There have been a lot of news reports recently about the 40th anniversary this week of an NBC series that transcended its period fashions and general kitschiness to become a global pop culture phenomenon that inspired audiences with its message of harmony and friendship. I’m speaking, of course, of The Monkees (What, you thought I was talking about Star Trek? Oops, my bad.), which launched on Sept. 12, 1966. It would run for two seasons and 58 episodes.
At this late date, it hardly seems necessary to rescue the made-for-TV pop quartet from their sitcom’s admittedly crass origins as a knockoff of the Beatles’ films A Hard Day’s Night and Help. Their songs still sound remarkably fresh (listen to the brand new Deluxe Edition of their debut disc, The Monkees, which contains the show’s theme song, hits like ”Last Train to Clarksville,” and loads of bonus tracks and rarities). They had their pick of tunes from some of pop’s best composers, including Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, and Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The TV series, with its musical montages, seems today to be a clear precursor to MTV, and it led to a feature film, Head (co-written and co-produced by a then-struggling actor named Jack Nicholson), that’s so mind-blowing and visionary (and yes, silly) that you may still have to be stoned to appreciate it fully. (Um, not that I would know, or anything.) They gave early career boosts to Nicholson, Neil Young (who was a session guitarist for them), and Jimi Hendrix (who opened for them on tour in 1967), and they’re probably the only band who’s been covered by both the Sex Pistols and Run-DMC.
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I fell in love with The Monkees 20 years after their intial debut when the got big again. I loved them before I ever knew who The beatles were…how’s that for a generational conundrum?
Head was an amazing acid trippy movie. What made the show terrific were Diamonds, Kings, and Nillson’s compositions.
I was a mega fan during their Nick at Night days, and had the pleasure of seeing them live at the 9:30 club about 5 years ago. Davey Jones was looking a little strung out, but Mickey told a funny story about the tour with Hendrix (Imagine stoned out hippies at the same show as teeny boopers. Per Mickey, one kid asked “Daddy, why is the opening act setting his guitar on fire then peeing on it to put the fire out?”).
I love the Monkees, and will always give them props. Long live Davey Jones!
My fave lines from the show:
With the Monkees kidnapped and trapped in an unknown place, Mickey places a call on the local phone. A Russian Submarine captain answers the phone
Mickey: Sir hello, do you speak English?
Russian Sub captain: Yes, I do!
Mickey: Okay, listen, we’ve been kidnapped and need help
Russian Sub Captain (same expression on his face as before):Yes, I do!
My fave song is little bit me, little bit you. Now, why aren’t you listening to the Monkees yet? girl don’t gooooooooo no nonononoooo!
Oh gosh, look at Davy Jones in that picture girls and tell me that you wouldn’t have gone nuts for him too? How on earth can it have been 40 years already? *sigh*
The Monkees were great! I had Monkees pictures, cards, and anything Monkees I could get my hands on. I love what am I doing hangin round, Look out here comes tomorrow, I’m not your steppin stone, you can’t tie a mustang down, Pleasant Valley Sunday, shades of gray and on and on. I have bought all the CDs with their greatest hits. Long live the Monkees!
How could you not mention the songwriting contributions of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart? Here’s what their Wikipedia info says:
“It was Boyce and Hart who wrote, produced and recorded (with the help of their band, the Candy Store Prophets) backing tracks for a large portion of the first season of ‘The Monkees’, and the band’s accompanying debut album. The Monkees themselves re-recorded their vocals over Boyce and Hart’s when it came time to release the songs, including both ‘(Theme from) The Monkees’ and ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, the latter of which was a huge hit…Every original Monkees album (except for the ‘Head’ soundtrack) included songs by the duo.”
And I can’t believe you haven’t done a 40th anniversary tribute to Ann Marie, one of TV’s pioneer single working women, from the Marlo Thomas series “That Girl.”
You are not in fact a real Monkees fan if you don’t know that there are no “e’s” in either Micky OR Davy’s names.
I could never forget Boyce and Hart, Jakeem. I just had to turn off the computer because it was the end of the day for work.
Cari:
Perhaps some people just don’t know the correct spelling of the names. Your reason for saying that someone is not a Monkees’fan because of adding one letter is not valid.
Actually Cari has a very valid point. Anyone who calls themself a fan of anyone KNOWS how to at least spell that person’s name. And the fact that Micky and Davy both spell their names differently from every other MickEy and DavEy is enough to make their names unique from the others. True fans know that.
Monkees trivia:
Name the short lived 70’s saturday morning children’s program that Davey Jones starred in?
Since when does bad spelling and grammar make one a non-fan? I take issue with Cari and Jani, neither of which dropped any knowledge about the band or shared anything about their own fandom, except maybe that they spent more time trying to win spelling bees than actually watching the show or listening to the music.
And I can’t stand your auntie griselda.
It’s hard for me to believe that their show only ran for two years, that that was 1966 to 1968, but mostly that I remember it! Like Lora, I knew of the Monkees long before I knew of the Beatles, but then the Beatles didn’t have a live Saturday morning kid’s show.
Donna:
I think that the Beatles did…or that was “Yellow Submarine”.
Anyway the answer to the question is: “The Bugaloos”.
Monkees were good, but the Beatles rule!
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