Welcome to America

Remember Sister Golden Hair Daisy Jane, Ventura Highway, Tin Man, Muskrat Love, Lonely People, Sandman, I Need You, Ventura Highway, A Horse with No Name? and You Can Do Magic. Each of these songs is by America, a band formed in London in 1970.

It might be easy to forget America, even if these songs are familiar to you. They seem to be one of those bands you know when you hear them, but you don't think about them a lot unless a tune comes on and you start singing along. Some people (including my mother in law) know the songs but aren't aware of who sings them, or assume they're sung by someone else. Even so, America has remained a radio staple.

America featured three guys, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The guys each played a variety of instruments and did of the studio work themselves, relying on a touring band when they went out and played live. They've released sixteen studio albums, six live albums, and several compilations.

America has been labeled everything from folk rock to soft rock to contemporary adult. Whatever you call them, America has churned out some memorable hooks. Sister Golden Hair is one of those songs on my list of songs I can never hear enough. It's opening chord strum, the introduction of the smooth, simple guitar lick that sticks in your head long after the notes fade away -- beautiful stuff.

Sister Golden Hair (Gerry Beckley) has an immediately recognizable opening verse.

Well I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed
That I set my sights on Monday and I got myself undressed.
I ain't ready for the altar, but I do agree there's times
When a woman sure can be a friend of mine.

And Daisy Jane (Gerry Beckley), with its wonderful soaring chorus:

Does she really love me?
I think she does.
Like the stars above me,
I know because
When the sky is brght
Everything's all right.

All of the guys in the band are accomplished songwriters. A quick look at their back catalog shows that a majority of the tunes were written by them. They've carved a nice little place in the history of music, and speaking of history, their greatest hits package, entitled History: America's Greatest Hits, is a CD worth keeping in the car. You never know when the urge to sing these tunes might strike you.