The MonkeesThe Monkees in 1968 (left to right): Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith and Davy JonesThe Monkees were a four-person band who appeared in an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. The Monkees were formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California and disbanded in 1970. Several reunions of the original lineup have taken place. The first reunion lasted from 1986-1989, and a second regrouping took place between 1996-1997. The Monkees last worked together for a brief period in 2001. History of the seriesThe television show first aired on September 12, 1966 on the American NBC television network and lasted for two seasons and 58 episodes; its final primetime episode ran on September 9, 1968. Modeled on the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night, The Monkees featured the antics and music of a fictional pop-rock group which, due to the necessities of the program and the massive success of the records, became a real pop-rock group. The four young men who became The Monkees were British-born David ("Davy") Jones (percussion/vocals), George Michael ("Micky") Dolenz (drums/vocals), Michael Nesmith (guitar/vocals), and Peter Tork (bass/keyboards/vocals). They were cast after ads were placed in trade publications calling for actors to play "4 insane boys" on a new television series. 437 hopeful actors and musicians auditioned for the parts; a then relatively unknown Stephen Stills was shortlisted for a role, but was eventually knocked out because of his bad teeth, with Peter Tork finally winning the role Stills had hoped to get. Rumors have circulated that Charles Manson also auditioned, but these rumors have been shown to be false. Nesmith and Tork were both already professional musicians, but Dolenz and Jones were better known as actors. All four were trained in both improvisational comedy and performing musically as a group before the pilot episode was filmed, so that they could look and act like a cohesive band even though it was only their voices being used on the initial recordings. As a television show, The Monkees used techniques rarely seen on television—characters breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera and sometimes even to people off-camera in the studio, fantasy sequences, jump cuts, and at least once a week a musical romp which might have nothing to do with the story line. In fact, many of the episodes included what now look very much like video clips: short, self-contained films featuring one of the songs from a Monkees album. The Monkees were put together by a number of people who went on to later success. The show was produced by Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson, who later produced the film Easy Rider ; Rafelson went on to direct such films as Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens. The 1965 pilot episode was co-written by Paul Mazursky and the late Larry Tucker, who later co-wrote the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which Mazursky directed; he went on to direct such films as Harry and Tonto and Down and Out in Beverly Hills. The Monkees' 2 main commercial sponsors were Kellogg's and Yardley Cosmetics of London; they alternated every week. The Monkees were seen in humorous commercials for Kellogg's Rice Krispies, which were seen at the end of biweekly telecasts of The Monkees TV show on NBC; they also made an ad for Black Label Aftershave by Yardley. The Monkees won two Emmy Awards in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (James Frawley). Trademarks"The Fairy Tale"
Season One
Season TwoMichael, Micky, David and Peter inbetween takes on the second season episode "Hitting the High Seas", October 1967.
Beyond televisionAfter the television show was cancelled, Rafelson directed the four Monkees in a feature film, Head, executive-produced by Schneider and co-written and co-produced by Rafelson with a then relatively unknown actor named Jack Nicholson. The film, created and edited in a stream of consciousness style, featured cameo appearances by movie star Victor Mature and musician Frank Zappa. It was filmed in Screen Gems Studios and on location in California, Utah and The Bahamas from February 11 to May 21, 1968 and premiered in New York City on November 6 of that year. Sadly, it was not a commercial success; this was in part because Head, being an antithesis of The Monkees TV show, comprehensively demolished the group's carefully-groomed public image, as evidenced by the following stanzas from Rafelson and Nicholson's "Ditty-Diego" (recited at the start of the film by The Monkees), which ruthlessly parodies Boyce and Hart's "Monkees Theme":
But over the intervening years Head has developed a cult following for its innovative style and anarchic humor, and the soundtrack album (long out of print but now available in an expanded CD version) is counted among their best recordings. Members of The Monkees, Nesmith in particular, cite Head as one of the crowning achievements of the band. From TV to stageCritics of The Monkees complained that they were a made-for-TV knockoff of The Beatles (although John Lennon was a fan of the show), and that The Monkees were a group chosen by a casting director. The massive success of the series and its spin-off records had created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group by late 1966. Against the initial wishes of the producers, Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork went out on the road. The results were far better than anyone had a right to expect, and wherever they went they were greeted by scenes of fan hysteria not seen since The Beatles. This gave the four stars increased confidence in their battle for creative control over the music used in the series. The Monkees had complained that the producers would not allow them to play their own instruments on their records. Their frustrations were increased by the fact that they were all accomplished musicians in their own right. This campaign eventually forced the series' musical coordinator Don Kirshner to let them have more participation in the recording process (against his strong objections), which included Nesmith producing his own songs and band members making some instrumental contributions. Led by Nesmith, the band eventually rebelled against Kirshner, who was later fired, and beginning with their third album, Headquarters, the four Monkees did play most of the parts on the rest of their record albums. The Monkees' Headquarters album cover, 1967Kirshner was reported to have been incensed by the group's rebellion and swore never to repeat his mistake. This experience led directly to his later ventures The Archies and Josie and The Pussycats, which were animated series — the "stars" existed only on an animation cel and obviously could not demand creative control over the records issued under their name. When the group toured Britain in 1967 there was a major controversy over the supposed revelation that the group did not play on their own records, and the news made the front pages of several UK and international music papers, with the group derisively dubbed "The Pre-Fab Four". Nevertheless, they were warmly welcomed by many top British stars including The Beatles, who knew them to be skilled musicians and sympathised with their wish to have more control over their music. Many now feel that the controversy unfairly targeted The Monkees and conveniently ignored the fact that almost all the leading British and American groups — up to and including The Beatles — habitually used sessions players on their recordings, and that this practice had always (until then) passed without comment. Supporters of the group also point out that producers and Kirshner had the good taste to use some of the best songwriters of the period, including Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Harry Nilsson and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, as well as using top-ranking Los Angeles session musicians on the records. The Monkees also deserve credit for helping bring America's attention to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who they took on as an opening act during their 1967 concert tour, even though Hendrix quit after only a few shows. Reports circulated at the time that he had been removed from the tour after complaints from the conservative women's group Daughters Of The American Revolution. This was later proved false and it has since been revealed that the story was concocted for publicity purposes by the Australian journalist and music writer Lillian Roxon, who had been accompanying the tour with her friend, the Australian singer Lynne Randell, who was one of the supporting acts and who was romantically involved with Jones at the time. The Monkees had several international hits — which are still heard on oldies stations — including "I'm a Believer", "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", "Daydream Believer", "Last Train to Clarksville" — and even a number of social criticism songs, the best known of which is probably "Pleasant Valley Sunday". Six albums were produced with the original lineup (four of which went to Number 1 on the Billboard chart), which was supplemented by a series of successful world concert tours. But tensions within the group were increasing, and Tork quit shortly after the band's Far East tour in late 1968, but not before completing work on their 1969 NBC television special, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee. Three more albums would follow while Tork, in December 1968, and then Nesmith, in March 1970, left the group, leaving only Dolenz and Jones to record as The Monkees. Eventually, Jones too departed, leaving Dolenz as the sole remaining recording Monkee, and so marked the end of the first phase of The Monkees' recording career. At the same time, The Monkees TV series enjoyed a resurgence on Saturday Afternoon television for four seasons (September 13, 1969 to September 2, 1972 on CBS and September 9, 1972 to August 25, 1973 on ABC); after which, its 58 episodes were sold to local markets for syndication in September 1975. RevivalThe reunited Monkees in 1987In 1986, a Monkees TV show marathon on the video music channel MTV re-launched The Monkees, sparking worldwide interest by both original fans and their children, who flocked to see The Monkees in sold-out shows. Nesmith was forced to sit out most of these reunion projects because of prior commitments to his bustling Pacific Arts video production company. Spurred on by massive MTV promotion, the reunited trio quickly became one of the hottest acts of 1986, with their original albums selling in the millions and a new greatest hits collection reaching platinum status. To show his support, Nesmith appeared onstage with Dolenz, Jones and Tork twice, both times in Los Angeles, in 1986 and 1989. He also appeared with the band in a 1986 Christmas medley music video for MTV and took part in a dedication ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where The Monkees received a star in 1989. The sudden revival of The Monkees in 1986 helped move the first Monkees single since 1970, "That Was Then, This Is Now", into the American Top 20. A new album by the touring trio, Pool It!, quickly followed and met with moderate success. From 1986 to 1989, The Monkees would conduct major concert tours in the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Europe. Michael Nesmith rejoins his bandmates in Los Angeles, 1989In the 1990s, The Monkees continued to create new musical material, eventually recording an album which all four members performed and produced; this became Justus in 1996. The trio of Dolenz, Jones and Tork reunited again for a successful 30th anniversary tour of American amphitheaters in 1996, while Nesmith joined them onstage in Los Angeles to promote the new songs from Justus. For the first time since the initial reunion in 1986, Nesmith returned to the concert stage full-time for a tour of the United Kingdom in 1997, and two sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena in London highlighted the success of the band in the 1990s. The full quartet also appeared in an ABC television special (written and directed by Nesmith) in 1997, spoofing the original series that had made them famous. However, once the revival craze died down, so did Michael Nesmith's interest in the group, and the Monkees disbanded once again. In fact, Davy Jones has gone on record to say another reunion of The Monkees as a complete unit "will never happen again." The remaining three Monkees (Dolenz, Jones and Tork) tour sporadically, most recently in 2001. Impact of The MonkeesThe Monkees in 1967The Monkees, selected specifically to appeal to the youth market with their manufactured personae and carefully produced singles, can be seen as the original precursor to the modern proliferation of studio and corporation-created bands, or the modern boy band. However, The Monkees differ from typical modern boy bands in several respects. The Monkees did not perform the tightly harmonized ballads or synchronized dance routines boy bands are noted for today. The group was shown playing musical instruments on the show, or actually played instruments during live shows, unlike boy bands. The Monkees also frequently contributed their own songwriting efforts on their albums. Most notably, the critical appeal of the band has only increased since their original inception, while it remains unproven that modern day boy bands will experience the longevity that the Monkees have enjoyed. The Monkees found unlikely fans among musicians of the punk rock period of the mid-1970s. Many of these punk performers had grown up on TV reruns of the series, and in keeping with the prevailing anti-industry, anti-Establishment trend of their music, they adopted The Monkees as symbols of rebellion against the mainstream music industry, citing the group's insistence on breaking out of their manufactured TV image and proving that they could write and perform as a real band. The Sex Pistols went as far as recording a version of The Monkees' (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone and there are some close parallels between the careers of the two bands. Modern day bands continue to cover their work, with the alternative rock group Smashmouth most recently having a hit with I'm a Believer in 2001. Millions of people still listen to their music and it seems likely that Monkees singles will remain a staple on pop-rock and oldies stations for decades to come. In fact, their legacy has been further strengthened by Rhino Entertainment's acquisition of The Monkees' franchise from Columbia Pictures in the early 1990s, with remastered editions of both the original television series and their music library having now surfaced in stores on DVD and compact disc collections. Quotation
Albums
Singles
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In fact, their legacy has been further strengthened by Rhino Entertainment's acquisition of The Monkees' franchise from Columbia Pictures in the early 1990s, with remastered editions of both the original television series and their music library having now surfaced in
stores on DVD and compact disc collections. Many of these punk performers had grown up on TV reruns of the series, and in keeping with the prevailing anti-industry, anti-Establishment trend of their music, they adopted The Monkees as symbols of rebellion against the mainstream music industry, citing the group's insistence on breaking out of their manufactured TV image and proving that they could write and perform as a real band. Also, his 1972 tune proposing nuclear war to eliminate anti-American sentiment abroad, "Political Science", became part of the soundtrack of the 1999 romantic comedy Blast from the Past, starring Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, and Sissy Spacek. The Monkees found unlikely fans among musicians of the punk rock period of the mid-1970s. He was again nominated for an Academy Award for his work on "You've Got a Friend" for Toy Story. Most notably, the critical appeal of the band has only increased since their original inception, while it remains unproven that modern day boy bands will experience the longevity that the Monkees have enjoyed. In the 1990s, Newman adapted Doctor Faustus into a concept album and musical, Faust. The Monkees also frequently contributed their own songwriting efforts on their albums. The open car and the redhead, the Beach Boys....that sounds really good to me.". The group was shown playing musical instruments on the show, or actually played instruments during live shows, unlike boy bands. has that I'm proud of. The Monkees did not perform the tightly harmonized ballads or synchronized dance routines boy bands are noted for today. As he explained in a 2001 interview, "There's some kind of ignorance L.A. However, The Monkees differ from typical modern boy bands in several respects. His 1983 album Trouble in Paradise received greater critical acclaim than some of his previous work, and included the hit single "I Love L.A." This song is a good example of Newman's ambivalence toward what might be termed the American Dream, and demonstrates why those who dub him an ironist often miss the genuine affection Newman seems to have for his subjects. The Monkees, selected specifically to appeal to the youth market with their manufactured personae and carefully produced singles, can be seen as the original precursor to the modern proliferation of studio and corporation-created bands, or the modern boy band. For this, he was nominated for two Academy Awards. In fact, Davy Jones has gone on record to say another reunion of The Monkees as a complete unit "will never happen again." The remaining three Monkees (Dolenz, Jones and Tork) tour sporadically, most recently in 2001. Newman's work as a film composer began in 1981, with Ragtime. However, once the revival craze died down, so did Michael Nesmith's interest in the group, and the Monkees disbanded once again. Little Criminals was a lesser effort, but "Short People" became a surprise hit; Nina Simone did a version of "Baltimore." At the end of the 1970s, Born Again was a prescient commentary on the money-worship of the era of Reaganomics, and featured a witty song about the Electric Light Orchestra entitled "The Story of a Rock and Roll Band.". The full quartet also appeared in an ABC television special (written and directed by Nesmith) in 1997, spoofing the original series that had made them famous. Good Old Boys is, along with 12 Songs, some of his most accomplished work. For the first time since the initial reunion in 1986, Nesmith returned to the concert stage full-time for a tour of the United Kingdom in 1997, and two sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena in London highlighted the success of the band in the 1990s. Good Old Boys was a set of songs about the American South; "Rednecks" pitted Lester Maddox against a "smart-ass New York Jew," and as usual it was somewhat difficult to tell with whom Newman's sympathies ultimately lay. The trio of Dolenz, Jones and Tork reunited again for a successful 30th anniversary tour of American amphitheaters in 1996, while Nesmith joined them onstage in Los Angeles to promote the new songs from Justus. "Burn On" concerned itself with the pollution of Ohio's Cuyahoga River, while "You Can Leave Your Hat On" was covered by Joe Cocker and later, by Keb Mo. In the 1990s, The Monkees continued to create new musical material, eventually recording an album which all four members performed and produced; this became Justus in 1996. 1972's Sail Away was a moderate hit, with the title track making its way into the repertoire of Ray Charles. From 1986 to 1989, The Monkees would conduct major concert tours in the United States, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and Europe. 12 Songs was critically acclaimed, but Newman's take on racism, sexism, violence and other human follies was not commercially successful in the era of James Taylor and Three Dog Night (who made a huge hit of his "Mama Told Me Not to Come"). A new album by the touring trio, Pool It!, quickly followed and met with moderate success. That album was a success, and it paved the way for Newman's 1970 release, 12 Songs, which abandoned the elaborate arrangements of his first album for a more stripped-down sound that showcased Newman's piano. The sudden revival of The Monkees in 1986 helped move the first Monkees single since 1970, "That Was Then, This Is Now", into the American Top 20. In 1970, Harry Nilsson recorded an album of Newman compositions called Nilsson Sings Newman. He also appeared with the band in a 1986 Christmas medley music video for MTV and took part in a dedication ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where The Monkees received a star in 1989. However, many artists, including Alan Price, Judy Collins, the Everly Brothers, Dusty Springfield, Pat Boone and Peggy Lee, covered his songs. To show his support, Nesmith appeared onstage with Dolenz, Jones and Tork twice, both times in Los Angeles, in 1986 and 1989. His debut album, Randy Newman, was unsuccessful upon its 1968 release (see 1968 in music). Spurred on by massive MTV promotion, the reunited trio quickly became one of the hottest acts of 1986, with their original albums selling in the millions and a new greatest hits collection reaching platinum status. Newman had become a professional songwriter by the time he was seventeen, and landed a contract as a singer with Reprise Records. Nesmith was forced to sit out most of these reunion projects because of prior commitments to his bustling Pacific Arts video production company. His many place-name songs, many of which are archetypal examples of ambivalent Americana, include "I Love L.A.," "Baltimore," "Louisiana 1927," and "Dayton, Ohio - 1903." Newman is also a consummate musician whose deceptively simple songs mask an unparalleled craftsmanship, and he is a highly skilled arranger. In 1986, a Monkees TV show marathon on the video music channel MTV re-launched The Monkees, sparking worldwide interest by both original fans and their children, who flocked to see The Monkees in sold-out shows. He often writes songs from unusual perspectives: "Sail Away" is a slave trader's come-on, "Birmingham" is written from the perspective of a man--"a roller in a steel mill"-- who loves his ordinary life in Birmingham, Alabama, while "Political Science (http://laeren.zoggins.net/music/mpthree/RandyNewman-PoliticalScience.mp3)" complains of worldwide hate of America and proposes a final solution. At the same time, The Monkees TV series enjoyed a resurgence on Saturday Afternoon television for four seasons (September 13, 1969 to September 2, 1972 on CBS and September 9, 1972 to August 25, 1973 on ABC); after which, its 58 episodes were sold to local markets for syndication in September 1975. Newman is noted as a lyricist of considerable sophistication. Eventually, Jones too departed, leaving Dolenz as the sole remaining recording Monkee, and so marked the end of the first phase of The Monkees' recording career. His film scores include Ragtime and The Natural, and he scored the first four Disney-Pixar films, including Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Monsters, Inc. Three more albums would follow while Tork, in December 1968, and then Nesmith, in March 1970, left the group, leaving only Dolenz and Jones to record as The Monkees. At the same time, Newman's drawl is reminiscent of that of blues artists like Sonny Boy Williamson and of New Orleans rock-and-roll singers like Chris Kenner (he lived in New Orleans as a child and spent summers there until he was eleven years old). But tensions within the group were increasing, and Tork quit shortly after the band's Far East tour in late 1968, but not before completing work on their 1969 NBC television special, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee. His uncles Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman and Emil Newman were noted Hollywood film-score writers. Six albums were produced with the original lineup (four of which went to Number 1 on the Billboard chart), which was supplemented by a series of successful world concert tours. Randy Newman (born November 28, 1943, in Los Angeles, California) is a United States songwriter, arranger, singer and pianist who is notable for his mordant, immaculately written pop songs and for his many film scores. The Monkees had several international hits — which are still heard on oldies stations — including "I'm a Believer", "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", "Daydream Believer", "Last Train to Clarksville" — and even a number of social criticism songs, the best known of which is probably "Pleasant Valley Sunday". 1 (2003). This was later proved false and it has since been revealed that the story was concocted for publicity purposes by the Australian journalist and music writer Lillian Roxon, who had been accompanying the tour with her friend, the Australian singer Lynne Randell, who was one of the supporting acts and who was romantically involved with Jones at the time. The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. Reports circulated at the time that he had been removed from the tour after complaints from the conservative women's group Daughters Of The American Revolution. Bad Love (1999). The Monkees also deserve credit for helping bring America's attention to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who they took on as an opening act during their 1967 concert tour, even though Hendrix quit after only a few shows. Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman (1998). Supporters of the group also point out that producers and Kirshner had the good taste to use some of the best songwriters of the period, including Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Harry Nilsson and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, as well as using top-ranking Los Angeles session musicians on the records. Faust (1995). Many now feel that the controversy unfairly targeted The Monkees and conveniently ignored the fact that almost all the leading British and American groups — up to and including The Beatles — habitually used sessions players on their recordings, and that this practice had always (until then) passed without comment. Land of Dreams (1988). Nevertheless, they were warmly welcomed by many top British stars including The Beatles, who knew them to be skilled musicians and sympathised with their wish to have more control over their music. Trouble in Paradise (1983). When the group toured Britain in 1967 there was a major controversy over the supposed revelation that the group did not play on their own records, and the news made the front pages of several UK and international music papers, with the group derisively dubbed "The Pre-Fab Four". Born Again (1979). This experience led directly to his later ventures The Archies and Josie and The Pussycats, which were animated series — the "stars" existed only on an animation cel and obviously could not demand creative control over the records issued under their name. Little Criminals (1977). Kirshner was reported to have been incensed by the group's rebellion and swore never to repeat his mistake. Good Old Boys (1974). Led by Nesmith, the band eventually rebelled against Kirshner, who was later fired, and beginning with their third album, Headquarters, the four Monkees did play most of the parts on the rest of their record albums. Sail Away (1972). This campaign eventually forced the series' musical coordinator Don Kirshner to let them have more participation in the recording process (against his strong objections), which included Nesmith producing his own songs and band members making some instrumental contributions. 12 Songs (1970). Their frustrations were increased by the fact that they were all accomplished musicians in their own right. Randy Newman (1968). The Monkees had complained that the producers would not allow them to play their own instruments on their records. This gave the four stars increased confidence in their battle for creative control over the music used in the series. The results were far better than anyone had a right to expect, and wherever they went they were greeted by scenes of fan hysteria not seen since The Beatles. Against the initial wishes of the producers, Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork went out on the road. The massive success of the series and its spin-off records had created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group by late 1966. Critics of The Monkees complained that they were a made-for-TV knockoff of The Beatles (although John Lennon was a fan of the show), and that The Monkees were a group chosen by a casting director. Members of The Monkees, Nesmith in particular, cite Head as one of the crowning achievements of the band. But over the intervening years Head has developed a cult following for its innovative style and anarchic humor, and the soundtrack album (long out of print but now available in an expanded CD version) is counted among their best recordings. Sadly, it was not a commercial success; this was in part because Head, being an antithesis of The Monkees TV show, comprehensively demolished the group's carefully-groomed public image, as evidenced by the following stanzas from Rafelson and Nicholson's "Ditty-Diego" (recited at the start of the film by The Monkees), which ruthlessly parodies Boyce and Hart's "Monkees Theme":. It was filmed in Screen Gems Studios and on location in California, Utah and The Bahamas from February 11 to May 21, 1968 and premiered in New York City on November 6 of that year. The film, created and edited in a stream of consciousness style, featured cameo appearances by movie star Victor Mature and musician Frank Zappa. After the television show was cancelled, Rafelson directed the four Monkees in a feature film, Head, executive-produced by Schneider and co-written and co-produced by Rafelson with a then relatively unknown actor named Jack Nicholson. The Monkees won two Emmy Awards in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (James Frawley). The Monkees were seen in humorous commercials for Kellogg's Rice Krispies, which were seen at the end of biweekly telecasts of The Monkees TV show on NBC; they also made an ad for Black Label Aftershave by Yardley. The Monkees' 2 main commercial sponsors were Kellogg's and Yardley Cosmetics of London; they alternated every week. The 1965 pilot episode was co-written by Paul Mazursky and the late Larry Tucker, who later co-wrote the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which Mazursky directed; he went on to direct such films as Harry and Tonto and Down and Out in Beverly Hills. The show was produced by Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson, who later produced the film Easy Rider ; Rafelson went on to direct such films as Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens. The Monkees were put together by a number of people who went on to later success. As a television show, The Monkees used techniques rarely seen on television—characters breaking the fourth wall and talking to the camera and sometimes even to people off-camera in the studio, fantasy sequences, jump cuts, and at least once a week a musical romp which might have nothing to do with the story line. In fact, many of the episodes included what now look very much like video clips: short, self-contained films featuring one of the songs from a Monkees album. All four were trained in both improvisational comedy and performing musically as a group before the pilot episode was filmed, so that they could look and act like a cohesive band even though it was only their voices being used on the initial recordings. Nesmith and Tork were both already professional musicians, but Dolenz and Jones were better known as actors. Rumors have circulated that Charles Manson also auditioned, but these rumors have been shown to be false. 437 hopeful actors and musicians auditioned for the parts; a then relatively unknown Stephen Stills was shortlisted for a role, but was eventually knocked out because of his bad teeth, with Peter Tork finally winning the role Stills had hoped to get. They were cast after ads were placed in trade publications calling for actors to play "4 insane boys" on a new television series. The four young men who became The Monkees were British-born David ("Davy") Jones (percussion/vocals), George Michael ("Micky") Dolenz (drums/vocals), Michael Nesmith (guitar/vocals), and Peter Tork (bass/keyboards/vocals). Modeled on the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night, The Monkees featured the antics and music of a fictional pop-rock group which, due to the necessities of the program and the massive success of the records, became a real pop-rock group. The television show first aired on September 12, 1966 on the American NBC television network and lasted for two seasons and 58 episodes; its final primetime episode ran on September 9, 1968. The Monkees last worked together for a brief period in 2001. The first reunion lasted from 1986-1989, and a second regrouping took place between 1996-1997. Several reunions of the original lineup have taken place. The Monkees were formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California and disbanded in 1970. The Monkees were a four-person band who appeared in an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. Heart and Soul (1987) US #27. That Was Then, This Is Now (1986) US #20. Oh My My (1970) US #98. Good Clean Fun (1969) US #82. Someday Man (1969) US #81. Listen to the Band (1969) US #63. Teardrop City (1969) US #56. Porpoise Song Theme from HEAD (1968) US #62. It's Nice To Be With You (1968) US #51. Washburn (1968) US #19. D.W. Tapioca Tundra (1968) US #34. Valleri (1968) US #3. Daydream Believer (1967) US #1. Words (1967) US #11. Pleasant Valley Sunday (1967) US #3. Randy Scouse Git (1967) UK #1. The Girl I Knew Somewhere (1967) US #39. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (1967) US #2. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (1966) US #20. I'm A Believer (1966) US #1. Last Train to Clarksville (1966) US #1. The Best of The Monkees (2003). Music Box (35th Anniversary boxed set) (2001). Anthology (1998). Justus (1996). Missing Links, Volume III (1996). Greatest Hits (1995). Listen to the Band (25th Anniversary boxed set) (1991). Missing Links, Volume II (1990). 20th Anniversary Tour Live (1987). Missing Links (1987). Live 1967 (1987). Pool It! (1987). Then And Now...the Best of The Monkees (1986). More Greatest Hits (1982). The Monkees Greatest Hits (1976). Changes (1970). The Monkees Present Micky, David, Michael (1969). Instant Replay (1969). Head (Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1968). The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees (1968). Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, Ltd. (1967). The Monkees' Headquarters (1967). More of The Monkees (1967). The Monkees (1966). "The Frodis Caper"). Mijacogeo (a.k.a. Monkees Blow Their Minds. "The Band Contest"). Some Like It Lukewarm (a.k.a. Monkees Mind Their Manor. "The Paris Show"). The Monkees In Paris (a.k.a. "Leave The Driving To Us"). Monkees Race Again (a.k.a. The Devil & Peter Tork. The Monkees' Paw. Monstrous Monkee Mash. Monkees Watch Their Feet. Fairy Tale. The Christmas Show. Monkees On The Wheel. Monkees In Texas. Hitting The High Seas. A Coffin Too Frequent. The Wild Monkees. Card Carrying Red Shoes. Monkees Marooned. "Double Barrell Shotgun Wedding"). Hillbilly Honeymoon (a.k.a. Weakling. I Was A 99Lb. Art, For Monkees' Sake. Monkee Mayor. Everywhere A Sheik, Sheik. "The Bank Robbery"). The Picture Frame (a.k.a. It's A Nice Place To Visit. Monkees On Tour. Monkees At The Movies. Monkees In Manhattan (a.k.a “The Monkees Manhattan Style”). Monkees Get Out More Dirt. Monkees On The Line. Monkee Mother. Monkee Chow Mein. Alias Micky Dolenz. Monkees A La Mode. Captain Crocodile. Monkees At The Circus. The Prince And The Pauper. Monkees In The Ring. "The Audition"). Find The Monkees (a.k.a. I Was A Teenage Monster. The Case Of The Missing Monkee. Son Of A Gypsy. "Davy And Fern"). Too Many Girls (a.k.a. Dance, Monkees, Dance. "Peter And The Debutante"). One Man Shy (a.k.a. I've Got A Little Song Here. Monkees A La Carte. Here Come The Monkees (original pilot episode). The Chaperone. Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth. Monkees In A Ghost Town. Success Story. The Spy Who Came In From The Cool. Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers The success of the First Season lands The Monkees on the cover of TV Guide, January 1967 . Machine. Monkee Vs. Monkee See, Monkee Die. Royal Flush. on "The Spy Who Came In From The Cool" and "Monkee Chow Mein" and Disneyland on "Monstrous Monkee Mash" and "The Wild Monkees"). C.I.S. Subtle social commentary (e.g. Criminals with short hair and business suits. Multiple roles. "The Fairy Tale"). Adaptation of classic literature (e.g. Authority resistance. Drag. Last minute interviews. Musical romps. Peter gets in trouble. Davy falls in love. Stock footage. |