"Mama Told Me Not to Come"
Song by Eric Burdon and the Animals
from the album Eric Is Here
ReleasedMarch 1967 (1967-03)
GenreRoots rock
Length2:15
LabelMGM
Songwriter(s)Randy Newman
Producer(s)Tom Wilson

"Mama Told Me Not to Come", also written as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)", is a song by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover topped the US pop singles chart. Tom Jones and Stereophonics' version also reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000.

Newman original and first recordings

Newman says that the song was inspired by his own lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene of the late 1960s. As with most Newman songs, he assumes a character; in this song the narrator is a sheltered and extraordinarily straitlaced young man, who recounts what is presumably his first "wild" party in the big city, is shocked and appalled by marijuana smoking, whiskey drinking, and loud music, and – in the chorus of the song – recalls that his "Mama told [him] not to come".

The first recording of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" was cut by Eric Burdon & The Animals. A scheduled release of a single in September 1966 was withdrawn,[1] but the song was eventually included on their 1967 album Eric Is Here.

Newman's own turn at his song was released on the 1970 album 12 Songs, and was characterized by Newman's mid-tempo piano accompaniment, as well as Ry Cooder's slide guitar part, both of which give the song the feel of a bluesy Ray Charles-style rhythm and blues number.

Three Dog Night version

"Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"
Single by Three Dog Night
from the album It Ain't Easy
B-side"Rock & Roll Widow"[2]
ReleasedMay 1970 (1970-05)[3]
Recorded1969–1970[3]
StudioAmerican Recording Company[3]
GenreRock
Length
  • 3:19 (album version)
  • 2:58 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Randy Newman
Producer(s)Richard Podolor[3]
Three Dog Night singles chronology
"Celebrate"
(1970)		 "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"
(1970)		 "Out in the Country"
(1970)

Also in 1970, Three Dog Night released a longer, rock 'n roll and funk-inspired version (titled "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)") on It Ain't Easy, featuring Cory Wells singing lead in an almost humorous vocal style,[4] Jimmy Greenspoon playing a Wurlitzer electronic piano, Michael Allsup playing guitar, and Donna Summer on backing vocals, though uncredited.

Billboard ranked the record as the No. 11 song of 1970. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 14, 1970, the same day that It Ain't Easy was certified gold.[5] It was also the number-one song on the premiere broadcast of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on July 4, 1970.

Cash Box suggested that this song could "do for Randy Newman what the Fifth Dimension did for Laura Nyro" since Three Dog Night is "the first to apply muscle to his material."[6]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[19] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Tom Jones and Stereophonics version

"Mama Told Me Not to Come"
Single by Tom Jones and Stereophonics
from the album Reload
B-side"Looking Out My Window"
ReleasedMarch 6, 2000 (2000-03-06)[20]
Studio
Length3:00
Label
Songwriter(s)Randy Newman
Producer(s)Bird and Bush
Tom Jones singles chronology
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
(1999)		 "Mama Told Me Not to Come"
(2000)		 "Sex Bomb"
(2000)
Stereophonics singles chronology
"Hurry Up and Wait"
(1999)		 "Mama Told Me Not to Come"
(2000)		 "Mr. Writer"
(2001)
Music video
Tom Jones, Stereophonics - Mama Told Me Not To Come on YouTube

Tom Jones and Stereophonics covered the song for Jones' 34th album, Reload, in 1999. It was released as a single on March 6, 2000, and reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 7 in Iceland, No. 11 in Ireland and No. 45 in New Zealand. This version was produced by Steve Bush and Marshall Bird (also known as "Bird & Bush"). Stereophonics lead singer Kelly Jones (no relation) shared the lead vocals with Jones. The video featured an appearance by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans.[21]

Track listings

UK CD1 and cassette single[22][23]

  1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come"
  2. "Looking Out My Window" (with the James Taylor Quartet)
  3. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (the Rotton remix)

UK CD2[24]

  1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come"
  2. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Mama Turtled Me Not to K mix)
  3. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Future Loop Foundation remix)

European CD single[25]

  1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" – 3:01
  2. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Future Loop Foundation remix) – 6:15

European maxi-CD single[26]

  1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" – 3:01
  2. "Looking Out My Window" (with the James Taylor Quartet) – 3:20
  3. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Mama Turtled Me Not to K mix) – 7:06
  4. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Future Loop Foundation remix) – 6:15
  5. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (the Rotton remix) – 3:49

Australian CD single[27]

  1. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (album mix)
  2. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Mama Turtled Me Not to K mix)
  3. "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (Future Loop Foundation remix)
  4. "Looking Out My Window" (with the James Taylor Quartet)
  5. "What a Game" (Tom Jones / NRL)
  6. "What a Game" (video)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the Reload album booklet.[28]

Studios

Personnel

  • Randy Newman – writing
  • Tom Jones – vocals
  • Kelly Jones – vocals, guitar
  • Victy Silva – backing vocals
  • Richard Jones – bass guitar
  • Tony Kirkham – keyboards
  • Stuart Cable – drums
  • Andy Duncan – programming, percussion
  • Bird and Bush – production
  • Stephen Hague – additional production
  • Bob Kraushaar – engineering
  • Jeremy Wheatley – mixing
  • Kevin Metcalf – mastering

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

P. J. Proby recorded one of the earliest takes on the song in 1967,[42] followed by Three Dog Night's 1970 hit. Also in 1970, American singer-songwriter Odetta covered the song on her album "Odetta Sings". It has also been recorded by a diverse range of artists, including Wilson Pickett,[42] Lou Rawls,[42] The Wolfgang Press,[42] Yo La Tengo, The Slackers, and Paul Frees (as W.C. Fields) accompanied by The Animals' Lazlo Bane. Jazz singer Roseanna Vitro included it in her 2011 collection The Music of Randy Newman. A 1970 cover by The Jackson 5 was released on Come and Get It: The Rare Pearls.

Tea Leaf Green[43] and Widespread Panic[44] have performed this song live. In 1971, the comic singer Patrick Topaloff released a French version named Maman, viens me chercher.

Soundtrack appearances

Three Dog Night's version is used to great effect in the 1997 Paul Thomas Anderson film Boogie Nights, playing as Eddie Adams first arrives at Jack Horner's home after Eddie's fight with his mother.

It would also later appear in Terry Gilliam's 1998 movie adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's 1972 gonzo novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Due to the song's upbeat, paranoid mood, it was used for the scene of obsessively drug-using protagonists Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo escaping a "District Attorneys convention on narcotics and dangerous drugs". It also appears as the last song in the movie's G-rated trailer, mainly accompanying Duke's wild car ride to have Dr. Gonzo catch a plane in time, a scene where in the R-rated trailer and in the actual film, Viva Las Vegas by Dead Kennedys was used instead.

References

  1. ↑ "EVB Singles Summary". Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
  2. ↑ Mama Told Me (Not to Come) (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Three Dog Night. ABC Records, Dunhill Records. 1970. 45-D-4239.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965–1975 (CD liner). Three Dog Night. United States: MCA Records. 1993. pp. 27, 30, 31. MCAD2-10956.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Leaf, David (1993). Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965–1975 (CD liner). Three Dog Night. United States: MCA Records. p. 18. MCAD2-10956.
  5. ↑ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Archived from the original (PHP) on June 26, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2013. Type in "Three Dog Night" under Artist to see search results.
  6. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 23, 1970. p. 34. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ "100 Singles" (PHP). RPM. 13 (23). July 25, 1970. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  9. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mama Told Me Not to Come". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Three Dog Night – Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ↑ "flavour of new zealand – search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  12. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  14. ↑ "Three Dog Night Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Three Dog Night – Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Three Dog Night"
  16. ↑ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  17. ↑ "Top 100 1970 – UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ "American single certifications – Three Dog Night – Mama Told Me Not to Come". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Reviews – For Records Released on March 6, 2000" (PDF). Music Week. February 26, 2000. p. 23. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  21. ↑ "stereophonics graffiti on the train". The Snipe News. October 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  22. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (UK CD1 liner notes). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records. 2000. CDGUT31.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (UK cassette single sleeve). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records. 2000. CAGUT31.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (UK CD2 liner notes). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records. 2000. CXGUT31.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (European CD single liner notes). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records, V2 Records. 2000. VVR5012683.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records, V2 Records. 2000. VVR5012673.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ↑ Mama Told Me Not to Come (Australian CD single liner notes). Tom Jones, Stereophonics. Gut Records, Mushroom Records. 2000. D2030.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ↑ Reload (UK CD album booklet). Tom Jones. Gut Records. 1999. GUTCD009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 13. March 25, 2000. p. 11. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Tom Jones & Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (11.5– 18.5 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). May 12, 2000. p. 12. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  32. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Mama Told Me Not to Come". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Tipparade-lijst van week 24, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Tom Jones & Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Tom Jones & Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Tom Jones & Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 5, 2001. p. 10. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  41. ↑ "British single certifications – Tom Jones & Stereophonics – Mama Told Me Not to Come". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  42. 1 2 3 4 "The Originals © by Arnold Rypens". Originals.be. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  43. ↑ "MP3 File". Archive.org. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  44. ↑ "PanicStream.com". PanicStream.com. October 1, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
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