Children

The song Children, with its duration of 3 minutes and 7 seconds, is part of America's debut album. This record, initially released in January 1972, had a particular history. At first, it did not include the track that would become their biggest hit, A Horse with No Name. This single first saw the light of day in Europe in late 1971. However, when A Horse with No Name exploded as a global hit in January 1972, the album was quickly reissued, adding that song which defined the band's sound for many. The record reached the top of the album charts in the United States, staying there for five weeks. Two singles were released from it that also had great impact: A Horse with No Name, which topped the singles charts for three weeks in 1972, and I Need You, which reached ninth place.

Other songs from the album, such as Sandman and Three Roses, also received considerable airplay on FM radio. The members of America, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek, met while attending the same high school. Although they formed in London in 1970, their origins were American, as their parents served on RAF bases. They shared a taste for acoustic guitars and the influence of Californian folk-rock from bands like The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. The band's name came about almost as a joke, to make their origin clear despite playing in British pubs. The recording of this debut album featured sound engineering by Ken Scott and production by America along with Jeff Dexter and Ian Samwell.