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Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, this enthralling harmony act embodied the city's astute blend of folk and pop. John Phillips (b. 30 August 1935, Parris Island, South Carolina, USA, d. 18 March 2001, USA) had been a founder-member of the popular Journeymen, before establishing this new attraction with his wife Michelle Phillips (b. Holly Michelle Gilliam, 4 June 1944, Long Beach, California, USA), and former Mugwumps' members Denny Doherty (b. 29 November 1941, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) and Mama "Cass" Elliot (b. Ellen Naomi Cohen, 19 September 1941, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, d. 29 July 1974, London, England). Although drawing inspiration from the flourishing milieu of New York's Greenwich Village, the quartet quickly moved to California, where they met producer Lou Adler through the interjection of mutual acquaintance Barry McGuire. The then unnamed Mamas And The Papas contributed backing vocals to the latter's second album, which in turn inspired the band's own career.
Their magnificent debut single, "California Dreamin'", was originally recorded by McGuire, whose voice was simply erased and replaced by that of Doherty. Penned by Phillips and Gilliam, the song provided a vivid contrast between the cold New York winter and the warmth and security of life on the west coast and effectively established the quartet as arguably the finest vocal ensemble form their era working in the pop field. Their bohemian image was reinforced by their compositional skill and distinctive individual personalities. Visually, they seemed eccentrically contrasting: John, a towering 6 foot 4 inches, thin as a rake, and cast in the role of group intellectual; Denny the "good-looking Canadian" and master of the sarcastic one-liner; Cass, overweight, uproarious and charming; and Michelle, quiet, beautiful and "angelic when she wants to be". With "California Dreamin'" they infiltrated the US Top 5 and the song became a standard, covered by many artists, most notably Jose Feliciano. The richly-harmonic follow-up, "Monday, Monday" reached number 1 in the US and also established the quartet in the UK. Further timeless hit singles followed, including the soaring "I Saw Her Again" and a brilliant revival of the Shirelles "Dedicated To The One I Love". Michelle's sensual, semi-spoken introduction, backed by a solitary acoustic guitar remains one of the most classic and memorable openings to any pop recording.
The quartet's albums achieved gold status and while the first was sprinkled with cover versions, the second documented Phillips' development as a songwriter. He was involved in no less than 10 compositions, two of which ("No Salt On Her Tail" and "Strange Young Girls") were particularly outstanding. Marital problems between John and Michelle eroded the stability of the group and she was fired in 1966 and briefly replaced by lookalike Jill Gibson. The quartet reconvened for Deliver, another strong album, which was followed by the autobiographical "Creeque Alley", which humorously documented their rise to fame.
During the summer of 1967 Phillips organized the Monterey Pop Festival and helped launch the career of former Journeyman Scott McKenzie by writing the chart-topping hippie anthem "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)'. In the winter of 1967, the quartet arrived in the UK for concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall. After docking at Southampton, Elliot was arrested by police, charged with stealing blankets and keys from the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington on an earlier visit. The charges were dropped but the concerts were subsequently cancelled, amid rumours of a break-up. The quartet managed to complete one last album, The Papas & The Mamas, a superb work that highlighted Phillips" brilliance as a songwriter. "Safe In My Garden" and the sublime "Twelve Thirty" were both minor classics, while "Rooms" and "Mansions" incisively documented the spiritual isolation that accompanied their rise to international stardom: "Limousines and laughter, parties ever after/If you play the game you pay the price/purchasing our piece of paradise". It was a fitting valediction.
After splitting up in 1968, the quartet embarked on solo careers, with varying success. Three years later, they briefly re-formed for People Like Us, but their individual contributions were taped separately and the results were disappointing. Elliot enjoyed the greatest success as a solo artist but her career was tragically cut short by her sudden death in July 1974. Michelle Phillips continued to pursue an acting career, while John plummeted into serious drug addiction, near-death and arrest. He subsequently recovered and in 1982 he and Doherty re-formed the Mamas And The Papas. The new line-up featured Phillips' actress daughter Laura McKenzie (McKenzie Phillips) and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky And Our Gang. Doherty left when the band began touring full-time, and was replaced by the aforementioned McKenzie for an attraction that steadfastly retains its popularity. The original group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998. John Phillips died of heart failure three years later.
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