14 September 1967
Be sure to wear some product in your hair, I sing to myself every morning as I go about my grooming routine. (No need for me here to go into my mnemonics for moisturising or other daily ablutions.) And they said the ’60s counter-culture wouldn’t change the world.
That this slice of hippie-ana and ‘All You Need Is Love’ both topped the charts in square, provincial Ireland—and around the world—tells you how bland and anodyne they are. ‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)’, written by John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, has a sunny folk-rock melody and breezy West Coast vibe. Unfortunately, it also has a watery singer, plus a wishy-washy middle section which shows up the chorus as its only load-bearing part. Cut that hair!
