The Mamas & the Papas

The Mamas and the Papas were an American  folk rock  vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, reuniting briefly in 1971. They released five studio albums and seventeen singles, six of which made the top ten, and sold close to 40 million records worldwide.  The group comprised  John Phillips (1935–2001), Canadian  Denny Doherty (1940–2007),  Cass Elliot(1941–1974), and  Michelle Phillips  née Gilliam (b. 1944). Their sound was based on four-part vocal harmonies arranged by songwriter and leader, John Phillips, an innovator who adapted folk to the new  beat style of the early sixties.