The Leaves were an American garage rock band formed in the San Fernando Valley, California, in 1964.

[1] In 1965, The Byrds left their residency at Ciro's on Sunset Strip after making their first hit, and The Leaves (as they were by then known) were chosen to replace them.

The band appeared on TV shows – American Bandstand, Shivaree, Shebang – and briefly in the film The Cool Ones (1967).

The reunited lineup included Jim Pons on rhythm guitar, John Beck on lead guitar, Buddy Sklar, lead singer from The Hook and The Spencer Davis Group, Al Nichols on bass from the Turtles, and Bob "Bullet" Bailey on drums.

[1] A new generation of music fans discovered the band when their version of "Hey Joe" was included in the classic 1972 garage rock compilation Nuggets.

According to the album's liner notes, the as-yet-unnamed band was hanging around a tree-shaded pool, smoking, when a newcomer gave the traditional 1960s greeting "What's happening?"

[6] Jim Pons and John Beck reunited to perform Hey Joe at the Alex Theatre on May 19, 2023.