“Mr. Farmer”
by The Seeds
1966 song
One of The Seeds’ most famous songs is "Mr. Farmer", a goony tribute to pot growers that has featured in movies and commercials over the years. It was originally recorded for the band’s 1966 LP A Web Of Sound. It was, oddly, released twice as a single in 1966, each with a different B-side. One of those releases featured a custom picture sleeve that is now collectible.
Daryl Hooper’s sinewy keyboard riff is what distinguishes "Mr. Farmer", as does Sky’s insistent singing about “let me water your CROPsssss, let me harvest your CROPsssss…” The gardening theme seemed to speak to the flower power generation; the natural back-to-the-land feel also helps the song retain its stature as a hippie anthem. Unfortunately, at the time of its release several radio stations objected to the subject matter and seriously harmed the song’s chances at being a hit. The world just wasn’t ready, although the song was issued overseas on several collectible releases.
Swedish picture sleeve featuring "Mr. Farmer".
Note that some several early releases of this song in various formats use the title “The Farmer”, though it is the same recording. The song was recorded on July 14, 1966; eleven takes were done with Sky only singing on the final. Sky then overdubbed another lead vocal, percussion was added, and the song was complete. It was issued on a 7″ single with a truncated "Up In Her Room" as the B-side, with picture sleeve, and also (using the same catalog number) with "No Escape" as the B-side, without a picture sleeve. Just to confuse future generations of collectors.
Other versions of “Mr. Farmer”
Sky Saxon often re-recorded "Mr. Farmer" with his various bands over the years. From 1989 to 1995 there were no fewer than three new studio versions plus a live version of "Mr. Farmer".
The first re-recording of "Mr. Farmer" was actually in 1968, by The Seeds themselves. On February 20 they recorded it along with several other songs in the studio in front of a small group of fans; the idea was to release the session as a faux-live album. The performance was not deemed up to snuff though; it was released in full on the expanded 2-CD version of Raw & Alive.
On April 9 they trundled into a studio to try again (without the “audience” present). Two takes of "Mr. Farmer" were done and is was take 2 of these that was added to the Raw & Alive album, with fake screams added. This remake without the screams was released on the expanded 2-CD set as well.
Just Imagine (1989).
With his band Dragonslayers, Sky Saxon did a new version of "Mr. Farmer" for his 1989 album Just Imagine. Then that same band, on their very next album Breakin' Through The Doors, did it again, this time titling the song as "Mr. Farmer 1990".
In the early 1990s, a 1983 European rarities compilation called Bad Part Of Town was issued on an expanded CD that featured several 1980s-era live tracks; one of these was "Mr. Farmer". The CD was called Bad Part Of Town/The Live Album Bedtime.
In 1994, Sky’s band Fast Planet did a version of "Mr. Farmer" for their studio album Down The Nile; a live version by this band was issued on the obscure cassette Rockin' The Croc/West Coast in 1995.
Cover of The King Of Garage Rock (CD version).
Finally, in 2008 Sky released another recording of "Mr. Farmer", this time for The King Of Garage Rock, an album featuring all sixties songs by other artists plus The Seeds.
In addition to these official versions, many (most?) Sky Saxon live shows through the years featured "Mr. Farmer" and any unreleased live material you come across may well include the song.
