Mama Cass Elliott – Make Your Own Kind of Music (1969)

About the song

“Make Your Own Kind of Music” is a vibrant and uplifting pop song recorded by American singer Mama Cass Elliot, released in September 1969 by Dunhill Records. The track, penned by the renowned songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, was produced by Steve Barri. This song marked a significant moment in Elliot’s solo career following her successful run with The Mamas & The Papas.

Elliot’s decision to record “Make Your Own Kind of Music” came on the heels of her summer 1969 hit “It’s Getting Better,” another Mann/Weil composition, which was the second single from her second solo album, *Bubblegum, Lemonade and… Something for Mama*. Steve Barri, who produced the album, aimed to capture Elliot’s fun-loving and positive personality, opting for a bubblegum pop sound that he believed matched her voice and public image. Despite Elliot’s personal reservations about the light and transient nature of bubblegum music, she acknowledged that her voice was better suited for this genre.

In a 1969 interview with *Melody Maker*, Elliot expressed mixed feelings about her musical direction, describing “It’s Getting Better” as musically not quite aligned with her artistic aspirations. Nevertheless, “Make Your Own Kind of Music” was seen as carrying a more substantial message, a sentiment echoed by Barri, who categorized it among pop songs that “really kind of say something.”

Upon its release, “Make Your Own Kind of Music” quickly climbed the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 36, and also reached number 6 on the Easy Listening chart, thanks to significant radio airplay. However, the single’s sales did not match its airplay success, a pattern that would repeat with Elliot’s subsequent releases. In November 1969, Dunhill Records reissued her second solo album under the new title *It’s Getting Better/Make Your Own Kind of Music*, reflecting the popularity of the latest single.

The song’s follow-up, “New World Coming,” another Mann/Weil creation, faced similar commercial challenges, peaking at number 42 on the Hot 100. This trend indicated Elliot’s struggle to maintain her presence as a hitmaker as the music scene transitioned into the 1970s. Dunhill Records president Jay Lasker remarked on the declining impact of message songs, signaling a shift in Elliot’s future musical direction towards love songs.

Elliot’s final Hot 100 single, “A Song That Never Comes,” reached number 99 in August 1970. Following this, her third solo album, *Mama’s Big Ones*, was released in October 1970, compiling her Hot 100 singles and some unreleased tracks. This album marked her last solo project with Dunhill Records before she reunited with The Mamas & The Papas for a final album and then transitioned to RCA Victor.

In a retrospective recognition of its significance, Billboard ranked “Make Your Own Kind of Music” at number 89 on their list of The 100 Best Songs of 1969. The song was praised for its defiant optimism and contribution to self-referential pop, resonating with Elliot’s own journey of personal and professional resilience. Despite its modest chart performance, the song remains an enduring anthem of individuality and empowerment.

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Lyrics

Nobody can tell you
There’s only one song worth singing
They may try and sell you
Cause it hangs them up
To see someone like you

But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

You’re gonna be nowhere
The loneliest kind of lonely
It may be rough going
Just to do your thing is the hardest thing to do

But you gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

So if you cannot take my hand
And if you must be going, I will understand

You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own kind of song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

You gotta make your own kind of music
Sing your own kind of song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

No no no no
Even if nobody else sings along
If nobody else sings along