Sons of American fathers and British mothers, their fathers being military personnel stationed at the West Ruislip USAF base in London, all three attended London Central High in Bushey, Hertfordshire in the mid-60s where they met while playing in two different bands.
They eventually got together and formed the rock band America, honoring the name of the homeland they had hardly even seen during their several travels around the world. They played their first gigs in pubs and clubs in the London area, including some highlights at the Roundhouse, where Pink Floyd had been playing at the beginning of their own career.
Their first LP was recorded at Trident and Morgan studios in London and produced by Ian "Sammy" Samwell, who was known for the hits he had written for Cliff Richard, with the assistance of Jeff Dexter.
The album was initially released in Europe with only moderate success and without the breakout hit "A Horse With No Name." Samwell helped the group to record and persuaded the Warner Brothers label to release the new song on an EP which was highly popular in the United States as well as in Europe.
America the album was re-released with "Horse", and quickly went platinum with the other favorites "I Need You," "Sandman," and "Riverside." Their second album, appropriately named Homecoming, saw the band moving back to the United States to record. The most notable song was "Ventura Highway."
The group's fourth album Holiday had them with George Martin (former producer for The Beatles), who worked with them through Silent Letter in 1979 with much success. The next album, Hearts, featured "Sister Golden Hair" and "Daisy Jane."
Peek left the group after recording Harbor in 1977. The remaining duo produced many more albums and had one more significant radio hit, "You Can Do Magic," reaching #8 on the pop charts in 1982. Their last top-40 hit was "The Border," which went to #33 on the pop charts (and #4 on the adult contemporary charts) the next year.
America continued with consistent live work and sporadic recordings following their departure from Capitol Records in the mid-80s.
In 1982 America provided the soundtrack for the magical anime film The Last Unicorn. Although officially produced by an American company, the film is an important transitional work in the development of Japanese anime, since most of its animation was subcontracted to the Japanese company Topcraft. The music was composed by Jimmy Webb, though performed by America, and the title song was covered many times later on. The tone is wistful and the themes are of loss.
Beckley released a solo set - "Van Go Gan" - in 1999.
Later, in his post-America career, Peek became a born-again Christian and released some highly-successful Contemporary Christian albums. His autobiography "An American Band" chronicles America's most successful period and his own spiritual journey.
Members include:
Gerry Beckley (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, harmonica
Dewey Bunnell (1970-present) - lead and backing vocals, guitars
Dan Peek (1970-1977) - lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica
Valentine
America Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little fingernail polish, chewin' gum
Her round the world heart made of platinum, that's right
She looks like a China doll baby, especially in white
A tropicana flower in the candlelight
She turned into a pumpkin pie, sweet kiss at midnight
She's like a perfect valentine
She's not one to fall in love
She's too high on the stars above at night
She wants to be your red-hot mama, all alone
She dances with the boys on the telephone
She makes a lotta noise in the quiet zone at night
Yeah, you talk about a party at the beach, ain't that grand
She just took a raincheck with another man
Who lay on the deck of his catamaran some night
She moves, oh so fine
She's like a perfect valentine
She's not one to fall in love
She's too high on the stars above at night
Well, I can't tell you much, but what I know (what I know)
You can't take her with you when it's time to go
'Cause she knows where it's at with a Romeo, you'll see
She moves, oh so fine
She's like a perfect valentine
She's not one to fall in love
She's too high on the stars above at night
She moves
Just like a perfect valentine
She's not one to fall in love
She's too high on the stars above at night
The song 'Valentine' by America describes a woman who is beautiful, alluring and independent. The woman in question is confident and seeks only to enjoy life to the fullest. She is not interested in romantic love because she is satisfied with her own company and enjoys being high up in the stars at night. The woman is described as a China doll baby, who moves elegantly and looks stunning in white, like a tropicana flower in the candlelight. However, she is also known to make a lot of noise in the quiet zone at night and dances with boys on the telephone. The singer of the song is clearly smitten by her and recognizes that she is a woman who knows what she wants and how she wants it.
As the song progresses, the singer hints at the fact that the woman has many male admirers, including a Romeo. The woman is not easy to please, and the singer admits that he doesn't know much about her. One thing is certain, she is not meant to be tied down to one man as she wants to explore life's pleasures. The song ends with the woman being described as a perfect valentine. The lyrics beautifully describe the woman's independence and individuality which sets her apart from the typical romantic love story.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, she said all along, I'm her one
She has always maintained that I am the only one for her
A little fingernail polish, chewin' gum
She exudes a carefree attitude with her simple beauty care essentials
Her round the world heart made of platinum, that's right
She has a heart that is unbreakable and travels the world without faltering
She looks like a China doll baby, especially in white
She has delicate features that are accentuated when she wears white
A tropicana flower in the candlelight
She looks like a beautiful flower in the soft light of candles
She turned into a pumpkin pie, sweet kiss at midnight
She transformed into something sweet and delicious when we kissed at midnight
She moves, oh so fine
Her movements are graceful and effortless
She's like a perfect valentine
She embodies the essence of a perfect Valentine – loving, caring, and beautiful
She's not one to fall in love
She is cautious about falling in love and takes her time to open up
She's too high on the stars above at night
She has an exalted perspective that makes it difficult for her to connect with mere mortals
She wants to be your red-hot mama, all alone
She desires to be a sexy and desirable partner without the distraction of anyone else
She dances with the boys on the telephone
She flirts with men over the phone and enjoys their attention
She makes a lotta noise in the quiet zone at night
She is loud and boisterous even when everyone else is trying to be quiet
Yeah, you talk about a party at the beach, ain't that grand
You can talk about having a fun time at the beach, but it's not as great as being with her
She just took a raincheck with another man
She postponed her date with another man and may have chosen to be with me instead
Who lay on the deck of his catamaran some night
The other man enjoyed lounging on his boat one night while she was making her decision
Well, I can't tell you much, but what I know (what I know)
I can't reveal much, but what little I know is that she is a mystery and difficult to read
You can't take her with you when it's time to go
When it's time to move on, she cannot be taken along with you
'Cause she knows where it's at with a Romeo, you'll see
She knows how to find and attract the perfect partner just like Romeo did for Juliet
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIM BRICKMAN, JACK KUGELL, JACK DAVID KUGELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind