Orleans was a soft rock band from New York that rode the yacht rock wave through the 70s. Their mix of acoustic rock and country with stunning layered harmonies sometimes rivaled The Eagles, but they didn't have the same success on the charts. Lead singer and guitarist John Hall left to form his own band in 1977. Orleans would forge ahead and nearly hit the top 10 again in 1979 when "Love Takes Time" flew to #11. The band could not capitalize on this momentum, and "Love" became their last chart appearance. "Fresh Wind" is from the band's breakthrough 1975 effort, "Let There Be Music," which gave the band one of their biggest hits, "Dance With Me" (#6), and a minor one, the title track (#55). My favorite Orleans cut, "Still The One," arrived the following year to hit #5.
After the demise of the 70s group Orleans, lead singer John Hall took a stab at a solo career. His biggest chart success was his debut single, "Crazy (Keep On Falling)," which hit #42 in 1981. He only hit the charts once more in 1983 with the toe-tapping tune "Love Me Again." After his musical career faded out, Hall developed a hankering for politics and was elected to the US House of Representatives (representing New York) in 2006.
