Blue Élan RecordsAmerica singer/songwriter Gerry Beckley will release a new solo album titled Carousel September 9. The 12-track collection, Beckley’s first studio effort since 2011’s Unfortunate Casino, features mostly original material, along with three cover tunes — Spirit‘s “Nature’s Way,” Gerry Rafferty‘s “To Each and Everyone,” and the 1964 Gerry and The Pacemakers hit “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.”
“With a solo project I’m really a committee of one,” says Beckley, who continues to co-lead America with fellow founding member Dewey Bunnell. “There’s only myself to please. Having said that, it’s not always easy. Each project is a snapshot in time. The material on Carousel came from a wide scope of inspiration.”
Among the original songs on Carousel are “No Way I’m Gonna Lose You,” a tune Gerry co-wrote with Adele collaborator and former Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson, and “Tokyo,” which Beckley penned during a trip to Japan.
Beckley says the three covers on the album are “from my long list of fave songs.” He adds that “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” is a tune he’s been singing “virtually since it came out in the ’60s.”
Beckley hasn’t announced any solo shows in support of Carousel, but he does have a bunch of 2016 concerts lined up with America.
Here’s the Carousel track list:
“Tokyo”
“Nature’s Way”
“Minutes Count”
“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”
“Lifeline”
“Widows Weeds”
“No Way I’m Gonna Lose You”
“Once a Distant Heart”
“To Each and Everyone”
“Fly”
“Serious”
“Carousel”
And here are all of America’s confirmed tour dates, according to VenturaHighway.com:
7/8 — Charleston, SC, Charleston Music Hall
7/9 — Rock Hill, SC, Old Town Amphitheater
7/15 — Hyannis, MA, Cape Cod Melody Tent (with Michael McDonald)
7/16 — Salamanca, NY, Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel
7/17 — Bethel, NY, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/23 — Wantagh, NY, Laidback Festival – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
7/29 — Winnipeg, MB, Canada, Club Regent Casino
7/30 — Calgary, AB, Canada, Deerfront Inn & Casino
8/5 — Reno, NV, Grand Sierra Casino – Hot August Nights
8/7 — San Diego, CA, Humphreys
8/9 — Ventura, CA, Ventura County Fair
8/10 — Napa, CA, Napa Town and Country Fair
8/13 — Warrendale, PA, Jergels Rhythm Grille
8/14 — Whites Creek, TN, Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater
8/15 — Ft. Wayne, IN, Foellinger Theatre
9/1 — Missoula, MT, The Wilma
10/28 — Steelville, MO, Wildwood Springs Lodge (acoustic show)
10/29 — Steelville, MO, Wildwood Springs Lodge (acoustic show)
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
