Songs You Might Not Know Were Covers Vol. 9: Dream a Little Dream of Me (#10)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (76742)
United States
September 13, 2021 10:58am CST
FREEDOM!!! There’s nothing as rewarding as hearing “you’re done” from the physical therapist!! Makes you wanna have lunch at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and sing!! You don’t want to hear me sing, so I’ll leave it to the professionals. Here’s a song you might remember from a big hit version and not known it was a cover.
#10: Dream a Little Dream of Me
Age has its privileges. One of those privileges centers around music. Like the t-shirt (and meme) says, I may be old but I got to see all the cool bands.
That includes the Mamas and the Papas. DANG, could Mama Cass sing. That was so evident on this departure from folk rock hit from 1968, where she turned on the charm like she was singing a 30s song.
You know what? She was singing a 30s song. This song goes back to Ozzie. No, not OZZY, the bat-eater, but Ozzie Nelson. If you’ve ever seen (or heard of) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and wondered just who those two people were, here’s your answer. Ozzie Nelson started his long career in show biz as a band leader in the late 1920s. His “orchestra” (what most pop bands were called then, hardly a real orchestra) was very popular during the 30s.
In 1931 Ozzie Nelson gave us the first recording of “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” That was ten years before Cass Elliot was born.
Just goes to show that good music doesn’t have an expiration date.
And, for the record, this is one of those cases where the cover blows the original out of the water!
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Written by Fabian Andre, Wilbur Schwandt, and Gus Kahn
Originally recorded by Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra, 1931
Famously covered by the Mamas & the Papas, 1968
The original from 1931, with Ricky Nelson’s dad on vocals:
12 people like this
10 responses
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
14 Sep 21
Funny that Ozzie became known as Ricky's dad, he (Ozzie) and Harriet were quite famous on their own!
nice song, the kind of song a very young person would share!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76742)
• United States
14 Sep 21
I actually don’t mind being a boring old fart. Pete Townshend kinda made that cool. 

1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76742)
• United States
14 Sep 21
@DocAndersen — no room for you in there with a dog AND Hank Williams!!

Move It On Over was the first Hank Williams' first country hit reaching in 1947 rank #4 on country singles chart.ame in last night at half past tenThat baby ...
1 person likes this
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
14 Sep 21
@FourWalls i just want to make sure I am not in your doghouse!
1 person likes this

@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
14 Sep 21
Guess I've been living under a rock. I didn't even know Ozzie Nelson could sing. 

1 person likes this
@FourWalls (76742)
• United States
14 Sep 21
Nothing like Mama Cass, though.

Official audio to "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by The Mamas and The PapasMore from TMATP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-aK6JnyFmk(C) 1966 Geffen Records
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
14 Sep 21
@FourWalls - There will never be another Mama Cass. She was a one of a kind. She was definitely the voice of that popular group. I loved them!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (86981)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
15 Sep 21
I know the song just never heard this version, I like it by Doris Day and by Mama Cass,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (194814)
• United States
14 Sep 21
Congrats on finishing your PT. Had no idea Ozzie Nelson was a singer. Love Cass Elliott.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (36713)
•
5 Oct 21
Cool trivia! And well covered by Mama Cass as her signature song with the band and solo 

1 person likes this
@andreea_v (245)
•
15 Sep 21
This a gorgeous song! I love it so much! And I love when it is featured in movies. Does anyone like that too?
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (95409)
• Arvada, Colorado
13 Sep 21
Yes I do know it and remember well.
1 person likes this
