The Monkees have never gotten much respect, and probably deservedly so. They were formed in 1966 by TV producer Bob Kirshner who wanted a zany show about a rock band, capitalizing on the popularity of the Beatles. The four lads they found Davy Jones (the Dreamy One), Peter Tork (the Stupid/Stoned one), Mickey Dolenz (the Wacky One), and Mike Nesmith (the Straight-Man/Musician One) initially only provided vocals for the songs, which were written and produced by others.
From the start the lads wanted more control over the music, and hard battles were fought to finally allow Mike Nesmith to produce the music that was the backbone of the show. Every week a single was recorded and filmed as part of the show, and the Monkees are heralded by some as the "first video band". Their show included a zany musical montage featuring the single of the week.
Incredibly, these guys released 8 albums in the years 1966-1969. Their show was cancelled in 1968, but they toured extensively, even learning to play their own instruments, but tensions mounted both inside and outside the band. Kirshner was fired in 1968, and went on to record with the animated Archies, so those live actors wouldn't demand control over their careers ever again! In 1969, Tork left the band, and in 1970 Nesmith did also. The Monkees released a very psychedelic movie "Head" which flopped, and signaled the beginning of the end of the Monkees, as controversy continued to swirl over whether or not the boys played their own instruments, and without the TV show, the public moved on.
The Monkees still have some remarkable achievements as a band. They had four #1 albums in a year, they gave the Jimi Hendrix Experience their first U.S. concert appearances as an opening act in July 1967. Jimi Hendrix's heavy psychedelic guitar and sexual overtones did not go over well with the teenage girl audience. During one of the shows, Hendrix gave the audience the finger and quit the tour. Their second album 'More of The Monkees' spent 70 weeks on the Billboard charts, becoming the 12th biggest selling album of all time. And apparently 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.
For a few years there I was a Monkees completist, searching out all their records and knowing all their songs. I traced their logo.
They subtly influenced my interest in the 60s and counterculture, leading into interest in the Doors, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. While they were mild and acceptable for mainstream audiences, they still managed to insert some hippie values into their show...like this scene where Davy is obviously stoned! This week Davy Jones passed away at the age of 66. R.I.P. Davy. Thanks for the memories.
