Mama Cass Elliott – Make Your Own Kind of Music

Cass Elliot — Make Your Own Kind of Music (Hollywood Palace, 1969 video)

“Make Your Own Kind of Music” became one of Cass Elliot’s signature solo songs, but she wasn’t the first to record it. The song was originally released in 1968 by the vocal trio The Will-O-Bees, whose version failed to make an impact. A year later, Elliot recorded it for Dunhill Records, with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil as writers and Steve Barri as producer.

Released in September 1969, Elliot’s version reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gained greater traction on Adult Contemporary radio. To promote it, she performed the song on the ABC variety show The Hollywood Palace on November 1, 1969, in an episode hosted by Sammy Davis Jr. Her performance, delivered with poise and charm, captured the song’s theme of individuality: the courage to follow your own path regardless of what others think.

Although its original chart performance was modest, the song has enjoyed a far greater afterlife. It was featured in multiple episodes of Dexter and Lost, where its upbeat tone was used as an eerie counterpoint to moments of tension. It later appeared in films like Free Guy (2021) and gained a fresh wave of popularity on TikTok, where it has been used in countless memes and videos.

In 2023, Saturday Night Live staged a comedy sketch imagining the original recording session. Emma Stone, playing the producer, told Elliot, “This song is going to be everywhere, then everybody’s going to forget about it for a long, long time.” The sketch highlighted the unusual trajectory of “Make Your Own Kind of Music”: a song that became more culturally relevant decades after its release than in its original moment.

The Hollywood Palace performance remains a time capsule of Elliot stepping fully into her solo identity. Dressed in her characteristic glamorous style, she delivered a message of individuality and strength that continues to resonate more than 50 years later.

Timeline

• 1968 – The Will-O-Bees release the first version of Make Your Own Kind of Music (unsuccessful).

• September 1969 – Cass Elliot releases her version as a single on Dunhill Records.

• November 1, 1969 – Performs the song on The Hollywood Palace, introduced by Sammy Davis Jr.

• 2000s – Song resurfaces in Dexter and Lost, gaining new recognition.

• 2021 – Featured in the film Free Guy.

• 2020s – Gains popularity on TikTok as a meme soundtrack.

• 2023 – Featured in a Saturday Night Live sketch about its unusual cultural journey.