Holiday (America album)
Encyclopedia
Holiday is the fourth original studio album
by American
folk rock
band America
, released by Warner Bros. Records
in June 1974 (see 1974 in music
). The album was produced in London
by noted Beatles
producer George Martin
.
The album was a big hit in the US, reaching number 3 on the Billboard album chart
and being certified gold by the RIAA. It produced two hit singles: "Tin Man
" reached number 4 on the Billboard singles chart
and went to number 1 on both the adult contemporary chart
as well as the Radio & Records
chart; and "Lonely People
" which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard singles chart and also hit number 1 on the adult contemporary chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including "Baby It's Up To You" and "Another Try".
In a separate interview, Dan Peek recalled to Circus
magazine: "Gerry (Beckley) had been in England, and we'd talked about using George Martin as our producer. He's such a hot arranger, thinking about all the stuff he's done. There were several other people we wanted to use, but that idea sort of flashed and George was available."
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
, released by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in June 1974 (see 1974 in music
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
). The album was produced in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by noted Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
.
The album was a big hit in the US, reaching number 3 on the Billboard album chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and being certified gold by the RIAA. It produced two hit singles: "Tin Man
Tin Man (song)
"Tin Man" is the title of a 1974 song by the pop-rock band America. It was written by band member Dewey Bunnell and produced by the noted record producer George Martin, who also plays the piano part on the recorded version...
" reached number 4 on the Billboard singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and went to number 1 on both the adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
as well as the Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
chart; and "Lonely People
Lonely People
"Lonely People" is a song written by the husband-and-wife team of Dan and Catherine Peek and performed by America. The track was the second release from America's 1974 album Holiday. "Lonely People" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and was America's second number one on the Easy...
" which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard singles chart and also hit number 1 on the adult contemporary chart. Several other songs received radio airplay on FM stations playing album tracks, including "Baby It's Up To You" and "Another Try".
History
Bandmember Dewey Bunnell was thrilled at the prospect of working with Martin as producer. He was quoted as saying that it "was great working with George. It was like we knew each other. We were familiar with the Beatles, of course, and we had that British sense of humor."In a separate interview, Dan Peek recalled to Circus
Circus (magazine)
Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. It was published from 1966 to 2006. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in rock journalism, including Paul Nelson, David Fricke, and Kurt Loder, and rivaled Rolling Stone in...
magazine: "Gerry (Beckley) had been in England, and we'd talked about using George Martin as our producer. He's such a hot arranger, thinking about all the stuff he's done. There were several other people we wanted to use, but that idea sort of flashed and George was available."
Reception
In his Allmusic review music critic Mike DeGagne noted the affect of George Martin's production on the album as well as the rebound from the failure of Hat Trick, writing "this album as a whole ascertained that the group was definitely showing their true potential once more."Track listing
- "Miniature" - (Gerry BeckleyGerry BeckleyGerald Linford "Gerry" Beckley is a founding member of the band America.Beckley was born to an American father, and an English mother. He began playing the piano at the age of three and the guitar a few years later. By 1962, Beckley was playing guitar in The Vanguards, an instrumental surf music...
) 1:12 - "Tin ManTin Man (song)"Tin Man" is the title of a 1974 song by the pop-rock band America. It was written by band member Dewey Bunnell and produced by the noted record producer George Martin, who also plays the piano part on the recorded version...
" - (Dewey Bunnell) 3:27 - "Another Try" - (Beckley) 3:16
- "Lonely PeopleLonely People"Lonely People" is a song written by the husband-and-wife team of Dan and Catherine Peek and performed by America. The track was the second release from America's 1974 album Holiday. "Lonely People" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and was America's second number one on the Easy...
" - (Dan PeekDan PeekDaniel Milton 'Dan' Peek was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell...
) 2:27 - "Glad To See You" - (Peek) 3:42
- "Mad Dog" - (Beckley) 2:33
- "Hollywood" - (Bunnell) 2:49
- "Baby It's Up To You" - (Beckley) 2:24
- "You" - (Peek) 2:25
- "Old Man Took" - (Bunnell) 3:10
- "What Does It Matter" - (Beckley) 2:18
- "In The Country" - (Peek) 2:58
Personnel
- America (Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek) - Bass, Keyboards, and Guitars
- Willie Leacox - Drums and Percussion
- George MartinGeorge MartinSir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
- Producer and Arranger - Geoff EmerickGeoff EmerickGeoffrey Emerick is an English recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with The Beatles' albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road...
- Engineering - Peter Henderson - Tape Operator
- Gary Burden - Art Direction