WHO ARE THEY WHISPERING ABOUT NOW?!

Well, maybe we didn’t find out who the mystery girl is behind Gene Clark’s song, “I Knew I’d Want You” (two posts prior to this) but there are a couple of other songs in vintage rock-and-rolldom that are easy to figure out. One song I have always enjoyed is “The Fat Angel” in both its incarnations, by Donovan and Jefferson Airplane. Donovan wrote the song in tribute to Mama Cass Elliott, and whispers her name as the sitar and tabla do their thing, right after the Jefferson Airplane namecheck (still an unknown SF band, but destined for fame in a short while). So naturally, the Airplane gang recorded it as well. I like that one a lot, too, but I think I have to give the edge to Donovan because of that whisper.

He will bring happiness in a pipe,
He'll-a ride away on his silver bike
And apart from that he'll be so kind
In consenting to blow your mind.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
He will bring orchids for my lady,
The perfume will be of an excellent style
And apart from that he'll be so kind
In consenting to blow your mind.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
He will bring happiness in a pipe,
He'll-a ride away on his silver bike
And apart from that he'll be so kind
In consenting to blow your mind.
Fly Jefferson Airplane, get you there on time.
Fly Jefferson Airplane, get you there on time.
Sitar/tabla Cass…Cass
He will bring happiness in a pipe,
He'll-a ride away on his silver bike
And apart from that he'll be so kind
In consenting to blow your mind.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
Fly Translove Airways, get you there on time.
We'll be flying at an altitude of thirty-nine thousand feet
Captain High at your service.

And we should also mention the reference to Timothy Leary’s Translove Airways, and probably a salute to Jerry Garcia in the last line (Captain High). Jerry was once nicknamed “Captain Trips” because of his penchant for LSD, but “high” definitely works better in the lyrics, IMHO.

Speaking of whispers, Mama Cass did a little whispering of her own on “I Call Your Name.” Remember “John…John”? Well, I had heard many years ago that it might be a reference to Papa John Phillips, because Cass had a thing for him. That made sense to me at the time. But in checking around on the web for this post, I found several other possibilities and contradictions. The song itself was written (mostly) by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, so some say she was giving a wink and a nod to Lennon. And still others said that Cass had a thing for Papa Denny, not John. So, I’m not sure we can really nail this one down. Sadly, the all four (both Johns, Denny and Cass) main players are gone. I pass these speculations along to you just as I found them. Ultimately all we have on this one are weasel words and the song. I vote we listen!

“I Call Your Name”

“The Fat Angel”Too bad no one on YouTube has posted the Donovan’s album version of this. But there is the Airplane’s cover, so if you’d like to, have a listen, but be forewarned, it’s a long flight.

Fat Angel photo from

idolswine.com