Archives: May 2002

Me Again~~~
Hi Dan~~~~I too think that Alibi was under rated and under promoted, there are some really good songs on this~~it was interesting awhile back I think Steve O posted that the song You Could Have Been The One was big right here in Pa.~~~this is one of my favorites from this album! As for Silent Letter I really only found this album just last year and I must say alot of really good songs on this too. What a shame it didn't get the right promo too.~~~~ Bye for now, Nancy :) ~~~~I'll let the moon announce my arrival, to every eye that cares to see, just working on the art of survival where do we go from here, where do we go from here, I'm alive here I can survive Dear! :)

Hi Everyone~~~
My internet server was down most of the day upgrading their service, so I am now just getting on for today. I was in AWE to see all of the new posts, makes me feel like I have been gone for more than a day.
Thanks Steve for posting the pics from the tv appearances~~~~~the one where they were on Regis~~~I have it taped, I remember turning it on because of Colleen (from survivor) being the cohost and what to my surprise they said today on Live AMERICA~~so I hurried up and set the tape~~~it was so good to see them on there, it had been a while since I had seen them~~~they both looked soo good! I can vaguely remember the time they were on Regis & Kathie Lee and promoting Hourglass~~I remember writing Hourglass down on paper and keeping it in my wallet and I looked everytime I went shopping to find it but never did. I am so glad I finally have it now~~~it was well worth the wait for sure!
Hi Jim :)~~~so neat that you have this tape of them singing call of the wild and hells on fire and ventura hwy~~~~WOW! I wonder what show that was from.
Vic~~~~I have never seen this movie you mentioned~~~Has me curious now I will have to try and find it too.
Regarding Ebay and the brown jacket that Gerry has on on the VFTG cover~~I haven't been to ebay for awhile I will have to check this out~~~So neat Johnny how you have all of these neat things from AMERICA. VFTG is one of my favorite covers of Gerry & Dewey~~~the concept of this is so neat them sitting out in the middle of this field in airplane seats and the beautiful wide open space and moutains in the background, they look so comfortable here, made me feel right at home!
It's so nice to see all of the posts, Enjoy the weekend everyone! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Sorry about the duplicate post. Thanks Jimbob. Will rent "Air America", just to see that scene.

Been monitoring for a few weeks. Decided to jump in at this time. Several years ago, probably between 1992 and 1997, was at the movies with my wife. Saw previews of soon to be released movie. One of the clips involved three or four characters, singing the lyrics of, and dancing to, "Horse With No Name". I thought that it might have been "Air America", with Mel Gibson. We never got back to see it on the big screen. Have seen it since, on TV, however, the TV version did not contain the above mentioned clip. I know that sometimes, previews get edited out of final releases. Does anyone remember this seen, and the movie that it was from?

Hi all; I have on video the guys from 1974 singing Ventura Highway, but not being American, I dont recognise the host. There is a studio audience and Gerry is wearing the same jacket as he is in the Musik Laden video. In fact the guys look the same as in that film, so Im guessing this TV appearance was shot only a short time before. I also have a video, about 30 minutes long, interesting in that its filmed from backstage. Its filmed by a hand held camera, so it moves round a fair bit, but it gives another perspective of the guys in concert. Filmed in the summer of '88, they are opening for the Beach Boys, and it has them doing "Call Of The Wild", which is interesting too, as that didnt appear til HOURGLASS. They also perform "Hell's On Fire", which ROCKS! Does anyone know who filmed this? If any of you have seen it, you will know the one Im speaking of, as Gerry talks about a can of bug spray that he's trying to put on his arms, as being empty! As it's not mixed in any way, the vocals are not as we are used to, but it showcases Brad's high harmony in "To Each His Own" beautifully. As for the movie that had people dancing to HORSE, you are correct Vic, it is from 'Air America'.

I remember them performing "You Can Do Magic" I think it was either Rick Dees or Alan Thick when they had a talk show.........
so long ago.......

Been monitoring for a few weeks. Decided to jump in at this time. Several years ago, probably between 1992 and 1997, was at the movies with my wife. Saw previews of soon to be released movie. One of the clips involved three or four characters, singing the lyrics of, and dancing to, "Horse With No Name". I thought that it might have been "Air America", with Mel Gibson. We never got back to see it on the big screen. Have seen it since, on TV, however, the TV version did not contain the above mentioned clip. I know that sometimes, previews get edited out of final releases. Does anyone remember this seen, and the movie that it was from?

Right with your triv answer, Kim! You're not going to bid on Gerry's brown coat, LOL! Me neither.

Regarding that varsity coat that's identical to Bob Hope's and John Wayne's (recently on eBay as you mentioned), yeah I saw it. I ocassionally wonder where Bob Hope and John Wayne's coats ended up.

Hey Johnny,

Did you know that a month or so ago, someone auctioned off one of the coats that the guys wore on the Bob Hope special? (The same one in the picture w/ John Wayne & Bob Hope). Apparenly only about a hundred were made and this was supposedly one of the hundred. I think the price got up over $50 but I can't remember for sure.

Kim

Someone else out there must be checking ebay regularly for America stuff! According to the info on ebay it says the inside label shows Paul Smith/Made in England. Gerry's suit jacket from VFTG is up for auction right now (at least that is what the owner claims).

Have a great weekend!
Kim

Here are some links to photos from a couple of TV Appearances:

Sep 4, 1998 - NBC Today Show (TV Shots)
Sep 4, 1998 - NBC Today Show (Live Shots)
Sep 4, 1998 - NBC Today Show (More Live Shots)
Sep 20, 2000 - Live With Regis Show

Here's a very obscure triv question from "VFTG". I'm going on information provided by someone else though.

The brown suit/sport jacket that Gerry's wearing on the "VFTG" album cover has what maker's name and what country's name on its tag?

You are probably right Nina! Darn sibs!

Exactly right, Genevieve! Yeah, I remember mentioning Gerry's watch on the back of the "Silent Letter" album cover not long ago and Dewey's watch on the back of the "Alibi" album cover. Couldn't slip one by ya! :0)

Nina, good example with the 3 Stooges reference...LOL! I think about you every time I hear Chubby's name mentioned...sorry!

Mark, here's a couple: TNN's "Classic Rock" on 7/25/00 and "Regis Live" on 09/20/00.

Re: that comment on the Mike Douglas show...maybe Gerry said "three MONTHS" and not "three years"? I was probably in tears by that time because of EVIL older brother!

Matt would have been a newborn then, I believe (born 1979, I think) So maybe BOTH of them mentioned kids. They were both Dads by then!

Does anybody have a complete list of America TV appearances? Finding out about the Mike Douglas Show prompted me to think about all the TV shows I either saw or heard about the guys being on. Below is the list I came up with from memory. Any additions or corrections would be welcomed.

TV appearances:
1974 - ABC In Concert (performed Horse With No Name, Lonely People, I Need You, Ventura Highway, Green Monkey, Sandman - This performance was latter released on the bootleg "On The Road" album)
1975 - Smoothers Brothers Show (America performed a verse of Horse and a medley of Lonely People / Tin Man)
1975 - Bob Hope Special (performed Sister Golden Hair)
1980 - Mike Douglas Show
1981? - Tomorrow with Tom Snyder (promoting the future release of Two Car Garage aka View From The Ground)
1981? - Midnight Special
1982? - Solid Gold
1983? - SCTV (performed a music video parody of Right Before Your Eyes)
1994? - Regis & Kathy Lee (promoting Hourglass CD)
1998 - Regis & Kathy Lee (promoting Human Nature CD)

Commercials:
1981? - America's Gold - commercials ran on TV selling compilation of hits and album cuts from WB albums
1999 + - Time Life 70s collection featured performance by America doing Horse With No Name
2001 - Complete Greatest Hits - commercials promoting album ran on TV.

From what it says on the web site, it sounds like the tapes of the shows will only be made available to media professionals for rebroadcast use and are not available to the general public.

But it's nice to know the guys were on the show. I wasn't aware of that. I missed it, it was my last semester in college and Mike Douglas wasn't on my list of shows. Of course had I known they were going to be on it I would have added that show to my list.

Hey, Johnny...Remember that "Three Stooges" episode when Moe and Larry go crazy everytime somebody says: "Niagra Falls"? Now, think of ME whenever I hear (or read) the name "CHUBBY CHECKERS"!!!!

Robyn...I "guess" it could have been Dewey mentioning his son, but I think I already knew, at the time, that Dewey did have a child and I was surprised by the news that Gerry had one, too. That's why I think it was Gerry speaking, not Dewey. But then...it was soooolong ago!

Hi Jim,
Yes, just my memory (though not THAT good any more)& the fact that someone mentioned it here some time ago- lol. But do I remember well? Johnny???

Genevieve, are you just going by memory regarding the time on Gerry's watch? That's pretty impressive! I don't have Silent Letter anymore, more's the pity, cos I really like that album.

Hi eveyone,

Coming up to the surface... ouf! week-end approaching!
Great day : France's first match to try to win the (soccer ) World Cup !!! Sure,our hearts will be beating ...

Johnny,
Doesn't Gerry's watch say : 1:01:55 ?
I'll have to check out, though.
BFN - Geneviève.

According to Gerry, exactly what time was the "Silent Letter" photo shoot?

This is an open letter to anyone who attempted to see the cancelled America show in Ft. Walton Beach, FL on May 27, 2002. We wanted to offer our apologies and an explanation for the cancelled show. We had been contacted by the venue in Ft. Walton for a show at their club but due to noncompliance of the contract by the promoter, the show was cancelled on May 17, 2002. As it appears now, the local promoter for this club chose not to tell anyone that the concert was cancelled. It is unfortunate that the public, the press and the production folks were led to believe that America would be playing at that club. It has been a very unfortunate situation and the real victims are America fans and for that, we are truly sorry.

We are looking forward to finding another opportunity to bring our show to the Ft. Walton Beach area and we will let everyone know when that might be scheduled.

Again, we are sorry for all the inconvenience.

-Gerry, Dewey and Morey Management Group

...went to the Jeff Larson site to get my soundbyte fix and discovered that the soundbytes are different. My guess is they're the final mix results. Anyway, HALFMOON BAY just blows me away! This guy has got it together! I thought his previous CD was well mixed too.

Anybody else here into riding recumbent bicycles? I've been riding one (Bike E) for about 3 months and love it. I've been riding it on a 16.4 mile paved bikepath in Athens, Oh. that runs on an abandoned railroad bed. It's 98% flat and nearly half of is in the woods. the rest of it is along hay and cornfields with the last couple of miles or so going thru Ohio University.

Carry on...Jeff B.

The broadcast date of that show was between the release of Silent Letter and Alibi. I, too, would like to know what was performed. Would have been cool if it would have been a song or two off of Silent Letter, or their upcoming album, the under rated and under promoted, ALIBI. Also, Speech, I believe that Badfingers' "comeback" was Airwves, which was released in 1979. Say No More was released next, in 1981. Airwaves was a much better album in my opinion. Check it out and let us know what you think about it. Another under appreciated album by another under appreciated band. Nancy, I knew you would like Sgt. Darkness. I could almost see you smilin'... Talk at you soon.DanC.

So ... what songs were performed?? Does anyone remember? Please tell me it was something other than the "tired and true" combo of "Horse With No Name" and "I Need You."

Hi Everyone~~
Neat picture Gerry! Kinda looks like a city within a city! I sure wish I was going to be there tomorrow to see You & Dewey & Band, Christopher Cross & Ambrosia~~~WOW! What a show this will be!
Regarding the Mike Douglas Show~~~Hmmm! My oldest son was a baby then and I must have been in MOMMY Mode (I'm still in Mommy mode~~Ooooh Nooo!~~my youngest is 6) I am not sure what network Mike Douglas was on, being that I live in a rural area and had just an antenna, I only got CBS & PBS (big selection HUH! LOL) Oh well I think I would remember if I had seen this. I do remember watching the show Eight is Enough~~~doesn't seem to be that long ago, but then again my son is 21~~Ouch! I am getting OLD!
Hey Dan C~~~I've been listening to the song Sergeant Darkness~~~Yes it sure is a nice song, I really like Gerry's voice on this~~such nice words too. :)
Have a good day all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

I don't think Matt is 25, but I believe the Dewey has a son around that age. Could it have been Dewey and not Gerry that made the remark?

Nina, your posts regarding AMERICA's appearance on the Mike Douglas Show is very cool especially with all that you mentioned about Gerry and his 3-year old son. Regarding your brother and his 'evilness', he didn't grow up to be Chubby Checker, did he? :0)

(Enjoyed the live chat with you too, Nancy (and Robyn), as brief as it was.)

Well, although my time frame was a bit off, at least I'm NOT crazy and there IS proof that America DID appear on the show! I remember watching it at my parent's home AFTER I graduated from college, but BEFORE I moved out in the fall of 1980. I have no idea what songs were performed, but I could swear that, because the "Eight is Enough" actress was pregnant with her first child, that Gerry shared the info. that he had a ?three? year old son. How old is Matt B.??? He isn't 25 yet, is he? (Gee..I guess he "could" be...GOD, I'm old!)

my bad, that's www.mikedouglasshow.com. sorry 'bout that!

If it's correct about AMERICA's appearance on the Mike Douglass Show being 2/27/80, it was about 5-6 months BEFORE the release of "Alibi" which was released in August 1980.

I bought "View From The Ground" on 7/22/82 (wrote the date inside the album cover). Dewey and Gerry sent out the "AKAMANJO" postcards on 8/06/82 which announced the release of "View".

Robyn, unless I'm doing something wrong, that Mike Douglass website (mikedouglass.com) you gave here brings up Mike Douglass the former NFL Greenbay Packer linebacker and his Alpine Fitness Club.

I can't recall ... were Gerry and Dewey promoting new product at the time? Off the top of my head, the show date seems to land between the release of "Alibi" and "View From the Ground."
Anyway, I recall that, around the same time, Joey Molland & Tommy Evans, along with the musicians they were employing to flesh out "Badfinger" also appeared on Mike Douglas. At that point, however, the boys were promoting new product -- namely their comeback LP bid entitled "Say No More."

Gerry is in Baltimore, MD today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window (Camden Yards stadium in background).

The official site (mikedouglass.com) lists their appearance as 2/27/80. This explains why I don't remember it. I was in college carrying 19 units, working two jobs. If I were at home, I was asleep!

Now for the good news/bad news. Ths site offers the tape for sale for $95 if it has been transferred from the master– $400 if not. Oh well, nice to know it is available!

I can't believe I actually remember this, but I watched that Mike Douglas episode. I was in grammar school and, as I recall, doing math homework when it came on. I wasn't really a fan then, as I was just getting into music, but I knew that I liked a few of their songs and was pretty excited when they came on. As I (vaguely) recall, they played several songs. I also recall that it was right around the time Harbor came out, but somehow that doesn't seem quite right. Its funny how memory works.

My siblings must be less evil than yours, Nina...they sat quietly the whole time. (:

Rich

I AM SO SORRY I MISSED YOU STEVE! had to go as dd needed the puter. Maybe next week?

Hi all! Does anybody remember "America" appearing on "The Mike Douglas Show" in the late '70's? There's not much I remember about it, except that the co-host that week was one of the actresses from the T.V. series "Eight is Enough". I recall it more for the pure EVIL-NESS of my brother, who knew I had been looking forward all day long to seeing the program...and he spoiled it for me ON PURPOSE by making alot of noise and rude comments. Ah, the love of siblings!

Hi Robyn~~~
I just wanted to say it was nice talking with you tonight in the live Chat~~~Thanks for all you do to keep it going! :)
Hi Johnny~~~Nice talking with you too! Always a fun time for sure!
Hi Steve~~~Sorry I missed you I am usually on at that time, but tonight my son was playing pool on yahoo and I came back on little later. Have a good day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Robyn, I signed on at 8:50 (California time) this evening but I was the only one on. I guess I was too late. One of these days I'll make it.

Your welcome Johnny-any time-not sure if I answered your question but tried!

Please join me after 7 pm this evening in the chat room!

Ahh, LisaRose, excellent detective work!!! Thank you!

Johnny, This is from Dan Peek's episode 37---"One big happy dysfunctional family. L.A. loomed like a great brown dust ball as we hurtled over the "San Berdoo" mountains. I'm sitting now staring at the "Holiday" cover, carefully framed in wood and glass and it really is a remarkable reminder. The illusion of a photo group in frame was made real thanks to Margaret Holmes, Jon Hartmann's assistant."

Does anyone know who Margaret Holmes was to the band? I see that her name appears on the LP sleeve of History, Hideaway, Harbor, Live, and Silent Letter.

In the US Platinum Certification means 1,000,000 units sold. Gold = 500,000 and Diamond = 10,000,000. Diamond was a new category added last year and I was hoping that History might one day hit that mark, since it is probably around the 6 or 7 million mark now. But since Rhino issued Complete I expect that History sales will fade.

Anyway, other countries set there own sales levels for issuing Gold and Platinum. Platinum in NZ may be 500,000 or less, I don't know. It is not necessarily the same from country to country.

Hi Everyone!
Thanks Brad~~What an appropriate place for a Memorial day weekend concert for sure! I learn so much from here~~Nice!
Hi Genevieve~~I must admit I wasn't at my best attempting these songs being that it was 2:30am here when I was answering them, I fall asleep lots here with my headphones and my AMERICA songs and others. So relaxing for sure....When I saw the trivia Johnny posted I just had to go for the answers! Lots of fun! :) Thanks for giving us your perspective on the Cannes movie festival ~~ like I said I learn lots from here~~So nice!
Thanks Gerry for the pic from Midland, what a cute~quaint setting, kinda looks like it could be my backyard, nice that flowers are planted around this "Bell Tree" (cute Johnny :)~~) Thanks Steve for posting it so promptly!
Hi Robyn~~Nice thought that luck was falling down on all who passed under! I am sure Gerry & Dewey's show would leave you feeling so Lucky!
Hi Dan C~~still smiling here! Well back to the work week tomorrow! Have a good day all! Bye for now Nancy :)
~~~Eyes holding back the tears that they've held for years. How can I tell you I don't want to make you cry~~Why should I even try, why should I even tryyyyyyyy! ~~~~~

Hey, who took the bells off of Gerry's "Bell Tree"? :0)

(Jimbob, I saw your photo that you had taken with Gerry. Very nice!!!)

Robyn,

I got your "obscure" reference. My wife and oldest daughter are avid readers of Anne McCaffery, especially the Pern series. Although I have never read her, I have heard them talk enough about the books that I feel as though I have.

Alan

And there it was thanks to Steve !!!

Hi everyone,
Thanks for this lyrics game Johnny & for your precisions about the inverted horseshoe : "Oh maybe I can't see what's plainly in my view "!!! Robyn's theory about them having the luck fall on people passing under the inverted horseshoe doesn't sound bad at all .
Nancy , I was just A LITTLE quicker than you were. Never thought it would happen - never aimed so high, LOL- cause you know all the guys' songs so well !

Off topic: the Cannes festival ended last night (with a more or less surprising "palmares") & we had some great moments here. How impressive to see most of your compatriots speak MY language! Woody Allen did all his interviews in French & even D. Lynch & Sharon Stone (& some others too) would often try to answer the journalists' questions in French. Besides one or two scandals, the atmosphere at the festival was really great this year! W.Allen received the most enthusiastic standing ovation I've ever seen in Cannes - and couldn't hide his wet eyes in front of the camera. Strange how some guys are more famous abroad than in their home countries...

Waiting for Gerry's next picture.... - Geneviève.

Gerry is in Midland, MI today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

My first thoughtas the photo downloaded and the sky looked green was "Gee, are they playing on Pern?" ( Obscure Anne Mc Cafferty reference)
Second, the inverted horseshoe, when you invert it, the luck falls out, maybe they meant to have the luck fall on people passing under it?

Hi, Nancy. To answer your question about the Stone Mountain carving: it is of 3 Confederate heroes of the Civil War on horseback. They are Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis.
Thanks for the picture postings, MacChief! Do you live in the Atlanta area? Enjoy the show? Take care, Brad

Genevieve and Nancy, that was quick. Way to go!

Regarding the building in Gerry's latest photo, it appears to be an inverted horseshoe above the letter "H" (and we all know about AMERICA's LP/CD titles starting with the letter "H", right?) The neon sign on the building appears to be "Horseshoe Casino". Funny about the inverted horseshoe. I've always heard that an inverted horseshoe means bad luck.

Hi Genevieve~~& Everyone!
Congratulations! You got all of them soo fast. Yes I saw that big H too and did you notice the oval sign on that building from another time era~~I was trying to make it out~~it kinda looked like it said AMERICA is here or something or other....
Thanks Johnny I really enjoyed your song lyrics game! :)
Have a good day! Bye for now, Nancy :)

OOoooh Johnny this is so much Fun~~~~Thanks! :)
#2 Are you there
#3 Only a kid at heart
#5 Sheltering Sky (oooh yes what a beautiful song)
#6 Stereo (one of my favorites for sure)
#7 Never found the time
#10 What does it matter
I have to work on the rest, Good Luck everyone! Good Night! I need SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Hi Johnny,
Nice trivia - got to use my MEMORY for that one!!!

Here are my answers :

#1 = 5th Avenue
#2 = Are You There?
#3 = Only A Kid At Heart
#4 = Overwhelming World Suite
#5 = Sheltering Sky
#6 = Stereo
#7 = Never Found The Time
#8 = Van Go Gan
#9 = Playing God
#10= What Does It Matter?

Jim, I was just trying to tease you a little bit, but YOU KNOW, I'd love to see that now so famous & priceless guitar. Talk to you soon anyway...

Nancy,
<< did you catch that great big column or whatever it was that was there for the highway to this place>>
I did, & also noticed the pink letter H in the distance, but I'm not really sure about it.

See you all - off to work!!!

Geneviève

Here are some song lyrics that contain the word "memory" or "memories". They're either AMERICA lyrics or lyrics written by Gerry for his solo work or his work with Robert Lamm and Carl Wilson. If anyone cares to, they can tell us which songs the lyrics belong to:

Lyrics From Song #1...
Even in the dark of night
You're memories of shining light

Lyrics From Song #2...
But then we came around and sang our song
And acted proud and posed for memory

Lyrics From Song #3...
From a childhood memory
To a place we'll never see

Lyrics From Song #4...
I can feel you breathing
As you lay besides me
Nothing but a memory
That you can't deny me

Lyrics From Song #5...
Am I fading on your eyes
Is my memory dear as the day we met

Lyrics From Song #6...
We change our tone
We leave our phone
And tape record our absence
In loving memory

Lyrics From Song #7...
And memories don't die
But with time become hazy

Lyrics From Song #8...
So much waiting, sentimental memories
Hesitating, maybe I'm just a wanna be

Lyrics From Song #9...
Somewhere in your memory
Lies the dormant seed

Lyrics From Song #10...
It's only just a memory
Just a little history

Wow,what an amazing place Stone Mountain looks! Johnny, I look like a bodyguard?? Hey, I never had considered that as an occupation! LOL! But...what a great job that would be! Dewey's bodyguard. I like it! Hi Genevieve, I will try and get a pic of the guitar to Steve.

Hi Everyone!
Hi Genevieve~~~I am here just smiling! That Robinsonville pic sure does look like a painted picture! This is so different from the vfhw stone mtn. pic.~~From the out of the way scene to the big city scene, and kinda like 2 different time eras there, wow! it almost looks like this whole parking lot is built on top of the MS river and did you catch that great big column or whatever it was that was there for the highway to this place, and by the looks of the full parking lot Everyone knew that Gerry & Dewey & the Band were there for sure! Hopefully one of them reads this and posts about the show!
Thanks to the MacChiefs for the neat picture of Stone Mountain, it must be beautiful there, what is sculptured in this mountain?
Hey Johnny! That was way too spooky! all i can say is that this common interest we all share here has us all in sync with each other. LOL!
Regarding Jimbobs Pic~~I am sure when Jim gets his picture taken with his treasured signed guitar, he will post it for all of us to see. WOW! So Nice that you got to meet Gerry & Dewey and they signed your guitar and even pictures with the both of them..... Sooo Nice for sure!
I want to say Thanks to all of the Veterans out there who served our Country in any way, and to those that lost Loved Ones in the wars, all are remembered with Thanks and Love on this Memorial Day!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Thanks Steve for posting Gerry's pic & how cool to have these additional shots from Stone Mountain too. Thanks MacChiefs for sending them.
Concerning the Robinsonville view, just one question : GOD, WHO PAINTED THAT ? lol - Geneviève

I still don't have access to the America Fans web site server (hopefully it will be taken care of by next week). As soon as I do I'll post some photos (permanently) from the Stone Mountain concert. In the meantime, you can click on the following link to take a look at the photos. Thanks to MacChiefs for sending them to me.

View of Stone Mountain and the stage
Closeup of the band playing

Gerry is in Robinsonville, MS this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Brad - thank you so much for your interesting & amusing report. Enjoyed the guys' humour & the simple fact of being given a chance to 'share' (although virtually) these moments of fun with you (as it 's been the case with all the reviews posted here by other nice fans too).

Jimbob - as Johnny mentioned your photos on this folder, I think there is one you definitely should post here : the one with your SHINING/ BLINDING laquered autographed guitar !!! the only snag is, when they see it, the guys might ask you to come & play with them :-) ! So practise & get ready - LOL
Hope someone will soon clarify those sales figures for platinium status for you.

Wow Nancy, our subject titles were so similar and posted within less than 20 seconds of each other...not to mention what we each said about "FAMT"! Spooky!!!

Loggin' off for the night/morning.

Hi Brad~~~
Thanks for your review~~WOW! you have seen them 11 times~~WOW! So interesting you say this time was one of the best. I agree with you there, when I heard them in Feb. I felt the same way, they have aged like fine wine and when the show is done it leaves you wanting more for sure~~~So NICE! Like you I would like to hear them play more of their other songs too, especially the ones from Hourglass and Human Nature and View from the Ground, I love the older songs too, well if I had my way their show would last forever, I would have them play all of their songs.....over and over again! Funny about the train going right through while they were singing~~~They should have played Catch that train, and From a moving train, and for sure Sleepertrain, as a Bonus!!! I am sure you will be on this high for a couple of days, I know I was after I saw them. Yes Jimbob the feeling after one of their shows leaves you wanting more for sure! I have seen the commercial Gerry mentioned and yes it does just seem to come on late at night, though I do recall seeing it on saturday afternoons also.
Hey Jim~~~that is something to think about~~WOW what a vision the thought of most of NZ jammin to AMERICA'S Homecoming CD! Nice for sure, I think I would like to join in on this! :)
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Brad, I enjoyed your review. The incident with the train sounds like it would have been a good opportunity to play "FAMT" next had it been on the playlist.

Jimbob, I rec'd your photo that you had taken with Dewey during the guys' tour to New Zealand...rec'd it via Nancy. It's a very nice photo that you should have Steve post here for all to see. It was good to see a photo of you...finally! Isn't there a Paul Simon song that mentions a bodyguard and a long lost friend/pal or something like that? You could have passed for Dewey's personal bodyguard there at the airport. That's meant as a compliment! And of course, Dewey's the long lost friend.

mB, best wishes on your new endeavor! We all know you'll be a great success!!! It sounds that way already.

Hey Brad! Thanks for the great review! Isn't it an amazing feeling, the hours after an AMERICA concert? Actually, the days and weeks that follow are pretty good too! Although, we are always left wanting more!

Hello, everyone. As promised, I am writing to review tonight's concert by our favorite band. I have seen America in concert 11 times now, dating back to July 3, 1990. Tonight was one of the best of the 11!
The guys sounded great, as always, and really seemed to have a great time on stage. Stone Mountain Park has a train that goes around the mountain about 3 times an hour. Unfortunately, it runs right through the path of the huge lawn area from which concert-goers watch the show. It makes a lot of noise and even runs during the concerts! Gerry and Dewey took this all in stride and even poked fun at it! After 1 interuption, Gerry said "someone tune that train!". Dewey said later "30 years of playing, and that is the first time we've had a train run through the middle of a concert." Actually, I saw them play the same venue 2 summers ago. Gerry also mentioned the new Complete Greatest Hits CD, and said "you insomniacs out there may have seen the commercial for it on late night TV."
I always look forward to hearing the guys play more obscure songs, rather than the hits. Tonight's rarer tunes included "Wheels Are Turning", "Baby It's Up to You", and The Beatles "I Need You". As a Beatles freak, I loved finally hearing this tribute to George Harrison. As usual, "Sandman" was probably the highlight of the show. Although they were not hits, "Wheels" and "Never Be Lonely" are truly great live songs as well.
The complete 20 song set list was: Riverside, Ventura Highway, You Can Do Magic, Don't Cross the River, Daisy Jane, I Need You, I Need You (Beatles), Baby It's Up to You, Wheels Are Turning, Tin Man, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin', Lonely People, Hangover, Never Be Lonely, Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, and A Horse With No Name (encore). They started playing at 7:12 P.M. and finished up right around 8:30.
I had a great time and hope to see the guys again soon. Take care, Brad

If platinum sales = 1,000,000 copies, then it means that almost one third of NZ bought the DEFINITIVE CD!

Best of Luck to mB as he begins his new adventure. I am sure the folks Down Under will keep an eye out for him and I look forward to what he will create.

Happy Memorial day to all. This weekend, besides all the BBQing and going to the beach, take time to think about the people whose sacrifice we honor with this holiday. (Climbing off the soapbox now)

RIAA doesn't automatically update certifications for Gold and Platinum sales. It is my understanding that the record company must submit sales totals that have been audited and pay a fee for the certification. So unless WB decides to apply for the updated certs they will probably never be updated. WB applied for Homecoming's Platinum certification last year because Rhino (a WB company) was reissuing Homecoming on DVD. It was probably done more to promote sales of the DVD rather than recognize America's achievement. Since Complete Greatest Hits was released by Rhino, I doubt that History will ever be updated because Rhino/WB will be pushing Complete instead.

Hi Genevieve,
Thanks to you and all of the other nice people here, my entusiasm comes from all of you. I really enjoy your posts to Genevieve, you have quite a way with words!
I too wish Matt the best of luck in all he sets out to do!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Thanks Gerry for this "Now a blue point ,far, far in heaven floating" kind of picture. Well, I used to know this poem by heart when I was a young student & the line came naturally to my mind when I saw the shot, so I couldn't help quoting this passage. Sorry. LOL

Many thanks to our Webmaster for all his efforts & for this great site! Just agree with you Nancy & Val.

Nancy, thanks for your permanent enthusiasm! So comforting to read your posts.

Brad, I too am looking forward to reading your report. Thanks & enjoy your evening out!

Just one last thing, should it be confirmed that Matt Beckley is moving to Australia to start a new musical adventure, I'd like to wish him the best for his future career & life.
OK enough now! Have a great weekend - Geneviève.

Hi Everyone,
Thanks Steve for posting the pic~~I was starting to go through withdrawel waiting to see another one! :)
Wow! Thanks Gerry~~This pic sure shows a nice out of the way setting for some rest and relaxation~~take advantage of it Okay! Have a good holiday weekend with your family!
Hi Val~~~I agree with you this is a very comfortable chat folder, I just love posting here! I have met alot nice friends from here. Thanks Steve for the nice site! All your time and effort that you have put into it has sure paid off, I really enjoy coming here everyday! :)
Hi Brad~~~Looking forward to reading your post about tonights show, Have fun, I am sure it will be a night to remember for sure! Wow I just got the chills thinking of seeing them back in Feb. I was in AMERICA heaven for sure!
Have a great weekend all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Gerry is in Stone Mountain, GA this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Hi, everybody. I am going tonight to see the guys at Stone Mountain. Anyone else going? I will give a report on the concert soon. Take care, Brad

Hello all! I have beenvisiting the America chat folder for some time. Just wanted to say how great the discussion on S&O, H&O, and America has been. What is most impressive, besides the EXTENSIVE knowledge people are so willing to share, is the respectful tone. It was so refreshing to see disagreement be treated in a polite and civil way. Thanks to all for making this such a great site about a great group such a pleasure to visit. A safe and happy Holiday to all. Val

Hello everyone,hope I did'nt rub anyones fur the the wrong way concerning H&O.Interestingly The Ozark Mountain Daredevils older material is making it to the CD format,perhaps one of the most original US bands.Some fantastic harmonies, glorious acoustic playing and a sense of humour,all with a rustic feel.I wonder who will be responsible for the "America" christmas release? As for "Hourglass" a superb set,just serves to remind two studio albums in nearly eighteen years is not nearly enough,no doubt the mighty dollar has had something to do with it.

Hi Jeff,
Can't wait either... though I might have to wait a bit longer than you to get my hand on this promising CD ! Currently listening to 'If Wishes Were Horses' & just love Larson's style & music. I'm sure his collaboration with the guys will leave us 'ecstatic' about this recording - see you Jeff - Geneviève.

Joel Whitburns Top pop LP's 1955-2001 has been good about keeping sales figures for the Multi-platinum LP's. Unfortunatly for America,and as the previous post mentioned,"History" has yet to be updated. It still reads figures at 4 million plus. I was the one who posted the original soundscan figures. And even though soundscan has been tabulating numbers of only 10 years,those totals were also added to whatever the RIAA had to begin with. "Hearts" and "Holiday" have obviously sold more than 500,000 copies since their original peaks in the 70's;Import copies have made sure of that. But because there is no guage for imports,they are not included by the RIAA. Look at Elvis Presley--if ever an artist was deserving of updated sales totals,its him. Thus,I can assume "History" has probably gone beyond 5 million,but until its re-certified by the RIAA,it won't be official.

Genevieve, ...can't wait to get my hands on FRAGILE SUNRISE. I wonder if Mr. Beckley's been working on his solo project? I'm sure it'll be another keeper.

JB

Just wanted to say have a wonderful and safe Holiday weekend to everyone here on the board. I need alot of R N R N R N R!!!
Anybody hear from Janice and how she's doing?

Take care, Howard L

Hi everyone,
A quick hi from France, just to attract your attention on the fact that the recording of J Larson's new CD is now finished. They put the studio pics on his web site & a MP3 clip of the (now) no longer mysterious bonus track - studio stuff actually - hmmm I seem to recognize the voice I can hear on that one!!! LOL

Steve, regarding this French 'version' of Sandman from 1974 I told you about, i'll get you the scanned picture as soon as possible ( unfortunately, my old scan committed suicide two days ago ! :-) . Now waiting for Gerry's next shot.
Have all a nice week-end.... - Geneviève

Cassie Peek perhaps being Catherine would seem logical since "Cassie Peek" is listed at the top of the right column on the "History" LP sleeve and "Vivien Bunnell" appears on the top of the left column.

That reminds me of a quote from Dewey that appears in the "Highway" booklet regarding "Sandman": "one of the things that i VIVIdly remember hearing one guy say is that he hardly ever slept in vietnam-he was afraid to go to sleep."

With the exception of Homecoming, those Platinum certifications are more than 15 years old. History and America were certified platinum in 1986 when those albums were reissued on CD. History was certified multi-platinum with sales in excess of 4 million in 1986. However, it has continued to be a strong seller since then. Last year somebody posted the Soundscan sales figures for America's CDs. Soundscan only started tracking sales in 1992. The sales of History from 1992 to 2001 were in excess of 1.1 million. That means that History has sales in excess of 5 million. It is probably greater than that since we don't know what the sales totals were from 1986 (when it was certified in excess of 4 million) and 1992 when Soundscan was started. I would expect that sales when it was initially released on CD were very strong in the late 80s. So I wouldn't be surprised if the actual sales are in the 6 to 7 million range.

I wonder what the sales figures for Complete Greatest Hits are since it made the Billboard charts after it was released last year?

Hey CJ~~
You are so right~~Sorry about that! I downloaded it and these things happen sometimes the song title or artists are different....It is a favorite song of mine anyway, and yes it is for sure by Dan Hartman. Funny at first when I was listening to it, it kinda sounded like H & O's singing it. I was going to put the lyrics in for H & O's song One on One, but as they sing in another song of theirs Some things are better left unsaid! LOL!~~~Oh Well I will stick to my AMERICA Lyrics from now on I promise!
Hi Spurs~~~~I really like David Gray's song Babylon, I also have heard another one of his, but I will play it safe and just say I am not really sure of the name of it...
Has any of you heard Jennifer Lopez's new song ALIVE~~~WOW! Love in and out, of my heart and though life can be strange I can't be afraid , searching through your soul the strength to stand alone the power of not knowing and letting go~~I guess I found my way, its simple when its right, feeling lucky just to be here tonight,and happy just to be me and to be alive! What a beautiful song!
Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend Everyone!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

>>On an AMERICA matter, who is Cassie Peek as listed on the "History" LP sleeve? <<

I seem to recall that "Cassie" was a name attributed to Catherine Peek, I recall seeing a photo of her with Dan in the "Heart" fencing gear, she was listed as "Cassie"

Then again, I could be wrong.....

I agree to some extent, Speech. The music of Simon and Garfunkel is brilliant. I never intended to slight them with my mention of more number ones. As an avid AMERICA fan, I culd care less what song is Number One (although it would be nice to have another one).

Paul Simon (specifically during his S&G days) was perhaps the finest lyricist of his time. His work accompanied by Art Garfunkels lush vocals will last for generations. I can't say the same for Hall and Oates. As a College guy in the 80's, Hall and Oates brings back memories and good times. It's the difference between liking someones "music" and someones "tunes". It was very rare for Daryl Hall or John Oates to wax philisophical about war and peace, the government or even "The Sounds Of Silence". On the other hand, Simon and Garfunkel didn't spend a lot of time on songs like "Maneater" and "Kiss On My List" (unless you count 59th Street Bridge Song).

Shayne
"I hear the drizzle on the way. Like a memory it falls. Soft and warm continuing. Tapping on my roof and walls..."

Any other radio interview clips of similar length/quality on the site that you would recommend?

Ladd, I would recommend that you go to the Sound Index web page on the America Fans web site for a complete list of all the sound clips that I have posted permanently. If you scroll down almost to the bottom of the page you'll see a section that says Miscellaneous and it has quite a few interviews. Enjoy!

Everyone have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

--SteveL

Actually Speech, I don't own "Bigger Than Both Of Us" on either an LP or a CD; I have it on 8-TRACK!!! Because of that, I haven't listened to "BTBOU" in a long, long time. "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" is a favorite H&O song of mine, too!

Regarding Steve Wonder's "Part Time Lover" and "Maneater," I thought I was the only one who heard the same sound between the two songs. Well, the intro for sure, anyway!

I've noticed that Jeff Larson has a song with the same song title as an H&O song..."Heavy Rain".

On an AMERICA matter, who is Cassie Peek as listed on the "History" LP sleeve?

You've got it, Johnny. That song used to get a lot of FM airplay here in the Philly area.
I don't know if you own that LP (or CD), but if you do, can you tell me if the CD mix is any better than the vinyl? My only complaint about the original recording is that the production sounded a bit muddy.

And Stevie Wonder's (later) 80s hit "Part Time Lover" was a direct patch on H&O's "Maneater." Talk about coming full-circle.
On the other hand, if derivative were illegal, Gerry, Dewey & Dan, (along with the Beatles, the Stones and virtually every other modern recording artist) would be behind bars or on probation.

"Do What You Want, Be What You Are" is the answer to your triv question, I do believe, Speech.

The answer to my trivia question is: Sara was a flight attendant for CAPITOL AIRLINES.

H&O are not "on my list", so I lean towards Spurs sentiments.

I have always thought that their music was too much a take of sixties Motown, which I like by the way, but prefer the real thing. I read once that Dozier/Holland said that "Maneater" was a formulaic derivative of "You Can't Hurry Love" ..... hmmmmm

Anyway, I still prefer the kind of music that America have been giving us for 30 years and am more than happy not to listen to H&O. Of course, TEHO is what they say .....
Chris

I personally don't care how many records either duo sold or how many platinum or gold discs they can hang on their garage walls.
I care about their body of work. And it's tough to consider them even being in the same room, in terms of their art.
Simon and Garfunkel peaked during the height of "serious" music, when being "pop" was utterly uncool, and the kind of introsepctive and/or angst-ridden tunes Paul Simon was writing were (notwithstanding 59th Street Bridge Song, Cecelia, etc., you hair-splitters out there)were what the culture wanted.
"Silent Night/Six O'Clock News," was very much of its time, as was "Dangling Conversation," "Richard Cory," "Sounds of Silence," etc.
They are great tunes, but Hall & Oates worked an entirely different side of the street.
And for a period in time -- a time when it was OK to listen to music for relaxation, for fun and to dance -- H&O delivered a consistently brilliant body of work.
Incidentally, I tend to prefer H&O's earlier work, prior to that "happy feet" period that began in the early 80s.
One of my all-time favorite songs of theirs is from "Bigger Than Both of Us."
I've read a lot of folks quoting on this site from the fizzy period H&O songs of the early 80s. Let's see who knows the earlier work.
Can anyone tell me the title of the song that includes these lyrics?

"Do you believe in hot cars, leather bars and movie stars, is that what's real?"

or (same song) "... you can change, you can change, you can change ... but you can't conceal, what's deep inside you, it's your game, it's your deal..."

Anyway, it's sort of hard to talk about who the "most successful duo" is because the work, and the historical framework, is so very different.

Fantastic, Steve. Great piece of history! It's fun to hear something from that period--I have so many great memories of that year--that time--from childhood.

Any other radio interview clips of similar length/quality on the site that you would recommend?

I'm not a big H&O fan either, I do like "Sara Smile" thought that was a good tune........... maybe I'm missing out, never got an album of theirs, so I've never really listened to them, except for the stuff on the radio & the "old" MTV videos.
Billy Joel I used to like alot, my faves were his 1st album, 52nd St., The Stranger, Glass Houses. But I must of grew tired of him or something, I haven't replaced these albums on CD yet.
We're going to see Cheap Trick tonite, found out they were playing on this website when I was getting tickets for AMERICA for July.
And since we're talking about other bands, to the Matthew Sweet fan out there, I did pick up Altered Beast, Great CD(not my fave M.S. CD, but it's growing on me) he's such a great artist, I don't go anywhere w/out having one of his CDs on hand. I have to thank mB for getting me back into him! After he mentioned him on this board, I went back & listened to "100% Fun" again & then got "In Reverse" & have been hooked ever since! Sorry this was so long..

Hello everyone,whilst many of you on the chat folder find H&O entertaining I find them more on the desperately dull side right there with the ghastly Billy Joel, strictly by the numbers.Now should you be interested in someone new check out David Grey the best talent to come along in many a long year, "Babylon" not so far removed from the "Ventura Highway" guitar lick and the albums a cracker but the DVD is even better.

Your lyrics belong to the tune, I Can Dream About You by Dan Hartman!

Hi Everyone!
Bruce~~~~ You know I wondered before why no one on here ever mentioned S & G, so many good songs, they definitely are a classic in their own right! I wonder if we were to ask either Gerry & Dewey or Hall & Oats if any of S & G's music were an influence with them~~just what would they say~~~hmmm Interesting!
Regarding H & O~~I have been listening to their songs today and yes I now recall many of these songs as favorites~~but not like my AMERICA songs they still hold the key to my heart for sure! WOW! it sure was good to hear One on One,I can dream about you, haven't heard these for a long time.
Shayne~~~You sure know your H & O lyrics~~~just like I know AMERICA'S lyrics~~~here is one of my favorites of H & O's~~~I don't understand it I can't keep my mind off of loving you , not even for a minute, ooooh now baby i'm caught up in the magic I see in you, theres one thing to do, I can dream about you, if I can't hold you tonight,I can dream about you, you know how to hold me just right.... wwoowowooo I can dream about you!
Now for a favorite of AMERICA'S~~~Another evening the rain falling down, its been a long time since you've come around,a little laughter and we had it all, its so misleading the things you reacall~~~turning the pages we open the cages, now I know that nothing so far away as yesterday.....nothing so far away!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Sorry - must have done that refresh thing as well - totally missed the America piece on RIAA - I did look for it, just didn't find it!

Sorry - no America appearance on the Recording Industry Artists Association's listing for Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum regarding albums. I know there's a post to this effect somewhere looking for basically this info:

Albums - Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum:

SIMON & GARFUNKEL, DUO, 10 8 7
HALL & OATES, DUO, 13 6 3

Gold = 500,000 units
Platinum = 1,000,000 units
Multi-Platinum - 2,000,000 units

Still tracking down the singles information.

Hey sorry I refreshed my page and accidentally posted again!!!

Hey Johnny, re: your post "H&O are the most successful duo in rock/pop history", what do you base the term "most successsful" on? Have you ever heard of a duo called "Simon & Garfunkel"? I play acoustic music with my friends frequently for audiences, and S&G is requested very frequently (along with AMERICA, natch!) A far as H&O, rarely. Now, I can't quote statistics on how many millions of records S&G sold vs H&O, but I bet S&G sold quite a few million, and probably continue to even now, even though there hasn't been a new S&G record in a LONG time! Comments, anyone?

America has been fortunate to score with a few Platinum selling LP's(One Million or more copies). According to the Recording Industry Asociation of America,the totals read:
1)History/America's Greatest Hits: 4million plus
2)America(1972)America 1 million plus
3)Homecoming(1972) 1 milion plus. Homecoming reached One Million last year. Because titles like "Hearts" & "Holiday" have never been reissued on CD domestically,those titles are still stuck in the "gold" category(500,000 plus).

Sorry - no America appearance on the Recording Industry Artists Association's listing for Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum regarding albums. I know there's a post to this effect somewhere looking for basically this info:

Albums - Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum:

SIMON & GARFUNKEL, DUO, 10 8 7
HALL & OATES, DUO, 13 6 3

Gold = 500,000 units
Platinum = 1,000,000 units
Multi-Platinum - 2,000,000 units

Still tracking down the singles information.

Gee I thought this was the AMERICA FANS chat folder, guess I stumbled into the Hall and Oats room by mistake!

You're right - sorry - I was reading the text, not the quote at the bottom - got so excited to actually see H & O, got carried away!

Simon and Garfunkel were (are) great. However, by sheer numbers, Hall and Oates sold more records. They were also the first duo to have 6 number 1's on the Billboard charts (Private Eyes, I Can't Go For That, Maneater, One On One, Say It Isn't So, Out Of Touch).

Shayne
"Easy, ready, willing, overtime, Where does it stop, where do you dare me to draw the line."

Hey Johnny, re: your post "H&O are the most successful duo in rock/pop history", what do you base the term "most successsful" on? Have you ever heard of a duo called "Simon & Garfunkel"? I play acoustic music with my friends frequently for audiences, and S&G is requested very frequently (along with AMERICA, natch!) A far as H&O, rarely. Now, I can't quote statistics on how many millions of records S&G sold vs H&O, but I bet S&G sold quite a few million, and probably continue to even now, even though there hasn't been a new S&G record in a LONG time! Comments, anyone?

Daryl Hall has a solo release slated for August according to my reps at CD-One Stop. I wish I had more details for you. I'm not sure if "Me & Mrs.Jones" will be included. I do have studio and Live versions of that song of which I downloaded...."Can't stop dreaming" was the last solo LP Hall did,and was available initially as a "Fan club" item,and then as a Pricey import. In My opinion,its the best of his solo LP's. Very cohesive from start to finish. Like our guys in America,Hall added a nice remake of "She's gone" to the collection(Gerry redid "I need you" on VGG). Another strong ballad is "Whats in your world". From Start to finish,and much like "Marigold Sky",this LP is great! I have a Concert video that Daryl filmed/performed in Japan,and it was primarily all "Can't stop dreaming" material,and a few older songs. I feel that after years of recording and performing,the 2 best releases for Hall/Oates were "Marigold sky" and
"Can't stop dreaming". Strong from start to finish!

Yes, it is "Open All Night", but no, it is not from Three hearts In The Happy Ending Machine". It's from Hall and Oates' "H2O".

Shayne
"You're living in dreamtime babe, you want to run away..."

Haven't checked in for a few days - this place is pretty quiet sometimes - and what do I find??? Hall & Oates?!?!?! What a pleasant surprise!! As one of the die-hard H & O fans - it's nice to see that there are others besides me & Tres who enjoy both bands immensely!!

Sorry to blow up your trivia questions, Shayne - they were too easy!!!

Yes, indeed, Do It For Love is climbing the charts - I believe it was said here already - debuted on Radio & Records' chart at #22 - it's picked up 51 stations in 2 weeks' time and an additional 116 plays. We've been poking radio stations across the U.S. and could use some help. If you like it - ask for it!!! Don't be shy - call your local DJ and get on his case! I'd do it for Gerry & Dewey just the same for such a great song!! If you haven't heard it yet, I believe you can still hear it on the H & O website - www.HallandOates.com. It does seem apparent that just like just about anything Dewey & Gerry put out - despite how wonderful we think it is - radio execs still believe the material is "headed for Blockbuster" rather than #1 on radio charts. It's a shame that radio doesn't subscribe the the concept that music is about depth and emotion - it's supposed to rock your soul not just be about beauty, sexiness or how much money the record company's gonna make off you. OK - I digress - don't be shy, request Do It For Love right out loud and show the idiots in control who should be in control - the Fans!! Hey Gerry & Dewey - got a single you want me to push????

Be sure to catch the program - Musicians - on Bravo May 27, 2002 at 10:00 p.m. (it repeats more than a few times that week, too) - it's the Behind the Music of Bravo TV and I have several friends who checked out of their lives for 24 hours to be at the taping - it's gonna be pretty incredible - H & O "live" and fairly unplugged - too bad it's only gonna be 1 hour. . .

As for Daryl's last CD - Can't Stop Dreaming was released only in Japan but the CD can be bought - for a price - occasionally on eBay. (I have both the import and fan club release of it - OK, I'm bragging now. . .) It's a beautiful demonstration of Daryl's depth of soul - for those of you who've heard it - "Cab Driver" will probably be it's first release to radio (jazz) in the Fall - if it ever gets released here in the U.S.

Obviously, I'm partial to Daryl, BUT, John's got a place right there in my heart right next to Dewey & Gerry!! It just blows me away sometimes but it's true - without John, there's no H & O - figuratively and literally! His solo CD is slated for release on August 8, 2002 - titled "Pfunk Shui" - great lyrics from what I've seen and ooohhhhh, he's got such soul - check out for www.PfunkShui.com - coming soon!

Johnny - thanks for bring all this fun up! Anyone doing H & O in AC in July??

Chris - Cleveland

Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine - 1986

Open All Night. . .

I'll give you another line:

"I know how you spent your time. Too many people know you weren't alone. Your after hours followed you home..."

Darn it!!! Shayne did say it was for Sara's sister, Janna. You all know the rest of the story and doesn't this all remind us of a Howie/Eddy trivia incident not too long ago? LOL

Bye for today!!!

Shayne, you're right! It was for Sara Allen, sorry!!! I mis-read your answer. I thought you said for Sara's sister, Janna.

Hall re-wrote the song in memory of Janna; he re-titled it "Somebody Like You", but you're absolutely correct that "Someone Like You" was for/about Sara.

Shayne, no, not Janna Allen but close. It seems like it's sort of a trick question but it's really not.

"Someone Like You" is also a great video! Like you, it's my favorite Hall solo song as well.

I'm stumped on your triv question.

In my last message, I quoted a Daryl Hall and john Oates song. What was the song and from what LP did it come from?

C'mon Johnny, you can do it!

Shayne
"Well, you can count on "the kid" Cause there's nobody waiting around..."

Hey Johnny...long time...

I believe "Someone Like You" (my favorite DH solo song) was written for Sara Allen's sister, wasn't it?

Shayne
"Got a lot of friends that I don't need. They say you'd rather hear it first from me. Maybe I don't want to hear it at all..."

<<So, Johnny, isn't that song of Gerry's on the Hearts LP, you know the one entitled, "Why Should I Even Try?" just the greatest????>>

Good one, Speech! And, how about this lyric from the title track to Daryl Hall's "Sacred Songs" LP:

You waste your time but you occasionally score
But you can't tell from what went down before

Go Speech Go!!!

No harm intended above, Speech...just a little light humor on my part.

Of course they need to ... they're artists. But pop artists also need their creations to be played, to be heard and to be acquired by an audience. That's the connection, the validation and the revenue needed to sustain an artistic career. Otherwise they can make tapes and share them among friends and family.

Sorry speech...perhaps I'm naive, but I would like to believe that some artists create because they have a need to. Not because they are constantly looking to score a hit.

You're right. It is trivial. But thanks anyway. It shows vigilance. For the record, I will mangle a title from time to time because I'm writing off the top of my head and I care less about getting it correct than I do about posting now (when I have a moment at my desk) as opposed to later, when I may have the luxury of researching the precise title, but may also be thrusting and parrying with a 7-year-old who'd rather play Nintendo GameCube than do his homework. I think I saw a similar post yesterday in response to me adding an "e" to the title of the first H&O LP "Whole Oats." To reiterate, folks, I'm not a real stickler for precision in postings, unless I'm responding to someone who has asked for something precise (like, "Can anyone tell me what the exact title of so-and-so's 1973 LP on Reprise was? )
So, Johnny, isn't that song of Gerry's on the Hearts LP, you know, the one entitled, "Why Should I Even Try?" just the greatest????

I saw Hall & Oates last year in concert while on vacation at St. Petersburg Florida. America was the warm up band for them. Great show. America did their short set and H&O were the final act. I was impress with H&O, they were really good and if anyone gets the chance to see them, go for it.

Hall's song from "Soul Alone" isn't titled "When Did You Stop Loving Me"; it's "Stop Loving Me, Stop Loving You". I realize it may be being trivial, but after all, we don't call "Ventura Highway"..."Ventura Highway In The Sunshine" nor "Daisy Jane"..."Looking For My Daisy Jane", right?

Talking about trivial matters, here's a couple of trivia questions for you H&O fans here:

1) John wrote "Las Vegas Turnaround" about Sara Allen who is now Daryl's ex-girlfriend. She was a fly attendant back during the time John wrote the song. What airlines did she work for?

2) Daryl wrote "Someone Like You" for whom? <---- Easy question

Sylvain, the album that you're referring to is included in my album list on the America Fans web site. Here's a link that will take you directly to the web page for that album: /america/album/album31.htm

--SteveL

I'm well aware of the genesis of the Fripp-produced LP "Sacred Songs." That one venture into "challenging" pop music aside, let's be straight: mass appeal is the objective of any pop artist, solo or otherwise. If their records soar to the top of the charts, they are happy. If they stiff, they are unhappy ... and often ready to blame their record label for failing to promote the product well enough.
I wasn't suggesting DH was trying to "duplicate," the Hall and Oates sound on his solo discs, what I was saying was that, inarguably, the mass pop and r&b markets to whom Hall generally directs his solo material did not find his solo work as interesting as Hall & Oates collective work.
I happen to really enjoy Hall's solo stuff. But, again, everything Hall has done as a solo artist, from covering Marvin Gaye to bringing in Alan Gorrie of the Average White Band to co-write much of his material, hasn't grabbed him the commercial brass ring the way working with John Oates has. And please, let's not pretend that solo tracks like "Dream Time," I Wasn't Born Yesterday," "When Did You Stop Loving Me," "Money Changes Everything" and "I'm in a Philly Mood" were intended as artistic statements, whether they embodied the Hall& Oates sound or were meant to diverge from the path a bit. They were clearly intended to blast out of boom boxes and to fly off the CD store shelves.

Hi Hardtosleep & Shayne,
So it was released in the 80's then, I am also familiar with the songs Out of touch and Method of Modern Love, and yes I have heard the title Big Bam Boom! I will work on getting these songs from Marigold Sky~~sounds like some good ones. She's Gone is a good one for sure. Bye for now, Nancy :)

I'm pleasantly surprised to see how much talk there is about Hall & Oates. I was a big fan of theirs when I was younger and I've tried to keep up with their work over the years. I tend to gravitate to the work done before and after their wildly successful period.

Nancy..."Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" is from the 1984 release, Big Bam Boom. Not one of my favorites, but I remember enjoying it at the time.

speechwriter...DH has released 4 solo albums since 1980. I don't think the point of doing so was to try and duplicate the H&O sound. I think he was trying to go in a completely different direction. Robert Fripp produced the first solo album Sacred Songs...it wasn't mass appeal that Daryl was after.

I don't have the most recent solo effort which I believe was only released in Japan, but the first three are all worth a listen if you happen to enjoy DH.

I think DH has always gotten more attention simply because he put himself out there more than JO did. Percentage wise he wrote most of the material, he dressed in an eccentric way, and he's pretty energetic/dramatic on stage and had a larger female following.
My favorite Oates songs are Crazy Eyes, Love Hurts/Love Heals, Las Vegas Turnaround, Alone Too Long, Rockability and Time Won't Pass Me By.
Anyone with an interest in Hall & Oates should definitely pick up Marigold Sky. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Also, try and catch that version of "Me & Mrs. Jones" that Steve mentioned. I've seen it done in concert and it's really good. Actually, I think I may have heard that the version of DH's latest solo effort that is to be released in the States will include a version of "Me & Mrs...". I hope that it's still true.

Take care all and have a safe weekend!

Another great John Oates song was "She's Gone", a huge hit for the duo back in the 70's.

Shayne
"Spent eternity in the city. Let the carbon and monoxide melt my thoughts away..."

"Some Things are Better Left Unsaid" is from the LP "Big Bam Boom", released in 1984. This album was best known for "Out Of Touch" and "Method Of Modern Love".

Shayne
I'm tired of playing on the team, oh it seems I never get time-out anymore..."

Hello from Canada,

I'm a daily reader of the folder and seldom do I post but this time I have a question. While shopping down in New York state this weekend I came across a strange looking America Live CD. It has a black cover with America written at the top right in a light peach colour and live written all over in fadding white. A picture of the three guys wearing suits with wide lapels. It says EMI Capitol Music special markets 2000 on the back. But also All Songs 1995 Pet Rock Records. The catalogue number is the same as the barcode 72435-24591-2-4. There are 10 tracks. No liner notes. No concert dates or even where. Can anyone identify this release for me? I have never seen this one before.

Sylvain

Hi Everyone!
All this talk of Hall & Oates got me thinking of their songs and I remember this one called "Some Things are Better Left Unsaid" it definetly has an 80's sound to it. I like it though, and as a matter of fact now that I think of it I really do like alot of their older ones, One On One, Sarah smile, You've lost that Loving Feeling~~~etc.So now this Marigold Sky has me curious, especially since you are all saying it is much like Hourglass. I have both Kazaa and Audiogalaxy, so I will check some of these songs out. I just wanted to say in case there is anyone here that has Kazaa, there was a news article on my MSN Home page saying that there is a worm virus in the Kazaa system now, called the Benjamin worm and it is one that multiplies very fast, so I would stay away from Kazaa for awhile.
Hey Johnny :)
You sure do know alot about Hall & Oates, I guess you are addicted to music as much as I am!
Steve O~~~~I checked out your site and it is neat, I love music trivia so I hope to join in on that sometime.
Have a good day everyone! Bye for now , Nancy :)

If you've seen and heard them live (5 times for me), it also becomes evident early on that John Oates can play his guitar. When I saw them most recently, John played those gorgeous lead lines on "Time Won't Pass Me By," but otherwise played mostly (a superb) rhythm guitar.
I think it's interesting to note that, while Daryl is generally written about as the star, the chief songwriter and the guy with "the voice," his solo records have, speaking generally, not clicked for a mass audience the way the Hall & Oates records have. That tells me John's contribution, as submerged as it may be sometimes, is crucial to the ultimate mix. Incidentally, John's "Las Vegas Turnaround" is among my favorites of theirs, as is "Possession Obsession." I'm real interested to hear what he comes up with on his solo disc.

A few years ago "Goldmine" Magazine had a cover story on Hall & Oates. I wrote a letter to the editor commending them on the story! I also added my 2 cents in regarding John Oates. Why Hall has a great voice and sings most of the Hits,Oates is by no means the "Andrew Ridgely" of the act(As in relation to George Michael/Andrew Ridgely of Wham). Oates has penned and sang some great songs over the years!
His "hits" have included "She's gone","Back together again","You've lost that lovin' feelin","Possesstion Obsession" and even "How does it feel to be back". Two of my favorite LP cuts by the guys are Oates tunes: "Crazy eyes"(from the '77 effort "Bigger than both of us")and "Italian girls"(from the H20 effort). "Time won't pass me by" from 'Marigold Sky' is another reminder of why John Oates can write and even sing a great song(even though its a duet)

Yeah Rich, "Time Won't Pass Me By" and "War Of Words" are both great songs with a greater Oates influence, and it is a shame that Hall has overshadowed Oates as you mentioned. I'm very glad it's a much more even situation with Dewey and Gerry.

I hear that John Oates is an extremely nice person...much more than Daryl Hall is according to some of the fans from their website/chat folder.

Speech, just for the record, Hall & Oates' 1972 album is titled "Whole Oats" as opposed to "Whole Oates". As you may know, Hall's real name is Hohl thus the play-on-words regarding their last name and the title of their 1972 LP.

It seems that everyone who has "Marigold Sky" likes it. My favorite songs are "War of Words" and "Time Won't Pass Me By." Both credit Oates with at least a partial songwriting credit if I recall correctly. He is always overshadowed by Hall, but Oates has penned some great acoustic-based songs on their last few albums. I look forward to a solo effort and wonder why he never had one before. Speaking of solo efforts, Hall's "Soul Alone" from 1994 (?) is worth checking out.

Rich

Chat is on for tonight, same time as always (5-9) Also, I have gotten two strange email viruses from people here on the site ( one from Kevin S and one from TZMAC) If you get ANYTHING from me, delete it! Thanks.

had "Marigold Sky" come out during the duo's peak years,there would have been at least 4 singles to come off of that disk. "Romeo is bleeding" is an awesome song,underappreciated because nobody heard it.
The Cd charted at #95 for a meager 5 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 in 1997. In comparison to "Hourglass",both disks were great efforts that just lacked promotion,or disinterest from the General Public. Too bad,their loss! If you want to hear an awesome remake,Check out Daryls live version of the old Billy Paul song "Me & Mrs.Jones"--Philly Soul at its best!!! You'll need to visit either winmx,KazAa or audiogalaxy etc to find it though...

Something has happened so I can't access the America Fans web site server again (it looks like they changed the password and didn't tell me). Here's some updated concert information for you until I can update the concerts web page (thanks to Cari Patterson for the information).

The actual event that America will be playing for in St. Petersburg on June 2 is called TASTE OF PINELLAS. This will be an awesome show for anyone that can take advantage of it. It's practically free ($3.00). Cari thinks that Orleans comes on at 5:30 and America at 7:30.

Here's a link to information about the event:

www.flausa.com/destinations/events.php/location=ca-sp

My favorites from Marigold Sky are the title tune, "Romeo Is Bleeding," "Time Won't Pass Me By," "I Don't Think So" and "War of Words." I'm a big fan of some of that classic, 70s-era soul, and a couple of the tunes ("Time Won't Pass Me By," "I Don't Think So" and "Throw the Roses Away") are, to me, wonderful takes on the Spinners and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (who, of course, the guys worked with at Philly International.) The others are classic Hall and Oates to my ears, with "War of Words" containing a kind of echo of their very early work, like "Southeast City Window" (from Whole Oates). I agree with those who've likened Marigold Sky to Gerry and Dewey's "Hourglass" in the sense that it was a vital, energizing piece of work, one that made me believe we can all get better as we get older, and put to rest any concerns about the artists being creatively spent.

Hi Kim,

Thanks for the information. I did purchase these shirts last year. I thought that they might have new t-shirts this year.

I'll keep holding out for a show in my area. I might have to wait until the Gaithersberg show in Oct.

Sharon

Yeah Steve, H&O's "Marigold Sky" CD is like D&G's "Hourglass"...a great comeback CD that unfortunately fell short but not due to either CD's fault.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about "Romeo Is Bleeding". Like Dewey's "Young Moon," it should have been a big hit. "Romeo Is Bleeding" and the title track are my favorites from that CD. "Romeo..." reminds me a lot of H&O's past smash hit "Say It Isn't So".

Speech, what are your favorite songs from "Marigold Sky"?

Johnny,
without a doubt,"Marigold Sky" is my Favorite Hall & Oates LP to date!
Best cuts: "Romeo is bleeding","time won't pass me by" and "Promise ain't enough"--but the entire disk is really good!

Without a doubt, "Hourglass" is an incredible piece of musical work. It was so disappointing to see that it didn't receive some major type of recognition (other than Gerry's "Hope", of course, and its wonderful association with the Martell Foundation). To me, "Hourglass" was similar to the disappointment I (we) felt with the failure of "Silent Letter" to garnish any major acclaim especially with the latter being AMERICA's first release as a duo. Maybe there's something ominious about the colors (brown and white) that were used on both the "Hourglass" and "Silent Letter" covers???

Regarding Hall & Oates, to me they are to 80s music like AMERICA was to the 70s but even more, perhaps. This is especially true since H&O are the most successful duo in rock/pop history, I believe it is...maybe even more than just rock/pop...not sure, though.

Last Thursday, I received an e-mail message from H&O's website stating the following: "According to Radio & Records, 'Do It For Love' was the #1 Most Added and the #1 New and Active Single in AC Radio this week with 31-radio-station adds."

SteveO, John Oates' upcoming CD, I believe, is titled "O-zone".

Regarding H&O's 1997 CD, "Marigold Sky," it's a fantastic CD if you're a fan of theirs from the 70s, 80s, or 90s. I'm sure everyone would recognize hearing their hit single from the "Marigold Sky" CD, "Promise Ain't Enough".

When I hear the title track to "Marigold Sky," I always think of Dewey and Gerry, and I wonder what the song would sound like with their vocals instead, especially since the song is kick-butt with H&O on acoustic guitars.

Nancy,(and anybody else who is interested). A friend of mine created a website for me,and some of my recent Newspaper articles are included on there. The address is: www.geocities.com/steve_o_entertainment/
When you get to the opening page(and the annoying Pop up ads!)click on the "archives" section. My recent Story on Rob Parissi and Wild Cherry is under the heading "Legacy of a one hit wonder". The Gallery section includes 2 shots with Gerry & Dewey,and other musicians/family etc. BBS means the message board for anybody thats interested. I'm sure its just a matter of time before I get around to doing a story on America. To anybody who decides to visit,leave me some feedback! Thanks!

did you send me an email? It is blank.

Sharon,

I just attended a recent concert and there weren't any "tour" t-shirts with the tour year for sale. All of the shirts that were being sold at the concert are available at the venturahighway.com site. I bought the "been through the desert" tee and my daughter got the baseball style. If I remember correctly the price at the concert is the same as being charged at the website.

Hope this helps!
Kim

Goanna: The mere mention of Hourglass will drag me out of the most sheltered woodwork to share a breath of fresh air. To me, this compilation is an arse-kicking reflection of some of the most special times The (2) Guys have ever experienced or shared. The changes that were in the air for them (and us) is palpable. I'm not saying it was a just a turning point but that it was, and is also, a very high point. Good for the soul. You will get your copy... especially with the friends you have here. Some of those Hidden Gems mentioned by Jim may also be good omens of what has happened or is is happening recently. I'll leave it to imagination. Yes, Gerry lost a lot of sleep programming those drums ... but it was by choice.

Warren: Just like Johnny said, that was an excellent review! Speaking as someone who was exactly the age you are now when America first burst, I can feel your joy (and possible pain). Yes, it's fun when The Guys are in earshot... because we're always listening to them. They've had years to perfect those hand gestures so keep on trying and good luck!

Hi,

Like others on this forum, I have been holding out for a date close to home. America usually plays either the Birchmere or the State Thearter both in Va. I would go to Baltimore, but too many other acts on the bill. So far no other listings. Unfortunately, I can't go far from home this year, so a road trip is not in the cards.

Can anyone help me by getting me a t-shirt from the concert tour this summer? Please let me know. I am really a sucker for their shirts. Could use a description of what they have to offer, so I can make a choice :0)

If you could help me, please email me at browns@mail.nlm.nih.gov.

Thanks for any help.

Sharon

Hi Everyone!
Definitely Hourglass an excellent work of art, and I too didn't understand why it was never really given the credit here in the USA that it truly deserves. I found Hourglass when I found my friend from Germany on the Net, and when I first heard Hourglass in it's entirety I just cried! I love every song on this CD and I am so glad that I did find it. It definitely is one of their best collections. Jimnak~~Perfectly put "Many Hidden Gems here" FOR SURE!
Speechwriter~~You're right Hall & Oats never really were out of the music scene. I guess, when I think of them I still put them back in the 70's and 80's, whereas with AMERICA'S music, it is a part of my everyday life. I feel that AMERICA'S music has aged like fine wine and is even better today in some ways. In finding Hourglass and Human Nature I was back in AMERICA Heaven for sure, I hope there are more new releases to come. Thanks so Much Gerry & Dewey for all of the great Songs!
Have a good day all! Bye for now Nancy :)

I can recall putting Hourglass onto a chrome cassette and playing it ceaselessly in my car when it first came out. A beautiful, seamless recording and a culmination of all their strengths. And even though I find the practice of re-recording one's own hits dubious, I have to say I really liked Dewey's reading of Dan's chestnut, "Everyone I Meet is From California." Not so "You Can Do Magic." I didn't think the tune was very inspired first time around, and the Hourglass version is essentially the same arrangement (to my ears). That one quibble aside, I think Hourglass belongs in a time capsule as one of the best pop albums of the early 90s.

the label was American Gramafone out in Omaha, so it wasn't given the proper promotion. GERRY & DEWEY worked extremely hard on this project & even went out to record the project at American Gramafone's studio in the winter.
I think GERRY lost a lot of sleep working out the issues.

I agree Hourglass is one of their best. I don't know why, but it was virtually ignored by the media when it was released.

HOURGLASS is the best ! Very tightly integrated musical focus, think of the entire CD as a 1 big song. Many Hidden Gems here.

But, like Gerry and Dewey, Hall& Oates hasn't ever really gone away. Their 1997 (I think) release, "Marigold Sky," was a really strong recording all the way through, and I saw them in A.C. in March 2000, where they put on a fantastic performance. And although it has its flaws, VH-1's "Behind the Music" installment on Darryl and John, currently airing, is keeping them front and center. I know what you mean, though, by comeback. Their current position is not unlike the one they held back in the late 70s ... they are near and dear to a dedicated cult following, but things are in a far different state than in the fizzy-headed early 80s, when they were cutting great records that, lo and behold, were also finding a mass audience and tearing up the charts.

Lately, I've been trying to get a hold of 2 - 3 albums by the guys that were not being distributed anymore in Australia. One being "Hourglass" & the other album "King Biscuit Flower Hour - In Concert". I don't know why but for some reason I didn't add these to the collection... when they were first released. Sometimes distribution overseas can become a bit sketchy.

Anyway, I was able to get these through Amazon the other day and played "Hourglass" for the first time.... All I can say is "Wow"! what a fantastic album. Where has this been hiding... some of the tracks I've heard bits and peices of on the web but never in it's entirety... Was the album ever promoted heavily? and why did'nt we hear more of it o'seas as a commercial success?

It must go down as one of their top 5 albums...

Just my opinion.

Hi Dan :)
Nice to hear that you found the Homecoming DVD awesome~~~~I hope to get it~~Homecoming & Hearts are such good albums. Wow! Paul M Live~~ that would be a good CD to hear~~Nice that you were jammin to your music! I am listening to Players~~This time I'm in it for Love~~Now I remember this song! :)

Hi Johnny~~
Yes I have heard Hall & Oats new song Do It For Love!~~I like it but like you I wish it was something new from Garry & Dewey instead, I can't help but wonder if some of these other groups like Hall & Oats have picked up on AMERICA'S on going popularity and want to try and catch up with them. Funny~~this is the only music group website I go to, never really gave thought that there would be sites for some of the other groups from the 70's. I guess my partiality to AMERICA'S music is showing here~~
Thanks Steve~~I will check out the interviews~~WOW! 1975 I graduated that year!
Steve O ~~I can remember the group Wild Cherry, but never really knew that much about them, now that you mention these other songs, they come back to me. You seem to do alot of articles on groups, is there any access to these articles on the internet for us to check out?
Have a good day all! Bye for now! Nancy :)

thanks Steve & anonymous, very insightful. The commercials are quite groovy.

I'm a big Hall & Oates fan too,and have been to their website/message board,but not recently. "Do it for love" was issued as a single,but its getting little attention. Daryl Hall is slated with another solo release later this year,as is John Oates with a separate band away from H&O

Iris did some work on the 3rd Wild Cherry LP "I love my music" and was basically a full fledged member on the 4th and final LP,the non-charting "Only the Wild Survive". While Most people remember Iris' hit "Ah! Leah" he actually had two other Top 40 records: "Love is like a rock"(#37,1982)and his highest charting single "My girl"(#25,1982). "Ah! leah!" peaked at #29 in 1981. To my knowledge...no,he never jammed with Gerry or Dewey!

An anonymous America fan sent me a very good copy of a 1975 interview with America (Gerry, Dewey, and Dan). The show was called Inner View and was hosted by Jim Ladd. It was one of the radio shows helping to promote Hearts. Click on the following links to download the three segments of the show in MP3 format. The links will remain valid for about 2 weeks:

Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3

--SteveL

I'm sure this has been covered but I just got the Homecoming DVD/Audio, awesome sound compared to the regular audio CD. Let's hope we can expect to see, I mean hear more of these. Like Hearts preferably. I did not know about the Wild Cherry/Donnie Iris connection, thanks speechmeister. Just sitting here jammin' to Beware My Love, off of Wings Over America, incredible...Love to see a "Live" CD of Paul's recent tour. Hi Nancy....DanC.

Should have said, "70s and 80s duo...plus a little in the 90s."

I occasionally visit Daryl Hall and John Oates' website/fans' chat folder. Their fans are just like us here. They all hope for H&O to hit the record charts again. Sure enough, they have a new hit called "Do It For Love". Has anyone heard it on the radio? I heard it three times last week. Wish it were D&G instead. Just the same, it's great to see a 80's duo making a comeback these days!

Very cool review, Warren! If anyone deserved an autograph, you have my vote. Hopefully, next time for ya!

I was viewing Gerry's Gadsden hotel photo this morning, and I'm still chuckling about it. Does anyone have an idea what that building is with the orange and yellow panels? A chicken coop first came to mind for me, but I'm quite sure it's not.

In Gerry's photo, on the ground left of the light pole, I can't help but see two graves with a marker on the left that reads something like: "These two got caught not paying their hotel bill after they left. Don't let this happen to you!" :0)

Mark, it makes sense that it was Dan who played the harmonica on "Lonely People". I figure most everyone here thought the same. The question remains: How long has Gerry been playing the harmonica?

The first thing that comes to mind is "Pick up the Pieces". I am sure if you heard it--you'd know it. By the way--the Albany venue is fantastic. I used to live near there (went to college at the State University of NY at Albany).

Hi Alan and family! Believe me, I've considered attending the L.L. Bean "America" concert...but Freeport, Maine is over five hours from where I live....I don't think I'd want to chance it without a co-pilot. Connecticut is much closer...only two and a half/three hours one way...so that's my first choice. Freeport is NOT completely out of the question though...I'll start working on my friends....THEY can shop while I scout out a good spot at the concert. I'm assuming it's BYO-Blanket?

Albany concert will be free July 24th. By the way, what are some of the songs the average white band did.

Another historical footnote regarding Wild Cherry: one Dominic Ierace was a member of the band for at least one (perhaps more) of their four LPs, playing guitar and handling some lead vocals. Previously, Mr. Ierace was a member of the Jaggerz, who scored their early 70s one-shot hit with "The Rapper." Following his stint with The Cherry, Ierace reinvented himself as new-wave rocker "Donnie Iris" and scored one more left-field hit with the song "Ah,Leah!" To the best of my knowledge, though, he never jammed with Gerry and Dewey.

Nice one Raul.....

Maybe that would inspire us fans to perhaps embark on an "America"
"Webpage" competition.... hosted by this website see who comes up with the neatest design and maybe give a prize...???? something different maybe????

Goanna

Hi Klaus~~
So nice to see your post about the Austin 7:00 show~~Thanks! :)Looking at Gerry & Dewey's schedule they will be getting lots of practice, so I too look forward to getting to see them again. Neat that you were able to get one of Gerry's guitar pics. Knowing you, You will check them out again soon for sure!
Hi Warren~~
Thanks for sharing your concert experience with us. So neat that you took some of your collection with you and the fact that Gerry & Dewey acknowledged this~~WOW! I wish I had taken my album with me to the concert in Feb. Nice to know that you are a AMERICA fan at your age~~You've sure got good taste!
Regarding the Alabama view from the hotel room picture~~If you look beyond the parking lot, there sure is alot of wide open green landscaping and did you happen to take notice to the layered hills covered with trees, I am sure it was a sight to behold. Thanks Gerry!
Alan~~So neat now you can make a family reunion out of every AMERICA concert, I can't think of a better way to get together as a Family~~Nice :) BTW~~I am still waiting to recieve my DVD, they are temporarily out of stock and they assured me that they will send it as soon as it comes in~~All I can say is Hurry Up Please! I want to see this so bad!
Have a good day all! Bye for now, Nancy :)

You may be right about Alabama red oak; I mean, considering that they don't even wear shoes there . . . JUST KIDDING!!! I'm sure there are MANY rooms without a view when on tour.

Thanks for the enjoyable report from Chesapeake Warren.

Congratulations Alan -- it must be great fun to have family musical unity!

Ingrid.

Hi Warren and welcome back. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

I've now had the DVD for just over a week and can't get enough of it. What has really surprised me however is this: One member of my family has actually watched it more often than me - my 18-year-old son! Over the last 2 years, Stephen has gone from "they suck" to "well, I guess SOME of their songs aren't too bad" to "they sound much better live" (after hearing the King Biscuit CD) to "These guys are really awesome! I can't wait to see them in concert this summer!"

Last summer, he showed mild interest in going with us to Mohegan Sun, but he had other plans (besides, I think you have to be at least 21 to get in). Since the DVD, he can't wait to come with us this summer to the LL Bean show in Freeport.

Now all 6 of my kids are America fans. We are now truly an America family!

Alan

p.s. Nina, why don't you come up to Freeport this summer and see America with us? (although CT is probably closer).

There was also some discussion about who played the harmonica on Lonely People. Tom says that it was Dan who played it on the original recording from Holiday.

Hello again, friends! My name's Warren Woodzell. For those of you who remember me, Thanks.. for those of you who don't.. well.. let's just say I take pride in the fact that I have found myself to be the only 22-year-old with every (yes, every) America album on Vinyl. I Hope everyone's doing well.. Steve, this page is still the greatest.. and a big thanks to all of you who contribute stuff, especially those hard-to-find 45 covers. I just wanted to check in here and tell everyone that Heather (my girlfriend) and I went down to Chesapeake this weekend and caught America at the Jubilee. Wow! What a trip! ..Had a couple of neat experiences that probably pale in comparison to the ones those of you who have actually met the band could tell but I'd like to share just the same! Well, first of all we were on the FRONT ROW.. I mean the VERY front row. They were no more than 15 feet away from us at the most.. real up-close action, y'know?Anyway, we took a few albums with us to get signed and after the third of fourth number (Ventura Highway), Heather and I unfolded the Homecoming sleeve and stood up with it, pointing at Dewey's picture, giving thumbs-up. Dewey pointed at us and started laughing.. he said "Hey! Look at that will ya! Thanks Guys! Boy, what a waste of paper, though!" and everybody started laughing. The show was great.. they played everythign from Riverside (the opener) to Magic to Hangover. Midway through the show, Gerry made mention of the box set, which I also had and held up. "Yep! There it is!" he said and Dewey looked at us again and laughed, shaking his head. Finally, at the end
of the show, I showed them the sign I made. (I'm a graphic designer BTW, and made an America logo out of posterboard.) Again, they pointed at us and said "Appreciate it guys.. that's great!" ..After the show, we were going to try and get an autograph but no such luck. We were walking behind the stage and Heather saw Gerry back there beside a bus. We yelled at him (lol.. how it felt to yell "GERRY!" at The Man is hard to describe) and it looked like he held up his hand in a "hold on a second" gesture.. but he never came back. Aside from the rent-a-cops being overall nasty to everyone, however, it was an awesome trip and I would gladly drive 300 miles or more again to see my pals, America.

I guess you had a great time at the 4.30 show even though it was only the soundcheck for the 7.00 show as Gerry told us.
I guess both shows were very similar and also our audience was great. I was never quite sure if they were laughing at us or about us, the audience. But anyway, everybody had a lot of fun. I was at the Bear Valley, Ca. concert last july, but this one was definetely better. If this trend continues I definetely look foreward to the next concert. And one can see that even after 30 years you can get better. So guys: practise, practise, practise. I will check you out again soon.

Jimbob, if you are reading this very soon you might just have time to organise a recording. It's on at 7.30 on ABC TV.

at long last, thanks to a winDVD I bought from someone on eBay, I am able to view the dvd! the resolution is awesome! I haven't viewed it all but was amused to see that like most of us Gerry is singign along with Dewey on Pages

Nice shots, Gerry. It gives a real feeling of what it is like to be on the road. and why coming home is so wonderful. Keep'em coming, please!

My sister-in-law told me tonight that Wild Cherry band member Ron Beitle attended high school with her at Fox Chapel High (Pittsburgh, PA). She said the band performed during her 10th-year class reunion (1982) and while on stage, Beitle mooned everyone! Oh, those crazy class reunions!

Interesting to read about Wild Cherry(of all bands!)on this website!
Three years ago I interviewed lead Singer Rob Parissi,and 3 weeks ago did a followup with him for a Music Column I write Weekly here in Michigan. He's semi-retired now and Living in florida. He may be a "One hit wonder" but that one "hit" has kept him going for years now! He's also recently been performing a few songs as "Rob Parissi and Wild Cherry" with the likes of the Four Tops,Heatwave,Kool & the Gang and BB King. There is a Wild Cherry MP3 site where you can download and listen to his new songs,including a remake of "Play that funky Music".

Wondering what time Happy Hour starts?

Just a note to say thanks to all those fans that took the time to listen to my America mix. Your feedback was very appreciated. Thank You, (Muchas Gracias) Raul

What did Morey Mgt do, cut the expense account for room & board!!!!!
Course , in Alabama, maybe this is first class lodging..........

EeeeGads-den...makes you really appreciate the very nice photos Gerry took before this point. Keep 'em comin' though, GB!!! :0)

Some people have wondered what kind of camera Gerry uses to get such wonderful pictures. So I asked him and he said it's a Canon Powershot S100 (he thinks it has been replaced by the S110).

Gerry is in Gadsden, Alabama today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window (so you want to be a rock & roll star).

Hi everyone~~~~
Thanks Raul! Nice collection of songs I enjoyed it, I posted my thoughts on the venturahwy message board.... I give it a 10 plus for sure~~~Can't go wrong with any of their songs~~I just love them all! Can't fall asleep to a Lullabye is playing here as I type this....Nice song!~~~Have a good weekend! Bye for now, Nancy :)

thanks ! very nice medley, I give it a 12.

Hello!I was a little bored so I decided to record some of my favorite America song “bits”. Listen to my recording and be kind enough to score it out of 10!
Go to my site: www.scherping.com/america
and listen to it! It's only 7 minutes. In my opinion, the first and last track of the medley, is America’s typical classic sound, do you agree? Thanks for reading....and listening (I hope) :)

My sister-in-law told me in the past that she attended high school with some of the members of Wild Cherry. I believe she graduated in '72. I'll ask her in the morning if she has any interesting stories to relay.

If it was Ingrid who initially said "Play That Funky Music" was by the Average White Band, I think maybe she really meant to say it was performed by an "average White band". It helps to understand INGlish. :0)

Ohhhh - so THIS is what it looked like before I left Cleveland for Mansfield last night!!! Funny, I don't see any rain in this picture?!?!?! I did see light rain on and off all the way there (2 hours) and downpour all the way back - at midnight!!

The show was great - well worth the time to get there! Despite a rocky start as far as the pace went, all turned out well and I enjoyed it completely. The crowd was fairly content, much to my dismay, to sit in their seats like good little citizens while I, on the other hand, grooved to every beat in my 8th row, 3rd seat in - can they make these seats any smaller?!?!?!?! The crowd came to it's feet in pieces here and there and I played along, not wanting to tick off the natives until Sister Golden Hair - that was it, I couldn't take anymore chair dancing!!! Three guys from the front row stood up at the stage and I and a few other joined them. By the time we got settled and happy, I did turn around to find a good bit of the theater basically on it's feet - at least fifteen people deep from the stage - an honest-to-God stage rush!!! The Boys did NOT expect that from this crowd - a pleasant surprise, however - you could see it on their faces. The tunes were to everyones liking and Dewey really nailed Wheels.

Can't wait to do it again, Guys!!!! Ohio 4 or 5 times this year?? I'm gonna need a new car. . .

Chris - Cleveland

Thanks for the clarification Hardtosleep.

HEY JOHNNY! : )

Wild thING.

Hi all. Just wanted to point out that the lyrics, "play that funky music 'til you die" are from the song Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry (a Cleveland band) and not AWB. Just wanted to give credit where credit was due.

My friend Jeremy and I were able to attend the show in Mansfield last night and it was fantastic (as usual). The guys gave us a wonderful show and the very enthusiastic crowd enjoyed every minute of it. Can't wait until next time!

Hi Everyone!
Well Dan is the answer then! Now we all know this! After all it was Dan's song like Howie said...
Hi Johnny! ~~~ Thanks right back at You~~it was fun!
Thanks Steve for posting the pic~~~Boy! first Gerry & Dewey are in Va and then they were in Ohio and now back In Va. I am in Pa.~~I wish they would have been coming to Pa. and that Gerry was taking a picture from a Hotel near to Me.....
Have a good weekend everyone! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Gerry is in Chesapeake, VA this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Interesting that it's Dan who says "hit it" on "Lonely People" because about a year ago I posted here saying it was Dan, but someone here who's REALLY in the know about America topics, said it was Dewey. I figured he was right because he usually is but apparently not this time. Three out of four ain't bad <------Isn't that a Meatloaf lyric?

(Hi Ya, Howie! And, Hi Wild thING!)

For some reason that's not a surprise to me.
Since Dan wrote the song, it was only right for
him to say it. Hey, does he say it on the Musik Laden dvd/tape.
Hey Johnny :0)

Cool to know the answer to that piece of trivia! Mark 1, Johnny 0

(Hi Nancy...enjoyed the live chat with you late last night!!!)

Thanks for the tips, Tim. I'll try your advice.

While Dewey may say it in concert now, Tom Peek just told me that it is in fact Dan who says "Hit it" in the original recording of Lonely People from the Holiday album. That's probably one of the reasons that they have used that clip on Dan's web page.

You bet Pete. White boys "playin' that funky music till they die."

"Pick up the pieces, uh-huh, pick up the pieces, wooo!"

I thank you guys for the recommendations, but after checking them out, I am now convinced that there are no bands out there today playing the blend of acoustic country melodic rock/pop that America and the Eagles were in the 70s. I think Nickel Creek came the closest with those gorgeous harmonies, but the bluegrass was a distraction (as were some of the goofy lyrics). Much of the other stuff recommended was so alternative/radio-influenced I could barely listen to it--it had too much of that flavor. And other stuff was good pop, but it didn't have that melodic heart/spirit, that pureness and strength of emotion that made America great.

It's a shame, because soul and R&B are really coming back strong. But I guess Country Rock/Pop just isn't ready to do so yet.

-Ladd

America will playing in Albany July 24th. From what I see in the web site this will be a free concert. They will be playing outside at the Albany state plaza which they call the egg. I heard the warm up band will be the average white band. Anybody remember them.

And everyone KNOWS I bleed Dodger Blue!

If I download an MP3 file ...how come a few hours later when I go back to hear it, it's gone?

Look and see where the MP3 is being stored, make sure it's not to your temp file. The temp file may get emptied periodically.

Finally, my component system's CD burner has a coaxial hook-up for "digital" recording. Would the same connection ... enable me to download music from the Internet to my component system's CD burner?

The key is the output connection in your sound card. The sound card needs to have a digital out which you can then connect to your component via coax. If your sound card outputs are all analog, you can still record, but your will pick up some hiss and you can't record as digital input.

Tim

Speechwriter, I don't believe Dan answered the "hit it" question in his serialized bio. Here are links to the archived versions of his bio which talk about it so you can all read it for yourselves:

Episode Thirty Five - By George, I Think We've Got It!
Episode Thirty Six - Magical Mystery Holiday

--SteveL

heck no, a diehard Dodger fan.

Gerry is in Mansfield, OH this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

>>are you sure it wasn't Tommy Lasorda who said it ? <<
Why Jim, are you a closet Dodger Fan????????

I keep holding out for a Massachsetts or New Hampshire concert...but to no avail! Let's see...concerts in Maine, Vermont, CT, Rhode Island...what's missing from this New England picture?!?!

I think the guys are trying to tell me something?

are you sure it wasn't Tommy Lasorda who said it ?

Did Dan answer the question in his serialized bio? I know he wrote about the sessions for Lonely People, and he described Gerry and George Martin playing the piano break together ... I can't recall what, if anything, Dan said about the harmonica part. And I can't access my hard copies of his bio stuff right now. Anyone have encyclopedic recall? Something keeps telling me he DID talk about who played what on that recording.

This raises a question for me, because I'm well behind the technology curve. If I download an MP3 file from, say, Dan Peek's web site and I store it in my "C" drive, how come a few hours later when I go back to hear it, it's gone? And, if I want to buy an MP3 player and download music from the Internet to that player, what kind of hook-up do I need? Finally, my component system's CD burner (as opposed to a PC's burner, which I don't own) has a coaxial hook-up for "digital" recording. Would the same connection that enables me to download music from the Internet to, say, a portable MP3 player enable me to download music from the Internet to my component system's CD burner? I know these are not typically "America" questions, but a lot of the music I record and play is by America or America-related, so there's at least a tenuous link.

On my MusickLaden DVD the words Hit It! are heard the instant before Dan starts to play the Harmonica. Dan appears to be taking a breath at this instant. Therefore, I also think Dewey must be saying Hit It!

I am going in after I type this message. Freebo plays tuba and bass and in the mid 70's I saw him with Bonnie Raitt. Awesome sound to add to her great work. He also played with Jackson Browne that evening, a memorable rendition of "Walking Slow" from "Late for the Sky"

Raul, I just sent you an MP3 of "Never Be Lonely". Enjoy!

Hi Music lovers!
I need to hear the song "never be lonely" by the end of the day. My CD Rom has just died(I have the song on CD only) and a girlfriend wants to hear this song despretely. We only have access to a computer today and this is why we can't listen to the CD on another player.
If someone is kind enough to send the song (wma or mp3 format) to my e-mail address: america@scherping.com , we will be most thankful.
Gracias,
Raul

Hi Johnny!
I agree with you, I think it is Dewey that says Hit It! in Lonely People. I know it is Dewey who says it now when they sing this at the shows. As for Gerry playing the tuba~~~~He sure is a man of many talents~~Nice Ones! :)
Sorry Robyn I've never heard of Freebo!
Bye for now! Nancy :)

<<...don't want to cause anyone anymore unintentional grief.>>

Sounds like I don't mind causing "intentional" grief, huh? Sorry, that was a very bad choice of words.

(Hi Bruno)

Ever seen Freebo?

I still think it's Dewey who says "hit it" on "Lonely People" but I wouldn't bet anyone any America memorabilia...lol! It could well be Dan but wasn't it Dewey who did during the trio's live concerts?

I still wonder how long GB has been playing the harmonica, though.

The tuba comment was funny but WHY would Gerry want to play the tuba? :0)

Regarding computer viruses, that's why I no longer maintain an e-mail address book...don't want to cause anyone anymore unintentional grief.

Hi! JimNak~~Yes I have read this, it has better helped me to understand what happened. I have contacted MSN about recieving these strange emails and they assured me that they check all incoming attachments for viruses, and they also check my outgoing attachments to make sure that I am not sending a virus, they also said that if I have a virus scan system that I should be alright. I do have McAfee and I upgrade it reguraly, It has caught the virus that Steve mentioned,it was in one of these fake emails that I recieved and I deleted it, My McAfee does a full scan on all of my folders and all of my email, I have rechecked to make sure this file name is not showing up in my folders and it is not there. I never felt that it was you sending me this virus intentionaly, I just was letting you know that a email that I thought to be from you, had a virus in it. I understand this much better now and will know better from now on. Sorry if I offended you in anyway this was not my intention!
Steve, thanks for addressing this and for listing the site to read about this. It has helped me to better understand what a virus worm is now. Have a good day!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Steve, thanks for the fine investigative work. I hope Nancy (mama bluebird) reads this.

In the past couple of weeks some of you have received mysterious e-mail messages from me, JimNak, and possibly others. These mail messages were infected with a virus and the interesting thing is that they did NOT come from JimNak nor I. I believe I discovered what happened. There is a virus going around that looks through a persons address book and then sends infected mail messages to other people in the address book. Here's the tricky part. It uses it's own SMTP engine to send the message, it doesn't use the normal e-mail system. By doing that, the person who is on the infected computer doesn't even realize that the messages are being sent. The other devious thing that it does is that it uses a random name in the address book as the Sent From (or Reply To) address. So it looks like the message came from someone other than the real sender.

What does this mean in laymans terms. Someone who has my e-mail address and JimNak's e-mail address in their address book has been infected and they are unknowingly sending infected messages to other people in their address book that appear to be coming from Jim and/or me.

The virus is called w32.Klez.gen@mm and you can read about it by going to the Symantec web site at: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.klez.gen@mm.html. It will also explain how to remove it if you're unfortunate enough to be infected.

By the way, I have a very good virus scanner on all of my computers and I have not been infected. I believe that Jim also has a virus scanner which keeps him from getting infected.

--SteveL

While I don't consider America to be "country-pop or rock" many critics in the UK and other countries lump them into that category. Perhaps they are not as familiar with true country music as we American's are. Most Americans would classify America as "folk rock/pop" not country. Though America did do a few country flavored songs like Don't Cross the River and Old Virginia. But they weren't nearly as country influenced as the earlier Eagles' work.

Actually it sounds like Dan saying "Hit it". With a studio recording you can't always tell who's playing what by who sings when, because they often record in "layers". They may record the music then record the vocals, etc... I don't recall if they did it on Holiday, but America used a "session" harmonica player on some of their recordings. I believe they used Norton Buffalo sometimes, but I don't recall for sure.

Ya, but can he play the tuba? Huh?

j.

Please join in for the weekly America Chat! I will be there after 7 pm. Hope to "see" you there.

GERRY can play anything - bass, harmonica, mandolin, classical guitar, electric & acoustic 6 & 12 string guitar, banjo, all keyboards, just to name a few.

On "Lonely People," that's Dewey who says "Hit it!" right? And, isn't it Dan who's playing the harmonica as opposed to it being Gerry who now plays it now in concert.

So, does anyone know whether Gerry knew how to play the harmonica back in '74 or whether he learned to after Dan's departure? Just a little curious about it.

yes & what about when the legendary GERRY BECKLEY stepped outside of the box & did an acoustic piano based song ? Certainly not country, more contemporary, far more sophisticated. SARAH, WHO LOVES YOU, I NEED YOU, ONE IN A MILLION etc....

Sounds like it's worth a listen. However, and I know it's semantic hair-splitting, but I don't know if I'd agree that America "polished country pop." I think the band's output is a highly accessible meld of folk, pop and vocal harmonies from the Beatles/Beach Boys school. Save for "Don't Cross the River," and, arguably, the banjo on "Submarine Ladies," there's not much of a country twang to be found anywhere in America's body of work. I love every record they ever did, but I don't hear much country in there. (As opposed to, say, work of the same vintage by Poco).

Hi. First time here.
Just wondering if anyone knows of a possible tour to Australia by the band. I read that they did 2 shows in Sydney in Feb, but they did not come to Melbourne(I live in Melbourne).
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Raul
E-mail: america@scherping.com
p.s. I'm also looking to buy live video/dvd of America....

It seems that everyone else has had this excellent program already but it is screening at the moment in Australia. It appears that the next episode will be of particular interest to us. When the previews were screened at the end of the last episode, Horse was the first song that was played. Here is what the TV reviewer said in this week's Sydney Morning Herald.
" This is for anyone who came of age with The Byrds and The Band ringing in their ears. If The Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, America and Joni Mitchell evoke memories of your high school and university years, tune in.
Tonight's focus is the era when rock turned to its country cousin for a bit of old-fashioned melody and quiet reflection. For a time, fans were not convinced, but before long America and the Eagles had polished country-pop and taken it into the mainstream....."
We are eagerly anticipating the show.

Where's the pool?

Kim, Thanks for letting us know about the Austin concert. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. A time that you won't forget. Thanks also for Gerry and his picture taking. The Richmond photo looks like there is tranquility and harmony (peace). I imagine you both need the rest. Your schedule is very busy. But most of all I hope you all are having FUN! LOL!!

Just forgot to mention that Jeff Larson's site is announcing studio pictures to come. Some of them might have been taken while the guys were recording Gerry's Norman (?) . Wait & see.

Hello Nancy,
You're right Garden of Peace probably makes sense here.
As far as travelling is concerned I've often been forced to leave the places I loved best for professional reasons , but fortunately enough, today I find travelling very far doesn't always imply being physically and emotionally torn apart !!! Some good music -either at a concert or at home-& from your choice I can tell you have good tastes( lol), a good book, or something beautiful to rest your eyes on, is sometimes enough to make you fly literally.
Went to a concert last night with some musician friends (they played Orff's Carmina Burana & there were a hundred people onstage). Although it was not America, it was more than splendid & partly made for this permanent sadness of not being able to see the guys in a show this year !!!

Also being a huge Björk fan, one of the musicians treated me to a video of the making of of her Homogenic CD. Could see the recording /mixing sessions for some of my favorite songs along with extremely good interviews. Just thought it would be a very nice thing to get a similar video/DVD-rom for one of America's next productions : studio extracts, interviews, their personal comments on the songs etc... Don't know what other fans would think about this suggestion? BFN - Geneviève.

I forgot to include this in my original post. In the program from One World Theater there are "blurbs" about all the artists performing there during the season. The one for America says...
America is one of our most beloved and influential pop groups with seventeen gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums including hits like Ventura Highway, Tin Man, Horse With No Name, I Need You and You Can Do Magic. The Grammay Award winning legendry rock group continues their magic on the 2002 Mirror to Mirror Tour.

Hhmm...I wonder if the folks at One World read Steve's page!

Kim

Hi Everyone! Yes Genevieve~~~I to appreciate Gerry's presence here through all of the pics he takes for us. What a nice dose of serenety this pic fills me with.... It brought the song Garden of Peace to my mind right away. Thanks Steve for putting these on here for us!
Nina~~Like you I don't get to travel that far, so it is so nice to see the different cities and countries through Gerry's eyes! Cute that you mentioned there is Charlie Brown's tree! LOL
Take care Gerry & Dewey~~I sure hope the Jet Lag is being kind to You both, my your schedule sure is a busy one.... we really appreciate it~~~So nice to know that your music is alive and going so strong! Bye for now, Nancy :)

The photos are a fun glimpse into the tour. As someone who has travelled a lot, I look to see if I've been in the part of the city from which the view comes. The Richmond photo is funny; so much of Virginia looks just like that. Thanks Gerry (and Steve) for sharing these with us.

Ingrid.

Kim, thanks for your great review of the Austin gig ! It sure was the place to be ! I agree with Jimbob: how I would have LOVED to see David Dickey when he joined the guys onstage for HWNN ! His sole name brings back very nice memories...
Concerning America’s interpretation of George Harrison’s I Need You, your (re)mentioning it actually reminded me of some (old - 1975) review by Stephen Holden I put my (virtual) hands on. I don’t know if some of you on this folder will remember his name, but a few months ago someone initiated a discussion about this critic’s biased & negative judgements regarding America’s musical career & works. Needless to say that those critics are often lacking consistency & are subject to commercial manipulations but just to prove that Mr Holden is a ‘bird of a similar feather’, this is a small extract of a review he signed in the 70’s :
<<During the past year, two acts : America and Lon & Derrek (Van Eaton), have integrated the verve and sweetness of Beatles-styled rock into today's more sophisticated mainstream without deliberately condescending to their sources via mannerism or by resorting to flat inferior imitation.>> I found it interesting to note. Geneviève.

Hi there,
Again I'd like to thank Gerry for his kind "presence" on this folder & for opening his window on the world for us. Thanks also to you Steve for your active participation ( I really appreciate the pics format btw).
The last shot is really interesting in so far as it is quite surprising & funny when taken at face value but it is also a thought-provoking paradox : how amazing indeed that 'multitude' should make 'solitude' all the more obvious & pathetic for the viewer ! Please keep on enriching us Gerry... as the saying goes " a photo a day, keeps...." LOL - Geneviève.

Speaking as a girl who never gets to travel much, it's nice to see a "wandering minstrel's" view of the world! Thanks for taking me, and the rest of the chat folder fans, on your journey! (Gerry's latest pix includes Charlie Brown's tree!!!)

Gerry is in Richmond, VA this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

jimbob,

David joined in on guitar and even took the lead at one point. He then joined Gerry, Dewey & Michael for the Horse "dip". It was an awesome afternoon!

Kim

Thought I typed that in....it was www www@www.venturahighway.com

Hi,
Last Friday I got a blank e-mail from www
On the subject line was Sprinks(& the oval like I have up on top)
Anyone else get this?

Hi Everyone!
WOW Kim! Thanks so much for the great review~~You are definitely excused for the long post~~especially when it is about Gerry & Dewey! :) I am so glad that you made it there on time~~We sure have to learn patience when it comes to our children~~don't we? No matter what the age! Reading your songlist brought a smile to my face for sure~~I was remembering seeing them back in Feb. soooo nice! I agree with you and your daughter I too picked up on how Gerry, Dewey & the Band have a good time up there on stage. So nice they sang Wind Wave~~and Another Try! I was kinda hoping to hear that Dewey sang Young Moon and dedicated it to his new wife~~that would have been nice! Neat! that David Dickey was there to play HWNN~~WOW that had to bring back memories for all of them! I asked my friend to post his review~~he has business meetings all this week~~so be patient with him. Again thanks Kim for sharing your magical evening with us and for bringing memories of my magical night seeing them! I could never grow tired of seeing them or hearing their music!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Hey Kim, thanks for the Austin show review! Reading it sure brought back great memories of the great concerts in NZ in Feb. I was interested to read about David Dickey joining them for HWNN. I seem to remember reading somewhere that he later regreted leaving the band. Whether he does or does not regret it, it must be an amazing experience to be back up there with them. I would find it difficult sitting in the audience though; the temptation to get up there and play along with ALL the songs that he knows so well must have been strong! Im curious, did he play bass on HORSE, or just vocals?

Jessica, the picture of the bare trees in Winter is stark, but lovely all the same. ( This from a Califoria Girl who has seen snow falling exactly TWICE in my life)

i didn't think so.... it was empty anyway - and i don't think it had any virus in it! thank god!

i just visited the official America website - nice photos from Gerry's hotel window. i laughed out loud when i saw the one of ontario, canada. it was of a bit of dried bushes in a patch of snow. that's ontario all right! yet - there's beauty in that photo. or maybe i'm just biased coz i live here.

hello to everyone!

So nice to see your name on the folder again after a long dry spell. Thought maybe you were in mourning because of Dewey's marriage. You add so much to this site. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim, thanks for the great (and funny) post regarding your Austin adventures.

Thanks also to KevinS. and Jason for the "America-like" musical recommendations. I'm going to check a couple of them out.

Robyn -- sometimes a primal scream is just the ticket; glad you got to go for it yesterday! LOL

Ingrid.

Ladd/Kevin

I can also recommend a singer called Josh Rouse especially his first album DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA. The Jayhawks SMILE is also very good and can recommend anything by Neal Casal.

Jas

Hi,

Haven't been able to post in awhile, but I have been reading all the great comments off and on. I have been able to find the Best of ... DVD that came out awhile ago from the 70's and the America in Concert DVD. Wouldn't have known about them except for the Chat Folder.

Hi Steve, any updates on Concerts in the Washington, D.C., Va., or Md area. I have been seeing America the last three years at the Birchmere or the State Theatre, but so far America is not on their schedule:( I did email the Birchmere--they said they are working on it. I hope they will be able add them to the 2002 tour.

Someone posted about t-shirts. What are they selling? Are they selling the t-shirts on their web site. Haven't seen anything new recently. Let me know.

Keep up the informative posts.

Sharon

Hi everyone! Well, my daughter and I made it safely to Austin with fifteen minutes to spare before the 4:30 show started. (I was getting a little worried we might not make, but being the responsible parent I am I didn't feel I could encourage her to speed! LOL). I only had one true panic moment which involved merging traffic in Austin but we did survive - I am going to suggest to her Dad that he take her out and have her practice getting on and off the interstate, but that's another story!

At least we made it in time to get shirts! They had four different t-shirts for sale and also had cd's available this year. They also had Gerry's Van Go Gan and Go Man Go cd's for sale, so any of you who are still looking for Gerry's cd's if you're going to a concert you may be able to get them there.

This was my second year attending the America concert at the One World Theater in Austin and this year was even better than last year (and last years was great!). One World is a very small theater which only seats about 300 people so you almost feel like they are playing for you personally. We had great seats in the third row. I think what made the show better this year was the audience. Last years audience was nice but somewhat reserved , this years was really enthusiastic and into the music. There were a quite a few kids in the audience this year--I guess a lot of Mom's got a special Mother's Day treat including me!

Here is the playlist from the 4:30 show
1. Riverside
2. Ventura Highway
3. You Can Do Magic
4. Don't Cross the River
5. Daisy Jane
6. Wind Wave
7. Another Try
8. Three Roses
9. I Need You
10. I Need You (Beatles)
11. Tin Man
12. Woman Tonight
13. Only In Your Heart
14. California Dreaming
15. Lonely People
16. Never Be Lonely
17. Sandman
18. Sister Golden Hair
19. A Horse With No Name (encore)

All of the songs were great, but here are a few of my impressions/comments about a few of them. Gerry sang Don't Cross the River and it was wonderful. I don't remember Gerry singing this one before- I don't know why but I thought Dewey sang this last year. My memory may be going! This was they first time I have ever seen them perform Another Try and it was excellent. Gerry played keyboards and Dewey handled the tambourine. Gerry told the George Harrison story about I Need You (which I know has been posted here previously so I won't repeat!) Our seats this year were a little more to the side than last year so I was really able to see Willie a lot better and really enjoyed watching him play. The guys were all smiling and laughing and looked like they were having a great time. My daughter even commented to me after the show about how it looked like the guys were having fun. She especially enjoyed Woodz - and that grin he has! The show "ended" with Sister Golden Hair and they received a thunderous standing ovation that seemed to go on for a long time. The floor was vibrating with people stamping a clapping. There was one more treat for all of us long time America fans as David Dickey was there in the audience and he came onstage and played with the guys for the encore (HWNN of course). And then the show was over (too soon in my opinion!). It was truly a magical afternoon, one my daughter and I won't ever forget.

Sorry for the long post! My enthusiasm is obviously running over! LOL
Kim

Ladd: Been gone a few days, so I'm just catching up. If you're looking for any current bands that have the same America feel, my advice is to go out right now and buy "Fight Songs" or "Satillite Rides" by the Old 97s, or "Gold" by Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Bryan Adams), who was the lead singer in Whiskeytown, whose latest release "Pneumonia" is awesome. Switchfoot has a very America-esque influence. And if you haven't bought anything from Dan Peek's new group, Peace, you should. Especially the second album, PEACE.

That should hold you until tomorrow.

Kevin.

FYI - Gerry sang background vocals last month on 2 songs on the next Low record. Mixing was finished early this month and Gerry thinks both songs will be on the release. --SteveL

John, I don't have the Under The Covers DVD but I do have the original Under The Covers CD. You can visit my Under The Covers web page to read about it and to see all of the America photos that are included with the CD. --SteveL

thanks. already have "secret name" and partial to "things we lost in the fire" for a title. seems to fit their tone.

I was just wondering if anyone has picked up the "Under The Covers" DVD about Henry Diltz's work in the 1960s and '70s. The cover of the DVD has a collage that includes the Alibi cover, and America is listed as one of the chapters. I haven't seen it and was wondering if it was worth getting.

john

Hi Everyone,
So nice that Gerry took the time to send this picture for us and for wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's! WOW! He sure added another Smile to my day!

Anyone who went to the concerts in Austin or Corpus Christi, Tx., please let us know how good it was.

Thanks!

Thanks Gerry for sharing those great shots! Hope all the moms out there are having a great day ( I just got back from Magic Mountain, hey where else could I go and scream my head off and no one would look at me funny?)

Thanx Tom for the link to this H. Tucker's folk song ( Sweet G) . had never heard about it before... "Reduce(d) me to co(s)mic tears"! LOL .Take care & buy yourself a NEW computer PLEASE!!! HHOS - Geneviève

Thanks very much Gerry for sharing. Enjoy your Austin stay (despite the cloudy sky - lol) and have all a great show over there!

To my fellow fans who will attend the concerts to come, don't forget to post your comments on the shows ( & why not some pics as well) since some of us - stuck in their faraway lands - can ONLY SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES !!! Have a great time anyway. - Geneviève.

Gerry is in Austin, Texas today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window. He also wants to wish all of the moms out there a Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Erin :o)

Hi Everyone,
I to want to say Thanks to Gerry for all of these pictures~~I agree Robyn & Genevieve~~so nice to see all of these places through Gerry's Camera eye.. Thanks SteveL for posting them here on the folder for us to see.
Hi Alan~~~Yes you are right about Nickel Creek being more Newgrass~~I geuss I associate New Grass as Country also! I am very happy for you about your success with your new Toshiba DVD ROM and I was especially happy to hear that your AMERICA in Concert DVD played in it. I had to send my DVD back because Planet DVD said that they would replace it with another one, I explained to them that it would not play in my Toshiba DVD ROM in my PC~~~I heard from them the other day and they are temporarily out of the AMERICA DVD so they have put in a order for more~~~I am sure once I get it and get to see it that it will actually be worth all of this patience and waiting...
Hi Ingrid~~Thanks! I hope you will have a good time at the concert! I will be awakened by my children with all of their handmade gifts that they made for me at school, my youngest is 6 yrs old and he is just about to explode~~waiting to show me all that he has made, he got off of the school bus on friday with a cup with a flower in for me smiling from ear to ear, My Daughter said Mom I have a whole big envelope of things for you~~~What a precious way to start the day for sure! Enjoy your day everyone! Bye for now Nancy :)

Gerry sent me a panoramic view of the Corpus Christi View From The Hotel Window photo which is awesome: Click here to see the whole picture!

Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!

Bought "secret name" on mB's recommendation awhile ago. at first listen I found it well .... strange. But it grew on me. Interesting group.

Gerry is in San Antonio, Texas today. Click here to see the view from his hotel window.

Matt, your e-mail address in the chat folder has been updated to matt@mattbeckley.com.

Thursday my America DVD came in and yesterday my DVD-ROM drive arrived. It is a Toshiba drive I bought from eBay. My son and I got it installed within minutes and after I booted my PC back up, Windows found it and installed it no problem. The PowerDVD software practically configured itself. I have never had an installation of a computer peripheral go this smoothly EVER. Within an hour, my son and I were watching America. We were just going to watch a litlle to make sure it played and then wait until my wife and 17-year-old daughter got home and watch it together, but it was so good we couldn't stop it. We ended up watching the whole thing, start to finish. When my wife and daughter came home, I watched it with them again. What an awesome video. It was worth buying the drive just for this concert.

One thing I was concerned about watching it on my PC was the quality of the picture. Most video files I have watched on my PC (AVI, Quicktime, etc.) have been rather jerky, with at least some pixelation. I couldn't get over how clear and smooth the picture was on my PC. Just like watching television!

I have a feeling I will be watching it a lot. It is especially great to hear/see the live versions of Wheels, Pages, FAMT & Last Unicorn. Because this was recorded in the last couple of years, it is very much like the concerts I have seen recently. It's the next best thing to bringing a video camera in to a concert you've attended (which we all know is illegal) and taping it. Last Unicorn is the only song on the DVD I have never actually seen them perform live, so there are some great memories in there as well as great performances.

I highly recommend this video to anyone who doesn't already own it.

Alan

Nancy,

I, too, have only heard a few Nickel Creek songs, but from my limited listening experience, I would classify them more bluegrass/newgrass than country. Awesome group however you classify them. And that mandolin-playing kid is unbelievable.

Alan

huge low fan.

i'm particularly fond of "secret name" for the music, and "the curtain hits the cast" for the title...

take care everyone,

mB

ah yes, Steve, could you please update my email address to matt@mattbeckley.com? thank you very much.

I just read Dan Peek's episode #62 for the first time and cried like a baby through the rescue story. WOW.

Have fun this weekend Nancy! I'm celebrating Mother's Day at another concert -- Sammy Hagar. This morning, in PROPER preparation for the concert, our local classic rock station began "The Essential Van Halen, A to Z." They're going to play every Van Halen song alphabetically and we're now in the "Ds:" just heard "Dancin' in the Street" and "Dreams." Yes, it's shaping up to be a FINE weekend . . . : )

Happy Mothers' Day to all the mommies, present AND future.

Bella Giornata Bruno!

Ingrid.

not sure if remember correctly, but isn't someone here a big Low fan? i need to know which album to get next.

Hi from France, Bruno. Hope you are OK ! Take care. Geneviève.

Thanks Gerry for the wonderful, very inspiring (open to individual 'decoding' ) photos. Sort of completing & enriching the geographical allusions found in many America's songs. I remember hearing someone say - can't remember who however - that watching a painting or a picture was somehow "making sense of the world from where we stand ". A very ambitious programme, though!
I agree with Robyn's compliment : effective technique & impressive talent !... Makes me realise how lucky we are to be allowed to see the world through Gerry's own (camera) eye! It is not so common after all ( as far as I know) . So, again, thanks Gerry for your continuous communication with us.

Hi everyone,
Hi Johnny,
Nice to hear from you & know you are doing fine, although I wouldn't have thought it possible to spend MONTHS WITHOUT ANY AMERICA CDs!!! INCREDIBLE - I'm not gonna try anyway :-D See, looks as if we're a big family sharing the folder - somehow "calling in the strays " LOL.

The chords for two of the three songs that you're after are posted on the America Fans web site on the chords web page. Here are specific links to those two songs:

Goodbye Highway
Only A Kid At Heart

If anyone figures out the chords to Emma, be sure to let me know and I'll see that they get posted, too.

--SteveL

Hello,

Any kind soul out there with guitar chords for

1. EMMA
2. GOODBYE HIGHWAY
3. ONLY A KID AT HEART

The above are from Gerry's VANGOGAN Album.

Thank you very much in advance.

Regards
Randell

I keep always very beautiful sensation to listen to music of America and to know that in the World there are very numerous fans of this very great band.
ciao Steve, Johhny, Ingrid,Genevieve and all
bruno

Thanks Nancy for your very kind words this morning!

In case someone didn't know (not many I'd bet), the lyrics I posted the other day were from Dewey's "Sleeper Train".

Also, thanks Kevin and Genevieve for wondering about my absence. I'm still out-of-town. I've been in Phoenix for about the past month now and without any America CDs...bummer. The only times I've heard an America song in the past month, it's been from the radio. I've heard "Lonely People" twice!

Red oak, I liked your comment awhile back about my "being gone" perhaps for years now. How true! LOL

(Hi All and Hi Beech)

Hi kimcabrina,
Yes my friend will be seeing the 7:00 show, I will ask Him if he will post his review for this, or if he willl fill me in so I can post this review for him. Have a great time, and Wow! What a way to celebrate Mother's Day for sure! Bye for now! Nancy :)

Hi Ladd,
In response to your question~~The groups Lifehouse & BBMAK are a pretty good Contemporary~Accoustics groups, and Nickel Creek is a new Accoustic Country group. I have only heard some of the releases of both of these groups, but what I have heard I liked. Now granted they will never be AMERICA~~but they are pretty good in their own way.
Have a good weekend All & Happy Mother's Day to All the Mom's on here! Bye for now, Nancy :)

Guys, do you know of any contemporary/new artists out there today that are playing "country-rock" a la America, Eagles, Firefall, Poco, etc., that are any good? Are ANY artists doing this stuff in the new millennium? There's been a renaissance of soul music lately with a lot of great young artists, but have we been left in the cold with the country-rock-pop we love so much?

Thanks for the updated info Mark. I'll try to get it incorporated to the Charts web page this weekend.

Nancy,

Is your friend going to the 4:30 or 7:00 show? I'll be at the 4:30 show. If she is at the 7:00 show I'd love to read her review and see if the show is any different than the 4:30. If she's at the 4:30 show I'd love to read what she thought about that too! Maybe you could get her to post a review???!!!
Kim

What a neat picture. If I am not mistaken that may be a ship that is permanently moored as a museum. When my oldest son was in Boy Scouts, his troop took a weekend trip to Corpus and spent the night on an aircraft carrier. It's been about five years since he took the tour, but I think that may be the one in the picture.

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!
Kim

Several weeks ago I posted America's Cash Box chart info (incase you missed it, Cash Box published a national hit singles chart and was a rival publication to Billboard from the 1940's until it ceased publication in the mid 1990's.). In My previous post I didn't have info for Right Before You Eyes and The Border. Here's the complete info including America's last two big hits from 1983.

A Horse With No Name 1 (3 weeks)
I Need You 8 (11)
Ventura Highway 8 (2 weeks)
Don’t Cross The River 20
Only In Your Heart 58 (2 weeks)
Muskrat Love 33
Tin Man 6
Lonely People 10 (2 weeks)
Sister Golden Hair 2
Daisy Jane 27
Woman Tonight 42
Today’s The Day 24
Amber Cascades 99
You Can Do Magic 7
Right Before Your Eyes 49
The Border 34

WOW! What a cool shot! Is Gerry thinking of going into photography as a sideline? ;)

Gerry is in Corpus Christi, Texas this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window (take note of the aircraft carrier).

Hi Everyone,
Thanks SteveL for posting the pic, it brought a smile to my face, just last weekend I had to go away and I stayed in a Holiday Inn, and when I got up in the morning I went over to the window and looked out and I instantly thought of all Gerry's pics! Brought a smile to my face for sure!~~~~It looks like the summer will go by quickly for Gerry, Dewey & Band~~They sure do have a full schedule~~Here's hoping they will add a show somewhere here in Pa.~~that would be nice!
Welcome Back Johnny~~~I liked your congrats to Dewey & Penny that was cute!
Robyn~~It was nice to see someone in the chat room on wed. nice to have met you!
Kimcabrina~~A friend of mine~~who is also a loyal fan of AMERICA'S will be at the Austin show too! Enjoy the trip with your 16 yr old driving, (I have a 16yr old son that is now driving too~~it's been interesting to say the least~~He grew up with Nintendo and those mario kart games and racing car games!!LOOK OUT! LOL) Enjoy the show, I will be anxious to hear from my friend about it for sure!
Well the weekend is here again, everyone have a Good one!
Bye for now, Nancy :)

Kim, have a great time at the concert AND ENJOY THE BOOK! My youngest daughter turns 16 in August and I'm not looking forward to another driver in our house (we already have 5). I guess you can think of what a great time you'll have at the concert and it will alleviate some of the driving anxiety. We'll all be anxious to hear your report on Monday (both about the trip and the concert - LOL).

Bruce, I don't know the actual day that Dewey and Penny were married. If I do find out I'll be sure to let you know. That's interesting that you met your wife through the Internet.

Goanna, I'm glad to hear that you got the DVD and that it plays in OZ. I knew that it was region code free but I was worried that it might not work in your DVD player. As you now know, too, it's a great concert!

Wednesdays are bad for me Robyn but I'll try to join in sometime (even if it's only for 20 minutes or so). Thanks for the personal invitation.

Gerry is in Atlanta, Georgia this morning. Click here to see the view from his hotel window (70th floor).

Three days to go and counting until I get to see my next America concert! My daughter and I are heading to Austin TX for the 4:30 show on Sunday. We are both really excited. I, however, do have one thing to worry about...my husband thinks this would be a good opportunity for our 16 yr old daughter to get some extended highway driving time, so she is doing the driving on the way down. I am taking a book to read to distract me and I am going to try not to gasp and grab ahold of the door handle more than 10 or 15 times! LOL Anyone else out there going to the Austin concert? I'll let ya'll know how it went on Monday.

Kim

Congratulations Dewey and Penny! I'm curious as to the actual date that this occurred since on April 7th I also tied the knot with Mary, my soulmate. I met her through the Internet and agreed to meet her although she listed David Bowie, Yes & King Crimson under "favorite music" in her ad! Hey, nobody's music tastes can match EXACTLY huh?

Hello everyone,
If you have a DVD player, you must get yourself a copy of "America In Concert". We received ours from the U.S. the other day. Well worth the wait...
Although recorded in 98' - 99' the guys look & play great... thanks to Steve L, John C & Jim N for their past recommendations.

and , yep, Steve L. tis' region code free...plays well in OZ!!!

Goanna
XXX

to all who joined in the chat this evening! Steve, try to join us sometime!!!

Granted AMERICA is always on a Lifetime Tour, but as of May 10th in Corpus Cristi Texas, AMERICA launches the summer leg of the 2002 Tour. They don't come up for air until the year is nearly complete.
And in-between shows working hard to complete the Holiday CD for a 2002 release.
Here's for a splendid time for AMERICA in the summer of 2002 !
Catch AMERICA live in 2002 ! Check the schedule & bring the family.

Felicitations,best wishes as man and wife.

i was dreamin' of you
feelin' lucky
abandon everything that went before
ahead now lies another oPEN DOOr

[best, best wishes PEN & DEW!!!]

Hi Jessica, it's good to hear from you. No, I didn't send you an SOS e-mail. Whoever sent it to you must be trying to pretend they're me (why would anyone want to do that? - LOL). Have a nice day!

Hey Steve, how are ya? I got an SOS email in my mailbox from you. I just wanted to check that it really was you. Anyway, hope things are well and great with you. I see that things are great with the fans site and - esp. Dewey.

My congratulations to Dewey and Penny. All the best!

Nina,what I found was that you can scan the image onto your computer into any program you use (we use Appleworks). (good luck finding a scanner) Flip the picture so it is backwards. The program you use will do this. That way, when you iron it on it will be the right way. You should be able to buy the iron-on sheets (they come in packages of 10...at least here they do). Not sure where you can get them. Maybe try a Kinko's, Staples or some computer store. Cost about $1.00 each. You then print them off on the sheets and iron onto a t-shirt. White t-shirts work best.And it was suggested you trim off the excess paper (on the back of the iron-on) so it doesn't get stuck on the shirt when you transfer.

Hope this helps.

john

Thanks so much, John, for your input on the America logo. We don't have scanners at school...but I'll try to find a way to do it! Please continue "digging" for information. It is very much appreciated!

Please join me tonight for another evening of chatting about our favorite band ( and other things) See you after 7 Pacific!

Congratulations to Dewey and Penny. We extend warm wishes for your future happiness.
Ross and Margaret

Congrats to the happy couple. I wish only the BEST! (C=

TkH<------+=! No Boundary

Dewey and Penny,

A very happy FOREVER!!

Lisarose

Congratulations to Dewey and his new wife Penny on their marriage vows.

I have to agree with John L., that we fans can expect to hear a bunch of new love songs penned by Dewey on the next America album!

I'm anticipating the next album to be better than Hourglass and Human Nature! (i'm hoping at least!)

Nina, I don't know about the legalities of what you are asking but I do know it is possible to "scan" an image and print out from your computer onto an iron-on stencil. We did it for a school district volleyball tournament. I'll do some digging and find out exactly how it was done.
j

Exactly how illegal is it to take the "America" logo to a T-Shirt place and have them reproduce the logo on shirts? Sounds not-quite-right to me....but...there's a method to my madness.

The theme for this year's school field day is "America" and all teachers have to come up with a design for their class's T-shirts within the next two weeks.

I think it would be cute for MY class to wear the official "America" logo...but I can't buy 25 T-shirts @ $15.00 a shirt....and I also can't reproduce that intricate logo by hand on 25 different shirts...

Also, does anybody know where I can get those old '70's iron-on transfers? I'm not quite ready to give up YET and start stenciling the Statue of Liberty or Old Glory on the shirts!!!

Any advice would be welcome. (Would a T-shirt place do it for me, or are there copyright or patent laws against it?)

in unity there is strength

congratulations

Mazel Tov, Dewey

Shayne and family
'Cause all the people in the whole wide world don't mean nothin' if you ain't got your girl...

Hi, all

During my latest web search I have found out that "A HORSE WITH NO NAME" reached No. 2 in the Australian Chart in 1972. It was also No. 22 in the Top 25 singles of that year.

Bye for now.

Jas

Congratulations!

Erin :o)

Best Wishes to Dewey and Penny!!! I hope your future is full of happiness and love forever!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Bunnell!!!!

Congratulations Dewey and Penny. SHould provide lots of inspiration for some new tunes.
j

Congratulations Dewey & Penny,
May the rest of your lives together be cherrished...

Wow,,, these guys tour no stop and still have time for a wedding.... amazing...

Wow ! Tis Great News !!!
My best wishes to Penny & Dewey.
May their Wedding Ring bring them happiness forever and keep them away from the "Suffer-Ring"!!!
Congratulations! - Geneviève.

Hi Everyone!
Wow! Thanks Steve for letting us know about this. I too want to extend my best wishes to Dewey & Penny, may they have many happy healthy years together!
Robyn~~~In regards to your question about the Christmas song, I would like to hear Gerry & Dewey sing the song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ~~this is one of my favorites and it would be nice to hear Houses in White on the new Christmas LP~~what a nice song!
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone! Bye for now ~~~ Nancy :)

Congrats and many happy years together!

On behalf of Dewey, I would like to post a formal announcement that Penny and Dewey were recently married. It was a wonderful day and all went well. They are both very happy.

Let me be one of the first to extend my congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

--SteveL

Thanks for the reply.

JB

Jeff Larson's new CD which will include Gerry's "Norman" is finished and has been titled Fragile Sunrise. It should be out in mid-June and you can listen to some soundclips from it (including "Norman") by going to http://www.new-surf.com/jefflarson/.

Jeff, I don't know if there will be soundclips or not, but I hope there will be.

...am looking forward to the Christmas CD. Steve, do you think there'll be sound clips available from this project?

...can't get over how good the guitar(s) sound on HALFMOON BAY. Dewey Bunnell's voice sounds great too. Speaking of background vocals...I think Jeffrey Foskett does a fine job.

Carry on...Jeff B.

You beat me to it Eddy. Please Remember (Christmases Gone By)is one I just got to hear. I also like "What Child is This". And "People in the Snow Covered Valley" or more comonly known as "White Christmas" (LOL).

Happy Xmas (War is over) Lennon/Ono
Please Remember (Christmases Gone By)

HOUSES IN WHITE & PEOPLE IN THE (snow covered) VALLEY.

"Greensleeves", sometimes known as "What Child is This?" is my all time favorite Christmas song. IMHO, no holiday album is complete without this it (hint, hint).

Ok, it's too quiet here,so here's a question for you all. What Christmas or "Winter Holiday" song would YOU like to hear on the Christmas CD? I am still thinking and will post my ansere later.

I'm psyched! I just picked up a DVD player on eBay for $52.00. It's a Toshiba 16X DVD-ROM, brand new w/ a one year waranty and a 500-watt sub-woofer speaker system!

I also just ordered the America In Concert DVD from CD Now. They say it is in stock and will ship in 1-3 days. I hope that's true after hearing some of the stories on this folder about it taking forever to get theirs, giving up after a long wait and ordering it somewhere else, etc.

I'm also a little worried about it playing, too. I don't remember Toshiba being mentioned specifically, but I know a number of you have had difficulty playing it when you finally did get it. Anyone out there have a Toshiba drive and the America DVD? If so, have you had difficulties?

Can't wait to hear FAMT, Wheels and Pages performed live again. Counting down the days till they arrive...

Thanks for the info, Steve. Bummer about the Hampton Beach show not working out. I should have tried to get the Chamber of Commerce here to try and book them for the 12th, but there's no way they could have pulled it all together that soon anyway. Burlington, VT is definitely too far for me to travel. But hey - there's still the LL Bean show in Freeport to look forward to! Wouldn't miss that for the world.

to everyone who joined me last evening for a brief but lively chat! (I had to leave early, so anyone who came in after 8:10 or so I am sorry I missed you!) See you next week!

7/12/02 Burlington, VT / Burlington Memorial Auditorium
7/18/02 Waukesha, WI / Waukesha County Fair – Miller Main Stage

Thanks to Erin Edwards for the information!

Alan, this time I got a quick reply from Erin: "At this moment, we are NOT playing Hampton Beach. If the fans in the area want to call Hampton Beach and request a show... can't hurt."

Alan, I'll check and see what I can find out. Erin must be really busy because I haven't heard back from her for a couple of weeks even though I've sent her lots of questions about the concert list.

Steve,

Still no word on the on the Hampton Beach, NH concert? It is supposed to be the night before the LL bean show in Freeport, ME (this according to the guy that has them booked in Caribou, ME the night AFTER LL Bean). Just curious. Let me me know when you have info.

Thanks,

Alan

p.s. Thanks for transcribing the article from Taylor's web site. i guess my version of Acrobat Reader is too old, because I couldn't get it to load, either.

Robyn, even though I can't make it to the live chats, I appreciate you spurring them on and keeping them going. Thanks!

Please join me this evening in a lively chat! I will be there after 6:30 or so. Hope to see you there.

Wow Andy, Martins dont do it for you? I guess it all just comes down to personal taste, but my Martin is beautiful to play. I played a Guild once and wasnt really impressed with it, other than the fact it was a Guild, if you know what I mean. I think also, that so much depends on what model the guitar might be; for example I was lent a Martin once while mine was having work done on it, and it wasnt to the standard of my one. I have no doubt Taylors are magnificent guitars; I would love to play one. I was interested to read where Gerry said in the article that each of their guitars had weaknesses and thats why they were replaced, and that it long ago stopped being about who would give them a free guitar. AMERICA played Ovations for years, and I had three models, all outstanding, but I do prefer the Martin. I saw that an Eric Clapton signature Martin is valued at $15, 000 American. Now THAT must be some guitar!

[April] [June]
Last Revised: 5 June 2002