Denny Doherty (1940-2007) distinguished himself in the Mamas & the Papas by being the least distinguished guy in the group. He wasn’t the Rotund One (that would be Mama Cass), the California Kitten (Michelle Phillips) or the Tall Dude Who Wears That Furry Hat (Papa John Phillips). His musical contributions, however, are much easier to discern. Chief among these were his soaring lead vocals on the pop perennials California Dreamin’ and Monday, Monday.
This band of Village folk scene refugees were far more than a two-hit wonder, mind you. With their unforgettable look, magical harmonies, and impeccably produced songs of sunshine-drenched melancholy, the Mamas & the Papas are perhaps the grooviest group of all time. There is no one even remotely like them, except perhaps Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, who also turned intra-band sexual politics into art. And classics like 12:30 (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon), Straight Shooter and Words of Love sound as fresh now as they did in the Summer of Love. Pick up one of their many anthologies today. R.I.P., Double-D.
2 comments:
very nice blog! My name is Franco Di Giacomo Would it make fun for you, to make money in the Internet ? (Income for Life!) Yes? NEW Business, see my web
hey babe - have you read "Laurel Canyon"? A fine read with lots about these guys, more specifically about Mama Cass, and how she brought CSNY together.
here's my item about the book
Post a Comment