Originating as “soft pop” in the mid-1960s, this largely West Coast (USA) phenomenon was influenced by Easy Listening, Jingles, and Psychedelia. The songs were technically ambitious and compositionally complex and usually featured prominent vocal harmonies and unusual musical instruments such as harpsichord, glockenspiel, and flute.
Fine examples of the genre include the Mamas and the Papas‘ California Dreamin’, Will You Be Staying After Sunday? by The Peppermint Rainbow, Over You by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, the Fifth Dimension‘s California Soul, the Young Rascals‘ Groovin‘, Everything That Touches You by The Association, and The Carpenters‘ Hurting Each Other.
