# Turn It Up! - The Monkees



## Guest (Aug 27, 2018)

View attachment 107141


_"Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher, radio
Turn it up, that's enough, so you know it's got soul
Radio, radio turn it up..."
_- Van Morrison

The average length of the 45 rpm single is 3 minutes and 30 seconds...

If you can't say what needs to be said in 3 minutes and 30 seconds then it probably isn't worth saying...

"Turn It Up!" is a series about those classic tunes played on radio stations the world over that still live on over the airwaves of our memories and the artists who created them...

*The Monkees*

The Monkees were an American rock and pop band originally active between 1966 and 1971, with reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees which aired from 1966 to 1968.

The musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork; and British actor and singer Davy Jones. The band's music was initially supervised by producer Don Kirshner, backed by the songwriting duo of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.

The four actor-musicians were allowed only limited roles in the recording studio for the first few months of their five-year career as "the Monkees".

Dolenz described the Monkees as initially being "a TV show about an imaginary band… that wanted to be the Beatles that was never successful". Ironically, the actor-musicians became one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide making them one of the biggest selling groups of all time.

In assigning instruments for purposes of the television show, a dilemma arose as to which of the four would be the drummer. Both Nesmith (a skilled guitarist and bassist) and Tork (who could play several stringed and keyboard instruments) were peripherally familiar with the instrument but both declined to give the drum set a try. Jones knew how to play the drums and tested well enough initially on the instrument, but the producers felt that, behind a drum kit, the camera would exaggerate his short stature and make him virtually hidden from view. Thus, Dolenz (who only knew how to play the guitar) was assigned to become the drummer. Tork taught Dolenz his first few beats on the drums, enough for him to fake his way through filming the pilot, but he was soon taught how to play properly.

Thus, the lineup for the TV show most frequently featured Nesmith on guitar, Tork on bass, Dolenz on drums and Jones as a frontman, singer and percussionist. This, however, is in opposition to the lineup which would have made the most sense based upon the members' musical strengths. For example, Tork was actually a more experienced guitar player than Nesmith, while Nesmith had at one time specifically trained on the bass. While Jones certainly had a strong lead voice and sings lead on several Monkees recordings, Dolenz's voice is regarded, particularly by Nesmith, as one of the most distinctive in popular music history and a hallmark of the Monkees' sound. This theoretical lineup was actually depicted once, in the music video for the band's song "Words", which shows Jones on drums, Tork playing lead guitar, Nesmith on bass and Dolenz fronting the group. In concert appearances Tork also took much of the guitar duties, even in appearances with Nesmith, and Dolenz often plays rhythm guitar on stage.

Controversy hit early in 1967 concerning the Monkees' studio abilities. Dolenz told a reporter that the Wrecking Crew provided the backing tracks for the first two Monkees albums, and that his origin as a drummer was simply that a Monkee had to learn to play the drums, and he only knew the guitar.

A January 28, 1967 Saturday Evening Post article quoted Nesmith railing against the music creation process. "Do you know how debilitating it is to sit up and have to duplicate somebody else's records?" he asked. "Tell the world we don't record our own music." The whistle-blowing on themselves worked to force producer Don Kirshner out of the project, and the band took creative control for its third album.

But the Monkees toured the U.K. in 1967 and found a chilly reception. The front pages of several U.K. and international music papers proclaimed that the group members did not always play their own instruments or sing the backing vocals in the studio. They were derisively dubbed the "Pre-Fab Four", and the London Sunday Mirror called them a "disgrace to the pop world."

*Jimi Hendrix* was their tour-opener that year, and he told Melody Maker magazine, "Oh God, I hate them! Dishwater… You can't knock anybody for making it, but people like the Monkees?"

Critics of the Monkees observed that they were simply the "Pre-Fab four", a made-for-TV knockoff of the Beatles; however, the members of the *Beatles* themselves took it in their stride and even hosted a party for the Monkees when they visited England. The party occurred during the time when the Beatles were recording album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; as such, the party inspired the line in the Monkees' tune "Randy Scouse Git", written by Dolenz, which read, "the four kings of EMI are sitting stately on the floor."

*George Harrison* praised their self-produced musical attempts, saying, "It's obvious what's happening, there's talent there. They're doing a TV show, it's a difficult chore and I wouldn't be in their shoes for the world. When they get it all sorted out, they might turn out to be the best." (Monkees member Peter Tork was later one of the musicians on Harrison's album Wonderwall Music, playing Paul McCartney's five-string banjo.

Nesmith attended the Beatles session recording for single "A Day in the Life" at Abbey Road Studios; he can be seen in the Beatles' home movies, including one scene where he is talking with* John Lennon*. During the conversation, Nesmith had reportedly asked Lennon "Do you think we're a cheap imitation of the Beatles, your movies and your records?" to which Lennon assuredly replied, "I think you're the greatest comic talent since the Marx Brothers. I've never missed one of your programs."

Nesmith wrote about this encounter on Facebook:

"When the Beatles were recording Sgt. Peppers, Phyllis and I spent a few days with John and wife *Cynthia Lennon* at their home, and one in the studio with "the boys." That's where those pictures of John and I come from-the "Day in the Life" session. The minute I had the wherewithal-cachet and money-I raced to London and looked up John.

During the '60s it seemed to me London was the center of the World and the Beatles were the center of London and the Sgt Pepper session was the center of the Beatles. It was an extraordinary time, I thought, and I wanted to get as close as I could to the heart of it. But like a hurricane the center was not stormy or tumultuous. It was exciting, but it was calm, and to an extent peaceful. The confidence of the art permeated the atmosphere. Serene-and really, really fun. Then I discovered the reason for this.

During that time in one of our longer, more reflective, talks I realized that John was not aware of who the Beatles were. Of course he could not be. He was clueless in this regard. He had never seen or experienced them. In the strange paradox of fame, none of the Beatles ever saw the Beatles the way we did. Certainly not the way I did. I loved them beyond my ability to express it. As the years passed and I met more and more exceptional people sitting in the center of their own hurricane I saw they all shared this same sensibility. None of them could actually know the force of their own work."

Dolenz was also in the studio during a Sgt. Pepper session, which he mentioned while broadcasting for radio WCBS-FM in New York (incidentally, he interviewed *Ringo Starr* on his program). On February 21, 1967, he attended the overdub and mixing session for the Beatles' "Fixing a Hole" at EMI's Abbey Road studio 2.

During the 1970s, during Lennon's infamous "lost weekend", Lennon, Ringo Starr, Micky Dolenz, *Harry Nilsson* and *Keith Moon* often hung out together, and were collectively known in the press as "*The Hollywood Vampires*".

*Paul McCartney* can be seen in the 2002 concert film Back in the U.S. singing "Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees", the theme from The Monkees television show, while backstage.

The Monkees, selected specifically to appeal to the youth market as American television's response to the Beatles with their manufactured personae and carefully produced singles, are seen as an original precursor to the modern proliferation of studio and corporation-created bands. But this critical reputation has softened somewhat, with the recognition that the Monkees were neither the first manufactured group nor unusual in this respect. The Monkees also frequently contributed their own songwriting efforts on their albums and saw their musical skills improve. They ultimately became a self-directed group, playing their own instruments and writing many of their own songs.

Notable achievements -

Gave the Jimi Hendrix Experience their first U.S. concert tour exposure as an opening act in July 1967. Jimi Hendrix's heavy psychedelic guitar and sexual overtones did not go over well with the teenage girls in the audience, which eventually led to his leaving the tour early.

Gene Roddenberry was inspired to introduce the character of Chekov in his Star Trek TV series in response to the popularity of Davy Jones, complete with hairstyle and appearance mimicking that of Jones.

The only recording act to have four No. 1 albums in a 12-month (changed from 1 year to avoid confusion with a calendar year) span.

In 2014 the Monkees were inducted into America's Pop Music Hall of Fame.

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) honored the Monkees with an Outstanding Achievement Award celebrating their 50th anniversary on May 16, 2016.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees

Peak US chart position in parenthesis -

"*[Theme From] "The Monkees*" - 1966 - (Did not chart until released as a B-side in 1986) -






"*Last Train to Clarksville*" - 1966 - (# 1) -






"*I'm a Believer*" - 1966 - (# 1) -






"*I'm Not Your Stepping Stone*" - 1966 - (# 20) -






"*A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You*" - 1967 - (# 2) -






"*Randy Scouse Git*" - 1967 - (# 2 in the UK - Did not chart in the US) -






"*Pleasant Valley Sunday*" - 1967 - (# 3) -






"*Words*" - 1967 - (# 11) -






"*Daydream Believer*" - 1967 - (# 1) -






"*Valleri*" - 1968 - (# 3) -






"*D. W. Washburn*" - 1968 - (# 19) -


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Fascinating information.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

As for their TV work I thought the Monkees had a good chemistry. John Lennon calling them the funniest thing since the Marx Bros was probably pushing it, but I liked their TV show a lot. As regards session musicians playing on their early records, back then that was done more often than is usually recognised - i.e. Roger McGuinn was the only of the Byrds to actually sing _and_ play on their _Mr. Tambourine Man_ single and b-side, while Alex Chilton and Gary Talley were often the only members of the five-piece Box Tops to at all on much of their early material.

Mike Nesmith is a quality musician and writer, and he did some fine country rock with his First and Second National Bands after the Monkees split.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Great introductory remakrs. 

The Monkees were so much fun. Their music was secondary to their comedy, but they turned out to be able to hold their own on a stage - except it didn't matter, because the girls screamed so loudly, they could hardly even hear themselves. It's notable that when the MTV generation rediscovered them, their show didn't seem dated, like so many teenage shows from that era did. 

I really liked their car.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

I always approached the Monkees from the point of the song and they covered the songs of some pretty good songwriters: Nilsson, Goffin and King, John Stewart, Neil Diamond. In addition, Nesmith added a few quality tunes as well. A personal favorite has always been _As We Go Along_ by Dolenz, with an assist from Neil Young on guitar.

Sidebar discussion: _Take a Giant Step_ and _The Porpoise Song_ both by Goffin and King have got to be some of the most hallucinogenic tunes of the era. Hmmmm, they didn't cover that in _Beautiful_!


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Yes I enjoyed their TV show, was it really that long ago, where have all those years gone.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I'm wit Jimi

"Jimi Hendrix was their tour-opener that year, and he told Melody Maker magazine, "Oh God, I hate them! Dishwater… You can't knock anybody for making it, but people like the Monkees?""


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

> Jimi Hendrix was their tour-opener that year, and he told Melody Maker magazine, "Oh God, I hate them! Dishwater… You can't knock anybody for making it, but people like the Monkees?"


I don't get Jimi's take. The Monkees were a lot of fun. I don't see why people couldn't like Jimi Hendrx and the Monkees. It's really a matter of variety.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Fritz Kobus said:


> I don't get Jimi's take. The Monkees were a lot of fun. I don't see why people couldn't like Jimi Hendrx and the Monkees. It's really a matter of variety.


Yeh Hendrix comes over as bitter or jealous, no matter they were good entertainers.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

In 1967 the Jimi Hendrix Experience were on the undercard for a UK tour with the mighty Engelbert Humperdinck - I wonder what Jimi thought of that.


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## Dan Ante (May 4, 2016)

Here we go again. ..........


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> In 1967 the Jimi Hendrix Experience were on the undercard for a UK tour with the mighty Engelbert Humperdinck - I wonder what Jimi thought of that.


There were a total of eight shows (two each in four cities) done as part of the "package tour" -

April 20, 1967 - ABC Cinema in Lincoln, Lincolnshire - with The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Californians, The Quotations, and MC Nick Jones.

April 21, 1967 - City Hall in Newcastle - same line-up as above.

April 22, 1967 - Odeon Cinema in Manchester - same line-up as above.

- Hendrix quote: ""_Although I wasn't scared starting my first big tour, we did wonder how they would accept us, there being so many different acts and us probably the most extreme of all. In Blackpool, the police slipped Mitch and Noel through side doors and took me around the block five times before helping me in. I lost some hair, but I might have lost the lot if they hadn't been guarding me!_"

April 23, 1967 - Gaumont Cinema in Hanley, Staffordshire - same line-up as above.

If you're interested in "The Californians" -

https://www.last.fm/music/The+Californians/+wiki

Haven't been able to determine if "The Quotations" are the New York doo-*** group of "See You In September" fame...

If anyone has a copy of this book it would make the basis of a great thread -

"Legends on Tour: The Pop Package Tours of the 1960s"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legends-Tour-Package-Tours-1960s/dp/0752442759

but not 200 plus £ "great"... so perhaps one of the UK members can just nick a copy from their local lending library, eh?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Dan Ante said:


> Yeh Hendrix comes over as bitter or jealous, no matter they were good entertainers.


Or Jimi thought, "I'm too cool to associat with this teeny bopper group."


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sydney, I think there were a few more before then - my mum and sister saw Hendrix at the Gaumont cinema in Worcester on 2nd April 1967 - they did two shows that day and the bill was similar if not the same. When my sister next contacts me I can ask her if she can remember what sort of band the Quotations were.


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> Sydney, I think there were a few more before then - my mum and sister saw Hendrix at the Gaumont cinema in Worcester on 2nd April 1967 - they did two shows that day and the bill was similar if not the same. When my sister next contacts me I can ask her if she can remember what sort of band the Quotations were.


Yes, I'm certain that you're right - I could only find a link for the shows listed in the post above but check out this story courtesy of Engelbert Humperdinck -

"Engelbert Humperdinck: "Jimi Hendrix saved my show!"

https://www.loudersound.com/features/engelbert-humperdinck-jimi-hendrix-saved-my-show

"A couple of Jimi's musicians used to play with me before they were with him. In the early sixties, when I was becoming established in the United Kingdom, I had Noel Redding and the drummer Eric Dillon [who later joined Redding in Fat Mattress] in my band. Later on, when promoters wanted to introduce a foreign act into the UK they would put them on with an established artist.

In spring 1967 I was part of a package tour with the Walker Brothers and Jimi and The Experience, though Cat Stevens and I were guesting more than being part of the billing.

"I don't know how many concerts we did together on that tour, but it was quite a thrill to be sharing the same stage as Jimi Hendrix. Little did I know that I was walking in the path of genius. It was immediately obvious that he was special, and that tour was when he started smashing his guitars up on stage and burning them, which was revolutionary in those days. I used to watch his show all the time from the wings. I remember seeing him burn his guitar, maybe even on the first night of the tour.

"One night, I can't remember exactly where, my guitarist didn't show up. In fact he didn't even call. But Jimi came over and said: 'Don't worry, man, I'll play for you.' I told him the audience would think it was bizarre if he was on stage with me. He went: 'I'll play behind the curtain.' So he went behind a curtain at the side of the stage and played. It felt as though there were three guitars behind me that night. That's how great he sounded. He was so solid and made everything sound massive. Afterwards I said to the audience: 'I don't think you people realise, but the great Jimi Hendrix has just been playing guitar for me.' He saved my show.

"We hung out together a few times on that tour. He was a very gentle man, a great person to be around. I'd smoke my cigars, we'd chew the fat a little, have a few drinks and relax. I didn't talk about music with him, because we were in different leagues and into different kinds of things. But I do remember him offering me one of his military jackets one night. I just told him: 'It's okay. Thank you so much though.' I was such a fool not to have taken it. I'm sick to this day that I didn't say yes!"

Reading this story makes me suspect that perhaps the genesis of the "Oh God, I hate them" quote from Hendrix stems from his bitterness over Mike Nesmith being unwilling to trade his green wool cap - (we call them "tuques" in Canada - tuques with pom-poms on top = formal wear; tuques without pom-poms = leisure wear) straight-up for one of Hendrix's military jackets. Nesmith reportedly said "New tuque for an old jacket, eh? - Thanks but no thanks!" Hendrix reportedly did not take that as well as one would have hoped and a vibrantly acrimonious life-long feud between himself and The Monkees ensued... all over a green tuque...

View attachment 107181


The above story may be somewhat apocryphal (with "apocryphal" being defined as "I'm completely making most if not all of this up")... but the Humperdinck story actually is true.

- Syd


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Ironic since I gather Nesmith grew to hate that hat and the _O'l Woolhat_ nickname that went with it.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Dan Ante said:


> Yeh Hendrix comes over as bitter or jealous, no matter they were good entertainers.


Haaaa haaaa haaaa! Jealous of the Monkees? The Monkees were pablum extruded by a cynical corporate machine. Did they even record their own records? I doubt it.

No, Jimi was just sincerely bemused by the phenomenon.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

RIP - Peter Tork - February 21, 2019


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

When I was still in middle school we were listening to The Monkees, because the TV show was good, and we were interested in keeping on top of pop music.
This was the age of AM radio, where you kept track of the top 40 every week, on little flyers printed out by radio stations, available on the counter top of the local record shop. It was a very exciting era. Most of us didn't have good stereos, so we listened to a lot of radio.
The Monkees had some good records: Last Train to Clarksville, I'm a Believer, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, She, (Theme from) The Monkees, Mary, Mary, Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow), Sometime In The Morning....written by good writers such as Gerry Goffin-Carol King, Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond...it was good pop music.

A salute to Peter Tork, and to pop music. Here is a song that he sang, that I will always associate with him: Auntie Grizelda.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

I read somewhere yesterday that Stephen Stills was someone who "encouraged" Peter Tork to join The Monkees, but no details...

It's obvious that one had to be a certain age at a certain time to "dig" this band and I was one of them at first. In the plains of the 1960s most of our music came from AM Radio and the 3 eyes on television, Ed Sullivan, etc... it was all mixed up from Everley Bros to Supremes to Johnny Cash with a lot of one hit pop wonders. In a way the Monkees were America's own Beatles and seemed more accessible in that sense, which is another way of saying we were spoonfed with identity-oriented publicity stuff. 

in HS I discovered the local uni station which was very weak at first but had programming that mixed "college rock" - Moody Blues, Led Zepp, Airplane, Dead - with classical and other genres as it there were no difference and - no commercials or chitchat. I would tape some of these on one of those little portable cassette recorders. In another year I was a confirmed consumer of vinyl and a regular at the record store. Now you see what I am... a man obsessed...all because of The Monkees and their ilk... still wondering if there is anything new I really need to hear, and the answer is still yes, it's just not so obvious what it is...


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

philoctetes said:


> in HS I discovered the local uni station which was very weak at first but had programming that mixed "college rock" - Moody Blues, Led Zepp, Airplane, Dead - with classical and other genres as it there were no difference and - no commercials or chitchat. I would tape some of these on one of those little portable cassette recorders. In another year I was a confirmed consumer of vinyl and a regular at the record store. Now you see what I am... a man obsessed...all because of The Monkees and their ilk... still wondering if there is anything new I really need to hear, and the answer is still yes, it's just not so obvious what it is...


We called it _Panorama_. It ran from 10am until 2pm, Monday - Friday! Music was at the DJ's discretion and could be a mix of classical, jazz, rock, blues, etc. It was the most difficult show to program for, usually taking hours of preplanning. Even 45 years later I remember one of my sets. The day before I had noticed during the nightly TV news that the next day was going to be rainy and overcast. So my set list that day went something like:

Handel - Water Music
Wooden Ships - CSN 
I Am The Mercury - Jimmie Spheeris
Let It Rain - Eric Clapton
High Water Everywhere - Charley Patton
Jeux d'eau - Ravel
Rain - Beatles
Le Mer - Debussy
Have You Ever Seen The Rain - CCR
When The Levee Breaks - Zep

Re: Tork and Stills - knew each other from the NYC folk scene circa 1964. Later out in California, Stills saw the ad in _Variety_ for tryouts for a new TV show. He tried out but failed the audition (because of his bad teeth) and when producers asked him if he knew anyone else who might be good for the part, Stills mentioned his friend Tork. What a stroke of luck that Stills wasn't selected!!!! BS was just around the corner.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Though I'll admit I usually keep it hidden, I do have a Monkees album in my collection.

I dug it out this week upon hearing the news of Peter Tork's death, and listened to several tracks. 

I don't think I'll put that album back in hiding.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

SONNET CLV said:


> Though I'll admit I usually keep it hidden, I do have a Monkees album in my collection.
> 
> I dug it out this week upon hearing the news of Peter Tork's death, and listened to several tracks.
> 
> I don't think I'll put that album back in hiding.


Is this what this Forum has now come to???...Is this the best we can now do with respect for four geniuses???...Is this where we are??? Really???


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> Though I'll admit I usually keep it hidden, I do have a Monkees album in my collection.
> 
> I dug it out this week upon hearing the news of Peter Tork's death, and listened to several tracks.
> 
> I don't think I'll put that album back in hiding.





millionrainbows said:


> Is this what this Forum has now come to???...Is this the best we can now do with respect for four geniuses???...Is this where we are??? Really???


I fail to see connection between millionrainbows most perceptively designed questions (brilliant questions, really!) and the text of my Monkees post.

I will add … as a participant in the theatre, I have great respect for talented actors, musicians, song writers, and even appreciation for zany situation comedy writing, all of which are on display with the Monkees. [The term "genius" is one worth some debate, perhaps, especially in this context.]


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

millionrainbows said:


> Is this what this Forum has now come to???...Is this the best we can now do with respect for four geniuses???...Is this where we are??? Really???


I think we should all go along with Tork's own assessment of the Monkees as being "one of the greatest garage bands ever." Of course, a garage band with a TV network and some of the better songwriters of the 60's behind them. All of our garage bands should have been so lucky.

Having said that, I would also like to point out that there are a number of folks in the R&R HOF who do not have the musical skills, nor made the same impact that Mike Nesmith has. Perhaps that says more about the HOF than it does about Nesmith. While clearly the boys as a group do not deserve to be in the HOF (exception Nesmith), it is impossible to remove the band's cultural and historical impact in the 60's.

One of America's "gifts" to the world is in taking a concept and [email protected] and commercializing it for the purposes of making money. That Tork, feeling guilty for his ill gotten fame and fortune, gave away almost all his Monkee money in the 70's speaks well of that soul.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

All the criticism leveled against The Monkees regarding their "corporate" creation and not playing on their recordings and all the other nonsense written about them along these lines cracks me up. In my enjoyment of their music I couldn't care less about those things. All rock music is corporate…it's commercial music. It amazes me how seriously people take rock music...the notion that it is art is baloney.

Good pop/rock music is fun and much of the music released under the Monkees name was good and sometimes great pop/rock music.

Dolenz, Jones and Nesmith were good vocalists (especially Dolenz) and Nesmith wrote some great songs by any measure...like this one:


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Fritz Kobus said:


> Fascinating information.


I agree, great topic.


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## Duncan (Feb 8, 2019)

Rogerx said:


> I agree, great topic.


:tiphat: to RogerX for bringing this to everyone's attention - I really like the title and the concept but with all respect to fellow Canadian Sydney Nova Scotia whose work ethic you have to admire if nothing else I feel that it is somewhat top heavy on text and far too light on graphics for a thread of this nature.

With the focus of these "Turn It Up!" threads apparently being on "Top 40" singles and their text-heavy back story an opportunity was missed to showcase the really great 45 rpm original picture sleeves that were used for these releases.

Also the exclusive focus on hit singles (in all of these "Turn It Up!" threads not just this one) overlooks some of the most significant releases by the artists featured which were album only. The thread on the Small Faces in particular was an opportunity missed as posting "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" in its entirety would have been a much better editorial call to make due to its cultural importance rather than highlighting a random assortment of singles that charted in the mid to high end of the Top 100 UK Singles charts. But to each his own, eh? - Cool concept...


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

The Monkees have some great album covers!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

And those T.V shows where amusing watching


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

I think that the dismissal of The Monkees stems from a lack of understanding of just what they were, and what they became.

They were designed as a "product". They were a TV show about a band. Actors were hired, and the selection process included finding actors that had some familiarity with music. Mickey Dolenz was previously a child TV star, starring in a series call *Jungle Boy*. Jones had starred in musical theatre, notably as The Artful Dodger in *Oliver!.*

Their job was to act in a TV show, and included recording vocals over prerecorded tracks written by others.

The exception to that is that somehow Nesmith managed to have a clause inserted into his contract that he'd get to write and produce two songs per album (BUT, although he was allowed to chose the musicians on his songs, he was not allowed to play on them himself - hence he hired fellow Monkee Peter Tork).

After the backlash about them not playing on their albums, they rebelled and were able to secure more time on their music.

This is what created the ultimate Fabricated group, *The Archies*: A band that wouldn't and couldn't rebel.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

pianozach said:


> ... although [Nesmith] was allowed to chose the musicians on his songs, he was not allowed to play on them himself - hence he hired fellow Monkee Peter Tork.


Interesting, in as much as they didn't like each other.



Rogerx said:


> And those TV shows where amusing watching


Rob Roy Fingerhead would agree.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

I am of the generation that experienced the Monkees real time - but I was more interested in the primary songwriters, *Tommy Boyce* and *Bobby Hart*. At the height of The Monkees trend they put out an LP, which I bought.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

SanAntone said:


> I am of the generation that experienced the Monkees real time - but I was more interested in the primary songwriters, *Tommy Boyce* and *Bobby Hart*. At the height of The Monkees trend they put out an LP, which I bought.


Same here! - I bought the single "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" sometime in 1968 - It reached number 7 on the Billboard charts - thanks to me - otherwise it would have stalled at # 8.






If you're really interested, this is a fascinating (and lengthy!) career overview - (Note: the website itself is a treasure trove of information on "Forgotten Hits" marred by an over-reliance on really dreadful formatting) -

http://forgottenhits.com/the_music_of_tommy_boyce_and_bobby_hart

Not generally known - Boyce and Hart wrote "(Theme From) The Monkees" -






If nothing else, the Monkees would effortlessly thrash the Beatles in the "Best Vocalist - Category: Drummer" contest...


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Sunburst Finish said:


> Same here! - I bought the single "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" sometime in 1968 - It reached number 7 on the Billboard charts - thanks to me - otherwise it would have stalled at # 8.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Doubly amusing since Dolenz didn't play drums when cast.

He had to learn on the fly just to look like he could drum on camera. Fortunately he was a pretty quick learner, already having some familiarity on the guitar.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

pianozach said:


> Doubly amusing since Dolenz didn't play drums when cast.
> 
> He had to learn on the fly just to look like he could drum on camera. Fortunately he was a pretty quick learner, already having some familiarity on the guitar.


Interesting interview with Mickey Dolenz in "Modern Drummer" -

https://www.moderndrummer.com/2011/12/micky-dolenz/

He got pointers from Earl Palmer, Hal Blaine, Fast Eddie Hoh and Buddy Miles used to come over to his house. It's not surprising that he became an efficient drummer... What's surprising is that he didn't become a really talented one considering who his instructors were but when you read the section which states "come over to my house to party" it becomes fairly evident that practice was sacrificed on the altar of partying.


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