Spring is nearly here, and the grass is almost riz. I wonder where the flowers is? They’ll be breaking through the earth and concrete alike pretty soon, and many songs will serenade them as they do so.

But if you should think it’s all ‘Daisy, Daisy’, ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ or ‘Tulips From Amsterdam’, you may be pleasantly surprised, and find a new floral friend among our bouquet of Springtime foot tappers.

We kick off with a lesser spotted song by this notorious bunch, seen here very much in the Spring of their years…

1. The Rolling Stones – DANDELION 

A sadly late, surely great, and mostly unknown Irish Jazz singer provides us with a splendid seasonal theme song…

2. Ottillie Patterson –  SPRING SONG 

…while these Florida basket cases do a little ‘floral courting’…

3.  The Nightcrawlers – A BASKET OF FLOWERS

Staying in mid ’60s America, the second most overused word of 1967 doubled up as the title to this little Psychedelic gem…

4. Licorice  Schtick – FLOWERS FLOWERS

…though clearly, not everybody enjoyed that years pollen explosion; a splendidly monikered L.A. combo explain why.

5. The Jefferson Handkerchief – I’M ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS 

Here’s something a little more earthy from two fine, singing siblings…

6. Nino Tempo & April Stevens – HONEYSUCKLE ROSE

…and a later, lesser known movie theme, from a multi talented perennial…

7. Doris Day – SEND ME NO FLOWERS

If the original recording of ‘Mon Ami La Rose’  sung in her native tongue, wasn’t sad enough, one of our favourite singers and songwriters somehow ups the melancholy quota in this version ‘en Anglais’. Not a dry eye in the garden.

8. Francoise Hardy – THE ROSE

This ones a real grower (ouch!) Sit back and bask in the inimitable voice of one of America’s most astonishing and underrated chanteuse.

9.  Minnie Ripperton – LES FLEURS

The ever quirky Mr Byrne & Co have an appropriately skewed view of our petalled friends in this 1988 dancer…

10. Talking Heads – (NOTHING BUT) FLOWERS

Here’s a lovely blast of rhythm ‘n’ jangle from 1967. These suburban Chicago boys sure sound like they know how to have fun!

11. The Lemon Drops – I LIVE IN THE SPRINGTIME

And we round off with a real family affair (that’s mum on the distinctive high harmony) and one of our editors favourites. What’s an English springtime without, the rain, the park and other things…

12. The Cowsills – THE RAIN, THE PARK AND OTHER THINGS

Thanks for listening.

Jaybyrd Slim

Listen to this playlist on our Spotify account (Bibelot Magazine) and visit the Nitty Gritty Club Facebook page for up-coming live DJ events!
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