Concert dates and info for the M&P's and related groups

[Sportguynj1]

I interviewed Denny for my school newspaper when the New Mamas and the Papas (John, Denny, Mackenzie Phillips and Spanky MacFarland) came to perform at my college here in New Jersey in 1984. I told him that I was born the day "Monday, Monday" was Number 1 (and so was their first album) in May, 1966 and that my parents had seen them in concert at Carnegie Hall later than fall (November 11, 1966). Denny said that even though the original group did only around 35 live performances, he remembered that the Carnegie Hall show was definitely one of the best shows they ever did. He also mentioned that their last show, at the Hollywood Bowl (August 18, 1967) was also amazing. I asked him why the Hollywood Bowl was their last live show and he said - and I quote - "That's where we performed our first concert together the year before with Sonny and Cher". He didn't mention anything about a second appearance at Carnegie Hall but that the group was supposed to perform in London and Paris but that didn't happen because of Cass's arrest.

I got to see Denny a few times with the new line-up as well as a few years back when he was doing "Dream a Little Dream" here in New York City in the West Village. He actually remembered me and autographed a poster from the show and we chatted awhile. I congratulated him for being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and that I loved his show and he couldn't have been more gracious.

[John Sands]

I wish that there was more pics of the first bowl show. There is one on gettyimgages, or it was on gettyimages, and the old Movie Teen Magazine has some back stage shots. There are tons of photos of the group rehearsing at the bowl and some taken while they are seated in the bleachers. I read that Otis Redding and Bob Lind was at that show so it must have been a kind of review where each artist did a few of their songs.

[Sportguynj1]

Unfortunately, most of the live concert photos taken of the original group were from their three most popular live shows: the Carnegie Hall concert in November, 1966 (see the photos on the back of the "Deliver" album and the cover of the 1998 remastered Greatest Hits), the Monterey Pop Festival and the final concert at the Hollywood Bowl. There are a lot of photos of the final Hollywood Bowl concert in the picture booklet contained in the "Gathering of Flowers" album and a color photo on the back of the "Farewell to the First Golden Era" album.

Linda McCartney took a few candid b&w shots of them while they were staying at the Sherry Netherland Hotel in the fall of 1966 - most likely while they were in town for the Carnegie Hall concert on November 11th or their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show on December 11th.

Rob

[John Sands]

there was an excellent inteview/article of the group at the Sherry Netherland in one of the Teen mags back then.

[Sportguynj1]

They stayed at the Sherry Netherland every time they came to New York City to do Ed Sullivan or perform a concert like Carnegie Hall or Fordham University.

I also did some additional checking and found four more concerts they did in 1966-67:

late September/early October 1966 - weekend shows at Washington DC and Baltimore

fall 1966 - Veteran's Memorial Hall (NY)

March, 1967 - Hawaii (Oahu)

Rob

[Ars_Nova_Chris]

Rob, sources on these, please?

[Ars_Nova_Chris]

[Nicole]

Hi Rob,
Regarding the Oahu, Hawaii concert in 1967, was that the concert Michelle Phillips mentioned in her memoir that they did during a thunderstorm in Hawaii?
Take care,
Nicole

[Sportguynj1]

Hi Nicole,

Yes, that's the concert that Michelle mentioned in her book - it took place in March, 1967 on the island of Oahu during a terrible storm. Apparantly the group was there for a week to vacation after the release of their "Deliver" album. They also took some 16mm black and white film - I remember a clip was run on an interview I saw with Michelle back in the late 80's when I was in college and she was promoting her book. I believe she said it was the last stop of their tour before she and John got involved with the planning of the Monterey Pop Festival and Cass gave birth to her daughter.

Chris - As far as the other live shows from 1966 that I mentioned earlier, Michelle states in her book that they played at the Veteran's Memorial Hall and John made a comment about the Vietnam War and was asked to apologize for his remark. He didn't so the police didn't offer the group any protection getting from the stage to their limo so they were mobbed, their clothes were ripped and their hair was pulled.

The shows in Washington DC and Baltimore are mentioned in "Go Where You Wanna Go" - both were played on the same weekend. My uncle was going to Georgetown University at the time and he told me he saw them in an outdoor concert at the Baltimore Civic Center a few weeks after classes started so that would be either late September or early October.

Rob

[Sportguynj1]

Found 8 dates from October, 1966 on the web: http://www.books.google.com/books

Here is the quote from the article which may help to fill in 8 concerts the Mamas and Papas performed from mid to late October, 1966:

"The Mama's and Papa's began an 8 city tour in Boston last Friday, October 14th. Other dates are: Washington (15th), Baltimore (16th), New York (21st), Chapel Hill, North Carolina (22nd), Atlanta (23rd), Detroit (29th) and Chicago (30th)"

The only date missing was Minneapolis which they performed on October 19th - maybe this date was added after the article appeared?

Rob