Archives: November 1998

That's cool Jim- two so far, but I have Five more on my list. And I wouldn't be surprised if I missed some too! Hey Johnny here IS one chosen just for you!...How do we know that Dan Peek really admires Carole King?

Again, the computer's upstairs, cd's downstairs...too lazy to run up and down stairs. So...off the top of my head..."1960" mentions piano. "Bell Tree"...the title is a percussion instrument. That's all that immediately come to mind

Hey Johnny! Here's a trivia question especially for you (And the rest of the smart Friends of AMERICA, of course!): Name songs where musical instruments are mentioned. Have fun!!! (For the last TRIV-QUEST What about "Seargent Darkness", and "Don't You Cry"?) Anyway, see Ya...

Virginia, You were exactly right with your answer to my trivia question. Good going!

For my next trivia question I was going to ask, What one single song line best describes the "Human Nature" CD cover of the two guys (Dewey and Gerry, no doubt) with their head in the clouds? Instead, I will just give it. I think it's the one line from "Hell's On Fire" from the "Encore" CD: "Hands in my pockets and my head in the sky".
It's so fitting, don't you all think? Check out the line and the CD cover.

Being a Canadian I have found the discussions around previous America releases and which tracks would have, perhaps, been better choices interesting. Up here across the border, we don't get the opportunity to hear much, other than the ol' standbys. I don't need to tell anyone what a real shame that is. I own everything America put out and have admired Gerry's and Dewey's work since the mid 70's .But I had no idea that they had so many songs released as singles. thanks for sharing that.

I am also interested by a few of the comments about Right Before Your Eyes being a weak selection, one which may have stalled a "comeback". Written and recored by Ian Thomas, another Canadian, it was one of his biggest hits here in the frozen north. While he never made it south of the border, he was pretty big up here. Had some great tunes and is another one that is still going strong (with a band called the Boomers).

LAKENHEATH HAD FOOTBALL BUT CENTRAL HAD AMERICA

Okay Johnny, I'll take a guess at this one. In each of these songs, the title of the song does not appear anywhere in the lyrics.

What do the following songs have in common with one another? Steve L., I know that you know so hold back on this one, please. Thanks!

Bell Tree, Cornwall Blank, Donkey Jaw, Hat Trick, Saturn Nights,
Submarine Ladies, The Story of a Teenager

Jimnak, Thanks a lot for the kind words; it's a bunch of fun! I never would have figured out the play-on-words on the "View From the
Ground" postcard as "Oh come on Joe". That's fantastic! The exact word was "AKAMANJO".

Another line that that shows up a few times in Gerry's songs is "Where do we go from here?" It's in "Survival" and "The Farm".

Jim...Erie, PA

Johnny you are unbelievable ! If you keep it up, I just might send you a souvenir or 2. The word in the background was a play on "Oh come on Joe," you know from Ventura Highway. Johnny you can tell everyone the exact printing. It should get a good laugh or 2.

Howard Lieboff sent me some more photos from the NBC Today Show on September 4, 1998. He has some great shots of everyone in the band. He also sent me a copy of the CD cover from an import Gold Edition of the 1985 America In Concert album. Thanks Howard!

Steve, you did great on the "Game" trivia especially naming the additional songs that I didn't think of! I think it's so interesting that Gerry uses the word "game" as often as he does. It's also interesting that none of the "game" songs are from the "Your Move" album seeing how the album cover shows Gerry and Dewey playing a game of Chinese Checkers.

On a different matter, did anyone else receive a postcard in the mail from Dewey and Gerry announcing the release of "View From the Ground"? Both, Dewey and Gerry, signed the black and white postcard. Gerry signed in black ink and Dewey signed in blue with the additional message of, "Hope you enjoy View!". On the postcard is a picture of Gerry and Dewey. There's a building behind them with the word, "America" sprayed on it. There's another word sprayed on the right. The exact word escapes me but I'll dig out the postcard and post it tomorrow. I definitely remember the other word started with an 'A'. I remember thinking it was a foreign word. It was foreign to me anyway.

Johnny, I came up with 10 songs (11 if you include the Van Go Gan CD) that are written or sung by Gerry that contain the word "game":

#1 "She's Gonna Let You Down"
Doesn't matter what we say
Love's the stubbornest game to play

#2 "Daisy Jane"
I'm a crazy man
And I'm playin' my crazy game, game

#3 "Lovely Night"
But I'll go lookin' for the fallin' rain
Keep on movin', keep on playin' that game

#4 "Monster"
Heart, court and harmony just ain't the same
My black and their green playing some games

#5 "No Fortune"
It's not as though we ain't sinned
It's just a game we all play

#6 "You Could've Been The One" (written by John Batdorf and Sue Sheridan)
If I come back here I might see you again
And maybe you'd say yes
But it's a losin' game I'm tryin' to win
And I can only guess

#7 "I Don't Believe In Miracles" (written by Russ Ballard)
I believe I was your game, your ball (your ball)
If you tossed me up then I would fall

#8 "Right Before Your Eyes" (written by Ian Thomas)
Today I'm done with games (Today I'm done with games)
I'll ask you for your name

#9 "Mirror To Mirror"
I call on dreams and other schemes
To try and win that game

#10 "One Days Duning" (from Gerry's Van Go Gan)
Changes all the things you say
And the games you play

#11 "Wednesday Morning"
It could've been me just the same
There's no winner in this game

Johnny, thanks for the additional info on the "unknowns" in the Harbor poster photos. I'll make the updates right away.

On "Only Game in Town", the lyrics are:

"And every night just seems the same
Nameless faces play their game"

"Keepers keep the love they've found
Losers lose and wind up weeping
But it's the only game in town"

Like the writers of "Only Game in Town", Gerry often uses the word, "game" in his lyrics to describe a love situation. I can think of
seven songs that contain the word, "game". Six of these songs are written and sung by Gerry. One is written by another songwriter but
the lead vocals are performed by Gerry. Can you name the songs and give the lyrics that contain the word, "game"?

Thanks Steve for scanning the "Harbor" poster photos. They look great. Also, thanks Eddy Forsman for being thoughtful enough to send the poster to Steve.

Photo #11 is Dewey throwing his lei into the water. Photo #13 is the same lady in one of the "Hideaway" album sleeve photos. My guess is that she's a girlfriend or wife to David Dickey or Willie??? I believe the person in photo #39 goes by the nickname of "Raccoon".

On the album sleeve, credit is given to one of the photographers, the late Lexie Hartman, the spouse of the late and great album designer and comedian, Phil Hartman.

Steve,
Thanks for taking the time to scan that Harbor poster in (and you're simple yet accurate descriptions). I've often wondered who some of those folks were. Perhaps the mystery will eventually be solved.

P.S. I must admit at the time the poster came out I had major teen lust for "Coquette" and "Mystery Lady". Apologies to anyone whose wife/girlfriend that is/was. Hey, I was seventeen, what do you expect?

"America", is off to the far east once again and then to Australia... Hang in there guys!! I hear they're booked for almost half the year of '99 so far... this doesn't surprise me at all!! Sounds like at least another 250 shows or more (?), will happen once again. I have great respect for them don't you!!! Good luck guys, and "Happy Holidays" to you all!!!!

This past Wednesday I was walking through Media Play with my son when I decided to see if they had the Spirit Voices CD by the King's Singers which Mark had mentioned about a week and a half ago (see message #3005). The clerk pointed me to a stack of CD's by the King's Singers and I didn't have to dig too deep before I found Spirit Voices. I was a little worried because it didn't say anything about Gerry or Dewey in the credits on the back of the CD but I went ahead and bought it anyway. After my first couple of listens I felt like the CD was good, but I really liked "Weather With You" which features Gerry and Dewey as guest lead singers. Gerry also plays the bass and accoustic guitars and the mandolin. Their good friend, Hank Linderman, plays electric and accoustic guitars. After listening to the CD over and over the past couple of days, I'm hooked on "Weather With You" and I find the rest of the CD very relaxing and enjoyable, too. For your benefit, I have put the lyrics on the America Fans web site and at the bottom of the lyrics page are a couple of links to wave files of the song. One link points to a 50 second sample (for those with slow modem connections) and the other link points to the entire song. I may even try to figure out the chords to this Crowded House classic someday, but not right now.

Hi there. Please phone APA in Los Angeles and ask for the agent who books America. That's how it happens.

Best,

Karen D.
Oxygen Records

Dave:

Please keep your eye on this website. I may be able to post some European dates here in a bit - for January.

Best,

Karen D.
Oxygen Records

Eddy Forsman sent me his autographed copy of the Harbor poster and after a lengthy scanning session this afternoon all 51 of the photos from that poster are now online. There are still quite a few of the people who remain anonymous so take a look at the photos and let me know if you can identify any of them. You can follow this link to get to the poster:

/america/harborpo.htm

The unknown people are listed below:
#3 Happy couple embracing
#6 Guy with mustache
#9 Mother and child
#10 Guy wearing glasses
#11 Guy throwing lei into the water
#13 Lady with "Rock the Nation" t-shirt
#14 Guy in denim and lady in shorts
#16 George Martin, Gerry, Dewey, Dan, and guy with a beard
#21 Hawaiian native
#23 Seven ladies (Vivien in green pants, second from left)
#31 Lady wearing a Coquette t-shirt
#35 Mystery lady
#38 Young lady with kitty
#39 Guy with a coffee cup (his nickname may be that of an animal)
#40 Guy with red shirt and guy with hand on his head
#46 Guy wearing a #76 Hawaii football shirt

I am currently researching acts for Parker's Night Club & Casino in Seattle, WA.

Best wishes to AMERICA as they get ready to board the plane in a few days for the trip to Japan, China, Australia just to name a few. 1999 is already setting up as another great tour year.

Bill, I haven't heard any news about Holiday or any of the other Warner albums being reissued. However, you can pick these albums up as imports. Go to the CD Sources page on the America Fans web site for a list of places where you can get these CDs. Good luck!

does anyone know when holiday and other america records will be reissued?

Hello! I am an AMERICAn working in London UK
AMERICA seems to tour everywhere but England and Western Europe
C'mon back guys and revisit your schooldays!
Thanks!-happy belated Thanksgiving!

Go KHPY, best wishes for your show 'Bands that endure'. Thanks for the feature on AMERICA. Non-stop touring since the early 70's, I bet AMERICA has the lead or close to it on the sheer volume of live concert appearances & 20 or so LP's w/multitudes of re-packaged LP's. Best new artist grammy in 1972.
One of the 1st groups w/a live concert on laser disc. After the beatles, the next major band produced by legendary producer Sir George Martin. Still going strong w/their fall release of HUMAN NATURE. GERRY BECKLEY & DEWEY BUNNELL as creative & energetic as ever.

In case anyone here is from the Inland Empire--give us a listen, this weekend on our radio show Beyond the Spotlight, for a live performance
of America's From a Moving Train. That's AM-1530, KHPY, in Moreno Valley, CA--the show airs Sunday at 12:00 p.m., and the America segment's part of our "Bands that Endure" show!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everybody!

YESSSS! We finally heard FAMT in public, too, last week, over the PA
system of a Staples store! Too bad it wasn't on radio; we asked and the clerk said they were just playing tapes.
STILL--obviously some America fans out here in Long Beach, CA, realize it's a great CD!

Hi there,
I found this web site only today because I bought Human Nature. I don't have much to say as yet but I hope I will get as much info as possible about America.
You'll hear from me again.
Bye for now
Valentina

Very Good review John. I couldn't agree MORE with everything you said!!!! It shows what a Great Band America is. Joe

I just want to wish Gerry, Matt and Kathy, Dewey, Willie, Michael, Brad, Pete, Bill and Scott and all of their families a Happy Thanksgiving and I just want to say THANK YOU for all of your beautiful music through out the years. Don't ever stop. You are THE BEST !! See ya soon. Maureen and Bob from Long Island, NY

Lynn, you can find the guitar chords to many of America's songs by going to /america/amcords.htm and clicking on the title of the song that you're interested in.

Good topic so here are mine:

AMERICA: "Three Roses" and "Riverside"

HOMECOMING: "Head and Heart" I really like the changing of lead vocals throughout the song. "Till The Sun Comes Up Again" and "California Revisited".

HAT TRICK: "Wind Wave", "Submarine Ladies", "Green Monkey", "It's Life".

HOLIDAY: "Baby It's Up to You", "Another Try", and "In the Country".

HEARTS: "Bell Tree" and "The Story of a Teenager"

HIDEAWAY: 'Lovely Night" and "She's a Liar" I think "Amber Cascades" is a good song and was a good choice as a single.

HARBOR: "Sarah" and "Sargeant Darkness"

SILENT LETTER: "Foolin'", "All Around", "And Forever", and "All Night"

ALIBI: "Right Back to Me" is my favorite from this album. This album is definitely one of my favorites with AMERICA as a duo. Other songs I like are "Survival", "Catch That Train", "You Could've Been the One", "Coastline", "Might Be Your Love" and "I Don't Believe in Miracles". I told you I like this album!

VIEW FROM THE GROUND: I was never too crazy about "Never Be Lonely" until I heard it performed live. It has become one of my favorites. However, my favorite song from this album is definitely "Jody"! Gerry sings his heart out on this one.

YOUR MOVE: "Honey", "Tonight Is For Dreamers"

PERSPECTIVE: "Stereo" and "We Got All Night"

HOURGLASS: I love every song especially, "Young Moon", "Mirror to Mirror", "Garden of Peace", "Hope", and "Call of the Wild". "Call" reminds me of "HOMECOMING".

HUMAN NATURE: My favorites are "FAMT", "Wednesday Morning", "Wheels Are Turning", "World Alone" and the one that very few seem to like as much as me, "Hidden Talent".

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Pig-out!!

Where on the net can I find song sheets for America's songs for guitar?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! If we're still identifing people on the Harbor poster, Heres one: George Martin eating a banana (I think he's on there a couple of times) TAKE CARE!

Janice you hit it right on the old noggin! We should put music to your thoughts! There is nothing more important than all you mentioned. Happy Thanksgiving and GOD Bless us and all my America friends on this chat!

I just want to wish everyone and their families a wonderful Thanksgiving. Although tomorrow is the day we formally give thanks for all we are blessed with..let us not forget to give thanks for the most important blessings...good health, good friends, and family. It is easy to take people and things for granted, so hug your kids..call your parents or a long lost friend...tell your spouse how much they mean to you..and then give thanks again that you are still able to do so. Each day brings a new opportunity to do something selfless for someone..whether it be a stranger, friend or a relative. I believe in the goodness of life..may you also. God bless.

While America the country rests tomorrow for Thanksgiving, I think we as America fans should take pause for the music that Dewey, Gerry, and Dan have given us over the years. Just this year, we have been treated to a new America album, reissues of four older America albums, and two magnificent solo efforts by Dan Peek. Hopefully, America and Oxygen will re-team in 1999 for the follow-up.

Regarding the should-have-been singles question, here's my two-cents' worth. This is a list of songs which could have become hits on American radio, which necessarily excludes some of America's favorites from a less commercial standpoint (i.e. "Hollywood," etc.):

AMERICA: "A Horse With No Name" Obviously, one of their standards, a true masterpiece. "I Need You" Can't argue with this song either, especially for the U.S. market, which tends to like mellower, gentler pop music. "Riverside" Hit written all over it. Maybe it wouldn't have made number one, but it could have at least hit the top 20.

HOMECOMING: "Ventura Highway" Of course, another natural choice! "Don't Cross The River" Why this song didn't make it to the top of the charts is beyond me. "California Revisited" If the Beach Boys could make it big with this kind of sound, why couldn't America?

HAT TRICK: "Muskrat Love" Many people say this wasn't an appropriate follow-up to Homecoming's sound, but I still think it's an excellent song with beautiful production, and fairly representative of Hat Trick's easy, but well-produced, feel. "Submarine Ladies" If this song had been promoted more, I think it, too, could have been one of their standards.

HOLIDAY: "Tin Man" Obviously the right choice. "Lonely People" Another direct hit! "Another Try" Could have stood on its own as a single. "Old Man Took" May not have been a chart-buster, but it could have charted nonetheless. (I find it interesting that on both of America's two most popular albums, America and Holiday, only two singles were released from each.)

HEARTS: "Sister Golden Hair" No need to explain this classic! "Company" Excellent follow-up! "Daisy Jane" Would have made a better third single. "Seasons" could have rounded off the singles nicely.

HIDEAWAY: "Amber Cascades" Should have been released first. Very catchy, could have gone somewhere with the right promotion. "Today's The Day" Fine classic! "Lovely Night" Had great potential.

HARBOR: "God Of The Sun" Fine lead-in to the album. "Political Poachers" Catchy, and actually related to a lot of mid-'70s listeners' beliefs about post-Watergate politics.

SILENT LETTER: "And Forever" Should have been the first single on Capitol. "Only Game In Town" Still a great song, even if it was a little more brassy than America fans were used to. "Foolin'" Good pop song.

ALIBI: "Survival" One of America's best songs! "Right Back To Me" Contagious! "Catch That Train" One of their lost classics.

VIEW FROM THE GROUND: "You Can Do Magic" Good choice from the record company. "Never Be Lonely" Great follow-up! "Love On The Vine" Could have been a great radio favorite. "Right Before Your Eyes" Something of a momentum-killer, but still a classic pop song.

YOUR MOVE: "The Border" A natural choice. "My Kinda Woman" Good choice for second single to keep the interest. "Your Move" Could have made waves. "Someday Woman" Still think this song had potential!

PERSPECTIVE: "We Got All Night" Good song to introduce their new sound! "Can't Fall Asleep To A Lullaby" Collaboration with Steve Perry makes this single irresistible. "5th Avenue" Had potential to make the Adult Contemporary charts. "Lady With A Bluebird" Had a good mordern, radio-friendly feel. "See How The Love Goes" Why not cash in on the dance craze?

ENCORE: "Nothing's So Far Away As Yesterday" If this song came out when America was more visible, this easily could have made the charts. "On Target" Pop written all over it!

HOURGLASS: "Young Moon" One of their finest songs, period! Play thisone by a warm fire at night! "Hope" If the country-music all-stars liked it so much, so could have the radio-listening public at large. "Whole Wide World" Could have stirred additional interest.

HUMAN NATURE: "From A Moving Train" Clearly a great song. "Wednesday Morning" May be able to get the attention that FAMT missed. "Hot Town" Unlikely hit? Perhaps, but worth the try. "Oloololo" Certainly a single which could create a much more experimental image for America's sound.

Horse Head sounds good to me!!!! Happy Turkey Day everyone Joe

Its one thing to state ones opinion ,It is quite another to play music critic. Your opinions of what are releasable singles are just that ... opinions. Joe

To all of you... have a safe and fabulous Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Enjoy your family and friends. Afterall, isn't that what it's really all about?

Johnny... you sure are keeping the America Fans Chat Folder busy with your group involvement stuff. It's all so terrific. So, with that said... here's a little bit of history about me... I am 45 years old... reside in Fort Myers, Florida. I have lived in this area for 30 years... married, wife's name is Anne... two children, Bryan 21 & Robert 2, Bryan goes to college at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina and plays baseball. Robert is enjoying being a toddler... I am self employed. I sell contract office furniture and also get involved with office interior design and space planning work. I have done this for a living now for 20+ years in the Fort Myers-Naples, Florida area... My first America experience was when I was in college. I lived in Port Charlotte, about 30 miles north of Fort Myers back in those days. So I had about a one hour commute to school. I carpooled with two of my best friends. One morning we were half awake and bleary eyed traveling down US41 towards school, when this great song came on the radio station we listened to back in those days, WQAM out of Miami. The disc jockey said, "That was America with A Horse With No Name. They are from England and this is going to be a big hit for them." No kidding! None of us had heard of them. But we all knew we liked what we heard. So on our way home that afternoon we stopped at the local record store in Fort Myers, Happy Note West, and bought the lp "America." I wore that record out and several of it's replacements. The rest as they say is history. No pun intended. America and their music has been a large part of my life since. Long live Dewey & Gerry and long live their music! With the recent release of HumanNature Dewey & Gerry proved once again that they still have it. I hope we continue to hear from them!

just for fun I'll have a friend do some art work for a t-shirt.....if anyone else has any ideas..i would love to hear them......

How can I get America`s video in concert.
I live in Guadalajara, Mexico, but I have a Brother living in LA, CA,
he would buy this video if you tell me where can I get it.
Please send me information at this e-mail address.

Hello! Here's my story!...I first got into AMERICA when I heard "I Need You". And then it was "Ventura Highway", so I went out and bought "Homecoming" and the first album the same day! Had I'd known the first LP would've had such impact on me I would've purchased it right away. I was 13 years old and for some reason "Horse" bugged me- in fact it kinda gave me the creeps! They also played the song until they kicked the dead horse, if you know what I mean! Don't worry Horseheads, now I really enjoy that song. At this point of my life I got myself a guitar and started learning AMERICA tunes. I also began writing my first songs, thanks to AMERICA's inspiration. Since those innocent days of teenhood I have seen AMERICA 21 times!!! I've met them four times- they are the most respectable performers I've ever met. Anyway, that's the AMERICA portion of my info. I attended Hartt School of Music but did not graduate (I still regret that) and I work in Health Care as a Sterilizing Technician (Certified/supervisor) in a small local hospital. I've been employed there for 23+ years. The job is important and it's helped to keep gas in the car and strings on the guitar! I've been in 4 local bar bands performing over the last 25 years. In fact the band I'm most proud of was called HAT TRICK. It started off as a trio of acoustic guitar players who sang (Sounds like someone else, hmmm) and then as the 80's entered we added an outstanding keyboardist and started doing the new wave pop/TOP 40 stuff. We actually did extremely well in the Hartford, Conn. area but just as things started getting rolling the band splintered-too bad. Since then I've enjoyed the success of scoring shows( A musical Version of "MEDEA" in which I was presented the ACTCOMM award for Excellence in Musical Composition, Arranging and Lyrical Adaptation.-I'm still very proud of that) I've studied Theatre and I've been in Comedy/Improvisational Groups. At this present time I'm in the studio finishing up my first solo CD entitled "Between The Pages". It's an audio exc ursion through my personal Diary of songs I've composed since I've started writing songs. So far I'm truly excited by the initial tracks I've put down. I play the guitar-electric & acoustic, keyboards, Bass, Harmonica, Flute and I do all the vocals. It's a lot of work, but I love doing it! Now for the personal portion of my info...I live in Rockville, Connecticut- the Home of Gene Pitney, "The Rockville Rocket". If you were here you'd know why he sang about a "Town Without Pity"- only kidding, I actually like it here. I'm a New England Boy at heart. I live here with my Three dogs (One pomeranian/Two Yorkshire Terriers) and a Cat. I love reading (Peter Straub/ Stephen King/ Show-Biz Bio's/ Self-help/Pop music History Etc...). I enjoy Camping- I have a trailer in Cape Cod (My favorite spot in the whole wide world- Brewster, Mass.) I love Bowling and Going to live rock shows. I enjoy cooking, especially baking. I just turned 40 this past August so I'm at that crossroad of looking ahead to a happy,healthy future. I can't believe I just typed all these ho-hum facts for all to see. If you're not asleep yet, don't worry friends I will keep you posted on my CD's release date! Time to thaw out the turkey...Happy Thanksgiving..See Ya

Maybe not a pop single but perhaps one of the greatest love songs of all time:

SARAH written by the legendary GERRY BECKLEY. A musical & literary masterpiece, one for the ages.

I am repeating a question I had asked a while back in hopes that one of you might know the answer.

On "View From The Ground", there are listed a number of guest vocalists. Where do they fit in? I'm guessing Timothy Schmidt on the background of "You Girl". Any ideas?

My two cent's worth:

From "America" they should have released "Riverside" and "Three Roses" and even "Sandman" after "Horse" and "I Need You."

From Homecoming: To me one of America's all time best songs is one that seems to be overlooked and also one that has the kind of infectious hook that makes it a natural for a hit, "California Revisited." Why that was never released as a single after "Ventura Highway" is a mystery to me.

"Hat Trick": I was never a fan of "Muskrat Love" even before it was subsequently ruined by Captain and Tenille. Was it just me or did anyone else at the time notice it was about muskrats? I think the better first single would have been "Goodbye." Then "Molten Love." Then "Rainbow Song." I love "Rainbow Song."

From "Holiday": It's hard to say because there wasn't a whole lot of great stuff on that ablum. Obviously "Tin Man" and "Lonely People" were good choices. But "Baby It's Up To You" was a no-brainer. What the heck happened there? And then, maybe "Old Man Took."

From "Hearts": My main problem with releasing "Daisy Jane" was that in becoming a modest hit, it seemed to skew America's perception in the music industry toward this mellow, sappy love ballad band and it seemed to me that Gerry started writing more and more "Daisy Janes."
The better follow up to "Sister Golden Hair" would have been "Company" then "Old Virginia" and then "Daisy Jane." "Woman Tight" is a weak song.

From "Hideaway" (which I think is a great album): I think "Amber Cascades" was a good choice. Hey, it just didn't click. But I think "She's A Liar" had hit written all over it. So did "Don't Let It Get You Down." What a fun song that was.

From "Harbor": Why "God Of The Sun" didn't make it is a head-scrather. Even more, though, was why they not only released, but even recorded "Slow Down." Hey, I know disco was big, but that doesn't mean they had to do it. But after "God Of The Sun" the best chances at a hit single were with "Are You There, "Now She's Gone" and then "Political Poachers." And if they wanted to release another sappy love song, you can't find a better one than "Sarah."

From "Silent Letter": "Only Game In Town" was the good choice, but "Foolin" would have been much better. A great pop-song. After that, it gets real thin.

From "Alibi": "Surival" was the best choice and remains of their best singles. It just wasn't America's time to have a hit. I would have released "Valentine" next, or "Right Back To Me." Then if neither one of those songs hit, I would have released on of Dewey's most fun songs ever, "Hangover." Hey, a jokey song that's also a straight edge acoustic rocker and a whole lot of fun to drive around in your car with the top down and the stereo turned all the way up on might just have been the answer.

From "View From The Ground": No question they should have followed up "You Can Do Magic" with "Desperate Love." Then after that with "Even The Score" (another one of Dewey's best songs). And after they album went double platinum, release "Never Be Lonely." Release "Right Before Your Eyes" right after hell freezes over.

From "Your Move": "Cast The Spirit"? What, was someone at Capital high on crack? "Your Move" was a hit single. Pure pop.

From "Perspective": The question here wasn't what single to release, but why they bothered to release this album? The only two songs on this forgettably dreadful record that had hit potential were "Falling Off The World" and "Unconditional Love." "Lady With A Bluebird" was an awesome song, but an FM radio kind of song.

From "Encore": They released "Nothing's So Far Away." I remember it too, like "From A Moving Train" made it's way up the Gavin charts, but never made it onto Radio and Records and certainly not on Billboard. I think they should have released "Hell's On Fire" and then tried to re-release "Survival." Or "Everyone I Meet Is From California."

From "Hourglass": There was one more chance for "Everyone I Meet Is From California" to be a hit, and the record company blew it again. But to me, the first single should have been "Call Of The Wild" without question. A no-brainer. Then "Mirror To Mirror." Then, feeling confident about their renewed success, "Greenhouse."

And of course, on "Human Nature" the first single should have been "Wednesday Morning" then "Whispering" then "Wheels Are Turning" then, feeling invincible, "Oloololo."

My two cents worth. Any record company that wants to hire me as their hit single picker, send me an e-mail.

KevinS.

Maybe someone in the graphics biz can design a T-shirt to wear at concerts? This would be cool!
Something like "HORSE HEADS... shall remain nameless"

HORSE-HEADS ! Ilike it. Wht not, if there are dead-heads and parrot-heads, we might as well be horse-heads.

Shudda been a bigger hit..."All My Lfe"..."Only Game..." "Daisy Jane"..."Survival"(do they perform this one anymore?)..."Today's the Day". Never were hits/singles but shudda been..."Seargeant Darkness"..."Another Try"..."She's A Liar"(am I the only one that likes this song?)"Even the Score"..."Seasons"..."Valentine"..."All Night"..."Company"..."Call of the Wild"..."Hope"..."Greenhouse". The list CAN go on and on.

Jim...Erie, Pa.

Chris, can't agree w/you more. GERRY & DEWEY are genuine in everything they do. How else do you think they have stayed in the business for so long doing what they love. In a business chock full of egos & the almighty dollar & where respect is earned by record sales - they have stayed the course & earned true respect, simply because they do what they do. It isn't just what they do but also how they do it. They treat the entire crew, including the drivers, w/the same respect & dignity that they would treat their close friends. Every day is a new day for them.

I got my copy of Performing Songwriter!!!! Great artical about America. If you havn't got yours you need to get it Joe

I like this idea.

The singles I was most disapointed with were:

"Don't Cross The River" (should have released "Head And Heart")

"Woman Tonight" (should have released "Seasons" - very similar to "Longfellow Serenade" by Neil Diamond, which was popular then - or "Company" which was a concert favorite)

"Amber Cascades" (should have dumped the whole album - the best song was "Who Loves You" - not exactly "single" material)

"Slow Down" (the biggest mistake the band made to this point was not releasing and promoting "Sergeant Darkness")

"Cast The Spirit" (see "Slow Down", just change the better release to "Your Move" - it would've been a hit)

"Special Girl" (should've released "We Got All Night" or "It's Like You Never Left At All")

TThe other songs they shold have released at one time or another were:

"Another Try" (I agree - the live album should have made this a hit)

"No Fortune" (very "Beatlesesque")

"I Don't Believe In Miracles" (I think radio in 1980 woud have eaten this up)

"Inspector Mills" (although not standard "single" material, America was getting serious airplay at this time and could have released this. I have never met anyone who didn't love this song. It would have given the band a whole new respect as songwriters).

"On Target" (best new ong on "Encore")

"Garden Of Peace" (I always felt this was one of Dewey's finest songs)

And of course "Whispering", "Wednesday Morning" and/or "Wheels Are Turning" (Forget about the letter "H",how bou them "W"'s???)

Also, shouldn't the song be "Horse Heads, horse heads, rolly poly horse heads..." .

I posted my bio a while back on the home page. The only additions are Elisha and Daniel (twin boys - now 10 weeks old - and exhausting).

Shayne

I'll make it easier by making a list instead of going album by album: "Three Roses","Riverside","To Each His Own", "Wind Wave" "Baby It's Up To You", "Another Try","Story Of A Teenager","Company","Who Loves You","Sergeant Darkness","Sarah","High In The City","Catch That Train","I Don't Believe In Miracles","Never Be Lonely","Jody","Your Move","We Got All Night","Fifth Avenue","On Target","Call Of The Wild","Garden Of Peace"-now for the songs that I feel SHOULD have been bigger than they ended up: "Daisy Jane"-I felt the opposite, I think it would have gone to the top if it was the first release from "Hearts"(in fact if my memory serves me correctly back in the days of good 70's-style album stations they WERE playing DAISY before SISTER)Hey, isn't that a great name for one of those pretentious alternative bands? Think about it....DAISY BEFORE SISTER-oh well... "Sergeant Darkness"-I had high hopes on that tune! "Company"-the lead guitar part alone is worthy of radio air play! "All My Life"-should've earned Pop Standard status like "Yesterday"!I still cannot figure out why they didn't push it in that manner. "Baby It's Up To You"/"Another Try"- had "Holiday" come out in the 80's when an artist could pull 5 or 6 singles from one L.P. AMERICA would've hit paydirt!!! "Hollywood"/"Old Man Took" can't be forgotten either! "Survival"-why didn't that catch on here? Ther really are so many....so many songs with great hooks, strong melodies and poetic lyrics. Good discussion topic! I know there are many tunes I overlooked in my list but I gotta let others do some Chatting too!!! See Ya

the first time i heard America was when i was about 10 in 1974---i liked the songs Ventura Highway and A horse with no name. in 75 or 76 i got the History album and was hooked. i began looking for everything by them i could find.the first time i saw them was the Alibi tour in 1980 and managed to find every album they had put out by the time i was 17. ive seen them 12 times and was lucky enough to meet them 8 of those times.one time i got to hang out with Dewey for an hour and a half---its a night ill never forget. they are so down to earth and nice--no egos or anything that youd expect when meeting someone famous. their music has meant so much in my life and gotten me through some rough times. my favorite song has always been and probably always will be Ventura highway.

im 34 years old, single, no kids, 3 cats and live in Cleveland ohio. im self-employed and work as a telemarketer for insurance agents. i like riding my motorcycle, playing nintendo, reading--my favorite author is Stephen King. i just got a computer 3 months ago and i have to admit that im totally hooked.

To all: here's a little bio about me, since I communicate with alot of you and don't have one on the bio board.

Birthdate: 12/5/59. Every since I heard Horse, I was hooked in 1972. I remember from the 1st Lp up to Alibi, purchasing the LP brand new that day and couldn't wait to listen to them. Every since then my love for group has grown stronger every year. THis year especially, with HN. The first time I saw them was in 1996 here in New Jersey at Great Adventure and this year of 1998, I saw them at Club Bene, Hershey Park and Today Show. At Club Bene, I had the pleasure of meeting them. My lifelong dream came true. TO thank them for the many years of wonderful music. Also, I'm a big Dan Peek fan. His songwriting/singing were a big contribution to the group. I'm married (celebrated 10 years in October, alot of us out there huh?). I have 2 wonderful kids (Emily 6 & Stephen 4) who love America. The went to their first America concert at Hershey park. And absolutely loved it. I was also helped on the Today Show, by holding up the HN signs. Yes...that's me in the Burgundy shirt. But I became musically interested because of America (have all music books up to Harbor). My real babies (just kidding) are a Yamaha 6 string acoustic guitar, a Takamine 12 string guitar, Gibson black Les Paul electric guitar and a Fender Strat white electric guitar. I've played in a band for about 3-4 years playing 60's-70's-80's music, lead guitar mostly. But playing America songs on a 6 or 12 string guitar is so satisfying, that's all you want to play. The sound is so unique, the feeling is euphoric!!! I've talked with alot of people on this chat board who are really super nice and is an absolute please to talk with. I've met quite a few of them too, who are just great.
You know who you are!!! I would Love to hear from other great fans too:0) Again, everyone have a great and safe Thanksgiving,
Howard Lieboff

dear gerry, and dewy,

I saw you last year at the Orange County Fair. I also saw you at M.V.
lake the next day. You guys were great! your new cd human nature is
great! I like From a Moving Train and Town and Country. I hope that
my dad can get tickets to your next show in M.V., C.A.

From Keegan Dunford


8

Does anyone have any booleg concerts on video of America or the Beach Boys??? If so, please email me.....I would love to purchase videos for my collection!!!!!

Horse-Heads......mmmm.....why not...I've heard of Dead-Heads......(I mean this in a good way)

I honestly have to say that Dewey and Gerry are the two nicest people I've ever met!!! I had the pleasure of meeting them 2 years ago, with the Beach Boys. I was a friend of Carl Wilsons and he introduced me to them prior to the show, in what is called the Green room! Gerry and I talked briefly,but He never looked away or tried to blow me off.....he talked to me and acted as if he was really enjoying our conversation!!! I respect him and Dewey for the way the treated me and allowed me to stand on the side of the stage during the show!!!! I must say, I was impressed and I will always remember them for not only their music ,but for their kindness they showed me as well!!! Thanks guys.........

Virginia, what a great note! Thanks for sharing, especially at Thanksgiving time. Hope you and your family are healthy and having more fun than ever.

Rob

Here goes:
America came into my life in 1972 when I was in college. I was complaining to my roommate about the kind of music reverberating off the walls in our dorm(Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Who, etc.). She handed me an album she'd just bought and told me that it was my kind of music. It was HOMECOMING and as soon as I started playing "Ventura Highway",I was hooked. I think I bought both HOMECOMING & AMERICA that very day.
I continued buying the albums as they came out, but never made it to a concert in those early years. I'm not sure why- it puzzles me now when I think about it. I married one of those guys who blasted Yes through the dorm (1975). Our daughter was born in 1978, followed by our son in '81. We managed to get to one concert ('79 maybe), but life just kind of got in the way and music and concerts got put on the back burner. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in 1989. After chemotherapy and a year of remission, it returned in 1991. This time, he had a bone marrow transplant and now, seven years later, is considered cured. Because he is self-employed, those years were very tough financially. Combine all that with simply not hearing any news about America and not finding any recordings (other than HISTORY) at the music stores, I sort of figured that they disbanded and went on to other things. I stumbled onto HOURGLASS in 1994 and bought it on faith. It was SO great to hear America again. At that point, we hadn't bought a CD player, our turntable was dead, and all the tapes had been eaten by various Walkmen, so I had been without my music for quite some time. I've since replaced the vinyl with CDs. I work at a small community college in the accounting offices. Finally, last year we got state monies to network the campus and the Internet came into my life. I don't know why it took me so long to think of it, but last spring put Dewey and Gerry's names into Yahoo and all of YOU out there suddenly came into my life! It was so great to find that America was still very much together and had such a loyal following. I still feel kind of guilty for practically giving up on the group, but the past is past and now I can make up for lost time. The one San Francisco Bay Area concert I could have gone to has been cancelled for the China dates. But I did make it up to the promo at Borders in SF. This was when Dewey had laryngitis, so he didn't appear, but Gerry and Brad did a terrific job of the five song miniconcert. Got my C D and poster signed, spoke briefly to Gerry, and met photographer Henry Diltz. I also met fellow fan Alison, and later I sent her copies of my pictures in exchange for a taped copy of Van Go Gan. The two of us had a nice chat with Pete while he was tuning the guitars. What a sweet guy he is! The only thing that could have made the evening better would have been if Dewey had been well. There WILL be other times! I'm hoping this year's schedule will have several concerts I can attend on the West Coast. I've been living vicariously through all of your concert experiences through the summer and fall.
My daughter, now 20 and a junior at UC Santa Barbara, is due home tomorrow for the holiday. My son is a junior in high school. My husband is an avid bicyclist and coaches for the Leukemia Society's Team in Training cycling team. "Becky Home Ecky" that I am, my hobbies tend toward sewing, crafts, cooking and gardening- creative outlets, as accounting is VERY cut and dry.
I've rambled on far too long. I feel kind of like the "new kid on the chat". It took me a long time to write anything- though I've been reading the posts for quite a while. I'm really glad you are all out there and we have America and their wonderful music in common.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

To Gerry and Dewey- thanks for all your music through the years. It has brought me so much pleasure. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your families. Best of luck on the next leg of your tour.

Birthdate...7/17/55...Erie, Pa. Became a big time fan after seeing America in concert on the Silent Letter tour. Got to do a radio interview with Gerry...very warm and down to earth. Since then I saw them twice in '83, once in 85, once in '87 where I got to have my photo with Dewey and Willie (that, by the way, was the last time they were in Erie...how bout coming back guys??) and finally in '89. I have family in Cincinatti so I hope to catch them there this January.
Currently I'm Production Director for a three radio station group (I write and produce commercials...I've even won a statewide award). In my spare time I play drums...mainly for local theatrical productions and shows...(got tired of schlepping them around in a band) My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary recently...no kids. Favorite album..."Hideaway"...least favorite..."Your Move".

Jim, Erie, Pa

America is a great pop-rock band, but please folks... get a life here!
whew...

I'm back. Excellent supper! Some of the activities at Beatlefest include: a giant flea market of Beatle paraphanalia, sound alike contests for bands and duos, video rooms showing movies, videos etc, special guests that have included various personnel from the Beatles past eg, Denny Laine & Lawrence Juber of Wings, Joey Molland of Badfinger(Apple label) and many more. The crown fiesta is the concert in the evening from a band called "Liverpool". They are a Beatles soundalike(fantastic!) that plays only Beatles songs. Now, I'm sure everyone is thinking that America isn't as popular as the Beatles were(are). However, the big difference is that America is still playing and wouldn't it be wonderful to hear the real thing instead of a soundalike. What's everybody think? Am I kidding myself? Karen, are you listening? This would be a great time to meet fellow America fanatics and celebrate their great music. BTW, the cost is $20.00 per day plus your food and lodging. It really is an affordable weekend.

The idea of all America fans meeting at a concert is intriguing(sic?) to me. My brother and I are big Beatles fans. There is a celebration 3 times a year at New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. They are called "Beatlefest". The idea is to celebrate the music of the "Fab 4". Each year my brother and I travel to Chicago for a weekend festival. It is held in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency by OHare airport. It is a wonderful time with Beatle fanatics converging from literally all over the world to participate. I mentioned to Steve Lowry during a recent chat session, the possibility of organizing an "Americafest" for the hardcore fans. I'm sure this is a monsterous undertaking, but I'm sure it would be very rewarding. My wife just called me to supper. I'll finish my thoughts on activities on my next post. Suffice it to say, I've never had a bad time at "Beatlefest".

ok, I'll go first. My name is Robyn, and I became an America Fan around 1972 (when "Horse with no Name" came out) I remember being on the bus for a field trip and the cheesy radio blasting the song and everybody singing along. I think I was thirteen at the time ( you guys do the math!) I am married and have one great eleven year old daughter ( who is an America Fan in spite of herself, I caught her humming "hidden Talent" the other day) I live in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, not far from where Human Nature was recorded and mixed ( if I read the notes correctly) I have a B.A in English ( explains my answers to Lit questions) and I work for the Library (not a Librarian, I am an Administrator, but it explains my facination with book tie-ins)
There. I am looking forward to reading everyone else's responses.

Okay Virginia, here I go! I first became interested in AMERICA when my 11th grade English teacher played their first album and Homecoming in class several times a week! Can you believe she'd do that? She was one cool lady especially for being in her fifties back in '72.

I've seen AMERICA only three times. Each time was in Albuquerque.
The last time, I was able to meet Dewey, Gerry, and the band in person. It was a great event for me. You may recall that I was the only one during that show that was allowed in their waiting area before they appeared on stage. All the guys were great. I especially enjoyed meeting Dewey. He has such a gentleness about him.

I'm 42 and have been single all my life. My interests are muscle cars. I own a '70 Olds 442 convertible and a '72 Hurst/Olds (Indy Pace Car Replica). I recently sold a '71 Olds 442 W-30 convertible to a fellow from WI. He won the Oldsmobile Nationals with it this year. It had only 28,500 original miles. I enjoy going to garage sales on Saturdays.

I live in New Mexico and have been a resident all my life. I don't do a lot of traveling but I have been to about 7-8 countries in Europe. I thought Italy was great. They know a great musical group when they hear one!

As far as musical groups, there are none that come close to my love of AMERICA.

Oh yes, I just about forgot. I work as a coordinator of materials and training. I have been with the same company since 1982. I previously worked as a Registered X-Ray Technologist. Who's next?

Johnny,
I've often thought this would be a good idea since I'm always curious about the people behind the names/comments. Steve Lowry's Fan Page has a place for fan bio's. Of course it means work for him to add them, but then they become a permanent record. When I first found this site, I went in and out of the bio's quite a lot to get to "know" the the people on the message board. Maybe this would be a good time for the folks who have a bio to update their's and the rest of us to add one. You go first, Johnny, and I'll follow.
p.s. to Maureen- This is turkey #26 for me. Email me if you have questions. My friends call me Becky Home Ecky.

We had this discussion online a few years ago, but since we have so many new fans online and with the recent discussion about what the next single from Human Nature should be, I thought it might be fun to rehash this. What are your ideas on songs that should have been or should NOT have been singles, keeping in mind that hind sight is 20/20. Also, it is my understanding that record company execs have more say about what gets released as a single than the artists. I’ll get the ball rolling starting with the first album:

I don’t have a problem with the songs that were released (HORSE and I NEED YOU), they were both big hits. But a third single should have been released, THREE ROSES. I think it would have been a top 40 hit and it’s my favorite song off that great album.

From Homecoming, TO EACH HIS OWN probably should have been the second or third single. DON’T CROSS THE RIVER was a top 40 hit, but after three consecutive top 10 hits that was a let down, and ONLY IN YOUR HEART didn’t even get close to the top 40. But all three songs are good so it was a close call.

Hat Trick: RAINBOW SONG was the follow-up single to MUSKRAT LOVE and GREEN MONKEY was the third single. I really didn’t care for RAINBOW SONG and don’t understand why it was chosen. WINDWAVE or SHE’S GONNA LET YOU DOWN would have been better choices.

Holiday: The only problem I have is that only two singles were released from this album, both were top 5 hits. ANOTHER TRY or BABY IT’S UP TO YOU should have been released as singles also. Both received a lot of airplay.

Hearts: This is where I think a big mistake was made, I expect to catch some flak for this, but imho DASEY JANE should not have been the second single. I’ll pause while you look for stones to throw…. It’s a good song but not hit material. Some will protest saying it was a top 20 hit. True, but after three straight top 5 hits (including a number 1) peaking at 20 is a let down. I think OLD VIRGINIA was far better and would have been a top 10 hit. The third single should have been BELL TREE or even DASEY JANE instead of WOMAN TONIGHT. I never cared for WOMAN TONIGHT and thought it was a filler song when I first listened to the album. I was very surprised when it was released as a single, but not surprised when it failed to make the top 40 despite America being at the height of their popularity.

Hideaway: I really liked JET BOY BLUE and LOVELY NIGHT as singles. AMBER CASCADES and SHE’S A LIAR, which were release, were good songs but again weren’t hit material.

Harbor: I am baffled why the first two singles, GOD OF THE SUN and DON’T YOU CRY (DON’T CRY BABY) didn’t even chart. They were both good songs. I disliked the third single, SLOW DOWN. I hated disco. I think THESE BROWN EYES or HURRICANE would have been better choices.

Live: No single was released from this album, which may help explain why it went nowhere. I thought this would have been a good opportunity for a make-up by releasing the live version of ANOTHER TRY as a single.

Silent Letter: None of the three songs that were released from this album did much for me. I thought AND FOREVER and FOOLIN’ should have been released. BTW, I also thought that CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ which was a minor hit the year before would have fit nicely on this album and might have helped push the album.

Alibi: I really liked I DO BELIEVE IN YOU and VALENTINE. Both of those songs should have been singles.

View From the Ground: I thought JODY should have been the second single instead of RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES. It is faster and more commercial.

Your Move: CAST THE SPIRIT was a real momentum killer. I thought it was one of the weaker songs on the album. TONIGHT IS FOR DREAMERS and SHE’S A RUNAWAY to me should have been obvious choices.

Perspective: Several good songs on here could have been hits including 5th AVENUE, CINDERELLA, and STEREO.

In Concert: Once again no single was released. A missed opportunity to give SURVIVAL another shot at being a hit in the US.

Encore: I don’t think any songs were released as a single, but ON TARGET would have been a good choice.

Hourglass: YOUNG MOON was a good first single and probably would have been a hit if American Gramophone had promoted it half as well as Oxygen has done. But I think CALL OF THE WILD and WHOLE WIDE WORLD should have been the follow-up releases instead of HOPE.

Human Nature: FROM A MOVING TRAIN was a good call for first single and it was the first America song in 14 years to make a national chart. But it has started fading, so it will be up to the next singles to push the album. WEDNESDAY MORNING

In an effort to become more familiar with one another, how about a brief description from each fan such as the year you became an AMERICA fan and how, your age (if you don't want to that's okay too), your marital status, children, state residence, occupation, interests, etc.

Just in case I get tired up with all of this turkey day stuff, (I am cooking my very first TURKEY), I just wanted to tell all of you great AMERICA fans - HAPPY THANKSGIVING and that I am especially THANKFUL to be able year each, to see this great group in concert. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see them. So again, have a Happy and Heathly Thanksgiving Day To All !!!!!.Maureen.....

I'm guessing Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Thanks Shayne! I added my two-cents!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!

Try www.livebyrequest.com and then click on "your thoughts".

Can anyone give me the site for A&E? The one I have only lists ancient requests. Thanks!

The question was: "What song from "Human Nature" has within its lyrics the title of a song from "Holiday"? In turn, what "Holiday" song has within its lyrics the title of a song from "Human Nature"?

The answer: The "HN" song is "Town and Country" with "The sun was shining up IN THE COUNTRY and bells were ringing downtown". The "Holiday" song is "Glad to See You" with "Bells ring in my ear. Voices I hear WHISPERING daily to me."

Johnny, okay now I remember. Sorry about that.
TerryT. Those revised chords for FAMT work out great.
Thanks a million.
To all have a great & safe Thanksgiving!
HL

I just checked the A&E message board and I counted at least 50 votes for AMERICA! That is fantastic!!! I just wanted to add that "jimnak's" idea of a convergence of all of us die hard AMERICA Fans would be a truly positive thing for all of us who appreciate Dewey & Gerry, and who have made very positive contacts here in this Chat Folder. Johnny, our mystery Trivia whiz- keep up the outstanding work-you really make me wrack my brain and realize that I don't know everything about AMERICA! Kevin S.- Congrats in figuring out Johnny's exhaustive Triv Quiz! Howard L.-I've seen your name posted so often I feel as if I know you(Same with all the names I'm mentioning) Rob- my AMERICA Pal & Confidante from a "Long time ago". ShariL- yes Tony Bennett deserves respect, but AMERICA IS BETTER! Terry T.(the other"TeeTee") have you been jammin' lately? Steve L.- I guess my e-mail is working, I just wish I could Type faster! Maureen hope all is well!!! Brandon Rose- with a name like that you should be a star! Shayne- your motivation has been a bright spot on this Chat Folder! I'm sure A&E loves all the postings for AMERICA-and what's really cool is a lot of the names aren't familiar ones!!! And Karen D. from OXYGEN- keep up the good work! It looks like people are really interested in getting their hands on "Human Nature" thanks to the hard working folks at Oxygen! Robyn-the Literary fan-that's cool!(Alliteration) There are so many to mention but with the Thanksgiving Holiday upon us I don't want to sound too mushy but I wanted to Thank everybody for the insights, the knowledge, the respect, the support and the friendship demonstrated here in this Chat Folder!!! May each and everyone of you (Mentioned or Otherwise) have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a Sress-Free holiday Season!!! My Diet starts on January 2nd, 1999!!! See Ya...

KevinS, good job on the answers. Sorry "It's Life" was tough. I was thinking about, "You fell through the window and down on the floor. You found a direction, you HOPE will say more." It's a 1994 song.

The two remaining train songs are from "Don't Cross the River" and "Pigeon Song". "If you want you can ride my train" and "Had me a railroad down on the ridge." Good going Virginia and Tom T for getting the other train songs.

Good Morning All! Howard, a city is mentioned in "Wheels". That
city is in the same state in which I live. However, it is 320 miles from my town. Last October, I drove the 640 mile round-trip to see AMERICA. Also, not too long ago, I had a trivia question about what Dan Peek wore during the "Hearts" album cover shoot and how it was related to my state. Dan was wearing a lapel pin of a roadrunner which is my state's bird. Howard, your name is not very common but it is a familiar name to me. It's my brother's name!

Okay, Johnny:

I think I have the answers to your trivia question.

God Of The Sun: I saw you wave GOODBYE down the railroad tracks

Whole Wide World: ALL AROUND the city...

Cornwall Blank: I've been DOWN TO THE WATER...

Sister Golden Hair: CAN'T YOU SEE it in my eyes...

Sarah: WHAT DOES IT MATTER and who really cares...

Horse With No Name: The ocean is a desert with IT'S LIFE underground...

All My Life: Now AND FOREVER til the day I die...

Till The Sun Comes Up: Will you come to me to keep me COMPANY...

Valentine: Sweet kiss at MIDNIGHT...

Ventura Highway: SEASON flying no dispair...

Letter: This letter has to say GOODBYE...

She's A Runaway: The LETTER...

It's Life: I want to take it with YOU...

Muskrat Love: Sammy says to Suzie HONEY will you please...

Sandman: Eagle in the eye of a HURRICANE that's abandoned...

Whispering: I NEED YOU by my side...

Goodbye: HOPE you're feeling better TOMORROW night

Donkey Jaw: Come on CHILDREN get your heads back together...

Town & Country: I watched the CHILDREN play...

It took me forever to figure out the YOU in It's Life. I would imagine YOU is in just about every song ever written. Good question. Now I have to get to work.

KevinS.

Johnny- Matt is nineteen, so that picture can't be him. How old is Dylan Bunnell? Anyone?

Johnny,
Since the big mystery about you is that you don't leave an email address, how about this trivia question. Is there an America song that
describes your city/state or where you live or does Gerry Beckley's
song International best describes it?
Howard L

I finally got to hear "Last Two To Dance" courtesy of Howard. What an awesome, big-screen sounding, song! Does anyone have the full-length version. I'd love to have it. Does Italy have great taste in bands, or what!!!

Rob

Wow, what a great response I got from my previous post! Before I even had time to tell any of the people who volunteered to send me their Harbor poster "yes" or "no", Eddy Forsman had already stuck his in the mail and sent it to me here in Utah. The poster even has Willie's autograph on it. I should be receiving it in the next couple of days and over the Thanksgiving holidays I'll scan in all of the photos so that everyone can see them. Then, as we identify who is who, I'll put the appropriate names in the captions below the pictures. Thanks Eddy and everyone else.

Finally got time to go to Live by Request and Austin City Limits. Both times I tried to send my message on Austin City Limits I got a server error, so I'll try again tomorrow.
Steve, way to go getting the web site in there on your posting on LBR. Maybe some other great fans will find us here!
Johnny, where do you get the time to come up with this stuff? Don't you work? Great job!
One question about Live By Request. Who visits a site that features Tony Bennet (no offense intended to any of you who might like the guy, but I mean, really.) Who else do they feature?

You guys are incredible ! Real AMERICA fans, unbelievable fans !
Next year you might all select 1 BIG show & all make a grand appearance.

"Those wheels are turning once again ......." G. BECKLEY, D. BUNNELL

Wow- this CHAT FOLDER is absolutely incredible! The only problem is that when you miss checking in for one day you miss so much! Excellent Trivia Johnny!!! "...saw her wave goodbye from the RAILROAD TRACKS"-"God Of The Sun" That's my only input at this time because you overwhelmed me with all this stuff. The MYSTERY MAN in the Photo from the "HARBOR" poster, isn't that Geoff Emerick, Sir George Martins' recording engineer? I'm only guessing from memory since I haven't had time to get the poster out. Anyway, all this support being mustered up for Gerry & Dewey is the greatest!!! Now I'm going to do my best to come up with some Trivia too!!! I'll need a day just to try to figure out some of the riddles Johnny had dished out!!! I'll be checking in tomorrow. See Ya...

TerryT, you're right about "waiting for the early train". There are three other songs with references to a train. Dan, Dewey, and Gerry each sing one of the three songs. Regarding my match game, "Muskrat Love" has only one song title in its lyrics not two. Disregard the 1998 one. I was thinking about the song title, "Town and Country", but the lyric in "Muskrat Love" has only the word "town".

Could "Harbor" photo #9 be Matt Beckley and his mom? The child appears to be about the age of 2. That would make him (if it is a male) about 22-23. How old is Matt? Matt, are you out there? We
may need your assistance but not quite yet...too early. A funny
caption to that photo would be, " I get all this lovin' just for not pooping in my Pampers."

That all for tonight. Chat with you all later!

A lot of AMERICA's songs have lyrics that are song titles on their other albums. I will give you the name of the song whose lyrics are
another song's title. You give that song's title and the verse that it's in. For example:

"Only Game in Town", 1975 song. The answer is "Midnight".
The verse is, The midnight gamblers place their bets.

So here we go with the trivia game!

"God of the Sun", 1973 song?
"Whole Wide World", 1979 song?
"Cornwall Blank", 1977 song?
"Sister Golden Hair", 1976 song?
"Sarah", 1974 song?
"A Horse With No Name", 1973 song?
"All My Life", 1979 song?
"Till the Sun Comes Up Again", 1975 song?
"Valentine", 1975 song?
"Ventura Highway", 1975 song?
"Letter", 1973 song?
"She's A Runaway", 1976 song?
"It's Life", 1994 song?
"Muskrat Love", 1983 song and 1998 song?
"Sandman", 1977 song?
"Whispering", 1971 song?
"Goodbye", 1975 song and 1994 song?
"Donkey Jaw", 1971 song?
"Town and Country", 1971 song?

Good luck!

There WEREN'T credits. It has driven me nuts for 21 years. My poster is in pristine shape ( my dh wouldn't let me put it on the wall of our apartment:( )

Still thinking about those train songs!

I agree with Virginia and Maureen about #17, Johnny...First glance looks like Michael to me. Remember, this is 21 years ago! I've got the poster but not the sleeve. Is that where the credits are?
Dewey's waiting for the early train in Ventura Highway. Fellow Fan: We can't forget about them there alligator lizards. Taylor or Martin?: Need facts. KevinS & Johnny: Great idea about sending the poster to Steve/Howard. There are some EXCELLENT pics in there that should be a permanent part of this site. Very happy times for the whole gang. You'll love it, Steve. KarenD: Thanks again for all you do, I agree with Brandon about the momentum. We don't get a dime out of this, but are only in love with the music in such a personal way that we know the world would be a better place if more people enjoyed it along with us. It's a caring, sharing, bonding thing, that's fun to dance/sing to, and last but not least, Good For The Soul. We're not doing this so Dewey, Gerry, and The Band can make more bucks. It's just that when you know there's a good thing happening, you want it OUT THERE. This is a sad commentary on the state of today's music industry conglomerate in general. Once the exposure is achieved, the product (if excellent, as we know) sells itself. It's the EXPOSURE stage that's being controlled by lesser than "Enlightened" forces. I understand what KarenD, and all of us, are up against. Thanks to ALL for keeping up the fight!

It depends on who currently owns the rights to Electrovoice and Crossover. It usually isn't the artist so it probably isn't Dan, so he would have to negotiate a deal with whoever owns the rights if he wanted to release them himself. All Things Are Possible and Doer of the Word have been released by a company owned by Chris Christian, who produced them originally, so I assume that he owned the rights to them. Electrovoice and Crossover, if I am not mistaken, were produced by Dan not Chris, so it's anybody's guess who has the rights to them. IMHO Electrovoice was Dan's best solo effort. Hopefully All Things and Doer will sell enough to get somebody interested in releasing the last two.

I'M FROM MEXICO CITY, AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THE BAND HAS ANY PLANS TO COME TO MEXICO NEXT YEAR SOME TIME. IT' BE SO EXCITING

I had a typo. It should be: What song from "Human Nature" HAS within its lyrics the title of a song from "Holiday"?

Virginia, you are right with your three train songs. There are at
least four more songs that have a reference to a train in its lyrics.
You did well! Anyone else?

What song from "Human Nature" was within its lyrics the title of a song from "Holiday"? In turn, what "Holiday" song has within its lyrics the title of a song from "Human Nature"?

Off the top of my head, I've got "Catch that Train", "Sleeper Train", and Gerry's "Kiss of Life". Stumped on the others.

I recant! I think Virginia and Maureen are correct about "Harbor" photo #17 being Woodz. I looked at the photo that my AMERICA friend,
Cathy of Taos, took of Michael at the Abuquerque show. He does appear to have a chin dimple.

Besides "FAMT", who can name at least four AMERICA songs that have references to a train. There is also one song that does from Gerry's solo CD.

Johnny,
I compared the "Harbor" photo #17 to the picture of Michael on the inner sleeve of "Silent Letter" and I was looking at his eyes. He's mentioned in the thank yous on "Harbor", so I just assumed it was him. I'm at work, so I can't double check until I get home.

KevinS, Since you are going to send your "Harbor" poster to Howard, how about sending it to Steve first and Steve can forward it on to Howard after he scans it?

Karen... thanks for all of the tireless work you are obviously doing for America. I have kept my recent promise to you and contacted all of my friends regarding making individual requests to A&E and Austin City Limits to have America on. I have made my own. Last week I was thinking that the initial momentum from "From A Moving Train" was seeming to be slowing down. But, with some of your recent posts, especially those regarding the next "HumanNature" single, work on possible appearances on A&E's Live By Request and PBS's Austin City Limits, I feel that momentum building again. All of that coupled with the tremendous support from the loyal "America People" that are online. I am starting to feel good about "HumanNature" continuing to flourish. This is such good stuff. You've got to love it!

There's been talk about Dan Peek's two albums that aren't available on CD. Any chance that Dan Peek himself could release his "Crossover" and "Electrovoice" CDs on his own label, Seven Mile Records, which he released the PEACE album on?

KevinS.

Back in the 70's and 80's all I ever bought was cassettes so I never did get the Harbor album along with the now-famous poster. I realize that there are other America fans that have never seen the poster so I have a proposition. If someone would like to send me their poster I'd be happy to scan in all of the photos for everyone to see, and then I'd send it back. Alternatively, if someone has the poster AND access to a scanner, they could scan in the photos and e-mail them to me and then I'll include them on the America Fans web site. Thanks in advance to whoever can help.

Jim,
I messed up your name. A thousand "I'm sorry"s.

Jan and Johnny, you're quick! And you listed some that I hadn't thought of.

Virginia and Maureen, I also thought photo #17 was Michael Woods but Michael doesn't have a dimple in his chin, does he? Terry T. (AKA Inspector Mills), you have the poster. Any guesses?

Virginia:

I rarely get on the internet on weekends, and all this talk about Live By Request and Austin City Limits happened over the weekend. So, now that it's Monday morning and I've caught up on everything, I intend to get right on doing my part to hound those people at LBR and ACL. Soon as I post this, that's my next step.

Howard, you said you lost your Harbor poster. I'm pretty sure I have an extra one that I'd be willing to give to such a great fellow America fan as yourself. I bought that album twice, just so I could hang both sides of the poster up in my bedroom. Then I bought it another time because I played the vinyl off the first two. And I bought it a fourth time because the third one I bought had a major scratch in Seargent Darkness, which I find out must have been a flaw in the latter pressings because the fourth one I bought had the same scratch in the same place. (Did anyone else remember having this problem?) Just send me an e-mail and tell me where to send it to you. Only thing is, the poster may not be in the best shape, since it was tacked to my wall for years the corners are a little chewed up.

KevinS.

A HORSE With No Name
DONKEY Jaw
Green MONKEY
Lady with a BLUEBIRD
Mad DOG
MONSTER
MUSKRAT Love
PIGEON Song
The Last UNICORN

To add to Jim Griffey's list:

Amber (Amber Cascades)
Cinderella
Emma (from Gerry's "Van Go Gan")
Honey (like the actress Honey West)
Hope
Jody
Ladybird (like Ladybird Johnson from "Lady with a Bluebird)
Sue (from Gerry's "Now Sue"
Virginia (Old Virginia)
Sister (Sister Golden Hair)
Rose (Three Roses)
Valentine
Wednesday (like the little girl in "The Addams Family")

Ummmm, Shayne? How did you think I would answer this?

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE...and, actually, these shows are extremely feasible, too!

:)

Karen D.

Women's names that appear in song titles/within songs (this is strictly off the top of my head since my computer is upstairs and my albums/cd's are downstairs:
Daisy Jane
Sarah
Caroline (She's A Liar)
Mary (Only In Your Heart)
Clarice
Daisy (The Farm)

Those are the ones that immediately pop into mind. I'm sure there are many obvious ones I've missed.

Jim Erie, Pa

What are the women's names that appear in America's song titles?

What animals/birds appear in their song titles?

Just left my request with ACL. It's midnight Pacific time and there are 39 posts on the LBR message board requesting America. Way to go everybody! I'm sure there will more tomorrow (or rather, later today). KevinS-where are you?

Way to go Howard & great work everyone. The power is with the people.
1998 is a set-up year for an explosion of AMERICA in 1999 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go Howard & great work everyone. The power is with the people.
1998 is a set-up year for an explosion of AMERICA in 1999 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did my good deed for the day...
Left requests/comments on both LBR & Austin City Limts for America.
Hey everyone. Sorry I can't participate on the Harbor poster.
I have the original LP, but somehow poster got lost. I'll have to
find another LP copy. But I remember that poster like it was yesterday. Speak to everyone soon.

Karen,

I just submitted my request. I have one question, though. We all know how exciting it would be for the boys to play either of these shows, but truthfully, how feasible is it?
Shayne

I think it is a wonderful testament to the band that not only have so many people requested them, but that they did it right away.

Maureen, I sincerely apologize for taking any credit. I was not aware of your post. It just goes to show that great minds think alike!

Shayne

Karen: Got my plug in for the inventors of "Unplugged". Judging by their past performers, ACL isn't just country anymore! They have a reputation for "cool" country when it is, anyway.

DID IT! THANX FOR THE INFO, KAREN!

While we're at it, how about posting an internet request to Austin City Limits? This is another show I am trying to book the band on.

The URL is http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/faq/index.html

It's important when contacting these shows to let them know that you will support the show and its sponsors and that you will tell all of your friends about the America appearance.

I think that together we can all make a great impact with these producers.

Thanks!

Karen D.

HEY!! Just put in my "request" (I'm right after you Karen), Great idea, also picked up performing songwriter yesterday,great interview, & also interesting to see their recommended listening............

#2-Catherine Peek
#5-Vivien Bunnell
#17-Michael Woods
#22-Jim Calire
#23-Vivien in green pants
That's it for me- Johnny, how long are you going to make us wait for the answers? I've often wondered who all those folks were.

Ron,
America has been doing some filming and interviewing for VH-1. I believe it is due out in January 1999. Get those VCR's ready........Maureen.

Hi Johnny,
I DO have that poster and I could only figure out 2 unknowns, here it goes: #49 is Scott, tour manager and #17-thats gotta be Michael Woods. Let me know and thanks.........Maureen.
PS - Hay, I suggested A&E LBR about 6 months ago, anybody remember???

That's right, Johnny...the URL I last gave only works once we're in the site, and then only while Tony Bennett is being featured. This will get you there so you can then click on "Your Thoughts" (sorry, I was excited):

http://www.livebyrequest.com/

Again, Thanks to Shayne!

Soooooo...should I get a Taylor instead of Martin?

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, I just thought to pull out a CD containing a certain Christmas song.

I just listened to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing for first time this season. Anybody else took the plunge yet??!!

Tim

Shayne, great idea about getting AMERICA on "Live By Request"! For those of you who haven't left a message requesting AMERICA's appearance on the A&E show, look for the site address on Shayne's message #3075. When you get to the "LBR" site, go to "Your Thoughts" and post your request, please.

I am sooooo impressed. Keep it up guys.

Check out last week's featured Artist of the Week on the webpage of Kool 106.1 from Missouri:

http://www.koql.com/default.htm

Johnny, I've got my Harbor poster out, found the palm leaves already, 50 more to go!

Looks like A & E's Live by Request is getting blasted by America Fans, some of which are possibly not of this folder group!

http://www.livebyrequest.com/TonyBennett98/bb/index.htm Thanks

For those of us who have the "Harbor" album, you know it came with a wonderful poster of Dan, Dewey, and Gerry on stage at the Anaheim Stadium. On the other side are numerous photos of associates, friends, family. But for years I've wondered who all these people are. How many people can you identify?

When naming these people, please refer to the photo by its number as follows:

Photo number:
1 Dan playing his guitar
2 Lady in white dress and hat
3 Happy couple embracing
4 Gerry
5 Lady with the red lei
6 Guy with mustache
7 Dewey with a coconut
8 Gerry with headphones
9 Mother and child
10 Guy wearing glasses
11 Guy throwing lei into the water
12 View of the compound from the air
13 Lady with "Rock the Nation" t-shirt
14 Guy in denim and lady in shorts
15 Gerry, David Dickey, Dewey, & Dan
16 Sir George Martin, Gerry, Dewey, Dan, & guy with a beard
17 Guy wearing "el Mocambo" shirt
18 Incoming chopper
19 A beautiful view of the mountains
20 Red flowers
21 Hawaiian native
22 Guy eating an apple
23 Seven ladies
24 A very happy Gerry
25 An equally happy Dewey
26 Dan, Gerry, and Dewey
27 Dan
28 George
29 Ka Lae Kiki entrance
30 Gerry sacked out
31 Lady wearing a Coquette t-shirt
32 Palm trees
33 Palm leaves
34 Dewey
35 Mystery lady
36 Gerry in silhouette
37 Dewey, Gerry, & Dan
38 Young lady with kitty
39 Guy with a coffee cup (I think his nickname is that of an animal)
40 Guy with red shirt and guy with hand on his head
41 Gerry on the beach with camera
42 One of those "alligator lizards"???
43 A mutated Dan
44 Catherine and Dan
45 Willie
46 Guy wearing a #76 t-shirt
47 Dan with his guitar
48 Sir George
49 Guy wearing an orange t-shirt
50 Vivien maybe and Dewey
51 David Dickey

Show us your brains by naming these friends and family members of Dan, Dewey, and Gerry!

As of this moment, there are 15 requests for an appearance by America on the LBR message board. I saw some familiar names from this board, but a lot are missing. Please, everyone write a short note. With Dewey & Gerry out of the country, it's been kind of quiet here. It's nice to have something to get us stirred up again. Thanks for the suggestion and best of luck to Karen in her negotiations. Hopefully her (and our) efforts will pay off.

How about everyone writing to VH1 and requesting America for either a documentory or a VH1 Storytellers. I think it would be great re-exposure for such a great band.

Uh-pardon me, but I'm the same age as Dewey and Gerry, but don't think I'm old enough to have grandchilden that are buying music by anyone other than Raffi or Barney. I'm sure you meant to say "parents", right? I couldn't find America's first three CDs one day and they turned up in my 17 years son's CD changer along with Crosby, Stills & Nash, so don't be too quick to think that the younger generation wouldn't be interested. I'm off to write to LBR.

I think it is unrealistic to think that the kids who buy singles will ever be enticed to buy music from guys old enough to be their grandparents!!! Now DONT get me wrong. I love America and I have since 1972. People our age and any sensible age buy albums. You guys shouldn't be suprised that there is no single for retail........ Wheels blows all the other songs away !!!! Joe

Dont forget a lot of people who were undecided mentioned Wheels!!!!! It IS the best song on the CD Joe Knight

Please drop by the Live By Request site and kindly add your two cents to plug our favorite band. Wouln't it be great seeing Gerry & Dewey on television performing songs we personally request? I'm psyched just thinking about it! Got to their website and show your support-PLEASE! Hey Johnny, Where's the "HARBOR" Trivia question? (or should I say the "Harry Goes Surfing" Question?)! Did I miss it? Hope all is well with everybody...I'm counting down to Turkey Day- I hope Fiona Apple doesn't read that!!!ha ha ha

I think it would make a VERY powerful statement to the producers of Live By Request if every single one of you emailed your request for America to be on RIGHT NOW as I am in talks with them and could use help trying to persuade them.

Great Idea, Shayne!

Thanks, Brandon!

Karen D.

Shayne... terrific idea contacting Live By Request online and submitting America for a future appearance. Just another way to get America back out in front of the public. I made my America request today. If we all would make a request for America, I am sure A&E would take notice. Remember, nothing ventured... nothing gained.

I have posted a request that "LBR" do a show featuring America. If you aren't familiar with "Live By Request", it is a two hour concert where the performer(s) take requests by phone, fax and e-mail. To show your support, go to http://www.livebyrequest.com and click on the link for "your thoughts".

Shayne

Yes indeed, please everyone keep calling your local DJ's. FROM A MOVING TRAIN & that great article in Billboard magazine some months' ago, have all put AMERICA in peoples minds. We need to keep up the momentum for the next single. Exposure, exposure, exposure.

Count me in as one of the (hopefully) many who have heard FAMT somewhere other than my own home. I was in Orchard Supply Hardware in Gilroy, CA, when it came on the in-house sound system. It was great to hear it, but I would have preferred hearing it on the car radio on my way home. I have yet to hear it on KOIT or KBAY- the two biggest AC stations in the SF/San Jose areas. KWAV in Santa Cruz is on the list Karen posted a while back, but I haven't it played yet. I've made calls and will keep on it. Sooner or later, all our efforts WILL produce the results we want. Everyone-please keep calling the AC stations in your area and request FAMT. It only takes a moment (provided you can get through, of course!).

The poll was on AOL message board, back in October. I wish everyone here had got to vote. I would have mentioned here, but thought at time Steve displayed AOL messages here too.

Here's what the AOL poll looked like (was somewhere around 18 participants).

Most votes: Moment To Moment
2nd: Wednesday Morning
3rd: Hidden Talent
4th: Pages

Tim

Me too last friday, FROM A MOVING TRAIN was playing at an outdoor cafe near a mall in Irvine (south of LA) Calif. GO HUMAN NATURE !

A side note: Once at a restaurant I heard SOMEDAY WOMAN when YOUR MOVE was out - that was a real stunner. I expect to hear more FROM A MOVING TRAIN.

Where? Carraba's Italian Grill in Fort Myers, Florida. My wife Anne and I were having dinner last night with some friends when that all to familiar guitar intro came on... Anne and I just looked at each other and smiled. I am not going to say it made our evening, but it didn't hurt either. It felt good knowing that America is back out there and getting the recognition they are so deserved of. Keep up the great work Karen!

America, Karen D., and everybody that has done their part in promoting "From A Moving Train"... three cheers! The guys are still in the Top 30 over on the Radio & Records Chart. How many weeks is that in a row? Johnny... thanks for pushing us to vote in your unofficial poll for the next single that Oxygen Records should release off HumanNature. It's all such positive stuff. Let's keep the momentum that's been built up rolling.

To Mark: Glad you like "doer of the word",its his 2nd best of the 4 solo
LP's he's had. There are a couple of us looking into the possibility of
getting "electrovoice" and "crossover" transferred to CD. It would be
illegal to get it done to sell to anybody else,but I'd be willing to tape
those records for anybody willing to pay for the tape and postage. but
right now John corbett is in possesstion of my material--figure to get
it back within the next month or so. If anybody is interested,just email
me. as for the last "Peace" project,I bought it because it WAS Dan
Peek.....but the project doesn't compare to any of his solo material,and
where were the Liner notes? Plus,his voice is buried behind lots of
"noise". I think there are a few good songs on there,but the project
remains mostly forgettable to me.....

Bruce, unfortunately, I have to work with the guitars that I
have now. Not bad, but they'll do. I have a Yamaha FG-? which
was a present for me back in 1973 and a Takamine 12 string, which
I bought in the 1980's. 12 String has been fine tuned and sounds
like a dream. My 6 string...that's a different story. Unless I
hit the lottery or rob a bank, then I buy one.

AMEN, Johnny! Karen, I hope you know that your work is appeciated by all of us out here in the heartland.
Thanks!

I really like Wheels Are Turning

Hey Howard just wanna say that I agree with you- I LOVE Taylor guitars- they absoloutely rule!!! Have a 12 string and the Taylor "Baby". I used to be a big fan of Martin guitars (no relation!) but ever since I picked up a Taylor, well, they are the BEST!! I've never played a bad one, not once! Can you say the same about other guitars? As far as Rudy's, when I walk into that place, I'm in heaven!! My next purchase there will be a Taylor 912C- it practically plays itself! TAYLORS & AMERICA--WHAT A GREAT COMBINATION!!!

It's been 48 hours since I requested for everyone to submit their choice for the next release from "Human Nature". Here are the results:

Wednesday Morning 9 votes
Wheels are Turning 6
Pages 4
Moment to Moment 2
Whispering 2
Town and Country 1
World Alone 1

To Matt Beckley: Matt, great trivia regarding your studio name. Really cool name and story!

To Karen of Oxygen: Karen, I appreciate all the hard work you've done for AMERICA. I'm sure all the fans do too. When you perform work for AMERICA, you're doing it for us too, indirectly. Regarding the poll that you mentioned several days ago, I say this with all due respect. I, like KevinS and Shayne, are not aware of any poll on this chat board. It must have been on another. You did mention perhaps it was elsewhere. In the future, if there is another poll, please let us know here. We would really like to vote. I have absolutely no doubt that whatever song that is released next from "HN", it will receive the greatest support from the wonderful fans
on this board. We just want Dewey and Gerry to have the best opportunity to prove to the rest of the world that they are still
the SUPER, MULTI-TALENTED artists today as they were in the 70's.
Needless to say, I know you feel the same way too. Thanks again for
all of your hard work! We're all members of the same team.

To Everyone Else: Next group participation that I have in mind will be about "Harbor" since it and "Homecoming" were voted the favorite album covers of AMERICA as a trio. Look for the trivia game on
Sunday afternoon. Remember...."AMERICA is Hot and No. 1"

I finally got Doer Of The Word by Dan Peek today (I had to find an alternate source because Thoughtscape lost my order, but they wouldn't even bother to check so I could reorder through them). It is better than I remember and much better than All Things Are Possible, even though it didn't have the crossover appeal that that album did. I highly recommend it for America fans. I hope that his last two solo works, Electrovoice and Crossover, will be released on CD soon. I used to think Electrovoice was his best CD.

Nick, On the Stronger You Know CD, Dan only sings background
on 2 songs (doesn't sing lead on any). Mainly helped produce that cd.
But I agree with you America influence all the way.
HL
Excellent cd's.

FYI...

Just received the 2 CDs by Peace ('Peace' and 'Stronger Than You Know'). As a life long America fan, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend getting them!!! If you really like America (and I've been to this site enough to know the answer to that) then you have to get these. There is a lot of America influence here, especially the self titled one. You won't be disappointed.

Nick

Taylor's sound awesome.
Blue Light (under the bed). Blue is by far my most favorite color (kind of neurotic about it, to the point where I change all the lights on my amps to blue). In high school, I kept all the mps under the bed, and when my freinds came over, they could always tell when I had been recording because there was a "Blue Light Under the Bed". So now I always keep a Blue Light under the bed as a kind of nightlight.(gives off a cool glow at night)

Here in NYC in Midtown, all the instruments stores are clustered
on one block. There's Sam Ash, Rudy's, Manny's and others. One place
that caught my eye called Rudy's where you can try out any of the
guitars nestled on the 2nd floor (very quiet place). I tried out
the 314CE & a 614CE Grand Auditorium guitars. What great sounding
guitars, rich in sound, tone, action. etc. I was there for at
least an hour. No wonder why America sounds great. Excellent Guitar!
After asking the price, which is 60% of my mortgage, walked out weeping! I know Jim N. has one and I know some of us on this chat board have some Taylors, excellent choice.
Jealous, Howard L
2nd floor.

This is what Erich Bohme, a fan in Chile, had to say about America and their show south of the border:

Wow!!!! Last Sunday my dreams came true at their concert! I waited for them for more than five hours at the back of the Arena, but it was only 20 minutes before the concert when they finally arrived... and that was AMAZING. I was waiting for them with another fan and we jumped onto their van. I said "Hi Dewey! how are you doing?" while I shaked hands with Mr.Beckley. They were quite kind signing my HEARTS cd and making my lifetime dream come true in those few seconds as one guy pulled me off their van... The concert was superb and I was thrilled! They performed all their hits and the sound was incredibly pure. When Gerry played "Daisy Jane" that was truly intense and we all enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Dewey And Gerry that was something I won't forget... no doubt a HIGHLIGHT!!! LONG LIVE AMERICA!!! (here's your biggest Chile-fan).

Well, I should have said we can SUGGEST America at http://www.livebyrequest.com/
since their "request" link is for making online requests of the artist performing at the time.

We can also "make a request" for America at: http://www.livebyrequest.com/

I was also thinking that America could probably do a commericial for AOL since it's always saying that "America is on America Online."

Okay, Matt. You must left us haning with what does "Blue Light UTB" stand for and what does it mean. Obviously no one has a clue since no one has even guessed, not even Johnny.
I understood it to be the name of your recording studio. Give us the answer!

Bruce:

Don't get me wrong. I like "Right Before Your Eyes." I just never thought it should have been a single. Especially the next single from View From The Ground. I thought "Never Be Lonely," "Even The Score" and a bunch of other songs which escape me right now would have been much better.

Maybe instead of saying that song derailed their careers I should have said it stole some of the momentum from their comeback.

And that "poll" that declared "Moment To Moment" the winning choice for next single must have been the same "poll" that convinced Coke to invest $400,000,000 to scrap their formula and come out with New Coke.

As for the new group Fastball, I read recently where they were asked what they play on their bus while traveling from town to town, and one of their favorite CDs is America's History. One more reason to like Fastball.

KevinS.

Does that mean it can not be on Billboard?

Shayne

From a Moving Train was the first single from the album Human Nature to be released to radio. From a Moving Train was not released as a single to retail.

Karen -

How about booking the guys on A&E's "By Request". They have recently had on Barry Manilow and Kenny Loggins. It would seem a perfect fit for America.

Shayne

Karen -

How about booking the guys on A&E's "By Request". They have recently had on Barry Manilow and Kenny Loggins. It would seem a perfect fit for America.

Shayne

OK, I can't take it anymore, I just have to say some things- haven't contributed in awhile, so before I "vent", let me say this: I LOVE AMERICA AND THIS CHAT!!!" OK, now let's get down... First of all, let's talk about the so-called "single" ,"From A Moving Train". I live in New York City, the largest city in the United States. From the first day "Human Nature" was released, I have gone to record stores looking for this elusive single. Now, when I say record stores (actually, they do have SOME records!) I mean major league stores such as Tower, Virgin, and, just a few days ago, J&R music world. If a single was released by a known artist, surely these stores would have it on the shelf. I have never seen ONE copy of FAMT on the shelf. not ONE copy in ANY format. Not a CD, not a cassette, not ONE copy! AND, at J&R I looked in their computer that lists every currently available album and single- Human Nature was listed but NO single! I am a regular reader of this chat and there is all this talk about FAMT and what should be the next "single". Well, would someone please scan a copy of FAMT and put it on the web - Because I'd like to see it! Maybe it's available outside of NYC - if so, let's see it! BUT, if what is being referred to here is an "album cut", then, guess what? It CAN'T be on the Billboard Hot 100 if it doesn't exist as a SINGLE! (like "Sister, Horse, Daisy, Magic")- I'll give a couple of examples of this in the last 5 years: "Love Fool" by the Cardigans, "One Headlight" by the Wallflowers, "Killing Me Softly" by the Fugees. None of these songs was ever released as a single, yet they were played to death on radio. "The Way" by Fastball is another example that is out currently. Record companies do this so they don't "dilute" album sales (READ: they MAKE you buy the album) . OK...enough nitpicking about the term "single". OK, so let's say that everyone is referring to the next "album cut" that will be played...well I want to say that Kevin S is absoloutely correct in his comments about "Wednesday M orning". I couldn't agree more! The FIRST time I played Human Nature, that song jumped out at me! The FIRST time! Hey Karen, are you listening?? And it seems that a LOT of people here agree! It's got a great hook! As far as M2M, I love that song too, but for the next album cut, plug song, whatever you want to call it, IT'S A NO-BRAINER!!!! WEDNESDAY MORNING!!! I really enjoyed KevinS's comments about this being a free focus group, 'cause I work in Television News, and we pay big bucks for this stuff! BUT IT'S ALL HERE, FOR FREE!! HELLO OXYGEN!!! Now, KevinS, I don't agree with EVERYTHING you said. RE: "Right Before your Eyes", I happen to love that song, just the other day I sang /played it on the guitar while lying in bed with my girlfriend (not a big AMERICA fan, prefers HOLE & Puff Daddy, but she likes that song) - I don't think that song derailed their career, I think it was the fact that Capital Records had just about written them off! But "The Border" made the Billboard top 40 after that, right? And as far as "Moment to Moment" not being played in concert,I guess they can play just so many songs and still include "the hits" , but I do think the set should have a few more from Human Nature! (Like "Wednesday Morning") Also, where's the VIDEO to "FAMT"?? Notice that nothing gets in the Top 40 without a VIDEO??? (But don't get me started about the "Top 40" right? :) Lastly, has ANYONE in the New York Metro area heard FAMT on a NYC radio station? I haven't. What a shame.
OK...I've said enough!!! Let's hear comments from the peanut gallery!!!

I have been a regular to this folder for over a year now and I honestly do not remember any poll where "Moment To Moment" was the overwhelming winner. Most everyone that has posted has recommended "Wednesday Morning" as their choice for a follow-up (I personally felt it should have been the first release). I like the Dylan/Petty style of Gerry's voice and I also believe it would be a good follow-up. However, I am convinced that "Whispering" will be a breakthrough. Simply because it's different and really in line with what is popular today. "Pages" wouldn't be bad either if it were remixed with stronger drums and percussions.

To paraphrase the (now) infamous Health Guru, listen to the fans - it's good for the soul.

Shayne

there

has

been

no

decision

about

the

next

single

Great discussion lately. Love to read other people's opinions.
I went to work today, shut the door to my office and put on HN to give it a really good listen to give my 2 cents (only worth 1 cent in US funds these days) about what the next single could be. There are so many that have the potential to do well, so many that are every bit as good and a whole lot better than what passes for music on the airwaves these days. Wednesday Morning, Wheels, Pages, M2M, Hidden Talent etc.etc. are all great tunes. This album was one of those that really grows on you. I love it more each time I play it.

OK everybody, Examining the intensity it causes all of us AMERICA FANS when trying to decide what should be the next single truly shows how much we care about Gerry & Dewey; however, when I see comparisons of "Moment To Moment" being touted as the next "Cast The Spirit" or the insecurity of "M2M" being compared to the dissappointing follow-up of "Right Before Your Eyes" I get a litlle ticked off myself because over the 26-plus years of AMERICA's recording career there HAS been a lot of judgement errors over choice of "What will be the next "Horse..","Sister.." even "You Can Do Magic"!!! For instance, On "Homecoming" why "To Each His Own" wasn't the follow-up to "Ventura Highway" I'll never know! Or on "Holiday", why didn't they release "Baby It's Up To You", or "Another Try"?!! Or on "Hearts" why not "Old Virginia" instead of "Woman Tonight"?!! Even "Perspective" had a solid pop tune like (please friends, bear with me) "We Got All Night".It's like the old adage..."Ours is not to reason why, Ours is but to keep loving and pushing for others to love AMERICA as much as we do!!!" I hope you understand my point!!! I think that even in the scheme of things that the "Overwhelming World Suite" has commercial potential("EDIT"). I LOVE this chat folder!!! Hello to everyone!!! AMERICA RULES!!!

Karen you havn't answered the question that I and others have asked about sales. How is the CD selling world wide? I know that it has not appeared on billboard yet but it can still be commercially successfull without becoming a "so called" hit ,Can't it? Thanks for any info you can give Joe

PS Wheels are Turning should be the next single!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoa, I go away for a few days, and what happens? I come back and read that Moment to Moment's the next single. Does anyone have Jack Kervorkian's number?

I don't know about any polls that Karen spoke of, but I have a darn good memory for what I've read on this chat site since Human Nature was released, and I recall about 85% of the fans on this site saying Wednesday Morning was their favorite song. (Karen, too, for that matter, but her opinion doesn't seem to matter either.)

All I can say to Oxygen is: I'm in advertising. We charge our clients thousands and thousands of dollars for the same kind of market research you're getting here for free. The focus group says Wednesday Morning.

Like Joe, I too have been going back lately and listening to America's older stuff. The one thing that strikes me about Wednesday Morning is how similar it is in structure and storyline to another song from America's past. Perhaps the people from Oxygen have heard of it. It was called Sister Golden Hair. By the way, Oxygen, that song peaked out at Number One. (Number One is a good thing.)

Interesting enough, if you listen to Moment To Moment, the beginning is very reminiscent of another song from America's past. Right Before Your Eyes. A song that derailed America's comeback attempt right after You Can Do Magic. (Derailing is a bad thing.)

The cynic in me still believes that there must have been some contractual obligation to Phil Gallstone for coming in to produce Moment to Moment and Hidden Talent. I'm sure part of the deal was that Oxygen would release one of his songs as a single. I may be wrong, but it just smells that way.

Hey, I'm as rabid of an America fan as anyone else (otherwise, why would I be on this site?). And, if the next single is Moment To Moment, I'll still dial my fingers to the nub trying to get it played in Dallas.

But I've always thought you release the best song. If it doesn't work, then what the hell, you went down giving it your best shot.

It's not that I think Moment to Moment sucks. It's just that I wish the music industry would quit seeing America as some whimpy love ballad band. They're so much more than that.

(Hey, Dewey and Gerry don't even do the song in concert. What does that say about it?)

Oh, well. I'm falling off the world. I'm calling you.

My opinion,
KevinS.

P.S.: If not Wednesday Morning, my vote goes for Whispering or Wheels Are Turning.

Anybody here from Moreno Valley,CA, or the Inland Empire area? We're
broadcasting a one-hour "America special" this Sunday at noon on our Beyond the Spotlight show, on AM-1530, KHPY. (It was to air last weekend, but the station had such serious transmitter problems that they're rebroadcasting.)

Let us know what you think! And if anyone who isn't in the California area knows of small stations in your state that might want to run an entertainment show like this one, tell us--we're syndicating!

It's my opinion the next release should be either "Wheel are Turning" or "Pages". I believe a Dewey lead vocal would be very receptive at this point. The entire CD is excellent of which 5 or 6 songs would perform well as singles. By the way, the only place I have heard FAMT is in the grocery store. I've made several requests to stations in the Madison, Wisconsin area but haven't heard it on the air. I'll be persistent!!

All the songs are good, From a moving train, Wednesday morning, and Pages I feel are great. I play accostic and sing and will try to push these songs when I play out next week. I live in up state NY and the only place Ive heard FAMT was at Price chopper grocery store. I wish America the best.

I don't know about any polls, but they tend to get influenced once word leaks out about a song. People wanting to be supportive of America. My vote for next single:
1st - Wednesday Morning
2nd - Wheels Are Turning

If Moment to Moment is released, I predict it will become then next Cast The Spirit. And we all know what releasing that song did for America's career!

I know you will be scratching your heads at this one but i wish Town and Country or World Alone were the next singles. Wishful thinking I know!

Steve or Johnny,
Maybe we should set up a matrix to tally the fan club's votes in assisting Oxygen Records with their decision for the next America single release. What do you think? Karen has indicated that a final decission hasn't been reached, so let's all help her. She has worked so hard on FAMT.

For voting purposes, our family took a poll and our vote goes for "Wheels Are Turning". This song wasn't selected because my 3 1/2 year old sings the chorus along with Gerry, but this song reminds me of their 'grassroots' style like Horse With No Name. I'm sure most of us have drivin' across the desert sometime, either early morning or dusk, and can picture the lyrics of "Wheels" with these memories. I for one, love the desert and all its' mystique.

Karen thanks for your insightful post regarding the decision making process by Oxygen Records for America's next single. That said... my first vote for America's next single would be cast in favor of "Wednesday Morning." My second choice would be "Wheels Are Turning." Both are dynamite songs along with the entire works. I hope the success of HumanNature also means we will hear even more from Dewey & Gerry. Four or five years between cd's is rough on us America fans!

1st choice: wheels are turning 2nd: whispering 3rd: wednesday morning

As a note:
Taylor Guitars did a limited edition GERRY BECKLEY signature model 6-string guitar, similiar to his custom, one of a kind (maple, grand auditorium, 12) 12 string w/a natural top. You might notice that GERRY'S Taylors have his signature imbedded on the fret board near the sound hole. Hey maybe a DEWEY model someday !

As a trio - Holiday and History
As a duo - Hmmm (hey maybe that could be the title for the next album)
View From the Ground and Hourglass

Taylor guitars has a quarterly publication titled "Wood and Steel"....the fall 1998 issue on page 8 has a photo of America and their taylor guitars( model's 614-c,912-c,and a 655). The photo is from the September 4, 1998 today show. Taylor guitars are located at 1940 Gillespie Way, El Cajon, California 92020-1096

i still think whispering would be the best choice because it sounds so different. if not either wednesday morning or wheels are turning.

as a trio:

1 Homecoming
2 History
3 America
4 Harbor
5 Hideaway
6 Hearts
7 Hat trick
8 Holiday

as a duo:

1 Your move
2 View from the ground
3 Alibi
4 Perspective
5 Hourglass
6 Live
7 Human nature
8 Silent letter

Great job Steve ! Your chord designs sound great. I am sure DEWEY would be proud. Again, great job.

I think that " Wheels" ( my favorite on the whole album) or Pages should
be the next release. Wed Morn. is my least favorite.
I had some extra time on my hands the other night so I played the old albums. Although I love America in it's current form ,they were so much better as a trio. The 3 of them together had a special sound that can not be duplicated. I hope that the guys will all get back together some day. I hope they don't wait until it is too late like the Beatles did.
If there are any hard feelings they should be worked out.. I am reminded of a saying a friend of mine used to use." Dont take life so seriously, it doesn't last that long. ( He died of cancer in 1983).

Hellooooo! "M2M" is a great song! I DO Believe that it can get the MOMENTum (Clever,huh?) going for the entire C.D.! If you analyze the Adult Contemporary/Top 40/Pop-Rock market you can see that this strategy is not something new. Here's a good example...Savage Garden's first release "To The Earth And Moon" totally stalled at the starting gates the first time. Then they released "I Want You" which I definitely don't care if I ever hear it again; however, on the heels of all the Teeny-Boppers buying that techno-pop ditty Sony/CBS realized the massive appeal they'd have with "Truly Madly Deeply". yes I know Friends, another of the most played songs during the current Millenium. After that smashing overkill, I mean success, the powers that be re-released "To The Earth..." and established the song as another hit for the duo known as Savage Garden. I can see that happening for our favorite duo AMERICA! Let's get the Hit Making Ball rolling and after all is said and done, I DO Believe we will see FAMT as a BIG Hit getting all the recognition all parties involve truly deserve!!! To Karen and the folks at OXYGEN, Keep up The great work. If you need anybody to assist on the P.R. portion of getting "Human Nature" out there, would you consider a Die-Hard AMERICA Fan like me? Seriously, let's all keep the "WHEELS" turning towards a successful New Year-it's not "So Far Away, As Yesterday" WHOA-OH...

My fellow AMERICANS...Support for the Chosen One is good for the soul. For every song there is a season, which makes way for the next. Although I recall hearing that Moment to Moment is at least heavily leaned upon as the next candidate, if not already decided upon, there seems to be some message from what sounds like Dewey in my favorite part of the song:

Every moment is a shining light
Every moment is the darkest night
Every moment gotta get it right
Every "SINGLE" moment

I yield the floor to KevinS.

Long ago and far away [when I wore a younger man's thong], Dewey wrote
a phrase that has turned out to be my personal mantra. It has echoed
in the back of my mind for 26 years now. It epitomizes my suicidal
world-weariness and my catatonic despair. It encapsulates my reaction
to the fact that I'm living in a universe that is a cruel mystery.
Here is the phrase: "You don't care. I know."

OK, you guys DID do a poll...either here or on the AOL folder...and the overwhelming winner was.....Moment to Moment. That's first.

Second, there is no firm decision yet as to a second single and SO many things factor in to a decision like this you couldn't imagine. It doesn't just get decided in some arbitrary meeting with suits.

Keep casting your votes about it. The opinions of the people who frequent this board have always been extremely important to us in anything we do.

When Oxygen and America have chosen a second Human Nature single, YOU will be the first to know it...because I will post it here.

Best regards,

kd

Regardless of whatever song is chosen as the next release, I will stand behind it. Because I love AMERICA so much, I just want the guys to have the best opportunity to regain their much deserved recognition as still the talented artists they are. I won't comment any further on this. I've said enough but I don't want anyone to think my support waivers in any manner.

I agree, O Mighty Guru, and will do whatever I can to support M2M once released, as I'm sure all of us will. Sometimes one needs to vent....however,it wasn't enough, so I'm headed out for my lunch hour run (very good for the soul). Later..

the record company has obviously put a lot of thought in to what would be the next single, and I know they have a slew of reasons why they did what they did. (although I know one of them isn't what the best song is, but it's not their fault) So it's important (and good for the soul) to make M2M a hit so the market gets primed for Wed.Morn.

El Guru

Agree w/you Shari of SD. The single is carefully chosen by the record company based on their notion of the most widespread mass appeal. Whatever the single we all should do our part again in the promotion w/local DJ's. FROM A MOVING TRAIN has done very well so far. Let's hope the next single can do even better. We will be working w/some momentum gained & still being gained by FROM A MOVING TRAIN. AMERICA is rapidly filling up their 1999 schedule & next year will be fantastic.

It's a pity a grassroots poll couldn't have been taken here on this page prior to any decision-making. We may not be the "experts", but I feel our opinions are certainly worthy of consideration.

It's my hope that it's not too late or futile for us to voice our opinion and that the Oxygen executive will reconsider his/her choice of "Moment to Moment as their next release, if true. I know the poll here is way to premature to be accurate but so far four of four believes another song is a better choice. I just fear that Oxygen is shooting itself in the foot and I hate to be a witness and not say something. Get the smelling sauce out for KevinS because he'll be
passed out on the floor when he reads about "M to M". I'm not saying it's not a good song; I just think it's not the best choice and I fear all the wasted energy. Karen, what are the possibilities of a reconsideration, if true?

I agree that Wednesday Morning has a better hook (and I assume you mean the GREAT chorus, Robyn), but it takes 1:20 to get there and the beginning of the song is rather slow. I do love the 12-string in it.
Moment to Moment would have to be shortened- as is it's 4:56. It needs an intro since DJ's always talk over the intro's (drives me NUTS!). I really love this song, love the emotion in it (OK-so it's a woman thing) much like Daisy Jane, which was a huge hit.
But my vote goes to Pages. It's the right length, the guitar at the beginning hooked me immediately because it was so different. The solo is wonderful, too, as is the chorus.
It's interesting to read everyone's take on this; however, since Oxygen has made their decision, the point is moot (my two cents).
P.S. to Steve Lowry-am I dreaming, or did you add a scrollbar to the message section. Thank You!

Wednesday Morning has a better hook. I really like both and think Moment to Moment would make a nice THIRD single. What do you say, Oxygen?

Wed Morning gets my vote. M to M is not bad though.

Thanks ShariL for the info especially about the next release being "Moment to Moment" if true. I personally think "M to M" as the next release is not the best choice. "Wednesday Morning" or "Wheels" should be in my opinion.

This leads me to our next group participation. What one song from "Human Nature" do you think should be the next release?

Hi, everybody. It seems our problem now that the album (ok, cd, I date myself) has been out for a while, and was just starting to move up the charts, is that this week and next are like the movies. They hold releases for holiday selling and a HUGE glut hits this week and next. I would expect to see those knock us off the charts we are already on. Even if you're not a country fan (which I am not) I'm sure you know Garth Brooks is releasing a double cd this week, to tremendous fanfare, including his own tv special. (And I don't even watch tv and know this!)
Please keep requesting FAMT train, and don't give up. I've been working on the largest AC station in San Diego since September, with still no luck. But I heard it in a fast food restaraunt after church on Sunday! Go figure! That's actually Karen's doing, too. She worked with the company in Washington that provides the music (the 90's muzak) for restaurants and supermarkets. Haven't heard it grocery shopping yet, but I know many of you have.
Karen did confirm to me that "Moment to Moment" will be the next release, but that it will be reworked a little to make it more "radio friendly." Her personal choice, as many of you have expressed, would be Wednesday Morning, but she's not the decision maker, just the promoter. "Moment to Moment" would be released as a single January or later, to get past all the stuff out there now. (Karen, hope I'm not speaking out of turn. Figured this was ok for publication since you shared it with me in a chat.)
DON"T GIVE UP, NO MATTER HOW IGNORANT THE DJ'S AND MUSIC DIRECTORS ARE! It is our job to educate and re-educate them about OUR wonderful group and their terrific new cd.
Take care, everyone. ShariL <><

Matt(Beckley),

I think you've stumped us with your trivia question: "What does 'Blue Light UTB' stand for? And why?" Or did I miss the answer? Sounds like you're one busy guy with your music and friends. That's great!

I forgot to put down my fave "trio" cover: HIDEAWAY It reminds me of where I live here in the Northland.

Thanks to all who have submitted their favorite album covers. If you
haven't yet, we would still like to hear from you. So far, here is the current vote count:

AMERICA as a trio:
Harbor 7
Homecoming 7
Hat Trick 3
History 3
Holiday 3
America 2
Hearts 1
Hideaway 1

AMERICA as a duo:
Your Move 5
View FTG 4
Alibi 3
H Nature 3
Perspective2
S Letter 2
Hourglass 1
Live 1

I recommend everyone pick up the November issue. It's an excellent
article, w/interview and great pictures. Go and pick up your copy, now! Also, great picture of Gerry, Dewey & Dan. HL

Hi Gang, Everyone seems to have remarked about the "Silent Letter" cover as grounds for Dewey to cut his hair. Is it me, or didn't he have his first short-hair appearance on the "Hearts" album cover? Of course that was the first time AMERICA Fans observed Dewey with short hair. "Hearts" is a great album, isn't it? Bye...

I just got in the Spirit Voices CD by the King's Singers. For those of you who may not know Dewey and Gerry are guest performers on the CD. They perform Weather With You and they do an excellent job! It's worth the price of the CD for that one cut! I was just wondering why it took so long to get the word out about their performance on the CD? The CD was released in 1997, but no mention of it was made until a few weeks ago when somebody seemed to stumble accross it and made a post about it on this board. Dewey and Gerry or their management need to do a better job of informing their fans when they work on little projects like this. All they would have to do is pass the word to Steve and Rick and I'm sure they would put a note on their web pages alerting fans to it. Then again, maybe they did and I just missed it.

Have to say that I wasn't too thrilled with the "Alibi" cover. My first thought was that it was "sinister" looking. Tough to pick favorites, but I have to give an edge to "Harbor" both for the album cover and inner sleeve photos. And I think the "Silent Letter" back cover was what finally convinced Dewey that it was time for a haircut!!

Jim...Erie, Pa

shucks

Humbly seeking Health Guru's Presence...What is 3000? I gratefully agree on your guitar positioning for the intro of RIVERSIDE (thank-you). No doubt.

Hi Matt,
Good to hear from you again. Do you have any songs on a tape that you can spare? I'd love to hear you play. Like Howard, I too, live on the East Coast, Long Island, and may not have a chance to hear you LIVE. Just a thought. Please let me know and I'll share them with Howard, HI HOWARD!! Thanks and good luck with your paper........Maureen

3000 is good for the soul

OPPS I hit the post button by mistake!!! Anyway... My favorite Albums
1. Homecoming
2. America
3. Hearts
4. Holiday
5. Hattrick
And as a duo
1. Hourglass
2. Human Nature
3. View From the Ground
4. Your Move





7
8.

Although it is not one of my favorite Albums.......
Hideaway is by far my favorite Album Cover!! The rustic cabin in the snow ,and the guys look VERY 70s ( my generation). Also, there are some really good photos on the album sleeve of all the band members
As a duo my favorite album cover is Your Move.
My favorite Albums are as follows:
1. Homecoming

Human Nature is truly the highest quality music across the board. The problem is the perverts that are running the charting systems are not musical people just look at some of the junk music they are promoting at the top of the charts.The songs on Human Nature is the greatest music ever written and recorded. The perverts that promote the music at the top of the charts today are the reason that rock and pop rock are so flat today. we are not seeing the number of qauilty performers making it to the top with there music today ,the way they were in the 60,s & 70,s because of the perverts thats in control. If Gerry & Dewey,s Master Piece ( Human Nature ) does not go to the top it should be a crime .That is being commited by the promotion peverts !
America is great - America for ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike & Justin

Silent Letter - bec. it gave me my first glimpse of Gerry and Dewey's faces.

View From the Ground - everytime I look at it, I always get a longing to be in that field. I have a similar view of the mountain here but not the field. So much like a "Field of Dreams"...

History - the illustrations captured the essence of a time in the past, no longer "real" or sharp but undeniably there, existing in fond memory.

Good subject. My top two from the trio are:
1. Homecoming - A classic cover that seemed to capture the mood of the "hippie" early 70s. I remember some stores unfolding it and hanging it on the wall as a poster.
2. Harbor - Beautiful pic of a beautiful place. Makes me wish I was there.

As a duo:
1. Alibi - Very colorful and very different. It was so different from previous America covers that some people thought it was an album titled America by a group called Alibi. I really liked the logo.
2. Human Nature - Again colorful and different. But it uses the old logo so there would be no doubt that this is the real America.

My two least favorite covers:
1. Silent Letter - Too close-up, looks like they are peeping through a window. Plus the pale tint makes them look slickly.
2. Live - Didn't care for the sheet music theme, plus I always thought the picture from long range was meant to hide the fact that Dan had left.

Intersting note on the flip-flop of the History cover on the cassette. I had never noticed it before. Would have made a neat trivia question.

Tom T's post got my interest juices flowing... I know HumanNature has charted on Record and Radio for several weeks now. Topping out at #25. The last time I checked Billboard's Top 200, America was nowhere to be found. How is that possible? I realize both charts are based on different measuring methods. But, shouldn't something charting at #25 on the Record & Radio Chart at least be on Billboard's Top 200? Now, regarding radio airplay, I live in Fort Myers, Florida and have only heard "From A Moving Train" twice on the radio station, WINK 96.9 FM, that plays America's stuff. An old friend of mine from high school [Charlotte High, Punta Gorda, Florida, Class of '72] does the morning show and that's whose played it. I'm in sales, so I'm in my car a lot during the day. I listen to the radio most of the time while traveling and I have not heard "From A Moving Train" any other time. I also agree with Tom T's assessment of HumanNature... this is too damn good a work to go unrecognized both commercially and artisically. I understand that it has done okay commercially up to this point, but before it loses anymore steam... What else can we do to get the word out? If you haven't figured it out yet, I am very passionate about my music. Until I got online a few years ago I thought I was one of the only America fans left out here. What a revelation to find out I wasn't! Dewey & Gerry are the best and so are all of you.

My favorite lp covers are Homecoming, with opening both sides,
it sent out an important environmental message. country on one side (Clean fresh air) and city on the other (smog, etc), Holiday (reminisent of the 30's & 40's) & View from the ground.

Matt, thanks for the update and info. It's always great to hear from you. Glad to hear that you're involved with many groups. I for one, would love to hear you perform live. But living on the East Coast here
in New Jersey makes it impossible. So any kind of update is much
appreciative. So keep 'em rockin' in San Diego!!!!!!HL

Im a accostic guitar player and singer. I do a solo act and have been playing out now for three years now. Just learn three songs from their new CD. From a moving train, Wednesday morning, and Pages. Ill be playing them out for the first time come nest weekend so hopefully I can push the new CD. I do many america songs when I play out and they always go over good. Their new CD sounds great and I pick the three songs I like the best. Will let you all know how they go.

Honestly, how is FAMT really doing on the charts; and furthermore, how is "Human Nature" selling? I still have yet to hear FAMT on any radio stations in my area. I'm really concerned because I am so enthralled with the Latest AMERICA release that it would be very disappointing if the masses overlook this masterpiece. Yes Friends I have e-mailed some local stations and I've made some phone calls but "to no avail"! Is Billboard recognizing FAMT yet? The positive quality that "Human Nature" DOES possess is that after listening to the entire C.D. over & over it's hard to decide which is really the best song. In other words, even the songs that seemed a little iffy have grown on me. Please get the word out!!!! AMERICA rules!!!

Regarding favorite album covers, mine are "Your Move" and "View From The Ground", since I love the ocean and outdoors. Looking at these pictures reminds me of California where I was raised before being transfered to Houston, Texas. My wife Laura likes "America" (their first album) and "Perspective".

If we're just talking album covers, I allways thought PERSPECTIVE was kinda cool, w/the clouds, & the building and that "little" man walking on the side of the building, I beleive he's holding a briefcase. The ALIBI cover is allright, for some reason it reminds me of The Beatles "Butcher cover" album.

Matt,
Had problems sending to your address or maybe you do not want personal responses. Anyway, always good to hear how you are doing. Hope you finished your paper on time!

Nellie

Thanks for the great response on your favorite album covers! Keep 'em coming.

My brother gave me his copy of "History" on cassette. I rarely play it so I noticed only yesterday that the drawing of the guys is reversed. Dewey is on the left and Dan is on the right. Is the drawing reversed for any of you others who have the cassette?

I've always liked "View From The Ground". They finally got
their logo back and Dewey finally got a haircut. Second
favorite is "Holiday" - very classy.

How about Least Favorite? I was never a fan of the "Alibi"
cover (too shocking).

Shayne

I've always liked "View From The Ground". They finally got thier logo back and Dewey finally got a haircut. Second favorite is "Holiday" - very classy.

How about Least Favorite? I was never a fan of the "Alibi" cover (too shocking).

Shayne

Neat subject!
I like Harbor and History (trio). The Harbor cover photography is stunning/the Phil Hartman drawing on History is worth the price of the album alone!!!!

Duo end, I also like Your Move. The gentlemen look so "80's" and the ocean is pretty cool.....(I'm also good at Chinese Checkers)....

For me, it's definitely Hat Trick for it's quirkiness and stark originality and Homecoming for it's sheer beauty and mystique...

"Harbor" has always been a visually satisfying cover for me. I can remember the day I purchased it because the girl who was working in the record store exclaimed how she loved the photo so much she put it up on her wall. When you think about it, Phil Hartmann really designed some great stuff (Including their logo) for AMERICA. And "Hat Trick" has a cool concept on the cover too.

Hi,Favourite album cover is WBros. Live, great to see them in action especially as I had never seen them live,super sleeve too!
History was another,quite unforgetable, each time I look in the America rack its there.Slowly but surely the guys are circumnavigating the globe,Melbourne Park awaits!

Hi SharIL (and everyone else)
I don't do this very often, but to clear some stuff up...
Things are good here in San Diego, but I've been very busy. (excuse me if I'm dim but I'm writing this @ some odd hour while procrastinating on a 10 page paper due tomorrow at 8:00)
Live Music News:
The Nov. 13 show at 25 East E. with Isaac Woodrow (a band I will hopefully be producing) was cancelled due to conflicts in scheduling and overall burnout but the venue seems really intent on having us again (we played there about 4 months ago)so a prompt reschedule seems likely. Supposedly a big Arena show, don't ask me how and it's with a million other bands, is going to go on in February that I'd play with the accoustic trio Allied Sun. But I dunno, my roomate and the leadsinger of that "project" is the one fielding the offer.
Been approached by the Keyboardest of "ESP" to possibly play a couple of shows. We'll see. They Rock Hard. And I miss doing that...
Recording News:
The first (although severely crummy) 5 song demo CD titled "Songs for Haley to Kick Some Ass By" went out to a certain someone in Oklahoma a couple of days ago.
Two of those five will likely make it on to what is shaping up to be an album (could it be? after years of procrastinating?) consisting of stuff written for a variety of different projects (people familiar with me know I'll come up with a band name, write a song and a half for it, then go on to another)The culmination will be called OTHER, and the working title of the disc is "Harry Goes Surfing". An old friend of mine who drummed in my highschool band is coming down from UCSC to help out with it and to just be funny. Shooting for Xmas on this one...
As mentioned before, trying to get Isaac Woodrow to get some stuff down here in Blue Light UTB Studios (my place). If we do, I'll GIVE those out. Everybody deserves to hear these guys.
Rumor has it there is an Allied Son music video for the single Jose (Won't you come on home) that is being finished up down here... shot some footage, got told where to stand, came up with some ideas, it was fun... we'll see if they ever get that other footage taken and done with...
Collaboritng with Trash 80 keyboardist and the now defunct Sabre Tooth Tiger guitarist on a Techno/Ambient/Rap/Thing "Two White Boys Bangin' on Wax" That sounds fun... stay tuned.
Personal Life: Off Limits. Even to me.

So, if anyone cared, there you go. If not, hit the next button. Thanks for all the support, and take care of yourselves.

matt beckley
BONUS: Been feeling left out with this whole tivia thing, so: what does "Blue Light UTB" stand for? and why?

I agree with you, Johnny, about the picture from "Your Move" on the beach. I chose that one from the web page to use as my wallpaper on my computer. Drives my husband nuts!
Matt, we haven't heard from you in a long while. I would really like to know where you might be playing in San Diego. Please email me!
Take care, all. ShariL <><

Wow, Johnny, this is the first time I'm hearing anything like this. I'm inclined to think you just had some bum luck but please do let me know if anything is wrong with your third copy and in the meantime I will check into the situation and see if there have been any other problems with the cassettes.

Best,

KD

That's Johnny with a capital 'J'...
I miss the larger real estate of vinyl covers, and other uses they provided, but considering the artwork itself, probably Homecoming and then, of course, their first album. Harbor, although the cover wasn't outstanding, had a nice large folded 2-sided poster of a view from the stage, plus multiple smaller pics of recording sessions, friends, relatives, spouses, and George Martin.
Looks like ya got us going again, Johnny. Do you have an Email address?

hmmmm, Johnny that's a toughie! I love the color of the sunset on the Homecoming LP. also, the foldout inside reminds me of a place I used to go, so it reminds me. I also like the photo on the front of Harbor, the picture on the back makes me wonder who let them dress themselves???? As for the group as a duo, I really like the Alibi cover. It is a departure from what the covers had looked like and is kind of surreal.
whew, that was hard. Johnny, just don't ask for a favourite song!

America and Christopher Cross are scheduled to appear at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA on March 20th 1999 at 8:00pm. Tickets are $34.50, $29.50 & $19.50.

TicketMaster does not have this on their schedule yet. The auditorium event hotline is 978-454-2854 and the box office is 978-454-2299. They also have a web page at www.lowellaud.com.

If I hear anymore I'll let you know. If you hear anymore let me know!

Hey there Health Guru,
What time zone are we talking about? I'll probably have to miss you. My Mac doesn't like Parachat.

Possibly might maybe just a shot in the dark anything's possible be a chance that there will be a better living session in the America Chat room around 7:45 (ish)

Johnny,
Favorite Album covers? That's a great idea to stir up some action. So, with that said, it's time to get with it. As a trio... 1.HOLIDAY, very successful times for this group. George Martin enters their lives. Just a really warm feeling inside kind of cover. Their music is better than ever it that was possible. What a great run of success they are about ready to embark on. 2.HEARTS, still working with George Martin and making fabulous music. The Golden Gate Bridge backdrop on the cover and look of sheer confidence on Dewey's, Gerry's & Dan's faces is priceless. Wouldn't you like to know what they're laughing at on the back cover? As a duo... 1.HOURGLASS, they're back! The album cover being done in black & white adds so much warmth. Dewey and Gerry look so content with themselves in the cover shot. The years have gone by fast but they still look terrific. Although Hourglass wasn't the commercial success we all hoped it would be, Dewey & Gerry definitely still have it after just one listen. 2.HUMAN NATURE, their best stuff since the "George Martin Years." Simply put, a dynamite cover. I really like the photo of Dewey & Gerry on the back of the enclosed liner notes booklet. Is there any denying that these are two people confident with not only who they are, but with what they are doing? I hope we continue to hear from them.

Brandon

Johnny:

My favorites from the post-Dan Peek America are:
1. Alibi (everything about this ablum is wonderful, cover included)
2. Human Nature

My favorites from the Warner Brothers days:
1. America
2. Harbor
3. Hat Trick

1.Homecoming
2.Harbor

I have found w/cassettes that it is simply best to buy a good blank & replace the tape w/the HUMAN NATURE. Most pre-recorded cassettes seem to usually squeal & mess-up eventually. You know there are record companies that have ceased putting their material on cassette, the CD being their only method of transport.

"The purple ghost of England in winter time, who I used to know ....."
D. BUNNELL

I have the same problems wit the "squeel" - I also noticed that they used the cheapest "normal bias" tape around - a throwback to the early 80's cassettes!

Traffic on this site sure has been light these past several days. Maybe this will do some prompting.

How about listing your two favorite album covers of AMERICA as a trio and as a duet and tell why.

Mine are "Homecoming" and "Hat Trick". I really like the fold-out cover and the colors of the sunset are wonderful. I like "Hat Trick" because of its uniqueness. The guys look a bit scary, however. The poster was great. AMERICA's first album cover is unique as well. I get a chuckle each time I look at it because of Gerry's sneakers.
That's what you call living on a shoestring budget.

My favorite duo album cover is "Silent Letter". I like the huge front photo. It's like Dewey and Gerry are there in person. The back photo is great. My second favorite is "Your Move". I like the
oceanside view and the theme is very nice with the Chinese checkers.

I have HN on cassette and haven't had any problem with it.

Talking about problems with CD's, has anyone else had any trouble with "Human Nature" in the cassette? The first cassette that I purchased got entangled in the cassette player. Upon inspection, I could see that the tape wasn't properly wound through the cassette.
I took it back to the music store and the manager agreed that there was a factory defect. I was able to exchange it for another one. After about three plays, the second cassette started squealing and hasn't stopped. So I guess it means a trip back to the store for my third cassette of "Human Nature".

To All,
I FINALLY have my copy of the Performing Songwriter magazine featuring an article about AMERICA. I think it is a very well written article. A must for any America fan to add to his/her collection. I found it in the Borders by the World Trade Center. Pick up your copy!! Its worth it.

Mark, and others who may have experienced some delays on "DOER". I wanted to post a message to let everyone know that the delays on "DOER" that Thoughtscape, and consequently, you have been experiencing have been mostly because of production delays because of the Christmas
music order season, which jams plants starting in September, and is just now loosening up a little. I wish to apologize on the behalf of the label that the project was held up. It certainly was not because Thoughtscape or anyone else was holding up the process. The initial run of the DOER cds was defective, and had to be remastered and repressed, which basically means we had to start over. I hope you are all happy with the final product if you have ordered the disc. If not, please contact Scott Sosebee at Thoughtscape Sounds for your copy today. It is a project that is very underrated and should bring back great memories for the America fans who liked the rich vocals that Dan brought to the group.

I appreciate the kind messages from some of you who have purchased the disc and have sent word about how much you enjoy it, and what some of the music meant and means to you. We are happy that it is finally available.

Mark Tye
The Studios at Las Colinas
www.studiosatlascolinas.com

To All,
I FINALLY have my copy of the Performing Songwriter magazine featuring an article about AMERICA. I think it is a very well written article. A must for any America fan to add to his/her collection. I found it in the Borders by the World Trade Center. Pick up your copy!! Its worth it.

Here is the answer to the trivia puzzle that Terry T (a.k.a. Inspector Terry T. Mills) solved.

79 1 960
80 o ne in a Million
79 N o Fortune
78 D ivine Lady
77 N ow She's Gone
76 A mber Cascades
75 T omorrow
74 O ld Man Took
73 H at Trick
72 S aturn Nights
71 I Need You
76 A mber Cascades
75 C ompany
74 I n the Country
73 R ainbow Song
72 E veryone I Meet is From California (California Revisited)
72 M oon Song
71 A Horse With No Name

Starting with "A Horse With No Name" and reading from the bottom up, you will see the encrypted message: AMERICA is Hot and No. 1

Well I finally heard From A Moving Train being played somewhere other than my CD. I took my family out to eat after church yesterday, and heard it in the resturant over their speakers. I don't know if they had it tuned to a radio station or were playing a tape, but either way it was nice to hear it.

I have been a fan since TIN MAN was a hit.Ihave had the pleasure to see them in concert 4 times.I would like to know where the guys live at now and when do they plan to tour the south.

Michelle, I don't know if you can pick up the Dayton radio stations, but I believe that WLQT in Dayton is playing "From A Moving Train". If any stations in Cleveland have it, it would most likely be the Adult Contemporary stations.

karen im still waiting to find out which stations in cleveland picked up FAMT. dont mean to bother you but id love to get an answer to this one. please.....

FYI...

I ordered "All Things..." and "Doer Of..." from Thoughtscape about a week ago and received them today. They sound real good! Thanks to KevinS, Howard and others for your input - they were well worth getting. Definitely that America sound, but songs we hadn't heard before. It's interesting to listen to the Dan Peek CDs and compare them to the America CDs from the same time period. Anybody have any thoughts on this? You can almost imagine the 3 guys playing together again.

Nick

Dear Gerry, I've just read in the newspaper in Buenos Aires that you like my music, and that you were trying to get a cd. I'm moving to Los Angeles on the 29th of November and I could bring one for you. Just tell me where I can meet you. My phone number in L.A. for the first month will be (323) 463-3730. Hope to see you soon.
Friendly, Juana

America Fans will not be disappointed with "Doer of the Word". It's available at a "can't resist" price from Thoughtscape Sounds. And it really is Dan Peek at his best. You're sure to like the tile cut with Gerry Beckley on backing vocals. "Everything" is simply one of the best Contemporary Christian songs I've ever heard. The operative word for this album is "uplifting". For those that are a little weary of this "type" of music, you'll find no judgementalism. Treat yourself!

Anyone here live out near Moreno Valley, CA? America will be the featured artists on "Beyond the Spotlight", this Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m., PST, on AM-1530, KHPY. If you have time, give the show a listen and see what you think!

To everyone who is still looking for Dan's Doer Of The Word, I ordered my copy from Thoughtscape Sounds on Monday or Tuesday of this week and I received it in the mail today. I'm listening to it right now and my first impression is that it's worth having. I especially like the title cut.

Terry T, you are absolutely correct with the answer to the encrypted message, "AMERICA is hot and No. 1". Good going!! I really liked how you composed your message. It was very entertaining.

Regarding the encryption, I was stunned when I discovered that AMERICA's name could be spelled by using the songs off of their first six albums. It's a bit eerie, don't you think?

Thanks a lot for being interested enough to play and once again, way to go, "Inspector Terry Mills"!

America is Hot and No.1
I know this is something you do while the guitar callouses heal, johnny, but stop it! "Old Man Took" the first "Letter" of each song and put it in "Perspective". After "Another Try", it came together...but I "Hope" "You" "Never Found the Time" to do this again! BTW, johnny's not referring to encrypted words by The Guys, but was making an encrypted puzzle for us.

Steve and others,
I got my cd copy of Doer about 5 months ago from Mark, after searching
all over the net. How I came across it, I'll never know.
HL

Hi Mark,and any others who feel they've gotten the "runaround" where "Doer of the word" is concerned.....first off,I was sure the same thing was happening to me! Scott at "thoughtscape" had that thing listed for the longest time,and it was originally supposed to come out of Japan. well,to make a long story short a Company called "gold,Inc."
out of Texas owned the Masters to "doer of the word" and "all things
are possible". My contact was a guy named Mark tye who told me a
long story involving the confusion as to why people were still having a
hard time getting it. Mark sold copies to thoughtscape,and its supposed to be there now. I got my copy directly from Mark at a cheaper rate--$12.00 plus $3.00 shipping. If anybody feels they are
having problems getting their copy,here is the # you can dial to reach
Mark: 1-972-869-0700. I should also add that mark sent me the disk
and just asked me to send a check back,so he was very cool in that
regard. Most people want payment right up front. good luck to all who
want "Doer of the word"!

I think if you'll go to part 3 of John Corbett's "America Revisited", you'll find the answer to your question with a quote from Dewey.

Some people might just fit the music with nonsensical word patterns, but I believe that Dewey is smarter than that and he is trying to make us think as well. Am I right?

Please don't take offense, but WHY does everyone HAVE to have a "meaning" to lyrics. Perhaps it's just playing with words to fit the feel of the music????? (Just a thought)

The years have no hidden message in them. They are there merely to show the awesomeness of the encrypted message. In other words, I didn't just choose a song from one album and jump to another released years later. Wasn't 1972 the year AMERICA won their Grammy? I like to think that's why 1972 appears three times. In 1979, Dewey and Gerry released their first AMERICA album as a duo. Maybe that's why 1979 stands out. I like to believe so anyway.

I read it & it is excellent. The closest autobiographical history of AMERICA available. Keep the word processor warm, there will be many more chapters to add. Great job John ! HUMAN NATURE is the latest.

Okay, here we go!

The trivia question was: What do all of these songs have in common? Hint: It has nothing to do with the lyrics.

1960, One in a Million, No Fortune, Divine Lady (from Dan Peek's "All Things are Possible"), Now She's Gone, Amber Cascade, Tomorrow, Old Man Took, Hat Trick, Saturn Nights, I Need You, Amber Cascades, Company, In the Country, Rainbow Song, Everyone I Meet is From California (California Revisited), Moon Song, and A Horse With No Name.

"There is mystery and adventure
They lie waiting there for you"

The "No. 1" thing to do is to write down the year when each song was released. Also, write down the song title next to the year.

For example, the first four songs are as follows:
79 1960
80 One in a Million
79 No Fortune
78 Divine Lady
Etcetera

Continue on and you'll be getting warmer. "Right Before Your Eyes", you'll be getting "HOT". Do you see the encrypted message yet?

From the advantage of a different "perspective", "I bet you're gonna find some hidden talent". (I love that song!) Here's a hint: It's "A View From the Ground" up! "Baby it's up to you". Can you "declare, secrets, secrets?" Do you "see the light" "You gotta see the light."

"All the signs are telling you where to go
And for you, this is a bold invitation
It's all you need, you don't need any more"

Who among you will be the first to "see the writing on the wall"?

Good luck my fellow AMERICANS and thanks for playing. Hope this is fun for you all. So, let's see who comes up with the encrypted message first!

Mark, I ordered my copy of "Doer of the Word" from Thoughtscape and I received a mail message a couple of days ago saying that they barely received their stock and that my order had shipped that day. With Veteran's day the mail has been delayed one day so I expect to receive it either today or tomorrow. I'm sorry to hear that you're getting the run around because I've had excellent service from Thoughtscape.

Sometime back, I announced a new CD from an artist from the hometown of America guitarist Michael Woods. If I may I would like to give an update.

Jennifer Diamond is scheduled to be playing Caesars Palace in Las Vegas over the holiday season. I will post dates when I receive them. Jennifer has also been approached by hollywood and may have one of her original songs used in an upcoming movie, she is keeping her fingers crossed.

If you would like info on Jennifer's new CD I will be glad to e-mail order information, or e-mail Jennifer direct at JenDia@aol.com. Jennifer Diamond would be a great opening act for America. (all done with my sales pitch)

I see that no one has solved my trivia question from yesterday (post #2925). I will give the clues on how to solve the "riddle" later today. In case someone is still trying, what you need to look for is an encrypted message among all the songs listed. That is what is common among all these songs. I think you will enjoy solving this puzzle.

Where did everybody get their copy of Doer of the Word from? I have had it on order from Thoughtscape Sounds since May, but all I get is the run around from them. First they tell me it was shipped, then they tell me no they will ship it tomorrow. Then they say they never shipped it because they just got it in, but they can't confirm my order. It's very frustraiting! So who did you order it from, because all I'm getting from Thoughtscape is the run around.

Penny, I'm so sorry for taking this long to reply. I've been really swamped with work, plus my PC at home is busted so I have to snatch time at the office. And now, I can't find the piece of paper where I wrote the e-mail address of K-ROC. I never knew if they played my request, but Jen (my friend and fellow America fan in NY), didn't hear it, too.

Anwyay, I will find that e-mail address. Hey, I got it here at the Chat Folder! I just can't remember how far back it was posted or who posted it.

Can anybody help us? Thanks a lot in advance.

Hi Ramil!

Sorry to inform you that Human Nature was not released in the Phil. last Sept. 15 and I don't think there are plans to release it in Manila in the near future.

But - the good news is, I did get my copy from CD Warehouse, a CD shop in Makati which accepts orders for CD's not available in the country. When I got my ordered copy from the store, I saw that they bought a few extra copies. If you call them ASAP, you just might get your own H.N. CD. The no. is : 819-7322. Huurryy!!!!

Oh, and welcome to this great page of the greatest band and the greatest people! Visit often to get the latest info on CD's, concerts and other America info.

Regarding the problems I had with "doer of the word"....The Cd plays
fine in my main ONKYO unit here at home,but it won't play on certain
machines including my CD rom attached to this computer. No fingerprints or dust,its just not reading. We have a cheap Magnavox CD in the store and it won't play at all on that. Regarding questions about other Dan Peek CD's.....At this point I know of no other sources
or plans to get his other 2 LP's on CD. Unless you can burn a copy
from vinyl to a disk your out of luck. and to my knowledge,his other
2 LP's are out of print. "electrovoice" was his 3rd release in 1986,
and included 2 noteable tunes: His remake of "Lonely people" and
another track that got some good christian radio airplay,"A new song".
His last solo LP was called "Crossover" around 1988 or so. I forget the
exact date. Its perhaps his weakest LP,but the title track is excellent!
And if you can find it,there is a "best of" Dan Peek Cassette which
has most of his main tunes. While I am a "completist" and would like
all of his LP's on CD,I don't know who owns the Masters to his 3rd &
4th releases,so who knows when or if those will ever appear. If anybody out there is fortunate enough to find a vinyl copy of "electrovoice",hang on to it,its another fine LP!

Is Dewey ever gonna get around to explicating his classic non-sequitar
from "Tin Man"? Namely: "Cause never was the reason for the evening /
Or the tropic of Sir Galahad".

Thanks Steve for the info.

Can that chat box be accessed to have chat sessions anytime?

Yes, Howard. It is always available. I have scheduled monthly chat sessions when I will be there to host and moderate the session (limited mostly by my extremely busy schedule). However, if anyone else wants to schedule other sessions and announce them here on the chat folder, they're more than welcome. I know that some chat folders hold a session every night and those who want to simply join in. If you want to try something like that, I'll leave it up to you. I'll be there tonight and look forward to chatting with all of you who can also be there.

Steve,
Can that chat box be accessed to have chat sessions anytime?
Just curious. Thanks, HL

The monthly live chat session will be tonight at 9 pm Eastern. Hope to "see" lots of you there. You can access the chat session from the America Fans home page or by following this link: /america/amchat.htm

To Ike, Your poem really moved me. Thanks for letting us in and seeing the truth. Sometimes it's so hard for average folks like me to express ourselves properly so I'll do my best by saying thanks to those who served (and still serve) our country. Thanks Ike, and God Bless You! Sincerely, Tom T.

Many of you have asked me if Ike wrote the essay on "What is a vet?". I asked Ike that question last night and he informed me that it was actually written by Father Dennis Edward O'Brian. Ike included the essay on his America home page because it stated so well his own feelings. The poem "Chiseled In Stone" was an original creation by Ike.

KevinS, Although your answers may be true, it's not the one I have in mind. Keep trying. Someone will "see the light" as Dewey sings it in "FAMT".

Hey, Johnny, your trivia questions were much easier when I knew the answers. Man, those last two are some tough questions. But I'll take a wild guess on your latest trivia and say that what those songs have in common is they're all the same length. Either that, or the answer is they're all songs that I really, really like.
KevinS.

Here is another song trivia question: What do all of these songs have in common? Hint: It has nothing to do with the lyrics.

1960, One in a Million, No Fortune, Divine Lady (from Dan Peek's "All Things are Possible"), Now She's Gone, Amber Cascades, Tomorrow, Old Man Took, Hat Trick, Saturn Nights, I Need You, Amber Cascades, Company, In the Country, Rainbow Song, Everyone I Meet is From California (California Revisited), Moon Song, and A Horse with No Name.

Good luck!

Ike,

Thanks for giving up part of your life for the rest of us. Welcome home.

Nick

Ike,

Thanks for giving up part of your life for the rest of us. Welcome home.

Nick

Dit Dit's have been around for a long time. Yes, AMERICA incorporated them in a successful manner but artists like Crosby, Stills & Nash (Graham Nash probably got The Hollies to do Dit Dit's), The Mamas & The Papas ( The 16th note dit dit's in "I Saw Her Again") Yes who used Dit Dit's very successfully ("Your Move"-interesting comparison with AMERICA- and "Roundabout"). A lot of the POWER-POP artists used the Dit Dit technique as well. (Raspberries, Marshall Crenshaw, Cheap Trick, Utopia) Oh the list goes on & on. I don't feel AMERICA was the first; however they were the first who brought it out to the forefront and utilized it as a trademark sound. And they do Dit Dit's the best!!! Wow, I can't believe I just analyzed the fine art of Dit Dit's! Pretty cool, Huh Terry T.? Also, Johnny, that was your best Trivia Question yet!!! Keep up the good work...And Jim-jimnak- I find "Riverside" relies almost exclusively on open tunings. The song works best when there are three guitarists playing the three parts that Dewey, Gerry & Dan were playing. That way the constantly pulsing rhythm of the open A is present to give the drive the song needs. I've played this song in bands and it always got the audiences going! Oh well to all my Chat pals, I'll see ya!!!

Gerry actually plays an octave shape, popular with jazz guitarists (good for the soul) on the 5th fret of the E and the seventh fret of the D, letting the A in between ring.

"I don't need to walk around in circles walk around in circles walk around in circles walk around in..."

For all the guitar players out there, this may be of help on RIVERSIDE. A great acoustic song w/the famous DEWEY melodic rhythm.
Hope this will help some of you great AMERICA fans.
Play it fairly fast & remember the right hand rhythm & damping is key. DEWEY is an innovator in some very interesting rhythm work done w/left & right hand strum & damp patterns. For example, the song WIND WAVE has some sweet & uncomplicated chords w/the key being the the left hand forefinger hammer-on to give the song that sort of deep whine feel, of course along w/the right hand rhythm pattern. Back to RIVERSIDE, If you can amplify your acoustic guitar, this song is all the more fun w/an emphasis on a heavy acoustic beat.

The opening bass line intro played by GERRY can be played at the low E string at the 5th fret & perhaps muting the A string. A quick, constant flick on the low E w/the pick along w/ proper damping will give the opening effect.

Then move to the following chords w/full gusto & energy. You have the start of RIVERSIDE !
Let us know how you all did.

| | | | * | 5th fret
| | | * | |
| | * | | *

| | | | * | 3rd fret
| | | * | |
| | * | | *

I would like to tell everyone what a pleasure it has been for me today receiving your very touching responses to my tribute on this veteran's day.

I am totally surprised and somewhat overwhelmed at the interest the WHOLE country seemed to show today for their heros,,unlike any other Veteran's day I can remember in recent memory,,,at least since VietNam.

It is honestly the very first time I have felt really good and proud for having served my country and not somewhat ashamed because my time just happened to have been the southeast asia mess.

God bless you all for your kind words and thoughtfulness.

Some of you have met Karen DiGesu (of Oxygen Records) in person, and many more of you have chatted with her online. She has been a great source of information lately and is doing a great job promoting the band. On Tuesday, November 3, the band was in Kansas City at Club 427 doing a promotion for KUDL-FM. Karen was there with them as was Ike Gauley. Ike took a great photo of Gerry, Karen, and Dewey after the mini-concert. Now those of us who haven't met Karen in person will know what she looks like. Keep up the great work Karen and Oxygen!

I Doo remember the song from the Hollies, "I'm Alive", playing in the 60's, starting out with dit-dit dit dit...but can't think of anymore pre-America uses of non-lyrical sounds such as that. Help from experts would be appreciated.

Agreeing with jimnak...awesome. Johnny noticed it, Steve's been living with it, the Beatles copied it (kidding). Encrypted album titles within lyrics. Back to acoustix jammin'...just haven't heard any likes of acoustic solo leads since Three Roses or Riverside by anyone since America. Emerson, Lake and Palmer's From the Beginning had a little similarity in feeling. America cook(ed) during their instrumentals in such an uplifting, spiritual way, unlike monotonous extended jams of other acoustic groups I won't mention (again, Dan). Did America invent the "dit, dit dit dit", or what? We hear it on songs by others, male and female, even today. One more thing...is a Guitar Tablature section on this Site too soon for the asking?

Sincerely.

All you folks are unbelievable !
Steve what a memory from all your lyric typing.
I think I need to post some guitar stuff, perhaps on RIVERSIDE.
Howard, something else to experiment on ?

Steve Lowry was "On Target"!!! Way to go! AMERICA fans are just too smart. All of the albums titles that I chose were the ones without a title song. There was one that wasn't mentioned in "Sleeper Train".

"Sleeper Train"
Thinkin' 'bout your eyes
Feelin' good to be aLIVE

"Only Game in Town"
Chasing the prince of ALIBIs
Into a smokescreen made of lies

"No Fortune"
Well I'm coming home lady
I'm your HOMECOMING man

"Molten Love"
It gets pretty hard for a lady to tell
The HEARTS from the faces

"Hidden Talent"
With the advantage of PERSPECTIVE

"What Does It Matter"
It's only just a memory
Just a litte HISTORY

Great trivia question, Johnny. However, considering that I have transcribed every lyric to every song that America has released, it didn't take me too long to figure out the correlation after I reviewed all of the songs together. The answer is that all of the songs have the titles of other America albums in the lyrics:

No Fortune - Homecoming
What Does It Matter - Perspective
Sleeper Train - View (short for View From the Ground)
Molten Love - Hearts
Only Game In Town - Hearts and Alibi
Hidden Talent - Perspective

For your information, here are a few other songs that meet the same criteria:

High In The City - Hearts
Desperate Love - Hearts and Alibi
Someday Woman - Hearts
It's Life - View
Amber Cascades - View
And Forever - View
Love's Worn Out Again - View
Young Moon - View
My Kinda Woman - Magic (short for You Can Do Magic - released in Holland)
Tonight Is For Dreamers - Magic
(It's Like You) Never Left At All - Magic

Finally, if we want to include the "Heard" album that was created by John Corbett, we can also add these songs which have the word "heard" in them: Hat Trick, Old Man Took, Don't Let It Get You Down, Hurricane, All Night, Inspector Mills, and Town and Country.

Whew, that was fun!

Since my last two trivia questions were so easily answered, here's a tougher one. What do the following songs have in common? No Fortune, What Does It Matter to Me, Sleeper Train, Molten Love, Only Game in Town, and Hidden Talent.

The answer to the triv question about what style of writing Dewey used when composing "Political Poachers" is alliteration. Robyn was correct.

In case someone doesn't know, alliteration occurs when the same sound starts succeeding accented syllables. Early English poetry had no rhyme but was held together by a pattern of alliteration.

Dewey does this in "Political Poachers":

"Political poachers push plump packages
Past pacified places
Concerned citizens cry crude conduct
'Cause Captain Command
Don't do dreams
Do dreary drivel drive
Doctor, daddy divine
Prize shipment tonight, tomorrow tame tempers
To touch tender time"

Good going Robyn!

Virginia, thanks so much for making us aware of this moving essay and inspirational poem by Ike. It has shown me a side of Ike that I wasn't aware of before. I would encourage all of you to read them and will provide easy links to get there:

Veteran's Day Essay
"Chiseled In Stone"

I want to thank Ike for sharing these with us and on this Veteran's Day I want to say to all of our Nation's veterans, "Thank You!"

I went into Ike's page this morning looking for something and came upon his essay on Veteran's Day and very moving poem "Chiseled in Stone". This being Veteran's Day, I'd like to suggest that everyone take the time to read these two pieces and then thank a Vet for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. Thanks, Ike. And thanks to my father, now 82 and a Pearl Harbor survivor.
Virginia

Yes, I did see this Eddy! I believe Dewey could dedicate this next time around. What do you think?

Nellie

The trivia question was: What connection is there to Dan Peek and the State of New Mexico? Virginia was right with her answer. She said on the Hearts album, Dan is wearing a roadrunner lapel pin which is the state bird of New Mexico. Way to go, Virginia!!

Well, here we go again. For the second day in a row I was able to get through to K-ROC in NYC and made THE request. Let's see if we hear it. The guy on the phone said, "I remember you from yesterday...I'll tell them you requested it two days in a row." Keep your fingers crossed!

I'm a little SLOW on the ball, forgive me......

Yeah, but isn't "our" One In A Million much, MUCH better? (C;

Shayne...I told you there are loads of town/city references in AMERICA tunes. I must say, you went above and beyond! Thanks for your tremendous input! Have a Nice Day!!!

I thought of a few more:

"Saturn Nights" (Norway)
"Ports of Call" (Australia, North Africa)
"Fallin' Off The World" (Fiji)
"Inspector Mills" (Beverly Hills)
"Oloololo" (various African locations)

Shayne

How about "California Revisited" and "California Dreaming"?

"Fifth Avenue" and "Right Before Your Eyes" talk about New York, without actually mentioning it.

Does "Old Virginia" count? Mexico is also mentioned in "Don't Let It Get You Down". Santa Barbara is mentioned in "Coastline". California is mentioned again in "Catch That Train". That's all that come to mind now.

Shayne
(still waiting to hear FAMT in Chicago)

is the new album(human nature) be release in the philippines?if ever,
when?

Dan Peek's All Things Are Possible (from 1978) and Doer Of The Word (from 1984) have been reduced to $15.99 each at Thoughtscape Sounds. You can find them both listed on the "New Releases" web page. I ordered mine today!

Hey, Steve"Nellie", did you hear that!!?? Jesse "The Body" (I'll wait to see what he does, before I call him "The Mind") Ventura Highway, I think that would be awesome, just for the fact that it is an America song. We'll have to wait to see what happens, Eh? Neat info!

Steve,
I haven't had any problems with Doer of the Word or All Things Are Possible. I must say that Doer of the Word is as good as you said. Thanks to the America page for alerting me to this great album. I was only aware of All Things Are Possible. Now I'm going to look for the other two albums. Is there any plans for them to be released on CD?

Hmmmm,
Free of all fingerprints & dust ?

Recieved my Dan Peek "doer of the word" CD yesterday and the darn thing won't cue up! I've tried it in 4 different players! Wonder if anybody else is having this problem? Guess I'll have to ship it back for a replacement.....Would be interested to know if anybody else is having any problems

I'm with you, Jessica, 100%! Unfortunately, I didn't get to hang around and hear if FAMT was on. Howard L. emailed me and said he didn't hear it. I'll keep trying! Jess: post the email address and we'll swamp 'em! We'll "convince" them to play FAMT! Hey, it's the least they can do...Ger and Dew did list Howard Stern and Bababooie (sp?) on acknowledgments for HN! It's about time they return the favor and give America a little play time!

Jessica! Post that email address! I'm up to the challenge!!!
LET'S SHOW NYC WHAT AMERICA FANS ARE MADE OF!!!

Penny, I hope the station plays FAMT. It's about time. From this (Manila) great distance, I requested it via e-mail, I think on that same time/program, too. I even dedicated it to Jen, a friend in the area.

If it's not played, we'll just keep on bugging the station until it plays our song, won't we?

I was checking out the chat boards on the online version of the Minneapolis newspaper, the Star-Tribune...
One of the readers suggested renaming Highway 55 "Ventura Highway" in honor of the new Reform Party Governor.
Any publicity helps!!!

john
:)

Hi Johnny...is this form of poetry known as a Sonnet? You did really great on my City/Town question but I was surprised you forgot"Flyin' Me Back To MEMPHIS....". I Love that song!!! Keep On Truckin'...See Ya.

Hi Johnny...is this form of poetry known as a Sonnet? You did really great on my City/Town question but I was surprised you forgot"Flyin' Me Back To MEMPHIS....". I Love that song!!! Keep On Truckin'...See Ya.

This may be stretching it, but Dan is wearing a roadrunner pin on the lapel of his jacket on "Hearts". The roadrunner is probably the state bird of NM. Right?

In "Wheels are Turning", Dewey sings about Albuquerque which is in the state of New Mexico. What connection is there with Dan Peek and New Mexico. (Hint: It is not in the lyrics of any song but on an album cover and sleeve.) Can you name or describe the connection?

PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY another masterpiece of DEWEY's. An epic journey thru time & space w/sights along the way. DEWEY is your tour guide.

In this song Cornwall Blank, Dewey sings about England's
beautiful countryside!!! How about People In The Valley???What
Valley?

Barstow CA (Barstow) Showplace of the Southland?????? Cornwall (Cornwall Blank)

FAMT UPDATE. I still don't hear this song on any station in my area (MASS) although I call to hound them. But I do hear it in my supermarket! And of course, I always sing away and draw attention to it! Anyone know of any stations in MA playing the song?

Great job Penny !
NYC the biggest market in the country. AMERICA needs NYC.
Keep those calls rolling for HUMAN NATURE !

Robyn, you are just too sharp and quick!!!! I just posted the question and you immediately had the answer. Wow!! Way to go!

alliteration. one of my favorite styles. Dewey uses it a lot

In Dewey's "Political Poachers", he writes the song using a particular "style" of writing that was often seen in early English poetry that had no rhyme. What is this "style" or form called?
Show us your brains!!!

Tom T.'s request for AMERICA songs and cities and towns bring to mind: "1960" L.A.; "And Forever" New Orleans; "Glad to See You" L.A.; "Wheels are Turning" Albuquerque; "Tin Man" Oz; "Riverside" Riverside, CA; "Ventura Highway" Ventura, CA; "Hollywood" Hollywood;

Plus states, countries, and continents: "Tall Treasures" Alaska;
"Garden of Peace" China and the East; "Hurricane" Mexico.

To answer Robyn's request for AMERICA's songs and a literary connection, here is one: Gerry's "Call of the Wild". Also a book written by Jack London as you all probably know.

Also, Dan's "You" mentions the "golden rule" which we know as "Do unto others ....." from the Great Book, the Bible.

Plus, on the album cover of "View from the Ground", Dewey is reading a book, "If You Could See Me Now".

Good morning all! For any of you in the NYC listening area...just wanted to let you know that I FINALLY got someone at K-ROC to answer that phone! I requested FAMT to be played on the Stuttering John Lunchtime Request Show. They said it would probably be on today! Keep your fingers crossed!

If it's played: lets jam up the telephone lines with calls of praise!
Somewhere on the message board - Maureen posted the telephone number (sorry I don't know it off hand).

Today NYC....Tomorrow the WORLD! Go America!

Hi,well the advertising has started in major newspapers here for the America/Beach Boys concert, and I notice there is no picture of Al Jardine does this mean that only Mike Love remains as original member, Bruce Johnson is pictured as is someone else no idea who,rumours have circulated here that the Beach Boys are trying to coax Brian Wilson back into the fold.
If SURVIVAL were rereleased at sometime down the the track would it be a hit,especially with really good promo and video?

Yes I agree Jim; however, for me (Even though "Alibi" is one of my favorite AMERICA LP's) the first album has a certain originality that always impresses me. I also think the fact that on their Debut LP it was an asset that they composed ALL of the tunes. And we cannot overlook the ambitious quality of the "Homecoming" LP too. Oh let's face it, AMERICA is grrrrreat!

Yes I agree Jim; however, for me (Even though "Alibi" is one of my favorite AMERICA LP's) the first album has a certain originality that always impresses me. I also think the fact that on their Debut LP it was an asset that they composed ALL of the tunes. And we cannot overlook the ambitious quality of the "Homecoming" LP too. Oh let's face it, AMERICA is grrrrreat!

I recieved my copy of "doer of the word" today. If your an america fan,this is the one you need! the best song and most "America-sounding" tune is the title cut,but I also prefer "Holy spirit",
"Brotherly love" and "Everything". If you hunger for the music of
America,you can't get much closer than this release! also,in regards to
the Musicladen video,I'm told the official release date is November 24th. Track listing is the same as the "Horse with no name" CD/ & CD rom but the tracks are in different order. this concert also aired on VH-1 in the past and focus on the band circa 1974. Its 45 minutes in
length and includes "Lonely people","Rainbow song","tin Man",
"wind wave","I need you","Ventura Highway",Green Monkey",
"Horse with no name","Don't cross the river","Moon song" and
"California Revisited" though not in that order....

YOU BE THE MAN, STEVE !!!

When and where is the next America Guitar Rockers' Convention?
Thanks from all of us for the chords!

terry

Howard, I couldn't resist trying to figure out "Pages" myself so I took a couple of hours this evening and came up with my own interpretation. I have put it out on the web site but I'm sure it could use some refining. Take a look and let me know what you think. Considering that I've NEVER figured out a song before, I feel pretty good about this one. After all, I'm only a class B amateur when it comes to guitar playing.

Dewey had this comment at the end of Pages:
"IT'S ALL ABOUT THE THRILL OF READING...KIDS."
HL

I have Pages half figured out for the chords. Stuck on some
in the chorus. Very exciting to figure out.

Just a few:
I NEED YOU, RAINBOW SONG, TIN MAN (jazzed up intro version), WIND WAVE, GREEN MONKEY, LONELY PEOPLE just to name a few. A definite must have, just at about the time they were making the transformation from Martin guitars to Ovation & still looking for a regular bass player.

I agree LP #1 had a hard acoustic edge to it. Don't you think that ALIBI compares very favorably to that style ? ALIBI used an AMERICA formula of acoustic rhythmm (preferably 12 string) w/electric lead & the sweet AMERICA melodies. AMERICA has done so much that they have very much covered lots of musical styles. In the end though it's those lyrics & melodies ..........

"All the people in the Whole Wide World, don't mean nothing if you ain't got your girl ....." D. BUNNELL

Does anybody know what America songs are on this "Best of Musikladen" video, that was just released. Is the video quality any good?

Thanks,
Brett

Hey! Terry, you beat me to the punch with your acknowledgement of "3 Roses". And let's face it, The First AMERICA LP really exemplifies the fine art of rocking-out with an acoustic guitar. I'm surprised no one mentioned the kickin' guitar work in "Riverside" & "3 Roses". I wish all of us who know these hot tunes could get together and jam! It would be really cool to get a Supergroup of our own together just to play some of these fine compositions. I just thought of another topic of discussion...How about AMERICA songs that mention cities and towns? Once you start thinking about them you'll begin to realize that there are an abundance of suggestions. Put on your thinking caps Folks...See Ya...

I now feel obligated to throw THREE ROSES into the ring..."Sitting by the fireside with a book in your hand"
Where do I collect?
Regarding HERE, Kevin, how can I show the degree to which I agree about the raw, unleashed acoustic guitar frenzy in the instruMENTAL section, unsurpassed by anyone since then, reason for my devotion, and cause for wonder. Wonders such as: Given that the recording was a mere microcosm of their everyday abilities (GO Dan), and Oh to be a fly on the wall at some of their earlier, private, unrecorded jams!
WHOA!

well, DUH! even I,with my limited mental capacity got that one--sarcasim again Kevin? Seriously, I think it's kind of fun ( I work in a library and have a degree in Lit) > The tie in to good lit is one of the many reasons America remains one of my favorite bands!

Robyn:

I think the song "Pages" has some sort of a literary connection.

KevinS.

This is a game I have been playing by myself. Last week or so, I noticed a post that tried to list songs with biblical references. I noted that a lot of the songs have literary connections. I am now trying to come up with more than three! The three I can come up with are "Watership Down" (great book BTW) "Another Try" (Leaves of Grass) and "Tin Man" (which to my mind has TWO connections--Wizard of Oz and the Arthurian Legend)

I look forward to any other entries!

Good guesses everyone! Yes, "Hit it" from "Lonely People and "Take It" from "Slow Down".

I've been playing AMERICA's first album a lot recently. I have forgotten how wonderful it is. It's what lead me to my (our) love of their music!!

As verified from Songs Lyrics page.

Don't slow down
(Bop shoo wop, you'd better slow down)
Don't slow down
(Bop shoo wop, you'd better slow down)
Don't slow down
(Bop shoo wop, you'd better slow down)
Don't slow down
Before it gets too late
Before it gets too late
Take it!


From Slow Down
Written by Dan Peek, ©1977
Found on Harbor.

For those guys who don't know this, the title of Ultramarine cd
came from Dewey: during a evening, while Dewey was with the guys of that band, Dewey began to watch the stars in the sky and told them:"...every man and woman is a star....."
That's our Dewey Bunnell!

Fede

Johnny, my guess on "Take It" is it's from "Slow Down."

As for Adrian's question, while I love the original Everyone I Meet Is From California (I think that song songs just as fresh today as it did 28 years ago), my vote for most exciting and exhilerating acoustic guitar playing ever is the jam in the middle of "Here." There are things happening there that aren't human.
KevinS.

Kevin- my sentiments exactly. I have only one friend who understands- only she's a parrothead (Jimmy Buffet fan, for those who don't know).

Take it, comes off the harbor album but the song escapes me.

"Hit it"= Lonely People

What Dan Peek song does Dan say, "Take it"? What other song does Dan say, "Hit it"?

Greetings,am I the only one who thinks the original Every one I meet is from California, is the most exciting and exhilarating acoustic guitar playing I've ever heard,the reason I mention this was due to a recent post concerning America's first album,indeed it does sound muted I have a UK copy,time I think for Warner Bros to lift their game in the US especially as their History album still moves.Perhaps all released and remastered.Changing the subject slightly does the release of HN in Europe and in Australia mean this CD is doing pretty well? ROLL ON MELBOURNE PARK.

I even want to thank Steve for letting me misspell his last name like I did in my previous post. Thanks, Steev.

I agree with jimnak on his kudos to Steve Lowery. Not just for the lyrics and chords, but for the whole site. I visit this site almost every day, often two or there times a day, and it never disappoints. Until I stumbled onto this site, I thought I was the only one left. It's good to know there are others, many others. The best thing about this Chat Folder is that there are actually people who care deeply about the band and want to share that passion. Most people I know don't care, or have heard me sing their praises so often, they're sick of it. Even my wife, who's heard me talk about America non-stop for 15 years, really isn't all that interested when I go on and on about the guys. So, thanks, Steve. What you've done on this site is as much a part of the America experience as the band itself. You're like the fifth Beatle.
KevinS

Human Nature has now been released in Germany by in-akustik, order no. 990004-2. JPC has it for 33,95 DM.

is there anybody who could help me? it´s for a friend! urgently!
thanx christine

Three cheers for all the hard work Steve Lowry has done to bring the words & chords to the multitudes of AMERICA songs to all fans. Lots of work indeed.

OK, again, there ARE European dates being set up right now. Please check back with this page to find dates near you.

Karen
Oxygen

HI
IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET A COPY OF 'VAN GO GAN' BY GERRY BECKLEY EITHER NEW OR USED ON CD CAN YOU PLEASE E-MAIL ME? I KNOW
THE ALBUM HAS BEEN DELETED SO I'M TRYING TO FIND IT THROUGH THE FAN
CLUB. WILLING TO PAY GOOD PRICE.
THANKS

BILL LUNNA

Carlos Espinosa is the information coordinator for the Ecuador concerts listed below. You can call (5934) 564455 for more information.

Nov 17, Centro Civico, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Nov 18, El Condado, Quito, Ecuador
Nov 19, Teatro Agora, Quito, Ecuador

Joe Bartosch (of Chicago's WGN radio) sent me a short clip of an interview that he recently had with Jimmy Webb. In the clip he talks about the avid America fans and how he felt like he was being thrown to the wolves when he opened for America. I think you'll find it rather interesting. A big thanks to Joe for making it available. By the way, the wave file is 1.3 megabytes so it will take a while to download if you're on a modem.

Anyone else who is looking for America's lyrics, here's a link to the complete list of America's songs. From that list you can click on the song title to find the lyrics. Many of the songs also have a little guitar icon following the title and those songs have guitar chords. Simply click on the guitar to go see the chords.

Great to hear that you found the lyrics to "Today's the Day" Bob!

We don't have the lyrics on all pages so each page has something a little different to offer....but as you know....you can follow the links.....and sure enough, there they are!

Rick

America is featured in the new "Performing Songwriter" with a great article and interview on their writing. It is out now - look for Nov/Dec issue... PS is available at most Borders books, Barnes and Noble, Tower Records - In the music sections - Liz Phair on the cover with a small color photo of America as well as Gordon Lightfoot. Nice layout all the way 'round. Speaking of Lightfoot (he's great) and Rhino is doing a boxed set next year which he deserves, then again so does America! Rhino is now owned by Warner Bros so the possibility has to there for a boxed set! My God, the whole catalog is mostly still not even available in the U.S. domestically... How do you attack a Rhino?

Jack

Bob Dole just found the lyrics site. Bob Dole feels like a perfect jerk.

Bob Dole is America fan A-Number-One. Gerry & Dewey write fine quality lyrics. I know it, you know it, the American people know it. Bob Dole wanted to look up the words to "Today's The Day", but Bob Dole got upset because he couldn't find them. Bob Dole was pleased as punch because The Partridge Family's website includes lyrics. Holy heck, even The Official Village People Website has the consideration to include lyrics. Bob Dole wants this no-lyrics situation remedied at once.

Sadly there are no shows scheduled for the UK in the near future. Perhaps you can hop over to Germany, they may tour there again.

Yup, from 1972 to the present. AMERICA's songs have served me well. It's human music for human people. HOURGLASS, VAN GO GAN & HUMAN NATURE the latest & greatest.

Great. The songs are wonderbar ! RAINBOW SONG & TIN MAN fantastic. You gotta love that intro by DEWEY on this version of TIN MAN. If you notice Willie, he was very new to the band & heavily concentrating to the point of looking like he was under a bit of duress.

Hi Rennie!

Yeah, this video has been kicking around in several incarnations. Most people who have it, have it as "Horse With No Name" video and audio CD. It was actually shown on VH-1 last year also, so some taped it from that.....GLAD to see you found it!!!!! It's pretty neat!

Hi Everyone,

Have you seen the new America video that was just released? It's called "Best of Musikladen" and I ordered it from Music Blvd? I was just browsing around for America CDs and saw it listed there and at CD Now. It supposedly is 45 minutes long and has 11 songs. The price was $15.95. - Rennie

My wife was a fan of America In the 70's, but have lost touch since then. As a surprise I would love to take her to a concert. Are there any dates arranged for the U.K in the months ahead.

dear jinak we see you on here alot You must have started like myself as a super fan of America from the very beginning.
MIKE & JUSTIN

Mike & Justin,
You have said it all ! I think you speak for all AMERICA fans on why we adore their music.

dear : Gerry & Dewey, my 10 year old son Justin last saturday night again played your songs at our local coffee house in Springfield,OH. what a night. That night he played one of your songs using his violin it was great. His instuctor and his older 14 year old brother was playing there guitars at the same time, The songs they played were Sister-G-H. And Tin Man. Justin has also learned too play and sing American pie which they also played that night. The people who come to this Coffee house range from 16 to 60 and they all love your music young and old. Guys alot of new stuff form the new acts has such a neg. message and does not feel good to listen to. This is why my family and myself love your music it make us feel good and happy.I know one liitle boy that is real happy when he plays your music his name is Justin. Now, his 14 year brother is trying to learn to play Sister-G-H. When he does he will recieve a new Gibson & AMP. The day is coming when both of my son will be playing your music and making people around this town very happy, Gerry & Dewey you both are Great & VERY INSPERATIONAL. Keep bring happiest to the world and never stop!
BEAT WISHS TO GERRY AND DEWEY
MIKE & JUSTIN

If Jessie "the mind" Ventura can be elected Gov in Minn then we can get the web page up to the top. Get out and vote!!! I do almost daily.

p.s. For any of you hockey fans out there we won our home opener last night beating the College of St. Scholastica. Same two teams this evening. I am always looking for an edge so I was hoping the web page would adopt us as the official hockey team of America fans. Keep an eye on us at uscollegehockey.com we are in the NCAA Div111 NCHA league.

Nellie

Just voted! , THANX, Lets get to #1!!

Just happened to check out Legacy's site yesterday for the first time in awhile, and then saw the post about it here on the chat folder too.
Yes, America is listed in the Top 10 Classic Rock and Roll Web Page Sites as #3.....which is a great show of support for America! People are going in there from all 4 sites and choosing America....which goes to show once again the power of a united effort by all 4 America sites (just like in the great success of this chat folder with all sites directed right here!)

Legacy site address is: http://viablesoftware.com/legacy/

Rick

Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd pass along some information on where to get some of the America CDs which were only released abroad for some reason. I wanted to buy the "Harbor" CD and searched all over the Web to find the best price. I found a place in the Netherlands which was selling it for 24.99 Dutch Guilders or about $13.49. You can then deduct 17% from that because they don't charge the Value Added Tax (VAT) to people living outside Europe. So the final cost is about $11. They also have a good selection of America CDs. The website is: http://mars.plato.nl/plato/index.cfm

I hope the information is of some use - Rennie

Looks like our song is stalling....."From a moving train" is holding at #25 on this weeks AC chart from "Radio & records"--same position as
last week. I understand that its also on some kind of countdown dick
Clark is doing(Whats THAT all about? Sheeeesh!) I still say that until
its charting in Billboard,its not a legitimate hit. but I am glad that some
publications and radio stations are going out on a limb to play a '70's
Act'. Its tough in this day and age to play "veteran" artists. but I still
believe there are bands out there who can still make viable music in
the 90's,and America falls in that category!!!

Howdy! Long time-no chat. I just checked in to say Hello and to let you know that our favorite band has moved up to Third Place in the "Legacy" Rock Poll. I'm psyched because I remember that not too long ago they were listed in 9th place. I hope this doesn't slight any of these FANtastic Web sites (All of the AMERICA-Related ones) because it shows how dedicated the folks who keep them going really are!!! As Helen Madden(alias Molly Shannon) on Saturday Night Live would say..."I Love 'Em-I Love 'Em-I Love 'Em"!!! I agree with all my cohorts in regards to Dan Peek's solo work..He is worth checking out if you are a true die-hard AMERICA Fan. And Rob is right...Dan's song "Everything" is remakably uplifting,poigniant and inspirational. Whenever I listen to this beautiful song I get chills. I cannot wait to get "Doer of The Word" on C.D. To all you Guys & Gals, Friends & Pals...Have a terrific weekend!!! See Ya... Tom

Dan Peek's "Doer of the Word" is now available through Thoughtscape Sounds -- at a domestic price. Mark at Home Sweet Home Records has told me that there's been a great response to it so far. It may not be out there for long, so do think about adding to your already great "America" collection. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

KevinS & others,

Thanks for all the info on Dan Peek. All I did was ask one question and got a flood of responses - incredible! You guys are all right!

Nick

"You, how'd you ever get so cool ?
Your mother must have kept you out of school ......." D. Peek

Speaking of Dan Peek, last Sunday, November 1st
was Dan Peek's birthday, who turned 48 (he was oldest in group).
So a big Happy Belated Birthday To Dan Peek!!!

Nick:
About Dan Peek's new group Peace, the name of the album is simply Peace. You can order it at www.pacificrim.net/~wahlgren/peace.html. I don't think it's available any other way, but someone else may know.

For the record, and not to slight the other guys in Peace, it's not just Dan Peek's group, it's him along with Ken Marvin and Brian Gentry. But I was amazed at how much it sounded like America. So much so, in fact, that even Dan himself said it reminded him of the early days.

It does have a rawer sound, though. Not quite as meticulous in the production as those early America works. But, I like it because, to me, it has a very contemporary feel. It rocks, man. (Sorry, I was 16 again.)

Hope you like it too.
KevinS.

Just a few additional comments on "doer of the word"....when I interviewed Dan in 1985,he told me he specifically wrote "doer of the
word"(the title track)as an America song. Even though he wasn't part
of the band anymore,he still wanted to create more of those "sounds".
Gerry is very prominent with the background vocals too,but only on
that one song. Here's what Billboards review said from May 19,1984:
"Its been a long time since this former member of America released an
album,and his easy-going,soft-rock style will please fans who've waited for this followup". That was it,from the "Album reviews" page
under the Gospel section. Here's a few comments from "Contemporary
Christian music" magazine from 1984......"If you like your pop with lots of fizz,you'll love Dan Peeks 'Doer of the word',his first release on Home sweet home.(2nd release overall) The former composer and lead guitarist for America still delivers the same pleasing,well paced light-rock that made the group famous." The final paragraph read:
"to Christians who prefer a deeply personal,soul-to-soul approach,the shiny sound will be a drawback. but if pop is the style you like,'Doer of
the word' is an album you'll want to hear"

I have the vinyl,and can't wait to get my copy of the CD! If you like
America,you'll like "doer of the word"!!!

I just wanted to thank Celeste for the info on the videos, I ordered the concert in Germany(1975), I never had the opportunity to see a live concert w/Dan,I think it should be interesting,it had said "pro shot" on the decription, so at least I know it was not filmed w/a "handheld" camera from someone in the audience. It will be nice to see America in concert again, & not even have to leave the house! THANX AGAIN!

Have to agree with Rob and Howard L on Dan Peek's second album, "Doer Of The Word." I put it on CD-R about a year ago and became an instant fan of it, even more so than "All Things Are Possible." It does have an unmistakable '80s pop-production sound to it, but producer Chris Christian (same as on "All Things Are Possible") did a great job in preserving the simple beauty that makes Dan's message songs so harmonious and touching. If you can get it, whether you're a die-hard Christian or not, it's really worth a listening.

john

A "Doer of the Word" review...

If you liked Dan's first solo album, you'll equally enjoy "Doer of theWord". The title track has really got the "America sound". Gerry is superb on backup vocals. Other great cuts are "Brotherly Love" and "Everything". If you have even a faint belief in God, "Everything" will be one of the most uplifting Contempary Christian songs you'll ever hear. In my opinion, Dan's first two solo albums are about as good as it gets. Knowing what a big Dan Peek fan I am, many on the Chat page have written me and told me what an exceptional talent he is. If you order "Doer of the Word", I'd love to know what you think.

Have a great weekend!

KevinS,
Thanks for your feedback. I also heard from Howard L. who has both CDs and recommends them both. I'm going to order them from Thoughtscape Sound. What is the name of the CD he did with Peace and where can that one be obtained?
Nick

Nick:

You wondered about the Dan Peek albums now available on CD. I haven't heard his second album, Doer of the World. But, from reading earlier postings about it, it's supposed to be very good.

As for his first solo album, All Things Are Possible, all I can say is if you liked Dan Peek's songs on Holiday, Hearts, Hideaway and Harbor, you'll like the songs on All Things Are Possible. Most Christian rock I've heard is a bit too overproduced and golly-gee-whiz-ish, but not this one. Dan Peek's first album is just pretty much what you were used to from his America days, only with lyrics that talked about Christ. And even then, they aren't too preachy.

There's even a song called "Love Was Just Another Word" that has Dewey and Gerry singing background, so it's basically an America song. The songs cover the same music range Dan's America work did. From electric guitar rock on "On Way" to a country feel on "Hometown" to a beautiful, simple acoustic song called "Lighthouse." Most of the other songs fall somewhere in the middle of the pop spectrum.

Other people here may have other thoughts on it, but I like the album and would recommend it to any America fan.

I can't wait to get my copy of Doer Of The World. Hopefully someone who's heard it can fill you in on the music on that album.

KevinS.

Incidentally, if you haven't heard it, I'd highly highly highly recommend the album from Dan Peek's new group, PEACE.

Thanks for the info about the CD Johnny!

The "Human Nature" CD autographed by Dewey and Gerry is still available from the Home Shopping Network. The cost is $15.00 plus
a shipping and handling fee of $5.95. The phone number is
1-800-284-3100. The item number is 009-762.

Has anyone actually heard his 2 solo CDs entirely that are available now? What type of music is it?

THe price of the Videos are $20.00 each + $3.00 S/H = $23.00.
I think the America Compilation is about 1 1/2 Hours long.
Regards, HL

Hi chaps,first and formost I would like to say how marvellous it is to share a very special moment the release of a new America c.d., thanks to the web and all those wonderful people responsible for putting these various pages together.Human Nature is a stunner,meticulously put together,awash with late nineties production values,in short an orgy of musical delight.Many of the tracks here are very agreeable indeed,The opening track FAMT is indeed worthy of choice as first single,Wednesday Morning another gem and the delightful Town and Country.Also worth a special mention Moment to Moment certainly as good as anything Gerry has ever done and it seems Dewey is really enjoying himself at the end of this one.There are two stand out cuts in Wheels are Turning and Pages,the former tune quite sublime with its chugging rhythm fabulous lyrics and almost lazy acoustic guitar solo played with an elan only afforded to those musicians at the very top of their game, and if all this was'nt enough Pages a lyrical overload that grabs and shakes the listener, quite glorious in every way once again some adroit guitar playing with sumptuous panache stamped all over it.Hot Town a real rock 'n' roll song with female back up singers possibly not heard since the days of Hearts.I hope this is the album to bring these guys the world reccognition they so richly deserve,if its not I hope upon hope that Oxygen give them another shot, it must be so difficult after long gaps in recording to decide what direction to take, but I beleive they are playing to their strengths with a return to their more acoustic sound.One thing I have found puzzling is that there still seems to be small areas of the music industry reluctant to acknowledge their worth,and how refreshing Oxygen have been in their efforts to promote this album.

Thanks for the information on the America videos, Celeste. I've been looking for videos for awhile now. The one called "America Compile" sounds especially interesting!

Thanks for the review (he says green with envy). Can't wait till the guys make it back up over the border to Vancouver. Any PLans? hint,hint.

Terry and Jim, sounds like they pluck these notes throughtout the
From A Movin' Train Song:
E D# C# B B or what Jim Said E D# C# B D#...Maybe both...Sounds good.
I have a Takamine 12 string from the 80's and it sounds great.
Also haven't played in a while and my fingers are getting a workout.
Terry, in intro the Amaj7 chords don't sound right. I'll try again.
Trying to figure out my fav song Wheels Keep Turning.
On HSN, Dewey played those note. So if you recorded it, look at.
HL

I found some live America concert videos at http://www.mrvideos.com
this site has all kinds of groups over 3000 listings - Celeste

Here's my quick rundown about last night's show. We got to the Club 427 at about 5:45 for the 7pm show. It was a very intimate room, there were probably 100-150 people when the show started. I brought my cousin along, since my wife couldn't make it and we got great seats at the end of the bar right in front of the stage and held down the bar until show time. We watched as Pete and crew struggled with the sound check. The sound board was in a cabinet at the end of the bar on a sliding shelf and left a lot to be desired, but they managed to get things going. Ike made it up from Oklahoma, but Haley had to stay home for school. Another couple that are also from KC and were at the Wichita show back in August also made it, sorry I can't remember their names. I stayed with the nonalcoholic beer tonight, so I can't blame my bad memory on that, maybe it's the fact that 40 is getting closer ??? I did get to meet Karen from Oxygen, we got to talk for a few minutes. Gerry, Dewey and Brad took the stage about 7pm and played for about 30 minutes. They opened with Riverside then Ventura Highway followed by I Need You, Pages, From a Moving Train (Gerry commented that it's at #25 this week), Sister and as always Horse. They did introduce the ghost band members, Woodsy and Willie, who were not in attendance. There wouldn't have been room for all of them on the stage, there was barely room for the 3 of them. The more I listen to Pages the more I like it and once I really sat down and listened to the words about the books and stories it is becoming a real favorite of mine. There was a request for Hidden Talent, but they politely said no. A young lady also requested Molten Love and Right Before Your Eyes and Dewey responded back that these songs where probably written before she was born, which got some laughs and was probably true, ha. The sound was pretty rough at times, but I didn't mind. After the show I asked Dewey for his pick and got it, and Ike grabbed Gerry's pick off his amp for me. They then signed autog raphs for all who wanted them, I got my HN CD cover signed as well as the back of the insert, and Ike got a picture of me with Gerry and Dewey. So all in all is was a very enjoyable evening. I guess this wasn't such a short rundown of the show, but hey, I had fun writing it. Take Care and God Bless, Mark...

Jim and Everyone,

Definitely...SOMEONE is picking those exact notes on FAMT all through the song! Shucks, I was up front against the stage watching them a couple weeks ago and was in so much awe that I never watched any fingerings (good drinks, too). I tried to submit those chords the best they sounded and left out any "lead" parts, such as you have exactly described. In the intro, it's all how it's plucked...bass notes down, high strings up. Gerry does it on a 12 string, so I was trying to make the 6 string guitar have those open string ringing sounds. I could be completely off in a lot of ways, and in the naming of some of the chords, too. I tried to simplify it a lot, too, but still use higher-up, more hopefully accurate fret positions. A very fun song to play along with! Remember, these chord submissions aren't written in stone, just as published songbooks are sometimes only interpretations or "fakes". As one guitar lover to an another, any suggestions or modifications are most welcome! PAGES should be an easy one...give Steve a try with your skills!

Sincerely,
terry

Just to add to Maureen's note on requesting FAMT on KROC, there is another phone number you can try as well. 1-888-770-1998 This is the
request line for an all request show that is done,daily at lunch time.
This is the show that "Stuttering John" DJs, supposedly. Since he is also featured on the Howard Stern show and America and Howard are buds, maybe the stuttering guy will play it a lot too. It's worth a try! PS: Hey Maureen, where have you been?

Wouldnt you guys consider returning to South Africa for a quick tour.You have thousands of fans here. I think David Crosby was surprised at their support when they were here in Cape Town a few years back ! come on guys its a great place.

Steve, Thanks ever so much for posting the chords to "Wednesday Morning" and "From A Moving Train." I'm having a great time playing along with the HN cd. Question for all you guitarists. In figuring out the intro to FAMT, it sounds like Dewey is picking the "D" string (second string) in the following manner: 5th fret, 4th fret, 2nd fret, d string open, back to the 4th fret [just before Gerry starts to sing]. Has anyone else figured this out? Let me know. Thanks.

To All of you NY area fans,
Here is the the telphone number to K-rock (104) Howard Stern station. (212-246-KROCK(57625) I just called to request FAMT and he said he does have the Human Nature album, somehwere, and I asked him to play it as many times as possible!! He laughed and said SURE. So keep calling. You can call them anytime. It is an all day/all night request line. Good Luck...Maureen

To Whom ever you are,
Were there any other cd's by Gerry (america). Just curious. Thanks. Maureen from LI, NY. Please reply to me at home, I am at work right now. Here is my home MOOKNUX@worldnet.att.net. Your just post it here. What is your name???
email address: MOOKNUX@worldnet.att.net see ya.

For those of you who say Van Go Gan is sold out, as I mentioned, on these pages before, I walked into a Virgin Megastore here in Tokyo, Japan, and found 3 copies listed under Gerry Beckley. Already 2 people have said they wanted a copy. Is there anyone else who wants the last copy. If so, please email me.

Can someone confirm America's concert in Buenos Aires on November 13. There is very little promotion about the concert here in B.A. Why is that? There is a big market here for America!!!

I would like to take a moment to tell all America fans that Dan Peeks
2nd solo CD from 1984 is now available to be ordered! On Monday I spoke with Mark Tye,the VP of sales for Gold,Inc.,(The music group)
out of Irving,Texas. He said the disks were now available. If you'd
like to try & order a disk,you can either go through Thoughtscape sounds,or save a few bucks and call Mark at 1-972-869-0700. He's selling em for $15.00,shipping included. "Doer of the word" was Peeks
2nd solo Christian CD,following '78's "All things are possible". Gerry
Beckley sings background vocals on the tile cut and the disk is a must have if you are an America fan! As for Peek's 3rd & 4th solo releases("electrovoice" & "Crossover") Tye says their company doesn't own the masters to these releases,so its anybodys guess as to when we willsee those on CD.

Lisa,
At this stage of the game,"Van go gan" is out of print. It was only released in Japan originally,and was also offered here on this web site a few years ago. Your probably better off getting a taped copy,unless somebody is willing to sell you their used one(on this site that might be tough! :) )

Peter, I'm glad you're enjoying the chords to several of the songs from Human Nature. While it's true that I do play the guitar and also enjoying playing these songs, I'm definitely an amateur and I depend on other America Fans for the chords that they send to me. I'm pretty good about putting them on the web site, but that's about it. So, if anyone out there has figured out "Pages", feel free to send the chords to me and I'll put them out for everyone else to enjoy. Thanks!

Looking to Beckley's Van Go Gan-does anyone know how I can do that?

Finally - America performed at the Capital Music Hall in Wheeling WV. Because of the acoustics at the Capital I always knew an America concert there would be wonderful. And exactly as I had predicted it was the best concert I have been too. The guys sounded great and put on a wonderful performance (as usual!!) I just hope that they will come back to Wheeling real soon!! Great job guys!!!

Thanks for giving me the chords and words to From a Moving Train and Wednesday morning. Would you have the same thing for the song (Pages)

Can't wait to see you guys at the Entertainment Centre,Sydney

If in fact they are referring to Larry Graham's One in a Million, rather than the GERRY BECKLEY classic ONE IN A MILLION; it is interesting to note that both songs came out around the same time. In fact when AMERICA hosted the midnight special, they had just launched ALIBI, which contained GERRY'S ONE IN A MILLION & on the same show they introduced Larry Graham & he sang his One in a Million. Timing so funny. HUMAN NATURE is AMERICA's latest & greatest.

Karen you had mentioned that FAMT was picked up by radio stations in Cleveland Oh. Could you please let me know which ones since i havent heard it yet. thank you. id really appreciate it.

Johnny, I think the song might be the chart buster from Larry Grahm.
It was a big wedding song around 1980.

In this Sunday's local newspaper, I saw in the wedding announcements that a couple had selected "One in a Million" as one of their wedding songs. It's a nice way to start off a new marriage.

I spoke with a local radio program manager about playing "FAMT". He said when it gets to number 20 on R&R, he'll start to play it. I thought to myself, how is it going to reach number 20 if it's not played now? I live in a town of 30,000. I guess it's up to the bigger cities to play it to boost it up to number 20. Thanks go to all of you who call the DJ's and program managers in the bigger cities.

("One in a Million" is from the "Alibi" album for those that don't
know.)

This morning at around 9:45 I happened to tune in to WHUD 100.7 from Poughkipsie, NY. They are the only station that reaches Long Island and NYC that has been playing the single. Anyway as soon as I tuned in, Dick Clark said"before we get to the #1 song,this next group was very popular in the 70's and early 80's.They have not charted for 14 years. Here is Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell from America". It was great to hear the tune finally on the air waves. I guess alot of people listen to the end to hear what #1 is, so the plug was great! At the end of the song Dick Clark said "moving from 29 to 25.You will be hearing more of the song when it makes the top 20."
FAMT is moving up,we all keep thinking of a follow up single, but this is far from over.DC said the #1 tune was Backstreet Boys.Their song was released 3 years ago in Europe before making it to the States! Go FAMT and America!

I just got back from the grocery store where they were playing "From a Moving Train"over the intercom. It sure made shopping a lot more pleasant!

My six year-old daughter would like to vote for WEDNESDAY MORNING as the next single. Every day for a week now she asks me to play it over and over again. I program it 5 times a row into my stereo and she and my son dance and sing it over and over again. She's even developed a choreographed dance with it. The song is one of my favorites too, it's an upbeat tune with heart wrenching lyrics - Gerry at his best!

P.S. Kenny, while there is no album called Survival it is one of the songs on the Alibi album which is now available through oneway records.

Perhaps you are thinking of the fanatastic LP, ALIBI which featured one of GERRY'S finest songs, SURVIVAL. ALIBI is available on CD & is a terrific rendition of AMERICA & the acoustic guitar (6 & 12). The latest & greatest is HUMAN NATURE, available wherever fine music is sold.

Kenny, I'm not aware of any America album called Survival. There is a list of all America albums on the America Fans home page. You can also visit the CD Sources web page for a list of places that sell America CD's. With the recent release of the Capitol material by One Way Records, you can pick up most, if not all, of America's albums on CD.

IS THERE AN AMERICA ALBULM CALLED SURVIVAL? I ASSUME IT IS OUT OF PRINT? ANYWHERE TO BUY OUT OF PRINT AMERICA CD'S OR NOT PAY IMPORT PRICES ON OTHER ONES? THANKS

I just received my autographed "Human Nature" that I'd ordered from HSN. This way, I can give my 4 year old son his own copy (the old one). He and my 7 year old daughter have been going to sleep everynight to a different America CD. Tonight was "Alibi".

Shayne

Just a short note to say , I was highly entertained at bar time,While eating Denny's famous All-American Grand Slam to hear coming from the Resturant speakers FROM A MOVING TRAIN !! Well you KNOW, I just had to say Quite ! Listen!! It's AMERICA !! How's that for resturant Hospitality-?---:)--------JOYCE

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Last Revised: 3 December 1998