Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, The Mamas and the Papas were a major part of the Southern California pop scene of the mid to late Sixties. Along with the Byrds, the Beach Boys, the Turtles and the Association, they bombarded the Top Forty with superbly produced folk-pop songs delivered with lush harmonies. What made the Mamas and the Papas stand out was the mix of male (John Phillips, Denny Doherty) and female (Cass Elliot, Michelle Phillips) voices. Combined with sharp songwriting and arrangements from Phillips and musical contributions from some of L.A.’s finest session musicians, the Mamas and the Papas cut some of the most unforgettable songs of the Sixties. “California Dreamin’,” in particular, endures as an anthem of those heady times. The group formed out of the “New Folk” movement of the late Fifties and early Sixties. John Phillips had been a member of the Journeymen, a folk trio that also included Dick Weissmann and Scott McKenzie.

Unofficial Mamas and Papas site