Elliot was widely considered the most charismatic member of the Mamas & the Papas due to her sense of humor and optimism, in part because of her large size and weight. She was one of the most beloved members of the group, and her warm, distinctive voice was a large factor in their success. She is best remembered for her vocals on the group's Billboard hits "California Dreamin", "Monday, Monday", and "Words of Love", as well as her first hit as an independent act, "Dream a Little Dream Of Me".
Cass was in love with fellow Mamas & Papas band member Denny Doherty. His affair with another married band member, Michelle Phillips, was one of the causes of the break-up of the band. Elliot resented Michelle's perceived betrayal of their friendship and helped to support the band's decision to fire Michelle in June 1966, when it became clear that John Phillips could no longer work with her. The band quickly replaced Michelle with Jill Gibson, girlfriend to their producer Lou Adler. However, by late August of 1966, Michelle was let back into the group, while Jill received a lump sum for her efforts. Gibson would later admit to feeling betrayed by the band.
Cass gave birth to a daughter named Owen Vanessa Elliot, on 26 April 1967, without naming the father.
Elliot guest-starred three times on Julie Andrews's 1973 television series, The Julie Andrews Hour. Cass's voice blended surprisingly well with that of Andrews, given their stylistic differences, and they created a pleasing onscreen chemistry. Cass also made guest appearances on The Carol Burnett Show.
Elliot was a close friend and neighbor of coffee heiress Abigail Folger, who was a victim of the Charles Manson murders. She was also close to actress Sharon Tate, writer Wojciech Frykowski, and international hairdresser Jay Sebring, all victims of the Manson madness in the summer of 1969. Singer and performer Sammy Davis, Jr. was also a good friend of Elliot and this group, and Davis has been quoted as saying that they had all been together days before the tragedy, and were it not for he and Cass each flying off to other gigs that week, they too could have been victims of the Manson Family.
After the breakup of The Mamas & the Papas in July 1968, Elliot went on to have a successful solo career, even headlining briefly in Las Vegas, for the whopping contract at that time of USD$40,000 per week. Though her Vegas gig ended badly, she was a regular on TV talk shows and variety shows in the 1970s. Her most successful recording during this period was Dream a Little Dream of Me from her solo album of the same name, released by Dunhill Records. At the height of her career in 1974, having just finished performing at the London Palladium theatre, she died of a heart attack. The coroner surmised her heart had weakened to the point of failure due to Elliot's weight and the effects of several crash diets over the years.
Elliot was married twice. In 1963 she wed James Hendricks; they divorced in 1968 (Hendricks had been a member of "Cass Elliot and the Big Three," later named "The Mugwumps"). In 1971 she married Baron Donald von Wiedenman, a journalist.
It should be noted, that Mama Cass died in the exact same bed, in the exact same room, (although a few years prior), as manic drummer of The Who, Keith Moon, in an apartment owned by singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.
An urban legend holds that Elliot died while choking on a sandwich, sometimes specified as a "ham" sandwich. Shortly after her death, but before her autopsy, The Times published an article that quoted her doctor as speculating that she "probably... died as a result of choking on a sandwich while lying in bed". However, the coroner found no food in her trachea, and reported the cause of death as heart failure. Nevertheless, the rumor spread, with the popular imagination adding that the sandwich contained ham (it possibly originated as an unkind remark about Elliot's weight). Another version of the story holds that the doctor found a sandwich or partially eaten sandwich in her room, causing him to speculate about the cause of death. Apparently, that version of the story has no corroboration either.
Another popular myth circulated about Elliot. While the Mamas & the Papas were touring as The Magic Circle (their name before changing it to The Mamas & the Papas), Elliot begged friend Denny Doherty to let her join the band. Though she had a great voice, the band's leader, John Phillips, didn't feel her voice blended well with the band's other female vocalist, his wife Michelle Phillips. But Elliot followed the band wherever they appeared, even to an engagement in the Virgin Islands. Here, she was finally accepted into the band. The myth purports that while in VI, a piece of copper tubing fell on her head and miraculously changed her voice. Though untrue, the myth has been repeated by such music professionals as Casey Kasem. Elliot was hit on the head with a copper pipe during a nightclub renovation, but it had no effect on her voice. The myth was apparently started by band member John Phillips as a justification for letting her into the band after initially refusing to allow her to join. He tells the story himself on the PBS special California Dreamin': The Songs of the Mamas and the Papas, insisting it's true.
Both rumors were mentioned in the Filmfour-produced film Beautiful Thing, of which Mama Cass' music is a big feature.
The E! True Hollywood Story biography about Elliot reports (and revives) the completely unfounded and baseless rumor that singer/songwriter John Lennon of The Beatles may have been the father of Elliot's daughter, Owen. This rumor most likely originated from Cass's fantasies due to her obsession with the Beatle -- demonstrated in the Mamas and the Papas rendition of the song "I Call Your Name," written by Lennon/McCartney, in which Cass literally calls out John's (Lennon) name. Many, many years later after the death of Mama Cass, bandmate Michelle Phillips helped Owen find her real biological father.
The song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" was featured in the ABC television show LOST, during the opening of season 2. It was played by Desmond to distract the survivors entering the Hatch.
California Earthquake
Mama Cass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What they say's gonna happen, gonna happen at last
That's the way it appears
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
So that may be, that may be, what's gonna happen, gonna happen to me
That's the the way it appears
Atlantis will rise, sunset Boulevard will fall
Where the beach use to be won't be nothin' at all
That's the way it appears
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
So that may be, that may be, what's gonna happen gonna happen to me
That's the way it appears
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
The lyrics to Mama Cass's song California Earthquake serve as a forewarning of a potential natural catastrophe. The opening lines refer to the underground blast which stands for an earthquake that could occur at any time. The following lines also suggest that the fault line runs right through this area, and this is in reference to the San Andreas Fault, which runs through the state of California. The lyrics further predict that Atlantis will rise and Sunset Boulevard will fall, signifying the massive destruction an earthquake of that nature could bring. Mama Cass poses a question to the listener, whether what's going to happen, will happen to them too. In this line, Mama Cass reflects on the uncertainty of life and how natural disasters can strike anyone.
The song lyrics align with the time the song was written, in 1971, when there was an increase in the intensity of earthquakes in California. Mama Cass's California Earthquake effectively reflects people's apprehension towards earthquakes happening in California. Her lyrics also capture the spirit and sentiments of the people living in California's earthquake-prone regions, where every day is uncertain because they live in fear of a sudden natural calamity. The song's lyrics portray Mama Cass's unique point of view and her reflection of how she perceives the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard they exploded the underground blast
I heard rumors about an explosion from an underground blast.
What they say's gonna happen, gonna happen at last
People are saying that something is going to happen and it seems like it's finally about to take place.
That's the way it appears
It seems like that's the reality of the situation.
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
People are warning me that an earthquake fault line passes through this area.
So that may be, that may be, what's gonna happen, gonna happen to me
It's possible that something bad could happen to me because of the earthquake fault line, but I'll just have to wait and see.
Atlantis will rise, sunset Boulevard will fall
The earthquake is going to be so strong that it will cause things that seem impossible, like the rise of Atlantis, and things that seem permanent, like Sunset Boulevard, to fall.
Where the beach use to be won't be nothin' at all
Even the beach, which seems like a constant in California, will be completely wiped away if the earthquake hits.
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
Again, people are reminding me that the earthquake fault line is in this area.
So that may be, that may be, what's gonna happen gonna happen to me
It's still uncertain whether or not the earthquake will affect me personally, but it's always a possibility.
That's the way it appears
Based on the information I've been given, it seems like this disaster could happen at any moment.
They tell me the fault line runs right through here
Once again, the repeated mention of the fault line is emphasizing the danger that everyone in California is facing.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN HARTFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Kirchhoff
on A Song That Never Comes
This lady was one of a kind anid miss her . . .