Caftans, the ringing of Indian bells, colorful beads adorning the neck and arms, flowers stuck in gun barrels, love-ins, LSD and a completely new language. That was the scenario associated with Scott McKenzie . His aura spread total love and total peace. "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" - the full title - was the anthem of the summer of 1967. But like the flowers he sang about, his fame faded as quickly as a summer blossom.
Flowers were plentiful and drugs were plentiful, especially the so-called revolutionary LSD. The hallucinatory experiences it produced made musicians reach for the unattainable in music. And by the end of the summer, the whole world seemed convinced that love was the answer to all problems. In this setting, it was easy for "San Francisco" to succeed, as it reflected the hippie culture of the American dream. And with the lyrics, Scott invited people to visit the city of San Francisco and share in the spirit of this new society. Crowds answered his call!
BRAVO 46 from 1967 fuels the image of Scott McKenzie : "He is a hippie. A person who doesn't force anyone to do anything and doesn't want to be forced to do anything himself. A person who loves peace and people. A person who responds to brutality with flowers and to flowers with a song."
Scott McKenzie and John Phillips had known each other since their time together in the folk group The Journeymen. When they split up, John formed the Mamas & Papas . But he hadn't forgotten his old friend Scott. He wrote the song specifically for him. "San Francisco" (chart entry August 21, 1967) stayed in the BRAVO Musicbox for 27 weeks, seven of which were at number one. After that, Scott McKenzie was never seen again in the BRAVO reader charts, despite two follow-up singles.
In 2012, Scott McKenzie died at the age of 73 from the effects of a neurological disease.