Cass Elliot Community Forum

Found an interesting discussion on People Like Us on a blog a few weeks ago. http://thirdestatesundayreview.blogspot ... table.html

Wow. Thanks for that, that was really, really enlightening. And fascinating.
I never put 2 and 2 together that Cass was waiting tables at the place while M&J&D were performing... that makes the whole thing much deeper... why have I never thought of that before. Gosh I could discuss that blog all day.

Thanks!

Rillig

Hi John,
I agree. I always thought People Like Us showed Michelle's ability as as a songwriter. I know it was only one song (I Wanna Be a Star). Yet, I think it serves as a prequel to what she did later on Victim of Romance.
Take care,
Nicole

Good point Nicole. "I Wanna Be a Star", another one of my farorites, is the start of Michie's solo writing. Very good point indeed.

Oh, and about "I Wanna Be a Star", I know the album lists it as being written solely by Michelle, but other sources have it listed as John Phillips/Michelle Phillips.

I think that all members of the group themselves were highly critical and unfairly harsh with regard to the Papas & Mamas album. It was a great album that signaled progress in their music -- moving from seemingly innocent adolescent pop into a more mature, darker and deeper vein of subject matter.

I suspect that most of their critisisms stem from the disolving dynamics of the group at the time they were recording it. The chemistry was in flux because for various reasons, including Cass wanting a solo career. They were probably not enjoying being around each other anymore. Thus, they are commenting more on recollections of their negative emotions of the time, than the end product. The same goes for the People Like Us album; their ambivilence in play here.

Hi Midnight,
I agree.
Take care,
Nicole

I agree with Midnight's comments regarding the "Papas and the Mamas" and the "People Like Us" albums. In both cases John, Michelle, Cass and Denny have all made negative comments regarding these two albums. With the "Papas and the Mamas" album, the group had already grown apart and Mama Cass made it known that she wanted out to pursue a solo career. Most of the album was recorded in the newly built recording studio in John and Michelle's Bel-Air mansion and it was clear that, even though they were experimenting with what could have been a different sound (a little darker and more introspective), the four members were already growing apart and it was clear that they were on the way out. Cass told John she wanted a solo career months before the record came out and Michelle was pregnant. They were no longer touring or making appearances on television so they didn't have that exposure anymore. The album has several good songs but the critics compared it (unfairly) to their first 3 albums and ABC (which had bought Dunhill) didn't adequately promote it. They basically saw Cass as the only member of the group who was still commercially viable which is why "Dream A Little Dream of Me" was promoted as a Mama Cass single and a launching pad for Cass's solo career so the rest of the album didn't really get the promotion it deserved. The group officially broke up shortly after it was released so they didn't tour or making any television appearances to promote it which also hurt. They all knew that the group was over so they finished the album and went their separate ways.

As far as the "People Like Us" album was concerned, this was clearly a situation where all 4 members had grown even farther apart and were forced to give ABC another record or be sued for a million dollars. There are some really good songs on "People Like Us" - I especially like "Pacific Coast Highway" because I feel it most closely resembled the old "sound" of the group - really upbeat with the harmonies they were known for. Some of the cuts on the album suffered because Cass was ill and her voice was weak and therefore didn't give most of songs the "punch" that is so evident on their previous recordings. Also, the fact that all four members were never in the studio at the same time to actually sing together hurt the final result of the album. Lou Adler wasn't involved in the project at all - he was producing Carole King's "Tapestry" album. ABC didn't promote the album at all which ultimately doomed it commercially. In all of their subsquent interviews, all four members panned the album saying that "it sounds like what it is - four people who were bored and were forced to do another album to avoid a lawsuit". Still, it has some good songs and I wonder what might have happened if it was better produced and promoted.

Rob