Dreaming Out of Season

An East St. Louis soul vocal group, the Montclairs recorded some fine heartache ballads in the early '70s that deserved better fates than they got. Kevin Sanlin, Phil Perry, George McLellan, David Frye, and Clifford Williams debuted for Arch in 1969. They moved to Paula in the '70s. None of their singles ever cracked the R&B Top 30 ("Beggin' Is Hard to Do" and "Dreaming out of Season" came close), but such songs as "Prelude to a Heartbreak" and "Make Up for Lost Time" are still fondly remembered. Sanlin and Perry later recorded as a duo.