The Mugwumps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock[1] |
| Years active | 1964 |
| Labels | Warner Bros. |
| Spinoffs | |
| Spinoff of | |
| Past members | |
The Mugwumps was an Americanrock band formed inNew York City in 1964.[3] Signed toWarner Bros., the group released one single before disbanding in late 1964. An album by the band went unreleased until 1967, when some of its former members had become famous inthe Mamas and the Papas (Cass Elliot andDenny Doherty) andthe Lovin' Spoonful (Zal Yanovsky andJohn Sebastian).[4]
Jim Hendricks andCass Elliot, alongsideTim Rose, were members of a folk group calledthe Big 3, which saw some success in New York and landed several television appearances.Denny Doherty andZal Yanovsky were members ofthe Halifax Three, and became acquainted with Elliot while on tour.John Sebastian was a session musician who performed in the short-livedEven Dozen Jug Band. By 1964, all three bands had dissolved. Hendricks, Elliot, Doherty, Yanovsky, and Sebastian came together to form the Mugwumps.
The origin of the band's name is unclear. One source says that it was taken from theWilliam S. Burroughs novelThe Naked Lunch.[5] The liner notes for the 2007 re-release ofThe Mugwumps reports Hendricks's claim that the name came from music producerErik Jacobsen. Denny Doherty claimed that the name came from hisNewfoundland grandmother. Historically, "Mugwumps" were dissident AmericanRepublicans of 1884, fromAlgonquianmugquomp, "important person".
The Mugwumps largely played remakes of other artists' material such as “Searchin'”, with some of their own original songs.[6] They recorded one album, which was released after the band had split up.[7]
Arthur Mogull, the head ofWarner Bros. Records' Eastern operations, signed the Mugwumps to the label in August 1964.[8] That same month, the group recorded an album-worth of material over two days of sessions.[9] Warner Bros. released only one single from the sessions, "I'll Remember Tonight", which failed to chart.[10][11] Sebastian joined the group too late to have contributed to the group's recordings.[12] Warner Bros. released the rest of the band's recorded material in 1967, after its former members had become famous.[3]
Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty went on to formthe Mamas & the Papas withMichelle andJohn Phillips (who told the story of the Mugwumps in their song "Creeque Alley"). John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, meanwhile, formedthe Lovin' Spoonful,[13] who released a number of hit albums and singles, including the chart-topping "Summer in the City". Hendricks later formed the bandThe Lamp of Childhood, and eventually found more success as a songwriter, writing theJohnny Rivers hit "Summer Rain" and the theme song for the television seriesThen Came Bronson.
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1967 | The Mugwumps
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| Year | Single details |
|---|---|
| 1964 | "I'll Remember Tonight"[A] b/w "I Don't Wanna Know" |
| 1967 | "Searchin'" b/w "Here It Is Another Day" |
Notes
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