The Wildflower - Baby Dear (1967)

Haigh-Ashbury was one of the biggest music scenes in the 1960s. Starting as a predominately folk sound around 1965, the area was slowly twisted into a haven for psychedelia and hippies. By the time it was being written about in the magazines circa ’67, ’68, and ‘69, some of the local musicians there from the beginning thought that it was getting spoiled. Amongst those there from the beginning was this band, starting like everyone else with a folk noise and graduating into psychedelic rock. Created in 1965, the band was made up of John Jennings (bass), Stephen Ehret (rhythm guitar), Tom Ellis (drums), Teddy Schneider (percussion), and Lee Chandler (guitar). Lee Chandler was replaced by Michael Brown relatively early on when Chandler left to pursue an acting career. The band was good enough to play at the famed Red Dog Saloon through 1966, alternating weekends with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Later in the same year, Tom Ellis left the band and was replaced by Larry Duncan. Teddy Schneider parted ways with the band just before they headed to Canada with The Youngbloods to record some tracks. To the dismay of his bandmates, Michael Brown decided to quit the band and pursue acting. They tried to carry on without him, but when John Jennings was busted for possession of marijuana, he had to quit the band and get a steady job to convince the judge that he shouldn’t be thrown in jail. This ultimately splintered the band, which had yet to have their break out hit.

With words written by poet, lyricist, and friend to the band Michael McClure and the music written by band member Stephen Ehret, this song was generally the song chosen by the band to open their shows. Although the song went uncharted, it was one of the many great songs put out by this band and is still one of their most recognizable songs. With no charted songs to their name, despite some wonderful talent, the band passed into obscurity and became overshadowed by their more successful San Francisco contemporaries.



The Wildflower - Baby Dear (1966)

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Lyrics:

Vision blouse branch honey lip
Down inside that glowing slip
Baby Dear, I love your boots
Lace beam space and turquoise ear
Rainbow neon toes in there
Down inside your leather boots

Baby Dear
(Baby Dear)
And there’s nothing there to fear
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
And there’s nothing there to fear
And there’s nothing there to fear

Vision blouse branch honey lip
Down inside that glowing slip
Baby Dear, I love your boots
Lace beam space and turquoise ear
Rainbow neon toes in there
Down inside your leather boots

Baby Dear
(Baby Dear)
And there’s nothing there to fear
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
And there’s nothing there to fear
And there’s nothing there to fear