Dowdy Ferry Road Explained
Dowdy Ferry Road is the fifth studio album by the pop rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley. The album's single "It's Sad to Belong" was a moderate pop hit and a #1 smash on the Adult Contemporary chart. A second hit from the LP, "Gone Too Far," reached #23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Being from the Dallas, Texas area, England Dan and John Ford Coley named Dowdy Ferry Road after a street in the southeastern part of town. Dowdy Ferry (Exit #476) connects with Interstate 20 in Texas.
Critical reception
Cash Box said of the single "Gone Too Far" that "Coley's melody and lyric work perfectly with the slick harmonies and tasteful instrumentation."[1]
Track listing
- "Dowdy Ferry Road" (Dan Seals) – 3:23
- "It's Sad to Belong" (Randy Goodrum) – 2:54
- "Soldier in the Rain" (John Ford Coley, Sunny Dalton) – 4:45
- "Love is the One Thing We Hide" (Seals) – 2:53
- "Gone Too Far" (Coley) – 2:58
- "Where Do I Go From Here" (Parker McGee) – 2:59
- "Falling Stars" (Coley) – 2:56
- "You Know We Belong Together" (Coley, Seals) – 3:01
- "Don't Feel That Way No More" (Seals) – 3:07
- "Holocaust" (Seals) – 3:09
Personnel
- John Ford Coley – acoustic guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals,
- England Dan Seals – acoustic guitar, lead and backing vocals
- Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Bobby Thompson – acoustic guitar
- Doyle Grisham – steel guitar
- Shane Keister – keyboards, Moog synthesizer
- Kyle Lehning – keyboards
- Joe Osborn – bass
- Larrie Londin – drums, percussion
- Dennis Good – trombone
- George Tidwell – trumpet
- Billy Puett – woodwinds
- Buddy Skipper – woodwinds, horn arrangements (1), woodwind arrangements (6, 8)
- Bergen White – string arrangements, woodwind arrangements (4, 10)
- The Shelly Kurland String Section – strings
- Sheri Kramer – backing vocals
- Lisa Silver – backing vocals
- Wendy Suits – backing vocals
- Diane Tidwell – backing vocals
Production
- Producer – Kyle Lehning
- Engineers – Kyle Lehning and Marshall Morgan
- Recorded and Mixed at Hazen’s Recording Studio (Hendersonville, TN).
- Mastered by Glenn Meadows at Masterfonics (Nashville, TN).
- Art Direction – Bob Defrin
- Photography – Jim Houghton and Earl Steinbecker
Notes and References
- News: CashBox Singles Reviews. September 24, 1977. 24. Cash Box. 2021-12-26.
