The first disc kicks off with “Go Where You Wanna Go,”
which was the band’s first single, released in 1965, but then pulled so that
“California Dreamin’” would be thought of as the band’s first single. “Go Where
You Wanna Go” is one of the many semi-autobiographical songs in the band’s
repertoire. It and its flip side, “Somebody Groovy,” would be included on the
group’s first LP, If You Can Believe Your
Eyes And Ears. Also included on that record are those two huge hits,
“California Dreamin’” (which also used “Somebody Groovy” as its flip side) and
“Monday, Monday,” both of which are included here. As much as I like “Monday,
Monday,” I actually prefer its flip side, “Got A Feelin’,” which was written by
Denny Doherty and John Phillips and is included on this disc. “Got a feelin’ that I’m wasting time on you,
babe/Got a feelin’ that you’ve been untrue/I’ve got a feelin’ that you’re
stealin’/All the love I thought I was giving to you.”
“I Saw Her Again” is another great song, and is one of
the tracks that is different from the album version. That song was included on the group’s second
LP, The Mamas And The Papas. Also
from that album is the hit “Words Of Love,” written by John Phillips and
featuring Cass Elliot on lead vocals. This single version is different from the
album version, with some prominent horns and a more prominent piano part. The
flip side is a good cover of “Dancing In The Street,” a song that a lot of
bands were covering at that time. There is a nice instrumental section with
some good work on keys, and some goofing around at the end. That’s followed by
one of their best covers, “Dedicated To The One I Love.” I love their
rendition, but my absolute favorite cover is their version of “Dream A Little
Dream Of Me,” which is also included in this set. It was the band’s last really
big hit, and it’s absolutely beautiful, with Cass sounding great.
“Creeque Alley” has always been one of my favorite Mamas
And The Papas songs, and it’s one that this set’s liner notes go into some
detail about, detailing some of the autobiographical material in the lyrics.
This is another track to have significant differences from the LP version. Its
B side, “Did You Ever Want To Cry,” is also a really good song, and one you
might not be as familiar with. Another of my favorites is “Twelve Thirty (Young
Girls Are Coming To The Canyon).” This song was included on a compilation
cassette I had in my teens – you know, one of those Summer Of Love compilations
that were so popular in the mid and late 1980s – and I could never get enough
of it. It’s a wonderful song. “At first
so strange to feel so friendly/To say good morning and really mean it/To feel
these changes happening in me/But not to notice ‘til I feel it.”
The second disc begins with a few Mamas And The Papas
songs, but is mostly made up of solo singles from three of the band’s members.
It opens with The Mamas And The Papas doing a couple of covers – “Do You Wanna
Dance” and “My Girl.” Their version of “Do You Wanna Dance” is slow and has
strings, and frankly isn’t that good. “My Girl” is better, though of course not
as good as the original. The other two Mamas And Papas songs on this disc are
the songs from the group’s final single. “Step Out” and “Shooting Star” were
both written by John Phillips and also were included on People Like Us.
The second disc then gets into the solo singles,
beginning with Cass Elliot’s output, and that’s when this disc starts getting
really good. She covers John Hartford’s “California Earthquake,” and does a
good job with it. Obviously her version is a bigger production than the
original, but it works well. That’s followed by “Talkin’ To Your Toothbrush,” a
wonderfully mellow and groovy song that was written by John Simon. I really
like Mama Cass’ relaxed vocal approach here. “All For Me” is an odd little
number, with Mama Cass mostly humming throughout the track. “It’s Getting
Better” was a hit for Mama Cass. This song, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil,
was also covered by Leonard Nimoy. Mama Cass also does a nice version of Mann
and Weil’s “Make Your Own Kind Of Music,” which was a top forty hit for her.
One of my favorites is “Lady Love,” which she dedicates to her daughter, and
which has a fun vibe. It was written by Delaney Bramlett. Another favorite is “Blow
Me A Kiss,” written by Jack Carone. “Don’t
bother me while I’m dreaming/Don’t make me move while I feel like this/Blow me
a kiss.” Interestingly, both of those songs were B sides. And “I Can Dream,
Can’t I” is actually a better song than its A side, “A Song That Never Comes.”
Go figure.
The second disc includes a single from John Phillips – “Mississippi,”
along with its flip side, “April Anne.” Both songs were written by John Phillips,
and both are quite good, with strong country elements. “Mississippi” is a totally
delightful tune. “Sipping on a beer on
Bourbon St., and I’m sitting easy/Don’t get me wrong – it takes a lot to please
me.” And I love that bass. This is one of my favorite tracks of the second
disc. “April Anne” is a mellower tune. “Anne,
the gypsy woman once said/Let an easy rider share your bed/But you chose the
drunken gigolo instead.” (This single was released in 1970, the year after Easy Rider.)
This disc also has two singles from Denny Doherty. “Whatcha
Gonna Do” is an excellent folk rock song. This song was also used as the title
track to an LP (on the cover of that album, Denny is pictured in a tub outside,
which is interesting, as the cover of the first Mamas And The Papas record
showed the group in a bathtub). “Gathering The Words” has a sweeter feel. “To
Claudia On Thursday” and “Tuesday Morning” are also really good (“Tuesday Morning” has a little “Monday, Monday” reference). I hope Real Gone
Music will see about releasing Whatcha
Gonna Do on CD. Right now it looks
like that album is only available as a very expensive import.
CD Track List
Disc One
- Go Where You Wanna Go
- Somebody Groovy
- California Dreamin’
- Monday, Monday
- Got A Feelin’
- I Saw Her Again
- Even If I Could
- Look Through My Window
- Once Was A Time I Thought
- Words Of Love
- Dancing In The Street
- Dedicated To The One I Love
- Free Advice
- Creeque Alley
- Did You Ever Want To Cry
- Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)
- Straight Shooter
- Glad To Be Unhappy
- Hey Girl
- Dancing Bear
- John’s Music Box
- Safe In My Garden
- Too Late
- Dream A Little Dream Of Me
- Midnight Voyage
- For The Love Of Ivy
- Strange Young Girls
Disc Two
- Do You Wanna Dance
- My Girl
- Step Out
- Shooting Star
- California Earthquake
- Talkin’ To Your Toothbrush
- Move In A Little Closer, Baby
- All For Me
- It’s Getting Better
- Who’s To Blame
- Make Your Own Kind Of Music
- Lady Love
- New World Coming
- Blow Me A Kiss
- A Song That Never Comes
- I Can Dream, Can’t I
- The Good Times Are Coming
- Welcome To The World
- Don’t Let The Good Life Pass You By
- The Costume Ball
- Mississippi
- April Anne
- Watcha Gonna Do
- Gathering The Words
- To Claudia On Thursday
- Tuesday Morning
The Complete Singles 50th Anniversary Collection was released today (January 8, 2016) through Real Gone Music.
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i need this :(
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