Shifts in sound and direction, changes in producers and managers, and a renewed dedication to the craft of songwriting helped rocket America to the upper reaches of the pop charts in 1982 with their smash single, "You Can Do Magic." During this tumultuous time in their career, Beckley and Bunnell immersed themselves in their craft, infusing a newfound maturity into their rich body of work. With Peek's departure from the fold in 1977, Gerry Beckley & Dewey Bunnell rose to the challenge and carried on as a duo. This successful team went on to record seven albums and several Top Ten hits, including "Tin Man," "Sister Golden Hair" and "Lonely People."īy the mid-70s, inter-band conflicts combined with an exhaustive touring and recording schedule exacted its toll on the group. The trio won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1972 and began working with George Martin and Geoff Emerick in 1974. Their material encompassed an ambitious artistic swath from effects-laden rockers to oddball medleys to soul-bearing ballads, America displayed a flawless blend of disparate genres and styles as wide-open as the great American plains.Įnjoying massive success early in their career, America earned their stripes as musical soldiers on the battlefield amidst the excess, craziness and chaos of the 70's. The combination of Gerry Beckley's melodic pop rock and Dewey Bunnell's use of folk-jazz elements, slinky Latin-leaning rhythms and impressionistic lyric imagery contrasted well with Dan Peek's more traditional country-rock leanings and highly personal lyrics.Īmerica's albums-six certified gold and/or platinum, with their first greatest hits collection, History, hitting four plus million in sales-displayed a fuller range of the trio's talents than did their singles. Yet beyond their impressive catalog of hits, listeners would discover there was always much more to America than surface perceptions. Their best-known tunes, which also include "I Need You," "Ventura Highway," "Don't Cross The River," "Tin Man," "Lonely People," and "Sister Golden Hair" were cornerstones of 1970's Top 40 and FM rock radio. Forty plus years later, these friends are still making music together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound.Īmerica's journey has found them exploring a wide variety of musical terrain. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (along with former band mate, the late Dan Peek) met in high school in London in the late 1960s and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts on the strength of their signature song "A Horse With No Name." America became a global household name and paved the way with an impressive string of hits following the success of their first #1 single. Tuxedo released their self-titled debut in early 2015.America, the perennial classic-rock favorite, is continuing to celebrate its 50th Anniversary with their powerful performances. He spent the next several years establishing himself as a producer before forming the synth-funk duo Tuxedo with neo-soul artist Mayer Hawthorne. 2010 would prove to be a prolific year for Jake as he released two collaborative albums, The Stimulus Package with Philly-based rapper Freeway and Patience with California's Truthlive. Alchemist, Busta Rhymes, Slug, and Young Buck were just some of the guest artists appearing on this diverse full-length. In 2008 he helmed his own debut album, White Van Music, released by the Rhymesayers label. Kane Flow." Work for everyone from Planet Asia to Lil Scrappy would follow, and then in 2007 he produced the high-profile track "All of Me" for 50 Cent and Mary J. His relationship with MF Doom would begin a year later via De La Soul and their track "Rock Co. 2 and another on Beg for Mercy, the debut album from 50 Cent's G-Unit crew. A steady stream of work followed, with 2003 being a monumental year with a track on DJ Babu's Duck Season, Vol. When Supreme began his Conception label, Jake was hired to produce Eclipse's "World Premier," a Pete Rock-influenced cut that would land on J-Rocc's 1998 mix Walkman Rotation. After dropping off a tape of beats to his favorite record store, his productions landed in the hands of fellow producer Mr. Born Jacob Dutton, he got his break while attending the University of Washington. One of the few who has worked with both superstar 50 Cent and underground hero MF Doom, Seattle-based producer Jake One spans the hip-hop spectrum.
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