Mama Told Me

"Mama Told Me" is a song by American rapper Big Boi featuring singer Kelly Rowland, taken from his second studio album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (2012). Co-written by Swedish synth-pop group Little Dragon, who appeared on the original version of the song, it is a 1980s electro funk record that serves as an ode to Big Boi's mother. Production on the song was handled by The Flush, while co-production was handled by Chris Carmouche and Big Boi. Released as the album's lead single, it failed to chart or sell noticeably but reached number eight on the German Black Chart. It is also featured on the soundtrack of the video game MLB 13: The Show.

Background

"Mama Told Me" was produced by The Flush, while co-production was handled by Chris Carmouche and Big Boi. The song originally featured Swedish synth-pop group Little Dragon, who co-wrote the song along with Big Boi and premiered the song with him in Austin, Texas, at an event hosted by Vitaminwater and The Fader in August 2012. Though Little Dragon's version was set to appear on the rapper's second solo album, the band was not featured on the final version due to "business terms out of our control". They were eventually replaced by American singer Kelly Rowland on the hook and bridge. On the concept of the 1980s electro funk record, Big Boi stated that "the song was basically an ode to my mom, just a lot of stuff she taught me coming up that made me the man I am today." The Linn Drum beat is a sample from Prince's 1982 track "Automatic."

Mama Told Me Not to Come

"Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover of the song topped the U.S. pop singles charts. Stereophonics's cover also hit number four on the U.K. Singles Chart in 2000.

Newman original and first recordings

Newman says that the song was inspired by his own lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene of the late 1960s. As with most Newman songs, he assumes a character - in "Mama..." the narrator is a sheltered and extraordinarily straight-laced young man, who recounts what is presumably his first "wild" party in the big city, is shocked and appalled by cigarette-smoking, whiskey-drinking, and loud music and — in the chorus of the song — recalls his "mama told [him] not to come."

The first recording of "Mama Told Me Not to Come" was cut by Eric Burdon & The Animals. A scheduled single-release of September 1966 was withdrawn, but the song was eventually included on their 1967 album Eric Is Here.