Keep up to date with what Barry is doing. Edited By Terry Roland.

This week's 60's Trivia Question:

What 60's icon sang the lyric "wind velocity nil" ? 

(not fair looking it up - Google will not help) We'll give you the answer Monday 19

John York joins Barry McGuire on Trippin'

John has worked with: Roger McGuinn, Clarence White, Nicky Hopkins, Gene Clark, Gene Parsons, Michael Clarke, Lightnin' Hopkins, Johnny Rivers, Gordon Waller, Skip Battin, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Chris Darrow, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Blondie Chaplin, Mac Rebennack(Dr. John,) Doug Sahm, Gram Parsons, Rick Roberts, Billy Darnell, Tom MacLear, Ben Harper, Bobby Jameson, Max Buda, Spencer Dryden, Patrick Brayer, Toulouse Englehardt, Remi Kabaka, Patrick Robinson, David Carradine, Yukiko Matsuyama, Jamie Sams, Hani Nasar, Kim Fowley, Terry Melcher, Bob Johnston, Denny Bruce, Dennis Lambert, Gordon DeWitty, Phil Seymor, Gregg Thomas, Michael Curtis, David Brock, Ricky Mantoan, John Phillips, Eric Hord, Eddie Hoh, Dion Sorrel, Johnny Perez, Chris Etheridge, Spooner Oldham, David Getz, Randy Meisner, Dewey Martin, Chad Watson, Shawn Jones, Roy Swedeen, Rockin' Robin, Eddie Reynolds, Vinnie LaPorta, Armen Chakmakian & so many more...

Most recently, John has been working with Patrick Brayer in REDNECK NINJA and with the legendary Barry McGuire in "Trippin' The Sixties."

 

A singer since early childhood, John also plays guitar, bass, piano and a wide variety of instruments from around the world. 

".....the Byrds amount to merely a footnote in the career of John York. He's rarely looked back, and of all the ex-Byrds, he has forged the most unique musical path ....."  Richard Russell, Byrdmaniax
  

This Month's 60's feature
The Mamas and Papas

Formation

After their two previous folk groups, The Mugwamps and The New Journeymen split up, Denny Doherty, John Phillips and his wife Michelle Phillips formed a new group. Cass Elliot became the last member to join. The band shortly relocated to the Virgin Islands, and after running out of money, Michelle Phillips gambled back enough money for them to return to New York. After a short period of going under the name "The Magic Circle", the group renamed themselves "The Mamas and Papas". It was Barry McGuire who introduced them to Lou Adler and got them their recording contract, a five-album deal with Dunhill Records. For a period of time they were Barry's back up group as it was the only way they could earn some money to survive.

Early commercial success


Barry in the Studio with his backing group the Mamas and Papas

The band's first single,"Go Where You Wanna Go", was released in 1965 and failed to chart. However, the second single, "California Dreamin" was originally recorded by Barry McGuire with the Mamas and Papas backing him. Unknown to Barry, his vocal track was removed and replaced by Denny. It was released late 1965 and quickly peaked at number four in the US, while it was less successful in the UK, peaking at 23.

The band's debut, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" which is what Barry said to Lou over the phone when telling him he's got to see these guys, was released in early 1966 and became the band's first and only number one album.

In the UK, the album peaked at number three and remains the groups highest charting album there. The third and final single from their debut was "Monday Monday", which became the band's first and only number one hit in the US. The song brought the band international success when it peaked at number three in the UK.

The Mamas and Papas went on to have hits with, "I Saw Her Again", "Words of Love", "Dancing in the Street", and of course the song that imortalised Barry "Creeque Alley". The bands last album came out in 1971.

Cass went on to a solo career and had hits with "Make Your Own Kind of Music" and "It's Getting Better". She died of a heart attack July 29, 1974.

John Phillips continued to write music, his most successful song probably being the Beach Boys' "Kokomo". John tried to put a new Mamas and Papas together (McKenzie Philips, Spanky McFarlane and Scott McKenzie, but it never really took off. After surviving a liver transplant in the 1980s, he died of heart failure on March 18, 2001.

Denny Doherty went on to have a reasonably successful career putting together his own stage musical "Dream a Little Dream" (the nearly true story ofthe Mamas and Papas). Denny died on January 19, 2007 at his home in Mississauga, Ontario, from kidney failure following surgery on an abdominal aneurysm.

Michelle Phillips went on to have a successful acting career. She also had a successful run in television drama, including Knots Landing and Beverly Hills 90210. As the copyright owner for the song "California Dreamin" , Michelle was a major contributor to the 2005 PBS Television Special California Dreamin': The Songs of The Mamas and the Papas.

Mama Michelle is the last surviving original member of The Mamas and Papas.The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.

 

 

  

Barry recording new material

Barry is currently in the studio recording a new album. One of the sessions included Mick Fleetwood and Roger McGuin on a new version of Eve of Destruction. "We're not sure why, when or how but it was just fun to do" says Barry.

Barry is recording all the new songs in a very simple, 'unplugged style' reminiscent of the Rick Rubin’s Johnny Cash sessions that accentuated his voice.

Bob Dylan said Barry is the greatest Folk Rock singer on the planet and these sessions are designed to capture that 'voice'.

Barry has also been going through his previously recorded material and projects that he has worked on and there is probably enough material for 4 or 5 albums without him even going near a studio.

Expect to see a batch of new Barry albums coming out. From an all new Bullfrogs and Butterflies series for children, a best of his Gospel years to brand new material that embraces his new Trippin the Sixties show.