The Captain And Tennille Play Saratoga
by Bob Drzewiczewski, Rutland Daily Herald, July 10, 1977
Click. The television set is turned on at exactly 8:15 p.m., and The Captain (Daryl Dragon) and Toni Tennille appear on the screen.
Only this time the “set” is center stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the “living room” Is the amphitheatre. Missing were Aunt Helda’s stuffed sofa, the vertical hold button and mother’s popcorn.
The June 30 Saratoga performance by the recording stars-turned-television-hams attracted the same audience that their ABC series did during the fall and winter months—families.
“Mommy, they looked just like they do on TV,” was a familiar sound as the A&M record stars reeled off Top 40 hit after Top-40 smash to the enthusiastic gathering of 4,834 fans.
My, what an effect television has on the concert-going crowd.
The majority of Saratoga’s special events attract what is commonly known as the “blue jean” crowd of young adults in the 16-25-year-old age bracket. That was not the case Thursday.
School-age youngsters clutching their newly acquired Captain and Tennille programs (at a rather steep price of $2.50 apiece) wandered through the aisles and the pretty Saratoga walkways with their parents.
After all, the Captain and Tennille, who symbolize the clean-cut section of the American recording dream, are wholesome family entertainment.
Sure, Toni wiggles a little and struts around the stage once in a while, but their overall image is of innocence.
The closest the husband and wife pair ever came to controversy was last summer when a member of Queen Elizabeth’s party was outraged at their rendition of “Muskrat Love” at a White House Bicentennial performance.
“We woke up the next morning and read that the Captain and Tennille performed an obscene song for the Queen,” Tennille told the Saratoga crowd. “It was our second biggest hit, so I don’t know what’s so obscene about it.”
Obscene or not, the Captain and Tennille delivered “Muskrat Love,” complete with a few humorous side effects from The Captain’s organ.
Dragon, who wears a boat skipper’s cap, is, by his own admission, “the captain of the keyboard.” The son of a symphony conductor, he is comfortable with Bach, Fats Domino and the boogie. Quiet and seemingly shy (even on the television series), Dragon serves as straight man to his wife.
Tennille uses The Captain in their comedy sketches like Cher uses Sonny. The only difference is that Dragon is much quieter than Sonny Bonno. It took 42 minutes for The Captain to utter a monosyllable, “Ahm-ahm.”
Comedy, however, is not their forte. Music is. Tennille, a leggy strawberry blonde from Montgomery, Ala., has an overpowering, rangy voice that dominates their music. Like Dragon, she is comfortable with several different musical styles and voice ranges.
She treats the ballads well with her sensual, coarse voice. Still, she is master of the boogie and standard rock and roll.
Belting out her rendition of the Miracles’ “Shop Around,” Tennille glided along the perimeter of the stage like a 1965 version of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.
Tennille sings the songs, tells the jokes, and communicates with the crowd. The Captain handles the keyboard.
The Captain and Tennille vaulted to the top of the national charts two years ago with a Nell Sedaka tune in the middle of a Sedaka revival.
Sedaka’s soft, sometimes vibrant songs fit the Captain’s fingers and Tennille’s voice.
Appropriately, the duo swung through a medley of Sedaka hits, including their blockbuster, “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and “Lonely Nights.”
“Love Will Keep Us Together,” which was the number one-selling single in the U.S. for 1975, is a bouncy number that characterizes their music. Tennille’s solid vocal projection blends in perfectly with The Captain’s piano work.
The friendly crowd gave The Captain and Tennille a rousing hand-clapping standing ovation during the number, but Tennille’s voice still rose above the noise with distinct clarity.
Above all The Captain and Tennille are a living, musical love story. Tennille is candid about her music – especially her love songs — and admits that they were written for her husband.
Though a sizeable portion of the concert was devoted to their vibrant, keyboard-oriented rock numbers, Tennille won approval with the easy listening group through a trilogy of love songs that detailed their relationship.
Beginning with the group’s second hit record, “The Way I Want to Touch You,” and concluding with Paul Stookey’s tender, “Wedding Song,” Tennille, sitting at her piano, sang the dramatic story of their relationship that began when they both toured with the Beach Boys.
“The Way I Want to Touch You” was actually their first recording effort, but was nothing more than a regional hit its first time around. The group produced 500 copies of the song for $250 and distributed it to Los Angeles-area radio stations.
Though the tune was a local smash, it did not become a national hit until after the release of “Love Will Keep Us Together.”
Missing the performance were The Captain and Tennille’s English bulldogs, Broderick and Elizabeth, two regulars on the television series and the duo’s album covers.
Tennille apologised for the dogs’ absence, but appeased the crowd with a three-minute color film of Broderick and Elizabeth that was shown on a portable screen. The Captain played a spirited number on the keyboard to accompany the flick.
Home movies, moving rock and roll, a few stale jokes and still more music made it an enjoyable evening for a family-style gathering.
10:50 p.m. Bedtime. Click, the set is off. Goodbye, Captain. So long, Tennille. Take care, Broderick and Elizabeth. Goodnight.
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