Javier Martinez

Meet Javier Martinez from Barcelona, Spain.

I'm beginning to surf in the web, and I reached the wonderful pages about America fans. Thank you from my heart!

I would be very grateful to offer my tribute to them, and also you can count on me to provide good midi file transcriptions of songs, especially those Gerry's ballads accompanied with piano (I need you, To each his own, Only in your Heart, She's gonna let you down, Goodbye, Another Try, Daisy Jane, Sergeant Darkness, 1960, All my life, Inspector Mills, and many more).

In the days I was discovering such a big amount of fresh information of my favourite pop group since my teens, I was reading the local newspaper and I couldn't trust my eyes; according to a small news ad, They were going to play that very night (September 23rd, 1996) in my city !

Once recovered from the shock of watching them playing at the reach of my hand in 2 of the 3 nights (I missed the first show because of the lack of publicity, as I told), I hope you'll enjoy knowing about America's popularity in Barcelona, Spain.

First let me introduce myself. I am a 31 years old pharmaceutical market researcher that has been devoted to America since my years of secondary school (circa 1979), when a quite worn out copy of "Hat Trick", which one of my big brother's friend forgot at home after a party, happen to came to my hands.

I became inmediately seduced by the music, full of rich emotions, images, evocations and flavors elegantly translated into notes and words.

I became adictive to the music (actually I can say without doubt that Dewey, Gerry and Dan have been my best english and music teachers), and I managed to recopilate all America albums available in Spain, eventhough in the late 70's there have passed several years since the massive initial hits, the last of which (at least in Spain and always talking about massive, six digit unit sales) had been "America's History Greatest Hits".

Therefore, I was only 6 years when America's polularity bursted out, and actually I have been able to seek the group "in real time" only since the depart of Dan Peek ("Live" and "Silent Letter" launches were the first launches I could "live"). I could never find out what caused the departure of Dan until I reached the web pages.

Now some words about the Barcelona performances....

The venue was a small theater formerly called "Belle Epoque", and now refurbished as a pop music auditorium and night club, renamed as "Luz de Gas", which provided a warm, familiar atmosphere, where Barcelonian America fans could enjoy an unique and unforgettable experience. Th show started at midnight (12:30 a.m.)The songs performed were (ordered by albums):

Riverside (opening)
Three roses ("an umplugged song long before umplugged became on fashion, in Dewey's words)
A horse with no name (in the bisses, with Gerry, Brad and Mike dancing together with their instruments in a funny complicity with the audience) Sandman (energic Mike guitar solo)
I need you

Ventura highway
Don't cross the river
Only in your heart
Everyone I meet is from California (final one in the bisses)

Green Monkey (Bisses?)

Tin Man
Another Try
Lonely people (With Gerry fast switching between harmonica solo and piano)

Daisy Jane
Woman tonight
Sister Golden Hair (final, and now very popular since the disco version of it that was a hit as big as "Macarena" in US, but I prefer the 75' version better!)

Sergeant Darkness

All my life (After bisses, final farewell Gerry's gift only the last night)

You can do magic
Never be lonely

Mirror to mirror

The last Unicorn (never heard before in Spain)

California Dreamin'

I have no words to describe how nicely Gerry and Dewey have preserved the spirit of every song performed, in spite of the years and the astonishing number of times surely they have been performed.

Brad and Mike performing and vocal backing (sometimes also lead, like in Don't cross the river and Woman Tonight) was very good. Actually the band multiplied as if there were double the number of musicians, and spite the discrete hall sonorization quality, everybody felt that those were the best performances in the theatre, since its opening a year ago (actually the first two nights were part of the theatre 1st anniversary celebration , and entrance was restricted (unfortunately) to club members).

I would say that the last night was the best as far as public atmosphere, due to unrestricted entrance which allowed all time fans share tribute acclaim.

At the end of wednesday last show, I waited in the street for autographs, while I met a couple of guys, Enrique and Jordi, who were carrying a camera. So I was able not only to have the ticket signed, but also photographs with Gerry, Dewey, Willie, Mike and Brad as they were leaving the theatre.

If somebody had tell me a week ago that I was going to see them performing, and even talk with them, I would have send him to the psichiatrist.

Feel free to send your comments or questions to Javier.