Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

It's gloomy, wet and miserable out there. What we really need is a lovely little easy listening music interlude...

With a perfect combination of one of our favourite house bands, Debussy, sunshine, the Von Trapp singers, The Mamas & The Papas and - ahem - a tortoise, I think this will do nicely!

Pink Martini and The von Trapps - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Oh, that's better.

Roll on summer...

Stars shining bright above you

In honour of Mama Cass Elliot, whose 70th birthday it would have been this week, and also just because the sun is shining and looks set to remain so into the weekend, here is the big Mama herself.

One of my favourite summer songs, Dream a Little Dream of Me was originally written and recorded as a dance band number back in 1931, but it is this version we love the most. Who can forget the beautiful closing moments of the film Beautiful Thing, as the boys slow-dance to this tune across the concrete of their grim estate? Bliss...

Mama Cass Eliot - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Cass Elliot website

And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality...

Happy 65th birthday today to Michelle Phillips - the "pretty one" in the fantastic Mamas & The Papas.

Epitomising all that was great and dreamy about the optimistic late 60s hippy/folk musical era, I have always loved the vocal harmonies and uplifting songs of the Mamas & The Papas - Monday, Monday, Creeque Alley, California Dreaming, Dedicated To The One I Love, Dream a Little Dream of Me, classics every one.

Inevitably, most of the media focus was on Mama Cass - the hard-drinking, oversized earth mother (and inspiration for later generations of big girl singers right up to Beth Ditto today) - but without the rest of the Mamas & The Papas her later solo career was a pale imitation.

Admittedly, Michelle's affair with band member Denny Doherty while still married to John Phillips (whose previous marriage she had been party to breaking up) may have contributed to their professional split, but her vocals always complimented Cass's perfectly.

The only surviving founder member of the group, Michelle went on to carve for herself a successful acting career on the big screen and on TV, appearing in both Knots Landing and Beverly Hills 90210.

But it is for her contribution to the sublimely summery sound of the Mamas & The Papas that we remain eternally grateful...

Mamas & The Papas - Creeque Alley

And here, inevitably, is the excellent French & Saunders skit:



Mamas & The Papas on Wikipedia