"Daisy Jane" is a song written by

Gerry Beckley Gerald Linford Beckley (born September 12, 1952), better known as Gerry Beckley, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, and a founding member of the band America. Early life Beckley was born to an American father and an English mothe ...

of the group

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

included on the 1975 America album '' Hearts''. Issued as that album's second single — following up the #1 hit "

Sister Golden Hair "Sister Golden Hair" is a song by the band America from their fifth album '' Hearts'' (1975), written by Gerry Beckley. It was their second single to reach number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, remaining in the top position for one week. ...

" — "Daisy Jane" reached #20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the final Top 20 hit by the original three-member incarnation of America. On the Easy Listening chart the track reached #4. In Canada the chart peak of "Daisy Jane" was #16 on the Pop singles chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song's narrator indicates he's flying back to Memphis in hopes of reconnecting with the girl he left behind "to roam the city". Beckley, who wrote the song at his cottage in East Sussex, has stated: "There was no such person as Daisy Jane and I had never even been to Memphis": Beckley believes that he likely drew the idea of writing a song entitled "Daisy Jane" from the

Nick Drake Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter known for his acoustic guitar-based songs. He did not find a wide audience during his lifetime, but his work gradually achieved wider notice and recognit ...

song "Hazey Jane". '' Cash Box'' called it "a tender rock ballad with

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the B ...

’s brilliant piano and string work in abundant evidence." The song features a solo cello. Producer George Martin played the piano on the song. A Finnish rendering which retains the title "Daisy Jane" was recorded by Reijo Karvonen for his 1975 album ''Tulossa''. The

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

track " Let's Wait Awhile" from her 1986 album '' Control'' has been described as "bear ngstriking similarities" to "Daisy Jane". Reportedly on hearing "Let's Wait Awhile" on a car radio in 1987 - the track then being a current single - the road manager for the group America pulled over at a phone booth to alert Gerry Beckley to the evident debt of Jackson's track to Beckley's composition: eventually Beckley reached an out-of-court settlement with Jackson and her co-writers

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

thus preempting litigation for

plagiarism Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and though ...

. (The 2001 Janet Jackson album '' All for You'' featured the track " Someone to Call My Lover" which overtly sampled the America hit "

Ventura Highway "Ventura Highway" is a 1972 song by the band America from their album ''Homecoming'', written by Dewey Bunnell. Background Dewey Bunnell, the song's vocalist and writer, has said that the lyric "alligator lizards in the air" in the song is a re ...

" whose composer

Dewey Bunnell Lee Merton "Dewey" Bunnell (born 19 January 1952) is a British-American musician, singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as a member of the folk rock band America. Biography Bunnell was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, to an Americ ...

received a co-write credit for Jackson's song.)

Chart performance

References

External links

* 1975 songs 1975 singles America (band) songs Songs written by Gerry Beckley Warner Records singles Songs about Memphis, Tennessee Song recordings produced by George Martin {{1970s-rock-song-stub