The Mamas and the Papas' were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, reuniting briefly in 1971. They released five studio albums and seventeen singles, six of which made the top ten, and sold close to 40 million records worldwide. The group comprised John Phillips (1935–2001), Canadian Denny Doherty (1940–2007), Cass Elliot(1941–1974), and Michelle Phillips née Gilliam (b. 1944). Their sound was based on four-voice two-part vocal harmonies arranged by songwriter and leader, John Phillips, an innovator who adapted folk to the new "beat" style of the early sixties.