Ambrosia, the classic west coast band…
Los Angeles quartet Ambrosia, whose founding members included guitarist/vocalist David Pack, bassist/vocalist Joe Puerta, keyboardist Christopher North, and drummer Burleigh Drummond, fused symphonic art rock with a slickly produced pop sound.
The group was discovered in 1971 by Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Zubin Mehta, who featured Ambrosia as part of a so-called All-American Dream Concert. However, it took them four more years to get a record contract; Ambrosia was released in 1975 and spawned the chart singles “Holdin’ on to Yesterday” and “Nice, Nice, Very Nice.” The latter was based on Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s Cat’s Cradle. Ambrosia scored another hit in 1977 with a cover of the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” from the film All This and World War II, which they also appeared in.
North left the group just before their biggest pop breakthrough in 1978 with the number three hit “How Much I Feel.” Ambrosia followed this success in 1980 with another number three hit, “Biggest Part of Me,” and the number 13 follow-up “You’re the Only Woman.” Their next album failed, ending their run of chart success, and the group broke up; individual members are still active as session musicians and vocalists, as well as producers.
In 1997 the group got together again and released the “Anthology” album. Since then they have toured a lot.
Discography
Live... 5th Floor Cincinnati
Echoes Records 2017
Tracks: Life Beyond LA, If Heaven Could Find Me, Not As You Were, How Much I Feel, And... Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled, Nice Nice Very Nice, The Brunt, The Brunt (Conclusion), Band Introductions, Holdin´On To Yesterday, Can´t Let A Woman & I Wanna Know.
Musicians on the Live... 5th Floor Cincinnati album: David Pack, Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, David Cutler-Lewis & Chris North.
Life Beyond L.A.
Friday Music 2013
Tracks: CD1: Life Beyond L.A., Art Beware, Apothecary, If Heaven Could Find Me, How Much I Feel, Dancin' By Myself, Angola, Heart To Heart, Not As You Were & Ready For Camarillo. CD2: The Warner Bros Music Show Live In Cincinnati Ohio 1978: Life Beyond L.a. If Heaven Could Find Me, Not As You Were, How Much I Feel, Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled, Nice Nice Very Nice, The Brunt, Holdin´On To Yesterday, Can´t Let A Woman & I Wanna Know.
Musicians on the Life Beyound L.A. album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, Joe Sample, David Cutler Lewis, Cliff Woolley, Marty Krystall & Daniel Kobialka.
Ambrosia/Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled
Friday Music 2013
Tracks: CD1: Nice Nice Very Nice, Time Waits For No One, Holdin On To Testerday, World Leave Me Alone, Make Us All Aware, Lover Arrive, Mama Frog & Drink Of Water. CD2: And..., Somewhere I've Never Traveled, Cowboy Star, Runnin' Away, Harvey, I Wanna Know, The Brunt, Danse With Me George (Chopin's Plea), Can't Let A Woman & We Need You Too.
Musicians on the Ambrosia album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, James Newton-Howard, Chuck Girard, Fletch Wiley, Daniel Kobialka, Freddie Piro, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Jim West, Michael Granger, Keith Johnson, Splash Price & Andy Toth.
The Biggest Part Of Me - Greatest Hits
Fuel Records 2010
Tracks: Biggest Part of Me, Nice Nice Very Nice, Holdin' on to Yesterday, You're the Only Woman (You & I), Time Waits for No One, Drink of Water, Magical Mystery Tour, How Much I Feel, Mama Don't Understand, And...Somewhere I've Never Traveled, Livin' on My Own, In My Life & Harvey.
Musicians on the The Biggest Part Of Me - Greatest Hits album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, Shem, Tollak Ollestad & Doug Jackson.
Standing Room Only
Sony BMG 2007
Tracks: Nice Nice Nice, Livin´On My Own, You´re The Only Woman, And...Somewhere I´ve Never Traveled, Time Waits For No One, How Much I Feel, Magical Mystery Tour, Drink Of Water, Holdin´On To Yesterday & Biggest Part Of Me.
Musicians on the Standing Room Only album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, Shem, Tollak Ollestad & Doug Jackson.
Essentials
Warner Bros, Philippines 2005
Tracks are: Biggest Part Of Me, You´re The Only Woman, How Much I Feel, I Just Can´t Let Go, That Girl Is Gone, The Key To You, Mama Don´t Understand, Life Beyound L.A. Livin´On My Own, Holdin´On To Yesterday, Nice Nice Nice, Angola, Time Waits For No One, Heart To Heart, And...Somewhere I´ve Never Traveled, Still Not Satisfied & Cowboy Star.
Musicians on the Essentials album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, David Pack and others.
Road Island
Wounded Bird Records 2005
Tracks: For Openers (Welcome Home), Still Not Satisfied, Kid No More, Feelin' Alive Again, How Can You Love Me, Fool Like Me, Ice Age & Endings.
Musicians on the Road Island album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, David Cutter Lewis, Royce Jones, James Guthrie & Jim Horn.
How Much I Feel
Warner Bros 2003
Tracks: How Much I Feel, How Can You Love Me, Livin' On My Own, Heart To Heart, Sky Is Falling, You're The Only Woman (You & I), I Just Can't Let Go, Angola, Mama Don't Understand & Holdin' On To Yesterday.
Musicians on the How Much I Feel album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, David Pack and others.
How Much I Feel And Other Hits
Muze Inc. 2003
Tracks: How Much I Feel, How Can You Love Me, Livin' On My Own, Heart To Heart, Sky Is Falling, You're The Only Woman (You & I), I Just Can't Let Go, Angola, Mama Don't Understand & Holdin' On To Yesterday.
Musicians on the How Much I Feel And Other Hits album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, David Pack and others.
The Essentials
Warner Bros 2002
Tracks: Nice Nice, Very Nice, Holdin' On To Yesterday, And... Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled, How Much I Feel, Biggest Part Of Me, You´re The Only Woman (You & I), How Can You Love Me, Life Beyound L.A., For Openers (Welcome Home), Cryin´In The Rain, Time Waits For No One & We Need You.
Musicians on the The Essentials Ambrosia album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, David Pack and others.
Live At The Galaxy
Coach House Records 2002
Tracks: Nice, Nice Very Nice, Livin' On My Own, You're The Only Woman, Mama Don't Understand, Somewhere I've Never Traveled, In My Life, Time Waits For No One, How Much I Feel, Magical Mystery Tour, Drink Of Water, Holdin' On To Yesterday & Biggest Part Of Me.
Musicians on the Live At The Galaxy album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, Shem Schneck, Tollak Ollestad & Doug Jackson.
Anthology
Warner Bros 1997
Tracks: Mama Don't Understand, Biggest Part Of Me, You´re The Only Woman, Nice Nice Very Nice, Life Beyond L.A., Livin' On My Own, Holdin' On To Yesterday, Angola, How Much I Feel, Time Waits For No One, I Just Can't Let Go, Heart To Heart, And ... Somewhere I've Never, Sky Is Falling, Still Not Satisfied & Cowboy Star (Edit).
Musicians on the Anthology album: David Pack, Joe Puerta, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, Shem Schneck, Tollack Ollstead, David Culter Lewis, Royce Jones, Oliver Leiber, Sean LaBelle, Everett Harp, James Newton Howard, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Collen Ford & Daniel Kobialka.
Road Island
Warner Bros 1982
Tracks: For Openers (Welcome Home), Still Not Satisfied, Kid No More, Feelin' Alive Again, How Can You Love Me, Fool Like Me, Ice Age & Endings.
Musicians on the Road Island album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, David Cutter Lewis, Royce Jones, James Guthrie & Jim Horn.
One Eighty
Warner Bros 1980
Tracks: Ready, Shape I'm In, Kamikaze, Rise Up, I'm Gonna Tell Her Tonight, Put Away Your Love, You're The Only Woman, Rock N'A Hard Place, Livin' On My Own, Cryin' In The Rain, No Big Deal & Biggest Part Of Me.
Musicians on the One Eighty album: Joe Puerta, Burleigh Drummond, David Pack, Christopher North, Royce Jones, Dave Lewis, Daniel Kobialka, Ernie Watts & David Cutler-Lewis.
Life Beyond L.A.
Warner Bros 1978
Tracks: Life Beyond L.A., Art Beware, Apothecary, If Heaven Could Find Me, How Much I Feel, Dancin' By Myself, Angola, Heart To Heart, Not As You Were & Ready For Camarillo.
Musicians on the Life Beyound L.A. album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Burleigh Drummond, Christopher North, Joe Sample, David Cutler Lewis, Cliff Woolley, Marty Krystall & Daniel Kobialka.
Ambrosia
WEA Records 1978
Tracks: Nice Nice Very Nice, Time Waits For No One, Holdin On To Testerday, World Leave Me Alone, Make Us All Aware, Lover Arrive, Mama Frog & Drink Of Water.
Musicians on the Ambrosia album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, James Newton-Howard, Chuck Girard, Fletch Wiley, Daniel Kobialka, Freddie Piro, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Jim West, Michael Granger, Keith Johnson, Splash Price & Andy Toth.
Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled
20th Century Fox 1976
Tracks: And..., Somewhere I've Never Traveled, Cowboy Star, Runnin' Away, Harvey, I Wanna Know, The Brunt, Danse With Me George (Chopin's Plea), Can't Let A Woman & We Need You Too.
Musicians on the Somewhere I´ve Never Traveled album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, Ian Underwood & Ruth Underwood.
Ambrosia
Tracks: Nice Nice Very Nice, Time Waits For No One, Holdin On To Testerday, World Leave Me Alone, Make Us All Aware, Lover Arrive, Mama Frog & Drink Of Water.
Musicians on the Ambrosia album: Joe Puerta, David Pack, Christopher North, Burleigh Drummond, James Newton-Howard, Chuck Girard, Fletch Wiley, Daniel Kobialka, Freddie Piro, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Jim West, Michael Granger, Keith Johnson, Splash Price & Andy Toth.20th Century Fox 1975