These guys have been disrespected since their 1960s television show. They were derisively called the Pre-Fab Four (the Beatles being the Fab Four) and such insults were seriously undeserved. While they did not write their material and in the beginning barely played their instruments they were still wildly popular...and for good reason. Their television show was a welcome distraction from the horrors happening daily over in Vietnam! They deserve to be recognized for their contributions and ought to be in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Actually, the Monkees, had and continue to have a far greater affect in the world and music that most people realize. Not only did Michael Nesmith mother invent liquid paper, aka, white but Michael used the money he inherited from his mother to creat what was later to be known as MTV. The Monkees were the first musical group to create a fully musical video on TV. So every music video you have watched or will ever watch you can thank Nesmith and the Monkees!!!
At their worst the Monkees were a competent 60’s pop group, unambitious but appealing. At their best, on many singles and album tracks they could rival ANY of their contemporaries. And that, for a group of people put together by TV executives to pretend to be a musicians is quite a compliment.
It truly is an excellent song, it's in my top 3 or 4 Monkees songs. Beautiful melody with words that very effectively capture that incredible thing that true love does to us, making a man willing to drop the front, drop the defenses, to "need no longer wear a disguise." And of course Mickey's vocals fit it like a glove! Baffling it was never released as a single.
I grew up listening to the Monkees music & watching their show. They could act silly but they actually were decent musicians & singers. They had many hits "I'm A Believer" & "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (both written by Neil Diamond), "Valleri", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Last Train To Clarksville" etc. Davy Jones was considered a teenage heart throb. Sadly he died in 2012 & later Peter Tork in 2019. Michael Nesmith passed away recently. Only 1 member is remaining now Micky Dolenz.
Great reaction, Millie. This was a band created by a TV network for a show about a band trying to become known, it was inspired by The Beatles. At first they had some song writers giving them material and session musicians to play the instruments, but the guys (Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork) all had a musical background so, as the show became more popular they pushed the network to allow them to write and record their own stuff, in the end they ended up as a far better band than the TV show portrayed. Tracks to check out by them, "Valleri", "Words", "For Pete's Sake", "You Just May Be The One", "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", there are many more but these give a good overview of the band.
Thanks for being the comment that calls out how the band was manufactured by TV producers. They sound British because that was the style they were designed to emulate. Trust me, it was a very catching sound for me as a 14 year old when it came out. I bought two of their albums, and now I think 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' was their best song.
My childhood was filled with the Monkees, as my older siblings had a few of their records and I listened to them all the time, so I will always love this group.
Nice choice and reaction. As a longtime Monkees fan, I would recommend "Goin' Down". If you want more of that retro, 60s pop sound then "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm a Believer" are good choices. Because the group was formed around a TV show, they had a big catalogue of videos when most bands were not even making videos.
Hey hey we're the Monkees! They had plenty of catchy pop tune hits. Yes, they were formed to take advantage of the Beatles popularity. Fun entertaining songs to enjoy. 😊🎉❤
The TV seriers was making a spoof of the Beatles. MIckey Dolenz would go onto writing a song about them meeting the Beatles in his song "Randy Scouse Git" Mickey made the reference to the Beatles in the line "The four kings of E.M.I." (E.M.I. = Record Label)
The great thing about The Monkees is they had 3 lead Singers. When Davy sang they sounded British, when Micky sang they sounded like California, when Mike Sang they sounded Country.
The Monkees were formed for a TV situation-comedy show in response to the zany movies the Beatles had made back then. (That's the British influence, but as you observe, Davy Jones was the Monkees' only Brit.) As in the Beatles films, the Monkees' musical sequences (also released as records and played on radio) were interludes in each TV show. The shows all had silly comedy plots featuring the band members as main characters. They didn't write their own songs for the show at first but eventually all learned to play their instruments (which they didn't initially) and later also wrote songs (see other commenters' observations, below, who note that some of the members already had musical backgrounds) and eventually went on live concert tours. The mid-1960s were the era for this kind of pop-rock music. Their theme song. "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees) was one of their hit songs. Micky Dolenz (the drummer, who also sang in these clips) had been in a TV series called "Circus Boy" when he was a kid. I remember the Monkees on TV; I was 10 when their show debuted in 1966. You can Google the Monkees to see their TV shows. The series lasted from 1966 to 1968.
The people that played the instruments were a group of professional session musicians called “The wrecking crew “. The bass guitar was probably played the legendary Carol Kaye. These musicians musicians were used on almost every recording in LA in the sixties and seventies. Everybody used them even those that were fairly good musicians themselves. For the record companies this was cost saving because the could record six to eight records every day. In between them they contributed to more than 10000 recordings. The Monkeys was just the pretty faces on the album covers and in the tv shows.
It's funny how so few know these facts. I always thought The Wrecking Crew never received the credit they should have. Most of the time it went to the much less talented money maker's unfortunately. Thanks for the facts!
I was coming to credit TWC but that has been done above. The guys did sing the vocals after the tracks were already done. They were actually musical people so they later did start playing their own instruments. Mickey had to learn drumming to keep in character, so to speak, he played guitar I think. Tork was a piano teacher and Nesmith well he’s very musical and Davy could sing well. Someone above mentioned The Beach Boys, how do I tell them?
@@jbs256 TWC was involved in a lot of the music made in LA in the sixties and seventies. They were mostly jazz musicians and they could read notes. In addition to various recordings of some of the biggest hits from the period the also worked on movie soundtracks and music for various tv series and program. And yes, they played on the recordings of Beach Boys among others. The list of famous clients is enormous . These celebrities was on the covers and got all the credits but TWC laid the foundation. There is a documentary made about these session musicians and is a revelation of how much they meant for popular music. Often they spiced up songs that were actually quite boring. An example is “The beat goes on “ that originally was an endless strumming in E but Carol Kaye came up the bass line that made it interesting. Why did the record companies used them? The main reason was to cut the cost of the production. They could make 8 to 10 hits a day. I believe it was the Birds that needed 74 takes to get the same result TWC did in a couple of hours. In the mentioned documentary a lot of famous musicians admit how important these musicians were for their success. One of them is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. I think this documentary can be rented or bought on TH-cam. It is definitely a documentary worth watching for anyone who is interested in music.
i've been a monkees fan since their tv show debuted in 1966. one of the biggest injustices in the music world is that the monkees are not in the rock and roll hall of fame. with the passing of michael nesmith in 2021 the only surviving member is micky dolenz (playing tambourine in the video). he still continues to perform monkees songs on tour. i was fortunate enough to see michael and micky's last concert together just 2 months before michael died. with the monkees you got a wide variety of musical styles. davy sang the pop songs and ballads, michael's songs were country, peter was the folk singer,and micky was all about rock and psychedelic music. there are a lot of great deep cuts on their albums as well as the big hits. i hope you delve more into their catalog.
Im old enough to remember watching the Monkee's when the Tv programme was first aired on uk tv which was about 1967 .I was 6 years old lol 😁🎶 It was first aired in the US in 66 i think
The Monkees actually held their own against The Beatles, for crying out loud. Listen to Last Train to Clarksville, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, I'm a Believer, Pleasant Valley Sunday.
i'm not your stepping stone, pleasant valley sunday, hey hey we're the monkees, i wanna be free like the bluebird in the tree, in this generation, gloria, i'm a believer. some of the monkees songs i listened to in grade eight in nineteen sixty six. they were to be the american beatles and we all loved them. i still have a wistful happy feeling for that bygone happy age.
You are not alone, the Monkees were very popular. I was born in '64 and my brothers (7 & 8 years older) had all their albums. I grew up listening to them. You should explore more of their music, you will like it. Later, my brother introduced me to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
They were hot, Hot, HOT in the '60's, tons of hits. As they began to take creative control over their music from their TV handlers, their music just got better & better. Thanks for your reaction.
6 Top 10 Billboard Hits, 3 of which went to #1. They were the subject of a reinvigorated idea for an American TV program which came to being after the success of The Beatles film A Hard Day's Night (1964). Successful musically, perhaps a less talked about influence was their wardrobe and clothing which brought the Mod Look to the American Mainstream! Great appreciation! :)
They got their start on a sitcom tv show with the band modeled after the Beatles. So, yes, a British influence is strong. I'd suggest 'Last train to Clarkesville'.
Davey the lead singer is British. There's your British influence. haha! They had a lot of pop hits and a tv series that ran for years after their height of fame. Their tunes were catchy and the performed them well.
Millie, here are few songs from the time period of 'Daydream Believer' which you would probably like. The first two are Monkees songs, 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' and 'Words'. Both songs have very different feels. I'm sure you would enjoy either or both. Another band, the Beach Boys, had many hits, from surfing and cars songs to love songs. Here are two songs, 'Don't Worry Baby' and 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. For something a bit more psychedelic, try Cream. 'White Room' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'. Both are two class Cream song from the mid late 60's.
A true blast from my youthful past. Saturday mornings the Monkees were a must. With having older kids around and having a few babysitters that were into music is how I got such an early education in music, the same with learning about the Beatles. Mike Nesmith was the most talented musician, songwriter, and arranger, writing several songs such as "Different Drum" that was done by Linda Ronstadt with Stone Ponys (highly recommended). (His mother also invented liquid paper) They may have started out as a fictional band, but became huge rivaling the Beatles at one time. May I suggest you look into a family band from the same era, The Cowsills?
i saw mike and micky on their farewell tour,and mike sang "different drum". before the song he told the story of how he took the song to don kirshner who rejected it saying it wasn't a monkees song. mike's reply was, "but i am one of the monkees!",but it didn't work. that's when he gave the song to stone poneys and the rest is history.🐒
Saturday Monkees was in reruns. The show was originally on Mondays at 7pm. My dad a country music fan and performer/song writer found them hilarious. I was 11 years old when they debuted and quickly became a big fan.
Believe it or not, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees was previously a child actor in a TV series called Circus Boy. Then known as Mickey Braddock, he co-starred with Noah Beery Jr. (of The Rockford Files fame) and an elephant way back in 1956 to 1957 on NBC and then ABC.
There was another Davy Jones, who, in order to avoid any confusion at the time, changed his name to Bowie. Also, Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees on a few concert dates.
Glad you liked it! I'd love for you to react to the show, please. My favorite episode is, I Got a Little Song Here. Not to nitpick, but Micky is the only member from L.A. He is also the last living member. Mike was a Texan. Peter was from Washington D.C., Georgetown if I'm not mistaken, and later moved to New York City, to the Villiage. And finally, you are correct. Davy was from Manchester.
Davy Jones. The reason there ever was a David Bowie. Also a very young Davy Jones actually play the Artful Dodger in Oliver on Broadway. Google to see him in the role on The Ed Sullivan Show. Speaking of songs by made-up groups of that era, Sugar, Sugar by The Archies was huge.
Great reaction to a great group and song. I saw them in concert at Casino Rama in Orillia Ontario Canada with Micky Dolenze the Drummer in video blue shirt and playing tambourine and Peter Tork keyboards and bass guitar in video playing acustic guitar. Was able to go to the front of the stage and dance. It was a great and fun concert. U should even check out their TV show. My favorite song from them is Saturday's Child. You should react to that Awesome song. 😀😁😊
The Monkees were a fictional band (much like Spinal Tap) for a TV show of the same name. They became real at some point and the rest is more detailed in the previous comments below. Davy Jones was a recurring crush of the character Marsha Brady on the Brady Buch TV show. He even had guest appearances on the show and the Brady Bunch movies (1 of the 2, I think). Neil Diamond wrote 4 songs (plus 1 unfinished piece) for The Monkees including the hit "I'm a Believer " (feature in the movie Shrek). Check that out and Neil Diamond songs as well. (You can start w/ his Greatest Hits album then move on from there).
The Monkees filmed about half a dozen "rainbow room" music videos on what was supposed to be their day off. Lots of different musical styles in the set. This is probably the poppiest of the day. My favorite songs they filmed videos for in that room are "Pleasant Valley Sunday" which reflects the social changes of the mid- and late 60s and "Love Is Only Sleeping" which is more psychadelic. "Randy Scouse Git" is another song from that filming session, one the band wrote themselves. "Pleasant Valley Sunday was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, songwriters who heavily influenced Lennon and McCartney's early writing for the Beatles. Though some critics dismissed them as "the Pre-fab Four" and treated them as an artificial band, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith were accomplished instrumentalists and Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz were talented songwriters. Mickey wrote "Goin' Down," which fuses rock and jazz influences, for example. They weren't allowed to choose their own songs or even play their own instruments on their first two albums (they sang but session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew played), but basically rebelled against management and took over for their third album, playing their own instruments and writing some of their own music. Though they'd originally been hired as actors playing struggling musicians who wanted to be the Beatles on a 1960s sit-com, the albums they did gel into a real band with some very good tunes. Mickey Dolenz compared their development as musicians to "Leonard Nimoy turning into a real Vulcan."
Glad you reviewed the Monkees, they have a lot of great songs. The TV. show was kinda goofy and funny. I'm glad I got to see them in concert twice. Once with Davy, Peter, and Mickey. Sadly a year after that Davy passed away. It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I've been too. The following year, I seen them with Peter, Mike, and Mickey. They had a wonderful Tribute to Davy during the show. Now only Mickey remains, but I hope to see him if he tours around my area. Hopefully you can review more of their songs or just give them a listen.
I was 13 when they first aired on NBC on September 12th 1966 they called this bubblegum music I guess it's because most of their fans were between 13 to 16 so we were known as their bubble gum fans Mike Nesmith the one with sun glasses was from Houston,Texas He produced a proof of concept called Pop Clips which Time Warner aired on Nickelondeon channel as a test and the MTV Network was developed from it. In short this is how video music was born . IT`S sad that this is never said that if it wasn`t for Mike we may not have music videos.
I hope she realizes what she just saw and heard... this sweet little gem will be around for EONS .... Rest in Peace, Peter, Davy and Michael ... and we still have Mickey to enjoy. OUTSTANDING !
Millie Over 10 years ago, one of my friends had singer, late David "Davy" Jones to sing this classic with him at Karaoke Night at his local pub in Florida. Davy had a home in my town in Florida before his sudden death in 2012. My friend, Joe had bar/restaurant in town. On Saturday Nights, Joe had Karaoke there for his customers. Davy was regular patron there to get his Pint of Guiness usually on weekends. We, towns' people treated Davy like anyone else not celebrity. That's why Davy love living here. You probably figure that someone who is famous chosen to live in little town in Florida. Davy visited his close friend, Basil in a local trailer park when he is not that busy. Davy love this town so much that he bought a home in local Golf Community in town. Plus, Davy kept horses at a nearby local farm. One Saturday night, Joe somehow persuaded Davy to sing Daydream Believer at Karaoke with Joe. Too bad that we didn't video of this once in a lifetime event. Because it was a local pub.
They had songs from carol king and neil diamond. Plus they had the wrecking crew studio musicians behind them. Think Valerie Last Train to Clarksville Pleasent Valley Sunday.
@paulbarnes1102 They started as a sort of 'created' boy band, that is they were brought together by a studio. But it turned out they were all real musicians. And you are absolutely right...very mod.
this sounds like the 80"s remix version that had heavier drums and bass. You like this, check out their album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd - their magnum opus. great 60's psychedelic pop rock
I've seen the runedahl1477 comments and most is true; however, the part about pretty faces is not. All of the Monkeys were musicians, certainly not at the level of the wrecking crew, but all could sing and some were writers. Davey Jones was a theatrical stage singer. Dolan a drummer and Nesmith played keyboards and guitar, and went on to briefly popular solo career in the 80's.
Its DECEPTIVELY simple! Written by Harry Nielson (Who is well worth a deep dive!), it's actually a sad song about a couple who is dissapointed in their relationship.
There is only one monkey left, MIckey Dolenz. The rest have left us within the past 11 years. They were known as the "Pre fab four" because they were formed for the purpose of fronting a very sixties television series, but their music has staying power, even if written by others. Mike Nesmith was probably the most musically talented on the studio side and Davy had the teen idol vocals. Micky was the goofball, and I'll be darned if I know what Peter Tork did, aside from being the everyman. In real life MIke was actually the heir to the fortune created by his mother, who invented white out. I need some right now....The series is worth a look for a historical hoot, but don't expect the second coming of Shakespeare.
Aside from the music, the TV show was hilarious. The lead singer here, Davy, was English and was the heart throb of the band. Micky the drummer, also a lead singer, was the clown of the band. Mike with the cap and guitar was the half serious one with a dry sense f humor. And Peter, well Peter played the dumb guy of the band but was the most talented musician of the band. Guitar, keyboards, banjo, bass French Horn, he played everything. Micky is the only left alive today of the four.
you should try a listen to "Stepping Stone" or "She" to get a bit of the range - those two are very different from "Daydream Believer". I love almost all of their songs.
Just thinking back to Deep Purple, whom you admired, Deep Puple III is a great 1969 album by them. A sort of cross over from soft rock to harder rock and some great keyboard work by Jon. Fault Line is a very interesting track, although very short. You'll love the keyboards on this album too. Although the guitar playing on Why Didn't Rosemary is pretty good too! The words seem to reflect the movie Rosemary's Baby in 1968, about a girl who became pregnant by the Devil. The Monkees were a great favourite at the time, especially with their TV shows. Not so much a rock band, but definitely Pop. Sort of a Boy Band feeling here. A very going on holiday feel to the song. They never competed with the Beatles though IMHO.
The magazine Rolling Stones called them the american answer to The Beatles. It really says more about Rolling Stones than The Monkees. 😂 The Monkees weren’t that bad. They made quite a following that still runs today. Some of their songs were terrible bubblegum pop and a lot of the other were quite good. Worth going deeper into them.
These guys have been disrespected since their 1960s television show. They were derisively called the Pre-Fab Four (the Beatles being the Fab Four) and such insults were seriously undeserved. While they did not write their material and in the beginning barely played their instruments they were still wildly popular...and for good reason. Their television show was a welcome distraction from the horrors happening daily over in Vietnam! They deserve to be recognized for their contributions and ought to be in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Actually, the Monkees, had and continue to have a far greater affect in the world and music that most people realize. Not only did Michael Nesmith mother invent liquid paper, aka, white but Michael used the money he inherited from his mother to creat what was later to be known as MTV. The Monkees were the first musical group to create a fully musical video on TV. So every music video you have watched or will ever watch you can thank Nesmith and the Monkees!!!
So true such a joke their not in rock and roll HOF
@@denniskovaschetz9689sure? Right after the Archie's! Look up the Wrecking Crew! They helped put MANY groups into Rock and Roll hall of fame!
At their worst the Monkees were a competent 60’s pop group, unambitious but appealing. At their best, on many singles and album tracks they could rival ANY of their contemporaries. And that, for a group of people put together by TV executives to pretend to be a musicians is quite a compliment.
They were pre Millie Vannillie. The wrecking crew were REAL musicians playing for MOST of the groups in the 60's and 70's.
Sometime in the Morning is still my favorite Monkees song. RIP Davy, Peter & Mike. We miss you!
❤MISS ALL U GUYS
It truly is an excellent song, it's in my top 3 or 4 Monkees songs. Beautiful melody with words that very effectively capture that incredible thing that true love does to us, making a man willing to drop the front, drop the defenses, to "need no longer wear a disguise." And of course Mickey's vocals fit it like a glove! Baffling it was never released as a single.
I grew up watching the Monkees. Davy Jones was my first crush. I was seven. I still watch the show when it's on.🎸
I grew up listening to the Monkees music & watching their show. They could act silly but they actually were decent musicians & singers. They had many hits "I'm A Believer" & "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (both written by Neil Diamond), "Valleri", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Last Train To Clarksville" etc. Davy Jones was considered a teenage heart throb. Sadly he died in 2012 & later Peter Tork in 2019. Michael Nesmith passed away recently. Only 1 member is remaining now Micky Dolenz.
But that was in reaction to The Beatles videos and movies like A Hard Days Night. They were silly, too. Just an American copy of that.
By the way, NOTHING WRONG WITH SILLY.
Great reaction, Millie.
This was a band created by a TV network for a show about a band trying to become known, it was inspired by The Beatles. At first they had some song writers giving them material and session musicians to play the instruments, but the guys (Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork) all had a musical background so, as the show became more popular they pushed the network to allow them to write and record their own stuff, in the end they ended up as a far better band than the TV show portrayed. Tracks to check out by them, "Valleri", "Words", "For Pete's Sake", "You Just May Be The One", "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", there are many more but these give a good overview of the band.
Thanks for being the comment that calls out how the band was manufactured by TV producers. They sound British because that was the style they were designed to emulate. Trust me, it was a very catching sound for me as a 14 year old when it came out. I bought two of their albums, and now I think 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' was their best song.
@@Blasserman
Thank you.
They had so many great songs, my favourites change all the time.
The Last Train to Clarkstown, Then I Saw Her Face, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
@@gawainethefirstYes, they have many great tunes, I like both, The Last Train to Clarksville and I'm a Believer too.
They've got so many fantastic songs!
My childhood was filled with the Monkees, as my older siblings had a few of their records and I listened to them all the time, so I will always love this group.
Nice choice and reaction. As a longtime Monkees fan, I would recommend "Goin' Down". If you want more of that retro, 60s pop sound then "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm a Believer" are good choices. Because the group was formed around a TV show, they had a big catalogue of videos when most bands were not even making videos.
Hey hey we're the Monkees! They had plenty of catchy pop tune hits. Yes, they were formed to take advantage of the Beatles popularity. Fun entertaining songs to enjoy. 😊🎉❤
The Prefab Four ... they had some great pop hits.
Bringing me back to my childhood here. These guys were all over tge radio and TV back in the sixties.
The guitar player (Mike Nesmith) is the man who started MTV ..... His mother was a secretary who invited white out and earned a literal fortune.
This is still one of the most fun and classic pop songs I’ve ever heard. It sticks with you as a listener and it’s a nice little tune.
I grew up watching them on tv and listening to there music, Love them to this day.
The TV seriers was making a spoof of the Beatles. MIckey Dolenz would go onto writing a song about them meeting the Beatles in his song "Randy Scouse Git" Mickey made the reference to the Beatles in the line "The four kings of E.M.I." (E.M.I. = Record Label)
Davy Jones (lead singer here) was British. The others were American (Mickey Dolenz, the drummer, was originally famous on TV as Circus Boy).
The great thing about The Monkees is they had 3 lead Singers. When Davy sang they sounded British, when Micky sang they sounded like California, when Mike Sang they sounded Country.
Davy was british
A tv show that turned into a band . Thanks ❤
A bit like the Archies.
It was a band that had their own tv show,I know because I was a kid at the time
Great Reaction To This Great Classic Song 👍,R.I.P To The 3 Members Of The Monkees, Still Miss You Guys Always 😢
The Monkees were formed for a TV situation-comedy show in response to the zany movies the Beatles had made back then. (That's the British influence, but as you observe, Davy Jones was the Monkees' only Brit.) As in the Beatles films, the Monkees' musical sequences (also released as records and played on radio) were interludes in each TV show. The shows all had silly comedy plots featuring the band members as main characters. They didn't write their own songs for the show at first but eventually all learned to play their instruments (which they didn't initially) and later also wrote songs (see other commenters' observations, below, who note that some of the members already had musical backgrounds) and eventually went on live concert tours. The mid-1960s were the era for this kind of pop-rock music. Their theme song. "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees) was one of their hit songs. Micky Dolenz (the drummer, who also sang in these clips) had been in a TV series called "Circus Boy" when he was a kid. I remember the Monkees on TV; I was 10 when their show debuted in 1966. You can Google the Monkees to see their TV shows. The series lasted from 1966 to 1968.
one of my fave Monkees songs. Check out their songs: Pleasant Valley Sunday & Valleri
The people that played the instruments were a group of professional session musicians called “The wrecking crew “. The bass guitar was probably played the legendary Carol Kaye. These musicians musicians were used on almost every recording in LA in the sixties and seventies. Everybody used them even those that were fairly good musicians themselves. For the record companies this was cost saving because the could record six to eight records every day. In between them they contributed to more than 10000 recordings. The Monkeys was just the pretty faces on the album covers and in the tv shows.
It's funny how so few know these facts. I always thought The Wrecking Crew never received the credit they should have. Most of the time it went to the much less talented money maker's unfortunately. Thanks for the facts!
I was coming to credit TWC but that has been done above. The guys did sing the vocals after the tracks were already done. They were actually musical people so they later did start playing their own instruments. Mickey had to learn drumming to keep in character, so to speak, he played guitar I think. Tork was a piano teacher and Nesmith well he’s very musical and Davy could sing well. Someone above mentioned The Beach Boys, how do I tell them?
@@jbs256 TWC was involved in a lot of the music made in LA in the sixties and seventies. They were mostly jazz musicians and they could read notes. In addition to various recordings of some of the biggest hits from the period the also worked on movie soundtracks and music for various tv series and program. And yes, they played on the recordings of Beach Boys among others. The list of famous clients is enormous . These celebrities was on the covers and got all the credits but TWC laid the foundation. There is a documentary made about these session musicians and is a revelation of how much they meant for popular music. Often they spiced up songs that were actually quite boring. An example is “The beat goes on “ that originally was an endless strumming in E but Carol Kaye came up the bass line that made it interesting. Why did the record companies used them? The main reason was to cut the cost of the production. They could make 8 to 10 hits a day. I believe it was the Birds that needed 74 takes to get the same result TWC did in a couple of hours. In the mentioned documentary a lot of famous musicians admit how important these musicians were for their success. One of them is Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. I think this documentary can be rented or bought on TH-cam. It is definitely a documentary worth watching for anyone who is interested in music.
you may like these songs too:
Pleasant Valley Sunday
I'm not your stepping stone
I'm a Believer
last train to clarksville
Mike Nesmith, the one with the guitar, wrote "Different Drum" made popular by The Stone Ponys with Linda Rondstadt on vocals.
I believe Mike Nesmith's mom invented liquid paper.
i've been a monkees fan since their tv show debuted in 1966. one of the biggest injustices in the music world is that the monkees are not in the rock and roll hall of fame. with the passing of michael nesmith in 2021 the only surviving member is micky dolenz (playing tambourine in the video). he still continues to perform monkees songs on tour. i was fortunate enough to see michael and micky's last concert together just 2 months before michael died. with the monkees you got a wide variety of musical styles. davy sang the pop songs and ballads, michael's songs were country, peter was the folk singer,and micky was all about rock and psychedelic music. there are a lot of great deep cuts on their albums as well as the big hits. i hope you delve more into their catalog.
Im old enough to remember watching the Monkee's when the Tv programme was first aired on uk tv which was about 1967 .I was 6 years old lol 😁🎶
It was first aired in the US in 66 i think
You should listen to Last Train To Clarksville. Awesome Monkeys song. 👍
The Monkees actually held their own against The Beatles, for crying out loud. Listen to Last Train to Clarksville, I'm Not Your
Stepping Stone, I'm a Believer, Pleasant Valley Sunday.
i'm not your stepping stone, pleasant valley sunday, hey hey we're the monkees, i wanna be free like the bluebird in the tree, in this generation, gloria, i'm a believer. some of the monkees songs i listened to in grade eight in nineteen sixty six. they were to be the american beatles and we all loved them. i still have a wistful happy feeling for that bygone happy age.
You are not alone, the Monkees were very popular. I was born in '64 and my brothers (7 & 8 years older) had all their albums. I grew up listening to them. You should explore more of their music, you will like it. Later, my brother introduced me to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Big fan back then. Forget That Girl Off The Headquarters LP. Still sounds fabulous.
they were formed for a Saturday morning TV show, I was 7 when they first started, grew up on them
It wasn't originally as Saturday morning show, it was a prime time show.
They were hot, Hot, HOT in the '60's, tons of hits. As they began to take creative control over their music from their TV handlers, their music just got better & better. Thanks for your reaction.
6 Top 10 Billboard Hits, 3 of which went to #1. They were the subject of a reinvigorated idea for an American TV program which came to being after the success of The Beatles film A Hard Day's Night (1964). Successful musically, perhaps a less talked about influence was their wardrobe and clothing which brought the Mod Look to the American Mainstream! Great appreciation! :)
tv stars turned music stars.. they were funny, great, talented, excellent on camera and in front of audiences.
They got their start on a sitcom tv show with the band modeled after the Beatles. So, yes, a British influence is strong. I'd suggest 'Last train to Clarkesville'.
A band, basically, put together by TV Network Execs, trying to capture some the Beatle's magic. And they did.
I grew up to their music and even watched their tv show. They're a very iconic band. Wonderful memories!
I saw Monkees in concert w/ friends and Mickey, Peter and Davy at George Mason College in Fairfax, VA large crowd.
This is my favorite Monkees song. I grew up watching the show and got to see them live in West Palm Beach, FL in 1997.
Davey the lead singer is British. There's your British influence. haha! They had a lot of pop hits and a tv series that ran for years after their height of fame. Their tunes were catchy and the performed them well.
Millie, here are few songs from the time period of 'Daydream Believer' which you would probably like. The first two are Monkees songs, 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' and 'Words'. Both songs have very different feels. I'm sure you would enjoy either or both. Another band, the Beach Boys, had many hits, from surfing and cars songs to love songs. Here are two songs, 'Don't Worry Baby' and 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. For something a bit more psychedelic, try Cream. 'White Room' and 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'. Both are two class Cream song from the mid late 60's.
A true blast from my youthful past. Saturday mornings the Monkees were a must. With having older kids around and having a few babysitters that were into music is how I got such an early education in music, the same with learning about the Beatles. Mike Nesmith was the most talented musician, songwriter, and arranger, writing several songs such as "Different Drum" that was done by Linda Ronstadt with Stone Ponys (highly recommended). (His mother also invented liquid paper) They may have started out as a fictional band, but became huge rivaling the Beatles at one time. May I suggest you look into a family band from the same era, The Cowsills?
i saw mike and micky on their farewell tour,and mike sang "different drum". before the song he told the story of how he took the song to don kirshner who rejected it saying it wasn't a monkees song. mike's reply was, "but i am one of the monkees!",but it didn't work. that's when he gave the song to stone poneys and the rest is history.🐒
@@DannyD714 Went to Memphis to see them on the farewell tour but a couple of hours before showtime I got a migraine and had stay at the hotel.
Saturday Monkees was in reruns. The show was originally on Mondays at 7pm. My dad a country music fan and performer/song writer found them hilarious. I was 11 years old when they debuted and quickly became a big fan.
Believe it or not, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees was previously a child actor in a TV series called Circus Boy. Then known as Mickey Braddock, he co-starred with Noah Beery Jr. (of The Rockford Files fame) and an elephant way back in 1956 to 1957 on NBC and then ABC.
There was another Davy Jones, who, in order to avoid any confusion at the time, changed his name to Bowie. Also, Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees on a few concert dates.
For future reference, when you clap and it's out of sync, well, ... you know what I mean. Great pop song from the 60's.
Glad you liked it! I'd love for you to react to the show, please. My favorite episode is, I Got a Little Song Here.
Not to nitpick, but Micky is the only member from L.A. He is also the last living member.
Mike was a Texan. Peter was from Washington D.C., Georgetown if I'm not mistaken, and later moved to New York City, to the Villiage. And finally, you are correct. Davy was from Manchester.
All-time favorite!!! 😃
Davy Jones. The reason there ever was a David Bowie. Also a very young Davy Jones actually play the Artful Dodger in Oliver on Broadway. Google to see him in the role on The Ed Sullivan Show. Speaking of songs by made-up groups of that era, Sugar, Sugar by The Archies was huge.
I was in seventh grade when the revival happened in 1985. Never heard of them before that
Millie, your music podcasts are amazing. You're into it very well, my meaning 😊😅😂 go on with it.. very well jobs done 😊
Great reaction to a great group and song. I saw them in concert at Casino Rama in Orillia Ontario Canada with Micky Dolenze the Drummer in video blue shirt and playing tambourine and Peter Tork keyboards and bass guitar in video playing acustic guitar. Was able to go to the front of the stage and dance. It was a great and fun concert. U should even check out their TV show. My favorite song from them is Saturday's Child. You should react to that Awesome song. 😀😁😊
The greatest pop song every written
When I was a kid they had their own TV show, which was great
The Monkees were a fictional band (much like Spinal Tap) for a TV show of the same name. They became real at some point and the rest is more detailed in the previous comments below.
Davy Jones was a recurring crush of the character Marsha Brady on the Brady Buch TV show. He even had guest appearances on the show and the Brady Bunch movies (1 of the 2, I think).
Neil Diamond wrote 4 songs (plus 1 unfinished piece) for The Monkees including the hit "I'm a Believer " (feature in the movie Shrek). Check that out and Neil Diamond songs as well. (You can start w/ his Greatest Hits album then move on from there).
The Monkees filmed about half a dozen "rainbow room" music videos on what was supposed to be their day off. Lots of different musical styles in the set. This is probably the poppiest of the day. My favorite songs they filmed videos for in that room are "Pleasant Valley Sunday" which reflects the social changes of the mid- and late 60s and "Love Is Only Sleeping" which is more psychadelic. "Randy Scouse Git" is another song from that filming session, one the band wrote themselves. "Pleasant Valley Sunday was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, songwriters who heavily influenced Lennon and McCartney's early writing for the Beatles.
Though some critics dismissed them as "the Pre-fab Four" and treated them as an artificial band, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith were accomplished instrumentalists and Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz were talented songwriters. Mickey wrote "Goin' Down," which fuses rock and jazz influences, for example.
They weren't allowed to choose their own songs or even play their own instruments on their first two albums (they sang but session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew played), but basically rebelled against management and took over for their third album, playing their own instruments and writing some of their own music. Though they'd originally been hired as actors playing struggling musicians who wanted to be the Beatles on a 1960s sit-com, the albums they did gel into a real band with some very good tunes. Mickey Dolenz compared their development as musicians to "Leonard Nimoy turning into a real Vulcan."
Davy Jones was my crush at that time. I'm 59 now. I never missed an episode of the Monkeys. Davy's accent really made this a perfect song.
Glad you reviewed the Monkees, they have a lot of great songs. The TV. show was kinda goofy and funny. I'm glad I got to see them in concert twice. Once with Davy, Peter, and Mickey. Sadly a year after that Davy passed away. It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I've been too. The following year, I seen them with Peter, Mike, and Mickey. They had a wonderful Tribute to Davy during the show. Now only Mickey remains, but I hope to see him if he tours around my area. Hopefully you can review more of their songs or just give them a listen.
I'm old as dirt now and STILL LOVE this tune... great song! tommy boyce and bobby hart... check em out if you liked the Monkees music. It's awesome.
Great reaction Millie! Daydream Believer is my favorite song by The Monkees.
Growing up in the 60’s they were part of our Saturday morning lineup during cartoons.
Thank you for this reaction. "Daddy's Song" is another good song by The Monkees, from their album Head.
The song and video are from 1967 but the drums were redone in the 80s or 90s. It sounds much better originally than with the overkill on the drums.
I was 13 when they first aired on NBC on September 12th 1966 they called this bubblegum music I guess it's because most of their fans were between 13 to 16 so we were known as their bubble gum fans Mike Nesmith the one with sun glasses was from Houston,Texas He produced a proof of concept called Pop Clips which Time Warner aired on Nickelondeon channel as a test and the MTV Network was developed from it. In short this is how video music was born . IT`S sad that this is never said that if it wasn`t for Mike we may not have music videos.
*3:10**-**3:11*
*I always love this part of the song.*
😁🎵🎶
I grew up with these guys when I was in grade school and they were great even if they were just a put together group for tv.
I met Davy Jones in Kings rd Chelsea and took him on a pub crawl. Great bloke.
I hope she realizes what she just saw and heard... this sweet little gem will be around for EONS .... Rest in Peace, Peter, Davy and Michael ... and we still have Mickey to enjoy. OUTSTANDING !
I like how really got into the song! 🙂🐒
Their hit song "I'm a Believer" found its way into the movie Shrek.
❤️❤️
Trivia: David Bowie had to change his stage name from Jones to Bowie because Davy Jones of the Monkees had the name first.
Millie
Over 10 years ago, one of my friends had singer, late David "Davy" Jones to sing this classic with him at Karaoke Night at his local pub in Florida. Davy had a home in my town in Florida before his sudden death in 2012. My friend, Joe had bar/restaurant in town. On Saturday Nights, Joe had Karaoke there for his customers. Davy was regular patron there to get his Pint of Guiness usually on weekends. We, towns' people treated Davy like anyone else not celebrity. That's why Davy love living here. You probably figure that someone who is famous chosen to live in little town in Florida. Davy visited his close friend, Basil in a local trailer park when he is not that busy. Davy love this town so much that he bought a home in local Golf Community in town. Plus, Davy kept horses at a nearby local farm. One Saturday night, Joe somehow persuaded Davy to sing Daydream Believer at Karaoke with Joe. Too bad that we didn't video of this once in a lifetime event. Because it was a local pub.
Millie
One day, Davy informed one of my other friends that he missed Micky Dolenz (man with tambourine) as Micky left from his home.
They had songs from carol king and neil diamond.
Plus they had the wrecking crew studio musicians behind them.
Think Valerie Last Train to Clarksville Pleasent Valley Sunday.
Hi, Davy jones (the small one) was from England.
Mod is the correct term for the era. It was pre psychedelic.
I was like 13 when that came out.
It's a "feel good" song.
@paulbarnes1102 They started as a sort of 'created' boy band, that is they were brought together by a studio. But it turned out they were all real musicians. And you are absolutely right...very mod.
Love me some Monkeys. If it makes you smile, it'a all worth it.
They were cool in the time had there album
Sad. Only one of them left. RIP to the rest.
this sounds like the 80"s remix version that had heavier drums and bass. You like this, check out their album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd - their magnum opus. great 60's psychedelic pop rock
Great pop song! Perhaps you may have noticed where Axl Rose from Guns N' Roses got his dance moves from! ;)
Davy Jones is why we had David Bowie (whose name was Jones) He didn't want to be confused with Davie of the Monks
They had a lot of catchy tunes, more than their TV band rival the Partridge Family.
Yo, davy owned that dance floor🤘❤️
Lot of good songs from the Monkees, last train to clarksville as just one example
I've seen the runedahl1477 comments and most is true; however, the part about pretty faces is not. All of the Monkeys were musicians, certainly not at the level of the wrecking crew, but all could sing and some were writers. Davey Jones was a theatrical stage singer. Dolan a drummer and Nesmith played keyboards and guitar, and went on to briefly popular solo career in the 80's.
Its DECEPTIVELY simple! Written by Harry Nielson (Who is well worth a deep dive!), it's actually a sad song about a couple who is dissapointed in their relationship.
Daydream Believer was written by John Stewart.
The Monkees did a song called Stepping Stone which was covered by the Sex Pistols
The Jonas Brothers TV show was modeled on the Monkeys TV show.
There is only one monkey left, MIckey Dolenz. The rest have left us within the past 11 years. They were known as the "Pre fab four" because they were formed for the purpose of fronting a very sixties television series, but their music has staying power, even if written by others. Mike Nesmith was probably the most musically talented on the studio side and Davy had the teen idol vocals. Micky was the goofball, and I'll be darned if I know what Peter Tork did, aside from being the everyman. In real life MIke was actually the heir to the fortune created by his mother, who invented white out. I need some right now....The series is worth a look for a historical hoot, but don't expect the second coming of Shakespeare.
davy jones was the main singer on this one, he has/had such a voice you couldn't mistake it
( davy is the guy in red shirt)
I must be old I remember when this came out
Davy Jones was from Manchester England. The other three, yes are Americans.
Love ya Millie ❤️. The lead on this Davy Jones.
*New Subscriber*
*I love your reaction!!*
😁❤
Aside from the music, the TV show was hilarious. The lead singer here, Davy, was English and was the heart throb of the band. Micky the drummer, also a lead singer, was the clown of the band. Mike with the cap and guitar was the half serious one with a dry sense f humor. And Peter, well Peter played the dumb guy of the band but was the most talented musician of the band. Guitar, keyboards, banjo, bass French Horn, he played everything. Micky is the only left alive today of the four.
you should try a listen to "Stepping Stone" or "She" to get a bit of the range - those two are very different from "Daydream Believer". I love almost all of their songs.
I'm a Believer, is another one that`s really good, and has a faster pace then this one. it was a huge hit for them.
Just thinking back to Deep Purple, whom you admired, Deep Puple III is a great 1969 album by them. A sort of cross over from soft rock to harder rock and some great keyboard work by Jon. Fault Line is a very interesting track, although very short. You'll love the keyboards on this album too. Although the guitar playing on Why Didn't Rosemary is pretty good too! The words seem to reflect the movie Rosemary's Baby in 1968, about a girl who became pregnant by the Devil.
The Monkees were a great favourite at the time, especially with their TV shows. Not so much a rock band, but definitely Pop. Sort of a Boy Band feeling here. A very going on holiday feel to the song. They never competed with the Beatles though IMHO.
The magazine Rolling Stones called them the american answer to The Beatles.
It really says more about Rolling Stones than The Monkees. 😂 The Monkees weren’t that bad. They made quite a following that still runs today. Some of their songs were terrible bubblegum pop and a lot of the other were quite good.
Worth going deeper into them.
i believe back then it was bubblegum pop check the Achies ( it was a cartoon) song sugar sugar