Three Dog Night - Mama Told Me (Not To Come) (1970)

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 pop rock cover of the song topped the U.S. pop singles charts. Stereophonics's cover also hit number four on the U.K. Singles Chart in 2000.

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 A scheduled single-release of September 1966 was withdrawn, but the song was eventually included on their 1967 album Eric Is Here.

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.

repeat
repeat_one
shuffle
skip_previous
play_circle_filled
pause_circle_filled
skip_next
volume_up

Three Dog Night's version had the same 3/4 by 2/4 time change as Eric Burdon's version and featured Cory Wells singing lead in an almost humorous vocal-style, Jimmy Greenspoon playing a Wurlitzer electric piano, and Michael Allsup playing his guitar, which sounds like a violin on the recording.

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.

This was the very first #1 song played on the July 4, 1970 broadcast of American Top 40.