Zager and Evans
| Zager and Evans | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States |
| Years active | 1962-1971 |
| Labels | RCA Victor, White Whale Records, Vanguard Records |
| Past members |
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Zager and Evans was a US rock-pop duo of the late 1960s and early 1970s named after its two members, Denny Zager (born 1944, Wymore, Nebraska) and Rick Evans (born 1943, Lincoln, Nebraska). They are best known for their 1969 hit single "In the Year 2525".
Zager and Evans met at Nebraska Wesleyan University, in 1962 and they were joined by drummer Danny Schindler (later of the Benders) in the seminal Nebraska band the Eccentrics, until Schindler's tour of Vietnam in 1965. Evans also left in 1965, and reunited with Denny Zager in 1968.
As Zager and Evans, the duo were backed by Mark Dalton, also a Nebraska native, on bass. Their first drummer, Paul Maher, was later replaced by another Nebraskan, Dave Trupp. Trupp and Dalton were also the rhythm section in the popular Liberation Blues Band and backed Evans on some solo demo material prior to Zager and Evans's recording of "In the Year 2525" in 1968.
"In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)" was written by Richard (Rick) S. Evans. It was registered with the performing rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. The song warned of the dangers of technology, portraying a future in which the human race was destroyed by its own technological and medical innovations. The last stanza of the song suggests mankind undergoes a continuing cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
"In the Year 2525" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. It claimed the No.1 spot for six weeks. It also topped the charts in the UK. It was No. 1 on July 20, 1969, in the United States, the date of the first manned moon landing, by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. It continued to top the charts while the was going on. It was nominated for a special Hugo Award that same year. It sold over four million copies by 1970 and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in July 1969.
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