December's Children

From Cleveland, Ohio and based around the Balzer brothers. The above album, which was recorded in Miami, is not outstanding. The band's sound was characterised by the vocal harmonies of Craig Balzer, Petti and Popovic and some competent guitar work. Living (Way Too Fast), which captures Alice Popovic's vocals at their most poignant, and the opener Trilogy, which displays the band's harmonies to best effect are arguably the best tracks. Bruce Balzer later played with Ambleside (also spelt Amblesyde, after a street on which the band rented a house), whilst both brothers played in Circus, an early seventies power pop band who had an album on Metromedia, and Windfall. They later went on to form a band called 747 which was signed to Planet Records in late 79 and had it's named changed to American Noise due to some protests from Boeing or the record company. American Noise's eponymous album (Planet P-8) 1980 topped the Charts in Cleveland and few other areas. Craig and Bruce Balzer are now both married and run a specialty advertising firm out of Greater Cleveland, Ohio, USA. There was also another band of this name from Chicago, which recorded 45s for Twin, Capitol, Liberty and three for World Pacific. Backwards And Forewards / Kissin' Time (World Pacific 77887) actually made No 123 in the charts in 1968, but this was a different outfit so far as we know, whose style was brash brassy pop with harmonies. This 45 was produced, arranged and written by Ray Whitley. Another December's Children, likely Californian, released a 45 (Somethin' Fresh/Mitch's High produced by Jerry Riopell), on Corio later leased to Columbia - fresh faced pop a la Monkees with good fuzz. Another D.C. 45 exists on the Balance label. If you can work out which one is which, well done!