Seals and Crofts Open SPAC Season
by Don A. Metivier, The Post-Star, June 18, 1973
Gentle people playing soft, gentle music, that was Seals and Crofts at Saratoga.
As an opening night crowd of 11,500 young persons cheered them on the guitar-mandolin duo put on a fine musical performance in the amphitheater of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
When Texas Jim Crofts switched to mandolin during the mid-60’s after being influenced by the principles of the Baha’i faith, he wondered if his new type of sound would have any commercial value. It does!
Seals and Crofts may be a much more important moving force on the popular music scene than is realized at the present moment.
They may be the leaders in the rapidly changing entire sound and structure of popular music which is now taking place.
Their music is beautifully constructed, with soft sounds, meaningful lyrics and a total picture that is much deeper and conscious than the rock and roll of the 1950’s or the hard rock of the 1960’s.
They can pound away too, getting the audience into a frenzy, by having Seals pick up his fiddle and show why he was champion of all Texas at age nine and has gotten better since.
However, their total picture is one of a group at peace, strongly influenced by their new faith. In fact, one of Seals’ new songs, “We Were Made to Love,” was inspired by the tenets of the Baha’i faith.
The entire evening followed the pattern of the new Seals and Crofts sound.
Gerry Vitek opened the evening and set the pace with a relaxed, easy flowing sound.
Then the duo of Lawrence and Roselle provided another portion of the show, doing several of their recordings, “Million Dollar Horse,” “Africa,” and “Funky Wedding.”
They too are influenced by the Baha’i faith and give an appearance of quiet, thoughtful people at peace.
SPAC officials were amazed at the excellent turnout, which saw a large crowd, especially on the lawn, despite the cold, threatening weather.
“We hope this is the beginning of a superior season,” a spokesman said. “We are already way ahead on advance sales for the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York City Ballet tickets are selling well and many of the specials are expected to draw major crowds.”
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