Mamas & Papas - Complete Anthology - 4CD-BOX 2004

The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover and sometimes shortened to Mamas and Papas) were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s (Denny Doherty was from Canada). The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide. Their signature sound was based on four-part male/female vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the band's songwriter who managed to leave the folk music behind and blend his writing with the new beat sound in an unprecedented mode. - - - After the split-up of their two previous folk groups - The Mugwumps and The New Journeymen - bandmates Denny Doherty and John Phillips formed a new group, which included John's wife Michelle. The last member to join was Cass Elliot, though chief songwriter Phillips never wanted Elliot in the group as he was convinced that there was no way they could succeed in the music industry because of her size. The band moved, briefly, to the United States Virgin Islands; after running out of money, Michelle Phillips gambled back enough for them to return to New York City. After briefly being known as The Magic Cyrcle, the group found they disliked the name. One night, the Hells Angels were on a talk show; one member said Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas. Cass stood up and said, Yeah! I want to be a Mama! Michelle joined Cass; they danced around, chanting We're the Mamas! We're the Mamas! After a couple of minutes of this, John and Denny looked at each other and shrugged. The Papas? From then, shortly after signing a five-album contract with Dunhill Records, they referred to themselves as The Mamas and The Papas. - - - The bands first single, Go Where You Wanna Go, was released in 1965, failing to chart. However, the second single, California Dreamin, was released later in 1965 and quickly peaked at number 4 in the US, while in the UK, it peaked at number 23. The bands debut album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, was released in early 1966 and became the band's only number 1 album on the Billboard 200. The third and final single from their debut was Monday, Monday, which became the bands only US number 1 hit. The song brought the band international success when it peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. After it was discovered that Michelle Phillips and Doherty were having an affair, tension in the band erupted. Consulting their attorney, Abe Somer, as well as their label Dunhill Records, the band drafted a formal statement expelling Michelle from the group in June 1966 - in the midst of recording their second album, The Mamas & the Papas. At this point they hired a new singer 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. Although Gibson was not known as a strong singer, she learned to sing Michelles parts within three weeks while the band was in London. Who sang on the second album is a disputed point, and further confused by using Jill Gibson to dub over an unknown number of vocals on the second album. Gibson says she sang all but two songs. Rock Historian Greg Russo says studio records show Michelle had already recorded six songs for the second album with the group in April 1966, including the singles I Saw Her Again and Words of Love. Gibson recorded with John, Cass and Denny in July and early August 1966. Michelle was asked to rejoin the group by the end of August and went right into the studio, and Gibson was let go and received an undisclosed payment for her part. Producer Lou Adler states in the book Go Where You Wanna Go that Gibson sang on maybe six songs, but Michelle re-recorded them when she returned. In the same book, Michelle Phillips is quoted as saying that she does not know for sure who is singing on the second album, that she and Jill both recorded many of the same songs. Phillips says only Engineer Bones Howe and Producer Lou Adler know for sure who was on the final record. The first single from the album, I Saw Her Again was about the affair. It peaked at number five in the US and number eleven in the UK. There is a false start at the final chorus of the song, which John Sebastian later mimicked on the Lovin Spoonful song, Darlin Be Home Soon (Kenny Loggins I'm Alright repeated the theme in 1980). Paul McCartney, however, was not impressed by the way the group came in too soon on the recording. That has to be a mistake. Nobodys that clever, he told the group. When the album was released afterwards, it peaked at number four in the US, continuing the bands success, but peaked at number 24 in the UK. Words of Love was released as the second single in the US and peaked at number five in the US. In the UK, it was released as a double A-side with Dancing in the Street and peaked at number 47. Dancing in the Street was released as the third and final single in the US and peaked at number 75. - - - The band then recorded its third album, Deliver. During this time Doherty was drinking heavily, trying to get over Michelle Phillips. As the closing act of the first Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, the band performed dismally. John and 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 Dohertys last-minute arrival from Canada, resulted in the mediocre performance. The first single from the album was Look Through My Window, which peaked at number 24 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. However, the second single, Dedicated to the One I Love, gave the band a comeback, peaking at number two in both the US and the UK. That success helped the album peak at a strong number two in the US and number four in the UK. The third single Creeque Alley showcased the bands history before their success. It peaked at number five in the US and number nine in the UK. The fourth and final single, a cover of My Girl, peaked at number fifteen in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. Shortly afterward, a non-album single called Glad to be Unhappy was released and peaked at number 26 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. Also that year, a song from the groups second album titled Dancing Bear was released as a single and peaked at number 51 in the US, but also failed to chart in the UK. - - - The band then made their final television appearance together where they performed some of their most popular songs, on The Ed Sullivan Show in June 1967. During the ensuing conversation with Sullivan, they revealed that they would be taking a long vacation but would return. Because of this announcement, Dunhill released their first greatest hits album entitled Farewell to the First Golden Era volumes 1 and 2 featuring their early work. Subsequently in October 1967, the group decided to take a trip to Europe to spark their creativity while recording their fourth album. While in England, Cass Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger at a party thrown by their record label Dunhill Records, and John made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Disgusted and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the group. However, Cass was contractually bound for the bands next LP, and therefore appeared on The Papas & the Mamas, their fourth album. The first single 12.30 (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon) peaked at number 20 in the US, but failed to chart in the UK. The album was then released and was another commercial success in both the UK and US (although it was their first album not to go gold or peak in the top ten in America). After the second single, Safe In My Garden failed on the charts, only making it to number 53, their label released Elliots solo song from the album, a cover of Dream a Little Dream of Me and it ended up peaking at number twelve in the US. It also became their first single to chart in the UK after five failed singles, peaking at number eleven. It was their only single to ever chart higher in the UK than the US. - - - After the success of Dream a Little Dream of Me, Elliot admitted she wanted to embark on a solo career. The fourth and final single from the bands fourth album was For the Love of Ivy, which peaked at number 81 in the US and failed to chart in the UK. For the second time, their label released a single from their previous work. A song from their debut titled Do You Wanna Dance was released as a single, but failed to chart in the UK and peaked at number 76 in the US. After the official breakup, John Phillips issued the country-flavored album The Wolf King of LA, featuring the minor hit single, Mississippi, but it was not a commercial success. In the television special, Straight Shooter, The True Story of John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas, other band members said that if they had recorded the material from that album, it might have been their best album and would certainly have been a hit. In reviewing their contracts, their record company held that the band owed them one more album and threatened to sue each member of the band for US 250.000 dollar for breach of contract. Subsequently in 1971, after about a year of John catching the other members as they passed through town, teaching them their parts and then overdubbing them on tape, the band released their final album People Like Us. The only single, Step Out, peaked at number 81 in the US and failed to chart in the UK. With the failure of the lead single, the album failed to chart in the UK and became the first album of the bands not to chart in the top 20 on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 84. After the failure, the band officially split, with each member embarking on solo careers. (wikipedia) - - - Mamas & the Papas - Complete Anthology 1966-1971 (4CD Universal City, Calif. MCA 2004) For the first time - the definitive Mamas and Papas career anthology, presented in a 4CD digibook set. The anthology features all the Mamas and Papas complete studio albums - If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears, The Mamas and the Papas, The Mamas and The Papas Deliver, International Monterey Pop Festival (live), People Like Us, alongside the corresponding single releases, rare tracks and studio-rehearsal takes. Disc four (77-101) is a disc of rarities & previously unissued recordings, including live performances from US television, solo tracks from each of the band and tracks from the Barry McGuire with The Mamas & Papas album, which features many early versions of tracks that would later be hits for the group in their own right. Compiled by US expert Jim Pierson the Anthology provides not only a must-have set for existing fans but a superb exploration of the bands music for those more recently drawn to their timeless blend of honeyed west-coast harmonies, fusing pop rock and folk matched by few in their wake. (amazon.com) 1. Monday, Monday (Single Version) 2. Straight Shooter (Album Version) 3. Got A Feelin' (Album Version) 4. I Call Your Name (Album Version) 5. Do You Want To Dance (Album Version) 6. Go Where You Wanna Go (Album Version) 7. California Dreamin' (Single Version) 8. Spanish Harlem (Album Version) 9. Somebody Groovy (Single/ Album Version) 10. Hey Girl (Album Version) 11. You Baby (Album Version) 12. In Crowd (Album Version) 13. No Salt On Her Tail (Album Version) 14. Trip Stumble & Fall (Album Version) 15. Darcing Bear (Album Version) 16. Words Of Love (Single Version (Stereo)) 17. My Heart Stood Still (Album Version) 18. Dancing In The Street (Album Version) 19. I Saw Her Again (Album Version(Stereo)) 20. Strange Young Girls (Album Version) 21. I Can't Wait (Album Version) 22. Even If I Could (Album Version) 23. That Kind Of Girl (Album Version) 24. Once Was A Time I Thought (Edit) 25. Glad To Be Unhappy (Single Version) 26. Creeque Alley (Single Version (Stereo)) 27. Words Of Love (Mono Version) 28. Dedicated To The One I Love (Single Version) 29. My Girl (Album Version) 30. Creeque Alley (Single Version (Stereo)) 31. Sing For Your Supper (Album Version) 32. Twist & Shout (Album Version) 33. Free Advice (Album Version) 34. Look Through My Window (Single Version) 35. Boys & Girls Together (Album Version) 36. String Man (Album Version) 37. Frustration (Album Version) 38. Did You Ever Want To Cry (Album Version) 39. John's Music Box (Album Version) 40. Right Somebody To Love (Album Version) 41. Safe In My Garden (Album Version) 42. Meditation Mama (Transcendental Woman Travels) (Album Version) 43. For The Love Of Ivy (Album Version) 44. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (Album Version With Introduction) 45. Mansions (Album Version) 46. Gemini Childe (Album Version) 47. Nothing's Too Good For My Little Girl (Album Version) 48. Too Late (Album Version) 49. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) (Single Version) 50. Rooms (Album Version) 51. Midnight Voyage (Album Version) 52. Once Was A Time I Thought (With False Start & Studio Chatter) 53. Studio Chatter (Do You Wanna Dance/ Did You Ever Want To Cry) (Album Version) 54. I Can't Wait (Studio Chatter & Rehearsal) (Album Version) 55. People Like Us (Album Version) 56. Pacific Coast Highway (Album Version) 57. Snowqueen Of Texas (Album Version) 58. Shooting Star (Album Version) 59. Step Out (Album Version) 60. Lady Geneviene (Album Version) 61. No Dough (Album Version) 62. European Blueboy (Album Version) 63. Pearl (Album Version) 64. I Wanna Be A Star (Album Version) 65. Grasshopper (Album Version) 66. Blueberries For Breakfast (Album Version) 67. Straight Shooter (Live (Monterey) 68. Got A Feelin' (Live (Monterey) 69. California Dreamin' (Live (Monterey) 70. Spanish Harlem (Live (Monterey) 71. Somebody Groovy (Live (Monterey) 72. I Call Your Name (Live (Monterey) 73. Monday, Monday (Live (Monterey) 74. Dancing In The Street (Live (Monterey) 75. John Phillips Dialog From Gathering Of Flowers Anthology Of 76. Introduction/ Cass Dialogue 77. Nowhere Man (From Tv Show Hullabaloo) 78. Here In My Arms (From Tv Show Hullabaloo) 79. It's Getting Better (Single Version) 80. Make Your Own Kind Of Music (Single Version) 81. New World Coming (1969 Version) 82. Costume Ball (The Doctors' Wives/ Soundtrack Version) 83. Something To Make You Happy 84. Mississippi (Album Version) 85. Revolution On Vacation 86. Cup Of Tea 87. Gathering The Words (Album Version) 88. To Claudia On Thrusday (Album Version) 89. Indian Girl 90. Baby Catch The Moon 91. Aloha Louie (Single Version) 92. There She Goes (Single Version) 93. No Love Today (Single Version) 94. Aching Kind (Album Version) 95. This Precious Time (Single Version) 96. Do You Believe In Magic (Album Version) 97. Yesterday (Album Version) 98. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Album Version) 99. Let Me Be (Album Version) 100. Hang On Sloopy (Album Version) 101. California Dreamin' (Album Version)

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