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发表于 2010-7-10 01:43:02
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Michael Jackson brings America's debut single back to life
By BILL NUTT • CORRESPONDENT • July 9, 2010
http://www.dailyrecord.com/artic ... single+back+to+life
Later this year, if all goes as planned, a posthumous CD by the late Michael Jackson will include a song called "A Place with No Name." The track will feature Jackson's plaintive voice singing wistful lyrics about "plants and birds and rocks and things."
If those words sound familiar, it's no coincidence; the song is Jackson's re-write of "A Horse with No Name," the 1972 debut single from the band America. The fact that Jackson thought enough of the original to rework it is a compliment that still surprises Dewey Bunnell, the man who wrote the song.
"I had heard about it a couple of years ago, before Michael passed," Bunnell says. "After his death, I forgot about it. Now it seems the song will come out this year, and the credits will read 'Michael Jackson and Dewey Bunnell.' It's pretty amazing."
America, featuring original members Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, will perform tonight at the Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown. The concert is part of the band's 40th anniversary tour, which will continue into 2012.
"Yes, we really have been together that long," says Bunnell with a laugh.
Actually, America's roots go back even further, to the late 1960s. Bunnell and Beckley — both of whom had British mothers and fathers who were American servicemen — met when they were attending school in London. They were later joined by Dan Peek, another Yank who was living in England at the time.
"The common thread that brought us together was music," Bunnell says. "We honed our arrangement chops, from arranging Top 40 songs to writing our own songs." The three musicians also shared affection for bands like Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and The Beatles. "We weren't innovators, but we had a vocal blend that people liked."
The trio began getting a name for itself in Great Britain opening for such acts as Pink Floyd and Elton John. Well-received gigs at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles and the Bitter End in New York City eventually led to a record contract.
Initially, America's first single was going to be the piano-based "I Need You."
"It was a safe, nice ballad," Bunnell says. "But then the record company asked if we had anything else. That's when we played them 'A Horse with No Name.' "
"A Horse with No Name," an enigmatic number with a theme that combined environmentalism and mysticism, turned out to be a No. 1 song.
"It fit in with the types of songs Neil Young and Crosby Stills & Nash were doing," Bunnell says. It also marked the beginning of nearly a decade of hits, including "Ventura Highway," "Tin Man," "Sister Golden Hair" and "Lonely People," among others.
Along the way, America caught the attention of George Martin, the legendary producer who worked with The Beatles. Martin and his engineer, Geoff Emerick, worked with America on seven albums. Bunnell says their input was critical to the band's success.
In 1977, Dan Peek decided to leave the band. Bunnell and Beckley continued to release albums, but with the exception of "You Can Do Magic" in 1982, America has been absent from the charts.
However, the group retains an enthusiastic following, according to Bunnell. That following includes other younger musicians. In 2006, America released "Here and Now," a critically acclaimed album that was co-produced by Adam Schlesinger of the band Fountains of Wayne and James Iha, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins; contributors included Ryan Adams and members of My Morning Jacket.
Bunnell acknowledges the nostalgia factor among concertgoers. But he adds that many of the songs have held up well throughout the years.
"It's like the songs are Dorian Gray portraits, and we're withering around them," he cracks. "We take a lot of pride in re-creating how those songs sound. They keep us fresh." |
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