Archives: February 1998

As many of you know, GERRY BECKLEY endorses the Optek Smartlight Interactive Guitar System. It is a system w/lights on the fret board of an electric guitar, a learning system for budding guitarists. Ads have run in the guitar magazines w/GERRY'S foto. This year I recall a few fotos were taken by Henry Diltz, AMERICA'S official foto man, at the mission viejo gig in Calif. w/GERRY using the Optek guitar for YOU CAN DO MAGIC - of course the lighted dots were off.

Well Optek also sells diskettes of midi based guitar lines from popular songs, which can be used w/their system or for your simple listening pleasure. Optek's has completed the transcriptions for the AMERICA midi disk w/all lead lines so you can play AMERICA. It is set for release any day now. The disk contains all the songs from HISTORY except for Muskrat Love. They can be reached at 1-800-833-8306 or visit their Web site which includes a foto of GERRY performing.

Steve, I would like to thank you for creating this wonderful web site. Although America is very famous and popular in Japan, it was extremely difficult for me to get the latest information on America when I was in Japan. There were times that I didn't even know if the band still existed. I can't describe how happy and excited I was when I found your web site 6 months ago when my husband and I started to subscribe to AOL. (I also found the AOL message board at that time.)

I have been a big fan of America since 1975. Like everybody else, I also have very special memories about America. If I hadn't turned on the radio on that late summer day in 1975, my life would have been completely different. I wouldn't have been living in the States now.

By the way, I went back to Japan last week, and I brought back a whole bunch of CD's which I had kept at my parents' place. Among them is a CD called "Highway 70" by MFQ (The Modern Folk Quartet) which was released in 1995. In this album, they are covering "Don't Cross the River," and Gerry is singing "Crying in My Sleep" (written by Jimmy Webb) as a guest. Henry Diltz wrote, "Jimmy Webb is my favorite songwriter of all. I heard my friend Gerry Beckley singing this song of Jimmy's and couldn't get it out of my mind. We asked Gerry if we could put harmonies to his version." Also, he wrote about "Don't Cross the River" like this: "I became good friends with the boys in America in the early 70's when I photographed several of their album covers. Their first album I photographed was Homecoming, and I was invited to play banjo on this song. I always liked the way my banjo sounded on their album and I'm glad to get to play it again on ours." It's a wonderful wonderful album. If you already know of this album, please ignore this paragraph. Since this CD was released by a Japanese company, I thought it may not have been released in the States (like "Van Go Gan").

Please keep up the good work.

Mami

"Horse With No Name" was also a part of "Stars On 45 II" Although it wasn't sung by the band, the impersonation wasn't bad.

Shayne

Geno,

Thanks for solving this so soon...I had some guesses, but nowhere NEAR close. Good trivia question!

Mags

Hearts and America got plenty of playing time over the years (and still do). View From the Ground got lots of listening when I got it on CD this last year. And Hourglass gets listened to often!

So I thought it only fair to listen to the tournament contenders off other albums. So my commute to and from work this week has been filled with the sounds of Sarah, Hat Trick, Sergeant Darkness, Watership Down, Head and Heart, and Till the Sun Comes Up Again!

Trying to be objective!

Tim

Well, Dickie Goodman is the best known for the cut-in songs. I just listened to Mr. Jaws from 1975. No America here. Dickie had two other cut-in songs. Watergate in Summer of 1973 and Energy Crisis '74 from early that year. Don't have either and don't remember them, so this is pure guess.

Ventura Highway came out in fall of '72 and would be the closest big America hit to either. So let's go with Watergate and Ventura Highway.

Tim

That would be "Horse" on "Convention '72" for $500 alex
G.

Hey You People,

I'd forgotten about this one myself until just the other day. Name the America hit that appeared in one of those wacky "cut-in" songs of the 70's. You know with a stupid announcer voice and plotline with the hits of the day as replies. While you're at it name the novelty record and artist too. Much luck.

Peace
Joe B

P.S. Very interesting discussions lately. Overall, "Harbor" is the weakest of America's albums, despite some individually great tunes. In terms of end to end quality, I'd have to say "Hearts" wins. "Hourglass" rates a fairly close second but loses out due to the two unnecessary remakes. "Alibi" is also in the upper echelon.

P.S.S. Remember, a vote for "You Can Do Magic" is a vote for Russ Ballard. (even though I do like that "Hold On" hit song he wrote for Santana.)

OK, so while listening to the first album this morning--the layered guitars and vocals, the piano mimicking the bass lines, etc--suddenly I was struck by how similar this was to some of R.E.M.'s stuff on Murmur and Fables. (I could get shunned at the R.E.M. chat for saying this.)

How influential do you think America has been over the years? Discuss.

Jean from Cincinnati

It's Wednesday afternoon so it must be time for the mid-week song tournament update. It's obvious that we've got some quality songs in the running because there are lots of very close races. Currently, there is one tie and two other song-pairs that are within two votes of each other. The rest of the races are fairly close with the exception of two songs that are leaving their rivals in the dust (each rival receiving only two votes). There are 4 lucky voters that are leading the way with 13 of their songs winning: Diane North (her bio is on the Fans page), John Conto, Brett Lucas, and Barry Silber.

Steve

Well I've done my duty, I voted. I see that my two original chioces (Ventura Highway and Another Try), are still in the running. Everyone is right, the chioces are getting much harder. If you think its tough now, just wait for the next rounds.

Gary
the other GB

Wow. Isn't that blasphemy to say something negative about Holiday?! I really like Holiday as an album. But then again I think Jet Boy Blue is a great song, so what do I know. I must agree with your comments about Hat Trick. I think Hat Trick was one of, if not THE BEST, albums they ever did. I think the choice of Muskrat Love as the first single hurt album sales though. I think many people heard the single and figured the album must be light pop fluff and never gave it a listen. However, if we follow the thinking of many concerning Hideaway, then Hat Trick's poor showing would not be due to it, but due to fan disappointment with a previous album. So which album caused Hat Trick's decline? the first album or Homecoming?

Every musical artist faces the eternal struggle between writing commercial "hit" songs and stretching his/her creative muscles.

For example, AMERICA's Holiday LP contains many concert and chart "hits" such as "Tin Man", "Another Try", "Lonely People", "Hollywood", and "Old Man Took". Singularly, some of these songs are standouts (e.g., "Another Try" and "Old Man Took"). Collectively, however, I consider Holiday to be one of AMERICA's weaker LP's, and it is one to which I rarely listen.

On the other hand, Hat Trick only contains one chartable song, "Muskrat Love", and was not commercially successful. But in my opinion, Hat Trick is a stronger and much more artistic effort than Holiday.

Just my 2 cents worth....................

Barb

AMERICA is embarking on another very busy schedule in 1998. For you locals to the various shows, please feel free to post venue information; for the out-of-towners it's only a plane ride away. I will tell you it is always quite pleasant to observe the widespread craziness for AMERICA, across the country & outside of the US.

The latest & greatest is HOURGLASS & VAN GO GAN (GERRY'S debut solo masterpiece). The new CD is in the womb & the world awaits you. This CD is going to be quite big, 1998 is a new year.

Here's some information for those looking for tickets to the Sandusky, Ohio concert on March 14.

Sandusky State Theatre Box Office
107 Columbus Ave.
Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 626-1950

The theatre is arranged with even numbered seats on the left side and odd numbered on the right (that information will be helpful if you're trying to request side-by-side seats). The show is at 8:00 PM.

I purchased front row seats (row A, seats 1 & 3). Cost was $28.75 each.

I hope this helps.

Mark

I just read the Dan Peek newsletters, and I find them fascinating, if for no other reason than that his manner of speech as a Christian is so removed from his early days in America when all he seemed to want to do was drink and get into trouble (there was a story from Rock magazine I didn't use in the Comprehensive History about Dan and I think Gerry telling a story about a chat with a prostitue they came across). It's also interesting to hear that as late as 1981, Dan was still consumed by the success of "All Things Are Possible" and that singles were still being released from it. Does Rob or anyone else know if these were the only Dan Peek newsletters? The whole Dan Peek story after his departure from America is still quite murky, and it would be nice to fill in some gaps!

john

Gerry & Dewey's picture is now posted at www.gulfstreampark.com advertising their concert there this Saturday. The Daily Racing Form offers free racing programs at their web site. Gulfstream's Saturday program should be available Friday night at www.drf.com/handicapping/programs.html

Good luck & good racing,
David

I haven't been joining in the "middle years" discussion bec. I only got my Hideaway and Harbor CDs a few months ago. I don't have the Live album yet! Anyway, I think Hideaway isn't to blame. It wasn't released here in my part of the world but now that I have the album, I like the Dan Peek songs and most of the others in it. The band's "decline"(to give it a name), maybe attributed to a combination of a lot of things, But mainly, I guess things just change, no matter what we do. People change preferences. Circumstances change. New things enter the scene. There is such a thing as a saturation point, too. And so, it would be unfair to blame one album, especially in America's case. Their songwriting talent is just too strong to be defeated by one album's "failure".

Anyway, middle years for me is actually after History and just before View. Silent letter was released here, but I only heard 1960, All Around and the profound Tall Treasures vaguely from my Uncles. The fact that I remembered them when I became a fan only in '92 and got myself a copy of the album says a lot. Dewey and Gerry's first effort without Dan was great! It showed that they've adapted well with the changes. If it didn't do as well as we all think it should, then this time I think it's Capitol's fault (because the album is great!).

Now the gap between Perspective and Hourglass is another case of the band undergoing changes. The important thing is - they bounced back, they're still here, aren't they? With a new CD in the works, too!

Jessica

When the going gets tough, the second round appears and it gets worse!

Horse With No Name vs. Young Moon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Need You vs. Garden of Peace !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will go out on a limb and say...........a surprise from one of these two matches.

Tim

Rob Guinan sent me some Dan Peek newsletters which I have typed in and added to the Newsletter Archives. The newsletters go from April 1980 through March 1981 and are very interesting to read. One of the newsletters makes reference to a special "silver cup" which was lost during one of the family's many moves (a la "Lonely People"). Thanks to Rob for making the newsletters available to the rest of us.

Steve

I have added an article from the SHOWBIZ magazine announcing the Las Vegas concert at Harrah's to the photos that were already out there. There is a good photo with the article along with some entertaining reading.

Steve

The second round of the 1998 America Song Tournament is over and the results are in. For the most part the top seeded songs won but there were a few upsets:

#9 Hat Trick beat #8 Baby It's Up To You
#10 Here beat #7 Hope
#9 Garden of Peace beat #8 Green Monkey
#10 Old Man Took blasted #7 And Forever

The most interesting race for me was between #11 Mirror To Mirror and #6 California Dreamin'. Mirror To Mirror held a slight lead until late on Saturday. Saturday evening the two songs were tied and late Saturday night a final ballot came in which gave California Dreamin' a one vote victory (darn it, I wanted Mirror to Mirror).

Don H. and MCRD9 (whoever that is) were the luckiest voters, each getting 29 of their favorite songs into the second round.

To see all the results go to the America Fans page
and follow the link to the Song Tournament.

The next live chat session will be this Tuesday (February 24) at 9 pm EST. Once again, I have a commitment that will make me a little bit late, but please go ahead and start without me. I'll join in as soon as possible.

Steve

Wow! A controversy!

As much as I hate to admit it, I agree that Hideaway may have been the beginning of the slide. While the LP may have held the audience from Hearts, History was a smash! The follow-up album was bound to have strong carry-over. Kind of like being the show following Friends. But if the product isn't up to par, the audience will tune out. Anyone remember The Single Guy? And to me, and I don't know that much about music, Hideaway, and then Harbor, seemed kind of rushed to me. The lyrics in particular were underwhelming in content and length, as well as heavily repeated. Were they rushed trying to get out albums to capitalize on History? Had success spoiled America? There were gems on those albums to be sure, but compared to the masterpieces Holiday and Hearts, Hideaway and Harbor, just don't measure up. By Silent Letter, I felt the guys were back on track, but by then, people weren't listening.
Just my opinion, of course.

Rick C

I hope this doesn't sound snobbish but when it comes down to voting in the tourny, if I'm having a hard time deciding, the first thing I use to break a tie is whether or not the song was written by America. In the case of "I Don't Believe in Miracles" versus "Daisy Jane," I gotta go with a Beckley-penned tune over Ballard unilaterally. Just my opinion. It would be a drag if the winning song turned out not to be written by one (or more) of the guys.

Rick C

My meager 2 cents.

Although I think Hideaway was a strong album, I had similar thoughts with the Dan-Peek-Up-and-Down thing.....I REALLY don't like Can't You See or (Mr. Beckley's) She's a Liar (for that matter). Yet, Today's the Day was the strongest COMMERCIAL song on the album. I DO think there's alot to be said for the "FM" factor of an album. Watership Down (the doomed cartoon-movie song) and Amber Cascades stayed "true" to the America "sound" (do all these quotations remind you of that Chris Farley commentary character?). And Lovely Night was a Lovely Ditty!!!!!

I know not EVERYONE is going to like EVERY song on an album, but there seems to be much less dissent on albums like Homecoming and Hearts..... (i.e. all the HITS that came off of them.....)

As for the "Vegas" niteclub factor......Hey, I LOVED the "Bernstein touch" of orchestra. It was just another of those "hey, it'll ADD to the experience" moves that was so big in concerts back then.....

Oh, well. LIFE is subjective!! :-)
wysiwyg!
TKH

Since Gilligan's island went off the air in 1967 and "I Need You" came out in 1972, and Gerry probably wrote it around 1970-71, I think this was a co-incidence. I doubt that Gerry was influenced to write one of his best songs from a Gilligan's Island episode. Then again, inspiration CAN come from some wierd places.

Jim...Erie, Pa

Gene-O is absolutely correct with his analysis on "Hideaway/All Things..."

Peace
Joe B

Hey you people!

Another excellent Beach Boys "History" is "The Nearest Faraway Place" by Timothy White

Peace
Joe B

Gene Murrell (MurrellHB@aol.com) who is a great local musician & good friend of AMERICA, does some great covers of many songs. Included are a long list of AMERICA songs. Recently he performed the DEWEY vocal led masterpiece song GARDEN OF PEACE. This is the outstanding song on HOURGLASS that does contain the solo backing vocals of the late Carl Wilson. Gene really pulls out all stops to convey the warm feelings in this fabulous song of comfort & tranquility. With Gene he plays many AMERICA songs that are not even played live, such as songs from HOURGLASS & VAN GO GAN (Gerry's debut solo). Catch Gene if you can.

By the way I understand that a full length feature film is planned on the life of the Beach Boys, should be interesting. If you want some very interesting insight into the Beach Boys, the book by Brian Wilson, 'Wouln't It Be Nice,' is quite good.

"many are taken...some will remain"........please.

I'm not saying that he didn't have anything good.....I'm just saying that his writing wasn't up to par and it showed......

But then 2 years later you've got "All Things Are Possible", which I feel was very strong for him....
G.

AmericaFan,

Here, here. Well said. Hideaway is an excellent album, as its chart position demonstrates. 'Today's the Day' is as strong a song ever issued by America. Gene, Gene. Dan Peek, short on growth? Remember, 'Today' was the only hit from the album, and by far the best song. Dan was going though hell at the time, it appears to me. Listen closely to the lyrics of 'Hurrican'. His success with his first solo effort, 'All Things Are Possible' show that he still had much growth to display. The music, lyrics and self production of 'All Things' demonstrate his progressive growth.

Oh well. Everyone is entitled.

"How long will the wind blow? Everybody talks, but know body really knows ..."

America Forever,

Sandman Dave

Sorry...I disagree

I love Live while Hideaway isnot one of my favorites...There are some good songs there, but I feel that most of the material that Dan was writing then wasn't up to America standards...especially lyrically.. Jet Boy Blue, She Beside you, and Hurricane and Slow Down (off Harbor) weren't showing the growth that Dewey and Gerry were. I do like These Brown Eyes and Todays The Day. But to compare "Watership Down"with "Jet Boy Blue" ....sorry.

I don;t think that the LIve album sounds like a night club act. And remember..at that time...they weren't a "classic" rock band...they were a top draw..rock star status, "mine goes to 11 and we need more dubly" band..with a legendary producer. I think the Live album adds that rock edge and roughness that you get when you are performing live. Mixed that with the Martin arrangements and you have THAT sound. AND it is what the audience heard as well....so what if it might seem excessive....so were the 70's.

of course, that's just my opinon.
Gene
G.

Oh, Tim...you rascal you. I agree...but I just couldn't not vote for "Here." Tougher choices ahead, as the tourney narrows. I bet we'll all have some nail biting to do in the weeks to come!

Mags

I'm sure you're right about Daisy...I forgot about Old Man Took vs. And Forever. I bet that one will be close...

Erin :o)

Shayne, believe it or not, I remember that episode but I can't remember the words or the tune. Maybe somebody else out there will be able to help.

This may seem like a weird question, but does anyone remember a "Gilligan's Island" episode where a rock group (I believe they were called the Mosquitos) comes to the island and the women perform a song for them called "You Need Us". I always thought this was a take off of "I Need You". The lyrics (as I remember them) were, "You need us, like the summer needs the rain...".

Anyway, I have no idea why I thought of this tonight. But, does anyone remember that?

Sad to say Erin, I think Daisy probably took it. It was a hit you know...... While I love Daisy (and it's sequel "the Farm"), "I don't believe in miracles" really hits home for me. It just seems so full of honesty and despair..

my other tough choice was Old man Took and And FOrever...

G.

My last on the subject, then I'll drop it, I promise. I still think it is wrong to blame Hideaway for the failure of Live. If Hideaway were the problem, I think it would not have done as well as it did on the charts and you would have seen the dramatic drop with Harbor. But there was only a small decline with Harbor, and I think most of that was due to the fact that it did not produce a charted single. Had God of the Sun or Don't You Cry been even moderate hits I think Harbor would have been just has successful as Hideaway, which sold nearly as many copies as Hearts, which sold nearly as many copies as Holiday. It is unfair to compare Hideaway to History since History was a Greatest Hits compilation which sold more than 5 million copies. All of their other albums, with the possible exception of the first album, appear as failures when measured against that yardstick. The fact is that what precipitated their commercial decline was Dan Peek leaving, hard to make up for the loss of one third of the creative talent of the group, and IMHO the poorly produced and ineffectively promoted Live album. There, I'm done.

The choice I spent the most time over: Till the Sun Comes Up Again and Wind Wave. Or Baby It's Up To You and Hat Trick. I know, I'm weird.

Jean "Vas you ever in Zinzinnati?"

I totally agree with you about Hope and Here...both are great songs and I had a hard time deciding. The other toughest choice (in my opinion) was between Daisy Jane and I Don't Believe In Miracles....I can't wait to find out which one won.

Erin :o)

So what do you think is the toughest choice in this round of the America Music Tournament?

Well for me it was Hope vs. Here. TOUGH CHOICE!! Both are great songs, but.........

All I'm saying is, I voted for the song that starts with an "H", ends with an "E" and has a vowel as the second letter!

Tim

I agree that "Live" was poorly produced. However, I also believe that if "Hideaway" were a better LP, more people would have been nterested in "Live". My complaint about "Hideaway is that although it charted pretty well, it was fa below what the band was used to. Their previous 2 studio LP's garnered 5 top 30 hits (3 in the top 5) and "History" was a top 5 LP. I expected a better showing from the follow-up. Unfortunately, "Hideaway" (IMHO) only had a few real quality tracks. Let's face it, "Jet Boy Blue" was no one of Dan's best. You mst realize that "Hideaway" was my favorite LP for a while simply because it was by America, but it paled in comparison to "Harbor" and "Hearts". Of course it's only my two cents.

Shayne

Some people keep blaming one of my favorite albums, Hideaway, for America's comercial decline. Since Hideaway is my favorite George Martin produced album I feel I need to come to it's defense. Let's look at what really happened during that time. Hideaway was released in early 1976, their first new album since Hearts in early 1975, the compilation History being released in between the two. While Hideaway wasn't nearly as popular as History it was only slightly less sucessful than Hearts. Hideaway went "Gold" and peaked at 11 on the charts. It produced one hit single "Today's The Day" and a minor follow-up hit "Amber Cascades." The fact is that Hideaway held on to the bulk of America's fan base. Now let's look at their next release Harbor. It actually did pretty well considering that it did not produce a hit single. It peaked at 21 on the charts and held on to the bulk of America's fan base, really only a small decline from Hideaway. Then Dan Peek left the group soon after Harbor's release. Then Live was released. It actually made sense to release a live album at this time. It would show the public that the bulk of the talent was still in the band and give Gerry and Dewey some extra time to come up with material for an album as a duet. The problem was that Live was DOA as far as the charts and sales went. It didn't even crack the top 100. Live is where the dramatic comercial decline occurred, not Hideaway. I think there were several reasons for it. First, I think the bulk of the public figured "I already have History, why do I need Live." Second, to my knowledge no single was ever released from the album. A hit single (like the excellent version of Another Try on Live) would have gone a long way to promote the album. And lastly, I think the performances on live are over produced, I blame George Martin for this. I'm not saying they aren't good, but they sound too much like a night club act instead of a classic rock band. They didn't recover from this decline untill the release of View From the Ground in 1982. So stop blaming the masterpiece Hideaway for running off America's fans!!!!!!!

I love this subject! I've always wondered what was going on during the Capitol years. I really liked Silent Letter. Since it was the first Capitol album, maybe the "suits" gave them the widest latitude. Things were kind of status quo. Teh Guys wrote all but one song. George Martin was still in tow. David Dickey was still on bass. I even remember a pretty aggressive marketing campaign..."Rediscover America." So what happened? Changing musical tastes is all I can think of. DISCO! UGH!

When the album didn't do well, what happened? The execs get nervous? Did they start to over manage. I seems to me that with each following album, Gerry and Dewey's influence lessened. Was that out of their control or we're they trying to reinvent themselves for the times. Were they running low on confidence? And what was with Russ Ballard's America LP, Your Move. And by the time Perspective rolled around, Gerry and Dewey wrote just a handful of songs and didn't play any instruments. Listening to that album now, the music, like much of the 80's music, sounds so dated and over-produced. Here's a thought; it would be cool if the guys covered a couple of their own tunes from the 80's the way they'd have produced them themselves. I'll bet 5th Avenue, Fallin' Off the World and Can't Fall Asleep to a Lullaby would sound awesome and timeless under their direction.

Does anyone know who was calling the shots on the final couple of Capitol records. I'd love some insight.

Ever Curious Rick C

ok,THis is the scoop. Prof and I will be sharing the bill. He will be playing with his friend Larry's band SMALL CHANGE and then my band will play. Show starts at 8pm and will last until around 11:30pm.This will be primarily a all original evening and there will be CD's on sale asd well. I'm sure that there will be plenty of jamming all around. Tickets are $8 at the door or you can get them at Coach House outlets as well as from Prof or me. If you need more info email me and I'll be happy to answer any questions.......see you there.

Gene
G.

That is a great idea. Let's hear what y'all think. Who should do what song? I always wanted to hear Neil Young do "Horse With No Name" (LOL). Seriously, how about Kenny Loggins doing one. He sounded terrific on "The Last Unicorn" (on his last CD - hey, there's another cover).

Shayne

Well,if you count "Let's Wait Awhile" by Janet Jackson (an obvious copy of Daisy Jane) and that song that was mentioned a few weeks ago on this message board that sounded like Sister Golden Hair, that's two covers. I do agree that the momentum is growing.I was in my office and my secretary heard a song that was playing on my tape machine (it was "I Need You"). Her comment was, "Hey, I know this song. Those guys were great, whatever happened to them?" Needless to say, I lent her "Hourglass" and "Encore".

Shayne

I think it might be time for a tribute album......
G.

Since Wednesday is winding down it must be time for a song tournament update. With quite a few votes already in, there are 3 songs that are obvious favorites (the competing song in each case only has one vote) and a 4th song is just about as good (it's competing song only has two votes). There are 2 pairs of songs that are currently tied and 2 other pairs of songs that are within one vote of each other. Maggie and I share the honors of having "our" songs ranked the highest (27 of our 32 picks are currently winning). Of course, that will change when the ties are broken. How are last week's champions doing? Well, Roberto (from Italy) hasn't voted yet and Tim (Mr. Generator Man) is tied with 5 others for second place with 26 of their picks winning.

Steve

Those of you who don't know The Professor can get to know him a little better by checking out a couple of fotos of him playing the guitar.

The professor, Doug Suman, AMERICA'S equipment mgr. for 15 years until family duties called, will be appearing w/Small Change at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Sunday March 22, tiks at the door are $8. Doug is an outstanding musician & quite an AMERICA fan. You all remember the professor, don't you?

In my younger days, he used to slip me a GERRY or DEWEY pick after the show & then Dad would drive me home.

Gene Oh will be appearing also. Can you expand on this Gene Oh ?

If you can make it, it will be quite good.

Just wanted to add my two cents worth. I agree with some of the earlier comments that following the commercially/artistically successful "History" with the mediocre "Hideaway" and later "Holiday" contributed to the decline in America's popularity during the mid-70's. In my opinion, "Alibi" is certainly one of America's best albums and "Silent Letter" contains some great songs. On a further note, I consider "Your Move" to be America's least successful effort (largely because of excessive Russ Ballard influence - my apologies to Russ) and believe that "Your Move" probably sapped any momentum following the strong "View." I hope the new album avoids excessive use of both outside producers and songwiters, since albums like "Hourglass" and "Homecoming" illustrate that Gerry and Dewey are at their best when they write and produce their own material.

So true! The minute I listened to Hourglass, I thought the same thing; every square inch had Ger and Dew all over it.

Mags

So true! I have mentioned the same thing (I think it was about Homecoming), that any of these songs could easily be recorded/released for today's times. Plus, I agree wholeheartedly about your choices! Also, it would be a great way to honor them (i.e. have other artists cover songs, in the same vein as been done lately with Elton John's work, et al).

Timeless beauty, enduring quality, this is what AMERICA means to me.

Mags

Even though I've only recently heard Silent Letter for the first time, it's quickly become one of my favorites. I think it really is a great album and I listen to it every morning on the way to school, and whenever else I'm in my car. I think the best songs are 1960, And Forever, No Fortune, All My Life, and High in the City. I think I've said that before, but with all the discussion lately, I just wanted to say again how much I love it.
Have a great day everyone!

Erin :o)

I think some of America's songs are just waiting to be rediscovered. In fact I can't understand why they haven't been recorded by other artists today. Some of the songs that I think would be potential hits if covered by somebody even today include:

Three Roses, To Each His Own, Saturn Nights, She's Going To Let You Down, Another Try, Old Virginia, Today's The Day (even though it was a hit it has completely fallen off the playlists even at oldies stations), These Brown Eyes, And Forever, All My Life, Coastline, Inspector Mills, Tonight Is For Dreamers, and Stereo.

I can just hear somebody like Whitney Houston or Mariah Carrey doing excellent covers of some of those songs and making big hits out of them. I guess they will remain undiscovered treasures for most of the public, at least for a while longer.

Does anybody know of any performer recording some of America's songs?

I actually LOVED Silent Letter. 1960, Tall Treasures and And Forever jumped out at me! Of course they sounded "different" and a little more "packaged" than before, but still WONDERFUL...... I've never been a HUGE fan of "View"--oh, well take me to task.... lol.... Just shows we're all different! :-)

wysiwyg!
TKH

Interesting thoughts. To be honest, I remember when I first bought Silent Letter (the first day it was in the record store) I was disappointed with it. It seemed to me like Dewey and Gerry were trying too hard or something. But I will say that the album has grown on me over the years.

I thought they had rebounded well with Alibi. I still can't understand why it wasn't a hit, because I thought it was as good as any of their earlier stuff. I guess the media and public just weren't paying attention (kind of like when Hourglass was released).

View From the Ground of course was a hit. I think Capitol must have thought "if a little Russ Ballard was good for View, then a lot of Russ Ballard will be great." That's why I've always thought that Your Move was more of a Russ Ballard album than America. He wrote or co-wrote 7 of the songs, while Dewey and Gerry were only involved with 4. Don't get me wrong, I like the album but it's not as strong, IMHO, as View or Alibi. It could have used more Gerry and Dewey and a little less Russ.

The mistake was repeated with Perspective. Too many third party influences and not enough Gerry and Dewey. I have always thought that America's music was always best handled by America. I think Hourglass is a great illustration of this. Gerry and Dewey were the primary forces behind it, and I think it far superior to Your Move and Perspective. Just my thoughts.

I have to agree!!

Over the past year I have noticed an increase in America requests at my show. And this even without my encouragement. People coming up out of the blue and asking, "Do you know any America"? and then I say...... hmmm, let me see......
G.

The America Page is indicating momentum is indeed building right now!

There have been over 3000 hits on the page in the past three weeks......... and we'll pass over 100,000 hits soon!!!!!!! And to think....... it was exciting when we reached 100 several years ago.

Rick

I honestly think America is on the verge of a major "rebound" in the marketplace for some of the new generation who never knew about their music before. Still one of the all time great musical groups who deliver truly amazing lyrics and melodies we remember for years. I've been a fan for over 20 years and can't see me ever losing interest.

>>Oh, quick question. Does anyone know what label will be releasing the new CD? Are they still with American Grammaphone (or did I miss a meeting)?

The only thing I've heard about the new CD is that it will be released on a "major" label (not American Gramaphone). I've heard a rumor about one label that it might be released on but since it's a label I've never heard of before, I'm not sure how accurate the rumor is. Therefore, I won't bother spreading the rumor here until I know for sure what the label is. (Have I rambled long enough without saying anything???)

Steve

While it's true that during this time disco and punk became more popular, "soft rock" (I never DID like that term) still had popularity. Kenny Loggins, Fleetwood Mac, even Neil Diamond and Anne Murray shared the charts with Sister Sledge, the Ramones etc. I go back to what I said about Capitol records promotion. They had a very strong album in "Silent Letter" and they blew it.

Jim...Erie, PA

OK, here's my 2 cents. I believe what happened to America in the mid '70's, happens to a lot of bands. They were riding a real good wave through the release of "History". Unfortunately, they followed it with they're most disappointing LP (IMHO). "Hideaway was not well received although "Today's The Day" did okay (by their 1975 standards). By the time "Harbor" rolled off the presses, they were out of the main stream. Music was either going more towards disco or punk. The buying public was pretty much staying away from the "classic" soft rock music. The real pity is that "Silent Letter" was a fabulous record. Yet, top 40 radio refused to play it. I remember seeing the single "All Around" at the record store and buying it, although I already had the LP.

BTW, I just bought the TV guide and have one thing to say...COOL! Nothing like gettig lmped with Starland Vocal Band (LOL).

Oh, quick question. Does anyone know what label will be releasing the new CD? Are they still with American Grammaphone (or did I miss a meeting)?

Shayne

Just a thought about those "middle years" ... Two things happened in 1977: Dan Peek left the band, and punk/new wave became popular. Those two cooled me off to the band, anyway, and I didn't start listening again for about 10 years. Plus, around that time began the decline of Top 40 radio, and album rock format stations wouldn't touch America back then.

Like I said, just a thought ...

Hi to Jim from ERie (my hometown!)

Jean from Cincinnati

The TV Guide article featuring America is on the America Home Page......... including the great pic of the guys......as Erin mentioned!

America: TV Guide Article

Rick

Just wanted to say I loved the TV Guide article and to Gerry and Dewey...You guys look GREAT!!!

Erin :o)

Walt, thanks a million for the URL. That will save me a trip to the store.

Steve

For those of you haven't seen the TV Guide feature on America yet, or can't get to the store to buy a copy of the issue, there is an online edition that you can visit at the following URL:

http://www.tvguide.com/tv/magazine/980216/ftr2e.htm

Enjoy,

Walt

The Harrah's, Las Vegas photos are now on the web site. Thanks again to Jim Nakao for making them available.

Steve

The interview is to air in March around the 21st if my memory serves me right & it is under the show "Las Vegas After Dark". This particuliar interview lasted around 10-15 minutes & GERRY & DEWEY were at their usual very witty, very intelligent selves, keeping the interviewer as entertained as the coming TV audience.

I've checked out the affiliate stations for the upcoming March 13 interview scheduled to air on Access Television Network; there are quite a few stations nationwide, but only a few listed in Central and Southern California (rats!!!), for those interested.

Mags

AMERICA headlined at Harrah's in Las Vegas Nevada on Friday & Saturday nite Feb. 14th & 15th. Both shows were smashing successes with sell-outs both days. Each nite, many people were turned away & the enthusiastic Valentine's crowds showed their approval with standing ovations. The management of Harrah's was extremely pleased, especially in light of all the other competitive activity going on around the strip.

The setting was quite splendid. The decor of the venue's seating was mainly a rich velour black with a stage backdrop of black with lights to emulate the stars on a summer nite. AMERICA really looked classy on stage & the shows were magnificent enough to bring out the local TV people for interviews. The management of Harrah's did a class A job in promotion. They had flyers in every room, articles on AMERICA in the local entertainment magazines & a huge marquee on the main strip w/GERRY & DEWEY'S foto. Some fotos from the show will be posted on this Web page later in the week, as well as a foto of AMERICA'S guitar at the HardRock Café in Las Vegas. There were also large laminated displays announcing the show w/GERRY & DEWEY'S picture - throughout the casino & hotel. As a matter of fact, I should mention that some person or person's absconded with the laminated posters, however I heard that security has the person on tape & a warrant will be issued for their arrest. Why of all the nerve ! If J. Edgar Hoover were still around he'd have them under arrest.

AMERICA soothed & comforted the crowd w/THREE ROSES, LAST UNICORN, TO EACH HIS OWN, TIN MAN, RIVERSIDE,& DAISY JANE among others. Then they rocked the house with GREEN MONKEY, NEVER BE LONELY & SANDMAN & everyone was on their feet screaming for more. The crowd volume really shook the house & Harrah's management. You know AMERICA'S songs get better w/age. I always say that good songs take me to a different place in time & the best one's, such as AMERICA'S, make me find my own home. Well I just got home, but I am not really home, yet. AMERICA'S music is real. Lord I have been saved again. By the way saw Kelly there & Dave from South Carolina. I think they may be able to expound on this journey w/AMERICA. New CD, the world awaits you. !!!!!!!!!!

I think one of the reasons "Silent Letter" died a quick death was because of Capitol records. At the time of "Silent Letter's" release, I was Music Director at a top 40 FM in Erie Pa. We immediately jumped on the first release ("Only Game In Town") and it went top ten for us. Unfortunately the Capitol promotion machine only seemed to care about the latest Bob Seger project. All of their efforts went toward Bob (no disrespect Bob if you happen to read this!) and other Capitol artists got shoved aside. In fact, all of the "Silent Letter" releases did very well for us ("All My Life" was a number one). Those songs stayed in our oldie rotation for several years till the station brought in some out of town consultant who wouldn't let us play anything that wasn't a national Billboard top 40 chart hit. SO why didn't Silent Letter...or Alibi do better? I blame Capitol records.

Jim...Erie, Pa

First of all, thanks to Mark McVey for his brilliant idea!!

And second of all, thanks to Steve Lowry for his superb setup and execution of Mark's idea!!

Bravo to you both!!!!

Barb

Not much has ever been said about AMERICA's "middle years". There are several things about which I am curious, so I thought I would throw out my questions to the masses for discussion. Perhaps JIMNAK or some of you other AMERICA experts have some insights into the mysteries surrounding these years.

"Silent Letter" (1979) was significant because it was AMERICA's first LP without Dan Peek and their first LP with Capitol Records. I feel it also marked a change in musical direction due to the increased collaboration between Gerry and Dewey and because the songs seem richer and more layered. But despite the large crowds (as evidenced by the Central Park laser disc), "Silent Letter" was not commercially successful and seemed to die a quick death. But it is really an excellent LP (IMHO, that is). Did "Silent Letter" get mired down by the record label change and legal maneuvering (I believe Gerry and Dewey were involved in a lawsuit right about this time)? Also, why was "Silent Letter" the last George Martin LP? Was AMERICA seeking a new musical direction and this was just a mutual parting of the ways?

With the release of "View From the Ground" in 1982, AMERICA once again shifted gears. Both "View" and "Your Move" (1983) were produced by Argent alum, Russ Ballard, and featured many non-Beckley and non-Bunnell penned songs. Was this move designed to bring AMERICA back to the musical forefront (which was somewhat achieved with the success of songs like "You Can Do Magic")? Why did Gerry and Dewey use so few of their own songs on these LP's? Was this a period of writer's block or was it just thought that the non-AMERICA songs were more commercially viable? I have never heard much in AMERICA circles about Russ Ballard. Did the guys and he part on friendly terms?

Barb

It has arrived! Gerry and Dewey pleasantly featured on ALL of Page 36. Don't miss it! My kids were quick to point out, "hey there's that nice guy that sings about the unicorn."

Rob

In case any of you are interested, I found the America Deluxe Anthology at www.sheet-music.com. I ordered it, and so far, I haven't gotten any e-mail telling me they don't have any more copies... so hopefully I really will get it this time!

Erin :o)

Several people have indicated that their messages haven't "made it" all the way to the chat folder. The same thing happened to me yesterday, so I simply typed it in again and it made it the second time. I'm not sure what's going on but I suspect it has something to do with multiple people accessing the chat folder at the same time. I'll look into the problem and see if it can be fixed. In the meantime, please be patient. A good idea would be to highlight and copy your messages to your clipboard before posting them (for Windows users, Control-C will do a copy). That way, you can simply paste them back in again (doing a Control-V) if they get deleted for some reason.

Thanks for you understanding,
Steve

The roses are beautiful, Steve. Thanks.

Just got back from a busy weekend and was greeted by the great "Horse's Mouth"! Another excellent output (as usual) from Rick and Barb. Thanks to the dynamic duo! Keep up the energy and the inspiration.

And finally, the songs. I'm happy that my favorites are in! I'm raring for the next round.

P.S. My last message was deleted... Anyway, I just thanked my chatmates in that message - Steve, Cygnus, Sandman, Fuller and Tim, for a wonderful time last Feb. 12. Till next time!

Jessica

May I fourth that sentiment?

Thank you Barb and Rick!! Many smiles to you!

:-))))))
wysiwyg!
TKH

This show is also carried on radio as well.......so we'll have to check on the radio dates & times as well.

Thank you Rick & Barb!!
Another job well done! I know it must have been a lot of work........well worth it!

Ginny

Not sure if you got any of my last message because AOL shut down on me for some reason right in the middle of it. I just wanted to cast my votes for the first 64 songs even though I know the cut-off was yesterday. I just saw your e-mail today. Ok..here goes:
Riverside
Three Roses
Horse With No Name
Here
Sandman
Donkey Jaw
Ventura Highway
Moon Song
Don't Cross The River
Saturn Nights
Hat Trick
It's Life
Windwave
Green Monkey
Willowtree Lullabye
TinMan
Mad Dog
Lonely People
Glad To See YOu
Sister Golden Hair
Daisy Jane
Midnight
Seasons
People in the Valley
Watership Down
Jet Boy Blue
Today's The Day
Who Loves You
Amber Cascades
Monster
Sarah
Sgt Darkness
Don't Cry Baby
Political Poachers
Hurricane
Hollywood (live Version)
Give it Another Try
Only Game In Town
1960
Old MAn Took
Tall Treasures
All My Life
HIgh In the City
No Fortune
And Forever
Survival
Valentine
One in a Million
Inspector Mills
Someday Woman
My Dear
The Border
Loves Wore Out Again
Can't Fall Asleep to a Lullabye
Fifth Avenue
UnConditional Love
Fallen Off the World
On Target
Hell's on Fire
Young Moon
Hope Garden of Peace
Call of the wild
California Revisited
Emma
Now Sue
Van Go Gan

Whew! I know there's more but those are the few (ha!) that came to mind, so I guess they're the best...for me anyway. My prediction for the best song of discriminating America fans...HOPE. Too bad the masses will never hear it.

Rick Carter

Received this note today..............

America will be appearing in an interview for the new national television show, "Las Vegas After Dark". The interview was conducted Feb 15, 1998 at Harrah's Spellbound Showroom. The show will air on Access Television Network across the nation on March 13, 1998. For further information on times and channel numbers visit the Las Vegas After Dark's web page. Check out affiliate list.....

Rick

Subject:
Date: Sun, Feb 15, 1998 13:57 EST
On behalf of Rick and myself, thanks so much for the kind words about the newsletter!! It is the extension of our love for AMERICA, and we really enjoy being able to provide another avenue of fan support.

Rick and I put together and distribute the newsletter. But it is really a collective effort of your ideas, thoughts, reviews, insights, newsflashes, etc. Without all of the wonderful fan participation on this folder and the home pages, there would be no newsletter. So.....a big "THANK YOU" to all of you, too!!!!

Barb

Kudos, once again, to Barb and Rick for producing another sensational newsletter!!! Your hard work is much appreciated! Keep up the great work!

Maggie

The preliminary round of the song tournament is over and the results are in. The 64 game bracket will be posted tomorrow along with the complete results. However, let me share some of the information with you. "Three Roses" was the only unanimous selection, shutting out "Pigeon Song". There was only one tie and it was between "Sometimes Lovers" and "Tall Treasures". The latter song won the tie breaker by the flip of a coin. The songs have all been seeded and will be placed in the tournament brackets accourding to their seed. The four top seeds are "I Need You", "Three Roses", "Riverside", and "You Can Do Magic". Check out the Song Tournament Pageon Monday for links to the First Round ballot and the Tournament Bracket (complete with all the results from the Preliminary Round).

FYI: One of our Italian fans had the most songs correct with 57 of his choices making it into the tournament. Tim (and his generator) finished second with 55 songs, and John C. finished third with 53 songs.

Steve

>Also, I have written a program that calculates which voter guessed
>the most correct songs out of the winning songs. Tim will be excited
>to know that he's the most accurate right now (but that will change
>when the ties are broken).

Steve, when do you sleep???
G.

I totally agree with Steve...it must take a TON of work to put the newsletter together...so thank you for all the work you guys do...Rick and Barb for the awesome newsletter (I LOVE reading it) and Rick and Steve for all the great work you do on your websites!

Erin :o)

I, for one, want to thank Rick and Barb for the great job they do on the newsletter. I doubt that very many of you realize all the time and effort that it takes to put the newsletter together. As Rick mentioned, the newsletter can be found on the America Home Page. It can also be found in the Archives section of the America Fans Home Page (America Fans Newsletter Archive: Winter 1998). The Archives version has been reformatted to include links that make it a little bit easier to navigate. I believe that Rick will be moving the "linked" version to the America Home page soon.

Thanks again to Rick and Barb for a fantastic job!

Thanks Rick & Barb for all of your labor of love in creating "The Horse's Mouth" !!!!!! Another Great issue is in the books........... An America fans devotion is endless

Kevin

The Winter Edition of America's Newsletter, "The Horse's Mouth" is now available for you to read and/or download by clicking here:

The Horse's Mouth: Winter Edition98

Rick and Barb

Also, I have written a program that calculates which voter guessed the most correct songs out of the winning songs. Tim will be excited to know that he's the most accurate right now (but that will change when the ties are broken).

Those of you who haven't voted can still do so until midnight this Saturday.

Steve

I'm telling you it's the generator voting!!!! For those of you who haven't voted yet, trip your breakers and........................................................

Tim

In a copyrighted story by the Associated Press which was carried in the February 11 issue of the Orange County Register, Gerry Beckley had some words to share about Carl Wilson:

Jerry [sic] Beckley, a longtime friend, recalled that the first album he bought was The Beach Boys' "Surfin' Safari," which he used to play over and over as he tried to accompany the music on a guitar.

Wilson sang with The Beach Boys up until last summer despite being ill, sometimes sitting on a stool if he got too tired during a show.

"He sang in a voice that was as strong as I have ever heard," Beckley said.

The [funeral] service ended with a tape recording of "How Do I Live" by Trisha Yearwood, followed by "Heaven," which was written by Wilson.

After the service, [Bruce] Johnston said he always will remember his fellow Beach Boy for his tireless efforts.

"Carl's motto -- just do good work," he said.

To read about Carl and many of the tributes that have been extended his way, go to the Beach Boys Fan Club home page.

Steve

P.S. Thanks to Jim Nakao for making the newspaper article available.

Jessica,

Here are the three roses that I promised to "give" you for guessing the only song that has received 100% of the votes. Of course, you and I and the other chatters from last night know the significance behind these roses. It shouldn't be too hard for the rest of the America Fans to figure it out.

Those who haven't voted yet in the song tournament still have today and tomorrow to get their votes in. At last count, there were still two pairs of songs that were tied so these last minute votes will make all the difference.

Steve

We had a great chat session tonight with chatters from the east coast, the west coast, the midwest, and as far away as the Philippines. I think Jessica wins the prize for being the furthest away and for trying the hardest to attend the chat session. It was 11 am Friday morning when the chat session started and she had to sneak out of a meeting at work to attend. Now that's dedication. I also owe Jessica a photo of some red roses for guessing the only song in the song tournament that is a unanimous pick so far. Those of you who missed the chat session will have to wait until Monday to find out what that song is. The next chat session will be on Tuesday, February 24. Hope to see you all there.

Steve

The next live chat session is tonight (February 12) at 9 pm EST. It doesn't look like I'll be able to make it but I have received messages from several other fans who will be there. Please enjoy the chat session and I'll do my best to see if I can make it to the tail end (depending on how long it goes). I'll definitely be at the next chat session which will be on February 24.

Steve

>>Assuming the pairing are in order of how they appear on bracket, an interesting third round match-up with Tin Man or Horse! Wow, the upper bracket is loaded!

John, your analysis was very interesting. FYI: The pairings are NOT in the order that they will appear in the 64 team tournament. The preliminary round was done strictly by random with names being drawn out of a hat. Once the preliminary round is complete, the winning songs will be seeded according to the number of votes they received so that the top seeded songs won't meet until the final rounds.

For those who are interested, here's a brief summary of how the voting is going (without giving away any SECRET information). There is still one song that is a unanimous decision (and "no", John, you weren't the only one to vote for "Your Move"). There are still two pairs of songs that are tied (so any of you who haven't voted yet can still make a difference). There are four other pairs of songs that are within two votes of each other. This will definitely be a race to the finish.

Also, I have written a program that calculates which voter guessed the most correct songs out of the winning songs. Tim will be excited to know that he's the most accurate right now (but that will change when the ties are broken).

Those of you who haven't voted can still do so until midnight this Saturday.

Steve

Yes, it would seem that the songs which charted will be the favorites. I'll comment on the preliminary round match ups:

Ventura Highway vs Moon Song - This tourney's equivalent of Coastal Carolina vs Duke. Assuming the pairing are in order of how they appear on bracket, an interesting third round match-up with Tin Man or Horse! Wow, the upper bracket is loaded!

Old Man Took vs Can't Fall Asleep - Interesting pairing, I would think Old Man gets nod due to usage in concerts, but Can't Fall Asleep has been reprised on later album.

People in the Valley vs Lonely People - I'm pulling for ther upset, People in the Valley was one of my fav Hearts song, but I know I'm dreaming!

5th Avenue vs Hollywood - Interesting in that is battle of places on opposite coasts. My heart goes for east coast (5th Avenue) but Hollywood should prevail due to song having been played live in concerts.

Sandman vs Your Move - An America staple vs a song not written by America. This probably was a shut out (until I voted).

Molten Love vs 1960 - I have a sentimental attachment to 1960 (the year I was born), but Molton Love is such a cool song!

Mirror To Mirror vs Don't Cry Baby - New vs Old (If Harbor is considered old album).

Muskrat Love vs Glad to See You - Will there be a C & T factor that could send this hit song to the dungeon in preliminary round? If Dan Peek fans unite in force, this could be a reality!

On the Outside looking in...

I'm disappointed we'll never see the rivalry match-up between Hideaway part I vs Hideaway part II!

We also won't see the "booze" match up between Mad Dog and Hangover.

I can't wait to see results... I am interested in how the respective albums do with their songs!

John S. (If it's not Boeing, then I'm not going!)

Hey guys, it's me, Laurin (formerly THBANDFAN@aol.com). Sorry to be away so long, I've missed discussing America. (Please note the e mail change).

I flew out to Las Vegas yesterday to go see the Doobies at Caesars Palace (and yes, I'm already back in Richmond tonight). Anyway, it turned out to be an America trip, too.

I turned to the back of the "Sky" magazine to see what was going to be available on the Music channels. Well, America had there own channel! Pretty much was "History" plus "Right Before Your Eyes", "Here", and "Riverside". Between several of the songs they had interviews w/Gerry and Dewey. The narration was bizarre in that it made it sound as though Dan was still there.

Anyway, I check into Caesars, go to my room, open the curtains and look across the street to Harrahs. Who do I see but none other than Dewey and Gerry on a billboard. They are playing at Harrahs this week, I think (I couldn't read the sign from my room). Wish I could have stayed a few days.

Laurin

Sorry I missed the live chat ... I have a Mac AND Netscape 3.0, so no ParaChatting for me. I'm thrilled to see so many America fans out there ... my friends have been making fun of me for 25 years. For the record: favorite album, Homecoming; favorite song, a 3-way tie among Till the Sun Comes Up Again, Cornwall Blank, and Hat Trick. See y'all later!

Kevin,

Thanks so much for the info! I just ordered the book and I can't wait to get it!!! I am SO HAPPY it's still in print!!

Erin :o)

Hey Folks,

I have a great find for you I was web surfing the other day and came upon the Guitar Gallery of Houston. Just for kixs I checked it out. Much to my suprise they carry the songbook America Deluxe Anthology which contains the following:

AMERICA DELUXE ANTHOLOGY: Amber Cascades, Bell Tree, Clarice, Daisy Jane, Don't Cross the River, Don't Cry Baby, Glad To See You, Green Monkey, Hat Trick, Head and Heart, Hollywood, A Horse With No Name, Hurricane, I Need You, Lonely People, Mad Dog, Monster, Muskrat Love, Old Virginia, Only In Your Heart, Political Poachers, Rainbow Song, Riverside, Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, The Story of a Teenager, These Brown Eyes, Till the Sun Comes Up Again, Tin Man, Today's the Day, Ventury Highway, Who Loves You, Willow Tree Lullaby, Wind Wave, Woman Tonight

I called them today to confirm that they had it in stock and was told they do!!! Also it is a normally stocked item.

Good News :) IT'S NOT OUT OF PRINT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad News :( I BOUGHT THE ONLY COPY THEY HAD IN STOCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spoke with the owner of the shop (name eludes me now). He said that it only takes him about a week to get to him from the distributor. So I would think turn around time would be relatively fast.

Cost is $17.95 + 3.00 Shipping and Handling

Fret No More Order Today!

Kevin

P.S. Now if I could just find that damn "America" belt buckle my life would be complete!!!

Gary, I do have all of the information necessary to determine who voted for the most winners. I like your idea of picking a "voter" winner as well as a "song" winner. However, there have been a lot of votes and it might take a while to determine the winner so that announcement may come some time after the announcement of the "song" winner. I like the idea, though, so I'll definitely keep it in mind. It will add some more excitement to the tournament.

Steve

Steve,

Heres an idea for you. If its possible to track such a thing, figure out who voted for the most correct choices through out all the balloting and declare them the winner or something. Or if anyone guesses ALL the right picks maybe award them a prize or something.

GB
the other GB

Shayne, I will share ALL of the results before midnight Sunday and have the new ballots set up for voting to begin Monday morning. There have been a lot of votes come in today and there's still one pair of songs that are tied and now there's only one song that has been a unanimous decision. This is going to be an exciting race right down to the finish. --Steve

Steve,

Will you tell us the results (not just the winners, but the actual totals) after the Saturday?

Shayne

Mark has sworn me to secrecy so I can't give out any results of the song tournament yet. However, I thought you might be interested in some trends. As of 11 am EST, there are two songs that are clear favorites because they both have been unanimous choices over their rival. (No, I can't tell you what the two songs are, so don't ask.) There are four pairs of songs that are currently tied so the votes the rest of the week will determine the winners there. There are 12 other pairs of songs that are within 4 votes of each other so those are close races, too.

Those of you who haven't voted yet still have until midnight this Saturday (February 14) to get your votes in. I think you can rest assured that your vote will make a difference. You can vote by going to the America 1998 Song Tournament page.

Happy voting!

Steve

That's sounds like our AMERICA; the testimonials are compelling & always consistent. That's one reason AMERICA has lasted so long, long after most groups have faded to grey. HOURGLASS & VAN GO GAN (GERRY'S solo debut) are their latest.

In Loving Memory of Carl Wilson.

My prayers are with You, Your Family & Friends. Your beautiful words and music will play on forever in our hearts and minds.

Walt Berchin

I'm terribly sorry that your posts from Saturday and Sunday disappeared. We definitely do NOT discourage new people from posting on this board. I'm not sure why your posts disappeared although I have been told that some AOL members have had difficulty posting to this board. But I've never been told that posts have disappeared. If you're unable to get a post on this board, please feel free to mail it to me at america@missionimprobable.com and I'll see that it gets posted for you. I hope that you'll bear with the technical difficulties and continue to post your messages on this board (either directly, or via e-mail). I don't blame you for being disgruntled and hope that you'll give the board another chance.

Thanks for listening,
Steve

Some of my posts disappear from time to time, so I know it's not because you're a new poster. I guess it's just one of the hazards of the internet. If I have a long post, I type it in Word first, then copy and paste it to the board. That way if it dasappears it's no big deal to repost it. Don't get discouraged and keep posting.

Look ... I posted a message SAturday and another on Sunday. Both are gone. I ask again ... do you discourage new people to this board?

I make it a habit of copying "informational" posts from AOL's America folder to this chat folder so that the non-AOL America fans can share in the information. As I was reading the AOL folder today there was a tremendous outpouring of love and support to Gerry, Dewey, and Carl's family and friends. Rather than copy them all over, let me sum it up by saying that Carl was a wonderful inidividual that had a great voice, a great personality, and a great number of friends. He has now crossed over to that other side where he has joined his brother and many other friends who pre-deceased him. We know that his pain and suffering is over, and that he's enjoying a wonderful life and a great reunion where he is. Still, we'll all miss him here. Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone affected by his passing.

Many thanks to JohnC. for the Heard CD. Got it last Friday and I'm listening to it now. Just made my Monday morning!

Made my vote in the song tournament. I had several difficult moments, torn between two great songs but - I did it!

Jessica

To Gerry, Dewey (if you're reading...)
My thoughts and prayers are with you as you mourn the loss of your very good friend, Carl Wilson. It doesn't surprise me in the least that you both have had such a quality friend in him. I think you both bring meaning to the word "friendship". See you in Connecticut in March.

Rob

1946-1998 May You Rest In Peace.

I just pulled out an "oldie, moldie" tape of America's music I'd made a long time ago. What I did was put all of Gerry's songs on one tape, in order from the first album until the last (at that time, it was Alibi). I did the same for Dewey. It makes for interesting listening and study, if you like taking note of each artist's progression in their writing. Anyway, it was fun listening to these old tapes on a stormy day like today.

Connie

"Go Ventura Highway!"......hey, I love it!! Thanks for your vote. : )

Since so many of us have adopted song titles as our screen names, it will be interesting to see how well our namesake songs "Dew" in the tournament!!

Barb

OK, here's mine:
America - Three Roses
Homecoming - Ventura Highway
Hat Trick - Green Monkey
Holiday - Baby Its Up To You
Hearts - Old Virginia
History - Horse With No Name (so I'm Cheating)
Hideaway - Jet Boy Blue
Harbor - These Brown Eyes
Live - Another Try (cheating again, but I really like this version)
Silent Letter - And Forever
Alibi - Valentine
View From The Ground - Inspector Mills
Your Move - Tonight Is For Dreamers
Perspective - Stereo
In Concert - Sister Golden Hair (cheating again)
Encore - Nothing's So Far Away As Yesterday
Ventura Highway & Other Favs - You Can Do Magic (so sue me)
Very Best Of - Tin Man
Hourglass - Whole Wide World
King Biscuit - Here
Horse With No Name - Moon Song (this whole CD is classic rock)
You Can Do Magic - Jody
Premium Gold - The Border
Centenial/Best - Right Before Your Eyes
Heard - Comin' Into Los Angeles
Non Album Tracks (at least those not listed) - California Dreamin'

There's my gems from every release I can think of. I know it violates the rules, but what the hey.

What a great idea! I can't wait to see the results.

Great idea! Go Ventura Highway! Win it all!!

I just finished my voting. That really was tough. My only regret is that "She's A Runaway and Saturn Nights didn't make the ballot. Great idea, though. Can't wait till m favorites win (haha).

Shayne

Oh noooo...Moon Song up against Ventura Highway?! As much as I LOVE MS, how could I NOT vote for VTH. Rats... :(

Mags

Good for you, Tim...hang in there!

Mags

Hey Mark, great idea. I just put in my votes. I agree with Erin . . . there were some tough choices. Coming up with the pairings must have been tough too. Can't wait for the results.

Connie

Now into my 39th hour without power (because of the severe weather), other than by generator! But I put that power to use to vote in the America Song Tournament! This is a really fun idea.

And yes an extension cord has made its way down to the den, in the basement where my stereo system hangs out!!

Tim

Let the games begin!!!

Mags

Just finished voting! That was really fun...there sure were some tough choices, though!

Erin :o)

Thanks Kelly for the info!
Any special reason or just coincides with the Grammys?? I have a short "What ever happened to..." from TV Guide dated February 17, 1990. Maybe the same idea???

Georgianna

The 1998 Song Tournament that everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Connie gave us the chance (below) to pick our "gems" from each album. Now it's our turn to put 128 of America's songs against each other, head-to-head, until we determine which song is the champion. The preliminary round starts today and runs until February 14 to choose the 64 songs that will make it into the official tournament. Go to the Song Tournament page for official rules and links to the preliminary round ballot page. A special thanks goes to Mark for coming up with this idea and for coming up with the pairings for the 128 songs that are in the preliminary round. This should be a lot of fun!

Steve

Well, here's my list of gems:
America -- Three Roses
Homecoming -- Til The Sun Comes Up
Hattrick -- Goodbye
Holiday -- Baby It's Up To You
Hearts -- Company
Hideaway -- Who Loves You
Harbor -- Sergeant Darkness
Silent Letter -- And Forever
Alibi -- You Could've Been The One
View -- Jody
Your Move -- My Kinda Woman
Perspective -- We Got All Night
Hourglass -- Young Moon

Wow, that was tough. It's like asking a parent which one
of their children they like best! They're all great in their
individual and unique ways.

Walt

Here are my gems---
America -- Riverside
Homecoming -- Til The Sun Comes Up
Hattrick -- Rainbow Song
Holiday -- Tin Man
Hearts -- Daisy Jane
Hideaway -- Lovely Night
Harbor -- These Brown Eyes
Silent Letter -- All Around
Alibi -- Coastline
View -- You Girl
Your Move -- She's A Runaway
Perspective -- Fifth Avenue
Hourglass -- Just about everything!!!
(My wife thinks "Don't Cross The River" is all-time best)
Great question! This was fun! Good luck to you guys -- Gerry, Dewey -- on the new album. See you in Connecticut in March.

Rob

OK, here's mine:
America - "Rainy Day"
Homecoming - "Saturn Nights"
Hat Trick - "Submarine Ladies"
Holiday - "Another Try"
Hearts - "Sister Golden Hair" and "Tommorow"
Hideaway - "Who Loves You"
Harbor - "Sergeant Darkness"
Silent Letter - "1960"
Alibi - "I Don't Believe In Miracles"
View From The Ground - "Inspector Mills", "You Girl (finaly a DB song) and "Sometimes Lovers" (I can' decide)
Your Move - "She's A Runaway" and "Love's Worn Out Again"
Perspective - "Special Girl"
Encore - "On Target"
Hourglass - "Garden Of Peace" and "Close To The Wind"
Non Album Tracks (at least those not listed) - "The Last Unicorn"

There you have it. If I had to pick the best of the best, it would be "Inspector Mills" by Gerry (just nudging out "1960" and "Love's Worn Out Again"), "You Girl" by Dewey (although "Garden of Peace" and "Old Man Took" are close) and "Rainy Day" by Dan (just ahead of "These Brown Eyes" and "Lonely People"). This was tough. Wait untilnext week, some of these may change.

Shayne

Great news Kelly! Can't wait for the issues to come out!

And while we're speaking of "gems" . . . here's a questions for all you fans out there. If you had to pick just ONE favorite song from each of America's studio albums, what would they be? (Don't include live recordings or History, but since Encore had some new songs, include it.) I thought it'd be fun to see what all your answers would be.

Connie

Upcoming interview with "America" in your local issue of T.V. guide !!

Date: February 21st........make sure you get a copy or two........ to share with family, friends, co-workers... etc., etc., etc.....

Kelly

Silent Letter has shown up frequently on fan favorite lists online.

It is indeed a gem.......and it's great to hear that you've been able to listen to all the SL songs. I'm going to add to your already great list from SL.......One Morning, No Fortune, and Foolin'

Rick

Gee we hear what you say ! SILENT LETTER is a gem. The songs seem to have such a common bond & compassionate tone. I think of the SILENT LETTER LP as one big single song. You know it was GERRY & DEWEY'S debut as a duo & on many songs you get the best of both of them in terms of the writing. Sail on sailors .....

I just finished listening to Silent Letter this morning for the first time (THANKS Barb and Gary!) and I just want to say WOW!!! Now I know what I've been missing by just hanging the record cover on my wall! I think my favorites on this one are 1960, Tall Treasures, All Around and All My Life. Now I really can't wait for the new CD.

Erin :o)

Nice to see all your postings! This is a great web site! I'm glad to be back and am planning to be at a few of shows at the Nugget in May & June!

At first I didn't want to think about a name for the new baby. I want it to be a great surprise. But then, I got excited with all the "name-calling" and decided to join the fun.

So how about Haven, or Hallways. I think I like the sound of Hereafter though. Or how about - Half of Each?

Well, I'll be thinking of more names. Whatever it'll be, one thing is sure. It'll be a beautiful baby!

Jessica

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Last Revised: 9 January 1998