The Flower Pot Men

by Michael RibasThis British group was an outgrowth of mid-60s pop group the Ivy League. Songwriting partners John Carter and Ken Lewis wrote, produced and performed Lets Go to San Francisco and licensed it out to Deram, who had an international hit with it as the Summer of Love was just winding down. The pair released four more singles, including one under the moniker Friends. None were hits and the group dissolved in 1970. 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 that showed a talent for smooth pop in a variety of modes (folkish, progressive, psychedelic, etc.) albeit with little rock backbone.