The Mamas & the Papas

The Mamas & the Papas were a leading vocal group of the 1960s, and one of the few American groups to maintain widespread success during the British Invasion, along with The Beach Boys.

History

The Mamas and the Papas, with (top to bottom) Denny Doherty, John Phillips, Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot

John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips formed the group after several previous folk groups failed. They hit it big immediately after forming the Mamas & the Papas with "California Dreamin'", still their most recognizable and enduring song.

The name of the band was inspired by a daytime television talk show. Before their first album, the band was known as "The New Journeymen." Wanting a name easier to remember, they were sitting around their house (which all four band members initially shared) brainstorming on a new name. Someone switched on the TV and a talk show was on with a Hell's Angel. The first thing they heard was: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up and exclaimed, "Yeah ! I want to be a Mama!". Michelle chimed in that she wanted to be a "Mama" too. John and Denny looked at each other and John said, "Papas? Okay, problem solved." And the band had a new name.

In interviews, former band members confide that their recording sessions (and lifestyles) were usually heavily drug-laden, with large reserves of marijuana and other popular '60s drugs on hand. They even admit that their drug activities were usually openly viewed by their young children, also usually present at recording sessions.

The breakup of The Mamas & the Papas can be likened to that of Camelot: as infidelity destroyed King Arthur's kingdom, so did it tear apart the four members of the band. John Phillips married Michelle long before the formation of the band when she was just seventeen. Early on in the band's history, when they were still "The New Journeymen" without Cass Elliott, Michelle and Doherty began an affair. They were able to keep it secret from the other two band members for quite some time. During a trip to Mexico, Denny revealed his affair to Elliot, who was furious (since she was secretly in love with Doherty). Soon afterwards, John Phillips caught Michelle and Doherty in the act and moved out of the house.

John couldn't stand to live with Michelle afterwards and so moved back in with Doherty. They were both still in love with Michelle and one day confronted her and told her to decide between them. Initially she couldn't decide, but eventually went back with John before leaving him again. At this point she fled into the arms of Gene Clark of The Byrds (friends and rivals of The Mamas & the Papas). After one concert where Michelle blew kisses to front-row-seated Clark, John said he couldn't stand to perform with Michelle any longer. Consulting their attorney, they drafted a formal statement kicking Michelle out of the band.

At this point they hired a new band member to replace Michelle, Jill Gibson, girlfriend of their producer. Gibson wasn't a singer (but arguably, Michelle wasn't much of a singer either), but learned to sing within a few weeks. Her most important asset, however, was that she was a good replacement for Michelle: long blonde hair, slim figure, pretty face, etc. Shortly after they started touring with her, however, it became apparent that the fans weren't happy with the substitution of Michelle. At every concert, the crowd would scream, "Where's Mama Michelle?", "We want Mama Michelle!" Shortly afterwards, they re-introduced Michelle to the band's lineup and ejected Jill.

Michelle moved back in with John and the band tried to forge ahead and things seemed fine for a while (at least they pretended they were). Doherty was drinking heavily trying to forget Michelle and had a hard time seeing her back with John. Eventually the band closed The First Monterey International Pop Festival, but performed dismally.

The band tried to work on another album (to which they were contractually obligated). After making no progress, they decided to take a trip to Europe to spark their creativity. While in England at a party thrown by the record company, Elliott was talking to Mick Jagger. John approached them and made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Disgusted and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the band. The record company released a Greatest Hits compilation as a stop-gap measure. Cass was contractually obligated for the next album, however, and appeared on "The Papas & the Mamas."

The band broke up in 1968.

Cass Elliott started a very successful solo career and toured the U.S. and Europe. In reviewing their contracts, the record company decided the band owed them one more album. After about a year apart, the band regrouped and released their final album "People Like Us" in 1971.

While on tour, Cass Elliott died of a heart attack on July 29, 1974. "Papa John" Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001. Michelle Phillips went on to a successful acting career and Denny Doherty a popular variety show in Canada.

Legacy

John's first daughter, Mackenzie Phillips went on to play a teenager in the 1970s TV series One Day at a Time. John and Michelle's daughter, Chynna, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips along with the daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, with whom she's been friends since infancy. John's last daughter, Bijou Phillips, is a successful actress.

The Mamas & the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.

In recent years, entirely new, succeeding incarnations of The Mamas & the Papas have toured small cities nationwide. But none of them have the spirit and impact of the original group that John Phillips helped to build.

Mama's and the Papas discography

  • If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966)
  • The Mamas and the Papas (1966)
  • The Mamas and Papas Deliver (1967)
  • Papas & The Mamas (1968)
  • People Like Us (1971)

Also many Greatest Hits packages were released world-wide.


This page about The Mamas & the Papas includes information from a Wikipedia article.
Additional articles about The Mamas & the Papas
News stories about The Mamas & the Papas
External links for The Mamas & the Papas
Videos for The Mamas & the Papas
Wikis about The Mamas & the Papas
Discussion Groups about The Mamas & the Papas
Blogs about The Mamas & the Papas
Images of The Mamas & the Papas

Also many Greatest Hits packages were released world-wide. The band also contributed one track, "I Disappear", to the Mission: Impossible II soundtrack. But none of them have the spirit and impact of the original group that John Phillips helped to build. 2003-present (no albums currently recorded by this lineup). In recent years, entirely new, succeeding incarnations of The Mamas & the Papas have toured small cities nationwide. Anger). The Mamas & the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000. 2001-2003 (St.

John's last daughter, Bijou Phillips, is a successful actress. 1986-2001 (...And Justice For All, Metallica, Load, Reload, Garage Inc., S&M). John and Michelle's daughter, Chynna, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips along with the daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, with whom she's been friends since infancy. 1983-1986 (Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets). John's first daughter, Mackenzie Phillips went on to play a teenager in the 1970s TV series One Day at a Time. Recording Lineups. Michelle Phillips went on to a successful acting career and Denny Doherty a popular variety show in Canada. None of those claims has ever been acknowledged by the other members of Metallica.

"Papa John" Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001. Mustaine claims to have also written parts of "Leper Messiah" (Master of Puppets) and "Dyer's Eve" (...And Justice for All). While on tour, Cass Elliott died of a heart attack on July 29, 1974. Mustaine wrote many of the lead guitar parts in several songs on Kill 'Em All, as well as some of the riffs on Ride The Lightning (such as "The Call of Ktulu"). After about a year apart, the band regrouped and released their final album "People Like Us" in 1971. The sole difference between this lineup and Metallica's first major lineup is Dave Mustaine as lead guitarist. In reviewing their contracts, the record company decided the band owed them one more album. The work of this lineup is scattered throughout Metallica's early works and is very controversial.

and Europe. Early Lineup 2 (various tracks and contributions in Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning). Cass Elliott started a very successful solo career and toured the U.S. Early Lineup 1 (No Life 'Til Leather demo). The band broke up in 1968. Early Lineups. Cass was contractually obligated for the next album, however, and appeared on "The Papas & the Mamas.". Anger, the band's sixth such award.

The record company released a Greatest Hits compilation as a stop-gap measure. Nevertheless, Metallica won a Grammy in 2004 for St. Disgusted and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the band. Harsh criticism followed, however, for the record's underproduced sound (notably the sound of Ulrich's snare drum and Hetfield's "flexible" sense of pitch), overwrought songs, and total lack of guitar solos. John approached them and made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Metallica seemed to have recorded an intentionally "raw" and unpolished album as a response to critics' complaints that they had lost their edge. While in England at a party thrown by the record company, Elliott was talking to Mick Jagger. The album debuted at number one on the album charts, heralded as the band's most aggressive album in over a decade.

After making no progress, they decided to take a trip to Europe to spark their creativity. Anger. The band tried to work on another album (to which they were contractually obligated). In June 2003, Metallica released their eighth full-length studio album, St. Eventually the band closed The First Monterey International Pop Festival, but performed dismally. In an interesting turn of events, Jason Newsted, who had joined Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, filled Rob's shoes playing bass for Ozzy during the Ozzfest 2003 tour (which Voivod also supported). Doherty was drinking heavily trying to forget Michelle and had a hard time seeing her back with John. Metallica eventually found a new member in early 2003, bassist Rob Trujillo (ex-Suicidal Tendencies), who was then playing with Ozzy Osbourne's band.

Michelle moved back in with John and the band tried to forge ahead and things seemed fine for a while (at least they pretended they were). Longtime producer Bob Rock handled bass duties for the sessions. At every concert, the crowd would scream, "Where's Mama Michelle?", "We want Mama Michelle!" Shortly afterwards, they re-introduced Michelle to the band's lineup and ejected Jill. Upon Hetfield's return, though, the band slowly and cautiously continued as an incomplete 3-piece throughout the writing and recording of their next album. Shortly after they started touring with her, however, it became apparent that the fans weren't happy with the substitution of Michelle. For nearly a year the entity known as "Metallica" ceased to function in any meaningful way, and Ulrich and Hammett for the first time seriously considered the possibility that Metallica might be finished. Her most important asset, however, was that she was a good replacement for Michelle: long blonde hair, slim figure, pretty face, etc. This began a low-point in recent Metallica history, as Hetfield soon entered rehab due to "alcoholism and other addictions" in July, 2001.

Gibson wasn't a singer (but arguably, Michelle wasn't much of a singer either), but learned to sing within a few weeks. Before they went into the studio to record their next album in 2001, Jason Newsted left the band, ostensibly due to "the physical damage I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love." However, subsequent interviews with Newsted and the remaining members revealed that Newsted's desire to release and tour with his Echobrain side-project — and Hetfield's intense resistance to such an idea — was the primary cause of Newsted's departure. At this point they hired a new band member to replace Michelle, Jill Gibson, girlfriend of their producer. The people who support him believe that piracy and illegal file-sharing are damaging the music industry. Consulting their attorney, they drafted a formal statement kicking Michelle out of the band. He is posted as a symbol against illegal music on the internet and the phrase "The man who started the fight against illegal file-sharing" is used. After one concert where Michelle blew kisses to front-row-seated Clark, John said he couldn't stand to perform with Michelle any longer. Still some support him when it comes to illegal music sharing, believing that he tried to do what he could to save the music industry.

At this point she fled into the arms of Gene Clark of The Byrds (friends and rivals of The Mamas & the Papas). In particular, Lars Ulrich found himself portrayed as a greedy and pretentious rock star completely out of touch with his fans. Initially she couldn't decide, but eventually went back with John before leaving him again. Nevertheless, the controversy created a public relations nightmare. They were both still in love with Michelle and one day confronted her and told her to decide between them. In 2001 Metallica and Napster agreed to an out-of-court settlement, and the band never actually sued any fans for copyright infringement. John couldn't stand to live with Michelle afterwards and so moved back in with Doherty. The band immediately determined to sue Napster and in the process asked that 300,000 Napster users found to be trading Metallica songs be kicked off the network.

Soon afterwards, John Phillips caught Michelle and Doherty in the act and moved out of the house. They soon discovered that their entire catalogue was also freely available. During a trip to Mexico, Denny revealed his affair to Elliot, who was furious (since she was secretly in love with Doherty). In 2000, Metallica discovered that a demo of their song "I Disappear" had been floating across the Napster file-sharing network. They were able to keep it secret from the other two band members for quite some time. Metallica also wrote (and Kamen scored) two brand new songs for the event, "No Leaf Clover" and "− Human." The recording was eventually released as the album S&M in November 1999 on CD, VHS, and DVD. Early on in the band's history, when they were still "The New Journeymen" without Cass Elliott, Michelle and Doherty began an affair. Kamen and his staff composed additional orchestral material for a number of Metallica songs, and the concerts featured a collection of tracks dating as far back as Ride the Lightning.

John Phillips married Michelle long before the formation of the band when she was just seventeen. Kamen, who had previously worked with the band on "Nothing Else Matters" from The Black Album, had approached the band shortly after that collaboration with the idea of pairing Metallica's music with a symphony orchestra. The breakup of The Mamas & the Papas can be likened to that of Camelot: as infidelity destroyed King Arthur's kingdom, so did it tear apart the four members of the band. On April 21-22, 1999, Metallica recorded two performances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, then conducted by Michael Kamen. They even admit that their drug activities were usually openly viewed by their young children, also usually present at recording sessions. The second CD gathered together previously released covers, including the complete Garage Days Re-Revisited EP, which had at that point become a scarce collectors' item, as well as a collection of b-sides going as far back as 1984. In interviews, former band members confide that their recording sessions (and lifestyles) were usually heavily drug-laden, with large reserves of marijuana and other popular '60s drugs on hand. The first CD contained newly recorded tracks, ranging from obvious Metallica influences such as Danzig, Thin Lizzy and Sabbath to more unexpected choices such as Bob Seger and Nick Cave.

Michelle chimed in that she wanted to be a "Mama" too. John and Denny looked at each other and John said, "Papas? Okay, problem solved." And the band had a new name. In 1998 Metallica returned briefly to its role as a cover band and compiled a double CD called Garage Inc.. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up and exclaimed, "Yeah ! I want to be a Mama!". For each disappointed headbanger that regarded Load as Metallica's worst offering, there was a new listener who had been grabbed by it and saw it as their best. The first thing they heard was: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Rather than the fan base shrinking, though, it actually swelled, fueled by a turnover stratified by taste that was somewhat akin to a change in generations. Someone switched on the TV and a talk show was on with a Hell's Angel. Metallica, according to them, was no longer playing metal.

Before their first album, the band was known as "The New Journeymen." Wanting a name easier to remember, they were sitting around their house (which all four band members initially shared) brainstorming on a new name. In spite of, or because of, these changes, Load and ReLoad spawned a plethora of radio hits, including "Fuel," "Until it Sleeps," and "The Memory Remains." Many in the band's thrash metal fanbase (some of whom vent their frustration with ill-considered and snippy comments added to this article) remained hostile and cited these songs as "proof" that the band had sold out. The name of the band was inspired by a daytime television talk show. The band members - who had recently cut their hair - were depicted wearing pimp suits, smoking cigars, and sipping brandy, sometimes wearing heavy makeup. They hit it big immediately after forming the Mamas & the Papas with "California Dreamin'", still their most recognizable and enduring song. This perception may be due to the fact that with these albums, Metallica also reinvented their visual image: the CD booklet for Load contained many controversial photographs of the band, taken by Anton Corbijn. John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips formed the group after several previous folk groups failed. Many of these changes had been anticipated by earlier experiments (especially on the Black Album), but listeners generally regard Load and Reload as the band's turning point.

The Mamas & the Papas were a leading vocal group of the 1960s, and one of the few American groups to maintain widespread success during the British Invasion, along with The Beach Boys. The intricacy and intelligence of Metallica's songwriting had not been watered down, but it had been presented in a radically different - or perhaps simply radically more varied - stylistic package. People Like Us (1971). Hetfield's vocals took a larger role than ever before, and several songs (such as "Mama Said" and "Low Man's Lyric") showed the band's willingness to experiment with drastic stylistic changes. Papas & The Mamas (1968). The band's breakneck metal tempos and layered guitar compositions had largely been replaced by bluesy rock songs, full of bent notes, warm guitar tone, slide guitar, and shuffle and swing rhythms. The Mamas and Papas Deliver (1967). The resulting albums, Load (1996) and Reload (1997) represented a significant musical change for Metallica.

The Mamas and the Papas (1966). Ulrich and Hetfield, both of whom were very strict on Hammett and Newsted in previous endeavours, claimed to have loosened the reins somewhat. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966). Burnt out from almost three years of touring upon the Black Album's success, Metallica took a respite until late 1995, when they came back into the studio with a new zest for recording. The album was a massive crossover hit, bringing Metallica firmly into the mainstream, and it was with this album that band first encountered significant accusations of having "sold out." Charges of selling out would follow Metallica throughout the 1990s. The album featured the hits "Enter Sandman", which exemplified the radically pared-down style of songwriting across the album, and "Nothing Else Matters", a more plaintive, acoustic ballad that outraged some of their more hardcore fans.

The album featured a black cover that evoked humorous comparisons to Spinal Tap. The record was co-produced with Bob Rock, whose resume included work on albums by such pop-metal acts as Bon Jovi and Motley Crue, to create a more commercially viable product. In 1991, the self-titled album, Metallica (popularly known as The Black Album) broadened the band's horizon again. Importantly, many writers also celebrated this album (and, by extension, Metallica itself) for the way it appeared to divorce hard rock from the blues in ways bands such as Mötley Crüe or Poison resisted.

Critics regarded ...And Justice for All as a milestone in the history of metal, noting its intense focus on topics related to personal control and independence. In 1988 they recorded ...And Justice for All, an album full of some of the band's most structurally complex music. This album continued the band's interest in recording obscure songs by relatively obscure (to American audiences) British metal and hardcore bands. Shortly thereafter Metallica released The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited as a preliminary effort with their new member.

As something of a psychological defense against the potentially debilitating grief that now surrounded them, the band immediately found a new bassist in Jason Newsted, formerly of Flotsam and Jetsam. After signing a major label deal with Elektra Records in 1984, Metallica went on to produce another album, Master of Puppets, released in February 1986 and regarded by many of their fans as their best work. However, on September 27th of that year, during a European leg of shows, bassist Cliff Burton was killed in a tour bus accident in Ljungby, Sweden. Metallica's formation was seen by some fans as a direct reaction to the prevalent rock and roll music of the early 1980s. Inspired by bands such as Motörhead, Diamond Head and Saxon, the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal, as well as hardcore punk like the Misfits and Discharge, Metallica were single-minded in their desire to break the grip of soft metal on heavy metal fans. Indeed "Fade to Black" is the first such song in a tradition of these kinds of songs that would come to include "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and the band's first single to receive a video, "One." The inclusion of these slower, introspective songs distinguished Metallica from most other thrash metal bands such as Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth.

Perhaps the most significant feature of Ride the Lightning was the inclusion of "Fade to Black," a slower, more interior song that mused on the thoughts of someone contemplating suicide, written after a series of band setbacks including the 1984 theft of the equipment used to record Kill 'Em All. A year later, the next album, Ride the Lightning, expanded and improved their form with longer songs that featured both instrumental pyrotechnics and lyrics which rose above some of the more puerile songs on Kill 'Em All. Metallica's first album, Kill 'Em All, set the template that they would follow throughout the 1980s, prominently featuring the heavy vocals and rhythm guitar of James Hetfield. Mustaine would go on to create the speed metal band Megadeth.

Shortly after arriving in New York, however, Mustaine was fired due to alcoholism and other addictions, and Kirk Hammett was drafted from Exodus to replace him. Megaforce released Metallica's first two albums. Metallica then travelled to New York in 1983 at the urging of local promoters Jon and Marsha Zazula, and after a few gigs the band signed with the Zazulas' brand new label, Megaforce Records. Upon arriving in San Francisco, the group quickly built a healthy local following in the Bay Area Thrash scene via word-of-mouth and live performances.

By this point bassist Cliff Burton had also joined Metallica, lured from his band Trauma in exchange for the other members of Metallica relocating to the San Francisco area. A few months later the band recorded a full demo, No Life Till Leather, which quickly drew attention on the underground tape trading circuit. Ulrich and Hetfield were so impressed with Mustaine's soundcheck that they immediately asked him to join. Dave Mustaine, a guitarist from the band Panic responded, and upon arrival started a sound check.

Desperate for a full-time lead guitarist, Ulrich posted an ad in the local newspapers. Guitarist Lloyd Grant was brought in to do the lead guitar solos on the track but was never a full member of the band. In early 1982, Metallica recorded "Hit the Lights" for the first Metal Massacre compilation. Quintana came up with a suggestion "Metallica," but Lars quickly suggested another and decided to use that name for the band he and James Hetfield had just started.

Metallica got its name when drummer Lars Ulrich was helping San Francisco-area metal promoter Ron Quintana pick out a name for a new magazine to promote metal and the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) bands. Bassist Ron McGovney was also an original member, and the band used a few transient guitar players, such as Brad Parker and Jef Warner, in the course of settling on a four-person lineup. Metallica was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981 by drummer and former tennis prodigy Lars Ulrich, and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, who met after each had separately placed classified advertisements in the American publication The Recycler. Nevertheless, extensive and successful tours throughout 2003 and 2004 reinforced the band's reputation as a top-notch live act.

Anger, a collection of the most aggressive music they'd written in a decade, to deeply divided critical reviews and comparatively mediocre sales figures. In 2003 Metallica released St. However, Metallica's vastly increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out" by some long-time fans. Accordingly, the band stood as the most commercially visible example of the metal genre for most of that decade.

After building a loyal following through its role in the development of thrash metal in the 1980s, Metallica successfully broadened its audience in the early 1990s. Metallica is an American heavy metal band active from the 1980s to the 2000s. Download sample of Nothing Else Matters from The Black Album. Download sample of Enter Sandman from The Black Album.

Download sample of One from ...And Justice for All. Download sample of Master Of Puppets from Master Of Puppets. Download sample of Fade To Black from Ride The Lightning. Download sample of Seek & Destroy from Kill 'Em All.

Cliff 'em All Release Date: December 4, 1987. 2 of One Release Date: June 20, 1989. A Year and a half in the life of Metallica Release Date: November 17, 1992. Live Shit: Binge & Purge Release Date: November 23, 1993.

Cunning Stunts Release Date: December 8, 1998. S & M Release Date: November 23, 1999. Classic Album Release Date: November 6, 2001. Some Kind of Monster Release Date: January 25, 2005 in the US/Canada; release dates differ in other countries.

Lars Ulrich. Rob Trujillo. Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield.

Lars Ulrich. Bob Rock (temporary bassist, also the band's producer). Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield.

Lars Ulrich. Jason Newsted. Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield.

Lars Ulrich. Cliff Burton. Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield.

Lars Ulrich. Cliff Burton. Dave Mustaine. James Hetfield.

Lars Ulrich. Ron McGovney. Dave Mustaine. James Hetfield.