Rocks In The Attic #109: Mamas And Papas - ’20 Golden Hits’ (1973)

It’s funny that there’s a Lennon & McCartney song on this album - a very good cover of I Call Your Name (in addition to a cover of Twist And Shout) - as Denny Doherty has a real resemblance of John Lennon, as the cover of this album shows. And I guess John Phillips doesn’t look too far away from George Harrison circa 1968.

I can’t remember why I bought this album. I guess with a lot of 60s artists, as it was a time before the LP had really become the in-thing, it makes a bit more sense to go for compilations over (usually) hastily assembled studio albums (which in most cases are simple compilations of singles and B-sides anyway).

I used to work with a guy in Oldham who was obsessed with The Mamas & The Papas. I never really saw the attraction really - although there are some very nice harmonies on here. I guess they’re a bit like a prototype Abba really, five or so years before that group hit the big time. Although if you were to go the whole way and change the name of the band to the band members’ initials, they actually sound more like a hip-hop group: DJMC.

Hit: California Dreamin’

Hidden Gem: Creeque Alley