England Dan & John Ford Coley
The seeds of one of classic rock's most pleasant sounding duos were sown wh… Read Full Bio ↴The seeds of one of classic rock's most pleasant sounding duos were sown when Dan Seals and John Colley first met in high school in Dallas, Texas during the early 1960s.
Dan Seals was born February 8, 1950, in McCamey, Texas. To say that he came from a musical family would be an understatement. He was the son of E. W. "Waylon" Seals, a pipe fitter and repairman for Shell Oil who also played guitar and bass, and was a member of bands led by Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. By the time he was four, Dan had learned to play upright bass and soon after he was playing in the family band. His older brother, Jim Seals recorded a hit single called "Tequilla", as a member of the Champs from 1958 thru the mid-1960s, then as one half of the duo "Seals And Croft". His other brothers included successful country musicians Eddie Seals (of Eddie and Joe), while his cousins included composers Chuck Seals (author of "Crazy Arms") and Troy Seals, Brady Seals (of Little Texas), and country singer Johnny Duncan.
John Colley, born October 13th 1951, was a classically trained pianist. The two began working together as members of local cover bands, including Playboys Five and Theze Few. They recorded a series of demos in Nashville as The Shimmerers, but their prospects ended with the death of their producer, before he could secure a recording deal for them.
It was as members of a group called Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board) that the two first paired off as a formal duo. The band, with Colley on keyboards and Seals playing sax as well as singing, played a mixture of rock and R&B and became popular locally in Dallas. They were signed to Hip Records, a division of Stax/Volt, and in 1968, released an album called "Smell of Incense", the title song of which, made it to No. 56.
Seals and Colley had begun writing songs together around this time and recognized that they were moving in a different direction from the rest of the band, more toward Paul Simon than Jimi Hendrix. Soon, the were opening shows for the band with an acoustic set featuring their harmony vocals, warming the crowd up before the entire Southwest F.O.B. took the stage. They remained with the group until 1969, when they decided to head to California and try and land a recording contract as a duo.
Originally billing themselves as "Colley and Wayland", (Seals' middle name) the name didn't quite work, and it was Dan's brother, Jim Seals who suggested they incorporate Dan's childhood nickname, "England Dan". It was a reference to the fact that, as a youngster, Dan had fixated on the Beatles and briefly affected an English accent. "Ford" was added to John Colley's name, and the spelling of his last name shortened to "Coley" to assure its proper pronunciation. England Dan & John Ford Coley not only flowed well, but was unusual enough to merit a second look from programmers, reviewers, and promoters, as well as the general public, even if they'd never heard any of the duo's music.
As "England Dan & John Ford Coley", they were signed to A&M Records in 1970, with the assistance of guitarist Louis Shelton, who'd played with Jim Seals in The Dawnbreakers (and would be part of Seals & Croft's band), and who had brought the duo's demo to Herb Alpert. A pair of LPs, a self-titled debut album and "Fables", both produced by Shelton, resulted in very modest sales, a minor chart entry with the song "New Jersey" at number 103, and a No. 1 Japanese hit single ("Simone"). Those albums and singles featured a somewhat rougher textured version of the sound for which they would later become known, and an array of Los Angeles sessionmen including Larry Knechtel, Tommy Morgan, and Hal Blaine, not to mention string arrangements by Marty Paich.
When their contract ran out in 1972, they were dropped by A&M. Not easily discouraged, they kept performing, and Coley was hired to play on a couple of Seals & Croft albums. Four years later, in 1976, their manager heard a demo of a new song called "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", written by a Mississippi-based composer named Parker McGee. The duo cut their own demo of the tune and began shopping it around to different record labels. Ironically, it was after an executive at Atlantic Records turned it down that Doug Morris of Big Tree Records, having heard it through the wall of his adjoining office, offered them a contract.
Dan and John were paired with producer Kyle Lehning, who had also made McGee's demo. The result was a No. 2 pop single in the spring of 1976, which ultimately sold two million copies. July of 1976 saw the release of England Dan & John Ford Coley's debut album for Big Tree, "Nights Are Forever", also produced by Lehning. Their second Big Tree single, "Nights Are Forever Without You," also written by Parker McGee, also made the Top 10.
By 1977, they recorded a second album called, "Dowdy Ferry Road", which yielded a pair of songs, "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)" and "Gone Too Far", both Top Twenty hits. These two more moderate success didn't seem to satisfy the record label, and the duo found themselves being pressured to find songs by other composers with which they could scale the top 10. They'd spent years perfecting a sound and two complimentary styles of composition that would allow them to do things musically that were important to them, but both Seals and Coley found the most personal aspect of their work shunted aside and held out of the most prominent positions in their work.
Their third LP, "Some Things Don't Come Easy", seemed to say more than was intended with its title. The 1978 album generated a top 10 hit with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again," but it was the work of songwriter Jeffrey Comanor, rather than either Seals or Coley. Additionally, the album was mixed in New York, in contrast to their prior work, which was recorded and mixed out of Lee Hazen's studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This pointed to the increasing need for a new sound and texture from the duo's work.
By the end of the 1970s, England Dan & John Ford Coley were beset by new pressures from all sides. The perception was that, between the burgeoning disco boom and the undercurrent of punk rock, their continuing with the brand of harmony-based, melodic pop-rock in which they specialized, was a losing battle. After some near-disastrous sessions in Los Angeles, they salvaged only a single song, one that proved to be their last top 10 hit, "Love Is The Answer," written by Todd Rundgren.
They made one last effort at selling their sweetly harmonized music in the form of the single "Why Is It Me," and contributed one song "Part of Me Part of You," from the movie "Just Tell Me You Love Me". Following the release of a "best of" album in 1980, the pair went their separate ways.
Dan Seals initially pursued a career in pop-rock as England Dan on Atlantic (which had bought up Big Tree Records), and managed a low placement in the top 100 with "Late At Night." It was around this time, however, that the Internal Revenue Service began an action against Seals which resulted in the seizure of virtually all of his assets. He re-emerged, still produced by Kyle Lehning, as Dan Seals and reinvented himself as a country performer. After hitting the country charts three times in one year with "Everybody's Dream Girl," "After You," and "You Really Go For The Heart," he moved into high gear with a six year string of major hits, including nine No. 1 country hits in a row, and a string of Country Music Association awards to go with them.
John Ford Coley withdrew from performing after the split, although he did return to A&M Records in 1981 to cut an album, "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" with singers Leslie Bulkin and Kelly Bulkin, on which Jim Seals' long-time partner Dash Crofts did some singing. During the early/middle 1990's, he reappeared as a solo artist in southern California. John has also had some success as an actor, appearing in the film Dream A Little Dream with Corey Feldman and Corey Haim as well as a movie called Scenes From A Goldmine. He also played the part of the bad guy on an episode of America's Most Wanted.
In 1996, Rhino Records released "The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley", a 16-song compilation. Whatever success they enjoyed in reshaping their images and music, England Dan & John Ford Coley will always draw smiles and warm feelings about a simpler, more innocent age for which they wrote a good deal of the nicest music of the decade.
Dan Seals was born February 8, 1950, in McCamey, Texas. To say that he came from a musical family would be an understatement. He was the son of E. W. "Waylon" Seals, a pipe fitter and repairman for Shell Oil who also played guitar and bass, and was a member of bands led by Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills. By the time he was four, Dan had learned to play upright bass and soon after he was playing in the family band. His older brother, Jim Seals recorded a hit single called "Tequilla", as a member of the Champs from 1958 thru the mid-1960s, then as one half of the duo "Seals And Croft". His other brothers included successful country musicians Eddie Seals (of Eddie and Joe), while his cousins included composers Chuck Seals (author of "Crazy Arms") and Troy Seals, Brady Seals (of Little Texas), and country singer Johnny Duncan.
John Colley, born October 13th 1951, was a classically trained pianist. The two began working together as members of local cover bands, including Playboys Five and Theze Few. They recorded a series of demos in Nashville as The Shimmerers, but their prospects ended with the death of their producer, before he could secure a recording deal for them.
It was as members of a group called Southwest F.O.B. (Freight On Board) that the two first paired off as a formal duo. The band, with Colley on keyboards and Seals playing sax as well as singing, played a mixture of rock and R&B and became popular locally in Dallas. They were signed to Hip Records, a division of Stax/Volt, and in 1968, released an album called "Smell of Incense", the title song of which, made it to No. 56.
Seals and Colley had begun writing songs together around this time and recognized that they were moving in a different direction from the rest of the band, more toward Paul Simon than Jimi Hendrix. Soon, the were opening shows for the band with an acoustic set featuring their harmony vocals, warming the crowd up before the entire Southwest F.O.B. took the stage. They remained with the group until 1969, when they decided to head to California and try and land a recording contract as a duo.
Originally billing themselves as "Colley and Wayland", (Seals' middle name) the name didn't quite work, and it was Dan's brother, Jim Seals who suggested they incorporate Dan's childhood nickname, "England Dan". It was a reference to the fact that, as a youngster, Dan had fixated on the Beatles and briefly affected an English accent. "Ford" was added to John Colley's name, and the spelling of his last name shortened to "Coley" to assure its proper pronunciation. England Dan & John Ford Coley not only flowed well, but was unusual enough to merit a second look from programmers, reviewers, and promoters, as well as the general public, even if they'd never heard any of the duo's music.
As "England Dan & John Ford Coley", they were signed to A&M Records in 1970, with the assistance of guitarist Louis Shelton, who'd played with Jim Seals in The Dawnbreakers (and would be part of Seals & Croft's band), and who had brought the duo's demo to Herb Alpert. A pair of LPs, a self-titled debut album and "Fables", both produced by Shelton, resulted in very modest sales, a minor chart entry with the song "New Jersey" at number 103, and a No. 1 Japanese hit single ("Simone"). Those albums and singles featured a somewhat rougher textured version of the sound for which they would later become known, and an array of Los Angeles sessionmen including Larry Knechtel, Tommy Morgan, and Hal Blaine, not to mention string arrangements by Marty Paich.
When their contract ran out in 1972, they were dropped by A&M. Not easily discouraged, they kept performing, and Coley was hired to play on a couple of Seals & Croft albums. Four years later, in 1976, their manager heard a demo of a new song called "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", written by a Mississippi-based composer named Parker McGee. The duo cut their own demo of the tune and began shopping it around to different record labels. Ironically, it was after an executive at Atlantic Records turned it down that Doug Morris of Big Tree Records, having heard it through the wall of his adjoining office, offered them a contract.
Dan and John were paired with producer Kyle Lehning, who had also made McGee's demo. The result was a No. 2 pop single in the spring of 1976, which ultimately sold two million copies. July of 1976 saw the release of England Dan & John Ford Coley's debut album for Big Tree, "Nights Are Forever", also produced by Lehning. Their second Big Tree single, "Nights Are Forever Without You," also written by Parker McGee, also made the Top 10.
By 1977, they recorded a second album called, "Dowdy Ferry Road", which yielded a pair of songs, "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else)" and "Gone Too Far", both Top Twenty hits. These two more moderate success didn't seem to satisfy the record label, and the duo found themselves being pressured to find songs by other composers with which they could scale the top 10. They'd spent years perfecting a sound and two complimentary styles of composition that would allow them to do things musically that were important to them, but both Seals and Coley found the most personal aspect of their work shunted aside and held out of the most prominent positions in their work.
Their third LP, "Some Things Don't Come Easy", seemed to say more than was intended with its title. The 1978 album generated a top 10 hit with "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again," but it was the work of songwriter Jeffrey Comanor, rather than either Seals or Coley. Additionally, the album was mixed in New York, in contrast to their prior work, which was recorded and mixed out of Lee Hazen's studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. This pointed to the increasing need for a new sound and texture from the duo's work.
By the end of the 1970s, England Dan & John Ford Coley were beset by new pressures from all sides. The perception was that, between the burgeoning disco boom and the undercurrent of punk rock, their continuing with the brand of harmony-based, melodic pop-rock in which they specialized, was a losing battle. After some near-disastrous sessions in Los Angeles, they salvaged only a single song, one that proved to be their last top 10 hit, "Love Is The Answer," written by Todd Rundgren.
They made one last effort at selling their sweetly harmonized music in the form of the single "Why Is It Me," and contributed one song "Part of Me Part of You," from the movie "Just Tell Me You Love Me". Following the release of a "best of" album in 1980, the pair went their separate ways.
Dan Seals initially pursued a career in pop-rock as England Dan on Atlantic (which had bought up Big Tree Records), and managed a low placement in the top 100 with "Late At Night." It was around this time, however, that the Internal Revenue Service began an action against Seals which resulted in the seizure of virtually all of his assets. He re-emerged, still produced by Kyle Lehning, as Dan Seals and reinvented himself as a country performer. After hitting the country charts three times in one year with "Everybody's Dream Girl," "After You," and "You Really Go For The Heart," he moved into high gear with a six year string of major hits, including nine No. 1 country hits in a row, and a string of Country Music Association awards to go with them.
John Ford Coley withdrew from performing after the split, although he did return to A&M Records in 1981 to cut an album, "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley" with singers Leslie Bulkin and Kelly Bulkin, on which Jim Seals' long-time partner Dash Crofts did some singing. During the early/middle 1990's, he reappeared as a solo artist in southern California. John has also had some success as an actor, appearing in the film Dream A Little Dream with Corey Feldman and Corey Haim as well as a movie called Scenes From A Goldmine. He also played the part of the bad guy on an episode of America's Most Wanted.
In 1996, Rhino Records released "The Very Best of England Dan & John Ford Coley", a 16-song compilation. Whatever success they enjoyed in reshaping their images and music, England Dan & John Ford Coley will always draw smiles and warm feelings about a simpler, more innocent age for which they wrote a good deal of the nicest music of the decade.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
09We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again - Single VersionEngland Dan & John Ford ColeyEngland Dan & John Ford Coley
18I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - 2012 RemasterEngland Dan & John Ford ColeyEngland Dan & John Ford Coley
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
England Dan & John Ford Coley Lyrics
Another Golden Oldie Night For Wendy Tuning the radio station to station in search of a…
Beyond the Tears Lost again, I see it in your eyes You feel alone…
Broken Hearted Me Every now and then I cry Every night you keep stayin'…
Calling for You Again Here I go, calling for you again I let you go,…
Don't Feel That Way No More I held her hands in the night I told her everything…
Dowdy Ferry Road I remember when I was a child My daddy said to…
Everything's Gonna Be Alright Your love's like a rope that ties A ship down to…
Falling Stars Seems like this train's moving oh so slow Or maybe I'm…
Gone Too Far How it all started, I hardly remember A casual walk through…
Hold Me Some loves are easy And some are just games Sometimes the …
Hollywood Heckle and Jive A young boy out there hitching a ride With songs in…
Holocaust The time has come when all of us Have to give…
I Happy times, like pens and dimes They slip away, you turn…
I Really Want To See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm n…
I'd Really Love To See You Ton Hello, yeah, it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm …
I'd Really Love To See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
I'll Stay Happy times, like pens and dimes They slip away, you turn…
Id Really Love to See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
If The World Ran Out Of Love If the world ran out of love tonight And there wasn't…
If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight If the world ran out of love tonight And there wasn't…
In It For Love Some men only want power Let them have it We all have…
It Familiar surroundings Echoes still sounding from the songs t…
It's Not The Same Familiar surroundings Echoes still sounding from the songs …
It's Sad To Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' you life…
I’d Really Love to See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
Just Tell Me You Love Me Many times, I wished you were here Through the velvet shadow…
Just the two of us JUST THE TWO OF US Words and Music by John Ford…
Keep Your Smile In the morning When the sun comes up into your room And…
Lady Many highways I've been on Since I went out chasing a…
Long Way Home I guess you're all waitin' for the news And how they…
Love Is the Answer Name your price A ticket to paradise I can't stay here any…
Love Is The Answer (LP Version Name your price A ticket to paradise I can't stay here any…
Love Is The One Thing We Hide Whirling and swirling Through life's outer circles We're mov…
Lovin' Somebody On A Rainy Day Oh, there ain't nothing like Lovin' somebody on a rainy, rai…
Never Never Night There'll never be another for me Never be, never be There'll…
Night's Are Forever Without You Lying in bed with the radio on Moonlight falls like rain S…
Nights Are Forever Lying in bed with the radio on Moonlight falls like rain Sof…
Only A Matter Of Time Don't say goodnight We gotta work this thing out right Don…
Part of Me Part of You If I could only touch your heart Maybe I could feel…
Prisoner Take us to the prisoner Let us gaze into his eyes To…
Really Love To See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
Rolling Fever I told my mama and daddy I was leaving Left a…
Showboat Gambler Tonight I'll board the Delta Queen Abound for New Orleans An…
Simone Simone, why do you cry Don’t you know your tears will…
Soldier in the Rain The morning clouds are gathering around as I stand on…
Some Things Don't Come Easy If I did not love you so I would not go…
The Prisoner Take us to the prisoner Let us gaze into his eyes To…
There'll Never Be Another For Me There'll never be another for me Never be, never be There'll…
Wanting You Desperately I remember loving you From the first time I looked into our…
We'll Never Have To Say Goodby Turn on the radio. We'll play it way down low.…
Westward Wind Seems like I remembered Her best when the moon is high And…
What Can I Do With This Broken Heart I've been saving the things you gave me I've been holding…
What's Forever For I've been looking at people And how they change with the…
Where Do I Go From Here Autumn days Lying on a bed of leaves Watching clouds up th…
Who's Lonely Now You call me on the telephone And tell me all the…
Why Is It Me I don′t need a reason to love you 'Cause I just…
You Can't Dance We were playin' in a club uptown We were tryin' to…
You Know We Belong Together There's no use in trying To hold back the sea We're talkin…
We have lyrics for these tracks by England Dan:
Don't Feel That Way No More I held her hands in the night I told her everything…
Dowdy Ferry Road I remember when I was a child My daddy said to…
Gone Too Far How it all started, I hardly remember A casual walk through…
Holocaust The time has come when all of us Have to give…
I Would Really Like To see you Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm n…
I'd Really Love To See Y Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
I'd Really Love To See You Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm n…
I'd Really Love To See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
I'll Stay Happy times, like pens and dimes They slip away, you turn…
If the World Ran Out of Love If the world ran out of love tonight And there wasn't…
It's Not the Same Familiar surroundings Echoes still sounding from the songs …
It's Sad To Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' you life…
Just Tell Me You Love Me Many times, I wished you were here Through the velvet shadow…
Lady Many highways I've been on Since I went out chasing a…
Long Way Home I guess you're all waitin' for the news And how they…
love is the answer Name your price A ticket to paradise I can't stay here any…
Love Is The One Thing We Hide Whirling and swirling Through life's outer circles We're mov…
Lovin' Somebody On a Rainy Night Oh, there ain't nothing like Lovin' somebody on a rainy, rai…
Nights are Forever Lying in bed with the radio on Moonlight falls like rain Sof…
Part of Me Part of You If I could only touch your heart Maybe I could feel…
Prisoner Take us to the prisoner Let us gaze into his eyes To…
Really Love To See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm n…
Sad To Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' your life And…
Showboat Gambler Tonight I'll board the Delta Queen Abound for New Orleans An…
Soldier In The Rain The morning clouds are gathering around as I stand on…
Some Things Don't Come Easy If I did not love you so I would not go…
Tell Me That You Love Me Many times, I wished you were here Through the velvet shadow…
The Prisoner Take us to the prisoner Let us gaze into his eyes To…
There'll Never Be Another For Me There'll never be another for me Never be, never be There'll…
Wanting You Desperately I remember loving you From the first time I looked into our…
We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Turn on the radio. We'll play it way down low.…
We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again Turn on the radio. We'll play it way down low.…
Westward Wind Seems like I remembered Her best when the moon is high And…
We´ll Never Have To Say goodbye Turn on the radio. We'll play it way down low.…
Where Do I Go From Here Autumn days Lying on a bed of leaves Watching clouds up thro…
You Know We Belong Together There's no use in trying To hold back the sea We're talking…
We have lyrics for these tracks by John Ford Coley:
Cottonmouth Grove COTTONMOUTH GROVE Word and Music by John Ford Coley (When …
Country Songwritin' 101: When I Think of Good Lovin' & Trash in My Trailer Country Songwritin' 101: WHEN I THINK OF GOOD LOVIN' Words …
Gone Too Far How it all started, I hardly remember A casual walk through…
hatikva HA TIKVA THE HOPE (Israel's National Anthem) Hebrew TRANSL…
i stand with israel I STAND WITH ISRAEL Words and Music by John Ford Coley…
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
It' Sad to Belong IT'S SAD TO BELONG Words & Music by Randy Goodrum Met you…
It's Sad to Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' you life…
It’s Sad To Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' you life…
I’d Really Love to See You Tonight Hello, yeah it's been awhile Not much, how 'bout you I'm not…
James At 15 He ain't got no walking stick He don't need no ball…
Just Tell Me You Love Me JUST TELL ME YOU LOVE ME Words and Music by Carol…
Just the Two of Us JUST THE TWO OF US Words and Music by John Ford…
Leader of the Band LEADER OF THE BAND Words and Music by Dan Fogelberg An only…
let it be LET IT BE Words and Music by John Lennon & Paul…
Long Way Home I guess you're all waitin' for the news And how they…
Longer Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean Higher than an…
Love Is the Answer Name your price A ticket to paradise I can't stay here any…
Nights are Forever Lying in bed with the radio on Moonlight falls like rain Sof…
Not for Me There'll never be another for me Never be, never be There'll…
Sad to Belong Met you on a springtime day You were mindin' you life…
She's Always Talking with Angels SHE'S ALWAYS TALKING WITH ANGELS Word & Music by John Ford…
Should Have Never Left Texas SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT TEXAS Words and Music by John Ford…
Simone Simone, why do you cry Don’t you know your tears will…
Soldier in the Rain The morning clouds are gathering around as I stand on…
Some Things Don't Come Easy If I did not love you so I would not go…
Sometimes When We Touch You ask me if I love you And I choke on…
the soul of the wanderer THE SOUL OF THE WANDERER Words and Music by John Ford…
We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again Turn on the radio. We'll play it way down low.…
Westward Wind Seems like I remembered Her best when the moon is high And…
What Can I Do With This Broken Heart I've been saving the things you gave me I've been holding…
What's Forever For WHAT'S FOREVER FOR Words and Music by Rafe VanHoy I've been…
Where Do I Go From Here Autumn days Lying on a bed of leaves Watching clouds up thro…
Who's Lonely Now WHO'S LONELY NOW Words and Music by John Ford Coley &…
Wild Horses WILD HORSES Words and Music by John Ford Coley We'd sit by…