Customer Reviews

The Mama Cass Television Program

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1969 was a GREAT year for music! This was the year that Woodstock made history, and was also the same year that MaMa Cass Elliot made a rare television pilot, "The Mama Cass Television Program", hoping it would launch her own television series.

On this 40th Anniversary of "The Mama Cass Television Program", Infinity Entertainment and The Falcon Picture Group have put this rare pilot on DVD! I saw this in 1969, but have never seen or heard of it since! What a treat for Mama Cass fans!

Mama Cass Elliot had quit the Mama's and Papa's the year before in 1968, and she had just begun her solo career, when ABC asked her if she would like to make a pilot for her own musical variety series. They filmed this pilot and never picked up the series, so this is all there is of Mama Cass' own television show.

This great colorful show was never shown again, until now! This one hour special featured Mama Cass with special guest stars: John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful), Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers (Peter, Paul and Mary), Buddy Hackett, Martin Landau and (Martin's wife at that time)Barbara Bain (both from Mission Impossible).

Mama Cass sings the following songs solo:
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
River Of Life
I Can Dream Can't I
Dancing In The Street (Motown hit)
Also included are the following songs:
Cass with Joni Mitchell-Both Sides Now
Mary Travers-And When I Die
Cass with Joni Mitchell and Mary Travers-I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan's Song)
John Sebastian-She's A Lady
Cass with John Sebastian-Darlin' Companion
There are also comedy sketches with guest stars Buddy Hackett, Martin Landau and Barbara Bain.

Also Included Are These Bonus Features:
Mama Cass Elliot and Sammy Davis Jr. sing I Dig Rock And Roll Music.
New Interview with John Sebastian who remembers Mama Cass (who passed away in 1974).

I was so surprised when I saw this super rare and wonderful Mama Cass pilot finally put on dvd! There are so many one-time only television shows and pilots that never make it to dvd, but this is one that will be a treasure to own!

This Cass Elliot Special on DVD is practically like seeing Cass give a concert. This was recorded live, with Cass backed by a superb band & 3 female background singers. The musical guests are all Cass' friends and peers. The performances are lasting and still resonant with the purity & joy of creating something real, not manufactured. Cass sings live, and brings out her buoyant personality and amazing voice to the studio audience that you can see on this show. What really can you say about CASS, JONI MITCHELL and MARY TRAVERS singing together? It's a pure musical moment that was only done once. Their version of I SHALL BE RELEASED is beautiful. Cass shares the spotlight with both Joni and Mary each getting solo songs [ BOTH SIDES NOW and AND WHEN I DIE, respectively ]. It's so cool to see the camera focus on Cass while she watches her 2 friends each sing their songs. Cass with JOHN SEBASTIAN is truly another rare moment, watching & listening to these 2 very good friends from way back when they were just starting out in the early 60's , make music together. John does SHE'S A LADY, and then in a truly magical music history moment, Cass and John do The Lovin' Spoonful song, DARLIN' COMPANION . Cass strums the autoharp and John the guitar while they sing and hoot during this amazing moment that harkens back to their friendships in the folk clubs before they were both famous musicians.

The end of the show has Cass giving what is essentially a concert on stage , a very rare opportunity to see and hear her for a longer period all on her own. Versions of CALIFORNIA DREAMIN', MONDAY MONDAY, and I CAN DREAM CAN'T I are all stunning to watch and hear. Cass closes it out with DANCING IN THE STREET, having a great time , swinging and swaying. It's all too brief to see , leaving me wanting even more. The audience can be seen during the taping of this show, and it's a time piece to see some of the late 60's apparel on some of the audience members. It's also endearing to see the flubs and the mistakes that were done live, like microphones in the way . It captures the time period so well, and the music guests are each all music giants. The skits and songs with BUDDY HACKETT, BARBARA BAIN and MARTIN LANDAU are nice for seeing Cass act and also just being herself. Had it been a full show of all music performances, it would have been even more incredible. Seeing the lady live onstage herself on this program is surely something that fans have got to have. A big thanks to everyone involved for releasing this one-of-a-kind special starring the Great CASS ELLIOT. It stands the test of time and shows what singing and talent are .

Cass Elliott was a very special, gifted performer who always gave her all to please her fans. Cass had probably just scratched the surface of her abilities when she left us all too soon; and that's a shame. This DVD has her television "special" from late 1969 and wow, does Cass ever give us a terrific performance! Whether she's dancing on the stage as she's singing a song or performing a comedy skit with Buddy Hackett, Cass really delivers on this show. Cass' other guest stars are absolutely wonderful, too.

The show opens with Cass and closes with Cass; but there's a lot more going on during this roughly one hour show. Cass sings several songs including "Dream a Little Dream Of Me;" "California Dreamin'" and when she performs "Dancin' in the Street" the younger members of the audience go absolutely wild! Moreover, Cass' guest roster provides excellent singing, dancing, comedy and more. We have Mary Travers singing "And When I Die" and Joni Mitchell plays guitar and sings "Both Sides Now" beautifully. John Sebastian sings "Darlin' Companion" with Cass and they sure do sound great together! In addition, Buddy Hackett tells jokes with a poker face; and Buddy and Cass do a fine sketch about a man and a woman making friends in a hospital as they combine comedy and straight talk to produce a great piece.

Martin Landau and Barbara Bain from "Mission Impossible" make appearances together in two parts of the show; they perform admirably and they show a lot of polish.

Cass gets excellent backup from three young female singers; and the musicians never miss a beat! Great!

The DVD has extra features; there are the commercials from the television special even though we get to see those commercials as part of the show. In addition, I love the wonderful bonus footage of Sammy Davis, Jr. singing his heart out with Cass. Sammy and Cass do a great job on "I Dig Rock & Roll Music" and I love every minute of it! There's a third bonus feature that has John Sebastian reminiscing about Cass as well as The Mamas & The Papas. The quality of the print is pretty good although it could have been a bit better and the sound was a little too low at times--but that's a relatively small point because what we do get is five star entertainment.

Overall, The Mama Cass Television Program is an absolute must-have for Cass' fans; fans of the other performers would do well to add this DVD to their collections. People who like The Mamas & The Papas may want this, too. Cass Elliott never sounded better and her positive energy throughout the show is incredible. I hope they release her other prime-time special from 1973.

R.I.P., Cass Elliott! We love you!

The timing couldn't be better for this release of a "one shot" television pilot produced by Chuck Barris ("Dating Game", "Newlywed Game" and, of course "the Gong Show") to feature "Mama Cass" Elliott as she ventured out from the Mamas and Papas. Its not been seen for 40 years and the "pop art" colors of 1969 TV will fill your screen. There's no specific date given in 1969 but I think it was before the Woodstock concert that year. The only performer she has as a guest that played Woodstock is John Sebastian. (Though Joni Mitchell wrote the song about Woodstock, she never made it to the festival.).

The 57 minute show, had both its high and low points but there's enough here to make this worth watching. The DVD presents the show complete with its original commercials (the skinny models in both the Unguentine sun cream and Playtex bra commercials are a stark contract to Mama Cass!), and for some reason they let you repeat the commercials in the bonus features. Note: Bernadette Peters appears in one of the Playtex commercials, made early in her career.

Cass's guests include both Joni Mitchell and Mary Travers, who get solo numbers and then join Cass for Dylan's "I Shall Be Released". The other guests include roly-poly comedian Buddy Hackett, wearing a Beatle's haircut, who gets to sing a ballad he wrote and later do a comedy routine with Cass. Husband and wife actors Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are here also doing sketch comedy that seems out of place with the rest of the show. Then again, these were called "variety shows". The last 14 minutes consist of Cass singing solo and this brings things back to a musical focus.

The print is sharp and crisp though the commercials seem somewhat faded.

Bonus features include a fun 4-minute medley Cass performed with Sammy Davis Jr. on the Hollywood Palace show and a terrific newly recorded six-minute interview with John Sebastian where he tells some really funny stories of the folk-era days in Greenwich Village.

Sadly, Cass never got the series. But someone preserved the tape. And now its here for all of us to enjoy.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

now here is a trip down memory lane for me that I continue to enjoy often. I was lucky enough to see the Mamas and the papas concert in 1967 and was certainly captivated by cass and her standout voice and witty humor.So when Her T.V. special aired in 1969 I made a point to watch it,and was not disappointed.To be able to watch it again forty years later on a excellent quality dvd really made my day.OK, on to the show! Cass's guest star Buddy Hackett, helped cass open the show with the type humor that sneaks up on you and bites you.Mary Travers,Joni Mitchell, and Cass sang I Shall Be Realeased with such beautiful harmony,it sticks in your mind long after the show is over.Martin Landau,Barbra Bain,Buddy Hackett,and cass put on some skits that were not only very funny,but made you think a little bit.Cass and John Sebastion sang very good together,even though there were a few glitches from Cass being visibly nervous.My favorite solo performance by cass is I Can dream, can't I .The emotion that cass could evoke through her voice made this song more than believable. the bonus track with Sammy Davis Jr. was hilarious, as well as entertainment at its best!To sum it up, because Cass had such a notorious cheapskate producer Chuck Barris,the show lacked quality editing and a too small studio audience dressed in cookie-cutter hairstyles(not one longhair in the group!) However, simply put,if you love the music,and the presence of Cass elliot in your living room,den, or anywhere else, get this dvd! Its like she's never left!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this DVD. The main reason I purchsed it was after seeing the clip on You Tube with the trio of Cass Elliott, Joni Mitchell & Mary Travers singing Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", which still to me is the highlight of the show. However, the solos by each of these artists, as well as John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful,the comedy with Buddy Hackett--which was a lot funnier than I expected--and with Barbara Bain & Martin Landau, were also very enjoyable. There is also bonus footage with Cass singing with Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as an interview with John Sebastian recalling the era of Cass & the Mamas & the Papas.
The songs are as follows:
1. Dream a Little Dream of Me--Cass Elliot
2. California Deamin'--Cass Elliot
3. Monday, Monday--Cass Elliot
4. Dancing in the Street--Cass Elliot
5. The River of Life--Cass Elliot
6. I Can Dream, Can't I?--Cass Elliot
7. She's A Lady--John Sebastian
8. Darlin' Companion--John Sebastian & Cass Elliot
9. Both Sides Now--Joni Mitchell
10. And When I Die-Mary Travers
11. I Shall Be Released--Cass Elliot, Mary Travers & Joni Mitchell
12. I Dig Rock & Roll Music--Cass Elliot & Sammy Davis, Jr.

If you enjoy good music & good signing, you will enjoy this DVD.

My brother was thrilled with this DVD! It was a Christmas present and he loved it, the quality and info and it arrived on time and in great condition!

What a fantastic trip down memory lane this DVD was. Mama Cass remains one of the most
under rated performers of her generation. This special highlights her beautiful voice, rapport
with a live audience and her own unique brand of comedy. There are wonderful guest
spots from Mary Travers, Joni Mitchell and Buddy Hackett. Sure the costumes are daggy,
the audience often prompted and the show is dated technically but this is vintage television variety
at it's best. Cass Elliot rocks!

The sets are dated, the costumes make Cass look like she's pregnant with no bust (impossible), but the guests are stellar; "Meskite" from "Cabaret" is neutered (the middle cut out of the song where the heart was) and yet this is great stuff. Cass had a quality something like Gilda Radner as a comedienne and she more than holds her own in the 'cool' department with Joni Mitchell, Mary Travers and particularly in the bonus clip with Sammy Davis Jr. (doing "I Dig RnR Music", neatly subbing 'Ike and Tina Turner' for the "Mamas and the Papas" in the lyrics). She sings a medley of Mamas and Papas hits solo with a Raylettes-like trio behind her and nails them.

This was obviously a test shot for a series (produced by the "Gong Show's" Chuck Barris) and as Cass was anti-photogenic (she has no good angle) all that charm and talent meant nothing. At least we've got this. It's a very feminist piece of work too, in an non-confrontational way. In terms of talent this outdoes the "Sonny and Cher" show by miles but Cher was of course beautiful and talented if not on Cass's level. No wonder she crash dieted and hit Vegas. A real pity she's not still around, there was a lot more of her than we ever saw. A valuable record of a very generous spirit.

After only seeing a black & white collector copy of this program, it's wonderful to finally see it in beautiful color.

The addition of the original commercials is a cool bonus.

If you love Cass, this DVD is a must have. Just buy it now. You won't regret it.

Now if we could just get "Don't Call Me Mama" put out on DVD, my dreams would come true.