California Dreamin

The Mamas and the Papas


Carpenters



All the leaves are brown
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
And the sky is grey
Ive been for a walk
Ive been for a walk
On a winters day
On a winters day
Id be safe and warm
Id be safe and warm
If I was in l.a.
If I was in l.a.

California

dreamin


California

dreamin

On such a winters day

Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well, I got down on my knees
Got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
I pretend to pray
You know the preacher likes the cold
Preacher likes the cold
He knows Im gonna stay
Knows Im gonna stay

California

dreamin


California

dreamin

On such a winters day

All the leaves are brown
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
And the sky is grey
Ive been for a walk
Ive been for a walk
On a winters day
On a winters day
If I didnt tell her
If I didnt tell her
I could leave today
I could leave today

California

dreamin


California

dreamin

On such a winters day

California
dreaming
On such a winters day

California
dreaming
On such a winters day


"California Dreamin'"
Single by The Mamas & the Papas
from the album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Released November 1965
Format Vinyl record (7") 45 RPM
Recorded 1965
Genre Pop rock, folk rock
Length 2:42
Label Dunhill
Writer(s) John Phillips, Michelle Phillips
Producer Lou Adler
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology
"Go Where You Wanna Go"
(1965) "California Dreamin'"
(1965) "Monday, Monday"
(1966)
"California Dreamin'" is a song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[1] The lyrics of the song are about a man in a cold winter landscape longing for the warmth of California.

According to John Phillips in a Bravo documentary, and Michelle Phillips in an NPR piece, the song was written in 1963 while they were living in New York. He dreamed about the song and woke her up to help him write it. At the time, the Phillipses were members of the folk group The New Journeymen which evolved into The Mamas & the Papas.
They earned their first record contract after being introduced to Lou Adler, the head of Dunhill Records, by the singer Barry McGuire. In thanks to Adler, they sang the backing vocals to "California Dreamin'" on McGuire's album This Precious Time. The Mamas and the Papas then recorded their own version, using the same instrumental backing track to which they added new vocals and an alto flute solo by Bud Shank. McGuire's original vocal can be briefly heard on the left channel at the beginning of the record, having not been completely wiped.[2] The single was released in late 1965 but it was not an immediate breakthrough. After gaining little attention in Los Angeles upon its release, Michelle Phillips remembers that it took a radio station in Boston to break the song nationwide.[3] By early 1966, the song peaked at #4 and stayed on the charts for 17 weeks.