The Mugwumps (band)

The Mugwumps
Background information
Origin	New York, New York, United States
Genres	Folk rock
Years active	1964
Labels	Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Big 3 The Lovin' Spoonful The Mamas & the Papas
Past members	Cass Elliot Denny Doherty Jim Hendricks John Sebastian Zal Yanovsky

The Mugwumps were a 1960s folk rock band, based in New York City, that featured later members of the the Mamas & the Papas and the Lovin' Spoonful. They released one self-titled album in 1967 and two singles.

The origin of the band's name is unclear. One source says that it was taken from the William S. Burroughs novel The Naked Lunch. The liner notes for the 2007 re-release of The Mugwumps reports that Jim Hendricks claimed that the name came from music producer Erik Jacobsen. Denny Doherty claimed that the name came from his Newfoundland grandmother. (Historically, "Mugwumps" were dissident American Republicans of 1884, from Algonquian mugquomp, "important person"). They largely played covers with some of their own material and played live. The album was released after the band had split up.

Members Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty would become one-half of the Mamas & the Papas (who told the story of The Mugwumps in their hit song "Creeque Alley"), while John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky would form the Lovin' Spoonful.

Jim Hendricks formed the Lamp of Childhood, which recorded three singles for Dunhill Records, and had some success as a performer and songwriter. He wrote the top 15 hit "Summer Rain" for Johnny Rivers, and the theme song "Long Lonesome Highway" for the TV show Then Came Bronson.

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