America to release never-before-heard Hollywood Bowl recordings

The songs were conducted by George Martin

The legendary multi-platinum-selling band America is set to release a new live album, America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 on September 6th via Primary Wave Music distributed by Sun Records. Previously available as a Record Store Day exclusive, this album featuring never-before-heard recordings of their iconic 1975 performance backed by a symphony conducted by the legendary George Martin, will now be widely released on CD, a new red vinyl variant, and digitally for the first time.

To celebrate this exciting announcement, the first single, “Ventura Highway,” drops, along with a new lyric video.

On August 3, 1975, America took the stage at the renowned Hollywood Bowl, backed by a symphony conducted by Martin. This extraordinary performance has been preserved in never-before-heard tapes that were recently restored and remastered for this special release. America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 features live renditions of America’s timeless hits, including “Sister Golden Hair,” “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” and many more.

“As I recall, this show at the Hollywood Bowl was planned to highlight the summer of 1975,” Dewey Bunnell recalls. “The release of our fifth album, Hearts, in March of that year had been a great success and included our second No. 1 single, ‘Sister Golden Hair,’ so we were at the top of our game. We had developed a great partnership with Sir George Martin the year before with our first project together in London, the album Holiday. And the making of Hearts at the Record Plant in Sausalito, CA had been fun and creative. Meanwhile, the live performance had evolved into a strong show, and we toured a lot that year playing large sold-out venues.

“So the plan was to make the Hollywood Bowl show as special as possible. George was involved from the beginning of the planning, and it was decided that he would conduct a symphony that would include him performing first, doing a show he called ‘Bond to Beatles and Bach’ which he had recorded the year before, and he would then conduct behind us during our show.

“It was amazing to hear George conducting Beatle songs like ‘Yellow Submarine’ live at the Hollywood Bowl! We planned to record the show and had the Record Plant mobile recording truck on-site to capture the performance for posterity. There would be fireworks and a skywriter plane spelling out A-M-E-R-I-C-A above the Bowl with a big finale on the encore performance of ‘Horse With No Name’ as our 3 heads in fireworks were ignited above the shell of the Hollywood Bowl. And we had invited many important guests, friends, and artists to attend…all very spectacular! The stage was set for a magical evening!

“As the saying goes, ‘the best laid plans often go astray’! The skywriter had some trouble right away as the letters seemed to dissipate in the wind above the Bowl as each was ‘written,’ so there was never a clear reading of America. And after the show itself went very well, our 3 heads were ignited only to rain sparks down on the stage sending the symphony players scattering to the wings behind us! The reception and party after the show included everyone describing the hilarious chaos in those final moments as we left the stage! It made for an unforgettable scene that we have laughed about for many years!

“Now, almost 50 years later, the recording of that night is finally available, and it sounds great. It represents the only full concert live recording of the original trio including Dan Peek as well as Gerry and I. I’m grateful to have this great-sounding record of that special night in 1975!:

America, known for its signature melodic pop rock and folk-jazz elements, first rose to fame in the early 1970s with hits like “A Horse With No Name,” “I Need You,” and “Lonely People.” Their distinctive sound and impressionistic lyric imagery have earned them a Grammy Award and a lasting place in the hearts of music fans. The band continues to tour and record, maintaining the integrity and spirit that have defined their career for over five decades.

Gerry Buckley and Bunnell will join TalkShopLive host Steve Harkins on September 5th at 7 pm ET. During the segment, fans can pre-order autographed copies of the CD and LP, plus hear stories about the legendary Hollywood Bowl show.

In conjunction with the album release, America will embark on their Ride On Tour 2024, kicking off on July 18th in Minneapolis and continuing through November 22nd.