John London

John with his son, Sam.

Meet John London from Crowthorne, Berkshire, England.

I became a fan of America about 6 months after the first Album "America" was released. It remains one of my favourites.

I have an abiding memory of my first visit to the USA - California in 1975. Staying with family friends in Santa Clara, and only a couple of days after we had arrived via Oakland, we were driven north on 101 to visit San Francisco for the first time. This was the same year as "Hearts" was released which I had bought and was really getting into.

We approached the City with the radio on, (I think the station was K.101 - is it still going?) and as we drove round a curve and the City came into site for the first time, the opening bars of "Sister Golden Hair" rang out on the radio. It was a magic moment and I always associate SF with SGH and vice versa.

On later trips to California as America's, popularity declined in the UK, keeping track of their progress and acquiring new albums became increasingly difficult. This was long before the Web and another memory of subsequent trip was visiting as many record stores as my wife at the time would permit to find any America material that I didn't have. I finally stumbled on one somewhere in one of LA's suburbs and bought Perspective, which being vinyl needed careful packing for its journey back to the UK.

I still have that album copy but along with the majority of my America vinyls, they have now been "superseded" by CD's.

The internet has been a revelation for many America fans like me. Hourglass was my first ever Web purchase and think Young Moon is just brilliant, particularly the opening instrumental bars. I had caught the tail end of it being played on BBC Radio 2 listened carefully as the voices and harmonies sounded familiar!

This prompted my web. search and made my purchase and via CD-Now, discovered the original America website.

Human Nature arrived on my doormat 36 hours after its release, again courtesy of the Internet. This is one of my all time favourite CD's with "From a moving train" and "Wednesday morning" 2 songs I would love to hear in concert. I have the latest DVD of a concert in Germany with a very staid audience which includes them though.

I am 53 now. My 11 year old son Sam, is a real fan and was disappointed he couldn't be in Paris for that remarkable concert. He was chuffed to pieces with Gerry's autograph and will be coming with me for sure, next time. His favourite song is "Call of the Wild".

As for other musical tastes well I have to go along with current trends as both Emma 9 and Sam are big into the latest styles and artists. Some of it is pretty good have just bought Anastacia's latest CD - superb.

The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull are my other likes, both are of course still going and both I have been to see in concert in the last couple of years - Sam has joined me at two Jethro Tull gigs.

I am continually frustrated though that America's extensive material and quality is missed out on in the UK as the radio fails play any of the more recent material. The big hits such as A Horse.., I need you and Ventura do get played from time to time and I have written 2 or 3 times to Radio 2 including the producer to the popular Terry Wogan Breakfast Show to encourage him to listen and play more material.

I now have a new group of friends as America fans in the Chat Folder and feel privileged to have enjoyed one of the best concerts ever, America, Paris 2004.

Gerry and Dewey you were brilliant, do please do pass this way again soon.

Feel free to send your comments or questions to John.