The Mamas & The Papas

The Mamas & The Papas

The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover and sometimes shortened to Mamas & Papas) were an American/Canadian vocal group (Denny Doherty was from Canada) who came to prominence in the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing six albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide.

Their signature sound was based on four-part male/female vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the band's songwriter, who managed to "leave the folk music behind" and blend his writing with the new "beat" sound in an unprecedented mode.