Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
| "Twelve Thirty" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Mamas & the Papas | ||||
| from the album The Papas & The Mamas | ||||
| Released | 1967 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, folk rock, psychedelic pop | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | Dunhill | |||
| Writer(s) | John Phillips[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Lou Adler | |||
| The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology | ||||
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"Twelve Thirty" a.k.a. "Twelve-thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)", the song's main refrain, is a song by The Mamas & the Papas, which was the lead single from the album The Papas & The Mamas. The song peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK.
The song was written by John Phillips[1] shortly after the band had relocated to Southern California in 1965. It is often cited as the band's last great single.[2] In a 1968 interview,[3] Phillips cited this arrangement as an example of "well arranged two-part harmony moving in opposite directions".[1]
Jim Ward of Rolling Stone, said "Twelve Thirty" was "the last recording of the self-proclaimed 'Golden Era'", he added, "It's probably the best realized song the group has recorded."[4]
The song was inspired by Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[5] The song was also inspired by the experience of living in New York City, where a broken clock on a church steeple was stuck at 12:30. The song fades out during the repeat of the final chorus.
Track listing
- 7" Vinyl
- "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)" (Phillips) — 3:24
- "Straight Shooter" (Phillips) — 2:57
Other recordings
- Gábor Szabó and the California Dreamers recorded a version on their 1967 album Wind, Sky and Diamonds (1967).
- Scott McKenzie released a version of the song on his 1967 debut album, The Voice of Scott McKenzie.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 John Phillips interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ↑ Greenwald, Matthew. "Twelve-Thirty: Song Review". Allmusic.
- ↑ Gilliland, John (1969). "O-S interviews" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.
- ↑ Ward, Jim (6 July 1968). "Album Reviews: The Mamas & The Papas". Rolling Stone Archived at Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ Eliscu, Jenny (11 December 2008). "Hot Scene: The Return to Laurel Canyon". Rolling Stone Archived at Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ Scott McKenzie, The Voice of Scott McKenzie Retrieved May 16, 2015
External links
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