Living A Lie / David Cassidy, Gerry Beckley

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Gerry Beckley will be 70 soon, on September 12th. Born in Texas, had an American father, an English mother, he met Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek at high school in London. They formed a band, 'America', and in 1972 when Gerry was just 20 they had two world - wide hits, wrote by Beckley, 'I Need You', and by Dewey Bunnell, 'A Horse With No Name'.

It happened that the second song was the first ever original, western single I had in my hands and listened to. I think it was in 1974.  You can't imagine what it meant for a poor girl from a communist country behind the Iron Curtain. And I fell in love with 'A Horse With No Name'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocLCLMZO6dc

They were friends for a while, David Cassidy and Gerry, Dewey and Dan, DC even once sang with them 'A Horse With No Name' on stage, they invited him during the America's concert in Hawaii. Gerry and Dewey sang on the DC's RCA albums, David did backing vocals on one of the America's record. Gerry produced the DC final RCA album, 'Gettin' It In The Street', but first of all he and David wrote some wonderful songs together. On 'Home Is  Where The Heart Is' there are two amazing tracks wrote by them. 'Take This Heart', and a real masterpiece (co-wrote with Ricky Fataar), 'Half-past Our Bedtime'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7AVFxE3iZo

DC : 'I started writing more songs with Gerry Beckley. and it was really just wild. Every night we'd get to the studio at seven, have some food sent over and stay until four or five in the morning. We'd go home when it was getting light, sleep almost all day, then go back to the studio. It was perfect for me'

Gerry Beckley : 'I really enjoyed writing with David. (..) David is across the board, he's capable of doing lyrics and music. He's a great piano player, a good guitar player, and he's got a great voice'. (David Cassidy : Could It Be Forever ?, 2007)

Together they wrote the title song from the last David Cassidy RCA album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X6JK-ncfrM

And more. 'Cruise To Harlem' (with Brian Wilson's help),  'Love, Love the Lady' and my favourite one, 'Living a Lie'. I wish I knew which one of them had written the lyrics..DC said in 1999 - 'There is a story behind every song I write', and 'living a lie' was a kind of leitmotive of many of his songs.

There is something magical in 'Living a Lie', arrangements, vocals, this song is so perfectly done, stylish (I can't find better word), there is such sadness in it, despair and coming to terms with it. For whatever reason this song always moves me. What a shame David Cassidy and Gerry Beckley didn't write more..their paths diverged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWXx03VFVsY

The pic from the inner sleeve of 'Home Is Where The Heart Is', the recording session photo. Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and David Cassidy.

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