Davy sang the ballads (e.g., "Daydream Believer" and "We Were Made for Each Other") and Nesmith contributed some experimental songs, like the progressive "Writing Wrongs", the unusual hit song "Tapioca Tundra", and the lo-fi 1920s sound of "Magnolia Simms".
Ironically, the success of the show led to the actor-musicians becoming one of the most successful bands of the 1960s.
1 for 18 weeks, becoming the third-highest-selling album of the 1960s.
The single featured Douglas' and Howard Kaylan's "Christmas Is My Time Of Year" (originally recorded by a 1960s group Christmas Spirit), with a B-side of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (Douglas released a remixed version of the single, with additional overdubbed instruments, in 1986).
Having numerous quality songwriters, musicians, producers and arrangers—along with high budgets—at their hands while making albums during the 1960s, the band was able to record as many songs as the Beatles in half the time. The three volumes of this initial series contained 59 songs.
They stated that Head was "way, way ahead of its time" and "arguably the most authentically psychedelic film made in 1960s Hollywood".
Newspapers and magazines reported that the Monkees outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967, but Nesmith admitted in his autobiography Infinite Tuesday that it was a lie that he told a reporter. ==Conception== Aspiring filmmaker Bob Rafelson developed the initial idea for The Monkees in 1962, but was unsuccessful in selling the series.
Jones had previously starred as the Artful Dodger in the Broadway theatre show Oliver!, which debuted on December 17, 1962, and his performance was later seen on The Ed Sullivan Show the same night as the Beatles' first appearance on that show, February 9, 1964.
Later that year, he lands the role of the Artful Dodger in the Broadway musical production of Oliver! Nesmith receives his first guitar during Christmas of 1962.
He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1963. On September 8–10, 1965, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter ran an ad to cast the remainder of the band/cast members for the TV show: Out of 437 applicants, the other three chosen for the cast of the TV show were Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.
Nesmith had been working as a musician since early 1963 and had been recording and releasing music under various names, including Michael Blessing and "Mike & John & Bill" and had studied drama in college.
In May 1964, while working at Screen Gems, Rafelson teamed up with Bert Schneider, whose father, Abraham Schneider, headed the Colpix Records and Screen Gems Television units of Columbia Pictures.
However, John Sebastian had already signed the band to a record contract, which would have denied Screen Gems the right to market music from the show. In September 1964 Davy Jones was signed to a long-term contract to appear in TV programs for Screen Gems, make feature films for Columbia Pictures and to record music for the Colpix label.
Jones had previously starred as the Artful Dodger in the Broadway theatre show Oliver!, which debuted on December 17, 1962, and his performance was later seen on The Ed Sullivan Show the same night as the Beatles' first appearance on that show, February 9, 1964.
The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider specifically for the situation comedy series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
As "The Raybert Producers", they sold the show to Screen Gems Television on April 16, 1965.
His involvement was publicly announced on July 14, 1965, when The Hollywood Reporter stated that he was expected to return to the United States in September (after a trip to England) "to prepare for [a] TV pilot for Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson".
He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1963. On September 8–10, 1965, Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter ran an ad to cast the remainder of the band/cast members for the TV show: Out of 437 applicants, the other three chosen for the cast of the TV show were Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.
The Monkees are an American rock and pop band originally active between 1966 and 1971, with reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed.
The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider specifically for the situation comedy series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
Raybert set up a rehearsal space and rented instruments for the group to practice playing in April 1966, but it quickly became apparent they would not be in shape in time for the series debut.
Garrett, upon meeting the four Monkees in June 1966, decided that Jones would sing lead, a choice that was unpopular with the group.
you putting the record out like this is just beyond the pale." Within a few months of their debut album, Music Supervisor Don Kirshner was forcibly dismissed and the Monkees took control as a real band. The Monkees' first single, "Last Train to Clarksville" b/w "Take a Giant Step", was released in August 1966, just weeks prior to the TV broadcast debut.
In conjunction with the first broadcast of the television show on September 12, 1966, on the NBC television network, NBC and Columbia had a major hit on their hands.
Against the initial wishes of the producers, the band went out on the road and made their debut live performance in December 1966 in Hawaii. They had no time to rehearse a live performance except between takes on set.
The most notable exceptions were during each member's solo sections where, during the December 1966 – May 1967 tour, they were backed by the Candy Store Prophets.
None of us could have fought the battles we did [with the music publishers] without the explicit support of the show's producers." Four months after their debut single was released in September 1966, on January 16, 1967, the Monkees held their first recording session as a fully functioning, self-contained band, recording an early version of Nesmith's self-composed top 40 hit single "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", along with "All of Your Toys" and "She's So Far Out, She's In".
According to Rhino Handmade's 2011 Deluxe Edition reissue of this album, Davy Jones told Melody Maker, "Half of the songs were recorded over the last three years, but there are also about six new ones." The Monkees wanted to please the original 1966 fans by offering up new recordings of some previously unreleased older styled songs, as well as gain a new audience with what they considered a more mature sound.
Jones collaborated with Bill Chadwick on some slower ballads, along with releasing a couple of older upbeat songs from 1966. In the summer of 1969 the three Monkees embarked on a tour with the backing of the soul band Sam and the Goodtimers.
Tork noted in DVD commentary that "In 1966, Nesmith had learned a reasonably good version of the famous 'Last Train to Clarksville' guitar lick, but in 1996, Mike was no longer able to play it" and so Tork took over the lead guitar parts. Nesmith's departure from the tour was acrimonious.
In America and elsewhere the divorce rate is pretty high, but in Japan things go better." April 1966: The Monkees begin rehearsing as a band to produce music for the upcoming TV show and records.
Producer Ward Sylvester tells Tork that he would have signed the band even without a TV show. May 1966: Filming for the TV show starts, taking 12 hours a day for the cast of the Monkees.
Indeed, they'd never even met [...] they've been working to create their own sound." June 1966: Although the producers want the Monkees to create their own music, they had not progressed enough by this point and still lacked the "upbeat, young, happy, driving, pulsating sound" that they desired.
Davy would have done all Broadway tunes [...] I ended up singing the leads [...] pop-rock was more my style." However, they used selections of Nesmith's authorship and composition from the beginning. June 10, 1966: The Monkees' first recording sessions take place.
These sessions were unsuccessful, however, and most future sessions in 1966 featured the Candy Store Prophets, a studio band led by Boyce & Hart. June 25, 1966: Nesmith produces his first Monkees track in a recording studio, his two self-composed songs "All the King's Horses", "The Kind of Girl I Could Love", plus "I Don't Think You Know Me", as a way for Raybert Productions to fulfill their promise to him to allow him to produce and record his own music.
He is not allowed to play the instruments. July 1966: Various producers from Boyce & Hart to Jack Keller to Nesmith continue to record sessions.
On July 18, 1966 Nesmith also gets Tork to play guitar on the songs he is producing for the first time.
Sessions continue in this manner, with the hired producers Boyce & Hart and Jack Keller and Monkees member Nesmith producing/recording songs in the studio through November 1966. August 1966: The Monkees' first single is released. September 1966: The Monkees' TV show premieres. October 1966: The Monkees' debut album is released.
Group member Nesmith, in particular, is angered when he sees the album cover, because he thinks it makes it look like they played all of the instruments. October 2, 1966: The Monkees give their first public interview, which appears in The New York Times, in which Jones is asked if the big push for the Monkees is fair to the real rock groups, to which he responds, "...
That's the breaks, but you can't fool the people, you really can't." October 24, 1966: Newsweek interviews the Monkees.
This is an act." December 1966: The Monkees perform live in concert starting December 3, 1966.
During this time frame, the Monkees are generally barred from making television appearances on shows outside of their own, as Raybert fears the group's overexposure. December 27, 1966: The Monkees are again interviewed about their music in Look magazine.
We're funny." December 28, 1966: Weekly Variety reports that the Monkees are selling faster than the Beatles did at their launch. January 1967: The Monkees' second album is released while they were on tour, without the Monkees' knowledge.
Newspapers and magazines reported that the Monkees outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined in 1967, but Nesmith admitted in his autobiography Infinite Tuesday that it was a lie that he told a reporter. ==Conception== Aspiring filmmaker Bob Rafelson developed the initial idea for The Monkees in 1962, but was unsuccessful in selling the series.
The last show of the premiere season, "Monkees on Tour", was shot in a documentary style by filming a concert in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 21, 1967.
The most notable exceptions were during each member's solo sections where, during the December 1966 – May 1967 tour, they were backed by the Candy Store Prophets.
During the summer, 1967 tour of the United States and the UK (from which the Live 1967 recordings are taken), they were backed by a band called the Sundowners.
None of us could have fought the battles we did [with the music publishers] without the explicit support of the show's producers." Four months after their debut single was released in September 1966, on January 16, 1967, the Monkees held their first recording session as a fully functioning, self-contained band, recording an early version of Nesmith's self-composed top 40 hit single "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", along with "All of Your Toys" and "She's So Far Out, She's In".
Four days later, on January 20, 1967, their debut self-titled album made its belated release in the UK (it was released in October '66 in the U.S.).
Nesmith and Tork were particularly upset when they were on tour in January 1967 and discovered this second album.
Indeed, the Monkees had not even been given a copy of the album; they had to buy it from a record store. The climax of the rivalry between Kirshner and the band was an intense argument among Nesmith, Kirshner and Colgems lawyer Herb Moelis, which took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel in January 1967.
The confrontation ended with Nesmith punching a hole in a wall and saying, "That could have been your face!" However, each of the members, including Nesmith, accepted the $250,000 royalty checks (equivalent to approximately $ in today's funds). Kirshner's dismissal came in early February 1967, when he violated an agreement between Colgems and the Monkees not to release material directly created by the group together with unrelated Kirshner-produced material.
A rumor persists that the Monkees were offered "Sugar, Sugar" in 1967, but declined to record it.
With Kirshner dismissed as musical supervisor, in late February 1967 Nesmith hired former Turtles bassist Douglas Farthing Hatlelid, who was better known by his stage name Chip Douglas, to produce the next Monkees album, which was to be the first Monkees album where they were the only musicians, outside of most of the bass, and the horns.
This album, along with their next, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., served as the soundtrack to the second season of the television show. In March 1967 "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", composed by Nesmith and performed by Dolenz, Nesmith, Tork and bassist John London, was issued as the B-side to the Monkees' third single, "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You", and it rose to No.
2. Issued in May 1967, Headquarters had no songs released as singles in the United States, but it was still their third No.
1 on May 24, 1967, with the Beatles' Sgt.
The next three albums featured a diverse mixture of musical style influences, including country-rock, folk-rock, psychedelic rock, soul/R&B, guitar rock, Broadway and English music hall sensibilities. At the height of their fame in 1967, they also suffered from a media backlash.
and recorded some of their songs separately. Using Chip Douglas again to produce, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., released in November 1967 was the Monkees' fourth No.
All of its songs, except for two, were featured on the Monkees' television show during the second season. The song "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?", recorded in June 1967 and featured on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., is seen as a landmark in the fusion of country and rock despite Nesmith's prior country-flavored rock songs for the Monkees.
returned to the charts for 17 weeks. ===The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees=== The Monkees decided that they no longer needed Chip Douglas as a producer, and starting in November 1967, they largely produced their own sessions.
This was a very fitting venue, as from 30 June to 2 July 1967 the Monkees had been the first group to headline on their own at the Empire Pool, as the Arena was then called. The full quartet also appeared in an ABC television special titled Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees, which was written and directed by Nesmith and spoofed the original series that had made them famous.
The final date and final show for the Monkees will be held on November 14, 2021 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. ==Controversies== ===Studio recordings controversy=== Controversy hit early in 1967 concerning the Monkees' studio abilities.
A January 28, 1967 Saturday Evening Post article quoted Nesmith railing against the music creation process.
in 1967 and found a chilly reception.
31, "Monkees at the Movies", first aired in April 1967 and Bob Rafelson asked the group about accusations that they did not play their instruments in concert.
Nesmith responded, "I'm fixin' to walk out there in front of fifteen thousand people, man! If I don't play my own instrument, I'm in a lot of trouble!" But the "Devil and Peter Tork" episode serves as a parable, as a Kirshner-like entrepreneur has Tork sign over his soul to be a success as a musician. In November 1967, the wave of anti-Monkees sentiment was reaching its peak while they released their fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd.
We're funny." December 28, 1966: Weekly Variety reports that the Monkees are selling faster than the Beatles did at their launch. January 1967: The Monkees' second album is released while they were on tour, without the Monkees' knowledge.
But when they saw how angry Nesmith and Tork were, they too joined in that anger. January 16, 1967: Four months after their first single is released, the Monkees hold their first recording session as a self-contained, fully functioning band. January 28, 1967: Band member Nesmith speaks to the Saturday Evening Post in an exposé, stating, "The music had nothing to do with us.
It was one of the great goofball moments of the media, but it stuck." February 4, 1967: Although the Monkees have continued to play and record their own music for their upcoming album, Jones records some songs with hired producer Jeff Barry. February 1967: Kirshner works behind the Monkees' backs to release another single without the band's knowledge. February 25, 1967: Jones is interviewed for the New Musical Express, and says, "I can only speak for myself.
Now who's copying who?" February 27, 1967: Kirshner is dismissed as Music Coordinator for the Monkees, primarily due to his handling of the third would-be-but-withdrawn single from the Monkees.
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.
"Cuddly Toy" was recorded several months before Nilsson's own debut in October 1967.
He feels his moral judgment in 1967 and 1968 is supposed to serve in 2007. In a Facebook post, Nesmith stated that he does not know if the Monkees belong in the Hall of Fame because he can only see the impact of the Monkees from the inside, and further stated: "I can see the HOF (Hall of Fame) is a private enterprise.
concert tour exposure as an opening act in July 1967.
The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider specifically for the situation comedy series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
Starting with this album, they decided not to record as a unit anymore, pursuing their own individual interests in music. Following the television show's cancellation and the commercial flop of their film Head and its soundtrack album in 1968, Tork left the band, alleging exhaustion.
The Monkees toured Australia and Japan in 1968.
3 on the Billboard charts shortly after it was released in April 1968.
The pilot had the same energy and pace of The Monkees, but never became a series. In June 1968, Music Supervisor Lester Sill chose to release the two non-album tracks "D.W.
19 on the charts. ===Head=== After The Monkees was canceled in February 1968, Rafelson directed the four Monkees in a feature film, Head.
It was filmed at Columbia Pictures' Screen Gems studios and on location in California, Utah, and the Bahamas between February 19 and May 17, 1968 and premiered in New York City on November 6 of that year (the film later debuted in Hollywood on November 20). The film was not a commercial success, in part because it was the antithesis of The Monkees television show, intended to comprehensively demolish the group's carefully groomed public image.
At the time, Rafelson told the press, "I grooved on those four in very special ways while at the same time thinking they had absolutely no talent." Released in October 1968, the single from the album, "The Porpoise Song", is a psychedelic pop song written by Goffin and King, with lead vocals from Micky Dolenz and backing vocals from Davy Jones, and it reached No.
This was shortly after the band's Far East tour in December 1968, after completing work on their 1969 NBC television special, 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee, which rehashed many of the ideas from Head, only with the Monkees playing a strangely second-string role.
It was the first since 1968 on which all four original members performed and produced.
He feels his moral judgment in 1967 and 1968 is supposed to serve in 2007. In a Facebook post, Nesmith stated that he does not know if the Monkees belong in the Hall of Fame because he can only see the impact of the Monkees from the inside, and further stated: "I can see the HOF (Hall of Fame) is a private enterprise.
Members of the Monkees, Nesmith in particular, cite the soundtrack album as one of the crowning achievements of the band. ===Early 1969: Tork's resignation, Instant Replay and The Monkees Present=== Tensions within the group were increasing.
This was shortly after the band's Far East tour in December 1968, after completing work on their 1969 NBC television special, 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee, which rehashed many of the ideas from Head, only with the Monkees playing a strangely second-string role.
Lyrically, it has a theme of being one of the Monkees' most melancholy albums. Throughout 1969 the trio appeared as guests on television programs such as The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, The Johnny Cash Show, Hollywood Squares, and Laugh-In (Jones had also appeared on Laugh-In separate from the group).
The Monkees also had a contractual obligation to appear in several television commercials with Bugs Bunny for Kool-Aid drink mix as well as Post cereal box singles. In April 1969, the single "Someday Man" b/w "Listen to the Band" was released, which had the unique distinction of the B-side, a Nesmith composed country-rock song, charting higher (No.
81). The final album with Michael Nesmith, from the Monkees' original incarnation, was their eighth album, The Monkees Present, released in October 1969, which peaked at No.
It included the Nesmith composed country-rock singles "Listen to the Band" and "Good Clean Fun" (released in September 1969).
Jones collaborated with Bill Chadwick on some slower ballads, along with releasing a couple of older upbeat songs from 1966. In the summer of 1969 the three Monkees embarked on a tour with the backing of the soul band Sam and the Goodtimers.
Toward the end of the tour, some dates were canceled due to poor ticket sales, and the tour failed to re-establish the band commercially, with no single entering the Top 40 in 1969.
Number 2, for the press to report with genuine alarm that the Monkees were not a real rock band was looney tunes! It was one of the great goofball moments of the media, but it stuck." Jones stated in 1969 to Tiger Beat, "I get so angry when musicians say, 'Oh, your music is so bad', because it's not bad to the kids.
Originally released in June 1970, Changes first charted in Billboard's Top 200 during the Monkees' 1986 reunion, staying on the charts for 4 weeks. September 22, 1970 marked the final recording session by the Monkees in their original incarnation, when Jones and Dolenz recorded "Do It in the Name of Love" and "Lady Jane".
The duo continued to tour throughout most of the 1970s. ==Reunions and revivals== ===Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart=== Partly because of repeats of the television series The Monkees on Saturday mornings and in syndication, The Monkees Greatest Hits charted in 1976.
Tork also joined Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart on stage at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on July 4, 1976, and also joined Dolenz and Jones on stage at the Starwood in Hollywood in 1977. Other semi-reunions occurred between 1970 and 1986.
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.
The Monkees are an American rock and pop band originally active between 1966 and 1971, with reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed.
The trio of Dolenz, Jones and Nesmith continued to record a few more albums and touring until Nesmith's exit, in 1971, to focus on his own solo project.
Not mixed until February 19, 1971, and released later that year as a single ("Do It in the Name Of Love" b/w "Lady Jane"), the two remaining Monkees then lost the rights to use the name in several countries, the U.S.
The single was not credited to the Monkees in the U.S., but to a misspelled "Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones", although in Japan it was issued under the Monkees' name. Jones released a solo album in 1971, titled Davy Jones, featuring the single "Rainy Jane" / "Welcome to My Love".
This was the first (albeit unofficial) Monkees single since 1971.
Tork helped produce a Dolenz single, "Easy on You"/"Oh Someone" in 1971.
Nesmith again returned at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, show on July 10, 1989 and took part in a dedication ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, when the Monkees received a TV star there in 1989. The sudden revival of the Monkees in 1986 helped move the first official Monkees single since 1971, "That Was Then, This Is Now", to the No.
From 1975 to 1977, as the "Golden Hits of the Monkees" show ("The Guys who Wrote 'Em and the Guys who Sang 'Em!"), they successfully performed in smaller venues such as state fairs and amusement parks, as well as making stops in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The duo continued to tour throughout most of the 1970s. ==Reunions and revivals== ===Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart=== Partly because of repeats of the television series The Monkees on Saturday mornings and in syndication, The Monkees Greatest Hits charted in 1976.
Tork claimed later that he had not been asked, although a Christmas single (credited to Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork due to legal reasons) was produced by Chip Douglas and released on his own label in 1976.
Tork also joined Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart on stage at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on July 4, 1976, and also joined Dolenz and Jones on stage at the Starwood in Hollywood in 1977. Other semi-reunions occurred between 1970 and 1986.
From 1975 to 1977, as the "Golden Hits of the Monkees" show ("The Guys who Wrote 'Em and the Guys who Sang 'Em!"), they successfully performed in smaller venues such as state fairs and amusement parks, as well as making stops in Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Tork also joined Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart on stage at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on July 4, 1976, and also joined Dolenz and Jones on stage at the Starwood in Hollywood in 1977. Other semi-reunions occurred between 1970 and 1986.
Japanese new wave pop group the Plastics recorded a synthesizer and drum-machine version of "Last Train to Clarksville" for their 1979 album Welcome Back. Glenn A.
Due to the abundance of material numerous tracks were recorded, but these were left unreleased until Rhino Records started releasing them through the Missing Links series of albums starting in the late 1980s.
Dolenz and Jones recorded a last album, the bubblegum Changes, before breaking up. A revival of interest in the television show came in 1986, which led to a series of reunion tours and new records.
(The album also returned to the charts in 1986 for another 26 weeks.) At the time songwriters Boyce and Hart considered the Monkees to be their project, with Tommy Boyce stating in the 2006 Rhino reissue of More of the Monkees that he considered the Monkees to be actors in the television show, while Boyce and Hart were the songwriters and producers doing the records.
"Daydream Believer" used the non-album track "Goin' Down" as its B-side, which featured Nesmith and Tork on guitar with Micky on lead vocals. During their 1986 reunion, both Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
During the 1986 reunion, it returned to the Billboard charts for 11 weeks. ==Beyond television== During the filming of the second season, the band became tired of scripts which they deemed monotonous and stale.
The "Oh My My" b/w "I Love You Better" single from the Changes album was the last single issued under the Monkees name in the United States until 1986.
Originally released in June 1970, Changes first charted in Billboard's Top 200 during the Monkees' 1986 reunion, staying on the charts for 4 weeks. September 22, 1970 marked the final recording session by the Monkees in their original incarnation, when Jones and Dolenz recorded "Do It in the Name of Love" and "Lady Jane".
The single featured Douglas' and Howard Kaylan's "Christmas Is My Time Of Year" (originally recorded by a 1960s group Christmas Spirit), with a B-side of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" (Douglas released a remixed version of the single, with additional overdubbed instruments, in 1986).
Tork also joined Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart on stage at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on July 4, 1976, and also joined Dolenz and Jones on stage at the Starwood in Hollywood in 1977. Other semi-reunions occurred between 1970 and 1986.
A Monkees TV show marathon ("Pleasant Valley Sunday") was broadcast on February 23, 1986, on the then five-year-old MTV video music channel.
MTV promotion also helped to resurrect a smaller version of Monkeemania, and tour dates grew from smaller to larger venues and became one of the biggest live acts of 1986 and 1987.
However, he did appear with the band in a 1986 Christmas medley music video for MTV, and appeared on stage with Dolenz, Jones, and Tork at the Greek Theatre, in Los Angeles, on September 7, 1986.
Nesmith again returned at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, show on July 10, 1989 and took part in a dedication ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, when the Monkees received a TV star there in 1989. The sudden revival of the Monkees in 1986 helped move the first official Monkees single since 1971, "That Was Then, This Is Now", to the No.
Reportedly, these recordings were the source of some personal friction between Jones and the others during the 1986 tour; Jones typically left the stage when the new songs were performed. ===New Monkees=== In 1987, a new television series called New Monkees appeared.
For the first time since the brief 1986 reunion, Nesmith returned to the concert stage for a tour of the United Kingdom in 1997, highlighted by two sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena in Wembley Park, London.
Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees, described the Monkees as "rock's first great embarrassment" in 1986: Like an illegitimate child in a respectable family, the Monkees are destined to be regarded forever as rock's first great embarrassment; misunderstood and maligned like a mongrel at a ritzy dog show, or a test tube baby at the Vatican.
MTV promotion also helped to resurrect a smaller version of Monkeemania, and tour dates grew from smaller to larger venues and became one of the biggest live acts of 1986 and 1987.
Reportedly, these recordings were the source of some personal friction between Jones and the others during the 1986 tour; Jones typically left the stage when the new songs were performed. ===New Monkees=== In 1987, a new television series called New Monkees appeared.
In September 1988, the three rejoined to play Australia again, Europe and then North America, with that string of tours ending in September 1989.
In September 1988, the three rejoined to play Australia again, Europe and then North America, with that string of tours ending in September 1989.
Nesmith again returned at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, show on July 10, 1989 and took part in a dedication ceremony at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, when the Monkees received a TV star there in 1989. The sudden revival of the Monkees in 1986 helped move the first official Monkees single since 1971, "That Was Then, This Is Now", to the No.
(Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider were involved in the production of the series, although it was primarily produced by "Straybert Productions" headed by Steve Blauner, Rafelson and Schneider's partner in BBS Productions.) ===1990s reunions=== In the 1990s, the Monkees continued to record new material.
It does not seem to me that the HOF carries a public mandate, nor should it be compelled to conform to one." In 1992, Davy Jones spoke to People magazine, stating "I'm not as wealthy as some entertainers, but I work hard, and I think the best is yet to come.
In comments for the liner notes of the 1994 re-release of Changes, Jones said that he felt they had been tricked into recording an "Andy Kim album" under the Monkees name.
The Listen to the Band box set also contained previously unreleased recordings, as did the 1994–95 series CD album reissues.
The band also re-issued all the original LPs on CD, each of which included between three and six bonus tracks of previously unreleased songs or alternate takes; the first editions came with collectable trading cards. Dolenz, Jones and Tork appeared in a 1995 episode of Boy Meets World, but not as themselves; Tork appeared in two episodes as Topanga Lawrence's father Jedediah.
The trio also appeared together, as themselves, in the 1995 film The Brady Bunch Movie. Their eleventh album Justus was released in 1996.
The liner notes for the 1995 re-release of this album quote Nesmith: "The press went into a full-scale war against us, talking about how 'The Monkees are four guys who have no credits, no credibility whatsoever and have been trying to trick us into believing they are a rock band.' Number 1, not only was this not the case; the reverse was true.
Derek Taylor, the Beatles' press officer, had introduced them to Nilsson's music. In 1995, Ringo Starr joined Jones, Tork and Dolenz to film a Pizza Hut commercial. Julian Lennon was a fan, stating at the time of Jones' death, "You did some great work!" ===Rock and Roll Hall of Fame=== In June 2007, Tork complained to the New York Post that Jann Wenner had blackballed the Monkees from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
The trio also appeared together, as themselves, in the 1995 film The Brady Bunch Movie. Their eleventh album Justus was released in 1996.
Justus was produced by the Monkees, all songs were written by one of the four Monkees, and it was recorded using only the four Monkees for all instruments and vocals, which was the inspiration for the album title and spelling (Justus = Just Us). 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.
Tork noted in DVD commentary that "In 1966, Nesmith had learned a reasonably good version of the famous 'Last Train to Clarksville' guitar lick, but in 1996, Mike was no longer able to play it" and so Tork took over the lead guitar parts. Nesmith's departure from the tour was acrimonious.
For the first time since the brief 1986 reunion, Nesmith returned to the concert stage for a tour of the United Kingdom in 1997, highlighted by two sold-out concerts at Wembley Arena in Wembley Park, London.
the fourth part of the jigsaw puzzle that never quite fit in." ===2000s reunions=== Tork, Jones, and Dolenz toured the United States in 1997, after which the group took another hiatus until 2001 when they once again reunited to tour the United States.
The brief tour marked the first time Nesmith performed with the Monkees since 1997, as well as the first without Jones.
the fourth part of the jigsaw puzzle that never quite fit in." ===2000s reunions=== Tork, Jones, and Dolenz toured the United States in 1997, after which the group took another hiatus until 2001 when they once again reunited to tour the United States.
When things weren't getting better, I gave the guys notice that I was leaving in 30 days for good. Tork later stated in 2011 that the alcohol played only a small role and Tork then said, "I take full responsibility for the backstage problems on the 2001 tour.
I apologized to them." Jones and Dolenz went on to tour the United Kingdom in 2002, but Tork declined to participate.
Jones and Dolenz toured the United States one more time as a duo in 2002, and then split to concentrate on their own individual projects.
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.
In 2002, the movie was released on DVD and featured both commentaries and interviews with Dolenz, Jones and Tork.
In the 2006 Rhino Deluxe Edition re-issue of their second album, More of the Monkees, Mike Nesmith stated, "The first album shows up and I look at it with horror because it makes [us] appear as if we are a rock 'n' roll band.
(The album also returned to the charts in 1986 for another 26 weeks.) At the time songwriters Boyce and Hart considered the Monkees to be their project, with Tommy Boyce stating in the 2006 Rhino reissue of More of the Monkees that he considered the Monkees to be actors in the television show, while Boyce and Hart were the songwriters and producers doing the records.
Dolenz's initial reaction, mentioned in the 2006 Rhino CD reissue of More of the Monkees, was "To me, these were the soundtrack albums to the show, and it wasn't my job.
In the liner notes for Rhino's 2006 Deluxe Edition CD reissue of More of the Monkees, Kirshner stated, "[I controlled the group] because I had a contract.
With different Monkees citing different reasons, the group chose not to mark their 40th anniversary in 2006. ===2010–2011 reunions=== In October 2010, Jones stated that a reunion marking the band's 45th anniversary was a possibility.
Having a more country-folk-rock sound than the pop outings under Kirshner, Sandoval notes in the 2007 Deluxe Edition reissue from Rhino that the album rose to No.
Recording and producing as a group was Tork's major interest and he hoped that the four would continue working together as a band on future recordings, according to the liner notes of the 2007 Rhino reissue of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd..
Nesmith states in the 2007 Rhino reissue of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., "Everybody in the press and in the hippie movement had got us into their target window as being illegitimate and not worthy of consideration as a musical force [or] certainly any kind of cultural force.
Derek Taylor, the Beatles' press officer, had introduced them to Nilsson's music. In 1995, Ringo Starr joined Jones, Tork and Dolenz to film a Pizza Hut commercial. Julian Lennon was a fan, stating at the time of Jones' death, "You did some great work!" ===Rock and Roll Hall of Fame=== In June 2007, Tork complained to the New York Post that Jann Wenner had blackballed the Monkees from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
He feels his moral judgment in 1967 and 1968 is supposed to serve in 2007. In a Facebook post, Nesmith stated that he does not know if the Monkees belong in the Hall of Fame because he can only see the impact of the Monkees from the inside, and further stated: "I can see the HOF (Hall of Fame) is a private enterprise.
With different Monkees citing different reasons, the group chose not to mark their 40th anniversary in 2006. ===2010–2011 reunions=== In October 2010, Jones stated that a reunion marking the band's 45th anniversary was a possibility.
According to Rhino Handmade's 2011 Deluxe Edition reissue of this album, Davy Jones told Melody Maker, "Half of the songs were recorded over the last three years, but there are also about six new ones." The Monkees wanted to please the original 1966 fans by offering up new recordings of some previously unreleased older styled songs, as well as gain a new audience with what they considered a more mature sound.
Nesmith stated in Rhino Handmade's 2011 Deluxe Edition reissue, "I guess it was the same embryo beating in me that was somewhere in Don Henley and Glenn Frey and Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young.
Other notable songs include the Dolenz composition "Little Girl", which featured Louie Shelton on electric guitar, joining Micky on acoustic guitar, along with "Mommy and Daddy" (B-side to the "Good Clean Fun" single) in which he sang about America's treatment of the Native Americans and drug abuse, and in an earlier take, released on Rhino Handmade's 2011 Deluxe Edition of Instant Replay, sang about JFK's assassination and the Vietnam war.
When things weren't getting better, I gave the guys notice that I was leaving in 30 days for good. Tork later stated in 2011 that the alcohol played only a small role and Tork then said, "I take full responsibility for the backstage problems on the 2001 tour.
Monkees biographer Andrew Sandoval commented in The Hollywood Reporter that he "spent three years cajoling them to look beyond their recent differences (which included putting aside solo projects to fully commit to the Monkees)." The 45th Anniversary Tour commenced on May 12, 2011 in Liverpool, England, before moving to North America in June and July for a total of 43 performances.
We're only doing what we think is our own thing." Rolling Stone reported on October 11, 2011, that Tork believed the Monkees did not receive the respect they deserve.
Jones died in February 2012 and Tork died in February 2019.
But, let's face it, we're not kids." ===Death of Jones and reunion with Nesmith=== The 45th anniversary tour was the last with Jones, who died of a heart attack at age 66 on February 29, 2012.
This was confirmed on August 8, 2012, when the surviving trio announced a series of U.S.
It belongs to you." The Fall 2012 tour was very well received by both fans and critics, resulting in the band's scheduling a 24-date summer tour for 2013.
It was also available on VHS. ==Musical== A stage musical opened in the UK at the Manchester Opera House on Friday March 30, 2012, and was dedicated to Davy Jones (the Jones family attended the official opening on April 3).
It ran in Manchester as part of the "Manchester Gets it First" program until April 14, 2012 before a UK tour.
It belongs to you." The Fall 2012 tour was very well received by both fans and critics, resulting in the band's scheduling a 24-date summer tour for 2013.
"It was pretty apparent there was a demand for another one." A third tour with Nesmith followed in 2014. In 2014, the Monkees were inducted into the Pop Music Hall of Fame at the 2014 Monkees Convention.
At the convention the band announced a 2014 tour of the Eastern and Midwestern US. ===Good Times! and 50th anniversary: 2015–2017=== Dolenz and Tork toured as the Monkees in 2015 without Nesmith's participation.
At the convention the band announced a 2014 tour of the Eastern and Midwestern US. ===Good Times! and 50th anniversary: 2015–2017=== Dolenz and Tork toured as the Monkees in 2015 without Nesmith's participation.
I get that all the time." In 2015, Micky Dolenz said, "As far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I’ve never been one to chase awards or anything like that; it’s never been very important to me.
Nesmith stated that he was busy with other ventures, although Dolenz said that "He's always invited." In February 2016, Dolenz announced that the Monkees would be releasing a new album, titled Good Times!, as a celebration of their 50th anniversary.
The album was released in May 2016 to considerable success, reaching No.
He did, however, make a few appearances throughout the summer of 2016, appearing virtually via Skype to perform "Papa Gene's Blues" at one concert and in person for a four-song encore at another.
We're not." The tour was cut short in June 2018, with four shows left unplayed, due to Nesmith having a health issue.
In an interview with Rolling Stone published on July 26, 2018, Nesmith revealed he had undergone quadruple bypass heart surgery.
Nesmith resumed live touring with his First National Band Redux shows in September 2018.
In November 2018, Nesmith and Dolenz announced an additional eight shows had been added to the Mike and Micky Show tour.
In June 2019, Nesmith and Dolenz toured the Mike and Micky Show in Australia and New Zealand. The Monkees released a Christmas album, Christmas Party, on October 12, 2018.
Jones died in February 2012 and Tork died in February 2019.
He and Dolenz announced March 2019 as make-up dates for the missed shows.
In June 2019, Nesmith and Dolenz toured the Mike and Micky Show in Australia and New Zealand. The Monkees released a Christmas album, Christmas Party, on October 12, 2018.
The cover art is provided by the comic book artists Mike and Laura Allred. Peter Tork died of cancer on February 21, 2019. Following the success of the Mike and Micky Show, Dolenz and Nesmith announced a follow-up tour, An Evening with the Monkees, to begin in early 2020.
The cover art is provided by the comic book artists Mike and Laura Allred. Peter Tork died of cancer on February 21, 2019. Following the success of the Mike and Micky Show, Dolenz and Nesmith announced a follow-up tour, An Evening with the Monkees, to begin in early 2020.
In May 2021, The Monkees announced their farewell tour set for the fall season consisting of Dolenz and Nesmith. Dolenz described The Monkees as initially being "a TV show about an imaginary band...
It was announced on May 4, 2021 that the Monkees will disband following a farewell tour in the United States consisting of Michael Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz.
The final date and final show for the Monkees will be held on November 14, 2021 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. ==Controversies== ===Studio recordings controversy=== Controversy hit early in 1967 concerning the Monkees' studio abilities.
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