1973 Smooth Pop Smash, That Just Missed the Top 5, Marked The End of an Era For Iconic Rock Duo
In 1973, a smooth, sunlit pop track slipped just short of the Top 5, the kind of almost-hit that somehow sticks with you longer than the bigger chart-toppers around it.
For Seals and Crofts, the success surrounding Diamond Girl wasn't just another moment in a hot streak, it quietly marked the point where their sound and direction began to shift in a new direction.
The song hit its No. 6 Billboard chart peak in July 1973. It became a fan favorite following the success of "Summer Breeze."
According to a story published by Rhino Records, the success of "Diamond Girl' helped the LP of the same name reach a peak position of No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album was the biggest seller of Seals & Crofts' career.
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However, the success of "Diamond Girl" led to the bittersweet end of the band's acoustic era. Rhino wrote, "[Seals and Crofts] henceforth tended to focus more on a band-oriented approach to their tunes. Yes, the end result was further success, but for purists, the best of Seals & Crofts' work was behind them."
In an interview with Goldmine, republished by Bill De Young, Seals admitted that the duo felt "limited" as to the kind of music they could play.
He recalled, "After 'Summer Breeze' hit, somewhere in between there and the recording of 'Diamond Girl,' we realized that we could not progress any further. We were very limited as to the kind of music we could play."
"But there was no way that we could play anything any harder. If you're playing with a band, all of a sudden you're in competition with 10,000 other bands. The band has got to really cook; and it's got to have an identity."
Seals concluded, "And for the crowd that we were playing, it had to be hard rock. I feel like we lost a little bit of uniqueness in what we were doing, because we started leaning more and more on the band." Their band of musicians included future Toto founders David Paich (organ, piano) and Jeff Porcaro (drums), per Songfacts.
The song had a huge influence on one of hard rock's most beloved bassists. In his 2021 memoir, The First 21: How I Became Nikki Sixx, the Mötley Crüe member revealed how "Summer Breeze" almost became a band cover song.
The band was looking for a cover tune for their 1985 LP Theatre of Pain when Sixx suggested his favorite Seals and Crofts song. He recalled how he and his girlfriend, Susie, listened to the song throughout the Summer of 1973.
Sixx wrote, "We tried 'The Boys Are Back in Town,' by Thin Lizzy-a great song, but we couldn't get it to work. We tried Elton John's 'Saturday Night's Alright,' but that didn't sound right to us either. Then I said, ‘Diamond Girl' by Seals and Crofts."
"Everyone else in the band said, 'You're crazy. This doesn't even sound like a rock song!' We rehearsed it. The other guys were right-it wasn't going to work as a Mötley Crüe song."
He concluded, "We covered 'Smokin' in the Boys Room' by Brownsville Station instead, and that song, from the same year as 'Diamond Girl,' was Mötley's first top-forty hit. It went all the way to number three on the charts. But I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had stuck to my guns and insisted on 'Diamond Girl.'"
Dash Crofts died at 87 in March 2026. Jim Seals predeceased him by four years, passing at the age of 79.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 9:30 AM.