BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — When "A Horse With No Name" first appeared on the radio, everyone believed this was Neil Young singing with rich harmonies provided by David Crosby and Graham Nash.
But this wasn't a new CSN&Y song. This was a trio of singer-songwriters who banded together and took home the 1972 Grammy award for best new artist.
This was the group America.
Fast track over the decades and the last remnants of the trio took the stage at the Xcite Center at Parx Casino on Saturday night, performing songs still played regularly on "Classic Rock" radio six decades later.
"These aren't old songs. This is Classic Rock," said Dewey Bunnell, the longtime leader and writer and voice behind "A Horse With No Name," and some of the band's other hits.
The trio of Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek arrived with their debut album in 1972 that hit the charts with a few hits and several deep cuts.
The group kept climbing the Billboard charts throughout the 1970s and 1980s, drawing the attention of the legendary Beatles Producer George Martin, who took the helm and produced seven albums for the group.
At the Xcite Center, Bunnell started the show with his big hit "Tin Man," where the backing band of longtime bassist Richard Campbell, drummer Ryland Steen, guitarist Bill Worrell, and guitarist/keyboardist Andy Barr perfectly replicated America's signature California sound.
Bunnell went deep into the group's catalog, playing most of America's greatest hits, a few covers, and some songs that showcased the band's talents.
Bunnell said the group started performing cover songs, and offered two during the show: The Mamas and the Papas classic "California Dreamin'" and Young's "Cinnamon Girl."
Barr had Beckley's voice down pat on the ballads "I Need You" and "Daisy Jane," playing keyboard on both songs.
He and Worrell fired off some fiery guitar solos on some of the deep cuts such as "Hollywood," "Ride On," "Old Man Took," "Green Monkey" and minor 1980a hit "The Border."
The band played a healthy dose of its debut album, with the three hits and cuts "Riverside" and "Here."
Beckley is still officially in the band but retired from the road a few years ago. Peek left the band in 1977, converted to Christianity and died in 2011.
Bunnell paid tribute to Peek with two of his songs and a snippet of video showing him singing his big hit. First came "Everyone I Meet Is From California," and then the Top 10 hit "Lonely People." Another Peek hit, "Don't Cross the River" came earlier in the set.
It's those hits that turned into "Classic Rock" chestnuts.
The monster 1980s hit "You Can Do Magic" came right after "Tin Man" and "Ventura Highway" was also early in the set.
The show ended with America's four big songs, the before mentioned "Lonely People," a revved-up version of "Sandman," and the monster Beckley hit "Sister Golden Hair" song strongly by Barr.
The encore was the group's first hit, with Bunnell joking that the band couldn't leave Bensalem without playing "Muskrat Love."
"A Horse With No Name" sent everyone home.
It's the song that put America on the map and the one that still best showcases the master musicianship of this legendary trio that made its mark on "Classic Rock" and still will for years to come.
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