While doing this project, I've often been discovering songs that I've never heard before. But, now and then, I get to write up songs that I already know, which can be a joyful experience or require me to grit my teeth. In this case, it's joyful - I absolutely love this song.
"You Were On My Mind" was written by Sylvia Fricker of Ian & Sylvia, who recorded it in 1964. Their version made it to #33 on the CHUM Chart; it's got a nice twelve-string guitar sound and is enjoyable to listen to, sounding a bit like early Carter Family, but I like the We Five version better. Crispian St. Peters, a British singer-songwriter, reached #2 on the UK chart in 1965 and #36 on the Billboard chart and #39 on the CHUM Chart in 1967 with his version, which is slower and more introspective than the other two versions. (While listing other versions of this song, I want to give a shoutout to The Bangles' live version of this song, performed in 2000, which is awesome.)
We Five were from San Francisco. Their version of "You Were On My Mind", which they reorganized somewhat, reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over a million copies. The followup single, "Let's Get Together", reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #5 on the Canada national music chart but did not get airplay in Toronto; it was later covered by the Youngbloods under the title "Get Together". Lead singer Beverly Bivens left the group in 1966; they continued with a different lead singer until 1970, when the original band split up. The band continued touring for the next 30 years with different lineups; as of this writing, Ms. Bivens is the only original member of the group who is still alive.Created January 13, 2026.