The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’

“California Dreamin'” – Single by the Mamas & the Papas from the album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
B-side “Somebody Groovy”
Released: December 8, 1965
Recorded: November 4, 1965
Songwriters: John Phillips, Michelle Phillips

California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & the Papas, released in 1965. It was written in 1963 by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips while they were living in New York, inspired by Michelle’s nostalgia for California. At the time the Phillips were members of the folk group New Journeymen. It is considered to be one of the most representative songs of the sixties. “California Dreamin'” was The Mamas & The Papas’ first song and first big hit.

It was 1963, and she was newly married to John Phillips. They were living in New York City, which was having a particularly cold winter, at least by Michelle’s standards as she was from sunny California. John would walk around the apartment at night working out tunes, and one morning brought the first verse of the song to Michelle. It was a song about longing to be in another place, and it was inspired by Michelle’s homesickness.

Michelle enjoyed visiting churches, and a few days before, she and John visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which inspired the second verse (“Stopped into a church…”). John hated the verse, as he was turned off to churches by unpleasant memories of parochial school, but he couldn’t think of anything better so he left it in.
This is a rare pop song that contains a flute solo. Even more surprising, it’s an alto flute, which is larger than a regular flute and plays in a lower register. A jazz player named Bud Shank was brought to the session to play it.

The Mamas & The Papas recorded this song in Los Angeles at United Western Recorders, in the same studio where The Beach Boys recorded their Pet Sounds album. Musicians on the session, which took place November 4, 1965, were some of the great session players of the era: Hal Blaine (drums), Larry Knechtel (keyboards), Joe Osborn (bass) and P.F. Sloan (guitar). John Phillips also played guitar on the track – that’s him on 12-string during the intro. The engineer on the track was Bones Howe.

This session was the first that Blaine, Knechtel and Osborn all played on together.

California Dreamin’ – a fost primul mare success al grupului The Mamas & The Papas, în 1966. Single-lul a fost lansat la 8 Decembrie  1965, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. 

Melodia este compusă de  John Phillips și Michelle Phillips. Melodia a fost inspirată de o iarnă friguroasă din 1963, când cei doi erau proaspăt căsătoriți, si se aflau în New York. Este o melodie despre dorința de a fi într-un alt loc. Versurile sânt inspirate de dorul de casă al lui Michelle, ea fiind din California, unde iernile nu sânt chiar atât de aspre.

Melodia a fost înregistrată inițial de prietenul lor Barry McGuire, care i-a ajutat să obțină un contract cu Dunhill Records. În versiunea lui este folosită muzicuță fiind primul hit pentru The 5th Dimensions. Câteva luni mai târziu The Mamas & The Papas au înregistrat și ei piesă, dar au folosit flautul.

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The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'

The Mamas The Papas "California Dreamin'" (September 24, 1967) On The Ed Sullivan Show02:25

Video a fost filmat la 24 Septembrie 1967 în timpul showlui lui Rd Sullivan.

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