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"…I Listen To The Records Sometimes And It Electrifies Me…"
Here in 2026 - there are wads of compilations for California's Mamas & Papas - but I'd like to argue that this long-forgotten first officially issued and curated American stab from 1991 still remains among the best (and luckily for us – none too pricey either). Rare stand-alone 45s with their Non-LP B-sides, key album tracks, rarities, early band incarnations, Solo tracks by Mama Cass Elliott, John Phillips, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips and more. Taking its compilation title from a track on their February 1967 US album "The Mamas And Papas Deliver" on Dunhill Records - here are the beads, flowers and the Mondays you will like…
US released May 1991 - "Creeque Alley: The History Of The Mamas And The Papas" by THE MAMAS and THE PAPAS on MCA Records MCLDD 19124 (Barcode 008811912420) is a 2CD 43-Track Anthology including early bands like The Big Three, The Mugwumps and Solo Material too. It breaks down as follows:
Disc 1 (65:34 minutes):
1. Wild Women – THE BIG THREE (1963 USA LP "Live In The Recording Studio" on FM Records 311)
2. Winken', Blinken And Nod – THE BIG THREE (1963 USA 7" 45-single on FM Records 3003/Reissued in 1964 in the USA on Tollie 9006)
3. I'll Remember Tonight – THE MUGWUMPS (1964 USA 7" single on Warner Brothers 5471)
4. I Don't Wanna Know – THE MUGWUMPS (B-side of 3 – both tracks Previously Unreleased on Album Prior to 1991)
5. This Precious Time – BARRY McGUIRE (1965 USA 7" single on Dunhill 4019 – Backing Vocals by The Mamas and The Papas)
6. John Phillips Dialogue from "A Gathering Of Flowers" – JOHN PHILLIPS (on "A Gathering Of Flowers – The Anthology Of The Mamas And The Papas" released January 1970 in the USA on Dunhill DSY 50073, 2LPs)
7. California Dreamin' (November 1965 USA 7" single on Dunhill 4020, A)
8. Oh Where You Wanna Go (January 1966 USA debut LP "If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears" on Dunhill 5006. Some discographies also list this as the 45 single Dunhill 4018 but it was never released)
9. Monday, Monday (as per 8 on LP, also released as a USA 45 on Dunhill 4026 in March 1966, A-side)
10. You Baby (as per 8 on LP)
11. Do You Wanna Dance (as per 8 on LP, also turned up as an A-side USA 45 on Dunhill 4171 in October 1968)
12. I Call Your Name (as per 8 on LP, Beatles cover version)
13. Spanish Harlem (as per 8 on LP, Ben E. King cover version)
14. Straight Shooter (as per 8 on LP, also B-side to the USA 45 of "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)" on Dunhill 4099 in August 1867
15. Got A Feelin' (as per 8 on LP, also B-side to "Monday, Monday" – see 9)
16. I Saw Her Again (June 1966 USA 7" single on Dunhill 4031, A-side)
17. Look Through My Window (September 1966 USA 7" 45-Single on Dunhill 4050, A-side)
18. Words Of Love (August 1966 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas" on Dunhill DS 50010, also November 1966 USA 7" 45-single on Dunhill 4057, A-side)
19. Dancing In The Street (as per 18 on LP, also B-side of "Words Of Love")
20. Mama Cass dialogue from "A Gathering Of Flowers" - MAMA CASS (as per 6)
21. Once Upon A Time I Thought (with False Start and Studio Chatter) (as per 6 on LP, edited version also released on "The Mamas And The Papas" LP, and also released as the B-side to "Look Through My Window" (see 17))
22. No Salt On Her Tail (as per 18 on LP)
Disc 2 (63:25 minutes):
1. Trip, Stumble & Fall (August 1966 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas" on Dunhill 50010)
2. Dancing Bear (August 1966 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas" on Dunhill DS 50010, also November 1967 A-side of a USA 7" single on Dunhill 4113)
3. Dedicated To The One I Love (February 1967 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas Deliver" on Dunhill DS 50014 and also a February 1967 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4077)
4. Creeque Alley (February 1967 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas Deliver" on Dunhill DS 50014 and also a April 1967 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4083)
5. My Girl (February 1967 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas Deliver" on Dunhill DS 50014 and also a October 1968 USA 7" single B-side to "Do You Wanna Dance" on Dunhill 4171)
6. Twist And Shout (February 1967 USA LP "The Mamas And The Papas Deliver" on Dunhill DS 50014)
7. I Call Your Name (Live) (on the USA LP "Historic Performance At The Monterey International Pop Festival" released 1970 on Dunhill DSX 50100)
8. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) (on the album "The Papas And The Mamas Presented By The Mamas And The Papas" released April 1968 in the USA on Dunhill DS 50031)
9. Glad To Be Unhappy (October 1967 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4107)
10. For The Love Of Ivy (on the album "The Papas And The Mamas Presented By The Mamas And The Papas" released April 1968 in the USA on Dunhill DS 50031, also, a USA 7" single A-side released July 1968 on Dunhill 4150)
11. Safe In My Garden (on the album "The Papas And The Mamas Presented By The Mamas And The Papas” released April 1968 in the USA on Dunhill DS 50031, also a USA 7” single A-side released May 1968 on Dunhill 4125)
12. Midnight Voyage (on the album “The Papas And The Mamas Presented By The Mamas And The Papas" released April 1968 in the USA on Dunhill DS 50031, also a USA 7" single B-side to Cass Elliott's solo single "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" released June 1968 on Dunhill 4145 – credited as "featuring Mama Cass with The Mamas and The Papas")
13. Dream A Little Dream Of Me – CASS ELLIOTT/MAMA and PAPAS (as per 12 on LP, also A-side of Dunhill 4145)
14. California Earthquake – MAMA CASS (October 1968 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4166)
15. It's Getting Better – MAMA CASS (May 1969 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4195)
16. Make Your Own Kind Of Music – MAMA CASS (September 1969 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4214)
17. Mississippi – JOHN PHILLIPS (on the album "John Philips – John The Wolfking Of L.A." released March 1970 in the USA on Warlok/ABC-Dunhill DS-50077, also a USA 7" single A-side released March 1970 on Dunhill 4214)
18. Whatcha Gonna Do – DENNY DOHERTY (February 1971 USA 7" single A-side on Dunhill 4270)
19. Mama Cass dialogue from "A Gathering Of Flowers" – MAMA CASS (on "A Gathering Of Flowers – The Anthology Of The Mamas And The Papas" released January 1970 USA 2LP set on Dunhill DSY 50073)
20. Step Out (on the album "People Like Us" released October 1971 in the USA on Dunhill DS 50106, also a USA 7" single A-side released January 1972 on Dunhill 4301)
21. The Achin’ Kind – MICHELLE PHILLIPS (on the album "Victim Of Romance" released 1977 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4651)
NOTES: All tracks Produced by LOU ADLER and all mixes are STEREO LP versions unless otherwise stated
BEST AUDIO: Compiled by CARY MANSFIELD and ANDY McKAIE (people involved in many well-praised compilations) and remastered to perfection by one of Universal's top engineers ERICK LABSON – the sound on this early 2CD anthology is superlative (better than the slight harshness that crept into later more pricey retrospectives). The 12-page booklet offers track-by-track details but no liner notes. Still what you want is the music – and in Stereo every time – 'Creeque Alley' sounds amazing.
All 11 of the hits they placed on America's Billboard charts are here between 1966 and 1970 and Solo wins too (chart positions are in parenthesis) – "California Dreaming" (No.4), "Monday, Monday" (1), "I Saw Her Again" (5), "Look Through My Window" (24), "Words Of Love" (5), "Dedicated To The One I Love" (2), "Creeque Alley" (5), "Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)" (20), "Glad To Be Unhappy" (26), "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Mama Cass & The Mamas & The Papas (12) and "Mississippi" (by John Phillips) .
The early Mugwumps and Big Three tracks are worth having but things start to really sizzle when you get to those album tracks that get lost amongst the more popular hits – stuff like their Monkees-sounding rocker "Straight Shooter" and the Acapella out-take of "Once Upon A Time I Thought" with its false starts and studio chatter gives a great insight into their vocal harmonies and their internal joy/wit.
And then there's Cass's truly lovely "It's Getting Better" – a sunny tune that will tug on the hardest of hearts (always reminds me of when I became a father). Even their hip cover of The Beatles "Twist & Shout" is given a cool California work over that takes you straight into the surf – running alongside the Sixties paranoia of "California Earthquake" where Cass looks at the ground and worries "...the fault line runs right through here…" It finishes with the pretty "Step Out" preceded by Mama Cass talking about how people came up to her at in parking lots and at gas stations saying how much their music meant to them (dialogue from it titles this review). Nice.
You can't help but think that their happy hippy-tunes wouldn't make it in today's more fractured world– but man what a joyous sound The Mamas and Papas made – and this unassuming cheapo double CD set gets that across with sonic aplomb.
"I don't feel all turned on and starry-eyed…I just feel a sweet contentment deep inside…" Cass Elliott sang on "It's Getting Better". Know what you mean you lovely lady…
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