Ambrosia band is a pop-rock band formed in 1970 and recorded their hay day between 1975 and the 80s when they got 5 Grammy nominations, topped the charts, and got a lot of radio time. The band was initially a quartet before later getting more members while some of the original constituents left. Their music cuts across different rock categories.
The Southern California-born quartet musicians were heavily influenced by the music of their time as they witnessed significant style change on their road to success.
Members Of The Ambrosia Band
The original members of the band were:
David Pack- Guitar/ Vocals
Joe Puerta- Bassist/vocals
Christopher North- Keyboardist
Burleigh Drummond- drummer
In 1971 they were discovered by Zubin Mehta, an L. A. Philharmonic conductor who featured them on the American Dream concert, however, it took them four years to release their first album.
over the years, there have been exits by the band members while new members have joined. presently the band has 6 members made up of three original and later additions. The current members are:
Joe Puerta
Christopher North
Burleigh Drummond
Doug Jackson (guitar/vocals)
Mary Harris(keyboards/vocals)
Kipp Lennon( vocals)
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Ambrosia Band Best Songs Of All Time
To date, they have 5 studio albums to their credit, four of which registered their name on the radio and Grammy nominations while the fifth almost spelled their doom as a band.
Of their greatest songs these ones stand out as the Ambrosia signature:
How much I feel
Biggest Part of Me
You are the only woman
Biggest Part of yesterday
Nice nice very nice
Living on my own
Time waits for no one
Holding onto yesterday
Here are Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know About The Ambrosia
1.From Ambergris Might to Ambrosia
The original name of the band was Ambergris might till they discovered another band with the name ambergris when they went on tour.
They adapted the name ambrosia, a more befitting name since it means nectar of the gods.
2.Rebranding Their Music Style
When the Ambrosia band started singing, they were mostly influenced by the spirit of their time led by music from The Beachboys and The Beatles who made use of symphonic rock and slick pop to produce a kind of melodic prog style of music.
However, after attending the performance of King Crimson, a new rock band, their style of music was altered. Music critics have rated five of their albums progressive rock despite the different collaborations they have made in their later years with other artists.
One-Eighty is believed to be the group’s 180-degree turn in music direction as it incorporated a lot of elements.
3.They Grew Up In Southern California
Ambrosia band’s original members all grew up in Southern California before later on adopting San Pedro as their hometown.
4.It Took Ambrosia Many Years To Get Signed
Despite their initial stint, it was not till 1975 before they got signed by 20th Century records. It released two of their albums, the 1975 Ambrosia and Somewhere I’ve Never Travelled in 1976 which they returned with after touring.
The title song ‘Can’t Let A Woman’ became a favorite and earned the album a Grammy nomination, also setting the stage for Warner Records to sign the Band.
5.The Band Broke Up after Poor Performance of Their Album
In 1982, David C. Lewis left the group and was replaced by Bruce Hornby who will later attain his own success. Shortly after, their fifth album Road Island was released with minimal success. the single How Can You Love Me was a minor hit but commercially, the album was a failure.
In the same year, the band disbanded due to the poor performance of the album.
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6.David Pack Left The Ambrosia Band Due To Conflicting Schedule
David Pack was one of the founding members of the Ambrosia band. As a talented guitarist and vocals, along the way, producer, it became difficult for him to maintain a schedule, hence his exit.
7.Members Had Successful Career Outside Ambrosia
Most Ambrosia band members have had solo experience outside the band, David Pack permanently left the band in 2001 after the band’s 30th-anniversary tour in 2000, he went on to pursue a solo career and collaborated with other artists.
Joe Puerta the co-founder of the band has a recording studio where he has produced other music acts. Burleigh Drummond and his wife have a band and sing as a duo on live performances. Doug Jackson has produced two of his albums.
8. There Is A Couple In Ambrosia
Burleigh Drummond and Mary Harris of Ambrosia band are a real-life couple who have been married since 1983. They formed the band, Tin Drums in the ’90s and perform live with Ambrosia. To date, they have three albums credited to the Tin Drums. Their daughter is also following in the line of her parents.
