My 100 Favorite Charted Pop Songs: Mississippi

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Well, isn’t this a coincidence?! I’m home after a walk in the Mississippi River (and a stop at the Land Between the Lakes), and look at the song that shows up in this alphabetical list of my 100 favorite songs to have made the Hot 100 chart! Couldn’t have planned that! So let’s have another trip back to the big river, this time in song. Mississippi - John Phillips The Mamas and Papas were on here as a group (with “Creeque Alley”), and here’s Papa John all by himself. This song was so cool to me. The traditional country station in town wouldn’t touch it, but the “progressive” country station did. (I guess because of James Burton’s [“do it to me, James”] Dobro playing.) The rock stations played it, too, but the only way I knew I was listening to a rock station was if they played “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night after this. No harmonies from the others, so this didn’t do much in the way of success. It’s mostly remembered by geeks like me who like a good bass solo (Joe Osborn, called out by Phillips before the solo). Mississippi Written by John Phillips Recorded by John Phillips From John Phillips (John, the Wolf King of L.A.), 1970 Peak chart position: #38 (also charted #58 country) Today’s country song: “Morning” Swamps all around make you feel kinda funny: