JUST ANNOUNCED: Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 to release September 6, 2024; First Song ‘Ventura Highway’ and Lyric Video Out Now!
Iconic Band AMERICA to Release Never-Before-Heard Recordings Conducted by George Martin
Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 on September 6, 2024
First Song ‘Ventura Highway’ and lyric video out now, July 2, 2024!
Stream/purchase ‘Ventura Highway’ here and pre-order the album here
July 2, 2024 – The legendary multi-platinum-selling band AMERICA is set to release a new live album, America – Live From The Hollywood Bowl 1975 (Primary Wave Music; distributed by Sun Records), on September 6, 2024. 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 ever. To celebrate this exciting announcement, the first single, “Ventura Highway,” drops today, along with a brand-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.
Dewey Bunnell remembers exactly how the evening played out:
“As I recall, this show at the Hollywood Bowl was planned to highlight the summer of 1975. The release of our 5th album, Hearts, in March of that year had been a great success and included our second #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!”
Gerry Buckley also has fond memories of the show:
“We’ve done thousands of shows throughout our career, but this special night with our dear friend and producer George Martin ranks near the very top of the list! Listen and enjoy!”
AMERICA, known for their 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.
Buckley and Bunnell will join TalkShopLive host Steve Harkins on September 5th at 7pm ET. During the segment, fans can pre-order autographed copies of the CD and LP, plus hear stories about the legendary Hollywood Bowl show.
Pre-order and pre-save the album now on vinyl, CD, digital including exclusive merchandise bundles here.
Stream & download “Ventura Highway” here.
Tracklisting:
- Miniature (Live)
- Tin Man (Live)
- Muskrat Love (Live)
- Baby It’s Up To You (Live)
- Moon Song (Live)
- Old Man Took (Live)
- Old Virginia (Live)
- I Need You (Live)
- Lonely People (Live)
- Don’t Cross The River (Live)
- Ventura Highway (Live)
- Glad To See You (Live)
- Woman Tonight (Live)
- The Story Of A Teenager (Live)
- Midnight (Live)
- Company (Live)
- Hollywood (Live)
- Daisy Jane (Live)
- Sister Golden Hair (Live)
- A Horse With No Name (Live)
In conjunction with the album release, AMERICA will embark on their “Ride On Tour 2024,” kicking off on July 18 in Minneapolis and continuing through November 22. Fans can visit venturahighway.com for more information on tour dates and tickets.
Follow AMERICA:
Official Website: https://www.AmericaTheBand.com/
Official Website – https://www.venturahighway.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Americaband/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/americaband/
Twitter – https://x.com/americaband/
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@americaband
About Primary Wave
The Home of Legends.
Primary Wave Music is the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world. The company is home to some of the most iconic songwriters, artists, and record labels across the history of recorded music including Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, James Brown, The Doors, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, Bing Crosby, Luther Vandross, Olivia Newton-John, Isaac Hayes, Andre 3000, Steven Van Zandt, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, America, War, Teddy Pendergrass, Count Basie, Traveling Wilburys (Bob Dylan), Donny Hathaway, Joey Ramone, Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), Bob Burns (Lynyrd Skynyrd), George Brown (Kool & The Gang), Sly & The Family Stone, Boston, Alice Cooper, Paul Anka, Boy George and Culture Club, Allee Willis, Paul Rodgers, Free, The Cranberries, Steve Cropper, Sarah McLachlan, Alice In Chains, Air Supply, Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Huey Lewis and the News, PF Sloan, Glenn Gould, Gin Blossoms, Disturbed, George Merrill & Shannon Rubicam, Styx, Jeff Porcaro (TOTO), Chris Isaak, Sun Records, Times Music (subsidiary of the Times of India Group), Nas Nuvens Catalog, and many more. The songs represented by Primary Wave include over 800 Top 10 singles, and over 400 #1 hits. Since its inception in 2006, Primary Wave Music has embraced an entrepreneurial spirit, offering, and executing proactive one-of-a-kind ideas, unique services, and marketing campaigns for our artists. Primary Wave has earned a stellar reputation for being forward thinking and re-introducing classic artists and their music into the modern marketplace as well as nurturing young talent to become legends themselves. This success is based upon our team of seasoned and creative executives collaboratively working together closely with our artists as partners. As a company, we strive for excellence in the pursuit of iconic artists and catalogs that not only reflect great artistry, but impact and influence culture.
About Sun Records
Established in 1952 by Sam Phillips, Sun Records is renowned for discovering music legends including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The label moved to Nashville in 1969 where it continued cultivating acclaimed artists Jeannie C. Riley, The Dixie Cups, Linda Martell, and many others. As a member of the newly-formed Sun Label Group under Primary Wave, Sun Records continues to foster musical innovation while honoring its rich history of shaping American music culture.
For more information, visit sunrecords.com.
Media inquiries:
Crystal Henderson
The Press House