Flowers on the Wall

The Statler Brothers, a country music quartet featuring a vocal approach based on gospel music, enjoyed a huge off-the-wall pop hit in 1966 with "Flowers on the Wall," a classic lonely-guy lament with a sprightly backing and comic lyrics.

(None of them were brothers, and none named 'Statler'; originally known as the Kingsmen, they were forced to change that when "Louie Louie" by Seattle's Kingsmen hit big in 1963. As a result, the vocal quartet named themselves after a brand of facial tissue!)

Because of shrinking playlists and the lack of imagination on the part of radio programmers, you aren't likely to hear the catchy "Flowers on the Wall" these days, even though filmmaker Quentin Tarantino brought the song back several years ago. The version used in Pulp Fiction and generally available now is a stereo cut that is NOT the same performance that buyers heard and purchased on mono 45s back in early '66.

I have noticed that some sixties 45s on the Columbia label--thinking, just off the top of my head, of Simon & Garfunkel and Byrds records--feature totally different performances than the ones heard now on stereo CDs and on the radio.

It's not clear to me why this is the case, but as a historian, it both intrigues me and annoys me that what people heard and purchased in the old days is NOT what you hear now.

Here's the original Statler Brothers 45. If you know the song, listen for variations in the drumming (especially in the chorus) and in the vocal mix. If you're not yet familiar with the song, enjoy its period references and all-around charm!

Peace.