America is the debut studio album by America, released in 1971. It was initially released without “A Horse with No Name”, which was released as a single in late 1971. When “A Horse with No Name” became a worldwide hit in early 1972, the album was re-released with that track.
The album went to No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in the United States and stayed there for five weeks. It produced two hit singles; “A Horse with No Name” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart in 1972 (it peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart), and “I Need You” hit No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart and No. 7 on the AC chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including “Sandman” (long-rumored to be about the United States Navy VQ-2 air squadron formerly based in Rota, Spain) and “Three Roses”. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the U.S.
Tracks
1 Riverside (Dewey Bunnell) 03:01
2 Sandman (Dewey Bunnell) 05:08
3 Three Roses (Dewey Bunnell) 03:54
4 Children (Dewey Bunnell) 03:08
5 Here (Gerry Beckley) 05:28
6 I Need You (Gerry Beckley) 03:03
7 Rainy Day (Dan Peek) 02:54
8 Never Found The Time (Dan Peek) 03:50
9 Clarice (Gerry Beckley) 04:01
10 Donkey Jaw (Dan Peek) 05:19
11 Pigeon Song (Dewey Bunnell) 02:18
Musicians
1 Riverside
Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
2 Sandman
Acoustic Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Drums | Dave Atwood |
Guitar | Dan Peek |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
3 Three Roses
Bass | Dan Peek |
Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Acoustic Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
4 Children
Guitar | David Lindley |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Acoustic Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
5 Here
Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Drums | Dave Atwood |
Acoustic Guitar | Dan Peek |
Acoustic Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
6 I Need You
Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Drums | Dave Atwood |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
Piano | Gerry Beckley |
Vocals | Gerry Beckley |
7 Rainy Day
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Acoustic Guitar | Dan Peek |
12 String Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
Steel Guitar | David Lindley |
Vocals | Dan Peek |
8 Never Found The Time
Acoustic Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
Piano | Dan Peek |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
Vocals | Dan Peek |
9 Clarice
Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Acoustic Guitar | Gerry Beckley |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Piano | Gerry Beckley |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Dan Peek |
Vocals | Gerry Beckley |
10 Donkey Jaw
Bass | Gerry Beckley |
Drums | Dave Atwood |
Guitar | Dan Peek |
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
12 String Guitar | Dan Peek |
12 String Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
11 Pigeon Song
Acoustic Guitar | Dewey Bunnell |
Vocals | Dewey Bunnell |
Liner Notes
Producer – America, Ian Samwell, Jeff Dexter
Engineer – Ken Scott
Mastered By – Porky
Photography, Artwork – Nigel Waymouth
Recorded By Warner Bros U.K.
Recorded At Trident Studios
Copyright Warner Bros Records Inc