Formed in 1993, the Mike Flowers Pops can have up to fourteen members on stage at any time, and they are principally known for
easy listening or
lounge music covers of both 'classic' and contemporary
pop music. The band became famous in the United Kingdom in 1995 when they released a cover version of
Oasis'
hit song "
Wonderwall", in an easy listening style. After seeing the band perform, BBC radio producer Will Saunders had recruited Flowers for
BBC Radio 1 DJ Kevin Greening in order to cover the 'Hits of 95' for Greening's Saturday show; "Wonderwall" was his first week's project.
Chris Evans heard the song and made it 'single of the week' on his Radio 1 breakfast show, telling listeners that this was the original version of the song. Following the success of "Wonderwall", The Mike Flowers Pops quickly advanced from performing shows in nightclubs and small concert halls to touring festivals and larger venues across Britain and Europe.
A Groovy Place was released on 24 June 1996. At the end of 1996 they toured Britain with
Gary Glitter on his last 'Who's in the Gang' tour. Aphex Twin’s remix "Debase (Soft Palate)" was included on his 2003 compilation album "
26 Mixes For Cash". The Mike Flowers Pops played at the Shiiine On Weekender in November 2016 and at the
100 Club in London in December 2016 and December 2017. The "MFP" abbreviation parodies the budget record label
Music for Pleasure, also known as MFP, which produced a series of "Hot Hits" cover version albums in the 1960s and 1970s. == Mike Flowers ==