America

America are an Anglo-American folk-rock three-piece formed in London in 1970 by multi-instrumentalist/vocalists Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek and singer/guitarist Dewey Bunnell. America are most famous for their No.1 single "Horse with No Name".

The band released their self-titled debut album in 1971, but this had to be repackaged and re-released the following year after the success of the single "Horse with No Name", which was not included on the original release. The single propelled the band to worldwide success.

The re-released version of the album went platinum and produced another successful single, "I Need You". Following a move to the US the band released their next album, Homecoming, which included the Top 10 single "Ventura Highway" and helped earn the band the Best New Artist Award at the Grammys.

Their 1973 Hat Trick album was not as successful but they managed to co-opt former Beatles producer George Martin to work on the follow-up Holiday. Martin put his stamp on the album, adding strings and brass to the sound, and America made it back into the Top 10 singles charts with "Tin Man" and "Lonely People". Their next album, Hearts, produced the No.1 single "Sister Golden Hair", but this was to mark the beginning of the band's commercial decline.

After a few years, during which the band were well below their commercial peak, changes in personnel and musical style paid off in 1982 with View From the Ground. The album featured contributions from Beach Boy Carl Wilson and Argent's Russ Ballard. It made the Top 50, while the single "You Can Do Magic" took the band into the Top 10 of the Billboard charts. The next album, the Ballard-produced Your Move, had another hit single "The Border", but album sales failed to match their previous releases.

America are now being name checked and recognized by a new generation of artists. Janet Jackson used the "Ventura Highway" riff in her 2002 hit single "Someone to Call My Lover", and the band collaborated with Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger on their Here and Now album released in 2007.