The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'

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DVD details

Actor: The Mamas & The Papas
Brand: Uni
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-29
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Hip-O Records

DVD Reviews of The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'

DVD Review: Good DVD
Summary: 4 Stars

The California Dreamin' DVD is very enjoyable. Wish they would let them complete more songs instead of cutting them short.

DVD Review: Mamas and Papas DVD
Summary: 5 Stars

Purchased the DVD of history of Mamas and Papas for review to perform a Mardi Gras skit. Took me right down memory lane!! I forgot that they were really one of the best groups of the 1960's--due to John Phillips song writing, and the harmonies he insisted upon. Loved the personal asides of each of the members. Would recommend this to anyone who wants to "remember" the 60's!!!!

DVD Review: I believe my eyes and ears !!!
Summary: 5 Stars

The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin' is a very good retrospective of the life and times of one of the most successful groups in all history. The Mamas & The Papas evolved slowly over time, with Cass Elliott being last to join the group; and once they started performing and recording the sky was already too low for their limit.

The documentary shows us the group recording in the studio, playing on the beach in the Caribbean, performing live on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and more. The archival footage is not bad at all; you'll enjoy it. It's especially wonderful to see The Mamas & The Papas performing "Straight Shooter" at The Monterey Pop Festival during the summer of 1967.

Of course, we also see a more personal side to the group. We find out how Cass had to control herself from belting out because Michelle's voice was, by her own admission, a bit "thin." John Phillips wrote an awful lot for the group and his interview from 1986 is very revealing. The history behind "Creeque Alley" fascinated me as well; I knew it was about the band but I didn't have a complete understanding of the lyrics until I watched this program.

Some say the retrospective shouldn't end with Cass Elliott dying; but actually the group did break up a few years before she died in 1974; therefore I don't understand this complaint. The group wanted to go out on top; and they cleverly chose to do just that. The Mamas & The Papas remain a fixture in American musical history.

Finally, the retrospective has a lot of their songs as background music in addition to the clips and archival footage. I found that to be very useful and entertaining both at once. This film was very thoughtfully produced.

In short, fans of The Mamas & The Papas should consider this a must-have for their collections. This retrospective may also appeal to people who liked their kind of rock and roll. This is an excellent retrospective of this awesome group; and I recommend it highly. If you like this, try looking for other retrospectives like "Straight Shooter" and the VH1 "Behind The Music" show that featured The Mamas & The Papas.

DVD Review: Different interviews & performances
Summary: 5 Stars

I have seen the old "Straight Shooter" documentary, and yes, that was more of a documentary than this DVD is. However, if you're like me and love this group, you need to see this DVD. There are interviews from '86 (mostly John & Michelle) that I've never seen before. However, most importantly, there are the performances! For years and years I have been seeing the same 4 or 5 (Ed Sullivan) performances that EVERY documentary and EVERY PBS special seems to use over and over again. Although I do like them, the group DID perform on at least 5 or 6 different televison shows. This DVD showcases some old black and white kinescope "Shindig" performences (w/ Barry McGuire) and many early video tape (dig that technicolor effect!) "Hollywood Palace" performances. I have NEVER seen ANY of these perfomances before! The history of the group is summarized, lacking a lot if relevant detail, but hey, its not bad. You actually get some of Lou Adler's perspective here. If you want more history and detail, try to procure a copy of "Straight Shooter" it was produced in '87 or '88 but its quite detailed (they even interview John's 1st wife, Susie). However, the best documentary that I have ever seen was VH1's installemnt of "Behind The Music" about the band. It was done in 2000 I believe, at which point John & Dennie were still with us. In my opinion, that has been the most detailed documentary about the group. Sadly, it will be the last with current interviews with 3/4 of the band. Want more performances? Several years ago, someone found a whole bunch of old kinescope copies of a limited amount of "Hullaballoo" shows. They were released on a series of 3 DVD's. One of the discs includes perfomances by The Mamas and The Papas. Most worthy is their LIVE accapella rendition of the Beatles "Nowhere Man." But yet again, this DVD's "bonus tracks" are AWESOME!!! They are 3 songs that the band performed (live over backing track) on a 1967 television special called "Rogers and Hart Today." It would be cool if someone actually put that out on DVD! Most remarkable of these is the bands perfomance of a song that they never even recorded for record release. The song is called "Here In My Arms" and Dennie's lead vocal is nothing short of amazing! Do note that John later "borrowed" the (exact same) backing track of this song, wrote new lyrics, retitled, recorded, and released the song as "No Salt On Her Tail" on their 2nd LP. Buy this DVD, you won't regret it!

DVD Review: The Best DvD on the Mama's & the Papa's TV Classics.
Summary: 5 Stars

It's the only M & P's DVD that captures all the brillance of their television performances.It's simply the best to enjoy.The interesting PBS documentary,"Straight Shooter",was hastily done and unjustly portrays the band,by leaving out many supporting songs and skipping some events they had weathered through .It gives the media image and not the real story of what happened to the group.This DVD focuses mostly on the music and not much about their lives either.The last bit of Lou Adler is bitter-sweet to watch.Lou gambled on them,after John and the crew were rebuffed by other recording labels.John Phillips the Meliorist did his best to better the world through his natural gift of musical genius.Yet,he slowly drifted into the role of a tragic modern Don Quixote.He battled a decade long struggle against personal drug dependency.The 70s was a sporadic recording time for the pallid Phillips,still medicating and mourning over the loss of Mama Cass.The 80s was a regeneration of John's body,mind and musical spirit.John relumed his musical success,after some years of dark reclusion. -I was surprised Denny's favorite tune was 'Dancing Bear',a mellifluent ode of one man's quest to follow a different drum. The band surfed the crest-wave of the California 60s musical flow.This DVD is a charming montage of the several seperate TV spots, not to be missed by all fans of the band.

Description of The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'

TRACK LISTING:
I Call Your Name
Dancing In The Street
Do You Believe In Magic
Somebody Groovy
Words Of Love
Creeque Alley
Twelve Thirty
I Saw Her Again
Dancing Bear
Once Was A Time I Thought
Dedicated To The One I Love
Monday, Monday
Straight Shooter
My Heart Stood Still
Dream A Little Dream Of Me
California Dreamin'

Sing For Your Supper
Here In My Arms
Make Your Own Kind Of Music
Lou Adler

California Dreamin' reminds us that '60s pop paragons The Mamas & The Papas had an appealing new sound, made some terrific records, and left behind a legacy that lives on more than 35 years after they called it quits. This hour-long documentary, originally aired on PBS, has all the standard elements of the genre: interviews (including some from 2004 and '05 with surviving members Michelle Phillips and Denny Doherty, as well as 1986 recollections by John Phillips, who died in '01, and a few brief words from Cass Elliot, who passed away in '74), photos, home movies, and a generous helping of music clips. The latter come from both television (Shindig!, Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show) and concerts (Monterey Pop); some are totally lip-synced, some find the group singing to a pre-recorded track, and some are completely live. Almost all of the clips manage to convey the magic of a quartet that had a unique charm, both visually (the beautiful blonde Michelle, the corpulent Mama Cass) and musically (Doherty had perhaps the best singing voice, while John Phillips' songs and vocal arrangements were nearly the equal of, say, Brian Wilson's); and all highlight their remarkable vocal blend, described by Lou Adler, their producer and label owner, as the sound of the Four Freshmen or the Hi-Lo's updated with a rock beat. The hits keep on coming, not only the familiar "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" but also "Creeque Alley," "Words of Love," their covers of the Beatles' "I Call Your Name" and the Shirelles' "Dedicated to the One I Love," and at least a dozen more, including three bonus tunes not part of the original broadcast. All in all, this has to be the definitive Mamas & Papas video collection. --Sam Graham

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