Customer Reviews

Very Best of

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England Dan was actually Dan Seals, who eventually achieved success as a solo country singer in the eighties, and was also a cousin of Johnny Duncan, a country singer of the seventies. Another cousin, Troy Seals, became a successful songwriter. Dan's brother, Jim, was one half of Seals and Croft. In contrast, John Ford Coley was a classically trained piano player. They met in the sixties but they had no real success until 1976, when this collection of their music begins.

Their first and biggest hit, I'd really love to see you tonight, was the sort of song you might expect to hear from Bread. It reached number two in the American pop charts. The follow-up, Nights are forever without you, also made the top ten. Despite this promising start, they only had a few more hits. We'll never have to say goodbye again and Love is the answer both made the top ten. It's sad to belong and Gone too far made the top thirty. What can I do with this broken heart just made the top fifty. In Britain, their chart record was almost non-existent.

This collection contains all their pop hits, plus the best of their other music, including a couple of singles that were minor hits on the adult contemporary chart. They split in 1980, after which Dan was a successful country singer, but that music is outside the scope of this collection. John has done little of note since the split.

England Dan and John Ford Coley made some great music that should appeal to fans of Bread in particular, but also to fans of great seventies pop music in general.

If you were near a radio in the late '70's, then chances are, you were bombarded by the latest hit single from England Dan & John Ford Coley. This collection of their very best hits contains some of their most memorable songs: Their first and follow-up singles "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" and "Nights Are Forever Without You". ED & JFC also struck it rich with the following: "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again", "Gone Too Far", "It's Sad To Belong" and "Love Is The Answer". But, not only do you get the above mentioned AOR/Top 40 songs featured here, you also get the country-esque "Lady" and "Showboat Gambler", including a little disco flavor in "What Can I Do With This Broken Heart", as well as many other hidden gems performed in a style that only England Dan & John Ford Coley can muster. Dan Seals, without the "England", would later find success on the country charts in the mid-'80's, both as a solo and as a duet artist with songs such as "Meet Me In Montana" (with Marie Osmond) and "Bop". As for John Ford Coley, last I heard, he was selling used cars in Podunksville, Texas, although I could very well be wrong, which I am! Even though JFC may no longer be involved with the music business today, he sure left behind a lot of good music during his brief partnership with (England) Dan Seals (whose brother is Jim Seals of "Seals & Crofts", who had a plethora of early '70's pop hits as well). "The Very Best Of England Dan & John Ford Coley" is a very suitable and soothing collection of songs for any connoiseur of this style of music to have in their collection(s). But, like all good things, this CD won't be around forever. So you better purchase this priceless gem of must-have songs before it becomes a thing of the past. Buy yours today!

I'm assuming most of the reviewers here were around (probably in their 20s or early 30s) when this stuff first hit the airwaves, & that a good number of them found themselves getting mighty nostalgic with the appearance of this best of CD on Rhino. I used to think I knew of most of the "well-known" '70s bands, but it turns out an enormous amount of it had completely evaded me. England Dan & John Ford Coley's hits still kinda get a lot of airplay even today, and most newer listeners around my age (23) who's ears are attuned to more "modern pop music", so to speak, & didn't grow up with this stuff probably would just ignore it altogether as dated, Muzak-y, generic background music. I was pre-conditioned to do the same. But, a funny thing can happen when you actually LISTEN. I just happened to hear "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again" & couldn't shake its sentimental chorus. Tracked down the song & discovered it was by England Dan & John Ford Coley. Hmmm. A bit later I was grabbed by the chorus of "Nights Are Forever Without You"--turns out it's by the same guys. Ultimately I picked this CD up. You get lots of great melodies, vocal harmonies, tasteful instrumentation/ production values here, not to mention songs that are undeniably high quality. Of course, the generally terrific hits "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", "It's Sad To Belong", Coley's "Gone Too Far", & the beautiful anthemic "Love Is The Answer" (far superior to Utopia's original version) are here. There are other great songs as well like the wistful "Lady", the super-catchy country-western tune "Showboat Gambler", and the melancholy acoustic ballad "Who's Lonely Now". "Why Is It Me", written by Dan Seals and originally released on ED & JFC's 1979 "Best of...", is somewhat slight, but it's irresistible catchy--it has a grooving, late '70s Doobie Brothers quality to it. There are also a couple great songs that I believe had never been officially released on CD before--the moody Dan Seals rocker "Some Things Don't Come Easy", and the piano-based soundtrack tune "Part Of Me, Part Of You". The sound quality here is terrific, and extensive and interesting liner notes are included. All that said, this CD certainly doesn't have all of their great songs, and there are some iffy inclusions, not to mention a lot of empty space on the disc--in other words, this could have been better, but still, Rhino did do a fine job. At the time of this disc's release in 1996, I think the only available CD of these guys (aside from appearances on various artists' compilations) was a compilation originally released in 1979. This Rhino disc contains all the songs from that 1979 comp except for "In It For Love" and "Falling Stars". The subsequently released "The Essentials" disc from 2003 does have "In It For Love" and "Falling Stars" while also giving CD release to a couple other tunes left off this Rhino disc. Yet another compilation, an Asian release titled "Essentials" contains the most tracks & gives CD release to a few more songs, yet again leaves off "In It For Love", & also leaves out "Showboat Gambler" from this Rhino disc. Now I know that sounds like a headache, but don't blame me--it wasn't my idea to release compilation after compilation with certain songs repeated each time, yet with each one having something the other didn't. Their first Big Tree album "Nights Are Forever" & their last, "Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive" have appeared on CD as imports, so if you really were to track down each of these aforementioned discs, you get most of their 1976-1980 output, yet it still leaves terrfic must-have tracks like the title track & "Don't Feel That Way No More" from 1977's "Dowdy Ferry Road", & "Just The Two Of Us" from 1978's "Some Things Don't Come Easy" stranded on the original vinyl. In short, it'd be really nice to see a collection that salvages all of the great tunes from these talented and sincere guys including the ones from their earlier A&M Records period, or failing that, perhaps a reasonably-priced 2 or 3 CD set that contains everything they recorded for Big Tree including the "It's Sad To Belong" b-side "The Time Has Come". True, they did do material from a lot of different songwriters in addition to their own material, but there are plenty of gems deserving a place in your collection. Keep your eyes peeled for CD issues of the 1976-1979 albums on Wounded Bird Records sometime in 2005 which hopefully will be released as twofers which in effect would nearly be a full collection of their Big Tree material. I can't help feeling that an act like England Dan & John Ford Coley (unlike for instance the Beatles) will be very much forgotten as time goes by, which is a great shame. Yes, the music on this CD, admittedly, is tied to its era in the sense that it really doesn't sound like what dominates the charts these days--with their under-3-minute, catchy and compact pop songs, they're a definitive example of a band who's hit singles were ideal for '70s AM radio, but I don't mean that at all as a criticism. Their excellence goes way beyond the big hits--this music is sheer high quality & it truly transcends its time.

(P.S. Also check out both Dan Seals' 2 early '80s solo records "Stones" & "Harbinger", as well as the self-titled 1980 LP "Leslie, Kelly & John Ford Coley"--they're a key piece of the ED & JFC legacy.)

ED&JFC were one of the most prolific and talented singer/song writing duos of the mid to late '70's, especially with ballads. This compilation contains an adequate number and nice selection of some of their more popular tunes. I think this is about the third or fourth "best of" ED&JFC CD I have seen and , unfortunately, they all essentially contain a selection of songs from the same general grouping of their works. It is wonderful to see "Nights Are Forever" and "Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive" available on import CD format. It would be nice to see Big Tree Records release the albums "Dowdy Ferry Road" and "Some Things Don't Come Easy" that would spotlight and expand some of their lesser known, but equally good works. Songs such as "Where Do I Go From Here" (a Parker Mcgee classic) and "You Know We Belong Together" on the former and "If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight," "Calling For You Again," and "Just The Two Of Us" on the latter come to mind. This "best of" edition does contain more tracks than two other ED&JFC "best of" CDs I already have. For that reason alone, it is worth the purchase.

I was nine years old in the Summer of '76, when my then eighteen year old Sister was asked by my Mother to babysit me one Friday Night. Reluctantly, my sister finally agreed and soon my older sibling firmly laid out our agenda. Their were two rules: 1} I would not tell our mother that my sister now smoked 2} She was taking me with her and several friends to the local state fair to see a singing group called England Dan & John Ford Coley and I had better enjoy it!! Who? Well, I soon discovered my musical taste would make a turning point that would change my life forever. I was totally hooked. Not on Cigarettes, of course, but on the music of this duo. The Very Best of ED & JFC is simply infectious. And yes, all of the hits are here! ED & JFC have often been viewed as a "one hit wonder" group, because most people only relate them to their signature recording - the infamous "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight". But, you will find yourself humming along to at least six other top-forty hits. The lilting strains of "It's Sad To Belong" may take you back to your first heartbreak, and I would be willing to bet that you will hit the repeat button more than once on "Nights Are Forever Without You" & "Love is the Answer". This CD also showcases the "should have been hits" catagory. Tracks like "Soldier In The Rain" will paint the image of its title. The up beat "Westward Wind" will put you smake dab on the isles, man where you will certainly smell the suntan oil wafting softly on the breeze. You will ask yourself why both Brooks & Dunn or Garth Brooks have not cut "Showboat Gambler." Drift off to peaceful dreams listening to "Lady" - a familiar slice of life, that we have all sometimes wondered about. More & More CD's are quickly becoming available from ED & JFC. If you like the "very best of", then I also recommed the CD titled "NIGHTS ARE FOREVER" - Dan & Johns first commercial breakthrough. I also highly recommend any of Dan Seal's country CD's. "RAGE ON" & "SAN ANTONE" are hard to find, but are classics none the less. As a bonus, the first printings of The Very Best of ED & JFC has a misprinted picture on its back cover and inner sleve. Rhino Records mistakenly got Dan & John confussed with another popular duo of the era called The Bellamy Brothers who had a huge hit that same year with "Let your Love Flow." It has since been corrected. And now some twenty six years later, I am living in Nashville. On occasion, Dan Seals will perform with his guitar at Nashville's famouse Bluebird Cafe to a crowd of about thirty or forty people. He's no longer hauling a caravan of eighteen wheelers around the globe, nor is he arriving to his gigs in a limeousine....But the music and the voice are still the same. The songs are as fresh today as they were in my childhood and I swear I smell fair food evertime I hear "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight"...And for the record, my Sister kicked the habit of smoking twelve years ago. Ironically, The Bluebird Cafe is a smoke free environment. Buy the CD, and head back to the 70's and if you pass a fair along the way, stop in. You never know what prize you may find there!

When my daughter was small enough to be rocked to sleep at night, I would put on this album, vinyl then, and rock her until she fell into slumber. She grew up with the timeless music of these two wonderful artists and now that she is 21, I will be giving this as a gift to her this Christmas. Several years ago I had the wonderful experience of meeting Dan Seals and developed a wonderful friendship with this most kind and umble man. He is everything that his music conveys. I highly recommend this album to everyone who appreciates REAL talent and music. We Love you Dan!

Of all the duos of popular music in the 70's, these two stand out as the best with their great, down to earth lyrics and music. Their "Nights Are Forever" album yielded the best collection of songs by the two, many of which are on this album including the title cut, and remain one of the best duo albums ever. With the influence of his brother Jim Seals, England Dan has a great talent for lyrics and wonderful vocal range in song styling, and is complimented very well by John Ford Coley's harmony. For anyone in love, out of love or longing for love, just put these guys on and you'll be reaching for your baby in no time!

This music makes me feel good. This is a kind of Rock/Pop you don't hear anymore. It has melody, and you can turn it up as loud as you care, and it still won't hurt your ears.

You will feel like you are driving in a convertible with the top down on the Pacific Coast Highway. You will fall in love while listening to it. I fell in love with myself because I was alone at the time, and I couldn't be happier. "I'd Really Love to See Myself Tonight"..."Nights Are Forever Without Me"...

The beauty of this duo is that you can understand every single word they're singing. And with the wonderful lyrics they have written, that is a big plus.

A lot of this music is quietly spiritual. Not all. We also have wonderfull little rockers like "Gone Too Far", but along with the hits there are some quietly majestic, beautifuuly introspective album tracks.

Some of this music is over 20 years old, but it's timeless- could've been recorded yesterday.

John Ford and Dan Seals' harmony is close and gorgeous.

Excellent track selection, sound quality and songs!

A winner on all counts!

If a part of you likes the present and if a part of you loves the past, you should have this CD. For those times when you want to think about a time that was less cluttered, more romantic, this CD is a must have. A wonderful collection. It will transport you.