The Mamas & The Papas The Mamas & the Papas were a vocal group of the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and ten hit singles. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide. The band became famous with the release of their second single California Dreamin' in late 1965. Monday, Monday, the third single they released became their one and only number 1 hit in the US charts.