But it’s also Cass’s powerful vocals in the answer part that elevated that song and made it so good. It was interesting to note that Cass came up with the call and answer song structure of their most famous tune, California Dreamin’, which is definitely what made it a hit. Eventually she becomes friends with musician Denny Doherty who joined a folk trio called The Journeymen which, when Cass joined them, would become The Mamas and the Papas.

She wants to be famous, goes to New York and hangs out with artists who recognise her amazing voice. It’s not a bad read but it definitely has its flaws.Ĭass’s life turns out to be fairly ordinary which unfortunately doesn’t make for the most riveting of stories. Penelope Bagieu’s California Dreamin’ is a biographical comic about the early life of Ellen Cohen aka Cass Elliot of ‘60s group The Mamas and the Papas. It’s quick and you get to know a lot about the person. I hope to read more biographies of people in this form. The art is black and white and it’s well done. It’s always interesting how people who make it have this fierceness inside them that no one seems to be able to stop. She took her lumps, sure, but she was a strong person. Cass was also a big girl, but that didn’t stop her from expressing herself and being out there. Cass was instrumental for California Dreamin to be a hit and to keep ‘the Journeymen’ from being a forgotten folk group.Ĭass was in the flower power generation and she did the drugs and sex thing. The group was originally the other 3 and the guy who put it together didn’t want Cass, but she followed them around and wouldn’t leave them alone.

I bet it was from the family.Ĭass had the pipes, but she also had that star quality and she also had a will to be there. I wonder where Penelope did and received all her research. This is a fascinating behind the scenes before they were famous story of Cass Elliot. To me they were this successful group and for some reason I never wondered how they became. I am a huge fan of Cass and the Mamas & Papas. This is originally in French which is funny considering that Cass Elliot and the Mamas and the Papas were American.

California Dreamin' by Pénélope Bagieu