A Three-Minute History of America
Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek
Two years after the Beatles broke up and went on to their respective solo careers, another musical “invasion” came to our shores from England.
Late winter 1972 brought to the United States of America the acoustic sounds of a trio of young men who called themselves America.
Dan Peek, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley had been living in Britain for several years but laid a legitimate claim to their moniker. They were sons of Americans who were stationed at an Air Force base in London, and an Americana jukebox in a local pub inspired their name.
The three produced some of the purest acoustic rock ever recorded, and their sound fit in perfectly with the mellow music of the early 1970s.
When their music first hit the American airwaves Peek was 21, Bunnell was 20 and Beckley was 19. They had met at London’s Central High School and previously belonged to a five-man band called the Daze.
Their first single, “A Horse With No Name,” entered the Billboard top 40 on March 4, 1972. Three weeks later it began a three-week stay at No. 1. A self-titled debut album was on the market, as well.
That attention-grabbing single was more of an accident than a stroke of marketing genius by the band’s label, Warner Bros. Peek recounted, “The album was released with ‘I Need You’ planned as the first single. However, Warner’s, always cautious, declined to issue a single for the album. Their decision was for us to cut four new tunes to go for a stronger initial release.”
America reentered the studio to record one more song. Bunnell, who was inspired by homesickness for California, wrote it. He had lived briefly at Vandenberg Air Force Base near Santa Maria. The riddle-laden lyrics of “A Horse With No Name” caught the attention and imagination of the record buying public, lifting it to million-selling status.
Soon after “Horse” shot up the American record charts, Peek, Bunnell and Beckley quickly moved back to the States, where they joined a tour as the opening act for the Everly Brothers.
After two follow-up albums that they produced for themselves, America made their own connection to the Beatles when they linked with producer George Martin. He led the group through the albums “Holiday” and “Hearts,” which featured such notable songs as “Tin Man,” “Lonely People” and “Sister Golden Hair.”
“The time in the studio with George was priceless,” Peek recalled in his memoirs, An American Band – The America Story. “George, after much cajoling by us, added piano to ‘Tin Man.’ He and Gerry played the honky-tonk piano in the break on ‘Lonely People’ as a twosome. It was magic – time stood still.”
As if having Martin’s hand on the proverbial rudder weren’t enough, some of the ex-Beatles visited the recording sessions, Peek said. “George Harrison stopped by and schmoozed. It was hot and cold running Beatles between Air Studios and Warner’s.”
Cranking out an album a year, America remained true to their acoustic format. The boys made extensive use of acoustic piano and six-string and 12-string guitars, tossing in minimal amounts of electric six-string guitars. “Daisy Jane” included a cello part, and “Sister Golden Hair” featured an electric pedal steel guitar. Their harmonies were exquisite, and they wrote most of their material.
The group’s success was dizzying, and the usual byproducts of success were present.
“The constant togetherness, the wearing habits, the annoying mannerisms, the raw jealousy and scramble for recognition, adulation, money, power and fame drove us all on,” Peek recalled. “Egos began to collide dangerously. Success and fame change most people, and not always for the better.”
One of America’s crowning achievements was a massive concert at Anaheim Stadium, which they co-headlined with the Beach Boys on the eve of the USA’s bicentennial, July 3, 1976. Close to 100,000 fans attended. “I have a very active imagination,” Peek wrote, “yet I have difficulty visualizing a more awesome night.”
Later in the year, Peek called it quits with his cohorts. As his spirituality heightened, he left America to embark upon a career as a contemporary Christian artist.
Beckley and Bunnell carried on without officially taking on a replacement for Peek. They went six years without a top 40 hit until they left Warner Bros. for Capitol Records. Then America was back in the limelight briefly with “You Can Do Magic” and “The Border.”
America has remained a touring act over the past 35 years.
As an acoustic force in the ‘70s, America was unparalleled. They have not yet been enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their many recognizable songs remain dear to the hearts of legions of music lovers.
