The Mamas & The Papas Used This 1966 Hit Single To Air Out the Band’s Dirty Laundry

Bands writing songs about the relationships between members is a time-honored practice in pop music history. But it’s safe to say that The Mamas & The Papas took it to another level on a 1966 single.

The song was written by two members of the group and directed at another, in particular her romantic escapades with others. Imagine the awkwardness of those recording sessions. But the fact that the song became a huge hit likely softened the blow.

Love Triangle Drama

The music of The Mamas & The Papas featured some of the most gorgeous vocal harmonies ever captured on record. Alas, that harmony wasn’t always easy to come by when it came to the relationships among the group’s four members. Maybe that’s why they lasted barely four years before imploding, despite incredible commercial success in their time together.

At the heart of the issue was the marriage of John and Michelle Phillips. The pair wed in 1962. Just a few years later, they connected with Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot to form The Mamas & The Papas. John Phillips did most of the writing and spearheaded the stunning vocal arrangements that set the group apart.

In 1965, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillips began an affair. After it was discovered by John Phillips, the band easily could have broken up right then and there. But their massive pop success convinced the men to bury the hatchet and push forward. To show there were no hard feelings, they even wrote the song “I Saw Her Again” together, a song that slyly hinted at Doherty’s desire to see Michelle even though it was technically taboo.

An Ousted Singer

A few things complicate this story. Some accounts say that Doherty had little to do with writing the song, especially the lyrics. That would mean John Phillips was getting some frustration off his chest with the song. In addition, Michelle Phillips also had a subsequent affair with Gene Clark of The Byrds in 1966.

The timing of that latter affair seems to put it after the writing of “I Saw Her Again”, but it’s hard to say. In any case, that particular tryst led to Michelle being fired by John. She was quickly reinstated when fans didn’t take to the band with replacement Jill Gibson.

One other famous part of this song is when Doherty seems to accidentally start singing the final verse a beat too soon. This was actually the fault of engineer Bones Howe, who punched in the vocals ahead of the proper time. Producer Lou Adler liked what he heard anyway and left the error in the final mix. “I Saw Her Again” shot to No. 5 in 1966.

Behind the Lyrics of “I Saw Her Again”

The narrator of “I Saw Her Again” at times comes off like a selfish cad, which, if it’s true that John Phillips was the main writer, might have been his way of striking back at Doherty and Michelle. “Now she thinks that I love her,” Doherty sings at one point. “Because that’s what I said/Though I never think of her.”

This guy’s motivations don’t seem to stray beyond his own needs and desires. “But what can I do? I’m lonely too,” he pleads. Guilt eventually enters the picture. “But I really need that girl,” Doherty belts. “Though I’m livin’ a lie/It makes me wanna cry.”

All these emotions are papered over somewhat by those gilded harmonies crashing in at every possible angle. “I Saw Her Again” somehow featured The Mamas & The Papas at their musical best and their personal worst.

(Photo by Watson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)