Before they were flattened into part of the public’s collective generic memory of the 1960s, and before an astonishing level of in-fighting and tragedy turned the group’s story into one of the best VH1: Behind the Music episodes, The Mamas and the Papas released one of the best debut albums of the 1960s. It produced three massive hits you’ve heard hundreds of times apiece if you listen to oldies radio, but it also produced a handful of worthwhile deeper cuts, with interesting songwriting (most of the time) and top-notch singing throughout. John leads a discussion with Amanda, Phil, and Ben about the collection of musicians who created one of his favorite 1960s albums and one of the most jaw-dropping soap-operas of the decade.
Miscellany
The band’s Behind the Music episode is available on YouTube, and we have linked it because it is absolutely worth watching. This episode touched on the bulk of what is mentioned in that episode, but there are other interesting details as well.
It is also worth watching the band’s induction into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame. If nothing else, it’s charming to see Denny Doherty congratulate the Canadians in the audience for being Canadian.
Mike DeFabio did some digging into the topic of why “Go Where You Wanna Go” didn’t chart, and he pointed out that it was a promotional single and not a single per se: if it had generated any significant buzz in radio play it might have been issued as a single, but instead the group pulled it and replaced it with “California Dreamin’,” which did get radio play.
Amanda noticed that it’s funny that Denny Doherty’s band was originally The Colonials, because during the American Revolution, many British Loyalists moved from the American Colonies up to Nova Scotia, which is where Denny came from.
Perhaps the funniest bit of media associated with the band comes from a performance the band did on The Ed Sullivan Show, in the episode where they announced their upcoming hiatus. The band was instructed to do a dub / lip-sync performance, but Michelle Phillips thought this was ridiculous, so she literally ate a banana during the whole performance. We have included a link below.
Other links
The Mamas and the Papas Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame induction (YouTube)
The Mamas, The Papas, and The Banana (YouTube)
Sesame Street - “The In and Out Crowd” (YouTube)
Discord & Rhyme’s If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears playlist (Spotify)
Discord & Rhyme’s merch store (TeePublic)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
John McFerrin (host)
Amanda Rodgers (moderator)
Ben Marlin
Phil Maddox
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears tracklist
Monday, Monday
Straight Shooter
Got a Feelin’
I Call Your Name
Do You Wanna Dance
Go Where You Wanna Go
California Dreamin’
Spanish Harlem
Somebody Groovy
Hey Girl
You Baby
The ‘In’ Crowd
Other clips used
The Mamas and the Papas:
California Dreamin’ (live)
Twelve Thirty
Creeque Alley (single)
I Saw Her Again
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Dancing in the Street
Others:
The Grateful Dead - Me and My Uncle
The Boomtown Rats - I Don’t Like Mondays
The Deep Six - C’mon Baby Now (Blow Your Mind)
The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday
John Lennon - #9 Dream
Barry McGuire - California Dreamin’
The Beach Boys - California Dreamin’
The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
Simon and Garfunkel - A Hazy Shade of Winter
The Turtles - You Baby
Dobie Gray - The ‘In’ Crowd
The Beach Boys - Kokomo
Scott McKenzie - San Francisco
October Country - My Girlfriend is a Witch
The Heavy Heavy - Sleeping on Grassy Ground
Eddie Hazel - California Dreamin’
Band/album personnel
Denny Doherty - vocals
Cass Elliot - vocals
John Phillips - vocals
Michelle Phillips - vocals
P.F. Sloan - guitars, additional vocals
Larry Knechtel - keyboards
Hal Blaine - drums, percussion
Joe Osborn - bass guitar
Bud Shank - flute solo on “California Dreamin”
Peter Pilafian - electric violin
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hanco*ck - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
The Mamas and the Papas - Straight Shooter (this episode only)
You can buy or stream If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears and other albums by The Mamas and the Papas at your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Instagram @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.
