Song #241 - "Mama Told Me Not To Come" - Three Dog Night

Recorded - late 1969 and/or early 1970

Released - March 31, 1970

#1 for weeks of July 11 and 18, 1970. 

     I can still remember my first time hearing "Joy To The World". Those awesomely bizarre opening lines, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog", are so memorable, they've almost become an alternate title for the song. As the years went on, I discovered more of Three Dog Night's material. It was when I heard the haunting "One" that I became truly impressed with the group's versatility. The stellar vocal blend of Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells is irreplaceable. 

     Three Dog Night are an interesting group, as the majority of their material is covers. "One" is a Harry Nielson song, "Eli's Comin'" is by Laura Nyro" and their first #1 hit, "Mama Told Me Not To Come" was written by Randy Newman. However, don't let this lack of originality deter you from the band's catalog. Every song they have covered has been done perfect justice. 

     "Mama Told Me Not To Come" had already been covered as far back as 1967 by Eric Burton of The Animals. In 1969, Randy Newman recorded his own version for his 1970 album 12 Songs. Around this time period, Three Dog Night recorded their third album, It Ain't Easy. It is this album that their interpretation of "Mama Told Me Not To Come" originates from. 

     Three Dog Night's version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come" manages to successfully blend rock and roll with soul music. The soul aspect is heavily enforced by Cory Wells' vocal performance. His vocal style is similar to that of The Rascals, although Cory adds a touch of humor to his vocal tone as well. 

     As for the rock, the most noteworthy aspect is the repeating electric piano, played by band member Jimmy Greenspoon. It comes across as mildly psychedelic. However, the remainder of the performance dispels any trippiness for pure hard rock guitar sounds. Since the lyrics warn against a party fueled by mind and mood altering substances, this predominant hard rock approach is quite appropriate. 

     There would be three more times that Three Dog Night would top the pop charts. Their second big hit, "Joy To The World" was recorded a few months after "Mama Told Me Not To Come" sat at the top of the 'Board'. I'll continue the Three Dog Night story when we get to 1971...

Final Verdict - Three Dog Night's version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come" has enough originality to ensure that the group may as well have called the song their own. With a strong rock backdrop and with a soulful vocal performance, the song remains quite an enjoyable and accessible listen. 

   Coming Up Next - "(They Long To Be) Close To You" by The Carpenters. 

   Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and Mama told you to come, to my blog -