This week the spotlight is on “Wildflower,” the 1973 hit by David Foster’s early band, Skylark. That sumptuous ballad was the Hitman’s first bite of success on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“Wildflower” was co-written by Skylark’s guitarist, the late, Doug Edwards who passed away just a few days ago, with David Richardson, a friend of Foster’s who wrote a poem that married to Edwards’ inspired music and eventually became the lyrics of that evergreen.

The result of their work was enhanced by a killer arrangement by Foster. “Wildflower” climbed the charts in North America to the Top Ten, selling over a million copies. This gorgeous love song was the reason Foster, his then-wife B.J. Cook and Skylark went to Los Angeles by scoring a contract with Capitol Records. The rest, as they say, was history. Oddly enough, Foster didn’t play a single keyboard note on the song. “Wildflower” was the only track on the whole Skylark album without Foster’s masterful touch on the ivories. He was quoted saying the mood felt better without keyboards on it. The song was based on Edward’s gorgeous guitar wisely blended with a harp, a dramatic orchestral backup and exquisite vocals by Donny Gerrard. Sonically, the final result can be considered a forerunner of those hit power ballads that Foster scored throughout the eighties and the nineties. Foster, remembering Edwards, said that “there was no instrument he couldn’t play, no chord he couldn’t access with ease, no musician he couldn’t make immediately comfortable and sound better than they were, no musical situation around the globe that he didn’t belong in – a true world-class talent before we even knew what that meant.” Foster also said about “Wildflower:” “I don’t know where my career would be today if I couldn’t have hung my hat on that first hit that I was associated with because of Doug, Dave Richardson and B.J. Cook, who got us our record deal. It certainly sped up the process of where I was trying to get to.”

“Wildflower” was covered many times by artists including Johnny Mathis, The O’Jays, Marlena Shaw and Hank Crawford. In 1993, Foster even produced a cover of the song for R&B group Color Me Badd for their Time and Chance cd. You can listen and read about that interesting cover by clicking here.

Listen

Lead Vocals: Donny Gerrard
Backing Vocals: B.J. Cook
Electric Guitars: Doug Edwards
Bass: Steve Pugsley
Drums: Duris Maxwell

Strings Arrangement by David Foster
Produced by Eirik Wangberg
Production Assistant: David Foster

Lyrics

She’s faced the hardest times
you could imagine
and many times her eyes
fought back the tears
and when her youthful world
was about to fall in
each time her slender shoulders
bore the weight of all her fears
and a sorrow no one hears
still rings in midnight silence
in her ears

Chorus:
Let her cry
for she’s a lady
let her dream
for she’s a child
let the rain fall down upon her
she’s a free and gentle flower
growing wild

And if by chance that I
should hold her
let me hold her
for a time
that if allowed but one possession
I would pick her from the garden
to be mine

Be careful how you touch her
for she’ll awaken
and sleep’s the only freedom
that she knows
and when you walk into her eyes
you won’t believe
the way she’s always paying
for a debt she never owes
and a silent wind still blows
that only she can hear
and so she goes

Chorus (repeat)

In 1972, the Canadian pop/rock group Skylark introduced David Foster’s talents to the world. After the massive success of their 1973 hit “Wildflower,” Skylark went back into the studio to work on their sophomore release. Produced again by Eirik Wangberg, the new recording saw the group down to only three members – Foster, his then-wife Bonnie Jean (B.J.) Cook and singer Donny Gerrard. “Skylark 2” was released in 1974 and oddly enough, the new album again included their “Wildflower” hit ballad, maybe to cash in some more on its huge potential. “Skylark 2” was a good soft/rock collection with touches of soul, country and Latin rock.

It incorporated interesting material like the Brenda Russell song “You Remind Me Of A Friend” which later became a hit for Rufus & Chaka Khan under the title “Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend).” That song showcased the vocal talents of Cook and Gerrard, but it also showed Foster’s blooming talent as an instrumentalist and arranger. Other good moments of the album are the rocking mid-tempo “It’s A Wonder” and Foster’s instrumental tour-de-force “Foster Frees.” This song was eventually reworked with Foster’s second band Attitudes on their second album “Good News.” Co-written by Roger Nichols and John Bettis, “Love’s River Flowing” was a love song that follows in the footsteps of “Wildflower” and anticipates what Foster will become famous for – crafting romantic music. “Skylark 2” brought another minor hit on the charts, the mellow r&b tune, “If That’s The Way You Want It” that reached #55 on the 1974 R&B charts.

Co-written by hit-makers Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter, it’s another highlight of the album that showcases smooth vocals and refined, Latin-tinged instrumental back-up that echoes Santana. “If That’s The Way You Wanted” was also covered by several r&b acts including Tavares, Hot and Chuck Jackson. After “Skylark 2,” the group disbanded and Gerrard would go on to a good singing career. Foster became an in-demand session player and was eventually one of the most successful music-makers in history. While still married to Foster, B.J. Cook co-wrote material with legends like Michael McDonald, Bill Champlin and Jay Graydon. One of her best compositions was “Let Me Go, Love,” a ballad she co-wrote with McDonald for Nicolette Larson. “Let Me Go, Love” became a Top 40 hit and was in the top ten on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Listen

Lead Vocals: Donny Gerrard
Keyboards: David Foster
Percussion: Carl Graves
Guitar: Allan Mix
Bass: Steve Pugsley
Organ: Robbie King
Drums: Duris Maxwell & Brian Hilton
Congas: Bobby Torres
Background Vocals: Donny Gerrard, B.J. Cook, Bobby Taylor & Carl Graves

Background Vocals Arrangements by Donny Gerrard
Arrangements & Production Coordination by David Foster
Produced by Eirik Wangberg

Lyrics

No Lyrics

written by David Foster, Donny Gerrard & Linda Patterson

Skylark was a pop/rock group originally from Canada’s British Columbia. In the early seventies they got a record deal with Capitol Records and moved to California to work on their debut album.

Members of the band included guitar player Doug Edwards, bassist Steve Pugsley, David Foster on various keyboards plus two talented singers, B. J. Cook, who was Foster’s then-wife, and Donny Gerrard. Their self-titled record was released in 1972 and one of its three singles, a wonderful ballad entitled “Wildflower,” skyrocketed to the top of the charts in both Canada and the US . It went to #1 in their homeland while it reached the top ten on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was also a top 5 Adult Contemporary hit. “Wildflower” was co-written by band member Edwards with Dave Richardson, a policeman friend from Victoria. Through the years, “Wildflower” has been covered by a multitude of singers like Johnny Mathis, The O’Jays, Color Me Badd and Blake Shelton under Foster’s production.

“Skylark” is a nice collection of songs that touches many genres from the bluesy opener, “Brother Eddie” to the breezy up-tempo “What Would I Do Without You” that was the first single off the album. Both songs feature Gerrard’s and Cook’s powerful, intense voices. Cook’s vocals reminds the listener of Bonnie Raitt in style and delivery. There are also moments that echo The Carpenters’ hits of those years like the evocative, “I’ll Have To Go Away.” “The Writing’s On The Wall” is a solid R&B number while “Twenty-Six Years,” co-written by Foster and Gerrard with Linda Patterson, is an interesting pop/rock number with very good guitar and keyboard solos. Listening to the album, Foster’s talent as arranger and keyboardist is pretty evident. The orchestral instrumental “Suites For My Lady” and the progressive sounds of “Virgin Green” mark Foster’s exceptional talent. “Virgin Green” was originally a single’s b-side and was included in the CD reissue of “Skylark” as a bonus track.

Skylark will record another good album entitled “2” in 1974 before going their separate ways. Although it was the end of the band, it marked the beginning of the legendary career of David Foster as a music maker.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/archives/clips/twenty_six_years.mp3|titles=Twenty-Six Years|artists=Skylark]

Lead Vocals: Donny Gerrard
Background Vocals & Percussion: B. J. Cook
Piano, Elecric Piano, Harpsichord & Moog: David Foster
Drums & Percussion: Duris Maxwell
Electric & Acoustic Guitar: Doug Edwards
Bass: Steve Pugsley
Congas: Bobby Torres
Moog Programmer: Paul Beaver
Background Vocals: Patrice Holloway & Kitty Ditto
Arranged by David Foster

Produced by Eirik Wangberg assisted by David Foster

Lyrics

I thought I knew where my head was at
I figured that I had it all down pat
That’s just like thinking the world is flat
How could I have been so wrong

I Thought that I had it all worked out
Really thought I knew what life was about
That’s just like me, not a question, not a doubt
How could I have been so wrong so long

Oh I’ve made mistakes but mostly I’ve been right
I guess that’s what kept me from seeing the light
Pride and false values have been blocking my sight
But the sun doesn’t shine just for me

Parts of a song, that’s what I thought of changes
Isn’t it funny how life rearranges
Now I’ve become what I once thought was strange
And though I know it’s a better way to be
There is still lots of changes left in me

Twenty-six years on a roundtrip ticket around the sun
I’ve been that many times
I took the journey, tried to find my heaven
‘Cause last time out, I got left behind

The world’s been a very fine chariot
A chance for me to see
The world’s been a very fine chariot
A good old friend to me

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