The Mamas & the Papas

The Mamas & the Papas

The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover) were a leading vocal group of the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and achieving ten hit singles.

History

Formation

After their two previous folk groups, The Mugwumps and The New Journeymen split up, Denny Doherty, John Phillips and his wife Michelle Phillips formed a new group. Cass Elliot became the last member to join. The band shortly relocated to The Virgin Islands, and after running out of money, Michelle Phillips gambled back enough money for them to return to New York. After a short period of going under the name "The Magic Circle", the group renamed themselves "The Mamas and the Papas" before signing five album deal with Dunhill Records.

Early commercial success

The band's first single,"Go Where You Wanna Go", was released 1965 and failed to chart. However, the second single, "California Dreamin'" was released late 1965 and quickly peaked at number four in the US, while it was less successful in the UK, peaking at number 23. The band's debut, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears", was released in early 1966 and became the band's first and only number one album on the Billboard 200. In the UK, the album peaked at number three and remains the groups highest charting album there. The third and final single from their debut was "Monday, Monday", which became the band's first and only number one hit in the US. The song brought the band international success when it peaked at number three in the UK.

After it was discovered Michelle Phillips and Doherty were having an affair, tension in the band erupted. Consulting both their attorney, Abe Somer, as well as their label Dunhill Records, the band drafted a formal statement kicking Michelle out of the group in June of 1966. At this point they hired a new singer to replace Michelle, Jill Gibson, girlfriend of their producer Lou Adler. Gibson was already a singer/songwriter who had performed on several Jan and Dean albums. Although Gibson was not known as a strong singer, she learned to sing Michelle's parts within three weeks while the band was in London, England. After a majority of the album was completed, Michelle was asked to rejoin the group and Gibson was let go and received an undisclosed lump sum for her part. Michelle recorded vocals on two songs, and the album was later released with Gibson's vocals on the rest of the album.

The Mamas and the Papas album cover (1966).

"I Saw Her Again" was the first single from the album. It peaked at number five in the US and number eleven in the UK. There is a false start at the final chorus of the song, which John Sebastian later mocked on the Lovin' Spoonful song, "Darlin' Be Home Soon". Paul McCartney, however, was impressed by the way the group came in too soon on the recording. "That has to be a mistake: nobody's that clever," he told the group.

When the album was released afterwards, it peaked at number four in the US, continuing the band's success, but peaked at number 24 in the UK. "Words of Love" was released as the second single in the US and peaked at number five in the US. In the UK, it was released as a double a-side with "Dancing in the Street" and peaked at number 47. "Dancing in the Street" was released as the third and final single in the US and peaked at number 75.

Deliver and fading fame

The band then recorded its third album, "Deliver". During this time Doherty was drinking heavily, trying to forget his affair with Michelle. As the closing act of the first Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, the band performed dismally. John and Michelle Phillips and Lou Adler organized the festival, and according to interviews with the members of the group, they were all so caught up in the festival they never got around to rehearsing. That, combined with Doherty's last minute arrival from Canada, resulted in the mediocre performance.

The first single from the album was "Look Through My Window", which peaked at number 24 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. However, the second single, "Dedicated to the One I Love", gave the band a comeback, peaking at number two in both the US and the UK. That success helped the album peak at a strong number two in the US and number four in the UK. Second single "Creeque Alley" showcased the band's history before their success. It peaked at number five in the US and number nine in the UK. The third and final single, a cover of My Girl, peaked at number fifteen in the US, but failed to chart in the UK.

Shortly afterward, a non-album single called "Glad to be Unhappy" was released and peaked at number 26 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. Also that year, for unknown reasons, a song from the group's second album titled "Dancing Bear" was released as a single and peaked at number 51 in the US, but also failed to chart in the UK.

First break-up and fourth album

While recording their fourth album, The Mamas and the Papas decided to take a trip in October 1967 to Europe to spark their creativity. While in England at a party thrown by Dunhill Records, their record label, Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger. John approached them and made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Disgusted and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the group. However, Cass was contractually bound for the band's next LP, and therefore appeared on The Papas & the Mamas, their fourth album.

The first single "Twelve Thirty" peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. The album was then released and although it peaked at a moderate number fifteen in the US, it also failed to chart in the UK. After the second single, "Safe In My Garden" failed on the charts, only making it to number 53, their label released Elliot's solo song from the album, a cover of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and it ended up peaking at number twelve in the US. It also became their first single to chart in the UK after five failed singles, peaking at number eleven. It was their only single to ever chart higher in the UK than the US.

Second breakup and final split

After the success of "Dream a Little Dream of Me", Elliot admitted she wanted to embark on a solo career. The fourth and final single from the band's fourth album was "For the Love of Ivy", which peaked at a dismal number 81 in the US and failed to chart in the UK. Shortly aftwards the band officially announced their split. For the second time, their label released a single from their previous work. A song from their debut titled "Do You Wanna Dance" was released as a single, but failed to chart in the UK and peaked at number 76 in the US.

After the official breakup, John Phillips issued the country-flavoured album "The Wolf King of LA", featuring the minor hit single, "Mississippi", but it was not a commercial success. In the TV special, "Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas", other band members said that if they had recorded the material from that album, it might have been their best album and would certainly have been a hit.

In reviewing their contracts, their record company held that the band owed them one more album and threatened to sue each member of the band for US$250,000 for "breach of contract." After about a year apart, the band regrouped and released their final album "People Like Us" in 1971. The first and only single, "Step Out", peaked at number 81 in the US and failed to chart in the UK. With the failure of the lead single, the album failed to chart in the UK and became the first album of the band's not to chart in the top 20 on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 84.

After the failure, the band officially split, with each member embarking on solo careers.

Aftermath

Mama Cass Elliot

After the final breakup, Cass Elliot had a very successful solo career and toured the U.S. and Europe, becoming popular with hits such as Make Your Own Kind of Music and It's Getting Better. She also had many successful appearances on American variety shows, including the highly popular Carol Burnett Show.

While on tour with her solo act, Elliot died of a heart attack on July 29 1974. She had just performed to two sold-out audiences at the Palladium in London. The night before she died, she had called Michelle in L.A. to tell her how thrilled she was about getting standing ovations at The Palladium. Michelle Phillips says that Cass Elliot "died a very happy woman."

John Phillips

John Phillips continued to write songs for solo efforts and other acts. Perhaps his best-known effort was as co-author of the Beach Boys' hit Kokomo.

In the 1980s, he formed The New Mamas and The Papas, with his daughter McKenzie Phillips, Spanky McFarlane (of the group Spanky and Our Gang), and Denny Doherty. After some initial success, Denny dropped out when John slipped back into drugs and McKenzie just ran away.

John did eventually get the group back together, without Denny but with his old friend, Scott McKenzie. He eventually dropped the "New" from their name and appeared as simply The Mamas and The Papas.

Throughout the rest of his life, Phillips toured with various versions of the group playing smaller venues, reunion shows, and TV specials. They were at their best with Denny, but none of the incarnations had the spirit, magic and impact of the original group that John Phillips helped to build.

John's version of The Mamas and The Papas story is told in the American PBS (Public Broadcasting System) TV special, Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas.

After surviving a liver transplant in the 1980s, he died of heart failure on March 18 2001.

His final album, Phillips 66, was released posthumously in August of 2001.

Denny Doherty

Denny Doherty had a solo hit on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974 with a rendition of the standard You'll Never Know, and went on to host a popular variety show in Canada.

In response to Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas Denny produced his own stage musical Dream a Little Dream (the nearly true story of The Mamas and The Papas). It featured music from the group and focused on his relationship with Mama Cass. It was, he said, to "set the record straight."

In the 1990s, Denny was the producer and host of a popular children's TV show in Canada, Theodore Tugboat - a kind of Thomas the Tank Engine for vessels in the Halifax Harbour.

Denny Doherty died on January 19 2007 at his home in Mississauga, Ontario, from kidney failure following surgery on an abdominal aneurysm.

Michelle Phillips

After the unsuccessful release of an album in 1977, Victim of Romance, Michelle Phillips went on to a successful acting career, appearing in the 1973 movie Dillinger and in the 1980 Sam Spade tribute/spoof, The Man With Bogart's Face.

She also had a successful run in television drama, including Knots Landing and Beverly Hills, 90210.

As the copyright owner for the song California Dreamin' , Michelle was a major contributor to the 2005 PBS Television Special California Dreamin': The Songs of The Mamas and the Papas.

Mama Michelle is the last surviving original member of The Mamas and The Papas.

Legacy

Their first successful single, "California Dreamin", was rereleased in the UK and peaked at number nine in 1997.

John's eldest daughter from his first marriage, Mackenzie Phillips, had a successful career as an actress in the mid-1970s, having first appeared in George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti (1973) and then in the successful TV series One Day at a Time, but found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug addiction—habits that she had shared personally with her father—that by 1979 her career had effectively ended due to her inability to work.

John and Michelle's daughter, Chynna, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips along with Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson (the daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson), with whom she's been friends since infancy.

John's youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips, is a successful actress and model.

The Mamas & the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	U.S.	UK
1966	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears	1	3
1966	The Mamas & the Papas	4	24
1967	Deliver	2	4
1968	Papas & The Mamas	15	-
1971	People Like Us	84	-

• Many greatest hits packages have been released world-wide since the group's split.

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions		Album
		Hot 100	U.K
1965	"Go Where You Wanna Go"	-	-	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
	"California Dreamin'"	4	23	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
1966	"Monday, Monday"	1	3	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
	"I Saw Her Again"	5	11	The Mamas and the Papas
	"Words of Love"	5	47	The Mamas and the Papas
	"Dancing in the Street"	75	471	The Mamas and the Papas
	"Look Through My Window"	24	-	Deliver
1967	"Dedicated to the One I Love"	2	2	Deliver
	"Creeque Alley"	5	9	Deliver
	"My Girl	15	-	Deliver
	"Glad to Be Unhappy"	26	-	non-album single
	"Dancing Bear"	51	-	The Mamas and the Papas
	"Twelve Thirty"	20	-	Papas & The Mamas
1968	"Safe In My Garden"	53	-	Papas & The Mamas
	"Dream a Little Dream of Me"	12	11	Papas & The Mamas
	"For The Love Of Ivy"	81	-	Papas & The Mamas
	"Do You Wanna Dance"	76	-	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
1972	"Step Out"	81	-	People Like Us
1997	"California Dreamin'"2		9	If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

• ¹ denotes the Dancing in the Street was backed with Words of Love in the UK as a double a-side.

• ² denotes that California Dreamin' was released in the UK in 1997.

External links

• 'The Mamas and The Papas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
• CreequeAlley.com— Analysis of Creeque Alley which tells the story of the formation of The Mamas and The Papas
• Dream a Little Dream — The History of The Mamas & the Papas as remembered by Denny Doherty, with photos and song clips
• Unofficial Mamas and Papas site
• Text of Interview with Scott McKenzie and John Phillips

• — California Dreamin': The Songs of The Mamas and The Papas