Fifty-four years ago today (March 25), America was atop the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts with their debut album and single. Their self-titled debut LP occupied the top spot for five weeks. Their first single, “A Horse with No Name,” stayed at No. 1 for three weeks. The single that helped launch them to international stardom wasn’t included on the original release of their LP. It was added after it became a hit.
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America was formed in London, England, in 1970 by the sons of United States servicemen. Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Getty Beckley were sons of United States Air Force personnel who were stationed in London. They formed the band after meeting, honing their harmony-heavy folk rock sound with live performances. Soon, they inked a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. Two years after they came together, the band’s debut LP got an international release.
[RELATED: 4 Enduring Songs Written and Sung by America Co-Founder Dewey Bunnell]
According to Songfacts, their self-titled album was released exclusively in the United Kingdom in late 1971. At the time, it didn’t include “A Horse with No Name.” They only recorded the hit after they tried to select a single to support the album. Initially, they planned to release “I Need You,” but decided it wasn’t strong enough for a debut single. Instead, they went back to the studio and recorded a song that Bunnell had written.
The song quickly climbed the UK Singles Chart. As a result, Warner Bros. chose to release the single in the United States. Additionally, they added it to the LP’s tracklist before its international release.
A Trip to the Desert Inspired America’s First Hit
Dewey Bunnell wrote what would become America’s first No. 1 single after spending time in California. While sitting in rainy London, he had fond memories of the desert area in which his father was stationed before moving to the United Kingdom. Those fond memories led him to write “Desert Song.” They later changed the title to “A Horse with No Name.”
“The desert as a topic had been burning in my head after years in the UK,” Bunnell recalled. “As kids, my brother and I had spent time in the desert–New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California– catching snakes and lizards and poking around. I was also conjuring up another kind of weather, since England was notorious for being rainy,” he added.
The story in “A Horse with No Name” is rather vague. As a result, listeners interpreted in various ways. Many of them assumed the song, like many others at the time, was about drugs. In fact, some radio programmers believed the same thing, which led to the song facing bans.
Horse, as it turns out, was a popular street term for heroin. This was news to Bunnell. “I had no idea horse was a street name for heroin, and it got banned,” he said. “Kansas City radio wouldn’t play it. Maybe that helped create some other sidebar of darkness to the song,” he added.
America had several other hits throughout their long career. However, none had the same longevity as “A Horse with No Name.”
Featured Image by Mark Sullivan/Getty Images
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