This group would have been shit without Cass.

And she was a really good actress, too! And she had a wonderful personality!!

I wish she was still with us Arlene. Still touring as a senior citizen..... I will buy you a front row seat to see her in Rock n Roll/Blues heaven !!

Cass could belt 'em out for sure. Incredible volume without straining her voice into a loud screech like so many do.

Yes very 😢

She hated being called Moma.

@@rski1036 she sure did.

never like MM & PP , only once in the cosmos time.........

ABBA?

@@inocencioperez9773 It was the drugs. . .they didn't just hear the music, they SAW IT right in front of them. They were pure magic. Too bad they were so jealous and insecure and fighting over who was sleeping with whom.

@@NormGilbert you mean to bad they were human?

@@jadezee6316 Yes, except not all humans get sexually involved with their co-workers or let their jealousy get in the way of their work. It is a tragedy that they couldn't hold it together longer than two years. They had so much more to give to the world of music. But hey, I'm still pretty angry at Phillip Seymour Hoffman for killing himself in a hotel room with heroin. Like no one knows that heroin is not anything you want to get involved with? Addicts die with the needle still in their arm. It's sad.

Me as well

What’s so sad is the rumors about her death! I loved them growing up and had all their albums but never got to see them in person! But I knew every song by heart! I live them so much and Cass got a bad rap! As you see John even referred to her as a mushroom and Michelle as a princess! The rimor of her dying from a ham sandwich is horrible! You can also watch a biography on KZfaq of Cass! It’s really good! It’s so sad they are all gone except Michelle! Cass• daughter makes sure her mamas legion is carried in! I don’t believe we ever found out who her father was.. some people speculate it was David Crosby.

If you listen carefully you can recognize Michelle's voice in the higher notes that I'm sure most ppl. think is coming from Cass who had a great/strong voice but she did not have the vocal range that Michelle had, check her and John as the 'Journeymen' later Denny joined them from a struggling band where Cass also sang, forming the 'New Journeymen.' It was when Denny finally convinced John (who never favored Cass) to let her audition for them that John agreed and they renamed to the Mama's and the Papa's. Cass completed the harmonics of the group and John esp. and Mitch. knew just how to make the best use of their combined talents, the rest is sadly a short but glorious history.

Very hard to hear.

@@me67226 Time for a hearing aid?

Yup ....Michelle voice was not that great

everybody knows, but michelle is good too

I don't think the sound guy was aware. Or was he? Her mic is buried if not downright turned off. It might also have been the routing in the mixer board but if that was the case the audio engineer should have caught it. If you search for Michel's solo work you'll find she did have a decent voice.

@@Arlo360-Official I agree, on Michelle . A pretty high voice, in her harmonies.

@@Arlo360-Official Michelle holds her mic quite a ways from her mouth whereas Cass has hers almost to her lips.

She is great, but she showed little ability to go it alone. John Phillips songs and arrangements were perfect for this group. Denny was almost her equal. It would have been nice if they had made about 20 more albums. I still wonder why Dylan didn't think they belonged in R&R Hall?

Not really. She was obese & unfit. Classic heart attack material.....

@@Lookup2Wakeup Still a tragedy

Her work after The Mamas and The Papas was awesome in my opinion, such as "Dream A Little dream Of Me" and more. :)

@@Lookup2Wakeup I think the OP meant that it's a tragedy that she couldn't get a hold of herself, not that she died out of nowhere.

Agreed. Always fresh to me!

Dudes liked her, me included.

@mike mike So you like dudes, that explains a lot..

@@paulhunter9613 Well Paul Cunter, I'm not really sure what you're reading here. Maybe you should go back and repeat 3rd grade?

@@paulhunter9613 is that just a really shitty insult or?

+mitzworld It's so unfortunate this performance is apparently the only one ever captured on tape, yet it was under unusual circumstances.. They had no time to rehearse--- Denny flew in at the last moment; John and Michelle were occupied with the festival administration; not all of the musicians were part of their usual touring band; and Jimi Hendrix 's band that preceded them left the stage tattered. That may have been the reason for Michelle's technical issues with her mike. With discernible ears you can pick up her voice in some songs, especially in some of the passages where it's just Cass and Michelle singing. But in some numbers her voice is entirely absent, though the video clearly shows her singing her heart out. In the few instances where she talks into the mike, it's very obvious that mike is barely working. Cass and Denny are the powerhouse singers; John and Michelle are the special ingredients that create their unique harmonic chemistry. Despite all the issues surrounding their Monterey performance, it has moments where it all comes together. Between 1966 and 1967 they performed about thirty-something shows, backed by members of the Wrecking Crew. It's hard to believe that none of those shows were professionally filmed or recorded, or at the very least bootlegs. I'm still hoping someone somewhere discovers some recordings. There isn't even any significant amount of photos, reviews or documented accounts of their road shows. I understand that they were predominately a studio group. But in their brief existence they were a somewhat active live act. It's that part of their history that I find so intriguing, but so frustratingly elusive.

+mitzworld Michelle's microphone was not working? I was thinking that her voice - much as I love her - was simply overpowered by the REAL singers on stage - namely Cass and Denny. She had a light soprano and was going to be hard to hear anyway next to Cass's powerful voice.

3:44 that"s definitely Michelle.

I think I am hearing Cass's voice there. That is it sounds like Cass to me.

in Michelle's book she said they sang off key that night and I've always wondered if they just mixed her down for the film. the bass playing was by Joe Osborn who played on all their records and was usually spot on. not this night tho. check out Laura Nyro doing Poverty Train on YT. I think he kinda messes that one up too.

I’m 69 and still listening. Soundtrack to my high school life coming of age.

Yeah I remember the first time I heard a Peter Paul n Mary song and it was my step-dad singing "puff the magic dragon" outside my bedroom door as I was puffin on a joint and he got a big whiff . True story

It is so true!! Michelle‘s voice is so good!!

Cass was the strength of this group no question. Michelle has very little talent.

Without Cass they were a just a trio among hundreds.

@@marguskiis7711 I would say that’s true. Cass’ voice provided that extra but their blend was also tight. The blend was also unique. As compared with Abba

With all that said, they still sound incredible live. It's not less, just different. and live to boot. I think John Phillips was the american genius of the 60's. They were our Beatles. Hendrix, Dylan the Doors the Lovin Spoonful, Motown were way up there. I just can't fathom the adulation for Beach Boys.

It’s also sad that Michelle’s microphone wasn’t working on probably the only live performance we will ever see from the band. They only toured 30 shows in their prime.

@@benkleschinsky her mic wasn't "working" ? The sound guy was told to keep her down in the mix because she didn't/couldn't stay on key,and it WAS a big problem,Cass had the pipes,Chelle had the looks,I'll take Cass anyday.

this was probably one of the only comments that are actually worth reading

@@MrUSSAM not arguing at all. Your comment is absolutely believable. Would you happen to have an online source or be able to recommend a book which discusses this. I'd love to read more about it. Thanks.

And yet, you can hear her. She rocks that "YEAH!" in Somebody Groovy, and she and Cass sing so beautifully together in Got A Feelin'.

Unfortunately they had to follow Jimi Hendrix and the who who had basically obliterated all the microphones and speakers to the point of them barely working. If there was ever a death spot, it was following those two very destructive bands

@@michaelrochester48 Hendrix obliterated them

They don’t sound that great live

@@jimSTRATemblin Sometimes they can't hear their monitors or themselves and each other. This happens sometimes. They always sounded tight on recordings, would you agree? Thanks! :)

Michelle’s voice is clear on pitch and blends tightly with the others. The blend is a huge part of singing together. Love this video

3:15 LISTEN

En ese momento estaban separados entre ellos, solo juntos en el escenario debido a la infidelidad de michelle con dennis

Cass had to fight her way in. John Phillips wasn’t happy with her vocal range. She had a minor concussion I think when in The Virgin Islands, , so the story goes, and then was able to reach the highs.

@@jeffreyurbach6544 I heard that story too.

Nope. That's supposed to be a duet with Cass, not a solo. You can only hear Cass. The camera is on Michelle so it's confusing. But it's Cass singing. Keep watching - at the end of the duet you can see Cass singing.

I PUT ON DEPLAY, L♡VE SO MUCH

L♡VE THIS SONG

@Lisa Mac she was a free spirit

I love gal Chelle.

AGREED

@@hatdrummer this is from the Monterey Pop Festival from June of 1967. Hal and Joe were part of the house band for the musical acts that didnt have their own self contained band.

Yep. Until then John Phillips didn’t want her in the group.