Unborn Child

''Unborn Child'' is the sixth studio album by American pop/folk duo Seals and Crofts. It included two low-charting singles, the title track (which reached ) and "The King of Nothing", which reached . The single "Unborn Child" reached No. 63 in Canada.

Album conception

The project originated when Lana Bogan, wife of recording engineer Joseph Bogan, watched a TV documentary on abortion and she was inspired to write a poem from the perspective of the terminated fetus.

According to Dash Crofts, Warner Bros. tried to warn them not to release the album, because the subject of abortion was highly controversial. Neither Seals nor Crofts cared about the money and stated they were making the record to save lives, while Warner was primarily concerned with making money. The duo also insisted that the song's message was more universal; that one should not take life too lightly, and should consider its value before carrying out the procedure of abortion.

Album reception

Despite Warners' warnings, the album was released in February 1974 and the label's worst fears came true: the title track was deemed controversial at the time because of its anti-abortion stance and as a result, ''Unborn Child'' hurt the duo's popularity and it was criticized by music critics. According to Bill DeYoung, the duo crossed the thin line that separated their music from the Baháʼí Faith, a religion that disapproves of abortion, and abortion-rights advocates boycotted the album and the duo's concerts. For this record, Seals and Crofts won the "Keep Her in Her Place" award from the National Organization for Women (tying with Paul Anka for his recording of " (You're) Having My Baby") during "its annual putdown of male chauvinism" in the media on Women's Equality Day.

However, it did receive a mostly positive review from Noel Coppage, who, in a July 1974 issue of what was then known as ''Stereo Review'' described the song "Windflowers" as "truly beautiful, one of the most dazzling opening songs I've heard on an album in a long time, and the vocal and instrumental work throughout is exceptional-two-part harmonies that soar above inspired and single-minded runs on Crofts' mandolin and unbelievably clean and understanding strums on Seals' acoustic guitar, backed by some restrained and brilliant strums on Louis Shelton's electric guitar." Of the title cut, he wrote that its "message is anti-abortion propaganda, pure and simple, but it is delivered gently and poetically inside a layered, meaty melody-and hardworking liberals like me can like the song while disagreeing with the tract it could be prosaically reduced to." He added, however, that "'Dance by the Light of the Moon' seems ill at ease with its meter and with the arbitrary, superficial rocking that scatters its ending, and 'Big Mac', while cleverly titled and worded to suggest both the trucking and hamburgering of America's interior, has an innocence uber alles attitude that just about pinpoints what it is about
Seals and Crofts that is getting to me."Popular Discs and Tapes
''Stereo Review'', July 1974, p. 90.

Track listing

All songs written by James Seals and Dash Crofts, except where indicated.

Side One
#"Prelude" (:40) ( David Paich)
#"Windflowers" (3:07) (James Seals, Dan Seals)
#"Desert People" (3:31)
#"Unborn Child" (3:55) (Seals, Lana Bogan)
#"The Story of Her Love" (3:30)
#"Dance by the Light of the Moon" (4:47)

Side Two
#"Rachel" (:58)
#"King of Nothing" (3:16) (Seals)
#"29 Years from Texas" (3:14)
#"Ledges" (3:08)
#"Follow Me" (3:44)
#"Big Mac" (4:16)

Charts

Personnel

* Jim Seals – vocals (backing only on "The Story of Her Love" and "King of Nothing"), acoustic guitar, spoken word on "Windflowers"
* Dash Crofts – vocals, mandolin
* Louis Shelton – electric guitar
* Buddy Emmons – steel guitar
* David Paich – keyboards, string arrangements, horn arrangements
* David Hungate – bass
* Jeff Porcaro – drums
* Bobbye Porter – percussion

References

1974 albums
Seals and Crofts albums
Warner Records albums

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