Friday Musical Feast Celebrating the 2023 Birthday of Cass Elliot, Bill Medley, and Paul Williams
by Robert Wilkinson
This weekend finishes our Virgo musical birthdays, and features awesome music as we transition into Libra! For our Friday show we dance to the exquisite tunes of three musical birthdays, featuring the Mamas and the Papas, the Righteous Brothers, and Paul Williams! Here's a big happy and merry to two incredibly gifted vocalists and a great composer!
Cass Elliot (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), of course, was THE VOICE in the Mamas and the Papas. She died way too young of a heart attack at age 32 in 1974 (NOT choking on a sandwich), but her powerful pipes left us some beautiful music for the ages. Today we have a few of her best!
From The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968, Cass doing "Dream a little dream of me." Here's another great version in b/w of Cass live on It’s Lulu in July 1970 doing "Dream a little dream of me."
Here are the the Mamas and the Papas who closed the show at Monterrey Pop! I can’t get the set list in order, so the order of the song is shown by the number. Here are the MATP doing their iconic first hit that took the country by storm, "California Dreamin'." (5)
Also from that iconic festival, with Mama Cass on lead vocals, enjoy the Mamas and the Papas giving up “I Call Your Name,” (6) which we’ll follow with the classic sound of 60s Southern California, the beautiful “Got A Feelin’” (4) We’ll close this part of their Monterey set with the Mamas and the Papas cranking out the very groovy “Dancin’ in the Streets” (Encore)
A special treat! Here's more footage of different tunes from that legendary set! "Straight Shooter," (1) "Something Groovy," (3) "I Call Your Name," (6) and "Monday Monday" (Closer)
Because Scott McKenzie was tight for years with John Phillips, Cass and Denny, John wrote this iconic ballad to help the locals relax and it became one of THE songs associated with the Summer of Love. Introduced by Mama Cass, here’s Scott McKenzie live in an astonishing performance of “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” (After this the Festival closed with everyone doing “Dancing in the Streets.”)
From 1965, a live performance on Shindig! of the John Lennon classic, "I Call Your Name."
From Hullabaloo in 1966, a good clip of them singing their signature song to a backing track. “California Dreamin’
On The Hollywood Palace in 1966, the Mamas and the Papas lip-synching their monster hit, "Monday Monday." Also from The Hollywood Palace in 1966, we get a great performance of the oh so soulful (and thought to be revolutionary at the time!) “Dancing In the Streets”
From 1967 on The Ed Sullivan Show, here they are performing their autobiographical hit “Creeque Alley” and from what looks to be another Ed Sullivan performance, “Dedicated To the One I Love”
Also from Ed Sullivan, the Mamas and Papas live with Cass out front belting out a short version of “Words of Love” Here’s the original full length studio version of “Words of Love”
Here’s one of Cass’ signature tunes, done in 1967 with the Mamas and the Papas, “Sing For Your Supper”
Last year I had a 1968 live performance of a great honky tonk arrangement of “I Call Your Name,” but it’s disappeared.
You can hear here powerful soaring voice in other Mamas and Papas hits! Here are the original studio versions of:
From her post-Mamas and the Papas career, a special treat! Mama Cass, Mary Travers, and Joni Mitchell doing Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."
Live in a b/w tv performance with Johnny Cash, “Act Naturally”
Here’s a great medley of Cass with Tom Jones in a live video duet! From 1969, ”I Can Dream, Can’t I,” “One Night,” and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man”
Last year I had a great live performance from 1969 on The Johnny Cash Show of “Softly and Tenderly,” but this year it’s disappeared. Better luck next year!
Here’s another live duet in 1969, this time with John Sebastian! “Darlin’ Companion”
Here’s a hit for Cass in 1969 after she went solo! Live on American Bandstand, “It’s Getting Better”
From 1972, Mama Cass and Julie Andrews doing a great medley of Simon and Garfunkel songs! "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy), Sounds of Silence, Mrs. Robinson, Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound, Bridge Over Troubled Waters."
From tv show in 1972, Mama Cass and John Denver doing "Leaving on a Jet Plane."
Cass solo live on The Hollywood Palace doing her hit "Make Your Own Kind of Music."
We'll close with a studio version set to still photos of Cass doing "Does Anybody Love You."
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Now we move to Bill Medley, the extremely soulful voice of the Righteous Brothers. One of the top groups in the 60s, Bill Medley (September 19, 1940) and Bobby Hatfield (August 10, 1940 – November 5, 2003) could send cold chills through your spine with their soaring melodies and harmonies! For your birthday enjoyment, here are the Righteous Brothers!
Here they are in b/w on Shindig doing their first major breakthrough, the Phil Spector produced blue eyed Soul monster hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." Here they are again in 2003 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions in great form doing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."
Live in 1966, here they are doing “(You're My) Soul And Inspiration." Here’s another live performance on Hullabaloo from 1966 of “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.”
From 1965, a great live performance of "Just Once In My Life."
Here they are on Shindig in 1964 doing a dynamite song that Bill wrote and Mitch Ryder rode into the top 20, "Little Latin Lupe Lu." Also from Shindig in 1964, the Righteous Brothers doing "Let The Good Times Roll." and "The Jerk."
Here are some individual clips! For your enjoyment, the Righteous Brothers live performing:
“The Night Time is the Right Time.” (Yes, the backing group is the Blossoms and Darlene Love, the voice of the Crystals and “He’s A Rebel”)
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”
Also from Shindig in 1965, Bobby, backed by the Blossoms, “takin’ us to church” with “Unchained Melody” (The second tune, “Fare Thee Well,” is nowhere to be found)
They made numerous appearances on Shindig! and this clip pulls a lot fo them together in a half hour show! Righteous Brothers Shindig! Appearances 1964-1966
Speaking of gospel… From November 1965 on The Ed Sullivan Show, a great live performance of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Live on The Sonny and Cher Show, here’s a great medley of their hits! The Righteous Brothers on the Sonny and Cher Show
Last year I had great clips from their 1983 show at the Roxy, including “Old Time Rock and Roll,” “Soul and Inspiration,” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” but this year all of them have disappeared. I also had these, and figured you might like the studio versions of "Georgia On My Mind” and “Let It Be Me”
Also in 1981, here’s Bobby and Bill doing the Sam and Dave monster hit, “Soul Man”
From 1981, doing a live performance of their final major hit, "Rock and Roll Heaven." From that same year, live on American Bandstand in 1981, Bill and Bobby do a slowed-down version of that great tune! “Rock and Roll Heaven”
Also from 1981, here’s Bobby and Bill cranking out “Old Time Rock and Roll”
In 1986, he recorded this duet with Jennifer Warnes! The theme from the movie Dirty Dancing, this #1 smash it also won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy! Here’s a great live performance by Bill and Jennifer of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”
For our finale, Bobby and Bill live in 1986 in Mesa, AZ! We start with “The Old Time Rock and Roll” Also from that gig, “The Unchained Melody” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin.’”
For our first encore, 7 1/2 minutes of him performing live in 2006, led by a montage before the performances. Bill Medley live in Branson MO.
For our second encore, we have 59 minutes of the Righteous Brothers performing live! The Righteous Brothers – Legends in Concert
Last year I had an hour and 20 of “the New Righteous Brothers” in 2019, with Bill, Bucky Heard, and Bill’s daughter McKenna on backup performing as The Righteous Brothers Live in Concert - 2019 but it’s gone this year. So instead, for our last encore, I found this from January 2022. The Righteous Brothers Live Florida Theater 2022
Bill did an "Off the Record" interview back in 1986! Off the Record With Bill Medley - 1986
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We close today's birthday celebrations with a toast to the great Paul Williams (who is not the Paul Williams of the Temptations, nor the boxer, nor the rock critic!) From Wikipedia, Paul Williams (September 19, 1940) is "an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor.... best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World", and the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays", as well as his contributions to films such as "Evergreen" from A Star Is Born and "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie." So here they all are!
I saw these guys back in the early 70s, and they put on an amazing stage show. With 3 lead singers, it was quite an experience! For your enjoyment, Three Dog Night live in 1975 doing Paul's composition, "Old Fashioned Love Song."
Here's Helen Reddy in a duet with Kermit the Frog doing Paul's song "You And Me Against The World."
Here are the Carpenters on MTV doing two of Paul's tunes. "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days And Mondays."
From A Star is Born, the divine Ms. Barbra Streisand live in 1986 doing "Evergreen." Here she is again live at the 1977 Academy Awards doing "Evergreen."
We'll close today's birthday celebration with a song sung by Kermit the Frog for The Muppet Movie. This was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song in 1979, when the single of this song reached #25 on Billboard's "Hot 100 Singles" chart. For your enjoyment, Kermit (Jim Henson) singing the Paul Williams composition "The Rainbow Connection."
I hope you've enjoyed this birthday blast through the past as we, with millions, ponder and reflect on the global importance of these three being born on International Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19. Avast ye lubbers - time to celebrate pirates and decrease global warming! Arrrrgh......
© Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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