Customer Reviews

You Were on My Mind/Make Someone Happy

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

72 reviews (and counting) for what many consider to be a "one hit wonder" kind of group - that should tell you the kind of impact this recording has made on an individual level, regardless of its commercial appeal, especially when almost three quarters of the aforementioned 72 give it a 5-star rating. "You Were On My Mind" is one of the very best folk releases ever, with inspired song selections, creative arranging, but more than anything, the unsurpassed vocals of Bev Bivens, unquestionably the best "unknown" singer of her generation. That the group's second release "Make Someone Happy" is on the same disc is an added bonus, but I would have gladly hocked the farm for just "Mind" and been happy doing it. I have listened to this record since I bought the vinyl version shortly after it's release in late '65, and the music still moves me as much today as it did almost 40 years ago - I have very few recordings that I can say that about. The music here is truely timeless - it is a touchstone repeatedly gone back to over the years - and it is unique in that it is consistently satisfying. If you enjoy Peter, Paul, & Mary, or Pozo Seco, you'll love "You Were On My Mind".

I was fortunate to see We Five in person at Yuba College, CA in 1966. Three weeks later, I shipped out for the Southeast Asian War Games. The sound, depth, and range of Beverly Bivens' voice stayed with me, as well as the group's arrangements featuring the then-new electric "San Francisco Sound". I bought a copy of You Were On My Mind in a PX in Japan, and memorized the entire album. I still have it and regard it as a prized posession, even though it shows the scars of being played hundreds of times on less-than-studio-quality equipment!

Make Someone Happy has about four outstanding cuts, the rest are merely wonderful. If you remember the mid-1960's this two-album CD is for you. If you don't remember the mid-60's this is an excellent way to get acquainted with the transition from popular folk to folk-rock.

To any We Five members who may be out there: I'll be eternally grateful for your helping me hang on through a very rough time in my life.

Oldies radio stations never do justice to We Five. While "You Were on My Mind" is a terrific record and gets a fair amount of airplay 34 years after its release, there was much more to this group than a lone top-40 hit. (Actually, We Five had TWO hits, but you'll never hear "Let's Get Together" on the radio these days...)

These albums are classics of the folk/pop genre. Mike Stewart's arrangements lend a warmth and depth to We Five's music, especially the pop and show tunes on their first album, and are a perfect accompaniment to Beverly Bivens' soaring vocals. Her voice was unique and gave the group an instantly recognizable sound.

I'm lucky enough to own an original copy of the "You Were on My Mind" album, which is one of the most cherished in my collection. If you have plenty of free time to nose around in used record stores looking for a copy, by all means do so; if not, buy the CD and get "Make Someone Happy" as a bonus. You won't be disappointed.

(By the way, I've looked all around the Web for biographical and "where are they now" information about We Five, but I've never found any; there is a great opportunity for a fan to create a We Five website. (And if any "We Five" members are reading this, it would be great to hear from you -- please post a message here!)

Even though I'm an avid Beatles fan, the album 'You Were On My Mind' was my most treasured possession back in the 60's. I lost track of it somewhere along the way and was never able to find a replacement till now. While the title track is a great song, there are other tracks on the album that cut much deeper and still send shivers through my bones, esp. 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea', Can't Help Falling in Love' and 'Softly as I Leave You.' Getting the album, 'Make Someone Happy' as well, is a pleasant bonus, and while it doesn't have the spirit and innocence of the first album, it is better produced and you get a better feel for the harmonies and special talents in the group. In the end, however, it's about Bev Bivens and while it's sad to think of her demise, you listen to this CD and she's right there. Now I am at peace.

This bring back memories to me of Nov of '65. What a group! Ahead of their time. Somewhere before early Jefferson Airplane, Mamas and the Papas and Spanky & our Gang...and simultaneous with Bob Dylan by going electric. It is a pity that these then, extremely talented twentysomething olds were not managed aggressively and appropriately and allowed a Nova extinguish. The first album is brilliant, but I would not consider the second expendable or not worth listening to. The energy and the organization may not be evident when you listen to the latter, but the music world changed explosively in those two years in between (65 and 67) that it was hard to keep the original formula fresh, especially when everyone evolved in different directions. Two years when you're on top is a lethal delay in the music business. It still has its good moments. It also reflects the genius of the now departed Michael Stewart (as well as John Chambers, the drummer in those recordings), and Bev's voice is unforgettable. If you watch them on Hullabaloo, you will smile when you see them in action. Excellent!
This disc is a straight AAD going to CD. I agree that there were not too much concern for the sonic quality that this release should have been given (too much hiss and possibly not a first generation master tape). Other releases of even this time are on ADD as a minimum. That is the only complaint I have, but still I agree with the reviewer below, I would have gladly forked out the card for YWOMM alone. I hope Bev, Jerry and the surviving members have had a productive and happy life. Thanks for the Memories!

Hello to all of you who have posted such great feelings for the music and the artistry that the We Five have projected with their music. I have had the opportunity to be around the members of the We Five during the early beginnings as a Folk group. The group started as a Folk group called the Ridge Runners. I met the group while I was working as a cook at a Folk Music club in Upland, CA. I was 20 yrs old then and going to college. In 1964 this club called "The Meeting Place" gave many new and popular Folk entertainers an opportunity to get close to the audience in a more intimate setting than an auditorium. I recall when the group bought the rights to a song written by Ian and Fricker who was also a Folk duo of the time in the 60's. The were all excited and ready to make the move to Folk Pop group. Their sounds were at the time, sounds of San Francisco. In actuality, all of the members were from Southern California with the exception of Bob Jones/bass player, who was from Hawaii before settling in California. I recall sitting and talking to each of the members about their future in the music business. I wish I had written this all down and turned it into a documentary type story about the beginning of a singing group and all of the trials that they went through while keeping this fantastic group (personal editorial) together and having a top selling single of 1965. I have so many more little stories to tell, however, I don't have the platform to share them. The members and the club staff were like a family because we would showcase the group as the Ridge Runners and then the We Five. Wow, such moving memories for me. I have to admit, I enjoyed talking with Bev Bivens more than any other member. I enjoyed seeing her about 3 sometimes 4 times a week, depending on the club schedule for them. Bev actually lived in Orange County here in Southern California. All of the members of the group, Mike, Jerry, Pete, Bob and Bev were such nice people to be around, that I sometimes worried that they may change for the worse. I can proudly say that they didn't change for the worse. Well I have to say good bye and thank you for this opportunity. I can be reached for further info on the We Five, please post on this site. I am not an authority, but I was around them for about a year and a half up through You Were on My Mind went to the top.
Sincerely, Jess Mendoza

My original We Five album disappeared years ago, and I never forgot those hauntingly beautiful harmonies. I was so thrilled to hear those songs again.....they brought back so many memories. I especially love "Small World".

Please correct the record. Bev Bivens is still alive and well. Where did these reviewers read that she had committed suicide? This CD is a great way to get a copy of both record albums by a wonderful singer (and group of singers) from the 60s!

I have read hundreds of reviews of We Five's "You Were On My Mind" over the years... The common threads that run through most of them is how ahead of their time the band was, and how the lasting power of what they created (both vocally and musically) has influenced so many other bands, and changed their lives. This 2 CD package is a perfect set of bookends to the original line up of the band. It captures both the freshness of when "the Ridgerunners" turned electric and changed their name to "We Five," recorded YWOMM, and then ran into the usual set of factors which split up bands (pulling it together long enough to record "Make Someone Happy"). It is beautiful and sad all at once. If you were there you don't have to be told how important this set of recordings are. It is preaching to the choir. If you were not, I can't recommend a better place to discover a very important transitional band of the "Folk Rock Era." Buy this CD then investigate them more by combining "wefive" and ".net"

Have you ever become obsessed w/ a voice? Beverly Bivens is that voice for me. Her technical & emotional range are beyond anything else being done by mainstream '60s pop. Clear, shining. Each song is like a breath of life.

Unfortunately, the band didn't exist long enough to create more than two albums. Yes, they did continue w/out Beverly on some later material, but it's a far cry from the work they did-- which isn't surprising as one of the musician's wife took the helm after Bivens departure.

These albums contain some of the most traditional songs turned into pieces of gold & each is a treasure.

The first album is similar to the premier album of any seriously talented group: cautious in parts, but overall fantastic.

The second shows the band able to tackle less mainstream material (but w/ equal success).

...you'll've been willing to pay 10 times over once you hear Biven's voice & the equally impressive arrangements of these classic songs.

If I had to make a complaint it's the absence of any real liner notes, which is annoying, to say the least. But it's the music that counts, not the accompanying literature, so I can't fault the band for the re-issuer's mistake.