Having recorded reinterpretations of The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” earlier this year, Les Fradkin continues reimagining pop staples through his musical project California™ with their latest cover “The Mighty Quinn,” originally sung by Bob Dylan.
Few songs in Dylan’s catalog have taken on such an afterlife as “Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn).” Born from the 1967 Basement Tapes, the tune quickly escaped Dylan’s hands and became a chart topper through Manfred Mann’s 1968 version. Since then, the song has been synonymous with playful energy and a communal singalong spirit.
https://californiatm-featlesfradkin.bandcamp.com/track/the-mighty-quinn
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Fradkin approaches The Mighty Quinn with clear affection, and that shapes the entire recording. Rather than radically reinventing it, California™ leans into the buoyancy, eccentricity, and sense of sunshine and kicks it up a notch. Dylan’s sparse instrumentation is replaced by brighter guitars, keyboards and mellotron textures.
But the first thing that hits the ear is the production. Filtered through a modern studio sheen, the single sounds bright, crisp, and inviting. The result sits somewhere between homage and update: recognizable enough to immediately slot alongside the Manfred Mann version, but with that California warmth characteristic of Les’ work.
Fradkin’s vocals keep the mood light, perfectly complimenting Dylan’s surreal lyrics while making no attempt to overdramatize it. The cheerful, almost conversational delivery is supported by Loretta Fradkin’s backing harmonies, reinforcing the singalong quality that has always been at the heart of The Mighty Quinn.
California ™ feat. Les Fradkin’s The Mighty Quinn is a loving cover that honors the song’s legacy while dressing it in bright, West Coast colors. It doesn’t seek to outdo Dylan or Mann, but rather to carry the tune into the present with care and craft. This single is sure to be a delightful playlist addition for listeners who appreciate well-produced, sunlit pop with psychedelic accents.
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