Once upon a time the musicians were the stars. And the goal of those of us who couldn’t play was to get as close to them as possible.

In an era prior to Facebook and YouTube, where the lowliest punter has access to the inner workings of the government, never mind record companies, our desire in the seventies was to walk through the front door… Of the Warner Brothers Records office in Burbank.

Insiders called it the Ski Lodge. But we weren’t insiders. We were alienated, music-addicted kids in the hinterlands, who through the exposure of Warner inner sleeves and the company’s two dollar loss leaders, became aware that the goal of a musician was to sign to Warner, or its sibling Reprise, with the steamship on its label.

It didn’t matter if the act had a hit. Or was even popular on the road. We knew if Mo and Joe signed it, it had to be good. Because we trusted them. Because we wanted to be them.

I love "Summer Breeze", but I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Seals & Crofts. But watching them here, in these YouTube clips, I’m struck by the fact that they can play. That they need no machines, no plethora of backup musicians, no hard drives in order to recreate their magic. The magic doesn’t live in the hands of the producer, but the fingers of the musicians. And that’s what drew us to them.

But what truly stunned me about these clips was Joe Smith. Younger than I am today. He’s reading from the TelePrompter not saying look at me, but look at my artists! He’s a conduit, an exhibitor of talent, not of himself. In an era where the goal of a record company head is to be photographed in a multi-thousand dollar Armani suit, it’s refreshing to see Joe in a sweater, with an open-collared shirt underneath.

As Joe recites Seals & Crofts’ history, one is brought back to the era when where someone came from was more important than how they looked. We wanted to know about the musicians. What part of the country had they grown up in? Who did they play with previously? What inspired them, what caused them to write this music?

This was when you had to listen to a record to know which way the wind blew. This was when the highest calling of a young person was to become a musician. This was when we went to the gig to learn the truth, to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

This was when you could afford a ticket. When the bands focused on music as opposed to production. This was when even the white people’s music had soul.

I’m not saying that you can’t make good music today. I’m hoping there are entrepreneurs like Mo and Joe in the landscape, nurturing quality artists that will impact the culture. But watching this video, I’m getting the impression that the youth of today wants no part of Warner Brothers records, no record company. The label is not to be trusted, never mind those who run it.

These are the people suing you for being a fan. These are the people who put layers of crust on what ever they’re selling, so you can’t find the truth underneath. Assuming there is a truth…

You get the feeling that today’s Joe Smith wouldn’t start as a deejay and come to work for the record company in Los Angeles, but learn how to code in his bedroom and go to Silicon Valley to try to excel, to try and change the world.

Our music changed the world. Today’s music is grease to get laid by, at best.

Part 1: Seals and Crofts Promo Video

Part 2: Seals and Crofts Promo Video