The Arbors

The Arbors were an American pop group formed in 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The members, two sets of brothers, met at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and began playing local shows in Michigan before moving to New York City. They recorded a single for Mercury Records which garnered little attention, but their next single, "A Symphony for Susan" (recorded for Carney Records), was reissued nationally on Columbia Records subsidiary, Date Records and hit #51 on the US chart; they followed with the singles "Just Let it Happen" and "Graduation Day" (US #59).

In 1968, they recorded the song "Valley of the Dolls", which was not used in the movie of the same name but which was released concomitantly; it was overshadowed by the title song from the movie. They bounced back with a 1969 version of "The Letter", which had been a hit two years before for The Box Tops. The cover became their biggest hit, reaching #20 on the US singles chart, and they followed it with the release of an album that included their interpretations of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", The Doors' "Touch Me", Blood, Sweat & Tears' "I Can't Quit Her" (US #67), and Simon & Garfunkel's "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her". It was the group's last recording for Columbia, and afterward, they began writing and playing music for commercials, and continued to do so for some thirty years thereafter.^[1]

Personnel

Vocalists

• Tom Herrick
• Scott Herrick
• Ed Farran (died 01/02/03 of kidney failure)
• Fred Farran (died 08/29/11 following a bout of pneumonia, age 74)

Manager

• Art Ward

Discography

• A Symphony for Susan (Date Records, 1967) US #144
• The Arbors (Date Records, 1968)

References

General references

• The Arbors at Allmusic.com

Inline citations