We didn’t even know who the Wrecking Crew were at that age and at that stage of our career. “Our managers at the time were David Geffen and Elliot Roberts and they set it up. Working with legendary Los Angeles drummer and band leader Hal Blaine, Bunnell recalls, was one example of an impactful collaboration, albeit one that happened through happenstance. It was the strength of the group’s original material that afforded America the opportunity to utilize some of the most interesting people in the business behind the scenes, which in turn led to more and more artistic growth for the band. From there we were able to just continue doing what we do best.”

“It’s fair to say that we had to pay some dues along the way, but you couldn’t have asked for any more success than what we had with our first album and single. “We actually opened for Pink Floyd, Elton John, the Who, Traffic, Rod Stewart and the Faces, and Cat Stevens, which was a real learning experience for us. “Being young and out of our element, we really clung to each other over there and we were always running around taking in all kinds of great music together including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones.”Īccording to Bunnell, it wasn’t long before everything clicked and the trio was sharing the stage with some of those larger than life figures. The late 1960s and early 1970s were strange days to be teenagers on the loose in London, according to Bunnell. As Bunnell explains, “The name America came from a lot of little things, but it was mainly to reflect the fact that we were American kids in England, which we felt gave us an edge over some of the British upstarts we were competing against.” Amazingly, that’s how long it’s been since folk rock band America’s original members - Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek - first assembled in … Great Britain. There’s a lot to celebrate about holding something creative together for 50 years.

An american band by dan peek