San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)

Infobox Single
Name = San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)


Artist = Scott McKenzie
from Album =
B-side =
Released = 1967 (United Kingdom)
Format = 7 inch vinyl
Recorded =
Genre = Pop
Length = 3:55
Label = Columbia Records U.K.
Ode Records U.S.
Writer = John Phillips
Producer =
Certification =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =
Misc =

"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" is a song, written by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, and sung by Scott McKenzie. It was released in June 1967 (the Summer of Love), and became a cultural icon of the 1960s counterculture of Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco.

McKenzie's song, penned by Phillips to promote the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, became an instant hit, and became the anthem of the hippie era. The song's lyrics tell the listeners, "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair". Due to the difference between the lyrics and the actual title, the title is often quoted as "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear "Some" Flowers in Your Hair)". "San Francisco" reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., and was number one in the UK and most of Europe. The single is purported to have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The song is credited with bringing thousands of young people to San Francisco, California during the late 1960s.

In Central Europe, young people adopted "San Francisco" as an anthem for freedom, and it was widely played during Czechoslovakia's 1968 Prague Spring uprising against Soviet rule.Fact|date=July 2008

The song has been featured in several films, including "Frantic", "The Rock" and "Forrest Gump".

The song is played in Sunshine Plaza at Disney's California Adventure.

The song references the flower children.

Covers

"San Francisco" was used extensively by Led Zeppelin during live performances of their song "Dazed and Confused", and is featured as such in the concert film, "The Song Remains the Same".

In 2004, the song was remixed several times by the Global Deejays and named "The Sound of San Francisco". It features samples from the original song sung by Scott McKenzie. Most recently it was recorded by a rap trio consisting of San Quinn, Banga and Big Rich, and produced by Traxamillion. The track is called "SF Anthem", and uses samples of the original song for the chorus.

Punk cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, covered it on their album, "Blow in the Wind" [ [http://www.amazon.com/Blow-Wind-First-Gimme-Gimmes/dp/B00005ABRB Amazon.com: Blow in the Wind: Music: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes ] ] .

ee also

*Best-selling singles worldwide
*UK No.1 Hits of 1967
*List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)
*Number 1 Singles in Ireland 1967
*List of songs about California

References

* Guinness Book of British Hit Singles - 19th Edition - ISBN 1-904994-10-5
* The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits - ISBN 0-85112-250-7
* The Book of Golden Discs - 2nd Edition - ISBN 0-214-20512-6