Takin' It Easy is the ninth studio album by Seals and Crofts, released in 1978 by Warner Bros. Records.
It was their last album to chart and contain any charting singles. "You're the Love" reached #18 in early 1978 and #8 in Canada. The title track reached #79 later the same year and #13 on the Canadian AC charts.
The title track has a more rock-oriented approach than was the band's usual fare, and was essentially a James Seals solo track, with Dash Crofts making no contribution to either writing or performing it. Seals in turn was absent from the album's second track, "One More Time". The album in general relied more heavily on outside musicians and songwriters than Seals and Crofts's previous albums, with the duo writing barely half the songs themselves and only occasionally performing anything other than lead vocals.
The cover photograph was taken at the historic Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana.
Contents
Track listing
"Takin' It Easy" (Sean MacLeod, Bob Phillips)
"One More Time" (Lewis Anderson)
"Midnight Blue" (Jim Seals, Dash Crofts)
"You're the Love" (David Batteau, Louie Shelton)
"Sunrise" (Grant Gullickson, Brian Whitcomb)
"Breaking in a Brand New Love" (Seals, Crofts)
"Magnolia Moon" (Seals, Crofts)
"Nobody Gets Over Lovin' You" (Seals, Crofts)
"Forever Like the Rose" (Seals, Crofts)
"A Tribute to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá" (Seals, Crofts)
Personnel
James Seals – lead vocals (except on "One More Time"), acoustic guitar (on "Midnight Blue", "Breaking in a Brand New Love", "Forever Like the Rose", and "A Tribute to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá"), tenor sax on "Sunrise"
Dash Crofts – lead vocals (except on "Takin' It Easy" and "Midnight Blue"), mandolin
Louie Shelton – production, guitars (except on "A Tribute to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá"), arrangements, art concept
Tony Peluso – guitars on "Takin' It Easy" and "Sunrise", Buchla synthesizer on "Sunrise", backing vocals on "Takin' It Easy" and "One More Time", arrangements (for "Takin' It Easy", "One More Time", and "Sunrise")
Marty Walsh – guitars on "Takin' It Easy" and "Forever Like the Rose"
Larry Rolando – guitars (on "One More Time", "Midnight Blue", "You're the Love", "Breaking in a Brand New Love", and "Nobody Gets Over Lovin' You")
Dan Fergueson – dobro on "Midnight Blue"
Dennis Belfield – bass (except on "Takin' It Easy", "Midnight Blue", and "Forever Like the Rose")
Dominic Genova – bass on "Takin' It Easy" and "Forever Like the Rose"
David Parlota – bass on "Midnight Blue"
Steven Olitzky – piano (on "Takin' It Easy", "One More Time", "You're the Love", "Nobody Gets Over Lovin' You", and "Forever Like the Rose")
Tom Hensley – piano (on "One More Time", "You're the Love", "Breaking in a Brand New Love", "Magnolia Moon", and "Nobody Gets Over Loving You")