Mamas and Papas Original Exposed toilet Cover

$

156

Thanks for checking out my albums! I've been collecting records for 20 years or so, to re-live my youth. Oh to be in the 60's again, far out man, but its time to give up those days. Well, maybe I'll just sell a few albums and think about it, I'm not that old, I can still party with the best of them, as long as the party over by 8:00. Anyway I'm sure you will find the albums I put up for bid will have some tear stains on them, I mean they will be some pretty decent 1st pressings, or HTF releases. Lots of Beatles, late 50's and 60's. Oh yeah, quite a few Audiophile pressings too.

A nice clean, stereo, 1st pressing of this title. The Mamas and Papas were pretty much the icon of "Flower Power" in the 60's. With "California Dreaming" and "Monday, Monday" headlining this album how can you go wrong.

Here's an interesting story, I found on the net. 

When the Mamas and the Papas’ If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears album was released in early 1966, the two mamas and the two papas were still sharing a house, a situation which soon changed after Michelle Phillips was caught having an affair (or in Michelle’s version, a one-night stand) with Denny Doherty. The story goes that when the photographer was at the group’s communal house to shoot the cover pic, the lively four decided to play a game of hide-sand-seek with him. As they were hiding in the bath, the photographer opened the door and snapped the winning image. The subjects’ facial expressions on the photo give no clue that the story might be apocryphal.

The positioning is remarkable. John Phillips, on the far left, was married to Michelle. At that point Michelle had her affair (or secret exchanges of affection) with Denny. Meanwhile, Cass was in unrequited love with Denny, a life-long love that would never be romantically reciprocated. Note that Michelle is lying in Denny’s arms, her boots metaphorically directed at her husband. And poor Cass is putting on a jovial face when surely she would want to be the one in Denny’s arms.

As noted, at the time the album came out, Michelle and Denny (who was deeply in love with her) had not been caught out yet. So the story that John wrote Go Where You Wanna Go as a bitter commentary about Michelle’s tryst with Denny is not correct. It is, however, inspired by a previous extra-marital affair Michelle allegedly had conducted. So here he has his wife crooning about her inability to exercise fidelity. Eventually, John expelled Michelle (one of the most gorgeous women in pop ever) from the group, after her affair with the Byrds’ Gene Clark, but soon took her back.

John was not above punishing his bandmates in lyrics. The line “…and nobody was getting fat except for Mama Cass” in Creeque Alley on the Deliver LP was particularly cruel on Ms Elliott, who suffered life-long self-esteem and, indeed, romantics problem owing to her obesity (in the end, rapid weight-loss possibly contributed to the heart attack that killed her in 1973). Cass, whom John didn’t want in the group in first place and whose stardom he resented, sang the line with breezy gusto. Deep down it must have hurt. Likewise, having Cass and Denny dueting on a song about unrequited love titled Gad To Be Unhappy with the line, “Like a straying baby lamb with no mama and no papa, I’m so unhappy” seems like a calculated insult quite in keeping with John’s character.

But romantic intrigue isn’t what the cover of If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears is famous for. Its notoriety derives from the depiction of – gasp – a toilet. Soon, the toilet would be covered with an overprint and/or stickers advertising featured hits and awards won. A later cover simply cropped the picture closer to eliminate the fallout. It is bizarre to think that a humble toilet, by then standard issue in most American homes, should have posed such a threat to the moral susceptibilities of a nation which was pretty tolerant of atomic testing, McCarthyism, racial violence and other such sordid activities.

It must be said, however, that the state of the toilet does not hint at meticulous housekeeping standards chéz Mamas & Papas. Perhaps the guardians of American sensibility were more concerned about the effect the cover might have on the nation’s proud housewives, now at risk of corruption by Cass and Michelle’s slovenly disregard for brush and bleach (they would not, of course, hold the lazy guys accountable).

Strict Goldmine Grading Standards!!!

ARTIST: Mamas and Papas

ALBUM TITLE: If You Can Believe Your eyes and Ears

LABEL & CATALOG # Dunhill DS-50006

PRESSING INFO: 1966-Stereo 1st pressing

 ALBUM COVER: VG++

Front~ Beautiful, no ringwear or fading.

 Back~ Very clean.

 Spine~ Clean, free from cracks and splits

Seams~ Clean, no splits

Corners~Nice, very light wear.

Record Mouth~ Straight, clean edges.

Gate fold Inside N/A

Inserts~ None

Comments All album covers are inspected very closely. You can rest assured there will be NO surprises when you receive your album.

 VINYL:

Visual Grade~ VG++

Play Grade~ VG++

Labels~ Clean, a few very light spindle marks.

Record Sleeve~ White paper

Comments~ All vinyl is cleaned with a Nitty Gritty record cleaning system, unless sealed.

Shipping Info: All albums are packaged with record and cover separated, protected by cardboard inserts, and bubble wrapped together. Shipped in a new record mailer.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your Ebay experience!