.
This edition
Analogue Productions’ Acoustic Sounds 40 Series edition is AAPR 025-45. Its ten original tracks are distributed across two 180-gram LPs at 45 RPM, pressed at QRP and housed in a Stoughton tip-on gatefold. The publisher identifies the original master tape as the source, but supplies neither a title-specific mastering engineer nor a complete transfer chain. Technical information for the parallel SACD or quadraphonic Blu-ray describes those separate formats and should not be applied to this vinyl edition.
Also on SACD: Diamond Girl
More by Seals & Crofts: Summer Breeze
Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe
Series: Acoustic Sounds 40th Anniversary – all 25 albums, recommendations and musicians
Musicians
Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.
| Name | Instrument / role |
|---|---|
| Jim Seals | Alto saxophone, Vocals, Guitar |
| Dash Crofts | Electric piano, Vocals |
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