Beckley began also releasing solo albums in 1995 and has recorded nine to date.Īmerica made a noteworthy connection in 2007 with Adam Schlesinger, from the indie rockers Fountains of Wayne, who’d been a big fan. In ’83, “The Border” was a moderately successful single, and in ’84 “Love Comes Without Warning” became a highlight on the soundtrack to Steve Martin’s movie “The Lonely Guy.”Īmerica has toured throughout the intervening years, usually playing more than 100 dates a year. By the end of 1977, Peek had left the band to pursue a career in Christian music.Īfter some down time and forgettable eighth and ninth albums, America rebounded in 1982 when their single “You Can Do Magic” went to No. The following year’s “Harbor” became the band’s first album not to go gold, and had no notable singles either. Patrick's Day showsĪmerica’s allure was waning a bit, however, and ‘76’s “Hideaway” album only saw its top single, “Today’s the Day,” reach No. 67 on the charts. Three years later, that song would be a massive hit single for The Captain and Tenille.īut 1974 found the trio back on top of the charts, as their fourth album, “Holiday” – they’d begun beginning each album name with the letter H – contained the top 5 hits “Tin Man” and “Lonely People.” 1975’s “Hearts” album brought the single hits “Sister Golden Hair” and “Daisy Jane.”īlarney bash: Quincy's Dropkick Murphys ship home to Boston for St. By the end of ’73, they’d released a third album, “Hat Trick,” but their single “Muskrat Love” stalled at No. Their second album, “Homecoming,” went gold, the single “Ventura Highway” hit the top 10, and they won the Grammy as 1972’s best new artist. That began a virtually unprecedented run of chart-topping hits. That song, renamed “A Horse with No Name,” became a million-selling single in 1972, and with another single, “I Need You,” also making the charts, that debut album went on to achieve platinum status. But they had some extra material, including a Bunnell tune they called “Desert Song,” which they recorded later and added on before the album was released in the United States. By the end of ’71 they released a debut album in England, which went nowhere. I would say we were a product of all those influences.”Īlong with their name, there was another delicious irony to the band’s beginnings. But by the late 1960s, you also had the singer-songwriters like James Taylor and Crosby, Stills and Nash also coming into focus. Obviously, we were exposed to some great bands in that era around London like The Yardbirds and The Hollies. “As time went on, across the Atlantic, you also had the California sound too. “At the risk of over-generalizing, The Beatles and The Beach Boys were our guiding lights,” Beckley said during a tour stop last week. 'Dream come true': Weymouth drama instructor stars in comic romp 'Something Rotten!' In fact, they were among the legions who decided to become musicians in the wake of Beatlemania, and their music would include some of the prime aspects of The Beatles’ music: stellar vocals and vocal harmonies, and infectious acoustic and electric melodies. When the boys began performing shows, circa 1971, they wanted people to know they were not just another British band.Īmerica is in the midst of its pandemic-delayed 50th anniversary tour, which touches down at Plymouth Memorial Hall on March 24, and then takes over the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on March 25.īut it was never that the three teenage singer-songwriter-guitarists – Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek – didn’t like British bands. The three high school buddies who started the group all had fathers serving in the U.S. Longtime fans probably know the origin of the band name America.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |