Mama Told Me Not to Come - wikipedia Mama Told Me Not to Come `` Mama Told Me Not to Come '' Song by Eric Burdon and the Animals from the album Eric Is Here Released March 1967 ( 1967 - 03 ) Genre Roots rock Length 2 : 15 Label MGM Songwriter ( s ) Randy Newman Producer ( s ) Tom Wilson `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' is a song by American singer - songwriter Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon 's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night 's 1970 cover of the song topped the US pop singles chart. Tom Jones and the Stereophonics ' cover version also hit number four on the UK Singles Chart in 2000. Contents 1 Newman original and first recordings 2 Three Dog Night version 3 Charts and certifications 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 4 Tom Jones and Stereophonics version 5 Other versions 6 Soundtrack appearances 7 References Newman original and first recordings Newman says that the song was inspired by his own lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene of the late 1960s. As with most Newman songs, he assumes a character - in `` Mama... '' the narrator is a sheltered and extraordinarily straight - laced young man, who recounts what is presumably his first `` wild '' party in the big city, is shocked and appalled by marijuana smoking, whiskey drinking, and loud music and -- in the chorus of the song -- recalls his `` mama told ( him ) not to come. '' The first recording of `` Mama Told Me Not to Come '' was cut by Eric Burdon & The Animals. A scheduled single - release of September 1966 was withdrawn, but the song was eventually included on their 1967 album Eric Is Here. Newman 's own version of his song was released on the 1970 album 12 Songs, and was characterized by Newman 's midtempo piano accompaniment, as well as Ry Cooder 's slide guitar part, both of which give the song the feel of a bluesy Ray Charles - style rhythm and blues number. Three Dog Night version `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' Single by Three Dog Night from the album It Ai n't Easy B - side `` Rock & Roll Widow '' Released May 1970 ( 1970 - 05 ) Format 7 - inch 45 RPM Recorded 1969 -- 1970 at American Recording Company Genre Rock Length 3 : 19 ( album ) 2 : 58 ( single ) Label Dunhill Songwriter ( s ) Randy Newman Producer ( s ) Richard Podolor Three Dog Night singles chronology `` Celebrate '' ( 1970 ) `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' ( 1970 ) `` Out in the Country '' ( 1970 ) `` Celebrate '' ( February 1970 ) `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' ( May 1970 ) `` Out in the Country '' ( August 1970 ) Also in 1970, Three Dog Night released a longer, rock ' n roll and funk - inspired version ( titled `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' ) on It Ai n't Easy. Three Dog Night 's version had the same 3 / 4 by 2 / 4 time change as Eric Burdon 's version and featured Cory Wells singing lead in an almost humorous vocal style, Jimmy Greenspoon playing a Wurlitzer electric piano, and Michael Allsup playing guitar. Charts and certifications Weekly charts Chart ( 1970 ) Peak position Australia KMR 10 Canadian Top Singles Germany ( Official German Charts ) 12 Ireland ( IRMA ) 6 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 14 New Zealand ( Listener ) 13 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 Year - end Charts Chart ( 1970 ) Rank Australia 67 Canada 40 UK 42 US Billboard Hot 100 11 Billboard ranked the record as the No. 11 song of 1970. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 14, 1970, the same day that It Ai n't Easy was certified gold. This was the very first # 1 song played on the July 4, 1970 broadcast of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. Tom Jones and Stereophonics version The recording of the song by Tom Jones and the Stereophonics ' reached number four on the U.K. Singles Chart in 2000. This version was produced by Steve Bush and Marshall Bird ( AKA `` Bird & Bush '' ). Singer Kelly Jones shared in the vocals with Jones. The video featured an appearance by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans. Other versions P.J. Proby recorded one of the earliest versions of the song in 1967, followed by Three Dog Night 's 1970 hit. Also in 1970, American singer / songwriter Odetta covered the song on her album `` Odetta Sings ''. It has also been recorded by a diverse range of artists, including Wilson Pickett, Lou Rawls, The Wolfgang Press, Yo La Tengo, The Slackers, and Paul Frees ( as W.C. Fields ) accompanied by The Animals. Lazlo Bane. Jazz singer Roseanna Vitro included it in her 2011 collection The Music of Randy Newman. A 1970 cover by The Jackson 5 was released on Come and Get It : The Rare Pearls. Tea Leaf Green and Widespread Panic have performed this song live. In 1971, the comic singer Patrick Topaloff released a French version named Maman, viens me chercher. Soundtrack appearances Three Dog Night 's version would later appear in Terry Gilliam 's 1998 movie adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson 's 1972 gonzo novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Due to the song 's upbeat, paranoid mood, it was used for the scene of obsessively drug - using protagonists Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo escaping a `` District Attorneys convention on narcotics and dangerous drugs ''. It also appears as the last song in the movie 's G - rated trailer, mainly accompanying Duke 's wild car ride to have Dr. Gonzo catch a plane in time, a scene where in the R - rated trailer and in the actual film, Viva Las Vegas by Dead Kennedys was used instead. The Three Dog Night version was also used in the 1997 films GI Jane ( played over a montage of scenes showing Jordan O'Neill ( Demi Moore ) conditioning herself for the extreme physical demands of SEAL training ) and Boogie Nights. Also used in the movie The Sweetest Thing ( 2002 ), when Cameron Diaz is walking up the street, and in Joy ( 2015 ) it 's performed by cast members in a scene set in a music class. References Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2007 - 12 - 12. Retrieved 2007 - 12 - 06. ^ Jump up to : Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( CD liner ). Three Dog Night. United States : MCA Records. 1993. pp. 27, 30, 31. MCAD2 - 10956. Jump up ^ Leaf, David ( 1993 ). Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( CD liner ). Three Dog Night. United States : MCA Records. p. 18. MCAD2 - 10956. ^ Jump up to : `` Australian Chart Book ''. Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 05. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` 100 Singles '' ( PHP ). RPM. 13 ( 23 ). July 25, 1970. Retrieved April 9, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- Three Dog Night Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Mama Told Me Not to Come ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Three Dog Night -- Mama Told Me ( Not To Come ) '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ `` flavour of new zealand - search listener ''. Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Three Dog Night Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 1970 - UK Music Charts ''. Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1970 / Top 100 Songs of 1970 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Gold & Platinum Searchable Database ''. Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ). Archived from the original ( PHP ) on 2007 - 06 - 26. Retrieved 2013 - 04 - 05. Type in `` Three Dog Night '' under Artist to see search results. Jump up ^ `` stereophonics graffiti on the train ''. The Snipe News. Retrieved 8 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` The Originals © by Arnold Rypens ''. Originals.be. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 17. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` MP3 File ''. Archive.org. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` PanicStream.com ''. PanicStream.com. 2008 - 10 - 18. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Randy Newman Studio albums Randy Newman 12 Songs Sail Away Good Old Boys Little Criminals Born Again Trouble in Paradise Land of Dreams Bad Love Harps and Angels Dark Matter Live albums Randy Newman Live Compilations Lonely at the Top : The Best of Randy Newman Guilty : 30 Years of Randy Newman The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1 The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 2 Musicals Randy Newman 's Faust Soundtracks Toy Story James and the Giant Peach Avalon Meet the Parents Cars The Princess and the Frog Songs `` Mama Told Me Not to Come '' `` Sail Away '' `` He Gives Us All His Love '' `` Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear '' `` Political Science '' `` You Can Leave Your Hat On '' `` Louisiana 1927 '' `` Rednecks '' `` Short People '' `` I Love L.A. '' `` You 've Got a Friend in Me '' `` When She Loved Me '' `` We Belong Together '' `` It 's a Jungle Out There '' Related Discography Nilsson Sings Newman Alfred Newman David Newman Emil Newman Joey Newman Lionel Newman Thomas Newman Three Dog Night Danny Hutton Michael Allsup Paul Kingery Pat Bautz Eddie Reasoner David Morgan Cory Wells Chuck Negron Jimmy Greenspoon Floyd Sneed Joe Schermie Skip Konte Al Ciner Gary Moon Richard Campbell Studio albums Three Dog Night ( 1968 ) Suitable for Framing ( 1969 ) It Ai n't Easy ( 1970 ) Naturally ( 1970 ) Harmony ( 1971 ) Seven Separate Fools ( 1972 ) Cyan ( 1973 ) Hard Labor ( 1974 ) Coming Down Your Way ( 1975 ) American Pastime ( 1976 ) It 's a Jungle ( 1983 ) Live albums Captured Live at the Forum ( 1969 ) Around the World with Three Dog Night ( 1973 ) Compilations Golden Bisquits ( 1971 ) Joy to the World : Their Greatest Hits ( 1975 ) The Best of 3 Dog Night ( 1982 ) Celebrate : The Three Dog Night Story, 1965 -- 1975 ( 1993 ) 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection : The Best of Three Dog Night ( 1999 ) Singles `` Nobody '' `` Try a Little Tenderness '' `` One '' `` Easy to Be Hard '' `` Eli 's Coming '' `` Celebrate '' `` Mama Told Me ( Not to Come ) '' `` Out in the Country '' `` One Man Band '' `` Joy to the World '' `` Liar '' `` An Old Fashioned Love Song '' `` Never Been to Spain '' `` The Family of Man '' `` Black & White '' `` Pieces of April '' `` Shambala '' `` Let Me Serenade You '' `` The Show Must Go On '' `` Sure As I 'm Sittin ' Here '' `` Play Something Sweet ( Brickyard Blues ) '' `` Til the World Ends '' `` Everybody Is a Masterpiece '' `` It 's a Jungle Out There '' Discography Book Tom Jones Discography Studio albums Along Came Jones ( It 's Not Unusual ) What 's New Pussycat ? A-tom - ic Jones From the Heart Green, Green Grass of Home Delilah Help Yourself Reload Mr. Jones Praise & Blame Spirit in the Room Long Lost Suitcase Live albums John Farnham & Tom Jones -- Together in Concert Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas Songs `` All You Need Is Love '' `` Baby, It 's Cold Outside '' `` Black Betty '' `` Burning Down the House '' `` Carrying a Torch '' `` Darlin ' '' `` Daughter of Darkness '' `` Delilah '' `` Detroit City '' `` Gimme Shelter '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Help Yourself '' `` I ( Who Have Nothing ) '' `` Islands in the Stream '' `` It 's Four in the Morning '' `` It 's Not Unusual '' `` I 'll Never Fall in Love Again '' `` Kiss '' `` Lady Lay Down '' `` Mama Told Me Not to Come '' `` Move Closer '' `` Say You 'll Stay Until Tomorrow '' `` Sex Bomb '' `` Sixteen Tons '' `` She 's a Lady '' `` Stoned in Love '' `` Till '' `` What 's New Pussycat ? '' `` Without Love '' `` The Young New Mexican Puppeteer '' `` Thunderball '' Related articles This Is Tom Jones Tom Jones Tom Jones : The Right Time The Wexford Carols Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mama_Told_Me_Not_to_Come&oldid=852823293 '' Categories : Songs about parenthood 1967 songs 1970 singles Songs written by Randy Newman Randy Newman songs Three Dog Night songs Tom Jones ( singer ) songs Eric Burdon songs The Animals songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Dunhill Records singles MGM Records singles Song recordings produced by Tom Wilson ( record producer ) Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for German Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without artist Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Talk Contents About Wikipedia Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 31 July 2018, at 16 : 19 ( UTC ). 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Question: who sings the song mama told me not to come
Answer: Eric Burdon