It's Getting Better

"It's Getting Better"is a song written byBarry MannandCynthia Weilthat was asunshine pophit single in 1969 forMama Cass.

"It's Getting Better"
Solid center variant of the UK single
SinglebyMama Cass
from the albumBubblegum, Lemonade, and... Something for Mama
B-side	"Who's to Blame"
Released	May 1969
Genre	Sunshine pop
Length	3:00
Label	Dunhill Records
Songwriter(s)	Barry MannandCynthia Weil
Producer(s)	Steve Barri
Mama Casssingles chronology
"Move in a Little Closer, Baby" (1969) "It's Getting Better" (1969) "Make Your Own Kind of Music" (1969)

Overview

The song describes the singer's satisfaction with a love relationship that is down-to-earth rather than extravagantly romantic, asubgenreoflove songexemplified by theJerome Kern/P. G. Wodehousecomposition "Bill".Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil had previously written the similarly themed"He's Sure the Boy I Love",a hit forthe Crystalsin 1963.

The earliest evident recording of "It's Getting Better" was bythe Voguesfor their August 1968 album releaseTurn Around, Look at Me(Reprise Records). Also in 1968, the song was featured on theLeonard NimoyalbumThe Way I Feel(Dot Records) released that October. The first evident single release of "It's Getting Better" was byPierre Lalondeon theMontréalaislabel Disco Prestige in September 1968 with the track's parent album:Introducing Peter Martin,being released that November.

In March 1969,the Will-O-Bees,a New York City-based trio (Janet Blossom, Steven Porter, and Robert Merchanthouse) who recorded a number of Mann-Weil compositions, had a single release of "It's Getting Better" on the SGC label (Screen Gems Columbia). Overall 1969 saw the release of several single versions of "It's Getting Better" but only Cass Elliot's was by an established artist at that time, the other versions being by Ronnie Buskirk, Freddie Gelfand, and P. K. Limited. The song has since been recorded and covered by many well-known artists around the world including UK singer and ex-cruise starJane McDonald.

"It's Getting Better" has also been recorded byRichard Barnes,theGünter Kallmann(de) Chorus, Louise Morrissey, thePopinjays,Kevin Rowlandand John & Anne Ryder.Bobby Rydellrecorded the song for his 1976 album releaseBorn With a Smile,his sole album released after 1964, and his version was issued as a single in 1977.Jane McDonald's rendition of "It's Getting Better" can be heard on her 2010 concert albumLive at theLondon Palladium.A Swedish rendering of "It's Getting Better" by lyricistStig Andersonentitled "Det Känns Bara Bättre" was cut byAnna-Lena Löfgrenin 1970.

Cass Elliot version

Background

"It's Getting Better" had been recorded byCass Elliotfor inclusion on her June 1969 album releaseBubblegum, Lemonade, and... Something for Mama,which was produced bySteve Barriand arranged by Jimmie Haskell.The Wrecking Crew(James Burtonon guitar,Hal Blaineon drums,Larry Knechtelon keyboards, andJoe Osbornon bass) — who'd regularly backedthe Mamas & the Papas— were among the instrumentalists on the album.

"It's Getting Better" was issued as the second advance single in May 1969 following the release that March of "Move in a Little Closer, Baby",a single reminiscent ofthe Mamas & the Papassound which reached aBillboardHot 100peak of #58 (#30 Canada). Steve Barri would recall that "Move in a Little Closer, Baby" was "one [album track] [Elliot] wasn'ttoothrilled about...but she loved 'It's Getting Better' ".

Elliot herself did convey reservations about "It's Getting Better", stating in a September 1969Melody Makerinterview that while pleased with the single was rising toward the UK Top Ten - "It shows I am being accepted on my own and that is something I've worried about ever since I left the Mamas & Papas" - "musically, though, it's not quite what I want to be doing. It doesn't satisfy me, It's a good recording for what it is, but you wouldn't exactly call it social commentary and musically it's not very complicated." Elliot further toldMelody Maker- regarding "It's Getting Better" or perhaps the overall focus of its parent album - "Bubblegum musicis very pleasant to listen to...but it's like they say about Chinese food: half an hour after tasting it you are hungry again ", although she did concede" maybe [bubblegum] is what I am supposed to be doing [since] my voice is very light...I just can't sing heavy material ".Elliot would be less easygoing in her 1971 summation of her 1968-1970 tenure with Dunhill Records, saying she had been "forced to be so bubblegum that I'd stick to the floor when I walked."

A #13Easy Listeninghit, "It's Getting Better" peaked at #30 in August 1969 during what was then considered an unusually lengthy 19-week run onBillboard's Hot 100.Only five other 1969 releases had longer chart runs on the Hot 100.The single's regional success was staggered, and it reached the Top Ten in several markets, ranking as high as #2 inMinneapolis-Saint PaulandSan Diego.Its estimated U.S. sales were 500,000 copies.

Cass Elliot made her first solo appearance onAmerican Bandstandbelatedly promoting "It's Getting Better" on its broadcast of November 8, 1969.

Elliot's "It's Getting Better" had a more pronounced chart impact in the UK, reaching #8 in October 1969 and selling almost 100,000 copies. The single bested the UK chart performance of Elliot's signature song, "Dream a Little Dream of Me"(#11), which had lost some popularity to a rival version byAnita Harris.In Ireland, where "Dream a Little Dream of Me" had reached #13, "It's Getting Better" reached #3.

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "It's Getting Better" would be Elliot's only charting singles in the British Isles. In the U.S., "It's Getting Better" was the fourth of Elliot's seven soloBillboardHot 100 appearances and her secondTop 40hit after "Dream a Little Dream of Me".

In Australia, Cass Elliott's "It's Getting Better" charted concurrently with a version byPaul Jones,these singles peaking at respectively #53 and #52. Produced by Jones himself and arranged byTony Visconti,the Paul Jones version was featured on his albumInside My Music Boxand was released concurrently as a single with the Cass Elliott version in both the UK and Ireland without reaching the chart in either territory.

In the wake of the success of "It's Getting Better", Elliot's next two singles were recordings of Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil compositions: "Make Your Own Kind of Music"— which like" It's Getting Better "had been recorded by the Will-O-Bees in 1968 — and a new song," New World Coming ". Although both songs are now consideredsoft rockclassics, their original chart success was fairly mild: "Make Your Own Kind of Music" peaked at #36 (Elliot's third and final solo Top 40 appearance) (#20 Canada), and "New World Coming" peaked at #42(#22 Canada).

In 2011, Cass Elliot's "It's Getting Better" was employed in a television advertisement forNestea.

The song was also featured in Season 4 Episode 8 ofabc'sLOST,"meet kevin johnson".

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1969)	Peak position
CanadaTop Singles	31
CanadaAdult Contemporary	7
Ireland	3
UK	8
U.S.BillboardHot 100	30
U.S.BillboardAdult Contemporary	13
U.S.Cash BoxTop 100	35

Year-end charts

Chart (1969)	Rank
U.S.BillboardHot 100	55

Cover versions

Bobby Rydellcovered "It's Getting Better" on his 1976 LPBorn with a Smile.

External links

• Mama Cass - It's Getting BetteronYouTube