The Mamas & the Papas
Encyclopedia
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s (Denny Doherty was from Canada). The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit single
s. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide.
Their signature sound was based on four-part male/female vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips
, the band's songwriter, who managed to "leave the folk music behind" and blend his writing with the new "beat" sound in an unprecedented mode.
groups—The Mugwumps
and The New Journeymen—bandmates Denny Doherty
and John Phillips formed a new group, which included John's wife Michelle
. The last member to join was Cass Elliot
, though chief songwriter Phillips never wanted Elliot in the group as he was convinced that there was no way they could succeed in the music industry because of her size.
The band moved, briefly, to the United States Virgin Islands
; after running out of money, Michelle Phillips gambled back enough for them to return to New York City.
After briefly being known as The Magic Cyrcle, the group found they disliked the name. One night, the band watched the Hells Angels
on a television talk show; one of their members said "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass stood up and said, "Yeah! I want to be a Mama!" Michelle joined Cass; they danced around, chanting "We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas!" After a couple of minutes of this, John and Denny looked at each other and shrugged. "The Papas?" From then, shortly after signing a five-album contract with Dunhill Records
, they referred to themselves as The Mamas and The Papas.
", was released later in 1965 and quickly peaked at number 4 in the US, while in the UK, it peaked at number 23. The band's debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
, was released in early 1966 and became the band's only number 1 album on the Billboard 200
. The third and final single from their debut was "Monday, Monday
", which became the band's only US number 1 hit. The song brought the band international success when it peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
.
After it was discovered that Michelle Phillips and Doherty were having an affair, tension in the band erupted. Consulting their attorney, Abe Somer, as well as their label Dunhill Records
, the band drafted a formal statement expelling Michelle from the group in June 1966 - in the midst of recording their second album, The Mamas & the Papas. 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
. Who sang on the second album is a disputed point, and further confused by using Jill Gibson to dub over an unknown number of vocals on the second album. Gibson says she sang all but two songs. Rock Historian Greg Russo says studio records show Michelle had already recorded six songs for the second album with the group in April 1966, including the singles "I Saw Her Again
" and "Words of Love." Gibson recorded with John, Cass and Denny in July and early August 1966. Michelle was asked to rejoin the group by the end of August and went right into the studio, and Gibson was let go and received an undisclosed payment for her part. Producer Lou Adler states in the book Go Where You Wanna Go that Gibson sang on "maybe six songs", but Michelle re-recorded them when she returned. In the same book, Michelle Phillips is quoted as saying that she does not know for sure who is singing on the second album, that she and Jill both recorded many of the same songs. Phillips says only Engineer Bones Howe and Producer Lou Adler know for sure who was on the final record.
The first single from the album, "I Saw Her Again
" was about the affair. 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 mimicked on the Lovin' Spoonful
song, "Darlin' Be Home Soon" (Kenny Loggins
' "I'm Alright" repeated the theme in 1980). Paul McCartney
, however, was not 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.
. During this time Doherty was drinking heavily, trying to get over Michelle Phillips. 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. The third 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 fourth 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, 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.
in June 1967. During the ensuing conversation with Sullivan, they revealed that they would be taking a long vacation but would return. Because of this announcement, Dunhill released their first greatest hits album entitled Farewell to the First Golden Era volumes 1 and 2 featuring their early work.
Subsequently in October 1967, the group decided to take a trip to Europe
to spark their creativity while recording their fourth album. While in England, Cass Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger
at a party thrown by their record label Dunhill Records
, and John 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 "12:30 (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
" peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. The album was then released and was another commercial success in both the UK and US (although it was their first album not to go gold or peak in the top ten in America). 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 U.S. 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 U.S.
After the official breakup, John Phillips issued the country-flavored album The Wolf King of LA
, featuring the minor hit single, "Mississippi", but it was not a commercial success. In the television 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
. Subsequently in 1971, after about a year of John catching the other members as they passed through town, teaching them their parts and then overdubbing them on tape, the band released their final album People Like Us. The 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.
had a successful solo career, touring the U.S. and Europe, becoming popular with hits such as "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "It's Getting Better". The three albums she recorded for RCA, (Cass Elliot
, The Road Is No Place for a Lady, both released in 1972 and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore, released in 1973) contained singles, but none hit the charts.
She had many successful appearances on American variety shows, including the highly popular Carol Burnett Show and the CBS
game show Match Game '73
. She also starred in two U.S. prime-time network television specials - The Mama Cass Television Program airing on ABC in January 1969 and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore airing on CBS in September 1973, the soundtrack of which was her third and final album for RCA.
After featuring her solo act in a sold-out two-week engagement at the London Palladium
in July 1974, Elliot died of a heart attack in a London flat owned by Harry Nilsson
following the closing night performance on July 29. The night before she died, she had called Michelle in Los Angeles to tell her how thrilled she was about getting standing ovations. Michelle Phillips says that Cass Elliot "died a very happy woman." Her former band mates and Lou Adler all attended her funeral in Los Angeles.
".
In the 1980s, John reunited with Denny Doherty
and formed The New Mamas and The Papas
, with John's daughter Mackenzie Phillips
and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (of the group Spanky and Our Gang
). After some initial success, Doherty dropped out of the band in 1987 because he was discontented with John’s drug abuse. The band continued to prosper and John's old friend Scott McKenzie
replaced Denny until 1991 when John Phillips began to show signs of liver failure and became very ill. Mackenzie Phillips also continued to struggle with drug abuse and was permanently replaced by Laurie Beebe, former vocalist of re-formed group The Buckinghams
in 1991. John Phillips dropped out of the group after a liver transplant in 1992 and Doherty reclaimed his original position with McKenzie replacing John on the front line until the breakup of the band in 1994. Throughout the rest of his life, Phillips toured with various versions of the group playing smaller venues, reunion shows, and television specials. He died of heart failure on March 18, 2001.
His final album, Phillips 66, was released posthumously in August 2001. John's version of The Mamas & the Papas' story is told in the PBS
television special, Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas.
released a few solo LPs and singles after the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas, however none charted. Of note are 1971's Whatcha Gonna Do? and 1974's Waiting For A Song. The latter LP went unreleased in the U.S. and featured both Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot on background. The recordings would be Elliot's last as she died in London shortly after the record was made, but the album did feature a solo hit with a rendition of the standard "You'll Never Know
" on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974 however, after which Denny 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 television 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.
and following the unsuccessful release of a 1977 album, Victim of Romance
, Michelle Phillips
went on to a successful acting career, appearing in Bloodline (1979), The Man with Bogart's Face
a 1980 Sam Spade
tribute/spoof, American Anthem
(1986) and Let It Ride
in 1989.
She also had a successful run in television drama, including Hotel
, Knots Landing
and Beverly Hills, 90210
.
As the last surviving original member of The Mamas and The Papas, and 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.
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 television series One Day at a Time
, but found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug addiction—habits that she had shared with her father—that by 1979 her career had effectively ended because of her inability to work. It was not until the 1990s and 2000s that she would rebuild her career, mostly with guest-starring roles on a string of popular television dramas.
John's 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 has been friends since infancy.
John's youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips
, is an actress and model.
In 1986, the three surviving members of The Mamas and the Papas, John Phillips, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips were featured in The Beach Boys
music video California Dreaming from the album Made in the U.S.A..
The Mamas and the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 2000 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. Much press was given to their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, as the members of the group, especially John Phillips, had publicly stated their dislike for each other. At the 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the 3 surviving members accepted the award, with Cass Elliot's daughter accepting for her. Michelle Phillips created a memorable moment after all had accepted their awards returning to the podium saying, "I know that Cass is sitting on that big full moon tonight, looking down on these proceedings, wearing a size six Thierry Mugler
dress, and thanking you all very, very much." The audience then burst into applause. The group then performed "California Dreamin'".
A musical theatre work of The Mamas and Papas story, is being developed in Australia, for performance in 2011.
Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of The Mamas & The Papas, by Denny Doherty and Paul Ledoux, a world premier musical at the Phoenix Theatre 2007/2012.
suffered the same loss as The Mamas & The Papas where their original recordings are lost, except for the stereo album masters. As a result, re-issues on CD are remastered from the album masters (usually second or third generation tape) which results in lesser sound quality than that of other catalogs from the era.
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide.
Their signature sound was based on four-part male/female vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips
John Phillips (musician)
John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
, the band's songwriter, who managed to "leave the folk music behind" and blend his writing with the new "beat" sound in an unprecedented mode.
Formation
After the split-up of their two previous folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
groups—The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps were a 1960s rock band. The Mugwumps made some recordings in the mid-60s, but the short-lived New York group, formed in 1964, is principally remembered for what its members did after they split up....
and The New Journeymen—bandmates Denny Doherty
Denny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early career:...
and John Phillips formed a new group, which included John's wife Michelle
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame as a member of the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas, and is the last surviving original member of the group.-Early life:...
. The last member to join was Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
, though chief songwriter Phillips never wanted Elliot in the group as he was convinced that there was no way they could succeed in the music industry because of her size.
The band moved, briefly, to the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
; after running out of money, Michelle Phillips gambled back enough for them to return to New York City.
After briefly being known as The Magic Cyrcle, the group found they disliked the name. One night, the band watched the Hells Angels
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
on a television talk show; one of their members said "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass stood up and said, "Yeah! I want to be a Mama!" Michelle joined Cass; they danced around, chanting "We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas!" After a couple of minutes of this, John and Denny looked at each other and shrugged. "The Papas?" From then, shortly after signing a five-album contract with Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
, they referred to themselves as The Mamas and The Papas.
Early commercial success
The band's first single, "Go Where You Wanna Go", was released in 1965, failing to chart. However, the second single, "California Dreamin'California Dreamin'
"California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...
", was released later in 1965 and quickly peaked at number 4 in the US, while in the UK, it peaked at number 23. The band's debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is the 1966 debut album by The Mamas & the Papas . In 2003, the album was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
, was released in early 1966 and became the band's only number 1 album on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The third and final single from their debut was "Monday, Monday
Monday, Monday
"Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100....
", which became the band's only US number 1 hit. The song brought the band international success when it peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
After it was discovered that Michelle Phillips and Doherty were having an affair, tension in the band erupted. Consulting their attorney, Abe Somer, as well as their label Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
, the band drafted a formal statement expelling Michelle from the group in June 1966 - in the midst of recording their second album, The Mamas & the Papas. At this point they hired a new singer to replace Michelle, Jill Gibson
Jill Gibson
Jill Gibson is an American singer, songwriter, photographer and painter. She is mostly known for having once briefly been a member of the famous 1960s rock group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early life and personal life:...
, girlfriend of their producer Lou Adler
Lou Adler
Lou Adler is an American record producer, manager, and director.-Life and career:Adler was born in Chicago, Illinois in December 1933, and raised in East Los Angeles. In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964...
. Gibson was already a singer/songwriter who had performed on several Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
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
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Who sang on the second album is a disputed point, and further confused by using Jill Gibson to dub over an unknown number of vocals on the second album. Gibson says she sang all but two songs. Rock Historian Greg Russo says studio records show Michelle had already recorded six songs for the second album with the group in April 1966, including the singles "I Saw Her Again
I Saw Her Again
"I Saw Her Again" is a pop song recorded by the U.S. vocal group the Mamas & the Papas in 1966. Co-written by band members John Phillips and Denny Doherty, it was released as a single in June 1966 and peaked at number one on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and...
" and "Words of Love." Gibson recorded with John, Cass and Denny in July and early August 1966. Michelle was asked to rejoin the group by the end of August and went right into the studio, and Gibson was let go and received an undisclosed payment for her part. Producer Lou Adler states in the book Go Where You Wanna Go that Gibson sang on "maybe six songs", but Michelle re-recorded them when she returned. In the same book, Michelle Phillips is quoted as saying that she does not know for sure who is singing on the second album, that she and Jill both recorded many of the same songs. Phillips says only Engineer Bones Howe and Producer Lou Adler know for sure who was on the final record.
I Saw Her Again
"I Saw Her Again" is a pop song recorded by the U.S. vocal group the Mamas & the Papas in 1966. Co-written by band members John Phillips and Denny Doherty, it was released as a single in June 1966 and peaked at number one on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and...
" was about the affair. 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
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
later mimicked on the Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
song, "Darlin' Be Home Soon" (Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
' "I'm Alright" repeated the theme in 1980). Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, however, was not 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
Words of Love (The Mamas and the Papas song)
"Words of Love" is a song appearing on the album The Mamas and the Papas. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist...
" 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
Dancing in the Street
"Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:...
" 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
The band then recorded its third album, DeliverThe Mamas and the Papas Deliver
Deliver is a 1967 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their third album release. The album charted second in Billboards "Top Pop" albums for 1967...
. During this time Doherty was drinking heavily, trying to get over Michelle Phillips. As the closing act of the first Monterey International Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
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
Look Through My Window
"Look Through My Window" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Mamas & the Papas. It was the first single from their Deliver album and charted at number 24 in the United States, but failed to chart in the UK. Written by John Philips, circa 1964 during a temporary separation from his...
", 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
Dedicated to the One I Love
"Dedicated to the One I Love" is the name of a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass. Pauling was the guitarist of The "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of this song, Bass was the producer. A version by The Shirelles was a minor hit for them in 1959. The "5" Royales...
", 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. The third single "Creeque Alley
Creeque Alley
"Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas in 1967, narrating the story about how the group was formed. The title of the song is derived from the place Creque or Crequi Alley, home to a club in the Virgin Islands where...
" showcased the band's history before their success. It peaked at number five in the US and number nine in the UK. The fourth 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, 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
The band then made their final television appearance together where they performed some of their most popular songs, on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
in June 1967. During the ensuing conversation with Sullivan, they revealed that they would be taking a long vacation but would return. Because of this announcement, Dunhill released their first greatest hits album entitled Farewell to the First Golden Era volumes 1 and 2 featuring their early work.
Subsequently in October 1967, the group decided to take a trip to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to spark their creativity while recording their fourth album. While in England, Cass Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
at a party thrown by their record label Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
, and John 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 "12:30 (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
Twelve Thirty
"Twelve Thirty" a.k.a. "Twelve-thirty ", the song's main refrain, is a song by The Mamas & the Papas, which was the lead single from the album The Papas & The Mamas. The song peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK.The song was written by John Phillips shortly after the band...
" peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. The album was then released and was another commercial success in both the UK and US (although it was their first album not to go gold or peak in the top ten in America). 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 U.S. 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 U.S.
Second break-up 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 number 81 in the US and failed to chart in the UK. 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 U.S.After the official breakup, John Phillips issued the country-flavored album The Wolf King of LA
John Phillips (John, the Wolf King of L.A.)
John Phillips is the first solo recording by the Mamas & the Papas leader John Phillips. All songs were Phillips originals, dealing mostly with recent events in Phillips' life, including references to his new girlfriend Geneviève Waïte and longtime friend Ann Marshall...
, featuring the minor hit single, "Mississippi", but it was not a commercial success. In the television 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
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
. Subsequently in 1971, after about a year of John catching the other members as they passed through town, teaching them their parts and then overdubbing them on tape, the band released their final album People Like Us. The 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
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, peaking at number 84.
After the failure, the band officially split, with each member embarking on solo careers.
Cass Elliot
After the final breakup, Cass ElliotCass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
had a successful solo career, touring the U.S. and Europe, becoming popular with hits such as "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "It's Getting Better". The three albums she recorded for RCA, (Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot (album)
Cass Elliot is the fourth studio album released by Cass Elliot and the first album recorded for RCA Records. The album was recorded in late 1971 at RCA’s Music Center of the World in Hollywood at 6363 Sunset and originally released in February 1972...
, The Road Is No Place for a Lady, both released in 1972 and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore, released in 1973) contained singles, but none hit the charts.
She had many successful appearances on American variety shows, including the highly popular Carol Burnett Show and the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
game show Match Game '73
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
. She also starred in two U.S. prime-time network television specials - The Mama Cass Television Program airing on ABC in January 1969 and Don't Call Me Mama Anymore airing on CBS in September 1973, the soundtrack of which was her third and final album for RCA.
After featuring her solo act in a sold-out two-week engagement at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
in July 1974, Elliot died of a heart attack in a London flat owned by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
following the closing night performance on July 29. The night before she died, she had called Michelle in Los Angeles to tell her how thrilled she was about getting standing ovations. Michelle Phillips says that Cass Elliot "died a very happy woman." Her former band mates and Lou Adler all attended her funeral in Los Angeles.
John Phillips
John Phillips' "Mississippi" peaked at #32 on the Hot 100 on 18 July 1970, and he continued to write songs for solo performers and other acts. Perhaps his best-known effort outside of The Mamas & the Papas was as co-writer of the Beach Boys' #1 hit "KokomoKokomo (song)
"Kokomo" is a song written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love and Terry Melcher and recorded by The Beach Boys in spring 1988. Its lyrics describe two lovers taking a trip to a relaxing Caribbean island called Kokomo. It was released as a single in July 1988 by Elektra Records and became a...
".
In the 1980s, John reunited with Denny Doherty
Denny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early career:...
and formed The New Mamas and The Papas
The New Mamas and The Papas
The New Mamas & The Papas was an American vocal group. It was John Phillips recreation of his earlier band, The Mamas & the Papas, as its name implies. Its membership fluctuated over the years, but initially consisted of frontline vocalists John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Mackenzie Phillips and...
, with John's daughter Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time...
and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (of the group Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s folk-rock band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's popular Our Gang comedies of the 1930s...
). After some initial success, Doherty dropped out of the band in 1987 because he was discontented with John’s drug abuse. The band continued to prosper and John's old friend Scott McKenzie
Scott McKenzie
Scott McKenzie is an American singer. He is best known for his 1967 hit single and generational anthem, "San Francisco ".-Life and career:...
replaced Denny until 1991 when John Phillips began to show signs of liver failure and became very ill. Mackenzie Phillips also continued to struggle with drug abuse and was permanently replaced by Laurie Beebe, former vocalist of re-formed group The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams are an American Sunshine Pop band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top selling acts of 1967. The band dissolved in 1970 but reformed in 1980 and continue to tour throughout the United States....
in 1991. John Phillips dropped out of the group after a liver transplant in 1992 and Doherty reclaimed his original position with McKenzie replacing John on the front line until the breakup of the band in 1994. Throughout the rest of his life, Phillips toured with various versions of the group playing smaller venues, reunion shows, and television specials. He died of heart failure on March 18, 2001.
His final album, Phillips 66, was released posthumously in August 2001. John's version of The Mamas & the Papas' story is told in the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
television special, Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas.
Denny Doherty
Denny DohertyDenny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early career:...
released a few solo LPs and singles after the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas, however none charted. Of note are 1971's Whatcha Gonna Do? and 1974's Waiting For A Song. The latter LP went unreleased in the U.S. and featured both Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot on background. The recordings would be Elliot's last as she died in London shortly after the record was made, but the album did feature a solo hit with a rendition of the standard "You'll Never Know
You'll Never Know
"You'll Never Know" is a popular song. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon, based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris....
" on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974 however, after which Denny 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 television show in Canada, Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
— a kind of Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher. He became the most popular character in the series, and the accompanying television spin-off series, Thomas and Friends.Thomas is a tank engine, painted blue...
for vessels in the Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
.
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 appearing in the 1973 movie DillingerDillinger (1973 film)
Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger.It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. The film, narrated by Purvis, chronicles the last few years of Dillinger's life as the FBI and...
and following the unsuccessful release of a 1977 album, Victim of Romance
Victim of Romance
Victim of Romance is singer and songwriter Michelle Phillips' first and only solo album, and was released in February 1977 . The record was unsuccessful and Phillips then favored her acting career....
, Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame as a member of the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas, and is the last surviving original member of the group.-Early life:...
went on to a successful acting career, appearing in Bloodline (1979), The Man with Bogart's Face
The Man with Bogart's Face
The Man with Bogart's Face is a 1980 comedy film, released by 20th Century Fox and based on a novel of the same name. Andrew J...
a 1980 Sam Spade
Sam Spade
Sam Spade is a fictional character who is the protagonist of Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon and the various films and adaptations based on it, as well as in three lesser known short stories by Hammett....
tribute/spoof, American Anthem
American Anthem
American Anthem is a 1986 American film produced by Lorimar Motion Pictures and released in North America by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Albert Magnoli, and starred Mitch Gaylord and Janet Jones. The subject of the film was a football player turned gymnast that was seeking to join the...
(1986) and Let It Ride
Let It Ride (film)
Let It Ride is a 1989 comedy film. It stars Richard Dreyfuss as a normally unsuccessful habitual gambler who experiences a day in which he wins every bet he places...
in 1989.
She also had a successful run in television drama, including Hotel
Hotel (TV series)
Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty....
, Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
and Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
.
As the last surviving original member of The Mamas and The Papas, and 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.
Legacy
Their first successful single, "California Dreamin'", was re-released in the UK and peaked at number nine in 1997.John's eldest daughter from his first marriage, Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time...
, had a successful career as an actress in the mid-1970s, having first appeared in George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
's hit film American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(1973) and then in the successful television series One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
, but found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug addiction—habits that she had shared with her father—that by 1979 her career had effectively ended because of her inability to work. It was not until the 1990s and 2000s that she would rebuild her career, mostly with guest-starring roles on a string of popular television dramas.
John's and Michelle's daughter, Chynna
Chynna Phillips
Chynna Phillips is an American singer and actress, known for being a member of Wilson Phillips. She is also known for being the daughter of The Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips and the half-sister of Mackenzie Phillips, Bijou Phillips, Jeffrey Phillips , Tamerlane...
, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips
Wilson Phillips
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
along with Carnie Wilson
Carnie Wilson
Carnie Wilson is an American singer and television hostess, perhaps best known as a member of the pop music group Wilson Phillips.-Early life and musical career:...
and Wendy Wilson
Wendy Wilson
Wendy Wilson is an American singer and member of the pop singing trio Wilson Phillips. She is the daughter of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson and his first wife Marilyn, who was a member of girl group The Honeys; and she is the younger sister of Carnie Wilson.Wilson was born in Los Angeles,...
(the daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
), with whom she has been friends since infancy.
John's youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips
Bijou Phillips
Bijou Lilly Phillips is an American actress, model, and singer. Phillips began her career as a model but soon transitioned herself into acting and singing. When she was 13, she started as a model and became one of the youngest people to grace the cover of Interview Magazine and Italian Vogue....
, is an actress and model.
In 1986, the three surviving members of The Mamas and the Papas, John Phillips, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips were featured in The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
music video California Dreaming from the album Made in the U.S.A..
The Mamas and the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2000 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. Much press was given to their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, as the members of the group, especially John Phillips, had publicly stated their dislike for each other. At the 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the 3 surviving members accepted the award, with Cass Elliot's daughter accepting for her. Michelle Phillips created a memorable moment after all had accepted their awards returning to the podium saying, "I know that Cass is sitting on that big full moon tonight, looking down on these proceedings, wearing a size six Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer and creator of several perfumes.-Childhood:Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948. His passion led him to focus more on drawing than on school and at the age of 9, he began to study classical dance...
dress, and thanking you all very, very much." The audience then burst into applause. The group then performed "California Dreamin'".
A musical theatre work of The Mamas and Papas story, is being developed in Australia, for performance in 2011.
Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of The Mamas & The Papas, by Denny Doherty and Paul Ledoux, a world premier musical at the Phoenix Theatre 2007/2012.
Discography
The Mamas & The Papas recordings were originally released on ABC Dunhill Records. In 1973, executives at ABC Dunhill (Jay Lasker is generally blamed) decided to discard all the multi-track recordings and mono masters in order to save storage space. Fellow labelmates Three Dog NightThree Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
suffered the same loss as The Mamas & The Papas where their original recordings are lost, except for the stereo album masters. As a result, re-issues on CD are remastered from the album masters (usually second or third generation tape) which results in lesser sound quality than that of other catalogs from the era.
Albums
| Year | Album | Label & number (U.S.) | U.S. Billboard Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. Cashbox | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| 1966 | If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is the 1966 debut album by The Mamas & the Papas . In 2003, the album was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.... |
Dunhill D 50006 (Mono)/DS 50006 (Stereo) | 1 | 2 | - |
| 1966 | The Mamas & the Papas | Dunhill D 50010/DS 50010 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 1967 | The Mamas and the Papas Deliver The Mamas and the Papas Deliver Deliver is a 1967 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their third album release. The album charted second in Billboards "Top Pop" albums for 1967... |
Dunhill D 50014/DS 50014 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 1968 | The Papas & The Mamas The Papas & The Mamas The Papas & The Mamas is a 1968 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their final album together before the group temporarily broke up before a brief 1971 reunion.... |
Dunhill DS 50031 | 15 | 10 | - |
| 1971 | Monterey International Pop Festival | Dunhill DS 50100 | 226 | - | - |
| 1971 | People Like Us | Dunhill DSX 50106 | 84 | 45 | - |
Greatest Hits compilations
| Year | Album | Label & number (U.S.) | U.S. Billboard Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. Cashbox | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| 1967 | Farewell To The First Golden Era | Dunhill D 50025/DS 50025 | 5 | 5 | - |
| 1968 | Golden Era, Vol. 2 | Dunhill DS 50038 | 53 | 41 | - |
| 1969 | Hits Of Gold | Stateside 5007 | - | - | 7 |
| 1969 | 16 Greatest Hits | Dunhill DS 50064 | 61 | 72 | - |
| 1972 | Monday, Monday | Pickwick SPC-3380 | ? | ? | ? |
| 1973 | 20 Golden Hits | Dunhill DSX 50145 | 186 | 161 | - |
| 1998 | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (The Mamas & the Papas album) The Mamas & the Papas Greatest Hits album is a compilation of hits released on March 10, 1998. In 2003, the album was ranked at number 423 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time-Track listing:... |
MCA Records 11740 | ? | ? | 30 |
- Many other greatest hitsGreatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
packages have been released world-wide since the group's split.
Singles
| Year | Title | Label & number (U.S.) | Chart positions | Album (Both sides from the same album except B-side titles where indicated) | ||
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| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Cashbox | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| 1965 | "Go Where You Wanna Go" B-side: "Somebody Groovy" |
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is the 1966 debut album by The Mamas & the Papas . In 2003, the album was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.... |
| "California Dreamin' California Dreamin' "California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time... " B-side: "Somebody Groovy" |
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| 1966 | "Monday, Monday Monday, Monday "Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.... " B-side: "Got A Feeling" |
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| "I Saw Her Again I Saw Her Again "I Saw Her Again" is a pop song recorded by the U.S. vocal group the Mamas & the Papas in 1966. Co-written by band members John Phillips and Denny Doherty, it was released as a single in June 1966 and peaked at number one on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart, number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, and... " B-side: "Even If I Could" |
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The Mamas and the Papas The Mamas and the Papas (album) The Mamas & the Papas is a 1966 album by The Mamas & the Papas. The self-named album was their second release. It peaked at number four in the US and number 24 in the UK. The lead off single, "I Saw Her Again", peaked at number five in the US and number eleven in the UK. "Words of Love" was... |
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| "Words of Love Words of Love (The Mamas and the Papas song) "Words of Love" is a song appearing on the album The Mamas and the Papas. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist... " / |
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| "Dancing in the Street Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:... " |
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| "Look Through My Window Look Through My Window "Look Through My Window" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Mamas & the Papas. It was the first single from their Deliver album and charted at number 24 in the United States, but failed to chart in the UK. Written by John Philips, circa 1964 during a temporary separation from his... " B-side: "Once Was A Time I Thought" (from The Mamas and the Papas The Mamas and the Papas (album) The Mamas & the Papas is a 1966 album by The Mamas & the Papas. The self-named album was their second release. It peaked at number four in the US and number 24 in the UK. The lead off single, "I Saw Her Again", peaked at number five in the US and number eleven in the UK. "Words of Love" was... album) |
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| 1967 | "Dedicated to the One I Love Dedicated to the One I Love "Dedicated to the One I Love" is the name of a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass. Pauling was the guitarist of The "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of this song, Bass was the producer. A version by The Shirelles was a minor hit for them in 1959. The "5" Royales... " B-side: "Free Advice" |
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| "Creeque Alley Creeque Alley "Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas in 1967, narrating the story about how the group was formed. The title of the song is derived from the place Creque or Crequi Alley, home to a club in the Virgin Islands where... " B-side: "Did You Ever Want To Cry" |
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| "Glad to Be Unhappy Glad to Be Unhappy "Glad to Be Unhappy" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced in their 1936 musical On Your Toes by Doris Carson and David Morris, although it was not popular at the time, as there was only one 1936 recording of the tune. In the 1937 London... " B-side: "Hey Girl" (Billboard Bubbled Under charts #134) |
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| "Dancing Bear" B-side: "John's Music Box" (from the Deliver album) |
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| "Twelve Thirty Twelve Thirty "Twelve Thirty" a.k.a. "Twelve-thirty ", the song's main refrain, is a song by The Mamas & the Papas, which was the lead single from the album The Papas & The Mamas. The song peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK.The song was written by John Phillips shortly after the band... " B-side: "Straight Shooter" (Billboard Bubbled Under charts #130) |
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| 1968 | "Safe In My Garden" B-side: "Too Late" |
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| "Do You Wanna Dance" B-side: "My Girl" (from the Deliver album) |
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| 1972 | "Step Out" B-side: "Shooting Star" |
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People Like Us |
- 1 "Dancing in the StreetDancing in the Street"Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:...
" was backed with "Words of LoveWords of Love (The Mamas and the Papas song)"Words of Love" is a song appearing on the album The Mamas and the Papas. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist...
" in the UK as a double A-side. - 2 "California Dreamin'California Dreamin'"California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...
" was re-released in the UK in 1997.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Type | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Grammy Awards | Record of the Year Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer.... ("Monday, Monday Monday, Monday "Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas & the Papas for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. It was the group's only number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.... ") |
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| Best Performance by a Vocal Group Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group The Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group was awarded from 1961 to 1968. In its first year, the award specified that a "vocal group" contains two to six artists. This award was presented alongside the award for Best Performance by a Chorus... ("Monday, Monday") |
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| Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental ("Monday, Monday") | |||
| Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song was awarded between 1960 and 1971. The award had several minor name changes:*In 1960 the award was known as Best Performance by a "Top 40" Artist... ("Monday, Monday") |
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| 2001 | Grammy Hall of Fame Award Grammy Hall of Fame Award The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"... ("California Dreamin' California Dreamin' "California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time... ") |
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External links
- The Official Cass Elliot site
- "Dream a Little Dream" - The History of The Mamas & the Papas as remembered by Denny Doherty
- The John E A Phillips Appreciation Group on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Text of Interview with Scott McKenzie and John Phillips
- 'The Mamas and The Papas' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
- creequealley.com - Analysis of the lyrics of Creeque Alley