Description
| # | TITLE (Click for Lyrics) | Play Sample |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | San Francisco (Scott McKenzie) | [wonderplugin_audio id=”94″] |
| 02 | California Dreaming (The Mamas & The Papas) | [wonderplugin_audio id=”95″] |
| 03 | Hotel California (The Eagles) | [wonderplugin_audio id=”96″] |
About the Album
The MonaLisa Twins got the idea of covering those three songs when they planned a trip to the States. As they love the Californian “Live and let live” way of life, these covers were intended to be a tribute to California and its people in particular.
“We also wanted to use the beauty of this fabulous part of America to make videos for YouTube which we shot in Los Angeles, San Francisco and their surroundings. Only the “All the leaves are brown …” parts were saved for Austria where we originally come from. For all the songs we filmed the footage first and recorded the music later in our studio.”
“We put all our effort and time into making these tracks as good as we possibly could. It was quite challenging to cover such classic pieces of music history that everybody loves. We knew people would hate to see us mess around with these songs and not catching the original feeling. All of them are kind of hymns for a whole generation. But YouTube views suggest that we did a fairly good job since the reactions were great and people seem to like our versions of these classics.”
At the time the Twins were only 14 years old and it was their first “studio only” project. Being in their father’s professional recording studio they were able to try out whatever they wanted and had endless opportunities for sound and recording. It’s been their first steps to learn more about professional studio production and recording.
Cover Arrangement, Performance, Engineering, Production and Album Design/Photos: MonaLisa Twins
Album Name: California DreamingAlbum Type: EP (Short Album) – 3 TracksRelease Date: 30 Jan 2009
Torsten Bröer (verified owner) –
The songs are known from YouTube, I got exactly what I expected. (I expected an excellent CD!)
The voices sound very young, well, no wonder! I love that!
Arthur Stessl (verified owner) –
Great as usual. always enjoy listening to you.
Gerry Tonti (verified owner) –
So young and so talented. Amazing.
caroline (verified owner) –
Absolutely love this! It leaves me wanting more!
David O’Keeffe (verified owner) –
13 years old and making such accomplished covers as these , what talent , was sign of the great things to come .
Hotel California wonderful
Tim Arnold (verified owner) –
As just an EP on it’s own this is a collection of 3 classic California tracks done exceptionally well by two talented Austrian teenagers. California Dreamin’ is one of my favorite songs of all time and you guys knock it out of the park. Both San Francisco and Hotel are also very well done. Love the instrumentation and vocals on both. The guitar work on Hotel California is very impressive. As a piece of MonaLisa Twins history it is an absolute treasure. Quite a leap in maturity and confidence from the busking clips from the year before. I could write forever on this topic but I won’t. I’ll just add that this is a real gem in my MLT collection. Thank You.
Tom (verified owner) –
Didn’t recieve this CD with the order,instead The Duo Sessions was in the order.No worries,no need to take any action.In fact it was a pleasant suprise.I know it was a hectic time getting all the orders out to everyone,I will just have to include it in my next order.
Wishing You All a Happy New Year,filled with lots of Love,Hugs,and Groovy Times in 2023. 💛 💓 🥂
Tom
Rory Heynemann (verified owner) –
Wow. I consider ‘California Dreaming’ to be one of the greatest songs ever recorded and the MonaLisa Twins version is exceptional. I would never have guessed they as young as they were. I thought I was tired of hearing ‘Hotel California’, but this version I could and do listen to over and over. ‘San Francisco’ is a great opener. Always liked that song and love this version. Three classics given new life.
Allen Tork (verified owner) –
Such Powerful Voices !!! Even at 13 !!!
I have watched the videos for these songs on you tube. Extremely well produced !!
Tim Johnston (verified owner) –
Without listening, it would be easy to dismiss this collection as Baby Mona and Baby Lisa singing. That would be wrong. While you can tell by their voices that they are young ladies, the talent is there and the harmonies are well done. Then when you hear the musical talents, it blows your mind. The guitar work on Hotel California would make you think that the Eagles sat in on this one, it is that good.
Hermann Fleischhauer (verified owner) –
I have become big in the 60s – with “Friday on my mind” (even played in 1966 with the student band) and I love the music, like Mona and Lisa, who interpret this great, exciting and beautifully.They impress with the best musical work, in addition to their excellent singing also through a clean, appealing instrumentalization, like Lisas Leadguitar. My collection is now completed by your CDs. Clear recommendation.
Don Hines (verified owner) –
As one living in CA and dreaming about it for years before moving here, your song selections are at the top of the list for spelling out California (actually a name given by early Spaniards for for a mythological land sea) . Your cover hits the feel, mood and emotion of each song enough to melt my heart in San Francisco (cold windy there). + the cover photo sends me to the clouds of Lombard St. Why I’m not a club member still mystifies me. One day.
Waino W Waisanen (verified owner) –
I really liked the videos of all three songs on Youtube so I bought this as a Christmas treat for myself. A lot of effort was put into this album. Even the packing slip was done up in a Christmas theme! The mp-3s have a nice sound that indicates good production quality. I might just order the Orange album when I need another musical treat.
Joseph Manzi (verified owner) –
It’s an excellent CD, with only three songs on it. The Twins do a great rendition of California Dreaming that blew me away. San Francisco and Hotel California I really was surprise with their performance.
I did not hear these until I got the cd. Great singing on all the cuts along with great guitars Lead and Rhythm. The amazing thing is they were so young and the talent was just blossoming.
John Biggs (verified owner) –
It’s hard to improve on a great song, but the Twins have managed to add their musical magic to each song to actually make it better!! IMHO
Lance Kirtley (verified owner) –
I’ll start with the title track, ad keep it short and sweet. I’m really not much on covers (especially Beatle covers, but more on that another time) but I gotta admit, THIS track is every bit as good as, if not BETTER (and I’m betting on “Better”) than the original. The mature harmonies these girls provide are nothing short of awesome!! Hotel California is great, while San Francisco makes the original sound more depressing than it is, anyway. Mona and Lisa’s voices, even at a young age, are like a banjo – you just CAN’T be depressed with them.
Robert Fendt –
MonaLisa Twins never never disappoint with their song choices coupled being multi talented musicians with superb voices. California Dreaming EP amazing. Brilliant x
John Turnbull (verified owner) –
This CD ouse quality, superb harmonies, muscianship, emotion, so evocative of the era. I came across MLT by accident on YouTube searching for San Francisco covers, what a find and at such a tender age. Subscribed to their channel immediately. There video’s and live performances are incredible.
William Hauslein (verified owner) –
First class performances of “California Dreaming”, and “San Francisco”, but even better guitar work on “Hotel California”. You were 14 years old? Amazing! I’ve seen the Eagles video and it looks complicated for them.
Why was the guitar solo ended prematurely?
Howard Bedwell (verified owner) –
This is the final missing link to my MLT CD collection. I now have all of their CDs, their DVD, and the vinyl version of their ‘Orange’ album. After being a member of the MLT Club since its opening, I can promise that yes, they are just as adorable as the image on the cover of the ‘Californian Dreaming’ EP suggests. Within the CD itself, the quality of the music and vocals is just perfect and exquisitely delightful. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and check out the equally brilliant videos available on YouTube.
Dave Coy (verified owner) –
Your music, simply put, makes me happy!!! I feel 16 again….I just feel like every song I listen to, every video I watch takes me to a very very happy wonderful place.
I thank everyone that helped Mona and Lisa get to where they are….I love you all!!! “love is all you need!!!!”
Dana Hart (verified owner) –
Great harmonies and wonderful arrangement.
If you love good music you will love this album.
Rory Savage (verified owner) –
This EP is essential for MLT fans,a great EP of beautiful songs.I have it in my car CD player and it takes away the feeling of a cold wet windy day and transports me to sunny days in California.
Ed Brown (verified owner) –
I had first heard these amazing versions of some of my favorite songs on you tube. As always the video production and experience was top notch and extremely well done. It was not until I bought the CD and really listened to the music and the performances that I truly was awed by the vocal and instrumental perfection of the arrangements.
Lets start with the vocals. Not only do Mona and Lisa capture the essence of what the songs are all about along with the intended feeling, but they bring an innocence and quality that is not evident in the original classics. Their voices blend and harmonize perfectly with the production achieving just the right amount of blend and layering. An extremely strong production indeed!
But it was the instrumentation that really caught me by surprise. As I was listening to the CD I am looking over the cover to find out who was playing the intro to California Dreaming, who was doing the guitar solo fade out of Hotel California – it certainly had to be studio musicians. How pleasantly surprised I was to learn it was the girls themselves which to me is mind blowing that they were able to do a performance like that so early in their career. Absolutely wonderful talent!
(And hats off to a terrific sax solo by Michaela in California Dreaming)
If you are a fan of the music of the 60s and especially the California sound please take my advice and add this CD to your collection right away. it is such an uplifting performance and you will walk away thoroughly enjoying the songs and as with all of their performances a HUGE smile 🙂
Joseph Everett –
These are the songs that got me hooked! All it took was for me to find their “California Dreamin” cover by mistake to absolutely fall in love with the Twins’ sound, energy and personality that shines through in the cut scenes so much. I bought “When we’re together” and I just can’t wait for it to get here! Simply breathtaking. Keep up the good work!
M Farlow (verified owner) –
Though I have had this album CD for quite some time now, I just noticed I missed reviewing it!
This CD is early MLT material. That wrote, All the covers are done exceptionally well. I love ‘Hotel California’ and the version on the CD is fantastic as is ‘San Francisco’. My favourite on this CD is ‘California Dreaming’ another song I love and MLT cover it passionately and professionally.
Well done MLT and co.
Keith –
Wow. I am speechless and typeless as well. Firstly I just want to say thank you. For the past week you girls have filled my heart with a happiness that is very difficult to express in words. I have been listening to your California songs constantly for the past week, (actually I have since listened to all of your songs and videos) so if your bandwidth numbers are up and ur processor has been smoking I am sure I had something to do with that. I just cant believe the sound and harmony you have created. It is so beautiful that (if I was not a full grown man I would admit to almost having a tear in my eye while listening, but I am so I don’t!)I cant stop playing your music. Now here is the biggest thing and the reason I am writing to you both. I am an old head. (ask ur dad for definition). I was sitting at the computer and just wanted to hear some music from the greatest music creating era of all time. Stuff I heard when I was a kid. While trying to get a video on You Tube for the Mammas and Pappas California Dreaming, your song showed up in the list. I clicked on it just for the heck of it. I never do this EVER. I am very picky about my music and there are certain songs you should NEVER EVER mess with. Certainly California Dreaming is one of those songs. The Harmony of Cass/Michelle- Denny/John is written in stone. It can not ever be topped and any attempt to mimic it can only fall short of the original therefore worthless to me and not needed. (I feel the same about movies actually. I have never met a #2 or sequel movie that topped the original. I always view the original as the standard and everything else is less) Harsh words? I don’t mean it that way but that’s how I felt. Until I heard ur version. Apparently you girls know exactly what I am talking about because you kept the greatness of the song in tact 100% You instinctively knew not to destroy the original integrety of the song. The emphasis on certain words and exact duplication of the sound was absolutely perfect. The only thing that changed (with this song)was the sound of your voices. And your voices matched or exceeded that of the legendary sound of the Mammas and Pappas. I just sat there and couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Now I say this with complete honesty and straight from my heart. For the first time in my life I have to say I truly feel that ur version is AT LEAST as good as the original( only “at least” because the Mammas and Pappas were REEEEAly great). But my opinion gets even better because I then decided to listen to ur version of San-Francisco….. This is where I am really speechless. Not only was ur version better than the original, it was sooooooooo much better. It is almost like the song was never done correctly until you girls created its sound. And I take NOTHING away from Scott Mckenzie. His version was excellent. I just never even realized that it could have been improved. You took a part of music history and re-…. re… I wanna say re-born it but that doesnt make sense.. You gave it life again just as if it were brand new. The feeling of the song and everything. You transported it from a moment in time, a moment in history, an era with such heavy emotion attached to it to the current time and, well, “re-born” it.. Hmm, that was deep, sorry, I do in fact have some lingering brain cell issues related to those times but I am still functional for the most part. Anyway,I am a much better/happier person for having experienced your music as it is now a part of my life and will be with me for the rest of my life. I cant thank you enough. Oh,and I know you wont ever do this because I read it on ur site But NEVER NEVER NEVER go to Idol or another competition like that. Thats for talented people that for whatever reason would most likely never make it on their own and their talents end up being, at least in part, a product of the system. Please dont ever do that. The only thing Idol has that you do not have is a studio.. DOH! Wait a second, You DO have a studio! See, no need for Idol. Think about it, if Elton John, Carole King, Mamma Cass, Elvis Presly, David Gilmore, Paul Simon, Crosby, Stills, Nash,and sometimes Y, were on the top 10 on Idol only 1 of them would get a record deal!!!! (If John, Paul, George and Ringo were in that group they would have no choice but to change the rules to 3 record contracts. Sorry Ringo..I feel bad for poor old Ringo, actually I feel worse for Pete Best ha ha) So anyway, whatever is driving you girls(I suspect daddy has a great deal to do with this) I want to see it grow.. Actually I wish you could stay exactly as you are forever but in reality you are, and represent, a “moment in time” One that unfortunately will be gone some day never to be again. (sorry, another affect from that brain cell thing) So you will grow and change, and therefore I also can not wait to hear the music that you will surely be creating in the near future. There is no doubt that you girls will go on to produce some of the most beautiful music of all time and I will be right there to enjoy it. Ok well sorry about the long message. I hope someday you get a chance to read it completely.. Thank you Lisa, Mona and Dad. What great names as well. Genius dad, absolute genius! See Lisa, I put you in front of Mona for once. Sorry Mona no offense but fair is fair(shaking my finger at you). You got to sit in the front all this time now let Lisa have a turn! Hey DAD by the way, what would you have done if Lisa were born first? DOH!! Would have thrown a monkey wrench into ur whole plan huh? ha ha. Hmm. maybe then you would have just…..uh… Nevermind…
Darn, one more thought. In California Dreaming and San Francisco I could not even recognize that u girls had an accent. Then I heard Hotel Cali-fernia. hehe. Too Friggin cute! (sorry, I didnt mean to giggle like a little girl but…) Your accent comes across so crisp and clear and creates such an extremely sweet sound. I dont know why that is, it just sounds great. I love it!!! And the Guitar playing, HOLY excellent guitar playing Batman!!! Phenomenal!!
Please keep making music.
Sincerely,
Keith
Steve –
Unlike many of your fans, I’ve only had the privilege of knowing your existence for about two months. I stumbled across you quite accidentally courtesy of Google cards on my Android device while watching the Stanley Cup playoffs. You were the first card and it was your live performance of Drive My Car. I was blown away. Ever since I’ve been hooked. I created a YouTube play list so I can listen to you while walking the treadmill at the gym. Your
music always makes me smile and gives me really good vibrations. When I first heard your rendition of California Dreaming I thought was it possible to outdo the original. The vocals and harmonizing are infectious and you stay so true to the original right on down to Cass’s “Dreaming” at the end. That’s one thing I love about you two and that is staying true to the original. Trying to find an MLT song or cover that’s my favorite is like me
trying to pick a favorite Beatles song although Nowhere Man seems to continually rise to the top for me (I wish you two would consider covering that great song). So even though I’m a late MLT bloomer, I feel I’m catching up based on the number of times I’ve listened to your work and the number of MLT earworms I get. You do what music is supposed to do and that is make me feel good. Nary a day goes by that I don’t listen to something of yours. So while you’re Waiting for the Waiter I’ll be waiting for your next cover or original work. Stay safe, keep doing the beautiful work you do and above all stay groovy. Steve from the USA
Howard –
Ah Keith! ‘Speechless’ yes, but Typeless’, I think not!
Howard –
Yes, a brilliant EP and the final MLT CD I’m about to order to complete my collection of all the albums the MLT have produced. By the way Keith, Lisa was born first!