1960’s Music Site
Once Was A Time I Thought
Dedicated to the One I Love
Dream a Little Dream of Me
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
Deliver/the Papas & the Mamas 2 L.P.s
The Mamas & the Papas - Greatest Hits
The Mamas And The Papas - California Dreamin' [DVD]
The Mamas and the Papas Albums
The Mamas & Papas
The Mamas and the Papas Singles
A Sides and B Sides
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
Mamas and the Papas became the model for other dysfunctionally self-involved groups
like Fleetwood Mac. But none of that is evident on their 1966 debut, If You Can Believe
Your Eyes and Ears; rather, it's the quartet's dreamy vocal interaction that is the
highlight here. "California Dreamin'" is a touching honeymoon of a song; and its
follow-up, "Monday Monday," is much the same--though it comes this close to overwhelming
sappiness. "Spanish Harlem," "In Crowd," and Mama Cass Elliott's lead on the Beatles'
"I Call Your Name" are just as enjoyable. Though the accompanying music on this album
was not the focus, it's every bit as strong as the vocal arrangements, with Larry
Knetchel, Joe Osborne, and Hal Blaine handling the chores here. --Randy Silver
This was the first album by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the Mamas and the
Papas. This No. 1 album spent 105 weeks on the charts.
Deliver/the Papas & the Mamas
Two of the hit California-based pop vocal group's original LPs together on one CD,
1967's 'The Mamas & The Papas Deliver' (which stayed at #2 for seven weeks in a row
at the time!) and 1968's top 20 'The Mamas & The Papas'. Includes the hits 'Dedicated
To The One I Love', 'Look Through My Window', 'Creeque Alley' and 'Dream A Little
Dream'. A combined total of 25 selections, also including the bonus track 'The Right
Somebody To Love' (Alternative Version). All tracks digitally remastered from the
original master tapes. Also features the original cover art & additional sleeve notes.
1999 release.
The Mamas & the Papas - Greatest Hits
The Mamas and the Papas had a sound that helped define a portion of the 1960s. Their
breezy folk classics had a bit of San Francisco psychedelia woven in, and, despite
the sweet harmonies, there was also a noticeably dark feel to some of their more
popular work. "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" both utilized enough minors
to give them a spooky edge. Greatest Hits is an essential part of any audiophile's
collection, especially if they don't have the original recordings that spawned the
hits. "Dedicated to the One I Love" is almost ironic for its tenderness, considering
the turmoil that rumbled through the band's interrelationships. While John and Michelle
Phillips and Denny Doherty were all responsible for the success of the Mamas and
the Papas, listening to this collection reveals that the late great Mama Cass was
not only the heart but the soul of the band. Greatest Hits closes with her "Dream
a Little Dream of Me," and serves as a touching tribute to Cass Elliot's talent.
--Steve Gdula
The Mamas and the Papas DVD
California Dreamin' reminds us that '60s pop paragons The Mamas & The Papas had an
appealing new sound, made some terrific records, and left behind a legacy that lives
on more than 35 years after they called it quits. This hour-long documentary, originally
aired on PBS, has all the standard elements of the genre: interviews (including some
from 2004 and '05 with surviving members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty, as
well as 1986 recollections by John Phillips, who died in '01, and a few brief words
from Cass Elliot, who passed away in '74), photos, home movies, and a generous helping
of music clips. The latter come from both television (Shindig!, Hollywood Palace,
The Ed Sullivan Show) and concerts (Monterey Pop); some are totally lip-synced, some
find the group singing to a pre-recorded track, and some are completely live. Almost
all of the clips manage to convey the magic of a quartet that had a unique charm,
both visually (the beautiful blonde Michelle, the corpulent Mama Cass) and musically
(Doherty had perhaps the best singing voice, while John Phillips' songs and vocal
arrangements were nearly the equal of, say, Brian Wilson's); and all highlight their
remarkable vocal blend, described by Lou Adler, their producer and label owner, as
the sound of the Four Freshmen or the Hi-Lo's updated with a rock beat. The hits
keep on coming, not only the familiar "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday"
but also "Creeque Alley," "Words of Love," their covers of the Beatles' "I Call Your
Name" and the Shirelles' "Dedicated to the One I Love," and at least a dozen more,
including three bonus tunes not part of the original broadcast. All in all, this
has to be the definitive Mamas & Papas video collection. --Sam Graham
Book - Go Where You Wanna Go: The Oral History of The Mamas and The Papas
Projecting a sunny, carefree image with folk-pop hits such as "California Dreamin'
" and "Monday, Monday," the Mamas & the Papas pioneered the kind of complex internal
dysfunction later popularized by Fleetwood Mac. Greenwald, a rock journalist and
long time fan, collects quotes from new and existing interviews with M&P friends
and associates to tell the group's soap-opera story. The band itself is represented
by new interviews with surviving band members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty,
a previously unpublished interview with the late Cass Elliot, and previously published
quotes from the group's recently deceased leader, John Phillips. The oral biography
approach has pitfalls, as many of the quotes seem muddled without an author's narrative
to provide background and context. Once the account reaches the group's break up
in 1968, important later events are given short shrift. For instance, it is unclear
from the text exactly when Elliot died; only a caption from a funeral photo tells
readers it was 1974. Later, an early Eighties reunion fronted by Doherty and John
Phillips is ignored completely. Also annoying are a significant number of typographical
errors in the proofs. Still, the lurid details of sudden fame, drug consumption,
and an affair between Michelle and Doherty (leading to Michelle's firing and rehiring
and Mama Cass's jealous wrath) make for fascinating reading. Recommended where there
is demand for Sixties rock music titles, especially since the dueling autobiographies
of John (Papa John) and Michelle Phillips (California Dreamin') are out of print.
Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information,
Inc.
© All rights reserved SixtiesMusic.org
Click inside the boxes below for Track Listings, Reviews, Comments and Biographies.
