{{Infobox song | name = Leave Them a Flower | cover = File:Leave Them a Flower Single by Ed Ames.png | caption = | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Ed Ames]] | album = [[Love of the Common People (Ed Ames album)|Love of the Common People]] | B-side = [[Love of the Common People|(The) Love of the Common People]] | released = September 1969 | recorded = | studio = RCA's Music Center of the World, [[Hollywood, California]] | venue = | genre = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]<ref name="Cashbox Review" />|[[easy listening]]<ref name="EasyListening" />}} | length = 2:55 | label = [[RCA Victor Records]] | writer = [[Wally Whyton]] | producer = [[Jim Foglesong]] | prev_title = [[Think Summer]] | prev_year = 1969 | next_title = [[A Thing Called Love (song)|A Thing Called Love]] | next_year = 1969 }}
"'''Leave Them a Flower'''" is a 1969 song written by [[Wally Whyton]]. It was most notably performed by [[Ed Ames]], who released it as a single in late 1969. His version reached the US and Canadian adult-oriented charts and received positive-to-mixed reception. The lyrics were noted by critics for preserving nature for future generations. Whyton released his own version a few years later.
== Background and release == American singer [[Ed Ames]] enjoyed brief pop success in 1967 and 1968, charting several songs in the top-100 of charts.<ref name="CashboxCharts2" /> As sales decreased he switched his style to message songs in 1969 with "[[Changing, Changing]]" and the LP ''[[A Time for Living, a Time for Hope]]''.<ref name="Billboard Review">{{cite magazine |title=Album Reviews: A Billboard Pick |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=February 22, 1969 |page=51 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1969/Billboard%201969-02-22-OCR-Page-0051.pdf#search=%22a%20time%20for%20living%20a%20time%20for%20hope%20ed%20ames%22 |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref> In late 1969 Ames would try do repeat the theme with [[Wally Whyton]]'s "Leave Them a Flower".<ref name="Liner Notes" /> The song was noted by critics as being a "flower-power [[ballad]]".<ref name="Record World Review2">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/Record-World-1969-11-01.pdf |title=Record World Singles Reviews: "Four Stars" (Second Review of "Leave Them a Flower") |magazine=[[Record World]] |volume=24 |issue=1168 |page=8 |date=November 1, 1969 |access-date=May 19, 2026 |via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> The single was produced by [[Jim Foglesong]], and arranged by [[Jimmie Haskell]] on the [[A-side]] and by [[Al Capps]] on the [[B-side]] "[[Love of the Common People|(The) Love of the Common People]]". It became the title track for his subsequent album ''[[Love of the Common People (Ed Ames album)|Love of the Common People]]'', with both tracks included.<ref name="Liner Notes">{{cite journal |last1=Ames |first1=Ed |title="Leave Them a Flower"/"[[Love of the Common People|(The) Love of the Common People]]" (7" single Information) |journal=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] |date=September 1969 |id=74-02536}}</ref>
== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = ''[[Record World]]'' | rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Record World Review" /> | rev2 = [[Cashbox (magazine)|''Cashbox'']] | rev2Score = ''Positive'' (Pick of the Week)<ref name="Cashbox Review" /> }}
The single received a positive critical reception upon its release. ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' believed that "Futurism in the '[[2525]]' mold but with a vocal power and a traditional folk melody to supply drive behind a more positive comment on tomorrow." They called it a "Very fine side that packs a production impetus which could spark pop explosions."<ref name="Cashbox Review">{{Cite magazine |last= Albert |first= George |date=October 4, 1969 |title=Record Reviews: ''Picks of the Week'' |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/60s/1969/CB-1969-10-04-OCR-Page-0020.pdf#search=%22ed%20ames%20leave%20them%20a%20flower%22 |magazine=[[Cash Box|Cashbox]] |issue=40 |volume=XXX |page=26 |access-date=May 19, 2026 |via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' gave the single a four-star rating and said that "This is a super-dramatic production to set off Ed's big big voice, and the message will hit home."<ref name="Record World Review">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/RW-1969-10-04.pdf |title=Record World Singles Reviews: "Four Stars" |magazine=[[Record World]] |volume=24 |issue=1164 |page=6 |date=October 4, 1969 |access-date=May 19, 2026 |via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> They said that it "is sure to add some new fans to his already vast following."<ref name="Record World Review2" /> Retrospectively, on the other hand, Greg Adams on [[AllMusic]] believed that the song "might have gone over well on a television variety show in 1969, but on record it wears thin fast and bears an unfortunate resemblance to the worst of [[Jim Nabors]]."<ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Greg |title=Ed Ames - Love of the Common People - Reviews and information |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-of-the-common-people-mw0000975297 |access-date=May 19, 2026 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>
== Chart performance == [[File:Leave Them a Flower by Ed Ames RCA trade ad.jpg|thumb|right|Trade ad made by [[RCA Records]] for the single.|268x268px]] "Leave Them a Flower" became an easy-listening success while missing the [[Billboard Hot 100|pop charts]].<ref name="CashboxCharts2">{{Cite book |last=Downey |first=Pat |url=https://archive.org/details/cashboxpopsingle00down/page/6/mode/2up |title=Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993 |date=1994 |publisher=Libraries Unlimited |isbn=1-56308-316-7 |location=Englewood, Colo. |pages=6 |url-access=registration |access-date=May 14, 2026}}</ref> It entered the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening]] chart in the issue dated October 25, 1969, reaching number 19 during a five-week run on it.<ref name="EasyListening">{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnpres0000whit/page/10/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006 |date=2007 |publisher=Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. |isbn=978-0-89820-169-7 |pages=10 |url-access=registration |access-date=May 19, 2026}}</ref> It debuted on the ''[[Record World]]'' Top-Non Rock chart in the issue dated November 1, 1969, peaking at number 16 during a five-week run as well.<ref name="Record World Chart">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/RW-1969-11-15.pdf |title=Record World Singles Chart: Top Non-Rock |magazine=[[Record World]] |volume=24 |issue=1170 |page=14|date=November 15, 1969 |access-date=May 19, 2026 |via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> "Leave Them a Flower" achieved less adult contemporary success in Canada, where it was ranked at number 33 on the [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' Adult Contemporary survey]].<ref name="canada">{{cite web|title=Searched: Ed Ames on the RPM charts |url=https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Result?q_type_1=q&q_1=Ed%20ames&DataSource=Library%7CRPM&DataSourceSel=Library&ST=SAD&&tag=101149& |website=[[Library and Archives Canada]] |access-date=May 19, 2026}}</ref> It was his final top-20 on the American adult-oriented charts.<ref name="EasyListening" />
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- |+Chart performance for "Leave Them a Flower" by Ames |- ! Chart (1969) ! Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row" | US [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|''Billboard'' Easy Listening]]<ref name="EasyListening" /> | style="text-align:center;"|19 |- ! scope="row" | US [[Record World|''Record World'' Top-Non Rock]]<ref name="Record World Chart" /> | style="text-align:center;"|16 |- ! scope="row" | Canadian [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' Adult Contemporary]]<ref name="canada" /> | style="text-align:center;"|33 |- |} ==References== {{reflist}}
{{Ed Ames}}
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[[Category:1969 songs]] [[Category:1969 singles]] [[Category:Ed Ames songs]] [[Category:RCA Victor singles]]