No more flowers in your hair

[callmemadam]

I was sorry to hear this morning that Scott McKenzie has died. Everyone my age knows all the words to his 1960s hit San Francisco. What has surprised me is that all news media are claiming the song as ‘an anthem of the counter culture’. To me it seems totally mainstream, middle of the road, practically easy listening. If you want something really subversive, check out Frank Zappa’s Flower Punk. The song satirises Hey Joe, yes, but also the whole weekend hippy thing Zappa despised so much and which San Francisco typified.

Comments

[trixiebacon.livejournal.com]

I do so agree with you.

I've got to the age now when I see things reported, and think "No, it wasn't like that."

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

Good point well made.

To prove your point, it was the only single my birth father ever bought. He normally only listened to Jim Reeves :-)

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

Read this and had to go and listen to Zappa's version of Happy Together, which always makes me grin insanely. One thing led to another and now I'm listening to the Doors. Oh dear.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes! Especially maddening on TV.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Ha ha! I once knew someone who was listening to Jim Reeves records when he was eighteen.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

FZ actually had the Turtles in his band at one point, didn't he? Hence the song. Strange thing, the Doors have never done anything for me but my daughter is a big fan.

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

Yes, three Turtles, I think. I find I'm not as hooked on the Doors as I used to be...

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

Very sad when I heard that Scott McKenzie had died. It's an iconic song for me, certainly the big hit of the 'flower power' era when I was sweet 16. I can't hear it without it evoking memories of the young Welsh British Railways trainee manager who wooed me when he was a visiting trainee at my office at Derby Midland Station when that song was at #1 in the charts. Now I'm trying to think of his name :)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Aaw! You'll probably suddenly remember his name while you're washing up :-)

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

Griffiths. David I think. After he went back to Wales he wrote and sent me a pretty pink dressing table set (brush, comb and mirror).

[lethe1]

Totally agree with you on Scott McKenzie. Not on the Doors, though :-)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Recently I heard someone say that if Jim Morrison were alive today, he'd be crooning Frank Sinatra standards. I wonder.

[(Anonymous)]

All I know is that it made me ache with a longing I didn't even know what for. I loved, and still love, that song. I was just a bit too young. I would have liked to be there before everything went commercial.