California Dreamin'

"California Dreaming" redirects here. For other uses, see California Dreamin' (disambiguation).

"California Dreamin'"
West German picture sleeve
Single by the Mamas & the Papas
from the album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
B-side"Somebody Groovy"
ReleasedDecember 8, 1965
RecordedNovember 4, 1965
StudioUnited Western, Hollywood
Genre
Length2:42
LabelDunhill • RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Lou Adler
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology
"Go Where You Wanna Go"
(1965) 		"California Dreamin'"
(1965) 		"Monday, Monday"
(1966)
Audio
"California Dreamin'" on YouTube
"California Dreamin'"
The Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'" from their debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears.
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"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire.[5] The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.[6]

"California Dreamin'" became a signpost of the California sound,[7] heralding the arrival of the nascent counterculture era.[8][9] It was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 2023[10] and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.[11] In 2021, Rolling Stone placed the song at number 420 in its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.[12]

  1. ^ Dictionnaire des Musiciens: (Les Dictionnaires d'Universalis). Encyclopaedia Universalis. October 27, 2015. p. 3635. ISBN 978-2-85229-140-9.
  2. ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2024. The gently psychedelic pop song pays homage to the enduring allure of the Golden State...
  3. ^ Kruth, John (2015). This Bird Has Flown: The Enduring Beauty of Rubber Soul, Fifty Years On. Milwaukee: Backbeat Books. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-61713-573-6.
  4. ^ Stanley, Bob (September 13, 2013). "Pop Gets Sophisticated: Soft Rock". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  5. ^ Southern California Public Radio (March 5, 2013). "Take Two". Southern California Public Radio.
  6. ^ John, Phillips; Michelle, Phillips; Papas, The Mamas & The (June 10, 2019). "California Dreamin'". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Bisbort, Alan; Puterbaugh, Parke (2009). California Beaches: The Best Places to Swim, Play, Eat, and Stay. Avalon Travel. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-56691-614-1.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Eagles, Fleetwood Mac Selected for Hall of Fame | Music News". Rolling Stone. October 28, 1997. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  9. ^ Stamberg, Susan (July 8, 2002). "'California Dreamin,' Present at the Creation (Archived Radio Program)". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  10. ^ "California Dreamin'". RIAA.com. The Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 11, 2014. The RIAA Database may require user input
  11. ^ "California Dreamin'". grammy.org. The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2014. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' The Mamas & the Papas Dunhill (1966) (Single) Inducted 2001
  12. ^ Rolling Stone (September 15, 2021). "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone.