You Like the Monkees? You Must be Bananas! |
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| Written by Dave Combden |
| Sunday, 07 June 2009 19:00 |
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I was 12 when I first noticed the Monkees. I didn't know much about music, nor did I know much about the nasty rumours surrounding the group and their musical abilities, or lack thereof. All I knew was that they were funny guys in a cheesy show with some good music. I found out later they were accused of not playing their own instruments and that their entire image was manufactured. These accusations argued they were, in essence, a fake band. As it turns out, all of this was true, but there is more to the story! The Monkees were invented by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider after the movie A Hard Day's Night was released. Rafelson and Schneider wanted to create a television show about an American band in the style of the Beatles: not only the style of music but also in the style of director Richard Lester's portrayal of the Beatles in the movie. Lester revolutionized filmmaking at the time with his quick-cut style (he'd be later credited as the father of the music video), and Rafelson and Schneider wanted to capitalize on this success in the American market. The two producers held open auditions and put an ad in a local Hollywood trade paper calling for "four insane boys, aged 17-21." Davy Jones was already under contract at NBC, and they were looking for a vehicle for him to star in. He had performed on Broadway in Oliver as the Artful Dodger and already had a long history of stage plays under his belt. Micky Dolenz also had an extensive showbiz background, starring in his own television series from 1956-1958 called Circus Boy - in which he played the title character. Peter Tork was big in the folk scene in Greenwich Village, where he played in a band with Stephen Stills. It was actually Stills who originally screen tested for the Monkees, then recommended Peter give it a shot after he was turned down. Michael Nesmith had recorded under the name Michael Blessing but was fairly unknown and living in his car when he auditioned for the Monkees. By the end of the casting process, Rafelson and Schneider had cast two actors and two musicians; whether that was planned or a coincidence, no one can be sure.
With the cast in place, the next step for the producers was to hire songwriters to write hit songs for the group. "Last Train to Clarksville" was written and recorded prior to the guys even being cast (Micky dubbed his vocals in as soon as he was hired) and was a #1 hit single in the summer of 1966, i.e., before the show aired in September. This drew viewers to the show, and the pattern went on throughout the two-year run as a series with the singles promoting the show, and the show (with its proto-music videos) pumping the latest single. After the first two albums sold so well, the two musicians in the group grew tired of pretending to be musicians/songwriters and started demanding actual creative control. Meanwhile, the public had begun to take notice that only a few of the songs were actually written by any of the Monkees, and no one, save for Peter, played an instrument on the records. Mike had a clause in his contract ensuring that he could include two of his own songs on each record, but that wasn't quite enough to prove to the public (or to himself) that he was a real musician. The demands from the guys grew. There were threats of strike from the TV show, and then finally Mike's fist through the wall (right next to Don Kirshner's head, the music supervisor for the show). Finally, they were granted creative control over the Monkees' music. What followed were two tremendous albums: Headquarters (May, 1967) and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. (November, 1967). Unfortunately, the release of these albums coincided with wavering public interest in the group. After the public's mind has been made up about something, it's hard to prove anything otherwise, and albums written and recorded by the guys themselves, and even tours to promote the albums with the guys playing every note, couldn't satisfy the public.
The Monkees have a quality about them - some dynamic that I can't quite explain. Every time the show gets re-aired, a whole new crop of fans come around. Their show was an innocent and cheesy kids' show with catchy music and four likable goofballs. And there's nothing wrong with that.
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Yes. I like the Monkees. And you do, too. Admit it. Somewhere deep down inside of you, there are hidden recesses of joy every time "Last Train to Clarksville" comes on the radio. No? Ok, maybe that's just me then. Regardless, there should be no shame in the statement, "I am a fan of the Monkees."
Jones, Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith were hired to portray a rock 'n' roll band on television. They were 'The Monkees,' a fictional band all living together in a house on the beach, continuously trying to get gigs, and ending up in all sorts of trouble. My favorite episode occurred when they ended up spending a night in a mansion full of classic monsters, including Dracula and the Wolfman. My sister's favorite occurred when Micky purchased a cursed Monkey's paw, lost his voice, and ended up trying to sing with his feet. The point is the group was hired to portray a fake band in a goofy show, nothing more.
They continued to write and record albums, but they had started to splinter into four solo artists. Each Monkee would come into the studio alone and record his part, sometimes with studio musicians that he himself would hire. Mike had a whole studio band that he put together and continued to play with throughout the rest of the Monkees run, giving his songs a distinctively country feel. Micky went more in the direction of jazz and soul, Peter leaned towards a folkier feel, and Davy stuck with a big band/Broadway show tune dynamic.
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