This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 70.52.227.4(talk) at 06:33, 30 May 2020(added information on recording date (Source: Wikipedia entry on the album)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 06:33, 30 May 2020 by 70.52.227.4(talk)(added information on recording date (Source: Wikipedia entry on the album))
The title of the song, which does not occur in the lyrics, is derived from Creque or Crequi (pronounced "creaky")[4] Alley,[5] home to a club in the Virgin Islands where John and Michelle Phillips' original group, the New Journeymen, spent time on vacation.[6] The lyric "Greasin' on American Express cards" harks back to that time, during which they could only make ends meet by using their American Express cards,[7] and the lyric "Duffy's good vibrations, and our imaginations, can't go on indefinitely" refers to Hugh Duffy, the owner of the club on Creeque Alley. Duffy later owned Chez Shack in Vieques, Puerto Rico.[8]
The repeated line that ends the first three verses, "No one's getting fat, 'cept Mama Cass" (Elliot was making the most money), is modified in the fourth verse to "Everybody's getting fat, 'cept Mama Cass" . The final lyric line, "And California Dreamin' is becoming a reality", is an apparent reference to their hit song "California Dreamin'", and marks the point at which the group achieved its breakthrough, leaving behind the lifestyle described in the rest of the song.
Versions
There are three mixes of the song, all with audible differences. The original single version includes a horn section which is not heard on the album versions, and ends with Doherty singing an extra "becoming a reality." The mix that appears on the mono pressings of The Mamas and the Papas Deliver omits the horns completely. It contains the repeat of "becoming a reality" but, unlike on the single, Elliot can be heard singing in harmony with Doherty. The song as heard on stereo copies of The Mamas and the Papas Deliver, as well as on almost all Mamas and Papas compilations, also omits the horns, and the extra "becoming a reality" is not heard either, save for the "-ty" syllable of "reality" (sung by both Doherty and Elliot.) The middle flute solo is also mixed differently in each version.