The Mamas & the Papas (album)

The Mamas & the Papas is a 1966 album by The Mamas & the Papas. The self-named album was their second release. It peaked at number four in the US and number 24 in the UK. The lead off single, "I Saw Her Again", peaked at number five in the US and number eleven in the UK. "Words of Love" was released as the second single in the US and peaked at number five in the US. In the UK, it was released as a double a-side with "Dancing in the Street" and peaked at number 47.

After it was discovered that group members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty were having an affair, tension in the band erupted and Phillips was fired from the group in June 1966. In July, a new singer was hired to replace her. Jill Gibson was producer Lou Adler's girlfriend at the time and was already a singer/songwriter who had performed on several Jan and Dean albums. She learned to sing Michelle's parts within three weeks while the band was in London, England. Who actually sang on this album is a matter of conjecture. Half of the album had already been recorded with Michelle, including the hit singles "I Saw Her Again" and "Words of Love," before she was fired from the group. Gibson went to work recording with Denny, John Phillips and Cass Elliot, including dubbing over some of Michelle's completed vocals. By the end of August, Michelle was asked to rejoin the group and Gibson was let go. Michelle then recorded vocals on two new songs with the group and dubbed over some of Jill's vocals.

During the discussion on this sophomore album in the Matthew Greenwald's book, "Go Where you Wanna Go", Gibson claims she sang on ten of the songs. Producer Lou Adler states it was more like six. And Michelle Phillips adds that only Engineer Bones Howe knows for sure who was on the final release, because she and Jill both recorded many of the same songs, dubbing over each other's vocals. In all likelihood, a number of the songs on this album contain the voices of all five singers.

The album was first issued on CD in 1988 (MCAD-31043) and also appears in its entirety on All the Leaves are Brown, a retrospective compilation of the band's first four albums, with the single versions of "I Saw Her Again" and "Words of Love".

Original track listing

All songs by John Phillips unless otherwise noted.

Side One:

1. "No Salt on Her Tail": 2:35
2. "Trip Stumble and Fall": 2:35
3. "Dancing Bear": 4:08
4. "Words of Love": 2:13
5. "My Heart Stood Still" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart): 1:43
6. "Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter): 3:00

Side Two:

1. "I Saw Her Again" (Phillips, Doherty): 2:50
2. "Strange Young Girls": 2:45
3. "I Can't Wait": 2:40
4. "Even If I Could": 2:40
5. "That Kind of Girl": 2:20
6. "Once Was a Time I Thought": :58

Personnel

• Denny Doherty – vocals
• Cass Elliot – vocals
• John Phillips – vocals and guitar
• Michelle Phillips – vocals
• Jill Gibson – vocals
• Hal Blaine – percussion
• Larry Knechtel – organ and piano
• Joe Osborn – bass
• "Doctor" Eric Hord - guitar
• Tommy Tedesco - guitar
• P. F. Sloan - guitar
• Peter Pilafian - electric violin
• Ray Manzarek – organ piano on "No Salt on Her Tail"

• Lou Adler - producer
• Dayton "Bones" Howe - engineer
• Henry Lewy - engineer
• Bowen David - assistant engineer

• Jimmie Haskell - string arrangement on "I Saw Her Again"
• Gene Page - horn arrangement on "My Heart Stood Still"

• Guy Webster - photography
• George Whiteman - artwork

Chart positions