The Mamas & the Papas their original roles, Mackenzie Phillips taking Michelle Phillips' part and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang taking the part of Cass Elliot. Little progress was made until after Phillips had been sentenced and served his time in jail. The quartet began rehearsing in earnest and recording demos in the summer of 1981. Their first performances were in March 1982, when they were praised for their "verve and expertise", the "impressive precision" of the harmonies, and the "feeling ... of genuine celebration" on stage. The group toured the United States, including residencies in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but
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.