The Mamas and The Papas were a beloved band of the ‘60s among folk-rock music lovers. They came together in the mid-60s after leaving each of their groups to sometimes perform together, and as a unit, John and Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Denny Doherty named themselves.
They got to business almost immediately and released three successful albums in two years, as well as top-five five hits— “California Dreamin’,” “I Saw Her Again,” “Words of Love,” “Dedicated to the One I Love,” “Creeque Alley”, and number one hit “Monday Monday” that won a Grammy for the Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental.
What is the Mamas and Papas controversy?
A Hells Angel member inspired the name “The Mamas And The Papas” while defending the club’s ladies from accusations that they were crass on a talk show. According to Michelle’s 1968 memoir, California Dreamin’, the angel said, “Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our mamas.” Cass immediately jumped up while the show went on and exclaimed, “Ah! We are Mamas. I don’t know who you guys are, but Michelle and I are the Mamas, So The Mamas and the Papas we were.”
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The beautifully named band was a delight to Paul Evans, who likened their pop and chord arrangements with the “sophistication of those of the classic American songbook (the Gershwins, Cole Porter, et al.)” during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. “The Mamas and the Papas elevated Sixties Top Forty radio by offering a joyous something for everyone,” Evans added.
Band feud
Michelle got kicked off the group for a while in 1966 due to extramarital philandering, and she revealed in her book that “I Saw Her Again” was “the song John and Denny wrote following the former’s discovery of me with the latter.” She soon rejoined her partners but more issues arose when “Dream a Little Dream of Me” was released in Cass’ name only. “I felt stung and insulted,” John confessed in Papa John. “We had lost the touch. Our time had come and gone…I could hardly blame her, but it was hard not to feel resentful and depressed.”
After a brief split, The Mamas and The Papas reunited for 1971’s People Like Us; however, John admitted the recording sessions were not enjoyable as they had to perform based on contractual obligation rather than willingness.
“The sessions were efficient but perfunctory. The elegance, the fire, the graceful union of our voices were long gone,” he stated. Cass died from a heart attack three years later, followed by John, who passed away from heart failure, and Denny from kidney failure. Michelle is the only surviving bandmate and was spotted out and about in Los Angeles last year.