KWXY Presents ● The Music of The Mamas and The Papas

(L-R): Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and John Phillips on The Ed Sullivan Show telecast of June 11, 1967

The Mamas & The Papas were a popular folk-rock vocal quartet founded in Los Angeles and were active from 1965 to 1968 and again briefly in 1971.  The group consisted of singer/musician/composer John Phillips, singer Cass Elliot (born Ellen Naomi Cohen), Phillips’ wife, singer Michelle Phillips (born Holly Michelle Gilliam) and Canadian singer/musician Denny Doherty. Their official website lists them as “a major part of the Southern California pop scene of the mid to late Sixties.”

Their unique sound stemmed from the mix of both male and female voices combined with the writing and arrangement of John Phillips and the use of top Los Angeles studio musicians. 

The group topped the charts with such singles as “California Dreamin’,” “Monday Monday,” the autobiographical “Creeque Alley” and “Dedicated to the One I Love.”  “Dream a Little Dream of Me” was a 1968 solo success for Cass Elliot as well as a successful track on the album, The Papas & the Mamas Presented by the Mamas and the Papas earlier that same year.

The man behind the formation of the group, John Phillips was a part of the burgeoning “New Folk” movement starting in the late Fifties as part of The Journeymen with Dick Weissmann and Scott McKenzie.  In 1967, McKenzie performed Phillips’ composition “San Francisco [Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair]” at the Monterey Pop Festival; the single became a hit that same summer.  (He would later replace Doherty as a member of Phillips’ spinoff group, The New Mamas & the Papas.) 

The Mamas & the Papas from June 1967 ABC Television program, “The Songmakers". From left-Cass Elliot (at back), Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty and John Phillips.

Tensions among the group began in 1968, largely due to infighting after recording the album, The Papas & the Mamas.  A contractual obligation forced them to regroup for People Like Us in 1971; the group disbanded for good immediately after with the members pursuing solo careers. 

Cass Elliot was the most successful soloist before her untimely death in 1974, John and Michelle divorced in 1970 with John turning to drugs and with Michelle pursuing a successful acting career.  After a major drug bust and a return to sobriety, John Phillips reformed the group in 1982 with Doherty, John’s daughter, actress Mackenzie Phillips and singer Elaine McFarlane of “Spanky and Our Gang.”

Of the original four, Michelle Phillips is the sole survivor and remains active in both television and film.

The Mama’s and The Papa’s - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears - album / RCA Victor 1966

With five studio albums and seventeen singles to their credit along with worldwide record sales of nearly 40 million, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. 

KWXY Presents ● “The Music of The Mamas & the Papas” today at 5pm hosted by Louie Comella, on KWXY Music Radio 92.3FM ● 1340AM ● streaming at kwxy.com and ivoxradio.com