Bloggerhythms

Back in the mid-60s when I first listened to top 40 radio I considered The Mamas and The Papas the greatest vocal group I ever heard. I never tire of listening to "California Dreamin'," "Dedicated to the One I Love," "Twelve Thirty," "I Call Your Name," and a lot of their other wonderful songs. Cass Elliot  (born Ellen Naomi Cohen in 1941) was my favorite female singer for a long time, so I was immediately interested in My Mama, Cass , the new memoir written by her daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell. The star's life story is told in the first half of the book and the more interesting chapters are found there. The second half is mostly about Elliot-Kugell's life and how her mother's early death from a heart attack in 1974 at age thirty-two when the author was only seven years old (She's now fifty-six) affects her life even today. Elliot's family tree is discussed, so are her formative years as a sing...

The vocally captivating "Mama Cass" Elliot was deservedly the female lead singer of the hall-of-fame, folk-rock group, The Mamas & The Papas , and it wasn't until late in their short career that the only surviving member of the quartet, Michelle Phillips, got her chance to grab the spotlight with a cover version of "Dedicated To The One I Love." The group - who dreamt of California - rode this wonderful single from  Deliver ,   their third album, to #2 in 1967. It became their next to last top ten hit. The only Mamas & The Papas record to chart higher was "Monday, Monday" that reached #1 in 1966. "Dedicated To The One I Love" was originally recorded by the "5" Royales and written by group member Lowman Pauling with R&B record producer, Ralph Bass. They released a now dated but soulful doo-wop influenced arrangement  in 1957 and again in 1961 when it went to #3. The Shirelles also released it twi...

It's hard to top the beautiful harmonies given to us by Michelle Phillips, Mama Cass Elliott,  Denny Doherty , and vocal arranger and composer, Papa John Phillips - four singers known to the world in the second half of the 1960s as The Mamas & The Papas. Almost sixty years later many of the quartet's songs are indelibly etched into our brains, and is there anyone who doesn't love " California Dreamin' ?" All of that said, People Like Us  is an album that probably never should have been made. It was recorded in 1971 by the group only to fulfill a contractual obligation to their record company - ABC Dunhill - after they split up late in 1968. After The Mamas & The Papas went their separate ways their label discovered they were contractually obligated to release one more album. If they didn't comply each member could have been sued $250,000 for breach of contract. Years later - in the liner notes for a Mamas & Papas compilation CD - Michelle Phil...

In 1986 The Beach Boys recorded a great cover version of The Mamas and The Papas' "California Dreamin" twenty years after their outstanding original became a huge hit. The Beach Boys' single rocks more than the Mamas and The Papas' first chartbuster and features Roger McGuinn on 12-string guitar, the instrument the former Byrd made famous with his own band. The Boys' single never became the classic the 1966 hit was but it's almost as good, proving a great song will succeed under any circumstances. Carl Wilson and Alan Jardine starred on lead vocals and the rest of the group added their always superlative harmonies. "California Dreamin'" peaked at # 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart but only reached #57 on Billboard's Hot 100 even though it was a thousand times better than the #1, Grammy nominated, "Kokomo," the hall-of-famers' last hit two years later. The track was produced by Terry Melcher. There are a couple of t...

In their very early days, The Beatles were known as a great covers band. They not only played many of the more famous early rock 'n roll hits they were also admirers of a lot of obscure records they wanted to share with the World. But after they achieved global fame, it wasn't long before other artists wanted to cover Lennon and McCartney. "I Call Your Name" was a song John Lennon wrote before the famed quartet even existed. It eventually appeared on an EP in England and on The Beatles Second Album here in America. In 1966, John Phillips, another artist with impeccable taste in cover songs - and leader of one of the all-time great vocal groups - The Mamas & The Papas, recorded "I Call Your Name" for their first album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears . Phillips took a rocking song and turned it into an uptempo ballad. His arrangement featured his group's beautiful vocal harmonies and outstanding lead vocals by Mama Cass Elliott and Denny Do...

Just a few weeks ago Ray Manzarek became the second member of The Doors to pass away. Sadly, many other groups of the 60s and 70s have also lost two or more members. Those missing roll call include four of the original five Temptations as well as three of The Four Tops. It's the same for The Mamas & The Papas , The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, Atlanta Rhythm Section , The Band, The Byrds, The Ramones, Booker T. & the MGs, Traffic, Iron Butterfly, and The E Street Band. Unfortunately, the long list, including both famous names and some lesser lights, doesn't end there. Solo artists who have gone to the great beyond in recent years include Donna Summer, Gerry Rafferty, Bob Welch, Johnny Cash, and Warren Zevon. Among the living Glen Campbell is currently fighting a losing battle with Alzheimer's Disease. I've always believed that pop music occupied a bigger place in the hearts and daily lives of the generation that grew up...

My recent attempts to discuss the current music scene are rudely interrupted once again, this time by a sad event. Denny Doherty , who rose to fame as the male lead singer of The Mamas and The Papas, died on January 19, 2007. During the brief time the quartet recorded together, 1966 to 1968, they were one of the biggest musical acts in the world. Because I considered The Beach Boys a rock band, and more than just a group of singers, I have often stated that The Mamas and The Papas are the greatest vocal group who ever graced a recording session or took to the stage. Their first album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears was one of the most popular debut albums of the decade. The Mamas and The Papas weren't just singers controlled by a manager, producer, and a record company. Leader John Phillips was an excellent composer who wrote most of their songs and he also arranged almost all of the vocals himself. Phillips didn't like to sing lead so Doherty assumed that role...