Remember America? I mean the band. Of course, you remember the country. Duh.
Interestingly, we have the United States Air Force to thank for this band. In 1970, English-born American Dewey Bunnell and American-born Americans Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley were all sons of American Air Force personnel stationed in London. They formed a band and called it America, because of course they did, and got right in producing some pretty neat light rock tunes.
I always liked their music when I was looking for something lighter than my usual fare of guitar-rock hair bands like Van Halen and Led Zeppelin. I’ve seen them described as “soft rock,” but I’m not sure that’s the term I’d use.
Anyhoo… Here are seven of my favorite America tunes, in no particular order.
Ventura Highway (1972): This song, written by vocalist Dewey Bunnell, was inspired by a time Dewey remembered from his youth when his family was driving down the California coast from Vandenberg Air Force Base. While his father was fixing the tire, Dewey was watching shapes in the clouds – the source of the “alligator lizards in the air” line, and then looked down and saw a sign for Ventura. Dewey claimed that it was also the product of his youth in Omaha and the “go west, young man” notions he had harbored.
See Also: Start Your Weekend Right With Five (Six) Great 'Merica Songs
Sandman (1972): There’s a rumor – only a rumor–that this song was a product of the Vietnam War. The three founding band members were all sons of servicemen, and they had occasion to talk to returning Vietnam veterans on many occasions; Bunnell once said that many of them were afraid to sleep due to the possibility of attack, and were said to be “running from the sandman.”
Tin Man (1974): It should come as no surprise that this song was inspired by “The Wizard of Oz.” The first single released from the 1974 album “Holiday,” the lyrics were a trifle obscure, but the song did well enough, topping out at #4 on the Billboard Top 100.
Daisy Jane (1975): There never was a real Daisy Jane, according to Gerry Beckley, who penned this one. In the song, the protagonist is flying to Memphis to find a girl he had left there, but Beckley had never known a Daisy Jane and had never been to Memphis; this ballad was made up from whole cloth, but it’s a neat tune all the same.
A Horse With No Name (1971): True story: January of 1991, my Supply Section Chief and I were driving up Tap Line Road in northern Saudi Arabia in the middle of the night, in an old Army 5-ton. We (of course) got caught in a huge convoy of mixed cargo and fuel trucks moving up to the line, and as we pulled into the line, I saw, in white paint on the tailgate of the 5-ton in front of us, the words “A Horse With No Name.” “Dammit,” I shouted, “Why didn’t I think of that?” My NCO said, “Well, Eltee, you can still do it.” “No,” I complained. “Because I’d know someone else thought of it first.” But America thought of it before either of us, and it’s still a good song.
See Also: Start Your Weekend Right With Five Great Fun Rock Tunes From the Early Seventies
Sister Golden Hair (1975): Another Gerry Beckley song, this one was, according to Beckley, inspired by Jackson Browne, although it’s difficult to pin down exactly what of Jackson Browne's work Beckley drew that inspiration from. This song became a concert staple for the band, and when performing live, they often put a much peppier spin on the song than the studio version.
You Can Do Magic (1982): This one is a trifle disco-ey, but a solid tune even so. It was also a comeback hit, since the last song America had produced that broke the Top 40 rankings was “Today’s the Day” in 1976. “You Can Do Magic” made it to 8 in the Billboard Top 100 – not bad.
I’m sure you all have some favorite America songs of your own. So, as always, the comments are all yours.
