This week’s “Remake of a Classic” comes to us from the ‘one hit wonder’ file. Released in February 1973, “Wildflower” (from the Canadian band, Skylark) reached number one in Canada, and number five on Billboard’s 100 Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S. It was the only top 10 single during the band’s brief 1971-1973 run. Written by Doug Edwards and Dave Richardson in 1972, the song was originally rejected by several studios before an executive at Capitol Records signed the band, and the song—with Donny Gerrard doing an incredible job on the lead vocal—was included on their first album. Oddly enough, the word 'wildflower' is never said in the song.

In an interview, Richardson said he was inspired by a nurse he was dating while he was writing the song. He apparently went to her house to pick her up for a date, but when he arrived she was upset and crying. She told him that two of her patients, women she had become friends with, died that day. She went into the bedroom to finish getting ready, but never came out. Richardson went in to find her asleep. He covered her up with a blanket, without waking her.

Although I had heard this song, I wasn't too familiar with it. Then one day it popped up on Youtube as a suggestion. To be honest, I didn't even know it was called "Wildflower" (truth be told, I almost skipped over it). But I gave it a listen, and I was like, "Oh, so THAT'S the name of this song....I gotta do this."

As for the guitar solos, the opening solo is the only one that I kept fairly close to the original; the rest were just improvised. When I started working on the solos I tried guitar after guitar, but I just wasn't getting the tone I wanted. Then I walked by my son's room and saw his Fender Jaguar hanging on the wall, so I grabbed it...the tone was perfect. I still think he has no idea that I used it...until now.