About
The Mamas & the Papas were one of many bands to capture the zeitgeist of the 1960s counter-culture movement. Formed in New York by folkie John Phillips, the quartet moved from New York to Los Angeles in the mid-'60s, and promptly caught the ear of MCA's Lou Adler. The band's airy harmonies, supplied by Mama Cass, Michelle Philips and Denny Doherty, shimmered around John Phillips' poetic lyrics, adding just the right glow to what would become the group's signature sound. Songs such as "California Dreaming" acted like beacons in the night to disenfranchised youths, who came to the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in droves. But the group's Flower Power-inspired lifestyle would contribute to their downfall, as drugs, alcohol and too much "free love" tripped its members up. The Mamas & Papas called it quits in 1971.
- Linda Ryan
