Michelle Phillips debunks the myth behind her iconic 'California Dreamin' banana lip-sync

Lip-syncing is probably bizarre for most musicians. The audience can tell you’re not really producing sound—often because your microphone isn’t plugged in—and the whole thing can feel a little pointless and silly. But there are actual technical reasons why some of your favorite artists were miming on national television, and it was a pretty standard practice decades ago.

Which brings us to The Mamas & the Papas, the folk-pop quartet known for their string of sunshiny hits. In 1967, they "played" a three-song medley on The Ed Sullivan Show, including a clearly lip-synced version of "California Dreamin’"—and that resurfaced footage recently went viral due to the hilarious choices of singer Michelle Phillips, who's seen peeling and eating a banana on stage. In retrospect, many media outlets and casual fans interpreted this gesture as a fruit-fueled "protest," a moment of rebellion against the studio big wigs and their lip-sync preferences. But that doesn’t seem to be quite accurate.

Before we get into that, though, let’s revisit the actual footage. "California Dreamin’" was the last song of three, and the banana move makes a bit more sense with that context in mind. During opener "Monday Monday," we see a bit more of the psychedelic stage setup, filled with swirling colors and unusual props—including a bathtub, a possible nod to the cover of their debut album, 1966’s If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears. At one point, Phillips reclines in the kaleidoscopic tub (located next to a bright-red fire hydrant) and munches on some green grapes.

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The food bit is woven throughout the entire six-minute production: Phillips eats more grapes and officially peels a banana during "I Call Your Name," so she's already in full fruit mode when they segue into "California Dreamin’." She just leans into it even further, often taking bites during the vocal harmony parts and seemingly playing to the camera. The whole vibe feels playful and loose—and according to Phillips herself, nothing was too coordinated. She ate the banana basically because she wanted something to do.

AsSnopes notes, she talked about the goofy Ed Sullivan moment in a video posted on the YouTube channel of Chynna Phillips, a member of vocal trio Wilson Phillips and the daughter of Michelle and bandmate John Phillips. "It was so random, as you put it," she said of the performance, which Chynna called "iconic."

"You know, we were just lip-syncing to the song," she added. "And then I looked over and there was this plate of fruit, and there was this banana there, and so I just reached over and started peeling it, and I ate it!" Calling the decision "very spontaneous," she continued: "I looked over, and I was trying to do something with my hands, to do anything because I felt a little awkward."

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So, there you have it. While the "banana take" is undoubtedly hilarious—and has become iconic in its own way—it feels a bit presumptuous to call it a "protest." After all, The Mamas & the Papas appear to have utilized backing tracks during other TV spots, including one for "California Dreamin’" in late 1966. It’s not like lip-syncing was an unusual request at the time. (That said, not every TV performance was lip-synched, even on The Ed Sullivan Show. You might remember, for example, that time The Beatles changed music history. That one was very much live.)

Also, that practice never went away. One of music’s funniest and most famous TV-miming moments dates back to the 1994 AMC Awards. During Alan Jackson's "Gone Country," drummer Bruce Rutherford simply flailed his arms around, not even bothering to hold drum sticks.

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Why do artists lip-sync anyway? A lot of reasons, like illness, technical challenges, and lack of prep time. Ariel Chobaz, a prolific mix engineer, talked about this subject with ABC News’ 2020: "I've been involved in some very big broadcast shows, like the Grammys and the American Music Awards, and the time schedule is so precise. It's physically not possible to mic an entire band for every segment that comes up."