THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS - DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE

Released: February 1967

Charts:  US: #2    UK: #2 

“Dedicated to the One I Love” is a song by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass, made popular by the “5” Royales, the Shirelles, the Mamas & the Papas, and Bitty McLean. The Mamas & the Papas’ version, released on Dunhill Records, reached No. 2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK charts, held from the top spot in the U.S. by “Happy Together” by The Turtles. The group performed it, along with “Creeque Alley,” on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967.

The song’s single and album versions share the same mix, unlike some of the group’s other tracks, but there are differences between the mono and stereo versions. In the mono version, Michelle’s double-tracked vocals are mixed to sound like a single voice, Cass’s vocals and the piano are more prominent, and the song ends with all four members singing in harmony. In the stereo version, the piano is pushed to the background, Cass’s vocals are more blended with the group, and her voice is nearly absent at the end.

The lead singer on the Mamas & the Papas’ version of “Dedicated to the One I Love” was Michelle Phillips, marking the first time she took the lead over Cass Elliot. The song was also featured on their 1967 album “The Mamas & The Papas Deliver”.