The Mamas & the Papas Viral Banana Performance: Watch Video
The Ed Sullivan Show was a classic piece of American television and the longest-running variety series, from 1948 to 1971. Every Sunday night, the show would feature some form of entertainment act, mainly music, and gave a start to some of the world’s biggest artists, including The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Dean Martin.
Queen Band Members: A Look Back at the Anthemic British Rockers
When The Mamas & The Papas had their slot on the show in 1967, it was a major deal. But when the band was informed they would have to lip-sync their hit, “California Dreamin,’” the group members weren’t too thrilled.
See the performance below:
To protest the issue of lip-syncing, the group put on an interesting performance. Michelle Phillips, lead vocalist of the group, decided to bring a banana onto the stage and eat it during her performance. Phillips chose this approach rather than putting on a great show just to stick it to the producers. She even began to sing into the banana at the end rather than her microphone.
John Phillips, who was married to Michelle at the time, took his own stab at making fun of the performance by having a conversation with his wife while they were supposed to be singing. The performance – featuring the strong message about live singing – is going viral once again on social media.
The Mamas & the Papas and the Drama That Unfolded For The Legendary Musicians
Why did The Mamas & The Papas ruin the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ performance?
While the performance of “California Dreamin’” was meant to be a joke, it did gain a lot of traction. The group wanted to poke fun at the fact that live music was meant to be live — not pre-recorded. The Mamas & The Papas certainly got their message across when they botched their performance by not abiding by the rules.
But their reasoning for barely singing during the performance could also be because rebellious acts within music were on the rise at the time. It is possible that The Mamas & The Papas chose to sing into a banana and have a conversation mid-performance simply because they wanted to be a part of the rejection of social values, which included following the rules of “live” performance.
Heart Band Members: See the Female-Fronted Rock Band Then and Now
Who are The Mamas & The Papas?
Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer / Getty
The Mamas & The Papas were a folk-rock group, which formed in 1965. The group consisted of members Michelle Phillips, John Phillips, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty. While they only remained together until 1968, the band was a driving force in the creation of the music scene. Their intriguing lyrics and harmonies were credited to John Phillips, who wrote almost all of the group’s music.
Michelle Phillips: A Look at the Long Journey of the Mamas & the Papas Singer Turned Actress
With major songs like “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday,” the band rose to fame for their distinct sound. The Mamas & The Papas even won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance of “Monday, Monday” at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards. The song was nominated for three other awards as well.
“Monday, Monday” soared to the No. 1 slot on the Hot 100 chart upon its release, with “California Dreamin’” coming in at No. 4 and “Dedicated to the One I Love” at No. 2. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 by Shania Twain. According to Rockhall.com, “Their distinct voices and personalities blended together to form an extraordinary group that was more than the sum of its parts.”
The Mamas & The Papas talk about ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’
Although The Mamas & The Papas weren’t thrilled about having to lip-sync on live television, they did appreciate being asked to perform on the show. Michelle Phillips said in an interview, “The minute we started doing [The Ed] Sullivan [Show], people started buying those records.”
