Let's Go to San Francisco
| "Let's Go to San Francisco" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CD compilation titled after the song | ||||
| Single by The Flower Pot Men | ||||
| A-side | "Let's Go to San Francisco (Part 1)" | |||
| B-side | "Let's Go to San Francisco (Part 2)" | |||
| Released | 4 August 1967 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic pop | |||
| Length | 3:16 (Part 1) 2:40 (Part 2) | |||
| Label | Deram | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Carter and Ken Lewis | |||
| Producer(s) | John Carter and Ken Lewis | |||
| The Flower Pot Men singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Let's Go to San Francisco" is the only UK-charting single by the British pop group The Flower Pot Men. The song was written and produced by John Carter and Ken Lewis, engineered by John Mackswith and released in 1967 on 7" single format.[1] Lead vocals were by Tony Burrows, who later did vocals for groups like Edison Lighthouse, First Class, White Plains, and The Brotherhood of Man. It is regarded as a work of the 1960s California Sound.[2]
Reception[]
The song was a Top 10 hit single in a number of countries. It peaked at No. 12 in New Zealand,[3] No. 9 in Norway,[4] No. 8 in Ireland and No. 4 in the United Kingdom.[5] Carter and Burrows were part of the First Class' single Beach Baby, which utilizes the melody of "Let's Go To San Francisco" at the end.
A light-hearted pastiche of the work of Brian Wilson, the song achieved a similar musical level and has remained popular. The song could be mistaken for a Beach Boys single.[6][7]
Compilation album usage[]
The song has since appeared on many "Best of the 60s" compilation albums since its release, such as the 1997 Polygram TV release The First Summer Of Love: SIXTIES.[8]
In 1987 Dino Music released a cover version of Let’s go to San Francisco by German Pop Group Musicbox. The band produced a video clip for TV release containing several original 60ies cars, typical hippie clothing, and a small airplane. Musicbox was successful in the German, Austrian, and Suisse market with cover versions of so-called "One Hit Wonders". Musicbox - The First Project - A Tribute To The 60th (1987, Vinyl LP & CD) [9]
Italian covers[]
There were two different versions with different texts written in Italian: the most famous was "Inno", performed by the Milanese band Dik Dik. There was also "Trovare un mondo" ("To find a world"), sung by a little-known artist, , and published by , a subsidiary label of RCA Italiana.
References[]
- ^ "The Flower Pot Men* - Let's Go To San Francisco (Parts 1 & 2)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ "The California Sound of the 60's". Allmusic.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "australian-charts.com - The Flower Pot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 206. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Though they were extremely derivative of the then-au courant West Coast sound (especially the post-surf Beach Boys), the group managed to come up with some worthwhile tracks[.]" Michael Ribas, All Music Guide, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ The song has been called a "Pet Sounds-influenced [...] track". Michael Ribas, All Music Guide, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
- ^ "Shazam". Shazam.com. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
- ^ https://otto10.fr/Musicbox/First-Project-Tribute/90979
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- 1967 singles
- Deram Records singles
- Songs written by John Carter (musician)
- Songs written by Ken Lewis (songwriter)
- Songs about San Francisco
- 1967 songs
- California Sound
- Tony Burrows songs
- 1960s pop song stubs