July 3, 2025
America revisits their roots with 'Heritage: Home Recordings/Demos 1970–1973'
Before they were strumming out "Ventura Highway" on FM radios across the country, America was busy mumbling their way through demos in a London studio that probably smelled like old amps and tea bags. Heritage: Home Recordings/Demos 1970–1973 is the audio equivalent of finding your parents’ high school yearbook photos, raw, unfiltered, and a little too honest.<br><br>This collection, released by Omnivore Recordings, dusts off forgotten tapes from a band still figuring out which end of the guitar makes the magic.
Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hearts, which was released in March 1975
Join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hearts, which was released in March 1975
"Riverside" before the polish
Take "Riverside," for example. Dewey Bunnell’s early demo sounds like a voice memo from 1970, charming in a way that reminds you how far they’ve come. You can practically hear the ambition wrapped around every strum, like the band knew they had something, even if they didn’t quite know what to do with it yet.
Low-tech charm, high nostalgia
There’s a comforting clumsiness to these recordings. Gerry Beckley’s "Here" sounds like it was recorded three minutes before bedtime, with nothing but three voices and a couple of six-strings. And then there’s the early "Ventura Highway," complete with Hal Blaine and Joe Osborn backing them up, because why not bring in two absolute legends for a casual demo?
Bonus track or musical prank
The crown jewel (or chaos gem, depending on your taste) is the hidden a cappella version of "A Horse with No Name." No instruments, no effects, just voices in their purest form, echoing into what we assume was a room full of shag carpet. It’s oddly haunting, weirdly wonderful, and guaranteed to spark debate in your next vinyl-listening party.
"Music is truly the soundtrack to our lives."
It's not nostalgia, it’s an awkward family photo
Heritage isn’t trying to be perfect, it’s more like the scrapbook your cool uncle pulls out after one too many drinks. It’s fuzzy, heartfelt, and just rough enough around the edges to feel real. For fans of America, it's a reminder that even legends had to start somewhere… and apparently, they started in a living room with decent acoustics.
FIRST TIME HEARING America - Venture Highway
Which iconic music producer, known for his work with The Beatles, also produced several albums for the band America, helping them to refine their sound in the late 1970s?
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician.
"Music is a very special entity because it can create another dimension for us as human beings, if you will, that takes us to an emotional or thoughtful state where we can see or feel things we normally wouldn't. The auditory nature of it can entertain us and take us away from the world for a few minutes. It has the power to change or set the tone for our days here on this Earth."
America, Heritage II: Demos/Alternate Takes 1971-1976 (Omnivore OVCD-370, 2020) (Amazon U.
<p style="margin-left:0px;"> </p><ol><li>Cornwall Blank (Demo # 2)</li><li>Jameroony (Acoustic Guitar Jam)</li><li>Mandy (Demo)</li><li>Tin Man (Track Mix with Backing Vocals)</li><li>What Does It Matter (Demo)</li><li>You (Vocal/Strings Excerpt)</li><li>Mad Dog (Demo/Track Mix with Backing Vocals)</li><li>Simple Life (Alternate Mix)</li><li>Lovely Night (Demo)</li><li>Today's the Day (Alternate Mix)</li><li>Amber Cascades (Alternate Mix/Take 3)</li><li>Letter (Alternate Mix)</li><li>Jet Boy Blue (Alternate Mix)</li></ol><p style="margin-left:0px;">All tracks previously unreleased</p>
Dewey Bunnell
Lee Merton "Dewey" Bunnell is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, and a founding member of the band America.