Saturday 4 August 2012

The band America is from the USA?

Well to my great surprise the answer is sort of yes and no, more no than yes I would think?  I have a CD compilation of theirs and while playing it the other evening I started to read the facts about the group named America.



One thing stood out about the credits, George Martin (now Sir) directed the band, this had me wondering why he would fly to the USA to manage them when he was so busy with bands like the Beatles in the UK?

History: America's Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975. It was a success in the United States, reaching number 3 on the Billboard album chart and being certified multi-platinum by the RIAA. It has also been certified 6 times platinum by ARIA for shipments of 420,000 copies in Australia.

This is the CD I have, buy it, you will be pleased you did.

America is an English-American folk rock band that originally consisted of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring No. 1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist. Their recording success stretched throughout the 1970s; some of the band's best known songs are "A Horse with No Name", "Sister Golden Hair" (both of which reached No. 1), "Ventura Highway", "Tin Man", "Daisy Jane", and "Lonely People". George Martin produced seven of their albums.


What the truth was, is that the three members who became one of the worlds top bands, were really American Service personel children based in the UK and attending Amrican schools in the period they were there.

So this is really a British/American band!

How about that!

Roy

Hearts is the fifth original studio album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975, (see 1975 in music). The album was produced by legendary Beatles producer George Martin.




This album was a big hit in the US, reaching number 4 on the Billboard album chart and being certified GOLD by the RIAA. It produced three hit singles: "Sister Golden Hair" went to number 1 on the Billboard singles chart and number 5 on the Adult Contemporary chart; and "Daisy Jane" which peaked at 20 on the Billboard singles chart and number 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart; and the funky "Woman Tonight" which reached 44 on the Billboard singles chart and 41 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks including "Old Virginia", "Bell Tree" and "Midnight".