The Mamas & the Papas was a folk-rock vocal-group which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York City, the group consisted of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips, and Canadian Denny Doherty. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group, who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early 1960s.
Michelle Gilliam Phillips is an American folk rock singer and film and television actress. She rose to fame as a vocalist in the musical quartet The Mamas & the Papas in the mid-1960s. Her voice was described by Time magazine as the "purest soprano in pop music." She later established a successful career as an actress in film and television beginning in the 1970s.
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian musician. He was a founding member of the 1960s musical group the Mamas & the Papas for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
John Edmund Andrew Phillips was an American folk rock musician. He was the leader of the vocal group the Mamas & the Papas and remains frequently referred to as Papa John Phillips. In addition to writing the majority of the group's compositions, he also wrote "San Francisco " in 1967 for former Journeymen bandmate Scott McKenzie, as well as the oft-covered "Me and My Uncle", which was a favorite in the repertoire of the Grateful Dead. Phillips was one of the chief organizers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.
"Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha and the Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.
Jill Gibson is an American singer, songwriter, photographer, painter and sculptor. She is mostly known for her collaboration work with Jan & Dean and for having briefly been a member of the successful 1960s rock group the Mamas and the Papas. She was also one of the main photographers at the historic Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
People Like Us is the fifth and final studio album released by the American folk rock vocal group The Mamas and the Papas. Released in November 1971, the album came to be because the former members of the group were still under contract with Dunhill Records. The group had originally been signed to the label when it was run by their original producer Lou Adler, but by 1971, Dunhill's distributor, ABC Records, had purchased the label and discovered a clause in the group's original contract. According to their contract, the group had to produce one more album, or else be in breach of contract and subject to possible fines up to 1 million dollars. The album is considered a disappointment by fans and critics with some notible exemptions such as “Snowqueen of Texas” and “Lady Genevieve”. Despite its reputation, it sold moderately well. It was produced by John Phillips. Michelle Phillips later wrote in the liner note of a Mamas & Papas CD compilation that the album "sounded like what it was, four people trying to avoid a lawsuit". This mostly had to do with the spark in the group's original content leaving as the group had parted ways and had pursued personal gains.
The Papas & The Mamas is the fourth studio album by the American folk rock vocal group the Mamas and the Papas, released in 1968.
The Mamas & the Papas is the second studio album by the Mamas and the Papas, released in September 1966. The album peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 album chart and number 24 in the UK. The lead off single, "I Saw Her Again", reached number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 11 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was especially unique because of its origins."Words of Love" was released as the second single in the US peaking at number 5. In the UK, it was released as a double A-side with "Dancing in the Street" and charted at number 47 in the UK.
"Dedicated To The One I Love" is a song written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass that was a hit for the "5" Royales, the Shirelles, the Mamas & the Papas and Bitty McLean. Pauling was the guitarist of the "5" Royales, the group that recorded the original version of the song, produced by Bass, in 1957. Their version was re-released in 1961 and charted at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Monday, Monday" is a 1966 song written by John Phillips and recorded by the Mamas & the Papas, using background instruments played by members of the Wrecking Crew for their 1966 album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. Denny Doherty was the lead vocalist. It was the group's only #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
“Creeque Alley” is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas in late 1966, narrating the story of how the group was formed, and its early years. The third song on the album Deliver, it peaked at #5 on the U.S. Billboard pop singles chart the week of Memorial Day 1967, becoming their last Top 10 hit. It made #9 on the UK Singles Chart, and #4 on the Australian and #1 on the Canadian charts.
The Mugwumps were a 1960s folk rock band, based in New York City. They released one self-titled album in 1967 and two singles. The Mugwumps found little success during their short time together in 1964, and are better known for launching the careers of Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, who went on to co-found the Mamas & the Papas, and John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, who both co-founded the Lovin' Spoonful.
"Words of Love" is a song by the Mamas & the Papas from their second studio album of the same name. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist. It was released as a single in November 1966.
All the Leaves are Brown: The Golden Era Collection is a 2001 release compiling the first four albums by The Mamas & the Papas in their entirety, with some single-exclusive mono versions and one non-album track. The package includes a brief history of the group and its albums by Matthew Greenwald, author of Creeque Alley: The Oral History of The Mamas & The Papas.
"Look Through My Window" is a song recorded by the American vocal group the Mamas & the Papas. It was written by John Philips, c. 1964 during a temporary separation from his partner, Michelle Phillips. The song was inspired by the fact that although John thought Michelle was out in California, she in fact was just blocks away in Greenwich Village. The mono version has a slightly longer fade-out so that the closing refrain "And the rain beats on my roof" is sung 9 times.
The Mamas & The Papas Deliver is the third studio album by the Mamas and the Papas, released in February 1967 on Dunhill Records. One song, "Creeque Alley", outlines the unique circumstances in which the band met and formed. Other songs on the album are covers of popular hits from years past.
"Safe in My Garden" is a song written by John Phillips and recorded by The Mamas and the Papas. The single was briefly in the Top 100 pop chart in the United States. AllMusic.com calls the song "One of the group's finest latter-day records."
The Mamas & the Papas were a vocal group from Los Angeles, California that was active from 1966 to 1969. Their discography consists of a total of five albums and 17 singles, six of which made the Billboard top ten, and sold close to 40 million records worldwide. Monday, Monday hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1966 and California Dreamin' was the top song on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1966.
