From the Islands to a Record Deal
The quartet spent early spring to midsummer of 1965 in the Virgin Islands “to rehearse and just put everything together,” according to John Phillips. But apparently, a certain accident left Elliot with a new singing voice. “I had a bad headache for about two weeks and all of a sudden I was singing higher. It’s true.” I guess we’ll just have to take her word for it.
Mama Cass and Tom Jones. Photo by Valley Music Ltd / Shutterstock
The group then headed to California and signed with Dunhill Records in 1965. The deal: to record two albums a year for the next five years, with a royalty of 5% on 90% of retail sales. At that point, Cass Elliot’s membership wasn’t official until the paperwork was signed. Ultimately, Lou Adler of Dunhill Records, Michelle, and Denny overruled John.