The American band The Mamas And The Papas was the first pop group in which both sexes were equally represented. It was also the first group to connect folk and pop music through harmonious vocal harmonies. In their three years of existence, The Mamas And The Papas scored a number of big hits, of which 'California Dreamin’' and 'Monday Monday' grew into true pop classics.
It was the early sixties when singer, guitarist and songwriter John Phillips (born 30 August 1935) met the solidly built Ellen Naomi Cohen (19 September 1941) – better known by her stage name Cass Elliot – and the Canadian-born Denny Doherty (29 November 1940). Phillips was then singing with, among others, Scott McKenzie in the group The Journeyman, while Elliot and Doherty were still active with their group The Mugwumps. When the latter group broke up, Phillips asked Doherty if he wanted to sing in his The New Journeyman. That happened. Not long after, this group also broke up, after which John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and Phillips’ wife Michelle Phillips-Gilliam founded a new group together: The Magic Cyrcle. Not long after, that name was changed to The Mamas & The Papas and the group signed a record contract for five albums with Dunhill Records, the company of record boss Lou Adler. It was then 1965.
That same year, The Mamas & The Papas released their first single 'Go Where You Wanna Go', which unfortunately flopped miserably for them. But the second single was a hit. Early 1966, 'California Dreamin’', written by John Phillips, rose to fourth place in the American charts. With the follow-up 'Monday Monday', also written by John Phillips, the group scored its first – and as it turned out, only – American number 1 hit in May 1966. Both singles also became big hits elsewhere in the world. The same goes for the debut album If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears, which reached number one in the American album charts. The Mamas & The Papas suddenly became a world-famous group.
Love affair
That fame also caused some tensions. And not only that. When it became clear that Michelle had a secret affair with Denny Doherty, she was forced to leave the group. Her replacement was Jill Gibson, the girlfriend of record boss Lou Adler. But her presence was only short-lived. Because in August 1966, Michelle, who was forgiven, made her comeback with The Mamas & The Papas. At that moment, the group was high in the international charts with the song I Saw Her Again, which was about this extramarital love affair. The Mamas & The Papas continued their success with hits like 'Words Of Love' (1966), 'Dedicated To The One I Love' (1967), 'Creeque Alley' (1967) and 'Twelve Thirty' (1967). Meanwhile, Phillips wrote the worldwide hit 'San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)' for his friend Scott McKenzie and organised the famous Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967.
Furious
In October 1967, The Mamas & The Papas went to Europe for a concert tour. Reportedly, John Phillips made an unpleasant remark about Cass Elliot in the presence of Mick Jagger. Mama Cass was furious and wanted to leave the group immediately. But contractually, she still had to cooperate on the group's fourth album, titled The Papas & The Mamas. The album For The Love Of Ivy was a reasonable success, partly thanks to the hit single 'Dream A Little Dream Of Me' sung by Mama Cass. Shortly afterwards, she left the group definitively to start a successful solo career. The other members of The Mamas & The Papas were also involved in solo projects, albeit with much less success. In fact, The Mamas & The Papas were already defunct by then.
Swan song
But due to contractual obligations, a fifth album still had to be made. That record did come out, but only in November 1971. The disappointing album People Like Us in every respect formed the definitive swan song of The Mamas & The Papas. The album sold very poorly and yielded only one very modest hit with 'Step Out'. Barely three years after People Like Us, Cass Elliot died in London at the age of 32 from a heart attack. Producer Lou Adler and the other members of The Mamas & The Papas attended her funeral in Los Angeles.
The Papas
After some solo projects, John Phillips founded The New Mamas & The Papas in the early eighties, a group that included Denny Doherty as well as John's daughter Mackenzie Phillips. But the magic of yesteryear was gone. In 1987, Doherty left. He was replaced by John's old friend Scott McKenzie. But new successes did not materialise. Despite that, Phillips continued to tour with the group for the rest of his life, albeit in various line-ups. In 1988, he helped the Beach Boys with their worldwide hit Kokomo. On 18 March 2001, John Phillips died at the age of 65 from a heart attack. Dennis Doherty produced his own musical about The Mamas & The Papas and was later a presenter of a popular children's programme on Canadian television. He died on 19 January 2007 at the age of 66 due to liver and heart problems.
Legacy
After the breakup of The Mamas & The Papas, Michelle Phillips started a successful career as an actress. She appeared in various TV series and films, including Beverly Hills 90120, Knots Landing, Bloodline and American Anthem. Chynna Phillips, the only child of John & Michelle Phillips, formed the highly successful female trio Wilson Phillips in the early nineties with two daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, following in the footsteps of her famous parents. As the only surviving member of The Mamas & The Papas, Michelle Phillips now takes care of the musical legacy of a unique vocal group that made the world a much more beautiful place with unforgettable songs like 'California Dreamin’' and 'Monday Monday'.
Top 2000
In the 24th edition of the Top 2000, only one song by The Mamas And The Papas is listed. At number 279 is California Dreamin'.
Sunday Morning Classic
On 22 January, it was the turn of The Mamas And The Papas. Their debut album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears from 1966 was our Sunday Morning Classic.
Thanks to their vocal qualities and harmonious singing, this is a fantastic album, a little sweet but in a pleasant way and never cloying. Monday, Monday and California Dreamin are the hits on it and also the highlights, but the whole album is of a high standard without any notable dips.
The original LP featured a toilet bowl on the cover, but the record bosses thought in all their wisdom that such a dirty toilet bowl would negatively affect sales figures, and on the second pressing that bowl was removed.
In 2003, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears was ranked number 127 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The album gives me the ultimate sixties feeling. I completely imagine myself in another time.
Source: NPO and Wikipedia Photos: public domain
