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THE
MAMA'S AND THE PAPA'S (ARTIST BIOGRAPHY)
The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama’s and the
Papa’s on the debut album cover) were a leading vocal group of the
1960s. They were one of the few american groups to maintain
widespread success during the British Invasion (others being The
Beach Boys, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and The Lovin’ Spoonful).
The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968; releasing five
albums and charting ten hit singles; while relatively a short time
in the realm of popular music, some group members have pointed to
their short time in the spotlight as a reason why they still have
loyal fans today.
Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips
formed the group after previous folk groups (The Mugwumps, The New
Journeymen) failed. The foursome hit it big immediately after
forming The Mamas & the Papas with “California Dreamin’,” still
their most recognizable and enduring song. (The group’s early
history is amusingly chronicled in the song “Creeque Alley”.)
The name of the band was inspired by a daytime television talk show.
Before the group recorded their debut album If You Can Believe Your
Eyes and Ears, the band was known for a short time as “The Magic
Circle.” Wanting an easier name to remember, they were sitting
around their house (which all four band members initially shared)
brainstorming on a new name. Someone switched on the TV and a talk
show was on with a Hells Angel. The first thing they heard was: “Now
hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just
call them our Mamas.” Cass jumped up and exclaimed, “Yeah! I want to
be a Mama!” Michelle chimed in that she wanted to be a “Mama” too.
John and Denny looked at each other and John said, “Papas? Okay,
problem solved.” And the band had a new name.
In interviews, former band members confide that their recording
sessions (and lifestyles) were usually heavily drug-laden, with
large reserves of marijuana and other popular 1960s drugs on hand.
They even admit that their young children, also usually present at
recording sessions, openly witnessed their drug activities.
John Phillips had married Michelle Gilliam back on December 31,
1962, long before the formation of the band. Early on in the band’s
history, when they were still “The Magic Circle”, Michelle and
Doherty began an affair in 1965. They were able to keep it secret
from the other two band members for quite some time. During a trip
to Mexico, Doherty revealed his affair to Elliot, who was furious (since
she was secretly in love with Doherty). Soon afterwards, John
Phillips caught Michelle and Doherty in the act and moved out of the
house.
John could not stand to live with Michelle afterwards and so moved
back in with Doherty. At this point Michelle fled into the arms of
Gene Clark of The Byrds (friends and rivals of The Mamas & the
Papas). After one concert where Michelle blew kisses to front-row-seated
Clark, John said he could not stand to perform with Michelle any
longer. Consulting both their attorney Abe Somer as well as their
label Dunhill Records, the band then drafted a formal statement
kicking Michelle out of the group in June 1966.
At this point they hired a new band member 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.
In fact, she had once been involved with Jan Berry for seven years
before becoming romantically linked to Adler. Gibson was however not
known as a strong singer, but learned to sing Michelle’s parts
within three weeks while the band was in London, England. Jill
Gibson’s vocals are featured on the band’s second album The Mamas &
the Papas, except for two tracks that include Michelle.[citation
needed] Gibson’s most important asset, however, was that she was a
good replacement for Michelle: long blonde hair, slim figure, pretty
face, good voice, etc. Shortly after recording and touring with
Gibson, it became apparent that some fans were not happy with the
substitution while others did not mind. Afterwards, largely due to
John, the band reintroduced Michelle to the lineup in late August
1966. Gibson received an undisclosed lump sum for her part and later
would admit to feeling betrayed by John Phillips.
Michelle and John reconciled and bought a home together in Bel Air,
while the band tried to forge ahead. Things seemed fine for a while
(at least they pretended they were). The group recorded their third
album Deliver, which became a huge hit, and during this same time
Denny was drinking heavily trying to forget Michelle. He still had a
hard time seeing her back with John. Eventually the band closed the
first ever Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, but
performed dismally. John Phillips, 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 Denny Doherty’s last
minute arrival from Canada, created an unmemorable performance.
The band tried to work on another album (to which they were
contractually bound). After making no progress, they decided to take
a trip in October of 1967, to Europe to spark their creativity.
While in England at a party thrown by Dunhill Records, their record
label, Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger. John approached them and
made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Disgusted
and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the band.
Their record company released a Greatest Hits compilation as a
stopgap measure. Cass was contractually bound for the band’s next LP,
and therefore appeared on The Papas & the Mamas, the group’s fourth
album.
The band broke up in July 1968. In a rare interview, after the
group’s break up, with Rolling Stone magazine, Cass admitted she
wanted to go solo and that this is what had caused the official
break up of the band.
Cass Elliot started a very successful solo career and toured the
U.S. and Europe, becoming popular with hits such as “Make Your Own
Kind of Music.” In reviewing their contracts, the record company
decided the band owed them one more album. After about a year apart,
the band regrouped and released their final album People Like Us in
1971.
While on tour, Elliot died of a heart attack on July 29, 1974 (not
from choking on a ham sandwich, as is sometimes reported). John
Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001. Michelle Phillips
went on to a successful acting career, appearing in the 1973 movie
Dillinger as well in the television drama Knots Landing, among
others. Denny Doherty went on to host a popular variety show in
Canada. Denny Doherty died on January 19, 2007. His sister Frances
Arnold said the singer-songwriter died at his home in Mississauga, a
city just west of Toronto, after a short illness. Michelle Phillips
is now the only surviving member of the band.
John’s eldest daughter from his first marriage, Mackenzie Phillips,
had a moderately successful career as an actress in the mid-70s,
having first appeared in George Lucas’s hit film American Graffiti
(1973) and then in the successful TV series One Day at a Time, but
found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug
addiction—habits that she had shared personally with her father—that
by 1979 her career had effectively ended due to her inability to
work. John 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’s been friends
since infancy. John’s youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips, is a
successful actress and model.
The Mamas & the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.
In recent years, entirely new, succeeding incarnations of The Mamas
& the Papas have toured small cities nationwide—most notably
featuring Spanky McFarlane and Scott McKenzie as part of the lineup—but
none of them have the spirit and impact of the original group that
John Phillips helped to build. |
