The Monkees and Three Dog Night are both bands that don’t get nearly the credit they deserve because they mostly did other peoples songs but both were massively successful.
In the case of the monkees, they were auditioned as actors and cast in a tv show to pretend to be a band. The fact that they had hit records was just icing on the cake. Their job was to get ratings for a tv show so the network could sell ads for zit cream and toothpaste etc. (which was kind of antithetical to the rock ‘n roll / hippie ethos of the late 60’s). Nothing against those guys personally, but that’s why they don’t get the credit/respect.
@@fan123casual8 these are some of the same hippies that now support liberal politicians that want to control every aspect of your life. Doesn’t that make them even less authentic in the long run. At least it was upfront with the Monkees that they were actors making some good pop music. I find the phoniness of the springsteens and youngs much more deceitful for the purpose of selling records
@@anthonytice3028 Yes :) Success typically means people like you and buy your music. One reason for success is your music and your personality captivates people. Another reason for success is you are well known. (This is because, all else being equal, people respond to the well known more than the less known.) There are ways to become well known that are less about you and your music and more about publicity, advertising, branding and other marketing. Some people like David Bowie are successful because they do both, which is fine. Other people are successful nearly entirely because of publicity, etc. Publicity, etc, can be created (like David Bowie) or it can be bought (like the Monkees) although it was corporations that it bought it for them. Corporations paid for songwriters to write them songs, paid for musicians to perform on their records, paid for production of a TV show where millions saw them and heard their music (making them incredibly well known). So the Monkees don't get credit because they didn't do much more than act their parts in the studio where they recorded episodes of their TV show. I like several Monkees songs quite a bit -- Believer, Clarksville, etc -- but if anything, the songwriters and musicians deserve credit, not the Monkees. The Monkees were the label on the front of a product, sort of like Aunt Jemima (a model wearing a costume) was the label on a bottle of syrup. We can certainly and very happily agree the Monkees deserve all the credit anyone can get for being a successful label -- they nailed that part of it very well! :)
The Monkees song you must hit is "Last Train to Clarksville". It's a true rock banger, (not a made-for-TV pop song) with one of the greatest opening guitar riffs of all time, and a true (and respectful) Beatlesque sound (in similar vein to "Help"). Trust me, you'll be bopping your heads to it.
Yeah. Clarksville is a great record - maybe also "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" - written by Neil Diamond - but be sure to use the mono version of that one cos the stereo version completely immasculates it.
It's a shame you 2 don't have the memories to go along with listening to old music. I closed my eyes and was transported back 54 years to a kinder, gentler time in my youth while listening to this song. The meaning for me is extremely different from yours. This song deserves an A.
Yes. Christmas 1977 my brother got a Monkees Greatest Hits tape. At the time I may not have liked this song as much as some of the others, but now it takes me back to that time. The local TV station showed reruns of The Monkees after school. I was 7 years old and was starting to become more aware of more bands and their music.
Mickey Dolenz, who sings this one, and Davy Jones were originally actors. Pete Tork was a folkie who hung with the likes of John Sebastian and Steven Stills. He was the most talented musician of the four. Mike Nesmith had cut a couple of unsuccessful singles before the band, and had a songwriting contract after impressing folkies the New Christy Minstrels. Nesmith has written two songs that did well enough for Linda Ronstadt, that they appear on her greatest hits, Different Drum, and Some of Shelley's Blues. Dolenz and Jones were both competent drummers. Dolenz is the last surviving member of the quartet.
It was actually covered by the Stone Pony when Linda Ronstadt was the lead singer. The label wanted Linda to go solo but she was loyal to the band and also she felt she wasn’t quite ready for a solo career.
Four of the goofiest guys on TV in the mid-60s, and this adolescent boomer was totally up for it. Never missed a show! Not only were they one of the top rated shows on TV, they routinely had singles in the top 10 including several #1 hits on the Billboard charts. They would do one song per show and then back to the slapstick. NBC and their creators never ever expected the kind of success they achieved... Right up there with some of the biggest British acts at the time - though never taken as seriously. Check out "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer". Two of their biggest hits.
@@donnaj9769 ha, Davy was also the cutest according to the girls. Appearing shirtless on the cover of many a teen magazine back in the day. So shocked when he was the first to go of all of them. Considering how small he was in stature. With the passing of Mike just this past December, Mickey is now the lone survivor. 😕
I had to laugh at some of the "issues" that you guys had with the song. Keep in mind we're talking 1966-67. The mixes commonly had the vocals out front in almost every pop song at that time. I would have mixed most of my favorites from that time with the drums up and bass as well but these songs were intended to be played on a transistor radio. Most everyone under the age of 50 have no idea what it was like listening to one of those. Tiny speaker or just a single earphone, no bass response at all and it sounded terrible but that's how the American market mixed these songs....with the expectation that it would be played on one. I also played these songs on record players....not turntables. They had a 5 inch speaker, an on and off switch, a speed switch and no tone control. Go back and listen to groups like the Supremes and the 4 Seasons. Bass and drums mixed back and vocals forward. This song instantly brings me back to that time as a kid. It's a classic.
Yeah, the song is awesome in so many ways--the guitar work, the harmonies, and of course Carole King's songwriting. I nearly lost it when I saw that rating of B-. Wow, they really really missed the boat on this one. The song truly is a classic.
"I'm a Believer" is a great song, originally written by Neil Diamond. You can hear his version, but I would say the Monkees version is better. And their other song with the word Believer in the title - Daydream Believer - is a masterpiece pop song! Enjoy!
The verses in I'm A Believer are just fantastic lyrically... What's the use in trying?/All you get is pain/When I needed sunshine I got rain. Although I'm not a big Neil Diamon fan I really appreciate that many of the session musicians and writers of the 60's - Carole King, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell are good examples - were eventually able to have very successful solo careers.
I love the Monkees so much, my husband threatened to leave me if I didn't give up my obsession for them. At first, I thought he was joking. But then I saw his face.... I'll just let myself out.
"He's got a TV in every room..." that was a big deal back in the 60s as they were expensive, especially the color consoles. If you had two TVs in your home you were considered well-to-do.
If hitting the Monkees Got to be " Stepping Stone" !!! 🔥 No contest!!!!!!! BTW There is a demo of Carol King singing "Pleasant Valley" on You Tube!! It is fantastic !!!!
The Monkees were originally a band that was assembled just for a TV Sitcom. They were nicknamed "The Prefab Four" because they were put together by auditions for a TV Production Team. The first songs they put out were not actually played by the four Monkees. Professional studio musicians were employed on all of them. The band they used was a famous studio band nicknamed The Wrecking Crew. By the time they recorded this song, they were allowed to play some instruments. Mike Nesmith played the guitar riff and I believe Peter Tork played the keyboards. The drums were played by a studio musician. In addition, Carole King and Gerry Goffin were songwriters who were basically employees. They worked in a building in New York called The Brill Building nicknamed "Tin Pan Alley.". They churned out songs for the record companies. Some of their hits were "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles, "The Locomotion" by Little Eva, and "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters. There were other songwriters there who also went on to become famous. The most notable of those was Neil Diamond. He wrote for the Monkees as well, penning "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me A LIttle Bit You." You may want to explore some early Neil Diamond such as "Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon (awesomely used in Pulp Fiction), "Cherry Cherry" or "Solitary Man."
The Monkees actually played all the instruments on their third album Headquarters, except the bass which was played by the prover Chip Douglas. They brought in session players for the 4th album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. It’s their best IMO. Even recorded a Harry Nilsson song on it called Cuddly Toy.
Tin Pan Alley WAS NOT the Brill Building . The Brill Building was the last surviving remnant of Tin Pan Alley, a street where every major music publishing company in New York City had their offices. It was named Tin Pan Alley because it was said with all the musicians practicing with their windows open it sounded like tin pans banging together.
While not an S tier song, I think you guys underrated this one. Well written, well done, and with something to say other than girls, cars, or drugs. I hope it grows on you.
We must remember, The Monkees had a hit "kid's show" on TV and were popping out songs left and right while under pressure from the industry. But despite this, they, along with other writers, managed to throw some lifetime memories out that will live forever in our hearts.
Their version of “(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone” is amazing and would be perfect for your next Monkees reaction. “Last Train to Clarksville” is outstanding, as well.
If you ever saw any episodes of the silly sitcom featuring the Monkees, it might be hard to convince you these were legitimate musicians and a legitimate band. But make no mistake, these guys had talent.
they had SOME Talent but...only 2 could really sing. Mickey and Davey. on their songs they didnt play instruments or write any songs. so they are like these boy bands but they didnt dance. funny story stephen stills had an audition and lost out. yea they lost out not getting him.
I agree that once they shed the dictats of Don Kirshner and did their own stuff they turned out some good stuff (also a lot of dross cos I think they were trying too hard to be "out there" so as to distance themselves from "I'm a Believer" and so on). Some of their stuff like "Tapioca Tundra" and "Alternate Title" ("Randy Scouse Git" in the USA) and the one we're focussing on today ain't half bad and of course "Daydream Believer" will play forever. But for sure there's also some stuff that's best left on the shelf! I personally don't have a problem with their Kirshner era singles - I think they are all good solid pop records that still stand up well. The TV shows are another thing altogether - I tried to watch a couple fairly recently and they are embarrasingly bad in almost every way.
Actually, Stephen Stills was going prematurely bald at that point and he understood that he wouldn’t be what the network was looking for so he referred Peter Tork, who was a good friend of his, for the role.
Fun fact: David Bowie chose the “Bowie” (his real last name is Jones) to not be confused with Davy Jones 😁 Last Train to Clarksville, as others have said, is a good song. PS: this was a mono recording, I believe, so they don’t transfer well for headsets…..wish they did!
Guys, you gotta remember a lot of these songs from the '60s have been remixed much later to achieve the kind of stereo sound and separation we are accustomed to now on our headphones. Back then most of us were listening to them on handheld mono transistor radios, and single ear earphones. SINGLE EAR! So don't necessarily blame the band for how some engineers remix them in later years. Check out "Last Train to Clarksville" or "Daydream Believer" next. Both much better songs imo. Of course it may just be my sentimentality talking.
Correct. I always tell people to look for the mono releases of sixties music. The mix usually sounds and plays so much better. Stereo was really very new in the sixties and was yet to truly be utilized properly. Even on albums like The Beatles “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” the mono mix sounds so much cleaner.
I posted this above as well. I used to work in radio (early 70's) and I agree with what you said. Here is my post: What may affect the sound is that this group and song was built for AM radio which is MONO not stereo which is what most cars and at that time, most transistor radios had so the sound would be more compressed in MONO and for that reason you had to choose to put the instruments or the voices forward. For the Monkeys it was never much about the musicianship so the vocals are pushed forward.
@@HRConsultant_Jeff yeah it's kinda unfair to the original artists producers and engineers to blame them for an artificial updated stereo remix that they most likely had nothing to do with. I've heard them complain about this before, I don't think they were aware of how this happens. Hope we are able to shed some light on it this time.
I loved Saturday. Kicked back on the sofa watching the Monkees, Guillian's Island, and the Pink Panther. My dad defrosting the refrigerator. Box fans going full blast in all the windows. Eating Quisp cereal out of pastel Tupperware bowls...
The disadvantage you have is that you didn’t live in the times. This is a well crafted pop tune that had a social commentary and a great riff. As kids, we experienced it and ate it up. As an aging Baby Boomer, I reflect and savor the memories when I hear it now. This is in all my nostalgic pop playlists. A+ all day. Thanks for posting it.
Yeah a lot of people mentioned this was mainly listened too in mono, usually through a television speaker speaker, transistor radio, or general car radio, not really mixed with intention of two guys in 2022 listening in stereo with high quality headphones, I figured it played that great social pop song vibe back then and called it here, it totally is impossible to put myself there since I just wasn’t haha. But yeah, was super fun to hit, loved the song itself and the meaning! Great writing and performance! Just mixing issues, there likely a remaster out there that’s meant for a modern listening scenario
This is obviously not going to be competitive with the "heavyweights" of the era, but if you were a kid in '66 thru '69 listening to the Monkees on an AM transistor radio in the backyard in the summer this sh*t bopped. Also, the protest/social commentary element in the song makes it interesting.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix was big in England, but not the U.S., so they had him tour as The Monkee's opening act. He quit after 7 gigs. The teenage girl audience kept yelling for The Monkees during Hendrix's set.
I'm no audio engineer but it seems to me that at the time that this was released most people were hearing it on crappy car radios on AM radio stations. I wonder how much thought was put into how it was going to sound on quality headphones in stereo. I would imagine it's a significantly different experience. Especially since the Monkees were actors hired to be on a tv show (to profit from pretending to be like the Beatles). The musicians were all Wrecking Crew session guys which is why the playing is so much better than the vocals.
Agree with you regarding the way all these old songs were heard back in the day. We didn’t dream of hearing anything in stereo. Transistor radio all the way lol
@@cindyp1033 Hadn't thought about transistor radios in a long time. Think about the diversity of music we heard on those things back then. A great time for music.
@@sly_perkins so true. Fascinating now what we teenage girls thought was cool back then! They weren’t the Beatles but we took whatever facsimile we could get. We didn’t miss any of the shows featuring bands. Shindig, Hullabaloo, Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand :)
You can't listen to this song without hearing the original mono mix. It packs a much bigger punch and brings everything together. The stereo version spaces everything out so much that it sounds hollow and misses a lot of the original intent. The bass is also greatly lost in space and you miss all of the mono mix driving effects that are not present.
This song is about the town I grew up in Beautiful West Orange NJ where Carol King live for a short time. There’s a road I lived off of called Pleasant Valley Highway
The mono single is the version to listen to with this song . The separation issues of what we called 'fake' stereo bothers me too and that's not what we heard played on AM radio back then . Mono versions for 50's to mid 60's singles have more punch . 👊
This is one of those things that should be filed under: Needed To Have Been There. Having said that, I was happy to HAVE been there. And even though it didn't age well, it still brings a little nostalgic smile to my face.
A fun, though well known by some, fact. Mike Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper, a now rare correction fluid for typewriters. As an old Journalism student, I really appreciated this particular invention.
It's up there with any other perfect 60s pop song, for me. If you want something a bit heavier that might impress you more, try Porpoise Song from Head, but you really should just appreciate finely crafted pop that just wants to make you happy as just as high an art form as anything else. Dig further into The Monkees for sure
One of my favorite songs ever....I still have my 45. Every time I mow my lawn, I think of this song. Plus my roses didn't bloom this year. I'm so sad....lol
"Last Train to Clarksville" is one of my favorite Monkee songs. It's got an octave thing going in the main riff and great lyrics about a guy who gets drafted and is shipping out to Vietnam. That's your next stop.
It's a better song to listen to when watching a Scooby-Doo chase scene! The Monkees do have better stuff (and obviously, so does Carole King). Personal favorites of mine are, "Steppin' Stone," "Goin' Down," "Randy Scouse Git," and "Last Train to Clarksville" - they're worth checking out.
The Monkees were a great AM radio pop band with major talent in the band and development of their image. Now move deep with them and checkout “Goin’ Down” and amazing song. Even featured in the Breaking Bad series.
I'd like to recommend "As We Go Along," a song Carol and Toni Stern wrote for the Monkees' movie "Head" that encapsulates the 60's. Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Carole King, and Danny Kortchmar (James Taylor's player) all play guitar on it. The rest of the soundtrack for the movie is fabulous as well.
THE MONKEES! Beyond the hits, very inventive throughout their career. Mickey Dolenz had one of the great pop voices in the rock era. They weren't the simple hit-making machine many accept them to be. They took loads of chances, didn't always come out a winner, but they never took the easy way out. Some great arranging/production touches. "Shades of Grey" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil is one of their greatest, with Peter Tork's fragile voice being so perfect in it. Their vocal blending was exquisite and made for unique harmonies.
Since you enjoyed "I'm a Believer," I suggest next checking out "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," as both were written by Neil Diamond. Other Monkees songs I suggest include: "Last Train to Clarksville" "Daydream Believer" "Valleri" "Mary, Mary" There's also the theme song to the tv show that's a banger.
To clarify, do the original TV version of Valleri. A garage rock fuzz classic! Neil Diamond also wrote Love To Love, which was recorded at the same time as A Little Bit Me but wasn’t released until much later.
Don't give up on The Monkees without checking out "The Girl I Knew Somewhere". They wrote it (first time the studio let them), they play the instruments (first time the studio let them) and it has both a haunting lyric and the coolest rock and roll harpsichord you'll ever hear.
This song is a "standard" Monkees reaction song, but it is by no means their best or most interesting. Check out any of the songs written by Mike Nesmith. Also, you can't go wrong with "Going Down" with Mickey Dolenz singing his guts out.
They were jamming a cover of a jazz tune, "Parchman Farm," and Mickey started improv and scatting over it. They turned it into a full blown song which was a B side of a single.
Mike Nesmith really contributed songs that were out there (not necessarily pop) and cool. My favorite was You Told Me, which features Peter Tork on banjo, an early foray into country pop.
Welp back in the act with my usual little known fact. As everyone probably knows the Beatles were known as the "Fab Four". When the Monkees were formed by music execs looking for a Beatles type band for a tv show, no one thought they would be as big as the became. The Monkees actually outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in 1967. These were four guys who had never met before. Soon they were being referred to as the "Pre-Fab Four" (pre fab referring to something that is made in parts and then just put together, and because of their clear copying of the Beatles.) They exploded and had several #1 hits. Many people thought that The Beatles would dislike their made-for TV rivals but they actually welcomed The Monkees when they visited England and were big fans of the show. The Beatles along with manager Brian Epstein even hosted a party for them during the recording sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Michael Nesmith sat in on the recording. John Lennon said the Monkees were “the funniest comedy team since the Marx brothers,” adding that he “never missed an episode” of their TV show. They have several great songs, which I feel are better than this one. The one song though that everyone seems to forget is "Aunty Grizelda" my personal favorite. As always fantastic review guys. You can always be depended on to tell it like it is. Stay safe and as always Peeeeace oouuuttt.
It's only in recent years that people have started to re-evaluate The Monkees. They were originally formed for a TV show, with other people recording their music, but they rebelled and proved to the executives that they could do the music well themselves. By the end of their time together, they were recording and writing their own songs, many of which stand up among the best songs of the 60s - no mean feat. As for being "assembled for the show", a lot of Motown acts were assembled in a similar way, and no-one seems to care (as the song says). Who cares how they started - the Monkees were good, solid pop, often with a country edge provided by guitarist and songwriter Mike Nesmith. Try hitting "What am I doing Hanging Round" for a taste of their country edge, or "Daydream Believer" for some pure pop. Their song "Last Train to Clarksville" is a classic, too.
I hope you get to The Young Rascals. Some suggestions; Groovin, It’s A Beautiful Morning, People Got To Be Free. I think you guys will enjoy their sound.
The song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the lyric was written by her husband Gerry after they moved to the suburbs from NYC - he did not like the suburbs.
Something I always like to bring up about Davy in these discussions is the fact that he was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of the Artful Dodger in the West End London and Broadway musical "Oliver". He was a very talented individual. And, he was on the "Ed Sullivan Show" with the Broadway cast of "Oliver" on February 9th, 1964 , the night the Beatles debuted on the "Ed Sullivan Show", and witnessed history in the making.
All instruments were played by the "Wrecking Crew". They were a group known for playing on a ton of 50's-70's recordings. There is a documentary on Netflix that covers them.
Ms. King embodied musical girl power long before it was in vogue. Even if Andy & Alex disliked the production technique, the songwriting is stellar. It's a brilliantly scathing indictment of suburbia and "status symbol land." Rock on, Carole.
A Harry Nilsson song on a Monkees album? The Jam and Oasis, too? Yes, it's true! The final Monkees album, Good Times!, came out in 2016 as part of their 50th anniversary celebration. Although it featured original members Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith, the producer and guiding light behind it was Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne (his band played most of the tracks). But the amazing thing was all the guest songwriting contributions, not only the title track by Nilsson, but also "Birth of an Accidental Hipster" co-written by Noel Gallagher (!) of Oasis and Paul-friggin-Weller(!) of The Jam. Plus "You Bring The Summer" by XTC leader Andy Partridge, "Love to Love" by Neil Diamond, "Wasn't Born to Follow" by Carole King/Gerry Goffin and other legendary artists. Incredible! And all big Monkees fans! It's actually a really good album and worth a listen.
Their first 4 albums are pop classics. The album this song was on is their best, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones Ltd. It was the perfect fusion of everything they did well.
I look forward to this. It's a very good song. Great lyrics. The Monkees had a lot of great songs, I'm not your stepping stone, I'm a believer, daydream believer, Valerri, etc.
Well the song is by Carole King and Gerry Goffin (I think they were married at that stage?) so it has a top class pedigree and the Monkees nailed it I think. If you listen to Carole's original demo of the song (which is available here on TH-cam) you can understand how much the Monkees brought to "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
"Last Train to Clarksville" would be my choice for next Monkees song, and it's a better song than this one. B is a fair grade for this one. There were at least 3 songs on the Carole poll that are better: "Up on the Roof", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and "One Fine Day", and "Up on the Roof" has the advantage of introducing you to The Drifters, who have other great songs. I hope you check out all 3, and also "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva, and maybe the Grand Funk version too. If you haven't heard Aretha's version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", that's another gem. "Goin' Back" is on my list of numerous Byrds songs that you should hear.
I understand Andy's problem with the left right mix, but keep in mind songs like this from the 60s were never intended to be heard on headphones. Typically in those days you would hear pop music by buying a mono 45 record, or you would hear it on mono AM radio. So the mix was all centered without the extreme left right intrusions. Many of these early recordings were produced in stereo for vinyl LPs, but even then, people would typically listen on a home stereo system with speakers - not headphones so much then. So the large left right separation would be burred and muted somewhat by the fact that both ears are hearing both channels - unlike headphones, where the right ear only hears right channel, and same for the left.
Most of the Monkees songs were recorded by the Wrecking Crew studio band that recorded most of the top hits of the 60's. Glenn Campbell was a in that crew before going solo. Mickey Dolenz was a child actor and had to go to six months of drumming boot camp just to be able to play the songs when the Monkees got so popular they started to tour.
Another Monkees Songs to check out: I'm Not Your Stepping Stone. There are also lots of great one hit wonder garage rock and psychedelic rock songs . Pushing Too Hard by Seeds is a prime example. If you ask your audience you can get lots of suggestions. This area of rock would probably make an excellent live stream.
I feel like the mix was aimed at AM radio, hollow and tin can sounding, because chances were you would be listening to it on a transistor radio or your television (decades before stereo TV)
The song was sarcastic and talking about how dead the suburbs are- so making the song more lively is out of step with the deadness of what they were describing
Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote one of the trippiest songs for The Monkees called The Porpoise Song. I was shocked to hear it used to close an episode of Mad Men. I often play it for people who cannot figure out who it is but no they know the lead singer lol. As a teenager of course I loved the Monkees TV show. it was funny and goofy and absolutely crazy. And those guys were so damn cute LOL. They did have some great songwriters working for them including Boyce and Hart and Neil Diamond and of course Carole King. I also did love the lyrics of this song touching on the malaise beneath the manufactured ‘perfect’ façade of the suburbs.
To keep it in context, songs like this were played on AM radio in mono with tons of compression. Had more sonic pop back then when hearing it that way. The Wrecking Crew were the musicians. I'm not a Monkees fan, but this is one of their better songs .Good review.
On this specific track Hoh is the only Wrecking Crew member on this recording. Nez on guitar, Peter on keyboards, their producer Chip Douglas on bass and of course Mickey and Davey on vocals
Fun Fact: Composed by Gerry Goffin - Carole King. Also attached to a very fond memory. While it was charting we'd moved from Miami to Washington D.C.. We drove out to the country to see the autumn colors. Just as we peaked a high point in the area, I Iooked down into the sea of crimson and gold, as this song came on the radio. Pretty much blew my nine year old mind...
So a heads up: this is remastered version. The original was in mono, and I think it sounds much better. Idk why they chose to pan the drums all the way to the right, and the music to the left in this one. I guess to emphasize the vocals?? But it makes the song sound very thin. You should give the mono version a listen, you might like it a bit better. I think as you listened to it here, the B & B- is fair. But I think you guys might jump up to a B+ or A with the original mono version.
IMO, Goffin and King’s The Porpoise Song is the greatest song the Monkees ever did. I saw Papa Nes and Mickey in concert a few years ago, and they pulled it off, which, if you ever listen to it, you’ll appreciate how astonishing that is.
It you a kid when they were at their peak of popularity, you simply listen to them with different ears than people before or after. You need to be about 57 to 67 to "get" the Monkees. I actually think it's a brilliant A or A+ song with the happy bop sound ironically belying the suffocating banality of '60s suburban life. Another Pleasant Valley Sunday Charcoal burnin' everywhere Rows of houses that are all the same And no one seems to care Creature comfort goals they only numb my soul And make it hard for me to see My thoughts all seem to stray to places far away I need a change of scenery And that's some pretty fancy thoughts for a group that at heart were just supposed to be some fun goofs.
Steppin' Stone is a raw flat out banger. Imagine the balls it took to produce a 30 minute TV comedy with HITS. Enormous pressure to find the songs- no sweat producing them as it was all the LA studio monsters- The Wrecking Crew. They were very very very popular. And Mickey can sing.
I'm always still amazed that this was a band put together by TV network execs. It's amazing when you think about it, that they did so well and sounded so good.
Yes. This won a poll of songs written or co-written by Carole King. "Porpoise Song" and "As We Go Along" are two other fantastic Monkees songs co-written by Carole King, though they are a little more on the obscure side. They're both from the soundtrack to their movie Head, which is bizarre, and I would say at this point in their musical journey, Andy and Alex probably don't need to watch right now.
Some of these reviews are so hard to stomach since they are listening so out of context. We were Generation Jones, defined by keeping up with the Joneses. This song was a reaction to the rampant materialism. It wasn’t a dance song. FM radio wasn’t even available to most people in 1967, but the voice you were annoyed by was Davy Jones’s and girls swooned to hear him. It went to number 3 on the charts. Not my favorite Monkees song either, but times were different then. We couldn’t listen to what we wanted. We listened to what the radio played. And in those circumstances, this was a great song, and even groundbreaking for the Monkees to do social commentary.
Alex hit it, the dissonance in "Another Pleasant Valley Sunday/down in status symbol land." The sound is happy and pleasant, but the lyrics are subversive. That sonic distance between the vocal and the rhythm which made Andy so uncomfortable just reinforces that lyrical distance.
Also, essentially they were competing with the Beatles and the Beatles at that time were messing around with more experimental recording and production techniques. Just saying.
I take on board the comments on the 'mix' issues - however the Monkees MONO mixes are great and how they are meant to sound, much like the Beatles in mono is the way to go. Afraid a product of the era.
The Monkees and Three Dog Night are both bands that don’t get nearly the credit they deserve because they mostly did other peoples songs but both were massively successful.
A band should get credit for being successful? What about when corporate money buys that success?
@@alexjbennett1017 can you be more specific?
In the case of the monkees, they were auditioned as actors and cast in a tv show to pretend to be a band. The fact that they had hit records was just icing on the cake. Their job was to get ratings for a tv show so the network could sell ads for zit cream and toothpaste etc. (which was kind of antithetical to the rock ‘n roll / hippie ethos of the late 60’s). Nothing against those guys personally, but that’s why they don’t get the credit/respect.
@@fan123casual8 these are some of the same hippies that now support liberal politicians that want to control every aspect of your life. Doesn’t that make them even less authentic in the long run. At least it was upfront with the Monkees that they were actors making some good pop music. I find the phoniness of the springsteens and youngs much more deceitful for the purpose of selling records
@@anthonytice3028 Yes :) Success typically means people like you and buy your music. One reason for success is your music and your personality captivates people. Another reason for success is you are well known. (This is because, all else being equal, people respond to the well known more than the less known.) There are ways to become well known that are less about you and your music and more about publicity, advertising, branding and other marketing. Some people like David Bowie are successful because they do both, which is fine. Other people are successful nearly entirely because of publicity, etc. Publicity, etc, can be created (like David Bowie) or it can be bought (like the Monkees) although it was corporations that it bought it for them. Corporations paid for songwriters to write them songs, paid for musicians to perform on their records, paid for production of a TV show where millions saw them and heard their music (making them incredibly well known). So the Monkees don't get credit because they didn't do much more than act their parts in the studio where they recorded episodes of their TV show. I like several Monkees songs quite a bit -- Believer, Clarksville, etc -- but if anything, the songwriters and musicians deserve credit, not the Monkees. The Monkees were the label on the front of a product, sort of like Aunt Jemima (a model wearing a costume) was the label on a bottle of syrup. We can certainly and very happily agree the Monkees deserve all the credit anyone can get for being a successful label -- they nailed that part of it very well! :)
The Monkees song you must hit is "Last Train to Clarksville". It's a true rock banger, (not a made-for-TV pop song) with one of the greatest opening guitar riffs of all time, and a true (and respectful) Beatlesque sound (in similar vein to "Help"). Trust me, you'll be bopping your heads to it.
I concur! Easily their best tune imho.
For years I didn’t realize it was about being drafted. And by years I mean decades lol
Yeah. Clarksville is a great record - maybe also "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" - written by Neil Diamond - but be sure to use the mono version of that one cos the stereo version completely immasculates it.
Agreed! "Last Train to Clarksville" is probably my favourite Monkees song.
Beat me to it.
It's a shame you 2 don't have the memories to go along with listening to old music. I closed my eyes and was transported back 54 years to a kinder, gentler time in my youth while listening to this song. The meaning for me is extremely different from yours. This song deserves an A.
So true…this one brings back a lot of great memories…
So true!
Yes. Christmas 1977 my brother got a Monkees Greatest Hits tape. At the time I may not have liked this song as much as some of the others, but now it takes me back to that time. The local TV station showed reruns of The Monkees after school. I was 7 years old and was starting to become more aware of more bands and their music.
And the tv show that went with it.
I was 5 when the show 1st aired -- so this is very cool.
Mickey Dolenz, who sings this one, and Davy Jones were originally actors. Pete Tork was a folkie who hung with the likes of John Sebastian and Steven Stills. He was the most talented musician of the four. Mike Nesmith had cut a couple of unsuccessful singles before the band, and had a songwriting contract after impressing folkies the New Christy Minstrels. Nesmith has written two songs that did well enough for Linda Ronstadt, that they appear on her greatest hits, Different Drum, and Some of Shelley's Blues. Dolenz and Jones were both competent drummers. Dolenz is the last surviving member of the quartet.
Wow, Nesmith wrote Different Drum? I love that song.
Yeah, gotta disagree there. Nesmith was a brilliant songwriter, giving us jewels like Different Drum and Some of Shelley's Blues.
It was actually covered by the Stone Pony when Linda Ronstadt was the lead singer. The label wanted Linda to go solo but she was loyal to the band and also she felt she wasn’t quite ready for a solo career.
@@GetRidOfCivilAssetForfeiture wasn't Stone Pony the early version of the future Eagles?
@@thomasbell7033, I agree
Four of the goofiest guys on TV in the mid-60s, and this adolescent boomer was totally up for it. Never missed a show! Not only were they one of the top rated shows on TV, they routinely had singles in the top 10 including several #1 hits on the Billboard charts. They would do one song per show and then back to the slapstick. NBC and their creators never ever expected the kind of success they achieved... Right up there with some of the biggest British acts at the time - though never taken as seriously. Check out "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer". Two of their biggest hits.
Great show!
Yup..we did "The Monkey Walk" down the hallways at school..
LOL..
So FUN! 🐒
✌😎❤🇺🇸🤘🎸
Yep, right there with you. Davy was my favorite 😄
I understand they played The Last Train to Clarksville seven different times making it the most played of all their hits on the show...
@@donnaj9769 ha, Davy was also the cutest according to the girls. Appearing shirtless on the cover of many a teen magazine back in the day. So shocked when he was the first to go of all of them. Considering how small he was in stature. With the passing of Mike just this past December, Mickey is now the lone survivor. 😕
@@rustytime that would make sense. I remember them showing some of their live tour footage on some of the shows.
I had to laugh at some of the "issues" that you guys had with the song. Keep in mind we're talking 1966-67. The mixes commonly had the vocals out front in almost every pop song at that time. I would have mixed most of my favorites from that time with the drums up and bass as well but these songs were intended to be played on a transistor radio. Most everyone under the age of 50 have no idea what it was like listening to one of those. Tiny speaker or just a single earphone, no bass response at all and it sounded terrible but that's how the American market mixed these songs....with the expectation that it would be played on one. I also played these songs on record players....not turntables. They had a 5 inch speaker, an on and off switch, a speed switch and no tone control. Go back and listen to groups like the Supremes and the 4 Seasons. Bass and drums mixed back and vocals forward. This song instantly brings me back to that time as a kid. It's a classic.
Yeah, the song is awesome in so many ways--the guitar work, the harmonies, and of course Carole King's songwriting. I nearly lost it when I saw that rating of B-. Wow, they really really missed the boat on this one. The song truly is a classic.
Couldn't agree anymore..half of today's artists would be a thing to behold without autotune..
Pre-70's most of us discovered music on AM radio that was mono and things like mixes were hardly audible.
@@davesparks9503 Only half?
"I'm a Believer" is a great song, originally written by Neil Diamond. You can hear his version, but I would say the Monkees version is better. And their other song with the word Believer in the title - Daydream Believer - is a masterpiece pop song! Enjoy!
The verses in I'm A Believer are just fantastic lyrically... What's the use in trying?/All you get is pain/When I needed sunshine I got rain. Although I'm not a big Neil Diamon fan I really appreciate that many of the session musicians and writers of the 60's - Carole King, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell are good examples - were eventually able to have very successful solo careers.
I love the Monkees so much, my husband threatened to leave me if I didn't give up my obsession for them. At first, I thought he was joking. But then I saw his face....
I'll just let myself out.
"He's got a TV in every room..." that was a big deal back in the 60s as they were expensive, especially the color consoles. If you had two TVs in your home you were considered well-to-do.
Not to mention they were 500 pounds heavy.
I love that they weren't televisions, they were consoles.
by today's money, a color console was over $4K,and before 65 most shows were still in b/w.
If hitting the Monkees
Got to be " Stepping Stone" !!! 🔥
No contest!!!!!!! BTW
There is a demo of Carol King singing "Pleasant Valley" on You Tube!!
It is fantastic !!!!
Stepping Stone. Then listen to the Sex Pistol's version!
@@grangerjung4129 Yes, other great versions as well arem't there?
Forgot about that one.
@@davidbooth7778 I like the Pistols a lot, but have to agree.
Minor Threat did a version as well.
The Monkees were originally a band that was assembled just for a TV Sitcom. They were nicknamed "The Prefab Four" because they were put together by auditions for a TV Production Team. The first songs they put out were not actually played by the four Monkees. Professional studio musicians were employed on all of them. The band they used was a famous studio band nicknamed The Wrecking Crew. By the time they recorded this song, they were allowed to play some instruments. Mike Nesmith played the guitar riff and I believe Peter Tork played the keyboards. The drums were played by a studio musician. In addition, Carole King and Gerry Goffin were songwriters who were basically employees. They worked in a building in New York called The Brill Building nicknamed "Tin Pan Alley.". They churned out songs for the record companies. Some of their hits were "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles, "The Locomotion" by Little Eva, and "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters. There were other songwriters there who also went on to become famous. The most notable of those was Neil Diamond. He wrote for the Monkees as well, penning "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me A LIttle Bit You." You may want to explore some early Neil Diamond such as "Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon (awesomely used in Pulp Fiction), "Cherry Cherry" or "Solitary Man."
"Solitary Man" Neil Diamond. Great song. He'd be a nice little rabbit hole for them to go down.
The Monkees actually played all the instruments on their third album Headquarters, except the bass which was played by the prover Chip Douglas. They brought in session players for the 4th album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. It’s their best IMO. Even recorded a Harry Nilsson song on it called Cuddly Toy.
Session player Eddie Hoh was the drummer.
Tin Pan Alley WAS NOT the Brill Building . The Brill Building was the last surviving remnant of Tin Pan Alley, a street where every major music publishing company in New York City had their offices. It was named Tin Pan Alley because it was said with all the musicians practicing with their windows open it sounded like tin pans banging together.
@@richrogers299 so how was the last surviving remnant of Tin Pan Alley not Tin Pan Alley?
While not an S tier song, I think you guys underrated this one. Well written, well done, and with something to say other than girls, cars, or drugs. I hope it grows on you.
We must remember, The Monkees had a hit "kid's show" on TV and were popping out songs left and right while under pressure from the industry. But despite this, they, along with other writers, managed to throw some lifetime memories out that will live forever in our hearts.
Their version of “(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone” is amazing and would be perfect for your next Monkees reaction. “Last Train to Clarksville” is outstanding, as well.
Paul Revere and the Raiders also did a great version of "Steppin' Stone."
@@davidschecter5247 yes, I absolutely love their version, too!
@@davidschecter5247 Their version was the first. The most interesting version might be from The Sex Pistols.
@@davidschecter5247 : The original, for what it's worth.
@@davidschecter5247 yes "Stepping Sone", Tork's "favorite " and "Words"...
TOTALLY LOVED the TV show and the music was perfect for the times. Show was absolutely nuts, freaking awesome!
Hey @John H! Absolutely agree!
This is a perfect , example of whatever is the most familiar to the majority wins the poll.
If you ever saw any episodes of the silly sitcom featuring the Monkees, it might be hard to convince you these were legitimate musicians and a legitimate band. But make no mistake, these guys had talent.
they had SOME Talent but...only 2 could really sing. Mickey and Davey. on their songs they didnt play instruments or write any songs. so they are like these boy bands but they didnt dance. funny story stephen stills had an audition and lost out. yea they lost out not getting him.
@@stocksgoupward5922 You got that right!
I agree that once they shed the dictats of Don Kirshner and did their own stuff they turned out some good stuff (also a lot of dross cos I think they were trying too hard to be "out there" so as to distance themselves from "I'm a Believer" and so on). Some of their stuff like "Tapioca Tundra" and "Alternate Title" ("Randy Scouse Git" in the USA) and the one we're focussing on today ain't half bad and of course "Daydream Believer" will play forever. But for sure there's also some stuff that's best left on the shelf!
I personally don't have a problem with their Kirshner era singles - I think they are all good solid pop records that still stand up well. The TV shows are another thing altogether - I tried to watch a couple fairly recently and they are embarrasingly bad in almost every way.
I watched that show as a kid. I loved it.
Actually, Stephen Stills was going prematurely bald at that point and he understood that he wouldn’t be what the network was looking for so he referred Peter Tork, who was a good friend of his, for the role.
Man the monkeys have such good songs, Randy Scouse Git, Shades of Grey, and The Girl I knew Somewhere are some personal favorites of mine
Daydream Believer is my favorite
Take A Giant Step Outside Your Mind and Listen To The Band are great too.
Monkees…
Don't forget (I'm not your) Stepping Stone
@@dianetaylor841 : Indeed, although I much prefer the original by Paul Revere and the Raiders (remember "Kicks"?).
Fun fact: David Bowie chose the “Bowie” (his real last name is Jones) to not be confused with Davy Jones 😁
Last Train to Clarksville, as others have said, is a good song.
PS: this was a mono recording, I believe, so they don’t transfer well for headsets…..wish they did!
Guys, you gotta remember a lot of these songs from the '60s have been remixed much later to achieve the kind of stereo sound and separation we are accustomed to now on our headphones. Back then most of us were listening to them on handheld mono transistor radios, and single ear earphones. SINGLE EAR! So don't necessarily blame the band for how some engineers remix them in later years.
Check out "Last Train to Clarksville" or "Daydream Believer" next. Both much better songs imo. Of course it may just be my sentimentality talking.
Correct. I always tell people to look for the mono releases of sixties music. The mix usually sounds and plays so much better. Stereo was really very new in the sixties and was yet to truly be utilized properly. Even on albums like The Beatles “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” the mono mix sounds so much cleaner.
@@herbyragan8686 yeah, I do not remember this song sounding like this back in the day.
I posted this above as well. I used to work in radio (early 70's) and I agree with what you said. Here is my post: What may affect the sound is that this group and song was built for AM radio which is MONO not stereo which is what most cars and at that time, most transistor radios had so the sound would be more compressed in MONO and for that reason you had to choose to put the instruments or the voices forward. For the Monkeys it was never much about the musicianship so the vocals are pushed forward.
@@HRConsultant_Jeff yeah it's kinda unfair to the original artists producers and engineers to blame them for an artificial updated stereo remix that they most likely had nothing to do with. I've heard them complain about this before, I don't think they were aware of how this happens. Hope we are able to shed some light on it this time.
@@flubblert I agree. This mix sounded bad! The vinyl, that I still have, sounds much better.
Hey, hey we're the Monkees,
and people say we monkey around.
But we're too busy singing,
to put anybody down.
I loved Saturday. Kicked back on the sofa watching the Monkees, Guillian's Island, and the Pink Panther.
My dad defrosting the refrigerator. Box fans going full blast in all the windows. Eating Quisp cereal out of pastel Tupperware bowls...
@@roseypeach8363 Quisp might have actually been "my favorite martian."
The disadvantage you have is that you didn’t live in the times. This is a well crafted pop tune that had a social commentary and a great riff. As kids, we experienced it and ate it up. As an aging Baby Boomer, I reflect and savor the memories when I hear it now. This is in all my nostalgic pop playlists. A+ all day. Thanks for posting it.
Exactly. You had to live in the sixties to appreciate its edginess.
Ditto!
Yeah a lot of people mentioned this was mainly listened too in mono, usually through a television speaker speaker, transistor radio, or general car radio, not really mixed with intention of two guys in 2022 listening in stereo with high quality headphones, I figured it played that great social pop song vibe back then and called it here, it totally is impossible to put myself there since I just wasn’t haha. But yeah, was super fun to hit, loved the song itself and the meaning! Great writing and performance! Just mixing issues, there likely a remaster out there that’s meant for a modern listening scenario
I appreciate the response, Boys. Keep Rockin’!
This is obviously not going to be competitive with the "heavyweights" of the era, but if you were a kid in '66 thru '69 listening to the Monkees on an AM transistor radio in the backyard in the summer this sh*t bopped. Also, the protest/social commentary element in the song makes it interesting.
In 1967, Jimi Hendrix was big in England, but not the U.S., so they had him tour as The Monkee's opening act. He quit after 7 gigs. The teenage girl audience kept yelling for The Monkees during Hendrix's set.
My brother saw one of those gigs, at the Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum. Crazy.
Imagine looking back on that now. “Yeah, I went to see the Monkees, but skipped the first guy”.
Wow, that’s amazing. Total promoter fail. LOL.
Yep!
That was totally a set up, just to generate publicity.
I'm no audio engineer but it seems to me that at the time that this was released most people were hearing it on crappy car radios on AM radio stations. I wonder how much thought was put into how it was going to sound on quality headphones in stereo. I would imagine it's a significantly different experience. Especially since the Monkees were actors hired to be on a tv show (to profit from pretending to be like the Beatles). The musicians were all Wrecking Crew session guys which is why the playing is so much better than the vocals.
Agree with you regarding the way all these old songs were heard back in the day. We didn’t dream of hearing anything in stereo. Transistor radio all the way lol
Actually hearing it through crappy TV speakers while watching guys run around in fast motion.
@@sly_perkins Ha!! So true. Flashbacks to my childhood . . .
@@cindyp1033 Hadn't thought about transistor radios in a long time. Think about the diversity of music we heard on those things back then. A great time for music.
@@sly_perkins so true. Fascinating now what we teenage girls thought was cool back then! They weren’t the Beatles but we took whatever facsimile we could get. We didn’t miss any of the shows featuring bands. Shindig, Hullabaloo, Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand :)
You can't listen to this song without hearing the original mono mix. It packs a much bigger punch and brings everything together. The stereo version spaces everything out so much that it sounds hollow and misses a lot of the original intent. The bass is also greatly lost in space and you miss all of the mono mix driving effects that are not present.
This song is about the town I grew up in Beautiful West Orange NJ where Carol King live for a short time. There’s a road I lived off of called Pleasant Valley Highway
One Monkees song often overlooked is "Goin' Down", which really shows off the vocals of Micky Dolenz. Reportedly he recorded it in one take,
That is my favorite Monkees song
Love these guys! Never missed their show when I was a kid. ✌❤
Check out more from them...Steppin Stone, Last Train to Clarksville, She!!
The mono single is the version to listen to with this song . The separation issues of what we called 'fake' stereo bothers me too and that's not what we heard played on AM radio back then . Mono versions for 50's to mid 60's singles have more punch . 👊
This is one of those things that should be filed under: Needed To Have Been There.
Having said that, I was happy to HAVE been there. And even though it didn't age well, it still brings a little nostalgic smile to my face.
I agree with your "B" rating. Lyrics and riff were great, but "I'm A Believer", and "Last Train To Clarksville" are better, imo.🐵
Anyone else remember watching the Monkees in prime time? Love these guys!
A fun, though well known by some, fact. Mike Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper, a now rare correction fluid for typewriters. As an old Journalism student, I really appreciated this particular invention.
“a TV in every room” was rare. In 1967, we were lucky to have just one.
And it was probably Black and White
It's up there with any other perfect 60s pop song, for me. If you want something a bit heavier that might impress you more, try Porpoise Song from Head, but you really should just appreciate finely crafted pop that just wants to make you happy as just as high an art form as anything else. Dig further into The Monkees for sure
The Porpoise Song is fantastic!
@@markramsey4640 Psychedelic Carole King.
One of my favorite songs ever....I still have my 45. Every time I mow my lawn, I think of this song. Plus my roses didn't bloom this year. I'm so sad....lol
"Last Train to Clarksville" is one of my favorite Monkee songs. It's got an octave thing going in the main riff and great lyrics about a guy who gets drafted and is shipping out to Vietnam. That's your next stop.
I had all the Monkees albums back in the day...and still remembered 20 out of 21 songs on their best of CD.
It's a better song to listen to when watching a Scooby-Doo chase scene! The Monkees do have better stuff (and obviously, so does Carole King). Personal favorites of mine are, "Steppin' Stone," "Goin' Down," "Randy Scouse Git," and "Last Train to Clarksville" - they're worth checking out.
As I recall Mickey recorded "Goin' Down" because his father used to do Scat singing and Mickey picked it up as a kid and used it for that song.
"Goin' Down" is a blast to learn to sing. Micky still can perform it today at 77.
Randy Scouse Git! Yes!!!
she didn't write the song!
“The Girl I knew Somewhere “, the first song the Monkees were allowed to play their own instruments.
The Monkees were a great AM radio pop band with major talent in the band and development of their image.
Now move deep with them and checkout “Goin’ Down” and amazing song. Even featured in the Breaking Bad series.
"Goin Down" is also one of the most fun songs to try and sing along to.
@@rohrvg Apparnetly it was one of Lou Reed's favorite songs
Great song
"Mr Green, he's so serene, he's got a TV in every rooooom"
This song is perfect.
I'd like to recommend "As We Go Along," a song Carol and Toni Stern wrote for the Monkees' movie "Head" that encapsulates the 60's. Neil Young, Ry Cooder, Carole King, and Danny Kortchmar (James Taylor's player) all play guitar on it. The rest of the soundtrack for the movie is fabulous as well.
THE MONKEES! Beyond the hits, very inventive throughout their career. Mickey Dolenz had one of the great pop voices in the rock era. They weren't the simple hit-making machine many accept them to be. They took loads of chances, didn't always come out a winner, but they never took the easy way out. Some great arranging/production touches.
"Shades of Grey" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil is one of their greatest, with Peter Tork's fragile voice being so perfect in it. Their vocal blending was exquisite and made for unique harmonies.
He voice is so cool.
Since you enjoyed "I'm a Believer," I suggest next checking out "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," as both were written by Neil Diamond. Other Monkees songs I suggest include:
"Last Train to Clarksville"
"Daydream Believer"
"Valleri"
"Mary, Mary"
There's also the theme song to the tv show that's a banger.
To clarify, do the original TV version of Valleri. A garage rock fuzz classic! Neil Diamond also wrote Love To Love, which was recorded at the same time as A Little Bit Me but wasn’t released until much later.
Pop songs to make you feel good. Love the Monkees.
Don't give up on The Monkees without checking out "The Girl I Knew Somewhere". They wrote it (first time the studio let them), they play the instruments (first time the studio let them) and it has both a haunting lyric and the coolest rock and roll harpsichord you'll ever hear.
😍
Jazzman is a Carole King Banger.
This song is a "standard" Monkees reaction song, but it is by no means their best or most interesting. Check out any of the songs written by Mike Nesmith. Also, you can't go wrong with "Going Down" with Mickey Dolenz singing his guts out.
They were jamming a cover of a jazz tune, "Parchman Farm," and Mickey started improv and scatting over it. They turned it into a full blown song which was a B side of a single.
@@themoviedealers I know the song by the late great Moes Allison well th-cam.com/video/RRAYLabbHPk/w-d-xo.html
I"ve always loved this song. Forever A+.
Mike Nesmith really contributed songs that were out there (not necessarily pop) and cool. My favorite was You Told Me, which features Peter Tork on banjo, an early foray into country pop.
Welp back in the act with my usual little known fact. As everyone probably knows the Beatles were known as the "Fab Four". When the Monkees were formed by music execs looking for a Beatles type band for a tv show, no one thought they would be as big as the became. The Monkees actually outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in 1967. These were four guys who had never met before. Soon they were being referred to as the "Pre-Fab Four" (pre fab referring to something that is made in parts and then just put together, and because of their clear copying of the Beatles.) They exploded and had several #1 hits. Many people thought that The Beatles would dislike their made-for TV rivals but they actually welcomed The Monkees when they visited England and were big fans of the show. The Beatles along with manager Brian Epstein even hosted a party for them during the recording sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Michael Nesmith sat in on the recording. John Lennon said the Monkees were “the funniest comedy team since the Marx brothers,” adding that he “never missed an episode” of their TV show. They have several great songs, which I feel are better than this one. The one song though that everyone seems to forget is "Aunty Grizelda" my personal favorite. As always fantastic review guys. You can always be depended on to tell it like it is. Stay safe and as always Peeeeace oouuuttt.
It's only in recent years that people have started to re-evaluate The Monkees. They were originally formed for a TV show, with other people recording their music, but they rebelled and proved to the executives that they could do the music well themselves. By the end of their time together, they were recording and writing their own songs, many of which stand up among the best songs of the 60s - no mean feat. As for being "assembled for the show", a lot of Motown acts were assembled in a similar way, and no-one seems to care (as the song says). Who cares how they started - the Monkees were good, solid pop, often with a country edge provided by guitarist and songwriter Mike Nesmith. Try hitting "What am I doing Hanging Round" for a taste of their country edge, or "Daydream Believer" for some pure pop. Their song "Last Train to Clarksville" is a classic, too.
Such wonderful purity in Micky Dolenz’s voice. Great driving piano by Peter Tork
I hope you get to The Young Rascals. Some suggestions; Groovin, It’s A Beautiful Morning, People Got To Be Free. I think you guys will enjoy their sound.
The song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the lyric was written by her husband Gerry after they moved to the suburbs from NYC - he did not like the suburbs.
I never knew Carole King wrote the song, but man, I've always dug this song a lot. Interesting they didn't like it, I think it holds up pretty well.
Carole King and her husband Gerry Goffin, at the Brill Buliding.
Something I always like to bring up about Davy in these discussions is the fact that he was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of the Artful Dodger in the West End London and Broadway musical "Oliver". He was a very talented individual. And, he was on the "Ed Sullivan Show" with the Broadway cast of "Oliver" on February 9th, 1964 , the night the Beatles debuted on the "Ed Sullivan Show", and witnessed history in the making.
I play this song every Sunday during happy hour. Great song!🍻
I never was a big fan of their music. As a child, I loved the show.
All instruments were played by the "Wrecking Crew". They were a group known for playing on a ton of 50's-70's recordings. There is a documentary on Netflix that covers them.
Actually, only a couple of Wrecking Crew people played on this one, unlike most of their earlier songs.
Ms. King embodied musical girl power long before it was in vogue. Even if Andy & Alex disliked the production technique, the songwriting is stellar. It's a brilliantly scathing indictment of suburbia and "status symbol land." Rock on, Carole.
A Harry Nilsson song on a Monkees album? The Jam and Oasis, too? Yes, it's true! The final Monkees album, Good Times!, came out in 2016 as part of their 50th anniversary celebration. Although it featured original members Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith, the producer and guiding light behind it was Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne (his band played most of the tracks). But the amazing thing was all the guest songwriting contributions, not only the title track by Nilsson, but also "Birth of an Accidental Hipster" co-written by Noel Gallagher (!) of Oasis and Paul-friggin-Weller(!) of The Jam. Plus "You Bring The Summer" by XTC leader Andy Partridge, "Love to Love" by Neil Diamond, "Wasn't Born to Follow" by Carole King/Gerry Goffin and other legendary artists. Incredible! And all big Monkees fans! It's actually a really good album and worth a listen.
Agreed! It's a terrific album that I listen to frequently.
Their first 4 albums are pop classics. The album this song was on is their best, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones Ltd. It was the perfect fusion of everything they did well.
I look forward to this. It's a very good song. Great lyrics. The Monkees had a lot of great songs, I'm not your stepping stone, I'm a believer, daydream believer, Valerri, etc.
Well the song is by Carole King and Gerry Goffin (I think they were married at that stage?) so it has a top class pedigree and the Monkees nailed it I think. If you listen to Carole's original demo of the song (which is available here on TH-cam) you can understand how much the Monkees brought to "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
I love The Monkees. A manufactured band which made safe, fun, pop records as requested by the label, but managed to sneak in subversive lyrics.
I am so glad you rated this in the B tier! Sonically this b minus c+ song for me.
I listen to the Monkees . Two of my favorites are Going Down and Salesman. Thanks for the post
"Last Train to Clarksville" would be my choice for next Monkees song, and it's a better song than this one. B is a fair grade for this one. There were at least 3 songs on the Carole poll that are better: "Up on the Roof", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and "One Fine Day", and "Up on the Roof" has the advantage of introducing you to The Drifters, who have other great songs. I hope you check out all 3, and also "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva, and maybe the Grand Funk version too. If you haven't heard Aretha's version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", that's another gem. "Goin' Back" is on my list of numerous Byrds songs that you should hear.
I understand Andy's problem with the left right mix, but keep in mind songs like this from the 60s were never intended to be heard on headphones. Typically in those days you would hear pop music by buying a mono 45 record, or you would hear it on mono AM radio. So the mix was all centered without the extreme left right intrusions. Many of these early recordings were produced in stereo for vinyl LPs, but even then, people would typically listen on a home stereo system with speakers - not headphones so much then.
So the large left right separation would be burred and muted somewhat by the fact that both ears are hearing both channels - unlike headphones, where the right ear only hears right channel, and same for the left.
One of my first introductions to mus at age 7. I thought the Monkees could do no wrong. Such great songs!
Most of the Monkees songs were recorded by the Wrecking Crew studio band that recorded most of the top hits of the 60's. Glenn Campbell was a in that crew before going solo. Mickey Dolenz was a child actor and had to go to six months of drumming boot camp just to be able to play the songs when the Monkees got so popular they started to tour.
Another Monkees Songs to check out: I'm Not Your Stepping Stone.
There are also lots of great one hit wonder garage rock and psychedelic rock songs . Pushing Too Hard by Seeds is a prime example. If you ask your audience you can get lots of suggestions. This area of rock would probably make an excellent live stream.
Fun fact: the tall guy in the beanie, Michael Nesmith's, mother invented White Out
This instead of Up On The Roof.
Who’s voting?
"Up on the Roof" should have won. Or if not that, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow".
I feel like the mix was aimed at AM radio, hollow and tin can sounding, because chances were you would be listening to it on a transistor radio or your television (decades before stereo TV)
The song was sarcastic and talking about how dead the suburbs are- so making the song more lively is out of step with the deadness of what they were describing
Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote one of the trippiest songs for The Monkees called The Porpoise Song. I was shocked to hear it used to close an episode of Mad Men. I often play it for people who cannot figure out who it is but no they know the lead singer lol.
As a teenager of course I loved the Monkees TV show. it was funny and goofy and absolutely crazy. And those guys were so damn cute LOL.
They did have some great songwriters working for them including Boyce and Hart and Neil Diamond and of course Carole King.
I also did love the lyrics of this song touching on the malaise beneath the manufactured ‘perfect’ façade of the suburbs.
Correction: the songwriters did not work for the Monkees LOL. They sold songs to them.
To keep it in context, songs like this were played on AM radio in mono with tons of compression. Had more sonic pop back then when hearing it that way. The Wrecking Crew were the musicians.
I'm not a Monkees fan, but this is one of their better songs .Good review.
On this specific track Hoh is the only Wrecking Crew member on this recording. Nez on guitar, Peter on keyboards, their producer Chip Douglas on bass and of course Mickey and Davey on vocals
I never missed that stupid show. I loved it. Loved their music too
Fun Fact: Composed by Gerry Goffin - Carole King. Also attached to a very fond memory. While it was charting we'd moved from Miami to Washington D.C.. We drove out to the country to see the autumn colors. Just as we peaked a high point in the area, I Iooked down into the sea of crimson and gold, as this song came on the radio. Pretty much blew my nine year old mind...
What a cool memory! Adorable furbaby, too!
composed? It's a Neil Diamond song
@@mollyevans1316 Neil Diamond wrote “I’m a Believer,” but “Pleasant Valley Sunday” was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
So a heads up: this is remastered version. The original was in mono, and I think it sounds much better. Idk why they chose to pan the drums all the way to the right, and the music to the left in this one. I guess to emphasize the vocals?? But it makes the song sound very thin. You should give the mono version a listen, you might like it a bit better. I think as you listened to it here, the B & B- is fair. But I think you guys might jump up to a B+ or A with the original mono version.
IMO, Goffin and King’s The Porpoise Song is the greatest song the Monkees ever did. I saw Papa Nes and Mickey in concert a few years ago, and they pulled it off, which, if you ever listen to it, you’ll appreciate how astonishing that is.
Mindless fun to watch and a bunch of great songs. Plus some pretty cool guest stars and that Monkee mobile too.
Watched it every week.
It you a kid when they were at their peak of popularity, you simply listen to them with different ears than people before or after. You need to be about 57 to 67 to "get" the Monkees. I actually think it's a brilliant A or A+ song with the happy bop sound ironically belying the suffocating banality of '60s suburban life.
Another Pleasant Valley Sunday
Charcoal burnin' everywhere
Rows of houses that are all the same
And no one seems to care
Creature comfort goals they only numb my soul
And make it hard for me to see
My thoughts all seem to stray to places far away
I need a change of scenery
And that's some pretty fancy thoughts for a group that at heart were just supposed to be some fun goofs.
Steppin' Stone is a raw flat out banger. Imagine the balls it took to produce a 30 minute TV comedy with HITS. Enormous pressure to find the songs- no sweat producing them as it was all the LA studio monsters- The Wrecking Crew. They were very very very popular. And Mickey can sing.
You should grade The Beatles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Elton John's "LITSWD". See which version you like more. Could be fun.
Better yet, The Who vs Elton performing Pinball Wizard
I'm always still amazed that this was a band put together by TV network execs. It's amazing when you think about it, that they did so well and sounded so good.
Good song! Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, I believe.
Yes. This won a poll of songs written or co-written by Carole King.
"Porpoise Song" and "As We Go Along" are two other fantastic Monkees songs co-written by Carole King, though they are a little more on the obscure side. They're both from the soundtrack to their movie Head, which is bizarre, and I would say at this point in their musical journey, Andy and Alex probably don't need to watch right now.
yes, the whole weekly poll was King/Goffin songs
@@markghughes If A&A are going to do 'dives' filtered by song writers Laura Nero would be a great stop along the way!
@@Carter-rv5nx I agree!
@@Carter-rv5nx Mann and Weil is one that I would like to see.
Micky Dolenz's voice is great! The lone voice of the Monkees now.
You missed the meaning. You really did. It's a much deeper song than you realize.
Some of these reviews are so hard to stomach since they are listening so out of context. We were Generation Jones, defined by keeping up with the Joneses. This song was a reaction to the rampant materialism. It wasn’t a dance song. FM radio wasn’t even available to most people in 1967, but the voice you were annoyed by was Davy Jones’s and girls swooned to hear him. It went to number 3 on the charts. Not my favorite Monkees song either, but times were different then. We couldn’t listen to what we wanted. We listened to what the radio played. And in those circumstances, this was a great song, and even groundbreaking for the Monkees to do social commentary.
Alex hit it, the dissonance in "Another Pleasant Valley Sunday/down in status symbol land." The sound is happy and pleasant, but the lyrics are subversive. That sonic distance between the vocal and the rhythm which made Andy so uncomfortable just reinforces that lyrical distance.
Also, essentially they were competing with the Beatles and the Beatles at that time were messing around with more experimental recording and production techniques. Just saying.
Yes I agree. That's the best aspect of the song.
A television network shaking a finger at consumer society. Irony, this was your peak.
B. Really? I'd have this as an A all day.
Well this confirms it. We have very different taste in music.
There is a demo of her singing it on You Tube ( circa 1966!!!) ! Her version is fantastic !!!
Not the same. Monkees version
was more like The Byrds.
th-cam.com/video/FtyqPzeso5A/w-d-xo.html At your service!
The main guitar riff is based on The Beatles song 'I Want To Tell You'. That appears on Revolver and is written by George Harrison.
I take on board the comments on the 'mix' issues - however the Monkees MONO mixes are great and how they are meant to sound, much like the Beatles in mono is the way to go. Afraid a product of the era.
My favorite song by the monkees is "Words". Also good by them -
Saturday's child
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