Dream a Little Dream of Me : The Life of "Mama" Cass Elliot

The greatest white female singer ever' is how Boy George described pop icon Cass Elliot, the sixties diva who was at the epicentre of US popular culture and music during the Californian hippy movement. Hailed as America's answer to the Beatles, the Mamas and the Papas' hits such as 'California Dreamin' and 'Monday Monday' became the soundtrack of a generation. Cass's uniquely emotive voice, charismatic wit and outsized multicoloured kaftans singled her out as a popstar who refused to conform to traditional female stereotypes.

When she left the Mamas and the Papas, she immediately had a top ten hit with her debut single, 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' and became the queen on Los Angeles society. Her Beverly Hills villa was the scene of legenday parties, becoming the second home of stars such as Jack Nicholson and Grace Slick, but there was a darker side to her fame - after years of continuous dieting and drug addiction, she died mysteriously in London at the age of 33. Including interviews with Cass's friends and family, co-band members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty, and many of the famous names who knew her, this is both an insightful biography of an extraordinary singer, and a fascinating glimpse into free-living, free-loving ideals of the sixties as the optimism of the flower-child generation was crushed by the Vietnam War.

'The product of over 100 interviews and four years of research across three continents, it's a fantastic read that goes way beyond thorough . . .

Fiegel's fine, all-encompassing tome restores much of the great woman's dignity' - Mojo

CONTENIDO:

Introduction
Prologue
1. A design for living
2. A tight bottle
3. The Boyfriend
4. `A smooth-talkin' banjo player'
5. A ruling body of three
6. Wild women sing the blues
7. Hell on wheels / 8. Love, love me do
9. It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it
10. `I don't go out with freaks'
11. Sing for your supper
12. Creeque Alley
13. California Dreamin
14. 'Harvey'
15. Two duelling virgos'
16. Baby, you can drive my car
17. Deliver
18. `I think my character has been besmirched'
19. Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
20. `In the words of my friends'
21. 'This show will blow their minds'
22. Ladies and gentlemen of the Canyon
23. Baronesa Cass
24. Power to the people
25. 'Don't call me Mama any more'
26. `Big-time showbiz'
27. Hollywood Memorial

Epilogue
Casa Elliot's Top 12
US and UK discography
Bibliography
Index