The Arbors were an American pop vocal group formed in 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The members, two sets of brothers-Tom Herrick and Scott Herrick, along with Edward "Ed" Farran and Frederick "Fred" Farran-met at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and began playing local shows before moving to New York City. Their first single for Mercury Records garnered little attention, but their next release, "A Symphony for Susan", recorded for Carney Records and reissued nationally on Date Records, reached number 51 on the US chart in 1967. This was followed by the singles "Just Let it Happen" and "Graduation Day" (US number 59). In 1968, they recorded "Valley of the Dolls", written for but not used in the movie of the same name. Despite an endorsement from author Jacqueline Susann, the song did not achieve national success. The Arbors' cover of "The Letter" (originally a hit by The Box Tops) became their biggest hit, reaching number 20 on the US singles chart in 1969. Their self-titled album that year included interpretations of songs like Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", The Doors' "Touch Me", and Simon & Garfunkel's "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her". After leaving Columbia Records, they transitioned to writing and playing music for commercials for the next 30 years. Edward Farran passed away on January 2, 2003, followed by Frederick Farran on August 29, 2011, and Scott Herrick on November 7, 2018.
