(Listen to the) Flower People

Album: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
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Songfacts®:

  • "(Listen to the) Flower People" was Spinal Tap's first big hit. It was written by then-bass player Ronnie Pudding, who was later replaced by Derek Smalls.

    Ronnie Pudding was played in the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap by Danny Kortchmar, one of the top session guitarists of the '70s and '80s, and a cowriter on many well-known songs, including "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley and "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne.
  • This song was Tap's attempt to jump on the psychedelic bandwagon, which was big in 1967 when they released it as a single. The band's ill-fated hippie phase didn't last long, and they soon transitioned to heavy metal, releasing classics like "Stonehenge" and "Big Bottom."

Comments: 18

  • Mike R. from TexasMany other sources credit McKean, Guest, Shearer & Reiner for that song. Is Song Facts quoting the movie plot that Ronnie Pudding, played by Danny Kortchmar, is supposed to have written the song, or did musician Danny Kortchmar actually contribute to the song? I'm sure Rob Reiner didn't actually write any of the songs from the movie. It's probably just a legal agreement to credit all the songs from the movie to him because he was a big part of creating the film and the concept, along with McKean, Guest, and Shearer.
  • Ss from Dallas, TxI was at the Isle of Lucy show when Peter “James” Bond spontaneously combusted on stage. At the time, I didn't know if it was part of the show or the drugs that I was on, but they rocked it that night.
  • Dan Gillespy from Courtenay BcA far out trippy hippie rock song that still sounds good nowadays.
  • Charles from Bronxville, NyEmmet-
    Are you sure about that Dylan thing? Pretty cool. I heard that when Richard Nixon had heard the song he decided to:
    1. Meet with Elvis and present him with the Drug Enforcement Badge
    2. Put John Lennon on the White House enemies list.
    These are speculative times, however.
  • Tom from East Lyme, CtOn the original recording, bassist Derek Smalls wasn't reading properly and accidentally said "We Lug You"
  • Richard from Liverpool, EnglandStatus Quo followed closely in Tap's footsteps recording songs and videos for Pictures of Matchstickmen etc before their more ROCKIN career!
  • Jay from Atlanta, GaThe working title for this song was originaly "My Cat Eats Maccarroni".
  • Emmet from St. Paul, MnBob Dylan was recovering from his near-fatal motorcycle accident in the Big Pink in Woodstock, New York when he first heard 'Listen to the Flower People'. By then he had had enough of the Hippie movement and this song sent him over the edge. The first person to see him that day was Rick Danko, bass player for The Band. The guys were heading over to see Bob as they had been doing regularly, piddling around with their instruments (songs which would eventually become The Basement Tapes). Danko saw Bob in an upstairs window pointing a 'large revolver' out the window in his general direction, and dived behind a Hydrangea bush. The first shots ricocheted off Richard Manuel's Chevy, one hitting Garth Hudson in the buttocks.
  • Mischa from Winnipegthis wasnt their first big hit. Their breakthorugh was Gimme some money, if u have seen the movie its the part where they're mocking the beatles
  • Joe from Dublin, Irelandwell, to be fair, wes... nigel is "really influenced by mozart and bach" - his piece (as part of his trilogy in D minor (which he always finds is the saddest of all chords - he doesn't know why but it makes people weep instantly) "lick my love pump" was sort of in between that - sort of like a Mach piece
  • Jay from Atlanta, GaThis song was recorded in Derek Smalls dad's garage. His dad once played sax for Edmundo Ros & His Rumba Band(Chocolate Whiskey& Vanilla Gin: 1948-1949). Evidently he still had a lot of recording equipment laying around and Tap would occassionally experiment with it. If you listen closely about 1:17 minutes into the song you can hear the sound of his father in the background dropping the trash can lid.
  • Mike from Champaign, IlYeah um the movie this is spinal tap is soooooo funny buut most of their songs suck
  • Spencer from Los Angeles, CaBest. Movie. Ever.
  • Joe from Chicago, IlThe album is 'Spinal Tap Sing Listen to the Flower People and Other Favorites' and the year is 1965
  • Wes from Springfield, VaA hilarious send-up of the New Left sentiments of the Sixties Era - "Listen to the Kids." (Why? What's our posterity ever done for us?) I get a kick out of the part "Listen, it's like a Mozart symphony" - and then the band plays a snippet of melody from Eine Kliene Nachtmusik. (You see, technically not a Mozart symphony - would you expect Spinal Tap to know anything about Mozart?)
  • Mark from Barry's Bay, Ontario, CanadaVideo for this is OK, the song itself is not Tap's best. It doesn't hold a candle to classics like "The Sun Never Sweats" and "Cups and Cakes"
  • Laura from Melbourne, AustraliaYes Derek says it best- 'We love you' I envy us, yes me too, yeh me 2...erika and steph know what i'm talkin BOUT
  • Steph from Melbourne, AustraliaWell actually it wasn't their 1st single, that was 'Gimme some money' and the bass player at the time was still Derek Smalls, and the song was released in the movie in 1984...but i guess apart from that the facts were right.
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