The Mamas & the Papas played something closer to folk rock, with bass and drums. Their rehearsals in the Virgin Islands were "the first time that we tried playing electric". The band then traveled from New York to Los Angeles for an audition with Lou Adler, co-owner of Dunhill Records. The audition was arranged by Barry McGuire, who had befriended Cass Elliot and John Phillips independently over the previous two years, and who had recently signed with Dunhill himself. It led to "a deal in which they would record two albums a year for the next five years", with a royalty of 5 percent on
The Papas & The Mamas The Papas & The Mamas The Papas & The Mamas is a 1968 album by The Mamas & the Papas. It was their fourth and final album together before the group temporarily broke up before a brief 1971 reunion. Unlike previous studio-recorded albums, "The Papas & The Mamas" was recorded at the home of John and Michelle Phillips, although with the same production team as on previous albums. Their original studio, Western Recorders, switched to Solid State technology, and Phillips and Adler purchased the analog board they had done their previous recordings with, and installed it in their new studio.