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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMcKENZIE, Scott(b 1 October 1944, Arlington VA) Pop singer. Linked with future Mamas and Papas leader John Phillips in the Journeymen '64; when Phillips found success in West Coast folk-rock boom '67 McKenzie junked career as solo balladeer in NYC (on Capitol) to follow him. A single on Epic ('No, No, No, No, No') preceded signing to Lou Adler's hippie-ish Ode label (the logo was a daffodil); the Phillips-composed song 'San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)' included the best of hippie good vibes and drew thousands to SF for the 'summer of love', a 'new generation with a new explanation'. The record was no. 3 USA '67, prod. by Phillips, who also played guitar, with Mama Cass on bells. The dream may have failed but the idealism was approved by the rest of the West: the disc was no. 1 in UK, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, a huge hit in many other countries: total sales over 7m. Profiled by Time magazine, McKenzie had to cope with being appointed spokesman for a generation. His only other single hit was 'Like An Old Time Movie' (no. 24 USA '67). His albums included Voice Of Scott McKenzie '67 and (after a 'retirement') folk-rock Stained Glass Morning '70. |