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Seals and Crofts: Remembering a musical plea for life
Christian Post ^ | 01/19/2019 | By John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera

Posted on 01/19/2019 10:30:42 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Jim Seals and Dash Crofts, March 16, 1975.

| Warner Brothers Records/Public Domain

This month marks the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which made abortion-on-demand the law of the land. It also marks the 45th anniversary of what is arguably the most courageous act in pop culture history.

In the early 1970s, the Texas-born duo of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts was at the peak of their popularity. After spending a few years in a band with Glen Campbell, among others, they began to perform under the name “Seals and Croft.”

It took a few years, but eventually they hit it big. Their 1972 album “Summer Breeze” reached number 7 on the Billboard album charts. The 1973 follow-up, “Diamond Girl,” did even better, peaking at number 4. The record company was happy and so were fans. Both were looking forward to what was next from Seals and Croft.

While preparing to record their next album, the wife of one of their recording engineers handed Seals a poem she’d written after watching a documentary on abortion. It opened with the lines “Oh little baby, you’ll never cry, nor will you hear a sweet lullaby.”

Seals set the poem to music and the result was the song “Unborn Child,” which also became the name of their new album.

The song opens gently, but unsparingly depicts the reality of abortion. The unborn child is “a tiny bud that grows in the womb only to be crushed before it can bloom” with an emphasis on the word “crushed.”

To put it mildly, this is not what their label, Warner Records, had in mind. After all, this was less than a year since Roe had been handed down, and abortion was, if nothing else, controversial. Add in the duo’s unapologetic and urgent plea for women contemplating abortion to “stop, think it over…” and it’s no surprise their record label had some concerns.

As Jim Seals later recalled, the label said, “This is a highly controversial subject, we advise that you don’t do this.” To which they replied, “But you’re in the business to make money; we’re doing it to save lives. We don’t care about the money.”

When the album released in early 1974, the label’s fears came true: Radio stations refused to play the title track, and pro-abortion groups picketed Seals and Croft concerts.

As music writer Bill de Young wrote twenty years later, “The critics tore the record to pieces, and Seals and Crofts with it. . . . ‘Unborn Child’ hurt Seals and Crofts’ reputation—it was as if they had crossed that thin line, that sacrosanct divider that separated their music from their religious beliefs.”

About those religious beliefs. Seals and Croft weren’t Christians. They were Baha’is, a religion that originated in 19th-century Persia.

I mention this because in the years since “Unborn Child,” I can’t think of a single mainstream pop song that has taken on the subject of abortion in such a direct and unapologetic fashion. The closest one I can think of is Nick Cannon’s song “Can I Live?”, which wasn’t a hit. In fact, I can only think of one song by a Christian artist, “Killing Thousands”, by 2nd Chapter of Acts.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Christians who’ve “crossed over” into mainstream pop music over the years were as willing to defend what they believe as two Baha’i converts were forty-five years ago?

As Seals and Crofts later said, it’s worth the risk. “I think we got more good results out of it than bad…” Dash Crofts said. “…a lot of people called us and said, ‘We’re naming our children after you, because you helped us decide to save their lives with that song.’ That was very fulfilling to us.”

Please, come to BreakPoint.org, click on this commentary, and I’ll link you to the Seals and Crofts song, “Unborn Child,” as well as the two others I mentioned today. And don’t miss the BreakPoint Podcast this week: first, Scott Klusendorf and I discuss how to answer pro-abortion arguments effectively. And Lila Rose joins me to talk about the state of the pro-life movement. Again, that’s the BreakPoint Podcast at BreakPoint.org—or wherever you listen to podcasts.


TOPICS: History; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: abortion; bahai; brettkavanaugh; ciso; dashcrofts; jimseals; life; maga; music; prolife; scotus; sealsandcrofts; texas; unbornchild
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To: SeekAndFind

Wasn’t Jim Seals the brother of ‘England Dan’ (Seals) of ‘England Dan and John Ford Coley’ fame?


21 posted on 01/19/2019 12:16:31 PM PST by originalbuckeye ('In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act'- George Orwell.)
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To: Deaf Smith

It is Cisco Texas. My Mom is from there and I can remember well visiting relatives there. Dash Crofts and my cousin were friends and I remember hanging with them back when I was 10 or so. Who knew?


22 posted on 01/19/2019 12:19:44 PM PST by yetidog
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To: originalbuckeye

Yes he was Dan’s brother. Very talented family.


23 posted on 01/19/2019 12:26:38 PM PST by Lurkina.n.Learnin (If you want a definition of "bullying" just watch the Democrats in the Senate)
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To: SeekAndFind

Type O Negative has an anti-abortion song and a Seals & Crofts cover.

Summer Breeze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNo7ZZryuSQ

These Three Things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOrE_z75LkM

Freegards


24 posted on 01/19/2019 12:34:36 PM PST by Ransomed
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To: Pravious

The salvation through Christ can’t be bought. It’s free. You can demean Christians all you want, the consequences are yours... and they are eternal. Harden not your heart and let go of the hate.

Isaiah 59:13
rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.

Mark 8:38
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Luke 9:26
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Matthew 10:33
“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Luke 12:9
But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

2 Timothy 2:12
if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;


25 posted on 01/19/2019 12:46:06 PM PST by Bommer (Help 2ndDivisionVet - https://www.gofundme.com/mvc.php?route=category&term=married-recent-amputee)
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To: Bommer

Too bad you simple-minded zealots can’t see the good that these people have done with their work.


26 posted on 01/19/2019 12:48:53 PM PST by Pravious
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To: SeekAndFind

Bump


27 posted on 01/19/2019 1:22:45 PM PST by foreverfree
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To: Pravious

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Being saved from sin and receiving eternal life cannot take place by our works. Getting into heaven requires faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Praying for you brother.


28 posted on 01/19/2019 1:28:13 PM PST by Bommer (Help 2ndDivisionVet - https://www.gofundme.com/mvc.php?route=category&term=married-recent-amputee)
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To: SeekAndFind; All
I always liked "Diamond Girl", probably my fave from S&C. And "Summer Breeze" was alright too.

Our HS class (probably none too seriously) considered "We May Never Pass This Way Again" for our senior song.

Jim's brother Billboard book, S&C's "Darlin'" and ED&JFC's "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" overlapped their top 40 runs in the summer of '76. I turned 15 that summer (between 9th and 10th grades) and remember them fondly.

ff

29 posted on 01/19/2019 2:04:29 PM PST by foreverfree
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To: SeekAndFind

Having My Baby had a controversial line in it the caused an uproar, too.


30 posted on 01/19/2019 2:35:01 PM PST by brianr10
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To: originalbuckeye

Answer, YES.


31 posted on 01/19/2019 3:37:15 PM PST by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Gone but not forgiven.)
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To: Pravious

Ok.


32 posted on 01/19/2019 4:21:17 PM PST by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: SeekAndFind

One of my favorite 70s bands. Hummingbird is stunningly beautiful.


33 posted on 01/19/2019 6:23:50 PM PST by Prince of Space (UNBORN LIVES MATTER!)
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