The Mike Flowers Pops
Encyclopedia
The Mike Flowers Pops was a British
easy listening
band
fronted by Mike Flowers (real name: Mike Roberts) and supported by the "Sounds Superb Singers" and "Super Stereo Brass". There were either thirteen or fourteen of them on stage at any time. The band is known for lounge music
covers
of both older and contemporary pop music
.
The band became famous in the UK
in 1995 when they released a cover version of Oasis
' hit
song "Wonderwall
". Flowers had been recruited by BBC Radio 1
DJ
Kevin Greening
to cover the 'Hits of 95' for Greening's Saturday show; "Wonderwall" was his first week's project. Chris Evans heard the song and made it 'single of the week' on his Radio 1 breakfast show, telling listeners that this was the original version of the song. The single
, issued by London Records
under the name The Mike Flowers Pops, was released while the Oasis original was still in the UK Singles Chart
, and itself reached the Top 10. Flowers' version peaked at #2 in the Christmas 1995 chart
. The B-side
of the single featured the songs "Son of God" and "Theme From Memory Man".
Following the success of "Wonderwall", The Mike Flowers Pops toured festivals
in Europe
as well as British universities. At the end of 1996 they toured Britain with Gary Glitter
on his last 'Who's in the Gang' tour. They played large venues including Wembley Arena
and Birmingham NEC. Cover versions of The Doors
' "Light My Fire
", and "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina
" also reached the Top 40 of the UK chart.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
fronted by Mike Flowers (real name: Mike Roberts) and supported by the "Sounds Superb Singers" and "Super Stereo Brass". There were either thirteen or fourteen of them on stage at any time. The band is known for lounge music
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of both older and contemporary pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
The band became famous in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1995 when they released a cover version of Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
' hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
song "Wonderwall
Wonderwall (song)
"Wonderwall" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Owen Morris and Gallagher for their second album, Morning Glory?...
". Flowers had been recruited by BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Kevin Greening
Kevin Greening
Kevin Greening was a British radio presenter, who co-hosted the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show with Zoe Ball from 1997 to 1998.-Early career:...
to cover the 'Hits of 95' for Greening's Saturday show; "Wonderwall" was his first week's project. Chris Evans heard the song and made it 'single of the week' on his Radio 1 breakfast show, telling listeners that this was the original version of the song. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, issued by London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
under the name The Mike Flowers Pops, was released while the Oasis original was still in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and itself reached the Top 10. Flowers' version peaked at #2 in the Christmas 1995 chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single featured the songs "Son of God" and "Theme From Memory Man".
Following the success of "Wonderwall", The Mike Flowers Pops toured festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as well as British universities. At the end of 1996 they toured Britain with Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
on his last 'Who's in the Gang' tour. They played large venues including Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
and Birmingham NEC. Cover versions of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' "Light My Fire
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after...
", and "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song from the 1978 musical Evita with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Sung by the title character Eva Perón, it was titled “It's Only Your Lover Returning” before Rice settled on the eventual name...
" also reached the Top 40 of the UK chart.
Albums
- Get Easy! TheFuture Collection Volume 2 (included "MacArthur ParkMacArthur Park (song)"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...
" by The Mike Flowers Pops) - My Unknown Love (single produced and arranged by Mike Flowers. Flowers also plays some keyboard and saxophone)
- A Groovy Place (1996)
- The Freebase Connection: The Mike Flowers Pops meets Aphex Twin
- Collaborations Vol.2 (Included "Freebass" mix of Flowers' "Freebase" by Funki PorciniFunki PorciniFunki Porcini is musician and film maker, James Braddell, from England.His music is a combination of Downtempo, Breakbeat and Jazz with elements of Hip hop, Drum and bass, sampling and time-stretched vocals...
) - The Cocktail Shaker-New Groove Kitsch and Space-Age Pop
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
- Mike Flowers meets Cylob - 1999/Chime Remixes
- Constant Friction - Collaboration2
- The Karminsky Experience Inc - The Power of Suggestion (Flowers contributed a spoken word vocal on "The Wayward Camel")
Singles
- "WonderwallWonderwall (song)"Wonderwall" is a song by English rock band Oasis, written by the band's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The song was produced by Owen Morris and Gallagher for their second album, Morning Glory?...
" (1995) - "Light My FireLight My Fire"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after...
" / "Please Release MeRelease Me (1946 song)"Release Me" is a popular song written by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, and James Pebworth , published in 1946.Miller wrote the song in 1946 but could not get anyone to record it for years, so he recorded it himself in 1953. Shortly afterward it was covered by Jimmy Heap, and with even better success...
" (1996) - "Don't Cry for Me, ArgentinaDon't Cry for Me, Argentina"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song from the 1978 musical Evita with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Sung by the title character Eva Perón, it was titled “It's Only Your Lover Returning” before Rice settled on the eventual name...
" (1996) - "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" (alternative)
- "Talk" (digital single)