Sounds Of 1967

Is it really half a century ago? We take a nostalgic musical trip back to the carefree Summer of Love…

- Sally Rodger

It’s 50 years since the so-called Summer of Love, when there was a sense of optimism and young people dreamed of a world where peace would conquer war, where protesting would bring about real change and where art and music would banish greed and selfishness.

Thousands travelled to join a community of like-minded people in San Francisco (turn over to see what was going on there) but here in the UK, we felt the waves of flower power rippling through our lives.

Those of us listening to Radio Luxembourg on our transistors on a Sunday evening to hear the charts would be treated to Procul Harum singing Whiter Shade of Pale, The Move’s rendition of Flowers In The Rain and Traffic focusing on a Hole In My Shoe.

But the charts weren’t all about hippy influences. You only need to look at the bestselling songs of the year to realise there was a huge appetite for ballads in the UK.