Most people consider Freddy Fender country. I did when I first heard the song on the radio back then, and didn't like it. I like country now.
BTNTF is country. The bass progression, the piano fills, the rhythm ... textbook mid-'70s Country. It just happens to have an accordion and bajo sexto added for a little spice.
"...."Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender...."
Always loved this one, but it sounds like a bit of a throwback to 1973, apart from the pronounced country influence. While this one didn't hit the country charts from what I can tell, it definitely sounds more like country/rock than like their earlier folk/rock blend. All that slide guitar work starts out very George Harrison-esque before taking a decidedly Nashville turn, and the intricate picking only reinforces it. Per Wikipedia, this one was inspired by Jackson Browne, and to my ear sounds a lot like the Eagles. Unfortunately for America, the Eagles were much better at this sort of thing than they were, and the Eagles were also soon to take this sound in a much darker, harder-rocking direction. As a result, "Sister Golden Hair" became America's second and last #1, and indeed their last hit to get above #20 in the '70s, and their next-to-last Top 10 hit, ever.
I always thought SGH was from around '73 also.I remember hearing it on my older sisters RCA pecan finish table radio in the basement of her house in Denver where I would spend a few weeks in the summer.Very vivid memories of this song.I remember liking it very much back then.Now...I can take it or leave it.
George Martin extended his and the group's streak with this #1 placing. Good for them although, to be honest, it doesn't strike me as #1 material. I'd rather hear Woman Tonight but wouldn't turn this off if it came on.
It's strange. Top 40 radio ran it into the ground back then, i'm still sick of hearing it today, but I don't turn it off when it comes on. I don't know what they put in it, but the song is addictive. And, it brings back great memories of that summer of 1975.
But not just in that; as one book put it, the lyric in the chorus "Will you meet me in the middle / Will you meet me in the air" also had shades of Mr. Harrison. Gerry Beckley's lead vocals were within the range of George's as well, though the "quiet Beatle's" voice had a quite different timbre and quality to that of Mr. Beckley. And don't the opening guitar notes sound reminiscent, in their arrangement, of the opening for Mr. Harrison's "My Sweet Lord"? "Sister Golden Hair's" chart trajectory was such that while all copies were on the "palm trees" label, there were three sub-variants in its active life. First was the version in use since spring 1973: Not long after its release, Warners' changed their rim text to incorporate their address and the (\\`) 'bubble' logo, but the WB shield as seen in the first variant was still in evidence: The third and final variant (with a 'RECORDS' banner over the WB shield) was the one that would be on all Columbia-pressed Warners' product up to a future #1 a few years down the road (but by then they were a label design behind): Natch', I have the first of these.
Not my favorite America song ("Lonely People" is), but close. A well deserved #1. The story goes that when America approached George Martin, he was gunshy about working with them because they had a reputation for taking forever to complete an album (which might also explain their sophomore slump after "A Horse with no Name" and "Ventura Highway"). So when he did agree to work with them but insisted they come to London so he could sleep in his own bed no matter how long it took, they picked up on their rehearsal schedule and came well prepared. It shows, as they do sound a lot tighter here than on the first couple of albums.
I am a fan of America and really love Sister Golden Hair. It's catchy, bouncy and those acoustic guitars sound gorgeous. The slide guitar adds just the right touch of country to make this appealing to the Midwest mindset as well. From what I remember hearing about the song, Beckley was was unsure about the line "will you meet me in the air". IIRC, it was Dewey Bunnell (master of strange lyrics) and George Martin who convinced him that it was a great line. The album that SGH comes from - "Hearts" - is one of their best. It's a bit of a swan song though, even though America would continue to release several more albums, this would be the last really great and consistent one they'd issue.
Always loved America. Don't know if you guys have seen this. It's a pretty spirited version from the Midnight Special, think it was from 1980, after Dan Peek had left the band. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ70IIC-fhs
America was my first favorite group, and constant exposure to SGH in '75 was a large reason for that. It's a great record, sort of a Beatles / Eagles melange with a little doo-wop thrown in. The slide guitar is definitely Hari-inspired. Not only was George Martin behind the boards but so was Geoff Emerick. It's an SHF Bonanza! I'm not ready for the altar but I can't live without you but I'm (one) a poor correspondent and (two) too hard to find. Ah, the glory of love! The line "I got so damn depressed" used to crack my Dad up. From the album Hearts, the 4th of 7 America albums in a row starting with "H". They were second only to Chicago for album titling gimmicks. I've said it before and I'll say it again - that palm trees label is instant nostalgia.
"Sister Golden Hair" is one of those perfect pop singles where the musicianship elevates a well written pop song. The band is razor sharp (Willie Leacox's drumming is the perfect blend of technique and taste here) and the harmonies are impeccable.
I have always liked Sister Golden Hair. Like others, I've heard it a million times. To go back to "Heart of Gold"/"A Horse With No Name" for a minute, I believe I read that Neil Young's father was also fooled and thought "A Horse With No Name" was by his son. He even congratulated Neil. Of course, that was incorrect. Then, not too much later, Young met America (the group) and it was a little frosty.
John Denver - Thank God I'm a Country Boy I like John Denver, but not this one. What I do appreciate is that it's a clean recording, you can hear everything clearly and it's obvious it's 100% live. His voice cracks once or twice. It's authentic. As a song though? Nope, don't like it at all. America - Sister Golden Hair I didn't recall ever hearing this song by name until the slide kicks in and then I think, "oh, it's THIS song!". I had no idea it was by America. I heard it in passing last week and my thought was "another one aping George's guitar style". I get a Jackson Browne vibe from this song, but since I'm not familiar with the order of his releases and songs that sound could've come later in the decade. I guess my point is that as someone who's not terribly familiar with America's tunes outside of the classics from earlier in the decade, this song would be some sort of "not quite" Jackson Browne/George Harrison thing. It's decent song, enjoyable, but it still feels generic to me.
Interesting... my main girlfriend in college was huge into Al Stewart. Time Passages was her favorite. I liked him, too, but I never met a guy who liked him more than she did.
