The Mamas and the Papas California Dreamin (1966)

The Mamas and the Papas California Dreamin (1966) Artist : The Mamas and the Papas Song : California Dreamin Album : f You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1965) California Dreamin is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and was first recorded by Barry McGuire. However, the bestknown version is by the Mamas and the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in 1965. The song is No. 89 in Rolling Stone s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The lyrics of the song express the narrator s longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. The song was written in 1963 while John Phillips and Michelle Phillips were living in New York City. He dreamed about the song and woke her up to help him write it. At the time, John and Michelle Phillips were members of the folk group the New Journeymen, which evolved into the Mamas and the Papas.