Leave Them a Flower
1969 single by Ed Ames
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Leave Them a Flower" is a 1969 song written by Wally Whyton. It was most notably performed by Ed Ames, who released it as a single in late 1969. His version reached the US and Canadian adult-oriented charts and received positive-to-mixed reception. The lyrics were noted by critics for preserving nature for future generations. Whyton released his own version a few years later.
| "Leave Them a Flower" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Ed Ames | ||||
| from the album Love of the Common People | ||||
| B-side | "(The) Love of the Common People" | |||
| Released | September 1969 | |||
| Studio | RCA's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor Records | |||
| Songwriter | Wally Whyton | |||
| Producer | Jim Foglesong | |||
| Ed Ames singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and release
American singer Ed Ames enjoyed brief pop success in 1967 and 1968, charting several songs in the top-100 of charts.[3] As sales decreased he switched his style to message songs in 1969 with "Changing, Changing" and the LP A Time for Living, a Time for Hope.[4] In late 1969 Ames would try do repeat the theme with Wally Whyton's "Leave Them a Flower".[5] The song was noted by critics as being a "flower-power ballad".[6] The single was produced by Jim Foglesong, and arranged by Jimmie Haskell on the A-side and by Al Capps on the B-side "(The) Love of the Common People". It became the title track for his subsequent album Love of the Common People, with both tracks included.[5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Record World |   [7] |
| Cashbox | Positive (Pick of the Week)[1] |
The single received a positive critical reception upon its release. Cashbox believed that "Futurism in the '2525' mold but with a vocal power and a traditional folk melody to supply drive behind a more positive comment on tomorrow." They called it a "Very fine side that packs a production impetus which could spark pop explosions."[1] Record World gave the single a four-star rating and said that "This is a super-dramatic production to set off Ed's big big voice, and the message will hit home."[7] They said that it "is sure to add some new fans to his already vast following."[6] Retrospectively, on the other hand, Greg Adams on AllMusic believed that the song "might have gone over well on a television variety show in 1969, but on record it wears thin fast and bears an unfortunate resemblance to the worst of Jim Nabors."[8]
Chart performance
"Leave Them a Flower" became an easy-listening success while missing the pop charts.[3] It entered the Billboard Easy Listening chart in the issue dated October 25, 1969, reaching number 19 during a five-week run on it.[2] It debuted on the Record World Top-Non Rock chart in the issue dated November 1, 1969, peaking at number 16 during a five-week run as well.[9] "Leave Them a Flower" achieved less adult contemporary success in Canada, where it was ranked at number 33 on the RPM Adult Contemporary survey.[10] It was his final top-20 on the American adult-oriented charts.[2]
Charts
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Easy Listening[2] | 19 |
| US Record World Top-Non Rock[9] | 16 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary[10] | 33 |