The Mamas and the Papas was an American folk rock vocal group which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. The group was composed of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, and Michelle Phillips. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the songwriter, musician, and leader of the group who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early 1960s. The Mamas and the Papas released five studio albums and 17 singles over four years, six of which made the Billboard top 10 and have sold close to 40 million records worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 for its contributions to the music industry. The band reunited briefly to record the album People Like Us in 1971 but had ceased touring and performing by that time. Some of their most popular singles include "California Dreamin' ", "Monday, Monday", and "Creeque Alley".
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Folk rock, psychedelic pop, sunshine pop |
| Years active | 1965–1971 |
| Labels | Dunhill |
| Associated acts | The New Journeymen, The Mugwumps |
| Past members | Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, John Phillips, Michelle Phillips, Jill Gibson |
About The Mamas and the Papas
Los Angeles based folk rock vocal group that was active from 1965-1968. The group was instrumental in the counterculture scene of the 60's and released six singles that landed on Billboard's top 10.
Achievement of The Mamas and the Papas
In 2019, it was revealed that they were among the artists whose work was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. The band's music was featured in the trailer for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About The Mamas and the Papas
Mama and papa - In linguistics, mama and papa are considered a special case of false cognates. In many languages of the world, sequences of sounds similar to /mama/ and /papa/ mean"mother" and"father", usually but not always in that order.. Dunhill Records artists.. Folk rock groups from California.. Psychedelic pop music groups.. Vocal quartets.
Latest information about The Mamas and the Papas updated on July 28 2021.
