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HEY HEY, I’M A MONKEES FAN
– Forty Years Later
by Malcolm Tatum
Monday, September 12, 1966. Little did I know that a simple little half
hour television show was about to impact my mind and worldview for the
rest of my life.
Launched as a blatant attempt to cash in on the success of the Beatles,
“The Monkees” followed the adventures of a musical quartet as they
fought the bad guys, chased the girls, frolicked on the beach, and made
some pretty good music in between mugging for the camera.
Hand picked from over four hundred people who answered the trade ad in
Variety, the four young men selected to become the Monkees were from
very different backgrounds. At the age of 20, David Jones was already a
veteran of the stage and television in his native Britain. In the
States, he had received a Tony nomination for his work in “Pickwick” and
had the year before recorded his first solo album, which was selling
modestly but consistently. Jones even had an organized fan club already.
His dark good looks made him an easy in for the cast – especially since
he was already under contract to Screen Gems, and they were looking for
the right vehicle to launch him.
Micky Dolenz was the son of actor George Dolenz and had himself been a
television child star in the 1950’s, appearing as the lead character in
“Circus Boy” for three years. Since that show had wrapped, Dolenz had
dabbled in acting (he had a small role in “Peyton Place” in the early
sixties) and been a member of several garage bands.
Peter Tork was a true folkie, having done the Greenwich Village thing
during the first half of the
sixties and had come out to California to try his luck in the music
scene there. Peter brought to the table no acting experience, but had
paid some dues as a serious musician.
Michael Nesmith knew his way around a recording studio. A prolific song
writer, he had recorded
several protest songs under the stage name of Michael Valentine. While
none of them had gone anywhere, he had developed a reputation among his
folk singer peers.
Covered on the fronts of both acting ability and music prowess, the
Monkees were launched. Both the music and the show found its core
audience quickly and the result was not unlike the craziness generated
by the Beatles when they hit stateside just a few years before.
It wasn’t long before the more serious musicians began to dismiss the
Monkees as nothing but an outright fad, one that would fade away in no
time. When the band members themselves let the press know they had not
been allowed to do much other than sing on their first two albums, the
serious music aficionados sneered all the more.
Those of us who loved the show and the group couldn't have cared less.
We were having a great time. Our heroes were all over the radio dial.
Tuesday mornings found us gathered in the school yard discussing last
night's episode and talking about the new song we had seen during the
show. Our devotion allowed the Monkees to have no less than seven tunes
in the Top 40
during that first year. Coupled with the fact that their first four
albums all made it to the # 1 spot,
it was clear Monkee fans weren't bothered by the fact that studio
musicians were supplying most of the music tracks.
Of course, all through this, the Monkees themselves were taking greater
control of both their music and the show. By the time they launched
their summer concert tour in 1967, they were more than able to hold
their own against many of the popular groups of the day.
Being the only child still at home in my family, the Monkees filled a
niche as role models during my formative years. David was the suave one
with the girls and taught me how to interact with females. Micky was the
fun maker who helped me hone my sense of humor. Peter was the deep
thinker; his recommendations turned me on to comparative religion and
the wondrous world of Robert Heinlein novels. Mike was the organizer,
the leader; from him I learned how to facilitate projects and keep
things on track.
The show only made it two years. When the cancellation was announced in
the spring of 1968, the network received what was then a record amount
of protest mail. A few more singles, a TV special, a movie that went
nowhere at the time, then the devolution from quartet to trio to duet,
and by 1970 the Monkees phenomenon appeared to be over and done.
The funny thing is you just can’t kill them. Monkee reunions and various
incarnations of the original foursome have popped up in the decades
since, much to the delight of those of us who made them a big part of
our growing up years.
As for me, I have been there all the time. My closet still has a stack
of old Tiger Beats and Monkee Spectaculars. My vinyl LP’s and 45’s set
side by side with CD imprints of their albums. And on those days when
the pressures of career and family seem to be getting under my skin, I
plug in the headphones, read a little Heinlein and the world drafts back
into perspective.
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