America (America album)

America
Studio album by America
Released	December 29, 1971
Recorded	1971 in Trident and Morgan Studios, London, U.K.
Genre	Country rock, folk rock
Length	46:14
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Ian Samwell, Jeff Dexter
America chronology
America (1971) Homecoming (1972)Homecoming1972
Singles from America
"A Horse with No Name" Released: January 12, 1972 "I Need You" Released: April 26, 1972

America is the eponymous debut album by America, released in 1971. It was initially released without "A Horse with No Name", which was released as a single in late 1971. When "Horse" became a worldwide hit in early 1972, the album was re-released with that track.

The album went to No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in the United States and stayed there for five weeks. It produced two hit singles; "A Horse with No Name" spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart in 1972 (it peaked at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart), and "I Need You" hit No. 9 on the Billboard singles chart and No. 7 on the AC chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including "Sandman" (long-rumored to be about the United States Navy VQ-2 air squadron formerly based in Rota, Spain) and "Three Roses". The album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of one million units in the U.S.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

In his Allmusic review, music critic David Cleary called the band's debut album a "folk-pop classic" and concluded, "In spite of its flaws, this platter is very highly recommended."

Track listing

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Riverside"	Dewey Bunnell	Group	3:03
2.	"Sandman"	Bunnell	Bunnell	5:08
3.	"Three Roses"	Bunnell	Bunnell	3:54
4.	"Children"	Bunnell	Group	3:07
5.	"A Horse with No Name" (Bonus track on 1972 reissue, also included on all subsequent reissues)	Bunnell	Bunnell	4:10
6.	"Here"	Gerry Beckley	Beckley	5:30

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"I Need You"	Beckley	Beckley	3:05
2.	"Rainy Day"	Dan Peek	Peek	2:55
3.	"Never Found the Time"	Peek	Peek	3:50
4.	"Clarice"	Beckley	Beckley	4:01
5.	"Donkey Jaw"	Peek	Bunnell	5:17
6.	"Pigeon Song"	Bunnell	Bunnell	2:18

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1971	US	1
	AUS	3
	NOR	22
	UK	14

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1972	"A Horse with No Name"	US	1
		US AC	3
		AUS	2
		NL	12
		UK	3
	"I Need You"	US	9
		US AC	7
		AUS	81

Personnel

Credits are per back cover of 1972 vinyl issue.

• 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"
• 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"
• Ian Samwell – producer
• Jeff Dexter – executive producer
• Ken Scott – engineering
• Nigel Waymouth – cover photos and design
• Flash Fox – logo and graphics

References

Preceded by Harvest by Neil Young

Billboard 200 number-one album 25 March – 28 April 1972

Succeeded by First Take by Roberta Flack