LOS ANGELES (UMe Records) - With a wealth of classic television performances making their DVD debuts - and one recording never before released in the U.S. until now - "California Dreamin' - The Songs Of The
Mamas & The Papas" (Hip-O/Geffen/UMe), issued March 29, 2005, celebrates the 40th anniversary of the quintessential '60s folk-rock vocal group and its landmark debut recording ("
California Dreamin'"). The anniversary will also be marked throughout the year with new compilations and a revised printing of the autobiography of "Mama" Michelle Phillips.
Blending full-performance clips, rare home movies and exclusive interviews with group members, family and friends, the 90-minute "California Dreamin' - The Songs Of The Mamas & The Papas" expands on the one-hour Public Television special that begins airing in March 2005 and continues to be broadcast. Most notably, the DVD adds the long-sought-after "Here In My Arms." The performance has not been seen since its taping for the TV special "Rodgers & Hart Today" and the recording has previously appeared only on the 2004 multidisc U.K.-only "Complete Anthology." Other bonuses include performances of "Sing For Your Supper" and "Make Your Own Kind Of Music," and an interview with producer Lou Adler.
The videoclips range from appearances on the "Ed Sullivan" and "Hollywood Palace" television shows to a performance of "Straight Shooter" at the historic 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Throughout, the timeless greatest hits of The Mamas & The Papas - "Monday, Monday," "Dedicated To The One I Love," "I Call Your Name," "Words Of Love," "Dancing In The Street," "I Saw Her Again," "Creeque Alley" and "California Dreamin'," and solo Mama Cass' "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" - recall the era of the '60s.
Intimate interviews with group members John and Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty reveal fascinating details about The Mamas & The Papas, from memories of how the band came together and insight into the turbulent group dynamics to stories behind the songs. The Phillips' daughter Chynna (of Wilson Phillips fame), Mama Cass' daughter Owen and contemporary colleagues John Sebastian (The Lovin' Spoonful) and Barry McGuire (The New Christy Minstrels) also contribute.
The songs of The Mamas & The Papas captured the spirit of the easy-going California lifestyle and characterized the values of the emerging hippie movement. Although only together for a short while, the group reached the heights of pop stardom. In 1998, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although Cass Elliot died tragically of heart failure in 1974 and John Phillips passed away in 2001, their beloved music lives on - heard and seen for the first time on DVD with "California Dreamin' - The Songs Of The Mamas & The Papas."
