America - Horse With No Name

Sunday, time for a classic.

"A Horse with No Name" is a song written by Dewey Bunnell, and originally recorded by the folk rock band AMERICA. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in late 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the USA, and topped the charts in several countries. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Considering their band name is AMERICA and was comprised of Americans, it's a bit odd to learn that the group was actually formed in England.

Dewey Bunnell – lead vocals, acoustic guitar

Gerry Beckley – 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals

Dan Peek – bass, backing vocals

America's self-titled debut album was released initially in Europe, without "A Horse with No Name," and achieved only moderate success. Originally called "Desert Song", "Horse" was written while the band was staying at the home studio of musician Arthur Brown, near Puddletown, Dorset. The first two demos were recorded there, by Jeff Dexter and Dennis Elliott, and were intended to capture the feel of the hot, dry desert that had been depicted at the studio from a Salvador Dalí painting, and the strange horse that had ridden out of an M.C. Escher picture. Writer Dewey Bunnell also says he remembered his childhood travels through the Arizona and New Mexico desert when his family lived at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Although America would go on to score a respectable amount of hits after this hit, they will be forever associated as the band who observed "plants and birds and rocks and things" on their trip through the desert.

Today's tune "Horse With No Name" was released as the featured song on a three-track single in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy and the Netherlands on November 12, 1971



More info @

Official America Web

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