A light folk-rock act of the early '70s, America had several Top Ten hits, including the number ones "A Horse with No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair." Vocalists/guitarists Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley met while they were still in high school in the late '60s; all three were sons of U.S. Air Force officers who were stationed in the U.K. After they completed school in 1970, they formed an acoustic folk-rock quartet called Daze in London, which was soon pared down to the trio of Bunnell, Peek, and Beckley. Adopting the name America, the group landed a contract with Jeff Dexter, a promoter for the Roundhouse concert venue.
Formed in 1969 by Gerry Beckley (guitar, piano, vocals), Dewey Bunnell (guitar, vocals) and Dan Peek (guitar, keyboards, vocals) who were all sons of US Servicemen stationed in England. They achieved success with their debut single "A Horse With No Name" which showcased their pop rock vocal harmony style. Further appearances in the singles charts followed with "Ventura Highway" and "Tin Man" along with album hits…
America celebrates its half-centennial this year with a trio of compilations that follow the iconic Grammy-winning band to the top of the pop charts, across musical eras, and deep into the hearts of innumerable fans.
Drawing upon the softer side of the hippie folk scene with a more refined sound, America garnered a string of hits for themselves in the 1970s. With a rich, acoustic base and lush, high tenor harmonies, songs like "Sandman" were instantly successful. The band's breakthrough single was the slightly country-tinged "Horse with No Name", that owed a debt to the craftsmanship of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. America displayed the band's sensitivities with "Clarice" and "I Need You". While the band made a name for itself on the strength of "Horse" alone, the rest of the record deserves attention, too. While "Riverside" and "Children Here" never reached the status of later hits like "Sister Goldenhair" or "Lonely People", they still command respect. –Steve Gdula