Safe in My Garden Safe in My Garden "Safe in My Garden" is a song written by John Phillips, and recorded by The Mamas and the Papas. The single was briefly in the Top 100 pop chart in the United States. AllMusic.com calls the song "One of the group's finest latter-day records." After Cass Elliot left the group temporarily in 1967, she returned in 1968 to complete their fourth album, The Papas & The Mamas. While the 1967 single Twelve Thirty appears on the album and was intended to be the first single for the fourth album, nearly a year had passed between its
Dream a Little Dream of Me indications that the Mamas & the Papas were set to disband, a perception strengthened by the failure of the lead single "Safe in My Garden". Having an opportunity to promote the group's best-known member as a soloist, Dunhill Records gave a June 1968 single release to the "Dream a Little Dream of Me" track with the credit reading - to John Phillips' displeasure - "Mama Cass with the Mamas & the Papas"; in its UK release the artist credit simply read "Mama Cass". Promoted in the US press and on billboards with a photograph of a discreetly but obviously nude