“It’s Getting Better” — Mama Cass Elliot

Having mentioned the Mamas and Papas briefly the other day in my article about Barry McGuire’s “Eve Of Destruction”, I couldn’t help myself writing a bit more about the Mamas and Papas…one of my favourite groups.

Technically, “It’s Getting Better” isn’t a Mamas and Papas song as Mama Cass Elliot didn’t record it until after the band had gone their separate ways. But as the song is often included in compilations and retrospectives about the Mamas and Papas, I figured I could stretch a point to write about one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite vocalists.

And I’ll probably get away with it too — every video I can find for “It’s Getting Better” uses pictures of all four members of the Mamas and Papas to accompany it…despite three-quarters of Mama Cass Elliot’s old band having nothing to do with it.

It’s a slightly unusual song in the Cass Elliot repertoire. She was renowned for the deep chocolate-y tones in her voice and “It’s Getting Better” is mostly at the upper end of her vocal range.

To complete the slightly unusual approach to this recording, Cass Elliot seems to have been placed on the other side of the studio from the microphone for some reason, so there is a “far off” feel to her performance on this song.

Now I’d be the first to admit this might be my own interpretation of what’s going on…and perhaps evidence of my slight frustration that the depth and richness of Mama Cass’s voice isn’t as much in evidence as I would…