The Mamas & The Papas (L to R) Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, Michelle Phillips, John Phillips
The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama’s and the Papa’s on the debut album cover and sometimes shortened to Mamas and Papas) were an American vocal group of the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles. They have sold nearly 100 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.
After the split-up of their two previous folk groups—The Mugwumps and The New Journeymen—band mates 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 Mamas & The Papas
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 Hells Angels were on a talk show; one member 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.
The Mamas & The Papas
The band’s first single, “Go Where You Wanna Go”, was released in 1965, failing to chart. However, the second single, “California Dreamin’”, 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.
The Mamas & The Papas with Jill Gibson (third from left)
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 kicking Michelle out of 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 Mamas & The Papas
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”. 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 afterward, 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.
The band then recorded its third album, Deliver. 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.
The Mamas & The Papas' single, "Glad to Be Unhappy"/"Hey Girl"
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.
The band then made their final television appearance together where they performed some of their most popular songs, on the Ed Sullivan Show in August 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 compilation entitled Farewell to the First Golden Era volumes 1 and 2 featuring their early work.
Jimi Hendrix, Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot
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 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.
Cass Elliot
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 US.
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.
The Mamas & The Papas' album, "People Like Us"
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 $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.
Michelle Phillips
After the failure, the band officially split, with each member embarking on solo careers.
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, 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.
The Mamas & The Papas inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - The woman on the left is Cass' daughter, Owen Elliot
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, Owen Elliot, 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’”.
Clarence “Frogman” Henry (born March 19, 1937, Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American rhythm and blues singer.
Fats Domino and Professor Longhair were young Henry’s main influences while growing up. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides.
His trademark croak, utilized to the maximum on his 1956 debut hit “Ain’t Got No Home,” earned Henry his nickname and jump-started a career that endures to this day. “(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do” and “You Always Hurt the One You Love”, both from 1961, were his other big hits.
(L to R) Ringo Starr, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney
Henry opened eighteen concerts for The Beatles across the U.S. and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from the Bourbon Street strip in New Orleans, where he played for nineteen years. His name could still draw hordes of tourists long after his hit-making days had ended.
Clarence Henry’s pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In April 2007, “Frogman” was honored for his contributions to Louisiana music with induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Henry’s trademark song “Ain’t Got No Home” was featured on the soundtrack of the 1982 film Diner. It was used in a famous bathtub scene in the cult movie The Lost Boys with actor Corey Haim singing along to it. It achieved fresh notoriety in the 1990s through its use as the “Homeless Update” theme music on The Rush Limbaugh Show, and is still used as such as late as 2009. The song is in the movie Casino playing in the background as Joe Pesci asks Robert DeNiro for a 50K chip marker. Jimmy Buffett references Henry in his song “Saxophones”.
Robert has been performing
in bands and writing songs
since 1969. He is a former
writer and performer for the
Bob & Tom Show. He lives
in Fort Wayne, IN with his
wife, Sheri and their three
children, Dustin, Harrison
and McCartney.
I've had several requests to do a Pink Floyd post. I'll get around to it soon. For now, enjoy this live video of the band from Knebworth in 1990 with SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND
Every Sunday, Peter Tibbles contributes a column called "Elder Music" at the web site,TIME GOES BY. Check it out. For archives of previous "Elder Music" columns click HERE.
