[August/September]
[Winter]
Last Revised: 6 January 1998
1996
America Trivia
Tour Schedule
America: "Nunca Variamos de formula: armonias, melodias y letras buenas"
America Fans Page
Last Unicorn Movie Availability
American History: A Peek at the Past
Wanted!
Send a Note to Jay Leno....Request America!!!
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AMERICA TRIVIA
Some of you have been begging for more America trivia, so here goes: Submitted by mcole@logicon.com
In 1973, a "bootleg" album was released under the "Phonygram" label. The album featured AMERICA live on one side and another 70's supergroup live on the other side. What was the other group featured on this album?
Give up yet? Check the end of the newsletter for the answer!!
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TOUR SCHEDULE
The following dates are tentative and subject to change, but represent the most current information available at the time the newsletter is distributed:
11/22 Torrance, CA
11/23 The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA
There will be a performance in Texas in early December...we'll distribute the information as soon as it is available. Also, rumor has it that the band will be in Brazil in March....and Las Vegas in early May.
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AMERICA: "NUNCA VARIAMOS DE FORMULA..."
AMERICA performed to packed audiences in several cities in Spain during late September. The following article appeared in "elPeriodico," a newspaper in Barcelona. It's in Spanish, so if anyone can translate it, I'd appreciate a copy! I took German!! :) I know we have some Spanish-speaking subscribers, so I thought they might enjoy it.
"AMERICA: 'NUNCA VARIAMOS DE FORMULA: ARMONIAS, MELODIAS Y LETRAS BUENAS"
El mitico grupo de country-rock de los 70 debuta an Espana con tres galas en BCN El nombre de America, militca banda de los ancs 70, se relaciona siempre con ese inolvidable tema A horse with no name "Le encontraron por fin numbre al caballo?", le preguntaron ayer en su presentacion ante la prensa. "No, pero si alguien tiene alguna sugerencia...", respondio Gerry Beckley, una de las dos voces y guitarras acusticas de trio, reconvertido desde 1977 en duo tras la marcha de Dan Peek. America actua por primera vez en Espana. Curiosamente, es el pequeno local Luz de Gas el que la ha invitado tres noches--desde el lunes y hasta manana, 0.30 horas,--para celebrar el primer aniversario de la sala.
A horse with no name fue el primer single de America. Ante los exquisitos compases de esta cancion, el publicc encumbro a America, considerandoles el relevo de Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Pronto surgieron voces que les acusaban de plagio, lo que no hizo mas que elevar su popularidad. "Cuando nace un grup siempre aparecen las comparaciones--comenta Dewey Bunnell--. Ellos ahora han tomado un camino diferente al nuestro y, de todas maneras, no deja de ser un halago el que digan que suenas igual que una formacion tan buena".
America aposto desde sus inicios por un estilo acustico-vocal sencillo e intimista. "Nunca variamos de formula: armonias, melodias y letras bluenas", revela Beckley. Con estos ingredientes como base, su musica fue un fenomeno de ventas durante la decada de los anos 70. "Seguimos haciendo discos sabiendo que tenemos piezas grabadas en el corazon de todo el mundo --dice Bunnell--. Nos gustaria crear mas hits, pero no siempre salen".
Hablando de exitos, salio el tema-bombazo de la Macarena de los Del rio. "Muchos grupos an EEUU le han hecho versiones. Es como nuestro A horse with no name, que suena en todas partes". Gerry Beckley, Dan Peek y Dewey Bunnell --dos americanos y un ingles-- eran hijos de oficiales estadounidenses en bases inglesas y se conocieron en la American School de Bushey. En Gran Bretana, habian tocado juntos en una banda llamada Daze y fue alli donde editaron su primer disco como America. Tras separarse momentanemente, se instalaron en EEUU, donde publicaron el segundo, Homecoming ~1972).
"Son tantos anos llamandonos America que no pensamos en lo que encierra la palbra, sino en la musica --indica Beckley--. No estamos totalmente de acuerdo con la politica norteamericana, pero a estas alturas no vamos a cambiar de nombre". Quien si decidio probar algo nuevo fue Dan Peek, quien dejo a sus companeros como duo con el album en directo Live. "Peek se ha hecho cristiano y ahora tiene intereses religiosos", confiesa Bunnell."
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AMERICA FANS PAGE
Be sure to check out the new information Steve Lowry has posted on the America Fans Page....there is a new story about the early days of the band which was posted last week. Check it out at:
http://www.vii.com/~slowry/fan16.htm
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LAST UNICORN MOVIE AVAILABILITY
THE LAST UNICORN, the movie, on VHS is available for $14.95 via Critics Choice. You can contact them at 1-800-367-7765. The tape is a delightfully animated children's story. Both Gerry and Dewey sing on the soundtrack. It includes the haunting title track, "The Last Unicorn," as well as several others on which America performs.
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AMERICAN HISTORY: A PEEK AT THE PAST
16 years ago...October 2, 1980
"America Regains its Momentum" by Gail S. Tagashirs
from the San Jose Mercury
"Image and momentum are important to the music duo America, or at least to Gerry Beckley, one of the performers.
Whenever the cover art from "Alibi," America's most recent album, comes up, someone invariably asks about the strange cover, depicting a barren landscape with a large, severed doll's head in the foreground.
It's so unlike America's previous albums, with photos of their smiling faces. Is this a change of image?
"Everybody knows what we look like by now, so we wanted something different this time," Beckley said. "We went through Henry Diltz's collection of weird photos in Los Angeles. He's got so many of them, it was hard to decide, but we liked this one. Except I don't know what it means, either. We leave it up to everyone else to figure out what it means."
Then momentum seems to come and go with America. Formed by three homesick sons of America military men stationed in England, they were originally Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, up until 1977 when Peek left to record Christian music.
the last 11 years has been full of ups and downs, beginning with "I Need You," America's first hit single.. Shortly before it was finally released, all three got sick of it, so they cut another single, "Horse with No Name," figuring they wouldn't tire of it so quickly. Written by Bunnell, it also became a top-selling hit, and America was off. Since then there've been problems, from serious mishaps to mismanagement to canceled tours. Now America's hitting another stride.
"When we played Circle Star last month, that was one of the first shows we had done in months; we were real nervous," Beckley said. "Since then, we've had a month and it feels like we're hitting our stride and got our timing."
Using the same lineup of musicians, America returns for an appearance Friday at 8 pm in Leavey Center at the University of Santa Clara, then leaves for Mexico.
Beckley wrote the love song "Right Back To Me," but did not write America's current hit, "You Could've Been the One." The latter was composed by Sue Sheridan and John Batdorf, of Batdorf and Rodney.
"It's a very lyrical story that our producers thought sounded like me," Beckley said about the new single.
Then the band hadn't planned to learn "Right Back to Me" for any of their shows, until it was released in Mexico as a single, hit the charts, and Mexican fans expect to hear it, Beckley said.
After the concert on the SCU campus, America's fans here can hear the group on Midnight Special, singing three songs from the new album, and watch a taped segment including "Horse with No Name" and "Sister Golden Hair."
The latter was part of an hour long special filmed on Lake Elsinore and in Central Park that was chopped to bits, Beckley said..."
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WANTED!
If you have any America-related photos, albums, cd's, posters, books, etc. which you would like to sell or buy, please send me a listing and I will put them here so others may contact you.
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TRIVIA ANSWER: The Eagles
RE: Help Get AMERICA on Jay Leno!!!
I'm forwarding the newsletter again.....since Sue is still waging battles with her new computer system.......and even winning a few!
I wanted to mention that my daughter, Christina, a freshman at the University of Washington, met Jay Leno this past weekend at the U.W. Bookstore while signing his newest book.
She mentioned America to Jay, and he said he would like to have America on the show, and has always been a fan.
Hopefully, all of you can get a chance to e-mail the Tonight Show *ASAP* and request America be invited as guests. The address is:
tonightshow@online.nbc.com
By the way, Dewey sent a note.....said America was on the Tonight Show when Jay substituted for Johnny Carson, and another time after Jay took over.
Hope we can make the third time a charm!!!
AMERICA on America Online:
Keyword: MMC (Music Message Center)
Rock/Pop
Artists A-F
America: Beckley and Bunnell
[August/September]
[Winter]
Last Revised: 6 January 1998