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 Mamas & the Papas and Papas' story in the memoir "Papa John" (1986), and in the PBS television documentary, "Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and the Mamas and the Papas" (1988). John Phillips died of heart failure in Los Angeles on March 18, 2001. Two albums were released immediately after his death: "Pay Pack and Follow" (April 2001), which included material recorded in London and New York with members of the Rolling Stones in 1976 and 1977; and "Phillips 66" (August 2001), an album of new material and reworkings that "takes its title from the age Phillips would have been when