America’s Gerry Beckley Looks Forward and Back on New Solo LP

‘Keeping the Light On’ compilation includes 5 new tracks

Singer-songwriter Gerry Beckley of America hardly slowed down during the pandemic. He and Dewey Bunnell celebrated America’s 50th anniversary in 2020 with an eight-disc box set that includes a book, replica posters, unreleased demos, album outtakes and hits from their copious catalog.

Beckley released Keeping the Light On on March 26, 2021, a compilation of songs from his eight solo albums and Like a Brother, a 2000 collaboration with Chicago’s Robert Lamm and the late Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys. The collection includes five previously unreleased tracks including the single “(I’m Your) Heart Slave.”

America formed in, of all places, London in 1968. Dan Peek, Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley met at London Central High School; their fathers were stationed at the United States Air Force base near London. Performances at a local teen club for Americans led to a recording contract. America topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972 with their debut single, “A Horse With No Name.” The song fit comfortably with the acoustic rock of the era performed by James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

America teamed with producer George Martin for their fourth album, 1974’s Holiday. The former Beatles producer collaborated with the band on three additional albums. America continued to record hits into the 1980s that include “Ventura Highway,” “I Need You,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Daisy Jane,” “You Can Do Magic” and “The Border.” Peek, who died in 2011, left America in 1977 to shift his focus to Christian popular music.

We talked with Gerry Beckley from his home in Sydney, Australia.

Were the previously unreleased songs on Keeping the Light On intended for America or were they always solo work?

Gerry Beckley: I don’t think I had really made a decision on some of these songs. As you might know, I do write quite a lot. It doesn’t mean that they’re all winners but there’s usually an abundance of stuff to work on. There was a dynamic in play when an America project would come around. I certainly would let Dewey have an ear to all of it and anything he…