Mama Told Me (Not To Come) by jomel77

jomel77 - Mama Told Me (Not To Come)

jomel77

May 17, 2024 08:08pm

"Mama Told Me Not to Come", also written as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)", is a song by American singer-songwriter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Randy Newman</a> written for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Burdon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eric Burdon</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Is_Here" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first solo album</a> in 1966. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Dog_Night" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Three Dog Night</a>'s 1970 cover topped the US pop singles chart. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Jones_(singer)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tom Jones</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stereophonics</a>' version also reached No. 4 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UK Singles Chart</a> in 2000.Newman says that the song was inspired by his own lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene of the late 1960s. As with most Newman songs, he assumes a character; in this song the narrator is a sheltered and extraordinarily straitlaced young man, who recounts what is presumably his first "wild" party in the big city, is shocked and appalled by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana_smoking" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">marijuana smoking</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">whiskey</a> drinking, and loud music, and – in the chorus of the song – recalls that his "Mama told [him] not to come".The first recording of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" was cut by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Burdon_%26_The_Animals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eric Burdon & The Animals</a>. A scheduled release of a single in September 1966 was withdrawn,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Told_Me_Not_to_Come#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[1]</a> but the song was eventually included on their 1967 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Is_Here" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eric Is Here</a>.Newman's own turn at his song was released on the 1970 album <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Songs_(Randy_Newman_album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">12 Songs</a>, and was characterized by Newman's mid-tempo piano accompaniment, as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry_Cooder" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ry Cooder</a>'s slide guitar part, both of which give the song the feel of a bluesy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ray Charles</a>-style rhythm and blues number.Also in 1970, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Dog_Night" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Three Dog Night</a> released a longer, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n_roll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rock 'n roll</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">funk</a>-inspired version (titled "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)") on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Ain%27t_Easy_(Three_Dog_Night_album)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">It Ain't Easy</a>, featuring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Wells" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cory Wells</a> singing lead in an almost humorous vocal style,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Told_Me_Not_to_Come#cite_note-notes2-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[4]</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Greenspoon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jimmy Greenspoon</a> playing a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wurlitzer_electronic_piano" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wurlitzer electronic piano</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Allsup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Allsup</a> playing guitar, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Summer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donna Summer</a> on backing vocals, though uncredited.[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">citation needed</a>]Billboard ranked the record as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1970" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">No. 11 song of 1970</a>. The single was certified gold by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Recording Industry Association of America</a> on July 14, 1970, the same day that It Ain't Easy was certified gold.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Told_Me_Not_to_Come#cite_note-RIAA-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[5]</a> It was also the number-one song on the premiere broadcast of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Top_40" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American Top 40</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_Kasem" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Casey Kasem</a> on July 4, 1970.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Box" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cash Box</a> suggested that this song could "do for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Randy Newman</a> what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fifth_Dimension" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Fifth Dimension</a> did for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Nyro" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Laura Nyro</a>" since Three Dog Night is "the first to apply muscle to his material."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Told_Me_Not_to_Come#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[6]</a>