My dad had a particular obsession with California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & The Papas. He would repeat it until exhaustion, then play it again. That was his way of loving a song and I think it’s something I inherited.

I found a cover by American Music Club, and although he didn’t like Mark Eitzel’s vocals that much, he loved the instrumentation, so he would go play both versions back to back, until my mum really got angry.

Then I gave him Barry McGuire’s version and dropped the bomb on him: “this is the first recording.”

“So?”-my dad, befuddled with McGuire’s Tom Waits-lite lyrical delivery and harmonica solo.

“So you said once that you didn’t like covers, but the version you like so much is technically cover, even if they wrote it. McGuire recorded it first.”

“I prefer this version.”

And that’s the reality. Covers can be great or terrible, and you’re the only one who can choose which one you prefer. Some songs I prefer the covers, others I like all versions.

California Dreamin’ is one of them. I think because of my dad I collected several versions. Even the McGuire version, which is too easy to make fun if you’re snobby enough, is a good song.

Baby Huey’s career is a tragic reminder of how short life is. A fantastic soul singer with honeysweet vocals, he died before his release album was released. Once you hear this album, you’ll see why so many hip hop artists covered him. For example, Control Machete’s Cheve is a direct sample of Huey’s Hard Times.

I’m going for an instrumental song, which feels disappointing as I’ve bigged up his vocals so far. Let’s do this: I’ll include two songs, because I don’t think only one can sum up his beautiful voice, cut short at just 26 years. Hope you enjoy the instrumental cover of California Dreamin’ and A Change is going to come.

-Sam J. Valdés López

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