THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS - I CALL YOUR NAME

Released: February 28, 1966

Album: If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

“I Call Your Name” is a song by the Beatles, primarily written by John Lennon with help from Paul McCartney. It was released in the US on “The Beatles’ Second Album” and in the UK on the “Long Tall Sally” EP. The Mamas & the Papas covered the song in 1966 on their debut album “If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears”. Cass Elliot notably whispers “John… John” during the instrumental break as a nod to her crush on John Lennon. The group closes the song with “I call your name… ye-ah!”—a playful reference to the Beatles’ iconic “Yeah, yeah, yeah” from “She Loves You”.

Lennon initially gave “I Call Your Name” to The Dakotas, another Liverpool band, but he was dissatisfied with their arrangement and its lackluster B-side performance. As a result, Lennon decided to have The Beatles re-record the song. The Mamas & the Papas’ 1966 cover of the track appears to compensate for Lennon’s earlier disappointment. Their version features a bright, honky-tonk piano, lush harmonized vocals, and a polished instrumental bridge.

On “I Call Your Name” the narrator grapples with feelings of loneliness, questioning their role in the relationship’s end. They express their struggle with insomnia and despair, revealing their difficulty in coping with the loss. Despite their emotional fragility, they find fleeting solace in calling out their former partner’s name, symbolizing their lingering attachment. 

The original cover of “If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears” album, featuring a bathroom photo with a visible toilet, was pulled in 1966 for being deemed indecent. Later versions either had a scroll pasted over the toilet listing the album’s hit singles or cropped the bathroom out entirely. The original uncensored version is now a collector’s item, valued highly. 

The album included several covers in addition to original material. Notably, it featured soul singer Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance?” and “Spanish Harlem,” a collaboration between Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector.