The Mamas and the Papas were formed by husband and wife John Phillips (formerly of the New Journeymen) and Michelle Phillips, and Denny Doherty (formerly of the Mugwumps). Both of these earlier acts were folk groups active in 1964 and 1965. The last member to join was Cass Elliot, Doherty's bandmate in the Mugwumps, who had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his (Elliot struggled with obesity all her life, and felt deeply insecure about her looks). The group considered calling itself the Magic Cyrcle before switching to the Mamas and the Papas, inspired by the Hells Angels, whose female associates were called "Mamas"!
I love how you young people are introducing quality writing, singing and music for today. Life long Mamas and Papas fan, that song was all over the radio in 1966, I was 12.
Mama Cass is my fav. She is the large lady. The only one still living is Michelle the small one. Cass has a great voice. They are not related. They were hippies from the sixties.
The guy playing guitar was John Phillips and the pretty girl was his wife Michelle. One of their other songs was called Creeque Alley, where they describe how they and another great 60's group, The Lovin' Spoonful were formed. Both groups had many great songs. If you've ever seen the TV show, Welcome Back Kotter, John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful wrote the theme song.
John Philips was the genius behind all Mama's and Papa's work. The voices sound so full because he made them sing it over and over again till it was perfect. They are all gone except one now, but it brings back such great memories of my mom belting out this song. Which came out in 1966, the year I was born. John Philips eventually became a bad drug addict and the group had many problems but there songs have stood the test of time. They just don't make music like this anymore. Great reaction young people.
This is just wonderful!!!! I love it when young people discover older music. Please always take notice of the lyric writing, the sound quality, and playing of real instruments back in the day.
Yeah, he stopped into a church, because it was freakin COLD outside, and he wanted to warm up, but he had to fake it by pretending to pray so he could stay (until he got warm).
John Phillips and Michelle the little blonde were married. They were in NYC during cold winter when they wrote this. Them being from Southern CA, they were California Dreaming. The church part was St Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. She went in and John waited outside.
I did visit California in 1979 and it still had that vibe after travelling from London and I would have loved to have gone there in the golden, halcyon days of the 1960s....:)
Papa John and Michelle was married and Mama Cass and Denny were living together.Cass had a heart attack in London and passed away ...Denny quit music altogether and the band was finished...sad story😞
This is how they met. It's a song called "Creeque Alley" :)) Check it out, along with "Monday, Monday" and check out Mama Cass solos as well. John and Mitchy were gettin' kind of itchy Just to leave the folk music behind Zal and Denny workin' for a penny Tryin' to get a fish on the line In a coffee house Sebastian sat And after every number they'd pass the hat McGuinn and McGuire just a gettin' higher In L.A., you know where that's at And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass Zally said Denny, you know there aren't many Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south Denny said Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish I could play guitar like you Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl) And after every number they'd pass the hat McGuinn and McGuire still a gettin' higher In L.A., you know where that's at And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore But she changed her mind one day Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike Take me to New York right away When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher But that's what they were aimin' at And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass Mugwumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps Don't you work as hard as you play Make up, break up, everything is shake up Guess it had to be that way Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful McGuinn and McGuire just a catchin' fire In L.A., you know where that's at And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass Di di di dit dit dit di di di dit, whoa Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted And Mitchy wants to go to the sea Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it We knew she'd come eventually Greasin' on American Express cards It's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations Can't go on indefinitely And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality
1966 is the reason you youngsters haven't heard of them. If you like vocals you might also check out Simon & Garfunkel. These were the Folk Rock years when music as really music. Creativity with lyrics & music is what it was all about, something you don't see much of anymore. The Mama & Papas were the masters of LAYERING VOCALS. Perhaps the most beautiful FLUTE solo you will ever hear.
Members of 2 rival San Francisco bands. 🌁 They folded. In Los Angeles, 4 me.bers reformed into this band. 👨🎤👩🎤👩🎤👨🎤 Great vocals! Chynna is lead singer of Wilson Phillips. Carnie + Wendy, daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, are the other singer/writers. Written by the late John Phillips. He was the Papa. Michelle Phillips is the only surviving member. She is 1 of the Mamas. The members were in 2 bands in my hometown San Francisco before forming. After the break up of the marriage and the band, Michelle became an actress. Family tree . In short, The Mamas and The Papas are related to The Beach Boys, Wilson Phillips, the jailed Danny Masterson, Billy Baldwin and his son-in-law Justin Bieber. The Mamas and Papas also lead to Van Halen. John was Papa to actress Bijou, who is married to the jailed Danny Masterson. John was Papa + Michelle was Mama to actress Mackenzie + singer/writer Chynna. Billy Baldwin is married to Chynna. Billy is youngest brother of Alec. He is father of Haley, who married Justin Bieber. 🇨🇦 Suggested videos : 1 Wilson Phillips sing You're in Love live in Manila. 2 The Beach Boys perform Don't Worry Baby. 3 Van Halen performs I'll Wait live in Montreal, in 1984.
absolutely take that challenge,. Mamas and Papas was a famous group in late 60s. Tho didn't arrive that way, eventually did get their own no-roof car. lol u guys r cute and thanks for sharing vids. keep it up
John Phillips (the guy with the guitar) was married to the gal on the far left ( Michelle Phillips). Michelle had an affair with Denny (the guy who sang the solo) & Denny sat down with John and wrote "I Saw Her Again Last Night".
I grew up with this music as a kid guys, because my dad especially loved them. He was such a cool dad with music. They were so good with an amazing sound! Nice to see you discovering them! 🇨🇦👍
I have listened to real old country from patsy cline to hank Williams Sr to rock Jiminy hendrix to journey to rap from d j guick to 50 cents all the way to tribe apache music from the rez in the 60 s iam apache native from AZ and I've the mama's and the papa's this songs is for all walks of life good to see you kids enjoy this music it's truly american culture and more than just a song..
The heavy set woman was named Mama Cass. She died very young. I want to say around 1973 or 1974. They weren’t siblings. I believe the blond and one of the meme were married. John and Michelle Phillips. They were popular during the hippie era.
When my parents and I moved to the US from Chile, I was a very young child, and soon after this song came out. It made such a lasting impression on me, that to this day it is my California life soundtrack.
Thank you to the gal that said 'pretend'? (to pray). I always thought it was 'began' (to pray). A premier song from back in the time, it reflected the era from which it came. Hippie culture, folksy, harmonizing, changing of the times, even escapism from the Vietnam War going on, as many songs then were. (there were also many songs reflecting the ongoing war and political upheaval). Even though L.A. was referenced, with it's warmer weather and beaches, imo it felt like more of a call to San Francisco with its' 'flower power', and mellow vibe.
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas and main male vocalist..
When I was in college, I had this record album. We played it all the time, so many good songs. You're hearing the folk and pop music from the early 70's with them. Great harmony and the girls can both sing, especially Mama Cass, the heavier one. She had one super voice.
The ultimate hippie folk singers from the 1960s! They met in coffee houses in NYC. John Phillips was the genius behind this group. John was married to the blonde Michelle, Mama Cass (the heavy set woman with awesome voice) was in love with Denny (the lead singer in this song) and Denny was in love with Michelle! Between John’s striving for absolute perfection in their harmonies, internal strife from the love triangle and A LOT of partying they didn’t stay together very long. But what they wrote and recorded was pure gold. For a great song to get the feel of how they got together is Creeque Alley. Also check out VH1’s “Behind The Music”.
You guys are cute to watch. The MAPs made incredible music. Mama Cass was the bomb. Their story is way complex but there are some wonderful documentaries on youtube - - a short and pretty good overview is a Behind the Music that was done back in the day. You could go down a deep rabbit hole with Mama Papa drama. If you're going to do Creeque Alley, read up on the references so you'll dig it more. It's their origin story, and also has lots of references to the changing folk music scene of the late 60s. You might also like some solo Mama Cass. A great song for young people is "Make Your Own Kind of Music." Best to you. Keep groovin'.
Later in life, Denny Dougherty, the lead singer was the harbor master in the childrens show, Theodore Tugboat. And John Phillips, the guitar player, also wrote the last hit for the Beach Boys called Kokomo
If you like the harmonies here, another group from the era are the Byrds. Try the songs "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Turn, Turn, Turn", and "Eight Miles High". All are quite good, and the last one was quite inventive for it's time in 1966.
I was born a few years after the height of their fame but was a devoted fan for many years. It can be painful for me to listen to them sometimes now...and the reason is also probably part of the reason you never heard of them even though they were famous for decades after their day. John Phillips, one of the members of this band got his daughter hooked on drugs and molested her for many years. The pain and horror that comes about from hearing something like this about a musical idol, was amplified by the fact his daughter was beloved by her own fans for being a star on a popular show called One Day at a Time. It was just too much and people stopped talking much about Mamas and the Papas after that
The Mamas and the Papas were an American 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. The group was composed of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips (born Holly Gilliam). 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. The Mamas and the Papas were formed by husband and wife John Phillips (formerly of the New Journeymen) and Michelle Phillips, and Denny Doherty (formerly of the Mugwumps). Both of these earlier acts were folk groups active in 1964 and 1965. The last member to join was Cass Elliot, Doherty's bandmate in the Mugwumps, who had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his (Elliot struggled with obesity all her life, and felt deeply insecure about her looks). The group considered calling itself the Magic Cyrcle before switching to the Mamas and the Papas, inspired by the Hells Angels, whose female associates were called "mamas". The Mamas and the Papas made their first recording singing background vocals on McGuire's album This Precious Time, although they had already released a single of their own by the time the album appeared in December 1965. The single "Go Where You Wanna Go", which was given a limited release in November, failed to chart. The follow-up, "California Dreamin'", has the same B-side, suggesting that "Go Where You Wanna Go" had been withdrawn. "California Dreamin'" was released in December, touted by a full-page advertisement in Billboard on December 18. It peaked at No. 4 in the United States and No. 23 in the United Kingdom. "Go Where You Wanna Go" was covered by the 5th Dimension on its album Up, Up and Away and became a Top 20 pop hit. Great reaction. Stay Safe 🙏 🙂
They're all from different places. The lead singer is Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia while the other 3 are from the US: Baltimore, LA, and small town South Carolina. They were formerly in separate bands but came together in LA in 1965.
This band grew a lead singer for the girl band from the 90's called Wilson Phillips. The daughter was the Chynna Phillips and the other two girls in Wilson Phillips (Carnie and Wendy) had another famous dad - he was the drummer for the Beach Boys. Check out Monday, Monday by The Mamas and the Papas and if you what to hear Wilson Phillips, check out "Hold On." I am almost sure you've heard the song. It was sang at the end of the movie "Bridesmaids."
Well, John Phillips, the tall guy ( now deceased) was an interesting chap. He was the songwriter for the group and he also "invented" the rock festival ( Monterey 1967 ) He also wrote - and produced - the much loved hit recording "San Francisco (wear some flowers in your hair)". BTW, Scott McKenzie who had the hit with "San Francisco" was a close friend of John Phillips and he appeared in a later line-up of "The Mamas and the Papas".
They seem like siblings, probably because they were VERY close. 2 of them married. Listen to their song "12 O'clock". My favorite of theirs. It's the perfect description of Cali in 1967...hippies, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, The Band, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell. A whole cultural shift. SOOOOO much music in the hills of LA at that time.
This was written for Michelle I believe.The story is they were recording an album in New York during the winter months and Michelle was homesick for her hometown so one of the guys(don’t remember who) wrote this song for her to cheer her up
actually John wrote the song with Michelle. She wrote one of the stanzas and John gave her credit as co-songwriter, a move you could tell he regretted later in life in videos of him talking about it.
Just write The Mamas and the Papas in the search box and react to anything that comes up, they never recorded a bummer.Also try doing the same for Mama Cass Elliott, you won't be disappointed.
John Phillips said he "pretended" to pray because he had many negative experiences in religious institutions earlier in his life. So he actually despises churches as a whole.
The group was only around for a few years. John Phillips was the creative force in the group. He married Michelle when she was very young. Although married with kids he began dating her when she was sixteen. The lead male singer was Denny Doherty originally from Nova Scotia in Canada. Cass, the overwieght lady, was deeply in love with Denny but he was not at all interested in her. The group broke up as a result of the many affairs Michelle had including with Denny. Also because Cass, one of the best voices of her era, finally gave up on ever becoming romantically involved with Denny. Also near the end John became heavily addicted to drugs. Actually they were all heavily into drugs. Listen to the song Creeque Alley. It is about how they formed. BTW after the breakup maybe due to his drug use John was shown to be truly disgusting person, so he should not be idolized for his brilliant talent
There are a number of videos about the group that can answer your questions. A great, albeit brief, group from the 60's. Cass Elliot (the large woman) in my opinion, her voice is what drove them to be the great group they were. John Phillips, tall guy with guitar wrote most of the songs and harmonization. ( He also was the father of Mackenzie Phillips, actress, who wrote a dark book about her life and her father with allegations of incest, also he was father of Chynna Phillips with Michelle, who was a singer in the group Wilson Phillips in the late 80's, through to about 2005) . Michelle Phillips (the blonde), wife of John ( step-mom to Mackenzie) was formerly a model and the eye candy of the group. Her vocals grew some with the group, she would have made a good back up singer, but never to the level of the rest in my opinion, although she did have a featured solo in one of their songs. Denny Doherty, the guy with the solo in this song, great vocals as well. Denny, from Canada, was in a number of groups and then joined a group called The New Journeymen, that John was a member of. They ( Denny and John, along with Michelle) wanted to form their own group and Denny Doherty who already knew Cass thought she would be perfect. John didn't like her because of her weight but eventually was persuaded. They have another good song, Creeque Alley, wrote by John that is an autobiography of the group. A lot of drugs and a brief affair between Michelle and Denny really broke up the group. Cass tragically died young in the 70's from a heart attack. Denny and John sang again years later and all three sang together when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They sang good together, but it definitely was not the same without Cass. John and Denny have since died and Michelle is the only one alive now
I'm happy to see young people appreciating this music!
Yes I agree 💯
The Mamas and the Papas were formed by husband and wife John Phillips (formerly of the New Journeymen) and Michelle Phillips, and Denny Doherty (formerly of the Mugwumps). Both of these earlier acts were folk groups active in 1964 and 1965. The last member to join was Cass Elliot, Doherty's bandmate in the Mugwumps, who had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his (Elliot struggled with obesity all her life, and felt deeply insecure about her looks). The group considered calling itself the Magic Cyrcle before switching to the Mamas and the Papas, inspired by the Hells Angels, whose female associates were called "Mamas"!
I love the fact you not scared to try listening to something people would consider to be old and played out. Nice look. Keep it up
I love how you young people are introducing quality writing, singing and music for today. Life long Mamas and Papas fan, that song was all over the radio in 1966, I was 12.
Mama Cass is my fav. She is the large lady. The only one still living is Michelle the small one. Cass has a great voice. They are not related. They were hippies from the sixties.
@DeanBros If you react to Janis Joplins Ball and Chain at the Monterrey Pop Festival you can see Mama Cass in the audience blown away
Michelle and John Phillips were married
Yes MoMA Cass Elliot a great singer back in 1966 year I was born
The guy playing guitar was John Phillips and the pretty girl was his wife Michelle. One of their other songs was called Creeque Alley, where they describe how they and another great 60's group, The Lovin' Spoonful were formed. Both groups had many great songs. If you've ever seen the TV show, Welcome Back Kotter, John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful wrote the theme song.
Try "Monday monday" harmonies are out of this world
John Philips was the genius behind all Mama's and Papa's work. The voices sound so full because he made them sing it over and over again till it was perfect. They are all gone except one now, but it brings back such great memories of my mom belting out this song. Which came out in 1966, the year I was born. John Philips eventually became a bad drug addict and the group had many problems but there songs have stood the test of time. They just don't make music like this anymore. Great reaction young people.
You need to listen to Mama Cass singing Dream a little Dream. She has a beautiful voice.
Truly legendary track, nothing can touch these harmony's my peoples 😍
This is just wonderful!!!! I love it when young people discover older music. Please always take notice of the lyric writing, the sound quality, and playing of real instruments back in the day.
You two are so cute! Glad to see you younger generations enjoy these vintage songs my childhood generation baby boomers!❤️❤️🥰👏🏼👏🏼
The song Creeque Alley explains how their group was formed
Yeah, he stopped into a church, because it was freakin COLD outside, and he wanted to warm up, but he had to fake it by pretending to pray so he could stay (until he got warm).
"No roof car" is called a convertable
lol.
You mean convertible, dimwit!
🤣😂🤣😂
That's called a musical break. When the song plays without the vocals. It is designed for the listener to meditate on the lyrics of the song.
John Phillips and Michelle the little blonde were married.
They were in NYC during cold winter when they wrote this.
Them being from Southern CA, they were California Dreaming.
The church part was St Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
She went in and John waited outside.
Mamas and the Papas were most amazing group from back in the day. Loved to see you both boppin' to this great tune.
You guys just listened to one of the greatest groups of the 60's ever. Congrats!!
I did visit California in 1979 and it still had that vibe after travelling from London and I would have loved to have gone there in the golden, halcyon days of the 1960s....:)
Papa John and Michelle was married and Mama Cass and Denny were living together.Cass had a heart attack in London and passed away ...Denny quit music altogether and the band was finished...sad story😞
Thanks a MILLION FOR POSTING KEEP ON KEEPING ON 🌹👌👍💯🏅🌹🍒💎💝🌟
Glad you guys appreciate this music. Lots more to listen to.
The momas and the papa's are a great group back in 1966,also year I was born ☺️
I did not know that Steve Perry was the lead singer of THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS back in the 1960's before he joined JOURNEY in 1977...
😂😂😂😂
this style was a move from folk music into "folk rock" - counterculture music. Only Michelle (the blond) is still alive.
Little known fact is that the mamas and papas were the inspiration for scooby doo
What?
Really?
Cass Elliott, the second one from the left, had a gorgeous singing voice too. Check out her song "Dream a Little Dream of Me."
Amazing song!
That song is a classic one of the best of all time 😊😊😊😊😊😊❤
That's the late Denny Doherty on lead vocals here...Try their tune, Monday, Monday..
If there was an award for reviews you might win it for this.
This is how they met. It's a song called "Creeque Alley" :)) Check it out, along with "Monday, Monday" and check out Mama Cass solos as well.
John and Mitchy were gettin' kind of itchy
Just to leave the folk music behind
Zal and Denny workin' for a penny
Tryin' to get a fish on the line
In a coffee house Sebastian sat
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire just a gettin' higher
In L.A., you know where that's at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
Zally said Denny, you know there aren't many
Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south
Denny said Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish
I could play guitar like you
Zal, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire still a gettin' higher
In L.A., you know where that's at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swarthmore
But she changed her mind one day
Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
Take me to New York right away
When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps
McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
But that's what they were aimin' at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
Mugwumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps
Don't you work as hard as you play
Make up, break up, everything is shake up
Guess it had to be that way
Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful
Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful
McGuinn and McGuire just a catchin' fire
In L.A., you know where that's at
And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
Di di di dit dit dit di di di dit, whoa
Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted
And Mitchy wants to go to the sea
Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it
We knew she'd come eventually
Greasin' on American Express cards
It's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
Can't go on indefinitely
And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality
The Mamas and Papas got their name from a television talk show. A motorcycle guy called his women Mamas. That how it started
I think the girls are the best part of this group their voices were so powerful
I agree, Steve. There's something about those close female harmonies.💯
Thats why he got that solo 😂😂😂
1966 is the reason you youngsters haven't heard of them. If you like vocals you might also check out Simon & Garfunkel. These were the Folk Rock years when music as really music. Creativity with lyrics & music is what it was all about, something you don't see much of anymore. The Mama & Papas were the masters of LAYERING VOCALS. Perhaps the most beautiful FLUTE solo you will ever hear.
Members of 2 rival San Francisco bands. 🌁 They folded. In Los Angeles, 4 me.bers reformed into this band. 👨🎤👩🎤👩🎤👨🎤
Great vocals! Chynna is lead singer of Wilson Phillips. Carnie + Wendy, daughters of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, are the other singer/writers.
Written by the late John Phillips. He was the Papa. Michelle Phillips is the only surviving member. She is 1 of the Mamas. The members were in 2 bands in my hometown San Francisco before forming. After the break up of the marriage and the band, Michelle became an actress.
Family tree .
In short, The Mamas and The Papas are related to The Beach Boys, Wilson Phillips, the jailed Danny Masterson, Billy Baldwin and his son-in-law Justin Bieber. The Mamas and Papas also lead to Van Halen.
John was Papa to actress Bijou, who is married to the jailed Danny Masterson. John was Papa + Michelle was Mama to actress Mackenzie + singer/writer Chynna. Billy Baldwin is married to Chynna. Billy is youngest brother of Alec. He is father of Haley, who married Justin Bieber. 🇨🇦
Suggested videos : 1 Wilson Phillips sing You're in Love live in Manila. 2 The Beach Boys perform Don't Worry Baby. 3 Van Halen performs I'll Wait live in Montreal, in 1984.
absolutely take that challenge,. Mamas and Papas was a famous group in late 60s. Tho didn't arrive that way, eventually did get their own no-roof car. lol u guys r cute and thanks for sharing vids. keep it up
Michelle Phillips, the little blonde, is still alive and in her 70’s. Her daughter is Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips.
John Phillips (the guy with the guitar) was married to the gal on the far left ( Michelle Phillips). Michelle had an affair with Denny (the guy who sang the solo) & Denny sat down with John and wrote "I Saw Her Again Last Night".
Mama Cass, sweet lord above she was a treasure. Their sound was beautiful. Check out Monday Monday
Mamas and the papas and the carpenters were the tops those days
You Guy's Kudos 🙏 RESPECT 💯🎯🏆 THANKS A MILLION 🙏🍒💎🌹🇺🇸💐👍👌
I grew up with this music as a kid guys, because my dad especially loved them. He was such a cool dad with music. They were so good with an amazing sound! Nice to see you discovering them! 🇨🇦👍
I have listened to real old country from patsy cline to hank Williams Sr to rock Jiminy hendrix to journey to rap from d j guick to 50 cents all the way to tribe apache music from the rez in the 60 s iam apache native from AZ and I've the mama's and the papa's this songs is for all walks of life good to see you kids enjoy this music it's truly american culture and more than just a song..
Based in Southern Cal. Meet popularly in Collage, Had about 4 hits every Clean group like the Carpenters, Mama Cass died of a heart attack.
Hi beautifull people a new subscriber from Argentina saying hi and wishing you to reach the top soon.
Second best reaction channel after Jamal but you have the prettiest young lady.
Peace from Detroit.
Denny Doherty is the Canadian member ( the solo singer). Sadly all are gone now except Michelle Phillips.
Harmony!! Fantastic Flute, too.
The heavy set woman was named Mama Cass. She died very young. I want to say around 1973 or 1974. They weren’t siblings. I believe the blond and one of the meme were married. John and Michelle Phillips. They were popular during the hippie era.
When my parents and I moved to the US from Chile, I was a very young child, and soon after this song came out. It made such a lasting impression on me, that to this day it is my California life soundtrack.
I can’t tell you how popular the Mamas and the Papas were in the 60’s. Y’all cool but we were back then too.
Thank you to the gal that said 'pretend'? (to pray). I always thought it was 'began' (to pray). A premier song from back in the time, it reflected the era from which it came. Hippie culture, folksy, harmonizing, changing of the times, even escapism from the Vietnam War going on, as many songs then were. (there were also many songs reflecting the ongoing war and political upheaval). Even though L.A. was referenced, with it's warmer weather and beaches, imo it felt like more of a call to San Francisco with its' 'flower power', and mellow vibe.
Great reaction guy's
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas and main male vocalist..
John Phillips daughter is chyna Phillips who is in the band Wilson Phillips
Whoop whoop one of my faves! Came out 10 years before I was born. This is a top 10 song of all time for me.
The tall one on guitar, john Phillips wrote most of their hits.
When I was in college, I had this record album. We played it all the time, so many good songs. You're hearing the folk and pop music from the early 70's with them. Great harmony and the girls can both sing, especially Mama Cass, the heavier one. She had one super voice.
It was truly the free love erah.
. This band was testimony.
Love Yall! Love This Song! Subscribed!
The ultimate hippie folk singers from the 1960s! They met in coffee houses in NYC. John Phillips was the genius behind this group. John was married to the blonde Michelle, Mama Cass (the heavy set woman with awesome voice) was in love with Denny (the lead singer in this song) and Denny was in love with Michelle! Between John’s striving for absolute perfection in their harmonies, internal strife from the love triangle and A LOT of partying they didn’t stay together very long. But what they wrote and recorded was pure gold.
For a great song to get the feel of how they got together is Creeque Alley. Also check out VH1’s “Behind The Music”.
Mamas and papas are like Led Zeppelin??? OK, I confess, that’s the first time I have ever heard those two groups compared.
"I'd be safe and warm, if I t was in LA". LOL ROFL how times have changed.
its called Harmonizing, ...so glad you did like it, they are and were amazing
You guys are cute to watch. The MAPs made incredible music. Mama Cass was the bomb. Their story is way complex but there are some wonderful documentaries on youtube - - a short and pretty good overview is a Behind the Music that was done back in the day. You could go down a deep rabbit hole with Mama Papa drama. If you're going to do Creeque Alley, read up on the references so you'll dig it more. It's their origin story, and also has lots of references to the changing folk music scene of the late 60s. You might also like some solo Mama Cass. A great song for young people is "Make Your Own Kind of Music." Best to you. Keep groovin'.
You guys should do a reaction to their song “Dedicated To The One I Love”
Classic tune
John Phillips is guy in Blue shirt, his daughter is Michele Phillips
Later in life, Denny Dougherty, the lead singer was the harbor master in the childrens show, Theodore Tugboat. And John Phillips, the guitar player, also wrote the last hit for the Beach Boys called Kokomo
you guys are adorable.. i love your approach and appreciation of all kinds of music.
If you like the harmonies here, another group from the era are the Byrds. Try the songs "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Turn, Turn, Turn", and "Eight Miles High". All are quite good, and the last one was quite inventive for it's time in 1966.
They have a song about how they met called creeky alley!
I was born a few years after the height of their fame but was a devoted fan for many years. It can be painful for me to listen to them sometimes now...and the reason is also probably part of the reason you never heard of them even though they were famous for decades after their day.
John Phillips, one of the members of this band got his daughter hooked on drugs and molested her for many years.
The pain and horror that comes about from hearing something like this about a musical idol, was amplified by the fact his daughter was beloved by her own fans for being a star on a popular show called One Day at a Time.
It was just too much and people stopped talking much about Mamas and the Papas after that
Keep on with Mamas & the Papas but also look at The Fifth Dimension. You'll love them also! Maybe Sonny & Cher too.
livy lets get it!!!
The Mamas and the Papas were an American 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. The group was composed of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips (born Holly Gilliam). 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.
The Mamas and the Papas were formed by husband and wife John Phillips (formerly of the New Journeymen) and Michelle Phillips, and Denny Doherty (formerly of the Mugwumps). Both of these earlier acts were folk groups active in 1964 and 1965. The last member to join was Cass Elliot, Doherty's bandmate in the Mugwumps, who had to overcome John Phillips' concern that her voice was too low for his arrangements, that her physical appearance would be an obstacle to the band's success and that her temperament was incompatible with his (Elliot struggled with obesity all her life, and felt deeply insecure about her looks). The group considered calling itself the Magic Cyrcle before switching to the Mamas and the Papas, inspired by the Hells Angels, whose female associates were called "mamas".
The Mamas and the Papas made their first recording singing background vocals on McGuire's album This Precious Time, although they had already released a single of their own by the time the album appeared in December 1965. The single "Go Where You Wanna Go", which was given a limited release in November, failed to chart. The follow-up, "California Dreamin'", has the same B-side, suggesting that "Go Where You Wanna Go" had been withdrawn. "California Dreamin'" was released in December, touted by a full-page advertisement in Billboard on December 18. It peaked at No. 4 in the United States and No. 23 in the United Kingdom. "Go Where You Wanna Go" was covered by the 5th Dimension on its album Up, Up and Away and became a Top 20 pop hit.
Great reaction.
Stay Safe 🙏 🙂
They're all from different places. The lead singer is Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia while the other 3 are from the US: Baltimore, LA, and small town South Carolina. They were formerly in separate bands but came together in LA in 1965.
Check out Janis Joplin- Ball & Chain Monterey Pop. This made Mama Cass jaw hit the floor!
This band grew a lead singer for the girl band from the 90's called Wilson Phillips. The daughter was the Chynna Phillips and the other two girls in Wilson Phillips (Carnie and Wendy) had another famous dad - he was the drummer for the Beach Boys. Check out Monday, Monday by The Mamas and the Papas and if you what to hear Wilson Phillips, check out "Hold On." I am almost sure you've heard the song. It was sang at the end of the movie "Bridesmaids."
Well, John Phillips, the tall guy ( now deceased) was an interesting chap. He was the songwriter for the group and he also "invented" the rock festival ( Monterey 1967 ) He also wrote - and produced - the much loved hit recording "San Francisco (wear some flowers in your hair)". BTW, Scott McKenzie who had the hit with "San Francisco" was a close friend of John Phillips and he appeared in a later line-up of "The Mamas and the Papas".
Yo you guys gotta do Creeque Alley and Straight Shooter by them too! They are both great up-beat songs!!
RIP Mama Cass!
The guitar player and thin girl were married. Mama Cass, the big one died at age of 32
UA-cam Creeque Alley, it tells the story.
They seem like siblings, probably because they were VERY close. 2 of them married. Listen to their song "12 O'clock". My favorite of theirs. It's the perfect description of Cali in 1967...hippies, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, The Band, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell. A whole cultural shift. SOOOOO much music in the hills of LA at that time.
This was written for Michelle I believe.The story is they were recording an album in New York during the winter months and Michelle was homesick for her hometown so one of the guys(don’t remember who) wrote this song for her to cheer her up
actually John wrote the song with Michelle. She wrote one of the stanzas and John gave her credit as co-songwriter, a move you could tell he regretted later in life in videos of him talking about it.
No roof car. 😅 She's right, though!
Check out "Creeque Alley" (1967). It's fantastic.
Bruce Lee Favorite song,and theme song to her wife because her wife is legit in California Land
Mate the 60's and 70" were the greatest music in history..
i love this Queen poster
Just write The Mamas and the Papas in the search box and react to anything that comes up, they never recorded a bummer.Also try doing the same for Mama Cass Elliott, you won't be disappointed.
Cass Elliott, What a Voice, left us too young!
Monday Monday is their best and also Creeque Alley is a classic!
John Phillips said he "pretended" to pray because he had many negative experiences in religious institutions earlier in his life. So he actually despises churches as a whole.
The group was only around for a few years. John Phillips was the creative force in the group. He married Michelle when she was very young. Although married with kids he began dating her when she was sixteen. The lead male singer was Denny Doherty originally from Nova Scotia in Canada. Cass, the overwieght lady, was deeply in love with Denny but he was not at all interested in her. The group broke up as a result of the many affairs Michelle had including with Denny. Also because Cass, one of the best voices of her era, finally gave up on ever becoming romantically involved with Denny. Also near the end John became heavily addicted to drugs. Actually they were all heavily into drugs. Listen to the song Creeque Alley. It is about how they formed. BTW after the breakup maybe due to his drug use John was shown to be truly disgusting person, so he should not be idolized for his brilliant talent
Denny Doherty was from Newfoundland.
Mama Cass Michelle Pfeiffer were the two girls in the group
There are a number of videos about the group that can answer your questions. A great, albeit brief, group from the 60's. Cass Elliot (the large woman) in my opinion, her voice is what drove them to be the great group they were. John Phillips, tall guy with guitar wrote most of the songs and harmonization. ( He also was the father of Mackenzie Phillips, actress, who wrote a dark book about her life and her father with allegations of incest, also he was father of Chynna Phillips with Michelle, who was a singer in the group Wilson Phillips in the late 80's, through to about 2005) . Michelle Phillips (the blonde), wife of John ( step-mom to Mackenzie) was formerly a model and the eye candy of the group. Her vocals grew some with the group, she would have made a good back up singer, but never to the level of the rest in my opinion, although she did have a featured solo in one of their songs. Denny Doherty, the guy with the solo in this song, great vocals as well. Denny, from Canada, was in a number of groups and then joined a group called The New Journeymen, that John was a member of. They ( Denny and John, along with Michelle) wanted to form their own group and Denny Doherty who already knew Cass thought she would be perfect. John didn't like her because of her weight but eventually was persuaded. They have another good song, Creeque Alley, wrote by John that is an autobiography of the group. A lot of drugs and a brief affair between Michelle and Denny really broke up the group. Cass tragically died young in the 70's from a heart attack. Denny and John sang again years later and all three sang together when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They sang good together, but it definitely was not the same without Cass. John and Denny have since died and Michelle is the only one alive now