Go Where You Wanna Go: The Oral History of the Mamas and the Papas

by Matthew Greenwald

Go Where You Wanna Go collects the memories of band members John and Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, and Denny Doherty, along with recollections from friends, fellow musicians, industry insiders, and other eyewitnesses. In Greenwald's hands, the intertwining interviews tell the story of the band from its early days in downtown New York to its global success following the release of California Dreamin'. As the testimonials reveal, the band that harmonized...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815412045
• ISBN13: 9780815412045
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

BEST OVERVIEW OF MAMAS AND PAPAS EVER COMPILED!

I have read the reviews written here, and have to wholeheartedly disagree. This is a phenomenol account, and matthew greenwald did a superlative job. I am an AVID Mamas and Papas fan, and have read EVERTHING written about them. THIS IS THE BOOK TO READ if you want to get a complete picture of the players and the era. I learned so much from the people who were their friends and contemporaries. I have read "Papa John" by John Phillips and found it meandering and full of untruths. I have read "California Dreaming" by Michelle Phillips and found her writing to be childish and insipid. This is the book to get! You will learn SO much about this group and the flower power era than in any other publication.

You'll Never Listen to Their Music the Same Way Again!

It's all here. The e-x-a-c-t quotes. And Matthew Greenwald conducted the interviews.You'll hear from the Mamas and the Papas' lead singer Denny Doherty, the late John Phillips and Cass Elliot, Michelle Phillips, Russell Gilliam (Michelle's sister), David Crosby, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Graham Nash, Barry "Eve of Destruction" McGuire, Mark Volman of the Turtles, Donovan, singer Scott MacKenzie, singer-songwriter P.F. Sloan, recording engineer and producer Bones Howe, mogul-producer Lou Adler, original Rolling Stones manager-producer Andrew Loog Oldham, Jerry Yester of the Lovin' Spoonful, Ray Manzarek of the Doors, Al Kooper, Marilyn Wilson (Beach Boy Brian's ex-wife), singer and painter Jill Gibson (who replaced Mama Michelle briefly in 1966), photographer Guy Webster and the Kingston Trio's John Stewart, among others....Mamas and Papas' fans have read about Denny's romantic kiss before in Michelle Phillips' 1986 autobiography, "California Dreamin," but I was now happy to read Denny Doherty's exact quotes about the handsome couples' love affair, while I'm waiting for Denny's current musical "Dream a Little Dream, the Nearly True Story of the Mamas & The Papas," to come to the states.The hard-driving, John Phillips' brilliance in arranging vocals and songwriting is talked about extensively. And "Go Where You Wanna Go" also explains how Denny Doherty and Lou Adler convinced John Phillips' wife and soon-to-be widow, Farnez, to allow Michelle see her ex-husband before he passed away. This book also has John and Michelle's last words on John's deathbed. John Phillips' Eulogy is here as well.Rock engineer and producer Bones Howe's candid shots of the Mamas & The Papas are also included. He used a 16mm "spycam" that he concealed in the palm of his hand to get the never-before-published photographs.The actual phonograph recording contracts are shown in this book. I liked reading the producer's engineer's, studio musicians' and friends' praise of Denny's and Cass Elliot's singing voices, and analyzations of the Mamas & The Papas' personalities.Loved Denny's entertaining story on the surprise WHO concert--he caught outside his hotel--after the Ms and Ps performed at Monterey in '67, and why he almost didn't show up for this Ms and Ps historic performance! Read his first impression of Jimi Hendrix's and THE WHO's set that he witnessed at the Monterey Pop Festival before the Ms and Ps took the stage. (Remember THE WHO and Hendrix were relatively unknown at the time.)Did David Crosby really turn Cass onto heroin? The Crosby, Stills, and Nash singer/songwriter answers this question here.Sandy Grangers' extensive 9-page discography is a book in itself. It shows the facts behind the Mamas & The Papas' unreleased material, such as "Here in My Arms."And to quote from Matthew Greenwald:Follow this book as a film on the printed page, or better yet, a play or a large conversation, and you'll do all right. The story of the Mamas & The Papas inclu

A thorough and very highly recommended sourcebook

Go Where You Wanna Go: The Oral History Of The Mamas & The Papas by rock journalist Matthew Greenwald is the informed and informative story of "The Mamas & The Papas", one of the most widespread, popular, and successful musical acts of the twentieth century. Featuring a lengthy, rare, and never-before-published interview with Mama Cass, and including the points of view of fans, contributors, critics, friends, and colleagues of The Mamas & The Papas, Go Where You Wanna Go is a thorough and very highly recommended sourcebook for fans of this memorable group and who want to learn more about the people who helped to make the popular music of a generation.

THE Definitive Book About the First Royal Family of Pop

I was involved in this project almost from the start. I wrote the discography and contributed a photo. I am also quoted in the book. But none of that means that I got to read the final print until it was released. I was blown away! If you are looking for a novel about the group go to the library. That's been done. This is a fantastic collection of quote after qoute of the people that were there. Some of them will be very familar and some of them you will get to know. They are all part of the comedy and drama that led up to and lasted through the incredible "bubble" in time that was The Mamas and The Papas. And it doesn't stop there. The revelation and confessions don't stop until the last day when the manuscript had to be submitted for publishing. You don't want to miss Michelle's deathbed good-bye to John or any of the other rare moments and photo images in this, probably one of the best tomes ever assembled about any of the rock-n-roll greats.PLEASE NOTE: I have no financial stake in the success - or lack of success - in this publication. I do, however, express my opinions freely and honestly. This book deserves to be read and the enlightened reader deserves this exceptional book.

An excellent work!

It's fantastic! I have expected its release since I first learnt that it was gonna be written (approx. 2 years ago). It's been a long time but it was worth the wait. I've read Michelle's and John's biographies and even Hall Doug's California Dreamin' and I think that Greenwald's GO WHERE YOU WANNA GO is not just another book in the Mamas and the Papas' bibliography. You can always find something new throughout it that has not been mentioned in the other books. As the title says it's an oral history and it's told not only by Michelle, Cass, John, and Denny, but also by all those who directly or indirectly were part of their roller-coaster lives. The book has the power of making you feel that you were also part of that story since a single event, for instance, is told by three or four different people without necessarily overlapping but complementing each other. I recommend this book not only to any The Mamas and the Papas' fans but also to all those who are interested in the history of Rock and Roll of the late 60's.