Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)

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"Twelve Thirty"
The Papas & The Mamas
B-side"Straight Shooter"
ReleasedAugust 1967[1]
Genre
Length3:24
LabelDunhill
Songwriter(s)John Phillips[2]
Producer(s)Lou Adler
The Mamas & the Papas singles chronology
"Creeque Alley"
(1967) 		"Twelve Thirty"
(1967) 		"Glad to Be Unhappy"
(1967)

"Twelve Thirty" a.k.a. "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)", is a song by the Mamas & the Papas.

After the release of the group's third album—

The Papas & The Mamas, when finally released in the spring of 1968. The song peaked at number 20 as a single in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. The group would perform the song on The Ed Sullivan Show
on 24 September 1967, in one of their last televised appearances as a group.

Song origin

The song was written by John Phillips[2] shortly after the band had relocated to Southern California in 1965. It is often cited as the band's last great single.[3] In a 1968 interview,[4] Phillips cited this arrangement as an example of "well-arranged two-part harmony moving in opposite directions".[2]

Jim Ward of

Cash Box said that "a general aura of happiness...should give the public a feast on the new Mamas and Papas offering."[6]

The song was inspired by

Laurel Canyon, a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.[7] In the song, the writer says he used to live in "dark and dirty" New York City, where a broken clock on a church steeple was stuck at 12:30. John and Michelle had a difficult marital relationship then, and he compares this period to being in "the Canyon".[8] A popular interpretation is that girl "groupies" would party into the night at the homes of show business types in the canyon and wander home the next morning, passing the house and engaging the songwriter in conversation as they went. The song was reportedly originally sung by Scott Mckenzie. The song fades out during a repeat of the final chorus.[9] There is also an analysis of metaphor to epiphany or lifting of depression.[10][11]

Uses in popular culture

The song is featured in

Benedict Canyon.[15]

Track listing

7" Vinyl
  1. "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)" (John Phillips) — 3:24
  2. "Straight Shooter" (John 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.[16]
  • Yugoslav rock band Bele Vrane released a cover of the song, alongside a cover of The Mamas & the papas song "Hey Girl", on their 1968 EP Presenčenja (Surprises).[17]
  • Autoliner released a version of the song on their September 28, 1999 album Life On Mars.
  • Rufus Wainwright released a version in his 2023 album Folkocracy.

References

  1. ^ "The Mamas and the Papas - Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)".
  2. ^ a b c John Phillips interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
  3. Allmusic
    .
  4. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "O-S interviews" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  5. ^ 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 26, 1967. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  7. ^ 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "California Dreamgirl". Vanity Fair. 20 November 2007. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  9. ISBN 978-1402797613
    .
  10. ^ "(18) the "Twelve-Thirty" Metaphor". 18 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  11. ^ "Blogger: Music Musing Music - Post a Comment". Archived from the original on 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  12. ^ "Bad Times At The El Royale (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Republic Records. October 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021 – via Spotify.
  13. ^ Moran, Sarah (July 26, 2019). "Every Song in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  14. ^ Lopez, Kristen (October 14, 2018). "How "Bad Times at the El Royale" Revives 60's Nostalgia". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Reilly, Phoebe (July 26, 2019). "Quentin Tarantino On Crafting a Vintage Soundtrack For "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Scott McKenzie, The Voice of Scott McKenzie Archived 2016-03-07 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 16, 2015
  17. ^ Fajfrić, Željko; Nenad, Milan (2009). Istorija YU rock muzike od početaka do 1970. Sremska Mitrovica: Tabernakl. p. 104.
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