Dream a Little Dream of Me

As we continue to tease the tracks on Joy Mover’s debut album, here’s a little bit of insight into the closing track, the classic “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

“Dream a Little Dream of Me” was recorded by Ozzie Nelson (most famous for “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet!) and his Orchestra with vocal by Nelson on February 16, 1931 for Brunswick Records. That February 18, Wayne King and His Orchestra with vocal by Ernie Birchill recorded the song for Victor Records. “Dream a Little Dream of Me” was also an early signature tune of Kate Smith. In the summer of 1950 seven recordings of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” were in release with the versions by Frankie Laine and Jack Owens reaching the US Top 20 at respectively #18 and #14: the other versions were by Cathy Mastice, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, Vaughn Monroe, Dinah Shore and a duet version by Bing Crosby and Georgia Gibbs. Other traditional pop acts to record “Dream a Little Dream of Me” include Barbara Carroll, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Joni James and Dean Martin.

“Dream a Little Dream of Me” was recorded for the Mamas & the Papas April 1968 album release The Papas & The Mamas. The group had often sung the song for fun, having been familiarized with it by member Michelle Phillips, whose father had been friends with the song’s co-writer, Fabian Andre, in Mexico City where Michelle Phillips’ family had resided when she was a young girl. “Mama” Cass Elliot suggested to group leader John Phillips that the group record “Dream a Little Dream of Me”; according to him she was unhappy while recording the song, objecting to its campiness, but Elliot herself would later tell Melody Maker: “I tried to sing it like it was 1943 and somebody had just come in and said, ‘Here’s a new song.’ I tried to sing it as if it were the first time.”