When Three Dog Night released "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" in 1970, the song became the band's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and one of the defining rock singles of the era.
Four years later, Three Dog Night gave the song an entirely new identity.
The success also introduced many listeners to Randy Newman's songwriting long before he became a household name as a recording artist and film composer. At the time, Newman was better known for writing songs that other artists turned into hits, and "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" became one of the earliest examples of his storytelling connecting with a mainstream audience.
"I talked to the guys about this,” co-founder Danny Hutton told Mix Online. "I don’t remember when I first heard 'Mama,' but Cory says that he tried to get us to record it for three albums before he was able to wear us down! Randy's publishing company used to send us a lot of demos, but to tell you the truth, I wasn’t bowled over when I heard the song for the first time. When we fleshed it out in rehearsal, it started to come together, but besides Cory, the rest of us remained lukewarm until we actually got down to tracking it. By the time we’d finished making the record, though, we knew we had something special."
More than 50 years later, the song still stands as one of rock's most memorable cover versions. What began as a Randy Newman composition intended for Eric Burdon ultimately became the breakthrough hit that helped define Three Dog Night's remarkable career.
Related: 1976 No. 1 Hit, Originally Rejected by Rock Icon, Remains a Classic 50 Years Later
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