The Mamas & The Papas: John Phillips (vocals, guitar); Michelle Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot (vocals).
Personnel: P.F. Sloan (guitar); Jim Horn (flute, saxophone); Larry Knechtel (keyboards); Gary Coleman (marimba, percussion); Hal Blaine (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Uncle Joe; Papa John.
Liner Note Author: John Tobler.
Recording information: Honest John Studios.
Photographer: Tad Diltz.
Unknown Contributor Role: Gary Coleman.
The Mamas and the Papas' third album, 1967's DELIVER, was their last big hit; changing musical tastes and intra-group pressures started taking their toll around this time. However, it's clearly a masterpiece of sunshine pop, that peculiarly '60s style of pop based on folk-rock with lightly sun-dazed hippie touches and wispy harmonies.
The album opens with the group's classic cover of the Shirelles' "Dedicated to the One I Love," the definitive version of this oft-covered song and a defining sunshine pop moment. DELIVER contains two other hits, the wistful "Look Through My Window" and the hilarious self-mythologizing of "Creeque Alley." (Why don't bands do songs like this and "The Legend of Paul Revere" anymore?) The rest of the album isn't on the level of those gems, but there are a handful of lovely covers and a beautiful brief instrumental, "John's Music Box."
