The "You Know Who" Group were from Brooklyn. Publicity photos exist of people wearing masks who might or might not have been the actual musicians. The effect might have been to get people to think that they were part of the British Invasion sound; certainly, the song tries its best to sound British.
"Roses Are Red My Love" is a completely different song from the song of the same name that became a hit for Bobby Vinton. It reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100, so it was more popular in Toronto than elsewhere. It was also apparently known as "(Roses Are Red) My Love" and "My Love (Roses Are Red)", either to differentiate it from the Vinton hit or possibly because someone involved with the other song complained.
The "You Know Who" Group produced an album in 1965 called, appropriately enough, First Album. It was their last. Some other singles were released from that album but went nowhere. A search turned up a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the band that claimed that its origins were a mystery. The Discogs web site, however, lists the members of the band, including drummer and lead vocalist Robert Esposito, who appears to have written this song.
Created March 31, 2026.