The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group who 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 "née" Gilliam. 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 sixties. The Mamas & the Papas released a total of five studio albums
The Papas & The Mamas In retrospect, Adler has said that the recording space was not well made, and the sound quality was not well-suited for a vocal group like The Mamas & The Papas. With the exception of the very successful cover version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (which is not representative of the rest of the album), the album's subject matter is often downbeat and world-weary, most notably in the lyrical content of "Safe in My Garden", "Mansions", "Too Late" and "Rooms". There are few love songs and it is also more experimental - the Hendrix-like guitar textures of "Gemini Childe"