Songs with Earlier Histories Than the Hit Version

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Make Your Own Kind of Music

First recorded by The Will-O-Bees (1968).
Hit version by “Mama” Cass Elliot (US #36/MOR #6 1969).
Also performed by The Carpenters (1971).

From the wiki: “‘Make Your Own Kind of Music’ was written by Barry Mann (‘Never Gonna Let You Go‘, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place‘, ‘Venus in Blue Jeans‘) and Cynthia Weil (‘Don’t Know Much‘, ‘I Just Can’t Help Believing‘, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place‘) first recorded in 1968 by New York City-based trio the Will-O-Bees (Janet Blossom, Steven Porter, and Robert Merchanthouse) who regularly performed Mann/Weil compositions. After ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot had a solo hit in the summer of 1969 with Mann/Weil’s ‘It’s Getting Better’ she recorded ‘Make Your Own Kind of Music’ as the follow-up single. Her album Bubblegum, Lemonade, and… Something for Mama was then re-released as Make Your Own Kind of Music, the title cut having been added to the original track listing.”

“The song was also used as the theme for an 8-week summer-replacement TV program hosted by The Carpenters July-September 1971. Some guest stars were Don Knotts, Herb Alpert, Al Hirt, Mark Lindsay, Patchett & Tarses, Helen Reddy, and the Doodletown Pipers.”

Mama Cass, “Make Your Own Kind of Music” TV performance (1969):

The Carpenters, “Make Your Own Kind of Music” TV program theme (1971):

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