Classic Song 26 - Seals and Crofts "Hummingbird"

Let's talk about a timeless, classic pop single.

The first time I heard Seals and Crofts was in 1970, 

when my brother Rod bought and played their 

earthy sophomore album, Down Home. 

Produced by John Simon, 

whose credits read like the who's

who of mid 60s - mid 70s recording artists,

Down Home catapulted me into the very complex

vocal and instrumental duality of Jimmy Seals 

(guitarist, vocalist and main composer) and 

Dash Crofts (mandolinist and vocalist).

I became a devoted fanatic of their music,

and searched high and low for any news

or new songs from the dynamic duo.

I soon found out that they were

followers of the Baha'i faith,

and re-read Seals' lyrics with a

slightly more contextual sense of

their import and meaning, both within

and without the song structures they were

married to. When their third album, Year of 

Sunday was released, I dove headlong into 

the new songs with a determined desire

to both memorize and - hopefully - 

understand their original

reasons for being.

Time passed...

The next thing I knew, 'twas the summer of '72.

Seals and Crofts released their fourth album, 

featuring the truly stunning lead-off single, 

"Summer Breeze". But it was the album's

first song on side one (and second single)

that totally knocked me off my big feet. 

Here's "Hummingbird" in two versions:

the first video features the single itself

(as well as the album cover artwork),

while the second blurry video shows

Seals and Crofts playing "Hummingbird"

for themselves and a small studio audience.

First, let's have a look at Peter Pigeon,

feathered native of Kinsale, Ireland 

(and master mason, apparently).

Mozz the Elder

www.vapormusic.com