At the end of the 1960s, Les Humphries, trained as an all-round musician in the British Navy, came to Hamburg and had a brilliant idea. Inspired by the hippie musical "Hair," he put together a choir of international singers and produced modern gospel arrangements—the Les Humphries Singers were born. The choir's appearance and image captured the spirit of the flower power era, and their catchy party music found a large audience, launching the Les Humphries Singers to meteoric success. Hits such as "Promised Land," "Mexico," "Mama Loo," and "Kansas City" followed, thrilling an entire generation. By 1976, they had sold 48 million records.