“Dedicated To The One I Love” (32) is a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass which was a hit for the ‘5’ Royales, Pauling was the guitarist of the “5” Royales, the group that recorded the original version of the song, produced by Bass, in 1957. Their version was re-released in 1961 and charted at number 81 on the Billboard.
A cover version recorded by American girl group the Shirelles reached number 83 in 1959. This version was re-released in 1961 and reached number three on the Billboard chart and number two on Billboard‘s Hot R&B Sides. The song was subsequently included on their 1961 album Tonight’s the Night.
In 1967, a subsequent and slightly more popular cover version by the Mamas and the Papas released on the Dunhill label went to number 2 on the Billboard. This version also reached number 2 on the UK’s chart. The lead singer on the Mamas & the Papas version was Michelle Phillips. It was the first time that Phillips was given the lead over Cass Elliot. The song was also included on the group’s 1967 album The Mamas and the Papas Deliver.
While the song mixes of the group’s singles differ significantly from their album counterparts with some frequency (“Words of Love” and “Creeque Alley,” in particular, feature overdubbed instruments that don’t appear on the album versions of the songs), “Dedicated To The One I Love” used the same mix for both single and album.
