The band America holed up with legendary Beatles producer George Martin in a Colorado winter to record the album Hideaway.
RELATED: March 1975: America Releases "Sister Golden Hair"
Among the tunes they came up with included "Today's the Day," which would serve as the lead single from Hideaway. Released on April 28, 1976, the song would make a solid chart run, peaking at #23 on the Hot 100 for the week of July 10, 1976. The #1 song in America that week: Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight."
The song would have a more impressive run on the Adult Contemporary chart, hitting #1 for two weeks in the summer of 1976.
According to America's Dan Peek, who wrote the tune, "Today's the Day" inadvertently inspired Rod Stewart to write one of his biggest hits. Peek had invited Stewart over to his home studio, where he shared the music America was tinkering with at the time.
"I played 'Today's the Day,' the song I had been working on," he revealed in his book, An American Band: the America Story. Rod said that he liked it, and that it gave him an idea for a song. Of course, after his recording of 'Tonight's the Night' came out, I laughed when I remembered what he'd said. I'm sure I probably smacked my forehead and said: 'Why didn't I think of that?'"
- Log in to post comments
