California "Mellow Mafia"
 

Wasn't sure what forum this would fit into best, so I went with the obvious. Everyone has heard the term California Mellow Mafia used to describe certain bands, and obviously there isn't an official list or anything, but what bands/musicians are usually considered "mellow mafioso"? Also, what years, roughly, would it cover (my guess, around 1973-1981?)? This is what comes to mind for me, am I leaving anyone out?........


Fleetwood Mac (as a band and solo)
The Beach Boys (band and solo)
The Eagles (band and solo)
Jackson Browne
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Bob Seger
Walter Egan
Doobie Brothers (?)
Warren Zevon
Bob Welch
James Taylor (?)

Oh man, that's a good one. For years, I'd probably go with all of the 70s, and since many of them are still recording nowadays, perhaps it never ended? Aside from that, considering how - excuse the term - musically incestuous everyone in and around LA was at the time, it's hard to nail it all down.

Like, I hate to put Zevon in that category, but he was associated with so many of the "mafioso," it's hard to separate him from stuff such as having people like Browne produce and Waddy Wachtel playing in his band. Stevie sang backup on "Mohammed's Radio" and did "Reconsider Me," and she snagged Sharon Celani for a backup singer after hearing Sharon sing "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" at a bar in Hawaii. But I feel like he's in a class all his own - after all, how often do you see Stevie Nicks writing & singing a brilliant song called My ****'s ****ed Up"? Haha.

Here are some I feel comfortable putting under the Mellow Mafia label, off the top of my head. You can probably slap Young onto your listing of Crosby, Stills & Nash, also.

Joni Mitchell
Linda Ronstadt
Seals and Crofts
J. D. Souther


Other names you can probably toss in there:

Kenny Loggins

Dan Dugmore - Ronstadt, Seals & Crofts, was in Ronin with Wachtel, etc.

Andrew Gold - produced for Taylor, played the bulk of the instruments & produced on Ronstadt's Heart Like a Wheel.

David Lindley - played with Taylor, Ronstadt, Browne, Zevon, Crosby and Nash.

Little Feat, or maybe just certain members - After Feat broke up, Bill Payne toured with Stevie, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Bob Seger, Linda Rondstadt and Jackson Browne, Kenny Gradney was in Mick Fleetwood's Zoo, Richie Hayward played with Zevon, and then, of course, there's Lowell George.

Danny Kortchmar (but don't tell him I said that, he doesn't like it)

Then you have anomalous persons like Ry Cooder - I wouldn't call him Mellow Mafia, but he worked with Lindley, and he played guitar in the studio for Little Feat recordings after Lowell George hurt his hand, etc.

I'd definitely keep James Taylor on your list, but I am less sure about having the Doobie Brothers included, but they did have Bill Payne play with them, and "What a Fool Believes" was written with Loggins, among other things.

Got carried away, sorry. If I keep playing this game, I will end up writing forever. It's like 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon, only worse. :lol:

Interesting.

Hello tdfwiner-- I enjoyed your post. I guess it's probably immaterial, but I thought the term for those performers was "Avocado Mafia". Your post was the first for "California Mellow" for me. However, that might not mean anything. Best wishes, Madelow.:shrug: