Ventura Highway
Encyclopedia
"Ventura Highway" is a popular 1972 song by the rock 'n' roll band America
from its album, Homecoming.
near Lompoc, California
and they had a flat tire. While his father changed the tire, he and his brother stood by the side of the road and watched the clouds and saw a road sign for "Ventura".
Bunnell also explained that the song is "about leaving". He was living in Omaha, Nebraska
and he would walk through corn fields in the summer and freeze in the winter, and he remembered back to when his father was stationed at Vandenberg AFB, and dreamed of the sun and the ocean. The song has a "Go West, young man" motif in the structure of a conversation between an old man named "Joe" and a young and hopeful kid. "Joe" was modeled after a "grumpy" old man he had met while his dad was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi
(Keesler Air Force Base
).
In America's booklet for the boxed-set, Highway Highlight, that the song is and that, "It reminds me of the time I lived in Omaha as a kid and how we'd walk through cornfields and chew on pieces of grass. There were cold winters, and I had images of going to California. So I think in the song I'm talking to myself, frankly: 'How long you gonna stay here, Joe?' I really believe that 'Ventura Highway' has the most lasting power of all my songs. It's not just the words — the song and the track have a certain fresh, vibrant, optimistic quality that I can still respond to".
"That's Gerry
and Dan
doing a harmony on two guitars on the intro. I remember us sitting in a hotel room, and I was playing the chords, and Gerry got that guitar line, and he and Dan worked out that harmony part. That's really the hook of the song".
for America, spending nine weeks on the charts after debuting on November 4, 1972.
, album
, and film
(and the tour
that supported both the album and film), for the artist Prince
. Although it is not known if there is actually any connection, both Mikel Toombs of the The San Diego Union
and Bob Kostanczuk of the Post-Tribune
, have written that Prince got the titles directly from "Ventura Highway".
The song's opening guitar riff and musical hook throughout Janet Jackson's 2001 song "Someone to Call My Lover
" was sampled
in 2001 by the multi-Grammy Award winning production team of Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis (Flyte Tyme) who were influenced by America and "Ventura Highway" listening to KDWB 63 AM (Top 40) growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota (along with their close friend, musician Prince). Bunnell said the use of the sample from Ventura Highway and the production by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Janet Jackson boosted sales for America.
"Ventura Highway" won many fans, including the pro-wrestler-turned-politician, Jesse Ventura
: "We went and played at Governor Jesse Ventura's inaugural out in Minneapolis. He asked us to — his wife is a horse lady, and she'd always loved "A Horse With No Name
", and he had adopted this name, 'Ventura'. So when he put together his cast of characters for his big inaugural celebration, he wanted us to come and play two songs, which we did".
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...
from its album, Homecoming.
Background
The vocalist and writer of the song Dewey Bunnell has said that the lyric "alligator lizards in the air" in the song is a reference to the shapes of clouds in the sky. One day in 1963 his family was driving down the coast from Vandenberg Air Force BaseVandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
near Lompoc, California
Lompoc, California
Lompoc is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city was incorporated in 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census....
and they had a flat tire. While his father changed the tire, he and his brother stood by the side of the road and watched the clouds and saw a road sign for "Ventura".
Bunnell also explained that the song is "about leaving". He was living in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
and he would walk through corn fields in the summer and freeze in the winter, and he remembered back to when his father was stationed at Vandenberg AFB, and dreamed of the sun and the ocean. The song has a "Go West, young man" motif in the structure of a conversation between an old man named "Joe" and a young and hopeful kid. "Joe" was modeled after a "grumpy" old man he had met while his dad was stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
(Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
).
In America's booklet for the boxed-set, Highway Highlight, that the song is and that, "It reminds me of the time I lived in Omaha as a kid and how we'd walk through cornfields and chew on pieces of grass. There were cold winters, and I had images of going to California. So I think in the song I'm talking to myself, frankly: 'How long you gonna stay here, Joe?' I really believe that 'Ventura Highway' has the most lasting power of all my songs. It's not just the words — the song and the track have a certain fresh, vibrant, optimistic quality that I can still respond to".
"That's Gerry
Gerry Beckley
Gerald 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...
and Dan
Dan Peek
Daniel 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...
doing a harmony on two guitars on the intro. I remember us sitting in a hotel room, and I was playing the chords, and Gerry got that guitar line, and he and Dan worked out that harmony part. That's really the hook of the song".
Reception
The song went to #8 on the Billboard Top 40 Pop ChartsMainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
for America, spending nine weeks on the charts after debuting on November 4, 1972.
Legacy
The song also contains the phrase "purple rain," later the title of a 1984 songPurple Rain (song)
"Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...
, album
Purple Rain (album)
Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by Prince, the first to officially be credited to Prince and The Revolution, and is the soundtrack album to the 1984 film Purple Rain.Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the best albums in pop music history...
, and film
Purple Rain (film)
Purple Rain is a 1984 film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince makes his film debut in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents, hence, the film contains several extended concert sequences. The film grossed more than US$80 million at...
(and the tour
Purple Rain Tour
The Purple Rain Tour was a concert tour by Prince following up on the success of his 1984 film Purple Rain. According to Spin the tour sold over 1.7 million tickets.-History:...
that supported both the album and film), for the artist Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. Although it is not known if there is actually any connection, both Mikel Toombs of the The San Diego Union
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
and Bob Kostanczuk of the Post-Tribune
Post-Tribune
The Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana is a daily newspaper headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, United States. It serves the Northwest Indiana region, and is owned by the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:...
, have written that Prince got the titles directly from "Ventura Highway".
The song's opening guitar riff and musical hook throughout Janet Jackson's 2001 song "Someone to Call My Lover
Someone to Call My Lover
"Someone to Call My Lover" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson from her seventh studio album, All for You. Written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song was released as the album's second single on June 26, 2001....
" was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
in 2001 by the multi-Grammy Award winning production team of Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis (Flyte Tyme) who were influenced by America and "Ventura Highway" listening to KDWB 63 AM (Top 40) growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota (along with their close friend, musician Prince). Bunnell said the use of the sample from Ventura Highway and the production by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Janet Jackson boosted sales for America.
"Ventura Highway" won many fans, including the pro-wrestler-turned-politician, Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
: "We went and played at Governor Jesse Ventura's inaugural out in Minneapolis. He asked us to — his wife is a horse lady, and she'd always loved "A Horse With No Name
A Horse with No Name
“A Horse with No Name” is a song written by Dewey Bunnell and originally recorded by the band America. It was the band's first and most successful single, released in early 1972, topping the charts in several countries...
", and he had adopted this name, 'Ventura'. So when he put together his cast of characters for his big inaugural celebration, he wanted us to come and play two songs, which we did".