America (America album)
1972 studio album by America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
America is the debut studio album by the rock band America, released in January 1972. It was initially released without "A Horse with No Name", which was first released as a single in Europe in late 1971. When "A Horse with No Name" became a worldwide hit in January of 1972, the album was re-released with the track that same month.
| America | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1972[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Studios | ||||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 46:14 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producers | ||||
| America chronology | ||||
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| Singles from America | ||||
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The album went to the top of Billboard's album chart in the United States and stayed there for five weeks.[4] It produced two hit singles; "A Horse with No Name", which spent three weeks on top of the Billboard singles chart in 1972, and "I Need You", which hit the ninth position on the Billboard singles chart.[5] Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations, including "Sandman" and "Three Roses". The album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the United States.
The album cover art features band members Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek sitting in front of an 1887 picture of Crow prisoners captured by the United States Army in Montana.[6]
Critical reception
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Riverside" | Dewey Bunnell | 3:03 |
| 2. | "Sandman" | Bunnell | 5:08 |
| 3. | "Three Roses" | Bunnell | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Children" | Bunnell | 3:07 |
| 5. | "A Horse with No Name" (bonus track on 1972 reissue and included on all subsequent reissues) | Bunnell | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Here" | Gerry Beckley | 5:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Need You" | Beckley | 3:05 |
| 2. | "Rainy Day" | Dan Peek | 2:55 |
| 3. | "Never Found the Time" | Peek | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Clarice" | Beckley | 4:01 |
| 5. | "Donkey Jaw" | Peek | 5:17 |
| 6. | "Pigeon Song" | Bunnell | 2:18 |
Personnel
Credits are per back cover of 1972 vinyl issue.[8]
America
- Dewey Bunnell – lead and backing vocals, 6-string acoustic guitar (except on "Here" and "Never Found the Time")
- Gerry Beckley – bass (except on "Three Roses" and "A Horse with No Name"), 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars (except on "Sandman", "I Need You" and "Pigeon Song"), lead and backing vocals (except on "Pigeon Song"), electric guitar and chimes on "Clarice", piano on "I Need You" and "Clarice"
- Dan Peek – 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars (except on "A Horse with No Name", "I Need You", "Clarice" and "Pigeon Song"), lead and backing vocals (except on "Pigeon Song"), electric guitar (on "Sandman", "Donkey Jaw" and "I Need You"), piano on "Never Found the Time", bass on "A Horse with No Name" and "Three Roses"
with:
- Ray Cooper – percussion
- Dave Atwood – drums on "Sandman", "Here", "I Need You" and "Donkey Jaw"
- Kim Haworth – drums on "A Horse with No Name"
- David Lindley – electric guitar on "Children", steel guitar on "Rainy Day"
Technical
- Ian Samwell – producer
- Jeff Dexter – executive producer
- Ken Scott – engineering
- Nigel Waymouth – cover photos and design
- Flash Fox – logo and graphics
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[17] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] | Platinum | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[19] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[20] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||