{"id":245,"date":"2015-08-28T14:26:35","date_gmt":"2015-08-28T14:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=245"},"modified":"2015-09-01T18:03:13","modified_gmt":"2015-09-01T18:03:13","slug":"ftv-3-sides-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=245","title":{"rendered":"FTV: 3 Sides of America"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dewey Bunnell. \u00a0Dan Peek. \u00a0Gerry Beckley. \u00a0A few of you may recognize these names. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A greater number of people will recognize <\/span>A Horse With No Name <\/span><\/i>more readily even if they can\u2019t place the names of the creators of this folk rock classic. \u00a0They may not be the hit making machine they were back in the 1970s (an entire <\/span>Greatest Hits<\/span><\/i> CD worth of material would need to be listed here to make the point) and briefly in 1982 (<\/span>You Can Do Magic)<\/span><\/i>, but they are still hanging around as a recording and performing unit.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My history with \u2018side one\u2019 of the America story goes back to the summer of 1975. \u00a0Having graduated from NMU in early May, I took what I call my graduation trip to Portland, Oregon to visit a couple of buddies who had relocated there the summer before. \u00a0\u00a0I was already tired of job hunting (a never ending string of letters, applications, and resumes flowed out of my old manual Underwood typewriter during my senior year), so I planned a two week break to visit Jack and Mitch in Lake Oswego, right outside of Portland. \u00a0During our last phone conversation about my travel plans, Mitch mentioned that he was able to get tickets to see America during my visit which amped up the excitement factor for my trip a couple of notches. \u00a0Let me see: \u00a0First time through Chicago, check, first time flying on a big commercial jet, check, and now tickets to see America, check. \u00a0\u00a0I was both apprehensive and excited about the upcoming adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On the day of the concert, we planned on getting to the theater early as this was billed as a \u2018festival seating\u2019 concert. \u00a0I really don\u2019t like festival seating, particularly in venues where it means \u2018standing\u2019 so they can wedge in more bodies. \u00a0In this case, the Paramount tickets said \u2018balcony – third tier\u2019 which my brain had already transposed into \u2018nosebleed seats\u2019, but being somewhat naive about concerts I did not realize that \u2018festival seating\u2019 meant \u2018you find a seat and it is yours\u2019 in a venue like this. \u00a0I have grown to love tickets with seat rows and numbers on them and this feeling goes all the way back to this America concert. \u00a0Imagine our surprise when we got to the venue and found end of the line of ticket holders no more than a half a city block away from the theater entrance. \u00a0The only problem? \u00a0The end of the line we were in \u00a0extended down the street, around three corners and then got to the entrance. \u00a0So much for our \u2018early arrival\u2019 strategy. \u00a0At least we got to see a couple of guys in the band waving at the crowd after we turned the second corner as the line creeped forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Paramount is one of those grand old theaters that has been used for stage plays, movies and concerts since it was built in 1928. \u00a0It was placed on the National Registry of Historic Buildings in 1972.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon entry, we were greeted with a large vaulted lobby with sweeping staircases that lead to the balcony level. \u00a0After a long, slow climb, we found ourselves on the walkway between the second and third tier of the balcony seats. \u00a0I had never seen a balcony with three massive sections and from where we stood, there didn\u2019t seem to be an empty seat, let alone two right next to each other. \u00a0As we stood there scratching our heads, a couple hopped over the small railing that separated the walkway from the last row of the second tier seats and the girl said \u2018we are going down lower, \u00a0you can have these seats\u2019. \u00a0We plunked ourselves down and marveled how lucky we were to have found two seats together after playing follow the leader all the way around the block just to get in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Paramount seating capacity was about 2800 and even though we were two thirds of the way from the front of the balcony, we had an amazingly good view of the stage. \u00a0Sightlines and acoustics were always taken in consideration when these old theaters were built because amplification wasn\u2019t available for stage shows in those days. \u00a0The large array of P.A. speakers suspended on each side of the stage told us we would be able to hear just fine and the good view of the stage was a bonus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0America was in the middle of the hit making phase that propelled them to the top of the charts with songs like <\/span>Horse, Ventura Highway, I Need You, <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Sister Golden Hair<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0At the time I was visiting Portland, <\/span>Sister Golden Hair<\/span><\/i> was in heavy rotation on the radio and I was really pleased to hear how well it translated into their live show. \u00a0They had \u00a0great chemistry between the three singers and their backing band. \u00a0I left feeling I had seen an outstanding concert.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dan Peek had tired of the rock star life and upon rediscovering his Christian faith, left the band to work on his own musical projects. \u00a0While only one Peek tune written for America reached \u00a0#1 (<\/span>Lonely People <\/span><\/i>co-written with his wife), Peek was a founding member of the band and a cornerstone of their vocal harmonies. \u00a0Bunnell and Beckley decided to soldier on without him. \u00a0They recorded a live album at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles but it was the first album in their catalog that wasn\u2019t a huge success. \u00a0These events transpired during my first couple of years that I was in Ontonagon so I wasn\u2019t prepared for \u2018side two\u2019 of the American story.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When I heard America was going to be appearing at Lakeview Arena in Marquette, I told anyone who was interested, \u2018Go and see them. \u00a0They put on the best concert I have ever seen\u2019. \u00a0Unbeknown to me, Bunnell and Beckley were enduring a low spot in their career. \u00a0They were still touring but had not produced any new albums since the poor selling <\/span>America Live<\/span><\/i> album. \u00a0In Marquette, they were loud and played more rocked up versions of their songs than I had heard in Oregon. \u00a0Beckley\u2019s stage banter about his new, double neck guitar put one thought in my head: \u00a0\u2018He is drunk!\u2019 \u00a0\u00a0It wasn\u2019t a bad concert, but after the highly polished show I had seen in 1975, I walked away disgusted for having recommended them as a \u2018must see\u2019 band. \u00a0I did some research and found out about Peek leaving the band and put two and two together. \u00a0In this case, my sad conclusion was \u2018American won\u2019t last much longer\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018Side three\u2019 of the story has a much happier ending than \u2018side two\u2019. \u00a0\u00a0Like a machine, a band that stops working can be fixed and the first step is usually to replace some parts. \u00a0Changes with their backing musicians and studio team produced their first hit in many years, <\/span>You Can Do Magic <\/span><\/i>in 1982<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

One change in their production team found them working with former Argent<\/span><\/span>\u00a0guitarist Russ Ballard<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Not only did Ballard write <\/span>You Can Do Magic <\/span><\/i>especially for the band, Ballard produced the song, \u00a0played all of the instruments, and sang most of the background vocals. \u00a0It may not have begun another string of top 40 hits for America, but it did give them the exposure needed to repair the damage they had done to their career during their post Dan Peek slump. \u00a0They worked with Ballard for another album, eventually moving on without him or the backing of a record label. \u00a0The burgeoning CD market in the early 90s led to revived sales as did later DVD concert packages. \u00a0Their second live album (<\/span>In Concert) <\/span><\/i>done before Capitol records dumped them was DOA, \u00a0yet a later album of the same name released for the <\/span>King Biscuit Flour Hour <\/span><\/i>series generated enough interest to get them signed to a label again. \u00a0The album was actually recorded in 1982 but not released on the <\/span>King Biscuit <\/span><\/i>show until 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Reunion rumors swirled about for many years, ending only when Dan Peek passed away in July of 2011 at the age of 60. \u00a0I am rather happy to say that my glum assessment of a band on the skids during their \u2018side two\u2019 phase has never come true. \u00a0America has a proud history and a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, but most importantly, they still have a music career. \u00a0We will be airing our copy of the <\/span>America: \u00a0In Concert King Biscuit Flour Hour <\/span><\/i>show in the near future and you can catch it on Your Sound Choice, WOAS-FM \u00a088.5 .<\/span><\/p>\n

The video clip features Dan Peek’s contribution to the America’s Greatest Hits package,\u00a0Lonely People<\/em> – Peek’s departure precipitated \u00a0the band’s decline and popularity in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>