Format Single Label Parlophone | Genre Pop | |
B-side Like The Sun Like The Fire Released October 27, 1967 (1967-10-27) Writer(s) Hal Hackady, Lee Pockriss | ||
"Kites" is a ballad written by Hal Hackady and Lee Pockriss. It was first recorded by the Rooftop Singers as their last single in 1967.
The song then became a hit for Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, the group of the Shulman brothers who went on to form the progressive band Gentle Giant. Their first releases had not been successful and they looked to their manager, John King, for inspiration. He suggested "Kites", which he had obtained from Robbins' Music. This was not their preferred style but King insisted.
The song was recorded at Abbey Road using unconventional instruments such as a wind machine and included a spoken interlude in Chinese, composed of "sweet nothings" and performed by the actress Jacqui Chan, a friend of the band. The single reached number 8 in the UK Singles chart in late 1967, and as an exemplar of the early psychedelic rock style it has since appeared on many compilations, especially those themed around psychedelia. It features the mellotron.