"California Dreamin'" | ||||
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![]() 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" | |||
Released | December 8, 1965 | |||
Recorded | November 4, 1965 | |||
Studio | United Western, Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:42 | |||
Label | Dunhill • RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Phillips, Michelle Phillips | |||
Producer(s) | Lou Adler | |||
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"California Dreamin'" on YouTube |
"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]
The gently psychedelic pop song pays homage to the enduring allure of the Golden State...
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CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' The Mamas & the Papas Dunhill (1966) (Single) Inducted 2001